The D.C. Council on Dec. 2 extended the juvenile curfew implemented in November until April 2026 in an effort to reduce crime.

However, Navy Yard residents question whether this is a fair public safety measure or will further criminalize Washington, D.C.’s predominately Black and Brown youth—without addressing root causes.

After a large, chaotic fight on Halloween night, the D.C. Council implemented a juvenile curfew in that prohibited large groups of teens under 17 from gathering on the streets after 11:00pm.�� Just one month into the curfew, and amid further disturbances, council members voted 10-3 to extend the juvenile curfew until spring 2026.

While some residents praise the measure as a step towards increased public safety, others raise concerns about what this may mean for D.C. youth.

Michael Lewis, a Ward 6 resident and father of a 16-year-old daughter, said that just as deploying the National Guard was not about fighting crime, he’s wary of the curfew.

Brittney Gates, 38-year-old former federal employee who lives in the Navy Yard said, while some residents feel safter, she feels more unsafe by the growing police presence around the kids.

Federal employee Vonni K., who withheld her last name for privacy concerns, has a 17-year-old college son in D.C. She said she’s not as worried about him because he is less inclined to be out late.�� She said the curfew also deters the kids who are not out causing trouble since they don’t want the hassle of being stopped by police.

Mixed reactions from residents.

Lewis said he believes the extended curfew is a ploy by the administration to keep residents distracted from the real issues.�� He said they want everyone to talk about this issue and advance the narrative about crime in D.C., but he said the curfew alone won’t change it.

Gates concedes she is “genuinely torn” on the curfew issue. As a Navy Yard resident, she said people pay high prices to live in this neighborhood with an expectation of safety.

Gates said she doesn’t fear for her personal safety, but she has seen large groups of kids congregating around the neighborhood. Around the fourth of July she witnessed teens dangerously igniting fireworks near buildings.

She said it’s quieter since the curfew, but the city should focus on programs, jobs and spaces to keep kids productively occupied. If the city doesn’t address the root issues, Gate said, the curfew will be a temporary fix.

Vonni K. said three years ago, in the quiet of the pandemic, she may have had a different, perhaps more self-righteous opinion about the curfew. However, after seeing her son’s experience with crime in the city, she said she supports an extended curfew—and whatever it takes to combat crime.

She recounted how her college-age son and friends—all honor students—had to hide behind cars to avoid drive-by gunfire after a high school football game. Because of such incidents, school officials moved all sports events to the daytime to reduce late-night alterations.

“The gut check is that suddenly, when it’s your kid who comes home telling you about having to dive behind a car, it becomes much realer. What are we willing to do here to make this not happen again?”

As a federal worker, Vonni K. said she’s lived overseas in some dangerous places and has been evacuated three times because of civil unrest.�� She said her son was taken to school in armored vehicles, yet it wasn’t until he returned to the nation’s capital that he personally witnessed regular violence.

She recalled when he witnessed a fight at school in which a kid was pummeled to the ground and stabbed. She said considering the situations they experienced living overseas, she couldn’t imagine she would need to prepare him for the violence in Washington, D.C.

Vonni K. lamented the perceived absence of parental curfews and said that if parents had set curfews and boundaries in the home, the city wouldn’t have to.

“I am positive that the word ‘curfew’ does not exist in some houses, and it is the city that has introduced this word,” Vonni said that the curfew may represent the first real restriction some kids have faced.

Profiling is baked in.

According to the Juvenile Curfew Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2025, the Metropolitan Police chief can declare juvenile curfew areas where large youth gathering pose public safety risks.

Some residents said they were concerned about how the curfew would be declared and enforced and the potential for police to unfairly profile Black and Brown youth.

Taking a pragmatic approach, Vonni K. said, “They would have to profile, right? There is a profile baked in, and the profile is someone who appears to be under the age of 18, so there has to be some degree of profiling for police to apply it.”

Lewis, more wary of profiling, said the curfew is merely a means to target teens.

“I think it really sends a message to young people that they’re not wanted here—it’s a way to corral them and be able to profile them,” Lewis said. He said public trust has been eroded due to the deployment of National Guard and every measure to reduce crime should be met with elevated scrutiny.

Questioning the racial lines of enforcement between predominantly White institutions and historically Black universities, Vonni K. asked

“Would the young people from Georgetown and American University be treated the same as those from Howard University—I don’t know, I would sure hope so,” she said.

Gates, understanding that curfew implementation will lead to profiling, said, “I recognize that this disproportionately affects the Black community and our Black youth to be able to congregate in spaces.” Gates said the curfew would create a false sense of security in the community and disenfranchise the youth.

Vonni K., recounted an incident two years ago when an off-duty law enforcement officer shot a and killed a 13-year-old boy who tried to carjack him.�� She said the juvenile had been arrested several times prior, “These are the dire scenarios the city is up against.”

A safer D.C.

Residents remain united in need of a safer D.C.; they debate whether the curfew will reduce crime or criminalize youth.

Gates said kids are not outside as much in the winter, so she is cautious of statistics indicating incidents have decreased since the extended curfew was implemented.

Vonni K. said she’d like to see the data to understand how the curfew is affecting crime.�� She said if there is a better way to contain crime—she’s open, but for now, she supports the curfew to bring crime down.

“For folks who are, like, adamantly opposed— which I am in principle, but not in practice. What would you suggest?… Because what we’re doing so far is not working,” she said.

“But I think sometimes, you know, we forget that we were once kids too,” Gates said.

The post Youth curfew extended to increase safety in Navy Yard first appeared on 91����.

Once hailed as the future of the District’s transit,��the DC Streetcar will��terminate��its service on March 31, 2026, with reduced service starting in Jan 2026.����

Recognized for��helping��revive��the H��Street corridor��in��Ward 6,��its��shutdown��leaves a leading cultural institution—Atlas Performing Arts—reflecting on its legacy of promise and public investment.����

Romance meets reality����

In 2002,��Metro developed a��$12 billion, 10-year budget that included the streetcar, but��funding shortages��with state and local partners��caused the��District��to shoulder more of the burden��than it bargained for,��stalling the��project.����

The DC Streetcar officially launched in 2016 after a series of delays, including a 2015 fire.��������

Framed as the��equitable��vision of��D.C.��transport,��37��miles of modern transit��starting in Anacostia��would help underserved communities��and spur urban revitalization.��But,��despite��its��noble��vision, the streetcar��began and ended with a��single��2.2-mile��line��that primarily served the H Street corridor.������

Budget cuts,��restricted coverage, low��ridership��and new��leadership��are��where romance met reality.����

The D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) framed the streetcar termination as a budgetary and ridership issue. According to a DDOT spokesperson, “The mayor’s budget had funded the streetcar through July 2027, when the current contract was set to expire. But Council reduced that funding, forcing the District to exit the contract earlier than planned.” ����

However,��WMATA (commonly referred to as Metro)��has��emphasized that the corridor��still has transit service.����Metro��officials��noted that the long-running D20 bus already covers the��streetcar��route—resulting��in��no lapse in service.����

“It’s our fourth busiest route,” Metro officials explained, underscoring that public transit along the H Street corridor remains active.��

“The bus runs 24 hours a day and��busses��arrive every 12-minutes, so��it’s��a frequent service.”��

Despite this assurance, not everyone agrees.������

“Any removal of access to this corridor is going to adversely impact businesses,” said Jarrod Bennet, executive director of Atlas Performing Arts, a cultural anchor, located in the heart of H Street.����

A cautionary tale on��H Street������

Bennett��said��Atlas��brings��an estimated��30,000 to��45,000 people��a year��to H Street.��However,��he��didn’t��know the service��was ending��until��it was��publicly��announced.������

Bennett��said��he��regularly tells��Atlas patrons to jump on the streetcar from Union Station or the��Mall��as the��best��route to the theater.��

“Removal of access to this corridor is just one more roadblock for people to patronize businesses on H Street,” Bennett said.��

The end of service is not just inconvenient,��but��it completely��blocks off��H��Street from��Metro access,��Bennett said.����He said it will discourage people,��not just from patronizing Atlas,��but��from��all the businesses��and restaurants on the street.������

What’s��more,��Bennett said��it further alienates those with mobility issues or��can’t��afford to take a��rideshare.������

Bennett said he’s been pondering what to tell patrons who come to his theater. Atlas books shows a year in advance and rents the venue to outside performers, and he said that one of the first questions renters ask is, ‘’How to get to the theater?’’����

With the lack of parking, not having access to the streetcar is going to make things extremely difficult for Atlas, Bennett said.����

Metro��officials��said that the D20 bus stops every few blocks along H Street, including near Union Station.������

“Folks are welcome to ride that��[D20]—it serves the same street and corridor,” said��Metro officials.����

According to Bennett,��Atlas��draws��the largest��number��of people to H��Street,��and��he is��unconvinced��that��a bus��option��alone will suffice for the loss.��������

“A lot of our people come to see performances in a ballgown, I don’t think they are going to get on a city bus and ride to a gala,” Bennett��said.����

In addition,��Bennet said��he partners with��, a nonprofit organization that provides paid internships for neurodivergent people. The program helps students gain real-world work experience and��fosters��independence, including how to commute on their own.����

“The streetcar has played a critical role in enabling these interns to travel safely and independently—the end of the service is a concern for our program,” Bennett said.����

A stress test on transit dreams. ��

DDOT said in a press release that it is coordinating with Metro to provide alternatives for current riders throughout the H Street corridor. Metro officials highlight the newly launched program—the first comprehensive redesign of the bus in 50 years.�� ��

“The bus is the backbone of transportation,”��and��the redesign��demonstrates��the transit��agency’s commitment��to modernization, Metro officials have said.������

DDOT is conducting a corridor evaluation for the H Street/Benning Road corridor to determine the most effective and appropriate transportation options for this area.����

Conversely,��DDOT admits it has not conducted a formal evaluation of the��streetcar’s economic or development impact. The agency points to research in other cities showing that streetcar systems can influence development patterns and neighborhood character, but stresses that outcomes��vary widely.����

There’s��been a lot of growth��along H Street��since the pandemic, Bennett said with approximately��22��new businesses opening in 2024.������

Bennett said, “I’m hoping and praying it does not impact restaurants, mom and pop shops and change the vibe.”��

The post H Street corridor’s biggest draw laments the DC Streetcar’s last ride first appeared on 91����.

Washington, D.C., area residents said Wednesday they are less interested in the political battles, and more focused on the potential loss of benefits and what that means for their families.��

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a government-funded food assistance program designed to support low-income households with children, seniors and people with disabilities; it offsets the cost of nutritious food during economic hardship.��

Stress is palpable

More than a million people in the D.C. metro area suffer from food insecurity, according to the Capital Area Food Bank, the largest food distribution center in the region.����

Bernice Anderson, a D.C. resident, received her SNAP benefits on Nov. 1, but said the possibility of not receiving them kept her awake for several nights in a row.��

Anderson, who has been receiving SNAP benefits for the past six years, said she depends on that help to feed her three children.��

“Three kids, bills and all the things,” Anderson said. “We would have no food if we didn’t get stamps.”

Hillary Salmon, senior director of marketing and communications at Capital Area Food Bank, said 430,000 people in the DMV area rely on SNAP benefits, with monthly assistance averaging between $186 and $330 per household. Without the SNAP dollars, Salmon said 80 meals a month are “gone from families’ tables.

“We are trying to fill the gap,” Salmon said. “For every meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine. That can get you a sense of how broad the issue is.”��

Salmon said Mayor Muriel Bowser’s announcement that the city will fund SNAP through November brought relief. But she said the food bank is still planning for potential impacts from possible delays. In November, Capital Area Food Bank is ramping up to provide a million more meals than previously projected, a 25% increase from the same time last year.��

Although residents in the Washington, D.C.,�� area will still receive benefits this month, Salmon said the community’s stress is palpable. Phone calls to the organization’s Hunger Lifeline, which assists those looking for emergency food aid, have tripled over the past three weeks.��

In September, the Capital Area Food Bank’s Hunger Report found 36% of residents in the DMV area don’t know where their next meal will come from. Salmon said she suspects the numbers will get worse following recent federal layoffs and the government shutdown.��

“We are dealing with many forces acting upon each other,” Salmon said. “A lot of these folks are really experiencing economic strain and a lot of anxiety about what’s going to happen.”

Mixed messages from the feds

Conflicting messages from the federal government on SNAP funding have led some to question whether they will get their benefits in November.

In October, the website said SNAP benefits would not continue in November.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 1,” the Food and Nutrition web page said at the time.

On Oct 30, Bowser announced that the District will use its own money to cover the cost of food benefits received by Washingtonians under SNAP through November.��

On Oct. 31, federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use emergency federal funds to sustain SNAP benefits through the shutdown.��

Then, Trump said on a Nov. 4 Truth Social post,�� SNAP benefits would be held.

On the same day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Trump administration is distributing SNAP benefits.

“The administration is fully complying with the court order,” Leavitt said.

‘Frustration’ and confusion��

Behind the shutdown, political banter, confusion and court orders, residents are worried.��

Mike, who received food from Bread for the City, an assistance center, and who requested not to use his full name for privacy reasons, said he welcomed Bowser’s decision to authorize the use of local funds to support SNAP.

“Without that help,”�� Mike said, “I would lose my benefits.”

For Katrina Sanders, a Washington, D.C., resident, the possibility of not receiving her SNAP benefits in November is unimaginable.

Sanders, a mom of four, said a foot injury has kept her from working, and the benefits provide peace of mind for her and her four children.��

Scheduled to receive her SNAP benefits on Nov. 8, Sanders said she is relying on different community outreach programs, such as Martha’s Table, a nonprofit service organization, to have access to fresh produce.��

“I am going to have to make due with what I have,” Sanders said. “You rely on all these things put in place, and to hear they may not continue to be in place is so frustrating.”��

��World Central Kitchen helps federal workers

The NGO World Central Kitchen is helping people in need in Washington, mostly federal employees and their families. The government shutdown has affected not only SNAP recipients but also the food security of many federal workers.

“We are feeding people working without pay,” said Laura Hayes, senior manager of the Chef Corps for World Central Kitchen. “They are coming into the office, and we are making sure to take care of them.”

By helping federal workers overcome food insecurity, they are also supporting local restaurants, which have been struggling as fewer federal employees eat out.

Hayes said the group has provided more than 36,000 meals and all of them are purchased from local restaurants.

“We are buying the meals from the local restaurants and then sharing them with furloughed workers,” Hayes said. “So everybody is supported a little bit.”

Salmon said concerns and caution are rampant in the community. But with support from community networks, there is some ease to the tumultuous environment.

“We know there was an existing high level of need in our community even before anything related to the shutdown, and we are working to step in and help provide even more food out into the community,” Salmon said.��

The post Anxiety, concern seize community over SNAP benefits first appeared on 91����.

With rallies and events planned until the end of the year, organizers��are building stronger coalitions��and amping up urgency in��D.C.’s fight for��self-governance.  ��

Just as��Free DC, a grassroots movement that supports local self-determination,��mobilized residents��for the��“Pack the Court” demonstration��at the Oct. 24 hearing,��the group’s leaders��are training, protesting,��building��resistance movements and��strategic coalitions across state lines to underscore the urgency of local autonomy��and D.C.’s tumultuous road��to self-governance. ��

Free DC��Executive Director Keya Chatterjee��said��the increasing consolidation of power and systemic erosion of democratic norms��has the country making a democratic U-turn.��

“The U.S. is��a��backsliding democracy transitioning to a competitive authoritarian state,”��Chatterjee��said.��

With a��five-year campaign��strategy��for self-rule, Chatterjee said��the goal is to be strategic in every cycle of attack from this administration.����

She characterized economic attacks, mass firings, National Guard deployment, local funding freezes, and legislative attacks as some examples of irreparable harm the federal government is causing residents. ����

Chatterjee said,��with every attack on rights and freedoms,��Free DC��gets stronger—growing��at double the speed than��in��years past—to��build unity,����

“Every effective movement is unified,”��Chatterjee said.��

Admitting she is clear-eyed about the challenges, Chatterjee said they have a 7.5% chance of success relying on the traditional electoral process, but by building a unified civil resistance movement, organizers believe they can increase the odds to about 50/50.��

“Our end goal is to have equal representation under the law for the people of D.C.,” she said.

Pack the Court��Protest��

Free DC organizers��say they have��a sense of urgency, not seen before,��as they describe a democracy that is slipping away to authoritarian rule. ��

Packing the U.S. District Courthouse with D.C. residents was just one of the many protests Free DC said they have planned to express the importance of the moment and the commitment to sustained activism. 

The courthouse protest started as a short walk from Constitution Avenue and rallied in front of the U.S. District Court, where they sang songs, chanted and eventually lined up to enter the court hearing.��

Capitol Hill resident Randy Martin said Washingtonians are not accepting this situation, calling it “crazy” and adding that people will continue to show up. ��

Katie Henke, a Hill East resident who works in international development, said she has worked in authoritarian countries in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe and the military presence on D.C. streets reminded her of those regimes. ��

 “I don’t want to see that in our country, and so I want to stand up for my neighbors,” Henke said. ��

The legal battle in the courthouse ��

Inside the courtroom,��in��,��D.C.��Attorney General Brian Schwalb�� that��the deployment��of the National Guard��undermined the District’s right to self-govern. He equated the deployment to an illegal occupation that is harmful to the city and its residents.  ��

Schwalb said that the troops were not trained to do the job of law enforcement and made residents less safe. ��

“Today we again made clear: the U.S. military should not be policing American citizens on American soil,” Schwalb said after the hearing. “It does not make us safer to have out-of-state military—many of whom are not from here and do not know our communities—policing our streets, driving military vehicles, armed with rifles and carrying handcuffs.” ��

Linda Alexander, a protester who sat through the hearings, said she wanted to be fair and hear both sides.  Alexander said even though she felt safer in Ward 7 since the deployment of troops, she recognized that it’s time for them to go home and spend time with their family. ��

Eric Hamilton, an attorney representing the Trump administration, argued that the case should be dismissed since the president has broad authorities. ��

D.C. is a municipal corporation with limited��authority,��Hamilton��said,��criticizing��the��attorney general��for not aligning with the president’s position.����

Accusing Schwalb of political posturing, Hamilton said, “D.C. is not a state, however much the attorney general wants to pretend it is, and he is doing damage to the District.” ��

��Judge Jia��M.��Cobb��is expected to make a ruling��later this year.��

��The voices of the movement ��

��Law student Byron Brooks said he came to the hearing to see how the process unfolds. ��

“We’re in an unprecedented time of democracy, or dictatorship, depending how it’s viewed.  So, today’s case will definitely set the precedence on where we are headed as a nation,” Brooks said.��

Matt Gordon said he saw the issue as a constitutional crisis. He said, as a veteran who has served his country, he sees the deployment as an illegal abuse of power.  ��

Henke described the impact on her neighbors: “Poor kids are going to and from school, passing these guards with rifles bigger than their torsos. It’s disgusting. This is what you see in authoritarian countries, and I don’t want to see that in ours.” ��

“This is a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act,” said Gordon, a self-described angry veteran. “It’s one step closer towards an authoritarian takeover of this country.”  ��

The Posse Comitatus Act generally prohibits the use of military for domestic law enforcement, with a few exceptions, such as protecting federal property and quelling domestic violence. ��

After the hearing 

At a press briefing following the hearing, Schwalb said, “When this lawsuit was filed several weeks ago, I said it was D.C. today. It was going to be other cities shortly. In fact, that is exactly what has happened. This is fundamentally un-American.” ��

During the press briefing, Henke chanted and heckled Hamilton while holding a Free DC sign prominently in the backdrop. Chants echoed off the courthouse to disrupt Hamilton’s briefing, as he referred to protestors as a “woke mob.”

Hamilton sparred with disruptive protestors but was ultimately drowned out by chanting and walked away. ��

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The intensity and frequency of��Free DC��activities��have��surged, partnering with Virginia and Maryland affiliates to build local momentum for self-governance.  ��

Chatterjee��said that, since��D.C.��lacks��representation,��Free DC��must reach out to states to build political pressure and create a network of resistance.��

Chatterjee said she wants the local D.C. government to stop complying with federal demands and legitimizing illegal actions that harm D.C. residents. ��She said D.C. local government must be on “Team Democracy” and prioritize protecting the community over appeasing the regime.��

“When you give an authoritarian regime what they want, they just take more,”��Chatterjee said.��

With events planned in each ward, every month until the end of the year, organizers are conducting extensive and sustained training programs and building coalitions for mass non-cooperation strategies to fundamentally reimagine democracy in the nation’s capital.��

“Whether it takes ten months or ten years, we must be absolutely resolute in our fight,” said Rig, who used the moniker U.S. Army Overlord.

“As the government wants to escalate its attacks against the District of Columbia, we will clearly have to take more measures to withhold our support,” Henke said.

The resistance continues and prioritizes joy, community resilience, non-violent strategies, and alternative support systems as the way forward, Chatterjee said. ��

“There’s no oppressed people in the history of the world that have ever succeeded without joy,”��she said.��

“Justice looks like the military being off our streets and one step closer toward statehood,” Gordon said.��

The post Beyond ‘Packing the Courthouse’: D.C.’s long road to self-governance  first appeared on 91����.

The women said they have a reason for skipping the demonstrations against the administration: it’s time for others to step up.

During the 2024 presidential election, 92% of Black women voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. After her defeat, some chose to disengage from today’s demonstrations to prioritize their own well-being.

However, others said that while rest is important, citizens should not abandon participation in resistance movements.

At a time when Black women face further marginalization, some sat out a rally that had more than 7 million participants nationwide, but no clear action steps, some said.

“Black women are tired of empty performative action,” said Sherri Williams, associate professor in Race, Media and Communication at American University.

Williams explained that the issue is not about disengagement but about choosing when and how to engage. Black women chose to unshoulder political burdens and prioritize self.

“’Rest as protest’ means Black women are really thinking strategically about where they will invest their energy,” Williams said.

Exhausted, but ‘still showing up’

Still, the rally was compelling for some protesters.

Activist Imani Bashir spent the day under a tent helping people understand their power as jurors and taxpayers and sharing information about labor unions.

She described the rally as a “white liberal space,” a space with predominantly white attendees and no plan of action. She felt it lacked a sense of urgency, disruption, and clear demands, and felt more like a parade than a protest.

Bashir said she understood why others skipped the event. However, she said doing nothing is not enough.

“Some are throwing up their hands,” Bashir said. “But most of the Black femmes, trans folks, and gender-nonconforming people I know are exhausted — and still showing up.”

Opting out

Kia Braxton, an emergency management contractor who works on social justice issues, stayed home. She found little reason to express herself publicly again.

“My protest was back in November when I voted for the only competent, capable choice who was on the ballot who happened to be a Black woman,” Braxton said.

Braxton said protests should not be “comfortable pursuits.” She said the rally was more of a “social gathering.”

Braxton told 91���� that Black people are still resisting, even if they don’t appear in demonstrations. Black people, she said, historically have been working for everyone’s benefit.

“We’ve earned our rest,” Braxton said. “We are still doing the work, just not the way you expect.”

“The Rest Revolution”

Amanda Littlejohn, author of , recognizes how going back to the basics of rest and well-being is helping Black women deal with burnout from advocacy.

Littlejohn and others are turning inward to prioritize their physical and mental health above advocacy.

As her critics call rest a luxury, she pushes back.

“Rest is not a luxury or something that we have to earn,” Littlejohn said. “You can’t outwork racism; you can’t outwork sexism. Your excellence cannot fix systemic issues.”

Littlejohn criticizes the oft-repeated doctrine that Black women must be “twice as good” to succeed. She said it normalizes exhaustion to an unhealthy degree.

“Rest is being in community with people who are supportive to you,” Littlejohn said. “Rest is making room for joy and things that replenish, refuel, and energize you.”

Intergenerational burnout

Clinical psychologist and founder of Vivid Innovations Consulting Ashley Elliott, popularly known as Dr. Vivid, said that rest is a form of resistance.

Elliot said that resting allows others to step up and act. She added that since Black women have carried the load, others need to contribute.

“That resistance is a show of growth in our mindset,” Elliot said. “We understand we are doing more harm than good if we continue to show up on the battlefield for people who won’t show up for us unless we start the work.”

The Arlington-based psychologist told 91���� that Black women have taken on the role of keeping communities together, sometimes neglecting their own needs, resulting in generational cycles of burnout.

To break generational cycles of burnout, Elliot said Black women must remember they also deserve the love, rest, and safety they provide others.

Elliot said that Black women can often feel guilty for resting due to societal pressures. When this guilt rises, there is a way to counteract that – with evidence.

“What have you done for yourself, for your family, for your community that has proved fruitful, effective, positive, beneficial?” Elliot asks. “Acknowledging that that work, no work, no matter how long or short in the task or the project, is enough to justify rest.”

Not exactly “rest”

Anna Malaika Tubbs, sociologist and author of Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us, said that because Black women were pushed furthest from the original U.S. patriarchal structure, they had to imagine and fight for better conditions.

“The Founding Fathers … were building a republic of men, white men in particular, who they saw as elites,” Tubbs said. “They painted Black women as the complete opposite of American patriarchy and the benefits that are afforded to them.”

The sociologist said that when Black women do not always appear at rallies or events, it is not because they are necessarily resting in the traditional sense of the word.

“Our day-to-day life is resistance,” Tubbs said. “The way we parent our children to still live and love and thrive in a nation that often tries to attack them, is our resistance.”

Black women aren’t giving up, Tubbs said, it’s just time for others to “wake up.”

The post The complicated relationship of Black Women and the ‘No Kings’ movement first appeared on 91����.

Once threatened by development, the club’s recent historic designation now offers it protection and potential partnerships as the 11th Street Bridge Park and the reimagined Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium development transforms the Anacostia waterfront.��

In a prime, almost hidden corner of Boathouse Row, Seafarers was founded by mariner and educator Lewis Thomas Green in 1945 with the support of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. ��At a time when boat clubs were exclusively “white-only,” Seafarers stood as a haven for Black boaters and a symbol of resilience. ��

“It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about protecting what still serves the people,” said Roger Legerwood, Seafarers Yacht Club historian and 30-year member.

Historical designation offers legal protections��

Seafarers gained its historic designation in 2022, sponsored by the D.C. Office of Planning—shepherding in new protections against emerging developments.��

“We’re not scared, we’re historic. We’re in partnership with the D.C. government,” said Seafarers Yacht Club Commodore Tony Ford. ��

Seafarers falls within Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal projects to assess and mitigate adverse effects on historic properties. �� ��

“If the review identifies potential adverse effects, the parties will coordinate to resolve them,” the D.C. Office of Planning said.��

Legerwood began documenting the history of the club about 25 years ago, almost by accident. ��He said he found the history fascinating, and his chronicled account eventually became the basis for filing historic preservation.��

“They just can’t run through here without checking,” Legerwood said. “When we see or hear of threats, we look at it as an opportunity to engage.” ��

The designation opens new doors for grant funding and restoration support. Seafarers partnered with the 11th Street Bridge Park team—the project to transform the abandoned 11th Street Bridge piers into a state-of-the-art park—to ensure the club’s legacy is cemented in the future of the waterfront. ����

“Connecting to the river has always been one of our key goals,” said Scott Kratz, director of the Bridge Park project.�� “Seafarers started the Anacostia River Cleanup in 1985.�� They’ve been critical to restoring and healing the river.”��

Kratz’s team secured a U.S. Coast Guard permit to maintain the navigational envelope—increasing visibility for organizations like Seafarers. ��The new park will include an environmental education center, which could feature Seafarers’ history and community programming. ����

Ford, who has led the club for seven years, said he views the Bridge Park partnership as a model for respectful collaboration. ��

“We’re already partners,” Ford said. “We offer free boat rides during cherry blossom week and talk about the history. ��It’s not adversarial; it’s community.”��

Ford is less certain about the RFK Stadium development, a $3-billion project expected to generate thousands of jobs and billions in tax revenue. ��

“We haven’t had a mutually respectful conversation with those developers,” Ford said. The club’s relationship is only through the mayor’s office, he said.��

Over the years, Ford said developers have used intimidation tactics. In one case, Ford said a developer sent an email alluding that Seafarer would sell its property before even having a conversation. Ford said he is used to the tactics—and some have already begun.

“Forming, storming, norming and performing, that’s how we figure out where we fit in,” Ford said. He added this is a teambuilding process that goes through different stages to understand their relationship and roles in the development projects.��

Despite concerns, Ford said he remains optimistic.����

“We are the oldest African American boat club in the country—not DC—in the country,” Ford said. ��

Seafarers started the Anacostia River clean up, and we will continue to do what serves the community, Ford said.��

It’s about the community��

For longtime D.C. resident and recreational fisherman Derick Jones, this is personal.�� Fishing on the Anacostia River for over 20 years, Jones acknowledged that the RFK development is good for the city.������

“I hope they don’t mess it up—a lot of young brothers come here to fish instead of getting in trouble,” Jones said.��

Jones urged developers to protect community spaces.����

“This is my fishing spot,” Jones said while laughing. “This is my peace of mind.” ��

Seafarers Business Manager Captain Anthony Hood echoed the sentiment.��

“We are a working club. Members bring their skills—woodwork, law, electrical—to keep things going.” ����

Hood joined the club in 2020 after his wife passed. He said she always had encouraged him to buy a boat. ����

“It has occupied my time and helped me heal—now I’m part of something bigger,” Hood said.��

As the business manager for Seafarers, Hood focuses on infrastructure and restoration efforts. ��Partnered with Anacostia Riverkeeper and the Council of Governments, Seafarer received a grant to remove abandoned boats as part of an initiative for cleaner waterways, Hood said.��

With work-in-progress projects all around the club, Hood said the infrastructure needs attention. ��Members are replacing old dock woods themselves, but with development funds, Hood said. ��

“We could rebuild the docks, the rail system and even the clubhouse,” Hood said.��

Legerwood said the club wants to amplify Seafarers’ legacy and make boating more affordable and inclusive. ��

“Inclusivity was our original mission,” Legerwood said. “Mr. Green built boats by hand but couldn’t find a place to dock because of his race—that’s why this place exist.”��

The D.C. Preservation League, which maintains the city’s historic inventory, said it added Seafarers to its public database after the designation and is now part of the public record. ��

D.C. Preservation League said, “That visibility matters.” ��

“We’re not just a boating club.” said Legerwood. “We’re a living archive of Black maritime history.”��

The post This last Black institution along the Anacostia is navigating development with intention first appeared on 91����.

While the rest of the country focuses on national policy debates centered on affordable healthcare, people in Washington, D.C., feel the weight of the shutdown each day.

Here’s how the federal government halt is playing out on the streets of the District:

Museums everywhere – but they’re closed

George Washington Law School student Bradley Suarez often brings his dog Maple to play fetch on the lawn of the National Mall. The Florida native said his mom tagged along a few weeks ago. It was unusually barren – no local artisans or food trucks set up outside.

Suarez said that’s not the only thing that’s changed. He had to find a new place to take study breaks, since the Smithsonian Institution museums closed.

He used to “pick one museum a day” to walk around between class work. Now, because of the shutdown, the doors are locked.

“I don’t like it,” Suarez said.

By Isabel Del Mastro

New normal

Rachel Callahan moved to D.C. two months ago, eager to start college at George Washington University and explore the city. Federal layoffs and a government shutdown welcomed her to the District.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Callahan said her parents are eager to visit for family weekend. But, since TSA is “all messed up” from the shutdown, she said they may not make the trip.

As the National Guard troops walk by the Foggy Bottom Metro, Callahan said she has only known a D.C. in shutdown.

“It’s just like normal for me at this point — it would be different if I was here before,” she said.

By Ellen Tannor

Empty city, empty restaurants 

Kevin Gonzales, a manager at Carvings, a casual American restaurant in Foggy Bottom, said he wonders how long the government’s pause will affect business.

“We are down to about 25% of our business’s revenue because federal employees stop coming to our establishment,” he said. The restaurant serves everything from quesadillas to Reuben sandwiches to chicken tenders.

The restaurant has been empty Wednesday, with only spurts of customers straggling in. Gonzales said the business may have to lay off morning staff if the shutdown continues.

By Lynn Howard

‘Disappointing’ trip

Rachel Jennische and Robert Muilenberg, both journalism professors at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, flew with four undergraduate students to D.C. for MediaFest25, an annual conference for student journalists.

Jennische said she is disappointed, but not surprised, that the federal shutdown ruined their plans.

She wanted to take her students to visit the Smithsonian Institution museums, but the federal shutdown paused its funding. All 21 Smithsonian facilities closed their doors Sunday.

“I do mostly feel bad for our students because they don’t get the chance to travel much,” Jennische said. “That is disappointing.”

Instead, the group visited replicas of well-known D.C. sites, like The People’s House: A White House Experience.

By Isabel Del Mastro

No dinosaurs in D.C.

Matt, a French traveler who didn’t give his last name due to privacy concerns, is just in D.C. for two days as a part of a 60-day solo excursion throughout the United States. His trip started in New York and will end in Portland, Oregon.

He said he didn’t care about the federal shutdown at first. Then, it messed up his plans to visit the Smithsonian.

“Now, since I can’t go to see the dinosaurs, I’m kind of sad,” Matt said.

By Isabel Del Mastro

‘National gardeners’

Hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers are going without pay during the shutdown. The military, including National Guard members, could be the next to miss paychecks.

Protesting outside Union Station, veterans Matt Gordon and Blake Heinz said the National Guard should not have been deployed in D.C.

Gordon called the deployment “an embarrassment.” The guard has no clear orders, he said, and low morale. Guards assigned to beautification of the National Mall, have earned the nickname “National Gardeners,” Gordon said.

By Terrance Williams

Future ‘to be determined’

The shutdown is making it harder for Elizabeth Riekse, a senior international relations major at American University, to finish her capstone.

She planned to write about Thomas Jefferson’s Quran. Visiting the Library of Congress was essential to Riekse’s research. Now that it’s closed, the future of her project is “to be determined,” she said.

It’s not the first time the government changes have impacted Riekse. This summer, she interned at the US Department of Agriculture. Her job was cut during DOGE.

By Anastasia Menchyk

Democracy’s future

A group called For Liberation and Resistance Everywhere, a left-wing organization protesting Donald Trump’s presidency, has been on the lawn outside Union Station for months. Randy Kindle, a board member for the organization, said Trump’s presidency is a “multi-generational traumatic event.”

“If we don’t get Trump out by the end of the year, we won’t be a democracy for a long, long time,” he said.

Kindle said he has noticed fewer tourists since the shutdown started two weeks ago. He said he thinks Republicans and Democrats will reach a deal after the ‘No Kings’ protest Oct. 20.

By Terrance Williams

Federal workers ‘in panic’

Once a week Astor Archer stands around D.C. and spreads the word of God. He’s a Jehovah’s Witness, and said many of his friends and fellow parishioners who were furloughed are facing economic hardships.

Positioned in the heart of Foggy Bottom, across from Circa restaurant where federal workers pass by on their way to work, Archer said it seems like people are “in panic” at times.

Archer said he talks to everyone — doctors, nurses, federal workers and the general public. He looks through the pages of his bible for solutions for problems people are facing.

“It helps us see that there’s something better for mankind,” he said. “I’m here to give information, spread love and give hope.”

By Ellen Tannor

Nothing to see here

American University teaching assistant Jonah Gutterman, a 22-year-old junior from Philadelphia, usually escorts his intro-level government class on trips to federal buildings throughout the semester.

The shutdown cut those visits. “We were supposed to do a lot of really fun, exciting trips,” Gutterman said.

The class was scheduled to visit the Washington Monument and the Pentagon, he said, but the visit had to be cancelled. Gutterman said he doesn’t think the shutdown is close to ending.

“To be honest with you we haven’t covered it a whole lot in my congress class,” he said.

By Anastasia Menchyk

Life in limbo

Chris Ravenwind has been unhoused for four months. The path that led him there is tangled with the ripple effect of federal layoffs.

Originally from California, Ravenwind said he worked for a security company in Virginia — until he was abruptly laid off. He said he believed the layoffs were tied to the instability of the federal government.

Now, he said he spends his days submitting job applications and trying to find permanent housing, which is harder to nail down right now. Ravenwind said he is on a 5- to 8-year waiting list for government-assisted housing. For now, his next steps are simple: find food, get rest, keep trying.

“After I manage to get one responsible thing done, it’s about sleep and getting enough spare change to cope,” he said.

By Ellen Tannor

Staying optimistic

Fall is usually the busy season at Central Michel Richard, a French-American bistro near the Federal Triangle, said Ebony Miller, assistant general manager.

The restaurant’s main clientele are senators, lawyer groups and federal workers, she said.

The restaurant has seen a decrease in business since August, Miller said, but the federal shutdown has made it worse. She said her team is trying to stay optimistic.

“I’ve been trying to find creative ways just to make sure we put ourselves out there,” Miller said.

By Isabel Del Mastro

New business plan

Anuradha Mehra has sold handcrafted goods at Capital Harvest on the Plaza, a vendor market, for two years. But since the federal shutdown, she said her business has been suffering.

Mehra has 30 artisans crafting bags, scarves, and home goods in New Delhi, India, for her business IndiBlossom. She moved to D.C. 15 years ago and has been selling art for the past 10 years.

She said she only sells her goods in popup shops but, since the federal shutdown, she might create an online shop to help supplement business.

“I think in some ways I feel compelled to start my online space because, you know, with the way things are. But the shutdown is really just impacting people’s ability to shop,” said Mehra.

By Isabel Del Mastro

The post ‘Disappointing’ D.C.: Locals are worried, visitors feel shut out first appeared on 91����.

What was the groove? “,” a go-go style, funk track rooted in the D.C. sound. The song, which will serve as the official anthem of the 11th Street Bridge Park, was released Oct. 5 at the Go-Go Museum.

The 11^th Street Bridge Park, a transformational elevated bridge park development, held its song release party to celebrate development and determination—honoring the city’s past and future.

The song was written by D.C.’s own grammy-nominated artist Raheem DeVaughn, produced by the famed Lorenzo Johnson aka Zo Smooth and co-produced by go-go legend, Salih Williams, better known by his stage name Bootsy Vegas, brings local rhythms interwoven with community spirit.

Devaughn and Williams said they took on this project because it was more than just a musical endeavor; it was a community driven initiative to create positive change and celebrate D.C.’s rich cultural history.

“Through music, we can communicate,” Williams said, “There’s a lack of historical understanding about a lot of these projects.”

A bridge like no other.

Thirteen years in the making, the project is now fully funded, is expected to break ground in spring of 2026 and launch in 2028.

A collaboration between the D.C. government and Building Bridges Across the River non-profit, Bridge Park strives to be the model for equitable development—strategically focused on housing, the arts, workforce and small business development.

Scott Kratz, the president and CEO of Building Bridges Across the River, said Bridge Park is a different kind of project.

“We’ve learned from projects of the past where residents have been displaced,” Kratz said. Gentrification, emblematic of D.C. evolving neighborhoods, has long plagued well-intentioned projects across the District.

“We had to be intentional about this work,” Kratz said. “It would have been easy to say, gentrification is a serious issue, but that’s not our job—we’re building a park.”

Kratz said before engaging a single designer, Bridge Park spent two years talking to residents, asking, “What did they think about transforming an old freeway into a park?”

The inclusive, community-led development will be the first of its kind—transforming the old, abandoned 11^th Street Bridge piers into a cutting-edge, elevated park. The vision is to create a community space that integrates historically disenfranchised neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River and the surrounding communities.

The Bridge Park will include playgrounds, urban agriculture, an Environmental Education Center and a 250-seat outdoor River Amphitheater.

Lovail Long, a Ward 8 resident and owner of DC Black Broadway, said, “This project means everything to me.”

Long, who produces stage plays and musicals, said the amphitheater will offer a space where he’ll be able to perform live for the community. Like his fond childhood memories of performances in Anacostia Park, Long said he and his wife wants to create memories through arts and music for a new generation of children.

Kratz said intentional development puts the community at the center.�� Building Bridges has invested more than $100 million in the community—more than needed to build the park.�� Through community-based initiatives like Homebuyer’s Club, 182 Ward 8 renters became homeowners and Bridge Park has secured 230 units of permanently affordable housing.

Bridge Park even worked with local artists and the community to create the anthem song befitting of this visionary park.

And the go-go beat goes on.

The percussion-driven go-go anthem was commissioned and curated by Ronald Moten, co-founder of the Go-Go Museum, along with Bridge Park leaders to symbolize the partnership between the Bridge Park development and the community.

Natalie Hopkinson, co-founder and chief curator of the Go-Go Museum and professor at American University, said, “go-go music is the official music of the D.C., codified in legislation,” so elevating the music is only natural.

Just as Moten cofounded the museum to preserve the culture and history of his beloved go-go music, he said he partnered with the 11^th Street Bridge Park because of its community-led, community-driven approach.

Through the loud, reverberating music, Moten said, “We started differently from most museums—most opened with an endowment—we opened with no money and people banging on the door asking us why aren’t you open,” noting parallels to the Bridge Park grassroots development approach.

DeVaughn, host of “The Original Quiet Storm,” the number one night-time show in D.C., said creating the anthem was a passion project to help the community and elevate go-go music.

After being “schooled” on the historical context of the bridge and learning enslaved people walked the original 11 Street Bridge every day, he said the project resonated with is lifelong commitment to the music and community.

DeVaughn said he views the song and performance as a way to bridge gaps and support black-owned businesses and create a platform that celebrates go-go—the heartbeat of D.C.

“Most importantly, we’re about having a footprint in the community and being of service,” DeVaughn said.

A former co-host of the famed Donnie Simpson Show, Williams said he came to “perform with a purpose.” Co-producing the song not only honors go-go pioneer Chuck Brown’s legacy, Williams said, “it brings people together who might not have been checking for go-go but left with an appreciation.”

In addition to creating music, Williams now dedicates his time to teaching kids broadcast journalism. He said he partnered with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation to teach journalism and provide scholarships to high school students in Ward 7 and 8.

Williams said creating the Bridge Park anthem with Johnson and DeVaughn was a natural extension of his work supporting his community where he was born, raised and still lives.

It’s about the community.

“A community on the river,” Kratz said. “Many people in the community have never been out on boats.”

Building Bridges works with local boating organizations like Seafarer’s Yacht Club and Anacostia Boathouse Association to connect the community with the Anacostia River.�� Bridge Park partners to offer free boat rides and to give community members an opportunity to kayak and canoe along the river.

D.C. transplant and American University Alum Jayra Collier’s employer Plum Good has been a Bridge Park sponsor for eight years.�� Collier said through its partnership, Park Bridge has promoted its teas, spices and sauces.

Collier said she hopes other transplants like herself will get to see “The real D.C.,” to promote local businesses and have a space to enjoy and rest.

Residents living along the Anacostia River deserve a waterfront just as beautiful as the residents of Georgetown,” Kratz said.

The song release party symbolizes a celebratory reflection of where the project started. Kratz said, “Long term residents who’ve been here through some of the challenging times, through the disinvestment, can be here for the good times.”

Much like D.C.’s syncopated go-go music, the future of the Anacostia community history must be preserved, said Dr. Deborah Evans, board member of the Go-Go Museum.

“Progress is good, but we have to maintain the history of the community.”

The post “Take it to the Bridge”: Go-go song release party celebrates 11th Street Bridge Park first appeared on 91����.

Initially deployed to combat crime, the National Guard is now turning to advisory neighborhood commissions seeking a community to-do list; not everyone is on board.

Picking up trash is not the reason they came to D.C., but it’s now part of the Guard’s new mission.

With crime in D.C. at a 30-year low, President Trump in August declared a crime emergency invoking the Home Rule Act to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department and activate the National Guard from D.C. and six Republican-led states.�� Just weeks into the deployment, the National Guard is seeking beautification projects across the city—a move that has sparked mixed reactions from caution to collaboration.�� Leaders and residents are divided on whether to collaborate or stand firm on the Guard’s departure.

“If you want people to do beautification projects, why not rehire the people that were just fired from the National Park Service,” Adams said.

A shift in direction happened Sept. 8 when D.C. National Guard Director Marcus Hunt sent a District-wide letter to advisory neighborhood commissioners “requesting help identifying projects on neighborhood beautification efforts.”

Hunt, a native Washingtonian and Ward 8 resident, appealed to commissioners with a sense of partnership and urged leaders to work “alongside” the National Guards as a community.

The response has been mixed. Earlier this month, 93 different ANCs penned a published in The 51^st opposing the deployment of National Guard troops in D.C. “It is a direct attack on the freedom and independence every community deserves,” the commissioners wrote.

Commissioners in Ward 8 were among the first to reject Hunt’s request to help, voting unanimously to refuse the offer. “We don’t need the National Guard in the community to help with beautification” they said.

Ward 1 ANC leaders also declined to respond, calling the offer “uncomfortable and concerning.”

However, Ward 7 Commissioner John Adams said, “We invite and embrace” the help.

ANC 6B, which represents Capitol Hill and Hill East is still pondering the decision.

David Sobelsohn, ANC 6B secretary, said that ANC Commissioner Edward Ryder considered holding an emergency meeting on the request but ultimately decided to wait until the full body meeting on Oct. 15 when the public can weigh in.

The troops will be here until December, so we have time to make a “measured decision,” Sobelsohn said.

Sobelsohn said some constituents would like to see the ANCs work more collaboratively with the National Guard. ��He said his commission conferred with the Home Rule Caucus, an informal group of roughly 75 ANCs that advocates for D.C. self-governance.

Sobelsohn said the alternative responses falls into three camps: reject the offer outright, find collaborative ways to work with the troops or ignore the offer and don’t respond. “One and three are essentially the same,” he added.

While all ANCs agree in principle that the troops should go home, Sobelsohn said there is a school of thought that says, “if they are going to wander the streets aimlessly, we should let them do something.”

Former federal contractor Ryan Donaldson, who said he has witnessed crime first-hand, deemed the National Guard as a necessary deterrent and supports its presence for both safety and beautification efforts.

Donaldson, a Capitol Hill resident, said as a federal city, D.C. represents the pride of the nation and “we need to put our best foot forward.”

Donaldson said he has had his bike stolen a few times, witnessed a resident assaulted by a homeless person and even found a discarded handgun at a D.C. Metro station.�� “So yes, I support more police and National Guard presence—not just for me but for everyone who lives and works here,” he said.

However, Adams said she sees the beautification efforts as a political move.

“If this was really about crime, we’d see the National Guard in high-crime areas—not picking up trash near $800,000 homes and monuments,” she said. “This feels more like a test of presidential power than a public safety mission.”

Adams, a remote tech employee, added, “We don’t need troops to beautify D.C.—this money could be going toward schools and school programs, instead it’s being spent on a military presence we didn’t ask for.”

Pentagon civilian employee Mark T., who declined to provide his last name due to privacy concerns, has lived on Capitol Hill for 20 years; he offered what he described as a pragmatic approach. “If the situation has been imposed on us, let’s make the best of it,” he said.

If handled correctly and the contributions are meaningful, Mark T. said it won’t legitimize federal overreach but rather help the community. “If not, we run the risk of sounding like hyper-liberal complainers,” he added.

Home Rule Caucus Chairman Miguel Trindade Deramo coordinates advocacy across the commissions and urged the National Guard to remain focused on its mission of “readiness to respond to security threats.”

On Sept. 18, the Home Rule Caucus published a to Hunt thanking him for his offer but expressing “collective disapproval.” The letter cited a misuse of federal resources and warned of a troubling precedent.

Trindade Deramo told 91���� there is a lot of work to be done around the city, noting the inappropriate use of the Guards.

“They are trained soldiers; we don’t need them picking up trash and laying mulch, Trindade Deramo said.” The federal government needed to properly fund the National Park Services and the other agencies trained for these matters, he said.

Trindade Deramo said he didn’t fault wards who accepted the National Guard’s offer but stressed the principle of local autonomy outweighs the short-term service they provide.

Adams admits her children are amused and curious about the Guards posted in the neighborhood, but she cautioned this political environment is a slippery slope.

“Leaders should be standing up and pushing back and not playing along to make the troops look more useful,” she said.

D.C. leaders are navigating a delicate dance asserting local authority while responding to federal pressure and oversight.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chair Phil Mendelson spent five hours testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Sept. 18.�� While Bowser did not push back on the National Guard, she emphasized public safety must be managed locally.

“Let us do our job,” she told committee members.

Even with differing opinions on beautification projects, there is consensus that the Guards must be treated respectfully. Adams said, “They didn’t ask for this mission, but they are here to serve.”�� Mark T. added “Let’s treat them with the pride and decorum the uniform deserves.”

The post National Guard wants to help; ANCs not so sure first appeared on 91����.

, an initiative of the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities, partners with D.C. public schools and artists to create lively street murals at crosswalks aimed at reducing accidents.

Samantha Hamilton, an artist with Chalk Riot, a mural company specializing in vibrant pavement art, works with two third grade classes from Maury Elementary School, a neighborhood school located in the heart of Capitol Hill.

Through a STEM program that focuses on elements of the environment, Maury  students create images as a class and merge the images into one idea, Hamilton said. “It’s a community process and the kids lead.”

As an artist, Hamilton gets to take liberties to bring the images to life on the streets of Capitol Hill.

A graduate of American University, Hamilton’s art is prominently displayed on the streets of the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The Color Your Curb program works alongside the city’s Vision Zero, a Mayor Muriel Bowser-backed DDOT’s program aimed at producing zero fatalities and serious injuries on D.C. streets.

Greg Billings, DDOT’s bike pathway branch manager, said he works to implement curb extensions on city streets where pedestrian safety is a concern, adding that the program is data driven. 

Artists like Hamilton, in collaboration with neighborhood schools, then bring art murals to curb extensions.

Without the artwork, the curb extensions are not as visible, said Hamilton.

Hamilton said the science shows that “extending the area where pedestrians walk reduces accidents.”

For 2025, participating schools include Maury as well as Columbia Heights Education Campus and Mary Reed Elementary.

Street art, political flashpoint.

As artists and officials collaborate for safer streets, art remains a political flashpoint. 

In March 2025 Bowser admittedly succumbed to “political pressure” by removing the Black Lives Matter mural from 16^th Street.  The mural stood as reminder of the city’s racial reckoning after the 2020 death of George Floyd and Bowser’s defiance at the time against President Donald Trump.

Reflecting on the mural’s removal, Hamilton said, “The removal of the Black Lives Matter mural was terrifying.”  While it didn’t directly target Hamilton’s work, she said, “It jeopardized the work of all artists” and sent shockwaves through the art community as to what could be next.  

More recently, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a directive urging states across the country to remove street art and murals, citing defacement and driver distraction. 

Erik Salmi, Councilmember Charles Allen’s deputy chief of staff, said, “If the federal approach gains traction, it could roll back safety measures in the name of aesthetics.” 

Salmi pushed back on the federal framing of street art as a distraction, saying, “Whenever a street changes, especially in a way people don’t expect, it causes people to slow down—it’s a safety benefit.”

Salmi said he doesn’t have any concern that street murals pose a safety risk.

“DDOT has rolled it out, they are doing it with safety in mind. It’s not willy nilly, they follow strict guidelines and data,” Salmi said.

Amid growing concerns of directed art removal, Hamilton and leaders from Chalk Riot met with Rep Maxwell Frost (D-Fla) last week.  Frost, who has introduced legislation to support emerging artists, is taking up the issue directly with local artists in what may be strategic step for further federal directives.

Hamilton said, “It’s a huge concern that there’s going to be legislation coming down the pipeline to make it illegal and cover all of them without warning.” 

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, a Republican, under the direction of the new Road Safety initiative, removed a painted rainbow crosswalk that served as a memorial for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida. DeSantis and his team removed the painting overnight without notification or consultation, sparking concerns within the art community that it could happen anywhere.  

According to Hamilton, Frost briefed the Chalk Riot team on the developments in Florida and explained there is ‘no law or pending legislation’ mandating the removal of street murals.

Despite the federal initiative, D.C. officials are doubling down on data driven public safety measures.   Salmi said in D.C., “traffic deaths and major crashes are down considerably.”  

The post Murals on a mission: Street art making city streets safer first appeared on 91����.