The park’s half-century-old drum circle has become one of the District’s sustained traditions, with participants now extending their skills into classrooms and workshops.Ìę

The park overlooks the District perched on one of D.C.’s highest points. It was laid out in the early 1900s as Meridian Hill Park.

In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson first called the area Meridian Hill, named for the White House meridian line first surveyed by Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker, who mapped Washington, D.C.Ìę

Officially, it’s still Meridian Hill Park. To but to many Washingtonians, it’s Malcolm X Park.Ìę

In 1969, Angela Davis held a rally, calling for the park to be renamed Malcolm X Park following Malcolm X’s assassination. A few years later, the drum circle began meeting regularly.ÌęÌę

Ngoma’s legacy. Ìę

Kwame William H. Caudle Babalu remembers the early years of the drum circle vividly. He said he came up in D.C.’s revolutionary 1970s, when the District was known as Chocolate City.

Caudle said he learned drumming in the park from master drummer Baba Ngoma, the man he credits as the drum circle’s first leader. Ìę

“Baba Ngoma always went to Malcolm X Park,” Caudle said. “Right after the death of Malcolm X, Baba Ngoma was playing drum prayers early in the morning.”Ìę

On those Sunday’s, Caudle remembers waiting in silence until Ngoma finished playing. Only then, could a student speak.Ìę

“That’s how you learned,” Caudle said. “You watched. You earned your part.”Ìę

Ngoma was deeply tied to D.C.’s Black consciousness movement, Caudle said. Schools in the District sent him to Kenya, where he had a spiritual reading and came back as Baba Ngoma, and instructed at the African Heritage Dancers and Drummers — one of his students being Caudle. Ìę

Caudle said the circle first met on the Euclid Street side of the park before moving into the main lawn. The site once served as a Civil War fort, according to the National Park Service, which inspired regulars to call it “the sentry hub.”Ìę

“There was a sentry post,” Caudle said. “And Baba Ngoma would do prayer and libation for El Hajj Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) and all of the ancestors.”Ìę

A libation is a ritual pouring of water in remembrance of the dead.Ìę

The circle grows.

Kevin Lambert said he started coming to the circle shortly after he moved to D.C. in 1990.Ìę

“It was a little more spiritual than it is now,” Lambert said. “It started in the 1960s with Black nationalism and movements, so there was a definite political and spiritual edge to it.”Ìę

He said he first stumbled onto the circle by chance after passing by one Sunday afternoon and hearing the congas.Ìę

“By gosh, there were about 20 guys playing drums. I figured that Chocolate City would have a drum circle, and I finally sort of stumbled onto it,” Lambert said.Ìę

At the time, the circle’s leadership centered around Barnett Williams, a master drummer and longtime percussionist who played with Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets, Lambert said.Ìę

WilliamsÌę“was a man of deep respect. He finally said, ‘Okay, guys, shut up — this man knows what he’s doing,’ and that opened the door for me,” Lambert said.Ìę

When Williams died in 2006, Lambert said he feared the circle would end.ÌęÌę

“We didn’t have anyone to keep it right,” he said. “But other people stepped into the breach — and then we realized the breach didn’t really have to be stepped into.”Ìę

Over time, the circle became more open and community –based.Ìę

Drumming as oral history.Ìę

Healing through drumming drives Yuma “Docta Yew” Bellomee, who founded the. The group brings African drum and dance traditions into workshops and schools across the D.C. area, Bellomee said.Ìę

Bellomee said he used to drum at Malcolm X Park but now spends his time teaching others.Ìę

“It connects us to the cultures that we were disconnected from through the enslavement process,” Bellomee said. “The vibration, the rhythm of the drum, it moves energy inside of the body. It helps with self expression… helps to alleviate stress.”

That continuation is felt deeply by Jordyn Pigott, a dancer who first learned West African dance as a child and later joined Ni Dembaya under Bellomee’s guidance.Ìę

“So physically and mentally, I feel a lot of healing coming to this space,” she said. “Get away from the D.C. hustle, the stress, the political climate.”Ìę

Across the DMV.Ìę

Drumming across the DMV extends far beyond the park. Afro-Peruvian artist AndrĂ©s ArĂ©valo instructs dancers to sync to the rhythms of the cajĂłn and cajita, adding to D.C.’s drum culture.Ìę

“It’s about remembering our African roots, our history, our families,” ArĂ©valo said.Ìę

The Peruvian percussionist said his drum of choice, the cajita, evolved from a church collection box, to an instrument.ÌęÌę

“It was creativity from the Afro-Peruvians,” he said. “They found a stick, and they started to make music.”Ìę

ArĂ©valo runs the , teaching traditional Peruvian dance classes to his drumming.Ìę

“This music is enjoyable for everyone,” ArĂ©valo said. “If I can teach two thousand people to dance together
 to feel that rhythm 
 that is the dream.” Ìę

The post From Malcolm X Park to workshops: Rhythm and belonging first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

GALA, short for Grupo de Artistas Latino Americanos, celebrates 50 years of productions on its professional stage with its 2025-2026 season and continues its commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists.  

Since 1976, the theater has been a beacon of Latino performing arts productions in D.C., founded by Argentinian-born theater director Hugo Medrano and Executive Director Rebecca Read Medrano. 

What makes you different, makes you special 

GALA’s production of ±áĂ©ctor, El Niño ElĂ©ctrico — directed by Mauricio Pita — is empowering for young audiences, Pita said.

±áĂ©ctor, El Niño ElĂ©ctrico follows ±áĂ©ctor, a shy boy who spends much of his time in his imagination, escaping into comic books. Over the course of the musical, he learns that the qualities that make him feel “different” are actually his strengths — his superpower. 

Pita worked closely with playwright Cornelia Cody, meeting every Saturday over the past summer to refine the script. He said he personally relates to ±áĂ©ctor, played by actress Ixchel HernĂĄndez, and believes many children will, too. 

“The show gives kids a chance to see themselves reflected back at them,” Pita said. 

As part of GALA’s outreach efforts, the theater will host student matinees for schools across the DMV. During the performances, children in the audience can participate, including in a musical–chairs moment on stage with the actors. 

Pita said the interactive element helps young people understand how theater works and challenges them to use their imagination in a way film and television don’t demand. 

“Theater forces people to suspend their disbelief and buy into what’s happening on stage as if it’s real, even though we all know it’s not,” he said. “There’s a contract between the actors and the audience. If you believe it, they believe it.” 

Pita, who previously directed GALA’s after-school arts program for teens, the Paso Nuevo program, said that even the simplest prop can become something extraordinary for young audiences. 

“We have a garage on stage, and there are supposed to be three cars,” Pita said. “There aren’t three cars — one of them is a dinner table that turns, lights come out of it, and wheels get put on. It’s the illusion of a car, but if the actors treat it like a car, then the audience believes it’s a car.” 

Creativity carries itself through all corners of GALA Theatre, where students from the after-school program Paso Nuevo sometimes help backstage during professional productions.  

The arts build confidence 

Students crowd the basement — el subte — for Paso Nuevo. 

The program offers high school students a free arts education in creative writing, music, and theater. 

Since joining Paso Nuevo in May 2024, high schooler Balaria RodrĂ­guez has made new friends, discovered a love for acting and writing, and gained a newfound confidence. 

“I have learned how to control myself,” RodrĂ­guez said. “I don’t get nervous.” 

The program gives students hands-on experience in technical theater, including lighting and sound design, for those who prefer working behind the scenes. 

“A lot of people who come here do costumes and backstage, because they don’t like to do acting,” RodrĂ­guez said. 

91ÇŃŚÓ 35 students currently participate in Paso Nuevo, led by Program Director Chris RĂ­os. He said the program helps students gain emotional intelligence that extends beyond the theatre. 

“Even if the students don’t want to be professional actors or anything, providing education in the arts helps give them key resources to develop emotionally and mentally as they grow into adulthood,” RĂ­os said. 

The program is bilingual — just as GALA’s professional productions upstairs are. 

“We get a good pool of students who speak no Spanish, who speak no English, who speak some English and some Spanish, and we find a way to marry the two in our productions,” RĂ­os said. 

Paso Nuevo students have free access to GALA’s professional performances, giving them a first-hand experience of GALA’s mission of sharing Latino arts and cultures through bilingual productions. 

±áĂ©ctor, El Niño ElĂ©ctrico runs Oct. 18–Nov. 1. Tickets, $10 to $12, are available .

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Witchcraft–once taboo–has become part of the nightlife in some spaces.

Throughout the District, witchcraft is practiced in homes, cafĂ©s, and at local bars. Some witches practice tarot card readings, astrology, or crystal scrying, used for reflection. For others, it’s SanterĂ­a—an Afro-Caribbean religion. 

And while they vary in where and what they practice, they all share one conviction: their craft is not a trend.

Tarot in D.C.

D.C.-based tarot reader is often found at the bars The Dew Drop Inn and Black Cat, and the cafe plant shop PLNTR, giving tarot readings.

Tarot is the practice of using cards to learn about someone’s future–some use tarot for fortunetelling.

Marinda said tarot first came to her nine years ago. A lifelong Halloween enthusiast, she took a trip to Salem, Massachusetts, and got a reading. Ever since, she was hooked.

“I was going through a hard time,” Marinda said. “It helped me be like, ‘Oh, I should take care of myself.’”

Marinda said she began reading tarot cards for friends and family at intimate gatherings but quickly realized her talent could reach a wider audience.

“The language of it makes a lot of sense to me; these cards with images telling a story, kind of like a graphic novel, but about your life,” she said.

The biggest misconception about tarot comes from media depictions, Marinda said.

“People think readings are scary and harsh, like in movies where they pull the death card. But it’s not like that,” she explained.

The death card doesn’t represent physical death, but the ending of an interest or relationship, Marinda said.

Marinda is co-leading , a festive maker’s mart featuring her tarot readings, on Oct. 11 at The Coupe in Columbia Heights.

A local’s take on witchcraft

Tarot readings are a bonding experience with friends, D.C. resident said.

She recently took some out-of-town friends visiting D.C. to . Afterwards, she said the friends had deeper conversations about “dreams, past and future that you might not have thought to share otherwise.”

Witchcraft has had a long place in D.C. life, Warren said.

“Mary Todd Lincoln held seances in the White House,” she said. “Nancy Reagan had an astrologer on speed dial. It’s not new or just a trend.”

Readings in D.C. typically cost $20 for a palm reading and up to $100 for a full psychic aura.

Providing guests more than just a cocktail

, a U Street mystical-gothic speakeasy, celebrates D.C.’s interest in witchcraft by hosting tarot nights.

Their tarot nights are intended to provide guests with “something more immersive than just a cocktail,” The Craft Owner Joshua Valencia said.

The customer response is curious, open, and full of genuine excitement to experience witchcraft in a nightlife social setting,  Valencia said.

The Craft insists on taking witchcraft traditions seriously, Valencia said.

“We’re mindful that tarot and witchcraft carry deep cultural and spiritual roots,” he said. “Hosting these events isn’t about gimmicks but about creating a space where those traditions are honored and accessible.”

The Craft is holding its next tarot night in October.

Witchcraft as religion

SanterĂ­a, a type of witchcraft, or brujerĂ­a, has deep religious roots. 

The District has been home to various SanterĂ­a botanicas through the years. Yemaya & Chango set up shop in Adams Morgan in 1995 and closed in 2014. Botanica y Tarot LLC is currently open in Fort Totten. 

SanterĂ­a is an Afro-Caribbean religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century, centered on the worship of nature. It takes on aspects of the West African religion, Yoruba, and Catholicism. 

Despite being a 200-year-old religion, taboos exist around the practice. 

, an L.A.-based priestess of Santería known online as , said, growing up, she recalled Santería being “something you would only hear about” through rumors. Now, as a godparent to other practitioners, she practices the religion in stride.

“If you had told me back in 2018 that this is what I was going to end up doing, I would have told you you were crazy,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez was crowned Oshun by fellow SanterĂ­a practitioners, signifying a direct connection to the deity Oshun, she said.

“Oshun is based on the Caridad del Cobre, Our Lady of Charity in the Catholic faith,” Rodriguez explained. “Different gods are tied to Catholic saints.”

Through the process of iyaworaje, she spent a year and seven days in white for purification.

“When you go through that, you can’t take pictures, you can’t be on video, you can’t touch other people outside your loved ones,” she said. “It’s very intense.”

SanterĂ­a helped her process trauma and live more peacefully, Rodriguez said.

“It’s not just the witchcraft aspect or the esoteric practice. Divination tells you aspects about yourself you really have to work on, almost like therapy,” she said.

Rodriguez also sees danger in the growing popularity of witchcraft, she said.

“It’s wonderful that this is out there; that’s the pros. But the cons are, some people are using it just for a trend.”

Rodriguez makes her rituals and readings available both online and in person through her shop, .

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As the District grapples with an escalating substance abuse crisis, city officials are preparing to open a second stabilization and sobering center in Columbia Heights. While the facility aims to reduce the amount of substance abuse in the District, some residents remain skeptical.

“This is not a good location for it. I think it should be somewhere else in a bigger building. This is just not a good neighborhood for it,” Ortiz said.

In February, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser opened the first of two sobering centers at , aimed to redirect substance users from jail or emergency room check-ins. In less than a year over 5,000 people have been admitted to the facility.Ìę

“There is a big issue with opioids and opioid fatalities in D.C. But alcoholism is the biggest substance use disorder social workers are seeing at Columbia Heights Civic Plaza,” Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau said in an email response to 91ÇŃŚÓ.

The $9.5 million project will replace the historic Old Engine Company No. 11, a fire engine building at 1338 Park Rd. built in the 1900s. The 24/7 center will offer a range of medical services at no cost, including medical clearance, comprehensive bio-psycho-social assessment, sobering and behavioral health support. It also features dormitory space, offices, showers, restrooms, a kitchen and nurse station and observation rooms.Ìę

“While patients will come from anywhere in the city, the location in Columbia Heights will help serve some of the people struggling with substance use disorders at Civic Plaza, just a half block away. Many of them have expressed interest in getting sober and this is now an extremely low barrier for getting the help they need and in many cases desire,” Nadeau said.

City officials are eager to move the project forward quickly, but residents still need time to digest what’s being added to their neighborhood.

A community with questions

The project has moved fast with little to no communication with residents on Park Road. Two residents down the street said the most information they’ve received in the past four months was a flyer from the ANC. Other residents on the opposite side of the road said they hadn’t received a flyer or any information about the project.

“Residents just wanted to feel heard at the planning stage and oftentimes in the district, a lot of discussions happen after the fact,” said Anthony Thomas-Davis, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner representing part of the Columbia Heights neighborhood.Ìę

Ortiz said the lack of communication makes her feel like residents’ voices don’t matter to officials, other neighbors confirm she isn’t alone.

Two houses down from the facility Gabrielle Rodriguez said he wasn’t notified about the stabilization center until his neighbor told him about the project.Ìę

Rodriguez said many residents — like his neighbor who has lived in Columbia Heights for 30 years, strongly oppose the sober center on a residential street.

“I think people do understand that it’s a great idea but they don’t think it’s the best place for it 
 I think people don’t feel like the program will have enough funds to sustain it,” Rodriguez said, adding that residents are concerned people will loiter around their homes.

Other longtime residents have gone to Reddit to discuss their concerns, one user said, “I’m just doubtful the city will prioritize something like this.” Another resident commented, “I’m not hopeful about the city’s likelihood to execute something like this in a thoughtful way that integrates the concerns of everyone that lives in the neighborhood, while also assessing the needs of the people for whom this is intended. Especially given the lack of transparency so far.”

Davis, whose mother died from a drug overdose, said while he would like to support the development, he’s conflicted with how successful it will be. His concerns are that the facility is too small to tackle the large numbers of those experiencing substance abuse and that the center should be located in neighborhoods which have experienced higher drug fatalities from the opioid crisis, like Ward 5 and Ward 6.

“I am proud of the fact that we have a resource like this available. However, based on what I’ve heard from the community, based on what I know has not happened up to this point, I oppose it being on a residential street like Park Road,” he said.

Towards the end of the road, John, a resident who has lived in the neighborhood since the ‘90s, said he’s witnessed substance abuse as an issue on their streets making the stabilization center a necessary addition for Columbia Heights, however, he and his wife Tony are nervous about the unknowns of what the facility will bring.

Center at a glance

The D.C. Stabilization and Sobering Center, operated by Community Bridges in partnership with the, serves adults 18 and over experiencing substance use disorder at no charge, insurance or citizenship.

91ÇŃŚÓ reached out the DBH to address neighborhood concerns regarding location and lack of communication. The agency said it had held two meetings open to the public to inform residents about the center, the first meeting was May 1, the second meeting took place last Monday, Nov. 25.

”We’ve shown our commitment to keeping the community informed and engaged,” said Phyllis Jones, Chief of Staff, DC Department of Behavioral Health. “We started our engagement at the early days of the project and were going to continue to do that because we think it’s very important that the community has information they need to raise any concerns that they have.”

Individuals in need of the center’s care can visit or be transported to the center if they require stabilization support. Individuals can be referred by the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, Metropolitan Police Department, community-based providers, family, friends, or as walk-ins.Ìę

When a patient checks in they will receive a medical screening and clearance before trained medical staff can address any immediate care. From there the individual will be connected with a peer counselor or recovery coach, administer crisis stabilization and support services, and coordinate continued care and support upon discharge.

The stabilization center can support up to 22 individuals at one time. The center features 16 recliners for people staying up to 23 hours, and 6 patient beds for individuals staying up to 72 hours with acute substance use disorder needs that need to be observed and monitored.

The has completed the first part of the reconstruction, firehouse cleanup, but there are three other phases it must undergo before a Spring 2026 completion. This includes designing structural preservation plans, performing lead and asbestos abatement, and developing concept design to minimize impact on residential areas, which is funded through the $9.5 million from city funding.

While the development is slated for a Spring 2026 completion, the site itself will not open for operation until funds are properly allocated.

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Over the past several weeks, more than 100 displaced residents of 1433 Columbia Rd have been picking up what remains of their belongings: children’s toys, mattresses, clothes and food.

A woman was seriously injured on Sep. 20 when her gas stove accidentally exploded, forcing the evacuation of the building. The explosion damaged multiple living units.Ìę

Many tenants have been staying at the Hotel Arboretum over the past month under a free city emergency shelter program.Ìę

However, the Wash has confirmed that after this week, the hotel vouchers are scheduled to end on Thursday, Oct. 17, and the residents must find somewhere else to live.Ìę

Tenants approached by 91ÇŃŚÓ were hesitant to offer comment about the housing issue, however, an member working on it said they are “not doing well.”

The building, without repairs, is in no condition to safely house anyone, according to the Department of Buildings (DOB).

Through an ongoing investigation, 91ÇŃŚÓ uncovered 37 Notices of Infraction recently filed against the owners of the Columbia Rd building. The fines total $45,675 so far.Ìę

The post-explosion citations include failure to provide a rented dwelling unit with a device designed to provide security for the occupants and property within, failure to tightly secure the lock on entrance doors to dwelling units or sleeping units and/or failure to maintain locks and building poses imminent danger to building occupants or those in close proximity due to explosives, explosive fumes.Ìę

“Landlords must obey District law by providing properties that are safe, habitable, and livable. Our goal is to work with property owners so they fix violations. DOB is ready to issue the permits to the Landlord to do the necessary repairs and until that happens, the building unfortunately must stay closed,” the DC Department of Buildings wrote to 91ÇŃŚÓ in an emailed statement.Ìę

Based on public records and confirmed by DOB, a safety inspection of the facility was not documented in the five years before the accident.

Carlo Perri, ANC Commissioner for 1A03, told 91ÇŃŚÓ that the living conditions were “really terrible” before the explosion. Perri said he based that on a conversation with one of the tenants. He heard sinks were clogged, tenants needed to buy five-gallon buckets to shower and use their toilets and plumbing was leaking from upper floors to lower floors,

“The building managers never fixed it, despite formal complaints from residents,” he said. “… It’s possible that this person willfully neglected preparing this property. If that’s the case, then an investigation will reveal those battles and prosecute them.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 9, in an ANC meeting for Columbia Heights, the committee unanimously voted to allow an investigation into the living conditions before the Sep. 20 accident.

The resolution will call on the D.C. Attorney General, “to investigate and prosecute any negligent wrongdoing and enjoin lawful property owner(s) and their agents to remediate the physical disrepair of the property expediently and provide any gap assistance required to the displaced residents.”

Until building owners fix safety issues, it will remain uninhabitable.Ìę

The , working with , has conducted testing and found leaks in the gas lines throughout the building. Neither gas nor electricity will be restored to the building until gas lines are fixed. Repairing the gas falls under the property owner’s responsibility.

DOB said that, generally, a property owner will have 60 days from the date of receiving the Notice of Infraction. In this case, several of the infractions are labeled “life safety hazards” and require immediate abatement.Ìę

DOB informed 91ÇŃŚÓ that the owner(s) acknowledged receipt of the Correction Order and informally told DOB that there was a plan to return the property to habitability. DOB has yet to receive a plan.Ìę

Until the facility undergoes extensive repairs, and the city signs off on them, residents will not be allowed to return.

The (OTA), the agency in charge of providing technical advice and other legal services to tenants regarding disputes with landlords, is supposed to be working to find the displaced tenants new places to live, but it has not specified what the relocation looks like. Perri said it has not been made clear to residents what will happen to their apartment as a result of them moving out; they have only been granted access to pick up their belongings.

According to records from the DOB, 1433 Columbia Rd has 30 inspection violations listed in 2018. These violations include failure to maintain all fire and smoke stop doors in operable condition, failure to install an approved carbon monoxide alarm in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units, failure to correct cracked or loose plaster, holes, decayed wood, water damage andÌę defective surface conditions and failure to properly install and maintain plumbing fixture in working order. These are in addition to the dozens of safety violations handed out after the explosion.Ìę

91ÇŃŚÓ requested comment and information from the building owners listed in the citations, Herminia and John Steininger, but has not received a reply. Ìę

The OTA, has not responded to requests for comment, and the Arboretum Hotel has declined to respond.Ìę

According to Noah Gray, the Chief Communications Officer for DC Fire, the explosion occurred when the occupant turned on the stove, which had a known gas leak. Gray also stated that their part of the investigation is completed.

According to the fire officials, a woman inside the apartment was transferred to the hospital in serious condition. Due to medical privacy, the department was not able to verify if that condition has changed.Ìę

The post Columbia Heights building owners fined for hazardous, unsafe conditions after gas explosion first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

In a district historically known for its go-go and punk music scene, Cumbia Heights – a riff off on the neighborhood Columbia Heights, hopes to make room for Latin artists in D.C.

The roughly 10-person ensemble of pays homage to one of Washington’s largest Hispanic communities, Columbia Heights, a place where many of the band members once lived. Through guitars, drums, accordions and trumpets from musicians who hail from Colombia, Texas, Mexico and Peru, Cumbia music has a new home and audience in the Capital.

Around five years ago, at , a townhouse music hub in Mount Vernon Square, Fernando Hernandez and Tomas Monarrez regularly attended the neighborhood’s entertainment space for Latin music and dancing. It was like a party, but they wanted to continue the vibe independently in D.C. since the lounge didn’t have Cumbia, they saw an opportunity.

“After just jamming up for a while, we were like, ‘We should start a Cumbia [band],’” Fernandez said. The rest was history; one after one, Gonzalez would continue to bring musicians into their startup band, and then, in January 2019, a DIY music group called Cumbia Heights was born.

Cumbia, which originated in Colombia in the late 19th century, is a genre of Latin American music composed of rhythmic beats and light singing. While the band has sparked many fans, Hernandez said Cumbia music has lacked throughout the district.

The band has bounced around small bookings in Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights. From playing original songs like “Poder del Pueblo” or remixing classic hits like “Careless Whisper,” Cumbia Heights has expanded to new listeners in larger venues, one of which will be in New York on Nov. 16.

If you asked Hernandez if he saw Cumbia Heights taking off like it has these past four years, he would’ve laughed and said no. From small performances at private events to a crowd of nearly hundreds in September, Hernandez realized they had created something larger than they imagined.Ìę

That Cumbia feeling

Charles and Claudia Lawrence of , said Cumbia Heights feels like a celebration of Hispanic heritage and hope for the future of Latin music for both artists and listeners.

Charles and Claudia, who have been DJing around DC clubs for over ten years, said the band is doing more than reaching the Latino community. It’s begun to create a community of individuals supporting small artists who haven’t had the opportunity to perform.Ìę

“What’s important with what we’re doing and what Cumbia Heights is doing is [that] we’re trying to build a bridge not only interculturally with people from other cultures but also among different generations,” Claudia said. She also said that the Cumbia band is something new for the city and continues to expand outside the district.

Early fans like Yulia Quinones, a television reporter for , said she was surprised to see such a following beyond Latino residents. It was refreshing for her to witness, as someone who had moved from the Dominican Republic to D.C.

“I saw that it was one of the most diverse crowds I had seen and I thought it was really interesting that they were bringing Cumbia to D.C. because Cumbia hasn’t really had a space in D.C.,” Quinones said. She also said that seeing the band’s live presence helps add to the growing scene of bringing Latin music to the district.

Cumbia is a music shared throughout the Americas and a way to engage with one’s culture through music, Zaira Gonzalez, who plays the trumpet for the band, said. And to preserve Hispanic heritage and culture, it starts with something as small as music.Ìę

“We’ve had [the] chance to bring people together and see a place and [create] a place for people to meet and build community,” said.Ìę

Preserving Columbia Heights’ Latin cultureÌę

Hernandez said Cumbia Heights’ current mission is trying to keep the music scene alive in Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights. He hopes that by continuing to perform they can preserve Latin culture in D.C. for future generations of listeners and performers.Ìę

“They’re named after a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., that’s predominantly where people from Latin America immigrated to, and that history goes back generations and they might be the only one right now flying that flag for Washington D.C., which is important to keep those neighborhoods like Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant and the whole 16th street [relevant],” Charles said, adding that without Cumbia Heights there would no representation for the music genre and the neighborhood.

While the band hopes to draw in more fans and go on long tours across the states, for now, their focus will be on creating a space for more Latin artists to perform and embracing Latin history and culture through their music.

“That’s the beauty of art 
 when you are exposed to an artist or to music it’s not only [about] what you’re listening to or the dance to it, but it’s also the history that is behind that [music],” Claudia said

The post Local Cumbia band paves way for Latin music in D.C. first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

The Faircliff property is under construction at 2641 14th St. NW in Washington D.C. and will replace the 80-unit Section 8 apartment building, , established in 2002. Crescent Communities constructed the $110.3 million project as a collaboration between Somerset Development Company, and .

“We are preserving the existing affordable housing for those who are already there [and] we are building new affordable housing for folks to be able to afford to live in the community,” Somerset development director Patrick McAnaney said. “We’re also building market-rate housing for people who do not qualify for [the threshold].”

According to McAnaney, the new development has been a long-awaited project since the company acquired Faircliff Plaza East 22 years ago, Somerset’s first affordable housing project. While construction for the eight-story apartment complex didn’t break ground until January of last year, the vision for The Faircliff began a “very, very long time ago,” when the company purchased the property as an affordable housing preservation and renovation project they would build on long term.Ìę

“It’s projects like this that demonstrate that a clean, green, and inclusive future is not some faraway destination we talk about; it is already here,” said Jean Nelson-Houpert, Interim CEO and chief financial officer of .

The recently developed apartment complex comprises 125 new affordable rental units available to households with an income at or 50% below the median household income. For D.C., that’s a comfortable $101,027 median household income, a quarter more than the national average, according to census data.

A look inside The Faircliff

The 145,000-square-foot Faircliff building was designed by Eric Colbert and built by John Moriarty & Associates. The complex offers communal spaces for participating in the Communities of Opportunity program, a courtyard with a playground, community kitchen, learning library, gym, rooftop space, community garden, and free Wi-Fi.Ìę

It also aims to be an eco-friendly building with an all-electric design and green strategies like carbon-injected concrete to capture over 1.1 million of carbon and a green roof with a 67kW solar system.

Financing for the development was made through public and private resources including a $49.3 million in tax-exempt bonds from the , a $16.9 million loan from the and $440,000 of annual rental subsidy from the , according to Jonathan Rose Companies

In 2021, residents of Faircliff Plaza East unanimously voted to move forward with the project and were temporarily relocated throughout the DMV based on their preference. Around 60 residents have already selected to return to living at The Faircliff.

“[We’re] trying to help preserve existing affordable housing 
 we view this as essentially continuing our commitment to the neighborhood [and] showing what new possibilities can come,” McAnaney said.

Affordability in Columbia Heights

Maintaining affordable housing in an area historically known for its economic appeal is key to attracting a continuum of residents to the neighborhood and keeping them, McAnaney said. However, maintaining this mission is becoming more challenging as high rent prices continue to increase throughout the district.

“We look forward to increasing affordability in a neighborhood that continues to rapidly expand and ensure its residents are able to stay and grow in this area for years to come,” Jenny Wu, managing director of development at Jonathan Rose Companies said in a statement.

According to the , there is a shortage of affordable rental homes in the District for those at or below the poverty guidelines.Ìę

“D.C. definitely used to be more affordable, and as time has gone on, it’s definitely not,” said Nelson Fuentes, a realtor for Keller Williams Capital Properties.

In an interview with Fuentes, he said that in terms of what Columbia has to offer, which is retail, local vendors, restaurants and fitness studios, the neighborhood offers the most affordable living in the district. The D.C. native also added how recent neighborhood development is adding to its value, compared to where it was nearly 10 to 15 years ago.

“It’s been such a long journey. We kind of had our very first projects when we started the company back in 2002 of thinking [what] this could eventually become,” McAnaney said. “… To see that [this is] coming to fruition is incredibly exciting.”

The post New development in Columbia Heights adds to affordable housing demand first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

Cory Stowers, Executive Director of DC Murals, has been a graffiti writer for over 20 years. He considers graffiti an ‘external art gallery’ and part of a vibrant community.Ìę

“If I see graffiti in a neighborhood, I know there are artists and creative thinkers here. There are people here who think outside of the box and margins,” he said.

“If I go to a place that’s really sanitized, it feels very stiff. Some people might like it like that, and that’s cool too, but I want to see graffiti because it tells me that something is happening in this community.”

However, not everyone shares this opinion of the activity, as is evident in the number of graffiti removal requests submitted yearly to D.C.’s system.Ìę

91ÇŃŚÓ reviewed all city service requests from 2019-2023 and studied patterns of highly requested services.

From 2019-2021, rodent control was the top request, while in 2022, bee and insect control was number one.Ìę

In 2023, a new request topped the list, especially in the zip codes that encompass Columbia Heights: graffiti removal.

The Department of Public Works considers graffiti a public nuisance, stating on its website that it “costs the District and its residents more than just money.”Ìę

311 request data shows graffiti removal has the largest number of “Open” statuses in Columbia Heights as well, meaning DPW has not started or completed those work orders yet.Ìę

One of the reasons for this may be that the individual requesting the removal must complete a detailed liability form before the department can remove the graffiti from private property.Ìę

“Graffiti tarnishes the appearance of our neighborhoods. Gang-related graffiti can threaten violence or identify turf boundaries,” the online statement from DPW reads.Ìę

Gang association with graffiti has been tied together for decades.

As a graffiti community member, Cory Stowers said this common misconception harms real artists trying to make their talents known.

“I can read it, so I don’t get scared by it. Most people who don’t know what it is automatically assume it’s gang-related, but nine times out of 10, it’s not. Even on the chance that it is, it doesn’t inherently mean that it’s something dangerous.”Ìę

Victoria Kiechel, an architect and American University professor, believes graffiti is more than just words scribbled on a wall.Ìę

“Graffiti is both a sociopolitical statement and a form of expression of one’s personal identity. It’s a way for people to say: ‘This is me. This is my voice. I’m here, and I matter, said Kiechel.ÌęÌę

Keichel, who has lived in the District for several decades, remembers a time when D.C. wasn’t known as a “graffiti city”.Ìę

“There was graffiti in D.C., but it wasn’t a huge form of cultural expression like it was in New York City or Philadelphia. In recent years, however, I’ve seen more of it, and maybe D.C. is getting on the map as a graffiti art city,” she told the Wash.

There are many reasons for this uptick, as Stowers explained, mainly the lack of legal, government-funded graffiti art programs available for young artists to practice their craft.Ìę

“The uptick of graffiti, I think, is directly attributable to the fact that there are no ongoing programs in the city that actually works to actively engage young graffiti artists,” said Stowers.Ìę

“There’s just nothing there that speaks to them from a cultural perspective that makes them want to stop writing their name on a block thirty times and instead devote their time to this one wall.”Ìę

The D.C. government has attempted to rein in illegal graffiti by implementing street art programs, like Murals DC,Ìę that commissions local artists to paint murals on public walls.Ìę

The program has resulted in colorful, eye-appealing street murals that many city residents and tourists alike appear to be fond of, but Stowers said the program still misses the mark in actually solving the problem.

“The program existed before DPW became a part of it, and sadly since they’ve taken control of it, there’s been literally no outreach to the actual graffiti community. They instead prefer to employ professional artists,” said Stowers.Ìę

“The idea was to bring in young artists and lift them up to one day be the lead artists, but I can tell you that not one of them were promoted to a lead artist commission, and they were paid very little money for their participation. Murals DC would also not allow their names to be on the wall, so they took away all the reasons why these artists would want to participate.”Ìę

DPW did not respond to 91ÇŃŚÓ’s inquiries by the provided deadline.

Stowers and Kiechel believe a viable solution for illegal graffiti could be to make designated public spaces available for artists to express themselves freely.Ìę

Stowers touted the idea of identifying blank walls around the city where artists can practice. At the same time, Kiechel referenced Charlotesville’s Free Speech Wall as a prominent example of another city experimenting with areas for artistic expression.

D.C. resident Martin Zelada, agrees that artists need an area to express themselves, which would benefit both graffiti writers and residents like himself who don’t find graffiti visually-attractive.

“I think while a lot of graffiti is about self-expression, it’s also about receiving attention for your work or your struggles,” he said.

“They should have a space where they can write or paint that gives them the attention and recognition they’re looking for, while keeping it off of public buildings.”

Cory Stowers still wants to challenge the way people perceive the graffiti they’re seeing in their communities.

“Think about someone’s name written on a trash can beside a painted wall mural,” Stowers posed. “A lot of people will say they really love that mural but hate the graffiti on the trash can. What I would say to them is this: without that graffiti on the trash can, you don’t get the mural.”Ìę

“That kid who wrote their name on the trash can is going through a process of building their skills and repertoire to be able to one day paint a mural like that.”

The post Graffiti complaints in the District reach five-year high first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

Some Ward 1 residents are concerned that the Addressing Crime Trends Now Act bill includes legislation that might make their communities less safe.

Andrew Ferguson, an American University’s Washington College of Law professor, says the bill does little to address the growing crime rate’s root causes.

“People are angry about crimes that arise from poverty, community neglect, and substandard educational opportunities, and instead of addressing those root causes, the Mayor is just trying to police them,” he said.

“We do not need police with more power.Ìę We need investment in the young people of D.C. that are living in poverty and see few economic, social, or educational opportunities to escape that reality,” Ferguson said.Ìę

Bowser’s new bill brings back some of the department’s most controversial former policing practices, which were outlawed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officers, including:

• Allowing officers to use neck restraints during arrests.
• Allowing police vehicles to pursue other vehicles at high speeds.
• Enhanced sentencing for committing a crime while wearing a mask.Ìę
• Allowing officers to review their own body camera footage before writing a crime report.
• Creation of drug-free enforcement zones.

Neck restraints

The proposed bill would loosen restrictions on what is considered “excessive force” during a neck restraint.Ìę

Under the new legislation, officers can restrict someone’s movement by their neck without it being considered an excessive use of force.Ìę

Previously, the law prohibited restraints restricting one’s “movement, blood flow, or breathing,” but the new legislation strikes “movement” from the clause.

A restraint by the throat is still prohibited.

Thomas Roades, a Ward 1 resident, says the difference between “throat” and “neck” makes little to no difference.Ìę

“The exception to the ban on chokeholds, as I understand it, is intended to allow officers to grab a person’s neck to restrict their movement, but not their breathing,” he says.

“I cannot imagine how an officer could do one of those things without the other. This is dangerous, allows unnecessary police brutality, and would not do anything to improve public safety.”

In 2021, the American Academy of Neurology adopted the that the use of any neck restraints by police should be considered, at a minimum, a use of deadly force.Ìę

“Furthermore, because there is no amount of training or method of application of neck restraints that can mitigate the risk of death or permanent profound neurologic damage with this maneuver, the AAN recommends prohibiting the use of neck restraints,” their statement reads.Ìę

Using chokeholds has been limited since 1985 with the Limitation on the Use of Chokehold Act, which Bowser’s new proposed legislation will amend.

In May 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order that required all Federal Law Enforcement Agencies to adopt policies that banned chokeholds and carotid restraints unless deadly force is authorized.

Since 2020, 24 states have restricted or banned the use of chokeholds.Ìę

91ÇŃŚÓ contacted MPD for a comment on neck restraints multiple times through email and phone calls. Each time, the department declined to comment and directed all questions to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice.

Pursuit of vehicles

Other new policies include allowing officers to engage in some vehicular pursuits, commonly known as police chase, and making it illegal to wear a mask while committing a crime.Ìę

Izzy Johnson, a Columbia Heights resident, said allowing vehicular pursuits is a public safety issue.Ìę

“I worked for Vision Zero at DDOT, and I confidently believe that police chases would only lead to more serious and fatal crashes. DC already has a high traffic fatality rate per capita, and this will only make it worse,” she said.Ìę

Johnson also says the anti-mask measure does more harm than good.Ìę

“Outlawing wearing a mask while committing a crime is an inelegant way to increase prison and jail sentences for nonviolent crimes,” she says.Ìę

“Harsh sentencing is not a research-supported crime deterrent. All this does is keep teenagers locked up long enough to become career criminals.”Ìę

Some residents expressed the belief that these policies are enacted to help police officers rather than the general public.

The MPD is facing its most significant employee shortage in 50 years; the department and the police union have voiced their concerns that the stricter policies enacted after Floyd’s murder limited them in their jobs.Ìę

Bowser’s new bill gives leeway to some of those policies, hoping to make the department more attractive to potential recruits.Ìę

At a press conference last Monday, the mayor spoke about these attempts.

“We have to have a policy environment that allows us to recruit and retain officers and not lose our officers to the surrounding jurisdictions because our policy environment makes them scared to do their job,” she said.

Review of body cameras

The proposed legislation will also allow officers to review their body camera footage in most cases before writing a report, increasing the likelihood of someone getting prosecuted for their crimes, according to the MPD police chief.

The American Civil Liberties Union has heavily criticized this policy.

The organization states that allowing officers to view footage before writing reports is a bad investigative practice and presents a double standard to how officers expect witnesses to testify before viewing evidence.

They also state that it enables lying, undermines the legitimacy of investigations, and allows cross-contamination of evidence that might hinder the search for the truth.Ìę

The ACLU’s complete statement can be viewed

Drug-free zones

The bill also allows the police department to implement temporary drug-free zones in attempts to reduce the number of “open-air drug dealing.”

When 91ÇŃŚÓ inquired about the scope of what officers can do inside one of these zones, MPD refused to comment three times, referring questions to the deputy mayor’s office.Ìę

The deputy mayor’s office responded to questions by providing a link to the bill draft.

A drug-free zone is an area that prohibits congregating in a group of two or more individuals for the purpose of using, purchasing, or selling illegal drugs.

In order for an officer to ask people to disperse from the area, they must “reasonably believe the person is congregating for the purpose of participating in the use, purchase, or sale of illegal drugs.”Ìę

The bill says officers can reasonably assume this behavior based on the following circumstances: a person’s conduct, information from a reliable source, a person is identified as a member of a gang, a person has “no other apparent lawful reason” to congregate in that area, or a person and/or their vehicle is known to police to be an unlawful user or seller.

According to the draft, the Chief of Police can declare any public space a drug-free zone for 120 consecutive hours.Ìę

The mayor’s new bill only needs seven council votes to pass.

The post Mayor’s proposed anti-crime bill raises red flags for some District residents first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

Hispanic and Latino students are a fundamental focus of their new plan.

91ÇŃŚÓ reviewed four years of assessment reports and found that while OSSE and DCPS have acknowledged different demographics, this is the first year where culture is at the forefront of the agencies’ future plans.

In the last two statewide assessment results from 2019 and 2021, the agency emphasized the need for extra attention to students with disabilities and economic disadvantages.

Race and culture were largely missing from the public conversation until now.Ìę

This year’s assessment includes initiatives considering culture, such as DCPS’s Math Strategic Plan, which “explores culturally responsive math instruction.”Ìę

This fall, the first Math Teacher Bootcamp started, which trains over 200 teachers on foundational math skills that students lack. Also, beginning in FY 23-24, D.C. schools will receive $335,000 for High Quality Instructional Materials.Ìę

Additionally, DCPS has implemented new reading books that showcase a variety of backgrounds and identities. The reading series will also be published for the first time in Spanish in the 2023-24 school year.Ìę

Students enrolled in DC Public Schools, Ward 1,Ìę increased their standardized test scores last year by 2.6 percent, although it still ranks second to last among the Wards for score improvement.Ìę

Hispanic students, who make up the majority of those enrolled in Ward 1 K-12 schools, also saw an increase in scores despite having a lower percent increase than other racial groups.Ìę

Besides implementing new learning methods and materials, the OSSE also looks at teacher diversity in its schools.Ìę

The most recent demographic information from 2022 shows that only 10 percent of DC’s teacher workforce identifies as Hispanic/Latino, while Hispanic/Latino students make up 19 percent of all enrolled students.Ìę

In Ward 1, where Hispanic students make up a more significant proportion of the student body at 59 percent, only 23 percent of teachers share the same ethnicity.Ìę

Michael Hansen, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, said, based on his original research, increasing racial matching of students with teachers is beneficial for reasons both inside and outside the classroom.

“We do have reason to believe that test scores would increase by hiring more teachers that match the race of the students they teach,” he said.Ìę

He said cultural understanding plays one of the most significant roles in reaching this conclusion. A large reason for absenteeism in school, especially among Hispanic/Latino and Black students, is suspension, specifically suspension due to insubordination.Ìę

Hansen said we have to consider these statistics as a possible result of teachers of different races’ lack of cultural understanding.Ìę

“How a teacher perceives a student’s actions is important, and with a teacher of the same racial or ethnic background, they can translate some of those cultural differences,” he said.

“If students of color are getting suspended more than White students, we have to ask how White teachers are viewing insubordination versus a teacher of the same race.”

Emily Gasoi, former Ward 1 representative on the Board of Education, sponsored a 2020 resolution in support of measures that would incentivize the hiring and retention of more Hispanic teachers in DCPS.

“I was aware that I represented the ward with the largest number of Latino families and children, and I wanted to be accountable to my constituents on this issue,” Gasoi said.Ìę

She said although the resolution wasn’t binding in any way, it was still an important advocacy document that the Washington Teachers Union now uses as an outline for framing their recommendations.Ìę

Since the document’s release, OSSE has begun sponsoring H-1B visas for teachers once they are selected for hire. This visa provides immigrant teachers more benefits and security than a J-1 visa, getting them one step closer to acquiring a Green Card.Ìę

Additionally, DCPS has updated its licensure policies to be more inclusive of Spanish speakers. OSSE now accepts passing scores on the PCMAS test for native Spanish speakers instead of the English Praxis 1.Ìę

The PCMAS is also known as the Puerto Rico Teacher Certification Test.

Addressing the cultural issues, OSSE emailed 91ÇŃŚÓ writing, in part,Ìę“We are familiar with the research about teacher and student demographic alignment having a positive impact on student learning, and have led, supported and will continue to support initiatives aiming to diversify the profession.”Ìę

The post Despite improvements, DC still lacks diversity in the classroom that could help Hispanic students first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.