A remnant of COVID-era distanced dining, the popular temporary program ends on Nov. 30 in favor of permanent that promise safer, more accessible structures for wheelchair users.

That is, if establishments choose to pay the fees for them.

The city’s new regulations include:

• Platforms (a raised, flush, sidewalk-level floor that replaces the old drop-down or step-up streatery setups);
• Clearer entryways; and
• At least one table that falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant seating guidelines.

The new requirements come with fees and rebuild rules that many restaurant owners say they can’t afford, leading to their streateries getting torn down altogether.

Under the new permanent program, restaurants must pay a $260 permit fee plus a public-space rental charge of about $20 per square foot each year.

This is a big shift from the temporary program, where restaurants paid no fees at all.

Many U Street restaurant owners told 91���� that they cannot afford the new $20-per-square-foot fees or the cost of rebuilding platforms to meet DDOT’s standards. Most businesses did not want to be identified when reached out to for comment.

A spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Transportation () told 91���� that the new permanent rules were designed to fix long-standing safety and accessibility issues in D.C.’s outdoor dining spaces.

“The platform is the bare minimum requirement,” the spokesperson said. “While it may come with increased costs, it comes with increased safety and access.”

The temporary program provided insight into major accessibility failures across the city’s streeteries, according to DDOT. A 2022 survey revealed over 90% of streateries didn’t have a platform or ADA-required ramp, DDOT said.

The survey influenced the agency’s new ADA-compliant guidelines, which DDOT said was consulted on with an ADA coordinator.

Kent Keyser, a public policy fellow at the , said the new rules will only matter if the city — and businesses — choose to go beyond bare-minimum compliance.

“Accessibility just doesn’t help wheelchair users, it helps everybody,” Keyser said. “W�� urge local governments and businesses to remember that the ADA sets minimal, not maximum, standards.”

Josie Byzek, former senior director at the United Spinal Association, said that only one accessible table doesn’t reflect the reality of how people with disabilities dine out.

Title III of the ADA restaurants to provide equal access to public accommodations.

A streatery that offers only one wheelchair-accessible table — or creates conditions that prevent wheelchair users from entering at all — could still violate those laws, even if the setup technically meets city guidelines.

What if “two or three wheelchair users arrive independently of each other, and they can’t sit down at your restaurant to eat?” Byzek asked.

Mia Ives-Rublee, a wheelchair user and senior director for the at the , said many restaurants still underestimate the demand for dining out among people with disabilities.

“There’s this general belief that disabled people don’t have disposable income,” Ives-Rublee said. “Then, when no one comes, they feel it proves their point — not realizing disabled people aren’t coming because of inaccessibility.”

She said streateries brought new opportunities for safer, outdoor dining during the pandemic, such as for people who are immunocompromised, but they also created frequent accessibility issues on U Street, including blocked curb cuts and crowds that clog sidewalks.

 

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Ives-Rublee said investing in accessibility measures is a future-proofing measure that benefits both businesses and customers in the long run.

“If you want to expand your customer base, it’s essential to make your business accessible because the U.S. is getting older and the disability community is growing,” she said.

Streateries gave many residents with disabilities their first real access to D.C.’s restaurants, according to Kate Radt, president of .

“Streateries have crucially granted high risk people like me a safer way to return to public spaces since the COVID-19 lockdown,” Radt said. “They’ve also permitted me to experience restaurants that aren’t ordinarily wheelchair accessible.”

The post D.C.’s new outdoor dining rules aim at accessibility. Will they deliver? first appeared on 91����.

One by one, the piano bench fills with jazz enthusiasts, Bach reinterpreters, and amateur performers taking turns as the crowd cheers and calls for encores.��

night takes over on U Street every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m., offering a no-cost space for pianists from every corner of the musical spectrum.��

Kevin Lambert, the event’s founder and emcee, said he started Open Piano after growing frustrated with intrusive background music in bars. He said he wanted a space centered on live acoustic piano and genuine social connection.��

“No amplifiers, none of that,” Lambert said.��

Lambert said his longing for authentic, acoustic musical experiences grew out of memories such as an accordionist in a Viennese bar, where people gathered for “conversation and possibly a piano.”��

In D.C., he turned that vision into reality with help from Robert James, a computer programmer he met through community choir rehearsals in Mount Pleasant. James, who often finds homes for unwanted pianos, helped place one at the event’s original venue, the restaurant, giving Lambert the launching pad for Open Piano in 2018.��

The group later upgraded to a refurbished Yamaha upright piano, now the centerpiece of the event.��

“Every time I see people getting together and enjoying themselves around a piano, I feel like I’ve really done a good thing,” Lambert said.��

The event encourages participation and attentive listening, with audience engagement built into its foundation — people shout song requests and occasionally clear space for an impromptu dance floor.��

The Saloon’s owner, Kamal “Commy” Jahanbein, runs the Kamal Foundation, which uses proceeds from the bar to fund schools and clinics abroad.��

Lambert said he often encourages attendees to order an extra snack or drink, knowing “it goes to a good cause.”��

Hosting Open Piano every Wednesday night on the second floor of his bar makes perfect sense to Jahanbein: “The piano is the mother of all instruments.”��

Bach, reinterpreted��

The Yamaha piano became an outlet for Sam Post — a pianist, composer, and longtime Open Piano regular — who found in it a place to share his work.����

After discovering the event at its original venue, The Purple Patch in Mount Pleasant, Post said he was hooked. He said he returned week after week, making friends and performing for nearly a decade.��

Although raising two young children has limited his recent appearances, Post said each visit still means a lot to him.��

“This is a special night out for me,” he said.��

Post released his latest album, , with Ralitza Patcheva, associate chair of chamber music at the Levine School of Music, on Oct. 17. The project reimagines a collection of Johann Sebastian Bach pieces with fresh rhythms and bright syncopation.��

“It gives them a more modern feel and works much better on the piano,” Post said.��

For Post, performing and handing out physical copies of his work at Open Piano builds a rare sense of connection.��

“To feel the energy of the physical space is really great,” he said. “That’s always true of live music.”��

Self-taught��

Tio Brown, a self-taught composer and pianist, said he started attending Open Piano five years ago.��

The D.C. native’s path to the Saloon’s Yamaha includes collaborations with Lambert, Open Piano’s founder, and his cousin, a percussionist.����

The trio recorded four or five original tracks together, all arranged and written by Lambert.��

After Brown’s band, 100 Years Time, broke up, he said he reunited with Lambert and became a regular performer at the U Street event.��

“I feel great because I’m doing my own stuff,” Brown said.��

As a child, Brown said he wanted to learn piano but faced an unexpected barrier. Born with two fingers missing from his right hand, he wasn’t allowed to take piano lessons at school.����

Undeterred, Brown said his mother encouraged him to find his own way into music.��

On the second floor of The Saloon, Brown now captivates the crowd with his simultaneous vocals and piano playing.��

A farewell tune��

After more than 70 years in Washington, pianist Ed Rejuney is preparing to leave the District and start a new chapter.��

Rejuney said he first met Lambert during choir rehearsals in Mount Pleasant. Together, they built a community that now feels like family.��

He describes his upcoming move as both exciting and bittersweet.��

“You get comfortable in your life, and then suddenly something kicks you, and it’s like throwing a bomb into the middle of everything,” he said.��

Rejuney said he started playing piano at age seven and has since logged more than 10,000 hours at the keys.����

His dedication shows in the way he mentors others and remembers moments that shaped the group — like the day Kristen Clark, a shy but gifted singer, first performed. The two soon became a performing duo.��

Clark, he said, represents Open Piano’s mission: creating a space where anyone who loves the piano can belong.��

A loyal crowd��

After moving back to Washington in 2021, Blake Vieira said he discovered Open Piano by accident. A simple flyer taped to an electrical box invited passersby to “Open Piano at The Saloon every Wednesday, 7 to 10 p.m.” Intrigued, he decided to stop by.��

Since that night, he said he has rarely missed a week.��

Vieira said he��is now on a first-name basis with many of the pianists, and friendships that began at the piano have extended far beyond The Saloon’s walls.��

“It’s always a magical experience,” he said, noting that each week brings new faces and unforgettable moments — from late-night dancing to performances that bring the house down.��

Although Vieira isn’t a musician, his appreciation for the talent runs deep.��

“I’ve described myself to my friends here like an art dealer. I know the value of it and can appreciate it,” Vieira said.�� “Just don’t ask me to actually do it.”��

 

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The post Open Piano hits all the right notes on U Street first appeared on 91����.

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

Throughout the District, witchcraft is practiced in homes, cafés, and at local bars. Some witches practice tarot card readings, astrology, or crystal scrying, used for reflection. For others, it’s Santería—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.

“W��’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

Santería, a type of witchcraft, or brujería, has deep religious roots. 

The District has been home to various Santería 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. 

Santería 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 Santería 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.”

Santería 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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Howard’s Homecoming has been rapped about, referenced in popular media, and responsible for the of many stars in a wide range of industries. Attracting alumni, members of Greek-letter organizations, businesses, tourists, athletes, movie stars, and recording artists, the event is a major economic booster for the city.

But this year, what the event will look like is still unclear.

In August, President Donald Trump invoked emergency powers, allowing him to increase the number of federal law enforcement officers in the district and deploy the National Guard in an effort to reduce crime. Since then, the Guard’s initial 30-day orders have been extended through Dec. 3, and seven additional states have sent troops.

Federal agents from various agencies have conducted checkpoints and arrested individuals on the streets, sparking protests throughout the city. All of this, in addition to weak economic data and rising unemployment, has had a chilling effect on Howard alumni and local business owners, sources told 91����.

Michael Vasquez, who lives in Maryland, is one of those alumni.

“I am currently undecided about attending homecoming,” he said. “The current political climate in the city makes me uneasy. With the recent threats directed at HBCUs, I worry that the university could become a potential target.”

So far, Howard has not said it will change its regularly scheduled events for this year’s homecoming.

On campus this year, the university has been using numerous methods to help students feel safe, including the , the , and issuing a to the community in March, detailing how one should handle an encounter with ICE. While these efforts are aimed towards students, alumni are still expressing concerns.

“I’m not going to be coming back to the area because of what the Trump administration is doing to D.C.,” said Ahmeen Muhammad, an alumnus who lives in Houston. “Being a military member, I have no problem with the National Guard being in D.C., but I’m not coming back to homecoming so I can feel like I’m outside of a [military] post again. I’d rather stay home and sit this one out.”

Even without the addition of troops and federal agents, businesses, alumni, and residents say they are dealing with the reality of economic uncertainty as well.

Matt Fay is an advisory neighborhood commissioner on ANC 1B, the district covering Howard University, Ledroit Park, and the U Street Corridor, a popular business district nearby.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he said when 91���� asked how U Street businesses are preparing for the event.

“The additional presence of policing resources on U Street have definitely had an impact,” Fay said. “A lot fewer people are going out to eat, to bars and clubs. Business is down.”

Others echoed that sentiment.

Carl Brown is the director of the Howard University Business Development Center. His clients, who are mostly small businesses in D.C., have said similar things.

“Employees sometimes don’t come to work because they hear ICE is in the area. People are not coming to the district to eat. It’s very disrupting,” Brown said.

Those disruptions are being felt all over. Howard alumna Keya Stanford is a travel nurse from Georgia. The economic slowdown is forcing her to change her homecoming plans as well.

“Economy, economy, economy,” Stanford said. “Eggs cost crazy money, and I don’t even eat eggs.”

Brown said he has noticed the university is increasing campus police presence and security, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department driving through campus more frequently. MPD usually works with the university and the ANCs to create traffic management plans.

In years past, the month leading up to the event has been filled with unveilings of performance lineups, ambassadors, and party schedules. The website currently lists 18 scheduled events, information on sponsorship, and a vendor application.

Questions surrounding homecoming events are not uncommon. With so many changes happening in the district, however, some alumni are simply making other plans.

“I most likely will not be attending,” said Howard Alumnus Tristen Neal. “It has nothing to do with the presence of soldiers. Donny ain’t gonna stop me. I just have prior engagements.”

Another alumna, who asked not to be named, said she will not be going to Homecoming because “I was just there for my 10-year reunion last year and only plan to go for significant milestone class reunions.”

The university did not respond to requests for comment.

The post Economic uncertainty, federal law enforcement surge loom over Howard’s 101st Homecoming first appeared on 91����.

Performing gender for an audience is nothing new for D.C. The late summer boom of ‘performative male contests’ is just the freshest addition to the District’s long, queer performance history.��

The term performative male identifies men who prefer traditionally feminine aesthetics, such as painted nails and female indie artists, and who care about women’s feelings – or at least pretend to. The concept has now become the basis for public competitions sprouting up over the past few weeks in Seattle, Toronto, and New York City, as well as D.C. to determine who wins the title of most performative male.��

At the same time, lesbian and queer communities have launched ‘performative masc’ contests, where women and nonbinary people lean into stereotypes within their own community.

At McPherson Square, D.C.’s most performative men, representing a range of gender expressions, gathered in a matcha-sipping, Labubu-adorned showcase for the city’s performative male contest on Aug. 31 – just a few blocks from U Street, a culturally significant neighborhood for the Black and LGBTQ+ community. The event began when American University Student Emera Humphreys dropped a TikTok ad for the contest, followed by a Partiful RSVP link.

Contestant number one at the contest, Alex Montgomery, applied makeup and dressed up in preparation for the competition, a copy of Strong Female Lead: Lessons From Women In Power by Arwa Mahdawi in tow. They were one of two non-male-identifying contestants among the participants.

“Alex – that’s not my real name. That’s an extension of myself that I use when I go out. So honestly, this is really a drag competition, if you think about it,” Montgomery said after their performance.

One by one, the contestants took turns pulling feminist literature and tampons from their tote bags, while a crowd of mostly women laughed and cheered.

“I think women can recognize the inherent performativity of a man,” Ella O’Connor, contest attendee, said after the event. “When we hear certain topics of conversation being brought up, we’re able to recognize it for its performative nature. Whereas sometimes men think that they’re being genuine and they’re not.”

Contestant 11 in the lineup, Jaibin Mathew, pulled out the Korean sunscreen Beauty of Joseon from his Georgetown tea shop, ching ching CHA, tote bag to cheers from the crowd.

“Adding props and things like that, it feels like a lesser form of drag, in a way,” Mathew said after the competition. “People are pulling things out of their bag–their surprises–and you’re performing gender in a heightened sense.”

The popularity of performative male contests is linked to a broader cultural hunger for humor and release, according to Arlington-based clinical psychologist and founder of Vivid Innovations Consulting, Ashley Elliott, known popularly as .

“When we see people–whether it be inauthentic or authentic–making fun of themselves, not taking themselves too seriously, that is enjoyable,” she said. “Especially in American society, where a lot of male ideals are steeped in aggression, or not showing a full range of emotion, or not being able to laugh at yourself.”

Performative male contests should lead to community-focused actions after the laughs, Elliot said.

“It’s not about outfits. It’s not about T-shirts. It’s about allyship,” she said. “Being able to show up for groups of people who identify or express themselves and say, ‘Hey, I’m here to support and I’m here to protect.’”

Acknowledging contributions of queer individuals to modern life in D.C. is a crucial part of this process, Elliot said.

“W�� talk about the history of drag and the history of ballroom; we have a very deep history in D.C.,” Elliot said. “All people want is the space to freely express themselves and feel like ‘I belong’ and ‘I matter.’”

D.C.’s drag history dates back to the late 19th century when William Dorsey Swann, known as the “queen of drag,” organized balls in the district. By the mid-20th century, U Street emerged as the epicenter of Black Broadway and the ‘panzy craze,’ a dynamic hub for African American nightlife and drag. Following desegregation, it transformed into a center for gay clubs and bars.��

By the 1990s, D.C. hosted over 40 drag shows each week, according to Mark Meinke, founder and chair of Rainbow History Project, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving D.C.’s LGBTQ+ history.

Today on U Street, , a trans masculine drag queen based in D.C., frequently performs at various venues, including Shakers, Kiki, and DC9 Nightclub.�� Hymen describes��their on-stage gender performance as a form of subversion.

“I’m doing a lot of gender play,” Hymen said. “I love showing off the fact that I am trans, while also dressing up in a feminine way, and subverting the fact that I was born a woman, but I am now becoming a man in my day-to-day life, but then I want to be a woman again on stage. It’s absurd and fun, and I love it.”

Hymen said their drag is both playful and political. Yet when queer styles become a trend, they said the problem isn’t the performance, it’s the failure to credit the queer legacies behind it.

“Knowing your histories and connecting to the queerness of it, and lifting the queer community and the trans community, rather than taking this as something for cis people,” Hymen said.

To view the full gallery of photos of contestants, visit 91����’s .

The post Hi, performative men: drag queens did it first first appeared on 91����.

On a brisk Sunday afternoon, the bustling corner of U Street and Vermont Avenue houses the African American Civil War Memorial. 

Aside from a young couple enjoying their drinks nearby or people walking their dogs past the statue, no one is looking at the memorial except me.

The statue depicts four African American Civil War soldiers, who were part of the United States Colored Troops (USCT).

Serving as a tribute, this memorial dedicates its remembrance to 209,145 soldiers of the USCT who fought for the Union during the Civil War. The wall behind the statue lists the names of the soldiers and regiments.

The emptiness around the memorial is eerie, almost a haunting reminder of forgotten history.

As if time travel existed, an American Civil War soldier suddenly emerged from the Metro escalators as if time travel existed.

Only it wasn’t a soldier, it was a man dressed like one, smiling ear to ear as he began to put wreaths, ribbons and Ethiopian flags on the memorial.

Marquett Milton is a historical interpreter with the African American Civil War Memorial Museum. The museum opened in 1999, but is currently closed for renovations.

It will reopen in July at its new, permanent home in the Grimke Building on Vermont Avenue, across from the memorial.

That afternoon, Milton was preparing for a community event: a celebration of the Ethiopian “Battle of Adwa,” in which, in 1896, Ethiopian forces remained victorious over Italy’s attempts to colonize the country. 

“I like to call the African American Civil War memorial the silent history of D.C.,” he said.

Following Milton, the area around the memorial erupted in noise after community members, religious leaders and residents came to celebrate.

Every Tuesday through Sunday, proudly in uniform, Milton walks visitors throughout U Street and teaches them about the history of Black soldiers and their historical significance during the Civil War.

Milton has been a museum employee for 15 years and hosts frequent community events, encouraging visitors to learn about the museum’s and memorial’s vibrant histories.

“W��’ve been here ever since, meeting people all over the world, telling them the untold story,” he said. “What got me into the history I know now is that I felt like I was lied to my whole life about African American history and about U Street.”

Milton shared that his mission is to learn as much as possible about what U Street was once like.

“I love to meet people and not too many [of them] know our story,” he said, referencing both the museum and the memorial. “It’s been swept underneath the rug.”

Civil War history hardly ever covers the resistance of Black soldiers and troops, added Milton. While Confederate monuments still exist in the United States, Black history, especially in D.C., is rarely known.

“They left our history out on purpose because they didn’t want us to know who we are,” he said. “Because those who don’t have a past will not have a future.”

He added that a part of that history is now, as gentrification has left residents displaced or moving to Maryland and Virginia.

Gentrification is where an “influx of new people drive up the value of real estate, making it difficult for longtime residents and familiar businesses to remain,” according to a WETA neighborhood .

These events not only change a place’s character but often erase the significant characteristics that make a neighborhood special.

 “These folks, the neighbors, like myself, [have] to work more than one job just to afford to live here,” said Milton, a Washingtonian who grew up in the Capitol Hill area.

The museum and other Black businesses in the area are reminders of the rich history of U Street, which is something to hang on to, Milton added.

“That’s part of the U Street legend,” he said. “W��’re the heart of it.”

As the museum reopens in July, many might wonder what lies ahead.

The USCT is the root of why U Street exists, emphasized Milton. Every week, he encounters 20 to 30 people who find their relatives on the memorial walls.

The memorial reminds us of those who helped build the nation and represents their history in the nation’s capital.

Future efforts for the museum include building a theater and a children’s space for youth to learn more about the Civil War soldiers and their ties to U Street.

“W�� have information about the past that connects with the present,” said Milton. “It could wake the mind of young people into civil rights to make change. It could make a difference.”

During a time when the current presidential administration cracks down on the arts, preserving Black history through the arts still remains.

“[The museum] is like a temple of learning about America’s story and the information that should have been taught,” he said. “They are the true heroes.”

Aaron Lewis, a friend of Milton, is the president of the U Street Neighborhood Association – an all-volunteer organization focused on public safety, community voices and giving back to the neighborhood.

Lewis, a resident of U Street since 2021, said that he met Marquett while trying to use AI to take him on a tour of the area.

“It felt like this beautiful symbol of how even in the age of AI,  we have access to such a wealth of information,” he said. “Nothing beats a living historian who’s going to actually, fully embody the character and give you a real visceral sense of what these stories are.”

Temperance Alley Garden, a community gathering place, was one of Lewis’s projects with the community.

He also assists Milton in hosting community events at the African American Civil War Memorial.

“Marquett has done a really great job of activating that site and bringing together people for various celebrations throughout the year,” said Lewis. “W�� want to continue to support him in that work, because it’s super important for people to learn these histories and to help carry all the rich stories.”

Not far from the memorial lies Garrison Elementary School, which used to be a contraband camp during the Civil War where formerly enslaved people would set up camp and prepare for battle, according to the school’s .

“What Marquette and what the museum have done is really bring these stories to the foreground and make sure that the memorializing and remembrance was a part of the whole U Street revitalization,” he said.

Part of this revitalization directly deals with active gentrification issues in the area. Lewis added that it can sometimes feel helpless to combat gentrification in the face of huge economic forces such as increasing housing prices.

“It’s difficult to resist the tides of gentrification and the little piece that we’ve tried to play is advocating for more affordable housing in front of the Zoning Commission, because our garden is the site of a future housing project,” he said.

The efforts of the U Street Neighborhood Association and the museum are intertwined, as they explore the history and empower existing preservation efforts.

Lewis, who is also a designer, added that the arts are a great way to reimagine the stories of U Street – through song, dance, design and more.

“It is also a way of clothing the neighborhood in its history and then making it easier to carry those stories forward,” he said. “It just serves as a really good technology of memory for all of the people who live here to be continually inspired by all the artists who came before and then to try to live in an artful way as we continue to remember those stories.”

Throughout his time in U Street, Lewis said that he learned by observing murals and spending time at historic Black businesses such as Lee’s Flower Shop.

 Lee’s Flower Shop is U Street’s premier florist shop and the longest-standing Black-owned flower in the country, operating since 1945 

When asked what he hopes for the future of U Street – and its arts scene – Lewis said he aspires to embody the “DIY” spirit that so many artists do.

“My hope is that the association and the neighborhood can continue to be a place for collective creativity – where we digest the stories from the past, and then kind of remix them in a way that feels timely and speaks to our now,” he said.

“Marquette always says U Street is the unity within you, which I love,” he said. “I always encourage people who visit to learn about all of those roots and how they’re united in the story of U.”

Natalie Hopkinson is an associate professor of journalism at American University.

A former staff writer for the Washington Post, an author of three books, and an expert on D.C.’s arts & culture history, Hopkinson is an experienced member of D.C.’s diverse arts scene.

“The arts are essential because they are our expression of humanity and our expression of not being erased,” she said. “You cannot tell our American story without places like U Street.”

According to a Washington City Paper , by 2010, the African American population in the Shaw and U Street neighborhoods had decreased to 30 percent from 80 percent in 1980.

More than 20,000 Black residents were displaced between 2010 and 2013, according to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.

Hopkinson was also a co-leader in creating the Go-Go Museum & Care, which celebrates historic Black music and arts movements and U Street’s “Black Broadway.”

Go-Go is DC and DC is Go-Go.

The Go-Go Museum and Cafe preserves the legacy and tells the story of the official music of Washington, DC.

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser)

“Go-go music”, pioneered by Black musicians in the 1960s and 1970s, is a subgenre of funk music originating in D.C.

Hopkinson emphasizes the cultural symbolism of “go-go music” and how the efforts to preserve art and Black history should remain.

“These symbols [art] are important because they express power,” she said. “First of all, we’re still fighting the Civil War. It never ended. Otherwise, why are they trying to bring Confederate statues back?”

Derek Hyra is a professor of public administration & policy at American University, specializing in research of urban housing, gentrification, urban politics, and race.

His book, Race, Class & Politics in the Cappuccino City, highlights the rapid increase in gentrification and cultural shifts in D.C.

While Hyra believes that the community around Shaw and U Street once was a hub of black political resistance, especially during the 60s, 70s, and 80s, he is unsure of its status now. .

“Now it’s gentrified, and the price point is very high,” he said. “One-bedroom apartments go for $3000, two apartments can go for $6000.”

Marion Barry and Walter Fauntroy, two very important Black political leaders, were critical in developing civil rights and resistance in the U Street area, according to Hyra.

He emphasized that their leadership and community organizing translate to home rule and Muriel Bowser’s battles with President Trump.

Marion Barry was a former D.C. mayor and city councilmember, while Walter Fauntroy is a civil rights activist and pastor.

Muriel Bowser, the current D.C. mayor, openly President Trump’s push to clear homeless encampments in the city.

“If you want to have a very deep understanding of that, you have to make the leaps from 1864 all the way up to 2024, and the Civil War Museum helps you make those leaps and linkages,” said Hyra.

Echoing Hyra, Milton emphasized his high hopes for the museum’s future. Like time travel, Milton believes its ability to transport visitors to the past is needed now more than ever.

U Street is the universe, the unity in ‘U’. What the system is afraid of is people uniting. That’s what this memorial and this museum are going to do, they’re going to unite people.

The post How U Street’s vibrant, legacy arts scene survives through gentrification first appeared on 91����.

Ed Bailey, who owns gay bars Trade and Number Nine in Logan Circle, said that he’s hoping everyone will be pleased with the election outcome if Kamala Harris is elected, but if not, the LGBTQ+ community will be able to use World Pride as a moment to make their stance known.

“Regardless of how the election goes, it could be a difficult situation, but definitely, if you think about certain scenarios with certain people being in power, there’s a definite concern on how these events could unfold and what kind of support our community might get from the federal government if certain people are in power,” Bailey said.

World Pride, which will bring a week’s worth of festivities to the District in June 2025, is 2 to 3 million visitors to the area. the welcome concert starting on May 31, followed by a human rights conference, a parade, a street festival and a concert over the next week or so.��

Capital Pride Alliance, which usually hosts D.C.’s pride event, is responsible for World Pride 2025.

“It’s going to be an elevated, crazy boom for way more than just [the gay] community,” Bailey said. “All of the businesses in all of those areas are going to be busy because there’s going to be a lot of people.”

Safety of LGBTQ+ people through heightened security and communication is top of mind for Bailey.

“In the gay community, we’ve always been in a situation where we need to be cognizant of our very existence being a problem for some people, and therefore [we’ll be] prepared to deal with things that might happen in that regard,” Bailey said.

Capital Pride Alliance executive director Ryan Bos told 91���� in an email that event planners are in discussion with local health and security agencies, the Mayor’s Special Event Task Group, Homeland Security, the mayor’s office and the D.C. government to prepare the D.C.-area for millions of visitors from around the world.

Jesus Quispe, managing partner of gay nightclub Bunker on U Street, also owns event agency Kinetic Presents, which is spearheading planning a weekend festival during World Pride.

“What we’ve been trying to do is make sure … tourists understand there’s a vibrant nightlife here for people to have fun,” Quispe said. “For World Pride, all eyes are going to be on us and we want to make sure that people see us at a very international level.”

Quispe is also involved in advocacy efforts with the mayor’s office to allow short-term rentals of vacant storefronts for events and extend liquor licenses to 24 hours, similar to the .

“This is our time for small businesses to shine —��restaurants, clubs, bars and lounges because we got hit very hard with COVID,” Quispe said.

Other World Pride safety measures have included partnerships with police and the District’s office of nightlife to account for road closures and added police presence as many restaurants and bars will be at or above capacity. Quispe said World Pride is also working to have a channel of communication with police and the District during the week so they know where the large events are going to be.��

“That’s the beauty of it because they’re understanding that there are going to be parties everywhere,” Quispe said. “They know where they’re going to be, how big they’re going to be. They’re going to make sure that D.C. is well taken care of.”

Quispe compares D.C. hosting World Pride to hosting the Olympics.

“[We’re] investing a lot of money, time and discussion to make sure we can deliver one of the best events that’s ever happened in World Pride,” he said.

Bailey anticipates it’ll be the largest gathering of LGBTQ+ people in North America.

“It’s always exciting, and a lot of younger people haven’t always had the opportunity to get together in large numbers with our community,” Bailey said. “It’s a very powerful thing to be able to be around a huge crowd of people who accept you.”

Erika Wichmann, who’s lived in the Logan Circle area for three years, said she’s excited to see a surge in local events during World Pride, especially post-pandemic.

As far as security, she’s confident World Pride has plans to account for the influx of people.

“If anything, I would worry about violence by protestors against the LGBT+ community and attendees,” Wichmann said.

Quispe said he’s been growing with the gay community in D.C. as a longtime operator, so working in a World Pride host city “is just a dream.”

“If I would die the next year, I would die in peace and say, ‘I’ve done something so huge that I’ve been waiting my entire life for,’” he said.

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The word “political” on Political Pattie’s will be repainted in a larger blue font this week to offset the red doors.

The Democrat donkey and Republican elephant on the facade of the new U Street bar have also been recently covered with coats of white paint.

“The elephant, we realized, people found it offensive and hurtful,” co-owner Drew Benbow said. “That’s not our goal; our goal is to be inclusive.”

The political-themed bar, located where LGBTQ-friendly Dirty Goose used to operate, opened on Sept. 20. Owners immediately received backlash. Social media users said it “” and “.”

Benbow said he was shocked by the response because his and co-owner Sydney Bradford’s goal was to unite people through sharing ideologies. The exterior changes were made in response to the online feedback.

“It became very evident at that point that this was way bigger than opening a bar, and soon, we realized we’re not just a bar, we’re a beacon,” Benbow said. “W�� received a lot of attention and we feel it’s our responsibility to use that attention to spread a message of unity.”

The D.C.-native couple, Benbow and Bradford, both studied political science and were driven to start Political Pattie’s to create a space for civil discussion. Bradford is a Democrat, and Benbow is a moderate Republican; they shared with 91���� that they each plan on voting for Kamala Harris in November.

The pair said an ideal Saturday night at Political Pattie’s has a DJ spinning music at a presidentially inspired booth, televisions set on various news channels and patrons holding gavels indulging in “Gerrymander Martinis” or “Filibuster Fizzes” on each of the three floors.

Roger Mudd, a fan of the bar, said that when he visited, he was greeted with friendly faces, top-shelf spirits, a rooftop and “great beats to move to.”

“It’s simply a place where people from all walks of life can come together to watch and discuss politics, just like you would at a sports bar,” Mudd said. “And we all know the LGBTQ+ community dominates politics.”

Benbow said the bar’s concept pokes fun at politics, not the pain that politics often causes.

“Political Pattie’s is a forum for tolerance, for reasonable minds coming together to speak about the issues of the day without challenging each other’s existence or humanity,” Bradford said.

Zack Brown, a former Capitol Hill staffer, said he was both intrigued and horrified when learning about the bar concept through social media. He called it “ill researched” and “tone deaf.”

“The political environment is so divisive and emotionally and otherwise charged and fraught on its own,” Brown said.

Bradford said Political Pattie’s is designed to provide a platform for bipartisan exchange in predominantly blue D.C. but made it clear intolerance is not tolerated.

“W�� understand that for different folks, having a conversation with someone who is a Republican might seem like it’s an element that could bring about pain, could bring about thoughts of debating their experience, etc.,” Bradford said. “… We want to make sure that people feel this is a safe space to engage in the polite political discourse we think can happen at Pattie’s.”

Jarret Crawford, an expert in political psychology and intergroup attitudes at The College of New Jersey, said his research has revealed that listening to and being listened to by people with conflicting political beliefs without persuasion can reduce dislike between parties.

“They’re not trying to shove their ideas down your throat [and] make you believe what they believe,” Crawford said. “It’s more like giving you an opportunity to express your own opinion.”

Bradford also acknowledges that the bar’s U Street address resides in a prominent gay community and while guests don’t need to be like-minded, they need to be rational and polite.

“W�� don’t think it’s too divisive of a theme for a bar where it’s located, as long as things are conducted in a respectful and responsible manner, which is the way we intend to conduct anything and any political discourse that occurs at our bar,” Bradford said.

The post Political Pattie’s changes exterior after public backlash first appeared on 91����.

Omicron has now been , with three cases identified in the greater Washington area of Maryland. No positive cases of Omicron have yet been identified in the District.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser dropped the District’s mask mandate earlier in November — one week before the World Health Organization recognized Omicron as a variant of concern. This week, news of Omicron creeping closer to D.C., combined with an due to COVID-19 this past month, has now prompted the mayor’s office to re-issue an indoor mask ‘recommendation.’

According to the CDC, the COVID-19 Omicron variant than the orginial COVID-19 virus, although more research is needed to understand if Omicron will cause more severe illness. While vaccines are expected to protect people from high risk side effects, hospitalization, and death, are expected to occur.

In the wake of Omicron, restaurants enforce mask wearing

91���� spoke with representatives from Busboys and Poets, Alero, Ben’s Chili Bowl, and The Smith about how restaurants are grappling news of the new variant, and the new D.C. mask ‘recommendation’.��

As for the reason that D.C. doesn’t have a mask mandate right now — “I don’t really know why,” said Al Em, the manager of Busboys and Poets on 14th St. NW.��

In the wake of Omicron, Em said Busboys and Poets is taking mask-wearing seriously, regardless of whether there’s a mandate to wear a mask indoors. To get booked into the rota, all employees are required to wear a mask on their nose and mouth at all times and also receive complete dosages of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“W��’re just doing our part though,” said Em. For a company with more than 100 employees spread across its chain, “we are one of the few companies that does not have a lot of cases. As far as I know, there’s been no COVID exposed within Busboys and Poets.”

One block east of Busboys and Poets, upbeat music and colorful banners signal U St.’s popular Mexican restaurant Alero. Manager of Alero Julieta Hernandez said that the mayor’s mixed messaging as to whether or not masks should be worn places a safety stressor on restaurant staff.����

“Personally, I’m more worried because we don’t know what’s going to happen with Omicron, so it can be more difficult now,” said Hernandez.

With the inevitable first Omicron case awaiting D.C., Hernandez said decisive measures would put the Alero staff more at ease. “For me, I’d prefer it to be mandatory mask,” she said.��

Safety as a priority — ‘Thank you for your cooperation!’

Ruth Palacios, a hostess from U St. restaurant The Smith, reiterated this sentiment. Even though the D.C. law is not requiring patrons to wear a mask, The Smith is self-enforcing a mask mandate for all people who enter the restaurant.��

At The Smith, “W�� always are supposed to have safety as a priority — safety to our customers, because we don’t want any customer to get sick,” said Palacios.��

Outside of the District’s famous Ben’s Chili Bowl, a piece of paper triple-taped to the glass door reads: ‘Masks must be worn inside at all times unless you are seated dining. Thank you for your cooperation!”

Owner and Manager of Ben’s Chili Bowl Vida Ali said that while the pandemic was difficult for business, first and foremost, her priority was to protect the safety of the restaurant’s team members and their guests.��

“W�� definitely still ask the team to wear a mask, and we ask the guests to wear a mask,” Ali said.��

It’s no surprise that the mayor’s guidelines have changed over time correlating with varying incidence rates of COVID-19, said Ali. But, regardless of the COVID-19 status in the city and messaging from the D.C. Department of Health, the restaurants’ philosophy for Omicron has definitively stayed the same as before — masks required.��

“It’s just making everyone as comfortable and as safe as possible,” she said.��

The post How U Street restaurants are preparing for Omicron in DC first appeared on 91����.

Speaking with 91����, Ali explained the necessity for DC NAACP to defend Barry and Hopkinson, two vocal proponents of arts funding redistribution whose re-appointments to the DCCAH were initially blocked by the D.C. Council two weeks ago.

“It was important that we fought for them because we cannot set precedent of silencing strong voices who fight for resource equity,” Ali said.

In the midst of D.C. Council’s attempt to block Barry and Hopkinson from re-confirmation, Ali said the DC NAACP would continue advocating for strong Black voices.

“You need people at the table who are going to fight for resources because resources and money are really what impacts the economic foundation that changes the structure of our society and community, she said.

Council’s initial move to block Barry and Hopkinson generated disapproval

The controversial move to block the Commissioners sparked disapproval from councilmembers and activists alike. Shortly after the blockage, emergency legislation was introduced and passed by 11 councilmembers to approve the re-nominations of Hopkinson and Barry. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson was the sole dissident of this emergency legislation.

Ali explained that Hopkinson’s and Barry’s advocacy upset larger organizations whose funding was diverted to local artists and smaller arts organizations. Subsequent against Barry’s integrity, and the Council Chair’s accusation that the pair are “controversial and polarizing” members of the commission, led to the blockage of their nominations — and that’s when the NAACP stepped in.

Let me tell you what I don’t want to see on my Monday morning (or any day for that matter) – Chairman Mendelson’s staff attacking an accomplished Black woman with a PhD, calling her a liar, and insulting her ability to do math.

— Alison Horn (@Alison6B09)

Ali emphasized the importance of the pair’s tenure on the DCCAH. Over the two years that the pair served on the commission, Barry and Hopkinson “were two of the most fierce and outspoken fighters for resource equity, and racial equity in the distribution of funds on the commission,” Ali explained.

The DCCAH currently allocates over to the District’s arts initiatives. Barry and Hopkinson identified considerable inequities in how the funding was distributed across D.C.’s eight wards, she said.

The commissioner’s advocacy work on the DCCAH helped to ignite the development of the Task Force on Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. In 2020, this committee identified that enhance how the DCCAH can equitably distribute resources across D.C.’s art community, whether by location, or the size of the organization.

Promoting equity and inclusion in the District’s art community

DCCAH Chief of Staff Jeffrey Scott described implementing one of the recommendations proposed by the equity task force.

The Commission is acting more intentionally to collect the demographic data on the communities and the populations that the organization serves, said Scott. Early in 2021, the Commissioners decided to behind the general operating grants to allocate smaller and midsize organizations a large proportion of funding.

This move allows the DCCAH to “have a better sense of where the dollars are going, and what sort of impact they’re having,” he said.

In response to the controversy, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson took to Facebook for weekly live broadcast to discuss the imbalance in arts funding in the District. Mendelson deflected responsibility to the DCCAH, which distributes grants among applicants.

“There was until repealed, a set aside for the large arts organizations, but other than that, decisions on grant-making are entirely with the arts commission, and still are with the arts commission.”

The post Arts controversy: DC NAACP says ‘we cannot set precedent of silencing strong voices who fight for resource equity.’ first appeared on 91����.