$.01
This blog is about my observations on a largely forgotten neighborhood in Washington, DC – what is currently being retooled as NOMA, or “north of Massachusetts Avenue, NW” but what has been for years confused as part of Old City or Shaw. Some have called it Old City II, others recently took the name of Truxton Circle (after a real traffic circle on North Capitol Street that was demolished in 1947). But most residents north of Massachusetts Avenue, NW on New Jersey Avenue, NW, see it as a lost neighborhood without a name. It’s home to the first black public high school, Dunbar High. Beyond that, it’s really just a neighborhood of what most people would call “working-class” African-American residents.
This blog is about my observations on a largely forgotten neighborhood in Washington, DC – what is currently being retooled as NOMA, or “north of Massachusetts Avenue, NW” but what has been for years confused as part of Old City or Shaw. Some have called it Old City II, others recently took the name of Truxton Circle (after a real traffic circle on North Capitol Street that was demolished in 1947). But most residents north of Massachusetts Avenue, NW on New Jersey Avenue, NW, see it as a lost neighborhood without a name. It’s home to the first black public high school, Dunbar High. Beyond that, it’s really just a neighborhood of what most people would call “working-class” African-American residents. For the last three years, I’ve come to see this section of Washington, DC, as a second home of sorts. A few things you need to know about me right off the bat:
1) I don’t reside in Washington, DC, or in the Truxton Circle neighborhood. To the contrary, I’m a Northern Virginia resident, and my home is not near this culturally diverse world. I used to live in Washington, DC, years ago, but on 16th Street, NW, near Rock Creek Park. In actuality, my world in Virginia is the mirror image of Truxton Circle, except in reverse. While Truxton Circle is primarily black; my neighborhood in Virginia is primarily white.
2) I’m not African-American. I am white as snow, but while I can’t prove it, I truly believe I have African blood running through my veins, no matter how diluted it may be. I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and lived my very early years on Washington Avenue in North Little Rock. So, in some ways, I’ve been drawn to Truxton Circle because of the similar history it shares with Washington Avenue in North Little Rock. For those not familiar with Washington Avenue in North Little Rock, look it up.
3) Most every weekday for the past three years, I’ve run from my Capitol Hill office on North Capitol Street, NW, in the shadow of the US Capitol, up New Jersey Avenue, NW, to R Street, NW, and back. This is the continuing story of my journey through this largely unknown and unnamed neighborhood – my observations about the people who live there and the tentative, but deeply rooted relationship that’s been created because of my presence. My hope and goal with this ongoing journal is to ensure that this area of Washington, rich with its own hidden history, is documented so it stands as a testament to those who grew up, lived, and died here. I hope you take this journey with me and learn more about the city we call our nation’s capital.
Bryan
No comments:
Post a Comment