By Guest Contributor, on July 11th, 2016 
Cross-posted DC Media Group by John Zangas
Washington, DC — The Movement for Black Lives continued protests to denounce recent killings of Black men on Saturday night in Washington, DC. The Stop Police Terror in DC Project, BlackLivesMatterDMV, BYP100 (Black Youth Project) and allies met at the African American Civil War Memorial and marched through city streets and into Georgetown. Once there they blocked traffic on the main M Street thoroughfare and then blocked Rock Creek Parkway.
The protest lasted over three hours, walking several miles through the city and resulted in no arrests. Many joined along the way, including activists, youth, and families.
The new protests came as video reports came to light of more killings by police of Black men. Delrawn Small, 38, was killed by an off-duty police officer in a road rage incident in Brooklyn, NY. A video published online countered claims by an off duty police officer that Smalls had allegedly punched the officer in the face. Smalls was shot less than two seconds after approaching the unmarked police vehicle.
Another man, Alva Braziel, 38, was shot 10 times by police in Houston, after he went looking for his horse which had gone missing. In that incident Houston police said that Braziel had brandished a firearm.
Smalls and Brazeil are the 655th and 671th individuals respectively killed by US police in 2016.
But Eugene Puryear, an organizer with The Stop Police Terror In DC Project, recognized that the Black Lives Matter movement had made progress.
“It’s only been a couple of years since we’ve been pushing, and already we’ve brought this issue to the forefront of the country,” said Puryear.
Yet a mass shooting of Dallas police officers during a protest Thursday night, which resulted in five police killed and seven wounded, cast doubt that unrest would end any time soon.
Puryear said that the Dallas incident was an unfortunate tragedy but was “not unexpected.”
“When you have a situation when over a thousand people are killed every year by police and no real resolution in the court system…it’s like putting a pot on boil and eventually it’s going to boil over,” said Puryear.
He said the increased national tension is moving the country towards a boiling stage, and change must now happen both socially and politically.
Reports of Black Lives Matter protests dominated the Sunday morning news. Protests were reported in major cities across the country as tensions rose over the spate of recent killings.
Area groups planned to hold a vigil at the African American Civil War Memorial Sunday night.
By Liane Scott, on September 15th, 2014 
Johanna Bockman is a sociologist and curator of the blog Sociology in My Neighborhood: DC Ward Six. She has been working with Grassroots DC and the Potomac Gardens Community on the production of the documentary Potomac Gardens Inside and Out (which you’ll soon hear more about on this site and beyond). Below is a post from her site of particular relevance to DC’s public housing communities and anyone interested in increasing the amount of affordable housing in the District of Columbia.
My Gentrification Talk & Video
By Johanna Bockman
Last week, I gave the annual presidential address to the DC Sociological Society about gentrification in DC. You can view a video of my address below. I start with a bit of history about the DC Sociological Society, which has its own connections to gentrification in DC. I then define gentrification, show some historical trends and maps, and discuss four myths/narratives about gentrification.
The fabulous discussion afterwards covered a wide range of topics, but there were two that I found particularly interesting.
First, we talked about looking beyond the economic motivations behind gentrification to its political motivations. What are the political motivations behind gentrification? How is DC as a whole threatened by gentrification? As discussed in the talk, one former resident of the Arthur Capper public housing project told me: “It [Arthur Capper] was part of the District of Columbia…like a finger or an arm in the body of the District of Columbia…You just cannot destroy a community and expect the city to thrive and survive.” His comment was surprising to me at the time. What is the nature of this District he is talking about? How is it being destroyed?
Second, we talked about renters. Many amazing community organizers in DC are working to increase low-income home ownership, especially through limited-equity cooperatives. I argued that we should also work to support renters, including by maintaining and expanding public housing, because about 41% of DC residents are renters and those in low-income jobs can barely afford to pay rent, let alone to buy a place. What would have to change in DC and nationwide to create a good environment for renters, especially low- and very-low-income renters? How might we create a positive “renter nation“?
Thanks to the DC Sociological Society, our host Mason’s Sociology and Anthropology Department, and the audience for an amazing discussion.
By Liane Scott, on August 22nd, 2014 
I asked DC Public School graduate Quintess Bond why she thought DCPS test scores were so low? She presents her thesis in the form of this documentary. In it, Quintess explores the theory that good schools need active parents, engaged students and a dedicated faculty and administrative staff. I think she puts a bit too much emphasis on the role of the parents but that can be forgiven. After suffering a stroke and losing her job, Quintess’ mother struggled mightily just to keep her daughter clothed, housed and fed. In addition, she insisted that Quintess stay on top of her school work. As a result, Quintess graduated salutatorian from School Without Walls in 2012. School Without Walls is one of the highest performing high schools in the DC public school system.
Not many parents have the strength and determination that Quintess’ mother Pearl has. If they did, we might not need to worry about the school system at all. Quintess’ documentary explores the theory that
Next week, Anaise Aritide will present her take on why there are such large disparities in DC public schools.
By Grassroots DC, on June 2nd, 2014 
Posted on Behalf of Andrew Batcher
On June 3rd, at 6:30 pm, there will be a rally at the DC General Homeless Shelter, located at 1900 Massachusetts Ave. SE (at the end of the road), right next to the Stadium Armory Metro. This former hospital turned homeless shelter, methadone clinic, and jail currently houses hundreds of DC families. The situation in the shelter is deplorable. There are infestations of mold and rats. Available funds are not being used for repairs. The hundreds of children at DC General have no safe place to play. Relisha Rudd was abducted from the shelter earlier this year.
For more information about conditions in the shelter, watch the testimony of DC General resident Momauwi Woods at last year’s State of the District’s Poverty panel discussion in the video below.
When taking action and organizing for better living conditions, shelter residents have faced intimidation, including violations of their right to assemble. This is unacceptable.
Respect, and fair treatment is a human right, for all!
On June 3rd support shelter residents in their struggle for housing, security, first amendment rights, and humane living conditions at the
Rally for the Rights, Safety and Dignity of Homeless Families at DC General Tuesday June 3, 2017 @ 6:30 PM DC General Homeless Shelter 1900 Massachusetts Ave. SE Stadium Armory Metro on the Orange and Blue Lines
The rally is organized by shelter residents and the Washington Interfaith Network. The Peace House supports this rally as a show of solidarity with the residents, and all the people who struggle for a fair and just world.
We invite you to stand with the homeless families, and demand better living conditions, respect and fair treatment. If you would like more information please email Andrew Batcher at abatcher.ni@gmail.com.
By Grassroots DC, on May 12th, 2014 
Cross-posted from the DC Independent Media Center Written by Luke
In December 2013, a US drone strike killed 12 people at a wedding in Yemen. On the 4th of May 2014, Code Pink staged a drone strike on a mock wedding in front of the White House. This was an American instead of a Yemeni style wedding so tourists and cops could understand.
Cayman & Michael – May 4, 2014!! from 24Lanterns on Vimeo.
As protesters crossed Lafayette Park towards the Penn Ave, a US Park Police woman attempted to stop them because they were pushing a rack of chairs. She denounced chairs as “structures” not permitted in the park and whined about permits. Most likely the claim that it is somehow “illegal” to sit in a chair in Lafayette Park is an attempt to interfere with the Peace Vigil. After foolishly putting out her hand to stop one group, she had to drop her objections and demands for permits after realizing the protest would not be in the park at all, but rather on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Once set up, the wedding was staged, and as the bride and groom proceeded back from the altar the drone struck, leaving “bodies” on the ground under what appeared to be bloodstained tarps. A speaker then reminded onlookers that a real drone strike would often include a “double-tap,” i.e., a second bombing aimed at killing first responders aiding the victims of the first attack. This is a notorious tactic when used by insurgents with paired IED’s, yet the United States has emulated it in drone bombings worldwide.
Democracy Now report on the drone attack on a wedding party in Yemen:
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/21/turning_a_wedding_into_a_funeral
|
Subscribe to Blog via Email
|
Comments are closed 
