Content Description 4 oral history interviews (approx 60 minutes each) and the full 23-minute short film “Feed/Back”, a short experimental documentary released in 2022 in partnership with the Center for Story-based Strategy and Village X Studio. The film wove together a futurist narrative of escape with present-day stories of food service workers, many formerly employed at Busboys and Poets, a cultural centerpiece in the DMV community. It was awarded Best Director (DMV Short Film Festival) and honorable mention...

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Gratz narrates his experiences working with the Marriott family, the company culture, and the events leading up to his termination. He also recounts moments of intimidation, harassment, and assault that he or his coworkers experienced both from management and from fellow staff at Marriott.

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Hinojosa explores the narrative surrounding Busboys and Poets in contrast with her experiences as a long-time worker there. She narrates moments of resistance, intimidation, wage theft and harassment that she was impacted by as a server, and that her coworkers were impacted by. She recounts witnessing Malcolm Wilson's resignation and how that impacted her, as well as the events leading up to her own resignation.

Abstract

Hinojosa explores the narrative surrounding Busboys and Poets in contrast with her experiences as a long-time worker there. She narrates moments of resistance, intimidation, wage theft and harassment that she was impacted by as a server, and that her coworkers were impacted by. She recounts witnessing Malcolm Wilson's resignation and how that impacted her, as well as the events leading up to her own resignation.

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Wilson describes his experiences with Busboys and Poets growing up and then as an employee. He describes the events leading up to his resignation as well as incidents of retaliation, wage theft and harassment he experienced and witnessed while working there.

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Butler (she/they) narrates their experiences at Busboys and Poets, first as a child and later as a poet and employee. She explores the cultural role that Busboys has played in DC along with gentrification in the city and how it has impacted arts spaces. Butler describes their understanding of the responsibility that business owners have toward the communities that they serve, in particular DC’s local Black community.