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John Jones English index, 2022-10-03

 Item
Identifier: dcpl_dcohc049_04_ind_eng.pdf

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

D.C. Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) is a citywide initiative to train community members in oral history skills, fund new and ongoing oral history projects, connect volunteers with oral history projects, and publicize existing oral history collections. DCOHC is a project of DC Public Library, HumanitiesDC, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. This collection contains oral history interviews, transcripts, and indexes produced by DCOHC grantees.

Dates

  • Creation: 2022-10-03

Creator

Biographical / Historical

John Jones arrived in D.C. in 1967 after being drafted and serving two years in the US Army. He attended Howard University where he received a degree in business administration. He served as an elected member and then executive director of the Adams Morgan Organization (AMO) and as an ANC member and chair for 15 years. He spent his career with the D.C. Board of Parole, where he was a computer specialist. He has lived in Adams Morgan since 1978.

Extent

From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

John Jones reflects on his early life growing up in Kansas City, discussing early experiences of racism and witnessing racial violence personally and nationally, including the murder of Emmett Till. He subsequently joined the Army and then came to D.C. to attend Howard University. Motivated to be involved in the Civil Rights Movement and local organizing, Jones became involved with the Adams Morgan Organization and later was elected to the ANC. He describes how in these roles he supported efforts to help Black residents keep their homes in the neighborhood as developers bought up properties and displaced lower-income residents and advocated for Perpetual Bank to provide loans to Black and Latino residents as part of its commitment to the community. He reflects on gentrification and the changing character of the Adams Morgan neighborhood and also talks about the positive aspects of community and his love of neighborhood-level organizing.

Repository Details

Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository

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