Abstract Renee Flood Wright recounts her experiences as a Black woman born and raised in D.C. who transitioned from living in a house in Mount Pleasant to living in an apartment building on Newton Street. She shares her struggles and lessons learned from twenty years of serving as a leading force at Urban Village and never quitting. She discusses how she finally saw her perseverance and dedication come to fruition by raising activist kids and building generational wealth in an unusual affordable...

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Ms. Steward discusses growing up in D.C., mostly in Shaw, her early sense of herself as different and coming into her gender and sexuality, going to clubs and working, the impact of the AIDS epidemic, her involvement with transgender and HIV/AIDS organizations including Transgender Health Empowerment, and the changes in the city.

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Ms. Corado discusses growing up in El Salvador amidst the civil war, her understanding of her gender and its evolution, emigrating to D.C., living homeless in Dupont Circle, becoming an activist, and establishing Casa Ruby.

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Ms. Corado discusses her early activism and leading the group Latinos en Accion which she would turn into Casa Ruby, the early days of Casa Ruby’s first space, the growth and accomplishments since then, and the challenges and hopes for the future.

Abstract This project explores the impact of programs and activities The Washington Section, National Council of Negro Women past presidents, members and other key people. The interviews were meant to form the basis of an assessment of the organization’s importance from its founding in 1943 to the present and a guide for the future. The stories collected speak to how the Washington Section established and maintained a strong presence through its involvement with women, children and their families in...

Abstract For six days in July of 1978, workers in D.C.’s Metro system brought the city to a halt. Angered by violence against bus drivers and their eroding real wages in an era of high inflation, Black and white workers united and walked off the job in defiance of management and the leadership of their own union. The 1978 wildcat strike helped guarantee that Metro would remain a source of family-sustaining jobs for Black working class Washingtonians. This project interviewed participants in the...

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.

Abstract

The Mind Body Justice project recognizes the key Black and African-American voices working to reduce health disparities east of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8 through health education, medicine, environmental awareness, food activism, and wellness. The project seeks to expand the knowledge and document the history of health activism east of the Anacostia River.

Abstract This project is an account of the Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative’s (E/BFSC) authentic response to a child welfare crisis and the break-down of a governmental system charged with protecting children. The E/BFSC's distinguished approach to rebuilding this broken system placed community leaders, residents, and community stakeholders at the center of the conversation about how to strengthen families and build a collaborative network of providers that keep children safe and at...