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Happy Black History Month from the Office of Planning (OP)! Read below about the latest tribute to Black History in the District and other resources like our interactive website featuring over 300 Black History sites across the District.
Sincerely,
Anita Cozart
Director, DC Office of Planning
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Commemorating the Black Lives Matter Movement in DC
This month, the District installed a plaque outside of Asbury United Methodist Church, the oldest Black Methodist Church in DC, commemorating its significance in the Black Lives Matter movement in DC.
In December 2020, people protesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in addition to other acts of violence, tore down Black Lives Matter banners at four downtown African American churches, including Asbury United Methodist Church at 11th and K Streets NW. The protestors carried the banner from Asbury United Methodist Church through the streets of Downtown before setting it on fire.
On December 18, 2020, just days after protestors destroyed its #BlackLivesMatter banner, Asbury United Methodist Church installed a new banner and renounced white supremacy.
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Credit: Asbury United Methodist Church
Bringing DC Black History to Life Online
OP’s historians and technologists work together to make DC’s Black history accessible to more people through StoryMaps.
Explore Black History Sites: Washington, DC to learn about the people, places, and events that have shaped the history and culture of the nation's capital.
Dive into the stories of historically Black neighborhoods in DC through StoryMaps we’ve published on Barry Farm and Kingman Park that present a visual timeline of these communities.
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Dupont Underground and the DC Office of Planning are opening a groundbreaking exhibition exploring the importance of well-designed public space. Common Ground, Common Future: Reimagining the Heart of the District, on view February 28 through April 13, features projects that reimagine pedestrian pathways, streets, plazas, and parks. With innovative visualizations, international case studies, and community dialogue, the exhibition examines the District’s vision for vibrant and inclusive public spaces that strengthen community connections.
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Commemorate DC is the District’s effort to honor the vibrant stories and profound impacts of Black Washingtonians and other people of color. OP is happy to announce the two subjects that were selected through the 2025 Commemorate DC public voting process.
Sterling Allen Brown is the subject selected to be honored through a new commemorative work in Ward 5 and Wilhelmina and Calvin Rolark in Ward 8.
We appreciate everyone who took the time to vote, engage, and support this initiative. We look forward to continuing to work with you to bring their stories to life in a beautiful artistic composition.
Join us on March 13th at 6pm for our virtual kick-off meeting. Learn more about the compelling stories behind these subject nominations, hear from those who submitted nominations, and learn more about the upcoming engagement events planned for the community.
For more information, please visit publicinput.com/cwtap.
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Wilhelmina and Calvin Rolark
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In May and June of 2025, the District will be hosting World Pride, with an estimated three million regional, national, and international guests. Given the District's commitment to our small businesses, we want to make sure that World Pride attendees know how and where to support locally-owned, LGBTQ-owned businesses. The Food Policy team at the Office of Planning, the Mayor's Office on LGBTQ Affairs, and the Department of Small and Local Business Development are creating a map of food, fashion, art, and other retail businesses owned by the LGBTQ+ community. This map is exclusively opt in, so we invite any LGBTQ-identifying business owners and artists to reply to this survey. Given the rapidly changing environment, we will circle back to all respondents in early May to confirm participation and get any updates to special offers for World Pride.
Please complete this survey by March 31.
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Learn more and get involved in our community planning projects:
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Join us at the following events where OP staff will be available to answer questions and share information about OP’s work:
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