Usurping Shaw

The DC Internet Black Pages is located in the historic Shaw District. In an attempt to reach out to other neighbors in order to play a more active role in the revitalization of the community, it has become apparent that there are elements that have organized with the mission to push out or marginalize the people and institutions that have contributed greatly to the neighborhood. The vision that they have of Shaw would probably exclude the Shiloh Baptist Church or United House of Prayer. They could do without the boys and girls that attend Shaw Junior High or Ujamaa Shule.

If community groups oppose the opening of a "Gay Bar" they are immediately labeled homophobic. I doesn't matter if those same groups opposed similar proposals to open bars in that did not cater specifically to the gay community. If an organization does not bend to their will, the form a new one and declare themselves the "official voice" of the community. Groups that work outside of their control are deemed useless and are discredited.

Their strategy for addressing the issues that are attendant to poverty and neglect are to lock the undesirables up or ship them out. They oppose community centers and job training centers that do not serve the purposes of this new elite. When called on these attitudes, they respond with a righteous indignation that would make Min. Farrakhan apologize to KKK leader David Duke for thinking that Duke was a racist.

I'm sure that this type of usurpation is not unique to Shaw. It is happening all over DC. There is no question that there have been many in this city that have been left out of the so called American Dream. Poverty, crime, drugs and hopelessness have been the plight of far too many of this city's residents for far too long. It is a shame that the answers to these problems have come in the form of blame and punish the victims of policies that have perpetuated this condition. It's a further shame that leadership of this city is complacent in this process.