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Black History

DC
Blanche Bruce's Washington

Blanche Bruce's Washington

07/21/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

The first Black man to win a full term in the Senate came to D.C. in 1875. When white supremacists retook his home state of Mississippi, Blanche Bruce built a new life in the nation's capital.

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DC
The First Sting: Did a New Tactic by D.C. Police Ensnare Criminals or Entice Crime?

The First Sting: Did a New Tactic by D.C. Police Ensnare Criminals or Entice Crime?

07/08/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1976 D.C. police dressed as cartoon Mafiosos and bought millions in stolen goods from local thieves. They called it "Operation Sting," and soon police across the country were launching "sting operations" of their own. But not everyone was so enamored with the tactic, especially the communities it was being used to target.

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DC
Dr. Loguen-Fraser's Solemn Vow

Dr. Loguen-Fraser's Solemn Vow

03/29/2021 in DC by Charlotte Muth

To close off Women's History Month, learn about Sarah Marinda Loguen Fraser, the first woman to receive an M.D. from the Syracuse University College of Medicine, and the fourth Black woman to become a licensed physician in the United States. While her extraordinary life took her all around the world, including New York, the Dominican Republic and France, some of the most important landmarks of her life happened in Washington, D.C.

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DC
Charles Hamilton Houston and His Civil Rights Brain Trust

Charles Hamilton Houston and His Civil Rights Brain Trust

03/24/2021 in DC by Michael Kohler

Charles Hamilton Houston is referred to as the "architect" of the civil rights movement. Before helping the Consolidated Parent Group kickoff their legal case, Houston built up the Howard University Law School into a world-class legal institution and mentored some of the most important figures of the civil rights movement, including Thurgood Marshall.

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DC
Eli Nugent's Asbury Chapel

Eli Nugent's Asbury Chapel

02/16/2021 in DC by Katherine Brodt

When Reverend Eli Nugent witnessed the silencing and segregation of fellow Black worshippers at a D.C. church, he decided that his community would be better off worshipping somewhere else. His efforts created one of the first and oldest Black churches in the city: Asbury United Methodist. 

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DC
Razing the Mother Church: The Sale and Destruction of Saint Augustine Catholic Church

Razing the Mother Church: The Sale and Destruction of Saint Augustine Catholic Church

02/11/2021 in DC by William Choi

For seventy years, St. Augustine Catholic Church, at 15th and L St., NW, was the place where Washington's Black Catholics were baptized, married, and laid to rest. Known as "The Mother Church" of Black Catholics, the property was sold to The Washington Post in 1946. The transaction caught many parishioners by surprise and caused a rift with the white leadership of the Archdiocese.

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DC
"Our Neighbor" Bill Clinton

"Our Neighbor" Bill Clinton

02/05/2021 in DC by Charlotte Muth

In 1993, then President-elect Bill Clinton’s choice of location for his inaugural morning prayer service was certainly a departure from precedent. For the first time in history, this time honored tradition took place at a historically Black church: Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal on M Street in downtown Washington. Church officials and clergy were pleased -- as Metropolitan administrator Roslyn Stewart Christian said: “He picked a neighborhood church … 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is right around the corner. He intends to be our president, our leader and our neighbor.”

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DC
The C&O Canal Owes a Lot to Black Workers of the CCC

The C&O Canal Owes a Lot to Black Workers of the CCC

11/13/2020 in DC by Charlotte Muth

Today, you may know the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal best as a destination for outdoor activities, roaring waterfalls and historic lockhouses (which can be rented, thanks to the Canal Quarters Lockhouse Program!)  But, the C&O Canal has a history with more twists and turns than the route of the canal itself. One of the most interesting chapters in C&O history was from 1938-1942, when two all-Black Civilian Conservation Corps companies worked to refurbish the decaying canal.

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DC
The First Black Girl Scout Troops of the Nation’s Capital

The First Black Girl Scout Troops of the Nation’s Capital

09/09/2020 in DC by Karis Lee

If you were to delve into the history of the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital (GSNC), most of what you would find relates to troops’ longstanding history of service. After all, Girl Scout’s mission statement espouses values like “courage, confidence, leadership, and character.” But as historian Miya Carey reveals, the GSNC’s legacy is complicated by its historical exclusion of Black troops.

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DC
Black History Sites in D.C. That Deserve More Attention

Black History Sites in D.C. That Deserve More Attention

08/07/2020 in DC by Karis Lee

Recently, Washington’s Black community has – rightfully – pushed for more memorials and markers honoring Black leaders and the city's rich African American heritage. While we wait for our city’s landscape to reflect more of its history, we highlight some existing sites that deserve more attention.

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Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

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