On April 11th, I was able to sit and chat with many of the residents in the Park Morton Community.
What fun! with wings in hand, many Park Morton residents and I had a great dialogue over the future of their community, and the future of the Ward.
though the laughs, and a belly full of wings we were able to discuss some of the most serious obstacles facing many not only in Park Morton, but all across the Ward and the District.
Displacement, discrimination, lack of affordable food options (both grocery stores and restaurants), quality of schools and services, and job opportunities are only a few of the topics we discussed. While many of these issues seem like separate topics, they are all woven into a thread of challenge, change and uncertainty of the unknown.
for me, my biggest take-away from our time together was all about communication. From the developers, to the Mayor's office, to the current Councilmember's office, it seems that everyone is giving these strong and resilient residents the run-around, providing no clear answers to the future of their community, and their lives.
This type of uncertainty is not in-step with our DC and Ward 1 values. To give our residents a stable life, which leads to better health and happiness.
Everyone I spoke with loves their home, loves their community and loves DC. They want to work, play and raise their families here, but without more support from community leaders and elected officials, many of these residents will find themselves pushed out of the communities they have built and love.
I look forward to going back again soon to Park Morton to discuss what more can be done to preserve the integrity of this wonderful and vibrant community,