The longer I’ve been here, the more I’ve recognized the importance of coming to D.C. with an open mind. While in a program like Washington Journalism Center, going to different parts of town is inevitable. Saturday I experienced two very opposite parts of town in a matter of hours.
Bus Day.
Around 10 a.m., a group of six of us from WJC and ASP left the Dellenback for Anacostia—one of the most impoverished areas of the city. The intersection where we got off the bus was a bit desolate on the cloudy, chilly morning. Our first stop was a Bethel Christian Fellowship, a small church near our bus stop. The door was unlocked, so we walked inside. There was a group of African-American children near the stage, and scattered adults in the chairs. Everyone turned to look at us.
After exchanging awkward glances for several seconds, a lady approached us. “Are you lost?” she asked. I snickered to myself. We were in ghetto. I bet we did look very out of place. We assured her we wanted to be there, and we were looking for a member of the church to speak with.
Fern ended up being that member, as well as introducing us to the pastor, his wife and the group of elders. Not only did she proceed to show us the church, but she also gave us a tour of historic downtown Anacostia and gave us her number in case anything went wrong.
As we went about our day, we saw poverty unlike I had seen in D.C. (with the exception of the homeless). There is a good chance we passed more houses and businesses boarded up than we saw occupied. We headed home around 2:30 because I had a big night to get ready for.
