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THE NEWS:
An LLC started construction on land adjacent to a historic African American cemetery in Bethesda. The thing is no one knows the cemetery’s exact boundary. Where it starts. Where it ends.
“Contention regarding the delineation of the cemetery, questions about what parcels of land people are actually buried in, and rampant development that either didn’t recognize or disregarded the cemetery’s existence have persisted for years after the centuries of enslavement, oppression, and segregation in Montgomery County,” writes Kristina Gaddy for this week’s City Paper cover story.
We know Black lives matter. Residents watching this unfold say this should be the case from the cradle to the grave.
Give it a read online.
—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)
CITY DESK LINKS, by Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Whenever D.C. experienced storms or heat waves, the nurses staffing outdoor testing sites risked losing money. One travel nurse lost over $1K. When nurses aired grievances over unfair pay and treatment, a D.C. emergency services manager told nurses they could be “ass wiping” instead. [WCP]
As of Aug. 27, D.C. reported no additional deaths but 72 new positive cases. The total number of infections in D.C. is now 13,794. [EOM]
Street Sense partnered with the DC Auditor to chronicle the life of vendor Alice Carter, who struggled with homelessness, substance misuse, and mental illness, and her interactions with the city’s safety net before she passed away at 35. [Street Sense, ODCA]
LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com)
GWU faculty and staff are losing confidence in university President Thomas LeBlanc as he navigates a COVID-induced budget shortfall. [WCP]
Activists respond to racist and demeaning GOP attacks with a campaign for D.C. statehood. [Post]
The new D.C. Police Reform Commission met for the first time last night. The 20-member group is expected to deliver a report by the end of the year. [Twitter]
YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Young & Hungry is away from her desk and will be back next week.
ARTS LINKS, by Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Theaters ponder their futures in the pandemic era. [WCP]
The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden’s new additions are a sign that it “is not content to merely make do with old bronzes,” our critic writes. [WCP]
How local music-makers have powered activism in D.C. this summer. [DCist]
SPORTS LINKS, by Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Meet Logan West, the high school tennis coach at Sidwell Friends turned viral trick shot artist. [WCP]
The Mystics decided to sit out their game last night in protest of the Aug. 23 shooting where a White police officer shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, seven times in the back. “If you have a problem with saying Black Lives Matter, you need to check your privilege,” Mystics guard Ariel Atkins told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the team’s decision. [WCP]
The latest Washington Post report about the Dan Snyder-led Washington Football Team paints a picture of a toxic organization and workplace culture where women regularly felt harassed and abused. [Post]
CITY LIGHTS, by Emma Sarappo (Love this section? Get the full newsletter here. Tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Since 2018, D.C. vocal and electronic duo Model Home have been releasing album after album of experimental musical chaos.
Episodes of the news show Black Journal are now available online; tonight, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is screening a clip featuring Alice Coltrane.
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