DC Chilling

"DC Chilling, PG chilling
My name Wale and I came to get it." (Wale)

Notes on DC for the family and friends.

The city is diverse yet segregated. Within that segregation however is a raw element that is priceless. There's a great culture of art and spoken word in this city-- the way slam poets read their stories with emotion and honesty without flowery coverage makes me appreciate the culture so much more. Raw graffiti-- raw voices-- trains that gives one independence and seem to be able to take one everywhere. I love trains-- I love the people on them.

DC is segregated- poor Black or Hispanic "ghettos" and White metropolitan areas with business firms and lawn workers (who are, of course Black and minority men and women. As a city, DC suffers from a 5 percent HIV/AIDS rate-- most of which affect the 7th and 8th ward-- where mostly African Americans live.

We talk about gentrification and who created it. We spoke to NGOs about these issues. Sometimes when speaking about the "ghetto", people blinded by their privilege forget that each person in the ghetto is a human with complete human value and raw human emotions. When saying the ghetto is bad and gentrification is right, also considering that during poverty when people don't have as much-- real love and beauty truly come out and we understand what people stand for when they're most honest. Community members who depend on one another to survive may know and love one another more so than upscale neighborhoods where everyone has their own homes and become more segregated from their neighbors.

There are tourists areas which we all see, the White House and Capitol etc. but if you look deep you see HIV and homelessness, deeper and you see resilience-- and ask what you can do for the next generation of minorities here in the city. Just like in New York City. If they're all provided with a good (and relevant) education and meals, gentrification wouldn't be necessary or even an option on the table.

Me- I'm in a period of readjustment- the city is great, so much better than Maine... but being a tourist here, like being a tourist in New York, brings about an even more dire sense to bring pride back to "suffering" minority communities in the cities. People who look like people who don't go around in business suits each day (ala like white people) are the people I love-- but I do want us to have a choice to realistically one day be able to do that, if we so wish.

Friends are good (for the most part); "friendships" are forming-- others are breaking apart. Politics is always bad. And the true privilege of receiving this opportunity is real when compared to our parents or other minorities who don't have an equal amount of access to resources as we (I) do; it is a blessing.

Exhaustion; good days and bad days; dealing with intelligence-- tolerating extreme ignorance-- dancing in clubs-- missing friends-- exploring the world-- accepting my dorky self as beautiful--love is life.