Life in Georgetown

At the beginning of the 19th century slavery was alive and well in the United States,but also the beginnings of  abolitionism were growing throughout the country. Abolitionists in D.C. had been trying to convince congress to abolish slavery in the district for years. But the problem was that to many congressmen had a stake in slavery continuing on. Before congress abolished slavery in D.C. life for an African American was full of racially charged discrimination, the community was forced to follow "black codes" forcing them to carry around passes, stay in at night, pay outrageous and unfair licensing fees for businesses, and other egregious rules. Not to mention the constant fear of possibly being sold into the interstate slave trade, felt by both free and enslaved African Americans. In April of 1962 congress passed an abolition act for the district, this was a symbol that change was coming not only for D.C. but the country as a whole. After the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished throughout the sates it brought a large influx of people into the city causing a real estate boom, this allowed the city to take off and become what we know it as today. Life after the war changed for most African Americans,many black men served in the army and navy giving them a sense of valor, black organizations felt comfortable coming out in the open and began playing roles in civic life. All the changes allowed for life in Georgetown to flourish.

Photo: A festival held outside of the Mount Zion Church in the 1970's (Credit: Washingtonian, 2016) 

The city that now has a population of less than 5% African American used to be a center for African American life and culture. Georgetown is teaming with black history, like many other city's in the US they were built at the expense of enslaved African Americans and Georgetown is no different. Even after slavery was banned in the district during the mid nineteenth century it still continued on in Georgetown and many African Americans were treated as property to be sold and bought. After the Civil War as mentioned above there was a large influx of people into the city, housing prices were raised and became to expensive for many African Americans to stay. Luckily for some black businessmen who were able to afford living in the area a vibrant community was born.  One of t the many great things that the community created was in 1916 with the installment of the Rock Creek Citizens Association.. The association  was used as a way to protect and stand up for themselves, they wanted to improve their neighborhood by fixing street lights, alleys, and playgrounds. The group also stood up for police misconduct, helping the communities overall safety.

Photo: Children arriving for Sunday School at Mount Zion Church, 1950's (Credit: Washingtonian, 2016) 

Many black leaders could be found inside the walls of the black churches in the area, creating large and supportive communities, much like what you found at Mount Zion United Methodist Church. As the years went on the cost of living in Georgetown pushed many African American families to move from the region, gentrification has silenced the deep history of African Americans in Georgetown. A community that stood up for one another, a community that tried to only improve their way of life, a community that was pushed out by those who had always put them down. But there is always hope and people like Vincent de Forest, mentioned in my "Preservation on Site" post, help to continue the belief that one day African American history will be celebrated and rightfully respected throughout the United States.