Paula White Interview, September 14, 2019

INDEXED CLIP TIME: 00:00:06.990 --> 00:02:51.380 SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: Dan Kerr interviews Paula White on September 14, 2019 during the Celebrate Petworth Festival. In this clip, Paula White discusses some of her memories of Petworth. SUBJECTS: 2019 Celebrate Petworth Festival; Petworth (Washington, D.C.); Racial diversity; Public transportation

Today is September 14, 2019. We're at the Celebrate Petworth Festival. Could you tell us your name?

My name is Paula White.

And have you lived in the neighborhood awhile?

Yes, I've been here since 1987.

What brought you to the neighborhood?

I went online and I saw that this festival was going on today. And I'm seeing things out throughout this neighborhood on last Saturday, and so that would brought me down today is the festival for today.

And what was the neighborhood like when you first moved in?

Actually the neighborhood was mixed. There were a lot of older white individuals and younger black individuals and yes.

And then that changed?

Now it has changed. There are older black individuals and they're younger white individuals. Isn't that fantastic?

And when you moved in, what do you remember about the neighborhood in those early years?

Let me see. There was not a lot of things to do around here. We had to walk even though we had access to buses, we still had to walk because when I came here, I got married, and so I had to walk everywhere. And even though the bus routes were still in places still got the same buses. Let's see. There are upgrades and forest. The school systems are being renovated, that's wonderful. Libraries. And then when you have outdoor, we didn't really have a lot of outdoor activities. We didn't really have a lot of restaurants that we can go to. But now that is getting better. So that was really nice. The crime wasn't bad, but it had picked up through the years. But I tell you, there's a lot of presence of a lot of police now, so it's getting better. And then my husband, he, he grew up, he was born in Petworth. And he went away and he came back. So we're up on Fifth Street Northwest. Uh huh.

So he went to elementary school. Yeah, yes. And did you have a lot of friends and family in the area that ...

All yeah all my family is here and I got some in Virginia but most of my family they moved out of the city, in like Prince George's and I have some in Virginia and some in Maryland, but I think I'm the only one in my family still here the district.

So you raise your kids here?

Yes, yes, I have two children. My son, they went to my son went to Powell. My daughter also went to Powell, I went to Powell. I went to Coolidge. My children didn't go to Coolidge. They went to private school. Let's see. But the education... I went to University of District Columbia. My children, I got a master's degree from George Mason. My children also went to ... My daughter, she went, she got a master's degree. I'm trying to think she went to Coppens. But there's a variety of schools and universities around here. So it was a lot of choices to make. Yes.

So you were raised in the city? What neighborhood where you raised in?

I was raised in it was on North Capitol and Seton Place. At that time, I didn't know the name of that area, but it was further downtown. And then when I was 12, or 13, we moved up here in Takoma Park, out where I met my husband. And then when we got married, his mom and father, you know, when they bought that house on Fifth Street, it was maybe like $25,000. You get $25,000 a row house, right? And so when they passed on, of course, we bought the house renovated it. And I'm just like, I love DC. So I'm not planning on moving anywhere.

So you moved in 1988 here.

Yeah.

And I think we covered earlier you said a lot of folks were moving out around that time. So were you one of the first? I mean, did you feel different for moving in rather than moving out?

When I moved out, it was just you had to take a car to everywhere. I didn't like that. Living in the city, you know, you just have that transportation you have access to and there's a little bit closer, the neighbors. So that's what I like I've always been a city girl. So

How about this street? What memories do you have with Upshur or 8th and 9th where we are today?

And you see Upshur I remember I always take my my daughter and son, we go to this library. I love the library. So we all go there. And I know when they used to go to the pool, but I'm trying to figure out where that is. There's a pool, we will go there. And then recently, there's this rec center that I used to go and do some exercises. Yeah, but this quarter. I know. I belong to Exodus Missionary Baptist Church, and we would come and fellowship with one of the churches I believed little further down the street. Yes, on Upshur. Yes.

INDEXED CLIP TIME: 00:06:56.850 --> 00:07:41.850 SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: Dan Kerr interviews Paula White on September 14, 2019 during the Celebrate Petworth Festival. In this clip, Paula White discusses her family gatherings. SUBJECTS: Petworth (Washington, D.C.); Racial diversity

What are some of the best memories you have of the neighborhood?

Just getting with family because then everybody was living here the district getting with family during the holidays. And you know, going to, we used to always go downtown, because that's where everything used to be. It was kind of quiet up here. You go downtown for your activities. So that's what I miss is that the closeness because everybody's gone, you know moved out.

Where would you have your gatherings? In backyards?

In backyards? Yes.

INDEXED CLIP TIME: 00:07:44.610 --> 00:08:44.380 SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: Dan Kerr interviews Paula White on September 14, 2019 during the Celebrate Petworth Festival. In this clip, Paula White discusses her hopes for Petworth. SUBJECTS: Petworth (Washington, D.C.)

If you were to envision where you like the neighborhood to be like, say 10 years? What would you like to see in Petworth?

Well, I know that they're on the right path right now where they are, again, there's community events. There's a lot of diversity. And all of that is really good. So people can come out and, you know, enjoy themselves. And to me, I think the racial divide will also get a lot better because we're all coming together, you know, and, and this enjoying, knowing that we can do all of this together, you know, so I'm really glad to see that the city is opening up these activities to get people together.

Any last thoughts you'd like to leave us with today?

Well, I just got here and I am just going to go down the road to see what's going on. I came here for the band and I hear one over there right now. So I'm just happy today that I just got out my house and just a friend bought me down. And I'm just going to enjoy the day.

Thank you so much for sharing your time.

Thank you. Thank you for having me.