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Andrew Hesbacher and Arvella Farmer Interview, September 14, 2019
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Longtime Petworth resident, Arvella Farmer recalls growing up in Petworth and still living in the same home she was raised in. She remembers how members in the community looked out for one another, opportunities to sing at the Catholic Church, and how music was a uniting thread between herself, her brother, and the broader community. She met Andrew Hesbacher, who lived in Petworth for a brief period in 2018, when she heard him practicing his trumpet on his front porch and walked over to introduce herself. When asked what makes Petworth unique, Farmer answers: “The people who live in it…and love each other.”
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Angelyn Whitehurst Interview, September 14, 2019
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Angelyn “Angie” Whitehurst grew up in Petworth from the age of eleven and recalls the tight-knit community that existed between area schools, small, black-owned businesses, and the library. She discusses the long history of the neighborhood, originating before the Civil War as a plantation and the regentrification that she has seen occur in recent years, bringing a diversity of people and businesses. She wants to see the neighborhood be “happy, balanced, [and] incorporating of others” in future years.
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Catherine Hargrove Interview, September 14, 2019
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Catherine Hargrove relocated to Petworth in the mid-1980s from Boston where she attended law school. She recalls it being incredibly family-oriented at the time she moved, but that the city did not maintain the urban landscape well. When asked about the change in the neighborhood overtime, Hargrove mentions that while still community-oriented, the neighborhood is largely gentrified. While this has resulted in greater municipal upkeep of the neighborhood, she notes several individuals that have been forced out of the community due to rising costs. She expresses that more conversations need to be held around the topic of gentrification and believes that individuals moving into new neighborhoods should make a point to learn the history and norms of the community that already exists.
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Denise Berry, Tonya Cauley, Sabrina Spurlock Interview, September 14, 2019
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Denise Berry, Tonya Cauley, and Sabrina Spurlock grew up together in the Petworth neighborhood. They all lived on the same block, attended school together, and spent free time together, as their mothers were close friends. The Petworth of their youth felt like “one big family,” and they traveled by foot to local shops, school, and the park, without fear of safety. Tonya Cauley closed the interview with a powerful call for the members of the community to love and take care of one another.
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Donna Rattley Washington Interview, September 14, 2019
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Donna Rattley Washington, a proud third-generation Washingtonian, grew up in Brightwood, and reflects on the change she’s seen occur in the community over her lifetime. The most stark difference, she notes, is the presence of white people in the neighborhood, a result of redevelopment. Washington sees the changes that have occurred as largely positive, bringing an influx of new people and businesses to revitalize the neighborhood. She does, however, note the importance of acknowledging the displacement that often accompanies gentrification.
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Jasmine Byrd Interview, September 14, 2019
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Jasmine Byrd’s family has lived in Ward 4 for generations. She states that she has seen a lot of positive changes occur in the community throughout her lifetime, “cultivating this big diversity pot.” She notes that Upshur Street has become a thriving center for small businesses and that the neighborhood fosters a strong sense of community. Byrd ends her interview by noting that newcomers to the community need to recognize and pay homage to the community that already exists.
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Joan Thomas Interview, September 14, 2019
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Joan Thomas has lived in the same house on Varnum Street since 1949, and in the Petworth neighborhood since 1945. The Petworth she initially encountered was significantly different that the Petworth of 2019—she recalls the segregated establishments and schools and, in particular, the date when every white family on her street, save one, moved out rather than remain in an integrated neighborhood. Her recollections include the integration of the neighborhood, her local/national political activism, and her hopes for the future of the Petworth community.
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Mara Johnson Interview, September 14, 2019
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Mara Johnson visited the Petworth neighborhood frequently while growing up, visiting a number of family members. She became a Petworth resident in 1973, when she moved into the home her aunt had lived in during Johnson’s childhood. Johnson notes a number of changes in the neighborhood over the past several decades, namely the transition from a predominantly black neighborhood to a more diverse community comprised of individuals from all over the world. Changing demographics have brought new commerce, and while she reflects fondly on the longtime businesses that no longer exist, she is excited by the variety of options—especially culinary—that are now available.
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Paula White Interview, September 14, 2019
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Paula White came to the Petworth neighborhood in 1987. At the time of her arrival, she recalls a finding a mixed community made up of older white families and younger black families, a trend that has flipped in recent years. Her husband grew up in Petworth and they raised their children in the neighborhood. The library and pool feature prominently in her memories of their childhood, and she misses the closeness that existed between the community before familiar neighbors moved out. She is encouraged by the recent upsurge in community events and hopes it will revitalize the Petworth she once knew and bring the diverse residents of the neighborhood together.
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Reginald Thomas, Roosevelt Daniels, Michael Vanison Interview, September 14, 2019
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Reginald Thomas, Roosevelt Daniels, and Michael Vanison grew up together in the Petworth neighborhood. They attended Petworth Elementary School, played together in the area that is now occupied by the Recreation Center, and have fond memories about how closely knit the community was. The three shared recollections about the way the community has changed, naming stores that no longer exist but still provoke fond memories. Additionally they recall difficult moments such as the riots surrounding the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination. Their strong ties to the community led them to form the Petworth Reunion Committee, which seeks to commemorate the Petworth of their youth.
