Interview with Darrell West, April 1, 2022

Okay. Today is April 1st 2022. We're in front of the DC public library, the Martin Luther King Junior branch and could you tell us your name?

My name is Darrell West.

and could you tell us how long you've lived in Washington, DC?

63 years.

So today we're here, we're looking at downtown, we're in downtown and we're talking about how has downtown changed over the course of your life. What are the things you remember about downtown?

Well, starting from the youth, downtown represented a different part of the city where you become socialized, be with the people. See what the city was about shop, drink, have a good time. It was for all people. it was more like a mainstay for everyone to come, join in, find out what's going on with the city. How the city has changed for the good or the bad. How things have happened, positive and negative. How things have to really be said so you will not be misunderstood.

Do you remember any particular places you used to come down to maybe in this area when you were young?

Yes, back in the day most shopping places we went to were places like Hardy, there was a shoe store, Sunny Surplus was down here. We had different kind of movie theaters that were in this area. They're moved out, long gone. Of course the library has been redone. It's nice. It's for the better. everything down here is a betterment or good move for the city. It's nice.

Okay. And what was what was Sunny Surplus? Surplus Army?

Sunny Surplus was a surplus army store you'd go to buy certain shoes and certain army gear, camouflage. This was back in the early 70s.

In the early 70s. And that was just kind of the style.

Yeah, it was our own style. The 70s on up through the 80s and 90s. We're in the 2000s now, it's totally different. The city is different. We had a head [?] company down here, we had a Woolworth and Lothrop's, the Catholic school was always here. We had all vendors. All kinds of vendors could come, do what they had to do, sell their wares. It was open door policy

and tell me a little bit about those movie theaters.

The Lincoln Theater, which is on U Street of course. the theater down here, we had for a bit was Loew's Palace. It was on 13th and M St, I think it was. The Warner Theatre, The Ford Theatre, which is still here. The Lincoln theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. But it's basically the same city, but there's a better look, better feel, cleaner, different leadership, you know, it's really good. It's not for the bad, it's for the good.

What about Chinatown, do you remember how that might have changed?

Chinatown was always a place where we would all go. Everybody would go to Chinatown. Anything that you had, it was fine. Open door policy. Never had any problems with Chinese people. They had the Chinese festival every year. We did everything down town that you were supposed to do down here. It was an open policy. Crime was low because everyone was joining in what was going on.

You have to remember now, we had a mayor at the time that was about the city: Marion Barry was his name.

Oh, you're talking about Marion Barry?

Uh-huh. He was good for the city.

Okay. When he came in, and that was later 70s, right?

No. He came in early to mid 70s. He was our mayor for life as we called him. So, therefore, you know, and -

You remember what this area was like before the library was built?

Before the library was here. Wow. Across the street It was a YWCA on the other side over there. The library was part of a church I think it was, on one of these corners. The [unclear] was there, and the other church that was here I think - I'm not sure if it was an AMC African church.

Did you go to that church at all?

I didn't attend it but my family had come here before because [muffled]. of course, through change and gentrification, certain things have changed. The city is in good hands.

and what neighborhood were you in when you grew up?

Ward One. it was in Northwest sector of the city.

Okay,

Where Cardozo, Roosevelt were.

Gotcha. It's not far from here.

Howard University. I would walk downtown. Banneker High School, Junior High School at the time. Now Banneker high school.

As things change, it's for - schools are getting better, people moving in and helping the city do better. So therefore the change is - I think the change is for the better.

So when you were a teenager would you come down here with your friends?

Yes, I would. We would come down here all the time. Seventh grade on through twelfth. I would come down here every weekend. we used to have a Flagg Brothers shoes. That's another one - Flagg Brothers shoe store.

Okay, GC Murphy's. Woolworth and Lothrops, like I told you. Heck company was down here. All the places we would come and shop.

Just go hang out at the stores? What about the parks -

Oh, Freedom Plaza, they always had concerts on Freedom Plaza. They always did free concerts. like the band I played in, we got free concerts. The show [muffled].

That was the name of your band, Showmobile?

No, the name of my band was Mass Extinction Band and Show.

mass extinction band.

Yeah, We had a record go number one in the UK, 14 weeks top.

Could you tell us a little bit about that?

There was a dance craze at the time called Happy Feet. it wasn't just in the United States. It was all over the country [world]. people in China played it, Africa, everyone. Everyone played that track. It got National.

How'd you get your band together?

Family group, we started with some friends around in the neighborhood. It was two guys in the neighborhood that started with my brothers. So then I came on, [muffled], we all just started the family [muffled] came in, picked us up, [muffled].

All right. And what - where would you perform?

All over the city. Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, the whole DMV. We were part of it all. We didn't say no to any mayor, we did everything they asked us to do within reason. We didn't do anything illegal, that wasn't what we were about.

I lived my life on Northwest, Northeast and part of Southeast sector.

Mostly Northwest and Northeast. I didn't have to live in Southeast, but I've been to Southeast because my friends and different things, the program, the court system.

I see. What were your favorite venues in the city?

Favorite venues, were the parks. Rock Creek Park, National Zoo. We would always go to the Monument. at the time, everybody would go to the Monument. Now, it's different because Covid and different things that transpired in the city.

But DC as a whole is a good place to be. Good place to raise a family. it's like any other major city or metropolis where you can go and find good things and bad things. Colleges are essential here. Georgetown, American University, Howard University. you have Maryland University not that far. You can go down to Virginia to Northern Virginia Community College. You got Montgomery College. It was everything for everybody in the city. DC was a - is a place where anybody can come and find a good time.

Of course, you got bad and good in everything. We don't look for the bad, tell everybody to look for the good.

okay. And do you have any favorite memories of shows that you did?

all the shows I did, I can still remember playing everything, Howard University - I mean Howard Theatre. We played at who Cherries, which is over in Southeast. Another place was played was called Metroclub. In Northwest, we always played Northwest Gardens. We played Northeast Gardens. okay? So many places in the city you could play at.

Did you play downtown at all?

All the time. Every summer we went downtown.

and where would you play here?

We played Department of Recreation here, this at Freedom Plaza [muffled]. He's deceased now. he was the director of Department of Recreation.

We also went through the Roving Leaders Program at the time. It was a little program they had with the Showmobile and we were all working together in conjunction to make sure the city equal opportunity for everybody. Well, of course we know it's not going to always be equal. It will always be a balance of power. We can still look at it as a positive thing. If you look at it in a positive light, there's no reason to get upset.

And what was your role in the band?

I played bass guitar. I was what they called a lead rapper on the microphone. I played bass, talk, and sing at the same time. My family was more like the Jacksons. It was nine of us and we all played in the band. One sister.

And are they still around?

Oh, we're still playing.

You're still playing.

We're experiencing trouble funk [?]. We just heard on New York Ave. Rare Essence, Proper Utensil. Petworth is uptown. Peacemakers. All these bands are still - we're still trying to pull this movement back together because this library is a part of it. Junkyard Band, the Backyard Band. Those are the bands that came and watched us and now they're leading us. So that's how the positivity on evolution is city is really - It's really good. It's really nice.

I love the library, what they did. I just went inside and I really love it.

All right, tell because you talk a little bit more about the role that the library plays on the -

The whole role in the city because we would come and read, sit down and have serenity and peace and all genres. Not just one. Martin Luther King library has everything for everybody. I just went in there to see the new facelift. I'm very, very, very satisfied with it. It's a nice venue. It's for the better and nothing I see - I don't see any - I see people getting along. No confusion, people helping people. This is how supposed to be in the city. This city is ours. We need to remain that way. Even with this interview you're giving me right now. You're not leading me to what I'm saying. I'm just telling the truth because that's what it is. And the truth doesn't need any proof.

Fantastic. Well why don't we leave it there?

I thank you for the interview.

Thank you, and I appreciate it.