Kim Farmer Interview, September 29, 2023

September 29th, 2023, we're at Art All Night in Mount Pleasant. Would you mind telling us your name?

Well, my name is Mr. Kim Angelo Farmer.

Angelo Foreman. Farmer.

Farmer.

Okay.

Yes.

And could you tell us about your relationship to the neighborhood of Mount Pleasant?

Well, I live down at the Wittner now, but when I was younger, I used to come in this area and shop with my mother during the sixties. And basically this is where all the happenings were at. I got most of my shoes here from Stride Rite and Buster Brown. And it was a beautiful experience. You had the old DC transfer buses that was coming up and stopping at the end of the line and it was a different cultural area during that time but now it has blossomed into a beautiful beautiful cultural area and—and it's worth living in.

That's terrific. And so in the 1960s, which neighborhood were you living in?

I was living on George Avenue on Kiefer Place. I went to Parkview Elementary, and then I saw a lot of things going on, the riots. I saw, I had a taste of all the food during that time. Miles long, they had a little hot dog shop with chili, some of the best chili during that time in the sixties, wings and things, little tavern, I mean, those things are all gone.

And so you said when you would come out here, it was very different. Yes. How would you describe that?

Basically, you had a working class base. During that time, Most of the Blacks that came up here, they lived up here, and most of the stores catered to them. And most of the whites, they were the establishers, they were the ones that ran the businesses.

I see, so the residents were predominantly Black at that time?

Not really, yeah, it was mixed. It wasn't as fluent culturally as it is now.

I see, but it was a predominantly working class.

It was a predominantly working class, exactly. Because most of the people came from the South, and they were just making a mark here in Washington. And this was one of the areas where they could live to make a living.

Okay, and then, I think the changes, can you speak a little bit about how did that neighborhood change and when did you see this?

Well, after the riots, everything changed. And economic status changed, and you start to see more people coming from out of countries into New York and then coming towards Washington. With that, they came with the purpose to make something of their self, you know what I'm saying? And they have different cultures here now. I myself, when I was like seventeen years old, I acquired a QX949 Pioneer receiver. And the only place I got it restorated was up here at Custom Electronics, which was right down the street. They used to be. The owner, they did high-end audio equipment. And every three years I would get it worked on. And that's when I really knew that they had special things for special people.

That's great. And so, what about the neighborhood today? How would you describe it today?

Well, the neighborhood today, I'd say, was in Washington, throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area. This is one of the comfortable-est, artistically, areas other than Tacoma Park, which is very cultural. It's more of a West Coast cultural base, but here you have all types. You can get anything. And it's peaceful. And I really enjoy it, and I think it's going to do a lot better.

And how would you like to see it be better?

Everyone come together and respect each other and learn how to help each other.

Any last thoughts you'd like to share with us about your experiences with Mount Pleasant or your thoughts about Mount Pleasant?

Well, my experience, it's been a beautiful experience in my lifetime here. As well, Southwest also has been a beautiful experience because I grew up there. And that gave me a feeling like I was in a water area, say like California, San Francisco. It gave me a feel of that. Also, it tends to, when you live in areas like that, you tend to adapt to different cultures and dress the way that people dress in different areas of the United States. But, you know, all of the DMV, All of Washington is a very artistic and beautiful place.

Interesting. And you said Southwest?

Yes, down by the waterfront.

By the waterfront. Excellent. By the fish market.

Yes. The Old Wharf was very neighborhood-bound. We used to have small festivals and art festivals. It was just so cultural and educational at the same time because you had a lot of professionals which lived down here. And as well as up here, you have a lot of professionals. My uncle, he lives further down 16th Street, Fred Valentine, one of the Washington Senators, he came to Washington and when he came from our hometown and played for the Senators, he moved up here. And I used to come and trick or treat up and down 16th Street when I was little.

All right, well thank you for sharing. I'm glad we ran into you tonight.

Yes, you too.

Again, thank you.

You're very welcome.