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.