City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
Excavating DC’s slave history
August 8, 2023
Morning, neighbor! This tweet asking for the best D.C. bars to sit alone with a book went viral this weekend. I’ll be lugging my battered copy of “Red, White & Royal Blue” to Tryst and All Souls this weekend. What are your favorite bars to read?
What's CITY Talking About?
A Deadly Start to the Month
13 people in D.C. were killed in shootings in just the first five days of August, and six of them were killed on Saturday alone. D.C. has had at least 158 homicides this year, putting the city on track for its deadliest year in two decades. [Washington Post 🔒]
Federal Employees Urged Back to Office
President Joe Biden doesn’t want federal employees to work from home anymore. He is calling for his Cabinet to "aggressively execute" plans for federal employees to work more in their offices “to deliver better results for the American people." [Axios]
- Related: Bowser also wants federal employees back downtown, but would it be enough to save the neighborhood? [City Cast DC 🎧]
GOP Diverting Public School Funds
House Republicans are trying to cut federal funding for D.C.'s public school system and put more money into the city’s private school voucher program. Instead of evenly splitting funds between the public school system, charter campuses, and the private school voucher program, Republicans want to cut public schools’ piece to one-sixth of the funding. [Washington Post 🔒]
What To Do
📕 Tolkien's Untold Tales | Tuesday | 6 p.m.
Learn about the hidden stories that drive the plot of “Lord of the Rings.” [$15, Penn Quarter]
🥧 Pies n' Pasties | Wednesday | 8:30 p.m.
Head to the Pie Shop to witness incredible feats of burlesque glamour, with some pie on the side. [$20, H Street]
🎨 Sip + Paint Watercolors | Wednesday | 6 - 8 p.m.
This watercolor class is not focused on perfection. Just enjoy learning to paint still-life items from observation. [$47, Union Market]
🃏 Vegas Block Party | Thursday | 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
This late-night museum party will have blackjack, roulette, food from Timber Pizza, and drinks from Lost Generation Brewing. [$12+, Penn Quarter]
Today on City Cast
Excavating D.C.’s Slave History at Mount Zion Cemetery
Mount Zion is one of the oldest Black cemeteries in D.C. and a lot of former enslaved people are buried there. Plus, it was a stop on the underground railroad! Lisa Fager from the Black Georgetown Foundation tells us about the site’s rich history, efforts to restore it, and how Washingtonians can find their locally buried ancestors.
Everyone came out for the Beyoncé concert last weekend, including Jay-Z and Solange who showed up unannounced to eat at neighborhood fav Opal, where they couldn’t get enough of the wood-fired bread.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Priyanka Tilve. News was written by Susannah Broun.
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