Washington D.C. residents are taking a stand against gentrification and attempts to whitewash the city’s black communities.
More than 3,000 people took to the streets in northwest D.C. Tuesday night for the “Save Chocolate City Protest” also known as #Moechella, according to @newsone.
The protest stemmed from the outrage sparked by several recent events including gentrifiers fighting with D.C.’s native go-go music and those who suggested the historic Howard University should move because students weren’t feeling their campus being used as a dog park.
Protesters also used the hashtag #DontMuteDC in an effort to show people that D.C.’s native culture will not be silenced.
While the community has been trying to stop gentrification for years now, things really took a turn when a Metro PCS store in the historically Black Shaw neighborhood has that been known for playing go-go music without any complaints for almost 25 years was ordered to end the tradition by T-Mobile back in March. T-Mobile is now Metro PCS’ parent company.
An online petition to keep the store playing go-go music was nearing its goal of 10,000 signatures. The complaint stopped the music for several days but then the hashtag #DontMuteDC was birthed and went viral and there were protests with some local lawmakers joining.
Council member Brianne K. Nadeau, who represents the neighborhood, wrote a letter to T-Mobile’s senior vice president for government affairs outlining the city’s history and go-go’s place in it. Mayor Muriel Bowser also joined in the protest.
In April, T-Mobile let the store play music again and T-Mobile’s John Legere tweeted his support for the longstanding tradition to continue.
While that tradition was saved, protesters are still fighting to preserve D.C.’s culture in what is predominantly black city and Moechella definitely put the fight on the map.
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