Exhibit:
Cohen, Matt. “Whitman-Walker Opens New, Sleek Headquarters On 14th Street.”dcist.com, 5 Jun 2015.
In his piece, Matt Cohen recognizes Whitman-Walker as “D.C.’s leading provider of HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ care and services” and a “pillar” of 14th Street culture to elaborate upon their expansion to a new location. He then continues to provide background on how the center has been crucial to providing services during the AIDS crisis of the 80’s and 90’s, and how this has contributed to the overall climate of LGBTQ acceptance in DC. Cohen explains that plans for their new facility will include some very appealing new amenities. The question, however, will be concerning their oldest facility, the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center. Cohen hints at plans to “redevelop” the facility. Uniquely, this would not mean what it usually does, the facility will not be destroyed or replaced. Instead, it may mean housing or other resources for the LGBTQ community.
I plan to use this source as an exhibit of why 14th Street NW, represents DC’s progressive and diverse culture, and how it continues to expand. The recognition of the common progress throughout the city is almost more important than the city’s preservation. Only under the circumstances of the city improving economically would Whitman-Walker have had the resources to succeed in their work as a health provider, catalyzing support for LGBTQ rights as time moved forward. Following this progress, we should not forget the negative repercussions that have come with some of the overall changes on 14th Street, NW, and D.C as a whole. This represents one of the most prominent social revolutions that the area has seen since it has begun to improve economically.
Exhibit:
Tavernise, Sabrina. “A Population Changes, Uneasily.”nytimes.com, 17 July 2011.
In her Washington Journal piece published in the New York Times, Tavernise argues that DC is losing its signature African-American community.In other words, she sees that the advent of gentrification has made D.C much nicer to live in, in a lot of ways. As a result, she points out that there have also been some unfortunate consequences including the increase in property values, the driving out of low-income families, tax increases, small businesses closing down, and a loss of the original culture. She does address that there may be more diversity now than ever before. However, the bulk of the changes in the last 20-30 years has not been completely beneficial for large groups of people. On the other hand, she does recognize those who were able to continue to survive and thrive through the circumstances, recognizing the attitude of some local businesses to sell what people “want to buy.” The overall message is that D.C has changed in ways that many greatly resent, but it was the ways in which people have learned to adapt to these changes, and not in the city’s preservation that has driven progress.
This piece provides a more holistic view of the city. This document takes a collection of many diverse viewpoints to create a well-developed wider narrative of the city. This is unique because most of the most current DC literature has some kind of audience to pander to, and as result provides a limited narrative. Applied to 14th Street NW, this relationship of facts and experiences will provide all of the necessary evidence to describe the ‘heart’ of DC narrative as a whole.Tavernise synthesizes a variety of other viewpoints to emphasize this.
