Contact what representatives?

Happy Friday eve, everyone!

I walked out of my apartment building this morning to a chilling reality: it's layering season. You know, that time when forecasts call for springlike weather but when you step into the brisk morning air, you realize we won't reach those temps until later in the day. So, you walk back in the house and put on a couple extra layers that you'll shed as the sun slowly does its thing to warm us up.

In that vein, we've packed layers of news and info for you to peel back in this week's newsletter. We've got an article about how District residents are lobbying congressional members (or at least attempting to) after the House voted to approve a federal spending bill that could "decimate" D.C.'s budget, a photo story of crews removing the "Black Lives Matter" mural, and tips from a D.C. native on how to make friends if you're new to the city. Plus, we've selected 12 things to do this weekend and more than a half dozen ways to get civically engaged.

Keep scrolling for another epic Washrag from Colleen, our Overheard of the week, and some news you may have missed.

Christina

In Congressional lobbying blitz, some D.C. residents were told to contact representatives they don’t have

As The 51st Contributor Martin Austermuhle reported earlier this week, the House voted to approve a federal spending bill that could force local officials to cut more than $1 billion out of the city’s current $21.2 billion budget. In response, hundreds of D.C. residents took part in an in-person lobbying blitz to urge senators to amend the bill — or vote it down. But some residents who tried to share their opinions virtually received emails such as this one from Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-Arizona) office: “As you are not from Arizona, I encourage you to reach out to your senators to share your concerns.”

Photos: Crews begin demolition of Black Lives Matter Plaza

Earlier this week, crews began removing the "Black Lives Matter" mural from the streets in front of the White House — drilling into the 35-foot-tall yellow letters with a jackhammer and scraping the paint from the pavement. The 51st contributing photographer Shedrick Pelt headed to the intersection of H and 16th Streets to capture the initial demolition of the site, which Mayor Bowser commissioned in 2020 in defiance of President Trump's treatment of protesters.

Ask A D.C. Native: I'm new here. How can I make friends?

When The 51st Contributor India Kea moved back to D.C. after college, everything felt different. Experiencing the city as an adult for the first time, she found herself balancing who she’d been with who she was becoming. And while she was excited for the chance to rediscover the city, she couldn’t shake the uncertainty of not knowing where she fit in. For others new to the city — whether you're returning or just planting roots — India has some advice for how to settle in and start making friends.

12 things to do around D.C. this weekend

Head to the Brookland Arts Walk for a neighborhood festival, listen to author Chad Sanders share the realities of writing about race, and support young playwrights as they explore liberation in a multi-performance showcase.

Winter has felt particularly hard and long, but we're finally in one of the most magical parts of the year: the beginning of spring. Send us your photos of the first gasps of the season — scenes from your commute, your walk around the block, an afternoon in the park. We'll round them up for our upcoming newsletter. 

Overheard in D.C.

By all means, continue to use your outside voice.

Washrag

Where we highlight and discuss local gossip. This week, Colleen asks, "Who's on your comms team?"

Tuesday night, hours after the House of Representatives voted on the aforementioned spending bill, and amidst an ongoing attempt by federal Washington to strip D.C. of its autonomy and its residents of their rights, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto tweeted this: 

Pictured here, “fighting for” D.C. residents in the most Dem way possible (flashing a big smile and assuring everyone that despite their tied hands, we’re in this “together”): At-large councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, tuna-melt-microwaver Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia), Mayor Muriel Bowser, Pinto, and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia).

It’s unclear if this photo was taken on Tuesday, but if this is meant to instill some sort of hope in our local leaders’ abilities to stand up to Congress … well, I suppose you can take what you want from it. 

It would be crazy to see Dems — either local or congressional — take a page out of the GOP’s marketing playbook and make some sort of freaky AI-generated image, with rockets shooting out of the councilmembers’ eyes over the Wilson Building and Mark Warner blanketing Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) in microwaved tuna melt. But I guess we saw how that approach tried and failed with the Dark Brandon meme. 

So instead, we get smiles and a reassuring pat on our backs that “no matter what happens,” — which, by the way, could be the defunding of resources like schools and homeless services — it’ll all be okay. Hand-heart emoji. 

Meanwhile, D.C.’s new acting Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney, Ed Martin, is struggling with a comms crisis of his own: communicating coherently.  

According to a Washington Post article about Martin’s targeting of Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Virginia), who played a key role in Trump’s impeachment, Martin isn’t proofreading his “letters of inquiry” to the representative. 

It’s one thing to over-rely on the word “literally” (I literally do it all the time) or misplace a possessive apostrophe every now and then, but if you’re a federal attorney attempting to “demand” information from a political enemy, making sure your demand is clear and readable is probably a good start?

Here's more news you may have missed this week:

• Heads up: the Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon will close roads around D.C. on Saturday. [WTOP]
• Capital Weather Gang declares the end of this winter season. [Post]
• D.C.’s forensics lab employees falsified crime scene arrival times nearly 700 times in a year, raising new credibility concerns for the troubled agency. [Post]
• A webpage championing the District as a sanctuary city has disappeared from a D.C. government website. [Axios]
• Some residents aren’t sad to see Black Lives Matter Plaza go. [Post] 
• Given attacks on Home Rule, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) suggested Mayor Bowser consider making D.C. a part of Maryland to receive greater protections. [CityCast] 
• Season 10 of Queer Eye is casting in D.C. [Axios] 
• At “Taxilandia: Anacostia Experience,” artists and community organizers reflected on gentrification – and how to resist it — through photographs of their changing neighborhoods. [Informer] 
• D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued adult entertainment venue Cloakroom over allegations of sexual exploitation and wage theft. [Washingtonian] 
• Defector (support worker-owned media!) is running a series of interviews with fired civil servants. [Defector] 
• Doechii is headlining WorldPride D.C. — an event that's meanwhile facing some logistics nightmares given Trump's targeting of D.E.I. and LGBTQ+ initiatives. [DC News Now/NOTUS]

Your Civics Download

You’ll find this handy guide to public meetings at the bottom of every edition of The 51st. We’ll refine and improve along the way, so if you think we’re missing resources, please let us know!

• Learn about how police narratives can influence public perceptions and legislation with the Stop Police Terror Project on Saturday, March 15 from 12 to 2 p.m. You can show up to this teach-in at the Black Workers & Wellness Center (child care and food provided) or attend online. 
• Ever wonder how the things you care about — like transit, child care, housing, and education — get funded? Learn about D.C.’s budget process with the labor union ATU Local 689 and the D.C. Fair Budget Coalition on Saturday, March 15 from 12 to 2 p.m. This advocacy training will take place in-person at the ATU Local 689 Union Hall. 
• Given … everything, you might be looking to get more involved in your workplace’s union. Metro DSA’s Labor Working Group will hold a training on how to be a steward on Saturday, March 15 from 2:30 – 5:30 p.m. The workshop will cover a range of steward responsibilities — from mobilizing to filing grievances. You can RSVP here. 
• On Monday, March 17 at 9 a.m., the D.C. Council's health committee will hold a hearing on a bill to fund farmers' markets in low-food-access areas. You can sign up to testify or submit written testimony here.
• On Tuesday, March 18 at 10 a.m., join housing advocates with MDCDSA at the Wilson Building to protest the TOPA changes included in Mayor Bowser’s newly introduced RENTAL Act.
• Over the next few weeks, Rock Creek Park Trees and Extinction Rebellion D.C. will host a series of educational picnics about the city’s plans to revamp Rock Creek Park and cut down more than 1,000 trees. All meetings will take place at picnic grove #6, 696 Beach Drive NW.
  • Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. 
  • Saturday, March 22, at 10 a.m. 
  • Friday, March 28, at 7 a.m. 
• The city is kicking off its process of revamping D.C.'s comprehensive plan for the first time since 2006. It sounds boring and dry, but don’t be fooled. A comprehensive plan guides the city's housing, jobs, public spaces, and more — so it’s pretty important. Residents can weigh in on priorities during a series of public meetings, which you can register for here.
  • Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m. at MLK Library
  • Tuesday, March 25, 6 p.m. at Barry Farm Recreation Center
  • Thursday, March 27, 6 p.m., virtual

That's all for now, see you next week!

Christina