The 51st's Ward 7 Community Connector George Kevin Jordan, 51st contributor Cornelia Poku, Ward 7 resident Heather Ferris, and The Strand co-owner Kelly Mikel Williams pictured at our happy hour.
The 51st’s Ward 7 Community Connector team held its final event of the year on Tuesday. Our Holiday Happy Hour Takeover at The Strand in Deanwood was the star on our metaphorical Christmas tree.
I’m not going to lie — given the District’s chilly weather conditions, I wasn’t sure who was going to show up on a Tuesday night to talk about local journalism. But it wasn’t long before people came in from the cold and warmed up with cocktails and conversation. We saw familiar faces from our other Ward 7 pop-ups and met lots of new folks from across the ward. The vibe was chill, easy-going, and laughter echoed throughout the space.
Thanks to a grant from the Listening Post Collective, we’re hoping to get 450 Ward 7 residents to fill out our survey to learn what they want from local news. We hope to use the findings to write more meaningful stories that reflect their interests and concerns.
About 30 people filled out the survey during the happy hour, about half of whom were Ward 7 residents.
When we asked residents what local issues they wanted covered more deeply, the majority of Ward 7 respondents noted education and schools. Following right behind were community history and culture, public safety, and policing.
When we asked what stories weren’t being told, they didn’t hold back.
Grocery store access and quality came to mind for some residents, while others wanted The 51st to highlight the affluent Black population in the ward. Schools were, again, a big priority, with some residents wanting more educational resources like a dual-language middle school east of the river. Others just wanted us to spotlight “the amazing schools” that already exist in their communities.
One resident wanted to know if kids are still playing outside where they live, and if not, why?
One of our raffle winners, IKeshia Shackleford.
During the evening, we raffled off $50 gift cards to three lucky winners: IKeshia Shackleford of Fort Dupont, Heather Ferris of Hillbrook, and Aine Donaghy of Benning Heights.
Now, the Ward 7 Community Connector team is taking a much-needed rest before a very active new year. I’m grateful to The Strand, Cornelia Poku of Black Girls Explore DC (who helped spread the word about this event), and all of the Ward 7 residents who continue to connect with us and help make our work better.
George Kevin Jordan is a freelance writer, editor, and author with more than 25 years of experience. He currently lives in Ward 7, and is still discovering new things about the District.
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