The recent death of a city official in a scooter collision, alongside riders landing in the ER “every week” has trauma experts questioning whether rental e-scooters should be allowed.
At our two-year birthday party last week, The 51st rolled out our first-ever print edition, a partnership with The Pack World that pays homage to D.C.’s former commuter paper.
When the Express shut down in 2019, it rocked D.C. like no other media closure at the time. As a journalist who had been laid off just two years earlier, I had experienced firsthand how the industry was folding. But for everyday D.C. residents who read the paper for years, it was jarring.
The Express was a reliable part of our days. Sometimes its hawkers were the first people we engaged with on weekday mornings. While we may not have known our fellow Metro passengers, reading the paper side by side was a shared experience, nonetheless. And a dose of local culture, sports, and entertainment was often the medicine we needed before another grueling workday. Then, with just a day’s notice, this daily anchor disappeared — leaving another 20 journalists unemployed in its wake.
A year later, a couple of twenty-somethings from D.C. decided to breathe new life into the paper. The Pack World’s rendition of the Express fused nostalgia with novelty. The issue paid homage to the Chocolate City of yesteryear while introducing readers to young creators, thinkers, and makers who were shaping D.C.'s culture in innovative ways. And most importantly, it remained free for residents to read.
When The Pack World approached The 51st to collaborate on this third edition of their Express, we were thrilled to make this a part of our anniversary celebrations. We’re even more excited to add our spin to their work. As a community-driven, nonprofit newsroom, we believe that local news should make people’s lives better. We publish articles that give D.C. residents information while also equipping them with the tools to get civically engaged and to make the world a more just place.
As the dust settles from this year’s consequential local primaries, our cover story dives into D.C.'s shifting political scene and the new players stepping into the spotlight. We also get back to basics with an article explaining everything you need to know about D.C. home rule. A collection of op-eds sheds light on how D.C.’s youth are navigating the city during this unprecedented time. And we feature creators who are bringing D.C. art and fashion to a national stage.
It’s been a rough couple of years here in D.C., friends. While this paper won’t fix all our problems, we hope it offers a moment of relief, connection, and joy — for old times’ sake.
Christina is the executive editor at The 51st. She's written for more than two dozen publications. As a staff writer at DCist, she wrote more than 1,600 stories about life in The District.
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