Thanks for being here. It's been a long week; your feeds are likely flooded with waves of emotions and tides of numbness, interrupted by punditry and predictions that only make those emotions worse. But at The 51st, we're trying to stay focused on what we can control: our goal to deliver useful, clear, and true information to D.C. residents. We're even more energized about our mission — and the movement behind independent, worker-run media — than ever.
There are many what-ifs ahead about the local repercussions of a Trump administration. And while we've tried to untangle some of the outcomes, we know our work will be to rigorously cover the local impacts of federal Washington while amplifying the collective power of D.C. communities. Thank you to the 991 of you who have joined as paying members so far; this puts us on a path to sustainability so we can cover the city for months and years to come. You can click here to be one of the nine people who bring us to 1,000. And click here for more ways to support The 51st.
Remember all of that fencing? That sucked. (Ted Eytan/Flickr)
Control of the U.S. House of Representatives remains uncertain, but Republicans are already expected to take control of the Senate. The final outcome is incredibly consequential for D.C.; if Republicans control virtually every level of power in Washington, they'd have the power to intervene aggressively in D.C.'s local affairs — and that could include a threat to home rule.
We walk through some of the possible impacts of this dangerous federal meddling in our local affairs — an unfortunate reality that Washingtonians are all too familiar with.
Local organizing efforts can bring about change where electoral systems can't. (Eric Falquero)
Things are hard and will probably get harder, but at the end of the day, and as the cliche goes, we still have each other. This means we also have a responsibility to show up where we can. Whether that's getting involved with a tenants union (or organizing your own), or tapping into one of the many D.C. groups working to improve residents' lives — there is no shortage of ways to convert your (insert complicated emotion) into something generative for your community. We've rounded up a list of ways to do so.
The past week saw a few departures from Bowser's cabinet. (Colleen Grablick)
It was a somewhat quiet start to the legislative week at the Wilson Building, what with...gestures around...everything else going on. But there were two departures from Bowser's administration: Department of Human Services Director Laura Zeilinger and D.C.'s "night mayor" Salah Czapary.
Barry fielding reporters at a D.C. Control Board Resolution Meeting in 1996. (Elvert Barnes/Flickr)
The "Mayor for Life" made an impact through activism, community development, and a no-nonsense leadership style. Candace Y.A. Montague reflects on Barry's legacy, why he's fostered a complex love and unfailing loyalty among Washingtonians, and what we can still learn from him.
Documenting the hardships people face is a critical piece of democracy — and one of The 51st’s four areas of coverage. We ran a survey asking residents for their thoughts about the future of their living conditions, along with an open-ended question: What one change could make the greatest difference in your life?
Celebrate the rich history of D.C.'s Trinidad neighborhood this weekend. (Josh/Flickr)
It’s been a week. One thing that might help is unfolding from your doom-scrolling crouch and finding ways to connect with people. There's a friend-making meet-up, a National Papusa Day celebration, and more.
Team member Christina Sturdivant Sani. (India Kea)
It takes a village to make The 51st, so we'll spend some time each week introducing you to a team member. This week, read about what Christina Sturdivant Sani loved about growing up in D.C., and the role local journalism plays in her life.
Initiative 83, which would bring ranked-choice voting and semi-open primaries to D.C., passed this week; it remains to be seen if the D.C. Council will fund it. [Post]
Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White sailed to reelection. Now the special election race begins. [WCP]
Former Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks became the first Black person from Maryland elected to the U.S. Senate — and more top takeaways from regional election results. [Post]
It turns out Empower, a D.C.-based rideshare service that hailed itself as a pro-worker alternative to Uber, is acting suspiciously like Uber. [Jacobin]
"Food apartheid" is a more accurate way to describe the lack of access to grocery stores in wards 7 and 8. [Washington Informer]
A D.C. cop charged with leaking information to Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio about Jan. 6 activity will be tried by a federal judge. [Post]
Metro ended a program that helped service workers get home after late-night shifts. [WUSA 9]
This is where we would normally talk back to another misguided take about D.C. or poke fun at an elected's corny post, but our eyeballs have all likely glossed over enough of that this week. Instead: pandas.
Holding that little bit of food (?) like someone posing with an "I voted" sticker.
We'll wrap it up there. I can't come up with an optimistic platitude that doesn't feel somewhat hollow or disingenuous, so I'll leave you with this woo-woo anecdote instead: I was facing a cute baby on the train yesterday and we became engaged in one of those smile-offs. Each time my eyes got bigger and my smile widened, he mirrored me, his smile growing and growing until he broke out in squirmy giggles on his dad's lap. I wanted to apologize to him for the world he'd just arrived in, but I also wanted to tell him we'd do better.
I couldn't, because he's a baby who just wanted to laugh. But I guess what I'm saying is, find whatever those moments can be for you — where your anger, sadness, and fear can be metabolized not into nihilism but into love, action, and connection to the people around you. We owe that to our neighbors, our loved ones, ourselves, and babies everywhere — and this would be true regardless of who is in the White House.
With your help, we pursue stories that hold leaders to account, demystify opaque city and civic processes, and celebrate the idiosyncrasies that make us proud to call D.C. home. Put simply, our mission is to make it easier — and more fun — to live in the District. Our members help keep local news free and independent for all:
