January 15, 2007
D.C. Tributes to MLK Left Wanting
While D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty officially pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today at the University of the District of Columbia, one question comes to mind -- how well has the District actually guarded and promoted King's legacy? Given the state of a library and an avenue named after the famed civil rights fighter, not too well.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library stands as a contradiction at the corner of Ninth and G streets. While the building itself, designed by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is often considered a singular example of modern design and construction in the District, the books and services contained within are more likely to be seen as a vivid example of the city's failure to maintain and expand its most basic institutions. A debate that raged last year over whether or not to abandon the building all together has quieted down, though legislation allowing the city to move the library to a new building on the site of the old convention center is sure to be considered by the D.C. Council this year.
Across the river stands Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, weaving its way from the 11th Street Bridge through Anacostia, Congress Heights, and Bellvue. Though the avenue proceeds through African American neighborhoods steeped in history, it exists in a part of town largely ignored by the District, suffering from high poverty rates, crime, and a derth of basic commercial offerings. Hoping to attract businesses and reinvigorate the surrounding neighborhoods, the District Department of Transportation's $100 million Great Street Initiative will include Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and South Capitol Street, funding beautification projects, improving pedestrian access and public transit options, and granting tax breaks to businesses looking to set up shop.
Martin Luther King Jr., just like many other American patriots, is a figure to be remembered, to be revered, and to be recognized in mind and matter. We may pay him tribute in words on the one day a year set aside for him, but we should similarly act to restore the city symbols to which we attached his name. It's good to see the District investing time and money into improving both these namesakes. Let's hope they get somewhere.
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No excuse as to why the nation's capital can't have a premiere library to serve its citizens. Pathetic.
Just like everything else, DC will just point to the MLK memorial on the Tidal Basin as its tribute.
http://www.mlkmemorial.org/
Martin, just curious, but how many books have you actually checked out at the MLK library? There is nothing worse than so-called "DC-ers" not even using the public libraries only to criticize the city.
How relevant and useful is a massive public expenditure on a library in the internet age?
As for East of the River's current status, yes, the city could do more to help. But some of the residents share some of the blame. Specifically, the residents that are committing crimes and terrorizing their neighbors. They are the reason that the area is troubled. And they are the ultimate mockery of MLK's vision. And residents that chose the race-baiting shucksterism of politicians like Marion Barry share some of the blame, for putting their feelings of racial superiority over the idea of good governance.
Hillman, interesting points: the city could help, but the people are to blame. However, I'm curious the last time you spent significant time off of MLK and in the neighborhoods that surround the area. It's a difficult topic I admit. But I’m not convinced that you ever considered that your comment doesn’t just point a finger at all those “criminals” you see on the news, but that you might be pointing a finger at people NOT to blame, such as myself. I live in Barry Farms, about three blocks from the Anacostia metro station off of MLK. I have never terrorized my neighbor, nor have I committed a crime against any of them. In fact a lot of my community just lives and goes to work just like a lot of the people in the rest of the District. However, my understanding is that because there is a large concentration of low income residents here that our community gets a bad rap. It MUST be a bad part of town because of all the minorities that live over here. All you ever see on the news is how one black man has killed another. However, what gets me is that there are really great people here that deserve the same sort of treatment that Capitol Hill receives or Northwest for that manner. Now before anyone jumps on me for not considering that a good portion of the District several years ago was a “bad” part of town, I will point it out. However, all of those areas received attention from the city and are now either up and coming or absolutely fabulous. Capitol Hill being one of them. Luckily for my community, not everyone has the same mentality as Hillman and understands that the same “type” of people that live in Barry Farms/Anacostia used to [and may still] live in Capitol Hill [and other neighborhoods] and that we should also receive the same infrastructure and monies that the rest of the city has received.
For those of you that haven’t, I do invite you to come tour my neighborhood. You’d be surprised to see all of our well kept secrets. I’d bet you’d love to know how many of us have managed to buy a home for under $100,000 that has a view of the entire city. Every night I come home and smile at the sight of the cathedral, the monuments, the capitol and my non-existant mortgage.
Roger,
None, actually. You know why? Because the times I've been, I've visited the Washingtoniana section, hoping to get some good stuff on D.C. history. Unfortunately, the majority of the books in that section can't be checked out. That doesn't prevent me from commenting on the general state of the library, which is bad regardless of whether or not I have checked out books.
Martin, just curious, but how many books have you actually checked out at the MLK library? There is nothing worse than so-called "DC-ers" not even using the public libraries only to criticize the city.
I'm happy to say that I've used the DC library since right after I got here in '95. A little known fact is that one of the easiest ways to establish DC residency is to get a library card.
I've had nothing but good experiences with DC's libraries. Sure MLK isn't anyone's idea of a "flagship" library for the Nation's Capitol, but it's available and usable even if it's not perfect. There are story hours and craft programs for young kids at many smaller branches in neighborhoods, publically available PCs, and helpful staff wherever I've been too.
Could it better? Sure, but that doesn't mean that we should make perfect the enemy of reasonably good.
MLK was the climax and icon of what I consider Chapter I of the Afr Amer narrative. In which the most dramatic legislative and structural reforms were enacted. Chapter II will mean the internal reforms of the black individual and black american society to adjust to the demands of a complex post-industrial liberal economy. Read Frantz Fanon, "The Wretched of the Earth" and "Black Skin White Masks"..then "The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual". We have got to resolve the dilemma of black identity and assimilation with the dominant.
Chris - Any thought to addressing the historical, structural, and institutional issues that have been barriers to African-American integration into "post-industrial liberal economy" rather than the same ol' 'Black people suck, they should do better' solution you propose?
The libraries here are atrocious; I've given up. On several occasions I checked the online card catalog to find my book for my book group, went to MLK or my local branch during its limited hours, and found that they didn't have the book, despite the system still showing that the book was there. On top of that, one time in Mt. Pleasant, there were piles of hundreds of books on every horizontal surface that had been returned but not logged back in. It was hard to even get to the checkout counter because there were so many teetering piles. The place was chaotic and the staff, while well-intentioned, had no hope of catching up, they said. The place was a mess. This is "reasonably good"?
The libraries here are atrocious; I've given up. On several occasions I checked the online card catalog to find my book for my book group, went to MLK or my local branch during its limited hours, and found that they didn't have the book, despite the system still showing that the book was there. On top of that, one time in Mt. Pleasant, there were piles of hundreds of books on every horizontal surface that had been returned but not logged back in. It was hard to even get to the checkout counter because there were so many teetering piles. The place was chaotic and the staff, while well-intentioned, had no hope of catching up, they said. The place was a mess. This is "reasonably good"?
What can I say? Sorry you're unhappy. That hasn't been my experience with DC's libraries.
Hillrat, It would be nice of you to acknowledge that I said NONE of that and you said ALL of it. I am asserting that in my opinion a new chapter has to be opened now that certain substantial structural changes have been accomplished after great struggle.
Hillrat, It would be nice of you to acknowledge that I said NONE of that and you said ALL of it. I am asserting that in my opinion a new chapter has to be opened now that certain substantial structural changes have been accomplished after great struggle.
Hillrat, It would be nice of you to acknowledge that I said NONE of that and you said ALL of it. I am asserting that in my opinion a new chapter has to be opened now that certain substantial structural changes have been accomplished after great struggle.
I agree with Hillrat. The DC public library system is not perfect, but the staff is helpful and their electronic checkout system works. Comment on the general state of MLK if you want, but you have no credibility unless you are an active patron. "The GW library sucks, oh wait, I have never spent any time there or checked anything out."
as a matter of fact Hillrat, if you weren't so quick to dismiss my post, you would have found that I am begging the question of the whole "Negroes need to work harder at integratin'" argument. Rather I am saying as a society we need to reexamine that whole bias. Nobody ever complains about white kid's ignorance of African cultures. It's always the pathos of Negroes who can't cope. We need to reconsider both African Nationalism and re-negotiation of the definition of "American" not just an uncritical fitting of black people into some mainstream stereotype.
as a matter of fact Hillrat, if you weren't so quick to dismiss my post, you would have found that I am begging the question of the whole "Negroes need to work harder at integratin'" argument. Rather I am saying as a society we need to reexamine that whole bias. Nobody ever complains about white kid's ignorance of African cultures. It's always the pathos of Negroes who can't cope. We need to reconsider both African Nationalism and re-negotiation of the definition of "American" not just an uncritical fitting of black people into some mainstream stereotype.