Cultural Tourism DC’s free WalkingTown DC event this Saturday, Sept. 29 has a walking tour for everyone, but one of the tours that most interests us is the “What’s Going On: Marvin Gaye Park” tour, led by volunteer Steve Coleman and presented by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. From 10 to 11:30 a.m., participants will have the opportunity to follow the path of famed soul singer Marvin Gaye’s early life growing up in Washington through a tour of the newly re-named Marvin Gaye Park and Amphitheater near Division Avenue and Foote Street NE.
Coleman took a few minutes to chat with us about the tour he’s put together to highlight the life of a big star who for some reason isn’t as often cited as being a part of D.C.’s cultural history as he should be. Check the WalkingTown schedule for more details on joining the tour.
DCist: What made you want to host a tour about Marvin Gaye’s life in the District? What attracted you to his story?
Steve Coleman: Marvin Gaye is D.C.’s unsung Hero of Song. His story — his struggles, his triumphs, his enduring legacy — is in many ways our story as a city. I think of those lyrics from the hymn, Blessed Assurance: “This is my story, this is my song.” Telling Marvin Gaye’s story through the land in Far Northeast that first inspired him to sing is really singing the song of D.C. So the tour is not just about Marvin, it’s about the people and the land that moved and shaped him, the culture of song amid adversity that compelled him to rise to greatness with some of the most powerful music ever to come out of the United States.
The park now named in his honor is a fitting tribute. When you see the beauty of the woods and stream coursing through D.C.’s longest municipal park, as well as some of the ongoing environmental challenges and injustices, you understand the poetry of D.C. selecting this place to pay homage to the only major Motown star ever to sing about the environment. From “Mercy Mercy Me” to “What’s Going On,” from “Brother Brother” to “Innercity Blues,” and from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” to “How Sweet it Is,” Marvin’s message grew out of D.C. and is perhaps more relevant today than ever, as a challenge for us to live together on the Earth.
