Tyrone Turner / WAMU

Well, here we are, at the end. It was a long road and, in most ways, a very bad one. But here at DCist, there’s still so much in the archives worth revisiting. We published investigation after investigation, including two on our own organization’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against an employee. We produced a deeply reported story on local evictions that immediately led to new legislation at the D.C. Council. We reported on how the pandemic has impacted communities of color, how COVID-related closures affected local businesses, and how locals grappled with the seismic shifts in their daily lives this year. We were out on the streets documenting protest after protest. We gave you comprehensive information to help you vote in this year’s local elections. And however hard things got, we didn’t forget to document the District’s curiosities, from a celebrity puffer fish to a stumpy tree that Washingtonians rallied around. Here’s a non-comprehensive list of our best work from the trash fire that was 2020.

Thanks for being with us this year. We’ll see you on the other side.

Tyrone Turner
Dr. Janice Blanchard stands outside George Washington University Hospital, where she works as an emergency medicine physician. “I think as a black doctor, it’s my responsibility to do everything in my power to make sure that a black patient is getting fair treatment,” she said. WAMU / Tyrone Turner

The Pandemic

Life as we knew it stopped. We grieved monumental losses of family members and beloved friends. Healthcare and frontline workers showed us new depths of heroism. Our favorite restaurants, shops, and arts institutions struggled with all their might to hang on. Communities banded together to help the most vulnerable. Mental health and well-being suffered hit after hit. Our reporters documented the defining event of our lives.

A screenshot from the Google Maps street view Google Maps

The Fun Reads 

It was a Cursed Year, but there was levity to be found every now and again. For a little pick-me-up before the New Year, revisit a few delightful favorites, including stories about a local celebrity puffer fish, a regal giant turtle, and a very special Burger King. 

A protester at the march holds an image of George Floyd. Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police earlier this year. Dee Dwyer / DCist

The Protests

Over and over again this year, throngs of people took to D.C.’s streets to protest police brutality, even as the pandemic raged on. The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May kickstarted a national movement that also took hold locally, and DCist reporters were on the ground recording history as it unfolded. We wrote about that fateful night on Swann Street, about the use of low-flying helicopters to disperse protesters, about protest art, and about the experiences, motivations, and resilience of individual activists. Read some of our best coverage below.

A supporter of Joe Biden holds up a sign during a rally on Oct. 24, 2020 in Falls Church, Va. Trump supporters carrying flags confronted the group. Tyrone Turner / DCist

The Elections

In addition to Everything Else, this was an election year like no other. And while the presidential race sucked up a fair amount of oxygen, we never lost sight of the local races that will shape our communities in the years to come. 

Joseph Gelletich called Harvard Hall home from 1991 until he was evicted in 2019. He says he didn’t receive a summons notifying him of the case. Tyrone Turner / DCist

The Investigations 

Even in the midst of *gestures wildly*, our team dug deep to expose inequities at local restaurants, arts institutions, even our own company. And our investigation into local process servers resulted in the fastest legislative action we’ve ever seen. Settle in for these long reads. 

Loved ones and supporters gathered together at the vigil for Christopher Brown to release balloons in the air. Dee Dwyer / DCist

More Stories

Not everything we published this year fits neatly into any category. These are stories about local landmarks, systemic injustices, the grieving of a community, and fascinating local figures. Here’s our miscellaneous best of 2020:

We believe everyone in our community deserves access to good journalism. That’s why we don’t restrict any of our stories behind a paywall. But good reporting — the kind that keeps you informed each and every day, that gives you vital information in the midst of a health crisis, that exposes injustice and creates change — comes at a cost. Thank you to the DCist members who made all these stories possible. If you valued our work in 2020 and want to see it continue, please consider joining them … Become a member today.

Filed Under: best of, best of 2020, Year End 2020,