Ben H. Rome – We Love DC http://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Thu, 07 Jan 2021 17:23:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 Why I (Still) Love DC: Ben http://www.welovedc.com/2015/04/02/why-i-still-love-dc-ben/ Thu, 02 Apr 2015 17:00:57 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98586

Full disclosure: I really wanted to title this article “Why I (Still) Love DC: Take Two (or Ten)” but Jenn wouldn’t let me. (Something about ruining the pattern or other such reasonable editorial argument.) If you’re a long-time follower of We Love DC, you’ll know I wrote a similarly titled piece back in 2013 after this site’s fifth anniversary.

And then suddenly, here we are not two years later and the party’s over.

Back in the fall, when it was discussed about putting the old gal to rest, I didn’t really want to let it go. I’d hoped that a fresh generation, newer (or older) blood would pick up our baton, and sally forth. But alas–and unlike our lovely Congressmen and Senators on the Hill–our grand lady would not blather on about nothing, limping towards digital obscurity.

And I’m okay with that.

This will be my 647th and final post here at We Love DC. (And, for giggles, that’s about half-a-million words.) I never thought I’d be saying good bye, both to our readers and to the site.

It’s a bittersweet milestone for me, particularly.

2015 marks ten years –half my married life!– since I moved to the Metro DC area. My wife and I escaped a wretched employment outlook in Pittsburgh when the International Spy Museum took a chance and hired me to help run their retail shop. Brenda Young, my manager at the time (and she’s still there, I believe), was a true District resident from Capitol Heights and during our downtime in the office, would tell me all about this city and its secrets. Actually, considering where I worked and who I rubbed shoulders with on a frequent basis, I learned about a lot of secrets in the District…

Anyway, it was during my time there that I stumbled over Tom and his merry band of Metrobloggers. I applied to write, figuring I could bring a ‘fresh-behind-the-ears’ view to the team (only having been here two years at that point). I showed my bona fides and I was in.

And plunged straight into the depths of rebellion.

Secret meetings at pubs, scurried whispers and emails. And with the determination of men and women bent onto a purpose, we unleashed this site upon all of you.

And there was much rejoicing (after a fashion).

I’ve written about a lot of things over the years, many of which have enriched me in ways I never dreamed. I got to see places I wouldn’t normally go, and talk to people that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to connect. Tried new places to eat, enjoyed exhibits on subjects I knew nothing of, and conversed about issues that are important to locals that don’t get the traditional media’s attention.

I daresay We Love DC has been instrumental to my growth as a new media writer. And, as such, to my career. I started as a retail manager – something I’d sworn years before to never again do – and found myself developing content, understanding web management, and ultimately bringing myself to the edge of a new career in content strategy. I never would have made it to this singular point without this site.

Without these people, my fellow bloggers.

Without our readers. All legion of you.

My personal and professional milestones can be traced through here. My first real photo sale came from my article on NatGeo’s exhibition of the Terra Cotta Warriors. All of my later jobs came after hiring managers read various articles here. A traditional visit to the Basin to see the blossoms every year after writing articles about it. My first non-fiction book contract came after an editor had read some of my museum exhibition pieces, and reached out to me. Being able to cover hockey as a press blogger for a bit, seeing the game from a different perspective…even that came after the Caps credentialed us for a few years.

And now…well, I can’t say that it’s over. I mean, this blog, and its active presence in the area is certainly shelved…for now. But the volume of knowledge, of experience, of culture…of LIFE that our umpteen-billion posts encapsulates? It’s not over. It’s here to stay. It’s part of our city’s fabric, our cultural landscape.

I doubt it will be forgotten.

I will miss this place. But not the experience and the camaraderie. Oh no, those I will take with me, keep with me forever. It’s a proud moment of my time here.

Oh, I’ll still be around. Online, in the city, wandering the environs with camera in hand (probably). Still visiting my favorite museums, checking out new exhibitions and eateries. Still avoiding Metro. Still arguing about what’s important to me, like changing a racist football team moniker or how much I loathe to respect the Caps. Still defending our beautiful city from the naysayers and pessimists.

But I won’t be sharing those thoughts with you anymore, at least not here. It’s time to shutter the place. It’s time for us to step out on our own, time to stop just reading about the vibrant color of our city.

It’s time to go out and explore. To immerse. To find that special something that makes this town resonate us to the very core of our being.

To be DC.

Peace.

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Local Indigenous Artist Showcases the Racism of Redskin http://www.welovedc.com/2014/10/10/local-indigenous-artist-showcases-the-racism-of-redskin/ Fri, 10 Oct 2014 13:00:43 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98454 (c) Gregg Deal

(c) Gregg Deal

Those who think the continuing movement to change the name of the local pro football team is a waste of time and trivial were clearly not at the recent Art All Night event here in the District. Secreted in one corner of the venue was local Indigenous artist Gregg Deal. His project, “Redskin,” took on the racial overtones of the team moniker and projected it at his audience.

What he, nor spectators or his helpers predicted was just how pointed it ended up being.

Deal first let me know of the project in early September. What initially struck me about his proposed performance piece was the fact he was willingly subjecting himself to some serious abuse. Natives in the area–as well as those protesting football games elsewhere in the country–have always been subjected to abuses by team fans, especially if they’re open about their opposition to the name. (Witness the reactions by fans, as recalled by several Natives, during a recent taping for The Daily Show.)

So why do it, especially in an art venue? “As people of color, or more specifically, Indigenous people, we deal with something called microaggression. It’s the needle pricks in our general American society and culture that says or does things that are offensive to Natives. They’re called ‘microaggression’ because they are passive aggressive enough to get by your average person, but still aggressive,” said Deal. “For example, when I worked at the National Museum of American Indian in 2004-2005, someone asked me if I still lived in a Tipi. This would be microaggression because it’s an insane questions that is based on stereotypes, but it’s also a statement about what this person believes quantifies me as an Indigenous person.”

The term ‘redskin,’ painted faces and faux headdresses, drunken war chants – these are all examples of microaggression. Deal’s performance piece was meant to use all of these abuses, commonly found in tailgate parties at FedEx Field and used by team fans around the world, over an eight-hour period. “I ended up calling it after just over four hours,” said Deal. “All of us–my friends who were helping me and myself–were just mentally and psychologically drained from the experience.”

Bryce Huebner, an Associate Professor at Georgetown University, was one of Deal’s assistants who played a part of one of the abusive fans. “I said things that I would never say in real life, in hopes of making it clear how ugly and harmful the casual racism against indigenous people in the United States is,” he said. “I was struck by how difficult it was to start playing that role, when I arrived my heart was pounding and I could hardly speak; but more troubling by far was the fact that it became easy to continue as I started to play off of the other actors. There’s an important lesson there: if you surround yourself with people who espouse hostile attitudes, it’s much easier to adopt those attitudes yourself.”

Deal said a lot of the audience mentioned to him how truly real it felt, watching it unfold, and he agreed. “After it got rolling, the invective felt truly real, like a few situations I’ve found myself in around the District.” When I mentioned that a Huffington Post review said it was unauthentic because he had used his friends as the antagonists, Deal laughed. “They should’ve been in my place, then. It certainly felt real to me.”

Deal (seated) in the middle of his "Redskin" performance. (c) Darby

Deal (seated) in the middle of his “Redskin” performance. (c) Darby

Tara Houska, a board member of Not Your Mascots and a big proponent of the name change movement in the District, was one of the audience members. “The experience of watching Indigenous-based racism being hurled at a Native was difficult, to say the least,” she said. “Some of those phrases hit too close to home, and brought me back to moments in which I’ve experienced racism. At times, it was hard to keep in mind that it was a performance. I wanted to yell at the antagonizers to back off, and felt the hurt Gregg must have been feeling.”

Both Houska and Deal were also participants in the recent Daily Show segment that showed a panel of team fans and a panel of Indigenous people who, after separate discussions, confronted each other through the show’s direction. The segment has had mixed reaction in the press, with a lot of sympathy generated for the four white fans (who all self-identified as some fraction of various tribes, but with no real knowledge of their heritage – or, in one case, how generational fractions work). The incidents taped at FedEx field later between some of the Native panelists (specifically, the 1491s) and fans weren’t shown, which is unfortunate.

“Honestly, both the Daily Show and my art performance felt very similar,” said Deal. “The racism against Indigenous people in this country is so ingrained it it’s culture that the only way a team could exist as a mascot (which is defined as a clown, a court jester, by the way…nice ‘honor’) in the first place. The Washington Redskins–and other Indian mascots–are a really good illustration of not only how disconnected America is from it’s own history, but how disconnected it is from the issue of equality towards Indigenous people is. We are literally sitting on an issue where a significant amount of this country’s Indigenous are saying ‘it’s offensive’ and the answer is ‘no, it’s not offensive at all!'”

Gregg Deal with "Colonialism"

Gregg Deal with “A Nice Can of Colonialism”

Deal went on to say the whole movement to change the name isn’t really about offense, but about equality. “What you’re looking at is the tip of a very big iceberg of issues that are simply illustrated by this specific issue. The fact that we don’t seem to own our identity enough for someone to allow us to assert that identity appropriately, but that a corporate sports team is making billions from our image and likeness and has the audacity to fly it under the flag of honor is insanity,” he said. “Let’s be honest here, it’s not about honor, tradition, or any other lame excuse Dan or his constituents are saying. It’s about money, and the fans have all bought into supporting one of this country’s financial top one percent.”

Houska felt that Deal’s passion really came through in his performance piece, and she applauded him for taking a stand in such a public way. “I think it was a very in-your-face method to get locals aware that Natives experience racism, including the racist imagery and name of the Washington team,” she said. “We have all experienced being belittled and told to ‘get over it.’ I hope that people walked away with a sense of understanding that microaggression is a very real and damaging thing. And how it feels to be deluged by caricatured Natives via the Washington football team and having no say in it, despite being the subject of that caricature.”

Deal agreed. “I believe the term REDSKIN, if it belongs anywhere…it belongs to Indigenous people. In the same way the Black community essentially own the N-word,” he said. “While there are different schools of thought on that word and it’s usage in the Black community, it’s understood that if you use that word outside the Black community, you’re a certain type of person. The word ‘redskin’ belongs to us, and it’s not up to [non-Indigenous people] how it’s used.”

For more information on the name change social media movement, visit Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, Not Your Mascots, or follow the #changethename hashtag on Twitter.

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De-skinning the Washington Football Team http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/12/de-skinning-the-washington-football-team/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/12/de-skinning-the-washington-football-team/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2014 19:00:06 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98326  

federals

The name change debate continues to rage in the area. Every day, it seems, someone else stands up and says the obvious – the name is racist, needs to go. And every day, the Washington football team’s PR generator tries to deflect the issue, spouting words of “honor” and “respect” without realizing what those actually mean. In the wings, however, are those who have already resolved the debate in their minds and are moving forward into the next step. People like Brian Thurber, founder of DskinDC.org.

The site is a place for those ready to move on from the debate about the appropriateness of the name; through Thurber’s website, anyone can submit new team name ideas, logo designs, and vote on ideas proposed by others. Visitors can also buy t-shirts and sweatshirts of their favorite designs; 75 percent of the sales go right back to the logo designer. (The remainder goes towards running the site.)

“The site is a referendum on what the next name and logo should be,” says Thurber, who goes by @DskinDC on Twitter. “As more logos come in and more people vote, one or two names and logos may rise to the top. For example, Redtails is a clear early favorite for the team name.” Thurber hopes that when people start wearing these fan-made designs to games, it will hopefully spark conversations about the current name and what the new name should be.

Thurber hopes DskinDC can complement the ongoing efforts to change the name. “Like many fans, I first learned about why the name is a problem because of activists and others raising awareness over decades,” he said. “The people who want to keep the name have been very vocal, but there are plenty of fans and others who think the name should change but who don’t choose to take to Twitter or to participate in activism around it. DskinDC is a place for those fans to show they’re ready for a change.”

redtails

In Thurber’s mind, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ the name will change, but ‘when.’ “Over the last few years, I’ve become embarrassed by the team name – and I’m a lifelong fan of Washington football. I thought it might be fun and useful to jump right to the question of what the new name and logo should be.”

But he’s also very cognizant of the debate and the supporters’ common argument points, such as ‘why this, when there’s more important things to address for Indians?’ Says Thurber: “I know that Native communities face a lot of hard problems, and those problems clearly need this country’s attention and commitment. I don’t see why that means we can’t solve the easy problems too. Here’s an easy problem to solve: eliminating a Native stereotype from one of this country’s most prominent sports teams.”

The American Psychological Association stated almost a decade ago that Native American stereotypes that are depicted in mascotry and monikers hurt Natives and non-Natives alike. More recently, the Center for American Progress released a report that showed the detrimental effects of these stereotypes on Native youth, including high rates of suicide, poor graduation rates, and low self esteem.

“Growing up, my images of Native people came mostly from watching DC football, with the rest coming from U.S. history class and a few Westerns,” says Thurber. “I’ve only been acquaintances with one Native person in my life, and I think most people I know have had a similar experience. In my life, Natives as people have been almost invisible. If a significant group of Natives are hurt by my football team’s name and logo, I’m willing to change them.”

Despite the claims made by the team’s PR spin machine and alumni supporters, a significant number of Native associations, not to mention individuals, are against the team’s current name. But as Thurber sees it, it’s not about numbers. “Debating the exact count of Natives who do and don’t support the name can be a distraction,” he says. “You can just look at what’s at stake. If we stick with ‘Redskins,’ we hold onto a stereotype that offends a significant number of people. If we change the name, we have to get new jerseys. In either case, it’s still DC football, Sundays are still great, and we will still talk fondly of the second quarter of Super Bowl XXII.”

DskinDC.org founder Brian Thurber

DskinDC.org founder Brian Thurber

Thurber made it clear, though, that this is not about abolishing the franchise of DC football. “We’ll always have a football team we love,” he says. “Two weeks ago on ESPN First Take, Chris Cooley said we shouldn’t change the name because if we do then we’re admitting that we’ve been insensitive or even racist. That’s just not how life works. When people make a positive change, no one attacks them for it. People applaud it. For almost my whole life I referred to the team as the ‘Redskins,’ and I certainly don’t look back and think I’m a bad person.

“I know fans who like the name don’t mean any harm, but there’s something very real at stake that needs to be taken seriously. Vague notions of ‘history’ or ‘tradition’ aren’t going to cut it. If we always stuck with what we did in the past, this country would never have faced up, for example, to the impact of Jim Crow laws.

“Defenders of the name often ask where the complaints have been all these years and why they’re only surfacing now. In fact, people have been raising awareness around this issue for at least four decades. That aside, the defenders forget that values and language have always been changing in this country and that without such change, civil rights would not have advanced in ways that now   seem obvious. In the context of the name debate, local artist Gregg Deal has referred to their argument as denying ‘progression of thought’ to Natives. We have to give other people and society space to change and improve.”

With DskinDC.org, Thurber hopes to provide one avenue to take towards that improvement.

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The Football Name Debate: Are We Missing the Point? http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/22/the-football-name-debate-are-we-missing-the-point/ Tue, 22 Jul 2014 19:00:24 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97990

“The debate is over about the R-word; it’s now about whether if it’s proper to have a football team in this country carry on using a defined slur.” That was the closing statement by Jacqueline Pata, the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Her comment capped off a forum at the Center for American Progress, Missing the Point: The Real Impact of Native Mascots and Team Names on American Indian and Alaska Native Youth. The Center released a new report that examined several bodies of research about the harmful impact of mascot representations on the self-esteem of AI/AN youth, how they create a hostile learning environment, and the decades-long movement to retire them. The report by Erik Stegman and Victoria Phillips looks at recent key findings and incorporates statements from several Native youths, providing context that is relevant today regarding the use of these mascots and imagery.

Sitting on today’s panel was Pata; Travis Waldron, Sports Reporter, ThinkProgress.org; Mark Macarro, Chairman, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians; Dr. Michael Friedman, Clinical Psychologist; and Erik Stegman, Associate Director, Center for American Progress. The forum started with very poignant remarks by fifteen-year-old Dahkota Franklin Kicking Bear Brown, a student at Argonaut High School in California, and a Champion for Change at the Center for Native American Youth. Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) also spoke briefly at the event.

Over the last year, the debate over the use of the slur by the Washington professional football team has largely centered on issues of economics and fan nostalgia. The larger issue at hand, however, is beyond the sports soundbites that dominate this discussion. Data and research now shows that the use of such racist and derogatory team names (and by association, ‘traditions’ and fan antics) have real and detrimental effects on Native youth today. With fifty percent of the Native population being of 25 years of age or younger, the danger of perpetuating this practice and continuing the cycle of defeatism, hostile learning environments, and poor self-esteem is all too real.

Studies are also showing that these mascots are undermining the educational experience of all students, particularly those with little or no contact with indigenous and Native peoples. These stereotypical representations are too often being understood by the population as factual representations of Native culture and people, contributing to the development cycle of cultural biases and prejudices.

Think that’s not really an issue in today’s progressive twenty-first century? Brown shared some of the experiences that happened in his high school. “Our cheerleaders dressed up one of our own in a Halloween ‘Pokahottie’ costume, tied her to a stake after dragging her out on the field in shackles against her will. They proceeded to dance around her, acting as if they were beating her, treating her as a slave. It’s one of the sickest halftime shows I’ve ever seen.” An avid football fan, he nonetheless dreads the game against rivals Calaveras, who use the R-word slur as their team name. “The most offensive stuff doesn’t even come from the [other team fans]. It comes from their rival schools, mine included. I have heard my own friends yelling around me, ‘Kill the Redskins!’ or “Send them on the Trail of Tears!'”

It took a lot of courage for Brown to address the audience, knowing he would be returning home to California and his schoolmates, many whom taunt him and other Natives on a consistent basis for his ethnicity. “When they hear the world ‘Native’ all they see is a football helmet or a big-nosed head on a jersey. Even the staff isn’t immune,” he said. “I was with a group of Natives at school and a teacher asked us what we were talking about. We said we were discussing some Native issues, and the teacher responded with ‘Oh, you are all Indians? I wouldn’t have known by looking at you.'”

Congresswoman McCollum put the debate into perspective. The entire issue was past the debate of the use of the name, and has moved into education on the issue. “It’s important for young people to have a positive image about themselves,” she said. How can that happen if the word is given a free pass in schools and by organizations, and yet other dictionary-defined slurs are considered forbidden? “This is an educational experience we have to be willing to take a journey on.”

The panel largely discussed how detrimental these mascots and imagery are towards Native youth. A decade ago, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a resolution calling for the immediate retirement of all team names, mascots, and other derogatory representations. They found through several key findings that such imagery “undermines the educational experiences of members of all communities–especially those who have had little or not contact with Indigenous peoples.” In 2001, a statement from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said:

The stereotyping of any racial, ethnic, religious, or other groups when promoted by our public educational institutions, teach all students that stereotyping of minority groups is acceptable, a dangerous lesson in a diverse society. Schools have a responsibility to educate their students; they should not use their influence to perpetuate misrepresentations of any culture or people. Children at the elementary and secondary level usually have no choice about which school they attend. (Statement of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the Use of Native American Images and Nicknames as Sports Symbols, 2001)

The APA also found that these misrepresentations create hostile learning environments that decrease student academic achievement and the ability to succeed. Native youth today have some of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country and endure poverty at nearly double the national rate.

Ultimately, however, it’s tribal leadership that needs to be there to support their youth. Pata noted that as a tribal leader herself, it’s important that every decision the tribe makes is for the next generation. “Tribal leaders are recognizing the issues our youth are facing today,” she said. “We want their lives to be different, and this is one way [by opposing mascotry] to do that.”

Friedman emphatically noted that the suicide rate among Native youth is two-and-a-half times the national average. “This isn’t a political correctness issue,” he said. “It’s a public health issue.” He noted that these high rates are set against the backdrop of the highest poverty rates, poorest health, and lowest educational outcomes in the country. Combined with rampant substance abuse and poor self- and community-esteem, the challenges are nearly insurmountable for Native youth, holding back their entire community and preventing future opportunities. This carries forward as they age, keeping tribal identities suppressed and perpetuating these ills.

Before one can brush off such statements, an understanding of the unique perspective of Native communities is necessary. A recent article in the Journal of Clinical Psychology said:

The military action, missionary efforts, the Federal Indian Boarding School Movement, the Dawes Act, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, and the Indian Child Welfare Act forever changed the economic, physical, and social lives of AI/AN people. Once self-reliant and self-sufficient, the policies of the federal government forced tribes/indigenous people toward removal, relocations, isolation, and in some cases, termination and extinction, resulting in social, economic, and spiritual deprivations. (Journal of Clinical Psychology 66(8), 2010)

But there’s hope. Native youth today are making their stands. “Our younger generation is now saying what’s acceptable,” said Pata. “Schools are beginning to talk about what’s right, tribal history, and other discussions that helps bolster our youth to formulate change.” The road is hard, however, because the Native minority population in this country is so small; to make their voices heard, a consistent push for change is necessary.

“Part of the problem,” Macarro said, “is that we are invisible by the numbers, so these characterizations and stereotypes perpetuate in society,” making Natives ignored in the conversation. This concept of invisibility is a big deal among tribal leaders, who grew up in the previous era, noted for termination, removal, and revocation policies. Even today, many Native-dominant schools – founded and started by non-Natives – retain similar racial slurs as their mascots and names. “It’s a fact that many Natives do submit themselves to conformity by wearing the apparel, accepting the slur as a team name, perpetuating the racism,” said Macarro. “But what is wrong on the reservation is still wrong in the world.” It doesn’t diminish the argument for change.

Despite the fact of such acceptance, trumpeted by some media and opponents of change, Natives are out there facing the task ahead. “It’s not just a fight about the Washington football team mascot,” said Stedman. He indicated other steps that can be taken, or are being undertaken by Native advocates. The report outlined several at the local, state, and federal levels, including working with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education. Similar actions such as that taken by Oregon in banning outright all discriminatory mascots are mentioned, and suggests nonprofit legal assistance programs provide education programs for students and families about their rights, and help file complaints to OCR and other relevant agencies.

Additional research is needed, of course. Stedman recommends that the “federal government work across agencies to identify new research topics to better understand the extend to which these mascots and team names perpetuate bullying, hostile learning environments, and negative attitudes about AI/AN people.”

While the spotlight remains on Dan Snyder and his organization, the fight has progressed beyond the simple economic and soundbite war of using the current moniker. The deeper issue, when one takes the time to wade into the waters, is the ripple effect that washes over Native communities in this country, affecting tomorrow’s Native leaders and continually damaging their communities. The cycle has to end, and eliminating these racial stereotypes is a giant step in the right direction. With all the rhetoric, politicizing, media soundbites, and PR spin, let’s not miss the point.

“The use of these slurs and logos homogenizes tribes and their individual identities into a false grouping and stereotype,” said Macarro. “What it comes down to, fundamentally, is respectfulness.”

Change the name.

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Hey R**skin Fans, Snyder Cares! (Not Really) http://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/26/hey-rskin-fans-snyder-cares-not-really/ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:00:49 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96745

With little fanfare, Washington pro football team owner Dan Snyder slipped a letter out to the team’s fan mailing list this past Sunday. It was a masterful work of self-service. In it, Snyder finally realized there were problems in Indian Country, based on a supposed 26 visits to various reservations around the country. The visits – all cherry-picked to councils who “agree” with him about the “non-offensive” nature of the team’s moniker – apparently opened his eyes to the plight and ills of reservation residents.

Let’s set aside for a moment that Snyder refuses to meet with tribal councils who oppose the name, including the still-open invitation from the Oneida Nation in New York. Snyder quickly jumped to the “hey, there’s more important issues to deal with than changing a football team’s name” defense, pointing out the horrific poverty rates, unemployment, poor health, and abysmal education found on many Native reservations. And yes, these are real problems. Big ones.

Changing the name would be a step in the right direction.

But Snyder, in his lovably (read: infuriating) sly and slick manner, forces you to think that you can only solve one or the other. Either change the name, or address these other problems is the implication. As CBS Chicago columnist Tim Baffoe says so eloquently, “Because sound logic dictates that we should ignore less significant issues that can easily be resolved in favor of the big ones that will take a whole lot of time and money to fix.”

#changethename by Michael E. Woestehoff (used with permission)

#changethename by Michael E. Woestehoff (used with permission)

So to that end, Snyder pats himself on the back for his revelation experience, and shares his latest plan: the formulation of a charity (the Washington [slur] Original Americans Foundation) to dole out money and goods to tribes in need. And, I suspect, only to those who “agree 100%” with the team’s racist name. Oh, and notice the addition of “original Americans.” If the R-word name is meant to honor, then why not just call it the R-word Foundation?

This latest move by Snyder is tantamount to bribery, really. And obfuscation. What, we can’t demand the removal of something that symbolizes hundreds of years of rape, theft, and genocide just because you’ve now had your eyes opened and decided to help the poor and disenfranchised? It’s like saying it’s okay to go wear blackface to a costume party because you donate to the United Negro College Fund or the NAACP. While Snyder may claim a supermajority of acceptance from his hand-picked supporters, it’s clear a significant chunk of Indian Country disagrees with him.

I’m all for new avenues of assistance to the reservations; God knows every cent is sorely needed. But using this latest charity ploy as a deflection tactic to tacitly approve his stubborn insistence that the team’s name isn’t racist or derogatory is reprehensible.

But then again, this is Dan Snyder. And as we know, he’ll “NEVER” change. And you can put that in all caps, people.

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Vincent Musi and Exotic Pets, By Way of National Geographic http://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/13/vincent-musi-and-exotic-pets-by-way-of-national-geographic/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/13/vincent-musi-and-exotic-pets-by-way-of-national-geographic/#comments Thu, 13 Mar 2014 15:00:09 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96562 Vincent J. Musi, courtesy National Geographic

Vincent J. Musi, courtesy National Geographic

Tomorrow night, veteran photographer Vincent J. Musi will take the stage at the National Geographic Museum. He’ll be discussing his latest story in the April 2014 magazine, “Exotic Pets,” where he explored the deep connections some people have with creatures not found in the corner pet store. He’ll be sharing images and stories from this assignment and other forays into the world of animals. Speaking of animals, if you’re a dog lover or a cat lover, check out the latestpaws.com. They always have informative articles for your favorite pets.

We’ll be giving away a pair of tickets to the show, so leave a comment below, using your first name and a valid email address; we’ll draw the winner before noon tomorrow. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. and parking is free at the museum’s garage after 6 p.m. for those attending the program.

Musi took a moment to answer some of our questions about his work and the project.

How did you approach the Exotic Pets project?

My goal was to offer a voice to people who had experience with exotic animals in a straightforward and non-judgmental way. These are folks who tend to get marginalized in what can be very sensational coverage by the press. I was looking for diversity in experience, animals, and opinions. Anyone who had a direct relationship with an exotic animal.

What was the most unusual pairing or situation you came across?

A breeder of jungle cat hybrids in Florida had a huge Tortoise, Canada Goose and a Pot Bellied Pig as her personal pets. Nothing can prepare you for the site of a Mountain Lion lounging pool-side at a brick ranch house or a white-tailed deer with her own bedroom.

Potbellied pig, courtesy National Geographic

Potbellied pig, courtesy National Geographic

What struck you most about the assignment?

How deep and real a good relationship can be. Many of these folks have dedicated their lives to their animals.

If you had a choice, what would you choose as your own non-human friend? Why?

The deer I photographed in her bedroom was among the most extraordinary animals I’ve ever been around. I fell in love with her. If I had to pick, I would pick Dillie, but as nearly ALL of the owners told me, “never get an exotic pet.”

How do you prepare for these animal projects?

It’s very hard to prepare, because you never know what you are going to find. At times, for my safety, we may build cages so I don’t get attacked. At other times we have to throwaway our clothes because they smell so bad.

What advice would you give to photographers who photograph animal subjects?

Bring lots of patience.

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Speeding Through the Appalachians With Jennifer Pharr Davis http://www.welovedc.com/2014/02/18/speeding-through-the-appalachians-with-jennifer-pharr-davis/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/02/18/speeding-through-the-appalachians-with-jennifer-pharr-davis/#comments Tue, 18 Feb 2014 17:00:03 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96323

Every year, hundreds of hikers attempt to traverse the 2,181 miles of the Appalachian Trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine. The typical journey takes at least four months. In 2011, long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis accomplished it in a little over 46 days. She became the trail’s overall speed record holder and the first woman to do so.

Thursday evening, Davis visits the National Geographic Museum to share her story about this incredible achievement. National Geographic is giving away a pair of tickets to a lucky WeLoveDC reader for the event. (See the end of the article for instructions on how to enter.) Davis sat down with WeLoveDC to talk about her accomplishment and time on the trail.

What inspired you to attempt the fastest hike of the Trail?

I had hiked the trail twice before, once in 2005 as a traditional thru-hike taking 4 months, and again in 2008 where I tried to set a new women’s record. I did that, hiking the trail in 58 days and averaging 38 miles per day. But coming off Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia where I finished my hike, I knew instantly that I had a lot left in the tank and that I hadn’t pushed myself to the max. So I immediately starting contemplating the possibility of doing it faster and of possibly trying to break the overall record of 47 days.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What do you think is the allure of the Appalachian Trail for both serious and casual hikers?

I think the biggest compelling force is our desire to re-enter with nature, to be parts of it and not just observers who are removed from it. Or to become who we were originally made to be as humans. We use the word “primitive,” and it has a negative connotation, but really that’s who we were designed to be. I think people want to break away from the stagnancy, for our routines and from the milieu of life- interstate traffic and fluorescent lights and wireless devices. There’s still something in us that calls us back to our original state, and that’s a beautiful thing.

What was one of the more difficult challenges you faced in the hike?

Probably the most difficult thing was that for the first time in my life, I quit. I was in Vermont, just south of Hanover, New Hampshire, and I’d had excruciating shin splints for 10 days or so, and been mildly hypothermic after getting hit by a sleet storm on Franconia Ridge, and I’d just had enough. I’d never quit anything before in my life, but I was completely ready to throw in the towel at that point. But I came to this road crossing and I told my husband that I was done, and I told him what I was thinking and feeling and he listened sympathetically- he’s always so sympathetic and he hates to see me hurt. But this particular time, he knew me better than I knew myself and he basically said, “Suck it up.” He told me I was really down right then and that if I wanted to quit the next day when I was feeling better, that was fine, but that I needed to keep going at that point. So I did. And I by the time I got to the next road crossing 12 miles later, I felt better mentally as much as physically, and I never thought about quitting again.

What two key suggestions would you make for those looking to hike a significant portion of the Trail?

I would say you have to be really flexible. You have to take what the trail gives you as far as the miles you hike in a day, the weather that you face, and other factors that are out of your control. But I think you also have to be incredibly rigid and stubborn. You have to have determination going into your hike- however long it is- that you’re going to persevere. You know that things are going to be thrown at you that you can’t predict but you’re going to fight through them and not let those adverse circumstances get the best of you.

Share with us some of your great memories from the hike.

Oh, there are so many. I remember hiking in the Cumberland Valley with my friend Dutch, and we came into this field at about 9:30 at night and it was just sparkling with fireflies. I’d had an awesome day of hiking and things were starting to look up as far as my chance at the record was concerned. That was an amazing moment. I think connecting with all of these people in the A.T. community was a wonderful thing. Hiking with Dutch and with our friend Rambler, who had both already thru-hiked that summer, that was just a completely serendipitous thing. They turned out to give me an enormous boost and stayed with us for several weeks. But there were countless friends and family- too many to name, really- during the entire hike who came out and supported me, brought food, and lifted my spirits. That was fantastic.

My best memory was at the parking lot of Springer Mountain, Georgia, where I met my husband before we hiked the last mile together. He’d had ACL surgery so he couldn’t really hike with me but he was the biggest intangible in my success. I mean, there’s no way I could have done it without him, emotionally or logistically. We saw each other when I entered that parking lot and we both just kind of melted. We’d been so wired for a month and a half and we finally let go and allowed our emotions to take over. We just cried and he said, “you did it” and I said, “No, we did it.” That was the most special part of the entire summer. And that was our reward for what we’d accomplished, that memory that we’d have for the rest of our life.

To register for our ticket drawing, submit a comment below using your first name and valid email address before 5 pm on Wednesday, February 19. We’ll notify the winner by Thursday morning.

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Meet Travelers Who Make a Difference http://www.welovedc.com/2014/02/03/meet-travelers-who-make-a-difference/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/02/03/meet-travelers-who-make-a-difference/#comments Mon, 03 Feb 2014 19:15:41 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96187

Every year, National Geographic celebrates individuals who travel the globe with passion and purpose. These travelers represent a style of travel, motivation, or method that informs and inspires us to either Should You Drive Or Should You Fly. Last year, more than 1,500 nominations were sent in to National Geographic Traveler for their annual Travelers of the Year award. The magazine staff selected those who turned trips into opportunities to assist with conservation efforts, connect with local cultures, volunteer, challenge themselves, deepen familial and community bonds, and engage the world in a meaningful way .

This Thursday, National Geographic will host a discussion with seven of their 2013 winners. And WeLoveDC wants to send one of our readers to this insightful program with a pair of tickets to the program and reception!

Panelists at the evening program will be Hilda and John Denham, who established the Pacuare Nature Reserve in Costa Rica to protect turtle nesting areas; Alison Wright, a photojournalist who launched the Faces of Hope Fund to provide medical assistance, education, and aid to children around the globe; Shannon O’Donnell, who began Grassroots Volunteering, a database of volunteering and sustainable tourism opportunities; Molly Burke and Muyambi Muyambi, founders of Bicycles Against Poverty in Uganda; and Tracey Friley, a youth travel advocate who began the Passport Party Project for helping underserved girls get their first passports.

These travelers went a step beyond a simple vacation and strive to make a difference through their journey, trough the Extraordinary Caravanning Destinations You Must Visit too. Often, it is an experience, sight, or object that inspires their change of direction. “I traveled several times to Costa Rica during the eighties to see the turtles and went to many beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts,” said Hilda Denham. “I was fascinated by what I saw but was shocked by the poaching that was going on everywhere. Legislation came too late, and has always been ineffective.”

Denham felt compelled to do something more. “I came upon this wonderful area of land on the Caribbean coast fronting four miles of turtle nesting beach. I bought it and started the Pacuare Nature Reserve,” says Denham.

To Molly Burke, it was more about the possibilities of a simple conveyance that sparked her idea. “Bicycles have an unbelievably strong impact on families and communities in Africa. There’s no better way to ‘move the meter’ in a more direct way,” she says. “Bikes are truly game-changers: saving lives through access to healthcare, helping individuals start or grow a business by connecting them to markets, and empowering women and children by supplying quick transportation to clean water sources.

“All that through just a bicycle. To me, the bicycle itself, and the power it brings, is inspiration enough to take a service trip and turn it into a growing organization.”

For Alison Wright, the change agent came through her career. “I’ve worked as photojournalist for my entire career so I never really tend to vacation,” she says. “I’m not interested in traveling just for the sake of traveling. Everywhere I go is because it involves a story I want to tell. So far that’s taken me to about 130 countries.” Her organization, the Faces of Hope Fund, came about as a way for her to do more for the people and communities she encountered during her work.

What really motivated Wright was a personal experience during one outing in Laos. “On January 2, 2000, I nearly lost my life in a devastating bus accident on a remote jungle road,” she recalls. “I have never forgotten that I was saved by a small group of determined individuals who worked in a rural clinic with few resources–– sparse medical equipment and medications, and without sutures, phones, or even beds. My experience there has become a daily touchstone for me, motivating my work as I continue to travel around the world, photographing endangered cultures and documenting issues concerning the human condition.”

Wright often hoped her photos would make a difference and create awareness. “But then I thought, why not me?” she says. “Having survived such devastating injuries, more than 30 surgeries, being told I would never walk again, well it’s brought a whole new appreciation of my work and empathy to those whom I photograph under difficult circumstances. Suddenly creating a photo didn’t feel like enough- it made me want to do even more.”

Burke only needs to look at her organization’s small successes to know that differences are being made in a big way. “Onek Justin, one of our participants, being able to get his four-year-old son, Obwoya, to the health clinic to treat his tuberculosis,” she recounts. “Or  Maratina Lalugu, a widowed mother of five, being able to grow her small business by using her bicycle to transport goods across markets and thereby paying for her children’s school fees.” The program has provided more than 840 bicycles, impacting the lives of more than 4,200 Ugandans. “We know that our work changes lives and communities by providing access to the most-needed resources.”

For Denham, success is a look at the future even as they push through each day. “We have reduced turtle poaching from nearly 100 percent to 2 percent by patrolling day and night throughout nesting season,” she says. “Additionally, the forest has become a haven for wildlife with more than 30 species of mammals. Our program of environmental education is progressing from year to year – over 1.000 students visit the Reserve each year for one to four days, with a special emphasis on young Costa Rican children.”

But she knows its not enough. “We are doing our little bit with our environmental education program but it needs a national awareness and acceptance of the importance of protecting wildlife,” she says. “Poaching on the Caribbean beaches is as bad as it was 20/25 years ago. This has to change.”

Even with the challenges, the daily successes outweigh the difficulties. And those victories add up; each of these travelers keep looking ahead to a larger vision, making the world a better place through their efforts. “Our hope is that we are able to reach more communities across the globe,” says Burke. “We’re building coalitions across nonprofits by partnering with them to provide bicycles to their target populations, complementing their mission and expanding ours.”

Wright has focused on a tangible humanitarian need that moved her heart in those communities, such as supporting a medical clinic in Laos, tents for refugees in Haiti, funding for a mobile medical unit for Burmese refugees in Thailand, piglets for families in Nepal to enable them to survive without selling their daughters into slavery, and a rehabilitation clinic in the Middle East. “Donations to the Faces of Hope Fund go directly to supporting the grassroots local organizations that I have met and worked with,” she says.

“There are needs big and small that cry out for help in every part of the world,” echoes Denham. “Giving money is of vital importance but getting involved is even better. It might not be the right word but I can only describe it as a ‘passion.’”

Making a difference in the life of just one person can have a tremendous impact. However, waiting to act on that impulse can have adverse effects as well. “And if that’s not enough to convince someone, then I would ask someone why he or she wants to wait to bring about change?” questions Burke. “You could have a direct impact or challenge the status quo sooner, but if you decide to wait, then your time could be wasted in vain.”

The Travelers of the Year program is on February 6 at 7pm at the National Geographic Museum, located at the corner of 17th and M Street NW. Parking is free after 6pm for those attending the program. Tickets are $30 and include a post-show reception. To win a pair of tickets in a random drawing, simply enter a comment below using your first name and a valid email address. We’ll randomly select a winner on Wednesday afternoon.

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My DC in 2013: Ben http://www.welovedc.com/2013/12/31/my-dc-in-2013-ben/ Tue, 31 Dec 2013 18:00:08 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=95701

In a few short hours, 2013 will end and another year in this city begins.

When Jenn asked me to pen this story a few weeks ago, I wasn’t exactly sure how to approach it. I considered a monthly perspective, then a “best of” format. Perhaps a look at a list of the site’s best offerings from our talented writing pool? Or maybe a review in photos (and steal Mosley’s thunder)?

In the end, I figured I’d do what I do best: sit down, put fingers to keyboard, and reflect. Because in the end, this was a year of reflection for me. I’m not even sure this collection of rambling will make sense to most, but it’s better than nothing, right?

Don’t get me wrong; this was a good year for me overall, if you look at the positives overwhelming the negatives. But looming large over me for a good part of the year has been that of a directional “where do I go now?” struggle that is beginning to resolve as 2014 dawns.

The year started out in the dumps. My life-long love of hockey was threatened with extinction, thanks to greedy owners, a Napolean-in-a-suit commissioner, and one of the worst lockouts in recent memory. (Oh, right, there’s been three!) Fortunately, the puck dropped in mid-January and balance was restored…after a fashion.

As winter continued, a new/old issue resurfaced, putting heavy traction into one that area football team fans would wish just go away. The matter of the local NFL franchise’s nickname/mascot/behavior has once again become a hot-button issue. It’s one that I care about and I prepared for the inevitable counter-arguments whenever my friends and I gathered. It’s a volatile issue on both sides, wrought with threads of political angst and anger, fortified with innate stubbornness and the weight of history. (By comparison, discussions I’ve participated in about the government shutdown, healthcare, and the current incumbents are tea and crumpet affairs.) It’s also a critical matter that won’t be going away any time soon.

But then, spring came. And with it one of my absolute favorite times of the year here in DC: the blooming of the cherry blossoms. I’m not a big partaker of the National Cherry Blossom Festival (too many people) but I adore the scent, the color, the warmth of these beautiful trees. It’s a marker heralding the advent of spring and a time just before the summer crush of tourists. This year, my wife and I opted to experience the blossoms at night; that excursion is still one of my favorite memories of 2013. Wandering around the trees in the glow of the Tidal Basin street lamps on a cool spring evening is an experience to be savored. The absence of crowds, the stillness of the air, and the visual backdrop of the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, not to mention the Washington Monument, are sharp reminders that we are in the midst of an iconic, historical, and globally important city.

As 2013 progressed, other celebrations made their mark. Dr. Martin Luther King’s Dream still holds strong and brought out recollections and poignancy. The incredible 125-year history of National Geographic showcased how exploration and photography has shaped how we see and experience the world. In July, this blog celebrated five years on the internet, which has spawned an incredible run of viewpoints, opinions, and stories from a talented group of writers, many of whom have moved on to other cities and endeavors while the “new blood” keeps it going.

Over the summer, my first non-fiction book hit national bookshelves. Its release marked a major milestone for me, as it moved me from a small publication market niche into the mainstream. It’s begun to open up doors in writing that I did not believe I would ever enter. It also capped a twenty-year goal that to that point, had been a central focus of my life. With this accomplishment, I’ve had to pause and reassess. Where do I go from here? What new and lofty mountains should I attempt to climb now? Or do I plateau, and maintain the status quo? These are questions I still wrestle with, though as the year progressed, the focus on the answers are much more clear.

September opened with a dual-anniversary of sorts. It marked the eighth year my wife and I have lived here in this town as we celebrated our eighteen years of marriage. We’ve been rooted in our current home for five years now, and to celebrate we undertook a somewhat-major renovation. After two months, our 1950s kitchen entered the twenty-first century.

Fall turned into winter and a government shutdown. The mood accurately reflecting my own as this “mini-crisis” pushed its way past. Floundering, the questions of my own direction threatened to overwhelm. Taking a cue from the city I work in and enjoy, I put my head down and bulled through it. Any step forward is better than none.

I began work on my first non-licensed novel, only to set it aside as a new opportunity presented itself. The chance to work with a decorated DC firefighter and tell his story in 2014 has re-lit the writing forge, though it also treads into new territory for me as a writer.

The holidays were quick and dizzying as I debuted a cantata at my church. The short story I’d written for the event was the first I’ve ever read aloud in public, making it equal parts terrifying and euphoric. Fortunately, I had periods of lucidity during these frantic weeks (such as hearing Moya’s etheral voice) to temper the frenzy. Having crested the middle-age marker a couple years past, Christmastime has taken on new meanings for me. This year, we viewed the DC celebrations from afar rather than diving right in. They provided a hopeful backdrop amongst our quiet reflections, oft punctuated with intimate holiday gatherings and family time.

And then, just like that, the end of the year has come.

I enter 2014 with a mix of caution, optimism, and excitement. It’s a never-ending journey, to be sure. All of us know we will have ups and downs, side trips and surprises, monotony and boredom. Whatever these next 365 days hold, I know it will sharpen me. And it’s that expanse of unknown that I’m anticipating the most.

This is true even for our city, the center of so much conflict and stability. WLDC will lose some writers and gain new ones. We’ll present our offerings week after week, our usual articles surrounding the surprising or the opinionated. It’s a dance we’re long familiar with as residents and visitors here, and one we love to share.

Thanks for hanging with us–with me–in 2013. As you celebrate the New Year, hoist a glass in memory of what’s passed us by, and the possibilities that lie ahead. For we are truly DC.

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Celebrating an Irish Christmas with Moya Brennan http://www.welovedc.com/2013/12/06/celebrating-an-irish-christmas-with-moya-brennan/ Fri, 06 Dec 2013 16:00:41 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=95398

The first time I heard Moya (also known as Máire) Brennan sing, it was on a friend’s Clannad album during an intense study period at college. The music, with its ethereal tones and haunting vocals, imparted a sense of peace and calm, allowing our study group to finally settle down and prepare for finals.

My music taste has evolved over the years, but my love for Celtic and Irish music hasn’t waned. In fact, it’s grown. And central to that has been Moya’s incredible music.

I had a chance to talk with her last year before and after her St. Patrick’s Day concert. It’s a great look into her approach and style, and even though her concert tomorrow is a Christmas one, still very relevant.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Brennan visits Washington tomorrow as part of a short U.S. tour with her Christmas show “An Irish Christmas.” The two performances, 3 and 7 p.m., will be at the Grosvenor Auditorium at the National Geographic Museum, located at 17 and M Streets, NW. The tour is part promotion of a re-release of her popular Christmas concert album. Both shows are sold out.

The “First Lady of Celtic Music” began her professional music career with Clannad back in the 1980s. The band, featuring many of her family members, started out of her father’s pub, Leo’s Tavern. Clannad is considered the flagship group that started the Celtic music movement. “We didn’t intentionally want to go out and become famous and make a lot of money and everything because we very much, when the band was formed, sang traditional Gaelic songs,” Moya said in an interview with CBN last year. “And even in Ireland people thought we were mad.”

Moya launched her solo career in the 1990s and to date has released seven albums. Her music career spans more than 20 albums, film scores, and collaborations with other well-known artists like Robert Plant, Shane MacGowan, and Bono.

Moya’s concerts are an intimate affair. Sharing stories and tales about the songs, Brennan brings you into her space. The songs, both traditional and new, some in English and others in Gaelic, have a sweet effect upon the soul, cleansing away the stress and other distractions. The end of the concert is bittersweet; the songs continue to strum along the heartstrings even as the audience reluctantly returns to the outside world.

Fans and newcomers alike are promised a mix of old and new material for the conert. “When I recorded An Irish Christmas in 2007, I had no idea of the reaction it would get and the fact that, unlike other studio albums, it is timeless,” she recently told the Daily Bulldog. “Every year since then it has been heard and I have developed an atmospheric Christmas show with the songs. Between then and now I have come across a number of seasonal songs and carols which I wanted to record, and the results are here on the new album.”

The newly remastered album features two new songs, Noel, Noel and We Three Kings, as well as two in Gaelic, Dia do Bheatha and Codail a Leanbh.

For those who are fortunate to attend tomorrow’s concert, it promises to be a lynchpin of the holidays. And if you can’t attend, don’t worry – An Irish Christmas is available in stores. Put the album on and turn the speakers up, and let Moya Brennan’s beautiful voice lift your spirits above the holiday grind.

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What’s In a Football Name? Snyder Thinks He Knows – And He’s Wrong http://www.welovedc.com/2013/10/11/whats-in-a-football-name-snyder-thinks-he-knows-and-hes-wrong/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/10/11/whats-in-a-football-name-snyder-thinks-he-knows-and-hes-wrong/#comments Fri, 11 Oct 2013 20:00:55 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=94431

So this popped out the other day.

It’s no secret how I feel about the whole name thing with the Washington football team. I oppose it. I think it’s racist. I have several personal issues with the name. But that’s not why I decided to post something about it.

The letter is a poor public relations attempt, mostly to mollify diehard team fans who will, unto the bitter end, support the racist moniker. Not out of reason, but blind emotion.

Hey, I get it. I understand why. Team fandom is a complicated, deep, personal thing that involves a lot of emotional investment and history. It’s difficult to hear that your beloved franchise is doing something wrong – simply by using a name (and by extension, mascot and other fan accoutrements).

The problem comes when that moniker is unveiled to be racist. The Washington issue isn’t anything new; it’s been around for decades. The movement today has found new momentum and has begun to find rightful traction in righting a wrong. (Just like the Civil Rights Movement began finding traction nearly one hundred years after Emancipation.)

The first third of Snyder’s letter is a play on his loyal fanbase’s emotional strings. “I still remember…the passion of the fans…the ground beneath me seemed to move and shake…he’s been gone for 10 years now…” All phrases and words evoking emotions and certainly causing the reader to recall their own cherished memories. Setting them into their defensive stance, so that the rest of the letter, which uses standard PR spin and deft deflection, only ratchets up the emotional volume for their impassioned – and misguided – defense.

Oh, and then there’s the trite “Our past isn’t just where we came from–it’s who we are” phrase. Bolded and italicized, even. Because it’s important! 

And yet that same phrase should be viewed in the light of the atrocities and attempted genocide of the native population that tried to co-exist here during the nation’s past. Dan, Native Americans have a past, too – and it isn’t just where they came from. It’s also who they are.

Okay, first “point” made by Dan: the team name was changed from “Braves” to its current incarnation because “four players and our Head Coach were Native Americans.” Right.

Problem the first: There’s strong evidence to show that William “Lone Star” Dietz actually posed as a Sioux native for several reasons–none of them altruistic. Dietz was nothing more than a “wannabe Native.”

Second “point” made by Dan: George Allen consulted with the Red Cloud Athletic Fund on Pine Ridge to design the emblem. And was then honored by the organization a few years later. He then uses that to claim the emblem and plaque as a “symbol of everything we stand for: strength, courage, pride, and respect…”

Problem the second: George Allen actually created the Red Cloud Athletic Fund. So…yeah. The organization that owes its existence to Allen was used to create the emblem and then “honor” the man. There’s a lot you could infer or assume from that, which I’ll refrain. Basically, Snyder’s making his case based in part on consultations Allen had with a group he created. And was then honored. By same group.

Third “point”: Two polls are mentioned, the infamous Annenberg poll from 2004, and the AP survey from back in April this year. These are trotted out to show that the Native community overwhelmingly supports the team name.

Problem the third: The Annenberg poll is suspect, based primarily on its methodology. This article does a great job outlining all the problems with its methods, including the entire “self-described” hooey. (Oh look. Wannabe Natives popping up again.) And the AP poll? While 79% said the name shouldn’t change, he fails to mention that just about 80% said that if the name WAS changed, they’d still support the team. So…yeah. Clearly changing the team name would oh-so-upset the fanbase to the point of abandoning it. (Not.)

Fourth “point”: Snyder trots out a columnist’s interview with three tribal leaders, who were all quoted as not being offended by the name.

Problem the fourth: Well sure, of course there will be Natives not offended! Just like you can find Democrats who dislike Obama, or Republicans who do support the ACA. So what? There have been plenty of statements by Native leaders who have stated that they-and in a few cases, the entire tribe-ARE offended.

Dan then finishes off his teary-eyed missive with more emotional phrases and calls to the fan heart strings: “participated in some of the greatest games in NFL history”…”won five World Championships”…”the passion of our loyal fans”…”speak proudly”… Yep, build up the emotional groundswell there, Danny-boy.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the final, personal tug: “So when I consider the Washington [***] name, I think of what it stands for. I think of the Washington [***] traditions and pride I want to share with my three children, just as my father shared with me – and just as you have shared with your family and friends.”

Oh, and as a kicker, he hammers once again about the “81 year history” and “the team name…continues to hold the memories and meaning of where we came from, who we are, and who we want to be in the years to come.”

Funny. When I hear the name, I cringe inside. I think of other names and places: Wounded Knee. Black Hills. Trail of Tears. Gnadenhütten. Ash Hollow. Red River. Sand Creek. Achulet. (Don’t know them? Look them up. Be horrified.)

Nowhere in Dan’s letter does he address other points about the name: that dictionaries define the word as offensive; that the team, held up as some sort of racially inclusive organization ‘honoring’ its ‘native’ coach, was the last to desegregate – and only because the federal government forced the issue; that over the last 35 years, more than 2,000 high schools have changed their similarly racial nicknames to something else; that studies have shown that negative racial stereotypes are known to play a role in exacerbating inequity and inadequacy among Native youth; and that many Native leaders have indeed spoken out against the name. Among other things.

Dan closes with this final thought: “I respect the opinions of those who disagree. I want them to know that I do hear them, and I will continue to listen and learn.”

Good. Then I urge you, Dan, to take up the Oneida Indian Nation on its open invitation to visit the tribe’s homeland and talk with its leaders and people.

I personally dare Dan to walk in and greet the nation using the name as he contends it to mean.

I’m fairly certain he’d learn firsthand what that word really means to Natives.

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October 2013 at National Geographic http://www.welovedc.com/2013/09/30/october-2013-at-national-geographic/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/09/30/october-2013-at-national-geographic/#comments Mon, 30 Sep 2013 17:00:21 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=94229

As the Society continues its celebration, Nat Geo Live’s offerings reflect the Society’s history of connecting audiences to people and places that inspire us to care about the planet. To that end, the Museum continues our monthly drawings for a two readers to win a pair of tickets each to a program of their choice in October. To enter, just comment below with what two programs you’d most like to see; make sure you use your first name and a valid email address. On Thursday, October 3, we’ll randomly draw two names from the comment list.

Here is what’s being offered this month.

Wildest Africa ($24)
10/15, 7:30 pm
Leading wildlife photojournalist Michael “Nick” Nichols reports on the struggle to preserve Africa’s wild animals. Nichols, National Geographic’s Editor-at-Large for photography, has been working with African elephants for more than 20 years. He also talks about his coverage of the Serengeti lions from the August 2013 National Geographic, which took him two years to document. Nichols shares new video, audio, anecdotes and photographs captured with cutting-edge technology.

Beyond the Yellow Border Tour ($40)
10/16, 7 pm
Mark Collins Jenkins, former National Geographic Society archivist/historian and author of National Geographic 125 Years, takes an in-depth look at the history of the Society in the Museum’s exhibition, “A New Age of Exploration.” Cocktails and light fare are included.

A Passion for Photography ($30)
10/17, 7 pm
Meet seven extraordinary photographers whose work has influenced global change, as showcased in the October 2013 special issue of National Geographic magazine. The evening features David Guttenfelder with a look at North Korea’s closed society; portrait artist Martin Schoeller with a photo essay on how our growing diversity is changing the face of America; photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale with a report on conflict minerals; wildlife photographer Joel Sartore with a look at zoos’ role in the fight against extinction; camera obscura photographer Abelardo Morell melting boundaries between landscape and dreamscape; photojournalist James Estrin on the future of photography; and James Balog, whose Extreme Ice Survey is documenting the global loss of glacial ice.

Curating Women of Vision Tour ($35)
10/29, 7 pm
How does Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist choose from among thousands of National Geographic photos to create an exhibition showcasing the work of 11 groundbreaking female photographers? Learn about the work that goes into curating the new “Women of Vision” exhibition debuting in the National Geographic Museum’s 17th Street Gallery on Oct. 10. Cocktails and light fare are included.

All events take place at National Geographic’s Washington DC headquarters. Tickets may be purchased online, via telephone at (202) 857-7700 or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 20 to ensure guaranteed Early Bird Pricing. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for programs that begin after 6 p.m.

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Capitals to Host 2015 Winter Classic http://www.welovedc.com/2013/09/20/capitals-to-host-2015-winter-classic/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/09/20/capitals-to-host-2015-winter-classic/#comments Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:07:25 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=94046

In the next of a long string of badly-kept secrets from the NHL regarding its Winter Classic, the 2015 version will be hosted right here in Washington, DC. The formal announcement will come from Caps owner Ted Leonsis tomorrow during the team’s annual Caps Convention.

No information yet on the venue or opponent; supposedly that will come tomorrow during Leonsis’ announcement. Potential sites are Nationals Stadium (of which Leonsis has a minor ownership stake of which Mark Lerner, one of the Nats owners, has a stake in Leonsis’ Monumental Sports company) or FedEx Field in Maryland, home of the Washington pro football team.

Opponents can run the gamut, but ideally would be from one of the larger hockey television markets and a team rival. With the Caps in a new division this year, the list only increases with possibilities.

The 2015 Winter Classic will take place on January 1 and be aired nationally on NBC.

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September 2013 at National Geographic Live (including a drawing!) http://www.welovedc.com/2013/08/30/september-2013-at-national-geographic-live-including-a-drawing/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/08/30/september-2013-at-national-geographic-live-including-a-drawing/#comments Fri, 30 Aug 2013 19:00:28 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=93548 Courtesy National Geographic

Courtesy National Geographic

We’re now in our fourth year partnering with the National Geographic Museum and their Nat Geo Live series of programming. They’ve kicked it up a notch this year to help celebrate the organization’s 125 years. The wide-ranging lineup over the next few months includes theatrical performances, explorer talks, holiday concerts, film screenings, new “Inside the Geographic” tours and even a Scottish whisky tasting. As the Society continues its celebration, Nat Geo Live’s offerings reflect the Society’s history of connecting audiences to people and places that inspire us to care about the planet.

“We’re excited to have such a stellar and diverse roster of talent joining us in Washington this fall,” said Gregory McGruder, vice president for Public Programs at National Geographic. “National Geographic Live is proud to continue its tradition of transporting Washingtonians on virtual adventures across the globe, via the powerful words, images and performances presented at these influential events at our headquarters.”

The Museum has graciously continued our monthly drawings for a two readers to win a pair of tickets each to a program of their choice. To enter, just comment below with what two programs you’d most like to see; make sure you use your first name and a valid email address. On Wednesday, September 4 we’ll randomly draw two names from the comment list.

Here is what’s being offered this month.

Bell ($30+)
Sept 12 – 21 (Thurs/Fri 7:30 pm; Sat 2 and 7:30 pm)
This one-man play, written by Jim Lehrer, directed by Jeremy Skidmore and starring Rick Foucheux, reveals the extraordinary life of Alexander Graham Bell. Best known for his invention of the telephone, the play shows many other facets of this daring, disorganized genius. He was a deeply committed family man, teacher of the deaf, holder of 47 patents and National Geographic’s second president.

Bird Walk Adventure: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens & National Arboretum ($150; Not Eligible for Drawing)
Sept 21, 9 am – 4 pm
Join National Geographic author, artist and resident bird expert Jonathan Alderfer on an urban birding adventure. After breakfast at the Society and a private viewing of the exhibition “A New Age of Exploration,” guests travel to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens by coach to observe waterfowl and migratory birds. After a picnic lunch at the National Arboretum, they return to National Geographic for a signed copy of Alderfer’s most recent book, National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Birds of North America.

Discovering the Photo Archives Tour ($100; Not Eligible for Drawing)
Sept 26, 7 pm.
When someone needs an archival photograph at National Geographic, Bill Bonner is the man to call. He manages the Image Collection photo archive of more than 10 million images, including silver gelatin prints, original paintings and priceless private collections. Join Bonner for a tour of the National Geographic archives and a private viewing of the exhibition “A New Age of Exploration.”

The Best Job in the World ($12)
Sept 30, 7:30 pm
See the world premiere of the National Geographic Channel special National Geographic Photographers: The Best Job in the World and get an insider look at photography at National Geographic through the eyes of photographer Cory Richards as he travels to a remote mountain range in Antarctica to cover a climbing expedition for National Geographic magazine. The film features interviews with several of the Society’s most celebrated photographers. The screening will be followed by a discussion with photographer Mark Thiessen and executive producer Pamela Wells.

The Lens of Adventure ($24)
Oct 2, 7:30 pm
Award-winning National Geographic Channel filmmaker Bryan Smith shares gripping moments from his assignments documenting extreme sports in the world’s most challenging environments. He has repeatedly tested the limits while producing films like “The Man Who Could Fly,” about free climber and BASE jumper Dean Potter, and “Alaska Wing Men,” following Alaskan bush pilots on critical missions.

All events take place in Grosvenor Auditorium at National Geographic’s Washington headquarters. Tickets may be purchased online, via telephone at (202) 857-7700 or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 20 to ensure guaranteed Early Bird Pricing. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for programs that begin after 6 p.m.

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Fifty Years Later, the Dream Is Still Relevant http://www.welovedc.com/2013/08/28/fifty-years-later-the-dream-is-still-relevant/ Wed, 28 Aug 2013 12:19:41 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=93517

Fifty years ago today, the “moral leader of our country” (as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was introduced) delivered an astonishing, nation-changing message. It challenged all of us to re-examine our collective national conscience and dare to dream.

“I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'”

I think we can all agree there’s still work to be done. But without King’s tremendous address to the quarter-million people before him on the National Mall, a speech that was broadcast to the country, our work would be much, much harder.

King broke the dam, shattered the glass wall. Because of his words, his actions and those of the Civil Rights Movement, our country is a better place. Please take a moment today and read King’s words, let them soak into you. They’re still relevant today, regardless of color, creed, and any other descriptor you can think of that crafts a barrier to equality.

My thanks to Dr. King and all of the men and women who’ve fought for freedom, justice, and equality in this country over the course of history.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Why I (Still) Love DC http://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/05/why-i-still-love-dc/ Fri, 05 Jul 2013 19:04:31 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92786

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I wrote one of these. (Not that I’m required to this time around.) During yesterday’s festivities at a friend’s house – a place my wife and I have celebrated Independence Day for the last seven years – someone new to our gathering asked me how long I’d been writing for WeLoveDC. That’s when it dawned on me that it’s been half a decade since we unveiled the site to the world.

When we initially launched, our crew of rebels all wrote a piece on why we loved DC. The more I thought about it last night, the more I realized that I needed to revisit my own thoughts on the matter. Five years is a long time here in the District, especially at the speed of digital noise in which we traverse our daily lives.

Since I last visited my thoughts on why I loved this city, I’ve passed several milestones:

  • Changed jobs three times
  • Published works in nearly twenty books, including a non-fiction work on games
  • Clicked the shutter button more than 10,000 times through two cameras
  • Cranked out nearly half-a-million words across more than 630 articles on this site
  • Seen dozens and dozens of new exhibitions, plays, and special events as a guest of various organizations, museums, and individuals
  • Celebrated a middle-age birthday of note
  • Made numerous friends and acquaintances across all walks of life and career paths
  • Agonized through five seasons of Capitals hockey successes and epic playoff failures
  • Become more aware of my cultural heritage

It’s an eclectic mix for sure.

But even as I look at that list, it doesn’t do justice to how I feel about living here. DC is such a different city when compared to others across the country – heck, even the world. The personality, the vibe, the “gist” of the District is so distinct, so different, and so….very DC.

Take away any segment of our town’s personality, and the city suffers for it. We’ve come to expect a little corruption from our government officials, a little crazy from Barry, a lot of insanity from WMATA. Day-to-day, we know escalators are broken somewhere, the greenspaces have angry homeless, and cyclists will be involved in an accident. Pedicabs will screw up traffic near the Mall during tourist season, food trucks will cluster various curbsides, and “suspicious package” is a common occurrence in commuting reports.

I can’t imagine seasons now without associating area events. Spring brings us the Cherry Blossom Festival, the lottery for the Easter Egg Roll, the flower mart at the National Cathedral, the annual Capitals playoff collapse. Summer draws the tourists and the inevitable “locals vs. tourists” watercooler talk, but also the Fourth fireworks crush, the lighter traffic on the Beltway, Fringe festival, and the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival. Fall rolls in with the National Book Festival, renewed idealistic hopes for Washington football and hockey fans, fall foliage trips, and the Southwest DC Arts Festival. And of course, winter shuffles through with (mostly imagined) threats of snow, holiday pageantry, the lighting of the White House Christmas Tree, and the DC Holiday Market in Penn Quarter.

Remove some of these things—and a lot more I didn’t mention—makes our city less of itself. Yes, there are downsides and disappointments to living here: unemployment, high rents and property values, transit, Pepco. But I think that taking some of those things out would also lessen our city’s personality as well. I feel like I know DC as a crazy uncle: warm and compassionate, cranky and irritable—often all at the same time.

Five days a week I walk a mile each way from where I park to my office, taking varied paths to get to my destination. Lately, I’ve tried to look around me, see the people and the places. Some look tired, or harried, or somber. Determined. But I’ll also catch a glimpse of a smile, a lightness of step, a vibrant display of color or wares or personality. These flashes come from all around, sometimes from the most unexpected of sources. It’s in those times I feel the District alive around me, an entity that gasps and grasps, smiles and saddens, laughs and cries as we go about our daily business.

I’ve been fortunate to take walks like this in other cities around the world: Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Paris, Dublin, Hamilton, and more. While each carries their own feel, their own identity…it’s DC that draws me back again and again. I find that I miss that comfort, the everyday-ness of living here. Finding my life’s path winding through our gridded streets and trafficked highways has been a joy of a different degree since WeLoveDC came into being. It’s a journey I value and cherish, one that I feel is the highlight of my existence here on this planet, at this time, in this age.

As I conclude this time of reflection, I have to pause and consider something: you. That’s right, you. The reader. The one who lives here now. Or you used to live here but can’t quite walk away. Or maybe you’re a visitor, considering the journey here—or recently departed from our streets. You make this place what it is, entwining your life, injecting your experiences and culture into this capital, this center of American spirit. Even if just the briefest of moments, you add to our collective spirit, making us a true mixing bowl of America and the world. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what sets DC apart from everywhere else I’ve been. You, dear reader, are an instrumental part of DC, and it’s a privilege to have you here, sharing our stories, reading our words, enjoying our photos.

I guess, with five years now past from my initial musings, DC hasn’t changed…and yet it has. Actually, no, it’s that I’ve changed. My appreciation for this town and its people, its culture and history, has deepened. My experiences over these days and weeks and months has opened my eyes and enriched me in ways I still don’t think I can truly explain. What does it all mean, then? What does it boil down to? Simple:

I still love DC.

Do you?

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Celebrating 125 Years of National Geographic http://www.welovedc.com/2013/06/14/celebrating-125-years-national-geographic/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/06/14/celebrating-125-years-national-geographic/#comments Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:00:02 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92456

The National Geographic Society was founded 125 years ago. Its purpose? To expand and share geographic and scientific knowledge through the spirit of exploration. That mission continues to drive National Geographic amidst more than a century of technological and scientific innovations. And for the next year, visitors to the Society’s Museum here in DC can celebrate and enjoy the most iconic moments in the organization’s history.

The exhibition opens with a colorful celebration of the Society’s iconic magazine. The entry arch is constructed entirely of hundreds of past issues in a variety of languages, a fitting tribute to the simple golden square that symbolizes the publication. As visitors walk down a short hallway, they are greeted with a colorful display that shows off the cover of every issue of National Geographic, including placeholders for the future editions to be published during the exhibition’s year-long run.

After a short look at the Society’s founding members—using an interactive portrait—the exhibition opens up to encompass the three areas of the organization’s focus in exploration: land, sea, and sky. The galleries are covered in colorful images that highlight fascinating stories throughout the Society’s history. Science and exploration are the primary focus, including ancient civilizations and cultures, paleontology, wildlife, oceans, and the environment.

Dominating one of the galleries is the Society’s historic globe, measuring eleven feet in circumference. The globe is entirely hand-painted and used to reside in the museum’s main lobby for more than fifty years. Even as borders change today, a long-time museum employee comes in to hand-paint the new information.

The final gallery looks ahead to the future of exploration, showcasing highlights of today’s emerging explorers. There is also a look at the Society’s additional media efforts, including a brief look at its evolution in the realm of television and continuing efforts of educating children in geography. Visitors can leave their mark by offering keywords of what area they believe should be explored further.

The exhibit does have an admission charge of $11 per adult, $9 per member, military, student, and seniors, and $7 per child ages 5-12. The exhibition is part of an organization-wide celebration of its century-and-a-quarter anniversary, which also includes special issues of National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler magazines, assorted television specials, and other media publications such as an app and special edition book.

Exhibitions such as these highlight the intrinsic value that National Geographic provides to all of us. Through their efforts, we have had a window into worlds within this world and discovered much about the planet, our universe, and ourselves. Those windows, outlined by the National Geographic gold border, deserve such a celebration as this.

The National Geographic Museum is located at the corner of 17th and M Streets NW. The Museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. For more images, visit my photoset of the exhibit.

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National Geographic Live – May/June 2013 http://www.welovedc.com/2013/04/26/national-geographic-live-mayjune-2013/ http://www.welovedc.com/2013/04/26/national-geographic-live-mayjune-2013/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:36 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=91499 NGS Picture ID:1034497

The first American team ascends Mount Everest in 1963. (Photo courtesy National Geographic)

National Geographic Live’s spring programming winds down in May with several great events. As usual, our friends at the National Geographic Museum are offering two pairs of tickets to our readers. To be considered for the random drawing, enter your name and which two events you’d most like to see in the comments area. On Tuesday, April 30 at noon we’ll draw two names and get you set up with one of your chosen events. (Note that there are two events listed below that are ineligible for the drawing; the evening with Buzz Aldrin and the Beer Tasting.)

For those unable to attend these great programs, you can now view them online a few days after the live event. All programs are at the Grosvenor Auditorium at the National Geographic Museum on 17 and M Street, NW; parking is free for program attendees after 6 pm.

Isabel Allende: A Portrait in Sepia ($22)
May 1, 7:30 pm
Spend an evening with one of the world’s greatest writers when Isabel Allende, author of The House of the Spirits and most recently Portrait in Sepia, comes to National Geographic. A Chilean author whose books established her as a feminist force in Latin America’s male-dominated literary world, Allende spins stories of family, politics, and human rights that transfix audiences. She’ll converse with National Geographic Traveler’s Don George, editor of the new travel anthology, Better Than Fiction: True Travel Tales from Great Fiction Writers, which features her work.

Buzz Aldrin climbs into his F-86 Sabre Jet in Korea, circa 1952. ( Photo used by permission from the Buzz Aldrin Photo Archive  and National Geographic)

Buzz Aldrin climbs into his F-86 Sabre Jet in Korea, circa 1952. (Photo used by permission from the Buzz Aldrin Photo Archive and National Geographic)

Views From Within: Cultures Under Pressure ($22)
May 2, 7:30 pm
A young multimedia artist living in New York, Carolyn Drake turned 30 just after the World Trade Towers fell. She decided to step outside her multimedia bubble and create more tangible connections through photography. Now living in Istanbul, Turkey, Drake has received Guggenheim and Fulbright fellowships for her fascinating work on marginalized societies, such as China’s Uyghurs. Most recently, she documented the resurgence of a nearly lost civilization—Iraq’s Marsh Arabs—after Saddam’s oppression, for the May 2013 National Geographic.

The Call of Everest ($22)
May 6, 7:30 pm
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Americans to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The new National Geographic book The Call of Everest looks not just at the heroic events of 50 years ago, but at Everest’s present and future. The event features a discussion featuring climber Conrad Anker, who led Nat Geo’s commemorative expedition to Everest last spring, and naturalist Alton Beyers, writer Mark Jenkins, and athlete Emily Harrington, who also contributed to the book.

Buzz Aldrin: Mission to Mars (SOLD OUT)
May 9, 7:30 pm
Meet a legendary space explorer and hear his compelling thoughts on why we must continue to venture forth into the cosmos. The second person to set foot on the Moon during man’s first landing of Apollo 11, American astronaut Buzz Aldrin makes a passionate, thoughtful case for sending humans to the Red Planet by 2035. His new National Geographic book, Mission to Mars, blends a history of space flight with his personal vision to guide future exploration. Aldrin makes the case for space as only one who has been there can.

Beer From Where? ($85) (NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DRAWING)
May 15, 7 pm
A well-loved annual spring event returns by popular demand as Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and editor-in-chief of the Oxford Companion to Beer, hosts an exploration of the world of beer. This year’s tasting—befitting the Geographic’s 125th anniversary theme “a new age of exploration”—will present beer from some of the most unlikely beer-producing places on Earth. Join us for this delicious and delightful evening, and you too will say, “that beer came from where??” (Must be 21, ID required. Enjoy local breads, sausages, and cheeses with your beer.)

An Evening of Exploration and Discovery ($22)
June 11, 7:30 pm
Experience the energy at one of the year’s most highly anticipated events at National Geographic—an evening with a panel of the world’s top explorers. A highlight of our annual Explorers Symposium, this event brings together extraordinary people from around the world, who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge and discovery. This year’s Explorers Evening will also be part of the Society’s 125th anniversary, celebrating our past, and looking ahead to a new age of exploration.

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The Real Pirates of National Geographic http://www.welovedc.com/2013/04/10/the-real-pirates-of-national-geographic/ Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:00:09 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=91097

There are pirates in Washington.

If you doubt, head over to the National Geographic Museum between now and September 2; the Jolly Roger flag hanging from the flagpole should convince you. If you need more persuasive evidence, head inside and wander through the museum’s latest exhibit Real Pirates.

From fore to aft, this exhibit rolls up the past, present, and future of the pirate vessel Whydah. Originally designed and used as a slave ship along the American-African slave routes, the Whydah was captured by pirate captain Sam Bellamy and used in his fleet to pillage more than fifty prizes across the Carribean. On a course for a New England harbor, the Whydah, her captain, and her crew ran into a violent nor’easter near Cape Cod and sank beneath the waves. With it went a hold full of pirate treasure and most of the men on board.

National Geographic chose to feature the Whydah exhibit for a number of reasons. According to Richard McWalters, Director of Museum Operations, the story of the Whydah crosses three seafaring trades: slavery, piracy, and recovery. Through the shipwreck’s history, visitors are exposed to the realities of the slave trade and its vessels, the life of a pirate crew during the eighteenth century, and the technology, dedication, and innovation of today’s salvage explorers.

Winding through an exhibit that starts with a short video experience, you’ll find some common assumptions debunked. For example, did you know these seafaring outlaws evolved a kind of seagoing democracy at a time when such a concept was unknown in Europe and the colonies? New recruits to Bellamy’s crew signed an Articles of Gentlemen, where they swore an oath of loyalty and agreed to a code of conduct. In return, they received an equal vote in electing the ship’s officers, a near-equal share of the loot, and compensation for injuries. By contrast, merchant and naval vessels of the time had a strict hierarchical order and substandard wages.

More importantly, these crews consisted of a mix of races, including blacks, whites, and Native Americans, who all had rights and privileges unheard of at sea or on land.

The discoverer of the Whydah, Barry Clifford, had been fascinated with the tale of the ship since childhood. After two years of searching, Clifford brought up incontrovertible proof of the wreck in 1985 – the ship’s bell. (A replica is on display at the start of the exhibit.) For the last twenty-seven years, Clifford has been meticulously recovering and conserving the Whydah‘s wreckage. Considering the vessel is the first authenticated pirate shipwreck ever found, the slow process has netted hundreds of artifacts in excellent condition, from cannon to gold coins. Many can be found on display in the exhibit, as well as a look at the various high-tech processes utilized by Clifford and his team.

Clifford will be discussing his passion for the Whydah and the recovery efforts tomorrow evening at a special National Geographic Live presentation.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum is offering pirate-themed birthday parties throughout the summer for kids turning ages 5 to 12. The parties are held in a private space with dress up, sing-a-longs, and traditional games. Included are a special tour of the exhibit, a flag art project, goody bags and more.

A Pirate Family Festival is planned for Saturday, June 22. The museum will offer historical re-enactors, telescope making, and traditional pirate tunes all day, as well as a flag project, a live pirate show and falconry demonstration, and other special activities. Call 202-857-7154 for more information.

Real Pirates is $11 for adults with special pricing for members, military personnel, children, seniors, and school groups. The National Geographic Museum is located at 17th and M Streets, NW and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All photos by Brian Mosely. See his full photo set on Flickr.

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Milbury Blasts Ovechkin During Caps Loss to Flyers http://www.welovedc.com/2013/02/28/milbury-blasts-ovechkin/ Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:30:39 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90390 Photo courtesy of BrianMKA
Alex Ovechkin
courtesy of BrianMKA

If you watched the horror show in Philadelphia last night, you know the Caps just looked bad. As in, start-of-the-season bad. The team floated the “we were tired” balloon as an excuse, as the game was their third in five days.

It’s an excuse that would hold more weight if the Caps were firing on all cylinders from the start and deep in the playoff race. But they’re in catch-up mode and in danger of missing out on this year’s Cup run. “Being tired” just doesn’t cut it at this point.

Most interesting, however, was NBC Sports commentator Mike Milbury’s diatribe about Caps captain Alex Ovechkin. I’ll caveat by saying I’m not a huge Milbury fan for innumerable reasons. But considering the Caps woes right now, including Ovie’s less-than-stellar stats for this point in the season…I think Milbury has a point buried in his overemotional pontification.

Are the Caps in danger of tanking out this season if Ovie can’t get it together?

My magic 8-ball says “Signs point to yes.”

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