Take a left off of the Anacostia Freeway on to Firth Sterling Ave – what do you see? You see empty fields. You see shiny new buildings just breaking ground. Construction equipment. Sweeping views of the capital. As one community member states in this film, if you are a developer, you see a gold mine. But these empty fields hold powerful memories. Enslaved people once worked this land. Later, during Reconstruction, the formerly enslaved purchased it, and built one of DC’s first thriving Black communities. Here, the city constructed a sprawling public housing complex in the 1940s, beloved by insiders, if notorious to outsiders. Here, the movement for Welfare Rights took shape. Here, the Junkyard Band honed its chops on homemade instruments before putting a turbocharge into the city’s Go-Go music. Here, residents lived in the Barry Farms Dwellings up until 2019, when the final community members were removed for the redevelopment.

Join us for a screening of the new documentary film about this community, followed by discussion with the filmmakers, former Barry Farm residents, and special guests.

Please note: masks are required on UDC's campus. This is a hybrid in-person and online event. Please RSVP if you plan to attend either way; Zoom information will be given upon RSVP.

Event co-sponsors: Metro DC DSA Socialist Night School, CAS, D.C. History Research Lab, Empower DC, DC Legacy Project.

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This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters.

Not a Member? Please consider becoming a Member. Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford: https://dsausa.org/join?source=Metro%20DC