While Sasha Bruce Youthwork uses this space to highlight the many individuals who have made a positive impact in the District, we’re narrowing our focus this February to Black leaders, past and present, who have fought to reduce homelessness and create housing equity for Black residents.
Troubling Past
Black Americans are disproportionately affected by homelessness. While the Black population represents only 12% of the US population, nearly 30% of all homeless individuals are Black. Among Black youth nationally, this number jumps to 33%.*
In the District, the rates are even higher. Although Black residents make only 43% of the District’s population, they represent 82% of all homeless individuals. Among youth, the disparity is similarly striking, with 81% identifying as Black.
Historically discriminatory federal and local policies in the District prevented Black ownership and investment in the community. These policies included racial redlining, or the deliberate segregation and federally mandated exclusion of African Americans and other communities of color either through service denial or the raising of prices.**
While these policies have largely been discontinued, their legacies live on. Black homeownership rates have now fallen to the same level that they were 50 years ago, a troubling fact given that homeownership and wealth transfers generationally. This implies that the issue is likely to persist and even worsen.
In response to these systemic inequities, Black activists and business owners have contributed to the fight against housing discrimination and homelessness. This post highlights just a few of the many who have impacted Black housing efforts in DC and acknowledges those in our midst who are currently making history.
*https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf **https://povertyusa.org/stories/affordable-housing-dc
Advocates and Activists of the Past
Maggie Lena Walker, born to enslaved parents in Richmond, Virginia, founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, which supported Black homeownership through mortgages provided to Black clients. As the first woman of any color to charter a bank in the U.S., she also held leadership positions in the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) and the Richmond, VA chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Robert C. Weaver, born in DC and educated at Howard University, became the first Black
cabinet member to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Among other things, Weaver fought to increase the availability of affordable housing and dismantle segregation in housing projects.
Real estate developer Geneva Valentine was the first African-American to gain membership in the National Association of Real Estate Boards. She refused white homeowner’s requests to charge Black clients more to purchase their homes. Valentine helped found the Equitable Realty Company in 1931 and fought against the use of eminent domain and restrictive covenants as a means of displacing Black Washingtonians.
At a time when Black families were often denied access to hotels, restaurants, and other public accommodations, John Whitelaw Lewis not only founded the first luxury hotel for Black families but built it using solely Black labor. He also founded the Industrial Savings Bank, the first black-owned bank in the District, which offered Black people the opportunity to purchase homes and finance their businesses.
Those Among Us
Every day at Sasha Bruce, we have the privilege of working alongside Black leaders and changemakers who bring hope to our community, one day at a time. While this blog post highlights just a few, many Sasha Bruce employees are making history every day.
Donnell Potts, Chief of Programs, has nearly 20 years of experience in program development, implementation and management. His commitment to supporting youth is exemplified by his compassionate and thoughtful leadership which provides an example and role model for many. He advocates tirelessly for youth experiencing homelessness and other challenges in the District and ensures that youth needs and voices are heard. He’s also adept with a turntable and mixes music as a DJ for friends and family.
Alycia Jefferson keeps the Sasha Bruce Youthwork ball rolling to ensure that youth and program staff have what they need to succeed. Motivated by the simple but strong power of human connection, she is a “jill-of-all-trades”. With one hand, she teaches computer literacy to youth, staff and community members, and with the other she provides the first face that many youth and partners see upon entering Sasha Bruce’s main office. Her love for teaching led her into a career with youth, but she’s also a licensed cosmetologist, a fact not lost on those who admire stylish locks.
A love for education led Charles Dark, Director of the DC Prevention Center for Wards 5 & 6, into a career helping young people, families, and neighbors understand the risks of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and build the protective factors that create safer, healthier communities. For 16 years, he has led community conversations, trainings, and workshops in the District and has become a trusted leader in the fight against substance abuse, a factor closely connected to homelessness. A fan of live concerts, fine dining, and enjoying friends and family, Charles inspires those around him to tackle issues head-on and seek support along the way.
Youth advocate Traci Bryant has been both a Sasha Bruce employee, a service recipient, and a co-chair of the CURB, Sasha Bruce’s youth advisory board. She knows the struggles faced by youth experiencing homelessness and as an Olayia’s Cradle resident witnessed the power of community as she and other single mothers supported each other – a sister circle bond. A certified Peer Case Manager who is currently enrolled in a BSW program at Delaware State University, she wants to make sure that young single mothers and fathers have support and a place to turn for help. She listens to hip-hop, R&B, and oldies but goodies, has an eye for graphic design, and dabbles in cooking and technology.
