More than 10 million passengers travel between DC, NYC and Boston each year, making train service in the Northeast Corridor larger than most international airports in America.

Commerce is playing a larger role each year in the metro area with headquarters by AOL, Fannie Mae, Marriott, Lockheed Martin, Freddie Mac, US Airways, Gannett Publishing and General Dynamics.

Every year Georgetown University, University of Maryland at College Park, Howard University, George Washington University, American University, and George Mason University and increase in national and international stature.

The new Washington Convention Center rivals McCormick Center in Chicago for pure size and is sure to rival Chicago and Las Vegas for super-size conventions.

African Americans number over 1.2 million in the 5.4 million Washington Metro Area.

The offices, freeways, rail, housing and shopping between the Washington Metro Area and the Baltimore Metro Area have grown so much since 1990, that urbanologists are consider this to be one Consolidated Metro Area.

Today, due to persistence by the federal government and Metrorail reducing the surface traffic burden, the District of Columbia is closer than ever to matching the grand plazas and boulevards first imagined by L’Enfant.

The list of African American celebrities, athletes, social ground-breakers, business leaders, and government dignitaries born here or have strong roots in greater Washington, DC includes:

Frederick Douglass
Abolitionist and human rights activist

Father Patrick Healy
1st president of Georgetown University

Sojourner Truth
Great abolitionist

Paul Lawrence Dunbar
Master poet

Mary Church Terrell
Human rights activist

Duke Ellington
Composer and musician

Dr. Carter G. Woodson
Historian, father of Black History Month

Thurgood Marshall
Attorney and Supreme Court Justice

Elgin Baylor
Pro basketball legend

"Sugar" Ray Leonard
Champion Welterweight & Middleweight boxer

Marvin Gaye
One of the greatest Soul singers and composers

George Clinton
The Funkmaster

Mary McLeod Bethune
Human rights activist & educator

Marion Barry
Controversial, but well-loved former mayor

Dr. Dorothy I. Height
Leader of the National Council of Negro Women

Robert Johnson
Founder of BET & billionaire

Ron Brown
The best US Secretary of Commerce

Randall Robinson
International human rights activist

Rev. H. Beecher Hicks
Prominent local pastor

Eleanor Holmes Norton
DC's US representative

Colin Powell
Military leader and Secretary of State

Kenny Lattimore
R&B vocalist

Len Bias
A great college basketball player who left us too soon