On 20 January 2009, our nation took a huge step forward perfecting our union when Barack Obama was sworn-in as the 44th President. Now people of all stripes know anything is possible in America. We can all celebrate the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court, partially built by enslaved Africans and now witness to African Americans patriotic rise to power in America.

   The Washington Monument obelisk is mindful of Washington’s roots as a Mason, the Jefferson Memorial caresses the Tidal Basin where cherry blossoms color each spring day, and the Lincoln Memorial remains emblazoned in the nation’s collective memory since the 1963 March on Washington. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial and the new World War II Memorial call families of loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. National monuments counterbalance the welcoming team of Smithsonian Museums, National Archives, and the Library of Congress.

    Nearly every block of central Washington, DC presents an architectural treat -- discover Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Beaux Arts, Classical Revival, and Post-modern buildings with facades made from brick, stone, cast iron, terra cotta, and glass. Beyond the Mall and Federal Center, one sees the equally captivating Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, Watergate Complex, Pentagon Building, and the sobering Arlington National Cemetery. DC has lighter, equally attractive side. 

    As many sistahs and brothers can boast, DC arguably has the best Black nightclub scene in the country. From the most chic upscale to neighborhood lounge, the parties here are often legendary. The shopping, dining, and entertainment attractions of K Street, Dupont Circle, Pennsylvania Avenue, the new convention center and MCI Sports Center have transformed Downtown into an ebullient day/night destination second only to New York City and Chicago. With so many performances at John F. Kennedy Center and local theatres, Washington is second to New York City in live theatre seats in America. Spruced up Chinatown makes an excellent place to dine before or after a Wizards basketball game or concert at MCI Center. Taste of DC Festival and 4th of July Celebrations are stupendous.

    18th century Georgetown and Foggy Bottom are known for their engaging specialty shops, restaurants and nightclubs. A block north of M Street in Georgetown, are restored period houses and gardens, which are more significant when you realize that 1/3rd of Georgetown was Black-owned in those days. A block south of M Street lies the canal allowing you to gaze small ships traipse through this post-Colonial wonder. Adams Morgan is the multi-cultural crossroads of DC that features the most diverse international restaurants, shops, and art galleries in the city. It seems like all the coffee shops are filled with artists. The Waterfront offers restaurants with riverfront views, a colorful Fishing Wharf, and yachts for rent. If you are here during football season, tailgate parties don’t get any better or bigger than at FedEx Field in Largo.

    Across the Potomac River, quaint 18th century streets with mature trees in redbrick Alexandria calls you to shop for antiques -- and there are plenty of places to shop. There’s even a reason to visit Mount Vernon to learn about the descendants of President George Washington’s slaves. In the last 15 years, enclaves of African Americans have moved to the Tyson’s Corner and Pentagon City area, supporting more Black shops and restaurants in Northern Virginia. But if you think the Black community has abandoned its traditional core in the city, you are thankfully mistaken.

    The cultural rebirth of U Street/Shaw district is still flowering. Began in the 1860s, Shaw District may have been the largest Black business and residential community in the nation before 1920. Even afterwards, it remained as popular on the Chitlin' Circuit as Harlem, Bronzeville in Chicago, and Pennsylvania Ave in Baltimore. All the great jazz, blues and R&B entertainers played at its lively theaters and clubs. For many African Americans, the nation's African American Civil War Memorial, brought to life by Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman in the movie Glory, is one the highlights of a visit. Next door, check the registry for our ancestors who fought that momentous war delivering our freedom in this great country. Today, a Metro transit station provides easy access to restaurants, nightclubs, shops, galleries, and historic buildings. Howard University, which began attracting intellectuals and artists in the 1870s, is renown for having the greatest concentration of graduate and professional schools that primarily train people of color.

    Explore Anacostia, a community settled by free people of color in the early 1800's, stop by the last home of the great Frederick Douglass and visit the Anacostia Museum, who’s forte is African American life in the District of Columbia. In the East Capitol district, the Mary McLeod Bethune Monument imbues you with a sense of pride and respect for her courage. As does the National Council of Negro Women headquarters founded here by Bethune. The Links, Zeta Phi Beta, Delta Sigma Theta, and Sigma Phi Beta also attract many members to their headquarters in other parts of town. The main library honors Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Among the many historic Black churches here, Metropolitan AME Church was the church home of Frederick Douglass and many Black dignitaries. DC is one of the few cities with a monument dedicated to Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey. BET was founded here. The African Museum is without a doubt, the world's best art gallery of its theme.

    No city can match Washington, DC for its magnificent combination of federal buildings, monuments, museums, plazas, historic sites, embassies, universities, national organizations, and sports centers combined with a feast of activities for singles and families alike. There’s so much eye candy here. Perhaps the most impressive part of DC is its transportation. Union Station is more like a grand European train terminal uniting all forms and transportation. And like a hidden conveyor system, the modern Metrorail maximizes your mobility in this grand urban setting, quickly placing 75% of the city within short walking distance and minimizing auto traffic. In the 21st century, DC has emerged as one of the world’s great destinations. Imagine how your reasons to visit will amplify further when the long overdue African American Smithsonian museum on the Mall completes in this decade.

    A site for the National Museum of African American History & Culture, another Smithsonian Institution, has finally been chosen.  Also, fundraising for the awe-inspiring Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is proceeding apace for its location between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. Since no public funds are being sought, such a memorial to the Drum Major for Peace could justifiably be built in Atlanta or Memphis. Why DC? The gravitational pull of our nation's legal, cultural and moral compass compels us to build this uplifting monument here. There is also a movement underway to establish a permanent memorial to Rosa Parks within the U.S. Capitol.

    
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