April 5, 2018

Fifty years ago: The Washington riots


Sam Smith - Fifty years ago, riots broke out in Washington DC. I was editing a community newspaper in  a neighborhood immediately east of the Capitol that was  heavily black. A couple of months earlier I had helped to form a community leadership council that was half black and half white. A Saul Alinsky trained minister was organizing the 'hood and black and whites had come together to fight the city's planned freeways. But it was all too late.

The riots hit Washington in four locales, two in  our circulation area.

The full story can be found here  but below are some photos taken during the riots in my neighborhood.
The view from our roof, The H Street riot strip was 5 blocks away

 H Street NE
Fire Department photos

H Street (Sam Smith photo)
8th Street SE (Sam Smith phbto)

(Sam Smith photo)

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