The Rev. Kendrick E. Curry: Citywide officials must use their new terms to deliver on long-promised progress East of the River
We are fresh off the election of five of seven of the District’s major citywide offices — mayor, DC Council chair, two at-large council members, and attorney general. These five officials, four of whom are veteran public servants, have all pledged to do right by Black, Brown and low-income communities — with special attention to those of us East of the River.
Yet we have heard similarly earnest pledges in years past, to little apparent effect. The inclusive and empowering progress that our communities have long deserved, sought, called for and been promised has been painfully slow. Pledges and promises without sustained progress yield disappointment, disenchantment and despondency. East of the River residents say: Enough is enough.
Voters East of the River are demanding elected officials who authentically represent and respond to their needs, aspirations and priorities. This is why, after working with and serving my community across two decades, I founded a new organization, ElectED DC. We at ElectED DC are working to engage community members East of the River to build political power; increase representation of historically marginalized communities at all levels; and advocate for policies that will enable every DC student to thrive.
To that end, alongside our launch, we commissioned the inaugural Survey of Wards 7 and 8, a landmark study of the views and beliefs of communities East of the River. The survey, conducted Oct. 11-12 by Public Policy Polling, gathered responses from 586 registered voters in wards 7 and 8. Its findings provide rich insights into what matters most to our communities and where we must make progress if the District is indeed as committed to equity as our leaders claim. These are the priorities that will frame and drive the work of ElectED DC.
The survey finds widespread dissatisfaction among voters in wards 7 and 8, with 60% saying they are generally dissatisfied with the current state of affairs East of the River. Just 2 in 10 voters said they were satisfied. Similarly, most voters feel that their communities are being shortchanged: 54% of respondents reported that they somewhat or strongly disagree with the statement that the District is doing what is needed for communities East of the River to thrive compared to what it is doing for those elsewhere. This kind of disparity, perceived and real, is unacceptable. We are not second-class voters.
Given recent upticks in community violence, it’s unsurprising to see that neighborhood safety and crime were the top priority among respondents, with 44% calling it their top issue. Housing costs and rising prices were second, followed by voting rights. Tellingly, nearly 6 in 10 voters reported that they were dissatisfied with the progress being made on their top issue.
Economic optimism is also low, with just 1 in 3 voters saying they are optimistic about their community’s economy today. That, in combination with the fact that a stunning 83% of respondents said that the COVID pandemic had either a large or some impact on their economic well-being, shows that we are still a long distance from full economic empowerment for our East of the River communities.
How can we expect all of our residents to take the lead in shaping a future worthy of our children if too many are struggling with basic needs? Safety, housing and food security shouldn’t be determined by ZIP codes any more than voting rights should be.
With respect to education, there is a strong desire for more high-quality schools East of the River — 55% say there are not enough currently. Most voters also say schools need strengthening as they do not currently provide pathways to good jobs and financial stability. There’s also a confidence gap for schools East of the River: Just 30% said they would be willing to send their own child to a school in Ward 7 or 8. School safety and college preparation are pointed to as the top reasons for that low confidence. The bottom line is that our communities know the value of a high-quality education — but our children are not getting the strong and safe schools they deserve. We are over school lockdowns being a regular cadence for our students and educators.
Yet despite these concerns and sentiments that public policy and schools are coming up short, our communities strongly believe in our democratic and personal agency. Nearly 3 in 4 believe they can change their community for the better, with 74% saying that they feel they can play a role in shaping their communities. Further, 50% of respondents say they trust their elected leaders. There is power in our people, and we demand to be heard. Our goal as an organization is to support that power to create the lasting change that we all seek.
There is tremendous work to be done. The people who live in and love wards 7 and 8 stand ready to work hand-in-hand with our elected leaders and public officials to at long last deliver on the decades-old promise of a truly just and equitable District of Columbia. We simply need our elected leaders — many of whom just got four more years in office — to fully link arms with our communities and move forward with us on the path to that promised future. Anything less would be an abject failure to live up to our self-proclaimed values.
The Rev. Kendrick E. Curry is the founder of ElectED DC, an organization committed to building power within communities east of the Anacostia River. He is the pastor of the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church and a resident of Ward 7.
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