Anacostia Unmapped Anacostia Unmapped

The death of Christopher Barry came unexpectedly. He was the only child of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and Effi Barry and had eulogized both of his parents. A group of friends gathered at We Act Radio in Anacostia to share memories; many that did not make it into many media stories of his death. Thanks to Kymone Freeman for sharing these powerful words.

Troy Donte Prestwood (pictured) has lived in all corners of the District, but for the last nine years he’s called Anacostia home. Today he represents the neighborhood in local government as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. And he says Anacostia is definitely unlike other parts of the city: The river has a different rhythm, and the neighborhood marches to a different beat. He speaks with Anacostia Unmapped contributor John Johnson about the changes he is seeing.

Most Anacostia residents know the power and fame associated with the home of Frederick Douglass. A few even remember the period between the famous abolitionist's death and the property's designation as a national historic site — the years when the community, including a Cub Scout troop, took care of things.

Jason Fuller talks with two longtime residents, Sandy Allen and Arrington Dixon, about their memories.

Spend time in Anacostia, and the G-word often comes up: gentrification. It's the "most loaded word in the English language," says Adele Robey, founder of Anacostia Playhouse on Shannon Place SE. She talks with Anacostia Unmapped contributor John Johnson about being "the resident white woman" in neighborhood conversations about arts and development, and what it's like to run a theater in a community that scrutinizes every development project for its potential to displace people. (Robey herself is performing in a show, Riches, at the theater through early August.)

A night at the legendary basketball court in Barry Farms, Washington D.C.

As the country tries to make sense of this weeks violence, we are reminded that a mother who loses her son must take on a long fight to find out what happened to him. The story of Beverly Smith and her son Alonzo Smith, who was killed by special police in Anacostia. Interview by Kymone Freeman. Photo by Brandon Gatling.