At-Large Council Candidates Spark Fierce Debate in Southwest

By Melissa Silverman Just weeks before the November 8 general election, seven candidates vying for two At-Large seats on the DC Council met at Riverside Baptist Church in Southwest to answer questions on education, housing and public safety. Despite areas of broad agreement on policy, candidates seized the opportunity to land sharp criticism of their […]

Arena Stage Announces Longtime Leader Molly Smith’s Final Show as Artistic Director

By Southwester Staff Arena Stage announced that My Body No Choice, a limited engagement staged in the run-up to the midterm elections, will be Molly Smith’s final production before she steps down as Artistic Director.   Featuring monologues from eight of America’s most dynamic female playwrights, My Body No Choice explores the importance of bodily autonomy, […]

Young Readers: More Binge, Less Complaints

By Kitty Felde “It’s not that kids don’t like to read. It’s that they don’t like feeling like they’re forced to read.” That’s Eric Berman’s mantra.  Berman is Teen Services Coordinator for the Alameda County Library in California. He says the key is getting reluctant readers hooked on something.  Anything works, he says – comic books, graphic […]

Unity in Diversity Across New Exhibitions at National Museum of Asian Art

By Sheila Wickouski The Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary in May 2023. James McNeill Whistler’s “harmony in blue and gold,” the Peacock Room, had been on display since the gallery opened and is now accessible to the public again after a renovation.  A new exhibit […]

Richard Wright Student Serves as Voice for DC Students on State Board of Education

BY CHINA JONES-BURGESS, 11TH GRADE, RICHARD WRIGHT PCS Aa Student Representative on the DC State Board of Education, China Jones-Burgess, a junior at Richard Wright Public Charter School in Southwest, has already begun working with her DC peers to listen to concerns and requests. Jones- Burgess began her journey in advocacy three years ago serving […]

Riverside Baptist Marks 165th Anniversary

By Georgine Wallace On September 25th, Riverside Baptist Church  held a special service to mark its 165th anniversary. Members of the public who missed the celebration of this historic occasion can still walk into the church’s atrium and view their rotating history exhibit of photographs and artifacts that highlight milestones in the church’s history. Please […]

Art in Transit returns to L’Enfant Plaza

By Southwester Staff The L’Enfant Plaza metro station’s entrance at Maryland Avenue and 7th Street SW is currently the site of an art display. After hearing that the entrance was going to be closed for repairs, SWBID reached out to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to see how they could bring some life […]