The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly’s History Task Force encourages our fellow residents to attend the February SWNA Black History Month community meeting at Arena Stage at 7 p.m. on Feb. 26 as we honor the memory of Dr. Beryl Rice and celebrate several talented local musicians. This program will feature memorial tributes to Rice from Rhonda Hamilton and other longtime friends and neighbors, reflecting on Rice’s impact in our community through her many years of service. Accompanying this will be performances by the Amidon-Bowen Elementary School choir and the band Benjamin Sands & Friends. We hope to see many of you there, to join us for reflection on and celebration of these rich threads in the fabric of our Southwest community.
An interview with Rice, part of the task force’s “Southwest Views” series, is also available on YouTube. This interview series was undertaken by Reverend Brian Hamilton of Westminster Presbyterian Church, who was assisted by the local youth as an effort to begin capturing the stories of important neighborhood figures.
For more information and resources on the history of Southwest DC please visit our website at http://www.swdc.org/swna/task-forces/history-task-force/.
By: Ryan Pierce
Chair, SWNA History Task Force