By Southwester Staff Founded in 1982 by a group of dedicated and committed volunteers, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly Youth Activities Task Force (SWNA YATF) is a task force under SWNA, the civic organization in SWDC which was created in 1963, to help mitigate the social ills of urban renewal. YATF’s mission is to enhance and […]
Critical Exposure: Teaching Youth to Use Photography for Social Change
By Gabriele Strauch The Southwest Neighborhood Youth Activities Task Force (SWNA YATF), in partnership with Critical Exposure (CE), is offering an exciting photography and storytelling program for Southwest youth, ages 14-16. The mission of CE is “to train DC youth to harness the power of photography and their own voices to fight for educational equity […]
ARTECHOUSE Opens 4th Cherry Blossom Season with a Hope of Renewal
By Matt Koehler Walking into Renewal 2121 (https://www.artechouse.com/program/renewal-2121/), masked but amidst a small jubilant crowd of early viewers, I felt lighter than the last time I experienced one of ARTECHOUSE’s cherry blossom-themed interactive exhibits. Much has happened in the past year that has caused intense existential anxiety. Some parts of the world are just starting […]
Why Genetic Cancer Testing Could Be Right for You
By Kavitha Kolla, MS, MPH, CGC The Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund’s (TDJBCF) virtual Support Group celebration back in January focused on genetic counseling and breast cancer genetics. During the event, I had the pleasure of discussing genetic counseling and genetic testing, and this article seeks to expand on that theme. Approximately 10% of […]
The Anacostia Stays Clean with Policy and Ingenuity
By Masaya Maeda With a decade of data to show for it, the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) is seeing a huge decrease in one of the river’s most significant pollutants: expanded polystyrene foam – also known as EPS or Styrofoam. Thanks to local and statewide legislation and the efforts of volunteers, the average amount of […]
The Send Button and Other Regrets
By Deborah Sherwood What a lovely, peaceful afternoon. The Christmas tree and decorations are packed away, the gingerbread men cookie crumbs rest inside the vacuum cleaner bag, and according to the actuarial life table, odds are I’ll make it through another year. The pandemic prohibited me from hosting my annual New Years’ Day brunch for […]
Transformation Lab, Southwest Library: An Investment for the Future
By Georgine Wallace and Charles Allen One of the highlights of 2020 has been the transformation of the new Southwest Library from an empty lot in February to a nearly completed building in December. In 2021, we will reopen to an exciting, active, and engaging “new” Southwest Library that will better serve all corners of […]