FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2007

TIP SHEET: DISCOVER THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN DC

From the scholars, artists and activists that strolled the streets of yesterday's "Black Broadway" to the many business owners, political figures and high-ranking executives that live, work and play in the city today, Washington, DC is powered by the African-American experience. By seeking out opportunity and succeeding in education, business and the arts, DC's African-American population has become integral in the development of Washington's identity as a culturally inclusive and intellectual city - and one that is particularly welcoming to African-American visitors. Black Enterprise magazine even recently crowned the DC metro area as the number one place in the country for African-Americans, beating out Atlanta, Dallas and nine other major cities.

Fall Events
DC holds an especially strong appeal to African-American travelers in the fall. The city plays host to major events like the National Council of Negro Women's Black Family Reunion (Sep. 8-9, 2007), the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (Sep. 26-29) and Howard University Homecoming. 

Arts, Culture & History
This fall, the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Located in a historic African-American neighborhood in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, the museum is responsible for the acquisition, care and preservation of approximately 6,000 objects in a collection dating back to the early 1800s. A new exhibition will run Sep. 15-April 27 to celebrate the museum's anniversary. It's entitled, East of the River - Continuity and Change, and it documents the history and community life of neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. Anacostia.si.edu

To experience another piece of black history in Anacostia, pay a visit to Frederick Douglass' home, Cedar Hill, which reopened in February after a three-year renovation. When Douglass bought the nine-acre estate, he became the first African American to buy a home in the Old Anacostia neighborhood. Tour the 21-room Victorian mansion or take part in a program to learn about Douglass' efforts to abolish slavery. Set high in the hills, the house and its grounds also open up onto one of the most breathtaking views of DC.

Currently under development, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial will be the first major memorial along the National Mall dedicated to an African American. The memorial is designed to commemorate and honor Dr. King's national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change. It will be located on the Tidal Basin, near the Jefferson and FDR Memorials. The design features a crescent-shaped-stone wall inscribed with excerpts of Dr. King's sermons, and public addresses will serve as the living testaments of his vision of America. The centerpiece of the $100 million memorial, the "Stone of Hope," will feature a 30-foot likeness of Dr. King. Mlkmemorial.org

Retail and Entertainment
When it comes to retail, DC offers many unique, black-owned boutiques. While visiting the historic U Street Corridor, make sure to shop the designer threads in Pink November and Lettie Gooch, and the funky shoes in Wild Women Wear Red.

Nightclubs like LOVE, Republic Gardens and H20 have helped to cement DC's position as one of the top US cities for African-American nightlife. Now, a few new black-owned night spots should be added to visitors' "must-experience" lists: Jin, in the U Street neighborhood of DC, POSH, owned by BET co-creator Bob Johnson, and Grand Central, a bar located in culturally-rich Adams Morgan.

With six professional teams, DC is certainly a capital for sports. Coming soon on the sports side: the Washington Nationals, DC's major league baseball team, will kick off the 2008 season from a new stadium located near the Anacostia waterfront.

Theatre
Two African-American-inspired plays are part of Arena Stage's lineup this year. The musical adaptation of "The Women of Brewster Place," based on the bestselling novel by Gloria Naylor, will run from Oct.19 - Dec. 9. Next up is "Ella," a musical designed to take theatre-goers inside the heart and soul of the first lady of soul - Ella Fitzgerald. It runs Dec. 28-Feb. 24. Arenastage.org.

In spring 2008, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will mount a special tribute to August Wilson, performing all ten plays in his celebrated cycle. Directed by Kenny Leon, who staged the Broadway premiere of Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean,"August Wilson's 20th Century Festival will be the first of its kind to present all ten plays in a condensed package. The plays will be presented chronologically in the order in which they're set, beginning with "Gem of the Ocean"and ending with the 1990s' "Radio Golf." Each of the plays will be presented in repertory fashion by a core ensemble of twenty actors, giving the ten inter-related plays the same voices and faces and enabling audiences to see as many as three of the plays in a single weekend. kennedy-center.org

You can always count on fresh, contemporary performances at the African Continuum Theatre Company, established in 1996 with a mission to produce professional theatre that reflects the African-American experience and nurtures new works by African-American artists. The company performs in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, a new playing space in the developing H Street NE neighborhood. Check africancontinuumtheatre.com to see what's on.

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About Destination DC: Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com