Our Single Garment of Destiny
In other words, let's get together for a happy hour on Feb. 6 in Tenleytown!
It’s been a tough week, so I’ll get right to the point: I’m writing to invite you to a happy hour to come together, be among like-minded DMV neighbors who want to be strong in speaking up for our values, and learn about a great local organization that provides affordable homes, community, and dignity to our seniors and their families. We’ll convene on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. right near the Tenleytown Metro. RSVP for the location!
Hang on, stick with me for another minute. I also want to show you this map of York County, PA, where many people on this list knocked on many doors. The New York Times published it last week. You can find it here.
York County has historically voted Republican in presidential elections, and it did so in 2024 as well. What this map shows, however, is how the vote for president in York changed from Trump’s loss in 2020 to Trump’s win in 2024. As you can see, there are many areas of York County that are blue, which means these are areas where Democrats performed better than in 2020. Many of those places like Shrewsbury and the North York areas like Manchester Township are familiar to people on this list. That’s because these are communities where you knocked on doors.
My point is that this is something to build upon. I’m not saying that it outweighed Joe Rogan’s podcasts or the misinformation on social media, but it did make a difference. You were part of making those blue swaths.
I was thinking about the map as I sat at the AFI Theater on Monday to watch King: A Filmed Record….Montgomery to Memphis. The nearly three-hour film pieces together some rarely seen footage from King’s speeches and marches. It begins humbly with the Montgomery bus boycotts and then shows King winning the Nobel Peace Prize and at the White House to witness the signing of the Voting Rights Act. Victory! Then it turns to Chicago and his campaign for fair housing. There’s news footage of violent confrontations that meet King in white neighborhoods, with residents waving confederate flags, riding cars branded with swastikas, and spewing hate.
It gave new insight to me why King said that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. It doesn’t bend on its own, however, or due to the act of one woman or man, and it takes time and continued effort.
This is a difficult moment, and many of us feel angry, exasperated, and scared of what is ahead. I have read with interest the stories about the local reaction and our local leadership’s response. I am concerned, especially here in D.C., that we are not coming together strategically to organize and fight for our values.
That’s why I’d like to ask you to join me the early evening of Feb. 6. The get together has a dual purpose for me, not only of bringing us together but helping a wider audience get to know a great local organization I’ve been working with this past year: Seabury Resources for Aging. I wanted to host it in Tenleytown because it is a few blocks from where Seabury operates a nearly 200-unit building that recently converted to almost all-affordable housing for our low-income seniors. That’s right, affordable housing for seniors in Ward 3!
Many of are thinking about how we can afford to live in this area as we get older. Many of us are the adult children of aging parents and perplexed and frustrated to figure out care options for Mom and Dad. Many of us have been fighting for more affordable housing in Ward 3 and across the city! And many of us just want to be with like-minded people right now. For all these reasons and more, join me on Feb. 6. It’ll be fun!
I currently serve on the board of Seabury, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary. It started as the Episcopal Senior Ministries. Our board just approved a new member, who I’m not allowed to name because she hasn’t formally accepted the appointment, but I’ll just say she’s been in the news for some words she said on Jan. 21. I think a few of our board members will in attendance, along with Seabury’s amazing CEO, Dawn Quattlebaum. Dawn will share some insights and will answer some questions.
See you Feb. 6 starting at 5:30 p.m. in Tenleytown! RSVP so I know how many snacks to order for us!
Elissa.