Over the past few days, many of our members, area-wide residents and those in the blogosphere have engaged in a robust and spirited debate on the future direction of our community. Most of the discussion has centered around the Washington City Paper article, “'East of the River' or 'River East'? Gentrification is heading across the Anacostia,” in which r.e.e.l was heavily featured.

Debate is good. In fact our mission statement encourages it: "The purpose of the River East Emerging Leaders is to enlighten, engage and empower a network of residents from Washington D.C.’s Ward 7 and Ward 8 (River East) communities." We agree with the general thrust of the article, which at its core illuminates new retail development, housing opportunities and emerging leaders actively working in our communities. We also appreciate the fact that the author shined light on additional community outreach opportunities for other organizations, including r.e.e.l., to work on in the future.


However, the overall tone of the 3,358-word article stands in stark contrast to areas where we agree. An individual who doesn't know anything about r.e.e.l., could mistakenly perceive us as a group of outsiders who just want to re-name the place, kick out and replace long-time residents; intentionally gentrify neighborhoods and maliciously “uproot and then colonize the inner city.” These statements couldn’t be further from the truth and are inconsistent with r.e.e.l.’s values and purpose.

We want to talk about...
neighborhood revitalization and better police protection for everyone; working collectively with nonprofits, government and the private sector to bring badly needed job skills training to Ward 7 and 8; and develop or enhance existing programs that engage youth, both in our neighborhoods and in our schools.


But others want to talk about...
what Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (ANCs) think of us; how many members of r.e.e.l. have college degrees , are homeowners or the number of members who are newly-arrived residents of the area verses those who have lived here their whole lives.

We are already divided geographically from the rest of the city by our river, but these statements sadly further divide us in our own communities and neighborhoods, and we will have no part in it.

What’s in a Name? “East of the River” or “River East”


We are very proud of our name and worked very hard to come up with it. For us, it reflects our core values of leadership and service to each other and in our communities. But some have suggested that it’s part of a secret plot to re-name our section of town that Wards 7 and 8 call home. And while we thought these wild accusations were put to rest, it appears they never were.


To be clear, although the area has been known by many names over the years, including “East of the Anacostia,” “East Washington,” “East River” and others, it was never a goal of r.e.e.l. to officially change the name of the area called “East of the (Anacostia) River.” The name, including the acronym, is simply that—our name and acronym. People should use whatever name they want as long as they are dedicated to affecting positive change in the community that will have a lasting impact on whatever we call it for years to come.


In sum, we are not perfect. No organization can ever be. But we think we are headed in the right direction and invite everyone—from the young to the young-at-heart; from the media to politicians—to come to our meetings and events. Meet our members as well as those we call friends. We promise they’ll make you feel right at home. Most importantly, you’ll learn what we’re really about, not just what’s written in headlines or quotes. You just might get involved, too.


Let the debates continue…

To view the original statment on the River East Emerging Leaders website go here.


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