HEAR MOUNT PLEASANT

From the late 1990s-2000s, a civic association misused Washington DC's liquor licensing process to impose a ban on live music in all Mount Pleasant's bars and restaurants. I was one of the leaders in a bruising community organizing campaign to bring live music back to neighborhood venues. This experience was life changing for me. It illuminated the many ways "local decision-making" and "community say" can provide cover for harmful and frankly, racist policies. It also introduced me to the importance of bringing diverse stakeholders together to resolve conflicts in shared urban space. We didn't just overturn the ban, we worked with businesses on noise management, security training and open communication with neighbors.