Community Voices & Pathways Forward

The story of Barry Farm cannot be understood through policy alone, as it lives in the voices of the people who have called this community home for generations. Research from our group highlights that residents, educators, church leaders, and cultural advocates all describe gentrification not as an abstract trend, but as a daily reality that reshapes family stability, cultural identity, and the future of Southeast D.C.

Community Voices: What People Are Experiencing

Across interviews and historical research:

Teacher Perspective: Mr. Tharpe — Frank W. Ballou Senior High School

A Spanish teacher, artist, community advocate, and mentor speaking on Barry Farm, youth, and the realities of Southeast D.C.

SECTION 1 — Redevelopment & Community Ownership

How involving residents in rebuilding their own neighborhoods creates pride, stability, and accountability.

“If you're taking part in the redevelopment, you take ownership of it… I wish the developers had funded it that way instead of just tearing it down, building it up, and changing the prices.”

Summary: He emphasizes that true redevelopment should include residents such as, giving them jobs, voice, and ownership, instead of pushing them out.

SECTION 2 — The Harm of Displacement on Safety

Why moving families outside their neighborhoods puts young people in danger?

“They don’t realize they don’t only move them from home — they also put them in danger… If you're from Berry Farms you’re linked with certain hoods that protect you, but if you go outside that, your life could be taken easily.”

Summary: Displacement doesn’t just uproot families, but it also disrupts social safety networks youth rely on to survive.

SECTION 3 — Policing, Trust, & Over-Surveillance

The gap between law enforcement and community needs.

“I wish law enforcement would build relationships first… Residents need to feel officers are there to keep them safe, not dictate to them.” and “They put up a lot of surveillance… but they’re focusing on the wrong people. They have no clue because they don’t make those connections.”

Summary: He calls for relationship-based policing instead of surveillance and intimidation.

SECTION 4 — Jobs, Survival, & Systemic Barriers

How lack of employment opportunities traps youth in cycles of criminalization.

“They don’t want money — they want opportunities without judgment.”
“Our kids are judged because of their zip code, 20032… Most of our boys are not trying to commit crimes.”
“Without a job, you’re gonna rob somebody or bag somebody… because you gotta have money coming in some kind of way.”

Summary: Youth need stable, year-round jobs and not judgment, to break cycles forced on them by systemic poverty.

SECTION 5 — Education, Trade Skills, & Entrepreneurship

Why he encourages students to pursue trades first to build independence.

“I recommend my boys do trade school first before college, so they can become their own business owners — mechanics, electricians — and never have to go to the streets again.”

Summary: He believes economic empowerment, not punishment, is the path to safer futures.

SECTION 6 — Survival, Music, & Misunderstanding Youth Culture

Interpreting “violent” music as a language of fear, environment, and self-protection.

“When they’re talking about guns and killing — they’re actually scared. They’re warning each other… It’s a fear tactic.”
“Come stay in these hoods for two nights and then tell me the music doesn’t make sense.”

Summary: He reframes youth music as survival communication, not criminal intent.

SECTION 7 — Mental Health, Displacement, & “The Love of Money”

The emotional and spiritual impact of redevelopment on families.

“It increases drug abuse, alcoholism… It creates a biblical devil’s pit.”
“Developers are only thinking about money… They don’t think about the secondary effect that somebody would go through during that transition.”

Summary: Gentrification harms youth mental health and family stability amd it's all driven by profit.

SECTION 8 — Gender Dynamics & Unequal Burdens

How young women and men cope differently with structural pressures.

“Girls are in survivor mode. Boys are in crash-out mode… Girls handle more pressure than boys can.”

Summary: He notes how gendered expectations shape how youth navigate trauma and instability.

SECTION 9 — What Schools Should Do

His blueprint for youth-centered, community-rooted school support.

“Schools need real talk — the kind you can’t do in classrooms — and a place for kids to vent, without judgment.”

“Do community basketball games, movie nights, babysitting programs… Feed them, tutor them, teach them how to cook and be self-sufficient and stay out of trouble.”

Summary: He calls for community-building programs that restore trust, support families, and keep youth safe.

St. John Christian Methodist Episcopal Church — Community Interview

A collection of voices from St. John CME Church in Southeast Washington, D.C., reflecting on faith, history, resilience, and community care.

SECTION 1 — History, Legacy, & Presence

How St. John has anchored Southeast Washington, D.C. for over 158 years.

Marilyn O’Neal: “The church has been there forever and a day, and it's always played a pivotal part in that part of Southeast.”
Catherine O’Neal: “We're that beacon, that light that sits on the hill… We’ve seen people come, we’ve seen people go. It’s generation after generation who we’ve actually helped.”
Walter Plush: “It’s a landmark… We’ve supported generations of families throughout the years.”

Summary: These voices show that St. John is not just a church, as it is a historic anchor, a symbol of continuity, and a pillar of community identity.

SECTION 2 — Land, Roots, & Not Being Moved

Affirming the church’s commitment to remain rooted in its historic location.

Catherine O’Neal: “No, we have not been asked to move — and we will not be moved. Bottom line. Period.”

Summary: This reflects resistance, pride, and the determination to protect sacred community space.

SECTION 3 — Displacement, Redevelopment, & Housing Inequity

Honest reflections on redevelopment, rising costs, and the meaning of “affordable housing.”

Marilyn Thomas: “The displacement is real… It is intentional. You can sugarcoat it, but it’s valuable property.”
Marilyn Thomas: “A two-bedroom, two-bath apartment for $4,000 a month — I don’t consider that affordable.”

Summary: Members highlight how redevelopment pushes out long-standing Black residents under the false promise of affordability.

SECTION 4 — Community Care & Mutual Aid

How the church supports members through emergency assistance and compassion.

Catherine O’Neal: “We do emergency assistance — rental help, utilities… It just depends on what the need is.”
Walter Plush: “The church funded the remaining money for my college semester… I was blessed that the church helped me finish.”

Summary: These stories show how St. John provides real, tangible support, not just spiritually, but materially.

SECTION 5 — Staying Connected Through Distance & Displacement

Even when members move away, the church remains a spiritual home.

Catherine O’Neal: “Even if they’ve moved out of the community, they still come back to St. John… We have people coming from Woodbridge, Annapolis, Southern Maryland — and even Pennsylvania online.”

Summary: Physical distance does not break community bonds; members stay connected through faith and fellowship.

SECTION 6 — Faith, COVID-19, & Resilience

How the church adapted and stayed united during crisis.

Marilyn O’Neal: “Everything shut down during COVID… We had to pivot from what we knew to what we know now.”
Marilyn Thomas: “We have two churches now — an in-person church and a virtual church.”

Summary: Their flexibility and commitment kept the congregation united through uncertainty.

SECTION 7 — Community, Welcome, & Belonging

The heart of St. John CME Church: radical hospitality.

Catherine O’Neal:

“We are a very welcoming church — once you come through those doors, you're family.”

Summary: This expresses the warmth, openness, and familial love that define the church community.

SECTION 8 — The Future of Southeast & Barry Farm

Reflections on gentrification, land value, and community resilience.

Marilyn O’Neal: “I see the government and big companies taking over this area — it’s an area most people want.”

Summary: This shows how valuable Southeast land has become to developers, who see profit over people, yet the church remains resilient, rooted, and committed to protecting its history, culture, and long-standing Black community.

Culture, identity, and neighborhood pride are under threat

Barry Farm has long been a center of Black cultural expression—home to community activism, youth organizing, and the legacy of Go-Go music. Research shows that redevelopment citywide has threatened cultural spaces, leading to movements like #DontMuteDC that fight to preserve the sound and spirit of Black D.C. Residents emphasize that losing Barry Farms means losing a piece of “Chocolate City” identity that cannot be rebuilt once erased.

Residents face structural barriers, even when “revitalization” promises return

Voucher discrimination, long waits, and rising rents make it nearly impossible for displaced families to return to redeveloped areas. Several sources note thousands of vouchers going unused, not because families don’t want to come home, but because landlords and systems block them. This gap between promise and reality is one of the clearest ways redevelopment becomes displacement.

Pathways Forward: What the Community Says Needs to Change

Across community perspectives, several solutions appear again and again. These are not abstract policy ideas—they are what residents, teachers, activists, and cultural leaders say would create real, equitable revitalization:

Guaranteed return for residents

Residents should have a real right to return, supported by accessible voucher processes, landlord accountability, and affordable housing requirements that reflect actual incomes in Ward 8.

Protect and invest in Black cultural heritage

Community identity, Go-Go, churches, neighborhood traditions, schools, must be preserved and funded as part of redevelopment. Culture is not an “add-on”; it is the heart of Barry Farm.

Support youth and families navigating instability

Schools, churches, and local organizations consistently express that students need wraparound services, mental-health support, and community continuity when displacement occurs.

Community-led development, not development done to communities

From ONE DC to local activists, residents argue that redevelopment must involve residents at every stage, planning, design, and benefit-sharing—so that revitalization serves those who have shaped Barry Farm for generations.

Address policing and surveillance changes linked to gentrification

Residents and educators highlight rising surveillance, traffic cameras, and policing as part of redevelopment pressures. Any pathway forward must include safety strategies that build trust rather than reinforce inequality.

Why These Voices Matter

Community voices show that Barry Farms is more than a redevelopment site—it is a story of Black landownership, resilience, culture, and survival in the face of systemic displacement. Solutions cannot come from policy alone. They must come from respecting the lived experience, struggles, pride, and leadership of the people who built Barry Farm and who continue fighting to protect its legacy.