From Reno City to Fort Reno Park: A Brief History of the Erasure of a Predominantly Black Neighborhood in Upper NW DC

Join D.C. Affairs Community Co-Chair Austin A.B. Ownbey and D.C. Public Service Commissioner Ted Trabue as they discuss the history of Fort Reno Park and the Chevy Chase neighborhood. Built on ground that was once farmland, briefly a Civil War military fort, and then a thriving predominantly Black, working-class community, today Fort Reno Park is an expanse of open grass, sports fields and the Alice Deal Middle School. Learn how a politician from Nevada created the Chevy Chase neighborhood and ultimately convinced Congress to clear out an entire neighborhood so that white children could have a park and a school. Commissioner Trabue is a fourth generation Washingtonian who will share this fascinating history and how his own family’s history is interwoven with these historic events. The D.C. Affairs Community is proud to present this podcast in celebration of Black History Month and a reminder that the history of D.C. is the history of our Nation.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.