{"id":403,"date":"2019-07-05T22:55:17","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T22:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/archives\/?p=403"},"modified":"2019-07-06T00:51:04","modified_gmt":"2019-07-06T00:51:04","slug":"william-jordan-analysis-black-history-month-ted-talks-dc-comp-plan-wmds-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/archives\/403\/","title":{"rendered":"William Jordan Analysis: Black History Month, TED Talks, DC Comp Plan & WMDs – Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"

This was originally posted to the Adams Morgan Listserv on February 12, 2018, as message #47496, groups.yahoo.com\/neo\/groups\/AdamsMorgan\/conversations\/messages\/47496<\/a><\/p>\n

As most of you are aware February is Black History Month which provides an opportunity to focus on the interconnections between African American history, overall American history and current events, people, places and groups. One of these areas where current events interconnects with Black history is the current effort to amend the DC’s 20 year Comprehensive Plan drafted in 2006 <plandc.dc.gov\/page\/comp-plan-101<\/a>>, then amended becoming effective in 2011\/12. In fact, the current amendments proposed and then accepted by the Office of Planning(OP) and submitted to DC Council starts by re-framing Black History in many DC neighborhoods <plandc.dc.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/dc\/sites\/Comprehensiveplan\/direcletter.pdf<\/a>> including Columbia Height\/Georgia Avenue, in my view a Black History must read.<\/p>\n

It may seem odd but DC’s 1958 Com Plan, the 2006 rewrite and today’s amend process is probably one of the city’s most profound Black History documents. However before dividing into the history and interconnection, there are few TED Talks I would recommend at Black History must viewing. The first are TED Talks by Cathy O’Neil (and book) called Weapons of Math Destruction (WMD) and the Algorithmic Justice League by Joy Buolamwini <www.ajlunited.org\/<\/a>>.<\/p>\n

The other TED Talk is Segregation: How to Make the Possible Improbable by Xavier Ramey which be viewed along with a historic video urban renewal in 1950s Southwest Urban Renewal . The Black History embedded in these videos are key drivers in the history of our Comp Plans although down played in the current proposed amendments.<\/p>\n

I would urge the Council, activist and concerned citizens of all stripes treat Dr. O’Neil’s book as required reading for both Black History month and the Comp Plan amendment process. The interconnections between Black History, the Comp Plan, New Communities Initiative, today’s development policies and WMDs are mind blowing.<\/p>\n

William<\/p>\n

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Weapons of Math Destruction | Cathy O’Neil
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