Paulette Mensah – Bandwidth

A Chat With The Creator Of ‘Black Broadway On U,’ A Trove Of D.C. Cultural History

Ally Schweitzer and Paulette Mensah — Fri, 06 May 2016 00:08:32 +0000

On U Street in 2016, it’s easy to stumble across vestiges of the corridor’s African-American history. But that history is often presented through a foggy lens.

Take the Lincoln Theatre, the legendary music venue at 1215 U St. NW. Owned by the District but booked by 9:30 Club operator I.M.P., it’s no longer the epicenter of black music it once was. Then there’s the high-end apartment building at 1301 U St. NW. Called the Ellington, the residence pays homage to a music giant born in Washington, but costs far more than many jazz musicians could afford.

Shellée Haynesworth doesn’t want U Street’s black cultural history to be washed away in the undertow of development. That’s why in 2013 the multimedia producer — who’s also a third generation Washingtonian — started “Black Broadway on U,” a sweeping, grant- and donation-funded digital project that remembers the black artists and innovators who made U Street as vital as New York during the Harlem Renaissance.

Saturday, Haynesworth co-presents the show “Black Broadway on U: Echoes of an Era” during the Funk Parade, the daylong music festival expected to shut down U Street for part of an afternoon. In advance of the event, Bandwidth contributor Paulette Mensah talked with Haynesworth about her research, the state of black hangouts on U Street NW and whether D.C. schoolchildren are being taught enough about U Street’s history. Here are snippets from their conversation. —Ally Schweitzer

This interview, conducted by Paulette Mensah, has been edited for length and clarity.

Bandwidth: What circumstances led to you starting the “Black Broadway on U” project?

Shellée Haynesworth: My grandparents both grew up in the U Street corridor. That’s where black D.C. [was] because of redistricting, segregation and housing laws. We got pushed out of Georgetown. So one day I was driving [my grandmother] on U Street, and she was like, ‘Oh my God,” and started telling the story of what was here and what they did. That influenced me to get out and do something because [the neighborhood] was changing rapidly.

Haynesworth’s grandmother (center, age 12) with her parents when they moved to 936 Westminister St. NW from Louisiana, circa July 1932 (Courtesy Shellée Haynesworth)

I feel like a lot of people in my age group — in their 20s and younger — don’t necessarily understand the history of U Street.

Exactly. And I don’t like to make blanket comments about African Americans, our people, but I just don’t think we care enough, you know? And I think it’s that institutional knowledge — that knowledge we just don’t pass down. Because it’s painful for some people. On this project journey, I’ve had older people tell me that it’s too sad, no one wants to talk about it. Well, we need to talk about it, and we need to celebrate it. That’s really my goal, and I’m trying to get more funding [to help tell a] deeper story… so I can create more content that supports and reflects why this community was significant to black America at large, not just D.C.

How do you do your research?

My goal is to tell the authentic story [from] people who lived through the history, so a lot of the information I’ve gotten from people I’ve interviewed. Historically, [black history] hasn’t been a priority when you look at these American institutions. They don’t document it unless it’s to their benefit. So I discover places that aren’t listed anywhere, people that live in the community by interviewing a lot of authentic voices. But of course I’ve done the traditional research by reading a lot of books and going down to [historical societies] and the Library of Congress.

What are your thoughts on the recent closure of jazz club Bohemian Caverns and the financial troubles plaguing the historically black Howard Theatre?

We’ve got to get back to understanding that in order for our businesses to survive and thrive, we have to support [them]. And I think by getting a better sense of the culture and history behind some of these places, maybe people will be more inclined to support [them]. I think we’re walking away from this cultural legacy instead of embracing it, you know?

How do you think we should continue to preserve black history on U Street?

We need to collaborate, the African-American community. I think what happens is there are so many things happening every day, there’s this issue, there’s crime, there’s this — so somehow, we’ve got to realize that everything is important. The people who want to preserve and revive and keep the history alive, somehow we have to collaborate.

[I hope] to get more people to understand why we’ve got to get this history out of the boxes and get people to understand that this was really a significant community, and I think more significant than Harlem. I mean, no disrespect to Harlem, but we didn’t own the Cotton Club and some of the major venues. They were owned by the external community.

“They’re teaching our students here in D.C. about the Harlem Renaissance, but they don’t teach them about the black renaissance in their own backyard.” — Shellée Haynesworth

I’ll just share this little story. I was doing some online research and came across this [image of] Ella Fitzgerald … at 18 years old, at Howard Theatre, performing with Chick Webb. So that just gives you a sense. This is 1935. The story is that Ella Fitzgerald actually won amateur night at 17 at Howard Theatre, and that’s how she hooked up with Billy Eckstine and Chick Webb. But all you hear about is her starting in Harlem. Well, she actually performed here before that — and won amateur night. They were doing amateur night years before they were doing it at the Apollo Theater. And you had folks like Billy Eckstine. He won. And he went to Armstrong High School here in D.C.

They’re teaching our students here in D.C. about the Harlem Renaissance, but they don’t teach them about the black renaissance in their own backyard. Just recently I went to Anacostia High School with Blair Ruble, who wrote a book about U Street. You should’ve seen the kids. They were blown away. Just blown away — because they had no idea.

All-American Insurance Company Parade on U Street (between Vermont and 9th streets), circa 1950. (Scurlock Studio via National Museum of American History)

And there were black [people] thriving in Georgetown long before white people lived there.

Yes, and Anacostia. So my goal is to show our people that even in the midst of this gentrification — which in my opinion is like the second coming of what we experienced in black Washington in the early 20th century — here’s what we did during that time, and we can do it again. That’s my goal. It’s to inspire, educate and elevate.

“Black Broadway on U: Echoes of an Area” takes place May 7 at Mulebone Restaurant. Explore the project on blackbroadwayonu.com. Top photo: Ave Marie Odell (center, DCPS educator) with family and friends at the Lincoln Colonnade Ballroom, formerly located underneath the Lincoln Theatre, circa 1940s. (Gina Strange Family via Black Broadway on U Archives)

On ‘How We Ride,’ Da Kid Emm Celebrates The Simple Joys Of Summer

Paulette Mensah — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 15:00:02 +0000

A breezy banger in the vein of Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “Summertime,” Da Kid Emm‘s “How We Ride” looks ahead to the summer solstice.

The track is the Maryland emcee’s latest single following his sophomore project, Preparing 4 the Mirror, and like the best summer anthems, it’s seasonal but timeless. The lyrics tell a simple story: The narrator gets fresh before leaving the house, chills on the porch with friends and hits up a bar later that night. It’s the kind of carefree narrative recognizable to anyone who’s been through their 20s.

But for Da Kid Emm — real name Michael Yeboah — writing “How We Ride” wasn’t just a matter of conjuring a feeling. There’s craft here, too.

“I still focus on bringing my songs full circle,” says the 27-year old artist, a Gaithersburg native who now lives in Westminster, Maryland. “I want you to never lose sight of what the song is about, and it kind of clicks in those last few lines right before going back into the chorus again.”

Da Kid Emm believes that a song’s message should be easily conveyed and relatable — and if performers want to get their music anywhere, the production needs to be on point. “If your track has good lyrics and it’s muffled or don’t match the quality of what’s on the radio, who is gonna hear your or take you seriously?” he says.

It seems Da Kid Emm is being taken seriously: The rapper has shared a stage with Drake, and he recently opened for Dirt Nasty and Mickey Avalon at Baltimore’s Soundstage. He also has a respectable following online — but he doesn’t think his work ends there.

“Social media has people thinking it’s all about followers and likes,” Da Kid Emm says, “but you get exposed as a fake when they see you live or no fans show up to your shows.”

The rapper credits his friends and family with helping him with his career, particularly his girlfriend, who advises him on business. Their efforts appear to be paying off: Da Kid Emm recently signed his first distribution deal as a solo artist, and his music is now available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Music.

The Marylander also has a new single called “Live It Up” on the way, and he plays another gig tonight in Baltimore. He sees every performance as an opportunity to improve his prowess on stage.

“To me it doesn’t matter if I’m opening a show for Future or Jake Miller,” he says. “I treat every show like it’s mine and give my all.”

Da Kid Emm performs March 16 at Ottobar in Baltimore.

They Made It: D.C. Band Black Alley Brings ‘Hood Rock’ To Verizon Center

Paulette Mensah — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 15:52:32 +0000

On the heels of a successful show at this year’s South by Southwest festival in Texas, self-styled “hood-rock” band Black Alley is preparing to play its biggest D.C. gig yet: a slot at the Verizon Center.

Tonight, the D.C. band opens the Radio One Holiday Jam with Grammy-winning vocalist Jill Scott, R&B group New Edition and songwriter/producer Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. It’s the latest step in the band’s progression from small neighborhood venues to big stages.

Black Alley has steadily played local spots like Bar 7 and the shuttered Indulj, moving up to larger venues including Merriweather Post Pavilion and now, the nearly 20,000-capacity sports complex in downtown D.C.

“Verizon Center was on my bucket list, so for it to come this soon is amazing,” says Black Alley’s Josh “Josh on Bass” Hartzog.

It’s a major plus that headliner Jill Scott “is someone we all listened to growing up,” Hartzog says. “Just to be on the same stage as her is pretty dope.”

A hybrid of rock and R&B, Black Alley has never lay claim to one genre. But its heart is in go-go. The band appreciates that Scott is no stranger to D.C.’s homegrown sound: she brought go-go swing to “It’s Love,” a highlight on her 2000 debut album, and she recorded with go-go godfather Chuck Brown before his death in 2012.

Go-go has been on a slide in the D.C. region, with gentrification taking a toll on the scene and local law enforcement cracking down on venues that host the music. Black Alley pays homage to the genre inside its chameleonic tunes.

“We are lucky that we can cater to more crowds and slide go-go in,” says drummer Danny “Animal” Henderson.

For Black Alley, getting to the Holiday Jam has required a lot of diligence. They take it “one show at a time,” Henderson says.

Authenticity may have played a role, too, says lead singer Kacey Williams.

“I feel like if you are going to enter the music scene in D.C., you really have to be honest and do what you feel is right for you with the music, as opposed to doing what people expect,” Williams says. “Because I feel like D.C. fans — more than any other — can tell when you’re faking.”

Black Alley is currently working on a followup to its 2012 debut album, SOUL.SWAGGER.ROCK.SNEAKERS. It’s expected out before the end of the year.

Photo courtesy of Black Alley.