Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) may have been banned from consideration in government by the Trump Administration, but banishment does not diminish their value as compass points in the social compact. This week’s column discusses a potpourri of items that each have a connection, however cursory, to DEI.
Communities are reliant on small businesses that often are owned and managed by our immigrant neighbors seeking their American dream. A notable example is Andy Shallal, founder of the popular Busboys and Poets cafes in the metropolitan area. Andy’s new book, “A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets,” outlines the challenges facing an 11-year-old boy from Iraq whose family could not return home when the political winds changed for his diplomat father. Andy had to adjust to a new language, new customs and culture, even new foods. Andy is very frank about navigating, with mixed success, the types of negative encounters that many young immigrants face in America. With grit and perseverance, Andy decided that his path to maturity and success centered around food, but he wanted his food to do more, to bring people together, to stimulate discussion and debate, ultimately to make people think more broadly about community, politics, and geopolitics, especially American interference in the Middle East. Andy’s anger is on display in his book but is consistent for those who have known him for many years. I was disappointed only that his book ends in 2005 when the first Busboys and Poets opened in D.C. He has so many stories to tell; I hope he writes a Part 2.
A younger reader noted concern that Jesse Jackson’s passing, especially during Black History Month, didn’t receive the kind of coverage that the civil rights icon should have gotten. Although illness quieted his voice in the past decade, Jackson worked tirelessly to continue the civil rights work of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others. Like many Black pastors, he was blessed with an ability to communicate, to turn a phrase into a mantra. “I am – somebody” inspired generations of young people to view themselves in a positive light, with a future they could create for themselves and their families. At the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Jackson wowed the delegates, finishing second only to the eventual standard-bearer, Michael Dukakis. As I walked back to my hotel that evening, I noticed a “Jesse” campaign poster on the sidewalk. Whoever dropped it probably rued the loss, as it bears the signatures of civil rights exemplar John Lewis and Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson. The framed poster hangs in our family room where it reminds me of a turning point in this nation’s history, thanks to the unrelenting efforts of Jesse Jackson.
Local residents were alarmed by the January 19 failure of the Potomac Interceptor (PI) sewer line that released hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River. The 54-mile PI carries wastewater from Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and runs from the Dulles area to the tertiary wastewater treatment plant at Blue Plains. The 72-inch pipe that failed is 16 feet below ground, and the break occurred just days before the “snowcrete” blizzard incapacitated the metro area. DC Water crews installed a bypass system with multiple pumps in just five days and no raw sewage flows have occurred since February 9. The break is far downstream of the major drinking water intakes on the river; DC Water monitors six sites daily and bacteria counts from the break have decreased significantly. Additional analysis is needed to determine longer term environmental impacts like harmful algal blooms and fish kills when the weather warms. At present, public health officials caution that people and pets should stay out of the river and wash thoroughly if exposed accidentally. Environmental restoration plans are under review and will begin after the pipe is repaired and sewer flow is restored.