Building Trust through Ongoing Engagement and Key Partnerships
With a local non-profit partner, Building Bridges Across the River, the city of Washington is working to bring together historically disconnected neighborhoods and repair the inequities of past planning policies which displaced 23,000 people, predominantly Black Americans from Southwest Washington. These citizens lost their homes, businesses, and places of worship due to urban renewal, but most importantly their cultural connectivity. Many of these people moved to Ward 7, Ward 8, and the suburbs beyond. As a result, a lingering distrust of city policy exists. Building Bridges Across the River’s mission is to address these inequalities and to try to build trust through community-driven efforts.