Southwest in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Equality in Public Education
River Farms to Urban Towers
—Southwest Heritage Trail —
In September 1954, Jefferson was the site of a scene repeated across the city. For the first time, African American students took their seats next to white students in Washington's public schools. The Supreme Court had just ruled that "separate but equal" facilities were unconstitutional, so black students from nearby Randall Junior High all came to Jefferson. Washington's school integration was surprisingly peaceful. Former Jefferson student Carl Cole recalled that integration "had no concerns for me. I had played with white children all of my early life here."
Washington's system of separate schools had required many buildings, but they didn't always meet the needs. In 1954 Southwest had five overcrowded "colored" elementary schools, four under-enrolled white elementaries, and a junior high for each group. When integration began, the school-age population had already declined
Because this street ends at the waterfront, in the 1800s Seventh Street became a commercial thoroughfare. Businesses located themselves here and along Seventh into far Northwest Washington. Omnibuses (wagons pulled by horses) carried passengers up and down Seventh until 1862, when Congress chartered a horse-drawn street railway with a line along Seventh to the wharves.
From 1800 until 1950, Southwest was Washington's largest working-class, waterfront neighborhood. Then beginning in 1954, nearly all of Southwest was razed to create an entirely new city in the nation's first experiment in urban renewal. The 17 signs of River Farms to Urban Towers: Southwest Heritage Trail lead you through the Modernist buildings erected in the 1960s while marking the sites and stories—and the few remaining structures—of the neighborhood that was. Follow this trail to discover the area's first colonial settlers and the waves of immigrants drawn to jobs on the waterfront or in nearby federal government offices.
River Farms to Urban Towers: Southwest Heritage Trail, a booklet capturing the trail's highlights, is available at local businesses along the way. To learn about other DC neighborhoods, visit www.CulturalTourismDC.org.
Erected 2004 by Cultural Tourism DC. (Marker Number 7.)
Marker series. This marker is included in the Southwest Heritage Trail marker series.
Location. 38° 52.872′ N, 77° 1.324′ W. Marker is in Southwest, District of Columbia, in Washington. Marker is at the intersection of 7th Street Southwest and G Street Southwest on 7th Street Southwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 799 7th Street Southwest, Washington DC 20024, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Dr. Dorothy Height (within shouting distance of this marker); Can you identify these famous Civil Rights leaders? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. Dominic Church: Community Anchor (about 800 feet away); Denvel D. Adams (about 800 feet away); Hogate's Rum Bun (approx. 0.2 miles away); Waterfront Commerce (approx. 0.2 miles away); American Ice Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); Washington Kastles (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Southwest.
Also see . . . River Farms to Urban Towers Booklet. (Submitted on October 20, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Categories. • Civil Rights • Education •
Credits. This page was last revised on March 17, 2019. This page originally submitted on October 20, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 95 times since then and 9 times this year. Last updated on March 8, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 20, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.