The Root Day of Service
On January 19, 2009, The Root teamed up with the nonprofit group Washington Parks & People to sponsor a clean-up of Northeast Washington's Marvin Gaye Park in honor of the Martin Luther King Holiday. Check out photos of this project, part of the urban green movement which seeks to create jobs, reduce crime, educate young people and promote public health through the revitalization of natural spaces.
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Let's Get it OnPHOTOS BY AARON ROBERTS
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Honoring a KingA detail from a painting of Marvin Gaye taken from inside the Riverside Center in Northeast Washington, D.C., where nearly 200 volunteers from around the country gathered in honor of the Martin Luther King's Holiday. Volunteers squeezed in the service project before the historical inauguration of Barack Obama the next day.
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Down by the RiversideSnow sprinkled that morning, and many writers and editors from The Root were recovering from The Root's Inaugural Ball the night before. Still, nearly 200 volunteers from across the country came out to the Riverside Center, at 5200 Foote Street N.E., Washington, D.C. for the park clean-up.
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An Idea Takes RootHealth activist and PhD student Autumn Saxton-Ross gives instructions to volunteers. The week before, the Huffington Post asked Autumn write an essay about how she came up with the idea for the service project.
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Heritage ParkWashington Parks & People founder Steve Coleman points to the map of a 1.6 miled African American heritage trail located in the park that is formerly known as Watts Branch. Also along the trail is the King sanctuary, a green house located where Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech in 1961 urging D.C. residents to take part in a sit-in downtown.
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Marvin Gaye Park MapClose-up of the trail that volunteers hiked during the clean-up.
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Finding Our RootsThe Root Associate Editor Natalie Hopkinson welcomes volunteers from the stage where Marvin Gaye gave his first performance. Hopkinson and Coleman discussed the larger urban green movement in a live chat with Washingtonpost.com readers.
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Marvin Gaye's HouseAn old photo of Marvin Gaye's former home, located steps away from the park. The city razed the structure in 2004, along with the rest of the public housing project where Gaye lived as a teenager. The outcry over the demolition inspired the city to rename the adjoining park in the singer's honor in 2006.
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Before the Cleanup....The group had quite a job on our hands.
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Sign Me UpLatavia Savage, of Chicago, Ill. manned the sign-in table, where volunteers got The Root Day of Service T-shirts.
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The Riverbank -
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New Life for the Crystal LoungeIn 2004, the nonprofit group Washington Parks & People, bought the Riverside Center, the building formerly known as the Crystal Lounge where Marvin Gaye gave his first public performance. In addition to a Saturday farmer's market, the adjoining 1.6 mile nature trail hosts children's nature programs, gardening plots, and training for "green jobs."
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Renewing AmericaThis event was among the thousands listed on the Presidential Inauguration Committee Web site, which helped to draw volunteers from Santa Barbara, Calif., Springfield, Oh., Memphis, Tenn., and Newark, N.J.
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Sisterly ServiceA batch of local AKAs came out to support. Their local chapter also donated $200 for supplies.
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Wade in the WaterVolunteers put on hip boots and waded in the stream to pick up trash.
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Mini VolunteersThis family from Washington, D.C. showed it's never too early to start giving back.
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Mattresses and TiresVolunteers fished out everything from a motorcycle, to tires to a mattress that was dumped in the park by motorists. Despite this rich history, Marvin Gaye Park is one of the most neglected green spaces in the city, far from the white marble monuments most Washington tourists see.
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Fishing Branches from the StreamSeveral fallen branches had to be pulled from the stream.
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Getting There -
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Working up an AppetiteSubway restaurant donated 200 sandwiches for volunteers of all ages. Krispy Kreme provided hot donuts, and Coca Cola Co. provided Fuse soft drinks for everyone who came out.
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Kennedy School RepresentsThis group of volunteers are alumni of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in town for the inauguration festivities.
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Tossing It -
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Memphis FamilyRaking up leaves directly across the street from the Riverside Center near the Marvin Gaye Amphitheatre.
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Working it Out -
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Refueling -
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Coming in from Texas -
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Ohio BrothersGetting marching orders from the Riverside staff.
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Raking it In -
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Recycling TiresDumping auto parts is never a good look, because someone has to clean up the mess.
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Making a Difference -
31 of 31 THANK YOU!!From Left to Right: Autumn Saxton-Ross, Natalie Hopkinson, Steve Coleman, The Root Managing Editor Lynette Clemetson and The Root Publisher Donna Byrd celebrate the end of an exhilirating day. Thanks to everyone who came out on this historic weekend, and long live the spirit of Martin Luther King!
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