On May 25th, the City Tavern Club will be host to an event to kick off an effort to construct a memorial in DC to the middle passage. The evening will feature Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton and the director of the Georgetown African American Historical Landmark Project, Adrena Crockett. It will start at 6:30 pm; sign up by emailing the club at Info@CityTaverndc.org.
This event continues an effort that the City Tavern has undertaken in recent years to reconcile with its past. The tavern was run for many years using enslaved labor, which did not come to an end until DC emancipation in 1862. Helping put a human face to that story, local historian Yvette LaGonterie has traced one particular family’s experience under bondage at the building. The club has installed a permanent display to honor one of that family’s member. Hosting this event is part of that ongoing effort.
Additionally, the City Tavern will host another event the night before at 6:30 pm. This will be a book talk and signing for Dr. Judith Reifsteck. Her book, Memoried and Storied, discusses the four lynchings in the South and how modern discussions of these events can help advance reconciliation and healing.
The Georgetown Metropolitan 