Why Statehood? A Poem

sistently, Congress blocks legislation that would help Black DC residents who live East of the River when it comes to easy access to healthcare, housing, and education. The lack of representation due to DC not being a state shows a larger picture of the disenfranchisement of Black Americans. If DC became a state it would become the rst plurality-Black state in the country and would show that Congress is not only there to represent the needs of White America. DC statehood would not only give full representation within our government, but it would work to reverse the systemic inequalities that exist within our government.

The largest argument against DC statehood is that it’s not what the founding fathers intended for DC to be and that it goes against the Constitution. (It’s important to highlight that the founding fathers also did not intend for millions of enslaved Africans to be set free.) While the point is a fair one, it can easily be circled around. The proposal that accommodates that argument is to carve out the federal area of DC as its own self-governing independent territory and leave the rest of the District as a new state. Under a new name, possibly the “State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth,” it would not be in contradiction to what the Constitution states as it would be separate from what the capital is.

In conclusion, to e ectively carry out a true democracy, the voice and representation of all citizens are crucial. DC statehood, in the wake of a bipartisan vote, will not only greatly bene t DC residents but it would also ensure that our Congress is carrying out its duty to represent all voices, especially the voices of a predominantly Black territory. While several points can be made against DC statehood, ultimately they fall short of providing any alternatives or concrete reasoning as to why DC shouldn’t be a state. The only thing stopping DC from becoming a state is the continued refusal of Republican representatives to accept the needs of 700,000 United States Citizens. DC statehood is the only path to pave true equity and inclusion within our government.

Noah McBride is a high school student and Ward 7 resident. This essay won the Anacostia Coordinating Council’s DC Statehood Essay Contest. It has been lightly edited for space. ◆

Why Statehood?

A Poem

by Nevaeh Andrew-Boggs

Why Statehood ? Statehood is important to me, Nevaeh Anthony-Boggs DC Is a City and Growing up that’s all I thought it could be, Being a city we don’t have a voice, We are left being disappointed and don’t have a choice, Why Statehood? Let me show you We pay more federal taxes then other states do, If we become a state, things will change, More funding, More Programs, Less Violence, Less Pain, It’s time for the government to right this wrong, It’s best that I educate you through this Poem, The Cares Act $755 million that our city was denied, “Because You aren’t a state” They Implied. We don’t have the same voting rights as other states do, We don’t have a voting member of Congress, Which is a mistake too. I hope that I can open your eyes to Statehood, District of Columbia, The place that’s misunderstood.

Nevaeh Andrew-Boggs is the rst-place winner of ACC’s East of the River Youth Voices for Statehood. She is a Ward 7 residentand recent graduate of Dunbar High School. ◆