Shaw in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Shaw Historic Bike Tour
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Past Activists Make Way For Future Greatness
Asbury Dwellings
Howard Theatre
Industrial Bank of Washington
True Reformer
Lincoln Theatre
Whitelaw Hotel
Thurgood Marshall Center
Sweet Daddy Grace
Mary McLeoud Bethune
Carter G. Woodson
Blanche K. Bruce House
[Represented in the center of the mural is Howard University]
[To the left of the symbol for Howard are local schools:]
Seaton [Elementary School] Bumble Bees
Shaw [Junior High School] Hawks
Dunbar [High School] Tide
[To the right of the symbol for Howard University are some local community institutions:]
Chain Reaction Bike Shop "Youth Program"
Shaw Eco Village
Watha T. Daniel Library
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Mary McLeod Bethune series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1982.
Location. 38° 54.765′ N, 77° 1.18′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Shaw. It is on R Street Northwest
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Third Baptist Church (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Reading and 'Riting and 'Rithmetic (about 700 feet away); Grief Turns to Anger (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Doctor Is In (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Howard Theatre Walk of Fame (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cecilia Penny Scott (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Flower Garden of Washington (approx. 0.2 miles away); Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 1, 2020
2. Past Activists Make Way for Future Greatness Marker
More about this marker.
On Shaw Historic Bike Tour:
Historical information associated with each site:
Asbury Dwellings
[A senior citizen housing complex opened in 1982. It was formerly the McKinley Technical High School (a public industrial high school for white students) from 1902 to 1928. In 1928, it became Shaw Junior High School (a middle school for African Americans prior to integration). The school lasted until 1977.]
Howard Theatre
[A concert venue that featured prominent African American artists from 1910 to 1970. It has reopened as a concert venue in recent years.]
Industrial Bank of Washington
[An African-American-owned financial institution that was founded in 1913 as the Industrial Savings Bank. It provided loans to African Americans at a time when many institutions would not.]
True Reformer [Building]
[A building designed by John A. Lankford, believed to be the first African American registered architect in DC. The building was completed in 1903. Duke Ellington gave his first performance here.]
Lincoln Theatre [and Lincoln Colonnade]
[A historic theater that served African Americans when segregation
Whitelaw Hotel
[Built in 1919 as an apartment hotel, it served well-known African American entertainers through the 1960s, and finally closed in 1977.]
Thurgood Marshall Center [for Service and Heritage]
[Originally built to house the first YMCA for African Americans in the country in 1912.]
Sweet Daddy Grace
[The founder of the United House of Prayer of All People, Church on the Rock of Apostolic Faith, also called the Holiness Movement, in 1927.]
Mary McLeoud Bethune
[Founder (in 1935) and first president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), a civil rights organization that emphasized ending lynching and providing education for African Americans. Bethune served as an advisor for African American affairs to four presidents: Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman. The home is now administered as a National Historical Site by the National Park Service.]
Carter G. Woodson
[Known as "the Father of Black History," Woodson, a professor at Howard University, researched the history of African Americans in the United States and created Negro
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 9, 2023
4. Dunbar High School "The First of its Kind!"
Mural on display on the grounds of the National Building Museum for a 2023 exhibit for schools in the District of Columbia.
Blanche K. Bruce House
[Blanche K. Bruce was the first Senator of African American heritage to serve a full term in Congress, from 1875 to 1881.]
On Past Activists Make Way For Future Greatness:
[To the left of the symbol for Howard are local schools which are historically black:]
Seaton Elementary School [founded 1876]
Shaw Junior High School [founded in 1921, and moved in 1928 to what is now Asbury Dwellings at 7th Street and Rhode Island Avenue Northwest]
Dunbar High School [founded in 1870, the first public high school for African Americans in the United States]
[To the right of the symbol for Howard University are some local community institutions:]
Chain Reaction Bike Shop "Youth Program" [The shop, opened in 2001, created a youth program to educate local youth on bicycles, and starting in 2005, the business was managed by Shaw youth.]
Shaw Eco Village [From 1998 until 2007, Shaw EcoVillage delivered betterment programs to Shaw, encouraging community organizing, youth leadership, and sustainability.]
Watha T. Daniel Library [Opened on September 27, 1975, the library was designed and placed with community involvement and serves additionally as a community center where local groups meet, particularly the Watha T. Daniel Senior Citizens Club.]
Also see . . .
1. Asbury Dwellings/Old Shaw Junior High School. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
2. Howard Theatre. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
3. Industrial Bank of Washington. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
4. True Reformer Building. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
5. Lincoln Theatre and Lincoln Colonnade. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
6. Whitelaw Hotel. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
7. Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage/12th Street YMCA Site. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
8. Charles Manuel "Sweet Daddy" Grace Residence. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
9. Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
10. Carter G. Woodson Residence and Association for the Study of Negro Life and History Office. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
11. Blanche K. Bruce and Josephine Beall Willson Bruce. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the building. (Submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
12. Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. African American Heritage Trail, Washington, D.C. profile for the school. (Submitted on June 2, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Spelling of McLeoud from the marker
The spelling of McLeoud is taken verbatim from the marker. Most sources show the spelling of her name as Mary McLeod Betheune.
— Submitted June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
2. Language usage from the marker comments
The use of the term Negro in the interpretation of the mural has only been used in the historical usage of the term, such as organization names. The uses have been italicized to show that these are historical uses of the phrasing.
— Submitted June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 340 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 1, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on July 9, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
