Black History Month

As the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library celebrates Black History Month, the public landmark is being thrust to the forefront of the homelessness crisis. The public landmark is morphing into a safe haven for the homeless seeking refuge and shelter, particularly since affordable city housing has decreased.

Washington D.C commemorates Black History Month each February and remembers the contributions of African Americans in the United States, with several events and cultural programs. The Nation’s Capital, sometimes referred to as the “Chocolate City”, is home to a large African-American population (49.0% in 2014 according to the United States Census Bureau). This number translates in the cultural identity of the city. From the Martin

One of these events is the Annual Black Film Festival, for which the library inaugurated the 27th installment on February 2nd. Every Tuesday of the month, a movie screening takes place in the library auditorium, addressing some of the issues faced by the African American population and centered around the black community. A wide variety of activities is also set to take place, such as poetry readings, musical presentations and lectures from authors and screenwriters.
The movie of the night was a Spike Lee motion picture called “Chi-raq”, a film that caused commotion and controversy regarding its name. The combination of the words “Chicago” and “Iraq”, referencing the gang violence plaguing the Windy City, wasn’t to everyone’s liking. It was however a highly talked about film that instigated a conversation about the “black on black crime”

A man sat down next to me and introduced himself. As the conversation was flowing, he mentioned he was homeless. “I come here to take my mind off my problems” Archie Boyd, 52, said. “It’s warm; there are toilets and I can watch a movie”. As it turned out, seeking shelter in the library had become a daily routine for him, as well as for dozens of other unsheltered people from the area.
Indeed, public libraries have become provisional shelters for the homeless. A quiet refuge situated in the urban surrounding of Chinatown, the Martin Luther King Memorial Library is no longer solely a center for knowledge and culture. It also provides a safe haven for unsheltered citizens, to rest, use the restroom, seek warmth, and entertain themselves with books, computers and other educational resources.
“I am proud to organize this event every year, this project is my baby” said Turner Freeman, the creator of the Annual Black Film Festival. “It warms my heart to see homeless people come in and enjoy the movies with students or people who come here straight from work” he said.
In fact, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, the District’s principal branch, became one of the stops of a shuttle that provides transportation for many homeless individuals in D.C. They usually gather in front of the building, some of them interacting with each other, while others try to find sleep in a