By Alexis Taylor
AFRO Managing Editor
On May 19, Eaton House came alive as native Washingtonians of all backgrounds came together to celebrate local heritage and hometown pride at “Ask a D.C. Native, Live!” The interactive trivia event brought the spirit of Christina Sturdivant Sani’s beloved “Ask a D.C. Native” column to life, just ahead of the annual D.C. Natives Day observance on May 20.
Hosted by Dwayne Lawson-Brown, with team captains Rhonda Henderson and Crystal Mayanja leading the charge, the evening blended spirited competition with storytelling, laughter and recognition of the city’s rich cultural identity. The event was supported by AFRO News, AVAD, LLC and The 51st, and welcomed both longtime residents and recent arrivals alike to join in on the fun.
Beyond the trivia rounds, “Ask a D.C. Native, Live!” served as a meaningful tribute to the individuals and experiences that continue to shape the District. It was a night of connection, celebration and shared love for the city everyone calls home.
Categories for the trivia night included “That Joint Crank,” where attendees were asked to provide the title and D.C.- based artist that created the song snippet provided. Other categories called for participants to identify local communities and landmarks, such as Barry Farm, an area originally designated for African Americans after the Civil War, and “The Big Chair,” a sculpture first installed in 1959 to promote the D.C. business, Curtis Brothers Furniture.
Lauren Forbes, a 38-year-old District resident and nonprofit manager, said her favorite round of questions came from the “That Joint Crank” portion of the evening.
“Music is connected to the history of D.C. It is ingrained in our culture and we have a unique sound here: GoGo music,” she said. “What other city can say this is our sound?”
Forbes enjoyed the event because she was able to learn something.
“You laugh and you get to meet creative people,” she said.
Nayion Perkins, a 30-year-old D.C. native, said he decided to attend because he was “curious about the program” and wanted to support friends.
“I thought the questions were a good balance of well known things and the bits that might not be so well known,” he said.
Perkins, like Forbes, also really enjoyed the way music was integrated into the event.
“Certain songs you’re familiar with, but you may not know the names of them,” he said, adding that enjoyed learning new things about his city.
“D.C. has a lot of historical facts about how the city was put together,” said Perkins. “I always learn something when I come to things like this.”
One team captain, D.C. native Crystal Mayanja, has seen the District of Columbia change over time.
“I grew up in D.C. when it was Chocolate City,” she said. “We lived in a close knit community and our teachers taught us all about our Black history– from Africa to slavery to civil rights and beyond–and that is not the norm when you speak to other Black people from across the country.”
This D.C. Natives Day, she said she is proud of the District that raised her, even though she now lives in Maryland.
“I have always felt blessed to have grown up here and seen Black excellence from the beginning. It taught me, along with my family, that I can do anything and instilled in me a strong sense of Black pride.” said Mayanja.
Dwayne Lawson-Brown, a poet, author and artist known as the “Crochet Kingpin,” served as host of the inaugural “Ask a D.C. Native, Live!” event. He spoke to what he loves most about the District.
“D.C. is a microcosm of the U.S.,” said Lawson-Brown, who also serves as a community engagement specialist at the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “We are a city that is disenfranchised in many ways–even from the formation– [but] the people have shown resilience in the face of taxation without proper representation. And as D.C. goes, you can see the trends of most major cities.”
A product of Southeast D.C., Lawson-Brown said his city is “uniquely Mid-Atlantic.”
“Depending on where in the city, it can feel southern, or northern,” he said. “Whatever community you are looking for, you can find if you’re willing to search.”
Lawson-Brown hopes people will get out of their “bubbles” and explore the variety of vibrant communities offered in the District.
“We are a historic city beyond the national mall,” he said. “The people and culture have impacted every major cultural medium: Style, music, movies, fine art, theater, politics, business…D.C. folks are in and through it all.”
