Local sports fans encouraged to submit stories, lend memorabilia
By Morgan Carpenter
AFRO Intern
mcarpenter@afro.com
As officials prepare for a once-in-a-generation era for local sports, the D.C. Public Library is asking residents to help preserve the stories behind the fervent fan culture in Washington, D.C.
The library officially launched its “D.C. Wants Your Story” campaign on June 30, inviting sports fans to lend memorabilia, photographs and personal stories for “Hail to the Fans: The Spirit of D.C. Sports,” an exhibition scheduled to open in April 2027.
The exhibit comes as the District prepares to host the NFL Draft for the first time in 2027, reopen the renovated Capital One Arena and begin construction on a new space for the Washington Commanders. Library leaders say the exhibition will celebrate not just championship moments, but the everyday fans whose loyalty has shaped the city’s sports identity.
“None of it matters without the fans,” said Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the D.C. Public Library, during the announcement. “This exhibition is about celebrating the people who make D.C. sports what they are.”
Rather than collecting only valuable items, organizers are encouraging residents to submit ticket stubs, jerseys, photographs and other keepsakes that tell a personal story.
Former 25th overall international professional tennis player Hailey Baptiste, a native of Washington, D.C., said she was honored to participate in the announcement, reflecting on how growing up in the District shaped her career.
“I started playing tennis here in D.C., and I also played my first professional WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) match here,” Baptiste said. “That was a career-defining moment for me.”
She credited local fans for helping give her confidence during that match.
“I won that match from the power of the fans and the energy from the fans,” Baptiste told the AFRO. “I give them credit for that first win.”
Baptiste encouraged District residents to continue supporting local athletes.
“We feel the love, even when you think we don’t,” she said. “I’ve gotten so many DMs from fans during my injury. Although I haven’t responded to them all, I do see all of them, and I feel the love.”
She encouraged Washington residents to continue backing local athletes, saying their support has a greater impact than many realize.
“Just keep backing us athletes and keep supporting us,” Baptiste said.
Library officials said the exhibition will highlight the diversity of Washington’s sports community while introducing younger generations to the city’s rich athletic history.
Reyes-Gavilan said the project grew from conversations about what residents needed most after years of division and uncertainty.
“We kept coming back to this concept of joy and community and fellowship,” he said. “What are the things that remind us of our shared humanity? We came to this idea of sports.”
He said the library’s People’s Archive, which preserves the stories of everyday Washingtonians, made the exhibition a natural fit.
“We specialize in telling the story of everyday Washingtonians,” Reyes-Gavilan said. “This is just an extension of that.”
The exhibit will feature programming for children and families in addition to historical displays, with organizers hoping to connect younger sports fans to both past and present generations of Washington athletes.
Marc Barnes, a Washington Nationals mailroom employee who attended the event wearing his 2019 World Series championship ring, said allowing fans to contribute their own stories makes the exhibit especially meaningful.
“I think it’s a beautiful thing,” Barnes said. “It’s beautiful to allow people to come in and contribute and be a part of this process, to honor themselves and the entire community.”
As one of the only Black sports fans and representatives attending the announcement, Barnes said he felt honored to represent both the Nationals organization and the broader D.C. sports community.
“I feel honored to be able to do that,” Barnes said. “I think it should be a sign that we are here.”
Barnes also shared the story behind his World Series ring, explaining that he never expected to receive one because he never considered himself a die-hard sports fan before joining the Nationals organization.
“I didn’t even know I was going to get a ring, to be honest with you,” Barnes said. “Sure enough, I got one.”
Today, the ring remains safely displayed at home rather than on his finger.
“I do not wear this ring,” Barnes said with a laugh. “It’s beautiful, but I just don’t want to lose it.”
Organizers emphasized that all memorabilia loaned to the exhibit will be returned after the exhibition concludes, with contributors receiving credit alongside their stories.
Exhibit leaders are preparing to take in what they expect could be thousands of submissions from sports fans across the District. For more information, visit the D.C. Public Library’s Hail to the Fans website.
Residents can now submit to participate in the exhibit through the library’s online questionnaire, available here.
There are no firm deadlines for submission to participate.
