The Marion Barry that DC Knew…but Some Won’t Show

Over the weekend, people gathered to commemorate former Mayor, Marion Barry, coined DC’s “Mayor for Life” in his November 23rd death . A blanket of shock and deep sadness swept across the District and many parts of the nation, as residents reflect on the legacy he left in the community.

Marion Barry was a champion for the people. He stood up against injustice in the black community as a civil rights activist and member of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and fought to empower the youth with professional developmental programs and a youth institute. Through these programs, he established himself as a true servant to the community and a political powerhouse in the District. He started food assistance programs for the senior community, and provided home-buying assistance to many.

And with all his accomplishments, moments after his death was announced, rather than the media honoring his accomplishments and his life’s work, they highlighted the former Mayor’s indiscretions. On the day of his death, TMZ ran with a headline describing Councilmember Marion Barry as the “Crack Mayor.” Other media sources also discussed the part of his life ridden with substance abuse. The councilman and former Mayor was arrested for possession of crack after three Mayoral terms, and then returned to DC government in the Ward 8 council seat. After serving on the council briefly, he ran for the Mayoral seat and was elected for a fourth and final term before returning to the council. But in spite of that notorious piece of Barry’s past, those who knew him and benefitted from his activism and service attended a candlelight vigil for him and tell a different story….

 Sheila Bunn:

“It’s a sad day. A void has been left in the community and in the city. Marion Barry was an idol and a great leader. He gave voice to those who felt they didn’t have a voice. He fought for those who thought they had no one to fight for them.”

His legacy:

“In the midst of the storm, he stood and fought no matter what the consequences. He gave life to so many folks in the city including young people like myself. I met Mayor Marion Barry when I was 14 in the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute. And a part of who I am today is in part because of him and the program that he created, and I think a lot of folks in this city can tell that same story.”

Humam Abdulmalik:

“He was the best Mayor Washington, DC ever had. He was a people man. He represented the quote “Government for the People, of the people,” because he was for the people. He loved the people and the people loved him. He cared about them and he was concerned about them. It showed in his actions when he was on the council, and behind closed doors he stood up for the people and he didn’t hold anything back.”

His Legacy: “He’s a strong black man. A man who left a legacy and an example for us to follow. He developed organization and unification to develop an infrastructure within the structure for us and about us. He was a great man”

Kim Harrison:

“There’s Trayon White and several people that he has mentored like myself when we were youth and one of the things that’ll happen now is that we continue to work. It’s going to be very important that we pick up the torch and run with it because God called him home and now we have to step up. As hard as this is for this time period, that’s something that we’ll all have to come together as a family and do….”

His Legacy: “Marion Barry, Mayor for life…he started Pride Incorporated for ex-offenders. He created another program called Step which was also for ex-offenders which allowed for them to get positions in the government after they went through a training in the program. Many people don’t realize that he created those programs. He leaves these as his legacy because they will always be ongoing. I don’t believe those kinds of programs will ever shut down. When you look at that kind of individual who was a civil rights activist, his legacy lives on through his work effort and his ethic for being for the people. He loved us all and he demonstrated that. We don’t care about any of his problems or what he went through personally because everybody does….he just happened to be a public figure. We love him and we will always love him, especially out here in Ward 8.”

Ronald Moten:

“Most people don’t know that without the movement that Marion Barry was a part of, there would be no political (structure). Marion Barry and most people don’t know that he opened a lot of doors for us before he got into politics, and then when he got into politics, he opened more doors.Even though God put us here to leave lessons for other people and even though  some people might look at his transgressions and mistakes against himself for the most part, the thing he showed us is that you cam fall down and get back up. And the other thing he taught me that in politics you have no permanent enemies, no permanent allies and don’t take things so personal. That’s why he was able to survive so long because he was friends with everyone. He was a person who was hard to hate.”

Future for Ward 8: “Time for real leaders to step up. He did his tenure. We need some other leaders with some new energy and we have to step up and do what we have to do to ensure that the people here have good housing and good jobs and that people who want to stay here can afford to stay here by acquiring gainful employment and skills.”

Trayon White:

As the civil rights activist and leader was laid to rest last weekend, those in the city will continue to honor his legacy and what he represented to the people. They will remember their “Mayor for Life” who overcame adversities and scrutiny from the media as he was reelected in spite of his legal troubles.

On November 23rd, at his candlelight vigil, two doves were released in his honor. As soon as they were released, they split and flew to each corner of the top of a building near the vigil. As residents continued to gather to celebrate the life of Marion Barry, the birds sat atop the building.

“That’s Marion Barry’s spirit up there,” some in the crowd said in agreement.

What is your best memory of DC’s “Mayor for Life?”

-Aliyah

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