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via NewsOne.com : G entrifiers have been trying to whitewash Black communities all over the country for decades now. However, one store in Washington, D.C., has unwittingly caused an uprising and now residents in the nation’s capital are fighting back in the best way ever. The Save Chocolate City Protest took place at the historic northwest Washington intersection of 14th and U streets Tuesday night and reportedly had more than 3,000 people in attendance . Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). #MOECHELLA was classic. Three thousand people singing Pretty Girls #DontMuteDC ( via @BackyardBand ) pic.twitter.com/lNljH31ifI — DC Maryland Virginia (@DMVFollowers) May 8, 2019 Dubbed Moechella — a name that combined the Coachella music festival with “ Moe ,” a pronoun for a friend exclusively used in D.C. — the gathering invited people to demonstrate against gentrifiers who have been fighting the city’s native go-go music. D.C.’s paling population was most recently exemplified by a tone-deaf white man who wondered aloud on live TV why Howard University couldn’t just relocate to make room for other people who look like him. View of the latest #DontMuteDC rally ( from 15th & U NW). GoGo keeps on playing . pic.twitter.com/BEsjFL4snF — Molly Mitchell (@mollyemitchell) May 8, 2019 Situations like that united Black D.C. Tuesday night for Moechella. See Also: Gentrified D.C. Tries To Whitewash Chocolate City By Targeting Go-Go Music In case you missed it, a Metro PCS store in the historically Black Shaw neighborhood has been playing go-go music without any complaint for nearly a quarter of a century. But that all changed in March when T-Mobile, Metro PCS’ parent company, ordered an end to the musical tradition. An online petition to keep the store playing its go-go-music was nearing its goal of 10,000 signatures. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit That complaint silenced the music for several days. The hashtag #Don’tMuteDC went viral and there were protests with some local lawmakers joining. Council member Brianne K. Nadeau , who represents Shaw, wrote a letter to T-Mobile’s senior vice president for government affairs outlining the city’s history and go-go’s place in it, the Post said. Mayor Muriel Bowser added her voice to the protest. I’m with you #DontMuteDC Sign the petition: https://t.co/NOhSrDvqky Celebrate DC & Go-Go on Emancipation Day this Saturday: https://t.co/ALN6uKbzCl pic.twitter.com/ZYikLZG0BE — Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) April 9, 2019 By April 10, T-Mobile yielded to the increasing pressure and authorized the Metro PCS store to turn the music back on, the Washington Post reported. John Legere , chief executive of T-Mobile U.S., tweeted his support for the longstanding tradition to continue. I’ve looked into this issue myself and the music should NOT stop in D.C.! @TMobile and @MetroByTMobile are proud to be part of the Shaw community – the music will go on and our dealer will work with the neighbors to compromise volume. https://t.co/qXvwzmc24E — John Legere (@JohnLegere) April 10, 2019 Go-go music, typically described as funky percussion-based instrumentation, is many times compared to a junkyard band (in fact, one of the top go-go groups is called Junk Yard Band ). Protesters feared that the muting of the speakers outside the mobile phone store was just a first step in a larger attack on their culture. Here’s the scene outside Central Communications in Shaw, minutes after @JohnLegere announced the store could turn its go-go back on. Music going, cars honking in support, #DC residents dancing around cameras lining the sidewalk. #DontMuteDC pic.twitter.com/shmN9RZ1FX — Marissa J. Lang (@Marissa_Jae) April 10, 2019 ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : RHOA Star Eva Marcille Is Pregnant With Baby No. 3! [PHOTOS] New Evidence Surfaces In Brittney Taylor’s Case Against Remy Ma Nipsey Hussle’s Sister’s Guardianship Request Over Niece Denied By Judge Follow @TheRSMS
Black Folks In D.C. Are Fighting Back Against Gentrification With #Moechella
