"In the 19 years I’ve been teaching DC history to high school students, my scholars have used Washington History to investigate their neighborhoods, compete in National History Day, write and produce plays based on real-life historical characters. They’ve grappled with concepts such as compensated emancipation, the 1919 riots, school integration, and the evolution of the built environment of Washington, DC. I could not teach courses on Washington, DC history without Washington History."
—Bill Stevens, a DC public charter school teacher
Washington History is the only scholarly publication devoted exclusively to the history of our nation’s capital. First published in 1989, the magazine replaced the Records of the Columbia Historical Society (1897-1989). Washington History is filled with scholarly articles edited for the general reader. It is written and edited by distinguished historians and journalists, offering a rich array of images as well as reviews and short features.
The full run of Washington History is cataloged in the Library catalog. Full-text access to Washington History is accessible through JSTOR, the online service that preserves the scholarly record and that is accessible via a free registration. (Members: see our guide to accessing Washington History). The current and past issues are available for purchase in the DC History Center Store and at area book stores. The magazine is mailed to members as a benefit of Membership Plus level membership in the DC History Center.
The full run of Washington History is cataloged by issue and article title in the Kiplinger Research Library catalog. The catalog records do not currently include more robust search or subject terms. This means that a general search of the catalog for an author's name or a word included in an article title or subtitle will show relevant Washington History articles in search results. The catalog record will then provide a link to access the full-text of the article via JSTOR (see JSTOR Database).
Full-text access to Washington History is accessible through JSTOR, the online service that preserves the scholarly record and that is accessible via a free registration. JSTOR is also available with a DC Public Library card as well as via many local schools, colleges and universities.
It is also a benefit of membership with the DC History Center. Members: see our guide to accessing Washington History online.
“Meeting the Moment” came together in the summer of 2020 as a response to the global pandemic and ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.
Washington History challenged DC historians to look back into their research and ask: what could DC’s past tell us about how we arrived at this moment? What are this moment’s implications for our next steps as a community?
Their essays probe the old structures and experiences, dating back to the District’s founding, that shape our present. The essays are presented in four sections:
Politics of DC Spaces
Democracy in DC Streets
Activists
Law, Order, Democracy
Capital Power: Intersection Corner of Marginalization and Emancipation, by Christopher Klemek
Does DC protest matter?
Lafayette Square: The People's Park, by Matthew R. Costello
Where Americans gather to protest
President's Park: From Free to Fortified, by Thomas E. Luebke
Designing for public access and presidential security
Black Lives on 16th Street, by John DeFerrari
19th century Black presence
Unfinished Business in a Divided City, by Mara Cherkasky
The lingering impact of race-based housing policy and practice
Black Freedom's Lincoln Spaces, by Derek Gray
Interpreting the memorials to Lincoln
The Chocolate State, by Brandi Thompson Summers
Attaching Statehood to Black Lives Matters
1848: The Pearl, by Mary Beth Corrigan
Enslaved Washingtonians caught escaping, riots ensue
1919: Defending Black Lives, by David F. Krugler
White mobs and police riot against Black community and are repelled
1932: The Bonus March, by Jennifer D. Keene
President Hoover's DC Commissioners order police, assisted by U.S. military, to forcibly break up peaceful protest encampment
1971: Mayday, by Lawrence Roberts
President Nixon's men authorize army to break up anti-Vietnam War protests
1991: Mount Pleasant, by Patrick Scallen
Latino and Black young people battle police after inebriated man shot by an officer
My Life Then and Now, by E. Ethelbert Miller
The poet, writer, and literary activist recalls his political awakening
Defending Tenants in the Midst of a Plague, by Amanda Huron
How the 1918 flu pandemic resulted in rent controls
Black Health Matters, by Mary-Elizabeth B. Murphy
Dr. Ionia Rollin Whipper, Black health disparities, and voting rights
"I Would Carry a Sign" : Black Youth Challenge Jim Crow, by Paula C. Austin
Tracking children as political actors
Organizing Howard, by Joshua M. Myers
Roots of the 1989 protest that forced Lee Atwater off Howard's board of trustees
Science and Freedom, by Rachel Watkins
The fallacy of biological differences along racial lines
Say Their Names, by Sarah Jane Shoenfeld
A century of Black people killed by DC police
The Silence of the Founders, by Kenneth R. Bowling
The missed opportunity to abolish slavery in the Constitution
Suing for Freedom in Washington,by William G. Thomas III
Survey uncovers more than 500 lawsuits by enslaved people in DC challenging legality of slavery
Race, Policing, and Reform, by Kate Masur
Racist policing rooted in its role as a means to protect private property and regulate the poor.
Learning from Our Ancestors, by Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove
Seizing opportunities to address racial inequality in policing
1968 Courts, Curfews, Citizens, by Kyla Sommers
Washingtonians volunteered to assist the thousands arrested for looting, rioting, and curfew violation in 1968
DC Black Radical Politics and Federal Law and Order, by Lauren Pearlman
How federal law-and-order measures undermined DC Black leaders and activists in the 1960s
Fulcrum in the Federal System, by Bell Julian Clement
Washington's unique place within the federal system made the protests of June 2020 powerful
New Institutions, Better History, by Eric S. Yellin
Seizing the opportunity to tell a fuller, more truthful history beyond stories of "great men"
Justice in the Public Square, by Howard Gillette, Jr.
How urban policy continues to transform the District and disrespect its African American communities
Washington History includes Teachable Moments, which are short articles are designed for classroom use. They take a single local primary source and explore its historical context with DCPS curricular needs in mind. These Teachable Moments address issues such as compensation emancipation, racial covenants, and the civil rights era.
"The Winding Path to Freedom under the District of Columbia Emancipation Act of April 16, 1862" by 
“For Real Hometown Understanding, Start with Real Estate Maps" by 
“The Rage of the Civil Rights Era” by 
“Moving Buildings: The Case of the Burrows Farmhouse" by 
““Blockbusting” and Racial Turnover in Mid-Century D.C." by 
"Mobilizing the Community in an Era Before Social Media" by 
"Demanding the Vote for Black Majority DC: Dr. King’s Home Rule Tour" by Washington History features profiles of people who have made their mark on Washington, DC. These are presented in several formats, from long feature articles exploring the individual's role in key moments in history, to Milestones written soon after a prominent person's death, to short columns known as Person of Interest. Person of Interest columns are brief, original profiles of noteworthy, often lesser-known figures in Washington history. Regardless of format, each of these articles is peer-reviewed and provides extensive biographical information on key figures in local history.
Explore the selection of Washington History profiles that highlight Black Washingtonians who made their mark as educators, musicians, historians, politicians, physicians, lawyers, and activists. These profiles feature well-known figures as well as individuals whose names are ready to be rediscovered. 
Benjamin Banneker
Bedini, Silvio A. "The Survey of the Federal Territory: Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker." Washington History 3, no. 1 (1991): 76-95. www.jstor.org/stable/40072968.
Marion Barry
Asch, Chris Myers, and George Derek Musgrove. "Marion S. Barry, 1936-2014." Washington History 27, no. 1 (2015): 66-67. www.jstor.org/stable/43229922.
Perry Carson
Asch, Chris Myers. "Person of Interest: Perry H. Carson." Washington History 28, no. 1 (2016): 14-15. www.jstor.org/stable/43799314.
Charles Drew
Love, Spencie. ""Noted Physician Fatally Injured": Charles Drew and the Legend That Will Not Die." Washington History 4, no. 2 (1992): 4-19. www.jstor.org/stable/40073067.
Lillian Evanti
Smith, Eric Ledell. "Lillian Evanti: Washington's African-American Diva." Washington History 11, no. 1 (1999): 24-43. www.jstor.org/stable/40073357.
Ellington, Edward Kennedy “Duke”
Hasse, John Edward. "Washington's Duke Ellington." Washington History 26 (2014): 36-59. www.jstor.org/stable/23728369.
Louis Edwin Fry, Sr.
Bird, Betty. "Louis Edwin Fry, Sr. 1903-2000." Washington History 12, no. 2 (2000): 71-72. www.jstor.org/stable/40073542.
Loretta Carter Hanes
Musgrove, George Derek. "Loretta Carter Hanes, 1926–2016." Washington History 29, no. 1 (2017): 66-67. www.jstor.org/stable/90007377.
George E. C. Hayes
Redmann, Gail. "Papers of George E.C. Hayes." Washington History 9, no. 2 (1997): 80-82. www.jstor.org/stable/40073300.
James Oliver Horton
Corrigan, Mary Beth. "James Oliver Horton, 1944–2017." Washington History 30, no. 1 (2018): 64-65. www.jstor.org/stable/90021509.
Louise Daniel Hutchinson
REINCKENS, SHARON A. "Louise Daniel Hutchinson, 1928-2014." Washington History 27, no. 1 (2015): 67-68. www.jstor.org/stable/43229923.
Elizabeth Keckly
Reynolds, Virginia. "Slaves to Fashion, Not Society: Elizabeth Keckly and Washington, D.C.'s African American Dressmakers, 1860–1870." Washington History 26, no. 2 (2014): 4-17. www.jstor.org/stable/23937711.
Gail Sylvia Lowe
HENSON, PAMELA M. "Gail Sylvia Lowe, 1950-2015." Washington History 27, no. 2 (2015): 72-73. www.jstor.org/stable/43588163.
Mark Mack
Belcher, Mary. "Mark Mack 1961-2012." Washington History 24, no. 2 (2012): 15960. www.jstor.org/stable/41825440.
James A. Miller
Jackson, Maurice. "James A. Miller, 1944-2015." Washington History 28, no. 1 (2016): 70-71. www.jstor.org/stable/43799325.
James Madison Nabrit
Anderson, Carl E. "James Madison Nabrit, Jr. 1900-1997." Washington History 10, no.
1 (1998): 71-73. www.jstor.org/stable/40073316
Steven Cameron Newsome
Hall, Robert L. "Steven Cameron Newsome 1952-2012." Washington History 24, no. 2 (2012): 155-56. www.jstor.org/stable/41825438.
George Pointer
Torrey, Barbara Boyle, and Clara Myrick Green. "Free Black People of Washington County, D.C. George Pointer and His Descendants." Washington History 28, no. 1 (2016): 16-31. www.jstor.org/stable/43799315.
Dorothy Porter
Bhan, Esme. "Dorothy Louise Burnett Porter Wesley 1904-1995." Washington History 8, no. 1 (1996): 88-89. www.jstor.org/stable/40073201.
Mary Johnson Sprow
Clark-Lewis, Elizabeth, and Mary Johnson Sprow. "Duty and "Fast Living": The Diary of Mary Johnson Sprow, Domestic Worker." Washington History 5, no. 1 (1993): 4665. www.jstor.org/stable/40073111.
Henry O. Tanner
Mathews, Marcia M. "The Art of Henry O. Tanner." Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 69/70 (1969): 443-59. www.jstor.org/stable/40067722.
Walter E. Washington
Wells, Donna M. "Walter Edward Washington (1915-2003): A Photo Tribute." Washington History 16, no. 1 (2004): 4-15. www.jstor.org/stable/40073578.
Ann Marie Weems
Russell, Hilary. "Underground Railroad Activists in Washington, D.C." Washington History 13, no. 2 (2001): 28-49. www.jstor.org/stable/40073373.
George Henry White
Justesen, Benjamin R. "George Henry White and the End of an Era." Washington History 15, no. 2 (2003): 34-51. www.jstor.org/stable/40073604.
Garnet C. Wilkinson
Hamilton, Tikia K. "The Cost of Integration: The Contentious Career of Garnet C. Wilkinson." Washington History 30, no. 1 (2018): 50-60. www.jstor.org/stable/90021506.
John Francis Nicholas Wilkinson
Demers, Daniel J. "John Francis Nicholas Wilkinson." Washington History 29, no. 1 (2017): 84-83. www.jstor.org/stable/90007388
These articles explore the civic activism of Black individuals and coalitions across many fronts, including the fight for statehood, the integration of public schools, desegregating public accommodations, and housing segregation.
Musgrove, George Derek. "“Statehood Is Far More Difficult”: The Struggle for D.C. Self-Determination, 1980–2017." Washington History 29, no. 2 (2017): 3-17. www.jstor.org/stable/90015019.
Haskins, Faye P. "The Art of D.C. Politics: Broadsides, Banners, and Bumper Stickers." Washington History 12, no. 2 (2000): 46-63. www.jstor.org/stable/40073539.
Roe, Donald. "The Dual School System in the District of Columbia, 1862-1954: Origins, Problems, Protests." Washington History 16, no. 2 (2004): 26-43. www.jstor.org/stable/40073395.
Dark, Okianer Christian. "The Role of Howard University School of Law in Brown v. Board of Education." Washington History 16, no. 2 (2004): 83-85. www.jstor.org/stable/40073398.
Crooms, Lisa A. "Race, Education and the District of Columbia: The Meaning and Legacy of Bolling v. Sharpe." Washington History 16, no. 2 (2004): 14-22. www.jstor.org/stable/40073393.
McQuirter, Marya Annette. ""Our Cause Is Marching On": Parent Activism, Browne Junior High School, and the Multiple Meanings of Equality in Post-War Washington." Washington History 16, no. 2 (2004): 66-82. www.jstor.org/stable/40073397.
Pacifico, Michele F. ""Don't Buy Where You Can't Work": The New Negro Alliance of
Washington." Washington History 6, no. 1 (1994): 66-88. www.jstor.org/stable/40073229.
Carey, Miya. "Becoming “a Force for Desegregation”: The Girl Scouts and Civil Rights in the Nation’s Capital." Washington History 29, no. 2 (2017): 52-60. www.jstor.org/stable/90015025.
Fariello, Elise. "Association for the Study of African American Life and History Turns 100." Washington History 27, no. 1 (2015): 70. www.jstor.org/stable/43229925.
Williams, Melvin R. "A Blueprint for Change: The Black Community in Washington, D. C., 1860-1870." Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 71/72 (1971):
359-93. www.jstor.org/stable/40067781.
Shoenfeld, Sarah Jane, and Mara Cherkasky. "“A Strictly White Residential Section”: The Rise and Demise of Racially Restrictive Covenants in Bloomingdale." Washington History 29, no. 1 (2017): 24-41. www.jstor.org/stable/90007372.
These articles are a jumping off point for examining the contributions of Black Washingtonians to the District's business scene and cultural heritage, through journalism, art, music, faith, photography, and neighborhood life.
Smith, Kathryn S. "Remembering U Street." Washington History 9, no. 2 (1997): 28-53. www.jstor.org/stable/40073294.
Jackson, Maurice. "Great Black Music and the Desegregation of Washington, D.C." Washington History 26 (2014): 12-35. www.jstor.org/stable/23728366.
Wheeler, Pat. "The Washington Informer: Celebrates 50 Years of Positive and Empowering News." Washington History 26, no. 2 (2014): 69-70. www.jstor.org/stable/23937722.
Greene, Dolores Dunmore. "Mount Zion, Washington’s Oldest Black Church, Turns 200." Washington History 28, no. 2 (2016): 65-66. www.jstor.org/stable/washhist.28.2.65.
Fitzpatrick, Michael Andrew. ""A Great Agitation for Business": Black Economic Development in Shaw." Washington History 2, no. 2 (1990): 48-73. www.jstor.org/stable/40073022.
Levey, Jane Freundel. "The Scurlock Studio." Washington History 1, no. 1 (1989): 40-57. www.jstor.org/stable/40072981.
Mintz, Steven. "A Historical Ethnography of Black Washington, D. C." Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 52 (1989): 235-53. www.jstor.org/stable/40067866.
Ruble, Blair A. "Seventh Street, Black D.C.'s Music Mecca." Washington History 26 (2014): Viii-11. www.jstor.org/stable/23728365.
Burwell, Lilian Thomas. "Reflections on LeDroit Park: Hilda Wilkinson Brown and Her Neighborhood." Washington History 3, no. 2 (1991): 46-61. www.jstor.org/stable/40073040.
Cantwell, Thomas J. "Anacostia: Strength in Adversity." Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 49 (1973): 330-70. www.jstor.org/stable/40067747.