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D.C. Statehood Is More Urgent Than Ever | The Atlantic

January 09, 2021
  • D.C. Policy Center

On January 9, 2021, the D.C. Policy Center’s article, Goodbye to Chocolate City, was cited by The Atlantic:

Though the rapidly gentrifying District is now 46 percent Black and 46 percent white, many still see it as “Chocolate City.” Scaling back democratic protections for Black people has been a hallmark of this administration and the ones it’s modeled itself after. As my colleague Adam Serwer wrote, “Presenting the disenfranchisement of Black Americans as an exercise in good government is one of the most recognizable constants of American history.” D.C. residents consistently support statehood, but national attitudes are just beginning to catch up. As recently as July 2019, a Gallup poll found that only 29 percent of surveyed Americans supported D.C. statehood—even though prior polls indicated widespread support for District residents to have full voting rights. But as of last year, polling showed that 43 percent of respondents supported statehood measures. (Those changes were most noticeable among Democrats, young people, and Black voters.)

Read more: D.C. Statehood Is More Urgent Than Ever | The Atlantic

Related: Goodbye to Chocolate City | D.C. Policy Center

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D.C. Policy Center


Established in 2016, the D.C. Policy Center is a non-partisan research and policy organization committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. Through rigorous research and collaboration, the D.C. Policy Center develops and tests policy ideas, disseminates its findings, and engages in constructive dialogue and debate.

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