Final Project Proposal: Tina Irgang

For my final project, I propose a 3-minute audio slide show on the subject "Capitol Hill: An Unlikely Black History Landmark."
To the casual observer, Capitol Hill is the upscale backyard of the Capitol building, home to wealthy government employees and interns. Few would identify it as a major black history landmark, yet it is home to the city's first school for African Americans, its first independent black congregation and a traditionally black yacht club. In addition, the neighborhood is bordered by the Supreme Court, many of whose decisions changed African American life forever (Brown vs. Board of Education comes to mind), and Union Station, where black Washingtonians could come for a meal when other public spaces were segregated. I propose to structure the piece chronologically, meaning I would start with the landmark that goes the farthest back and work my way up to the most recent one. I would speak to employees at landmarks such as the Frederick Douglass Museum and Ebenezer United Methodist Church about the neighborhood's black history and also include quotes from neighborhood residents.