Community Voice Project Tells Stories of the Anacostia Two
rivers run through Washington, D.C. The Potomac, famous in
history, separates the city from Virginia. The Anacostia,
forgotten by history, divides the nation’s capital into parallel
universes — one monumental and booming, the other unseen and
struggling. You could call it a tale of two cities. Polluted and
degraded, the Anacostia became a monument of environmental
neglect. But for those who know the river and all its troubles,
the Anacostia has inspired hopes and dreams, culture and
community. And remarkable human stories. Stories like Rodney
Stotts’s. He grew up in southeast D.C., where, often enough, if
you happen to be young and black and male, you learn early about
life. And loss. When Rodney heard about a group called the Earth
Conservation Corps, he signed on as a pioneer member and went to
work trying to restore the river and reintroduce wildlife, like
the bald eagle. Several years into it, four of his coworkers
were murdered—strangled, shot, k