Free DC Mobilizes to Protect DC Home Rule
by Larry Janezich
Posted March 3, 2025
Here’s the scene at As You Are on Sunday afternoon, as attendees listen to Free DC organizer Alex Dodds.
Here’s a detail of Dodds rallying the crowd.
A Free DC volunteer makes signs for the campaign.
Sunday afternoon, Free DC held its first Ward 6 meeting on Barracks Row’s at As You Are. Event organizer Alex Dodds said that the purpose of the gathering to kick off the Home Rule effort was a and introduction and a “celebration with our Ward Six team.” More than a hundred supporters crowded into the second story of As You Are to express solidarity, interact, and to cheer approval as they listened to Dodds assert DC’s right to self-determination.
Asked for comment, Dodds said “Free DC is a new campaign to protect home rule and win dignity for people in communities of the District. Free DC is organizing in all eight wards, mobilizing people to protect ourselves from this administration and this congress.” The movement, she said, “started two years ago during the overturning of the Revised Criminal Code – Congress disapproved of a DC law for the first time in over 30 years, and no matter how you felt about that legislation, we felt very strongly that it was the right and responsibility of the people of the DC to decide the laws here. So a lot of the organizers who are involved now first started organizing two years ago when that happened. “
As for next steps, Dodds said, “For anyone interested in joining our effort you can come to one of our campaign organizing meetings – we provide an overview of our strategy and how to get involved. They happen every other week alternating in person and on line.” The next Ward Six meeting is Tuesday, March 11th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm in North East Library.
Free DC is a special non-profit project of Community Change, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and Community Change Action, a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization. It’s co-founders are Alex Dodds, founder and lead strategist for the public relations and campaign firm Worthy Studio; Nee Nee Taylor, Executive Director of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams; Kelsey Adams, co- director of DC Vote; and Keya Chattergee, member, Evergreen Advisory and Governing Boards and Executive Director of US Climate Action Network.
For more info, go here: https://freedcproject.org/about
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