It’s a new year and D.C, Mayor Muriel Bowser wants to help instill in residents some old-fashioned District pride.
The mayor has put out a call for those residing in the nation’s capital to give their story about what the District of Columbia means personally to each individual.
“Today, our city is 700,000 Washingtonians strong,” Bowser notes on a new website, www.dc2me.com, dedicated to receiving responses from various platforms using the hashtag DC2Me.
“That’s 700,000 reasons to love D.C., and 700,000 dreams for the future of our city. Let’s bring them together,” Bowser said.
The site goes on to note, “what would you do if you were not afraid to fail? That’s the question we will ask ourselves for the next four years. That’s how we’ll challenge ourselves to think big — to go big or go home.”
The mayor promises to build at least 6,000 units of affordable housing and to continue to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring.
“We will continue to make historic investments in public education because public schools are still the great equalizer in our society,” Bower writes.
Using the #dc2me, Corey Holman wrote that it means, “living in a D.C. that walks the walk when it comes to transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to D.C. Police Department conduct.”
Another District resident, Richard Livingstone, tweeted, “after learning I was on the way to the convention center for Mayor Bowser’s inauguration, [an] Uber driver turned down [the] music and gave me an earful. An earful of wonderful ideas and support for another four years.”
Twitter user Kimberly D of Ward 7 wrote, “#DC2ME means more east of the river love,” while Jim Slattery and others retweeted, “#DC2ME is a city that steps up when others step down.”
Sylvie Bello of Ward 2 wrote: “#DC2ME means stronger African immigrant communities, DC language access, and Cameroon policies.”
Organizations such as the ACLU of DC and the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs and emicfilms also chimed in.
“It’s hard to ignore the vibrant murals painted on the side of busy streets or tucked away between alleys. It’s a part of D.C. that makes certain corners memorable and filled with life,” wrote officials at emicfilms.
Finally, Bowser noted that, “Together, we’re going to ensure that Washington, D.C., continues to be a city that works for all Washingtonians.”
To participate, go to www.dc2me.com or use the hashtag #DC2ME on social media platforms.