THE ANACOSTIA RIVER - Washington, D.C.
For the well-to-do, there are many miles of beautiful bridle paths in Rock Creek and Potomac parks: the broad river leading down into Chesapeake Bay for yachting and motor-boating; outdoor swimming pools; a polo field or two. For the masses, there are baseball, football, and hockey fields, tennis and badminton courts – on the Ellipse, in Potomac Park and elsewhere. The Potomac and Anacostia Rivers provide swimming and boating facilities for everyone. – Washington, City and Capital (WPA, 1937)
How a river can survive sewage overflow, runoff, and dumping, is a miracle to me. The conditions of the river have greatly improved in the past few years, but there is still a long way to go. The way that a body of water can draw in and connect a community of people that have little else in common is an exceptional thing. Because of this project I met people from age seven to age 70 that have a relationship with the Anacostia. It’s like an artery for the city. I wanted to meet the people who have loved the river through its hard times—the people who treat its banks like a front porch, those who fish and kayak in its waters, and those who are tirelessly working to restore balance to the ecosystem.
I have seen change since I began the project in 2012. But context and history are important to explain that change. The Anacostia neighborhood used to be a suburb of D.C. called Uniontown. In the 1800s there was a restrictive covenant that prevented African Americans from purchasing land there. Frederick Douglass broke that in the 1870s by purchasing the home of the developer of Uniontown. African Americans started buying up land in Barry Farms, just north of Anacostia, as it became an attractive area to move to. In the late 1950s whites began moving out of Anacostia to the suburbs; highways were created; neighborhoods became very segregated, separated from the rest of D.C. by the river. Now, though, East of the River communities are being developed and the cost of living there is rising. Rapid development has already begun on the west banks in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill and especially the Navy Yard.
The completion of the Anacostia Riverwalk trail, which is a recreational trail that runs along the river, and the conception of the 11th Street Bridge Park (envisioned to be kind of like New York’s Highline) are both opening up access to current residents of neighborhoods along the river, but also attracting people from other parts of the city. That’s a good thing, but it’s also important to keep in mind the communities who have been there all along, not just those brought by attractive development.
It took me a year to find someone who would let me photograph them cooking and eating a fish from the river. That was my holy grail, and something that I felt was important to the story just because of the initial inception of the project. Encountering the same people at the river more than once was also difficult. Every time I went to photograph I’d meet new people so it was like I was always starting over. But once I did get to know people better, that was the reward. Whenever someone would let me visit them at home or introduce me to someone new, I felt so honored and it also affirmed for me personally that storytelling is what I want to do. It brought me into a new community. Even if no one looked at this project, being a part of a new-to-me community was worth the effort; it really enriched my life and my understanding of Washington.
Big change is needed, the silt at the bottom of the river is full of pollutants, and that’s not going to go away with just a trash clean-up. But every little bit helps. Every person calmed by the peace of the river in the middle of the capital, every person who discovers that they love fishing or kayaking, every plastic bottle that someone picks up, and every time a plastic bag doesn’t get used in the first place.
Editors note: the above text was excerpted from Becky Harlan’s June, 2015 interview with WPOW|NOW.
Becky’s love of storytelling has been built up through her interest in the arts, museums, community spaces, exploring new cities, and talking to strangers. She currently works as a web producer for National Geographic magazine where she contributes to the photography blog Proof, edits and creates visuals for the food blog The Plate, produces posts for the science blog Phenomena, and occassionally shoots and edits video for the web. She is fueled by the creativity of the photographers she interacts with every day and the way they capture the splendor and complexity of the world.
Though originally from the mountains of East Tennessee, Becky’s family moved to the Netherlands when she was eight where she saw the great Dutch masters and European impressionists. Through that experience she fell in love with art and museums. She also fell in love with exploring new places and cultures. After receiving her BA in Art History from Furman University (where she also discovered the darkroom!), she moved to Houston where she lived in the First Ward and spent time learning how to build community through the arts. This inspired her to return to school to study photojournalism and new media at the Corcoran College of Art & Design, where she completed a Masters degree in May of 2013. She has interned at the The Conservation Fund, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and NPR music. She has also served as an adjunct faculty at the Corcoran College of Art & Design and teaches digital photography to youth at Sitar Arts Center.
Her photography has been recognized by Fotoweek DC, the PDN Photo Annual, and the LUCEO Images Student Project Award. She has photographed for The New York Times, NPR Music, D.C.’s Federal City Council, and the Boys & Girls Club. See more of her work at beckyharlan.com and on Instagram at @beckharlan.
