There is something about a crowd that leaves me feeling claustrophobic. Consequently, I try to avoid the Metro at peak times of the day. The same is true of stepping onto an elevation crammed full of people. Leave me out is not only my first thought, it is undeniably my plan of action.
So this morning, I’m in a quandary and there really is no way out. I’ve got several meetings scheduled on Capitol Hill today. The same is true for several of the board members for the organization where I work.
Our board meeting yesterday was in a venue where we virtually had the building to ourselves. There were no lines of people waiting to get into the elevator. Actually, there was no other group meeting in the building. We met at the Charles Sumner School in Washington, D.C. Today the Charles Sumner School serves as a museum, rather than a place of learning. Okay, so I expressed that incorrectly. It is not a venue where children attend school, but it also is a conference center where learning takes place.
I’ve always had an appreciation for historic buildings that have withstood the test of time. The Charles Sumner School was constructed in 1872 and was the first public school to serve African American children in the District of Columbia. The architecture is absolutely amazing.
According to information on the agency’s website: “The building was named for US Senator Charles Sumner, a major figure in the fight for abolition of slavery and the establishment of equal rights for African Americans. Reportedly, Sen. Sumner was opposed to the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the return of fugitive slaves by Union troops. He also fought for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, the creation of a Freedman’s Bureau, the admission of testimony from African Americans in the proceedings of the US Supreme Court, pay for black soldiers equal to that of whites, ad the right of American Americans to use streetcars in the District of Columbia”.
The grandeur of the building and it’s furnishings make it a very comfortable space to meet as a group, host a conference, or simply get in touch with a sense of history that promoted opportunities for learning and advancement.
Unfortunately, the sense of calm and the tranquility of yesterday will be a very different experience today on Capitol Hill. How were we to know weeks ago when we planned our board meeting and begin making appointments, that we were going to have company? We obviously didn’t know.
Today is “SWARM THE CAPITOL – January 29 DAY OF ACTION”. Reportedly the planned and highly publicized “silent non-violent gathering” of people wearing T-shirts, buttons and stickers with strong “Remove Trump” and “No Cover Up” messaging will be hard to overlook. At noon, there is a mass meet-up in the Hart Senate Office Building with other strategic locations to follow including the steps outside the Capitol, the Capitol Visitor’s Center, and the hallways outside the Senate Gallery. Reportedly, “The purpose is to voice outrage about the GOP cover-up and demand Trump’s conviction and removal from office”.
The thought of being in a crowd is less than ideal. Frankly, I’d rather not. The Metro is always overloaded at peak-times. I can only imagine the increased difficulty with the added flow of folks wanting access to the Capitol. The time delay in gaining entry to the Senate Hart Building will take forever with a line of people needing to go through screening.
I went to bed early last night with a headache. I woke up with the same headache this morning. Could it have a relationship to wanting to avoid a crowd? Probably not, but the crowd and the added inconvenience of accessing buildings on Capitol Hill is going to be a nightmare.
Okay, so now you know I’m in Washington an having the time of my life. I’d rather be anywhere else other than in a crowd.
All My Best!
Don