Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Hosts First-Ever Black History Month #CBCFInstaMeet

Hashtag: #CBCFInstaMeet

As the weather slowly gets warmer, we are eager to take advantage of this Saturday’s 64-degree forecast to capture the rich history of African-American sites during a tour along the U Street Corridor. In celebration of Black History Month, our first-ever InstaMeet tour will feature three significant, African-American historical sites: Ben’s Chili Bowl, the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and New Bethel Baptist Church.

Site #1
11 a.m., Ben’s Chili Bowl
1213 U St NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20009
U Street Metro

In 1958, Ben and Virginia Ali decided to create an original chili recipe that became favored by Bill Cosby, Dr. Cornell West, U2’s Bono and President Barack Obama. Ben’s is one of the many U Street establishments that survived the 60s race riots and U Street gentrification.

Site #2
12 p.m., African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation
1925 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
U Street Metro

In the heart of U Street is a museum dedicated to over 200,000 United States Colored Troops (USCT) that fought for the Union in the United States Civil War. The museum is home to Civil War memorabilia, such as photographs from the 1860s.  One of the most interesting features is the African American Civil War Freedom Foundation Registry. More than 2,000 USCT descendants have submitted family trees, letters and other documents to the registry. With a little help from the museum, you may find that you are related to Sgt. William Harney Carvey, a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient.

Site #3
12:45 p.m., New Bethel Baptist Church
1739 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Shaw-Howard Metro

Last on the itinerary, we will visit one of D.C.’s most famous churches, New Bethel Baptist Church (NBBC). NBBC was founded in 1902 by seven members who were dedicated to the African-American community’s growth and development through activism.

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Throughout the tour, participants will post photos highlighting the experience to their Instagram accounts using the hashtag #CBCFInstaMeet. Follow the tour and share your thoughts surrounding your own experiences at the sites using the #CBCFInstaMeet hashtag.

Black History Month is an open invitation for all people to learn about African Americans in the United States. Follow and mention @CBCFInc on Instagram and Twitter.