Joined by an energetic, enthusiastic group of young people, Gaston, a graduate of Coppin State University in Baltimore who runs his own political consulting firm, is determined to make Ward 8 a better place to live.
Gaston's political interests in the ward are shared by Nathan Bennett-Fleming, 27, a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. and the University of California-Berkeley School of Law in Berkeley, Calif., who made a strong competitive run for the D.C. Shadow Representative office in 2010.
He fell short despite winning impressive endorsements from the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club and key African-American leaders in the city. Bennett-Fleming, who also studied a year at the John F. Kennedy School of Government on a public service fellowship in 2008-2009, said he wanted to get into politics to improve his community.
"I grew up in Anacostia, but I spent so much of my time in Potomac at my school, Saint Andrew's Episcopal, and I saw the disparity between the two areas," Bennett-Fleming, who is running for D.C. Shadow U.S. Representative in 2012," said. "I would like to use my skills to bring those two worlds closer together."
Bennett-Fleming has received political support and counsel from Ward 8 activist Phil Pannell and Hannah Hawkins, who runs Children of Mine, a Southeast non-profit organization that focuses on helping children.
Trayon White was elected to the D.C. State Board of Education representing Ward 8 in April with backing from Barry, the teachers' union, and Wanda Lockridge, the widow of Calvin Lockridge, who represented the ward on the board until he passed away in January. White, 27, is a graduate of Ballou High School in Southeast and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md.
White, who operates HICKS (Helping Inner City Kids Succeed), a non-profit organization in Southeast, said that his interest in the board of education position stemmed from his relationship with the Lockridge family. "I learned through civic engagement that everything is political," White said. "I wanted to join some of my colleagues in the political realm to make a difference in the community."
Markus Batchelor, 18, a former youth mayor of the District, was elected first vice-president of the Ward 8 Democrats in September. Batchelor, who is a graduate of the highly respected Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School in the ward, said he attended that school because of its emphasis on public policy and politics and it was close to home.
Batchelor is a freshman at George Washington University in Northwest and president of the D.C. Statehood Students Association, of which Bennett-Fleming is the executive director. The organization aims to get more students and young adults in the fight for the District to become the 51st state.
Batchelor said his mentors in politics include Pannell and Bennett-Fleming.
Wanda Lockridge, a prominent Democrat in Ward 8 and D.C. politics, said she supports young political leaders.
"To be honest with you, I love them," she replied. "I was their age once, and they bring a whole new element to the ward. They are totally committed and I am ready to pass on the baton to them."
In Ward 8, the dominant political figure, Barry, served four terms as mayor of the city and was first elected to the D.C. Council from the ward in 1992.
"Barry's political career has directly or indirectly fueled the younger generation's activism," Chuck Thies, 46, a D.C. political analyst said. "It is great that you have this political talent coming out of Ward 8," he added. "You have young people in the community in politics that can move the city into the 21st century."
"That is precisely the idea," Batchelor said. "My motivation in getting into politics is to help people, and I love the community. I don't need the recognition or the paycheck. I would do it for free of charge."
One of Batchelor's projects as the first vice president of the Ward 8 Democrats is to set up Democratic clubs at Ballou and Anacostia High Schools.
He said, "Young people in the ward need to become more politically active." He continued saying, "We need to inform young people about the issues and change their mindset regarding politics."
According to Bennett-Fleming, "Political activism among young Americans increased significantly with the 2008 Obama-Biden campaign."
He feels that the enthusiasm and energy generated three years ago is still present among the young people in the ward. It appears that older political leaders are beginning to nurture electoral ambitions of the young.
"I would really like to commend such Ward 8 leaders like Phil Pannell for mentoring us," Bennett-Fleming said. "We want to be good leaders for the ward and the city."
Thies, a fan of Bennett-Fleming said, "I love Nathan Bennett-Fleming. I remember at the 2010 Democratic Party Unity Breakfast, where Vincent Gray, who just defeated Adrian Fenty, for mayor, saw Nathan and hugged and high-fived him. I mentioned to Gray that, hey, you just high-fived a future mayor of Washington." Thies said that Gray laughed and smiled.
"Bennett-Fleming is paying his dues," Thies stated. "Nathan does the work and has the law degree. He worked for [former D.C. Council member Sekou Biddle] and ran for shadow representative. He is young, hardworking, and entrepreneurial and is not just an east of the river guy, but he is a city-wide guy."
Thies acknowledged that Gaston faces a "Herculean task" to beat Barry, but if he does, Gaston "will become a legend. He will be a breath of fresh air. He may be the candidate for some Ward 8 residents who are looking for someone other than Marion Barry."
Thies said that White "has a lot going for him" but that "his connection to Barry may be a problem. When Barry steps down, he may anoint Trayon as his heir apparent, and that will be good in one sense because he will inherit Barry's base."
"On the other hand," he said, "many people who are not for Barry will be less likely to warm to Trayon." White's arrest in September by the D.C. Housing Authority police for unlawful entry, at the Woodland Terrace public housing complex in Southeast, "does not bode well," Thies surmised.
"Young political activists and office holders need to be nourished. I know all of them," Barry said. "I encouraged Darrell to run, and I supported Trayon. It is important for those of us who are older to encourage these young people. They have a[n] important voice in our city."
Ward 8 political leaders admit there needs to be more women in their ranks. "Young females need to be more involved," Gaston said. "We have a city council that has ten men and three women, and that is not right."
Bennett-Fleming said, "The time for political involvement for young people is now. We want young people to get involved, but we understand that they will expect more. The onus is on us."
Young adults between the ages of 18-35 in the District’s most economically challenged ward are actively pursuing political careers in order to improve the lives of their neighbors.
Ward 8, located exclusively in Southeast Washington, in recent years has produced young political activists and officeholders, all Democrats, who want to change the perception that many in the city have about their community.
“I got into politics because I saw that my neighborhood had no services,” Darrell Gaston, advisory neighborhood commissioner for district 8B03 and candidate for the 2012 Democratic Party nomination for the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat, said.
“A friend suggested that I do something about it, and I did. I could not watch my community dwindle,” Gaston, 25, said.
A candidate for the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat in the Democratic Party primary in 2008, Gaston ran against incumbent D.C. Council member Marion Barry, and lost. However, he managed to get elected as an advisory neighborhood commissioner soon after that.
Joined by an energetic, enthusiastic group of young people, Gaston, a graduate of Coppin State University in Baltimore who runs his own political consulting firm, is determined to make Ward 8 a better place to live.
Gaston’s political interests in the ward are shared by Nathan Bennett-Fleming, 27, a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. and the University of California-Berkeley School of Law in Berkeley, Calif., who made a strong competitive run for the D.C. Shadow Representative office in 2010.
He fell short despite winning impressive endorsements from the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club and key African-American leaders in the city. Bennett-Fleming, who also studied a year at the John F. Kennedy School of Government on a public service fellowship in 2008-2009, said he wanted to get into politics to improve his community.
“I grew up in Anacostia, but I spent so much of my time in Potomac at my school, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal, and I saw the disparity between the two areas,” Bennett-Fleming, who is running for D.C. Shadow U.S. Representative in 2012,” said. “I would like to use my skills to bring those two worlds closer together.”
Bennett-Fleming has received political support and counsel from Ward 8 activist Phil Pannell and Hannah Hawkins, who runs Children of Mine, a Southeast non-profit organization that focuses on helping children.
Trayon White was elected to the D.C. State Board of Education representing Ward 8 in April with backing from Barry, the teachers’ union, and Wanda Lockridge, the widow of Calvin Lockridge, who represented the ward on the board until he passed away in January. White, 27, is a graduate of Ballou High School in Southeast and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md.
White, who operates HICKS (Helping Inner City Kids Succeed), a non-profit organization in Southeast, said that his interest in the board of education position stemmed from his relationship with the Lockridge family. “I learned through civic engagement that everything is political,” White said. “I wanted to join some of my colleagues in the political realm to make a difference in the community.”
Markus Batchelor, 18, a former youth mayor of the District, was elected first vice-president of the Ward 8 Democrats in September. Batchelor, who is a graduate of the highly respected Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School in the ward, said he attended that school because of its emphasis on public policy and politics and it was close to home.
Batchelor is a freshman at George Washington University in Northwest and president of the D.C. Statehood Students Association, of which Bennett-Fleming is the executive director. The organization aims to get more students and young adults in the fight for the District to become the 51st state.
Batchelor said his mentors in politics include Pannell and Bennett-Fleming.
Wanda Lockridge, a prominent Democrat in Ward 8 and D.C. politics, said she supports young political leaders.
“To be honest with you, I love them,” she replied. “I was their age once, and they bring a whole new element to the ward. They are totally committed and I am ready to pass on the baton to them.”
In Ward 8, the dominant political figure, Barry, served four terms as mayor of the city and was first elected to the D.C. Council from the ward in 1992.
“Barry’s political career has directly or indirectly fueled the younger generation’s activism,” Chuck Thies, 46, a D.C. political analyst said. “It is great that you have this political talent coming out of Ward 8,” he added. “You have young people in the community in politics that can move the city into the 21st century.”
“That is precisely the idea,” Batchelor said. “My motivation in getting into politics is to help people, and I love the community. I don’t need the recognition or the paycheck. I would do it for free of charge.”
One of Batchelor’s projects as the first vice president of the Ward 8 Democrats is to set up Democratic clubs at Ballou and Anacostia High Schools.
He said, “Young people in the ward need to become more politically active.” He continued saying, “We need to inform young people about the issues and change their mindset regarding politics.”
According to Bennett-Fleming, “Political activism among young Americans increased significantly with the 2008 Obama-Biden campaign.”
He feels that the enthusiasm and energy generated three years ago is still present among the young people in the ward. It appears that older political leaders are beginning to nurture electoral ambitions of the young.
“I would really like to commend such Ward 8 leaders like Phil Pannell for mentoring us,” Bennett-Fleming said. “We want to be good leaders for the ward and the city.”
Thies, a fan of Bennett-Fleming said, “I love Nathan Bennett-Fleming. I remember at the 2010 Democratic Party Unity Breakfast, where Vincent Gray, who just defeated Adrian Fenty, for mayor, saw Nathan and hugged and high-fived him. I mentioned to Gray that, hey, you just high-fived a future mayor of Washington.” Thies said that Gray laughed and smiled.
“Bennett-Fleming is paying his dues,” Thies stated. “Nathan does the work and has the law degree. He worked for [former D.C. Council member Sekou Biddle] and ran for shadow representative. He is young, hardworking, and entrepreneurial and is not just an east of the river guy, but he is a city-wide guy.”
Thies acknowledged that Gaston faces a “Herculean task” to beat Barry, but if he does, Gaston “will become a legend. He will be a breath of fresh air. He may be the candidate for some Ward 8 residents who are looking for someone other than Marion Barry.”
Thies said that White “has a lot going for him” but that “his connection to Barry may be a problem. When Barry steps down, he may anoint Trayon as his heir apparent, and that will be good in one sense because he will inherit Barry’s base.”
“On the other hand,” he said, “many people who are not for Barry will be less likely to warm to Trayon.” White’s arrest in September by the D.C. Housing Authority police for unlawful entry, at the Woodland Terrace public housing complex in Southeast, “does not bode well,” Thies surmised.
“Young political activists and office holders need to be nourished. I know all of them,” Barry said. “I encouraged Darrell to run, and I supported Trayon. It is important for those of us who are older to encourage these young people. They have a[n] important voice in our city.”
Ward 8 political leaders admit there needs to be more women in their ranks. “Young females need to be more involved,” Gaston said. “We have a city council that has ten men and three women, and that is not right.”
Bennett-Fleming said, “The time for political involvement for young people is now. We want young people to get involved, but we understand that they will expect more. The onus is on us.”