Op-ed: “Fight for DC’s dignity”

“Being on one’s best behavior has never been a winning strategy against injustice. This is a moment when Washingtonians must stand strong in our values, stand up for our city and assert our right to self-determination.”

Free DC member Kristiana Jordan authored an op-ed championing D.C.’s self-governance on our own terms. The Washington Post published this article on March 3, 2025, under the title “Fighting bad governance with good citizenship.”

The op-ed pushes back on the idea that local officials need to change how our city operates to appease Trump and Republicans.

“President Donald Trump and his MAGA allies have already attempted to smear Washingtonians,” Jordan writes. “D.C.’s residents must reject any attempts to portray us as unfit for self-government swiftly and unequivocally.”

Jordan paints a picture of the D.C. that residents know and love—a side of D.C. that representatives from other states rarely take time to experience. “The D.C. I know is home to incredible artists, brilliant professionals, loving families and close-knit neighborhoods. The city has go-go music on blast and puts mumbo sauce on everything. And it has a balanced budget and a AAA bond rating.”

“Our city is joyful and powerful,” Jordan writes. “Anyone who says we don’t deserve to govern ourselves clearly does not know us well.”