Old Anacostia, also known as Uniontown, began as a white suburb in 1854, and Frederick Douglass was among the first African American residents, arriving in 1877. Nearby Hillsdale was founded after the Civil War as Barry Farm, a community for newly freed African Americans. These two were the first major settlements in Southeast Washington. Old Anacostia today is a historic district.
“The DC Jazz Jam has provided a tremendous boost to DC’s indigenous jazz scene. [The] cadre of fine musicians at Dahlak have managed to create a warm, inviting, encouraging, and creative environment at their weekly jam sessions, which is no small accomplishment. Experienced professionals, like myself, attend the jam to relax, stretch out musically, and network with other players. But at the same time, the DC Jazz Jam has proved to be the perfect setting for younger talent to come out, and have some of their first experiences playing in front of an audience and to learn their craft in the laboratory of a nurturing jam session. In this manner, the DC Jazz Jam is but the latest chapter in Washington’s long history with America’s classical music, jazz.”