Around the Howard University campus in Washington, D.C., you can find a number of dog parks. But it seems as though gentrifiers are now choosing to use The Yard as a dog park, and it’s upsetting students.
According to DCist, students have noticed an increasing amount of people and their dogs cavorting on The Yard, instead of utilizing the nearby dog parks, and it’s not only a sign of gentrification, but disrespect.
“You know this is a university. You know this is a historically black university. And you feel so entitled that you’re just going to walk your dog there?” Briana Littlejohn, a graduating senior at Howard, told DCist. “I find it very disrespectful.”
On Thursday, Fox 5 posted a news report about the complaints and actually found the face of gentrified D.C. to chime in:
“They’re in part of D.C. so they have to work within D.C., so if they don’t want to be within D.C., they should move the campus,” said D.C. resident Sean Grubbs-Robishaw.
So let me get this straight.
A 150-year-old campus, should move because students don’t want you walking your dog on The Yard or using it as a workout facility? These are the exact type of people who got annoyed at the T-Mobile store on U Street blasting Go-Go music.
Ironically, these are the exact same people who probably shouldn’t live in a busy city, if they can’t take the true essence of said city, which includes a sacred Black campus.
There are plenty of D.C. dog parks to walk Fido, Howard University just isn’t one of them.