To successfully execute this initiative, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) must be more than buzzwords for the NoMa BID. These concepts must be the compass that points the way forward.

NoMa’s diversity is its greatest strength, and the only way to preserve and fortify that diversity is to invest the time, money, and work in preventing its erosion.

Progress on this initiative in 2024 included:

• Centering diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment efforts for both staff and the NoMa BID Board of Directors.
• Further increasing the base wages across the board for the BID’s Ambassador staff to a minimum of $19.76/hour.
• Offering a bigger slate of NoMa BID events at no cost to participants and ensuring that they are accessible and welcoming to all.
• Working with Diverse Markets Management, which recruits local Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) makers, to manage the NoMa Farmers Market, ensuring vendor diversity.
• Preparing for the launch of a locally-owned operator for the café space at Alethia Tanner Park.
• During Black History, Women’s History, and Pride months, spotlighting and celebrating on social media members of the NoMa community who represent these diverse communities.
• Contracting with small, local, queer-owned, woman-owned, and BIPOC-owned vendors for the BID’s equipment and supply needs.
• Supporting Eckington Hall, an art gallery and flexible creative and event space led by a local Black entrepreneur, through social media promotion and paid sponsorship.
• Selecting films for the CiNoMatic movie series that represent diversity in front of and behind the camera.
• Taking on the curation of NoMa’s signature mural festival, shifting the focus to be exclusively on a diverse group of local artists.
• Deepening connections with Gallaudet University, including partnering on public safety initiatives, supporting legislation for open captioning, and the provision of closed captioning services at all CiNoMatic movies.
• Partnering with the Kennedy Center and VOCA, a DC-based non-profit supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing BIPOC artists.
• Co-producing the Deaf Enlightenment and Arts Festival at Alethia Tanner Park in September 2024.
• Sponsoring the Home Rule Festival at Alethia Tanner Park in October 2024, bringing thousands of people together for a free concert celebrating DC’s musical legacy with an emphasis on jazz, soul, and go-go performances.
• Partnering with the non-profit District Coalition to bring the Latin-American musical genre and dance tradition of Cumbia to Swampoodle Terrace for a neighborhood concert and activation.
• Establishing an internal goal-setting structure that incorporates Inclusivity and Equity as required parameters for all staff.
• Ensuring an equitable artist selection process that resulted in more than 50% BIPOC and/or women artists chosen for the NoMa in Color Mural Festival and K Street Virtual Gallery.

Targeted work on this initiative for 2025 will include:

• Enhanced storytelling, especially through art, of the historical and current contributions of Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community to NoMa.
• Partnering with the cultural non-profit Capital House Music Festival to plan and produce a kickoff celebration at Alethia Tanner Park to the World Pride celebration, which Washington, DC, is hosting in May 2025.