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An Era Without a Consumer Advocate
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During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States underwent a profound transformation. A surge of activism and change swept the nation. Participants in the Civil Rights Movement fought tirelessly for equality and justice while Vietnam War protesters challenged government policies. Calls for individual rights and social justice reverberated from coast to coast. As the heart
of the nation, Washington, D.C., mirrored this wave of change. The city’s unique circumstances made it a microcosm of the broader national protest movements.
However, D.C. was a glaring paradox. The
city was the center of democratic power, yet Congress controlled its government, schools, and other aspects of residents’ daily lives. By 1970,
1970 After Martin Luther King Jr.’s assasination, and the riots and “white flight” that followed, D.C. was 71% African American.
1973
D.C. was 71% African American,4 in large part due to white flight sparked by the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Despite being the capital of the free world and, in the words of historian Barbara Lightman, “the Black capital of America,”5 Congress still retained control, leaving the predominantly Black city politically powerless.
This lack of representation extended to utilities, which were then — and remain to this day — giant monopolies. Segregation, limited job opportunities, and inadequate housing persisted alongside daily challenges with utility service within African American communities. Over 12% of Black homes lacked running water, and over 16% had no electricity.6
1973/74 Arab oil embargo causes turmoil. Energy crisis disrupts the nation. The Public Service Commission is faced with manifold utility complaints.
Home Rule is signed by President Richard Nixon, granting limited self-governance to D.C. Walter E. Washington becomes the first elected mayor.
Home Rule demonstration at the District Building, October 19733
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