March 19, 2020
Dear Members and Friends,
I know you all are smart enough to follow the CDC recommendations as we go
through these trying times and to know we will not have meetings again until it is
safe to do so. Let’s talk about something else.
The Board has voted to move forward with changing our name from the Federation
of Citizens Associations to the Federation of Community Associations. Why would
an organization started in 1910 change their name in 2020? Well, for most of those
years we recognize we were a racist organization. There would be no Federation of
Civic Associations if we had allowed the negro associations to join our Federation.
This occurred in the 1950s but the animosity this act engendered lives on until this
day. We are no longer that organization and haven’t been for a long time. Also, the
word citizen is fine for most people, but it reminds people of color of the white
citizens councils that enforced Jim Crow laws all over the South.
This is your organization and we want to hear from you on this proposed change.
We also request that you let your membership know of this proposed change and
let them know we would like to hear from them as well. I can be reached at
president@dccitizensfederation.org or 202-584-2703.
If you have paid your 2020 dues of $100, thank you. If you haven’t yet, please remit
soon. You can even pay in our website, dccitizensfederation.org. We don’t fund
raise. We use dues payments to fund all our efforts.
Please stay safe and healthy.
Warm Regards,
Earl Williams
President