Organizing Neighborhood Equity (ONE DC)

ONE DC was founded as Manna CDC in 1997 in the midst of neighborhood change. In 2006, ONE DC came out of Manna CDC and began to focus on political education and community organizing as a way of stopping the structural issues which created displacement. From early on, ONE DC's approach to community development addressed structural causes of poverty and injustice, an orientation that stemmed from deep analysis of race, power, and the economic, political, and social forces at work in Shaw and the District. As a result, ONE DC’s organizing work centers on popular education, community organizing, and alternative economic development projects.

In its history, ONE DC has distinguished itself as one of a few organizations in Washington, DC that moves beyond service provision to build sustainable community capacity and leadership so that low-income people of color can speak for themselves. ONE DC promotes leadership that does not tell others what to do but helps them take charge to build their abilities and skills.

Finally, ONE DC recognizes that leadership cannot exist without the support and power of the whole community. Central to ONE DC’s leadership style is the identification and dismantling of systemic influences such as racism, classism, and sexism that manifest both individually and institutionally.

ONE DC's progressive organizing values are heavily influenced by the principles and achievements of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) as well as other groups and people-led movements for justice and human rights that have occurred throughout the world.