The DC History Center is thrilled to introduce the Totman Fellowship Cohort #5! As was the case with cohorts #1 through #4, Patrick Grey and Sam Washington were selected through a competitive process managed by the DC History Center’s University Advisory Group. The Totman Fellowship, which launched in 2022 thanks to a generous donor, supports scholars undertaking new research in the fields of Black Washington and LGBTQ+ DC.
Patrick Grey studies the role of freedom seekers in the formation of Black Washington after the US Civil War, examining how the resistance of refugee communities within the Union capital connects with subsequent liberation struggles of both past and contemporary DC communities. A PhD candidate in history at Georgetown University, Patrick aims to explore oral histories, genealogy, and environmental sources to see how refugees shaped Washington, DC, and role of the city as a site of refuge and escape during the Antebellum period and through the Civil War.
Sam Washington intends to bring scholarly attention to under-analyzed moments in the struggle for Home Rule. Building on previous research with the Rainbow History Project collection and official records available through the DC Archives, Sam intends to focus on the tense decade that preceded the Home Rule Act of 1973, when an interwoven series of sex, gender, and crime panics threatened the fragile politics of DC sovereignty. A PhD candidate in history at Brown University, Sam is a lifelong Washingtonian.
Thanks to generous donor support, the DC History Center provides stipends, resources, and mentorship to foster new research to share with a public audience on Black Washington and LGBTQ+ DC. After initial summer research in the Kiplinger Research Library, at other local repositories, and in individually owned collections throughout the District, fellows each submit a project proposal for approval in the fall. They continue to engage with the DC History Center throughout the following academic year, culminating in a presentation at a future DC History Conference, or another public history deliverable of their choice.