The Washington, D.C., area has the largest African-American population in the United States, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore proclaimed September African Heritage Month, a month that Prince George’s County has been celebrating for the past few years.
The Washington, D.C., area has the largest African-American population in the United States, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore proclaimed September African Heritage Month, a month that Prince George’s County has been celebrating for the past few years.
According to the Census Bureau, the Washington, D.C., area has the fourth-largest African-American population in the country, but there is anecdotal belief locally that the African-American population is undercounted.
“I think they’re saying about 20 percent of the population isn’t actually being counted properly, even second generation people like me aren’t being counted,” said Prince George’s County Councilwoman Wala Bregay.
“My parents came here as immigrants, but I was born in the U.S., and their children aren’t included in the count. So, in reality, we’re seeing a big increase in our population.”
“African immigrants are generally counted as black here,” she added. “We are black, but we want our cultural contributions recognized, and that’s important.”
Migration to the region began with people arriving as refugees or migrating in search of educational opportunities, and given the international community, World Bank, and embassies in Washington DC, it was only natural that many more would arrive.
“Even if you’re far away from your country, the embassy represents you and your country, so people naturally gravitate to the DMV area,” says Remi Duyle, an adjunct finance professor and internship coordinator at Bowie State University. Duyle was born in Nigeria and came to the U.S. in the early 1980s.
“People want to be with their own people. Some people come here because they have family here and their family encouraged them to come here,” Bregay said. “A lot of people feel like this is a welcoming community. They start raising their children here and encouraging others to come. So we’re seeing a large influx of African immigrants here.”
Bregay is one of three county council members, along with Wanika Fisher and Crystal O’Riada, who identify as members of the African ancestry.
And these days, both inside and outside the Beltway in Prince George’s County, you’ll find grocery stores and restaurants serving African flavors and cuisines — businesses that didn’t exist just a few years ago.
“That enterprising spirit is with us,” Duill says. “A lot of the millennials, the young people, the first generation of kids born here, are embracing their African heritage and saying, ‘I can be whoever I want to be’ in a corporate environment.”
“It’s really part of the community,” Bregay added. “It’s really great to be in a community with so many different cultures, and we want to make sure that African culture is welcomed in the county as well.”
As the community develops, it will likely see more first and second generation immigrants from Africa.
“As the population grows, and the niche marketing, and what people need, and what I’ve experienced, I’m able to share my experience authentically with people who are immigrants like me and can say, ‘Yes, I am, I’m black, I’m a woman, I have a Nigerian accent,'” Duyle said.
“Seeing other people who have been through the same things as you gives you the boldness to say, ‘Hey, I can do this, I can do this,'” she added. “When you think, ‘I can do this,’ you don’t go into self-pity mode. You don’t have to worry about it. You just have to work on your own.”
Sign up here to get the latest news and daily headlines delivered to your inbox.
© 2024 WTOP. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users in the European Economic Area.
