Benning Terrace
Encyclopedia
Benning Terrace is a public housing project of 274 apartments and townhouses in southeast Washington, D.C.
located east of the Anacostia River in the Benning Ridge
neighborhood. It was formerly known as "Simple City."
Benning Terrace is an example of the mixed effectiveness of community intervention in gang violence, and a precursor to the successful "Violence-Free Zone Initiative" taking place in many U.S. cities. Benning Terrace, then called "Simple City," earned a bloody reputation in the 1990s as the center of violent gang activity. In 1997, after a rash of murders, the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE), along with the Alliance of Concerned Men and the D.C. Housing Authority, came together to bring gang warring to a halt. Aggressive community intervention strategies followed; young gang members were provided with jobs and themselves became advocates for the community, coaching sports and activities to help keep the area's children and young people out of gangs.
While the community efforts in Benning Terrace were hailed for their remarkable results over the first few years , by the late 2000s gang violence was reestablishing a foothold in the area. The Benning Terrace project is still struggling today. Pledging support for the area, in 2008 newly elected D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty
dedicated a new sports field and playground at the complex.
Singer Marvin Gaye
was born and raised in the projects until age 14 when his family moved to northeast D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
located east of the Anacostia River in the Benning Ridge
Benning Ridge, Washington, D.C.
Benning Ridge is a residential neighborhood located in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by Fort Chaplin Park to the northwest, Southern Avenue to the south, Benning Road to the east, and Ridge Road SE to the west...
neighborhood. It was formerly known as "Simple City."
Benning Terrace is an example of the mixed effectiveness of community intervention in gang violence, and a precursor to the successful "Violence-Free Zone Initiative" taking place in many U.S. cities. Benning Terrace, then called "Simple City," earned a bloody reputation in the 1990s as the center of violent gang activity. In 1997, after a rash of murders, the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE), along with the Alliance of Concerned Men and the D.C. Housing Authority, came together to bring gang warring to a halt. Aggressive community intervention strategies followed; young gang members were provided with jobs and themselves became advocates for the community, coaching sports and activities to help keep the area's children and young people out of gangs.
While the community efforts in Benning Terrace were hailed for their remarkable results over the first few years , by the late 2000s gang violence was reestablishing a foothold in the area. The Benning Terrace project is still struggling today. Pledging support for the area, in 2008 newly elected D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
dedicated a new sports field and playground at the complex.
Singer Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
was born and raised in the projects until age 14 when his family moved to northeast D.C.