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Okay, today is April 29th, we are at Paul Robeson Park and Petworth in Washington. D.C., it's 2023. Could you tell us your name? Yes, Alexes Haggins. And could you tell us your connection to the neighborhood? Absolutely. So, I actually grew up in this neighborhood. My father who owned a florist before me for many, many years moved from his original florist on Georgia Avenue over to 8th and Upsure Street when I was nine years old and we stayed and took-in this neighborhood until I turned about 21 years old. So, I went to school in this neighborhood. I volunteered at Petworth library for many years. I had my first full-time job at the recreation center, also worked at the Pizza Hut. So, I'm very familiar with the-with this neighborhood

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That's terrific and what-what's your connection now today? So my connection now is that I have reopened my father's business which was named after myself Flowers by Alexes. Here, back on Upsure Street in the Petworth Community. That's terrific. And how long have you been running that? So we've had that space for about a year but we've officially opened in January of this year.

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Congratulations. Thank you. So could you tell us maybe about-we're here celebrating Paul Robeson's belated birthday, as well as the sculpture that is Uzieke Nelson built to celebrate the life of Paul Robeson, that stands behind you. (*Alexis Haggins: Yes*). And we're really interested in looking at the connection between kind of community and kind of artistic expression and political action and activism. I'm wondering if you might talk to us a little bit about the importance in the role of being a florist as kind of a form of creative expression and how that brings-connects to the community. Absolutely. So for me working in the florist and making arrangements is very therapeutic and that's the reason why we offer the build your own bouquet because it helps individuals in the community to be able to express their selves and, you know, be creative and also provide a therapeutic experience for them, right. I also feel as though, like the future classes that I will offer will help those who suffer from mental health. So those who have anxiety or depression or even grieving, floral making will definitely help an individual to become and just express their creative selves. So I feel like floristry is a big help when it comes to the community specifically those in the mental health.

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And then you said your dad was also a florist. Yes. And I wonder if you might tell us about how, and you've obviously been around this your whole life, (*Alexis Haggins: Yes*), how kind of that has both kind of remains the same and maybe changed over the course of your life from his practice to yours? So like you said, I grew up in the florist so I was able to learn a lot from my dad watching him, down to cleaning the flowers and creating centerpieces. One thing that I did say that I would do differently, for my spaces, because I remember going to different florists and wholesalers where there was supplies and junk everywhere. And I always just wanted to make my floors a place that's very clean and a space that people will want to come and just have that experience, right? And just create an environment that is very welcoming to individuals. He didn't do the fresh flower stand where you would build your our own bouquet. And I just feel like that's a really important piece because experience is everything. My main goal is for a person to walk into the florist and have that experience and remember it. And so when they leave out, they-they feel differently from when they came in, more relaxed and more accomplished and, you know, even identify the creativity side they maybe didn't have, right. So just to always to provide a different space for someone and not just as a florist, if that makes sense.

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Yeah, like a community gathering space. Absolutely, yes, yes. As you said, much greater than just getting flowers. (*Alexis Haggins: Yes*) But all the theraputic aspects to it (*Alexis Haggins: Yes*). I-okay-I'm curious a little-I'm just going to go back a little bit in time. How-how did your dad get in to being a florist? To being a florist? Okay, so yep, he started off as a delivery driver for florist. There was a family-owned florist here in upper Northwest in Georgia Avenue, and then he started working actually inside the florist. He was really good at what he did and when the owner was ready to retire, they wanted to sell the business but really couldn't find anyone to sell it to and my dad couldn't afford to buy it but they offer-they gave-my father pretty much inherited that business and he kept that business for many, many years after that until he decided to move here on Upsure Street and he changed the name. So the original florist was called Colony Florist and then he changed the name to Flowers by Alexes.

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And how is so you-and you've been, again, in the neighborhood as well for your life, and I'm wondering how again similar question but how things kind of both changed over time and possibly certain things that continued on. Continue on? So what I love about when I came back is that there were new businesses that was on the street, a very diverse businesses and restaurants. I love that, right. And then a lot of the same individuals that I grew up with are still here and so there are many changes, but yes some still the same, and then when I obtained my space, everyone was just so welcoming, right? So people who already knew me and my dad, you know, was very happy, but people that I didn't know who, you know, moved into the neighborhood, everyone was just so very welcoming and I just love that about this neighborhood. That's terrific. Yes.

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And then I guess I want to ask a little bit about this particular space. (*Alexis Haggins: Yes*). How do you remember this? Maybe if you do remember it as a child and in-how is that kind of memory of this space and your understanding of it, again? I don't remember much about this particular space. But what I have realized being back in the neighborhood that I love is that the individuals of this community maintain it, you know, the flowers that that the community, I think there's a group Petworth Bloom, or something like that, who plants flowers and maintain the different parks as a community effort. I love that, I absolutely love that and appreciate, you know, the care that people take in this neighborhood. That's terrific in that, that the sculpture stands (*Alexis: and the sculpture-yes*) amidst this beautifully landscaped space (*Alexis Haggins: It does*). Which-which actually is kind of just this-might just be a traffic triangle, but it's been turned into a bit of an oasis. Absolutely, yes.

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Anything else you'd like to share with us? No, I just thank you for the opportunity to speak and what you guys do. I appreciate that. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Okay.