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This is Ken Rose, it is May 30th, and you're doing here today. State your name. Uh, my name is Arlo. Do we have permission to record this interview today? Yes.

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Okay. And is this your first time at Petworth Porchfest? Yes. So what are you doing today here at Petworth Porchfest? Well, today I'm here doing two things. I am here to listen to the music and see some buddies, um, who live up in Petworth. And then I'm also here getting signatures for the ICE headquarters or against the ICE headquarters that's supposed to go down in Southeast D.C.

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So how has that, kind of touching a little bit on the ICE headquarters aspect of it, how has that experience been for you today? Have you received a lot of signatures? Maybe not as many as you were hoping to? Yeah, honestly, we've been receiving like quite a lot of positive feedback. I have had a few people where I've like, gone up to them and I've been like, hey, have you heard about the ICE headquarters? And they're like, yes. And I go, okay, do you want to sign this petition? And they go, no. And I'm like, oh, no, this is not a safe space. Does that happen a lot in the D.C. area., the events that you go to, that there's kind of like this passive, "I don't want anything to do with this" or "I'm not interested." And honestly, it depends. Like I live down in like Fed Central, like I live down in like Waterfront, Navy Yard area. Um, so down there, I do feel like there's a lot more, there's a lot less community and a lot more like suits, I would say. And so I think that whenever I have conversations down there, I do have to be a little bit more careful about my, like, demographics and like what I'm saying to people. Um, whereas up here, I feel like there is a much more like, community based vibe of like, we want to keep each other safe.

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So how did you or your organization find out about Petworth Porchfest? I mean, I feel like a lot of people, I can't necessarily speak on behalf of the organization, I'm just volunteering. Um, particularly because I'm very against the ICE headquarters. Um, and this is a great way to get plugged in that way. Uh, but I know that a lot of community members do live up here who are also part of PSL. Um, so I do think a lot of it is community-based and just like word-of-mouth, knowing it's not like we're operating in a vacuum, like people know that this event is happening. And so therefore, like we want to like interact with our peers that are at this event. So I know you're had said that unity was a big aspect of the work that you do and even being here at this event, you really feel the sense of community versus that of Navy Yard. Yeah.

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So what does community mean to you personally, whether it is in relation to your work, whether you personally, what does community mean to you? Sure, I feel like am I community has become like very important on like a very local level to me. Um, just in terms of like being very disillusioned, uh, in like the general states right now. Um, and like leaning on people like community means care and being like, I would like, do anything for the people around me in order, if that means that like their circumstances are going to be bettered. Because I know that, like, we can't care for one another unless like our own needs are being met and like we need to place emphasis on that and like being, like, if I were in this person's shoes, like, what would I need or want in terms to like, keep my head above the water and keep afloat? And I feel like there's a lot of, like, disingenuity and, like, I don't know, disconnect in terms of like creating genuine care for one another. And I think that like, without that, it's very easy to become very like disconnected to the things that we should be caring about. That's what we should be caring about. Yeah.

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Um, now just kind of centering it back to Porchfest because that's what we're here for. Right. Has there been any interesting music that you've heard? Anything that resonates within yourself personally? Yeah, I mean, I grew up with a lot of live music. My dad is in a dad band, and so I like low-key eat this shit up. Um, like this is, I'm also from New Hampshire and like, what else is there to do but like, listen to, like, 50 year old white men play music. Um, so I don't know, I'm kind of in my element. Like, I love to see, like, also just, like, local artists like thrive. Um, I'm a big fan of going to more local venues in D.C. as it is and, like, this is a great way to like hear and find more about them and I think that, like, music is a very, again, like I grew up listening to music, also grew up playing music. So I know that it's like a very unifying thing. Like it transcends languages and, like, interests and personalities. Um, and I think it's, like, a great conversation starter. Uh, and just, like, it brings, like, people's spirits up. Like you can't really be mad in listening to live music or I guess you can, but like, I can't be, I guess. Yeah.

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You said you play instruments. What instruments do you play? So I grew up playing the harp. Um, but, you know, it's kind of an expensive instrument. So yeah, I've been on a hiatus for the past four years and I'm trying to get back into it slowly, but it's been like a half, half attempt. Like I'm like, if it falls into my lap, which it's not every day that a harp is falling into your lap, but, uh, you know. Um, and the last question that I have for you, what do you envision for Petworth, Navy Yard, the D.C. community in the next five years? What's something you're hoping for? Yeah. I mean, I'm really hoping for more like unity across D.C. and across neighborhoods. I think Porchfest is a great way to do that. Um, I don't know. It's very hard to be, like, down in Navy Yard and, like, see all these, like, curfew signs and be, like, all these people are going to be, like, arrested or penalized for, like, living their life, um, without, like, other access and other resources first being like implemented. So I think that, like, events like Porchfest and, like, events where you're like bringing community together and, like, an actual genuine way and emphasizing the joy that, like D.C. can bring is like much more and also just like providing programming, generally speaking, and, like, a more rigid, like, concrete way is, like, going to be a way to minimize the, like, I guess issues that we're seeing throughout the community and throughout D.C. Um, and like, I do want to see people, like talking to each other on the streets. Like, I don't know, coming from New Hampshire, I'm like, we're all known for being like, kind of like pricks, but like, on, like, the other hand, like, when you get to know everybody, like, there's a loyalty for one another that I don't necessarily feel that I experience throughout D.C. here. And I'm not saying that I want all of us to be, like, I'm going to hit you with my car, but I'm actually a really nice person. I'm more like being like, we want to be nice people and we want to be genuine. Like, I don't want to see like all this like two-faced, like politician talk, I guess, like, talk to me like I'm a person. Um, so yeah.

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Now, did you want to shout out your organization that you're working with, by chance? Yeah. Um, I mean, I'm working with a PSL today. Um, are volunteering, it is my first day so like, you know. Yeah. Um, I'd also like to shout out like Baldwin House. They're down in Columbia Heights. They're, uh, like community hub that's also providing, uh, like, housing that is affordable and, like, for the community rather than like buy, I don't know, landlords and stuff like that. Um, and so they're a really great initiative and we're trying to build up and pay off our loans that were taken out in order to like purchase the property and have it back in the hands of community organizers. Um, and so we do need a lot more capacity with that org, um, or, like, with that co-op, I guess, um, just because, like, there's so many different pockets and bubbles that we need to, like, tap in and there's just not enough people. But yeah. Thank you very much for your time. Awesome. Thank you, I appreciate it.