Former D.C. Mayor and Councilman Marion Barry will be buried at Congressional Cemetery during a private ceremony on Saturday. The historic cemetery has posted signs stating that the grounds will be closed to the public for most of the day, NBC Washington reported.
Barry will be remembered during three days of ceremonies that begin tomorrow (Wednesday). The late “Mayor-for-Life” will lie in repose at the Wilson Building for 24 hours, beginning with a ceremony at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Pennsylvania Avenue NW will be closed between 12th and 14th streets NW between 8 a.m. and midnight tomorrow and 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Friday, police advised. Other streets will be closed as needed.
A procession will take Barry’s body through all eight wards of the District from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, ending at Temple of Praise (700 Southern Ave. SE). A public viewing will be held at the church, which he attended, from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday. A community memorial will be held from 7 to 9 p.m.
On Saturday, Barry’s funeral will take place at the Washington Convention Center, with a 7 to 10 a.m. viewing and an 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. service. L Street NW will be closed between 7th and 9th streets NW from 7 to 10 a.m., police said.
More information about the memorial can be found on the District’s website.
An effort is underway to honor Marion Barry by naming a major Ward 6 thoroughfare in his honor.
A petition started yesterday (Sunday) suggests renaming the entire length of H Street and Benning Road “Marion Barry Boulevard.” The Change.org petition started shortly after Barry died yesterday had been signed by 525 people as of this morning.
The proposed boulevard would cross the city and span nearly 8 miles, running from the western end of H Street NW, near the Foggy Bottom Metro station, to the eastern end of Benning Road in Capitol Heights, Maryland.
Here’s what the petition suggests:
Marion Barry was a 4-time Mayor of DC. He dedicated his entire life to serving the DC community and during that time led the fight for several landmark reforms. These include an innovative Youth Summer Jobs program and the Homestead Tax Deduction for seniors. Marion is affectionally known in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area as “Mayor For Life.” Sadly, his life ended in the early morning on November 23, 2014.
We specifically would like Benning Road and H Street (both NE and NW) to be renamed Marion Barry Blvd. H Street is a very busy street in D.C. and is currently undergoing a major transformation that is bringing back its vibrancy. It runs very close to Capitol Hill, the Capitol and the White House. We think it is the perfect street to be renamed in Mayor Barry’s honor.
We are open to suggestions as to which street should be dedicated to Marion Barry, but we strongly believe it should be a major thoroughfare in D.C. Please sign and share this petition if you agree!
Photo via Wikimedia Commons/dbking
