Business

#DontMuteDC Movement Coalesces Around Famous MetroPCS Store

WASHINGTON INFORMERS — For nearly a quarter-century, the MetroPCS store on the corner of Florida Avenue and 7th Street in Northwest kept residents and passersby alike jamming to the sounds of go-go, over time solidifying its status as a staple of authentic, homegrown culture, especially as gentrification displaced countless residents and businesses in the Shaw area.

Published

7 years ago

April 18, 2019

Sam P. K. Collins

By Sam P. K. Collins

For nearly a quarter-century, the MetroPCS store on the corner of Florida Avenue and 7th Street in Northwest kept residents and passersby alike jamming to the sounds of go-go, over time solidifying its status as a staple of authentic, homegrown culture, especially as gentrification displaced countless residents and businesses in the Shaw area.

That may no longer be the case, however, as T-Mobile’s corporate office recently told the local MetroPCS branch to cut off the music, allegedly in response to complaints from residents in nearby condos about the volume.

Upon hearing this news Monday, local activists, go-go aficionados and others rallied against what they considered the latest assault on their way of life.

“When I left school, I would fall asleep in my mother’s car and get woken up by the music at MetroPCS,” said Tyrell Brunson, a local producer and alumnus of the now-shuttered Gage-Eckington Elementary School.

Brunson counted among the more than 50 participants at a protest in the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy across the street from MetroPCS on Monday evening.

Brunson, who said Backyard Band influenced his sound, said a Twitter post by award-winning producer Tone P spurred him into action Monday. He and several friends gathered in the parking lot and listened as Tone P, Kymone Freeman of We Act Radio, DJ D-Money, Swamp Guinee, Dusty of Tru Expressionz and countless other musicians and activists spoke on the microphone about the MetroPCS’ impact on their lives.

“I went to go-gos from the age of 14 until the city tried to eliminate it,” Brunson, 28, said. “This is a bigger issue than the music. They’re shutting down our culture. A lot of people are here. I understood the strength in numbers, and this won’t be the end of it.”

Donald Campbell, who owns the MetroPCS branch under Central Communications, reportedly received threats of a lawsuit from nearby residents about the music blasting from the store’s speakers. The orders from T-Mobile’s corporate office followed Campbell’s several successful appeals to the D.C. government to maintain the status quo.

#DontMuteDC creators and Howard University students Julien Broom eld and Asia Grant make their voices heard at the intersection of 7th Street and Florida Avenue in northwest D.C. (Photo by: Ja’Mon Jackson/WI Bridge)

On Monday, he politely denied a request for an interview, asking that The Informer instead email him a list of questions to be answered later.

By Tuesday morning, more than 29,000 people have signed an online petition circulated under the auspices of the #DontMuteDC movement.

Later that day, the Take Ova Band, also known as TOB, had been scheduled to perform in front of the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center in Northwest in a show of solidarity with the go-go community. Campbell hosted a press conference Wednesday morning, and Check-It Enterprises and We Act Radio scheduled a town hall discussion for the following day.

D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) also entered the fray, sending a letter Monday to Kathleen Ham, T-Mobile USA’s senior vice president of government affairs, asking that the corporation reverse its order and honor the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ determination that no noise violations had occurred.

Later that evening, Nadeau and fellow Councilman Robert White (D-At large), a fifth-generation Washingtonian, spoke words of support to their constituents.

“Go-go is something that we need to hang on to as MetroPCS keeps that alive,” Nadeau said. “I live just up Georgia Avenue and see people getting some music and jamming out. Ward 1 is vibrant and diverse and we love music.

“It’s not the government that shut this down,” she said. “Now we just have to figure out how to restore music in the corridor. We have to do more work in our communities and help people appreciate what we have.”

Since 1995, Campbell’s MetroPCS store has garnered a reputation as one of the largest retailer of cellphones in the D.C. area and a provider of go-go music. At one point, Campbell opened four locations, including one on 4th and R streets in Northeast next to a barbershop owned by the late Polo of go-go band TCB.

For Dusty, founder and frontman of the Tru Expressionz Band, 7th Street and Florida Avenue has a different level of significance for him as an entrepreneur and go-go fan. He reflected on what the current battle meant for go-go bands and the industry at large.

“The spot [across the street from the MetroPCS store] used to be the late-night spot with the photo booths,” Dusty said moments before addressing the demonstrators at Monday’s protest.

In recent years, Tru Expressionz, which Dusty started as a teenager, has kept bands grooving at Peace Lounge near Howard University and Fire Station 1 Restaurant & Bar in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“Even though you got new folks coming in, you got people who live and are from here,” Dusty said. “It’s about the store, but in general, this is one of the only sections of the city where we got street music. We can’t let that go.

“We just got to continue doing go-go shows on a bigger platform and push the music in a different way,” he said. “You got cover bands in different areas making money. So even if your band is doing radio covers or making original music, we can still push our genre. We can’t limit our music when we are so powerful.”

This is article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

Sam P. K. Collins

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

5 days ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.

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First 5 Alameda County Distributes Over $8 Million in First Wave of Critical Relief Funds for Historically Underpaid Caregivers

“Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregivers are lifelines for so many children and families in Alameda County,” said Kristin Spanos, CEO, First 5 Alameda County. “Yet, they often go unrecognized and undercompensated for their labor and ability to give individualized, culturally connected care. At First 5, we support the conditions that allow families to thrive, and getting this money into the hands of these caregivers and families at a time of heightened financial stress for parents is part of that commitment.”

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Costco. Courtesy image.

Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers Can Now Opt Into $4,000 Grants to Help Bolster Economic Stability and Strengthen Early Learning Experiences

By Post Staff

Today, First 5 Alameda County announced the distribution of $4,000 relief grants to more than 2,000 Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers, totaling over $8 million in the first round of funding. Over the full course of the funding initiative, First 5 Alameda County anticipates supporting over 3,000 FFN caregivers, who collectively care for an estimated 5,200 children across Alameda County. These grants are only a portion of the estimated $190 million being invested into expanding our early childcare system through direct caregiver relief to upcoming facilities, shelter, and long-term sustainability investments for providers fromMeasure C in its first year. This investment builds on the early rollout of Measure C and reflects a comprehensive, system-wide strategy to strengthen Alameda County’s early childhood ecosystem so families can rely on sustainable, accessible care,

These important caregivers provide child care in Alameda County to their relatives, friends, and neighbors. While public benefits continue to decrease for families, and inflation and the cost of living continue to rise, these grants provide direct economic support for FFN caregivers, whose wages have historically been very low or nonexistent, and very few of whom receive benefits. As families continue to face growing financial pressures, especially during the winter and holiday season, these grants will help these caregivers with living expenses such as rent, utilities, supplies, and food.

The funding for these relief grants comes from Measure C, a local voter-approved sales tax in Alameda County that invests in young children, their families, communities, providers, and caregivers. Within the first year of First 5’s 5-Year Plan for Measure C, in addition to the relief grants to informal FFN caregivers, other significant investments will benefit licensed child care providers. These investments include over $40 million in Early Care and Education (ECE) Emergency Grants, which have already flowed to nearly 800 center-based and family child care providers. As part of First 5’s 5-Year Plan, preparations are also underway to distribute facilities grants early next year for child care providers who need to make urgent repairs or improvements, and to launch the Emergency Revolving Fund in Spring 2026 to support licensed child care providers in Alameda County who are at risk of closure.

The FFN Relief Grants recognize and support the essential work that an estimated 3,000 FFN caregivers provide to 5,200 children in Alameda County. There is still an opportunity to receive funds for FFN caregivers who have not yet received them.

In partnership with First 5 Alameda County, Child Care Payment Agencies play a critical role in identifying eligible caregivers and leading coordinated outreach efforts to ensure FFN caregivers are informed of and able to access these relief funds.FFN caregivers are eligible for the grant if they receive a child care payment from an Alameda County Child Care Payment Agency, 4Cs of Alameda County, BANANAS, Hively, and Davis Street, and are currently caring for a child 12 years old or younger in Alameda County. Additionally, FFN caregivers who provided care for a child 12 years or younger at any time since April 1, 2025, but are no longer doing so, are also eligible for the funds. Eligible caregivers are being contacted by their Child Care Payment Agency on a rolling basis, beginning with those who provided care between April and July 2025.

“This money is coming to me at a critical time of heightened economic strain,” said Jill Morton, a caregiver in Oakland, California. “Since I am a non-licensed childcare provider, I didn’t think I was eligible for this financial support. I was relieved that this money can help pay my rent, purchase learning materials for the children as well as enhance childcare, buy groceries and take care of grandchildren.”

Eligible FFN caregivers who provided care at any time between April 1, 2025 and July 31, 2025, who haven’t yet opted into the process, are encouraged to check their mail and email for an eligibility letter. Those who have cared for a child after this period should expect to receive communications from their child care payment agency in the coming months. FFN caregivers with questions may also contact the agency they work with to receive child care payments, or the First 5 Alameda help desk, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST, at 510-227-6964. The help desk will be closed 12/25/25 – 1/1/26. Additional grant payments will be made on a rolling basis as opt-ins are received by the four child care payment agencies in Alameda County.

Beginning in the second year of Measure C implementation, FFN caregivers who care for a child from birth to age five and receive an Alameda County subsidized voucher will get an additional $500 per month. This amounts to an annual increase of about $6,000 per child receiving a subsidy. Together with more Measure C funding expected to flow back into the community as part of First 5’s 5-Year Plan, investments will continue to become available in the coming year for addressing the needs of childcare providers in Alameda County.

About First 5 Alameda County

First 5 Alameda County builds the local childhood systems and supports needed to ensure our county’s youngest children are safe, healthy, and ready to succeed in school and life.

Our Mission

In partnership with the community, we support a county-wide continuous prevention and early intervention system that promotes optimal health and development, narrows disparities, and improves the lives of children from birth to age five and their families.

Our Vision

Every child in Alameda County will have optimal health, development, and well-being to reach their greatest potential.

Learn more at www.first5alameda.org.