So while I do other things, like prepare for the presentation on former Truxton Circle filmmaker Eloyce Gist, on October 2nd, I’m fishing through my old posts.
September 26, 2005 I posted about a Washington City Paper article (link in post is dead) about Shiloh Baptist Church‘s opposition to a business across the street getting a liquor license. It could have been “Shaw’s Main Drag” by Arthur Delaney written September 23, 2005. Yes, 20 years ago, now making this about Shaw History. You whippersnappers have no idea how much fighting went into making Shaw what it is today.
Anyway, the business Shiloh was fighting was the Queen of Sheba Ethiopian restaurant. It appears that QoS has closed and has been replaced by the Silk Lounge. Eventually, QoS won and got its liquor license as reported in the 2007 WCP article Queen of Sheba Toasts End of Liquor License Battle.
I understand the issue with QoS as it was right across the street from the church’s entrance and was near the church’s child care center. But Shiloh also opposed the liquor license for an upscale and very nice vegan restaurant Vegetate up on the next block.
As I mentioned in a previous post this month, Shiloh fought against the development along 9th instead of leaning into it. I wonder if the church had figured out a way to remain true to its principles and partner with local business if the church would have been flourishing instead of floundering?
Yet they never seem to have had a problem with the liquor store right across P Street from them. Or the drug users who still camp out on their steps all the time.