In this new regime, under this new leadership, The Hilltop has a new mission, and we want to share the details with you.
Many do not know that our publication’s name The Hilltop is a geographical reference. Just two miles outside the US Capitol, Howard University rests atop a hill. So, as our name suggests, we have a significant geographical vantage point.
The Hilltop DMV is a new exploratory, investigative and storytelling section of the publication that recognizes the University’s geographical vantage point and sees it as a metaphorical one.
Looking down to the surrounding DMV area around us, we will spotlight and uncover people, events and information about the region that are pertinent to Howard students.
Here are the four major pillars that we will explore:
Black-owned businesses are critically important to the national narrative regarding blacks’ economic maturation, and they are the legacies of many HBCU alumni in general. It is equally as important that they are made known. There are scores of black-owned businesses in the surrounding area, and throughout the year, we intend to share with you the story of each one of them.
Politics are intrinsic to Washington, D.C. As such, The Hilltop acknowledges the value of keeping our readers updated with both local and national political developments, and we appreciate how we are uniquely positioned to do so. Afterall, Howard University shares its home with the federal government. We are looking forward to the stories and sit-downs we can share with you using the resources and connections available to us.
People enliven cities and towns. They are the heartbeat of the city. We want to familiarize our readers with community members who make the DMV region like no other. Peoples’ stories can be inspirational and influential; it is our goal to air these stories out so that Howard students can draw from them what they will.
Events, of course, are ubiquitous and dissimilar. It is our interest to make our readers alert and aware about developments that are relevant to their well-being or interests, but also inform them on happenings they should know about. Whether there is a protest in front of the US Capitol or an increase in crime rates nearby, our readers will read about it on The Hilltop.
Our team will be in and around the DMV region pursuing stories and developments and relaying them back to our readers.
We are both eager and excited for this new initiative as it is one that extends the student voice of Howard University from the campus and HBCU network and into our surrounding locale.
The Hilltop will converse with students from nearby universities, chess masters in Dupont Circle, police officers, street performers, politicians, business owners and much more, all of whom contribute to the DMV community.
We have a bold and expansive mentality, and we won’t hesitate to pursue even the most ludicrous of stories. The DMV is a goldmine of differing and fascinating narratives.
We believe the DMV section is an important addition to The Hilltop’s news coverage, and we believe that the four pillars listed above will prove to be all-encompassing of our values and of your interests.
As we embark on this new initiative, we would love it if some of our readers could have a role in the storytelling. If you happen upon an interesting story, local business, or people in the DMV, you can email jacky.jean-jacques@bison.howard.edu to tell us all about it.
We don’t have eyes and ears everywhere, so your help would be greatly appreciated so that we can tell as many stories as we can.
We hope your excitement about the DMV section matches ours, and we can’t wait to get started.
