The One Judiciary Square building will be renamed to honor the late Marion Barry, who served for 15 nonconsecutive years as the second and fourth mayor of Washington, D.C., amid a number of legal and political controversies, including drug possession.
“Mayor Marion Barry embodied that D.C. spirit of never letting a setback become a knockout, and always fought to bring opportunity to our residents,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. “He created programs that helped residents buy their first homes, expanded access to the middle class for D.C. families, and ensured prosperity was shared among all eight wards. This dedication is a fitting tribute to our Mayor for Life by honoring his legacy and service to the city he loved.”
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson led the effort to rename the building in Barry’s honor at the request of Cora Masters Barry, the wife of the late “Mayor for Life,” as he was known. All members of the council introduced the Marion S. Barry Building Designation Act of 2019, which was passed unanimously, according to a press release. Bowser signed the bill on April 27.
The city will eventually add a mural depicting events from Barry’s life inside the lobby, according to the Washington Post.
“This is a significant, historic event that is the beginning, not only of telling the story of the contributions of Marion S. Barry, Jr., but also of the city,” Masters Barry said. “My husband loved Washington, DC and its residents. He would be so honored to know that Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson have honored his legacy in this wonderful way. I want to thank them.”
Barry served four terms as mayor, first from 1979-91 and then from 1995-99. He also was an at-large councilman and a councilman for the city’s Ward 8. He died in 2014 at the age of 78.
Barry announced that he would end his first mayoral stint after he was charged with cocaine possession in 1990. He was arrested in a sting operation involving Hazel “Rasheeda” Moore, with whom Barry was having an affair, according to the Washington Post. Barry was recorded smoking crack cocaine in a D.C. hotel before the room was stormed by the FBI. Barry can be heard saying, “B—- set me up. … I shouldn’t have come here,” during the incident.
Despite being dogged by controversy, addiction, and marital strife, Barry was a civil rights activist and maintained a positive reputation. The Washington Post called him a “hero to the District’s poor, black communities” and a “tireless battler for District rights.”
After his final term in public office, Barry remained a celebrity until his death. “He would still be greeted with standing ovations at certain clubs and nightspots in the city,” according to the Washington Post. “Well-wishers, seeing him on the streets, would rush to shake his hand.”
In many ways, Barry became emblematic of the district itself.
“To understand the District of Columbia, one must understand Marion Barry,” the outlet wrote.
