May 21, 2023

Title: U ST IN D.C.

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

ST. AUGUSTINE (16A: "The Mother Church of Black Catholics")

BAYARD RUSTIN (27A: March on Washington organizer)

BUSTIN' LOOSE (44A: 1979 hit by Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers)

Theme synopsis: Each of the theme answers has an association with Washington D.C., and contains the letter string U-S-T.

Things I learned:

• ST. AUGUSTINE (16A: "The Mother Church of Black Catholics") ST. AUGUSTINE Catholic Church, aka "The Mother Church of Black Catholics," was the first Black parish in Washington D.C. In 1858, a group of emancipated Black Catholics founded a school and chapel in D.C. After going through several changes in the next 20 years, a new church was built in 1876 and dedicated to ST. AUGUSTINE. Though ST. AUGUSTINE Catholic Church was founded in the 1800s, it wasn't until 1989 and 1991, respectively, that the church had a Black associate pastor and lead pastor.
• BAYARD RUSTIN (27A: March on Washington organizer) BAYARD RUSTIN (1912-1987) was a civil rights activist and strategist. BAYARD RUSTIN and A. Philip Randolph were the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Approximately 250,000 people participated, rallying in Washington D.C. to advocate for civil and economic rights of Black Americans. 
• HOPI (39A: "Nahongvita!" language) Nahongvita is a HOPI word that loosely translates to "dig deep" or "stay strong." I can't do a better job of explaining it than this video does. The HOPI people have a long history of running, and "Nahongvita!" is used as encouragement for runners.
• BUSTIN' LOOSE (44A: 1979 hit by Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers) Chuck Brown (1936-2012) was a Washington, D.C.-based guitarist, singer, and bandleader. The Soul Searchers was his Band. "BUSTIN' LOOSE" is a 1979 song by Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers that charted on Billboard's Hot 100 list. "BUSTIN' LOOSE" is played after each home run MLB's Washington Nationals hit at their home stadium, Nationals Park. It has also been used as the victory song for NHL's Washington Capitals and NBA's Washington Wizards.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• NINA (21A: "Four Women" singer Simone) "Four Women" is a 1966 song by NINA Simone. The song tells the story of four Black women - each representing a stereotype - as a way to highlight injustice and suffering. 
• ADONIS (32A: Greek myth-inspired term for a hot guy) In Greek mythology, ADONIS was a mortal who was the lover of the goddess Aphrodite (the goddess of love). ADONIS - who was considered strikingly handsome - was the subject of a custody battle between Aphrodite and Persephone (the queen of the underworld). Zeus settled the dispute by ruling that ADONIS would spend one-third of the year with Aphrodite, one-third with Persephone, and one-third with whomever he chose. 
• TEST (51A: Do a PCR) PCR stands for polymerase chain reaction, and refers to a method used to make copies of a DNA sample. PCR is used in some methods of Covid TESTing.
• TANGY (4D: Like the taste of injera) Injera is a TANGY fermented flatbread in Ethiopian cuisine. Injera is made using teff flour, and has a slightly spongy texture.
• NOUN (21D: Person place or thing, grammatically) This seems like a perfect opportunity to link to the Schoolhouse Rock song, "A NOUN is a Person, Place Or Thing."

Geography review:

• ESTONIA (13A: Northern European country whose capital is Tallinn) The Northern European country of ESTONIA is bordered by Latvia on the south and Russia on the east. Its northern and western coasts lie along the Gulf of Finland. In addition to the mainland, ESTONIA includes over 2,200 islands and islets. In addition to being the capital, Tallinn is the largest city in ESTONIA.

U Street (ST.) IN Washington, D.C. is a historic area that was once the heart of Black culture in America. From the 1920s until the 1960s, U ST was known as "Black Broadway." I really liked the way U ST IN D.C. played out as a theme today, and I enjoyed learning about all of the theme answers. Also notable: the grid resembles a street (at least to me), running diagonally through the puzzle from the upper right to the lower left, complete with the diagonal black squares serving as a lane divider. Another thing I noticed and thoroughly enjoyed today was the number of alliterative clues: OWLS (22A: "Barn" or "barred" birds), EMOTION (7D: Curiosity or contentment), DINO (15D: T. rex or triceratops, for short), and KRIS (25D: Kringle or Kristofferson). Thank you, Erik, for this puzzle that was a wonderful way to start my Sunday.