Name: Lacey Johnson 

Occupation: Librarian

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Tell me a little bit about yourself. How long have you lived in DC?

I came to DC in 2018. I came to attend college — I went to Howard University, so I’ve been in DC since then. In that time, the city has definitely changed a lot. It’s been interesting — sometimes frustrating — to see the changes, but overall, I really like DC and love living here. 

Why did you decide to move to DC?

For me, when I went to college, I knew I wanted to go in a city where I could see myself long-term. I wanted to make sure I could stick around and make roots if the opportunity presented itself. It was a natural transition after college. My fiancé went to law school here — we met in college as well. I also got my masters at the University of Maryland, so we have a lot of reasons to stick around career-wise, and we still have a lot of friends from college here. I like the fact that it’s close to my hometown, so I can still go to Baltimore whenever I want. I also like that I get to make a new life here and explore a city that has so much to do, so much diversity — it’s really enjoyable. 

What do you love most about living in DC?

What I love most about living in DC is having the chance to learn so much, not only from the cultural institutions we have, but also from the people. I think everyone has a different story, a different background — I’ve met so many interesting and different people here. And I also feel like I’m never alone, I’m always able to connect with people, whether that’s based on identity, based on career, or background — there are so many like-minded people who I’ve been able to connect with in my time here. 

Could you talk about your own experience being disenfranchised, or in other words, what it has been like to lose the rights you had when you were living in one of the 50 states?

I think it’s something that’s so easy to take for granted. As I said, being from Baltimore, MD, right now we have a governor and a mayor who are both strong advocates for the state and at least for the rights of the residents of the state. It has been difficult and frustrating to move into a space where it can sometimes feel like there’s more effort put into potentially catering to the federal government, versus advocating for our rights. It has been increasingly stressful experiencing this in this past year or so since the 2024 election — it feels like there’s even more effort being put into disenfranchising us and making sure we’re under the control of the federal government and that we don’t have rights of our own, essentially. 

What does achieving statehood mean for you?

One thing that always comes to mind, and that I think isn’t always talked about enough in statehood conversations, is racial justice. DC statehood is of course a racial issue, because DC has historically been a majority-Black city. It isn’t anymore, but it has been for a while. Up until that switchover and the change in the city’s reputation, I think it was considered potentially not a place to be, or a place where you had to be careful, or it was dangerous. It’s all of course connected to these racial connotations. Coming from another city that is still majority-Black, but is potentially more economically disenfranchised, it’s a very familiar story to me. 

What statehood would mean for me is that we’re finally moving away from disenfranchising and suppressing Black voters. I do believe that if DC had been a majority-White city the past 50 or 60 years, I think statehood might have already been on the table. I think that’s important to talk about and to make sure it’s kept at the forefront. 

What do you think needs to be done to get closer to achieving statehood?  

I think our leaders — the few that we do have — it’s important that they advocate for us in any way possible. While we don’t have all the rights of a state, we aren’t completely powerless. I think we do have the opportunity to agitate for change and try to move towards [statehood]. I think it is really going to involve our leaders stepping up and making sure our voices are heard — not only bringing us to the forefront when it’s convenient as a place of national glory and government pride, national pride. We’re also just a place with a lot of people working really hard to survive. It’s a really unaffordable city and we’re often under scrutiny. I think if our leaders can advocate for us further, we can [become] a more equitable place where everyone has what they need. 

Is there anything else you would like to say? 

As I said, it’s something that’s easy to overlook or take for granted, but I think the past months since the inauguration have really brought to the forefront how important it is to have leaders in place who will advocate for you, who will stand up against authoritarianism. Now more than ever, there’s a lot of people who are having a renewed interest in statehood because we’re realizing we can’t rely on trust in the federal government to keep us safe. I look forward to the day when we have DC statehood — I do believe that it will happen, and I know that it’s possible. I think it will be a huge win for all of us, and will change the face of the country. 

[this interview was conducted in November 2025]