On Wednesday, May 29th, Beloved Community Incubator was honored by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for our work supporting DC Street Vendors as they fight for fair implementation of DC’s new vending laws.
Many street vendors are charged a quarterly minimum sales tax regardless of how much they actually sell. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when vendors weren’t selling due to unsafe conditions, many of them accumulated large amounts of debt due to these unfair taxes. Under the Clean Hands Law, vendors cannot apply for a license if they owe more than $100, which creates a major barrier for vendors working towards receiving Street Vending licenses. In 2023, Legal and Technical Assistance Director Geoff Gilbert, along with BCI’s Vending Team and Street Vendors, worked with The Washington Lawyers’ Committee, and pro-bono lawyers from Tzedek DC and Weil, Gotshal & Manges to file a constitutional challenge to the Clean Hands Law.
BCI received the 2024 Alfred McKenzie Award, awarded annually to clients of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee whose dedication and courage have produced civil rights victories of particular significance. We’re grateful to our partners for this recognition and look forward to continuing to support street vendors as they fight for access and fair implementation!
You can watch a short video highlighting BCI below and on YouTube.