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For many in the Black community, the pandemic changed the face of nightlife in the District. Sundays at Big Chief in Ivy City shut down in March 2020. Mondays at Marvin on 14th Street were gone by October. As some entrepreneurs pivoted to pop-up parties and outdoor events to help Washingtonians let loose, others sought to recapture the intimacy of gathering indoors by creating private social clubs.
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Three Black-owned social clubs have opened in D.C. in the past four years. They offer, with private membership, the allure of having access to special events and networking opportunities with the city’s movers and shakers. Young Black professionals have flocked to the co-working spaces and private rooms of the Gathering Spot and HQ DC House to elevate themselves and their brands. But Shanklin Hall, the latest club that opened on May 25, just wants to be the place where everybody knows your name.
Nestled among the converted townhouses in Adams Morgan on 18th Street, the social club, for which membership is optional, is a space where you can let your hair down; chill out to Afrobeats, neo-soul, hip-hop and go-go with a craft cocktail and a bite; and, most importantly, be your full self. Siblings Imani, Maia and Tau Shanklin Roberts joined forces with friends Camille Hall and Nicholas Hall (no relation) to reinvigorate the gentrified neighborhood with the warmth and camaraderie of the Black social scene in the city they all grew up loving. In doing so, the group has redefined what a social club means to Washingtonians.
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“We wanted this space to be a reflection of the total Black community, Black experience,” says Tau, a former Foreign Service officer who runs operations and finance for Shanklin Hall. “To do that we had to eliminate some of those limitations or barriers to entry that traditional social clubs have. I think ‘social club’ for us is a way to separate us from ‘restaurant,’ ‘bar,’ ‘lounge’ nomenclature and lean into what’s happening here, which is a social gathering space for community. Because that’s what’s most important.”
The founders spent years cultivating a network of like-minded creatives who sought fellowship, wellness and vibes through events across the city, from curated dinners with a prix fixe menu to art therapy sessions and dance parties at venues like the Lyle Hotel and Wild Days at Eaton. They even took their burgeoning crew to Pennsylvania for an adult summer camp to reconnect with nature. Those programs created an all-but-instant buy-in for guests to become members. And as more and more Black-owned venues succumbed to the pandemic, the need for a permanent location became a priority.
On a recent hot August night, as incense fills the atmosphere under the glow of golden chandeliers, Shanklin Hall member Darius Edgerton is tapping his Air Jordans on the bar stool to “U Know What’s Up” by Donell Jones. An Atlanta native who attended the social club’s pre-bricks-and-mortar events, Edgerton says signing up for the membership was a no-brainer. “Naturally, when they opened their own thing, everyone’s going to flock to that,” Edgerton says. “I think there are so few Black-owned spots in the city now that I want to do my part in making some of them successful. I don’t mind spending money if it means that this spot can stay open for a long time and we can continue to have this type of energy in the city.”
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Once the founders secured the funds to take over the historic Columbia Station jazz club, the “vibe curators” worked to combine their professional skills in marketing, real estate, art therapy and entertainment to create a chic spot for their crew that hits all five senses. Smooth beige leather bar stools face the vivid yellow display case featuring liquors by Black-owned distillers. Forest green walls are adorned with posters and paintings for sale by local Black artists. Guests can lounge around modern wooden coffee tables or relax on the burnt orange velvet bench that looks out on the busy street, while enjoying spicy oxtail egg rolls and yuca fries.
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Behind the DJ booth is a rotating display of vinyl albums from acts such as Earth Wind and Fire, Hugh Masekela and Ashford & Simpson. A wall of gold-framed photos from Shanklin Hall’s early events overlooks a vintage piano, covered in nicks and scratches, perched in the back of the club, a well-worn relic from the venue’s previous incarnation.
Imani Shanklin Roberts, an art therapist who focuses on the wellness initiatives at the club, says she chose colorful decor that would make guests feel “warm, safe, seen, sexy, healthy and vibrant.” “Everyone who comes to the space remarks about how intentional our aesthetics are and how the feeling of home is automatic when they enter the door,” she says. “There’s just an essence of warmth and familiarity that we all really care for.”
Her sister Maia, who focuses on Shanklin Hall’s sustainable growth, says the team used what they learned from frequenting beloved D.C. venues of the past to infuse Shanklin Hall with the character and charm they believe locals would appreciate. “We knew what we wanted to feel, and then we built it backwards,” Maia says. “I think that’s why there’s a lot of richness and intention in this space, because it is everything that we felt like we were missing in the market and everything that we loved about some of those other spaces.”
D.C. native Kedenard Raymond is one of the founding members who helped the team fundraise to secure the bricks-and-mortar location. She says Shanklin Hall has “rekindled a love affair” she once had with Adams Morgan after years of gentrification. “There really didn’t feel like there was anything for me in Adams Morgan for a long time,” Raymond says. “Now having Shanklin Hall in that space is just like planting a flag again. Adams Morgan has this history with Black people,” and Shanklin Hall “is helping a lot of locals realize that.”
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Once a hub for musicians and activists after the 1968 riots sparked by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Columbia Station finally closed its doors in 2020 due to rent hikes, following an earlier 1984 closure and ownership changes. Nicholas Hall, who runs branding for the club, says this legacy of art and advocacy is not lost on him. “I recall Adams Morgan when I was coming up being more of a Black cultural destination, relative to the way it is now,” he says. “Most of the businesses are White. Most of the consumers in the area are White. I thought it would be big for us to take space here and bring back that old Chocolate City vibe.”
Since May, more than 100 members have joined Shanklin Hall. For $300 a year, they receive a 10 percent discount on food and beverages and access to private events. These include a monthly LGBTQ happy hour and a weekly Sunday supper featuring a special menu and vinyl music experience as an alternative to weekend brunch.
Within their self-described ecosystem, the founders use the space to spotlight local DJs and musicians. They also promote a food incubator program with menus curated by guest chefs. Camille Hall, who leads marketing and strategic partnerships at the club, says this creative rotation of up-and-comers and scheduled events has been key to Shanklin Hall’s appeal. “I wanted it to be a place that I would come to all the time and never really get tired of,” she says. “It’s about the design. It’s about the music. It’s about the food. It’s about the drinks and all of the ways those elements come together, feeling like a consistent place of nurturing and growth.”
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For members like Edgerton, the concept of “for us, by us” goes deeper than having a place to party again. “I’m gay and it’s not a gay spot, but I feel very comfortable bringing my gay friends here,” he says. “People feel very comfortable being themselves in this place.” That’s he thinks the founders wanted: “a place where Black people could just come and have a good time and be themselves in a safe space.”
Shanklin Hall, 2325 18th St. NW. shanklinhall.com. $300 for optional annual membership.
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