MidnightRose in Washington Unbound

An interview with jonetta rose barras

by Norah Vawter

Jonetta Rose Barras is the kind of writer who inspires, both through her words and through her works. I had the pleasure of interviewing her about the MidnightRose reading series, a project she created in 2024 (or perhaps resurrected, as she organized an earlier incarnation in the 1970s). Jonetta doesn’t work alone—that’s not her style—and while I would say that MidnightRose is her brainchild, it is also the product of many voices coming together and building something special. Jonetta worked with her nonprofit Esther Productions and a curatorial advisory group to carefully and intentionally create a series that would do something different from the many local events already happening. To create a unique space for D.C. area writers and readers. One of her key collaborators on MidnightRose, Elizabeth Bruce, joined us for this interview.

We could have easily filled up the time talking about this fascinating—and truly intentional—reading series. But Jonetta Rose Barras has done so much other work as both a writer and an organizer, that it felt impossible to stick to this one topic. And, importantly, when talking about Jonetta’s work, it really is all connected. She’s a creative writer, she’s a journalist, and she’s a community builder. These are not separate endeavors, but rather different ways of channeling the same drive. Which is to make connections with other human beings—to speak, to listen, to empower, to bring people together, and often to heal.

Born and raised in New Orleans, she came to Washington in the 1970s while working as a community organizer for Movement for Economic Justice, and has been based here ever since. Though her first love was (and is) creative writing, she found work as an investigative journalist, which took up much of her time. She’s been active in print, radio, and television journalism and has published investigative reports, breaking news stories, features, essays and op-eds in local and national publications, including The Washington Post, The Washington City Paper, The Washingtonian, USA Today, The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Essence, and The New Republic. She’s published several books, ranging across nonfiction genres, including a bestselling memoir, Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?: The Impact of Fatherlessness on Black Women. Her organizational work includes co-founding the Institute for the Preservation and Study of African-American Writing, founding the nonprofit Esther Productions, curating the exhibition and symposium African Americans and Children's Literature, and launching the DC Literary History Center and Project.

She continues some journalistic work, including a regular column in the DC Line, but these days she’s pouring much of her creative energy into her first love, creative writing. However, in classic Jonetta Rose Barras fashion, the result has gone far beyond her own words, leading to the 21st century edition of MidnightRose. I left my conversation with Jonetta and Elizabeth feeling so inspired, almost on fire, and I hope you leave this reading experience equally inspired.

This is reprinted from Washington Unbound. READ MORE HERE