The newest addition to our Arlington Bookshelf is one of the most amazing photographic journeys one could take, much less here in Arlington, much less down our most diverse street – Columbia Pike.

Published this month by the University of Virginia Press, Living Diversity: The Columbia Pike Documentary Project, is the extraordinary result of a team of five insightful and highly skilled photographers and interviewers portraying the contemporary life of people and sites along the exceptionally ethnically-diverse and rapidly-changing Columbia Pike corridor in Arlington. Lloyd Wolf, Duy Tran, Xang Mimi Ho, Aleksandra Lagkueva, and Paula Endo, have collaborated to document the essence of the place they call home.

Older established ways of life are still in place along the Pike, flourishing alongside large numbers of new citizens from every corner of the planet. Unlike many parts of the world, or even our own country, the stunningly diverse set of people who live here, old and new, and from every continent, do so in relative harmony. The diverse community of Columbia Pike is a lens through which to glimpse the emerging face of America’s future.

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“…this is not just a book about Columbia Pike. The Pike is the lens, but the picture is so much bigger than that…The Pike looks like the future; it looks like the world..”

The Pike has been a mecca for new immigrants to the United States. They’ve come from everywhere: from Mali, Ethiopia, and The Sudan; Mongolia and throughout Southeast Asia; El Salvador, Guatemala, Ukraine, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Bolivia…the list goes on and on.

… the Spirit of the Pike freely inhabits these pictures… they’ve looked deeply into—and really seen—the Soul of Columbia Pike, a place that is still, for at least a little while longer, one of the most diverse nodes on the Planet.”

David Bearinger, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities

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The work these photographers have created, which is presented in the book depicts historical, artistic, demographic, and cultural trends in this unique community, trends that are mirrored or in process in other areas of the nation. It visually presents an avenue for understanding the soul of this successful experiment in tolerance and diversity.

It is an exploration, a celebration, a gritty and thought-provoking journey, and a series of quietly expressed questions posed by each photographer. The photographers eyes, hearts, and minds were opened throughout this seven-year journey. And when you see this extraordinary collection of pictures and stories, yours will be too.

Meet the authors:
There will be an exhibition, community celebration, and booksigning on October 17th at the Arlington Mill Community Center, 909 South Dinwiddie Street, Arlington, from noon to 6 PM, with a public program with speakers and all the artists from 3-5 PM

Hear the author:
Lloyd Wolf will be speaking about the book and the project on the Kojo Nnamdi show on Thursday August 20 at noon. WAMU 88.5 FM

For more information on the Columbia Pike Documentary Project, click here.

Get your own copy:
This 174-page hardback book is a must for your Arlington Bookshelf. The book can be purchased online for $39.95.

A brief selection of the rich and amazing photographs in this book: