Christina Sturdivant Sani
Executive Editor. Cultural Curator. Washington, D.C. Native.
Christina Sturdivant Sani is a journalist, creative strategist, and community builder. A proud Washington, D.C. Native, she is the Executive Editor at The 51st and the founder of Black.Native.Creative.
A former staff writer at DCist, Christina wrote more than 1,600 local news stories and has contributed to nearly two dozen publications, including The Washington Post, Washingtonian, Washington City Paper, PBS, Zagat, D23 Magazine, and CityLab. Her work frequently centers Black life in the District and the experiences of marginalized communities.
Mildly obsessed with being from D.C., she’s invested in celebrating and preserving Black culture in the District. She is the creator of the column Ask A D.C. Native, which elevates the voices of native Washingtonians who often feel discarded by the city where they grew up.
She was a contributing writer for Wildsam’s 2021 Washington, D.C. Field Guide and hosted community-centered events with institutions like the Kennedy Center and HumanitiesDC. In 2025, she was selected as an Eaton House Resident and launched the trivia game show series Ask A D.C. Native, Live! under her brand Black.Native.Creative.
Featured Work
A collection of Christina's most recent and notable articles.
 New documentary dives deep into gentrification in D.C. (The 51st) |  Ask a D.C. Native: Who do you consider a D.C. native? (The 51st) |  The Potential End of Roe Won’t Stop This Abortion Provider-in-Training (Washington Post Magazine) |
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 How designers of color are combating inequity in an overwhelmingly White industry (Washington Post Magazine) |  ‘The Black Church’ explores the ‘most important institution’ in African American history (The Washington Post) |  Think meditation could help cope with microaggressions? There's an app for that. (Washington Post Magazine) |
 Strategies the Washington region can borrow from other cities to make TOD more equitable (Greater Greater Washington) |  Why do so few public housing projects receive historic landmark status? (Washington Post Magazine) |  Can Dockless Bikeshare Pump Up Cylcing's Diversity? (CityLab) |
 DC Legend Mark Ein on Buzzard Point, Navy Yard and Building Kastles (Commercial Observer) |  How do we love D.C.? Let a dozen Washingtonians living and working across the city count the ways. (Washington City Paper) |  An Oral History of Gentrification in Shaw and U Street (Washington City Paper) |
 Home Rulers: D.C. Natives Speak on Their City (Washington City Paper) |  The Reality of Being a Black Journalist Covering Local D.C. News (Washington City Paper) |  An American University (Washington City Paper) |
Wildsam D.C. Field Guide
Contributing Writer
Founded in 2012, Wildsam is an American travel brand built upon telling true stories of place. They seek out the real and rooted things, what’s truly authentic, and share the pathways to deep connections and wonders in the world, for travelers and locals alike.
As a lead contributor to Wildsam's 2021 Washington, D.C. Field Guide, Christina interviewed with influential Washingtonians including writer Jason Reynolds and chef Erik Bruner-Yang and wrote recommendations for:
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Food & drink
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Action
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Shopping
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Maps
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& more!
Funded by Humanities DC, Christina curated the Black.Native.Creative. Humanitini at The REACH at The Kennedy Center in November 2019.
Black.Native.Creative. was born out of a panel discussion featuring Black D.C. natives, including:
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Aiyi'nah Ford, an award-winning playwright and Executive Director of The Future Foundation,
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Dwayne Lawson-Brown, the CEO of Crochet Kingpin and co-host of the city's longest-running open mic and poetry series Spit Dat
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Matthew Green, the Lead Captain and Co-Founder of District Running Collective.
Black.Native.Creative. Humanitini
Visionary; Curator
A collaboration between Black.Native.Creative. and The 51st, launched in May 2025.
“Ask a D.C. Native, Live!” brings life to Christina's popular Ask A D.C. Native column for The 51st.
A high-energy event, two teams of three D.C. Natives go head-to-head answering trivia questions about their hometown. Hosted by Dwayne Lawson-Brown, the event also includes audience rounds, and winning participants receive prizes from local businesses and sponsors.
D.C. natives, longtime residents, and newcomers alike enjoy this celebration of local history, identity, and pride.
Ask A D.C. Native, Live!
Creator
Affiliations
Founder
Black.Native.Creative. is a collective that empowers Black D.C. Natives to thrive creatively, preserve Black history, and shape the District's future.
Board President
Mi Casa is a nonprofit affordable housing developer committed to providing quality affordable housing to low and moderate households in the Washington DC area.
2021 Fellow
Start.Coop's competitive incubator program works to cultivate the next generation of cooperative businesses at scale.
Speaking Engagements
From podcasts to local radio and TV programs, Christina has made several media appearances discussing her work. She's also served as a moderator, host, and panelist at various events and a guest speaker at schools across the D.C. metro area. She is currently accepting requests for speaking engagements.
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