Maine Avenue Fish Market by Lynford Morton licensed under Creative Commons.

Against the backdrop of a pandemic, pictures and videos of crowds at DC’s Maine Avenue Fish Market, commonly known as the Wharf, circulated over the weekend. On the surface, it was painfully obvious that the six feet social distancing guidelines handed down by health officials weren’t being adhered to, and it is understandable for people to be outraged as the number of COVID-19 diagnoses and deaths rise.

However, it is important to understand that the complexities of life that existed before this pandemic for some of our neighbors have grown more complex in the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

There are a number of conclusions one can draw about why so many people were at the Wharf on Saturday. As some noted on social media, the crowds at the Wharf appeared to be mostly Black shoppers. Others offered a number of answers as to why so many people were out at a market amid a pandemic. I found the most compelling answer to be the simplest. People were buying goods at an open-air market.

They were doing what people in Dupont Circle, Mount Pleasant, and Bethesda were doing at farmers markets held on the same day. The efforts taken by fish vendors at the Wharf even appear to be similar to those taken at other open-air markets throughout the region.

If you think about the images from Saturday from the “people were there to buy food” angle, something else might come to mind. The first week of the month is the time when people eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, receive their benefits.

As with any household, these families plan their trips to the grocery store around the time benefits are disbursed, the first week of the month. For people bound to low incomes and tight budgets, the first of the month is the time for a regular pilgrimage to grocery stores, fish markets, and farmers markets. It is a time where the aisles are packed, shelves go bare, and check-out lines seem to stretch for miles.

For decades, the Wharf’s fish vendors have accepted SNAP benefits, providing access to fresh seafood to low-income families for reasonable prices. For some families in neighborhoods in Wards 7 and 8, where there are just three grocery stores for over 140,000 residents, the Wharf is a reliable food option. It is a safe space for people to buy seafood and not feel the ridicule that they might at a grocery store in more affluent neighborhoods where shelves might be more plentiful.

Across the country, elected officials and organizations doing work around food access have asked people to try and accommodate SNAP and WIC beneficiaries during the first days of the month.

The Wharf is unique for another reason. It is also outside, outside being a now limited resource that provides opportunities for distraction and solace. During a pandemic, where large gatherings are strongly discouraged, thousands of people going to markets with limited space would, of course, be frowned upon.

For communities who might be behind the curve, the Wharf on a nice day in open air is different than being packed in an enclosed grocery store. It also was an opportunity for momentary reprieve and necessary grocery shopping, one different than a group of people choosing to exercise in a park.

Our society wasn’t equitable before COVID-19, how will it look after it? In the face of a hurricane, tornado, or pandemic food deserts don’t suddenly become food rich; people who can’t access healthcare don’t suddenly get healthcare, and people without abundant public spaces before don’t suddenly get new acreage. We ought to remember, what we choose to call out during this crisis will lay the groundwork for the world after the pandemic.

Ron Thompson, Jr., formerly DC policy officer (DC TEN) at GGWash, was born and raised in Washington, DC with roots in Washington Highlands, Congress Heights, and Anacostia. He currently lives in Brookland. In his spare time, he awaits the release of Victoria 3 and finishes half-read books.