Personal Life
Formative Years:
For over 20 years, Desiree T. Washington has called Los Angeles County her home, but her civic-mindedness took root in Chicago where she was raised. She grew up in Roseland on Chicago's Southside, daughter to a kindergarten school teacher, granddaughter to long-time workers for American Can Company. Her family thrived on Chicago's then vibrant Southside, becoming property owners who regularly engaged in civic life, forming block clubs, spearheading voter regist
ration drives and acting as poll-workers.
Desiree T. Washington's parents and grandparents attended public schools, obtaining quality American educations. However, as the public school system began to deteriorate, her family decided to place Desiree in private schools.
Raised in a family of Roman Catholics, Desiree T. Washington attended Catholic schools where she developed a strong moral compass and a reverence for life and liberty. She formed musical groups, joined Junior Achievement, became a photographer/journalist and, ultimately, the Arts and Entertainment editor for New Expression Newspaper, a youth-led media organization created by Youth Communication in Chicago to foster positive teen self expression, stimulate youth imagination and self-actualization.
In law school, Desiree T. Washington was recruited by a Chicago based law firm that relocated her to Los Angeles. Drawn by the warm weather, sandy beaches and the then-vibrant "new" music scene, Desiree "headed West" for what she thought would be a "paid" gap year or two. Instead, Desiree became a long-term resident.
In her time in California, Desiree T. Washington has become a professional recording artist, forming Alt-Pop/Rock band Dual Eden. She has also become a media publisher, founding Popdecay, an entertainment and news website.