The owner of an iconic DC restaurant who donated free food to Black Lives Matter protesters did the same 57 years ago for the March on Washington

Anneta KonstantinidesJun 25, 2020, 03:59 IST

Virginia Ali has owned Ben's Chili Bowl for more than 60 years, feeding protesters from both the March on Washington and the Black Lives Matter movement.Ben's Chili Bowl/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

From the March on Washington in 1963 to the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020, Virginia Ali has been there to feed protesters.
Ali and her husband Ben opened Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street — then known as "Black Broadway" — in 1958.
The restaurant is now considered a landmark in DC's dining scene, famous for its half-smoke covered in the family's secret homemade chili sauce.
Ali spoke with Insider about her restaurant's incredible legacy, what she talked about with Martin Luther King Jr., and why she has so much hope in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Virginia Ali has witnessed the course of history — both the flames of great change, and the disheartening tolerance of the status quo — through a big window at the front of Ben's Chili Bowl.

Ali was 24 when she and her husband Ben, yes the Ben, opened their restaurant on U Street in Washington, DC, when the city was still segregated and the neighborhood was known as "Black Broadway."

She was 29 on that historic day in August 1963, when she and Ben fed some of the hundreds of thousands of people who streamed into the city for the March on Washington and heard Martin Luther King Jr. tell the world about his dream.

Now, on the cusp of turning 87, Ali is feeding Black Lives Matter protesters who are fighting the same fight for civil rights that she has witnessed her entire life.

"It would certainly be nice to have them before I leave this earth," she told Insider. "And I'm old."

Ali spoke with Insider about her restaurant's incredible legacy, what she talked about with MLK, and why she has so much hope in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Virginia Ali left her hometown in Virginia and came to Washington, DC — which was still segregated — in 1952.

Ben and Virginia Ali on their wedding day in 1958. Ben's Chili Bowl/Instagram

From the cabinet maker to the electrician, the couple hired local African-American businesses to help build their restaurant.

Ben's Chili Bowl during its early days. Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben's Chili Bowl became well-known (and loved) for its half-smoke, now considered a signature DC dish.

The iconic half-smoke, accompanied by potato chips, at Ben's Chili Bowl. Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post via Getty Images )

Just two blocks up from Ben's Chili Bowl was Martin Luther King Jr.'s satellite office.

Martin Luther King Jr. during CBS' "Washington Conversation" program in DC on May 20, 1962. CBS via Getty Images

Before they watched MLK speak during the March on Washington in 1963, Ali and her husband were handing out sandwiches to protesters as they streamed into the city.

Ali on the front grill in the early days of Ben's Chili Bowl. Ben's Chili Bowl

Less than five years later, MLK was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1964. The mayor of DC put the city under curfew as days of protests began.

Flames engulf a building during the DC riots in 1968. Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

In 1988, Ben's Chili Bowl was hit by another challenge. The city dug up the entire street in front of the restaurant and began building a new Metro station.

The city of DC dug up the entire street in front of Ben's to build a new Metro station in 1988. Ben's Chili Bowl

In the last three decades, Ali has witnessed the revitalization of U Street, celebrated the restaurant's 60th anniversary, and served President Barack Obama.

Obama orders his lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl restaurant on January 10, 2009. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

As Obama was sworn in on his first Inauguration Day in 2009, the line was out the door to get into Ben's Chili Bowl. Many waited for up to three hours.

A line stretches around the corner at Ben's Chili Bowl on the day of Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Ben died in October 2009 from natural causes. The couple's three sons now run the restaurant.

Ben and Virginia Ali. The Washington Post/Michael Williamson/Getty Images

While Ali is no longer at Ben's Chili Bowl every day, she is still very much involved. This month she joined her family's efforts to feed hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters, just as she did with Ben over 50 years ago.

An image of George Floyd is seen at Ben's Chili Bowl as a customer leaves during the COVID-19 outbreak on June 15, 2020. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

While Ali is no longer at Ben's Chili Bowl every day, she is still very much involved. This month she joined her family's efforts to feed hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters, just as she did with Ben over 50 years ago.

Ali and her family have also been donating as much food as they can to frontline workers, even as Ben's Chili Bowl faces new businesses challenges due to the pandemic.

Ali with her sons and daughters-in-law. Ben's Chili Bowl

As with the many obstacles that Ben's Chili Bowl has faced in its 62 years, Ali said she knows it will survive the pandemic as well.

Ali sits near photos of her and Ben at their restaurant during the COVID-19 outbreak on June 15, 2020. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

And when it comes to the challenges of American society, Ali has hope that the next generation will bring change.

Ali told Insider she has hope in the next generation. Ben's Chili Bowl/Instagram

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The owner of an iconic DC restaurant who donated free food to Black Lives Matter protesters did the same 57 years ago for the March on Washington

Virginia Ali left her hometown in Virginia and came to Washington, DC — which was still segregated — in 1952.

From the cabinet maker to the electrician, the couple hired local African-American businesses to help build their restaurant.

Ben's Chili Bowl became well-known (and loved) for its half-smoke, now considered a signature DC dish.

Just two blocks up from Ben's Chili Bowl was Martin Luther King Jr.'s satellite office.

Before they watched MLK speak during the March on Washington in 1963, Ali and her husband were handing out sandwiches to protesters as they streamed into the city.

Less than five years later, MLK was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1964. The mayor of DC put the city under curfew as days of protests began.

In 1988, Ben's Chili Bowl was hit by another challenge. The city dug up the entire street in front of the restaurant and began building a new Metro station.

In the last three decades, Ali has witnessed the revitalization of U Street, celebrated the restaurant's 60th anniversary, and served President Barack Obama.

As Obama was sworn in on his first Inauguration Day in 2009, the line was out the door to get into Ben's Chili Bowl. Many waited for up to three hours.

Ben died in October 2009 from natural causes. The couple's three sons now run the restaurant.

While Ali is no longer at Ben's Chili Bowl every day, she is still very much involved. This month she joined her family's efforts to feed hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters, just as she did with Ben over 50 years ago.

Ali and her family have also been donating as much food as they can to frontline workers, even as Ben's Chili Bowl faces new businesses challenges due to the pandemic.

As with the many obstacles that Ben's Chili Bowl has faced in its 62 years, Ali said she knows it will survive the pandemic as well.

And when it comes to the challenges of American society, Ali has hope that the next generation will bring change.