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You'll want to add this collector's item to your bookshelf!
Breaking Barriers With Chili: Virginia Ali "The Matriarch of DC"
by: Bernard Demczuk, Ph.D., Ben’s Chili Bowl Historian
Virginia Ali was born in rural Virginia in 1933, moved to DC in '52, and married Howard student Ben Ali in '58, opening Ben's Chili Bowl the same year. The eatery served chili dogs, half smokes, and chili to locals and national civil rights leaders. After the death of MLK, Jr. in '68, the DC U St. area faced harsh challenges: burned-out streets, crack-cocaine wars, Metro construction, and COVID shutdown.
Despite setbacks, Mrs. Ali's moral and ethical values, respecting everyone, and perseverance led to this iconic eatery being admired worldwide today. At ninety years young, she still comes to work every day, wearing her pearls, and is the most photographed woman in DC.
Purchase your autographed copies at HalfSmokes.com or stop by in person at our U Street and H Street locations. The book is also available without an autograph on Amazon.
“How Virginia Ali made Ben’s Chili Bowl, and herself, a symbol of D.C.”
Enjoy Tim Carman's profile of Virginia Ali in the Washington Post. (photo by Marvin Joseph)
“Virginia believed in belonging, in DE&I, before any of these were buzzwords. She believed in it, and she has lived it in every fiber of her being via Ben’s. I reflected on this at a conference in Brazil, and - naturally- people here knew of Mom and of Ben’s, as she’s made a global impact through the most local of love. It’s remarkable.
I’m reading a book that is made better through the collaboration of Ms. Virginia and Dr. Demczuk. Bernard tells the story of America and DC, from founding to present, as only he can.
Virginia tells the story of Ben’s and DC, from founding to present, as only she can. The two stories benefit each other.
This is a magnificent work of historical writing that also manages to be remarkably current. I can’t wait for lots more to read this book; it’s needed now more than ever.”
