WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- Just miles from the White House and Capitol Hill, the nation's halls of power, exists an unemployment crisis nearly unmatched across the entire country.

D.C.'s Ward 8 is home to a rich African-American cultural history. For years, the area has also been home to an unemployment rate that's topped 25 percent, but that economic deep freeze is finally starting to thaw.

Mayor Vincent Gray tells WUSA9, "We've come from 25.4 percent down to 17.7 percent. That's huge. That's about a one-third drop in unemployment in an area of the city where unemployment is a way of life."

In December, the District's overall unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent. While still above the national average, it was the lowest rate for D.C. in five years.

The American lawyer and preservationist will discuss his latest book, Roosevelt’s Second Act, while The Hay-Adams Chef Peter Schaffrath presents a delicious lunch on Top of the Hay, the hotel's rooftop venue

On Monday, January 27, 2014, The Hay-Adams Author Series will welcome Richard Moe, who has had a distinguished career in government, law and historic preservation, to discuss his recent book, Roosevelt’s Second Act: The Election of 1940 and The Politics of War, while dining with guests at The Top of the Hay, the Hotel’s elegant rooftop spaces overlooking the White House. Chef Peter Schaffrath will prepare a delicious seasonal luncheon with dessert by Pastry Chef Josh Short.