'REUNION CHOIR' Work-in-Progress Clips & Conversation
2026-04-15 13:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Rosedale Recreation Center (Multipurpose Room), 1701 Gales Street, NE, Washington, DC, 20002
As part of Rosedale’s annual Spring Fling, step inside for work-in-progress excerpts from the highly anticipated documentary, REUNION CHOIR, about DC’s legendary Eastern High School Choir. Let’s talk about the history and the future of arts education and cultural activities in our schools. ASL interpretation and open-captioned video will be provided.
Two sessions at 1 PM and 6 PM!
Our 6 PM special guest is Lakisha Goldsberry, Eastern HS Class of 1998.
Presented by Kuyamba LLC in partnership with the DC Department of Recreation, as part of a series supported by HumanitiesDC, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, and Washington DC Alumnae Foundation.

Behind the Headlines
2026-04-16 18:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Penn Social, 801 E Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20004
Black journalists have always been on the frontlines, telling the stories that shape our communities and holding power accountable. In this special live performance, DC’s Black journalists step out from behind the byline and onto the stage to share the “stories behind the stories”. Through true, personal storytelling, they will reveal the moments that changed them, the challenges of navigating modern newsrooms, and what it takes to keep telling the truth in an industry that doesn’t always make space for their perspectives. Join us for an evening of powerful narratives about chasing stories that matter and holding onto your voice.
Register here

Reunion Choir Work-in-Progress Clips & Conversation
2026-04-19 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Woodridge Neighborhood Library, 1801 Hamlin Street NE, Washington, DC, 20018, United States
Join us for work-in-progress excerpts from the highly anticipated documentary, REUNION CHOIR, about DC’s legendary Eastern High School Choir.
Meet Joyce Garrett, the celebrated DC music teacher at the center of the story, and filmmaker Malkia Lydia. Let’s talk about preserving arts education and local history. Light refreshments, ASL interpretation and open-captioned video will be provided. Presented by Kuyamba LLC in partnership with Woodridge Neighborhood Library, with support from HumanitiesDC and DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.

THE MINUTES: Post-Show Discussion: Retelling and Reframing Shared National History
2026-04-19 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St NW, Washington, DC, 20036, United States
Night falls on Big Cherry, USA, a seemingly ordinary town with secrets festering beneath its folksy charm. As the city council meeting unfolds in real time, tensions rise, alliances shift, and a routine agenda veers into chaos. What begins as civic procedure spirals into a gripping unmasking of buried truths and a chilling question: How far would you go to protect your version of the truth? From the razor-sharp pen of Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts (AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY), THE MINUTES is a darkly hilarious, slow-burning thriller that peels back the patriotic veneer of American identity. Part biting satire, part psychological mystery, it exposes the rot at the heart of institutional power and the stories we tell to survive it.
Reserve tickets

Pride Poetry Workshop: Wronged Women - Hell Hath No Fury
2026-04-21 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW, Washington DC, MD, 20006, United States
2026 PRIDE POETRY WORKSHOPS AT THE ARTS CLUB

The Arts Club of Washington announces a slate of free community writing workshops for 2026, led by five Pride Poets-in-Residence. Workshops are designed to be generative, so participants will leave each session with a new poem-in-progress, and are open to writers of all levels of experience and backgrounds.

Pride Poetry Workshop: Wronged Women – Hell Hath No Fury
In Postcolonial Love Poem, Natalie Diaz said “Trust your anger. It is a demand for love.” For women who are socialized to be forever accommodating, how can anger be a liberatory force? In this poetry workshop, participants will be invited to engage with female figures such as Eve, Lot’s Wife, Selena Quintanilla, Yolanda Saldívar, and Harley Quinn, giving these infamous women the dignity of context. Led by Xochi Quetzali Cartland.
Xochi Quetzali Cartland is a queer Chicana poet and seamstress who was the 2025 Latinx in Publishing poetry mentee, and has been supported with fellowships from National Arts Strategies and Brooklyn Poets.
Register here.

Hill Center Family Day 2026
2026-04-26 14:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Hill Center DC, 921 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, 20003
Hill Center’s annual Family Day returns again for 2026! Come enjoy a completely free day of: Magic, Music, Face Painting, Balloon Animals, Alpacas, and more! There will be lots of fun activities for the whole family!
Register here

DC Movie Club Presents: Short Film Fest
2026-04-26 14:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Penn Social, 801 E Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20004
DC Movie Club is hosting its first local filmmakers showcase!
We received over 50 submissions (!) from talented filmmakers across the DMV, and somehow managed to narrow the line-up down to 9 films. From horror/comedies with ghosty girlies and possessed horses, to documentaries covering art, cultural identities, climate resilience, we’ve got it all. Come for the incredible local talent, stay for the panels, socializing, and community!

Schedule:
2:30pm – Welcoming Remarks
2:40pm – 4:00pm – Comedy & Horror Block
4:00pm – 5:00pm – Identity & Diaspora Block
5:00pm – 6:00pm -Social Impact Showcase
6:00pm – Happy Hour

Register here

DC Conspiracy Meet Up / Mini-Comic Swap
2026-04-26 17:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Aura Bar & Grill, 5247 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20015
D.C. Conspiracy will host another Comics Creators Meet-Up! April 26. Come hang out, talk shop, and catch up with fellow cartoonists. Plus, we’re turning it into a mini-comic swap. Bring any comics you’ve made: new, old, experimental, really anything. Feel the thrill of trading your comic for something new. It’s a low-pressure hang with people who get what you do. Share your work, chat, and grab a drink. (And totally cool to come empty-handed.)
Learn more

2026 DC History Conference
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-02 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001
Save the date: May 1-2, 2026
The DC History Conference is an interdisciplinary, community conference considering the District’s past, present, and future. Since 1973, the conference organizers have provided a welcoming, educational, and stimulating forum for original research on and engagement with the history of the Washington, DC metropolitan area—prioritizing the local city but including nearby Maryland and Virginia, and the federal government.

Learn more.

THE MINUTES - Closing
2026-05-03 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St NW, Washington, DC, 20036, United States

Community Voice Lab at American University's 2026 Film Premiere
2026-05-06 18:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Miracle Theater, 535 8th Street SE, Washington, DC, 20003
Join us for this year’s premiere of the new season of impact documentaries from the Community Voice Lab. Tickets are free but RSVP is required.
Date: Wednesday, May 6th
Time: Doors open at 6pm, program starts 6:30pm
Location: Miracle Theater, 535 8th Street Southeast, Washington, DC 20003
Featured Community Partners include: DC Score, L’Arche, OurFarm DC, Higher Achievement, Pretty Boi Drag, Martha’s Table, Art Enables, and more! Following the screening, stay to meet the new crop of filmmakers and storytellers, and hear the stories behind the films.
Please reserve your seat here.

DC[FRAMEWORKS] - A Work-in-Progress Screening Series
2026-05-06 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Eaton Cinema, 1201 K Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005, United States
We’re delighted to invite you to the 2026 Spring edition of DC[FRAMEWORKS] Works-in-Progress Screening, a community event celebrating documentary storytelling in progress.
DC[FRAMEWORKS] provides directors and producers at all experience levels with a unique opportunity to receive constructive, peer-level feedback on their rough-cut films—whether feature-length or short. Each screening is followed by a moderated discussion, where filmmakers gain valuable insights from an engaged audience, subject-matter experts, and experienced DC-based filmmakers.
Register here
Interested in submitting your film?
If you’re a DC-based filmmaker with a work in progress and are interested in having your project considered for the Works-in-Progress Screening, you can apply via this form, and email info@dcdoxfest.com if you have any questions.
Submit a Work-in-Progress by April 27

We’re excited to be partnering once again with DC/DOX for this special off-season program dedicated to supporting DC-area filmmakers.

Breaking News: Writing the Future of Journalism in DC
2026-05-18 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | True Reformer Building, 1200 U St. NW, Washington, DC, 20009, United States
A celebration and discussion of local and community journalism. In partnership with the American Press Institute.

Be part of the conversation! Join us to celebrate our fourth cohort of Community Journalism Program graduates, and for an engaging panel discussion on how journalism in DC is evolving and adapting to meet the moment. Our panelists will explore how journalism in DC is responding to the changes in the media landscape.
Register here.

The panelists are:

Abigail Higgins,The 51st
Mike Schaffer, City Cast DC
Harry Jaffe, SpotlightDC

The panel will be moderated by Kayla Hewitt, WAMU

About the Community Journalism Program:

HumanitiesDC’s Community Journalism Program is a 14-week training for DC residents led by a team of professional local journalists. This free program is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and mentorship to tell the stories that matter most to them and their communities. The journalist team teaching and supporting the participants includes:

Martin Austermuhle
jonetta rose barras
Delonte Harrod
George Kevin Jordan
Julie Strupp

To learn more about HumanitiesDC’s Community Journalism Program, visit our website.

Pride Poetry Workshop: Resistance - LGBTQ Poetry as an Act of Defiance
2026-05-19 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW, Washington DC, MD, 20006, United States
2026 PRIDE POETRY WORKSHOPS AT THE ARTS CLUB

The Arts Club of Washington announces a slate of free community writing workshops for 2026, led by five Pride Poets-in-Residence. Workshops are designed to be generative, so participants will leave each session with a new poem-in-progress, and are open to writers of all levels of experience and backgrounds.

Pride Poetry Workshop: Resistance – LGBTQ Poetry as an Act of Defiance
In this workshop, participants will consider the forms that resistance to the heteronormative status quo—and the limits of their own thinking—can take. We will look at poems that not only assert a queer life, but also challenge those who view that life as “less than.” Led by Gregory Adams.
Gregory Adams is a founding member of Station-to-Station, a groundbreaking collective of Black LGBTQ performance poets and writers of the 1980s, and part of the creative team who produced the documentary Fierceness Served!: The ENIK Alley Coffeehouse (2021).
Register here.

Humanitini Happy Hour Fundraiser
2026-05-20 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Metrobar, 640 Rhode Island Ave, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
Join the HumanitiesDC Board and Staff at Metrobar for an evening of great drinks, new connections, and local impact!

HumanitiesDC believes the humanities belong to everyone. We amplify the voices of our city through community-led programs that keep DC’s culture vibrant and inclusive. This happy hour is your chance to meet fellow changemakers while supporting the stories that define our District.
Purchase tickets here

The Challenge:
Our Board has already stepped up to kick off the season by personally raising $800. We’re looking for our community to help us match it! Every $25 ticket and donation goes directly toward accessible, city-wide humanities programming.
The Details:

Food: Tickets include delicious bites from El Jefe Woodfire Pizza.
Drinks: Available for purchase directly from the Metrobar team.
Venue: Check out Metrobar’s FAQs for location and accessibility info.

Let’s toast to a stronger, more connected DC. See you there!

DC Oral History Collaborative Workshop: Audio Techniques for Oral History
2026-05-28 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 401c, Conference Center, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Understand how high-quality audio can improve an oral history project and learn some basic techniques to enhance audio quality.

This core workshop in the DC Oral History Collaborative Training Series will take an in-depth look at some of the techniques that oral historians use to get quality audio from their recording equipment. While the workshop will focus on the Zoom H4n audio recorder, many of the skills and practices introduced can be used for recording with any technologies. In this workshop, attendees will:
• Learn how to optimize settings on their audio recorders to get the best audio.
• Understand how audio is encoded as a digital file and how that applies to: filetypes, bit rates, and frequencies.
• Understand some of the most common causes of poor audio quality and how to set up their interview space to avoid them.

Register here

This workshop will be held in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in room 401-C. The nearest metro stations are Chinatown Gallery Place on the Red, Green, and Yellow Lines and Metro Center on the Red, Blue, Orange and Silver Lines.

The DC Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) documents, preserves, and celebrates the lived experiences of all Washington, DC residents and communities through oral history. The Collaborative accomplishes this by providing training, mentorship, resources, programs, and funding to current and aspiring oral historians. The Collaborative is a partnership of HumanitiesDC and the DC Public Library

DC Oral History Collaborative June Meetup
2026-06-01 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | DC History Center, 801 K St NW, Washington, 20001, United States
Calling all local oral historians: HumanitiesDC and the DC History Center are offering their next oral history meetup in Washington, DC! Join us at the DC History Center on Monday, June 1 at 6 pm to be in community with other oral historians. During the meetup we’ll share ideas, talk through challenges and obstacles, and celebrate successes. The first half of the evening is dedicated to small group discussion, with snacks. Then, we’ll gather for a group discussion.
You do not have to be a practicing oral historian to participate but come prepared to learn from others and to share your own thoughts, perspectives, and experiences.
Register here

About the DC Oral History Collaborative

The DC Oral History Collaborative, a unique partnership between HumanitiesDC and the DC Public Library, was started in 2017 to encourage Washington, DC residents to record the stories of their communities, share them with the public, and preserve them for the future. Since then, hundreds of oral history fans and practitioners have taken the Collaborative’s training, started projects, and attended oral history related events.
The Collaborative incorporates grant funding, trainings, coaching and other resources to help residents document, preserve, and celebrate the history of all DC communities, specifically through oral history.

Foundation to Future Soul: A Photo Exhibition
2026-06-04 12:00 - 2026-06-30 17:00 (America/New_York) | Manifest 002, 1242 3rd Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
MASTER TEACHERS ~ A Soulversations Series
Vol. I Foundation to Future Soul: The Cultural Advocacy That Made Black Music Month
In June 1979, a historic convening set in motion the federal recognition of June as Black Music Month. Photojournalist Ron St. Clair was in the room and he brought a camera. Foundation to Future Soul brings St. Clair’s fifteen archival photographs to Manifest in DC’s Union Market District for the full month of June 2026. Each image is set in historical context, connecting that political moment to the music, communities, and advocates who made it happen. All fifteen pieces are available for acquisition after the exhibition closes. This is the story of Black Music Month in photographs, by the man who was there.
More info here

Hot Mess
2026-06-04 19:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Penn Social, 801 E Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20004
Some nights go as planned. This show is about the ones that don’t. Hot Mess is a night of live, true stories about chaos, confusion, and the moments when everything goes off the rails, in public, in private, or right when it mattered most. These are the stories that make you cringe, laugh, and say “yep, been there.”
Registration link

Sun Ra: Do the Impossible Documentary Screening
2026-06-05 19:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Sound. Spirit. Imagination. A cosmic exploration of the Sun Ra legacy through film, conversation and community connection. Join us for a special screening of Sun Ra: Do the Impossible, a powerful documentary exploring the life, legacy, and boundless imagination of musician and visionary artist, Sun Ra. Following the film, we welcome you for an intimate Q&A panel featuring key contributors and cultural voices connected to the documentary, offering deeper insight into Sun Ra?s enduring impact on music, Afrofuturism, and artistic expression. The evening will conclude with a reception, inviting guests to connect, reflect, and celebrate in community.
Registration link

DC Day of Archaeology Festival
2026-06-06 10:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Catholic University of America, University Lawn, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC, 20064
Local families are invited to discover the past and learn about the clues under our feet at the DC Day of Archaeology Festival, a free, family-friendly event on June 6 that brings history to life through hands-on activities. Hosted by Archaeology in the Community, this annual festival gathers archaeologists and other heritage-related professionals from across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region to share the stories, science, and the discoveries that shape our understanding of the past. Taking place as part of DC Archaeology Month in June, the festival offers a full day of engaging experiences designed especially for kids and families. This event will be held at Catholic University of America, University Lawn outside the Pryzbyla Center.
Learn more

DC Oral History Collaborative: Oral History Interviewing Workshop
2026-06-15 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 401c, Conference Center, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
This session in our oral history workshop series focuses on the interview experience itself.

This core workshop in the DC Oral History Collaborative workshop series will provide participants strategies to make the interview experience rewarding for the interviewer and the narrator. The workshop will begin by exploring what comes before the interview – connecting research and planning with building trust and rapport with narrators. Participants will then discuss a wide variety of potential challenging situations that may arise in an oral history interview and will co-create a list of strategies for working through those situations. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to practice their skills by interviewing another member of their cohort.
Register here

The DC Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) documents, preserves, and celebrates the lived experiences of all Washington, DC residents and communities through oral history. The Collaborative accomplishes this by providing training, mentorship, resources, programs, and funding to current and aspiring oral historians. The Collaborative is a partnership of HumanitiesDC and the DC Public Library

Pride Month Poetry Reading
2026-06-16 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW, Washington DC, MD, 20006, United States
2026 PRIDE POETRY WORKSHOPS AT THE ARTS CLUB

The Arts Club of Washington announces a slate of free community writing workshops for 2026, led by five Pride Poets-in-Residence. Workshops are designed to be generative, so participants will leave each session with a new poem-in-progress, and are open to writers of all levels of experience and backgrounds. This is the final of six sessions.

Pride Month Poetry Reading
Reading by Gregory Adams, Xochi Quetzali Cartland, Marlena Chertock, Angelique Palmer, and Nico Penaranda, the five LGBTQ+ poets awarded 2026 Pride Poetry Fellowships from the Arts Club of Washington. Followed by a reception and book signing.
Register here.

The Art of Roller Skating: “Style” Roller Skating as American Folk Art
2026-06-19 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place, Washington, 20020, United States
As part of the Anacostia Community Museum’s Juneteenth Freedom Celebration, grantee Tasha Klusmann will present her research of Roller Skating culture in DC:
Program Room – Narrative –10am- 11:30am
The Art of Roller Skating positions Black roller skating as a vibrant American folk-art tradition, deeply rooted in regional innovation and intergenerational kinship networks. The program draws from the National African American Roller Skate Archive to present a compelling mix of historical research, archival images, cultural analysis, and short-form documentary footage. Central to the presentation is “Style,” a tempo- based genre of roller skating created and sustained by Black skaters across
distinct regional communities.

2026 Home Rule Music Festival at the Parks at Walter Reed
2026-06-20 12:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | The Parks at Walter Reed, 6900 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20012, United States
Celebrate five years of culture, community, and sound at the 2026 Home Rule Music Festival at The Parks at Walter Reed! This free, outdoor festival honors Washington, DC’s rich musical legacy, spotlighting jazz, go-go, funk, hip-hop, soul, and contemporary voices that continue to shape the city’s cultural identity.
Registration link
Now in its 5th year, the festival has grown into one DC’s premier cultural gatherings, drawing thousands of music lovers, families, creatives, and community leaders for a full day of live performances, connection, and celebration.
What to Expect:

Incredible live music from legendary and emerging D.C. artists
Curated local food vendors
Merch marketplace
A dynamic Record and Vinyl Fair
Live mural painting
A Kids Zone
VIP Experience Free and open to the public

Theater and Policy Salon: Friends Don't Fake Out Friends in DC
2026-06-24 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | NYU Washington DC, 1307 L Street NW, Washington DC, DC, 20005, United States
A Theater and Policy Salon play reading and panel discussion in partnership with the NYU Brademas Center. Join a timely conversation about the scariest AI deep fake challenges faced by vulnerable communities in DC and globally, anchored by a reading of D.C. playwright Ben Hatt’s new play, “Imposed.”
This Theater and Policy Salon event, in partnership with the New York University Brademas Center and NYU’s DC campus combines a true to life drama about two young women victimized by deep fake revenge porn with an expert conversation on policy fixes and individual action. The panel will include CUA Prof. Mary Graw, GWU Prof Alexa Alice Joubin, playwright Ben Hatt, and Becca Branum, Deputy Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Free Expression Project.
Register here

East of the Monsoon: Southeast Asian American Poetry at USA250
2026-06-28 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001
The D. SEA Writers Collective read poems commemorating the USA at 250, sharing the tears, joys, and wonders of 1.5 gen. refugees&immigrants.

Dan Hong, Nico Penaranda, Dylan Tran, and Pacyinz Lyfoung are Southeast Asian American poets from Vietnam, Laos, and the Philippines, bearing the cultural heritage of their Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, and Hmong ancestors. They have been reading together for over a year, and in 2026, they started to write together. They formed the D. SEA (Southeast Asian American) Writers Collective, a DC/DMV group. They revised and created poems to commemorate the quarter of a millenium anniversary of the USA, sharing the good, the bad, and other of their Southeast Asian American journeys. They will be glad to share poetry with you all, and if you would like to write your own poem too, they prepared a writing workshop to be offered after their reading. We will be meeting in Room 401-F, on the 4th Floor of the DC MLK Library.
Register here

Step Into the Story: hometown DC On Stage
2026-07-11 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place, Washington, 20020, United States
Washington is more than a capital—it is a collection of vibrant neighborhoods shaped by the people who call them home. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, hometown DC puts local stories at the heart of the District’s commemoration.
hometown DC is series of installations—designed as interactive “cubes”—being showcased at a DC Public Library in every ward and includes free events focusing on experiences and reflections from the people who call the District home. Join us for this free interactive event where Washingtonians’ stories will take center stage.
Verbal Gymnastics Theater Company will bring recorded memories to life using a modified version of their signature Playback Theater method. During this event, the company will perform a selection of hometown DC oral history interviewee stories through movement, music, and drama. We can’t for you to join Johnson and the rest of the cast as they turn these oral histories into a shared, high-energy visual experience.
Register here

More than an exhibition, hometown DC is an invitation to connect with the fabric of our city. Visit hometown.dchistory.org to learn more about this project, listen to featured oral histories, and find an installation near you.
