HumanitiesDC

Culture Series: District of Cats
2024-09-12 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax) | Busboys and Poets Monroe, 625 Monroe St NE, Washington, DC, 20017, United States
Event Details:
Every year, dozens of cyclists periodically meet up for “alleycats”: unsanctioned scavenger hunts-turned-races sprung by daring local bike couriers onto DC streets. They make for an eclectic, if temporary, community: male, female, nonbinary, queer; old and young; a jumble of races and ethnicities; athletes in spandex and those riding in street clothes. Careening between local landmarks and mini-games that constitute a race, riders compete hard even as they guard each others’ backs while weaving through rush hour car traffic. Once exclusive to the bike messenger community, alleycats have attracted a broader range of cyclists as couriering has become a threatened way of life.
Since their introduction in the 1990s, how has the bike messenger community—and the alleycats they throw—adapted to the social and economic shifts within the District? In an evening conversation with just the right amount of audience participation, the co-curators of the DC Oral History project “District of Cats” will sit with three legends of the DC bike messenger scene to get their thoughts on these and other questions, and a bike’s-eye view of the District as a whole.
ASL Interpretation will be provided.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: September 12, 2024 • 7PM
Location: Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe Street NE 20017
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jimmy Watkins
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jwatkins@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 806

Alliance for New Music-Theatre: The Man Ray Project: Caesar & The Mannequin
2024-09-12 09:00 - 2024-09-21 17:00 | Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
Inspired by the Man Ray painting “Shakespearean Equation: Julius Caesar,” in the Phillips collection, Composer Andrew E. Simpson and Librettist Susan Galbraith have concocted a Dadaist fantastical story of a “Caesar,” a character who is determined to cling to power at whatever cost and sings, “You can?t stick me in a closet; I will not stay there.” This full live-plus-mixed-media work is expanded from a prescient 2020 opera film produced in response to COVID. In 2024 as we careen toward the November election the story is even more prescient and dangerously relevant today than it was four years ago. In a fit of brilliance (or is it a dream?), Dadaist artist (Wo)Man-Ray reaches deep into his/her imagination to orchestrate the real-life meeting of two of his/her inspirations: an animate bust of Julius Caesar, and (Wo)Man?s sometime lover, the sexy model/mannequin Kiki. As the rapt creator loosens the strings of his/her living playthings, simmering conflicts escalate between political power and the power of art; between man, woman and (Wo)Man; between truth and history. Kiki vies for agency, (Wo)Man to create something permanent and true, and Caesar, full of dictatorial pretentions, to cling to power at all costs. Each wields violence, mockery, and subjugation against the others while the artist tries desperately to make sense of it all. Will this be the end of the Republic? Ages 13+ Content Warnings: mild swearing, mild sexual content, mild violence, mild use of weapons
Event Details
Host: Atlas Performing Arts Center
Date: September 12 – 20, 2024
Location: 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Event fee: $40
Registration Event link: https://www.atlasarts.org/events/man-ray/
For More Information
Contact: Rachel L. Pearl
Website: https://www.atlasarts.org/
Email: rpearl@atlasarts.org

In Zora's Footsteps: Narratives of DC
2024-08-02 18:00 - 2024-08-28 20:00 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 401c, Conference Center, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
EVENT AT CAPACITY.
Join a FREE 4-week writing workshop series: “In Zora’s Footsteps: Narratives of DC” led by Tracy Chiles McGhee. Whether you’re a budding writer or a seasoned scribe, this series promises to enrich your narrative skills and deepen your cultural connections. Special Guests: Dr. Minnie Quartey Annan, Marita Golden, Kimberly A. Collins, and Ronita Overton. For More Info & goldfernpress@gmail.com.
Dates: August 2024 (Wednesdays 7, 14, 21, & 28)
Register by: August 2, 2024.
Event Details
Host: Tracy Chiles McGhee
Date: August 2024 • 6PM – 8PM
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Tracy Chiles McGhee
Email: goldfernpress@gmail.com

DHH Dance Collaborative: "that's how the light gets in"
2024-07-20 19:30 - 2024-07-21 16:00 | Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
Event Details:
The DHH dancers are back for a ninth season and are inspired to bring more excitement, cutting-edge choreography, and heartfelt passion to the Lang Theater stage. Witness the creativity come alive in their production of “that’s how the light gets in,” a showcase of all new works choreographed, staged, and performed by the dancers in the company. DHH Dance Collaborative continues to merge into a casual, but committed, performance-based dance company, specializing in diverse styles of jazz, ballet, tap, and modern dance, for adult dancers of varying levels. This continuously growing dance company welcomes dancers from throughout the DMV, and currently provides rehearsal and class opportunities in DC, Arlington, Falls Church, Centreville, Virginia, and Silver Spring, Maryland.

Host: Atlas Performing Arts Center
Date: July 20, 2024 • 7:30PM – July 21, 2024 • 4PM
Location: 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Event fee: $20-24
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Rachel L. Pearl
Website: atlasarts.org
Email: rpearl@atlasarts.org

Culture Series: Fighting For Home
2024-07-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Busboys and Poets 450 K St NW, 450 K St NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Event Details:
The 1970s was a period of intense gentrification in DC — but the decade was also marked by the most effective and creative tenant organizing in DC’s history to date. Join Amanda Huron, an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and Political Science at the UDC, and a panel of three people who organized tenants in 1970s DC to share their experiences, and reflect on what organizers today can learn from the successes and failures of the 1970s.
As DC, once again, is in the midst of a housing crisis, many tenants are again responding by organizing in creative ways. We hope this panel helps people today learn from past efforts, and imagine new ways to claim home in the city.
ASL Interpretation will be provided.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: July 18, 2024 • 7PM
Location: Busboys and Poets, 450 K Street Northwest Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jimmy Watkins
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jwatkins@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 806

Oral History Interviewing Workshop
2024-07-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 401c, Conference Center, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Event Details:

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 further 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.
This workshop will be led by oral historian José Centeno-Melendez, PhD.
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.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: July 15, 2024 • 6PM
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Library 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration: Event Link
For More Information
Contact: Jasper Collier
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jcollier@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 804

City Cast DC and DC Office of Planning Live Podcast Taping
2024-07-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Metrobar, 640 Rhode Island Ave, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
Event Details:
Join us for a live taping of the City Cast DC podcast at metrobar on July 13th! Host Bridget Todd will be joined by DC Office of Planning Director Anita Cozart and Senior Planner Ebony Dumas to chat about the findings of their new podcast, District Crossroads. We’ll dive into a project focused on the neighborhoods and neighbors around the intersection of North Capitol and Irving Streets.
Host: City Cast DC and DC Office of Planning
Date: July 13, 2024 • 2PM – July 13, 2024 • 4PM
Location: metrobar – 640 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, Estados Unidos
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Ebony Dumas
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: ebony.dumas@dc.gov

The Theatre Lab: Titanic: The Musical
2024-07-11 19:30 - 2024-07-13 19:30 | Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
Event Details:
Titanic: The Musical Directed by Deb Gottesman and Lucia LaNave Choreographer Sarah Frances Williams Story and Book by Peter Stone Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston Winner of five Tony Awards in 1997 including Best Musical, Titanic by Maury Yeston is a thrilling historical drama with strikingly human and relatable characters. From the lofty dreams of first-class passengers to the resilient spirits in steerage, each of the 30+ unique characters contributes to the musical’s rich tapestry.
Titanic’s score is packed with soaring ballads, uptempo group numbers, and poignant duets exploring the nature of love, sacrifice, and the indomitable human spirit. Titanic is a hidden gem in the musical theatre world. Don’t miss this chance to see it performed live in an intimate space! All Ages Content Warnings: Mild sexual content, mild references of suicide, regularly occurring grief, mild depictions of smoking on stage.
Host: Atlas Performing Arts Center
Date: July 11, 2024 • 7:30PM – July 13, 2024 • 7:30PM
Location: 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Event fee: $10-15
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Rachel L. Pearl
Website: atlasarts.org
Email: rpearl@atlasarts.org

DC Museum of Sidewalk Stuff: Mutual Aid Stories
2024-07-11 16:00 - 20:00 | Gallery Y, 1325 W St. NW, Washington, DC, 20009, United States
The DC Museum of Sidewalk Stuff is about the stories behind the free stuff we leave for each other on the street. Learn from local organizers who took to the sidewalk to share with their neighbors, and the relationships they cultivated as a result. In D.C. we?re surrounded by museums that celebrate famous moments in our nation?s history. We hope this exhibit reminds us that the ways we care for each other everyday are just as important. The exhibit is from July 11 to September 6 at Gallery Y (YMCA Anthony Bowen). The opening reception is on Thursday, July 11 from 6-8pm. La exposición séra en inglés y español!
Event Details
Host: Allison Press and Xena Ni
Date: July 11, 2024 • 4 – 8PM
Location: Gallery Y, 1325 W St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8mrV0gOmzf/?img_index=1
For More Information
Contact: Allison Press
Email: allison.n.press@gmail.com
Phone: 919-265-3797

Ladies In The Day, The Musical
2024-06-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, United States
Experience a captivating soul and jazz musical production with Ladies In The Day. This fantastic stage performance will take you back to some of the greatest singers and entertainers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, and many more. The talented cast of a solid and mind-blowing vocalist will mesmerize you with their soulful and powerful performances. Get ready to transport yourself to a time of jazz flappers, sassy outfits, and saucy dances that will demand your participation. All Ages.
Event Details
Host: Atlas Performing Arts Center
Date: June 29, 2024 • 7 – 9PM
Location: Atlas Arts, 1333 H St NE Washington, DC 20002
Event fee: $63
Registration Event link: https://www.atlasarts.org/events/ladies/
For More Information
Contact: Rachel Pearl
Website: https://www.atlasarts.org
Email: rpearl@atlasarts.org
Phone: 202-399-7993

Film Screening and Discussion: Kindred Spirits
2024-06-29 12:00 - 14:00 | Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place, Washington, 20020, United States
Join filmmaker Cintia Cabib for a screening and discussion of her documentary, “Kindred Spirits: Artists Hilda Wilkinson Brown and Lilian Thomas Burwell.” The film explores the lives and work of two accomplished but unsung Black women artists – both native Washingtonians – and their special bond as aunt and niece. The screening is in conjunction with the Anacostia Community Museum’s exhibit, “A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, D.C.”
Event Details
Host: Jenelle Cooper
Date: June 29, 2024 • 12 – 2PM
Location: 1901 Fort Place, SE. 20020
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-discussion-kindred-spirits-tickets-917410187567?aff=oddtdtcreator
For More Information
Contact: Jenelle Cooper
Website: https://anacostia.si.edu/events?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D175093908
Email: cooperjr@si.edu
Phone: 202-633-4867

We De Ya IV: The Caribbean American Takeover
2024-06-28 18:00 - 22:00 | The President Woodrow Wilson Building, 2340 S St. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
Join us for an evening of talks, visual art and performance art honoring and celebrating the spirit of Caribbean Americans contribution to the cultural and civic tapestry of Washington D.C. Powered by HumanitiesDC and MCBS Group.
Event Details
Host: PineXGinja
Date: June 28, 2024 • 6 – 10PM
Location: The President Woodrow Wilson House 2340 S Street, NW 20008
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Mark Beckford
Website: www.pineginja.com
Email: markebeckford@gmail.com
Phone: 202-705-3793

Arts & Humanities Community Meeting
2024-06-27 14:00 - 16:00 | DC
Artists, teachers, leaders, humanities, museum, and gallery professionals all in one room? Not just looking toward the future, but creating it? That’s our annual community meeting; where DC arts and humanities practitioners and advocates connect and organize! ? Free to attend | Registration Required DC Collaborative will present: – An updated membership model (Teaching Artists, you don?t want to miss this!) – Insights and resources from DDi (District Data Initiative) – Updates from Arts and Humanities For Every Student (AHFES) – New opportunities for grant and funding partnerships.
Event Details
Host: DC Collaborative
Date: June 27, 2024 • 2PM – 4PM
Location: 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link: https://dccollab.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/dccollab/event.jsp?event=21&
For More Information
Contact: Shelby Hubbard
Website: https://dccollaborative.org/
Email: shelby@dccollaborative.org
Phone: 202-470-6467

Stories in Motion
2024-06-19 10:00 - 17:00 | Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place, Washington, 20020, United States
Event Details:
The DC Oral History Collaborative will be at this year’s Anacostia Community Museum Juneteenth Festival to help festival goers learn about oral history and record informal interviews with their friends and family! The oral history booth will feature recording equipment, comfortable conversation space, and guides to help interviewers get started. Interviewers and interviewees will be able to take home their recordings on a flash drive and will learn options for archiving their interviews or conducting longer-form oral histories. There will be no obligation to submit the interviews to any institutional repository, and the booth will center the impact of interviewing and being interviewed.

If you don’t ask, you’ll never know!

The DC Oral History Collaborative is a partnership program of HumanitiesDC and the DC Public Library.

Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: June 19, 2024 • 10AM
Location: Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl, SE Washington, DC 20020
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information:
Contact: Jasper Collier
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jcollier@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 804

Children's Book and Learning Festival
2024-06-15 10:00 - 17:00 | Wilson Plaza at The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 20004, United States
Capital Book Fest hosts its annual Children’s Book and Learning Festival presented by the nonprofit organization Turning the Page. The family-friendly festival will offer a full day of engaging and educational activities, featuring an exciting lineup of local authors from the Children?s Book Guild of Washington, DC and exhibitions from the National Children’s Museum, DC Public Library, Washington Nationals, The Nature Generation, Readability, Urban Adventure Squad, The Giving Square, Washington Informer Spelling Bee, and the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID). Children and their families can enjoy a variety of activities, including “Story on the Plaza,” presented by the National Children’s Museum and DC Public Library.
Event Details
Host: Capital Book Fest
Date: June 15, 2024 • 10 – 5PM
Location: 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 20004
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link: https://turningthepage.org/childrens-book-and-learning-festival/
For More Information
Contact: Jacie Roberts Lallis
Website: https://turningthepage.org/childrens-book-and-learning-festival/
Email: jroberts@rrbitc.com
Phone: 202.312.1552

Planning Oral History Projects
2024-06-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 401c, Conference Center, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Event Details:
Running an oral history project is a lot of work! But the skills and best practices in this third core workshop in the DC Oral History Collaborative’s Training Series will help participants understand how to avoid getting bogged down in budgetary or scheduling challenges.
This session covers topics such as developing an organizing research question and overcoming common pitfalls and obstacles. Anxious about approaching potential interviewees, join us at this session for some practice!
This session will be led by oral historians Kristy Li Puma and Darby Hickey.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: June 10, 2024 • 6PM
Location: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jasper Collier
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jcollier@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 804

ALL STORIES MATTER: Building Community Through The Arts
2024-06-08 15:00 - 16:00 | Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE, Washington, DC, 20003, United States
Through interviews with prominent thought leaders in the arts, and footage of creative pursuits inartistic expression, teaching and community- based arts programming across the Washington DC Metropolitan region, common threads of a larger and vital arts story are revealed and celebrated in this 30 min documentary from EMMY-Awarded director and editor, Todd Clark in partnership with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Funding provided by the Humanities Council of Washington, DC. Featuring: Ellen Cornett, Teacher, CHAW Reginald Douglas, Artistic Director, Mosaic Theater Cassandra Heatherington, Cleveland Park Main Street Sandra Holloway, City at Peace Alvin Mayes, Principal Lecturer, University of MD Amy Moore, Executive Director, CHAW Aaron Myers, Executive Director, DCCAH Lisa Oksala, Board of Directors, CHAW Alex Padro, Director, Shaw Main Streets Director, Art All Night-Shaw Christine Platt, Parent, CHAW Andy Shallal, Muralist, CEO Busboys and Poets Jill Strachan Former Executive Director, CHAW Doug Yeuell, Executive Director, Atlas Performing Arts Center
Event Details
Host: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
Date: June 8, 2024 • 3 – 4PM
Location: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop – Black Box Theater; 545 7th St. SE, WDC 20003
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link:
For More Information
Contact: Amy Moore
Website: https://chaw.org/
Email: amy@chaw.org
Phone: 202-547-6839

Culture Series: The Other Significant Others
2024-06-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Busboys and Poets 450 K St NW, 450 K St NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Event Details:
Our need for stronger social ties could hardly be clearer at a time when so many Americans are feeling the effects of the loneliness epidemic and a decline in platonic relationships that has been dubbed a “friendship recession.” A panel will discuss what we can learn from past and present approaches to friendship, from ceremonies that honor platonic relationships to communal living arrangements. They’ll use these examples to imagine the role of friendship in our lives moving forward. The evening will conclude with the performance of a song about friendship.
Join guest curator Rhaina Cohen, the author of the bestselling book The Other Significant Others, in conversation with a panel that brings both research expertise and first-hand experience with building a life with friends.
ASL Interpretation will be provided.
More About the Curator: Rhaina Cohen is the author of the bestselling book The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center and an award-winning producer for NPR’s documentary podcast, Embedded. Her work, which often focuses on social connection, has aired on numerous podcasts and radio shows, including Hidden Brain, Invisibilia, and Morning Edition, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic and elsewhere. Her book research was supported by a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Program.
ASL Interpretation will be provided.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: June 6, 2024 • 7PM
Location: Busboys and Poets, 450 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jimmy Watkins
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jwatkins@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 806

Keep the Mic Close – Audio Techniques for Oral History
2024-05-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 401c, Conference Center, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Event Details:
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 high-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.
• Discover how, at a fundamental level, their narrators’ voices are encoded into preservation-quality digital files.
• Understand some of the most common causes of poor audio quality and how to set up their interview space to avoid them.
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.

Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: May 20, 2024 • 6PM
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Library 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration: Event Link
For More Information
Contact: Jasper Collier
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jcollier@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 804

Culture Series: Narratives of Black Resilience
2024-05-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Busboys and Poets, Brookland, 625 Monroe Street NE, Washington, DC, 20017, United States
Event Details:

Join HumanitiesDC and guest curator Jermaine Jones to explore how Black literature produced from the 20th century up to today offers quasi essential history of a resilient cultural movement, investigates the power of Black pliability under Jim Crow and systemic racism, and celebrates the rebellious power of Black imagination.
Black Literature is instrumental in defeating the “Rashomon Effect“ and anachronistic racism, dismantling barriers of inequality, discrimination, and typecast. More importantly, Black literature has been pivotal in functioning as the defense attorney for Black culture and helping the world understand the challenges and triumphs experienced by Black people in America. Black literature is also responsible for shaping the culture, identities, and voices of a considerable number of cities in America, including Washington, DC.
ASL Interpretation will be provided.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: May 16, 2024 • 7PM
Location: Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe Street NE, Washington, DC 20017
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jimmy Watkins
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jwatkins@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 806

Free Concert: Musical Journey Around the Globe
2024-05-13 13:00 - 14:30 | F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD, 20851, United States
Event Details:
Summer is just around the corner! Join Washington Metro Oasis to kick off the new term with a bang! Join Seth Kibel and Friends for a whirlwind tour of music from Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. This musical journey will set your toes tapping and your spirits flying! The concert is held at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville. The event is free, but registration is required. Register directly through AARP via this link or call AARP at 877-926-8300. You’ll find the full schedule of Washington Metro Oasis classes on our website, OR you can call us at 240-800-3745 to request a printed catalog.
Host: Washington Metro Oasis
Date: May 13, 2024 • 1PM
Location: 603 Edmonston Dr, Rockville, MD 20851
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Janice Pliner
Website: Washington Metro Oasis
Email: jpliner1@jhmi.edu
Phone: 240-800-3745

Art of Resilience: Celebrating DC's Black Arts Community
2024-05-04 13:00 - 14:30 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 401c, Conference Center, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Event Details:
Join us for this exciting opportunity to hear the stories of some of DC’s most iconic Black visual artists. The speakers will talk about their lives and their work and will share archived oral histories they’ve given as part of the DC Oral History Collaborative collection in the People’s Archive. While they share their memories, contemporary portrait artists will be live-painting them and the finished portraits will be displayed at the DC Public Library.
This is a rare chance to learn about the DC Black arts scene in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, a time when a strong community of curators and gallery owners worked collaboratively to support a burgeoning community of Black artists in the District, from the artists themselves.
The event will be held in the “New Books” space at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, near the library cafe. The closest metro stop is Gallery Place – Chinatown.

Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: May 4, 2024 • 1PM
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street Northwest Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jasper Collier
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jcollier@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.387.8391

¿Qué es la historia oral y por qué es importante?
2024-04-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library, 3160 16th St NW, Washington, DC, 20010, United States
Event Details
Este taller introductorio explorará qué es la historia oral, cómo esta herramienta se ha utilizado para la preservación de historias comunitarias y su relación con las entrevistas y los cuentos cotidianos. Los participantes tendrán la oportunidad de aprender qué factores y eventos motivan a historiadores orales a documentar historias comunitarias utilizando esta forma de narración. Durante el taller, los participantes tendrán la oportunidad de aprender cómo pueden encontrar y explorar archivos de entrevistas que narran historias comunitarias (especialmente, las historias dirigidas hacia la comunidad Latina de Washington, D.C., Maryland y Virginia). En este proceso, identificarán elementos básicos de una buena entrevista y tendrán la oportunidad de pensar cómo les pueden servir las historias orales para documentar sus propias historias o empezar proyectos académicos.
Este taller será liderada en español por José Centeno-Meléndez, un historiador local que utiliza la historia oral como herramienta para documentar las contribuciones/las vidas de latinos y salvadoreños en el DMV.
This introductory workshop will help participants define oral history in relationship to the history of the practice and other forms of interviewing and storytelling. Participants will learn what motivates oral historians to do their work and what might motivate them to initiate projects of their own. Participants will also learn how to discover archival oral history interviews and begin to understand what makes a good interview. Finally, participants will think about how to turn their topical interests into guiding research questions.

Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: April 25, 2024 • 6PM
Location: Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library, 3160 16th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20010
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jasper Collier
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jcollier@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.387.8391

William Beckett Project: Conversation and Reception
2024-04-20 13:00 - 16:00 | Picnic Grove #1, Picnic Grove #1, near the intersection of Shoemaker and Tilden Streets NW, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, DC, 20008, United States
Event Details:
Come learn about William Beckett, who was once the enslaved manager of Joshua Peirce’s nursery business on Linnaean Hill, now Rock Creek Park headquarters. With funding from HumanitiesDC, the Friends of Peirce Mill recently researched Beckett’s remarkable life, and will share his story. The event begins at 1PM, Saturday, April 20, with a conversation at Picnic Grove #1 in Rock Creek Park. Then we’ll head up to Linnaean Hill, now known as Klingle Mansion. Visitors will have the option to walk up the hill or to take a free shuttle bus. We’ll end the afternoon with a reception on the lawn of Linnaean Hill, where William Beckett was born in 1833. A new interpretive exhibit telling Beckett’s life story will be installed near the mansion from April 20 to May 5, 2024. Rain date: Sunday, April 21

Host: Friends of Peirce Mill
Date: April 20, 2024 • 1PM
Location: Picnic Grove #1, near the intersection of Shoemaker and Tilden Streets NW, Rock Creek Park
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Angela K. Kramer
Website: friendsofpeircemill.org
Email: angela@friendsofpeircemill.org
Phone: 718-208-3161

Culture Series: Decoding DC Language
2024-04-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Busboys and Poets 450 K St NW, 450 K St NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Event Details:
HumanitiesDC invites you to an engaging interactive discussion on African American Language and its speakers in the DMV area. The event, which will include special appearances from local spoken word artists will be held from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, Thursday, April 18, at Busboys and Poets, 450 K Street, NW. Throughout the evening, we’ll explore some interesting questions like: What is African American Language? Is it slang? Why do some people say ‘urrea’ while others say ‘area?’ Chocolate City is becoming less chocolate. Does it matter?
Join Dr. Minnie Annan for a lively and interactive conversation on African American Language in the DMV area. Click here to register for this event.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: April 18, 2024 • 7PM
Location: Busboys and Poets, 450 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jimmy Watkins
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jwatkins@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 806

The Struggle to Realize Enlightenment Ideals
2024-04-18 18:00 - 20:00 | NYU Washington DC, 1307 L Street NW, Washington DC, DC, 20005, United States
Event Details:
Theater and Policy Salon presents, “The Struggle to Realize Enlightenment Ideals: From the Early Days of the American Republic to the Present”
Last fall’s HumanitiesDC supported event featured teasers for Jamie Stiehm’s theatrical work “Across The River.” Now join us for a free reading of the entire play, followed by a dialogue about full political participation by women and people of color in America. See the same talented actors who made Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson come alive last October.
The play reading will be at 6PM on Thursday, April 18 at the NYU DC campus, 1307 L Street NW, in downtown DC. The post-show panel will feature Fergus Bordewich, Historian and Writer, Dr. Maya Kornberg, Research Fellow, Elections and Government Program, Democracy, Brennan Center for Justice, Jasleen Singh, Counsel, Democracy, Brennan Center for Justice, and Angela Tate, Curator of Women?s History, National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Host: Theater and Policy Salon,
Date: April 18, 2024 • 6PM
Location: NYU DC campus, 1307 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Michael Feldman
Website: Theater and Policy Salon
Email: mfeldman@mfeldman.net
Phone: N/A

The Inner Loop's 10th Anniversary Reading
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Sonny’s Pizza, 3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20010, United States
Event Details:

Alice McDermott returns to The Inner Loop to read from the new novel Absolution, after which Inner Loop board, staff, and veteran readers read flash pieces of 2 minutes or less in rapid succession. We’ll have tarot readings, interactive sculpture tables, Inner Loop merch, and plenty of time to party at this special reading event! Whether you’re a bookworm, an inspiring writer, or just enjoy listening to stories, The Inner Loop readings have something for everyone. Our mission is to create an inclusive writing community in DC, so we encourage you to grab some food, a drink, and meet other literature lovers. We can’t wait to see you there!
Host: The Inner Loop
Date: April 16, 2024 • 7PM
Location: Sunny’s Pizza, 3120 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20010
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Aeriel Merillat
Website: theinnerloop.org
Email: hello@theinnerlooplit.org
Phone: N/A

Culture Series: Transcending Boundaries - Trans Histories and Liberation
2024-04-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Busboys and Poets, Brookland, 625 Monroe Street NE, Washington, DC, 20017, United States
Event Details:
Explore frontline perspectives on the escalating anti-trans legislation in the US in this compelling paneled event, slated from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, Thursday, April 11, at Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe Street NE, Washington, DC, 20017. Hear firsthand accounts from resilient trans individuals, including impassioned activists, dedicated community organizers, and those working against legal challenges to trans rights.
Join Cooper Joslin, a web developer and DC-based multimedia artist, and a group of exceptional panelists as they shed light on the broader implications of discriminatory laws targeting the trans community.
Host: HumanitiesDC
Date: April 11, 2024 • 7PM
Location: Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe Street NE, Washington, DC, 20017
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: Jimmy Watkins
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: jwatkins@humanitiesdc.org
Phone: 202.770.3077 Ext. 806

The DC History Conference Celebrates 50 Years
2024-04-04 - 2024-04-06 | DC
Event Details:
HumanitiesDC, in partnership with the DC Public Library and the DC History Center, is proud to present the 50th Anniversary of the DC History Conference held April 4-6, 2024, at the MLK Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001. This free event is an annual interdisciplinary, community conference considering the District’s past, present, and future. Come learn about how history has shaped DC. Register for the conference here.
Host: DC History Center
Date: April 4-6, 2024
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Event fee: Free
Registration Event link
For More Information
Contact: DC History Center
Website: humanitiesdc.org
Email: conference@dchistory.org
Phone: N/A

Black Women on the Move: JOURNEY(S): addis to dc Screening & Discussion
2024-03-23 18:00 - 21:00 | Eaton DC, 1201 K St. NW, Washington, DC, 20005, United States
Join Eaton DC for an evening of storytelling and conversation centering the diverse origins and migration experiences of Black women. We’re screening JOURNEY(S): addis to dc, an experimental “docupoem” anthology, made possible with grant funding from HumanitiesDC. Director/producer Saaret E. Yoseph will be in-person for a post-screening discussion, following presentations of relevant performances and visual artwork by Marjuan Canady, Redeat Wondemu, Wayna Wondwossen.
