As we approach May Day, we ground ourselves in the truth: every right working people have ever won was fought for. The 40-hour work week. Minimum wages. Safer worker conditions. Abolition of child labor, none of it was given freely. All was organized for, struggled for, and won through collective action against bosses and authoritarian power.

Join Free DC’s Popular Education Working Group as we dive into the first five strikes from A History of America in Ten Strikes by Erik Loomis. Together, we’ll study the legacy of worker resistance and build our understanding of labor’s role in shaping this country. We will also connect it to DC history and our current struggle.

You do NOT need to finish the reading to join, of course, it is encouraged. Our space centers lived experience as knowledge, your insights, stories, and questions are just as important as the text.

We’ll also share updates on the Popular Education Working Group’s evolving structure and what’s ahead for future programming.

Need the book? Reach out in the Pop Ed chat.

Join us for Mikva Challenge DC Elections-in-Actions Council's 2026 Youth-Led Mayoral Candidate Forum.

DC high schoolers from our organizations will be hosting this forum for the young people of this city to hear from the current mayoral candidates on how they plan to address issues that youth are impacted by if they were to become mayor.

This is the bi-weekly meeting of Metro DC DSA's Trans and Queer Liberation Campaign. RSVP to receive the Zoom link and join us to discuss ongoing efforts such as Project Sanctuary, our Gender & Name Change Clinics, and more!

The Budget Oversight Hearings have been rescheduled to begin on April 20, and we want to make sure you're as prepared as possible to give your testimony!

Anyone is welcome to attend our workshops, but please note that each one is geared towards a different audience. You may find one more helpful than another based on your individual needs:

Our final workshop happening Wednesday, April 22 is geared towards community members.

Get the answers YOU need to (ranked-choice) vote for mayor.

The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) — D.C. Chapter invites you to participate in a People’s Assembly on Community Self‑Defense, taking place on Saturday, April 18th from 1-4PM at the Black Workers & Wellness Center at 2500 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE in Anacostia.

This assembly will convene organizations and individuals engaged in supporting the physical, emotional, and social well‑being of Black communities in DC, as well as those organizing to challenge state violence and build alternative forms of community safety. The gathering will provide space to share resources, exchange lessons, and develop a shared assessment of the challenges our communities face.

Through the assembly, they aim to strengthen relationships among organizations committed to self-defense as an act of self‑determination and to explore how we can work together more effectively in defense of our communities. History reminds us that lasting safety and dignity are achieved through the collective efforts of the people themselves.

Food, childcare, and ASL interpretation provided. Please feel free to reach out with any questions at mxgmdc@gmail.com, and we look forward to your participation!

Come join Ward 3 Free DC at Femme Fatale for a Spring Plant Swap! Femme Fatale's back patio is the perfect place to relax and mingle while scoping out your next new plant buddy. All Free DC members welcome! Join Us for an afternoon of exchanging plants and folding zines.

Register to let us know you’re coming!

Do you or someone you know have a car with a broken brake or tail light? Metro DC DSA is hosting a free Brake Light Repair Clinic! Stop by and we’ll replace your broken light for free while we learn more about how we can have safer streets without police.

Brake Light Repair Clinic Details:

• When: Sat, April 18, 2026 , 11am–4pm (Rain date April 25)

• Where: Outside the Autozone
  519 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC

• Request a repair here — help us plan ahead! You are also welcome to show up day-of, whether or not you fill out the form.

Please spread the word to your neighbors! Also, if you’d like to volunteer to help us spread the word, we’ll be canvassing and wheatpasting on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 12!

And rsvp here if you're interested in helping out with running the Brake Light Repair Clinic!

Why are we doing this? A broken brake light can lead to being pulled over, fines, & the risk of police violence. In 2020, 77% of DC traffic stops for equipment violations were of Black residents, ending in ~200 arrests. We’ve also seen traffic stops used as pretext for immigration enforcement, putting residents at risk of detention and deportation. Traffic tickets trap poor folks in the system, and an unpaid ticket can snowball into a court appearance or worse. Plus, DC residents with traffic debts over $100 are prohibited from renewing their licenses.

But it doesn’t have to be this way; it's time to rethink traffic safety altogether. DDOT workers could help fix broken lights instead of MPD fining you and threatening you with violence. Hoboken, NJ has had 0 traffic deaths in the last 7 years, all thanks to urban planning and non-police interventions. To truly make DC streets safe for everyone, we should invest in public transit, create more pedestrian-only zones, speed bumps, protected bike lanes, etc — reducing traffic accidents and reliance on cars altogether.

Join us for the Spring Greening Fair on Saturday, April 18 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM in Lederer Gardens (4801 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE).

This free Earth Day celebration brings neighbors together to welcome the new season and access resources that make our homes, neighborhoods, and city greener.  

What to expect

Music & Community: Enjoy music while connecting with neighbors and community groups working to protect DC’s environment.

Arts, Crafts & Family Activities: Get creative with poster-making, climate change coloring books, and activities for all ages.

Lower Your Energy Bills: Learn about programs, tools, and upgrades that can help you reduce energy use and save money on your utility bills

Protect Your Neighborhood: Discover practical ways to care for local trees, remove invasive vines, and protect your home from climate impacts like flooding and extreme weather.

Join the Free DC Ward 7 Team for Coffee and Conversation!

Curious about Free DC or looking to get involved with the Ward 7 team? Bring a friend and come meet other Ward 7 neighbors at Gigi’s Coffee Roaster’s in the Capitol View neighborhood.

If you are a new member to the Fair Budget Coalition or would like to learn more about all of our current initiatives, we invite you to attend our FBC New Member Orientation on Friday, April 17th at 2pm.

This is an opportunity to meet other new members, learn more about FBC and the DC budget process and get oriented! This orientation is open to all FBC members - if you've been here for a while and want a refresher, you're welcome too!

ICE has now arrested nearly 20,000 people in the DC region. The “DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force” has arrested an additional 10,000 people in DC just since August. The DC region now has the highest unemployment rate in the nation because of this administration’s destruction. And the president’s recent social media statements make it clear he is becoming dangerously unhinged from reality.

Enough is enough. On Friday May 1, we call on everyone in DC to commit to a day of no work, no school, and no shopping. To help us get ready for this massive day of action, join us for an organizing call on Wednesday, April 15 at 8 PM on Zoom.

This is the bi-weekly meeting of Metro DC DSA's Repro Justice Campaign. RSVP to receive the Zoom link and join us to discuss ongoing efforts such as mutual aid distribution, reproductive and sexual health care kit packing events, fundraising, and more!

Young people in DC are speaking up. We invite you to our annual Town Hall to hear directly from Black Swan Academy youth leaders about mental health, housing, school, access to resources, and community safety. We are sharing our stories and our ideas for change. Youth voices matter and we are leading in our communities right now. Connect to learn more and join in this year’s Black Youth Agenda campaign.

Mayor Bowser is scheduled to release her budget on April 1st. She’s spent the last few months signaling that this will be yet another budget balanced on the backs of our most vulnerable DC communities. Please join us in community for our event, "Where's the Budget? A Conversation in Community with FBC" to learn about the Mayor’s proposed budget, and next steps to fight for a budget of care and sustainability with the DC Council.

We’ll be meeting on Tuesday, April 14th from 6-8 pm at the Black Workers and Wellness Center in Anacostia (2500 MLK Ave SE).

Food, childcare, and interpretation as requested will be provided. The space will be ADA accessible.

Historian Matthew Delmont joins Rethinking Schools executive director Cierra Kaler-Jones to discuss his latest book, which tells the story of the Vietnam War through the lives of Coretta Scott King and Dwight “Skip” Johnson, exploring activism, racism in the military, key uprisings and conventions, and the war’s lasting impact.

You are formally and cordially invited to Harriet’s House, the grand opening of the physical embodiment of the Harriet’s Wildest Dreams Community Defense Hub. Located in the heart of Southeast, the Soul of the City, we are a commitment to Black people in the Greater Washington DC area.

Harriet’s Wildest Dreams is the epitome of a freedom dream fulfilled and we invite you to celebrate and reflect with us as we continue to build toward true liberation. Harriet’s House is a place to train, gather, heal and to just be.

Come join us for a night of music, dinner, dancing and above all else community. You must RSVP to receive the address and attend.

What role has the US labor movement and its institutions played in global struggles for liberation? We'll be speaking with Jeff Schuhrke, the author of Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor's Anticommunist Crusade and No Neutrals There: US Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine about these exact questions, and what that means for socialists and anti-imperialists in the labor movement today.

This event is hybrid, you can join us in Room 401-D or RSVP for the Zoom link!

Questions? Accessibility concerns? Email politicaleducation@mdcdsa.org or labor@mdcdsa.org

NOTE: This event will be recorded and may be shared on MDC DSA’s social media platforms for educational purposes. By participating, you acknowledge that you may be videotaped and livestreamed. If you wish to avoid being recorded, you should take efforts to avoid appearing on camera or speaking.

Join us for a snapshot of the work Harriet’s Wildest Dreams is engaged in. Our liberation is tied to one another and we need each other to do this work to protect our people — Black people, formerly incarcerated folks, queer and trans communities, and all those at risk of state sanctioned violence.

Being in the nation's capital we are at the center of the empire and also a target for far right extremists. DC is NO ONE’s playground and we must remain vigilant in our fight for statehood, our fight against mass incarceration and the fight for gender liberation and bodily autonomy for all.

If you and your friends are interested in building a better world, free from patriarchal violence, a world where queer is in, then you've come to the right place! Come sit with us as we re-imagine what this world can be and reclaim safety for all of DC.

Who Are We:

We are a Black-led abolitionist community defense hub centering all Black lives most at risk for state-sanctioned violence in the Greater Washington area.

What we do:

Our work includes legal empowerment, political and civic education, mass protest, organizing campaigns, and community care that builds alternatives to oppressive systems.

If you are in need of ASL interpretation please let us know at least 48 hours in advance.

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE HUMANITIESDC COMMUNITY SHOWCASE!

Join us on April 9, 2026, at 6:00 PM at THEARC for a celebration of bold ideas, even bolder questions, and powerful stories. Together, we'll honor the outstanding work of our 2025 Community, Culture & Heritage grantees. Engage with fellow curious minds as we share the diverse stories and transformative impact of the humanities.

This the bi-weekly meeting of Metro DC DSA's Trans and Queer Liberation Campaign. RSVP to receive the Zoom link and join us to discuss ongoing efforts such as Project Sanctuary, our Gender & Name Change Clinics, and more!

In DC, the federal occupation has targeted two groups: (those perceived to be) immigrants, and Black youth. We know the occupation builds on an infrastructure of anti-Black police harm. And locally, leaders support anti-youth policies and legislation.

Young people in DC need adult allies on their side to support their demands.

In this training, you will:

• Understand how young people have already been fighting and designing solutions

• Learn how local and federal policy harm youth, especially Black youth

• Get trained on how to talk to young people about risk

• Leave with KYR training for police interactions

• Take the pledge to be an Adult Ally for Youth

Are you a renter in DC? Do you know your rights at home, how to document housing code violations, or what to expect at court if your landlord brings a case against you?

These are all topics that will be covered at our upcoming Know Your Tenant Rights Webinars! To sign up for our next webinar on Wednesday, April 8 at 6:00 p.m., follow this link or click the button below.

Although these webinars are on Zoom, any participant is welcome to attend in person at our offices located at 1640 Columbia Rd NW.

Come learn more about the Responders of Harriet's Wildest Dreams!

Harriets Responders is committed to building local power through transformational direct actions, rapid response & mutual aid. By organizing, strategizing and responding, we work to decrease the power of the carceral state and oppressive systems.

Join this info session to learn how to get plugged in to the DC Safety Squad and Harriets Responders. Come learn about how we are building community and reimagining safety. We are piloting a response team that is going to act as an alternatives to calling the police. We are advocating for harm reduction resources, as we provide community support, perform rapid responses and civil disobedience. #WeKeepUsSafe

A sophisticated solidarity program is key to building a powerful, militant, socialist labor movement. The core of our solidarity program involves maintaining and strengthening our relationship with the labor movement in the region and assisting in its growth and development.

Join our Solidarity Committee meeting on Monday, April 6 to learn about our solidarity program and how to get involved with our regular pickets, textbanks, wheatpastes, and more! Regardless of whether you have prior organizing experience or are totally new to labor work, this is a great entry point to learn more and join in.

The Public Lands Working Group is focused on creating Social Housing at 1617 U Street NW. Plans are now underway for the district to redevelop this land. We are organizing to prevent a public land give-away by winning commitments to create Social Housing at this location.

Come by 2572 Sherman Ave NW from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm and help with our mutual aid distribution table, and take what you need. No need to do an orientation; just come by and pitch in! The next distro will be part of our W1MA celebration on 3/21, and then on 4/4.

Have you ever wondered how the policies shaping DC’s budget affect your co-op, or how decisions at the city level can help keep your housing affordable and unlock funding to improve your building? Mi Casa, Inc. and the Fair Budget Coalition would like to invite you to next month's Co-op Academy training on April 2 at 6:30 PM. This session, the first in a new series, will walk through how these decisions are made and how you can play a role, with topics including:

• How City Council passes DC's annual budget

• How the budget impacts affordable housing and limited equity co-ops

• How to get involved in DC's budget approval process and advocate for programs that help limited equity co-ops thrive