Non-Cooperation Theory + Practice is Free DC's advanced training intensive on the key skills involved in effective non-cooperation. This half-day training will teach you what non-cooperation looks like on an individual level, a mass level, and how other movements have used these tactics effectively.

Orientation is required

Campaign Orientation is a required pre-requisite for this training. If you have not yet attended a Campaign Orientation, you must do so before participating in this training. Join an upcoming Campaign Orientation session »

Join us for a virtual lunch-and-learn session on May 29 at 12 pm to discuss Congressional efforts to repeal our record sealing and expungement law. DC’s record relief law, the Second Chance Amendment Act (SCAA), has helped clear records for DC residents that were struggling to access necessary resources such as stable employment, secure housing, and life-changing educational opportunities. Record clearing not only helps people provide for themselves and their families, it benefits the economy and improves public safety. Nevertheless, Congress wants to return DC to the costly approach of having people’s records prevent them from moving forward with their lives, which does not make us safer. 

Join us to learn more about this law, the benefits it produces in our communities, and how Congress is seeking to overturn the law in DC. 

Courtwatch DC is a growing DC-based program that provides the space and training for the community to observe local court proceedings in the District of Columbia and document our city’s policies in action and to hold judicial actors accountable for injustice in the court system.

Courtwatch DC is powered by Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, with support from DC Justice Lab, and DC IWOC and was founded and led by formerly incarcerated Black women.

Courtwatching is a form of mutual aid. Inspired by Courtwatch PG, we strive to ensure that our community of Courtwatchers is multigenerational, multiracial, anti-racist, and moving towards an abolitionist future.

Join the Free DC Chocolate City Group at Harriet’s House for political education, strategy, and community conversation.

Get updates on the Free DC campaign, connect with neighbors, and organize for the fights ahead. Whether you’re new or already involved, pull up.

This is a Black autonomous space.

Ballots have now arrived in mailboxes for most DC voters — and they look different this year than ever before! The June primary will be the first time DC voters use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), a method of voting that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

On May 27, join Grow Democracy, Free DC, and Washington Interfaith Network for a non-partisan training about how Ranked Choice Voting works and what to look for on your ballot this year. Our partners at Grow Democracy will share tips for avoiding common errors, and you’ll have a chance to ask them your questions. Register to attend this online session.

Jamilah Lemieux joins Black Girl Book to discuss her new title, "Black. Single. Mother." This event will celebrate the voices, stories, and brilliance of Black women and girls.

Black Girl Booked is a vibrant book club dedicated to celebrating the voices, stories, and brilliance of Black women and girls. Each month, we dive into powerful works—fiction and nonfiction—that center Black female experiences, amplify underrepresented narratives, and spark meaningful conversations.

We’re thrilled to share that author Jamilah Lemieux will join this month’s discussion to talk about her new book Black. Single. Mother. Limited free copies will be available, and Politics and Prose will be on-site for book sales.

All are welcomed to attend as we journey together through the many layers, joys, and complexities of motherhood.

Whether you're looking to connect, reflect, or simply get lost in a good book, this is your literary home. Join us as we read, uplift, and grow—one page at a time.

Join the Boycott Target DC coalition alongside faith leaders for a prayer vigil on the 6th anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.

Local leaders continue to demand that Target acknowledge the harm it caused to the Black community with its rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion and collaboration with ICE.

Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and Free DC are coming together for a juror teach-in. We’ll discuss what it really means to serve on a jury and how we can use that role to protect our people especially those with marginalized identities who are disproportionately targeted by the criminal legal system.

Jury duty is not just a civic responsibility; it’s a powerful tool for ensuring fairness and justice. As community members, our participation in juries is vital to safeguarding the rights of those who are most vulnerable to systemic biases. By serving on a jury, we can influence outcomes and help create a more equitable legal process.

Come and engage in meaningful conversations, learn from legal experts, activists, and fellow community members, and find out how you can play a pivotal role in shaping a more just society. This session is open to everyone.

When candidates are asked tough, public questions—and we show up together—we help shape both the conversation and the outcomes. We raise the standard for what is expected and signal that housing cannot be ignored.

Cuando se hacen preguntas públicas y difíciles a los candidatos—y nos presentamos juntos—ayudamos a dar forma tanto a la conversación como a los resultados. Elevamos el estándar de lo que se espera y dejamos claro que la vivienda no puede ser ignorada.

Join us at the Housing Action Coalition Candidate Forum to hear directly from candidates, ask clarifying questions, and help ensure that housing and our right to stay are central in these upcoming elections.

Acompáñanos en el Foro de Candidatos de la Housing Action Coalition para escuchar directamente a los candidatos, hacer preguntas clave y asegurar que la vivienda y nuestro derecho a permanecer estén al centro de estas elecciones.

Join us for a Media Workshop on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

This is a participatory and informative workshop on effective media strategies — with time to practice responding to Teach Truth FAQs and American Revolution FAQs in small groups. Facilitated by Rethinking Schools editor Jesse Hagopian.

Join the May Meeting of Free DC’s Ward 8 Team to build the local movement it will take to protect DC Home Rule and win lasting dignity for our communities.

New to Free DC? We encourage everyone to attend Campaign Orientation. A listing of our Orientations, Trainings, and Events is available below.

Join HWD for an in-depth teach-in on the harmful anti-trans legislation coming out of the Trump administration.

Worker-members of ROC-DC, a collective that organizes workers in bars and restaurants across DC and played a pivotal role in the defense of Initiative 82, voted last year to change their name to the Restaurant Organizing Collective. This new name, now in effect, is an affirmation of what has always been true: ROC’s commitment to organizing, building, and sharing the power of DC’s restaurant workers. To commemorate the name change and raise funds for their efforts, ROC will be holding a fundraiser on Wednesday, May 20 at 5pm at the Adams Morgan Festival Center, replete with food, music, and dancing.

Together, we will urge the DC Council to protect and strengthen three essential care economy priorities:

Child care — so families can access affordable care, businesses can rely on a stable workforce, and early educators can earn fair wages.

Paid Family and Medical Leave — so workers can care for a new child, a sick loved one, or themselves without losing income.

Healthcare — so DC residents and families can access the health care they need, including through strong funding for the Alliance, local Medicaid, HealthyDC, and other critical health care programs.

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Juntos, instaremos al Consejo del Distrito de Columbia a que proteja y refuerce tres prioridades fundamentales de la economía del cuidado:

Cuidado infantil- para que las familias puedan acceder a servicios de cuidado asequibles, las empresas puedan contar con una plantilla estable y los educadores de la primera infancia puedan percibir salarios justos.

Permiso familiar pagado por motivos familiares y médicos- para que los trabajadores puedan cuidar de un hijo recién nacido, de un ser querido enfermo o de sí mismos sin perder ingresos.

El seguro médico - para que los residentes y las familias de DC puedan acceder a la atención sanitaria que necesitan, entre otras cosas mediante una financiación sólida para la Alianza, el programa local de Medicaid, HealthyDC y otros programas sanitarios medico.

Join Free DC’s Popular Education Working Group as we dive into Washington DC Protests: Scenes from Home Rule to the Civil Rights Movement by Mark S. Greek. Together, we’ll study the legacy of protest in DC and connect it to our current struggle to protect Home Rule and for racial justice in the district and beyond.

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.

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

We also host our Eviction Defense Hub every first and third Monday of each month. Hubs are held at our office at 1640 Columbia Rd NW and are in person only. Hubs are in both in English and Spanish.

Our hubs cover what to expect at Landlord-Tenant court hearings, outline the eviction process, and assist residents represent themselves or find an attorney who may be able to represent them.

Party for a cause at ReproRave with MDC DSA’s Bodily Autonomy Working Group and EC4DC! Start your night by packing sexual and reproductive health care-kits for EC4DC before heading to the dance floor to party the night away with DJ Joyty and supporting DJs [TICKETS FOR RAVE SOLD SEPERATELY]. Please consider donating to our fundraiser here!

Join us at 7:30PM as we begin folding zines for our care kit packing event. At 8:30PM, we will begin packing our care kits, which include a zine, a dose of emergency contraception, condoms, a pregnancy test, and more. These kits will be given out for free at Transmission DC and all around DC. For a full list of distribution sites, please visit EC4DC's website.

100% of your ticket cost (minus Action Network fees) will go towards funding these care kits. If you wish to donate more, please consider donating to our fundraiser here.

EC4DC is a mutual aid project providing free emergency contraception to DC residents. Find more information on the EC 4 DC linktree.

The Bodily Autonomy Working Group (BAWG) is a priority campaign of the Metro DC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America committed to pursuing reproductive justice and trans and queer liberation. Please fill out our interest form if you're interested in joining our campaign.

This event is NOTAFLOF. Please reach out at bawg@mdcdsa.org if you required a discounted or free ticket. We are committed to making this event accessible.

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 queerness 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.

👉🏽 This month's info session will feature a political education session on the history of surveillance and how it shows up in our city. How does policing build upon the surveillance state? What has surveillance looked like throughout our city? Find out during this month's general info session!

Join us for an empowering evening with Dr. Adrienne L. Childs, acclaimed art historian and curator whose groundbreaking work explores Black representation, creativity, and identity in the visual arts.

Join us for an inspiring evening with renowned art historian and curator Dr. Adrienne L. Childs, whose groundbreaking work explores Black representation, creativity, and identity across centuries of visual culture. Dr. Childs has shaped the field through her celebrated exhibitions, award‑winning scholarship, and leadership at major institutions including The Phillips Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Driskell Center. As a Senior Consulting Curator and author of Ornamental Blackness: The Black Figure in the European Imaginary (Yale University Press, 2025), Dr. Childs brings powerful insight into how art both reflects and transforms our understanding of culture, beauty, and belonging.

At this special community gathering, Dr. Childs will share stories from her curatorial practice—including exhibitions such as Riffs and Relations: African American Artists and the European Modernist Tradition and Imagine: Celebrating Black Female Creativity—highlighting the vital role women and girls play in shaping the arts.

This event is designed to:

• Encourage women and girls of all ages to claim space in the arts
• Spotlight the work and voices of Black women artists across history
• Offer pathways for creative exploration, mentorship, and opportunity
• Celebrate artistic expression as a tool for empowerment and community

Whether you’re an artist, student, parent, or someone who simply loves the power of visual storytelling, you’ll leave energized and inspired.

We invite you to join us for an evening of imagination, insight, and empowerment with one of today’s leading voices in art history.

Registration encouraged. 

Join the DC Guaranteed Income Coalition for Part 2 of the 2026 Economic Justice Film Series! The evening begins with food & fellowship, followed by a screening of the acclaimed PBS documentary Storming Caesar's Palace — and then a live panel dialogue with filmmaker Hazel Gurland-Pooler and other special guests.

About the film: After losing her job as a hotel worker in Las Vegas, Ruby Duncan joined a welfare rights group of mothers who refused to accept the "welfare queen" narrative. In a fight for guaranteed income, Ruby and other equality activists organized a massive protest that shut down Caesars Palace — taking on the Nevada political establishment and organized crime alike. Based on the groundbreaking book by Annelise Orleck, this award-winning PBS documentary celebrates the mothers whose courage and vision set the stage for today's economic justice movements, including the fight for guaranteed income right here in DC.

The film won the Shine Award at the BlackStar Film Festival, earned the IDA's ABC News VideoSource Award, and has screened at 75+ festivals worldwide. Filmmaker Hazel Gurland-Pooler — a veteran PBS documentary director — will be present for the post-screening conversation.

This event is free and accessible.

DC residents have a long legacy of fighting for civil and housing rights within their city. Limited Equity Co-ops were born out of that legacy and still have a crucial role to play in our continuing struggle to ensure everyone has a high-quality, affordable place to call home in a neighborhood they enjoy.

We're excited to have Amanda Huron, author of Carving out the Commons: Tenant Organizing and Housing Cooperatives in Washington D.C., join us to explore that history as our Advocacy Specialist leads us in a discussion of how Limited Equity Co-ops continue to be shaped in our current economic, social, and political environment.

This dinner and workshop will focus on:

• The robust history of tenant organizing and cooperative housing in DC.

• The legacy of the civil rights and housing rights movements that shaped the city and our tenant laws.

• The ways in which tenants have exercised their TOPA rights throughout the last 50 years

• The ways in which the social, political and economic context shaped the formation of limited equity cooperatives. 

Details:

Date: May 13, 2026

Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: 3232 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010

CRUSHING WHEELCHAIRS will be shown at AFI Silver in Silver Spring, MD on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026.

5:30 Check in, Food

6:00pm: All-nations prayer

6:30pm: Crushing Wheelchairs Film

8:30pm: Q&A, Poetry and closing words

Tickets are sold with tiered pricing to make this film accessible. Please consider what is truly possible for you, and purchase the appropriate ticket.

CRUSHING WHEELCHAIRS is a powerful new social justice film that follows a group of poor people living in a homeless community as they struggle to find hope amid gentrification, domestic violence and the growing brutality of the State. Starring the talents of POOR Magazine—the prominent California arts & activism collective—this revolutionary film features a cast and crew of currently and formerly unhoused residents of the San Francisco Bay Area who brought their real-life stories to the screen. 

The Black Mother’s March on the White House is more than an event—it’s a movement. Now in its 5th year, this powerful gathering serves as a platform to make the struggle to rescue our children a vital part of the larger fight for Black liberation.

This Mother’s Day, we unite as a collective to condemn the colonialist policies that undermine the centrality of Black life. These policies target Black families, isolate individuals, and victimize entire communities. Through this march, we give a voice to those who have been silenced and take a stand against the injustices of the Family Policing System.

The march is an opportunity to reclaim our power, amplify our voices, and resist a system designed to oppress. Together, we will demand accountability, justice, and the freedom to build futures where Black families are protected and cherished.

Whether you are a mother, father, grandparent, an advocate, or a co-conspirator, your presence matters. Join us in Washington, D.C., to honor our shared commitment to liberation, community, and our theme this year: WE GOT US!

Registration is free. Reserve your spot today for the March and be on the lookout for registration to open for other events happening BMM Weekend.

The MLK Black Studies Book Club meets every first Saturday of the month to explore, engage, and discuss books from and relating to the Black radical tradition.

The MLK Black Studies Book Club meets the first Saturday of each month to explore, engage, and discuss books from and relating to the Black radical tradition. Selections include classics from authors such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, W.E.B. DuBois, James Baldwin, and Audre Lorde, as well as lesser known and contemporary works. The book club's scope encompasses an array of authors from across the African diaspora who challenge existing notions of what constitutes Blackness and Black Struggle. Please email The People's Archive at peoples.archive@dc.gov to inquire about meetings and to be placed on the listserv. 

Attendees will learn about various methods of violence intervention and trauma-informed practices.

The Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs (MOLGBTQA) and Violence Prevention and Response Team (VPART) grantees will host a Safety in Numbers” Community Fair. This will be a public safety and violence-prevention event where community partners will educate attendees on various methods of violence intervention and trauma-informed practices.

We will have live demos, interactive games, and workshops focused on strategies for self-defense, protecting vulnerable communities, increasing access to mental health resources, providing tools for recognizing DV/IPV signs in intimate relationships, and assistance for substance abuse.

Workshops:

• Bystander intervention

• Violence intervention (anti-LGBTQ harassment)

• Digital privacy tips to prevent doxxing

• Self-defense training

• Consent as a form of harm reduction/Sexual assault prevention education

• Mental health resources as a tool of violence prevention

• Narcan distribution

• Sex-tech safety and navigating nontraditional relationships online

• Grant opportunities

Enjoy an evening conversation with Kimberlé W. Crenshaw as she discusses her memoir Backtalker.

Join us in celebrating critic & author Kimberlé W. Crenshaw as she discusses her memoir, Backtalker. MahoganyBooks, in partnership with the DC Public Library, is excited to host scholar and writer Kimberlé W. Crenshaw as we celebrate her memoir, Backtalker.

In this stunning memoir, Kimberlé reflects on the journey that influenced her to become the articulate architect of the two biggest American intellectual movements: Critical Race Theory and intersectionality. You won't want to miss this! Grab a friend and come on out to this exciting event.

We're so excited to share that we are getting closer to the official launch of 'Together For DC' our national solidarity campaign - so much so, we're throwing a party.

We're inviting neighbors, colleagues, and friends to support our broader national solidarity movement we are building across the United States. This campaign is deeply rooted in DC, so we had to bring it to ya first!

Event Details

• Thursday, May 7

• 6-8 pm

• Sycamore & Oak, 1110 Oak Dr. SE, Washington DC 20032.

Please RSVP at bit.ly/PartyWithT4DC to support us with headcount, and invite a friend! We look forward to celebrating in community with you all.

In love, resistance, and solidarity

Fair Budget Coalition