Events
Courtwatch DC Training
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 the ACLU-DC, 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.
The Native American History of Washington DC with Dr. Lione
An evening with Dr. Armand Lione on his book "Native American History of Washington D.C." in honor of Native American History Month.
Join DC Public Library, in partnership with Loyalty Bookstores, for an exciting conversation with Dr. Armand Lione on his book Native American History of Washington D.C.
Register for your seat to attend and the chance to get a copy of Native American History of Washington D.C. courtesy of The DC Public Library Foundation.
Day With(Out) Art
Day With(out) Art is held each year as an international day of action and awareness in response to the AIDS crisis. Founded in 1989 by a group of artists, more than 800 arts organizations, museums and galleries throughout the U.S. participated in the first iteration by shrouding artworks and replacing them with information about HIV and safer sex, locking their doors or dimming their lights, and producing exhibitions, programs, readings, memorials, rituals, and performances.
This year, Experience a variety of activities and tours centered at the National Portrait Gallery; along G Street NW; and at the MLK Library.
People v. Profit: Film about rent stabilization law in Prince George’s County and how it was won
The Monday, November 18 Reel & Meal film follows the affordable housing struggle in Prince George’s. People v. Profit is a 2024 documentary made by/with Councilmember Krystal Oriadha, who was a leader in the fight to secure control over landlord greed in the county’s law. Trailer is here. Film starts 7pm at the New Deal Cafe, 113 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD 20770; for remote attendance sign up here.
DC Walking Tour: A History of Police Violence
The Tour will explore downtown DC sites of historical and recent police violence and includes an incredible chorus of speakers:
Afeni Evans | DC Organizer
Alec Karakatsanis | Founder, Civil Rights Corps
Derecka Purnell | Author of Becoming Abolitionists
Qiana Johnson | Co-conductor, Harriet's Wildest Dreams
Vendedores Unidos | Coalition of street vendors
What does “safety” mean in a city where selling food, being unhoused, wearing a mask during a pandemic, or protesting police violence or genocide are met with violence from the very group that many believe is supposed to keep us safe? Join us to learn about the harm police cause, from the harassment and criminalization of youth, street vendors, unhoused folks, and protesters, to the point-blank execution of DC community members. The walking tour will explore how police, prisons, and carceral logic are used to put forward an idea of “safety” that in practice only makes life even harder for DC residents with the least access to resources. We will also dive into alternative visions for the abolition of police and prisons, to build the city we deserve where we keep ourselves and our neighbors truly safe.
The tour will visit 3 sites around the downtown DC area. The tour will meet in the center of Black Lives Matter Plaza (815 Black Lives Matter Plz NW, Washington, DC) at 1:00 p.m., and the tour will adjourn at 3:45 p.m. in downtown DC after ~ 1 mile of walking - followed by a happy hour afterward at a Penn Quarter Sports Tavern (includes outside seating).
We will provide weather dependent hot chocolate and hand warmers, snacks, and water on the tour.
The Walking Tour is hosted by Metro DC DSA’s Political Education Working Group and DC & NOVA Abolition Working Groups.
SOS Anti-Eviction Canvas November 2024
Join comrades in this anti-eviction canvas! Come out and inform tenants facing eviction of their rights in court, how to get a lawyer, and to see if they're interested in organizing their building. Tenants we speak to are twice as likely to go to court and fight their eviction, so every volunteer can make a big impact.
We’ll meet at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station on the D street exit between 6th and 7th above the escalators (if the weather is bad, we'll be downstairs just before the turnstiles). At 1:30 PM we’ll have a short training to explain why these canvasses are necessary, how to talk to tenants about their upcoming eviction suits, and how to fill in walk-sheets. We’ll then hand out walk-sheets and set you up with a partner — if you’ve never done this before, we’ll try to set you up with a veteran who can show you the ropes!
If you have a car, please drive it down to the meeting spot! Cars are helpful for getting canvassers to metro-inaccessible areas. (Parking near L’Enfant Plaza is a bit tricky, but doable!) If you’re interested in our work but can’t canvass, reach out to tenants@mdcdsa.org to learn about other ways to get involved.
DC Ethiopian Archives Day
DC is widely considered to be home to the second-largest population of Ethiopian people in the world (after Ethiopia itself). The city has undeniably been shaped by its Ethiopian residents, just as it has shaped them. At DC Ethiopian Archives Day, spend the afternoon learning about the People's Archives' initiative to preserve Ethiopian history in DC.
This program is part of DC Public Library's Connecting Communities Digital Initiative grant project: Documenting the Ethiopian Communities of DC. It is made possible with support from the Library of Congress and the DC Public Library Foundation.
Policing and Resistance in D.C. - What to Expect
As Black and Brown communities in D.C., we face the realities of increased policing and the threat of police abuse in our neighborhoods and at protests. It’s time to prepare, resist, and act collectively.
We invite you to join us for an urgent event:
Policing in D.C.: What to Expect
- Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
- Time: 12PM
- Location: 2500 MLK Ave. SE
Together, we will:
Uncover the history of the Metropolitan Police Department and its roots.
Discuss D.C.’s legacy of police brutality and our powerful history of resistance.
Examine policing today and what we can expect in the coming days.
Share actionable ways to get involved in protecting and empowering our communities.
This is more than a conversation—it’s a call to action rooted in the strength of our ancestors and the resilience of our people.
Register at: https://bit.ly/COLLAB_NOV
Spread the word and invite your networks. Together, we’ll build collective power to fight for justice and liberation.
HWD Monthly Info Session
Interested in abolition?
It's giving ACAB, it's giving defund MPD, it's giving abolish prisons and redistribute resources. Run us our reparations!!!!
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.
These sessions will run Monthly on Wednesdays.
DC Community Public Safety Forum on Gun Violence Reduction Strategies
The ANC6B Public Safety Committee invites you to join a virtual forum about gun violence reduction strategies and comprehensive community safety plans on November 14, 2024.
Opening remarks from the Greater Washington Community Foundation will be followed by a discussion with both local and national experts on city safety. Residents will leave with information about strategies being implemented in DC, those that are working in other cities, and what you can do to improve safety for all residents in the city.
Confirmed panelists include:
Opening remarks from Kirby Gaherty, Greater Washington Community Foundation
Rev. Judie Martin, InnerCity Collaborative Community Development Corp
Kristy Love, DC Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Patrice Sulton, DC Justice Lab
David Muhammad, National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform
Tony Lopez, Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety
Wilford Pinkney, St. Louis Office of Violence Prevention
Closing remarks from Daniel Ehrenpreis, ANC 5F Public Safety and Health Committee
Panel moderated by Jody Kent Lavy, ANC6B Public Safety Committee
Social Housing Organizing Meeting
Join the Social Housing Working Group for its biweekly organizing meeting. Learn about its latest activities, what they're planning for the future, and how to get involved.
The Social Housing Working Group seeks to educate Metro DC DSA chapter members and the general public about social housing and to facilitate collective action in support of the passage and implementation of the Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act.
The legislation proposes to create mixed-income, district-owned housing with market rate units that subsidize a larger number of affordable units. It's a pioneering approach that deepens affordability, invests surplus funds into the creation of more social housing, and locks-in financial sustainability. The bill also includes climate and labor standards and elected tenant boards with oversight over building management.
This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters.
The Road Ahead: Strengthening DC’s economy through investments that build healthy, thriving communities
This 60-minute conversation will bring together subject matter experts to explore a bold vision for a thriving DC economy—one that moves beyond long disproven trickle-down theories and instead cultivates and taps into the full potential of DC’s communities. We will examine how early childhood education, affordable housing, economic security guarantees, and progressive revenue raisers can uplift DC’s Black, brown, and low-income communities, while creating a stronger, more equitable future. These policies are key to addressing racial and economic inequities, building stronger neighborhoods, and creating an inclusive economy where everyone can share in the District’s prosperity.
Post Election Processing
As we take in the results of this election and everything that comes with it, it’s more important than ever to check in with ourselves and each other.
How are you really feeling? How’s your spirit, and how are these moments affecting you and your community?
We know the weight of what we’re carrying. Processing these emotions together is part of the healing and strengthening work we do in community.
Join us for an hour of sharing, grounding, and connection. This space is here for you—we’d love to have you with us.
Black & Brown Fam - Join us from 8:00 to 9:00 PM
Yte Allies - Join us from 6:30 to 7:30 PM
Come Get Warm: What to Do While the Dumpster Burns
The world is a dumpster fire. The 2024 election hasn’t made things easier. Join VOL to process your experience, what you’re feeling, and explore how you might get grounded after this election in ways that will allow you to exist differently. In this 90 minute virtual workshop, you will journal and participate in small group discussions about your experience and what you can do–individually and collectively–to exist differently despite the circumstances.
This is a free workshop, offered as a way to honor each other’s dignity, build community, and grow together
Know Your Rights: Worker Misclassification
Join MDC DSA Labor Working Group for our "Know Your Rights" series. We will be going over the key laws protecting workers in regard to employee classification in the workplace. Attendees will learn from legal and organizing experts how labor law violations can manifest in the workplace and what to do if they find themselves victims of these practices.
Ella's Emancipators Info Session
Ella's Emancipators, the political defense arm of Harriet's Wildest Dreams, is dedicated to the continuation of Ella Baker's dream to educate the masses. This work is carried out through political educations, workshops, book clubs, and more.
Join this info session to discover ways to build your tool belt as an abolitionist community organizer and build towards the just and equitable future of our ancestors' wildest dreams. Learn about our coalition work, policy initiatives, and ways that you can plug into the work. #WeKeepUsSafe
Documentary Screening: The Green Book - Guide to Freedom
We are excited to host a documentary screening and talkback of The Green Book: Guide to Freedom during the opening week of The Negro Motorist Green Book, at the historic MLK Library.
In partnership with the Double Exposure Film Festival and the DC Public Library Foundation, learn how The Negro Motorist Green Book helped African-Americans navigate the roads of a segregated nation. Immediately following the film, join us for a conversation with documentary film director and screenwriter Yoruba Ruchen.
For reasonable accommodations, please contact the Center for Accessibility at 202-727-2142 or DCPLaccess@dc.gov. For ASL or tactile interpretation, please allow at least seven (7) days notice.
Learn more about the film below:
The Green Book: Guide to Freedom
In the 1930s, a black postal carrier from Harlem named Victor Green published a book that was part travel guide and part survival guide. It was called The Negro Motorist Green Book, and it helped African-Americans navigate safe passage across America well into the 1960s. Explore some of the segregated nation's safe havens and notorious "sundown towns" and witness stories of struggle and indignity as well as opportunity and triumph.
Metro DC DSA’s Bodily Autonomy Kickoff Party!
Join us in celebrating the merger between Metro DC DSA’s Reproductive Justice working group, Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign, and Socialist Feminist section into the Bodily Autonomy Working Group!
We will be gathering on Monday, November 4th, starting at 6pm, to celebrate our merger at the Dew Drop Inn (2801 8th St NE, Washington, DC 20017), next to the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metro station on the red line.
Join us to chat about all things bodily autonomy, and to get more information on our upcoming campaigns! We’d love to connect you with our current actions. We’re working on making Arlington the second Sanctuary city in Virginia, fundraising for DC’s Abortion Fund (DCAF), our annual Care Kit packing event where we package Plan B, condoms, and more to donate to an organization, political education events, monthly socials, and more!
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please reach out at mdcdsareprojustice@gmail.com
Coat Swap & Candy Potluck!
🍁 Coat Swap & Candy Potluck! 🍁
Saturday, Nov. 2 at 2-4pm
Long Branch Library
8800 Garland Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901
Join Silver Spring Takoma Park Mutual Aid for a fun afternoon as the seasons change!
Please bring any washed and clean jackets, coats, and warm outerwear pieces that you’re no longer using to pass on to someone else, and take a jacket if you need one. You do not need to bring a jacket to pick up one!
Bring your leftover Halloween candy or a favorite snack to share potluck style 🍬
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🍁 ¡Intercambio de abrigos y bocadillos para compartir! 🍁
Sábado, el 2 de noviembre 2-4pm
Biblioteca de Long Branch
8800 Garland Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901
¡Únase a Silver Spring Takoma Park Mutual Aid para pasar una tarde divertida mientras cambian las estaciones!
Por favor traiga cualquier chaquetas lavadas y limpias, abrigos y piezas de ropa de abrigo que ya no está utilizando para pasar a otra persona, y tomar una chaqueta si usted necesita uno. No es necesario traer una chaqueta para recoger una.
También puedes traer dulces de halloween o un bocadillo favorito para compartir al estilo potluck 🍬
Women March to the White House
Women's march to the White House. We won't go back.
On November 2nd, thousands of feminists will converge in Washington, D.C., and across the nation, to show the strength of our feminist movement. In D.C, our march will pass by the White House, a powerful reminder to those in power that we are watching and demanding accountability – and that this November, women will win the White House. The day will culminate in a vibrant rally and community festival, where activists can listen to inspiring speakers, enjoy live music, and connect with partner organizations committed to this fight.
Know Your Rights: Special Education
A workshop dedicated to Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened students in DC.
Learn about navigating special education in DC schools, and engage with representatives from community organizations and DC agencies!
Presented by the Mayor's Office of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.
*ASL Interpreters will be available. For other reasonable accommodations, please contact DCPLaccess@dc.gov
Social Housing Organizing Meeting
Join the Social Housing Working Group for its biweekly organizing meeting. Learn about its latest activities, what they're planning for the future, and how to get involved.
The Social Housing Working Group seeks to educate Metro DC DSA chapter members and the general public about social housing and to facilitate collective action in support of the passage and implementation of the Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act.
The legislation proposes to create mixed-income, district-owned housing with market rate units that subsidize a larger number of affordable units. It's a pioneering approach that deepens affordability, invests surplus funds into the creation of more social housing, and locks-in financial sustainability. The bill also includes climate and labor standards and elected tenant boards with oversight over building management.
Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching
In this interactive program, attendees will engage with activities and contributors to Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching, including the editors, SNCC veterans, teachers, children’s book authors, and more. Free and open to the public. Order food and drinks throughout. Books available for purchase and signing. The first 25 classroom teachers in attendance will receive a free copy of the book.
Mother Up Guaranteed Income Research Pilot
On Monday, October 28th, Mother's Outreach Network invites you to a lunch and live broadcast of a conversation about the early lessons from our Mother Up Guaranteed Income Research Pilot. This pilot is being conducted with our research partners, the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School. Lunch is a ticketed event, but if you cannot make it to the in-person lunch event, you may also join the conversation for FREE via Zoom.
We are an anti-poverty, anti-racist advocacy organization deploying innovative and bold strategies to help Black mothers achieve economic stability and for families to access the support they need to live with dignity. We need your partnership.
At Mother's Outreach Network, we passionately believe that economic insecurity should not separate families. Yet in D.C., poverty disproportionately affects Black mothers, driving their children into the child welfare system.
Please join this critical conversation in person or for FREE via Zoom to learn more about our work and connect with others who share our goal of family preservation. Our unique approach to economic empowerment is recognized for its potential here in DC and nationwide.
DC Film Festival | Palestinian Arts 2024
We’re thrilled to share our full program lineup for the 11th DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival. The festival will open with the DC Launch of Visualizing Palestine’s book, followed by three days of award-winning films, discussions and an arts workshop.
View our full program below and buy your tickets or an all-access pass today!
We can’t wait to bring the community together and honor Palestinian voices and artistry at such a critical time.
DC Film Festival | Palestinian Arts 2024
We’re thrilled to share our full program lineup for the 11th DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival. The festival will open with the DC Launch of Visualizing Palestine’s book, followed by three days of award-winning films, discussions and an arts workshop.
View our full program below and buy your tickets or an all-access pass today!
We can’t wait to bring the community together and honor Palestinian voices and artistry at such a critical time.
DC Film Festival | Palestinian Arts 2024
We’re thrilled to share our full program lineup for the 11th DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival. The festival will open with the DC Launch of Visualizing Palestine’s book, followed by three days of award-winning films, discussions and an arts workshop.
View our full program below and buy your tickets or an all-access pass today!
We can’t wait to bring the community together and honor Palestinian voices and artistry at such a critical time.
DC Film Festival | Palestinian Arts 2024
We’re thrilled to share our full program lineup for the 11th DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival. The festival will open with the DC Launch of Visualizing Palestine’s book, followed by three days of award-winning films, discussions and an arts workshop.
View our full program below and buy your tickets or an all-access pass today!
We can’t wait to bring the community together and honor Palestinian voices and artistry at such a critical time.
DC Film Festival | Palestinian Arts 2024
We’re thrilled to share our full program lineup for the 11th DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival. The festival will open with the DC Launch of Visualizing Palestine’s book, followed by three days of award-winning films, discussions and an arts workshop.
View our full program below and buy your tickets or an all-access pass today!
We can’t wait to bring the community together and honor Palestinian voices and artistry at such a critical time.
Courtwatch DC Training
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 the ACLU-DC, 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.
DC Film Festival | Palestinian Arts 2024
We’re thrilled to share our full program lineup for the 11th DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival. The festival will open with the DC Launch of Visualizing Palestine’s book, followed by three days of award-winning films, discussions and an arts workshop.
View our full program below and buy your tickets or an all-access pass today!
We can’t wait to bring the community together and honor Palestinian voices and artistry at such a critical time.
Home Rule, Whole State: DC Government 101
Have you heard about statehood from long-term DC residents but don't know too much about it? Ever wonder about how the DC Council functions and operates and what you can do to get your voice heard as a concerned citizen?
Join Harriet's Wildest Dreams and DC4Palestine for an in-depth teach-in on what statehood means for the District, the history of the fight for statehood, the ins and outs of the DC Council, and how international solidarity efforts are connected to DC.
Reproductive Justice 101 (Hybrid) | Socialist Night School
SisterSong defines Reproductive Justice as the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. Join the MDC DSA Reproductive Justice working group for a dynamic conversation about this foundational framework and how Reproductive Justice is a socialist concern. This will be a hybrid session–RSVP for the Zoom link. Come hang out, learn about RJ, and come to our social at Rocket Bar starting at 8pm, after the session!