We're back on Thursday, October 22 with another edition of Ask A D.C. Native, Live! This is another chance for you to pick up a copy of our new print edition, plus you can shop from some of our favorite local vendors, including The Pack World.

You're invited to Mi Casa's Community Barbeque! The event will be held on October 23rd, 2026 from 5:00pm-8:00pm at 6925 Georgia Ave NW. Please RSVP no later than October 16th, 2026.

Providing FREE produce to DC residents FOUR TIMES a week at THREE locations!

We Power DC and Extinction Rebellion are coming together to wheatpaste the Foggy Bottom neighborhood on Saturday, October 24 from 11-1PM, and you're invited! We will plan to gather as a group right outside of the Foggy Bottom -  GWU Metro Station. Help us spread the word on the evils of Pepco and climate change, the public power alternative, and tap into that latent distrust of our utilities while growing the grassroots movement needed to challenge corporate power. All materials (+ training) will be provided - just dress for the weather and bring friends!

After wheatpasting ends, please join us for a fall social at Kalorama Park nearby between 1-3PM!

We hope to see you at one or both events!

-We Power DC & Extinction Rebellion

RAIN OR SHINE! This is an indoor event.

Welcome to the OKTOBERFEST Housing Resources Expo! Join us at THEARC for a day filled with all things housing-related. They'll be food, fun and giveaways. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, looking to rent, or interested in learning about resources available to you as a current homeowner, this event is perfect for you. Explore a variety of exhibitors showcasing the latest trends in housing, attend informative seminars, and network with industry professionals. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insight, resources and valuable information.

Hear from brilliant DC community leaders about their visions to improve community safety and well-being.

Join neighbors and policymakers to learn from community leaders who rarely get a platform about how to co-create a sustainable safe and free DC. Participants from DC Justice Lab’s Policy Training Academy (an intensive training in policy advocacy) present their ideas in an expo format as guests walk around the event space and interact with the presenters. Come dream and build together as we celebrate the participants’ hard work and dedication to the community. Stop by anytime during the event to speak directly with residents fighting to improve public safety in the District and join the effort to ensure the District’s policies reflect the people’s will. 

This guided tour led by a DC history professor and Free DC’s Popular Education Working Group will take you through several locations that were key landmarks in the struggle for DC’s self-governance.

Street Law 101: Know Your Rights Training for Black Youth

Sunday, October 25, 2026
2:00–5:00 PM
Black Workers & Wellness Center, 2500 MLK Ave SE

Black young people deserve to know how to protect themselves and each other.

Join the D.C. COLLAB for a free, hands-on Know Your Rights workshop created with and for Black youth. We’ll break down what your rights are when dealing with police and law enforcement and practice what to do in situations young people actually face in D.C.

We’ll talk about and practice:

• What to do if police stop or question you

• What police can - and cannot - make you do

• What happens if police ask for your name or ID

• Your rights around D.C.’s youth curfew and curfew stops

• What to know when dealing with police around Metro stations and other public spaces

• How to safely look out for, document, and support a friend who is stopped

• How to use and share Know Your Rights information with other young people

This won’t just be us talking at you. We’ll practice real-life scenarios together so you can leave knowing what to say, what to do, and how to help protect yourself and your people.

This training is part of building a People’s Self-Defense Network, young people, families, neighbors, and organizers learning how to keep each other safer and stand together against police abuse and state violence.

No experience needed.

Free food provided!

On Monday, October 26, join our Zinn Education Project Teach the Black Freedom Struggle class with acclaimed sports journalist and author Howard Bryant to explore the striking parallels between the Robeson–McCarthy era and today: media complacency, attacks on civil liberties, and demands for public displays of loyalty.

Bryant explores this history in his book Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America. As he puts it, quoting journalist David Maraniss, “History writes people out of the story, and it’s our job to write them back in.” Join us to write — and teach — the full stories of these legendary figures back into history.

Every DC voter should be able to participate in November’s election fully and fairly. To make sure that happens, we need your help.

Election Protection Field Volunteers play a key role by being present outside voting locations, assisting voters who might have questions, or resolving issues as they evolve. Roles include Election Protection Field Attorney for volunteers with a legal background and Grassroots Poll Monitor for those who do not have a legal background.

Learn more by joining one of the Election Protection Volunteer Trainings on October 26 and 29. The same material will be presented in each session. These trainings are required for people who have signed up to be a DC Election Protection volunteer and are open to everyone.

This training is led by the DC Election Protection Coalition. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Advancement Project, Free DC, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, Washington Interfaith Network, and Common Cause have come together to assist and protect voters by answering questions and resolving issues throughout election season. Join our efforts to help keep elections free and fair for all. Register to attend this virtual training at the link below.

Come join MDC DSA’s Socialist Feminist Section for our monthly happy hour at As You Are! For our October social, we'll be bringing some boardgames (One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Monikers, etc.) for any interested; feel free to bring any other games!

Look out for Bud the Rose on our table! We will also post a picture of our table on Slack at #socialist-feminist and on our Instagram @dc_socfem. If you still can’t find us, please DM us on Instagram.

We will start at 5:30 pm and run until 8:00 pm. Join us for conversation, games, drinks, and camaraderie!

Join the DC Guaranteed Income Coalition for free food and fellowship, and a screening of Bootstraps, an intimate, deep-dive docuseries ten years in the making which asks the question: What happens when we trust people with a steady income floor with no strings attached? 

Directed by Emmy winner Deia Schlosberg and anticipating release early next year, Bootstraps follows 11 diverse U.S. households participating in a groundbreaking, multi-year basic income experiment. Discuss the series in person with Conrad Shaw, series co-creator and designer of the basic income program.

Free popcorn and drink for the screening, with a reception to follow.

Attendance is FREE, but RSVP to secure your spot! This event is first-come, first-served.

A systematic method for organizers to hold conversations with community members and supporters, phonebanking is a crucial tool that creates opportunities for one-to-one dialogue that can move people to action.

Join Harriet's Wildest Dreams for a comprehensive phonebanking training with a bonus tabling training at the end!

DC tenants: Janeese wants to hear from you!

The majority of DC residents rent their homes, and renters face a host of challenges, from high costs to poor housing conditions to a lack of homes for large families. This town hall is an opportunity to share your experience and tell the Democratic nominee for mayor what you want to see from the next administration.

How can DC agencies do a better serving renters' needs? What do you think could bring down the cost of rent? Why are so many tenants falling behind on their rent, and what could motivate more people to pay? Janeese believes the answer to these questions begins with the people who experience these issues every day. So join her and her team to help inform our vision of affordable and dignified housing for all.

We are also looking for volunteers to make this event a success, including drivers, canvassers, and ushers! Please complete this form if you are interested in volunteering: https://go-janeesefordc.org/tenantvolunteer

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Inquilinos de DC: ¡Janeese quiere escuchar de ustedes!

La mayoría de los residentes de DC rentan su hogares y se enfrentan a una serie de desafíos: desde costos elevados y malas condiciones hasta la falta de viviendas adecuadas para familias numerosas. Esta reunión pública es una oportunidad para compartir su experiencia y decirle a la candidata demócrata a la alcaldía qué esperan de la próxima administración.

¿Cómo pueden las agencias de DC atender mejor las necesidades de los inquilinos? ¿Qué medidas podrían ayudar a reducir el costo de la renta? ¿Por qué tantos inquilinos se están retrasando en el pago de su renta, y qué podría motivar a más personas a realizar sus pagos? Janeese considera que la respuesta a estas preguntas comienza con las personas que viven estas situaciones a diario. Por eso, le invitamos a unirse a ella y a su equipo para ayudar a definir nuestra visión de una vivienda digna y asequible para todos.

También buscamos voluntarios para asegurar el éxito de este evento; necesitamos personas que colaboren como conductores, promotores, y personal de apoyo. Si le interesa ser voluntario, por favor complete este formulario:https://go-janeesefordc.org/tenantvolunteer

Join the Bodily Autonomy Working Group for our JOINT CAMPAIGN MEETING, with both the Repro Justice Campaign and Trans and Queer Liberation campaign.

We will be meeting both in-person (MLK Library, Room 401-E) and on zoom. Attendees are highly encouraged to attend in-person, if at all possible.

A happy hour will follow at Penn Social.

Join Shout Mouse Press at Planet Word in celebration of the highly anticipated book launch of Stubborn Roots: Poems to Grow a Better World. This bold new collection of poetry from Shout Mouse Press illuminates today’s activist experience through the poetry and essays of our most vital and essential youth. Stubborn Roots was created in partnership with Split This Rock.

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.

Every DC voter should be able to participate in November’s election fully and fairly. To make sure that happens, we need your help.

Election Protection Field Volunteers play a key role by being present outside voting locations, assisting voters who might have questions, or resolving issues as they evolve. Roles include Election Protection Field Attorney for volunteers with a legal background and Grassroots Poll Monitor for those who do not have a legal background.

Learn more by joining one of the Election Protection Volunteer Trainings on October 26 and 29. The same material will be presented in each session. These trainings are required for people who have signed up to be a DC Election Protection volunteer and are open to everyone.

This training is led by the DC Election Protection Coalition. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Advancement Project, Free DC, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, Washington Interfaith Network, and Common Cause have come together to assist and protect voters by answering questions and resolving issues throughout election season. Join our efforts to help keep elections free and fair for all. Register to attend this virtual training at the link below.

The PLWG seeks to protect public property throughout the District of Columbia. We want to end DC's sordid track record of privatizing public land & public air rights for speculative profit extraction. Following on, we want to pursue Social Housing for any public land scheduled for residential redevelopment.

Learn about the ongoing movement led by Black women fighting for the right to live, gather, and belong in Washington, DC.

Deepen your knowledge of the long and ongoing struggle for safe, decent, and affordable housing in the nation’s capital and the central leadership of Black working-class women, like Linda Leaks, in the movement.

Known locally as the "Godmother of DC Housing Cooperatives," Linda Leaks serves as an important theoretical and political figure. This teach-in will extend access to this critical history at a moment when it has great value, as the nation’s capital continues to be one of the most rapidly gentrifying cities in the United States.

At this teach-in, join humanities scholars, activists and organizers, and DC area educators and more and engage in three learning experiences—a moderated roundtable, small group discussions, and a collective share back session designed to amplify this vital movement. 

On November 5, DC Council will hear testimony on three crucial bills that provide safety and accountability during this dangerous and deadly occupation:

• The Body-Worn Camera bill requires MPD to release their body cam footage if a federal officer uses force in front of them.

• The Full Accountability in Arrest Reporting bill (FAAR) requires MPD to list federal officers and agencies present in arrest reports and affidavits.

• The Safe Places bill prohibits MPD from assisting with federal operations in schools, churches, and other "safe places", barring emergencies.

We have seen federal agents violate rights, shoot at residents, and terrify students and other community members, all while hiding behind a smokescreen of ever-shifting "partnership" with MPD. Council must pass these laws, in their strongest possible form, and remind everyone that MPD works for us, not them.

Mothers Outreach Network will host the Mother Up National Convening on November 5–6, 2026, in Baltimore, Maryland, in partnership with the University of Baltimore School of Law's Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC). I am honored to announce that Professor Dorothy Roberts will deliver the keynote address — a special opportunity to hear directly from the scholar who has defined the legal and constitutional critique of family policing.

Learn more about Professor Roberts: https://www.dorothyeroberts.com

This convening brings together researchers, advocates, funders, and mothers with lived experience, offering the Mother Up Pilot's methodology as a model others can build on and help spread. The pilot itself is the first known guaranteed income research pilot studying the impact of cash on child welfare system involvement, with independent research conducted by the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School. Its concept was published in 2022, in the article "Building a Guaranteed Income to end the 'Child Welfare' System." At its core, this work is about transforming family policing — the harmful, coercive, and unconstitutional policing of families — into systems of care that keep families whole. This convening also marks the launch of an ongoing group that will continue this work together beyond the event itself.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and Teaching for Change deliver a day of online conversation, curriculum highlights, workshops, and idea exchange — preceded by a short keynote presentation. Participants will have the chance to attend two rounds of workshops and engage with each other virtually via Zoom. Registration coming soon!

As the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI) celebrates 25 years of advancing racial and economic justice, we’re using this milestone to look beyond the immediate political landscape and think boldly about what comes next.

The Monday after Election Day, we’ll gather to discuss the imperative of a Third Reconstruction —a new era of transformative change in our democracy, economy, and public institutions—and what it will take to advance that change. We’ll discuss DC’s specific role in catalyzing a new wave of political rights nationally and the next wave of transformative economic rights locally.

Join us for this critical conversation about what’s possible—and what it will take to build the future we deserve.

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 mini political education session.

Explore new ways to teach the Civil Rights Movement by centering the people who made it possible, especially young people, women, and community organizers. Through lessons, poetry, film clips, primary sources, and classroom-ready activities, participants will examine the struggle for voting rights and its connections to contemporary voter suppression. Designed for K-12 social studies and language arts educators, this interactive workshop includes free teaching materials. Participants will leave with classroom-ready lessons, resources, and strategies they can bring into their teaching.

The PLWG seeks to protect public property throughout the District of Columbia. We want to end DC's sordid track record of privatizing public land & public air rights for speculative profit extraction. Following on, we want to pursue Social Housing for any public land scheduled for residential redevelopment.