Events
DC Safety Squad: Cop Watch Training
Come get skilled up by the DC Safety Squad on one way we can keep each other safe. Cop-watch training is a training that will give you the tools and prepare you on what to look for at the scene of potential police arrests or police violence. This training will prepare individuals for proper etiquette and process of engaging in situations with police presence. Some of the expectations include stopping to record what the police do, letting community members know their rights and that they are not alone while making sure police know that they are being watched.
This training is required for individuals interested in participating in the DC Safety Squad cop watch strolls.
THIS IS A NO LAW ENFORCEMENT SPACE
Sentencing Court Support for Tiffney
On Monday, September 23rd, at 8:30 a.m. we need to pack the courtroom at Montgomery Circuit Court to support Tiffney. Courtroom 3E, north. We need all hands on deck for this sentencing hearing that will change the trajectory of Tiffney's life and that of her 4 children.
Tiffney is a single mother of 4 children and a caregiver to her sick mother. She has a full time job and a business on the side to try and make enough to care for her family. She recently got stable housing and incarceration for her at this point in her life would jeopardize all she has worked for, it will literally mean the difference between a chance at life for herself and her kids.
It is imperative that we show up in full force to ensure Tiffney's freedom. We keep eachother safe and we keep eachother free. Our presence can make a significant difference in his case and demonstrate to the court that she has a strong support system.
The courthouse is a short 5-7 walk from the Rockville Metro Station. Carpool with a friend or take the metro, but we need you there. We keep us safe and we keep us free.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our community.
Rally for DC Circulator Workers & Riders
As you've probably seen by now, DC Circulator is going away but, instead of transitioning ATU 689 members along with the rolling stock and facilities to WMATA, Bowser and DDOT have just proceeded to close down shop in a ham-fisted attempt to save money. This is flying directly in contradiction of what was told to us, to the Council, and to the public.
Even if ATU 689 members are able to get hired at WMATA, they would lose all their years of service, effectively destroying their livelihoods. Thankfully, the District does have full power to transfer Circulator over to MetroBus and sell the assets to WMATA to pay for service. Doing so would trigger the successorship clause and preserve jobs and service.
Join us for a rally in front of the Wilson Building on the 23rd at 10 am in support of passing emergency legislation forcing the Executive to do the right thing.
Stop Fueling Genocide Campaign Launch
Chevron fuels Israeli apartheid, colonization, and genocide!
Chevron is the largest natural gas supplier to Israel. Through the company's ownership of the largest Israeli natural Gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, they are directly complicit in the theft of Palestinian natural resources and the violation of their sovereignty. Tax revenue from these fields further make Chevron a key economic partner of the Israeli Government.
Chevron also operates and partially owns the East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) Pipeline, which runs from Israel to Egypt, off the shores of the Gaza Strip. This helps to bolster Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza.
We can stop them.
DSA is part of a global campaign led by the BDS National Committee targeting Chevron and it's illegal and immoral support of Israeli apartheid, colonization and ethnic cleansing. Join this Launch webinar to hear from experienced BDS activists about Chevron's activities in Palestine, how to run a BDS Campaign, and how we can harness our collective power to win this campaign and kick Chevron out of Palestine.
Inner Voices
We are so excited to be partnering with survivors of solitary confinement from the Unlock the Box Coalition through Inner Voices! Through several ongoing workshops, these survivors have been sharing their stories and collaboratively creating an original play that advocates for change, and we invite you to come witness these stories and see the play at our final performance on September 24.
Many special thanks to our partner, the DC Chapter of the Unlock the Box Coalition, and our sponsor, the DC Commission for the Arts & Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. We’d also like to offer special thanks to First Congregational UCC DC and to Gail Sonnemann for generously offering us space to facilitate our workshops and to the True Reformer Building for generously offering us space to showcase our final performance.
Black Queer Feminism 101
Harriets Wildest Dreams invites you to join us for a day of learning and connection at our upcoming in-person Black Queer Feminism Training! This will be an eye-opening experience as we explore how race, gender, and sexuality intersect through a Black Queer Feminist perspective. We'll do a deep dive and get into the history and current issues around Black Queer Feminism and engage in hands-on activities and discussions on the intersections between race and gender. You'll leave with valuable take-home materials to continue learning in your own time. Please RSVP soon to secure your spot! For any inquiries please contact organizing@harrietsdreams.org
The Black Swan Academy Presents: I Have Pride Black Youth Showcase
Come hear from the winners of our I Have Pride Black History & Culture writing contest, enjoy performances from local youth artist from ArtLab, and be inspired by the great work happening right here in our community!
Donations for this event are greatly appreciated! Suggested donation price $10.00.
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.
Know Your Rights: Tipped Workers & Service Sector
Join the DSA Labor Working Group and the Peoples' Parity Project for our "Know Your Rights" workshop on the service sector and tipped workers. This workshop is run by experienced union organizers and labor lawyers from the DC metro area. This training will cover some of the most common labor violations that take place in the service sector by bosses and what key legal protections workers have to fight back.
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Regístrese para la clase de “Saber sus Derechos” organizada por el DSA Groupo de Trabajo y el Proyecto de Paridad para informarse sobre el sector de servicios y sobre los salarios con propinas. Organizadores profesionales y abogados de sindicatos asistirán esta serie de clases para asistir e informar nuestros participantes. El programa incluirá información sobre violaciones de derechos de trabajador en el sector de servicios y también temas de protecciones legal para trabajadores.
Know Your Rights: Worker Classification
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.
Unlock The Box DC: Rally & Townhall Event Registration
The Unlock the Box DC campaign is dedicated to ending the inhumane practice of solitary confinement and advocating for meaningful justice reform. On Thursday, September 19th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the campaign is hosting a Rally and Town Hall at Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St NW, Washington, DC). Join us for a powerful evening of advocacy and action! Your presence at this event will amplify the voices of those directly impacted and demonstrate our collective commitment to ending these unjust practices.
What to Expect:
Rally: Stand with the Unlock the Box-DC coalition, DCJL staff, survivors, and allies as we raise our voices to demand an end to solitary confinement and push for humane alternatives.
Town Hall: Engage in an open dialogue with community leaders and advocate to end solitary confinement in DC. This is your chance to learn more about the campaign, share your perspectives, connect with allies in the justice reform movement, and explore how we can work together to put an end to this inhumane practice in DC jails.
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.
DCGIC Advocacy Day
Join us to coordinate volunteer efforts ahead of our Advocacy Day and help us make the event a success! Advocacy Day will be held on September 19th as part of National Basic Income Week 2024. Read more here!
Ida B Free Info Session
Ida B. Free is the Legal Defense Pillar within Harriet's Wildest Dreams Hub.
We organize, strategize, and empower loved ones that are incarcerated or facing criminal charges in Washington D.C. While we can see the police killing and targeting black people every day, what we can not see is the great harm that prosecutors and judges do in the courtrooms.
Thousands of our people are overcharged, harshly sentenced, and wrongfully convicted daily. We support our people through legal empowerment and teach them how to navigate the system. Through our weekly meetings, we organize with attorneys and others to ensure the best possible outcome in each case. We also work to hold system players accountable for true justice for Black people.
Join us for the Ida B Free Info session to learn more about our current programs and campaigns and how to get involved. Some of our upcoming projects are listed below:
-Free Black Mamas DMV -Informed Jury Project -Eviction Participatory Defense
Economic Security Film Series
Join us for the first installation of our Economic Security Summer Film Series. This is a free film screening and conversation on economic security in the U.S. and its implications for DC.
About the film
“It’s Basic,” looks at several pilot programs launched in the US that test the effects of giving everyday people an extra $500 to $1,000 monthly, with no strings attached. Directed by Marc Levin and executive produced by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) Founder Michael Tubbs, the film explores the power of cash, the importance of dignity, and the ongoing work of providing an income floor through the eyes of guaranteed income recipients who have witnessed firsthand the life-altering effects of financial stability.
DC Justice Lab Movement Mixer
Join us for our 2024 Movement Mixer!
Join us Thursday, September 12, for an inspiring evening of networking and collaboration during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 53rd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). The DC Justice Lab Movement Mixer is free, but you must register to attend. We are accepting donations to support our mission of advancing justice and equity in the District. Donate $100 today! Movement Mixer attendees will receive an email confirming their registration and providing further details about the event. Thank you for joining us in creating positive change. We look forward to seeing you at the DC Justice Lab Movement Mixer! Thank you for your support!
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.
What's at Stake for Ward 8: A Community Conversation
Join us for a critical community conversation about the current landscape and conditions in Ward 8, where we will dive into the issues that impact the community's future. This event will provide a general analysis of the pressing legal and policy matters affecting Ward 8 residents, including the ongoing challenges within the criminal legal system.
By understanding the legal and policy landscape, we can work together to ensure that Ward 8 remains a community that uplifts and protects its people. Join us to share your voice, gain valuable insights, and connect with others who are committed to the future of Ward 8.
Know Your Rights: Overtime Pay & Wage Theft
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 overtime compensation and wage theft 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.
We Power DC Movement Meeting
Energy bills too high? Concerned about climate change and pollution in DC? Interested in building a green new deal for utility workers in the District? Come join the organizers of We Power DC for an overview of our public power campaign!
We Power DC organizers will give an overview of the campaign and some recent updates on what we've been up to. And we'll be joined by organizers from Milwaukee's Power to the People campaign fighting for public power in their city! We'll chat public power pledges, door-to-door canvassing, and legislative strategy to learn from their campaign and share our own lessons from the District.
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.
DCGIC September Planning Meeting
Don't miss our September planning meeting this Thursday, September 5th at 5pm!
CWDC Outreach Days
The last Saturday of each month Courtwatch will be in person at the courts. We need two teams for each shift, one team inside of the courts and one team with jail support.
You must be Courtwatch trained to attend this event. Sat, Jul 31st 2PM
Annual Harriet Tubman Hike
MXGM DC is hosting their Annual Harriet Tubman Hike on Saturday, August 31st from 9AM-12PM at the Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park in Sandy Spring, MD. It’s a great way to close out the month! Masks, cold waters, and snacks to break fast will be provided! Come and bring a friend!
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.
Black August 2024 | The Future of Black August: Advancing the Struggle for Liberation
Join us to commemorate Black August and honor the revolutionary legacy of the political prisoners, prisoners of war, and political exiles of the black liberation movement.
- AUGUST 7 - The Black Liberation Army: Revolutionary Groundings
- AUGUST 14 - Message to The Black Movement: Political Lessons From the BLA
- AUGUST 21 - New Afrikan People’s War" BLA and the Liberation of the Black Nation.
- AUGUST 28 - The Future of Black August: Advancing the Struggle for Liberation
SOS Anti-Eviction Canvas
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.
Community Cyanotypes
Community Cyanotypes is a printmaking workshop for all ages, focused on community building and bridging social gaps through the arts. Conceptualized by a local artist and supported by a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the event is free and open to the public. All materials are provided; simply bring your creativity and a cooperative mindset!
A follow up exhibition featuring the artworks created at the workshop is anticipated for a future date at a local gallery, allowing particpants to proudly display their masterpieces.
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.
Peace Academy Cohort 7 Graduation
You are cordially invited to join us in celebrating DC Peace Academy graduation for the incredible Peacemakers of Cohort 7!! We are so proud of these brave Peacemakers and honored to have had this opportunity to strengthen their skills.
We will have a short ceremony followed by a reception with light refreshments. Parking is limited; please consider rideshare or public transportation. Please rsvp so that we can plan appropriately.
Black August 2024 | New Afrikan People’s War" BLA and the Liberation of the Black Nation
Join us to commemorate Black August and honor the revolutionary legacy of the political prisoners, prisoners of war, and political exiles of the black liberation movement.
- AUGUST 7 - The Black Liberation Army: Revolutionary Groundings
- AUGUST 14 - Message to The Black Movement: Political Lessons From the BLA
- AUGUST 21 - New Afrikan People’s War" BLA and the Liberation of the Black Nation.
- AUGUST 28 - The Future of Black August: Advancing the Struggle for Liberation
Abolition 101
Why Abolition?
As prison abolitionists, we are fighting for a world where the response to social problems does not include prisons, policing, prosecution, or any form of surveillance, supervision, or incarceration.
These systems of punishment rely on, reinforce, and perpetuate structures of oppression; white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, xenophobia, ableism, and heterosexism. We aim to undermine and abolish these systems, not reform them.
MDC Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Organizing Meeting
Our regular bi-weekly organizing meeting for coordinating, planning and executing strategy and actions.
Harriets Responders Info Session
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
Day of Global Peace: A Chocolate City Experience
Black August is an annual commemoration centering Black political prisoners and the Black freedom struggles in the United States and beyond. This Month we highlighting Black resistance against racial, colonial and imperialist oppression.
This year Harriets Dreams Presents to you DC For Global Peace: A Chocolate City Black August Celebration! A cross-cultural celebration rooted in resistance, education & healing. Across the globe we are witnessing some of the most horrific humanitarian crises. From DC to Gaza, to Sudan and The Congo - we stand together. This Black August Community gathering intends to create a safe space for people of different backgrounds and cultures to come together in solidarity to share and celebrate our struggles, traditions, histories and wins.
Together we will build the world we want to live in.
Barry Farm Screening | Empower DC
Empower DC is screening the documentary Barry Farm: Community, Land & Justice in Washington DC at the Dorothy I. Height Library on August 17 at 3pm, followed by a community discussion on the vision for Barry Farm.
La Comunidad Reads - Modern Queer Narratives
Lupita Aquino in conversation with Alex Espinoza and Ursula Villareal-Moura.
Join us for a discussion featuring The Sons of El Rey by Alex Espinoza and Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura. These novels explore themes of identity, legacy, and self-acceptance. Espinoza’s book follows a family of luchadores navigating hidden secrets and forbidden love from Mexico City to Los Angeles. Villarreal-Moura’s debut delves into a young woman’s struggle with a past relationship marked by power imbalances and gender dynamics. Discover how both authors address the complexities of queer Latine experiences.
Copies of Espinoza and Villareal-Moura's books will be available for sale and signature by Loyalty Bookstores.
Kids Not Cops: Abolition Backpack Drive
Come help volunteer for Abolition's backpack drive!
CurbFest For Political Prisoners
Let's show up for political prisoners " with MXGM DC, PACA, and Black Alliance for Peace DC as they co-host D.C.’s first CurbFest For Political Prisoners on Saturday, August 17th from 1-7PM at the Black Workers and Wellness Center at 2500 MLK Ave. SE!
CURBFest, or the "Campaign to Unmask, Rebuild, and Break the Chains," is an event that originated in Philadelphia organized to raise funds for and grow the number of people engaged in political prisoner freedom campaigns. This will be an amazing day in our community with music and entertainment, food, children’s activities, community groups and causes to learn about, and a screening of "Dope Is Death"!
2024 Social Justice Curriculum Fair
Register now for the third annual Social Justice Curriculum Fair! Don't miss your chance to connect with fellow D.C. area educators and explore inspiring social justice-themed curricula. Participate in hands-on workshops featuring classroom resources from the Zinn Education Project and Social Justice Books, tailored for pre-K-12 teachers. Plus, network with D.C. education organizations at our exhibit tables. Registration is $15 per person and participants will receive a social justice book.