Events
Now What: The State of the DMV’s Economic Justice Movement
In the DMV and across the country, people’s needs are becoming increasingly urgent—while every day brings new restrictions that threaten our ability to meet them. On Thursday, September 25th, join us and other DMV organizations dedicated to economic justice, to reflect on the state of the movement and collaborate on a path forward amid growing resistance to guaranteed income and direct cash programs.
Programming will include presentations from various direct cash pilot programs, along with breakout sessions designed to foster connection, collaboration, and shared learning on issues central to Guaranteed Income.
Join us to reflect on the state of the economic justice movement in the DMV and plot a path forward in this critical moment.
DC Justice Lab's Movement Mixer
You’re invited to join us at this year’s Movement Mixer, a dynamic gathering of community advocates, leaders, and influencers during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 54th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 25th, at The Point DC from 6 to 9 p.m.
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 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.
Eat The Rich: A Workshop for Abolitionists
Thank you for committing to build a new coherent national mass movement for racial, economic, social and environmental liberation. Be prepared. The one-percenters will come after you. They will try to divide, to discredit, and even destroy. Your courage and careful organizing will be tested again and again. But you may be surprised by the response you get. People are waiting for something defiant. We all want to join a movement that helps spread the word, that fights for structural change, that links us together, that multiplies our efforts, that keeps us hopeful.
It’s time to face up to runaway economic inequality – what causes it, what it’s doing to us, and what we can do about it.
Know Your Rights: DC Family Court & Domestic Violence Court
Join Metro DC DSA's Abolition Working Group for a Know Your Rights presentation about DC's Family Court and Domestic Violence Court on Saturday, September 27th from 3–4:30 on Zoom. Participants will learn how to navigate child custody matters without a lawyer, discuss how to file for and get a Civil Protection Order and the impact that has on custody cases, and get resources on legal organizations that provide free legal advice or representation. Folks will leave this event empowered to fight for themselves and their children.
Moms Empower Picnic Summit 2025 (Teens Welcome)
A space for mothers to connect, reflect, and shape the policy priorities that matter most to our families and communities. We'll be building on the insights and experiences you've shared with us over the past year.
The day will include small group breakout discussions, stories from both new and experienced moms, and space for wellness — with yoga and dance lessons to help us reset and take care of ourselves in the process. We’ll also share updates on MON’s upcoming pilot program and continue building partnerships to strengthen our work.
Teach Central America Workshop
Join us for an online workshop on Monday, October 6 with educators who developed Central American Studies units for upper and lower elementary. They will present these lessons: “Cultural Identity Preservation Through Storytelling” and “Resistance and Advocacy of Marginalized Communities.” Hosted by the UCI History Project and the Central American Studies in K-12 Curriculum Project in collaboration with Teaching for Change.
Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back
We all understand the role of police brutality in galvanizing the Black Lives Matter movement and as central to the movement’s demands. However, with the exception of a few iconic figures like Bull Connor in Birmingham, the police are less visible in public memory of the Civil Rights Movement. Yet, as Joshua Clark Davis tells in dramatic prose in Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back, the police were just as big a player in the 1960s as they are now. Hear from Davis in conversation with SNCC veteran Judy Richardson at Politics & Prose (Conn. Ave.). Learn more.
Reconsidering Reparations: Author Talk with Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò will discuss his new book, Reconsidering Reparations: Why Climate Justice and Constructive Politics Are Needed in the Wake of Slavery and Colonialism. Táíwò offers a clear, new case for reparations as a “constructive,” future-oriented project, one that responds to the weight of history’s injustices with just distributions of benefits and burdens. Co-hosted by Busboys and Poets and Teaching for Change at Busboys and Poets (14th & V).
Apartheid-Free DC Canvas Training
Join Metro DC DSA’s Internationalism Working Group for a training on how to canvas for the Apartheid Free DC campaign with DC for Palestine.
As we approach the two year mark of the intensified genocide in Gaza, the situation is ever more urgent. Join this training about the campaign led by DC for Palestine to invite local businesses and organizations to sign onto the Apartheid Free pledge to boycott Israeli goods.
You will learn about the crime of apartheid, how to participate in canvas efforts, and how to support organizations in finding alternatives to products that support the Zionist occupation of Palestine.
The Apartheid-Free Communities network formed in 2022, following the emerging consensus among the international human rights community that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people amounts to the Crime of Apartheid. This U.S. coalition is convened by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and is part of the international BDS movement.
DC for Palestine started the Apartheid Free DC campaign when it joined this network and expanded the pledge to call for our community members to uphold specific boycott/divestment targets as part of signing on as Apartheid-Free.
Silenced Voices: Author Talk with Pablo Leon
Join us on September 24 at 6:30pm at Busboys and Poets (14th & V) to hear from author Pablo Leon on his new YA graphic novel, Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide. In this moving intergenerational tale, Eisner-nominated creator Pablo Leon combines historical research of the Guatemalan Civil War with his own experiences as a Guatemalan immigrant to depict a powerful story of family, sacrifice, survival, and hope.
Leon will be interviewed by children’s book author Anna Lapera. This event is part of the Beyond Heroes & Holidays series, co-hosted by Busboys and Poets and Teaching for Change. It is one of the activities we are hosting to prepare for Teach Central America Week and is a part of Busboys and Poets’ 20th anniversary events.
Silenced Voices (and Anna Lapera’s book) will be available for purchase and signing. Food and drinks can be purchased from the Busboys and Poets menu throughout the event.
Wellpoint + Per Scholas Resource Fair
Join us for a collaboration between Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup DC) and Per Scholas, designed to connect the Washington, DC Metro area community with valuable resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Explore Two Exciting Floors
Community Resources: Discover a variety of support services provided by local organizations designed to help you thrive.
Workforce Development: Per Scholas will offer resume reviews and mock interviews
***JOB SEEKERS: Please bring a copy of your resume and be prepared to take notes.***
Amazing companies are already on board, and we're just getting started! Their presence will bring invaluable insight, resources, and opportunities to our attendees.
We're excited to welcome:
DC Central Kitchen
Goodwell Excell Center
My Sister’s Place
Pathways to Housing
Sasha Bruce
SOME (Some Others Might Eat)
Stay tuned - more partners are joining soon, and we can't wait to welcome them!
SALT Training: Workers Organizing Workers (Session 3)
Are you looking for a new job? Want to join the labor movement and build power on the shop floor with your co-workers? Join our Workers Organizing Workers (WOW) Salt Training Series!
Salting, or getting a non-union job and organizing your workplace, is a key tactic that organizers have used for decades to build the labor movement. Join a historic tradition today! We’ll cover organizing basics, share information about our priority industries, and help you get a job you can organize. No organizing experience required.
Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism
Scholar Eve L. Ewing, in conversation with Rethinking Schools editor Jesse Hagopian and Rethinking Schools executive director Cierra Kaler-Jones, will discuss her book, Original Sins: The (Mis)Education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, an examination of how the U.S. school system helps maintain racial inequality and social hierarchies. ASL interpretation provided and PD certificates offered to attendees.
Trans/Queer Liberation Bi-weekly Meeting
This is the bi-weekly meeting of Metro DC DSA's Trans/Queer Liberation Campaign. RSVP to receive the Zoom link and join us to discuss ongoing efforts such as Project Sanctuary, our Gender & Name Change Clinics, and more!
Reach out to bawg@mdcdsa.org with any questions.
A People’s Tour of MoCo: Uncovering Genocide Enablers in Our Backyard
The Maryland Israel Develop Corporation (MIDC) is funded through our taxes and is complicit in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Join us for a driving tour (professional shuttle service provided) as we investigate these beneficiaries of our local tax dollars and how that money is used to fund genocide. Instead, we demand a better quality of life for all MoCo residents and a county free of war profiteering!
The People's Budget Forum
The Fair Budget Coalition is hosting our People's Budget Forum this fall! Join us in community on Saturday, September 20th, from 1-4 pm to enjoy refreshments, share knowledge, and begin to co-create the fiscal year 2026 budget that DC deserves.
¡La Coalición por un Presupuesto Justo los invita a nuestro Foro de Presupuesto Comunitario de FBC este otoño! Únase a nosotros en comunidad el sábado 20 de septiembre, de 1 a 4 p. m. para disfrutar de refrescos, compartir conocimientos y comenzar a co-crear el presupuesto del año fiscal 2026 que DC merece.
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Please be sure to RSVP to receive up to date event info!
¡Asegúrate de confirmar tu asistencia para recibir información actualizada del evento!
Street Law 101 Organizer Training
Come learn how we can protect ourselves, stand up to police abuse, and support each other in our community.
At this workshop, you will:
Learn about your rights when dealing with police and the law
Understand how the system works and how it affects Black people in D.C.
Practice how to share this knowledge with your family, friends, neighbors, and schools
Get tools to bring Know Your Rights sessions into blocks, living rooms, classrooms, and community spaces
Connect with others who want to take action together
Become a new trainer with the D.C. COLLAB and learn how to lead Know Your Rights trainings for your block, family, friends, schools, and more with support!
No experience needed. All ages welcome!
Free food, ASL interpretation, and children’s activities provided!
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.
Deportation and Disruption in the DMV
Join us for an important conversation about the wide-ranging impacts of mass deportation across the DMV region. This discussion will highlight how these policies harm immigrant families, threaten economic stability, and disrupt communities in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
During this webinar, we’ll explore:
Economic disruption across the DMV: How mass deportation policies undermine businesses, workers, and regional economic growth.
Consequences for families & communities: The devastating toll on families, including separation, financial instability, and trauma.
Regional perspective: Unique challenges and ripple effects across urban, suburban, and rural communities in Maryland, Virginia, and DC.
Policy responses and inclusive Solutions: What localities can do to push back against the dangerous federal agenda and defend community well-being.
Back to All Events How the Federal Megabill Harms DC: A Closer Look at SNAP Food Assistance
Free DC members Deborah Swerdlow and Franc O'Malley will share updates from the Congress Team’s subgroup focused on mitigating impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) on DC residents. This webinar will discuss the specific impact of the OBBB on SNAP.
We’ll begin with an overview of the OBBB’s changes to SNAP, continue with a panel discussion about how these changes impact DC specifically, and will conclude with how to take action.
Register below to receive the link for this virtual meeting, hosted over Zoom.
Repro Justice Campaign Meeting
Join the Repro Justice campaign as we meet to discuss our upcoming events, actions, and more. We will be going over our campaign, how you can get involved! RSVP for the zoom link.
Reach out to bawg@mdcdsa.org with any questions.
Stomp Out Slumlords Meeting
UPDATED DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION Join Stomp Out Slumlords on WEDNESDAY 9/17 at 6 PM, to hear a report back on community defense efforts in Columbia Heights and how the tenants movement is mobilizing to protect our neighbors. If you are interested in getting more involved in community defense, join this meeting to get plugged in! We will also share updates on the fight against the RENTAL Act, Mayor Bowser's sweeping attack on DC tenant rights. The meeting will be in Meeting Room 1 at the Mt. Pleasant Library.
Potomac Gardens Parents Know Your Rights Workshop
In this moment of federal overreach, our greatest defense is each other.
Join on our Know Your Rights workshops led by attorneys. Learn how to navigate encounters with law enforcement for yourself and your family.
Get informed, engage with community members, connect with attorneys for future legal services.
SALT Training: Workers Organizing Workers (Session 2)
Are you looking for a new job? Want to join the labor movement and build power on the shop floor with your co-workers? Join our Workers Organizing Workers (WOW) Salt Training Series!
Salting, or getting a non-union job and organizing your workplace, is a key tactic that organizers have used for decades to build the labor movement. Join a historic tradition today! We’ll cover organizing basics, share information about our priority industries, and help you get a job you can organize. No organizing experience required.
Repro Justice Campaign Meeting
Join the Repro Justice campaign as we meet to discuss our upcoming events, actions, and more. We will be going over our campaign, how you can get involved! RSVP for the zoom link.
Labor Working Group September Meeting
Join MDC DSA Labor for our September working group meeting. At this meeting, we will be discussing updates from ongoing labor campaigns, identifying action steps for solidarity, and sharing opportunities for further organizing.
This hybrid event is open to both DSA Members and supporters. The in-person event will be at MLK Library Those who wish to attend virtually will be provided a Zoom registration link after registering. If you require any accommodations to participate in this meeting, please email labor@mdcdsa.org.
Deep Canvass Institute: Foundational Skills of Deep Canvassing
Please note that this is a two-session training. You must be signed up for both sessions to complete the training. Click "Select All (2 times)" at signup Just curious about deep canvassing but not sure you’re ready to commit to a six-hour training? Register for our virtual info session, “An Introduction to Deep Canvassing” to learn more at https://deepcanvass.fyi/rsvp-intro The Deep Canvass Institute is offering this training where you will learn the fundamental skills of deep canvassing. Deep canvassing was developed by organizers and volunteers in the LGBTQ+ rights movement as a way to turn the tide of a decade of losses around marriage equality. At its heart, deep canvassing and its underlying skills, are tools we use to create a more fair and caring country by talking directly with people we don’t know and who might disagree with us. When we listen to someone, share stories about our own lives, and approach the conversation with compassionate curiosity and a non-judgmental approach, it makes both of us more willing to take actions toward making our country more caring and equitable. Deep Canvass Institute Foundational Skills Training: SESSION 1 of 2: Tuesday, September 9 at 6:00 p.m ET we’ll dive into the deep canvass conversation structure and how to tell your personal story with vulnerability. SESSION 2 of 2: Wednesday, September 10 at 6:00 p.m. ET we explore the critical skills of compassionate curiosity & active listening, and roleplay conversations with fellow training participants. The Deep Canvass Institute is a training program created in collaboration between New Conversation Institute and People's Action Institute. This training is non-partisan. We will not discuss or take questions on deep canvassing in the context of candidate elections or parties.
SALT Training: Workers Organizing Workers (Session 1)
Are you looking for a new job? Want to join the labor movement and build power on the shop floor with your co-workers? Join our Workers Organizing Workers (WOW) Salt Training Series!
Salting, or getting a non-union job and organizing your workplace, is a key tactic that organizers have used for decades to build the labor movement. Join a historic tradition today! We’ll cover organizing basics, share information about our priority industries, and help you get a job you can organize. No organizing experience required.
Trans/Queer Liberation Bi-weekly Meeting
This is the bi-weekly meeting of Metro DC DSA's Trans/Queer Liberation Campaign. RSVP to receive the Zoom link and join us to discuss ongoing efforts such as Project Sanctuary, our Gender & Name Change Clinics, and more!
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Join award-winning New York City educator Dr. Jared Fox in--and out of--his classroom on an excursion that goes beyond books and lectures to reimagine teaching and learning. Through a blend of real-life examples and practical commentary, readers will see how Fox created localized learning opportunities for his students out of canoeing on the Bronx River, hiking in the Catskill Mountains, and other unconventional approaches.
Occupied DC: A Teach-In
This teach-in is hybrid. Information to join on zoom will be emailed ahead of the event
The presence and danger of federal and local police has been constant throughout DC and the DMV area long before this current crisis. While the urgency and danger of this moment can't and shouldn't be denied in many ways DC has always been an occupied city. Join us for a teach-in on the current federal takeover, how we can understand it in the context of policing and criminalization in DC, what we can do about all of it.
Join us in-person or online! For in-person attendees snacks will be provided and masking is encouraged.
Black Joy Sunday
Black Joy Sunday is back outside and bigger than ever! Join us on Sun, Sept 7, 2025, 1–5 PM at Anacostia Park, Field 6 (near the skating rink) for BLM DC’s 10-year celebration of community, culture, and resistance. Register today at bit.ly/bjs_10_years!
What to expect
Free, delicious BBQ for the community
Large Children’s Area with games and activities
Music, dancing, and live vibes
Community resource tables and partners
Free haircuts
Prizes and giveaways (registration required)
Together in DC: Family Resource Fair
Join us for an afternoon full of meaningful connections.
Families and students will discover service providers and organizations from around the District. You can learn about the hidden services offered by the city to help you and your family succeed during the school year.
There will be a workshop on the digitization of vital documents, along with free giveaways and valuable information provided by the participating organizations.
This event is targeted at Latinx and Bilingual families and in support of Vamos DC, a network of government and community organizations working together for DC’s Latinx community with disabilities.
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Acompañanos en una tarde llena de recursos.
Los asistentes a este evento podrán conectarse con proveedores de servicios y organizaciones que trabajan por el bienestar de familias y estudiantes en DC. Queremos que aprendas sobre los servicios escondidos ofrecidos por la ciudad y que te ayudarán a tener un año escolar exitoso.
Tendremos un taller sobre la digitalización de documentos vitales, en adición a información y regalitos de parte de las organizaciones participantes.
Este evento va dirigido a familias latinas y apoyando las iniciativas de Vamos DC, una red de organizaciones guvernamentales y de la comunidad que trabajan por la comunidad latina de DC con discapacidades.
Retirement Tips for Every Age
On Saturday, September 6th at the Union Hall (2701 Whitney Place, Forestville, MD 20747) we’ll be hosting an in-person “double header” with two different MetLife financial sessions back to back with a lunch in between! We encourage you to stay for both and bring your family! You must register!
Come to the union hall at 11AM to learn about Estate Planning. Protect your wishes for the future of your assets and family. Find out why everyone needs an estate plan, from determining who will take care of your children and make medical decisions on your behalf to keeping track of digital assets and avoiding probate. After that training and a brief lunch, we’ll continue at 1PM with “Retirement Tips for Every Age,” focusing on eight tips you can use right now. This easy-to-follow workshop will help you prepare for retirement, from managing inflation and creating a tax diversification strategy to reevaluating your investments and getting the most out of your company’s retirement plan.
DC Organizing Festival
8/30 UPDATE Wow! The Festival is so popular we've run out of General Admission tickets. We have made specific time slot entry available if you are able to get to the Festival between 12-1. You are then welcome to stay at the Festival for as long as you'd like. Otherwise, drop-in entry for non-registered folks will be available as space allows, so please come by to see what's available. Thank you for your understanding!
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We’re bringing together DC’s grassroots ecosystem for a day of community, organizing, and collective action—and we want you to be part of it.
The festival will bring together 20 grassroots organizations from across DC and over 200 community members interested in DC civic engagement and community organizing. The schedule features hands-on organizing trainings and workshops, free food, resume review, activities for all ages, and a vibrant local organization tabling event.
Our goal is simple: uplift the incredible work happening across the District, build deeper relationships that make our movements stronger, and fight for the future of our democracy.
This festival is about building real connections both between individuals and across movements. If you're tired of stressing in isolation, struggling to find your place in the chaos, or looking for new energy, this is for you.
By showing up, you're helping build a stronger ecosystem of local change-makers. You’ll find potential collaborators, meet new values-aligned neighbors, and discover opportunities to engage across movements and issues.
We can't wait to see you at this energizing, free event! Register now to save your spot—and so we make sure to order enough food.
One more thing. We're accepting sponsorships for the Festival! This will be a unique opportunity to increase visibility for your organization or company for an audience of hundreds of likeminded DC residents. If you're interested in learning more about sponsorship, reach out to our Executive Director, Elyssa Feder, at elyssa@risingorganizers.org.
Estate Planning
On Saturday, September 6th at the Union Hall (2701 Whitney Place, Forestville, MD 20747) we’ll be hosting an in-person “double header” with two different MetLife financial sessions back to back with a lunch in between! We encourage you to stay for both and bring your family! You must register!
Come to the union hall at 11AM to learn about Estate Planning. Protect your wishes for the future of your assets and family. Find out why everyone needs an estate plan, from determining who will take care of your children and make medical decisions on your behalf to keeping track of digital assets and avoiding probate. After that training and a brief lunch, we’ll continue at 1PM with “Retirement Tips for Every Age,” focusing on eight tips you can use right now. This easy-to-follow workshop will help you prepare for retirement, from managing inflation and creating a tax diversification strategy to reevaluating your investments and getting the most out of your company’s retirement plan.
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.