Each week, we list some ways to get engaged in the city โ whether thatโs protesting, organizing with your neighbors, or testifying before your councilmembers. This isn't an exhaustive list; share your events and trainings with us at 51st.news/submit-events.
For more ways to get connected, check out our resources roundup; and for more to do around the city, don't miss our Weekend Events post.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
D.C. Emancipation Day โฐ 3 - 6 p.m. ๐ Bundy's Secret Garden (Rear of Go-Go Museum, 1920 MLK, Jr. Ave. SE) Thursday marks 164 years since D.C. freed enslaved Black people โ the year before the Emancipation Proclamation did so nationwide. Mark the historic day with Free DC, Don't Mute DC, and other local groups as they honor statehood activist Anise Jenkins. RSVP here.
Meeting: No ICE HQ in D.C. โฐ 7 p.m. ๐ Haydees Restaurant (3102 Mt. Pleasant St. NW) Community members are meeting to discuss the Department of Homeland Security's expansion of its headquarters in Congress Heights, which would move the offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters to the site. How can D.C. residents oppose the plan? Find out at the meeting โ one of a few that the D.C. Liberation Center has hosted in recent weeks.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Potomac River Cleanup โฐ 9 - 11 a.m. ๐ Kenilworth Park (1500 Deane Ave. NE) Spend the Saturday before Earth Day improving the local environment at Potomac Conservancy's cleanup event along the Anacostia River (far from the sewage spill). Supplies like trash bags, trash grabbers, and gloves are provided, but feel free to bring your own! RSVP here.
Spring Greening Fair โฐ 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. ๐ Lederer Gardens (4801 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE) After the cleanup, stop by this event to learn how to make your home, neighborhood, and city more environmentally friendly โ and maybe even lower your energy bills. On offer: music, arts and crafts, helpful resources, and community building. RSVP here.
Free DC orientation and non-cooperation training โฐ 10 a.m - 5 p.m. ๐ Location provided following RSVP Usually, these two trainings from Free DC are separate events โ but this weekend, you can knock them out in one day, with lunch (and potentially childcare) provided. The event is open to all, but Maryland and Virginia allies are especially invited. You don't have to live in the District to support residents' right to home rule and path towards statehood. Register here.
Free DC Ward 7 coffee social โฐ 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. ๐ GiGi's Coffee Roasters (4916 Central Avenue NE) Live in Ward 7? Curious about Free DC, or already involved and looking for something fun to do on a warm afternoon? Meet your neighbors for coffee at this low-key Saturday gathering. Register here. Other Saturday Free DC gatherings include a Ward 3 plant swap and a Ward 2 dog bar social.
Free Brake Light Repair Clinic โฐ 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. ๐ Outside of the Autozone at 519 Rhode Island Ave. NE Does your car have a broken brake light? Lower your risk of being pulled over by the police at this free clinic offered by Metro DC DSA, which wants safer streets via non-police interventions like this one. You can request a repair ahead of time here, or just show up!
Art for Action Skill Share โฐ 2 - 5 p.m. ๐ The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Rd. NW) D.C.'s 411 Collective comes together with Harriet's Wildest Dreams, the Fair Budget Coalition, Poder Del Pueblo, Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid, and more to share how your art skills can contribute to resistance movements around the city. Think: Wheatpasting, screenprinting, poster design, banner production, and more. RSVP here. (Consider stopping by this 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. free art supply swap up the street on the way over.)
SUNDAY, APRIL 19
Juror Information Project overview session โฐ 2 - 4 p.m. ๐ All Souls Church, Unitarian (1500 Harvard St. NW) Harriet's Wildest Dreams and Free DC are teaming up for an introductory session on what it really means to serve on a jury, and how D.C. residents can use this civic duty to protect their neighbors and hold the justice system accountable. Learn from legal experts, activists, and community members. This meeting is open to everyone; no previous Free DC meeting attendance required. RSVP here.
D.C. Peace Team training โฐ 2 - 5 p.m. ๐ Virtual Learn how to keep your community safe without weapons at this virtual "Intro to Unarmed Civilian Protection" workshop with the D.C. Peace Team, hosted Sal Corbin. Tickets are available on a sliding scale. More information and RSVP here.
MONDAY, APRIL 20
Ask A D.C. Candidate: A 51st Mayoral Forum โฐ 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. ๐ MLK Library (901 G St. NW) At The 51st, we believe that all D.C. residents deserve a more equitable and just place to live, and โ like our newsroomโ we believe our next mayor should work to make peopleโs lives better. We're hosting a forum in partnership with the Washington Informer, Spotlight DC, and the DC Public Library to help you get the answers YOU need to (ranked-choice) vote for mayor. Submit questions for the candidates here! Join the waitlist.
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