Each week, we list some ways to get engaged in the city β whether thatβs 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.
ONGOING
Budget oversight hearings As the D.C. Council prepares to vote on Mayor Bowser's proposed 2027 budget later this spring, it'll be exercising its oversight powers with a slate of public hearings. The Health Benefit Exchange Authority is up on Wednesday and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services is up on Thursday, among other hearings. They'll run through May 11; you can find the schedule and sign up to testify here. Here's more on how to testify.
Stomp Out Slumlords general meeting β° 6:30 p.m. π The Festival Center (1640 Columbia Rd. NW) The tenants' rights group within the Metro D.C. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America will meet to introduce new members to the group's work, share updates on their organizing, and discuss how they're campaigning for the candidates the chapter has endorsed in the June primary. You can RSVP here.
FRIDAY, MAY 8
Know Your Rights teach-in β° 6 p.m. π Navy Yard Metro (55 M St. SE) Led by Jawana Hardy of Guns Down Friday and criminal defense attorney Paige White, this session will walk through rights and sentencing laws and how to most safely interacting with the criminal legal system.
SATURDAY, MAY 9
Movement Block Party and Organizing Fair β° 2 - 6 p.m. π 33 Grant Cir. NW This party will have food, drinks, a cornhole tournament (!), and tables from various local groups around the D.C. area for those looking to get involved. The winner of the cornhole tournament will go home with the inaugural Golden Megaphone. RSVP here.
DC Labor Spring Chorus Concert β° 7 - 9 p.m. π Washington Ethical Society (7750 16th St. NW) You may have heard the DC Labor Chorus over the roar of picket lines and rallies β at their spring showcase, focus in on their slate of labor songs both historic and contemporary. During the show, you'll also hear the Black Workers Center Chorus and Freedom Futures Collective. You can pay $25 to be there live, or $10 to watch it virtually. RSVP here.
U Street Business Canvass with Free DC β° 2 - 4 p.m. π Spark Social (2009 14th St. NW) Help bring D.C.'s small businesses into the Free DC fold by spreading the word of D.C.'s autonomy and the importance of protecting Home Rule. There will be a short training before canvassers are sent out. If this is your first time, you'll be paired up with someone who's canvassed before. RSVP here.
SUNDAY, MAY 10
Black Mothers March β° 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. π Meet at Lafayette Square Now in its fifth year, the annual Black Mothers March will be heading back to the White House. This year's action is themed "We Got Us," with a particular focus on community protection and resisting carceral systems. The programming will start with a rally at 11 a.m., and the march to the White House will start around 12:30 p.m. RSVP here.
DC Abortion Fund fundraiser bike ride β° 5 - 6:30 p.m. π Meet at Alethia Tanner Park (227 Harry Thomas Way NE) Bring the whole family out for an easy ride, starting in Alethia Tanner Park and ending with brews and bites at City-State Public House. Organizers request that adult riders donate $25 to DCAF; kids ride free. Make sure to bring a helmet. If you don't have a bike, you can rent one from the Capital Bike Share station near the start, or meet up with the group at the end of the ride. (City-State is also donating a portion of drink sales to DCAF!) Register here.
MONDAY, MAY 11
Juror Information Project β° 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. π Location provided upon RSVP Jury duty is one of the most powerful ways a regular-degular person can make a difference in the legal system. This training will equip you with the skills you need to protect your neighbors and hold our justice system accountable. Led by Harriet's Wildest Dreams and Free DC, the session will walk through the jury process, common myths, and the responsibility jurors carry when people's lives are at stake. RSVP here.
Colleen is a 51st co-founder and a former DCist reporter. Her work has appeared in NPR, Street Sense Media, and The Washington Post. She currently lives in New York, where she's pursuing an MFA.
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