Events
Author Talk - Irin Carmon
A conversation with Irin Carmon for her new book Unbearable.
Join the Library and Politics and Prose Bookstore for an evening with Irin Carmon discussing her new book Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America. In conversation with Michelle Goodwin of Georgetown University, Irin will discuss this new exploration of what’s gone wrong with pregnancy in America, through the lens of history, politics, and the searing experiences of five women.
Journalist Irin Carmon was eight months pregnant when the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion, unleashing pain and suffering for those who didn’t want to be pregnant and, shockingly to some, those who did. What was clear to Carmon from her dozen years of reporting—and from what she felt in her bones—was how incomplete the American story of reproduction had been, and how much had been unexpressed, hidden, or taken for granted, and not just by conservative justices or in red states. Whether in cosmopolitan, liberal New York City or rural Alabama, the entire system is broken.
Unbearable tells a deeper story, going beyond the headlines and any one experience or choice, and grounded in history and journalism. It introduces us to five women navigating pregnancy care—from that first positive pregnancy test through joy, loss, and the unforeseen—in a country that is at best indifferent and at worst willfully cruel, and to brave, outnumbered people fighting to make it better. Written with deep empathy and analytical rigor, Unbearable is at once a moving story of interconnection, a harrowing exposé, and assertion of humanity. Above all, it is a powerful call for solidarity, regardless of our circumstances or our decisions.
How the Federal Megabill Harms DC: A Closer Look at Health Policy
The Congress Working Group presents a panel discussion on the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill”’s impacts on healthcare access in DC. We'll hear about changes in Medicaid, DC Healthcare Alliance, and Obamacare premiums, as well as how specific populations and types of healthcare may be affected. We will conclude with information on how to get involved with Free DC and the work of the Congress Team.
The panel is the second in a series discussing the impact of the OBBB on DC. The first panel in September examined the OBBB’s impact on SNAP.
Register below to receive the link for this virtual meeting, hosted over Zoom.
Journey to Justice Bus
Experience the Journey to Justice Bus, a mobile storytelling and education space created by the national Unlock the Box campaign. Explore creative exhibits, learn about the movement to end solitary confinement, and connect with others who are ready to make a difference.
MDC DSA Free Coat Giveaway
Metro DC DSA’s Abolition Working Group is hosting free coat giveaway on Saturday, November 1st. We’ll distribute coats to all who need them - no questions asked, no barriers.
Why This Matters
This fundraiser embodies our commitment to community care and mutual aid. Every dollar raised goes straight to purchasing coats and winter accessories for DC residents. This is what it looks like to invest in communities, not cops.
How You Can Help
Help us poster to spread awareness for the event
Donate online at our GoFundMe here
Spread the word about the postering sessions, GoFundMe, and the coat distribution! RSVPs are appreciated but not required! Don’t let that stop you from coming out to support our community’s students.
Questions?
Contact Metro DC DSA Abolition Working Group and learn more about our work: https://linktr.ee/MDCDSA_Abolition
———
El Grupo de Trabajo de la Abolición de Metro DC DSA organizará un reparto gratuito de abrigos el sábado 1 de noviembre. Distribuiremos abrigos a todos los que los necesiten, sin preguntas y sin barreras.
Por qué es importante
Esta recaudación de fondos encarna nuestro compromiso con el cuidado de la comunidad y la ayuda mutua. Cada dólar recaudado se destina directamente a la compra de abrigos y accesorios de invierno para los residentes de DC. Así es como se invierte en las comunidades, no en la policía.
Cómo puedes ayudar
Ayúdanos a difundir el evento con carteles
Haz una donación en línea en nuestra página de GoFundMe aquí
¡Compartir la información sobre las sesiones de carteles, GoFundMe y la distribución de abrigos! Se agradece confirmar asistencia, pero no es obligatorio! No dejes que eso te impida venir a apoyar a los estudiantes de nuestra comunidad!
¿Preguntas?
Ponte en contacto con el Grupo de Trabajo para la Abolición de Metro DC DSA y obtén más información sobre nuestro trabajo: https://linktr.ee/MDCDSA_Abolition
Community Grocery Meet-up
Join the discussion and engage in the process of building a grocery store owned and operated by the community.
Slow Taxes 101
The Trump administration depends on our tax payments to carry out their work. Everything they are doing right now costs money — our money — and their oppression would become harder if that money slowed down or stopped.
Right now, everyone should pay attention to how we pay federal taxes. If you are a salaried worker, federal taxes likely get deducted automatically from your paycheck. If you are a freelancer, you might pay them quarterly. Do you typically pay only as much as you owe — or do you overpay and then get money back?
"Slow taxes" is a term that refers to a number of strategies anyone can use to make our payments to this oppressive government less automatic.
Join this informational webinar with Free DC and the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee to learn more about why this matters and specific steps you can take now to change the way you pay federal taxes.
Economic Justice for Families Impacted by the Child Welfare System
Dr. D. James Greiner from Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School will highlight a report on the Mothers Up Pilot Research Project.
Thompson Lecture with keynote Dr. David Stovall
Join the Charles H. Thompson Colloquium for Dr. David Stovall’s keynote address “We Cannot Forget the Assignment; Educational Freedom Fighting in Perilous Times.”
DC Educator Organizing Summit by EmpowerEd
Join educators from across Washington, DC as we gather together to learn more about DC education policy and strengthen our organizing skills to help bring about more educator-led positive change in our city. We welcome all educators- including classroom teachers, aides, paraprofessionals, mental health professionals, counselors, deans and other support staff! Come learn from experts and experienced organizers. Lunch and child care is free!
Free Brake Light Clinic
On Saturday, November 8, Metro DC DSA is hosting a free brake light clinic as a way to build community support for getting police out of transportation. The clinic will be held from 11am to 4pm outside the AutoZone at 955 Longfellow St. NW, where volunteers will fix brake lights on cars for free. The process for fixing brake lights is simple, but will help in reducing community interactions with police and help educate the community on legislation that activists are interested in passing in DC in the near future. Anyone interested in getting their brake light fixed at the clinic on November 8 can fill out a repair request form for the clinic.
Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back
On Monday, November 10, scholar Joshua Clark Davis, in conversation with educator Jessica A. Rucker, will discuss his new book Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back, an examination of the civil rights struggle through its work against police violence — and a prehistory of both the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements that emerged half a century later. This book offers a vital lens for any curriculum on the Civil Rights Movement.
QUEEN MOTHER | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
From an award-winning historian of Black radical politics comes the definitive biography of Queen Mother Audley Moore--mother of modern Black Nationalism and trailblazer in the fight for reparations
"Queen Mother is a monumental achievement, a rendering worthy of the great Audley Moore herself." –Jelani Cobb, Dean of the Columbia School of Journalism
In the world of Black radical politics, the name Audley Moore commands unquestioned respect. Across the nine decades of her life, Queen Mother Moore distinguished herself as a leading progenitor of Black Nationalism, the founder of the modern reparations movement, and, from her Philadelphia and Harlem homes, a mentor to some of America's most influential Black activists.
And yet, she is far less remembered than many of her peers and protégés--Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ahmad, to name just a few--and the ephemera of her life are either lost or plundered. In Queen Mother, celebrated writer and historian Ashley D. Farmer restores Moore's faded portrait, delivering the first ever definitive account of her life and enduring legacy.
Deeply researched and richly detailed, Queen Mother is more than just the biography of an American icon. It's a narrative history of 20th-century Black radicalism, told through the lens of the woman whose grit and determination sustained the movement.
2026 Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Fair
On Saturday, January 24, 2026, Teaching for Change’s D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice will host an online curriculum fair featuring a keynote speaker and interactive workshops that uplift the 13 guiding principles and demands of the Black Lives Matter at School movement. These principles focus on improving the educational experiences of Black students by centering Black joy, confronting anti-Blackness, and fostering authentic partnerships with all who work toward creating equitable school communities across the nation.
ERASE Solitary Rally
Join us on the steps of the Wilson Building as we urge the DC Council to hold a hearing and pass the ERASE Solitary Confinement Act of 2025.
You’ll hear from powerful speakers, connect with advocates, and take part in direct outreach to Councilmembers.
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.
Apartheid-Free DC Canvass 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. Learn how to do effective outreach to local businesses and organizations to sign onto the Apartheid Free pledge to boycott Israeli goods and stand with Palestine.
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.
**We will have food, since it's dinner time!**
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 has expanded the pledge to call for our community members to uphold specific boycott/divestment targets as part of signing on as Apartheid-Free.
Evening for Educators: Out of Many, One Classroom
Join The Phillips Collection and local educators for a free evening celebrating the many voices, stories, and perspectives that shape our classrooms. Explore the museum after hours, create art, and experience hands-on activities based on the theme “Out of Many, One Classroom”—inspired by our upcoming exhibition Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection. Discover our educator programs, register for a school tour, and leave with practical tools to inspire your students.
DSA Labor Leadership Social
Join the Metro DC DSA Labor Working Group and DSA National Labor staff for a leadership social. We will discuss how Metro DC and National DSA can collaborate more closely on labor issues, what methods have worked for other chapters, and strategize for upcoming nationwide labor struggles.
We will be meeting at Tus. 10/28 6pm sharp at Wonderland Ballroom (near the Columbia Heights metro station).
King of the North: Part Two
Historian Jeanne Theoharis will discuss her book, King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life of Struggle Outside the South, with civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill. The event will be moderated by Rethinking Schools editor Jesse Hagopian. Join us to learn more about Martin Luther King in the North and the central role of Coretta Scott King.
Community Wealth Building Co-Op Festival
We are hosting Community Wealth Building Day on Saturday, October 25th from noon-5pm. We’re bringing the coalition together and expanding to align on our strategy for the years ahead. We’re ready to build power to shift the narrative around what “economic development” looks like and who it serves. We’re seeding the ground to grow substantive policy and budget wins in 2026 and beyond.
The next day on Sunday, October 26th, we’re hosting a Co-op Festival: a more public-facing showcase and celebration of cooperatives in DC by partnering with ReDelicious DC at their weekly Sunday gathering from 3:30-5pm at Edgewood Community Farm (2304 2nd St NE).
The DC Community Wealth Builders coalition is a collaboration between co-ops, nonprofits, and individuals committed to cooperative and community-rooted economic development in DC. Join us to organize and learn more: www.dccommunitywealth.com
DC's Different Drummers Presents: Songs of Social Change
We are excited to host DC’s Different Drummers Jazz Band this fall for “Songs of Social Change” featuring protest songs and music as social commentary.
Selections range from protest tunes of the Civil Rights movement to feminist rallying cries, along with anti-war songs and queer anthems of today. This program paints a picture of the rich history of protest in the United States, and the integral role that music, namely jazz, has played in that story. Register to enjoy this fantastic selection of music performed live by the local LGBTQ+ jazz band, DC’s Different Drummers.
Stomp Out Slumlords October Meeting
Stomp Out Slumlords will have an all hands meeting and tenant organizing workshop on Saturday, October 25 at 2 pm at Mount Pleasant Library. Join tenants and organizers to talk through organizing strategy, get help working through issues in your building, or for advice for starting a tenants union. This meeting is for everyone, whether you are already a member of a tenants union or brand new to SOS.
Community Wealth Building Day 2025
We are hosting Community Wealth Building Day on Saturday, October 25th from noon-5pm. We’re bringing the coalition together and expanding to align on our strategy for the years ahead. We’re ready to build power to shift the narrative around what “economic development” looks like and who it serves. We’re seeding the ground to grow substantive policy and budget wins in 2026 and beyond.
The next day on Sunday, October 26th, we’re hosting a Co-op Festival: a more public-facing showcase and celebration of cooperatives in DC by partnering with ReDelicious DC at their weekly Sunday gathering from 3:30-5pm at Edgewood Community Farm (2304 2nd St NE).
The DC Community Wealth Builders coalition is a collaboration between co-ops, nonprofits, and individuals committed to cooperative and community-rooted economic development in DC. Join us to organize and learn more: www.dccommunitywealth.com
3rd Annual DC Youth Summit
Join us for our 3rd DC YOUTH Summit!
We will have workshops discussing issues impacting youth of color in DC. Please be sure to register in order for us to count accordingly for food and beverages.
Date: October 25, 2025
Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Address: UDC Old Congress Heights Campus (3100 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE)
*Youth ages 11-22 will receive a $25 stipend for participating.
Organize to Win, Federal Worker Training Academy
The Organize to Win: Federal Worker Training Academy is a one-day, in-person training designed to give federal workers the skills, tools, and inspiration they need to build power and organize at their workplaces, whether unionized or not.
Co-organized by the Federal Unionist Network (FUN) DMV Hub, AFGE District 14, AFGE, and Labor Notes, the event will feature interactive workshops, peer learning, and strategic discussions based on Labor Notes' Secrets of a Successful Organizer curriculum.
Title: Organize to Win, Federal Worker Training Academy
When: Saturday, October 25, registration opens at 9:30, training from 10 AM to 5 PM
Where: Washington, DC
Participants will learn how to:
Overcome apathy and fear in the workplace
Identify and cultivate natural leaders
Turn everyday frustrations into winnable campaigns
Build effective, diverse organizing committees
Have one-on-one conversations that move people to action
Launch collective actions that put pressure on agency leadership
Celebrate Halloween on 10/24 with Baldwin House
Join us for our annual community Halloween party, where fright meets delight! Get ready for an evening filled with crafts, community connections, and a dash of spooky fun.
What's Happening:
Free food from beloved local Chef G
Exploring the Black horror genre with local filmmaker Britt SankofaCrafts with community partners
Costume Swap—refresh your Halloween look and bring a costume to swap
Wear a costume for a contest
Pub-style Trivia on spooky, queer and Black DC history
Political Education, zines and skillshares
Fundraising for Ward 1 Mutual Aid #wekeepussafe
Home Rule, Whole State: DC Statehood Teach-In
Have you heard about statehood from long-term DC residents but don't know too much about it? Ever wonder about how the DC Council functions and operates and what you can do to get your voice heard as a concerned citizen?
Join Harriet's Wildest Dreams for an in-depth teach-in on what statehood means for the District, the history of the fight for statehood, the ins and outs of the DC Council, and more.
We get into heavy discussion on Home Rule and DC's charter, and leave with a stronger idea of how the legislative process work and how YOU can make your advocacy actionable through Free DC.
Visit freedcproject.org to find ways that you can get involved in the fight for DC today!
Introduction to Development Finance
We hope you can join our next Co-op Academy workshop on Introduction to Development Finance on Thursday, October 23rd at 6:000 pm. This training is for any co-op or tenant association member who wants to understand the financial status of their building and what options they have for development.
Training Details:
Date: October 23, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: 3232 Georgia Ave NW, Washington DC, 20012
What we'll cover:
Financial pro formas
Creating a development budget
The difference between acquisition, construction, and permanent loans
The difference between grants and loans
How to evaluate loan options
Think through how your co-op can set up systems of support.
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.
Make Polluters Pay
D.C. is no stranger to the effects of climate change. Increasingly intense storms, flash floods, and heat waves are already damaging homes and lives across D.C. These extreme weather events will only pose more and more of a threat in the years to come, making life more difficult and expensive for everyone in the District. Because right now, when disaster strikes, it is DC residents who are footing the bill.
That’s why we’re launching our campaign to make polluters pay.
We need to hold big climate polluters accountable to a problem that they created– and make them chip in to help DC prepare for and respond to the extreme weather associated with climate change. We have a plan, and we need your help to make it happen!
Sign up now to join our webinar on October 22 at 7:00 PM!
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).
DC Healthcare Alliance Rally & Advocacy Day
Patients, healthcare providers, neighbors, and community join together to save the Alliance.
Rally and Meetings with DC Councilmembers Wednesday October 22, 2025 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Spanish interpretation. Snacks and coffee available.
———
Pacientes, profesionales de la salud, vecinos y la comunidad se unen para salvar la Alianza.
Manifestación y reuniones con los concejales de DC el miércoles 22 de octubre de 2025
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Edificio Wilson 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Interpretación al español. Refrigerios y café disponibles.
Social Housing Town Hall / Conversatorio Vivienda Social
It has been a challenging few months for tenants and unhoused residents in the District.
We need to fight for the resources that folks need now, and to build a long-term vision for the future.
Green New Deal for DC is hosting a conversation with Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George at a Social Housing Town Hall on October 21st.
RSVP now to reserve your spot. Dinner will be provided!
Small Business Outreach Training: What is a Procott?
Free DC is implementing a new initiative to engage local businesses in our fight to defend DC. We’ll be offering a Free DC decal to local businesses that join us. The decal will be a visual cue for shoppers to know that their dollars are going to support our community, not harm it.
This trainings will give volunteers information you need to enlist local businesses in taking a stand with us!
This work supports Home Rule by refusing to support the mega-stores that harm our communities—including companies that facilitate unjust raids, suppress local wages, or drive up the cost of living. Our work will actively support local businesses that serve our community with dignity, stand against exploitation, and invest in the well-being of everyone who walks through their doors.
Federal Workers Circle
Build community sand solidarity with other federal workers over shared food and labor struggle.
Potluck at 12pm
Workers Circle: 1 to 2:30pm
Sunday, October 19th
Look for the red canopy and FUN banner
About Us: The Federal Unionists Network (FUN) is an informal association of federal unionists and our allies organizing to strengthen our unions, improve our agencies, and build solidarity across the federal sector of the labor movement.
Ghouls Just Want Abortion Access - a fundraiser for the DC Abortion Fund!
Ghouls Just Want Abortion Access - a fundraiser for the DC Abortion Fund (DCAF)!
Join the Bodily Autonomy Working Group (BAWG) on Saturday, October 18th from 8 - 10pm at as you are. DC for a fundraiser for the DC Abortion Fund (DCAF)! We’ll be hosting a dance party with as you are’s very own DJ Byte Back (@dj.b1te.back), our own block-printed merch, and more! Tickets are just $7, and 100% of your ticket purchase will go the DCAF!
If you aren’t able to make our event or want to donate a little more, please consider donating to our fundraiser!
We encourage folks to dress up in costume - in fact, all BAWG volunteers will be dressing up as Plan B! Decorate your KN-95 and come as your favorite ghoul, and party with us!
In addition to this fundraiser, we are raising the word about our Abortion Access Sheet - a comprehensive guide to abortion in DC. SAVE THE DATE - join us on Thursday, November 19th, at 7pm (link forthcoming!) for a Political Education session on how to access abortion in DC, how to perform a medication abortion, guidance on online safety around obtaining an abortion, and more!
Masking is REQUIRED at this event. We encourage all attendees both to test before coming, and get their flu shot and updated COVID booster - while rules for the booster are rapidly changing, the new COVID vaccines are available in all DC pharmacies as of September 23rd. We ask that participants only remove their mask to take a sip/bite when actively drinking/eating and put it back on after. While we highly encourage attendees to bring their own masks, we will provide KN-95 masks and have mask bracket inserts to make dancing easier. We will also bring bandaids and ear plugs to prevent damage from excess noise. This flu and COVID season, lets stay safe and protect our friends!
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.
MidnightRose: A Reading Series of Poetry and Prose
Esther Productions Inc., The Institute for African American Writing, and the Black Student Fund present a reading by Tracy Chiles McGhee and Bernardine Watson
MidnightRose is a showcase of the multigenerational, multicultural writers in the Washington Metropolitan Region and beyond. Experience the richness of the community through the presentations of award-winning poets and authors.
Registration is not required to attend, but is encouraged.
NO KINGS, NO FASCISTS, NO BILLIONAIRES!
Our nation is under attack by a radical right-wing government backed by a small clique of oligarchs! But millions of people are assembling across the country on October 18th to stand up and fight back. Our message is loud & clear. No Kings, No Fascists, No Billionaires!
📍 Where: John Marshall Park (north side near the Judiciary Square metro stop)
📅 When: 11 AM, October 18, 2025
Culture Series: Snap City
Join Humanities DC and explore the question, "What makes the DC-Maryland variation of Style roller skating deserving of official folk-art recognition?"
Join Humanities DC for an unforgettable evening as native Washingtonian and roller skate historian Tasha Klusmann takes us inside the world of "Style" roller skating. Style skating is a cultural tradition with roots dating back to the 1960s. Klusmann presents her case for Style being recognized as an official folk art.
Her groundbreaking research traces the history of the DC-Maryland variation of Style from its beginnings to today's new generation of skaters referred to as "Snappers." Be among the first to see short takes of exclusive footage from Our Family Skate Association’s National African American Roller Skating Archive documentary, Snap City (currently in post-production), followed by a Q&A. Snap City highlights how the community works to bridge the gap between seasoned skaters and "Snappers" to preserve the area's unique variation of Style roller skating for future generations.
Cuba 101 Political Education Series: The U.S. Blockade & Calculated Genocide
Join Metro D.C. DSA and Bol for a Cuba 101 political education series watch party! We will gather at the Festival Center to watch Part 6 of the Cuba 101 political education series: "The U.S. Blockade & Calculated Genocide" put on by the National Network on Cuba and Venceremos Brigade. We will also be hosting a guest speaker from the Cuban embassy to share and answer questions about the conditions created by the ongoing U.S. blockade.
Save the ACM Meeting
Hope you can make it! Our beloved ACM is shutting down as of this Sunday due to the government shutdown, but we still have lots to talk about. Their plan to kick off strategic planning in 2026 has been fast-tracked, and we need your input.
People have been talking about ACM — and not always in the best way (see the recent Daily Wire article) — so your voice in this conversation is more important than ever. Please join us!