DCentric Picks

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August 4, 2011 | 2:55 PM | By

DCentric Picks: ‘The Percussive People in the Go-Go Pocket’

What: “(Un)Lock It: The Percussive People in the Go-Go Pocket” photo exhibition.

When: Opening is from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday. The show runs until Oct. 7.

Where: The Gallery at Vivid Solutions, 2208 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE.

Cost: Free.

Why you should go: Photographer and drummer Thomas Sayers Ellis has been documenting the lives of local go-go stars and shows since the 1980s. His images capture D.C.’s homegrown musical culture even as it appears to be vanishing from the District’s borders.

Other events to consider: If you’re between 13 and 17 years of age (or know someone who is) consider attending Portraits After 5, which will feature a youth fashion show, portrait booths and the chance to view art at the National Portrait Gallery. The teen event takes place 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday.

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Culture, Museums, DCentric Picks, Go-go, Youth
July 28, 2011 | 3:31 PM | By

DCentric Picks: ‘Clybourne Park’ Post Show Events

Disclosure: DCentric will be speaking during a community forum on media representations of gentrification after Sunday’s performance, and again during an audience exchange on Thursday, Aug. 4.

What: Audience exchanges and community forums following performances of Woolly Mammoth’s “Clybourne Park.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores race, class and gentrification in America’s cities by taking a unique twist on “A Raisin in the Sun.”

When: The play runs through Aug. 14. The community forums take place after Sunday matinee shows, and the exchanges take place after performances on Wednesday through Saturday.

Where: Woolly Mammoth Theater, 641 D Street, NW.

Cost: Ticket prices start at $30 for the performances, but the post show events are free and open to the public.

Why you should go: A range of issues that relate to gentrification in D.C. will be addressed by variety of speakers during post-show events, including health activists, small business owners, authors, documentary filmmakers and musicians. See a full schedule here.

FILED UNDER: Culture, Clybourne Park, DCentric Picks, Gentrification
July 21, 2011 | 12:13 PM | By

DCentric Picks: Mixed-Race America

What: A panel discussion, “Portraits and Interviews of Mixed-Race America.”

When: 7 p.m., Thursday.

Where: Natural History Museum, Baird Auditorium (10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW).

Cost: Free.

Why you should go: The question “What are you?” is complicated to answer for multiracial Americans. A photographer documented the responses from mixed-race D.C. area residents. The subjects of the photos will talk about the concept of race and how they self identify.

Other events to consider: The event “The Art of Vandalism” will take a closer look at how D.C. graffiti should be handled. The cost is free and it takes place at 6 p.m., Tuesday at Busboys and Poets (1390 V St. NW).

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Culture, Museums, DCentric Picks
July 14, 2011 | 1:24 PM | By

DCentric Picks: Civil War Museum, Sulu DC and African Festival

There are a number of events this weekend that deserve the DCentric Picks treatment, so we’re highlighting three in equal measure for this installment:

Courtesy: DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

  • This month’s installment of Sulu DC features an all-female lineup of Asian-American and Pacific Islander hip-hop artists. The shows takes place at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at U Street Music Hall (1115 U Street, NW). Advance tickets cost $10 and $15 at the door.
  • The second annual DC African Festival takes place from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday at the Takoma Recreation Center (300 Van Buren Street, NW). Food vendors, fashion shows, drum circles and a blogger exhibition will all be a part of the city-sponsored event.

Looking for an event that relates to race or class in D.C.? DCentric will be regularly posting event listings we believe will be of interest to our readers.  If you have an event you think we should feature, email dcentric@wamu.org.

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Culture, Museums, DCentric Picks
July 7, 2011 | 4:04 PM | By

DCentric Picks: Evolution of the Go-Go Beat

Looking for an event that relates to race or class in D.C.? DCentric will be regularly posting event listings we believe will be of interest to our readers.  If you have an event you think we should feature, email dcentric@wamu.org.

Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Chuck Brown is considered the “godfather of go-go,” helping to create D.C.’s genre of music.

What: “Evolution of the Go-Go Beat”

When: 1 p.m., Saturday.

Where: Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort Place, SE).

Cost: Free.

Why you should go: Go-go is the music of D.C., even though shows are increasingly being pushed to the suburbs. Get a history lesson on how the genre began and where it’s headed. Musicians Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliot and Sweet Cherie are among the speakers, and Faycez U Know will perform.

Other events to consider: The Smithsonian Folklife Festival wraps up Monday. The free event at the National Mall focuses on Colombia, rhythm and blues and the Peace Corps. Also, La Clínica del Pueblo is hosting a screening of “The Other City,” a documentary on racial and class disparities among D.C.’s HIV/AIDS patients. Tickets cost $15 and the event takes place 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at GALA Hispanic Theatre (3333 14th Street, NW).

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Culture, Museums, Anacostia Community Museum, DCentric Picks, Go-go
June 30, 2011 | 11:49 AM | By

DCentric Picks: Ethiopian Heritage Festival

Karen Bleier / Getty Images

The D.C.-area is home to the largest Ethiopian immigrant community in the U.S.

Looking for an event that relates to race or class in D.C.? DCentric will be regularly posting event listings we believe will be of interest to our readers.  If you have an event you think we should feature, email dcentric@wamu.org.

What: The First Annual Ethiopian Heritage Festival.

When: The weekend-long event starts at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday. Children under 13 are free on all days.

Where: Friday’s events will be held at Georgetown University’s art department building (1221 36th St. NW). Saturday and Sunday events will be at the university’s Multi-Sport Facility (3700 O St. NW).

Cost: Friday is free, Saturday admission is $10 and Sunday admission is $15.

Why you should go: The D.C.-area is home to the nation’s largest Ethiopian community, and this is the Ethiopian Heritage Society’s first festival, so why not be a part of history? Organizers want the event to be a place where “Ethiopians from all different background[s], ethnicity, religions, beliefs, values, and political opinion[s] gather and celebrate our common heritage and home – Ethiopiawent.” The weekend will feature food, music, poetry readings, coffee ceremonies, concerts, a soccer tournament and cultural shows.

Other events to consider: “A.C.T.O.R. (A Continuing Talk On Race)” takes place from 5 to 7 p.m., Sunday at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St. NW). This installment of the monthly discussion, which seeks to provide a space for honest discussions about race, will focus on “what actions we can take to undo race-based oppression.”

FILED UNDER: Culture, Busboys and Poets, DCentric Picks, Ethiopian Community, Race
June 23, 2011 | 10:29 AM | By

DCentric Picks: ‘The Gentrification of Chocolate City’

Looking for an event that relates to race or class in D.C.? DCentric will be regularly posting event listings we believe will be of interest to our readers.  If you have an event you think we should feature, email dcentric@wamu.org.

Flickr: Carlos Martinez

What: The Thursday Network‘s general body meeting tonight is on the theme “The Gentrification of Chocolate City: Reality versus Perception.”

Where: NPR Building, 635 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

When: 6:45 p.m., Thursday.

Cost: Admission and parking is free.

Why you should go: Attend if you can’t get enough of elevated discussions about gentrification, or if you just want to get a sense current and future development in D.C. Panelists include Jalal Greene, former director of D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development, and  Veronica Davis, Ward 7 activist and Nspiregreen partner.

Other events to consider: Joy DeGruy, author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, will discuss the “unique kind of stressors African Americans are trying to cope with,” coping mechanisms they’ve developed and special challenges faced by children and youth. She begins her talk at 5 p.m., Sunday at RFD Washington (810 7th St. NW).

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Culture, History, DCentric Picks, Gentrification
June 17, 2011 | 10:40 AM | By

DCentric Picks — Race: Are We So Different?

This week, we recommend attending the Saturday opening of “Race: Are We So Different?” at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum.

We got a sneak peak of the exhibition this week and took some photos, which you can see below. A long room in the museum is devoted to exploring the scientific, historical and and societal assumptions and theories around race. The exhibition aims to educate and challenge assumptions around race, but also solicits attendees to contribute their thoughts on their own experiences. If you’re looking for a good way to start an in-depth discussion about race, you can find it here.

The nationally touring exhibition, part of an American Anthropological Association project, is free to view and will be on display until Jan. 2, 2012. A number of talks and other events are scheduled throughout its time at the museum, so check the calendar for more information.

FILED UNDER: Culture, Museums, DCentric Picks, Natural History Museum, Race
June 9, 2011 | 12:44 PM | By

DCentric Picks: Faces and Stories of D.C. Youth

Looking for an event that relates to race or class in D.C.? DCentric will be regularly posting event listings we believe will be of interest to our readers.  If you have an event you think we should feature, email dcentric@wamu.org.

Courtesy of Critical Exposure

This exhibit runs until the end of June.

What: Critical Exposure presents “Both Sides of the Lens: The Faces and Stories of D.C. Youth.”

Where: 702 8th St., NW.

When: Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m.

Cost: By donation.

Why you should go: This is the nonprofit group’s sixth annual exhibit of student works. More than 80 works from 50 D.C. youth will be on display, providing a unique perspective into life in the District. Check out DCist’s profile of the group and the students’ fight to improve their school libraries.

Other picks this week: Consider attending the Mount Pleasant Music Festival on Saturday or “Crossing the Color Line: The Night Malcolm X Spoke at the Oxford Union” on Friday.

FILED UNDER: Culture, Delightful City, DCentric Picks