Festivities are already underway this weekend for the re-opening of the African American Civil War Museum. Although the museum's official ribbon cutting will take place at noon on Monday at its new permanent location 1925 Vermont Avenue NW -- directly across from the African American Civil War Monument -- today is studded with a number of lectures and conferences on racial reconciliation in America, while tomorrow features an all-day film festival (Eyes on the Prize is my pick). more ›

The Inaugural Parade has seen more than its fair share of controversy over the last few years. In 2001, a few protesters scuffled with police, resulting in six arrests. In 2005, D.C. police were accused by the ACLU of making false arrests and indiscriminately using pepper spray during the inauguration festivities. This past March, a federal court ruled that the park service had violated the First Amendment by preventing war protesters from getting near the parade. So news over the weekend that the National Park Service has proposed new rules about where the public can be during the parade come as no surprise. more ›

Civil rights leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III and others are gathering with supporters on Freedom Plaza at 10 a.m. this morning to march to the Justice Department in a "March Against Hate Crimes." NBC4 says that organizers hope the march will bring attention to racism and recent hate crimes against African Americans that have been popping up around the country. The march was also designed to bring attention to the Jena... more ›

Against Me! – the most accessible folk-punk band in the world – took the stage around 7:30 yesterday and were all business, plowing through twenty or so samplings of their fierce, Guinness-fueled brand of melodic rock in around an hour and a half. Those who managed to sneak out of work early to catch a good spot in the not-quite sold out crowd left drained and ready for the caloric replenishment that only the... more ›

The Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) is presenting an exciting double bill of adventurous piano-based jazz this Sunday at Lisner Auditorium. Performing will be The Bad Plus (pictured right) and pianist Jason Moran (pictured below), two acts who consistently refuse to be limited by traditional notions of what a jazz performance should or should not be. Moran and The Bad Plus have played together on the same bill before and, unsurprisingly, their common outside-the-box approach... more ›

Written by DCist Contributor Sarah Stonesifer The Diamondback – University of Maryland: >> Hartwick Towers, an off-campus apartment building, was the scene of a fire on Friday, Oct. 12. The fire has come under scrutiny by both students and city officials, as the building is not equipped with sprinklers and fire alarms did not function during the fire. Students were left on their own to find alternative housing until they were let back into their... more ›

We've arrived at another Friday, Washington, so welcome to it. Some sad news to note off the bat, however, as the Post brings word that the last movie theater left in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, the AMC Loews Dupont 5, will go the way of Visions and the Janus 3 before it and close its doors forever in January. We can certainly attest that the last few times we went to see a film... more ›

After waiting all summer, and oh, nearly 30 years since the last time a D.C. voting rights bill made it to the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scheduled the cloture vote on S. 1257, the DC House Voting Rights Act of 2007, for Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. But whether the bill has the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster is still unclear, so voting rights activists are asking supporters to rally... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Over the past few weeks, events have conspired to place race squarely at the center of the debate over public education in the District of Columbia. After appointing Michelle Rhee the first ever Chancellor of District Schools, Mayor Fenty found himself faced with a barrage of criticism and innuendo from the Washington Post drawing attention to the fact that she was not... more ›

A man died in Seat Pleasant, Md. on Saturday afternoon after he was subdued by officers during a confrontation, handcuffed, and then tasered after he was already restrained. The Post has more details on the story of how Marcus D. Skinner, 22, received two Taser shocks, one from each of two officers on the scene, a Fairmount Heights officer and a Prince George's County officer. Skinner had been combative with the officers even after he... more ›

We were excited to stumble across this fantastic clip of D.C. icon Petey Greene on YouTube today. In the clip, for reasons we're not really sure about, Greene explains how to eat a watermelon on his show, "Petey Greene's Washington" on WDCA-TV. If you're unfamiliar with (or perhaps too young to know about) the life of Petey Greene, the famed ex-con turned civil rights activist turned TV and radio personality is the subject of... more ›

There have been many great performers in Music Land, for example Bono, Freddie Mercury, and Madonna, just to name a few. There are also many folks who go out of their way to exude cool via ironic t-shirts purchased at Urban Outfitters and meticulously unkempt hair. It’s one thing to dance with a pretty girl in the audience, but how many rock stars put a guitar in her hands and then proceed to wrap their... more ›

Preservation of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is something we've discussed on DCist a number of times before -- usually in reference to the library and street that share his name. One thing the city's still missing is a memorial to the civil rights hero. The memorial's design was approved in 2005, with the remaining hurdle that plagues so many projects of this nature: money. Fundraisers have been hard at work... more ›

If you work on the Hill you might still have time to run over to the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Rm. 342 for the hearing Equal Representation in Congress: Providing Voting Rights to the District of Columbia before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The hearing, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., will include testimony split into two panels, the first with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), Mayor... more ›

After a rocky road through the U.S. House of Representatives, legislation granting the District a voting seat in the lower chamber will get its first hearing before a Senate committee tomorrow -- and pretty much everyone and their mother is set to testify. In a hearing scheduled to start at 10 a.m. before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, eight witnesses will discuss the legislation that was passed in the House on... more ›

There are, of course, many criteria by which one can judge a photograph: form, composition, color, subject matter, context, or the viewer’s emotional response. In viewing Harry Benson: Being There, currently on display at Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery, it is not Benson’s technical ability as a photographer that impresses, but his uncanny ability to be present when historic moments occur and then place himself... more ›

Good Morning, Washington. It looks like we survived the full moon, a night of Georgetown-less championship basketball and visit by Yoko Ono. It was worth it to enjoy another day of idyllic weather before it all goes to hell. By Friday the region will be back in the 40's with cloudy skies. As the National Park Service pleads with visitors not to touch, climb or even taunt the Cherry Blossoms, let's hope the expensive... more ›

In a city of monuments to great Americans, it's easy to think that the more recent monumistas began the trend of honoring foreign heroes. But for nearly a century, a statue of Polish freedom fighter Casimir Pulaski has made its home at 13th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., in what is now known as D.C.'s Freedom Plaza. The plaza, designed in 1980, is mainly a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement,... more ›

D.C. has one, Chris Rock joked about them and there are entire books about them: streets named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Yesterday CNN posted an article about streets named for the civil rights leader, saying there are at least 777 in the country. The article says that Rock's joke and the stereotype about King streets, that they're poor and dangerous, may not be true. It quotes Matthew Mitchelson, a University of Georgia... more ›

While D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty officially pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today at the University of the District of Columbia, one question comes to mind -- how well has the District actually guarded and promoted King's legacy? Given the state of a library and an avenue named after the famed civil rights fighter, not too well. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library stands as a contradiction at the corner of Ninth... more ›

FRIDAY: >> Baltimore's Fertile Ground return to 9:30 Club for a concert with collaborator Raheem DeVaughn called Let's Do It Again. Also singer Anthony David. 9 p.m., $22. >> Gallery Openings of Note: Maria Friberg opens her show, titled embedded, at Conner Contemporary, reception 6 to 8 p.m. That's embedded #4 at left. Also we checked out a preview of Colby Caldwell's new show, Small Game, at Hemphill Fine Arts on Wednesday, and definitely recommend... more ›

Well, it's officially one week until the big day, but it seems that law-enforcement's biggest fan isn't feeling the holiday spirit. The continuing toasty weather may also make it hard to believe you've only got five more days to purchase all the tacky reindeer sweaters you can find. Call us crazy, we're still crossing our fingers for the tiniest amount of snow by next Monday. Councilman, Sue Thy Self: Earlier this year, we made the... more ›

Holiday? What Holiday? While some of us were home devouring pumpkin pies instead of writing the Arts Agenda last week, a few galleries opened their doors to new exhibits. The National Portrait Gallery is giving thanks to Josephine Baker by displaying images, posters, music sheets and other artifacts that tell the story of this amazing performer and civil rights activist. Meanwhile, the National Geographic Museum has opened their Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit, showcasing... more ›

By DCist contributor Christopher Durocher. This weekend, the Library of Congress, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) each honored the contributions of Franklin E. Kameny, an 81-year-old D.C. resident who has served as a civil rights icon for the past half a century. Kameny’s activism began in 1957, when he appealed his dismissal from the Army Map Service of being gay. He has continued to live an out, proud life... more ›

Before we get to the bad news, we'll butter you up with the weather — isn't it beautiful outside! It's going to be sunny and quite warm today, with highs reaching 85 degrees, so get some use out of those short-sleeves while you still can. There, you see, aren't you excited to be starting your day now? Well never fear, DCist is here to ruin all that for you. Yes children, we're afraid it might... more ›

Campus Progress is determined to keep you busy. Last week they hosted an early peek at an episode of The Wire. Tomorrow they'll be continuing their advance screening M.O., offering an opportunity to watch an episode of the civil rights documentary Eyes On The Prize prior to its return to PBS later this fall. A screening of a twenty year-old documentary may not sound like a big deal, but in this case it is. Despite... more ›

Last week's hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives seemed to go swimmingly. Mayor-to-be Adrian Fenty and outgoing mayor Anthony Williams played nice among the 200-person crowd, no one on the committee chimed in to argue against the legislation -- all seemed to be moving forward. Almost. Committee chairman Rep. James Sensenbrenner has apparently expressed displeasure with a provision of the... more ›

Happy Wednesday, Washington. Sadly, there's even more crime to report this morning, and yes, you guessed it, more rain — though after the record high temperatures we've experienced earlier this week, we dare say we wouldn't mind some more of those scattered thunderstorms predicted for the metro area — the high will 88° today, with a 40% chance of strong showers hitting this afternoon. Cooler temperatures will be a welcome relief after yesterday's first Code... more ›

When it comes to fighting for District voting rights, activists face two main challengers -- the U.S. Congress and themselves. Members of Congress just either don't care much about whether or not the District's 600,000 residents have voting representation, or believe its a constitutional mandate written in stone that they shouldn't. They can be swayed. But many District-based voting right activists differ sharply on what the best approach to gaining voting rights is -- some... more ›

Are the stars aligning? We're slow to trust Tom Davis after he toyed with our heart last week, saying first that a vote for D.C. was a sure thing, then warning us that the road was still quite long and fraught with danger. One thing's for sure, however. Davis is doing his damnedest to build momentum (Tomentum?) for the bipartisan bill, and he's close to convincing us it's a real possibility. Yesterday, with District officials... more ›