Clear your calendar - It's going down! Schedule Blocks kicks off on May 20th, and you're invited to take part in the festivities. Splash HQ (122 W 26th St) is our meeting spot for a night of fun and excitement. Come one, come all, bring a guest, and hang loose. This is going to be epic!
Clear your calendar - It's going down! The Emancipation Day festivities will take place on Saturday, April 13 and the parade will start at 2:00 PM at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The concert kicks off at 3:00 PM and will feature an all-star lineup of some of the best artists in the game! The concert at Freedom Plaza will also feature many of DC's own homegrown talent. Stay tuned for more updates and visit the "Save the Dates Section" for more information!
Clear your calendar - It's going down! Schedule Blocks kicks off on May 20th, and you're invited to take part in the festivities. Splash HQ (122 W 26th St) is our meeting spot for a night of fun and excitement. Come one, come all, bring a guest, and hang loose. This is going to be epic!
Clear your calendar - It's going down! The Emancipation Day festivities will take place on Saturday, April 13 and the parade will start at 2:00 PM at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The concert kicks off at 3:00 PM and will feature an all-star lineup of some of the best artists in the game! The concert at Freedom Plaza will also feature many of DC's own homegrown talent. Stay tuned for more updates and visit the "Save the Dates Section" for more information!
It's Black History Month and what better way to honor the contributions of African-Americans to the District's creative community than to celebrate the life and legacy of Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go music. He not only created the iconic sound but influenced generations of musicians in the District and around the world. We are truly thankful for his contributions to the vibrant culture of the District.
This month we also recognize the signing anniversary of the "Go-Go Official Music of the District of Columbia Designation Act of 2019” bill. The legislation acknowledges Go-Go music as the official music of the District of Columbia. Shoutout to Mayor Bowser, DC City Council, District leaders and the Go-Go community for all of their support to preserve and archive Go-Go music, its history and DC culture. The #EntertainDC Office looks forward to working alongside the People's Archive at District of Columbia Public Libraries and EventsDC to preserve and protect Go-Go’s place in the Nation's Capital.
Join our celebration by:
1. Sharing your love for Go-Go music on social media
using the hashtag #KeepTheBeatGoing.
2. Checking out testimony from our community in this newsletter and across our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter handles.
3. Listening to a special #KeepTheBeatGoing YouTube playlist that ji' cranks!
Follow us on the social media platforms below to keep up with our creative community.
Facebook: Entertain DC, DCRadioHD
Instagram: Entertain_DC, 202Creates, DCRadioHD, CreativeAffairsDC
Twitter: Entertain_DC
Angie M. Gates
Director
DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment
The DC COVID Alert Notice (DC CAN) is the official COVID-19 exposure notification system for DC. Using Bluetooth technology, the system lets you know if you’ve come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. To learn more, visit coronavirus.dc.gov/dccan.
"Thanks to the Go-Go community's 'Don't Mute DC' movement, the magnification of the voices of thousands of marginalized and displaced Washingtonians resulted in Go-Go being designated as DC's official music. As curator of the Go-Go Archive, the naming greatly motivates me to continue to work with the many 'griots' of Go-Go to ensure that this narrative is well-documented, preserved, and made accessible."
"Go-Go music being the official music of DC means so much to me. As a DC Native and a product of DC Public Schools (LaSalle Elementary, Bertie Backus JHS, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and Howard University), I have listened to and loved Go-Go music my entire life. Believe it or not, I always thought that Go-Go was already DC's music, however, to have it "official" is very important and necessary for our culture."
"Go-Go being the official music of DC means that the music and sound of Go-Go will be around for the long haul as the city changes. There is a better sense of respect and feeling of something that is "OURS" as a native Washingtonian. In the words told [to] me by Chuck Brown 'Don't Let Our Music Die' and Go-Go being the official music of DC affords the opportunity to stay alive."
"Go-Go music being the official music of DC means so much to me because I represent the DC dance culture of beat ya feet. Go-Go belongs to chocolate city just like the style of beat ya feet. Making it official just stamps and promotes how we present culture nationally and internationally. It's the ownership for me. We as a culture own something that can't be taken away from us no matter how much the look of our city changes. 'WE rep DC, WE are DC, GO-GO music 4 Lyfe'"
"For Rare Essence, Go-Go music being the official music of DC is an incredible feeling. We are honored to be one of the founding bands and to have been a part of this scene since before it was called Go-Go. As a result the entire genre has been energized to develop and release new music and this will hopefully ensure that our "homegrown sound" will be around for at least another 50 years."
"The naming of Go-Go as the official music of Washington, D.C. speaks to the influence and importance of this locally grown and supported art form out of the Black DC cultural and social experience. Go-Go comes from a long tradition of musical genius that transforms and grows with each new generation of musicians."
"In the Go-Go tradition, recognition means so much. A shout out from the stage, knowing that everyone can identify your crew, or the satisfaction felt when someone from outside of the community can identify that go-go beat. This recognition of go-go as the official music of DC feels like the city is finally calling back a loving response to the gifts that Go-Go has been offering over the years. Official recognition ji' cranks."
The #EntertainDC Office has curated a special YouTube playlist of Go-Go hits from the 80s to present day that will be sure to have you busting loose. Tell us what you think on social media by using the hashtag #KeepTheBeatGoing
DC Radio will celebrate Black History Month with a series of podcasts including "Raiding The Crates" with John Avery, "Rememories for Seniors" with Elliot Michael Gold, "NuUrbanJazz" with Bob Baldwin and "Wind Down" with Will Downing. The month of programming will also include vignettes featuring Director Angie M. Gates, David Harrington, David Oliver, EHN, Howard Welsey, Jessie Holland, Jim Watkins, Pat Lawson, Patrice Cullors and Johnny Gill paying tribute to Black History legends.
Residents can tune-in to DC Radio 96.3HD4, DCRADIO.GOV, on the DC Radio app for iPhone and Android, Tunein.com and Alexa.
In honor of Black History Month, DCN presents special programs that aim to educate, inspire and entertain viewers by telling stories. Some stories are familiar, some are not, and others are well known. What they all share is a celebration of the vivid past, the vibrant present and the rich culture that is Black history. This very special slate of programs will begin airing on Monday, February 1 through the end of the month, weeknights from 7pm to 11pm and weekends (Saturday and Sunday) from 12pm until 12am on DCN.
The documentary film, "A Legacy of Mies and King," follows architect Francine Houben as she investigates the past and present in order to design a world-class library of the future. Francine delves into the archives, meets contemporaries of Mies and King, speaks to current visitors of the library, and participates in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day march.
The #EntertainDC Office is pleased to recognize Darnice Wright as our Filmmaker of the Month!
Darnice Wright is a humanitarian who began her journey over twenty years ago as a committed, enthusiastic, Community Leader and Youth Advocate. Her 40-minute short film, Fishnets, dives into the heart of sex-trafficking and is set to display the modern events before and after sex-trafficking victims are demoralized and violated. Her recent work and research have now motivated her to present this film nationwide to exploit the harsh realities on an issue that many are not aware of and/or may choose to ignore.
"As a native Washingtonian, it's an honor to be recognized as OCTFME's Filmmaker of the Month for February 2021 especially as I have completed my first film," Darnice said. "Growing up in DC, I admired the talent that was bred here in the city and now through my passion and expertise, I understand their grit and am able to create life changing quality film productions for the world to see and for DC to be proud of.”
To learn more, please visit 811ProductionsLLC.com Congratulations Darnice!
Women in Film & Video produces more than 90 events per year, ranging from community outreach programs to professional development to pure networking. The programs, ranging from the technical to the theoretical, enable members to network, share knowledge and exchange ideas. Check out some of this month's programming.
The DC Creative Affairs Office has launched Care for Creatives Community Conversations, a webinar series which highlights mental wellness within the District's creative community. Visit CreativeAffairsDC.com/partnerships to watch the conversations on-demand.
The Care for Creatives program is available to help all creatives, artists and entrepreneurs! This partnership between the DC Creative Affairs Office and the George Washington University, Community Counseling Services Center (CCSC) provides pay-what-you-can mental health services to area creatives.
To receive care, email CCSCFoggyBottom@gwu.edu and the Care for Creatives team will follow up with more information. You will be asked a couple of questions and then paired with a clinician for support.
Join us this month for Mayor Bowser Presents 202Creates Masterclass: Keep The Beat Going with host William "Malachai" Johns and Trouble Funk's Big Tony. The conversation will be available on YouTube on Thursday, February 18th at 12 noon.
Subscribe to @Entertain_DC on YouTube to receive alerts and check out the rest of the MasterClass series.
The Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment is the regulatory agency that protects and advances the cable service-related interests of the District. At the #EntertainDC Office, our dedicated team is proud to consistently deliver world-class customer service in all aspects of our work. We readily supply information to meet the diverse needs of each constituent and make every effort to educate as well as inform. If you are a cable television customer, you have rights concerning billing practices, late charges, rate increases, disconnection or interruption of service and dispute resolution procedures, the #EntertainDC Office is here to assist.
Any questions? Ask MARCELLA!
Our mission is to produce and broadcast programming for the District of Columbia’s public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable channels and digital radio station; regulate the District of Columbia’s cable television service providers; provide customer service for cable subscribers; and support a sustainable creative economy and labor market the District of Columbia.
