March On! Festival 2026 begins in:
The Longest-Running Festival Devoted to
Civil Rights!
March On! increases awareness of the untold events and unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Era and inspires a renewed passion for activism. By leveraging the power of film, music, scholarship, and the arts, the Festival shares important stories to connect the past, present, and future in the fight toward social change in America and throughout the world.
March On! 2026 Panelists Performers Awardees
March On! Festival Schedule 2026
PREAMBLE: LAUNCHES SEPTEMBER 9th
MAIN FESTIVAL: SEPTEMBER 29–OCTOBER 6, 2026
Virtual Programming Coming Soon | More Events To Come
September 9 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT
March On! After Hours: Behind the Scenes & the Finalists Revealed
A preamble to the Festival: March On! founders share candid stories from a decade — plus the live announcement of the 2026 finalists for the 10th Annual Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competition.
September 16 @ 7:00 pm - 7:45 pm EDT
Revolution to Rights: America at 250
A preamble to the Festival: The Boston Sisters trace 250 years of the fight for rights through the films that dramatized it.
September 29 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm EDT
Opening Night Awards Gala - A Mardi Gras Celebration
The March On! Gala launches the Festival with a vibrant, high-energy Mardi Gras–inspired celebration — an unforgettable opening night filled with music, culture, awards, dinner, dancing, and community. This year’s Gala brings the spirit of New Orleans to Dock 5, setting the tone for a powerful week of storytelling, connection, and inspiration.
October 2 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm EDT
Shall We Gather? Allyship, Music & The Power of Collective Voice
Recreating the spirit and structure of the mass meetings that powered the Civil Rights Movement. Grounded in the question of how we show up for immigrant communities with respect, humility, and courage, this gathering invites participants to move beyond intention toward meaningful, sustained action.
October 3 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm EDT
Student Film Competition: Tomorrow's Truth-Tellers
This special session features seven powerful social justice short films: films by the competition’s six student winners and the winning film from March On!’s new Howard University pilot program.
October 3 @ 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
Emerging Film Competition: The Power of the Story
These bold narrative and documentary works capture the urgency, creativity, and conviction of a new generation of civil rights storytellers.
October 3 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm EDT
New Orleans' National Impact: Three Families Behind a Movement
At the heart of this special event is a rare, intimate roundtable with members of three of New Orleans’ most influential civil rights families — the Francis, Landrieu, and Morial families — whose leadership represents a powerful, enduring legacy that helped shape not just New Orleans but the broader arc of American democracy.
October 4 @ 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm EDT
The People's Mic: Music, Movement & 250 Years of Democracy
A free, public, interactive afternoon of live music, storytelling, and open mic — designed for everyone, not just artists. Whether you come to listen or step up to the mic, this is a welcoming space to connect across generations and a powerful way to invite all voices into the ongoing movement for justice.
October 6 @ 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
The Power of Partnership: Rosenwald, Washington, and the Arc of Justice - Film Screening One: Rosenwald
Rosenwald is a 2015 documentary directed by Aviva Kempner that tells the story of philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, and his partnership with Booker T. Washington. The film is being presented in collaboration with the National Building Museum, the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, and March On!
October 6 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
The Power of Partnership: Rosenwald, Washington, and the Arc of Justice - Film Screening Two: Rosenwald
Rosenwald is a 2015 documentary directed by Aviva Kempner that tells the story of philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, and his partnership with Booker T. Washington. The film is being presented in collaboration with the National Building Museum, the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, and March On!
October 6 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm EDT
The Power of Partnership: Rosenwald, Washington, and the Arc of Justice - Exhibition, Talkback & Reception
Presented jointly by the National Building Museum, the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, and March On!, this program is anchored in the National Building Museum’s exhibition A Better Life for Their Children and connects to the earlier same-day screenings at the Capital Jewish Museum. A moderated conversation and audience Q&A reflect on the enduring relevance of this partnership — underscoring the power of shared purpose and leadership in advancing a more just society. A reception follows.
A Message From Our Artistic Director
Of Pilgrimages and Power
One of the blessings of working with March On! has been the opportunity to meet many of the Civil Rights movement icons and their descendants – people living real lives of grit, vision, sacrifice, and endurance.