programs & events

March On! brings history to life through a vibrant lineup of film screenings, panel discussions, and cultural experiences. From powerful pre-festival programs to engaging post-festival conversations, each event is designed to honor the legacy of the civil rights movement and inspire a new generation of changemakers.

Ready to experience the main festival lineup?

We’re building momentum before the festival even begins—and keeping the energy going long after it ends! Below is a sneak peek at the special events March On! is hosting before and after this year’s Festival.

Looking for the full lineup of powerful programming happening during the Festival? Head to our Festival webpage to explore the dozens of dynamic events that await!

Pre Festival Events

Mind Your Movie Business: Producing

Thursday, April 25, 2024

The March On! Festival Spring 2024 Workshop Series, “Mind Your Movie Business: Pro Tips from Hollywood Industry Leaders” features three comprehensive workshops that delve into essential filmmaking aspects: casting, producing, […]

8th Annual Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competitions

Friday, April 26, 2024

Earlybird Submission Deadline

Mind Your Movie Business: Distribution

Thursday, May 23, 2024

The March on Washington Film Festival Spring 2024 Workshop Series, “Mind Your Movie Business: Pro Tips from Hollywood Industry Leaders” features three comprehensive workshops that delve into essential filmmaking aspects: […]

2024 Film Competition

Sunday, October 6, 2024 - Sunday, October 13, 2024

Debuting in 2016, the Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competitions gives filmmakers the opportunity to use cinematic storytelling to answer important themes like “what’s your civil right?” and “speaking truth to […]

2024 March On Festival

Sunday, October 6, 2024 - Sunday, October 13, 2024

March On’s 2024 Film Festival will spotlight writers who move the movement, with an emphasis on the writers of nonfiction, fiction, African futurism, spoken word, journalism, and cookbooks, past and […]

James Baldwin: Born With the Thunder

Sunday, October 6, 2024
Join the March On Festival for an opening tribute celebrating the enduring impact of James Baldwin as a prolific author and activist. With filmmaker Karen Thorsen, scholar Dr. Frank Leon Roberts, Influencer Cree Myles, dancer joseph webb and percussionist Kevin Butler. Jr. Moderator: Anthony Coley.

WEB DuBois: A Biography in Four Voices Screening

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
The long and remarkable life of Dr. William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B) Du Bois (1868-1963) offers unique insights into an eventful century in African American history.

A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde Screening

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
An epic portrait of the eloquent, award-winning Black, lesbian, poet, mother, teacher and activist, Audre Lorde, whose writings -- spanning five decades -- articulated some of the most important social and political visions of the century.

Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space Screening

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
An in-depth biography of Zora Neale Hurston, the influential author whose groundbreaking anthropological work would challenge assumptions about race, gender and cultural superiority that had long defined the field in the 19th century.

March On Immersive Salon Opening & Screening of Love Machina

Thursday, October 10, 2024
Showcasing bold and intimate experiences that reveal the algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) behind our social platforms, project room scale motion capture portraits, and virtual reality ( VR) world building with our ancestors.

March On the Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair

Friday, October 11, 2024 - Sunday, October 13, 2024
This Art Fair and Open House showcases hundreds of works by dozens of artists including a curated selection from legacy and contemporary African American printmakers, and highlights works by several renowned D.C. artists. Works in other genres, such as sculptures and paintings will also be presented, with plenty of art items for sale.

Film Screening: A Mother Apart

Friday, October 11, 2024
A Mother Apart is an intimate, intergenerational exploration of mothering, told through the eyes and words of powerhouse Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin.

Memoirs in the Movement

Friday, October 11, 2024
We’ll hear from three justice activists, shaped by their personal experiences, who have turned their insights into books that inspire action and shape policy.

The Legends: A Conversation with Walter Mosley, Faith Childs, Malaika Adero, & W. Paul Coates

Friday, October 11, 2024
Listen in on a stimulating dialogue with these pioneers, creative lights and longtime colleagues in the contemporary publishing world, from writers and agents, to editors and publishers.

Film Screening: It Was All a Dream

Friday, October 11, 2024
A visual memoir from director dream hampton's personal archives about the dawn of the golden era of hip hop.

Film Competition Finalist screenings

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Debuting in 2016, the Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competitions gives filmmakers the opportunity to use cinematic storytelling to answer important themes like “what’s your civil right?” and “speaking truth to power.”

Immersive Salon Open House

Saturday, October 12, 2024
In this workshop, participants will examine their relationships to social media and break down the algorithm: how it works, doesn't work, and how it could be different.

And the Word Was Good, a day of celebrating books presented in partnership with Penguin Random House

Saturday, October 12, 2024
And the Word Was Good, a day of celebrating books presented in partnership with Penguin Random House.

Reading with Isisara Bey and Keith Colón, Jr.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

The Prophet, a reading in honor of the 101st anniversary of this classic book of 26 prose poems written by the acclaimed Lebanese-American writer, Khalil Gibran, accompanied by violinist Keith Colón, Jr.

Get On the Banned Wagon: The Fight for Books

Saturday, October 12, 2024
From writers, to publishers, to agents and editors, listen in on a stimulating conversation with pioneers and creative lights in the contemporary literary world.

Below the Surface: A History In African American Printmaking

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Listen in on a rare conversation with two masterful printmakers from the DC area as we unpack the rich tradition of printmaking as a medium for artistic expression.

Talking Book – How to Be An Audiobook Narrator

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Do you know what it takes to read and record a book out loud? Find out how best to prepare, what vocal skills are needed, and how to get hired as a narrator. Then take a turn at the mic to test out your narration abilities!

Opening the Book on Publishing: The Women Innovating Penguin Random House

Saturday, October 12, 2024
A roundtable discussion on vital topics in the publishing industry with executives representing various departments of the publishing powerhouse.

African Traditions in the Novels of Toni Morrison

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Toni Morrison scholar, Dr. Kokahvah Zauditu-Selassie explores a wide range of complex concepts, including African deities, ancestral ideas, spiritual archetypes, mythic tropes, and lyrical prose that appear in novels The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, and more.

Presenting Lovely One: A Memoir with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

Saturday, October 12, 2024
This event is a live taping of New York Public Radio’s nationally syndicated podcast, Notes From America With Kai Wright.

The Gathering Table

Sunday, October 13, 2024
Ticket Price: $65.00
Our closing event connects cookbooks to the nurturing of the civil rights movement, and the role of our ancestral food legacy in culture, health, land and freedom.

“A Burning House” – MLK and The American Experience

Sunday, January 19, 2025
We will explore the complexities of belonging, justice, and collective responsibility in our contemporary moment.

Long Way Down: From Page to Stage

Monday, February 24, 2025

March On is honored to announce an exclusive virtual salon “Long Way Down: From Page to Stage” featuring March On Founder Robert Raben, in dialogue with MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and […]

MARCH ON!: A Power Boost for the Soul

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Feeling drained by today’s challenges? Take a moment to refuel your spirit and draw inspiration from the courageous changemakers who shaped the Civil Rights Movement. MARCH ON! is more than […]

The Untold Story Of Black Students, Jewish Allies, The Civil Rights Era, And A Carousel.

Saturday, May 17, 2025
An untold story of the early Civil Rights Movement—where brave Black students, bold Jewish suburbanites, and a segregated carousel became symbols of resistance, unity, and change.
Speakers: Dion Diamond/ Ilana Trachtman/ Kim Callinan

Behind the Lens: Telling Civil Rights Stories Through Film

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Join us for a live conversation exploring the power of film to amplify the untold and underrepresented stories of the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring Emmy-winning producer Opal H. Bennett, who […]

Virtual The Well: Bring forth a Healthier Community – Disability, Health, and Justice: Expanding Access for All

Monday, August 4, 2025

Doors Open: 1:45pm
Day Party: 2:00 – 4:00pm

We will examine how this landmark legislation has evolved to better protect individuals with disabilities - and how it has not - using real-world examples.

A’Lelia Walker, the Joy Goddess of Harlem

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Join us for a live conversation celebrating the legacy of A’Lelia Walker, daughter of Madam C.J. Walker and a defining figure of the Harlem Renaissance. This pre-festival webinar features award-winning […]

Bibb Country: Land, Legacy and Lettuce – Webinar with Lonnae O’Neal

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Join us live on Tuesday, September 9 at 7 PM ET for a moving conversation with award-winning journalist and author Lonnae O’Neal, as she shares the deeply personal and historical […]

The Quiet Word: A Reading Salon

Monday, September 15, 2025

Doors Open: 6:45pm
Session: 7:00pm

FREE

Join us for A Quiet Word, a community silent reading experience, a blending of literature, music, and conversation.

Bring your favorite book, or just what you’re reading now. We’ll also have some complimentary copies of books from the 2025 March On! Reading List on hand. Then immerse yourself in two 20-minute silent reading sessions with intermittent 10-minute breaks to share your literary discoveries and insights with fellow book enthusiasts. Sip a cup of tea while a curated playlist enhances the vibe.

Sponsor
Eaton House

The Road Ahead: March On! Health
The Right to Be Well, in Word, Conversation, and Story

Monday, September 15, 2025

Session: 7:30 – 8:45pm

FREE

Health has always been a civil rights issue. From the struggle to desegregate hospitals to today’s fights around Black maternal mortality, chronic disease, and structural bias in medicine, the right to be well has long been shaped by race, power, and policy.

Presentors and Speakers

  • Aletha Maybank, MD, MPH: CEO/Co-Founder, Truthlight Studio
  • Uché Blackstock, MD: Founder & CEO, Advancing Health Equity
  • Joel Bervell, MD: Instagram’s 'Medical Mythbuster.'
  • Terraya Lewis: Poet

We Want the Funk! with Filmmaker Stanley Nelson

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

SOLD OUT

Festival Pass Holders Only

Festival pass holders are invited to a special pre-event screening of We Want the Funk! with acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson. This syncopated journey through the history of funk traces its roots from African rhythms to soul and early jazz- capturing the sound, spirit, and soul of a cultural revolution.

Valet Parking Available for Gala Attendees at Dock 5

2025 March On!™ Annual Awards Gala Honoring Visionary Leaders in the Fight for Civil Rights

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

SOLD OUT

$500.00

Join us for a spectacular evening of recognition, celebration, and joy—culminating in a high-energy, funk-infused dance party you won’t want to miss. This unforgettable night will honor visionary leaders who continue to shape the narrative of civil rights and social justice in America.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries will present Senator Cory Booker with the John Robert Lewis Lifetime Legacy Award. Congressman Maxwell Frost will present the March On! Lifetime Achievement Award to Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith—along with Firelight Media, the trailblazing documentary platform they co-founded.

The evening will be hosted by Jonathan Capehart, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, MSNBC anchor, Washington Post opinion columnist, and New York Times bestselling author.

Please note: If you'd like to attend the Gala along with other Festival events, the best option is to purchase the Festival Pass + Gala pass, which grants access to everything for $600.

If you sponsor the festival at the friend ($1,000 level), you are granted access to two festival+gala passes.

Valet Parking Included

March On! At the Theater

The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)
A Play By Nia Akilah Robinson

TO BE RESCHEDULED

Join us at Woolly Mammoth Theatre for March On! Night and a thought-provoking performance of The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)—a comedic and resonant play examining America’s history of harming Black bodies in the name of science, our responsibility to time, and the power of joy in reckoning with the past. The evening includes a special conversation hosted by March On!

Pre-Show
7:30pm Wine, Art & Connection
Join us in the lobby before the show to sip, mingle, and immerse yourself in an installation celebrating the resilience, creativity, and intelligence of Black communities across time. It honors not only the grief in the play but also the joy, beauty, and unstoppable forward movement of Black life. Here, celebration is resistance, rest is wisdom, and gathering is a radical act.

Post-Show Conversation

  • Dr. Helene D. Gayle: M.D., MPH, President Emerita, Spelman College
  • Dr. Cara V. James: PhD, President and CEO at Grantmakers In Health
  • Dr. Marla Dean: Ed.D., Senior Director, Health Equity Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation
  • Dr. Roger A. Mitchell, Jr: M.D., President, Howard University Hospital; 126th President, National Medical Association

 

Use code MARCH30 at checkout to receive 30% off regular ticket prices.
Hurry—only the first 50 people will receive the discount!

Partner
We are excited to partner on this event with Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, which produces courageous and invigorating new work to radically redefine theatre as a catalyst for an equitable, creative, and engaged society.

Critical Condition: Health in Black America

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Doors Open: 5:30pm
Start Time: 6:00pm
Reception: 7:45pm
End Time: 8:30pm

FREE

Join us for an eye-opening conversation featuring clips from Critical Condition: Health in Black America, the powerful NOVA and Firelight Films documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson. The film investigates why Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease—and why their life expectancy is five years shorter than White Americans—despite no meaningful genetic differences between races.

Featured voices from the film will discuss its themes and the pressing realities of health and equity today, exploring how pseudoscientific myths about race continue to influence medicine and how the lived experience of discrimination impacts the health of Black Americans. This session connects history, science, and lived reality, offering an urgent dialogue on health equity and justice.

The conversation will be followed by a reception, offering space to continue the dialogue and connect with fellow attendees. The full film is available to stream for free on PBS.

Partner and Sponsor
We are honored to collaborate with NOVA to bring this session to life and are grateful for their generous support, which made it possible.

Partners
Thank you to Howard University Hospital, the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice, WETA, and WHUT for their partnership.

Speakers:

  • Cyndee Readdean: Producer, Critical Condition
  • Dr. Joseph Wright: Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer, American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Dr. Vanessa Northington Gamble: University Professor of Medical Humanities, Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Health Policy and American Studies, George Washington University
  • Michon Boston: Founder, Michon Boston Group | Moderator

The Well – Talking Hands

Friday, September 19, 2025

Doors Open: 12:00pm
Session: 12:15 – 12:45pm

FREE

An Intro to ASL Workshop, in partnership with Interpret This!, on the history and fundamentals of American Sign Language.

Speakers

  • JaRon Gilchrist: Owner, Interpret This!

The Well – Disability, Health, and Justice: Expanding Access for All

Friday, September 19, 2025

Doors Open: 12:45pm
Session: 1:00 – 2:30pm

FREE

This program will explore the elements of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments, focusing on key definitions, terminology, and the broad scope of what constitutes disability today. We will examine how this landmark legislation has evolved to better protect individuals with disabilities - and how it has not - using real-world examples. Panelists will discuss the proposed bill: Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act and how they aim to address persistent gaps in care for all people with disabilities in rural and underserved urban communities.

Curated by Dara Baldwin, this session offers actionable ways for citizens to support inclusive legislation.

Speakers

  • Dara Baldwin: author of To Be a Problem: A Black Woman's Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement
  • Dr. Jamila Perritt: President & CEO, Physicians for Reproductive Health
  • Chakir’ C. Underdown, Esq, PMP

Grown Folk Talk: Grand Rounds on Women’s and Men’s Health

Friday, September 19, 2025

Doors Open: 2:45pm
Session: 3:00 – 4:15pm

FREE

This interactive conversation brings together the most pressing health issues facing both women and men—while centering the tools and confidence needed to advocate for your own care. From prenatal health to menopause, from prostate and testicular cancer to diabetes, and from sexual health to heart and elder care, the panel addresses the full spectrum of concerns across the lifespan.

Drawing on the real stories of front-line medical experts and community leaders, this session tackles both the science and the stigma, highlighting the disproportionate burdens Black communities face and offering practical strategies for prevention, early detection, and whole-person wellness. Above all, it’s about breaking silence, removing barriers, and ensuring that every person can access the care they want and need—body, mind, and spirit.

Moderator

  • Linda Goler Blount, President and CEO of Community Catalyst

Panelists

  • Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association
  • Dr. Stephen Thomas- Professor, Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Health Equity, University of Maryland School of Public Health
  • Dr. Sharon Malone, Ob/Gyn, Chief Medical Advisor of Alloy Women's Health
  • Dr. Tamara Wilds Lawson, President and CEO of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation

Albany Road Film Screening followed by a Truth & Relationships Town Hall

Friday, September 19, 2025

Duke Ellington School of the Arts
3500 R St NW
Washington, DC 20007


Doors Open
: 5:30pm
Session: 6:30pm

FREE

Directed by Christine Swanson, Albany Road follows Celeste as she prepares for an important work trip, only to find herself sharing a tense car ride with her ex-fiancé’s mother, Paula.

After the film, join us for an honest and revealing community dialogue on improving how we share our lives and thoughts with the people we love.

Sponsor
Presented through support from The Black Leadership AIDS
Crisis Coalition powered by AHF

Speakers

  • Lisa Arrindell: Actor
  • Christine Swanson: Director
  • Dr. Henry Gregory: Clinical Psychologist in Community Mental Health and Family Systems
  • Dr. Sonja Richmond: Hospice Medical Director, Blue Ridge Hospice

March On! Student & Emerging Film Competition
Hosted by Opal Hope Bennett

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Doors Open: 9:45am
Session: 10:00am

$10.00

Each year, the March On! Festival hosts a powerful film competition that showcases the work of emerging and student filmmakers using their craft to explore civil rights, social justice, and equity.

Nap Ministry presents Napping as Resistance: Rest as a Tool for Collective Liberation

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Doors Open: 2:30pm
Session: 3:00 – 4:30pm

$25.00

Tickets Are Available For Purchase at the Door

What if the key to our liberation, justice and community thriving isn’t more effort—but more rest? In this transformative interactive session, Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, challenges everything we’ve been taught about productivity, showing how intentional rest is not just a luxury, but a necessity for personal and collective liberation. Brilliant sound artist and singer Arin Maya will be joining Tricia to add a live soundtrack to the Collective Rest Moment. You don’t want to miss this special collaboration.

Tricia is the acclaimed author of two groundbreaking books Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto and We Will Rest!, both of which explore rest, healing, and liberation as radical tools for reclaiming our humanity.

Before the session, FlowWell Yoga will lead a gentle Chair Yoga demonstration—an embodied invitation to release and center.

Speakers

  • Tricia Hersey: founder of The Nap Ministry

Partner
We are excited to partner on this event with Metropolitan AME Church, a historic national church at the vanguard of creating space for all human beings to imagine and build a just and beautiful community and world.

Vivian Malone Courage Award

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Doors Open: 6:00pm
Session: 7:00pm

$65.00

Tickets Are Available For Purchase at the Door

Presented biennially by Dr. Sharon Malone—renowned OB/GYN and sister of civil rights pioneer Vivian Malone Jones—this award honors contemporary women who demonstrate extraordinary courage in the fight for racial justice. Named after the first African American to graduate from the University of Alabama, the award celebrates those who, like Vivian, boldly confront injustice and inspire progress.

This year, we are delighted to honor commentator, author, television and podcast host Joy-Ann Reid, who will be joined In Conversation with the Honorable Eric Holder, former US Attorney General. With welcoming remarks from Jalaya Liles Dunn, Director of Learning for Justice at the Southern Poverty Law Center, and a special performance by actor Lisa Arrindell.

And at the top of the program, we will also proudly celebrate the creativity and vision of the winners of the Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competition.

Come early! The first 500 people to arrive receive a free copy of Joy-Ann Reid's book Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America.

Partner
We are excited to partner on this event with Metropolitan AME Church, a historic national church at the vanguard of creating space for all human beings to imagine and build a just and beautiful community and world.

Dark Tower Day Party: A Harlem Renaissance Experience

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Doors Open: 12:45pm
Day Party: 1:00 – 3:00pm

$80.00

Step into the glittering world of the Harlem Renaissance, where art, politics, and pleasure converged in a swirl of brilliance and defiance. Inspired by the legendary gatherings at A’Lelia Walker’s Dark Tower salon—the top floor of her Harlem townhouse on 136th Street—this closing celebration channels the glamour, intellect, and audacity of an era that redefined Black creativity. The Dark Tower was the gathering space for the luminaries of the day—artists, writers, musicians, poets, their patrons, and friends from Walker’s travels abroad.

Poetry drifts through the crowd, an aerialist twists gracefully overhead, and the rhythms shift through an intellectual and emotional journey on the history of Black music—from the swing of the 1920s to the grooves of funk, the pulse of hip hop, and the global beat of Afro Beats. A spirited conversation between A’Lelia Bundles, granddaughter of the original “Joy Goddess,” and March On! Artistic Director Isisara Bey will bring to life the stories, style, and cultural impact of Walker’s famed salon, connecting its legacy to the artistry and activism of today.

Thought-provoking dialogue intertwines with artistry, as reflections on legacy mingle seamlessly with the thrill of the moment. Laughter mingles with the clink of glasses, rich flavors tempt your palate, and a table of carefully curated books invites you to take a piece of the experience home.

More than a party, it’s a living tribute to a cultural awakening—an afternoon to be inspired, to connect, and to carry the spark forward.

Special Guests:

  • A’Lelia Bundles, author of Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, the vibrant biography of her great-grandmother and daughter of Madam C.J. Walker.
  • Dr. Msia Kibona Clark, Associate Professor of African Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Howard University
  • Chi Akano, aerialist
  • DJ R WE ON THE AIR?!
  • Bookstore Activation by Mahogany Books

Wisdom Across Generations: Stories, Lessons, Reflections

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Join us on Tuesday, October 28 from 7:00–8:30 PM ET for a powerful virtual event that bridges the past and present through stories of courage, faith, and purpose.

The Road Ahead: March On! Health—The Right to Be Well

Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Join us on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 from 7:00-8:30 PM ET for The Road Ahead: March On! Health—The Right to Be Well, in Word, Conversation, and Story

Talking Hands – An Intro to ASL Workshop

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Learn the history and fundamentals of American Sign Language. Join us on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 for Talking Hands, an introductory ASL workshop exploring the history, fundamentals, and cultural significance of American Sign Language.

Joy Reid in Conversation with Eric Holder

Tuesday, February 3, 2026
oin us on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 for a special replay of the Vivian Malone Courage Award, featuring Joy Reid in conversation with Eric Holder. Presented biennially by Dr. Sharon Malone, OB/GYN and Chief Medical Officer of Alloy Women’s Health and sister to Vivian Malone, the Vivian Malone Courage Award honors contemporary women who demonstrate extraordinary courage in the fight for racial justice.

Post Festival Events

Mind Your Movie Business: Producing

Thursday, April 25, 2024

The March On! Festival Spring 2024 Workshop Series, “Mind Your Movie Business: Pro Tips from Hollywood Industry Leaders” features three comprehensive workshops that delve into essential filmmaking aspects: casting, producing, […]

8th Annual Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competitions

Friday, April 26, 2024

Earlybird Submission Deadline

Mind Your Movie Business: Distribution

Thursday, May 23, 2024

The March on Washington Film Festival Spring 2024 Workshop Series, “Mind Your Movie Business: Pro Tips from Hollywood Industry Leaders” features three comprehensive workshops that delve into essential filmmaking aspects: […]

2024 Film Competition

Sunday, October 6, 2024 - Sunday, October 13, 2024

Debuting in 2016, the Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competitions gives filmmakers the opportunity to use cinematic storytelling to answer important themes like “what’s your civil right?” and “speaking truth to […]

2024 March On Festival

Sunday, October 6, 2024 - Sunday, October 13, 2024

March On’s 2024 Film Festival will spotlight writers who move the movement, with an emphasis on the writers of nonfiction, fiction, African futurism, spoken word, journalism, and cookbooks, past and […]

James Baldwin: Born With the Thunder

Sunday, October 6, 2024
Join the March On Festival for an opening tribute celebrating the enduring impact of James Baldwin as a prolific author and activist. With filmmaker Karen Thorsen, scholar Dr. Frank Leon Roberts, Influencer Cree Myles, dancer joseph webb and percussionist Kevin Butler. Jr. Moderator: Anthony Coley.

WEB DuBois: A Biography in Four Voices Screening

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
The long and remarkable life of Dr. William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B) Du Bois (1868-1963) offers unique insights into an eventful century in African American history.

A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde Screening

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
An epic portrait of the eloquent, award-winning Black, lesbian, poet, mother, teacher and activist, Audre Lorde, whose writings -- spanning five decades -- articulated some of the most important social and political visions of the century.

Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space Screening

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
An in-depth biography of Zora Neale Hurston, the influential author whose groundbreaking anthropological work would challenge assumptions about race, gender and cultural superiority that had long defined the field in the 19th century.

March On Immersive Salon Opening & Screening of Love Machina

Thursday, October 10, 2024
Showcasing bold and intimate experiences that reveal the algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) behind our social platforms, project room scale motion capture portraits, and virtual reality ( VR) world building with our ancestors.

March On the Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair

Friday, October 11, 2024 - Sunday, October 13, 2024
This Art Fair and Open House showcases hundreds of works by dozens of artists including a curated selection from legacy and contemporary African American printmakers, and highlights works by several renowned D.C. artists. Works in other genres, such as sculptures and paintings will also be presented, with plenty of art items for sale.

Film Screening: A Mother Apart

Friday, October 11, 2024
A Mother Apart is an intimate, intergenerational exploration of mothering, told through the eyes and words of powerhouse Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin.

Memoirs in the Movement

Friday, October 11, 2024
We’ll hear from three justice activists, shaped by their personal experiences, who have turned their insights into books that inspire action and shape policy.

The Legends: A Conversation with Walter Mosley, Faith Childs, Malaika Adero, & W. Paul Coates

Friday, October 11, 2024
Listen in on a stimulating dialogue with these pioneers, creative lights and longtime colleagues in the contemporary publishing world, from writers and agents, to editors and publishers.

Film Screening: It Was All a Dream

Friday, October 11, 2024
A visual memoir from director dream hampton's personal archives about the dawn of the golden era of hip hop.

Film Competition Finalist screenings

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Debuting in 2016, the Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competitions gives filmmakers the opportunity to use cinematic storytelling to answer important themes like “what’s your civil right?” and “speaking truth to power.”

Immersive Salon Open House

Saturday, October 12, 2024
In this workshop, participants will examine their relationships to social media and break down the algorithm: how it works, doesn't work, and how it could be different.

And the Word Was Good, a day of celebrating books presented in partnership with Penguin Random House

Saturday, October 12, 2024
And the Word Was Good, a day of celebrating books presented in partnership with Penguin Random House.

Reading with Isisara Bey and Keith Colón, Jr.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

The Prophet, a reading in honor of the 101st anniversary of this classic book of 26 prose poems written by the acclaimed Lebanese-American writer, Khalil Gibran, accompanied by violinist Keith Colón, Jr.

Get On the Banned Wagon: The Fight for Books

Saturday, October 12, 2024
From writers, to publishers, to agents and editors, listen in on a stimulating conversation with pioneers and creative lights in the contemporary literary world.

Below the Surface: A History In African American Printmaking

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Listen in on a rare conversation with two masterful printmakers from the DC area as we unpack the rich tradition of printmaking as a medium for artistic expression.

Talking Book – How to Be An Audiobook Narrator

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Do you know what it takes to read and record a book out loud? Find out how best to prepare, what vocal skills are needed, and how to get hired as a narrator. Then take a turn at the mic to test out your narration abilities!

Opening the Book on Publishing: The Women Innovating Penguin Random House

Saturday, October 12, 2024
A roundtable discussion on vital topics in the publishing industry with executives representing various departments of the publishing powerhouse.

African Traditions in the Novels of Toni Morrison

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Toni Morrison scholar, Dr. Kokahvah Zauditu-Selassie explores a wide range of complex concepts, including African deities, ancestral ideas, spiritual archetypes, mythic tropes, and lyrical prose that appear in novels The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, and more.

Presenting Lovely One: A Memoir with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

Saturday, October 12, 2024
This event is a live taping of New York Public Radio’s nationally syndicated podcast, Notes From America With Kai Wright.

The Gathering Table

Sunday, October 13, 2024
Ticket Price: $65.00
Our closing event connects cookbooks to the nurturing of the civil rights movement, and the role of our ancestral food legacy in culture, health, land and freedom.

“A Burning House” – MLK and The American Experience

Sunday, January 19, 2025
We will explore the complexities of belonging, justice, and collective responsibility in our contemporary moment.

Long Way Down: From Page to Stage

Monday, February 24, 2025

March On is honored to announce an exclusive virtual salon “Long Way Down: From Page to Stage” featuring March On Founder Robert Raben, in dialogue with MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and […]

MARCH ON!: A Power Boost for the Soul

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Feeling drained by today’s challenges? Take a moment to refuel your spirit and draw inspiration from the courageous changemakers who shaped the Civil Rights Movement. MARCH ON! is more than […]

The Untold Story Of Black Students, Jewish Allies, The Civil Rights Era, And A Carousel.

Saturday, May 17, 2025
An untold story of the early Civil Rights Movement—where brave Black students, bold Jewish suburbanites, and a segregated carousel became symbols of resistance, unity, and change.
Speakers: Dion Diamond/ Ilana Trachtman/ Kim Callinan

Behind the Lens: Telling Civil Rights Stories Through Film

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Join us for a live conversation exploring the power of film to amplify the untold and underrepresented stories of the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring Emmy-winning producer Opal H. Bennett, who […]

Virtual The Well: Bring forth a Healthier Community – Disability, Health, and Justice: Expanding Access for All

Monday, August 4, 2025

Doors Open: 1:45pm
Day Party: 2:00 – 4:00pm

We will examine how this landmark legislation has evolved to better protect individuals with disabilities - and how it has not - using real-world examples.

A’Lelia Walker, the Joy Goddess of Harlem

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Join us for a live conversation celebrating the legacy of A’Lelia Walker, daughter of Madam C.J. Walker and a defining figure of the Harlem Renaissance. This pre-festival webinar features award-winning […]

Bibb Country: Land, Legacy and Lettuce – Webinar with Lonnae O’Neal

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Join us live on Tuesday, September 9 at 7 PM ET for a moving conversation with award-winning journalist and author Lonnae O’Neal, as she shares the deeply personal and historical […]

The Quiet Word: A Reading Salon

Monday, September 15, 2025

Doors Open: 6:45pm
Session: 7:00pm

FREE

Join us for A Quiet Word, a community silent reading experience, a blending of literature, music, and conversation.

Bring your favorite book, or just what you’re reading now. We’ll also have some complimentary copies of books from the 2025 March On! Reading List on hand. Then immerse yourself in two 20-minute silent reading sessions with intermittent 10-minute breaks to share your literary discoveries and insights with fellow book enthusiasts. Sip a cup of tea while a curated playlist enhances the vibe.

Sponsor
Eaton House

The Road Ahead: March On! Health
The Right to Be Well, in Word, Conversation, and Story

Monday, September 15, 2025

Session: 7:30 – 8:45pm

FREE

Health has always been a civil rights issue. From the struggle to desegregate hospitals to today’s fights around Black maternal mortality, chronic disease, and structural bias in medicine, the right to be well has long been shaped by race, power, and policy.

Presentors and Speakers

  • Aletha Maybank, MD, MPH: CEO/Co-Founder, Truthlight Studio
  • Uché Blackstock, MD: Founder & CEO, Advancing Health Equity
  • Joel Bervell, MD: Instagram’s 'Medical Mythbuster.'
  • Terraya Lewis: Poet

We Want the Funk! with Filmmaker Stanley Nelson

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

SOLD OUT

Festival Pass Holders Only

Festival pass holders are invited to a special pre-event screening of We Want the Funk! with acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson. This syncopated journey through the history of funk traces its roots from African rhythms to soul and early jazz- capturing the sound, spirit, and soul of a cultural revolution.

Valet Parking Available for Gala Attendees at Dock 5

2025 March On!™ Annual Awards Gala Honoring Visionary Leaders in the Fight for Civil Rights

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

SOLD OUT

$500.00

Join us for a spectacular evening of recognition, celebration, and joy—culminating in a high-energy, funk-infused dance party you won’t want to miss. This unforgettable night will honor visionary leaders who continue to shape the narrative of civil rights and social justice in America.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries will present Senator Cory Booker with the John Robert Lewis Lifetime Legacy Award. Congressman Maxwell Frost will present the March On! Lifetime Achievement Award to Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith—along with Firelight Media, the trailblazing documentary platform they co-founded.

The evening will be hosted by Jonathan Capehart, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, MSNBC anchor, Washington Post opinion columnist, and New York Times bestselling author.

Please note: If you'd like to attend the Gala along with other Festival events, the best option is to purchase the Festival Pass + Gala pass, which grants access to everything for $600.

If you sponsor the festival at the friend ($1,000 level), you are granted access to two festival+gala passes.

Valet Parking Included

March On! At the Theater

The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)
A Play By Nia Akilah Robinson

TO BE RESCHEDULED

Join us at Woolly Mammoth Theatre for March On! Night and a thought-provoking performance of The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)—a comedic and resonant play examining America’s history of harming Black bodies in the name of science, our responsibility to time, and the power of joy in reckoning with the past. The evening includes a special conversation hosted by March On!

Pre-Show
7:30pm Wine, Art & Connection
Join us in the lobby before the show to sip, mingle, and immerse yourself in an installation celebrating the resilience, creativity, and intelligence of Black communities across time. It honors not only the grief in the play but also the joy, beauty, and unstoppable forward movement of Black life. Here, celebration is resistance, rest is wisdom, and gathering is a radical act.

Post-Show Conversation

  • Dr. Helene D. Gayle: M.D., MPH, President Emerita, Spelman College
  • Dr. Cara V. James: PhD, President and CEO at Grantmakers In Health
  • Dr. Marla Dean: Ed.D., Senior Director, Health Equity Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation
  • Dr. Roger A. Mitchell, Jr: M.D., President, Howard University Hospital; 126th President, National Medical Association

 

Use code MARCH30 at checkout to receive 30% off regular ticket prices.
Hurry—only the first 50 people will receive the discount!

Partner
We are excited to partner on this event with Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, which produces courageous and invigorating new work to radically redefine theatre as a catalyst for an equitable, creative, and engaged society.

Critical Condition: Health in Black America

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Doors Open: 5:30pm
Start Time: 6:00pm
Reception: 7:45pm
End Time: 8:30pm

FREE

Join us for an eye-opening conversation featuring clips from Critical Condition: Health in Black America, the powerful NOVA and Firelight Films documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson. The film investigates why Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease—and why their life expectancy is five years shorter than White Americans—despite no meaningful genetic differences between races.

Featured voices from the film will discuss its themes and the pressing realities of health and equity today, exploring how pseudoscientific myths about race continue to influence medicine and how the lived experience of discrimination impacts the health of Black Americans. This session connects history, science, and lived reality, offering an urgent dialogue on health equity and justice.

The conversation will be followed by a reception, offering space to continue the dialogue and connect with fellow attendees. The full film is available to stream for free on PBS.

Partner and Sponsor
We are honored to collaborate with NOVA to bring this session to life and are grateful for their generous support, which made it possible.

Partners
Thank you to Howard University Hospital, the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice, WETA, and WHUT for their partnership.

Speakers:

  • Cyndee Readdean: Producer, Critical Condition
  • Dr. Joseph Wright: Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer, American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Dr. Vanessa Northington Gamble: University Professor of Medical Humanities, Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Health Policy and American Studies, George Washington University
  • Michon Boston: Founder, Michon Boston Group | Moderator

The Well – Talking Hands

Friday, September 19, 2025

Doors Open: 12:00pm
Session: 12:15 – 12:45pm

FREE

An Intro to ASL Workshop, in partnership with Interpret This!, on the history and fundamentals of American Sign Language.

Speakers

  • JaRon Gilchrist: Owner, Interpret This!

The Well – Disability, Health, and Justice: Expanding Access for All

Friday, September 19, 2025

Doors Open: 12:45pm
Session: 1:00 – 2:30pm

FREE

This program will explore the elements of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments, focusing on key definitions, terminology, and the broad scope of what constitutes disability today. We will examine how this landmark legislation has evolved to better protect individuals with disabilities - and how it has not - using real-world examples. Panelists will discuss the proposed bill: Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act and how they aim to address persistent gaps in care for all people with disabilities in rural and underserved urban communities.

Curated by Dara Baldwin, this session offers actionable ways for citizens to support inclusive legislation.

Speakers

  • Dara Baldwin: author of To Be a Problem: A Black Woman's Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement
  • Dr. Jamila Perritt: President & CEO, Physicians for Reproductive Health
  • Chakir’ C. Underdown, Esq, PMP

Grown Folk Talk: Grand Rounds on Women’s and Men’s Health

Friday, September 19, 2025

Doors Open: 2:45pm
Session: 3:00 – 4:15pm

FREE

This interactive conversation brings together the most pressing health issues facing both women and men—while centering the tools and confidence needed to advocate for your own care. From prenatal health to menopause, from prostate and testicular cancer to diabetes, and from sexual health to heart and elder care, the panel addresses the full spectrum of concerns across the lifespan.

Drawing on the real stories of front-line medical experts and community leaders, this session tackles both the science and the stigma, highlighting the disproportionate burdens Black communities face and offering practical strategies for prevention, early detection, and whole-person wellness. Above all, it’s about breaking silence, removing barriers, and ensuring that every person can access the care they want and need—body, mind, and spirit.

Moderator

  • Linda Goler Blount, President and CEO of Community Catalyst

Panelists

  • Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association
  • Dr. Stephen Thomas- Professor, Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Health Equity, University of Maryland School of Public Health
  • Dr. Sharon Malone, Ob/Gyn, Chief Medical Advisor of Alloy Women's Health
  • Dr. Tamara Wilds Lawson, President and CEO of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation

Albany Road Film Screening followed by a Truth & Relationships Town Hall

Friday, September 19, 2025

Duke Ellington School of the Arts
3500 R St NW
Washington, DC 20007


Doors Open
: 5:30pm
Session: 6:30pm

FREE

Directed by Christine Swanson, Albany Road follows Celeste as she prepares for an important work trip, only to find herself sharing a tense car ride with her ex-fiancé’s mother, Paula.

After the film, join us for an honest and revealing community dialogue on improving how we share our lives and thoughts with the people we love.

Sponsor
Presented through support from The Black Leadership AIDS
Crisis Coalition powered by AHF

Speakers

  • Lisa Arrindell: Actor
  • Christine Swanson: Director
  • Dr. Henry Gregory: Clinical Psychologist in Community Mental Health and Family Systems
  • Dr. Sonja Richmond: Hospice Medical Director, Blue Ridge Hospice

March On! Student & Emerging Film Competition
Hosted by Opal Hope Bennett

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Doors Open: 9:45am
Session: 10:00am

$10.00

Each year, the March On! Festival hosts a powerful film competition that showcases the work of emerging and student filmmakers using their craft to explore civil rights, social justice, and equity.

Nap Ministry presents Napping as Resistance: Rest as a Tool for Collective Liberation

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Doors Open: 2:30pm
Session: 3:00 – 4:30pm

$25.00

Tickets Are Available For Purchase at the Door

What if the key to our liberation, justice and community thriving isn’t more effort—but more rest? In this transformative interactive session, Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, challenges everything we’ve been taught about productivity, showing how intentional rest is not just a luxury, but a necessity for personal and collective liberation. Brilliant sound artist and singer Arin Maya will be joining Tricia to add a live soundtrack to the Collective Rest Moment. You don’t want to miss this special collaboration.

Tricia is the acclaimed author of two groundbreaking books Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto and We Will Rest!, both of which explore rest, healing, and liberation as radical tools for reclaiming our humanity.

Before the session, FlowWell Yoga will lead a gentle Chair Yoga demonstration—an embodied invitation to release and center.

Speakers

  • Tricia Hersey: founder of The Nap Ministry

Partner
We are excited to partner on this event with Metropolitan AME Church, a historic national church at the vanguard of creating space for all human beings to imagine and build a just and beautiful community and world.

Vivian Malone Courage Award

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Doors Open: 6:00pm
Session: 7:00pm

$65.00

Tickets Are Available For Purchase at the Door

Presented biennially by Dr. Sharon Malone—renowned OB/GYN and sister of civil rights pioneer Vivian Malone Jones—this award honors contemporary women who demonstrate extraordinary courage in the fight for racial justice. Named after the first African American to graduate from the University of Alabama, the award celebrates those who, like Vivian, boldly confront injustice and inspire progress.

This year, we are delighted to honor commentator, author, television and podcast host Joy-Ann Reid, who will be joined In Conversation with the Honorable Eric Holder, former US Attorney General. With welcoming remarks from Jalaya Liles Dunn, Director of Learning for Justice at the Southern Poverty Law Center, and a special performance by actor Lisa Arrindell.

And at the top of the program, we will also proudly celebrate the creativity and vision of the winners of the Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competition.

Come early! The first 500 people to arrive receive a free copy of Joy-Ann Reid's book Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America.

Partner
We are excited to partner on this event with Metropolitan AME Church, a historic national church at the vanguard of creating space for all human beings to imagine and build a just and beautiful community and world.

Dark Tower Day Party: A Harlem Renaissance Experience

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Doors Open: 12:45pm
Day Party: 1:00 – 3:00pm

$80.00

Step into the glittering world of the Harlem Renaissance, where art, politics, and pleasure converged in a swirl of brilliance and defiance. Inspired by the legendary gatherings at A’Lelia Walker’s Dark Tower salon—the top floor of her Harlem townhouse on 136th Street—this closing celebration channels the glamour, intellect, and audacity of an era that redefined Black creativity. The Dark Tower was the gathering space for the luminaries of the day—artists, writers, musicians, poets, their patrons, and friends from Walker’s travels abroad.

Poetry drifts through the crowd, an aerialist twists gracefully overhead, and the rhythms shift through an intellectual and emotional journey on the history of Black music—from the swing of the 1920s to the grooves of funk, the pulse of hip hop, and the global beat of Afro Beats. A spirited conversation between A’Lelia Bundles, granddaughter of the original “Joy Goddess,” and March On! Artistic Director Isisara Bey will bring to life the stories, style, and cultural impact of Walker’s famed salon, connecting its legacy to the artistry and activism of today.

Thought-provoking dialogue intertwines with artistry, as reflections on legacy mingle seamlessly with the thrill of the moment. Laughter mingles with the clink of glasses, rich flavors tempt your palate, and a table of carefully curated books invites you to take a piece of the experience home.

More than a party, it’s a living tribute to a cultural awakening—an afternoon to be inspired, to connect, and to carry the spark forward.

Special Guests:

  • A’Lelia Bundles, author of Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, the vibrant biography of her great-grandmother and daughter of Madam C.J. Walker.
  • Dr. Msia Kibona Clark, Associate Professor of African Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Howard University
  • Chi Akano, aerialist
  • DJ R WE ON THE AIR?!
  • Bookstore Activation by Mahogany Books

Wisdom Across Generations: Stories, Lessons, Reflections

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Join us on Tuesday, October 28 from 7:00–8:30 PM ET for a powerful virtual event that bridges the past and present through stories of courage, faith, and purpose.

The Road Ahead: March On! Health—The Right to Be Well

Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Join us on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 from 7:00-8:30 PM ET for The Road Ahead: March On! Health—The Right to Be Well, in Word, Conversation, and Story

Talking Hands – An Intro to ASL Workshop

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Learn the history and fundamentals of American Sign Language. Join us on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 for Talking Hands, an introductory ASL workshop exploring the history, fundamentals, and cultural significance of American Sign Language.

Joy Reid in Conversation with Eric Holder

Tuesday, February 3, 2026
oin us on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 for a special replay of the Vivian Malone Courage Award, featuring Joy Reid in conversation with Eric Holder. Presented biennially by Dr. Sharon Malone, OB/GYN and Chief Medical Officer of Alloy Women’s Health and sister to Vivian Malone, the Vivian Malone Courage Award honors contemporary women who demonstrate extraordinary courage in the fight for racial justice.
  • The Road Ahead: March On! Health—The Right to Be Well

    Virtual Webinars
    Virtual Event

    Join us on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 from 7:00-8:30 PM ET for The Road Ahead: March On! Health—The Right to Be Well, in Word, Conversation, and Story

    Talking Hands – An Intro to ASL Workshop

    Virtual Webinars
    Virtual Event

    Learn the history and fundamentals of American Sign Language.

    Join us on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 for Talking Hands, an introductory ASL workshop exploring the history, fundamentals, and cultural significance of American Sign Language.

  • Joy Reid in Conversation with Eric Holder

    Virtual Webinars
    Virtual Event

    oin us on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 for a special replay of the Vivian Malone Courage Award, featuring Joy Reid in conversation with Eric Holder.

    Presented biennially by Dr. Sharon Malone, OB/GYN and Chief Medical Officer of Alloy Women’s Health and sister to Vivian Malone, the Vivian Malone Courage Award honors contemporary women who demonstrate extraordinary courage in the fight for racial justice.

March On!
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