2024 Filmmakers Competition
THE QUALITY OF OUR RESOLVE
MLK26: The Pan-Africanist Restitution & Reconciliation in a Global State of Emergency
WNYC and The Apollo Present MLK26: The Pan-Africanist Restitution & Reconciliation in a Global State of Emergency Hosted by WNYC’s MICHAEL HILL, BRIAN LEHRER, and JANAE PIERRE, with WQXR’s TERRANCE […]
Deconstructing December
March On! Fest Highlights | Dark Tower Day Party
March On! Awards Ceremony
‘March On!’ Festival Reimagines Public Health in Black America
March On! Celebrates Filmmakers, Lawmakers, Changemakers Working Toward Justice
Somebody Should Do Something
October 2025 Newsletter
Pictured above: At just 35 years old, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14, 1964—the youngest person ever to receive the honor at […]
Stories That Move — October 2025 Edition – In partnership with Mahogany Books
Celebrating the 2025 Festival
March On Festival Announces Winners of the 2025 Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competition
2025 Shortlist for Filmmaker Competitions
Cultural Conversations w/ Nina Ligon & Isisara Bey “March On! Fest”
March On! uses the power of the arts—film, performing, and visual—to find, encourage, and bring to life the stories of both icons and foot soldiers from the Civil Rights Movement. […]
You Skurred?
‘March On!’ Festival Reimagines Public Health in Black America
The Nap Ministry Preaches ‘Rest is Resistance’
Your D.C. Weekend: Theatre Week, pickleball and H Street fun
Playbook PM: Monarez under the microscope
D.C.’s ‘March On! Festival returns with focus on health of Black community
27 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend
10 Film Festivals to Attend in the DC Area This Fall
How to Enjoy the March On! Festival
March On! Festival Returns to D.C. With a Focus on Health and Civil Rights
Prostate 5K, Housing Counseling, Diaper Bank Drive, March On Festival, and more free events inside Community’s Choice
March On! Festival Preview
By a Thread
Artists often create little word or visual prompts to help them warm up before beginning their daily creative work. What starts out as a simple exercise can have a ripple […]
March On! Festival Returns this Year with Health-Focused Theme: March On! — The Right to Be Well
March On!: Stories That Move – July 2025 Cultural Roundup
July 2025 Edition We’re back with the second edition of Stories That Move—our monthly roundup of cultural works that shine a light on truth, justice, and the transformative power of […]
Thinking of Becoming an Expat?
If you’re contemplating expatriation, as many are these days, you’d be in stellar company. Notable African American expats include performer Josephine Baker, writer James Baldwin, scholar W.E.B. Du Bois and […]
June 2025 Newsletter
Upcoming Webinar – Behind the Lens: Telling Civil Rights Stories Through FilmTuesday, June 24 | 1:00-1:30 PM ET Join us for a live conversation about the power of film to […]
Why Storytelling Matters iIn the Fight for Social Justice
One Video. One Brave Teen. A Global Movement. Four years ago, the world changed—not because of a press release or a policy paper, but because of a 17-year-old girl with […]
Introducing March On!: Stories That Move – Our Monthly Cultural Roundup
Inaugural Edition — June 2025 In a time when key aspects of American history—such as the truth about slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, and ongoing racial injustice—are being […]
May 2025 Newsletter
Talk Back Recap: Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round On Saturday, May 17, March On! partnered with the team behind Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round and AFI Silver Theatre […]
Sinners and the Kongo Cosmogram
Of course I’m talking about the new Ryan Coogler film, Sinners. It’s the topic of the moment and an aesthetic roadmap for enduring these trying times. One of the many […]
March On! Fortifies Leadership for the Future: Names New Executive Director and Volunteer Board Chair to Help Lead Its Newest Chapter
Washington, D.C. — At a time when America’s civil rights legacy is being targeted and the presentation of facts is being censored, March On! is stepping boldly into its next […]
Jump and Shout: Remembering the May 2nd Birmingham Children’s Crusade
It was the 1960s, and AM radio provided the soundtrack that got the party started in parks, beaches, front stoops and backyards across the country. African American DJs, with their […]
The Slow Power of Boycotts
“Finance is the gun. Politics is knowing when to pull the trigger.” – Don Lucchesi, The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Don Corleone Since the start of the new presidential […]
March 2025 Newsletter
Unlock the Match – Make March On! Festival 2025 Possible! We’re excited to announce that March On! 2025 Festival will take place September 16–21 with the theme: March On! Health […]
MARCH ON!: A Power Boost for the Soul
MARCH ON!: A Power Boost for the Soul Thursday, April 24 | 7:00 PM ET | Virtual Feeling drained by today’s challenges? Take a moment to refuel your spirit and […]
From Page to Stage: The Evolution of Long Way Down into a Powerful New Musical
On Monday, February 24, 2025, March On! hosted an exclusive virtual salon, From Page to Stage: Long Way Down, featuring MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and award-winning author Jason Reynolds in conversation […]
Wisdom of the Movement: Strategies & Tactics
Have you seen the slogan This Ain’t Yo Mama’s Civil Rights Movement? It is decidedly not one of my favorites, as it suggests the movement for nonviolent resistance of the […]
WNYC And Apollo Theater Present: “A Burning House” – MLK and The American Experience
An inspiring tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream live from the Apollo Theater, and a timely dialogue on the ongoing project of forging an equitable society. This annual […]
Supreme Shell Game
Armored up. That’s how U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson arrived at the second Trump inauguration. In the place of her jabot was a necklace of cascading white cowrie […]
The Burning House
This year’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commemoration on Sunday, January 19, presented by New York Public Radio and the world-famous Apollo Theater, in collaboration with March On!, has […]
2024 March On! Fest Recap
Relive the energy and excitement of March On! Festival 2024! From inspiring performances to unforgettable moments, this highlight reel captures the essence of the celebration. Watch as artists, creators, and […]
Happy Kwanzaa!
Today, we kick off the celebration of Kwanzaa — a holiday created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, an African-American scholar and activist. Rooted in the harvest traditions of African […]
First Fruit: Honoring Kwanzaa’s Principles and Traditions
The Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Marches, sit-ins and era-defining court decisions. Afros and dashikis, raised fists in black gloves. In movies and music, magazines and newspapers, the mid-1950s […]
Presenting Lovely One: A Memoir with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
This event was a live taping of New York Public Radio’s nationally syndicated podcast, Notes From America With Kai Wright. Host Kai Wright and Justice Jackson talked one-on-one about her […]
WNYC and Apollo Theater present: MLK, The Inconvenient King
The Apollo and WNYC presented the 18th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration, programmed as part of The Apollo’s Uptown Hall series, on Sunday, January 14 at 2pm. […]
Mind Your Movie Business 2024 – Casting
Calling all writers, directors, and producers! Moderated by Craig Emanuel at Ryan Murphy Productions, the March On! Festival’s Mind Your Movie Business Workshop Series is a set of monthly workshops […]
Mind Your Movie Business 2024 – Production
Calling all writers, directors, and producers! Moderated by Craig Emanuel at Ryan Murphy Productions, the March On! Festival’s Mind Your Movie Business Workshop Series is a set of monthly workshops […]
Mind Your Movie Business 2024 – Distribution
Calling all writers, directors, and producers! Moderated by Craig Emanuel at Ryan Murphy Productions, the March On! Festival’s Mind Your Movie Business Workshop Series is a set of monthly workshops […]
Fall Arts Festival to Honor Enduring Impact of James Baldwin and Literary Legends of the Civil Rights Movement
Longest-running festival devoted to civil rights will feature literary legend Walter Mosley, celebrity chef Keith Corbin, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, tributes to Khalil Gibran and Octavia Butler, and […]
We Are March On!
What would you say is the most courageous part of the body? I say it’s the feet. Everywhere we go, our feet go first. As a child of Guyanese immigrants, […]
Reintroducing “March On!” – A New Chapter in Our Story
Our world, as beautiful as it can be, still needs healing. While we all contribute, it often feels like it’s never enough. One vital step toward progress is truth—understanding where […]
And The Word Was Good
Dear Friends, Among the things that are essential to living, the writing and reading of words stem from the mists of the past and reach into the equally nebulous future. […]
2024 March On!
The selected films of 2014 March On Coming this summer to Atlanta, New York City, and Washington, D.C. https://vimeo.com/95881218
Mayor Kasim Reed Welcomes Film Festival to Atlanta
Mayor Kasim Reed Welcomes March On to Atlanta https://vimeo.com/98476509
Freedom Summer with Georgia Public Broadcasting
Highlights from our screening with Georgia Public Broadcasting of Freedom Summer on June 23, 2014. https://vimeo.com/99049670
2015 Trailer: March On!
On July 15, 2015, March On returns to D.C. for 10 days of 12 unique films, speakers, and performances.
Thirteen Months: Trailer
Sixty years ago, Rosa Parks was arrested on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. We all know the story. Or so we think. Parks’ arrest and the 13-month bus boycott that […]
2016 Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competition Trailer
Presenting the Shortlist Selections of our inaugural Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competition. See the films and much more at this year’s March On beginning July 13 in Washington, DC.
2016 Official March On! Trailer
Our Festival Is Underway, Tickets Still Available!
Episode Seven: Fighting for Freedom at the DNC
In 1964, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which was formed by the state’s civil rights activists, travelled to the Democratic National Convention to advocate for the voting rights of blacks […]
Highlights of the 2016 March On!
Highlights from the 4th Annual March On, July 2016. https://vimeo.com/182870758
From Civil Rights to Elected Office: Gantt, Watt and Foxx
This final evening of the 2016 festival evening explored the path from Harvey Gantt’s desegregating Clemson University to study architecture, to his serving as Mayor of Charlotte, NC. The Hon. […]
MacArthur Fellow Joyce J. Scott at the 2015 March On
Baltimore artist Joyce J. Scott has been selected as a Class of 2016 MacArthur Fellow. Joyce was a co-presenter with Isabel Wilkerson at the 2015 festival event at the National […]
A 2016 Film Festival Highlight to Raise the Spirits
Closing night of March on at the Smithsonian Museum of American History event: “From Civil Rights to Elected Office”, featured the Hon. Harvey Gantt, Hon. Mel Watt and Hon. Anthony […]
2017 March On! Film Festival Trailer
March On! Reception
March On! Vivian Malone Award
March On! Pulpits, Protest & Power
March On! Little Richard Outdoor Movie Screening
March On! Awards Gala
March On! After Sherman & Soiree
Interview with Tanisha Ford
One Struggle Film Screening
March On! 2023 Gala
After Sherman Film Screening and Soiree
Episode Five: The Strategy of Nonviolence
We talk to Dr. Clarence Jones, who was a chief advisor to Martin Luther King, and Dr. Bernard Lafayette, who is a civil rights leader and scholar of Kingian nonviolence, […]
Episode Four: Rosa Parks’ Acts of Courage
We continue our conversation with Jeanne Theoharis, a scholar and author of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, about why Mrs. Parks stayed seated on December 1, 1955 and […]
Episode Three: The Rosa Parks You Didn’t Know
Did Rosa Parks unintentionally influence history? Hardly. We talked to Jeanne Theoharis, a scholar and author of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, to debunk the many myths about […]
Episode Two: Respectability Politics
Claudette Colvin says she was rejected and ostracized after her arrest when the community learned she was pregnant. Later, however, she returned to courageously testify in Browder v. Gayle. Khalil […]
Episode One: “History had me glued to the seat.”
Thirteen Months: Courage and Commitment from Montgomery to Ferguson.Episode One, “History had me glued to the seat.” We will hear from the leaders and foot soldiers of the 13-month Montgomery […]
Episode Six: Goodman, Schwerner & Chaney
On the anniversary of the killing of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner & James Chaney, this episode features Andrew’s brother David Goodman. Learn more about Andrew and the […]
Of Pens and Swords
Dear Friends, A pen-as-sword-smith whose work I had the privilege of seeing recently is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. His powerful drama, Appropriate, has quietly detonated the Broadway season. I’d gone to catch […]
The Dean’s List
Dear Friends, Imagine having a collection of fine art so vast, you’ve never seen all of it, or even most of it, in one place. So when Swizz Beatz and […]
Black Art In America: March On!
“You are touched by people so long in the past that they didn’t know your names, when you’re the dream that they had for today, and now you are creating […]
Maven: The Magnificent Life of Suzanne de Passe
Hosted by: Isisara Bey Motown producer and Emmy award winner Suzanne de Passe gives an exclusive interview to March On Artistic Director, Isisara Bey! Hear what stories and advice she […]
Eclectic Duets
Dear Friends, This winter featured the works of African American artists interwoven with European classics. Here are a few of the daring pairings. She wore Bantu knots; a white ruff […]
Dorie, Joyce and Bob: Remembering Dorie Ann Ladner
Dear Friends, The first time I met Dorie Ladner was at the March On! Festival in 2017 in the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C. She was part of a […]
Women’s History Month
Several newly published books are hitting the shelves and firing up the cultural conversation for Women’s History Month. I’m loving the sound of woman’s wisdom unearthing untold stories, highlighting honed […]
Raised In a Bubble of Love
“We were raised in a bubble of love.” That’s how Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz describes she and her siblings’ upbringing by their mother, Dr. Betty Shabazz, after the death of their […]
Minding Your Movie Business 2023 – New Trends in The Film Business
Minding Your Movie Business: New Trends in the Film Business, a free workshop for emerging filmmakers featuring special conversations with industry leading writers and producers. Moderated by Craig Emanuel. Panelists […]
Minding Your Movie Business 2023 – What’s My Distribution Strategy
Minding Your Movie Business: What’s My Distribution Strategy, a free workshop for emerging filmmakers featuring a special conversation with Yoruba Richen, award-winning documentary filmmaker with work featured on Netflix & […]
Minding Your Movie Business 2023 – Animation
Minding Your Movie Business: Animation, a free workshop for emerging filmmakers featuring special conversations with industry leading animators. Moderated by Craig Emanuel. Panelists Bonnie Curtis, Producer – My Father’s […]
March On! presents “Pulpits, Protest and Power: The Live Event”
In the heart of the nation’s capital, where history has often been made and echoes of the civil rights movement still resonate, an event like no other unfolds each year. […]
