DC Public Library Foundation

Black music has shaped how generations of Washingtonians gather, celebrate, and remember. This June, DC Public Library is honoring that legacy with a Black Music Month series rooted in the city's own sounds.

All month long, you can explore DC's rich cultural tapestry through books, streaming services, and one-of-a-kind special collections, including the homegrown Go-Go Archive. Dig into the history of the city's signature sounds, discover the stories behind the music, or stream your favorite albums with your library card.

And the music comes alive at the MLK Library, starting tomorrow:

Backyard Band: A Salute to Go-Go Tomorrow, June 7, 1:30 p.m. Celebrate 35 years of one of DC's most influential and enduring Go-Go groups, with two sets by BYB and beats by DJ Remii. Doors at 1 p.m. Registration is required, and capacity limits will be strictly enforced, so reserve your spot today.

Image Band: National Caribbean Festival June 14, 1 p.m. An afternoon of music, culture, and Caribbean pride above the city skyline, featuring Image Band, Proverbs Reggae Band, East of the River Steel Band, Rhythm Section, DJ Slice, carnival dancers, and more.

Doug E. Fresh: 90's Block Party June 21, 1 p.m. Celebrate Father's Day with 90's jams by hip-hop legend Doug E. Fresh, DJ Quicksilva, and DJ Flexx. Join us to honor the fathers, father figures, and music that shaped a generation.

Come read, listen, learn, and celebrate the soundtrack of Black culture with your library all June long.

Explore the full series:

Black Music Month Turn up the volume this Black Music Month with DC Public Library!

All June, DC Public Library is bringing the community together with curated reading collections, online resources, and events that celebrate LGBTQ+ stories, history, and joy.

This year's Pride lineup includes:

🏳️‍🌈 June 4: Author Talk with Máire Roche and Thien-Kim Lam for Bromantasy!, in partnership with Loyalty Bookstores
🏳️‍🌈 June 20: David Archuleta in conversation about his memoir Devout, a candid account of faith, fame, and coming out
🏳️‍🌈 June 23: An evening with bestselling novelist and producer Rasheed Newson, discussing his new novel There's Only One Sin in Hollywood
🏳️‍🌈 June 27: A live dance performance of Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love by the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company

Plus: a Pride clothing swap, multiple craft bars, and more happening across the city all month long.

Find the full schedule and register for events:

Pride Month As Washington, D.C. celebrates Pride this year, DC Public Library embraces the powerful call at the heart of this year’s theme: EXIST. RESIST. Have the Audacity. Through our collections, programs, and community spaces, we invite you to learn, connect, and see the breadth of LGBTQIA+ stories reflec...

Like DC itself, DC Public Library has a lot going on this June.

All month long, DCPL is hosting conversations with journalists, historians, graphic novelists, legal analysts, and storytellers whose work spans Pride, Father's Day, America's 250th anniversary, and the realities of climate change.

Some highlights:

June 3 — Seven Million Steps with Christian Gregory, a youth author talk celebrating fathers | Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library

June 4 — Bromantasy! with Máire Roche and Thien-Kim Lam | MLK Library

June 11 — Literary Village: Sixteenth Street NW | Mt. Pleasant Library

June 13 — COMICTROPOLIS: Miles Morales and Me | Southwest Library

June 20 — COMICTROPOLIS: Between the Comic and the Controller | West End Library

June 30 — Mike Tidwell on The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue | Cleveland Park Library

Plus a Father's Day open mic, a summer kickoff, and more — at library branches across the city.

Free. Open to the public. No library card required to attend.

See the full June lineup: https://dclibrary.libnet.info/events?t=%255B%2522Author%2520Talk%2522%255D&r=range&start=2026-06-01&end=2026-06-30

Smaller than every U.S. state. Bigger cultural footprint than almost anywhere else. As America turns 250, DC Public Library is telling the District's story.

The football huddle was invented at Gallaudet University. The modern blood bank was pioneered by DC native Dr. Charles Drew. Go-go music was born in DC neighborhoods. Marvin Gaye went to school here.

District Vibes / American Pride: How DC Changed American Culture opens June 3 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and runs through September 27.

Alongside the main exhibit in MLK's Great Hall, satellite exhibits will be on view at seven neighborhood branches across the city.

This project was made possible in part by DC Public Library Foundation.

We're proud to help bring DC's story to life, exactly where it belongs.

🗓 June 3 – September 27, 2026 📍 MLK Library + 7 neighborhood branches citywide

Learn more: https://www.dclibrary.org/district-vibes-american-pride-how-dc-changed-american-culture

What does America look like at 250? DC Public Library's Discover Summer wants DC readers of all ages to imagine it.

This year's theme, Imagine America 250, invites readers to explore stories, activities, and bingo boards inspired by the people, places, and history of the nation's capital. From neighborhood deep-dives to dreaming up the next 250 years, there's something for every reader.

Discover Summer runs June 1–August 31, with an official kickoff on Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, plus neighborhood kick-off events at branches across the city.

This is one of the many beloved programs that DC Public Library makes possible every summer.

We're proud to help bring it to life.

Learn more and sign up: dclibrary.org/discover-summer

It feels like July. It's technically still May. Either way, it's the perfect excuse to celebrate outside.

Join us at Francis A. Gregory Library on Saturday, May 23 at 1 p.m. for DC Public Library's annual Spring Festival, a free, family-friendly afternoon filled with outdoor games, hands-on crafts, live entertainment, and good neighbors.

This year's festival features something special: Washington Wizards guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington will lead an interactive mental health & wellness workshop for preteens, in partnership with community organization Breaking Chains.

All ages are welcome. No registration required.

📅 Add it to your calendar:

Spring Festival Join us at the Francis A. Gregory Library for our annual Spring Festival, a fun, family-friendly celebration of the season!. Event starts at May 23, 2026 1:00 PM EDT

On May 17, klezmer band LOX & VODKA brings protest folk to life at MLK Library. Circle dances, sing-alongs, and the musical legacy of artists who changed history.

That's just one piece of what DC Public Library has this month for Jewish American Heritage Month.

From book recommendations curated with the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum to oral histories, films, music, and online resources, there's a rich collection waiting for you.

Come ready to clap, sing, and celebrate the enduring power of music to spark change.

🔗 Explore DCPL's Jewish American Heritage Month resources: https://www.dclibrary.org/jewish-american-heritage-month

📅 Songs of Social Consciousness: Sunday, May 17 at 1:30 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

🎟️ Register: https://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/16424193

Celebrating Songs of Social Consciousness Explore the history behind iconic songs that fueled movements for civil rights, peace and equality. . Event starts at May 17, 2026 1:30 PM EDT

This Thursday, one of the most compelling voices in art history and Black visual culture comes to DC Public Library.

Honoring Women in the Arts features Dr. Adrienne L. Childs — art historian, curator, and author of the forthcoming Ornamental Blackness (Yale University Press, 2025) — in a community conversation about Black representation, creativity, and the women and girls who shape visual culture.

Dr. Childs has led curatorial work at major institutions and helmed landmark exhibitions including Riffs and Relations and Imagine: Celebrating Black Female Creativity. Thursday's gathering is a chance to engage directly with a curator redefining how we see Black artistic history and to be part of a community that celebrates conversations like these.

Whether you're an artist, student, parent, or someone who simply loves the power of visual storytelling, you'll leave energized and inspired.

Free and open to all. Thursday, May 14 | 6 p.m. | Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library

👉 Details and registration:

Honoring Women in the Arts Join us for an empowering evening with Dr. Adrienne L. Childs, acclaimed art historian and curator whose groundbreaking work explores Black representation, creativity, and identity in the visual arts.. Event starts at May 14, 2026 6:00 PM EDT

DC Public Library's Beyond the Book program has a new featured title for Spring 2026: a gently illustrated picture book about slowing down, noticing the world, and finding joy in the small things.

This beautiful book, Blue Sky Morning, gives young readers permission to breathe.

As always, Beyond the Book members receive a free copy of the seasonal featured title, plus activities designed to build emerging reading skills. And this season, there's something extra special: a story time series with the Washington Ballet.

Company members will lead interactive dance classes exploring storytelling through movement inspired by the book, offered at libraries across the DC system for readers ages 5–9.

Not yet a member? Families can register online or at their neighborhood DC Public Library branch. Caregivers who sign up a child can also receive a DCPL library card.

Early readers. Free books. Dance. This is what a library can do.

Learn more and register: https://www.dclibrary.org/using-the-library/beyond-book

Deadline extended to May 11 - please spread the word and encourage your teens to submit their artwork!

Know Your Power Pepco, the DC Public Library Foundation and DC Public Library invite you to find your power and use it to creatively address a topic that is important to you.