DC History Center

Last year we launched the “Neighborhood History Project” in partnership with DC Public Library and the DC Public Library Foundation, aimed at studying and documenting the history of often overlooked DC neighborhoods. Our current focus is on Woodridge (Ward 5) and Hillcrest (Ward 7).

Explore Woodridge & Hillcrest on a walking tour this summer:

🚶‍➡️Hillcrest: Saturday, May 9, 10 am-12:30 pm
🚶‍➡️Woodridge: Saturday, May 16, 10 am-12:30 pm
🚶‍➡️Hillcrest: Saturday, June 6, 10 am-12:30 pm
🚶‍➡️Woodridge: Saturday, June 27, 10 am – 12:30 pm

Can’t make it? You can access our Self-Guided Walking Tour and Neighborhood History booklets through our website https://bit.ly/4241MWl

➡️ These booklets are an illustrated expression of the walking tours developed in partnership with the DC History Center, Briana Thomas of Black Broadway Travel, and longtime Hillcrest community historian Jim Beyers and Woodridge Civic Association’s Jeremiah Montague, Jr. (respectively). Designed by Carlos Carmonamedina, they include a neighborhood introduction, map, and historical information about each tour site.

Join us on Thursday, May 14 at 6 pm for a book talk with our exhibit curator Erica Sterling and historian Kate Masur on how Black Americans educated their children after the Civil War.

The program highlights Emma Brown—one of Washington’s first Black public school teachers—exploring her life as an educator and advocate, and her role in shaping the city’s early education system.

Drawing on the DC History Center’s exhibit “Class Action: Education and Opportunity in the Nation’s Capital” and Masur’s book “Freedom Was in Sight,” the discussion places Brown’s story within the broader context of Reconstruction-era Washington, DC.

RSVP to this free program: https://bit.ly/42pcKG0

📸 Inner pages from Freedom Was In Sight

On March 28, students, families, and educators came together for a dynamic celebration of historical research and creativity. The National History Day in DC ( ) citywide competition highlighted months of student work across a variety of formats, with participants presenting and discussing their projects with judges throughout the day. The event continues to grow in reach and impact, engaging new schools and showcasing student voices from across the District.

We extend our sincere thanks to our host, the Howard University School of Education; our sponsor, the Library of Congress; and all the students, teachers, and judges who made this inspiring event possible.

🏫 87 students from 13 schools across wards 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8
📓 61 total original projects
🎓 5 new schools participated this year
⭐ 3 projects explored DC history
🧑‍⚖️ 37 judges supported the competition

➡️ Next Up: NHD Intensive
Taking place August 4-6, this three-day paid professional development workshop provides educators of grades 6-12 with a crash course on launching and growing National History Day in classrooms and school communities!

We encourage early applications. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis through May 31, or until all spots are filled. Submit before April 20 for priority consideration. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ZiFlfu

📸 Photos by Cindy Centeno

We’re excited to announce a series of walking tours this spring and summer with Joe Himali, storyteller, real estate agent, and the voice behind Best Address on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Check out the first two tours:

🏛️ Kalorama: “Center of Politics and Power” | Saturday, April 18, 10 am - 12 pm
On this tour, we’ll wander past some of the city’s most stunning pre-war architecture (Beaux Arts, French Renaissance Revival, even the flamboyant Churrigueresque) and hear stories that bring these blocks to life. Did you know one of WWII’s most important espionage events unfolded right here in Kalorama? That’s just one of the many surprises our guide, Joe Himali, has waiting for you.

🧱 Georgetown: “South of M Street” | Saturday, May 30, 10 am - 12 pm
Step into Georgetown, where cobblestone streets, hidden alleys, and historic architecture tell the story of a neighborhood that has been at the heart of DC since before the city existed. From the waterfront and the C&O Canal to tucked-away landmarks and secret corners, Georgetown reveals its history in the most unexpected places.

🎟️ Tickets are $50 ($40 for DC History Center Members). All tour proceeds go to the DC History Center. More tours will be available in June and September! Stay tuned.

Purchase your tickets: https://bit.ly/439cED4

Tomorrow, April 9th at 6pm, celebrate the voices shaping health in DC—from organizational leaders to residents sharing their everyday experiences through collected oral histories. 🧑‍⚕️

This event highlights a diverse group of organizational leaders in DC advancing care, well-being, and equity across the city through the DC Voices of Care: Oral History Project, led by a team as part of the Georgetown University Global Cities Urban Innovation Initiative. We will also feature the stories of native Washingtonians shared through the Listening for Health project, sponsored by the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities & Health Justice.

RSVP: https://bit.ly/4txIynF

Last week Tikia K. Hamilton led a talk on her new book, “Nothing Less Than Equality: The Battle over Segregated Education in the Nation’s Capital,” released on March 31, 2026.

📚 We highly suggest this read! Grab a copy in our Bookshop or visit us this weekend. We’re open Thursdays – Sundays 12-6pm: https://bit.ly/4nKGPt2

This lecture is part of our “Class Action” programming which explores how DC’s Black communities advocated for educational opportunities for their children. Connect with family, meet your neighbors, and play with new friends at lively programs meant to encourage civic engagement and inspire you to make a difference in your community.

📸 Photos by Maren Orchard

Before an integrated audience, Marion Anderson, an African American contralto, performed on Easter Sunday 1939 in front of over 75,000 people on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Anderson had been scheduled to sing at Constitution Hall, but the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) cancelled the performance because of her skin color.

As the controversy spread across the news, President FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt stepped in and invited her to perform the Lincoln Memorial concert on Easter, which included the song "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at the NAACP conference later that year about the significance of Anderson’s performance.

Anderson’s performances became an important symbol in fighting for equality for African American artists. In 1955, she was the first African American to sing with the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

📸 Marion Anderson performing at her concert on Easter Sunday, April 8, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. View northeast over the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument (Miller-Gillette Washington Seen photograph collection, MG 14.12)

"Jumping or swinging on this bridge positively prohibited." 🌊⚠️ A Sunday adventure at Great Falls never looked so mischievous.

📷 Footbridge at Great Falls, C&O Canal, c. 1900-1909 (General Photograph Collection, CHS 06677)

Our collection bloomed with newly digitized photos from the 1960 Cherry Blossom Festival! 🌸

The first annual festival was held in 1934 and celebrated the 1912 gift from Japan of 3,000 trees. In 1915, the US reciprocated the gift with flowering Dogwood trees.

These 1960 festival photos feature the Parade of the Princesses, which is not a beauty pageant, but a celebration of young women for their service to community and culture. 💪

Enjoy peak bloom this weekend!

📸 Del Ankers and Elizabeth Freire Collection, SP 0183

Registration for is now open! Join us May 1-2 at the largest annual gathering for history and humanities-minded Washingtonians. ⭐⭐⭐

Register here: https://bit.ly/3J73paR

The DC History Conference’s mission is to highlight outstanding recent scholarship and engagement with the history of Washington, DC and to share that knowledge with an interested community of scholars, neighbors, students, history enthusiasts, policy makers, activists, artists, and more.

Since 1973, trained scholars and community members have had the opportunity to present their work at this welcoming annual gathering. This interdisciplinary community conference prioritizes the local city but includes the federal city, as well as nearby Maryland and Virginia.

We can’t wait to share more details about the 2026 program! Stay tuned right here for the full lineup!

is presented by DC History Center, HumanitiesDC, and DC Public Library.

History often focuses on the legacy of desegregation, but the lesser-known history of strong, well-developed schools for Black students before integration complicates that narrative. It challenges us to rethink what “equality” has meant—both historically and in our schools today.

➡️ On Tuesday, March 31 at 6 pm, join us for a lecture by historian Tikia K. Hamilton on her forthcoming book, “Nothing Less Than Equality: The Battle over Segregated Education in the Nation’s Capital.”

Before Brown v. Board of Education and its DC companion case, Bolling v. Sharpe, Black Washingtonians built a remarkable school system for their children. Led by dedicated educators and supported by a curriculum tailored to Black students, these schools reflected both resilience and community investment. At the time, some activists argued the core issue was not segregation itself, but unequal resources—overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating facilities, and insufficient materials. Others called on the federal government to uphold its own “separate but equal” doctrine by providing Black schools with the same level of support as white schools.

This program is free to attend. RSVP: https://bit.ly/40J9IM9

This lecture is part of our “Class Action” programming which explores how DC’s Black communities advocated for educational opportunities for their children. Connect with family, meet your neighbors, and play with new friends at lively programs meant to encourage civic engagement and inspire you to make a difference in your community.

📸 Courtesy DC Public Library