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Riding into 2026 like a vintage courier on a mission. 📦✨ Don’t miss our next big delivery—join our email list today! Link in bio.

Here’s a preview of just a few of the things we have planned:
🎓 March 28th | National History Day in DC (#NHDinDC)
🎤 May 1st-2nd | DC History Conference (@dchistcon)
✏️ July 13th-17th | Teach the District

Recurring Happenings:
🏫 Thurs - Sun 12-6pm | Class Action Exhibit Public Hours
🚌 Weekly October - May | Field Trips
📖 Tues 3-7pm & Thurs 10am-3pm | Kiplinger Research Library

Stay Tuned for More Details:
👪 Genealogy workshops (Jan, Feb, Sept, Oct)
📚 Book Talks
🚶Walking Tours

📸 Postman on motorcycle with mail-carrying side car in front of the City Post Office, c. 1917-1920 (Junior League photograph collection, JL 1196)

Happy first day of #DCHistCon 2026!

Today’s Highlights:
⭐ 4 Panel Sessions with 15 Panelists
⭐ 50+ Partners to Meet at the History Network
⭐ 2 Coffee Chats: "How can neighbors build community and honor their history?" and "Why and how do we write Latinx immigrant histories in dangerous times?"
⭐ Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Lecture: Rosemary Ndubuizu in conversation with Jessica A. Rucker
⭐ After Hours Party at @heurichhouse's @1921biergarten

✅ Register on the 5th floor all day long!

Tag us in your journey today with @dchistcon and #DCHistCon!

We want to make your #DCHistCon experience the best that it can be. To make the most of your weekend, we gathered the answers to your frequently asked questions, as well as recommendations to help you feel prepared! (more through the link in our bio)

Starting tomorrow, May 1st fellow scholars, activists, journalists, artists, educators, and other community members will come together at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to explore DC history. Sessions take place mostly in the Auditorium and 5th floor event space, but you'll also find more programs in the Conference Center (4th floor), Great Hall (1st floor), and New Books (1st floor).

When you arrive, head upstairs to print your badge at registration (5th floor).

Have not registered yet? Use the link in our bio to let us know you're coming to the FREE community conference!

We want to make your #DCHistCon experience the best that it can be. To make the most of your weekend, we gathered the answers to your frequently asked questions, as well as recommendations to help you feel prepared! (more through the link in our bio)

Starting tomorrow, May 1st fellow scholars, activists, journalists, artists, educators, and other community members will come together at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to explore DC history. Sessions take place mostly in the Auditorium and 5th floor event space, but you'll also find more programs in the Conference Center (4th floor), Great Hall (1st floor), and New Books (1st floor).

When you arrive, head upstairs to print your badge at registration (5th floor).

Have not registered yet? Use the link in our bio to let us know you're coming to the FREE community conference!

We want to make your #DCHistCon experience the best that it can be. To make the most of your weekend, we gathered the answers to your frequently asked questions, as well as recommendations to help you feel prepared! (more through the link in our bio)

Starting tomorrow, May 1st fellow scholars, activists, journalists, artists, educators, and other community members will come together at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to explore DC history. Sessions take place mostly in the Auditorium and 5th floor event space, but you'll also find more programs in the Conference Center (4th floor), Great Hall (1st floor), and New Books (1st floor).

When you arrive, head upstairs to print your badge at registration (5th floor).

Have not registered yet? Use the link in our bio to let us know you're coming to the FREE community conference!

Last year we launched the “Neighborhood History Project” in partnership with @dcpubliclibrary and the DC Public Library Foundation (@lovedclibrary), 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.

➡️ 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.

Last year we launched the “Neighborhood History Project” in partnership with @dcpubliclibrary and the DC Public Library Foundation (@lovedclibrary), 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.

➡️ 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.

Last year we launched the “Neighborhood History Project” in partnership with @dcpubliclibrary and the DC Public Library Foundation (@lovedclibrary), 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.

➡️ 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.

DC History comes alive in less than ONE WEEK! Join your neighbors on May 1st & 2nd at the 52nd Annual #DCHistCon!

This year’s program reflects on DC as a proud hometown at a moment of both celebration and challenge—set against the nation’s 250th anniversary and a shifting political and financial landscape for history and humanities work.

Scholars, activists, journalists, artists, educators, and other community members come together to explore the city’s history. More than 1,000 people attended last year’s conference.

This community event features more than 58 presenters across 16 panels, keynotes, and coffee chats. Meet over 50 organizations during the History Network and more than 40 projects during the Research Showcase.

The conference is free for all attendees—register today! Link in bio!

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.

Link in bio to RSVP to this free program!

📸 Inner pages from Freedom Was In Sight

Introducing our #DCHistCon Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Lecture! “The Undesirable Many: Black Women and Their Struggles Against Displacement and Housing Insecurity in the Nation’s Capital.”

➡️ Join housing policy expert and author Rosemary Ndubuizu and Jessica A. Rucker for a discussion on her new book focused on the history of Black women’s tenant activism and examine the contemporary challenges of affordable housing advocacy and welfare politics.

Washington, DC residents face some of the most expensive rents in the country, surging income inequality, and high rates of displacement. Black low-wage families are most vulnerable to these harms of urban development. This fact has inspired generations of protests: since the 1960s, Black women have been at the forefront of the fight for housing security.

🗓️ Friday, May 1, 4:00-5:15pm
📍 MLK Library Auditorium | 5th Floor

💬 Rosemary Ndubuizu is an Assistant Professor of African American Studies at Georgetown University and Jessica A. Rucker is a PhD Student in American Studies at University of Maryland, College Park.

Every year #DCHistCon celebrates historian and educator Letitia Woods Brown with its annual lecture in her memory, featuring a distinguished scholar of DC history.

Have you mapped out your #DCHistCon 2026 experience? Check out the schedule-at-a-glance, plus the full program to plan your experience at the 52nd annual conference at the MLK Library (901 G St NW). Link in bio!

Here’s what’s in store:
💬 8 Panel Discussions
☕ 8 Coffee Chats
🤝 Over 50 participants at the History Network and Research Showcase
🗣️ Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Lecture and Closing Keynote
🍻 After Hours at the @HeurichHouse Museum
✨ And more!

Pro tip 1: The conference schedule-at-a-glance is on our website for you to explore, so start circling which programs you’re attending. ✏️

Pro tip 2: Register online now to make check-in at the conference quick and get you exploring DC history right away!

Registration is free and open. Use the link in our bio to sign-up!

On March 28, students, families, and educators came together for a dynamic celebration of historical research and creativity. The National History Day in DC (#NHDinDC) 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. Link in bio to learn more!

📸 Photos by Cindy Centeno

On March 28, students, families, and educators came together for a dynamic celebration of historical research and creativity. The National History Day in DC (#NHDinDC) 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. Link in bio to learn more!

📸 Photos by Cindy Centeno

On March 28, students, families, and educators came together for a dynamic celebration of historical research and creativity. The National History Day in DC (#NHDinDC) 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. Link in bio to learn more!

📸 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 @bestaddress 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. Link in bio to purchase your tickets!

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 @bestaddress 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. Link in bio to purchase your tickets!

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 through the link in our bio!

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, link in bio, or visit us this weekend. We’re open Thursdays – Sundays 12-6pm.

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

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, link in bio, or visit us this weekend. We’re open Thursdays – Sundays 12-6pm.

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

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, link in bio, or visit us this weekend. We’re open Thursdays – Sundays 12-6pm.

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