BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//sebbo.net//ical-generator//EN NAME:DC Public Library X-WR-CALNAME:DC Public Library BEGIN:VEVENT UID:eb97c019-6184-4bec-bb23-99aefff8accf SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260717T002523Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T203000 SUMMARY:May There Always Be Words Between Us LOCATION:Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library\nMartin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Martin Luther King Jr. Mem orial Library - Central Library;X-APPLE-RADIUS=10;X-TITLE=Martin Luther Ki ng Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library:geo:38.8986823,-77.024871 GEO:38.8986823;-77.024871 DESCRIPTION:This new documentary tells the story of "Its Your Mug\," a leg endary DC open mic led by host Toni Asante Lightfoot..\nhttps://dclibrary. libnet.info/event/16825374 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

May There Always Be Words Betw een Us explores how a legendary Washington\, DC open mic\, < strong>It&rsquo\;s Your Mug\, nourished a groundswell of poets an d artist collectives. The film follows Toni Asante Lightfoot\, a charismat ic DC native who founded and hosted the series at a time when the city&rsq uo\;s creative life thrived in small\, Black-owned spaces&mdash\;long befo re social media or slam poetry went mainstream. Every Tuesday\, artists ga thered to hone their craft and build a community rooted in a shared revere nce for the word. From this space emerged voices and collectives that woul d shape contemporary literature and performance\, including Ta-Nehisi Coat es\, Toni Blackman\, the Poem-Cees\, and Modern Urban Griots. Through arch ival footage and intimate oral histories\, the film traces how one weekly gathering became a crucible for artistic expression and a testament to the enduring power of community in shaping culture.

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Check out the schedule below\, including an archive activity and a poetry reading before the screening: \;

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06:00 PM \;- \;06:45PM
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Bring photographs to scan with the memory lab. Bring poetry ephemera to create your own artist file to b e added to the People's Archive

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06:45 PM \;- \;07 :15 PM
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Poetry Reading featuring Holly Bass\, Toni Asante Lightfoot\, Brandon D. Johnson and Patrick Washington--all poets featured in the film.

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07:15 PM \;- \;08:15 PM\n

World Premiere Screening: "May There Always Be Words Between Us"

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08:15 PM \;- \;08:30 PM
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Talk-Back With Filmmakers and Poets

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For more information\, call (202) 727-1213 or email \;peoples.archive@dc.gov. To request a r easonable accommodation for this program\, please contact \;DCPLaccess @dc.gov \;or call (202) 727-2142. \;

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About the People's Archive

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The \;People's Archive \;at DC Public Library is home to t he dynamic collections that preserve and share the stories\, histories\, a nd voices of Washington\, D.C.&rsquo\;s diverse communities\, as well as t he Black experience in the United States. It features materials&mdash\;suc h as photographs\, oral histories\, documents\, and more&mdash\;that highl ight the vibrant local\, national and international history of DMV residen ts\, grassroots movements\, and cultural milestones\, making it a valuable resource for researchers\, historians\, and anyone interested in learning more about the city&rsquo\;s past and present.

\nhttps://dclibrary.lib net.info/event/16825374 URL;VALUE=URI:https://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/16825374 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/dclibrary/May_There_Always _Be_Words_Between_Us.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR