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Southeast DC arts center celebrates 10 years with Juneteenth anniversary party – WTOP News

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Southeast DC arts center celebrates 10 years with Juneteenth anniversary party – WTOP News


It’s been nearly 10 years since Keyonna Jones opened up the Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center in Southeast D.C., and while there’s a heavy emphasis on the art, culture plays a very prominent role in the venue, too.

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Southeast DC arts center celebrates 10 years with Juneteenth anniversary party

It’s been nearly 10 years since Keyonna Jones opened up the Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center in Southeast D.C., and while there’s a heavy emphasis on the art, culture plays a very prominent role in the venue, too.

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CHACC is on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, a two-mile straight shot south of the Anacostia Arts District. The city dedicated the area as D.C.’s official Arts District two years ago and is another indication that artistic expression is flourishing east of the river.

To celebrate 10 years of bringing artistic expression to Southeast, CHACC is holding an anniversary party in conjunction with Juneteenth on Thursday night. It will include city leaders, a go-go band, food, vendors and lots of art.

Jones said she thinks the Arts District community is different from the rest of the city in terms of how the artists create, because of the lack of resources.

“We’ve got a lot of talent,” Jones said. “We just don’t have what the rest of the city has. And so, we thrive and we really do art. We’re innovative. We use what we have to create new things.”

Dwayne Lawson-Brown, with the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, gave Jones flowers, noting how much energy and “work (she’s put) into that space.”

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“To see it survive, thrive and help bring a new generation of artists that are spreading the word and spreading their art, is a gift to Washington, D.C.,” he added.

Lawson-Brown said every community in D.C. “has a special voice, and we celebrate those different voices.”

“Ward Eight voices come about from different spaces and different experiences that people have had,” he added.

CHACC’s Juneteenth anniversary celebration and fundraiser will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday night and Department of Small and Local Business Development Director Rosemary Suggs-Evans will give a keynote speech, among other speakers.

“We deserve to celebrate our community,” Jones said. “We’ve done some really good, innovative, unseen, unprecedented things for the past 10 years, and I’m proud of the work that we’ve done. So, we’re going to party.”

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The event is also an invitation for the rest of the city to see what CHACC artists have to say about how things are now, and how they could be.

“Hey, we’re over here, east of the river! We’ve got some things for you to see,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to cross the bridge, come east of the river, come to South Side and see what we’ve got. Not only Congress Heights, but again, Anacostia is building.”

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What to know about the ‘No Kings’ protest in DC this weekend

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What to know about the ‘No Kings’ protest in DC this weekend


Washington, D.C., and the surrounding DMV area are set to host the third major “No Kings” march and rally this Saturday, March 28, 2026, as part of a wave of nationwide demonstrations planned for the same day.

Event details:

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Organized locally by area chapters of Indivisible and allied grassroots groups, the event aims to draw protesters to downtown Washington and surrounding counties to oppose policies of the Trump administration and to voice broader concerns about civil rights and democratic norms.

The march will kick off at 10 a.m., with participants gathering at Memorial Circle near Arlington Cemetery, with additional access from the Blue Line or nearby parking at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, according to the event organizers. There is no public parking in the immediate area, but participants can be dropped off at the circle.

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People take part in a “No Kings” protest in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 18, 2025. (Photo by Li Rui/Xinhua via Getty Images)

From there, the procession will head across the Memorial Bridge into Washington, D.C., passing the Lincoln Memorial and continuing on to the Washington Monument.

At the conclusion of the march, participants can walk to a downtown rally, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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A broader movement

Big picture view:

A nationwide series of “No Kings” protests is set for March 28—over 3,000 events are scheduled. 

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These protests are organized by groups including Indivisible and the broader 50501 Movement, which have coordinated previous actions in June and October 2025 that drew millions of participants nationwide, including in Washington, D.C. 

Other ‘No Kings’ rallies in the DMV 

Dig deeper:

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In addition to the main rally in downtown D.C., several other demonstrations tied to “No Kings 3” are scheduled around the DMV this Saturday.

In Arlington, Virginia, activists are organizing a march across the Memorial Bridge beginning at 10 a.m., with protesters expected to continue into West Potomac Park before joining larger crowds in the District proper, for example. 

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There are hundreds of “No Kings” events scheduled to take place this Saturday throughout the DMV. You can click here to find a list of all of them. 

The Source: Information from “No Kings” organizers, Indivisible, Mobilize and previous FOX 5 DC reporting. 

Washington, D.C.NewsD.C. PoliticsMaryland PoliticsVirginia PoliticsMarylandVirginiaPolitics
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Great Mother March sets out on 500-mile pilgrimage from Asheville to Washington

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Great Mother March sets out on 500-mile pilgrimage from Asheville to Washington


ASHEVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Great Mother March has begun a 500-mile pilgrimage from Asheville, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C.

Organizers said the 32-day journey is a women’s empowerment pilgrimage inspired by the Buddhist monks’ Walk for Peace.

Great Mother March(Great Mother March)

“This is a universal movement,” founder Whitney Freya, an artist, author and sacred activist, said. “Everyone has a mother. Every tradition reveres a Great Mother. And we all depend on Mother Earth. This march is a call to honor those truths while reminding us what is possible when we move together, with intention, hope, and love.”

The march is expected to end April 22, Earth Day, when participants reach the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

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Great Mother March
Great Mother March(Great Mother March)

Here’s a look at the group’s route:

Great Mother March route
Great Mother March route(Google Maps/Great Mother March)

Organizers said the group will walk alongside the Appalachian Mountains through rural communities in North Carolina and Virginia, with planned stops including Black Mountain, Old Fort, Marion, Linville and Boone, North Carolina.

From there, the group plans to travel via Todd and West Jefferson, North Carolina, and the River Country Campground along the New River, to the Peace Pentagon near Independence, Virginia.

The marchers are expected to arrive in Galax, Virginia, on April 1, then continue to Hillsville, Floyd, Ferrum and Rocky Mount, arriving in Rocky Mount on April 5.

The group is expected to reach Lynchburg on April 9 and travel up U.S. 29 to Waynesboro, arriving April 12.

Organizers said the marchers plan to arrive in Charlottesville on April 13 and spend April 14 at IX Art Park to rest and prepare for the final leg to Washington.

From Charlottesville, the group plans overnight stops in Barboursville, Orange, Culpeper and Warrenton, Virginia, before arriving in Manassas on April 19. Additional stops include the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, ahead of the group’s arrival in Washington on April 22.

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US Park Police officer shot in Washington, DC

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US Park Police officer shot in Washington, DC


A U.S. Park Police officer was shot in Washington, D.C., while on duty, according to a statement from the agency. 

Park Police said the officer was shot at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in Southeast Washington on Queens Stroll Pl.

The officer has been transported to a local hospital, officials said.

The circumstances of the shooting are unclear. A Park Police spokesperson told ABC News the officer has non-life-threatening injuries.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that she has spoken to D.C. Mayor Muriel  Bowser and Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll and was briefed on the shooting.

“Please pray for the officer’s recovery,” the attorney general said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.



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