Take a ride with the Anacostia Riverkeepers and learn all about the river, environmental threats to the river, and solutions currently in progress. We’ll meet at the Anacostia Boat Ramp on Saturday 7/12 at 12:30pm. There is some paperwork to complete in advance, so you really do need to RSVP for this one. Please email Erin and let her know to reserve a space for you on the boat!
June Issues Among Us - 6/24
Harmonies of Liberty Concert and Salon Conversation
with Andrew Lee
An Evening of Music, Dialogue, and Community
Tuesday, June 24
West End Neighborhood Library
5:45 PM – Pre-concert Discussion
6:15 PM – Performance
Let's go together and join the Washington Conservatory of Music, American Purpose, and the DC Public Library for Harmonies of Liberty — an inspiring evening that blends stirring chamber music with powerful conversation.
This salon-style program features an ensemble performance of string works by Mozart, Florence Price, Duke Ellington, Antonín Dvořák, and James Weldon Johnson, celebrating the rich tapestry of musical voices that continue to shape our cultural identity.
Guiding the evening is Andrew Lee, Executive Director of WCM, who will lead a pre-concert discussion that invites reflection on the universal human themes carried through classical and contemporary works. His insights will illuminate the enduring resonance of these composers’ legacies in today’s American narrative.
Come for the music. Stay for the dialogue. Leave inspired.
Please RSVP to Erin if you plan to attend.
Issues Among Us - March 29
We’re going to the Renwick!
On Saturday, March 29th at 2pm, meet at the Renwick Gallery (Pennsylvania and 17th, NW) to see their new exhibit “We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists.”
The artists featured in We Gather at the Edge honor the Black story quilt tradition with work that envisions a more just and connected world. The exhibition highlights SAAM’s recent acquisition of quilts from the collection of Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi and celebrates her legacy as the founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network.
February Issues Among Us - 2/25
On Tuesday, 2/25 at 7:30pm on Zoom we'll join the League of Women Voters and Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice to watch a documentary on DC Home Rule and then participate in a Q&A with the filmmaker, Anna Reid Jhirad, and a discussion on statehood with LWVDC's Anne Anderson.
Issues Among Us - 1/16
On Thursday, January 16th at 6pm we'll got together to the Studio Gallery to see Beauty Behind Bars: The Transformative Power of Art in Confinement. The exhibit presents a collection of evocative, poignant and beautiful pieces created by incarcerated artists, each a powerful meditation on resilience, hope, and the human capacity for change. This groundbreaking exhibit allows audiences to see beyond prison walls into artists’ lives, shaped by reflection and the quest for connection through their enduring creativity. Curated by a formerly incarcerated artist and a public defender, this exhibit strives to affirm the humanity of incarcerated artists and demonstrate art’s profound and curative roles in the lives of people who have lost their freedom. Each piece challenges stereotypes and the all too unforgiving narratives about incarcerated persons. They bear witness to the transformative and redemptive power of art, even in the most inhumane of conditions.
The exhibit is co-sponsored by the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and the Returning Citizens Assistance Network (RCAN), which is a group of twenty congregations in Washington, DC that assist PDS clients who are currently or formerly incarcerated.
Issues Among Us - 11/9
Let's go see the Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and G NW) and see their new exhibit Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond. Sightlines, organized by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, provides glimpses into the complexity and depth of Asian American connections to Washington, DC. The museum is hosting a guided tour at 12pm, followed by a hands-on activity at 1pm. Join us on Saturday, 11/9.
October Issues Among Us - 10/8
For our October Issues Among Us gathering, we’ll meet at the Manse and watch the PBS documentary “A Citizen’s Guide to Preserving Democracy.” Bring a movie snack to share and engage in conversation after the show. Please RSVP to Erin (erin@churchofthepilgrims.org) if you plan to be there!
Sept. Issues Among Us - WIN Public Safety Mini-Conference 9/22
For our September 2024 Issues Among Us outing, we’re going to the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) Public Safety Mini Conference on Sunday 9/22 from 2-6pm at Covenant Baptist UCC in SW.
The Washington Interfaith Network Public Safety Team invites member congregations and allies to join us Sunday afternoon, September 22nd, to discuss the state of public safety in D.C., to reflect on the theological vision we bring to the work, and to prepare to organize and advocate effectively for approaches that are equitable and sustainable. We will be building relationships across institutions, including faith-based and secular, and learning about approaches that can genuinely help our communities. The afternoon will be educational, interactive, and inspiring.
All are welcome! We particularly encourage congregations that have been involved in public safety/gun violence, or who want to be, to send a team of 3 or more. It’s always easier to mobilize if you have a team! The Mini-Conference will be Sunday September 22 at Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, 3845 S Capitol St SW, from approximately 2-6 PM.
If you plan to attend or if you have questions, please contact Erin at erin@churchofthepilgrims.org.