We at Busboys and Poets are distressed at the senseless violence against Black men, women, children, and Black people of all genders that has become all too commonplace in this country. Not a day goes by that we don’t see a video, a Tweet or a Facebook post of a Black person facing assault or possibly being shot or killed by a police officer, the very people who are charged to protect them. These police officers are not aliens from another planet, they are Americans like you and me and they breathe the same toxic fumes of racism that permeate government, popular culture, economic structures and social institutions.

We believe that Black Lives Matter not because we don’t believe that other lives matter too. That would be ridiculous.
We believe that Black Lives Matter because today in America, Black lives are still deemed less important.
We believe that Black Lives Matter because in America, institutional white supremacy has created a “casual caste system” that has eroded our social fabric and infected our collective psyche.
We believe that Black Lives Matter because today in America the New Jim Crow of mass incarceration has destroyed families and has had an enormous cost that has bankrupted the essence of our American dream.
We believe that Black Lives Matter because today in America Black people are more likely to be stopped by police, more likely to be arrested and more likely to be systematically killed than whites.
We believe that Black Lives Matter because today in America Black families still have to have “the talk” with their kids who continue to face racism on the sidewalks, on a playground, at a store, while driving and in the classroom.
We are at a moment in history where we can make a difference to create a more perfect union where every life truly matters.
And we believe that Black Lives Matter because when Black Lives Matter, then and only then will all lives matter.

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For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

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Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

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Watch Angela Davis in conversation with Amy Goodman

Last night a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock opened for a conversation with activist and scholar Angela Davis with Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman at Busboys – 450K.  The private events room at 450K is named after Angela Davis and she signed a photo of herself on the mural created by our founder/CEO Andy … Continued

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DC VegFest Media Party at Takoma

We kicked off another year of DC VegFest by hosting the media party in the Guillén Room at Takoma to about 60 local and national influencers. For the last four years we’ve sponsored DC VegFest and have provided an overflowing buffet of various vegan foods from our catering and regular menu, like vegan “beef” sliders, … Continued

Busboys and Poets Book Review: Young, Gifted, and Black

Busboys and Poets Book Review: Young, Gifted, and Black

Bearing the same name as Nina Simone’s iconic song, “Young, Gifted, and Black” explores the lives of 52 black people, both past and present, who have helped shaped different aspects of black culture. As author Jamia Wilson explains in the foreword, “this book is a love letter to our ancestors and the next generation of … Continued