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Thursday Night Open Mic hosted by Lady Brion


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 2, 2026
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A Busboys and Poetry Event hosted this week by Lady BrionLady Brion is an international spoken word artist, poetry coach, activist, organizer, educator and the executive director of the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District. She received her B.A. in Communication and Culture from Howard University and her MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing (more…)

Jeff

Thursday Night Open Mic hosted by Backpack Jeff


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 2, 2026
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A Busboys and Poetry Event hosted this week by Backpack JeffJeffrey W. Young, known as Backpack Jeff, is a motivational speaker, spoken word artist, and conflict resolutionist who has traveled throughout the East Coast touching the lives of others with his words. A person who always looked at life as distributing lessons, Jefferey embraces each lesson (more…)

Anne Whiteside author event

Reading


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 3, 2026
    6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

At a time when France’s core values, liberté, egalité, fraternité, were under attack, the French Resistance fought back and won. We have much to learn from this movement…Register for the reading at Busboys & Poets April 3rd: RSVP HEREPraise for Moon in Splinters “The stirring true story of a World War II French resister in The (more…)

1st Friday Night Open Mic hosted by DJ Art.is

1st Friday Night Open Mic hosted by DJ Art.is


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 3, 2026
    7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

A Busboys and Poetry Event hosted this week by DJ ART.ISKnown for having a unique ear for melodies and lyrics, DJ Art.is provides a whole experience for his audience. His passion and undeniable talent can turn his listeners into fans of the Artist and the DJ. Art.is discovered another platform to further elevate the sound and (more…)

dwayne

Friday Night Open Mic hosted by Dwayne B!


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 3, 2026
    9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

A Busboys and Poets Event hosted this week by Dwayne BDwayne B! aka the “Crochet Kingpin” is a homegrown DC native poet, activist, break-dancer, and fashion designer. He is one of the hosts of DC’s longest running open mic series, Spit Dat, as well as a member of the Busboys and Poets hosting team for (more…)

Align and Ascend Busboys and Poets

Align and Ascend: Dr. Zayd Abdul-Karim and Kamal Ben Ali


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 4, 2026
    10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Join Dr. Zayd Abdul-Karim (Dr. Z), CEO of the Universal Self-Leadership Institute and a certified transformational mindset coach and facilitator, and Kamal Ben Ali, co-owner of DC’s historic Ben’s Chili Bowl, entrepreneur, community leader, and motivational speaker, for an inspiring morning focused on personal growth and leadership.During this interactive conversation, Dr. Z and Kamal Ben (more…)

MLK

Discussion: Was Dr Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated Because He Opposed Wars?


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 4, 2026
    4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Dive into the mysteries behind MLK’s assassination and whether his anti-war stance played a bigger role than we think.Was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated Because He Opposed Wars?Join us in person for a thought-provoking discussion exploring the connection between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s anti-war stance and his assassination. Dive into history, question the (more…)

Slamtastic

“Slamtastic!” Youth Open Mic & Poetry Slam | 1st Saturday’s | Hosted by: Words Beats & Life


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 4, 2026
    6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Words Beats & Life’s monthly youth open mic and poetry slam happens every first Saturday of the month. Sign up to recite, rap or sing in the open mic or compete in the poetry slam.Hosted by Glo Shines and Blackpicasso$5.00 + Tax and fees online. $8.00 (tax and fees included) at the door !  (more…)

Marcus Johnson

Marcus Johnson in Concert


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 4, 2026
    7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

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IMG 7135

Artist Meet And Greet


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 5, 2026
    5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Join us for Art @ Busboys and Poets: Meet the Artists, an evening celebrating creativity, culture, and community. Come experience the vibrant works currently on display at our Shirlington location and connect directly with the talented artists behind the pieces.Guests will have the opportunity to meet Rashad Ali Muhammad, Brian Bailey, Ivan Puplampu, Alexi Abi, (more…)

KaNikki

Monday Night Open Mic hosted by KaNikki J


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 6, 2026
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A Busboys and Poetry Event hosted this week by KaNikki J.KaNikki Jakarta is the First African American Poet Laureate of Alexandria, Virginia. She is an Award Winning Performance Poet who has toured the US and the UK. KaNikki is the author of three novels, two poetry collections, a memoir, a short story, poetry collection entitled (more…)

Long War on Iran UPDATED square icon

LONG WAR ON IRAN | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation


  • Event Start
    Event Start
    Apr 7, 2026
    6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

A timely and measured examination of how U.S.-Iran relations reached their current impasse and what it will take to move beyond years of distrust.The United States and Iran have been locked in a decades-long standoff, fueled by missteps, misunderstandings, and clashing ambitions. In these pages a leading Iranian expert clarifies the dynamics driving a conflict (more…)