Xmas Eve Service at New Beginnings

Every Christmas Eve Busboys and Poets gathers a group of volunteers to go to New Beginnings Juvenile Detention Center to prepare and serve a special meal for youth serving time. A way of giving to our young people who may struggle particularly around the holiday season. Big thanks to all our volunteers!

New Beginnings is a secure residential treatment facility for young males. Youth at New Beginnings participate in the DC Model program, which provides supervision, rehabilitation, and planning for the youth’s return to his community. 

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The Making of Busboys and Poets

A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets

We’re proud to announce A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets, the new memoir from our CEO and Founder, which reveals the vision, challenges, and triumphs behind opening Busboys and Poets. Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, Andy Shallal’s memoir takes us on a “How I Built … Continued

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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

Busboys and Poets Books Review: Never Stop

Busboys and Poets Books Review: Never Stop

Halfway through reading “Never Stop”, it becomes apparent the title of Simba Sana’s new memoir is a clever double entendre that can be interpreted as: 1)    Never Stop in your pursuit of the best life for you. 2)    Never Stop keeping busy, lest you realize that you aren’t living your best life, regardless … Continued

Busboys and Poets Books Review: From Headshops to Whole Foods

Busboys and Poets Books Review: From Headshops to Whole Foods

From Head Shops to Whole Foods by Joshua Clark Davis is a scholarly examination of activist entrepreneurs who use business as a tool to enact social and political change. It’s a far-reaching subject to dedicate this sort of academic rigor to, and the author limits his examination to four subjects: African American bookstores, head shops, … Continued