AN EVENT CURATED BY TRACY Chiles McGhee
Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 7PM
Culture Series
James Baldwin at 100:
Celebrating the Enduring Witness
BUSBOYS & POETS
Washington, DC
Join HumanitiesDC and guest curator Tracy Chiles McGhee for an exploration of James Baldwin's profound legacy in "James Baldwin at 100: Celebrating the Enduring Witness." This event marks the centennial of Baldwin's birth and explores what it means to 'bear witness' in today's world and how we, as artists, writers, and citizens, use our voices to confront injustice and inspire change in the spirit of Baldwin. The evening will feature a compelling panel discussion alongside artistic expressions including music, readings,
and interactive elements.
ASL Interpretation will be provided.
This project is funded by HumanitiesDC.
"I am witness to whence I came, where I am ... witness to what I've seen and the
possibilities that I think I see."
― James Baldwin
EVENT PARTICIPANTS
TRACY CHILES MCGHEE, CURATOR
DWAYNE LAWSON-BROWN, MODERATOR
DWAYNE LAWSON-BROWN, MODERATOR
Tracy Chiles McGhee is a multi-genre, award-winning author and cultural curator.
McGhee is a FY25 Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) Independent Fellow. She is also a 2024 HumanitiesDC Independent Practitioner Fellow and its Inaugural Literature Fellow. McGhee holds degrees from Catholic University Law School and Georgetown University and resides in Washington, DC.
DWAYNE LAWSON-BROWN, MODERATOR
DWAYNE LAWSON-BROWN, MODERATOR
DWAYNE LAWSON-BROWN, MODERATOR
Dwayne Lawson-Brown is a DC native author, Helen Hayes nominated playwright, and arts administrator for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Dwayne’s performances include The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Strathmore, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and Spit Dat DC. Dwayne's goal is to invite audiences to embrace empathy.
E. ETHELBERT MILLER, PANELIST
DWAYNE LAWSON-BROWN, MODERATOR
SOYICA DIGGS COLBERT, PHD, PANELIST
E. Ethelbert Miller is a literary activist and author of two memoirs and several poetry collections. He hosts the WPFW morning radio show On the Margin with E. Ethelbert Miller and hosts and produces The Scholars on UDC-TV which received a 2020 Telly Award. Miller is Associate Editor and a columnist for The American Book Review. He was given a 2020 congressional award from Congressman Jamie Raskin in recognition of his literary activism, awarded the 2022 Howard Zinn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Peace and Justice Studies Association, and named a 2023 Grammy Nominee Finalist for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Miller’s latest book is the little book of e published by City Point Press. Recently Miller was awarded the Furious Flower Lifetime Achievement Award.
SOYICA DIGGS COLBERT, PHD, PANELIST
CHARLES REESE, SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST
SOYICA DIGGS COLBERT, PHD, PANELIST
Soyica Diggs Colbert is the Idol Family Professor of Black Studies at Georgetown University. She is the author of the award-winning book, Radical Vision: A Biography of Lorraine Hansberry. Colbert is a Guggenheim fellow and her writing has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Public Books.
DR. NATALIE HOPKINSON, PANELIST
CHARLES REESE, SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST
CHARLES REESE, SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST
Dr. Natalie Hopkinson is an Associate Professor specializing in Black and Indigenous culture, art, and media. A former Washington Post writer, she co-founded the Don’t Mute DC movement and co-led efforts for DC's Go-Go Official Music Act. She is the Founding Curator of the Go-Go Museum & Café. Her major books are Go-Go Live and A Mouth is Always Muzzled.
CHARLES REESE, SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST
CHARLES REESE, SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST
CHARLES REESE, SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST
Charles Reese, a Washington, D.C. native (Shaw District), earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and Theatre Arts from Morehouse College. As a seasoned actor, writer, speaker, and founder of Teeth and Eyes Communications, Reese serves as Cultural Architect for Public Engagement, curating inspirational and educational entertainment programs. Reese is a 2024 Voice Arts® Award nominee for his debut spoken word album, "James Baldwin & Me | A Centennial Tribute," available on all streaming platforms.
With 25 years of acclaimed work promoting James Baldwin's legacy, Reese has established himself in the entertainment industry, spanning Off-Broadway to global engagements. Reese resides in Los Angeles, CA. For more information: