On February 17, 2016, the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (MOAA) hosted its Black History Month celebration themed, Conversations, Community & ConneXions.
The evening began with a
screening of Diaspora in Dialogue: A
Profile of Africans in DC, a
short documentary film created by the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs. Designed to shine a spotlight on the growing
diversity of African immigrants, this film presents first-person accounts of
six individuals who represent the rich linguistic, cultural, and professional array
of Africans who call the District home. Produced in collaboration with the DC
Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment, the project includes
a six-segment series which features all individuals featured in Diaspora in Dialogue and airs weekly on
TALK on DCN throughout Black History Month.
A post-screening panel discussion followed in which participants and audience members reflected on the historical and contemporary ties between African and African-American communities. Panelists included Rahman Branch, Director of DC Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs; Heran Sereke-Brhan, Ph.D., Deputy Director of DC Mayor’s Office on African Affairs; Greg Carr, Ph.D., J.D., Chair of Afro-American Studies and Adjunct Faculty at School of Law, Howard University; and Emira Woods, Director of Global Impacts, ThoughtWorks. Loide Rose Jorge, Esq., Vice-Chair of the Commission on African Affairs, moderated the discussion and about 150 audience members attended the event.
Click here to view more pictures
MOAA's Black History Month Celebration: Conversation, Community and ConneXions
Click here to watch event video.
MOAA Internship Program
 MOAA is accepting applications for internships throughout 2016! If you are interested in public service and working with African Diaspora communities in the District of Columbia, you are invited to submit an application. Bi-lingual (Amharic and French) interns are especially encouraged to apply. Internships are unpaid and require a minimum requirement of 32-hours per week.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Learn more
Planning for Progress in the District
 On Tuesday March 1, 2016, Mayor Bowser joined Blackboard to celebrate the grand opening of its new 70,500 square foot headquarters office in Ward 2. As the global leader in education software, services and analytics solutions, Blackboard has been at the forefront of DC’s burgeoning tech scene for more than 15 years. Blackboard received a grant under Mayor Bowser’s Creative and Open Space Modernization program to assist with various tenant improvements in connection with the office relocation.
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The DC Streetcar is on the Move
 On Saturday February 28, 2016 , the District celebrated the official opening of the H Street/Benning Road line for passenger service. Saturday’s opening marked the first time the DC Streetcar has been in operation since the original system took its final ride in 1962. The inaugural 2.4-mile H Street/Benning Road line services eight stops between Union Station and the intersection of Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue, near RFK Stadium. This is the first part of an eight-mile line. Currently, the service runs Monday through Saturday (including holidays) and is free to riders during this introductory period.
For more information, including a transit map, safety information, and schedule, visit dcstreetcar.com
Surviving Family Trauma in Ethiopia, Como Park Student Now Thrives
During his freshman year at Como Park High School in St. Paul, Hordofa Burka didn’t say much. He had just arrived from Ethiopia and didn’t understand English. Four years later, Burka is on the honor roll and has been selected as one of two Minnesota recipients of the prestigious Horation Alger National Scholarship, which comes with $22,000 to attend any college.
“There aren’t many kids who work quite as hard as he does,” said Caroline Church, assistant director with the college preparation program Upward Bound at Como. “He’s in Advanced Placement classes and has gotten into every single one of his colleges. That to me is amazing.”
What makes it more amazing is Burka’s past.
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Worldreader Pushes Digital Literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa
Mobile technology has put digital books in the hands of people in developing regions who otherwise have limited reading resources. But millions of schoolchildren in places like Africa still have few or no books to help them develop reading and writing skills. Worldreader aims to change that.
Focusing mainly on Sub-Saharan Africa, Worldreader is a non-profit group dedicated to increasing literacy, educational outcomes and positive perceptions of reading in developing countries. Its library is available in 43 languages and 69 countries, including India, as well as the Americas.
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One-On-One Business Counseling Session: The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR)
At this session the staff from The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) will provide assistance with navigating through the regulatory environment. Respresentatives from OTR will provide consultation regarding types of tax liability, documentation required for registration of businesses, forms, and filing due dates, as OTR's mission is to collect the proper amount of tax due to the District government and correctly account for all revenue, while minimizing the burden on taxpayers and cost to the government.
When: March 8, 2016 | 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Where: 1100 4TH Street, SW | 2nd Floor | Washington DC | 20024
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HR Essentials for Small Businesses: Human Capital Issues Impacting Small Businesses
The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) is organizing a 4 part training session that will explore the challenges faced by small businesses, solutions to attract and retain great talent, Department of Employment Services employment incentives, avoiding payroll mistakes, and legal compliance. At this first session, the instructors will discuss the “Human Capital Issues Impacting Small Business Owners” and the viable options to remain profitable when acquiring talent.
When; March 9, 2016 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: DSLBD Training Room | 441 4th Street, NW | Suite 805 S| Washington DC | 20001
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Business Planning Workshop
This workshop organized by the Department of Small and Local Business Development covers the basics of business planning and why it’s important for business success. Topics include starting-up a success business, the important linkages between the marketing, sales, and your financial projections, and gaining a competitive advantage.
When; March 10, 2016 | 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Where: 1100 4th Street SW, Room E-4302 | Washington DC| 20024-4451
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The Center for Non-profit Advancement Training: Grant-writing for Greater Impact
Course Objective: Create an organizational template for grant writing
Spend a morning with your peers and learn—as a group—how to write your grants for greater impact. Participants will review and discuss a generic letter proposal and compare it to the Washington Grantmakers’ Common Grant Application guidelines. Proposals brought in by participants will then be reviewed and receive feedback.
When: March 9, 2016 | 10:00am - 12:00pm
Where: 1901 Mississippi Ave, SE | Washington, DC | 20020
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Nonprofit Advancement Training
The Center for Non-profit Advancement is organizing a training to help participants to create an effective and achievable fundraising road map by understanding key activities needed to write a plan, what participants need to do to set your course for the fiscal year, and how to analyze and measure your effectiveness.
When: March 10, 2016 | 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Where: Center for Nonprofit Advancement | 1666 K Street, NW, Suite 440 | Washington, DC | 20006
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DC Office of Partnerships and Grant Services: 8-Week Proposal Writing Course
The Mayor’s Office of Partnerships and Grant Services (OPGS) has partnered with The Magi Group, LLC to offer a proposal writing course for District of Columbia Government Employees and Nonprofit Executive Directors, Program Officers, Board of Directors and staff development officers. Participating nonprofit organizations must have programs that have been operating for at least one year.
Because of the popularity of the course only one person from each nonprofit will be allowed to participate. This course is designed for both the novice and the experienced individual.
Deadline to submit a registration is March 18. Classes will be held May 10th through June 28th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Registrations will be reviewed and selected participants will be notified by April 22.
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Conference on Youth Mental Health
The Warren Coalition, a organization focusing on preventing youth substance use and all the root causes that lead to substance use by young people, is organizing a conference to help people who regularly interact with children, but are not mental health professionals, to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety (and stress) and trauma in children and teens. The conference will provide concrete ways that participants can provide support to them as well as to their parents.
When: Monday, March 7, 2016 | 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Where: Riverton United Methodist Church | 55 E. Strasburg Road Front Royal, VA | 22630
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Diabetes Self-Management Classes
A series of classes are offered by Sibley Memorial Hospital on a regular basis for individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. An individual appointment with the diabetes educator after attending class is encouraged for review and modification of a participant’s ongoing care. Individual appointments with a dietitian offer individual meal planning for each participant.
When: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: 5255 Loughboro Rd NW | Washington DC | 20016
Contact: Rose Oshinsky | 202-537-4145 | roshins1@jhmi.edu
Call to Artists
The DC Department of General Services - Sustainability + Energy Division (DGS-SE) is
issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to engage individual artists and
artistic teams (“Artist”) to respond to this Call for Artists for the
development a new, original permanent work of art at the Penn Center (326 R
Street NW, Washington DC 20002). Cities tell stories with the trails and footpaths that meander through them.
Trails invite discovery. Trails invite wanderlust. Trails are alive. They tell a
story we’re eager to celebrate. DGS-SE envisions a mural or other work of art as the voice for that celebration
-- as a beacon.
Learn more
DC Department
of Human Resources: District Leadership Program (DLP) Summer 2016
The District of Columbia Government’s Department of Human Resources is offering its District
Leadership Program (DLP). The DLP is an internship program designed to provide
tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge, tools, skills, and experiences that can
be readily applied to future personal or professional challenges and pursuits.
Learn
More
CASA- Upcoming Citizenship Clinics
Each month, CASA/Center for Citizenship hosts one or more Citizenship clinics to help Lawful Permanent Residents (or “Green-Card holders”) apply to become U.S. Citizens. Citizenship grants long-time immigrants with a number of benefits, such as: the right to vote, greater ease in returning from travel abroad, opportunities to unite their families, better employment and scholarship opportunities, and safety from deportation.
When: Saturday, March 12, 2016 | 8:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Where: CASA Center for Citizenship | 14645 Rothgeb Drive | Rockville, MD | 20850
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Build It in DC: General and Home Improvement Contractor Forum 2016
The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) will hold the Second Annual "Build It in DC: General Contractor and Home Improvement Contractor Forum." The event will disseminate information, inspire entrepreneurship, and create an atmosphere to foster positive action and to receive feedback.
When: Monday, March 14, 2016 | 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Where: 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW | Washington, DC |20001
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District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration : 2016 Alcohol
Beverage License Renewal Checklist
Approximately 1,500 alcoholic beverage licenses are due to be renewed this year by the following deadlines: March 31, 2016 - All restaurant, hotel, multipurpose facility, club, marine vessel, train and caterer licenses. September 30, 2016 - All tavern and nightclub licenses. Licensees should ensure they complete the following during the renewal season
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Standing with Our Muslim Neighbors: A Workshop for Allies in DC
The DC Office of Human Rights, in partnership with Shoulder-to-Shoulder and the Georgetown University Law Center, will present a free panel discussion with diverse Muslim faith and community leaders. The workshop is intended to help attendees better understand the Muslim faith, the experiences of DC Muslim residents, and how to be effective allies to the Muslim community. Attendees will leave the training with concrete steps they can take to counter Islamophobia and increase mutual understanding and respect in the District.
When: Wednesday, March 9, 2016 | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Where: Old Council Chambers |441 4th St NW (Judiciary Square Metro) | Washington, DC 20001
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 Want Your Event Featured in the African Beat?
'The African Beat' is distributed to over 7,000 subscribers every other Friday. If you would like your event to be featured in our calendar, please submit the following details: what, when & where, and provide a link to where readers can go for more information. Submission deadline for the next edition is Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 5:00 pm. Send all materials, along with any questions, to oaa@dc.gov.
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