Blackology

AfropolitanDC Presents: The Borderless Black Diaspora Experience \| Thursday April 16th \| World Bank Spring Meetings Editions RSVP Now At: [AfropolitanDC](https://AFPDC2604.eventbrite.com/?aff=MU) Get ready for another amazing night of connections and culture over cocktails Join us for AfropolitanDC: Industry Night—a premier cultural mixer and one of the most anticipated social experiences on the sidelines of the Worldbank Spring Meetings DMV’s largest cultural mixer returns with The Borderless Black Diaspora Experience—a celebration of global Black unity, identity, and culture. From New York to Accra, Kingston to Lagos, and Washington D.C., the Black experience knows no borders—only shared rhythms, roots, and brilliance. This is the spring meetings social social where global leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, and policymakers converge to network, celebrate, and reimagine the future of a borderless Black diaspora. Designed to harness the convergence of global and local influence during spring meetings week, this evening fosters collaboration and partnership across the diaspora while showcasing its vibrant culture. What to Expect Power Networking with global leaders, professionals, and innovators Afro-Caribbean Social & Party with top DJs and vibrant diaspora sounds Red Carpet Experience to capture your spring meeting's night in style Cocktails & Culture featuring Afro-Caribbean bites and curated drinks Borderless Connections Mixer with interactive networking and idea-sharing

• What we'll do Economist William Michael Cunningham on Podbeam Thursdays at 6 pm. https://www.podbean.com/

Yes, it's already approaching that special time of year... time for the Massanutten Death March! After consulting Jen and a few others, I'm putting up this placeholder with dates, and more details can be added or amended later. To quote Michael: "DCUL's annual spring lap around Massanutten... is always a good test of your backpacking chops and your fitness coming out of the winter." To quote me, "You might cry. You might develop the largest blisters you ever had! Aaaaand... you might come back next year for more torture..." I'm sticking with the classic version. So, we'll do the trip clockwise, Elizabeth Furnace to Veach Gap on Thursday (roughly 10m), Veach Gap to Waterfall Mountain on Friday (24m). Waterfall to Edinburgh Gap on Saturday (21m), and then back to the Signal Knob Parking lot (15m). NOTE: These splits are copied from last year's event and they do not match the Caltopo below, partly because the Sat/Sun splits show camping at Mudhole Gap but I'm going with Edinburgh Gap. We can make an updated Caltopo later. And, I know not everyone likes the Edinburgh campsite, but I don't want to add an extra 5 miles to Mudhole Gap on Saturday. We'll tag a few volunteers to reserve spaces. If anyone would like to post a complementary Half-a-nutten (is that canonical language?) or LM trip for the same weekend, feel free! I'll start group size at 10 plus myself, as Michael did last year. But we may add more spots later. You should be a veteran member to undertake this! It's always a memorable weekend! Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/HNED

• What we'll do On https://blackecon101.podbean.com/ Thursdays at 6 pm. discussing the economy....

**Location:** Crimson Whiskey Bar (Either the downstairs whiskey bar, or main floor bar, TBD) The purpose of Thinkers and Drinkers is to facilitate casual but meaningful and interesting conversations with other people in a face-to-face setting. The topics cover a wide variety of issues and are different for every meeting. While conversations may get heated at times, we ask that all members be respectful of each other and refrain from personal insults. \*\*\* **Topic: The Future of DC** DC is set to undergo a lot of changes over the next 5 years. There are changes to the local political structure, massive real estate projects in the works, and the federal plans to "beautify the city." We want to hear your opinions on these and what direction you would want to DC move toward. **Local Politics** DC will be implementing ranked choice voting in it's upcoming primaries this June for the first time in it's history.[ (Ben from Ben's Chili Bowl Explains this)](https://www.opportunity-dc.org/post/rank-your-vote-dc-launches-first-ads-to-educate-voters-featuring-ben-ali-owner-of-ben-s-chili-bow). This includes elections for mayor, attorney general, and city council, which could have a huge impact on the city's future. **Beautifying the City** Trump issued an executive order in March 2025 titled "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful," and has since gone much further, announcing plans to spend $2 billion within a three-mile radius of the White House, repaving streets and replacing infrastructure he called emblematic of a ["hellhole.](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/aug/22/trump-says-hes-asking-congress-billions-beautify-dc-streets/)" His latest budget takes it even further, proposing a $10 billion ["Presidential Capital Stewardship Program](https://rollcall.com/2026/04/06/trumps-budget-proposal-for-interior-seeks-to-make-dc-beautiful-again/)" for construction and beautification projects in and around DC. **New Developments** It would be impossible to talk about the future of DC without talking about how the landscape has and is changing. Neighborhoods that were previously "Places where you only go to get drugs," like NOMA have become prime examples of gentrified neighborhoods with bustling restaurants and bars. With billions of dollars' worth of residential projects popping up all over the city, other neighborhoods are set to experience similar transformations, especially with developments like the new RFK Stadium.

Hi everyone! 😃
 Let’s walk the Huntley Meadow Paths while exploring deeper connections witn our furry friends! 
Terrain: Paved, flat, and mostly shaded by large trees. 
Length - Approximately 1.5 Miles 
Very popular location. Parking can be limited sometimes. Recommend arrive early.

Top level Backgammon Tournament play. Have fun and improve your game. Free lessons to new and inexperienced players. Club been active over 30 years, posting on Meetup is new.

Let's enjoy a Sunday brunch! Blackwall Barn & Lodge is a farm-to-table restaurant known for its rustic-elegant atmosphere, featuring exposed beams and a fireplace, with a menu of locally sourced steaks, seafood, and vegetarian options. It offers a full bar with happy hour, live music on weekends, and an outdoor patio, making it suitable for various occasions from casual dining to private events. The restaurant is part of the Merriweather District and emphasizes seasonal ingredients and a farm -to-table concert. Brunch is offered on Sundays from 10am – 2pm $48 Per Person $64 including Free-Flowing Mimosas & House Champagne Website: [Blackwall Barn & Lodge - Columbia MD](https://www.barnandlodge.com/columbia/)

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring 🌷 Join us for a relaxed, fun evening at Marley’s Bar & Grill in Hyattsville as we welcome spring and connect with like-minded women. Whether you’ve traveled with Afro Elevate before or you’re new and just curious, this is a chance to: ✨ Meet other travel-loving women ✨ Enjoy good food + drinks ✨ Connect before upcoming 2026 trips ✨ Build real friendships outside the group chat Date: Friday, April 17 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Marley’s Bar & Grill | Hyattsville, MD RSVP so we can reserve the right table size.

Let's visit the National Museum of African Art for their Pride & Belonging in African Art Exhibition! **Address:** National Museum of African Art 950 Independence SW Washington, D.C. 20560 ### Free Admission & No Passes Are Needed to Enter! **What is the Pride & Belonging in African Art Exhibition?** ***From the exhibition's webpage on the Museum's website:*** *"Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art* explores how LGBTQ+ artists from Africa and its diaspora are part of a larger, joyful story of African art history. Artists’ voices are central to this exhibition, which features works by Zanele Muholi, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Leilah Babirye, Jim Chuchu, Ṣọlá Olúlòde, among many LGBTQ+ artists from across Africa and its diaspora. *Here* is based on years of close collaboration and dialogue with these artists and their communities. Through their art, they invite us into their worlds and explore themes of identity and belonging. *Here* is the largest exhibition on this subject to date, with nearly 60 artworks. While their experiences are unique to them, they speak to issues that unite everyone: the importance of family, spirit, standing up for oneself and others, imagining the future, making intimate connections, finding belonging, embracing potential and, above all, experiencing joy. They are united by a simple, shared declaration: We are here. **Exhibition Website:** https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/here-pride-and-belonging-african-art%3Aevent-exhib-6763 More Information on the Exhibition: https://africa.si.edu/exhibitions/here-pride-and-belonging-african-art?utm_source=si.edu&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=MyVisitSI **Museum Hours:** 10:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M. daily

Something luxurious is uncorking soon… **Not Napa. Not Sonoma. Better.** Join us for a luxurious weekend of wine, wellness, and Black excellence at the iconic, **Melanin-owned Salamander Resort & Spa** in Middleburg, Virginia. Indulge in restorative spa treatments, private vineyard tastings, and elevated Southern-inspired dining — all curated exclusively for the Corks + Melanin community. This isn’t just a getaway; it’s an invitation to savor leisure, celebrate culture, and embody the art of living well. Be the first to sip the details. Subscribe to our newsletter and secure your place at the table: [https://corksandmelanin.vip/newsletter](https://corksandmelanin.vip/newsletter)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Doom and Dinosaurs,”** a look at how mass extinctions shaped the dinosaurs and what research on these events tells us about Earth life’s long-term prospects, with Ian Wilenzik, paleontologist and visiting assistant professor of biology at George Washington University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-dino-doom](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-dino-doom) .] Pity the poor dinosaurs. They lacked both scientific research to help deal with potential environmental catastrophes and places where they could have a beer and discuss it. You, on the other hand, have the opportunity to come to Profs and Pints to hear a fascinating talk on the impact of mass extinctions on dinosaur evolution and what research on dinosaurs tells us about biodiversity and Earth’s current biodiversity crisis. Dr. Ian Wilenzik, who has studied and taught courses on dinosaur evolution, population spread, and extinction, will leave you with a greater appreciation of the resilience of life on earth and how we’re both the product and source of biologically catastrophic events. Many of us are familiar with how a big meteor impact about 66 million years ago wiped out the Earth’s dinosaur population, leaving us only with their feathered descendants, birds. Less well known is how the Earth actually has undergone five periods of mass extinction that wiped out nearly all life, and how dinosaurs arose from one and endured another—both caused by volcanic activity—before meeting their match in the third. To ground his discussion, Dr. Wilenzik will talk about how we study mass extinctions by looking for geologic evidence of volcanic activity, meteoric blasts, and other catastrophic activity and of gaps in the fossil record after them. He’ll also discuss what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur, describing their distinct anatomical features. He’ll talk about how they and other forms of life evolved over long periods of time and were affected by extinction events. We’ll look at how the meteor-caused mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous paved the way for the rise of mammals and the emergence of primates, and, eventually, us. Looking ahead to future mass extinctions and what might survive them, we’ll talk about how that plant you forget to water might have the last laugh, as well as why crocodiles might be around a while. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A *Triceratops* mounted skeleton at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History (Photo by Allie Caulfield / Wikimedia Commons).

**IMPORTANT - READ** Monongahela National Forest limits groups to 10 people, so that is a hard limit for this trip. If you are not 100% committed please do ***NOT RSVP*** ## **Trail Facts** * **Difficulty Level: Moderate** * **Length:** 16 Miles * **Duration:** 2 Days * **Elevation Gain:** 2,216 Feet * **Bear Canisters:** Not Required * **Permits:** Not Required * **Parking:** Red Creek Trailhead * **Coordinates:** 38.972729, -79.397824 * **AllTrails Map**: [https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/dolly-sods-backpack-16-mi-24357dd](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/dolly-sods-backpack-16-mi-24357dd) The Dolly Sods Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and is part of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) and one of the most desirable trekking areas in the US. Dolly Sods is a rocky, high-altitude plateau with sweeping vistas and flora and fauna normally found much further north in Canada. A backpacking trip in this area will expose you to a very diverse and unique landscape with sphagnum bogs, grassy meadows lined by spruce trees, wind-carved boulders, and beautiful mountain vistas. Note - this area can have very unpredictable weather. I've had everything from sunshine, to heavy rain, to even snow and hail as late as May. Pack accordingly. **Trail Details:** We will meet at The Vienna Metro station on Saturday morning at 8am and drive to the Red Creek Trailhead at the southern end of the Dolly Sods wilderness. The drive is about 3 hours - I will drive and am happy to have up to 3 others carpool with me. When we arrive at the trailhead, we will hike about 6.3 miles to our campsite, stopping once to check out the the iconic Lion's Head on Breathed Mountain (pictured in the post). Should be an early day, so feel free to bring cards, adult beverages, or other items to pass the time. The second day, we will explore the rest of the park, which includes the rugged Dunkenbarger trail. The second day is about 9.4 miles back to the car. There are a ton of stream crossings on this trip - so expect to get wet and pack accordingly. **Essential Items**: * Tent * Sleeping pad​ * Sleeping bag suitable for expected temperatures​ * Backpack (appropriate for overnight backpacking)​ * Backpacking stove with fuel​ * Pot, cup, dish, and utensils​ * Dehydrated meals​ and snacks * Water bottles or hydration system (capacity for at least 2 liters)​ * Water filter or purification tablets​ * Headlamp with extra batteries​ * Rain gear * Dry bags or pack cover​ * Warm clothing layers (non-cotton) * Trowel for and toiletries for Leave No Trace compliance **Optional Items**: * Personal first aid kit​ * Map and compass or GPS device * Power bank or external battery * Trekking poles​ * Camp shoes * Electrolyte supplements​ * Alcohol​ * Books, games, or other enterainment * Gaiters​ * Sunscreen, lip balm, insect repellent​​ **General meetup location:** Vienna Metro Station - 8:00am Time driving: 3 hr. each way Google driving direction from Vienna metro: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/KUW283UFEe5kJJnLA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KUW283UFEe5kJJnLA) **CARPOOL:** Don't forget if you want a ride or are willing to offer a ride – be a friend to the environment, save money, and make friends. **LIABILITY NOTICE:** Please remember that this group operates under the common adventurer model. We are a group of friends and volunteers organizing trips for fun and shared experience. Participants are expected to be familiar with best hiking practices and choose hikes that align with their physical abilities and experience. Organizers and members are not liable for any injuries, loss, or damage to persons or property arising from group activities. By attending this event, you agree to assume all risks associated with the activity.​ For more information on the common adventurer model, please see [Ron Watters' definition](https://www.ronwatters.com/CADefine.htm).​ If you believe you may be lost during the hike, follow the advice of the [US Forest Service](https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/if-you-get-lost). ​ See you on the trail!

**SATURDAY HIKE** SOBO on the AT from Bears Den Hostel **Option 1: 10.1 miles, 2780 A, 3200 D – Rod Hollow Shelter** * 10 people, 3 tent pads near shelter + more on side trail. * Picnic Pavilion, Bear Pole, Piped Spring @ shelter or large stream on side trail. **Option 2: 18.6 miles, 4520 A, 4540 D – Whiskey Hollow Shelter** * 8-10 people, loft, 3 tent sites + 1 tent platform. * Covered porch, picnic tables, benches, cooking ledges, bear pole, water source @ creek. **Saturday Highlights:** * 9.5 miles of the AT Roller Coaster * Buzzard Hill @ 1196.0 via 100-foot spur trail * Paris View (meadow) @ 1206.8 – 0.4 mile E of AT via Ambassador Whitehouse Trail * Sky Meadows State Park – beautiful open meadows with great views **SUNDAY Hike** * Repeat Saturday’s hike in the opposite direction back to Bear’s Den Hostel **FRIDAY NIGHT (optional)** *Dinner @ Bear Chase Brewing Company* 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont, VA 20135 540.554.8210 *Overnight @ Bear’s Den Hostel* 18393 Blueridge Mountain Rd, Bluemont, VA 20135 bearsdencenter.org 540.554.8708 10 bunks available or camp outside. Leave cars parked here overnight. \*\* This event is cross-posted with another group so we will have more attendees than what you see here.

**Merry Meet!** In an effort to make ***The Most Excellent Order of the Black Hat*** a safe and sacred event, we will now be charging an ***event fee of $15.00.*** Please stop by the front desk to sign in. Our Samhain event fee will be $25.00. Thank you for understanding. The Order of the Black Hat is an international eclectic order of witches. We take our spiritual path very seriously, yet strive not to take our egos too seriously. We each have a responsibility to grow in the wisdom, love, and power of our deities, and continually learn, heal, and become stronger. We all have a responsibility to share our skills and insights with others, and to serve within our community and beyond it. **Important Black Hat Rules and Reminders:** 1\. To cast a circle is to create a place of protected and safe space\. Our circle is sacred\, please follow these simple guidelines\. 2\. If you are leaving or entering the circle\, you MUST wait for a visualized "doorway" to be opened for you by one of the HPs\. 3\. Please use the restroom before or after Circle\. 4\. Again\, it is not only rude\, but people moving in and out of the circle destroys the energy and effectiveness of the circle 5\. No texting and no chit\-chat when others have the floor\. 6\. We recognize that this is a place of healing\, and we all do our part to share with the intent of healing ourselves and the world\. We share stories not advice\, realizing that we are all works in progress\. **Important Reminders:** 1\. When leaving the circle\, please check your space for any items or trash that you might have left\. 2\. When using your phone as a flashlight\, please be considerate of those across the circle from you\, those bright lights can cause migraines\. Our circle is a magickal space for all of us. Thanks in advance for your help in making this a wondrous time for us all! Please remember doors are locked at 7 PM. Feel free to bring food to share for our Feast! Again, to make ***The Most Excellent Order of the Black Hat*** a safe and sacred event, we will now be charging an event fee of $15.00. Our Samhain event fee will be $25.00. Thank you for understanding. I look forward to seeing you all again!!! Goddess Bless! GrannyMoon