Every Friday at dusk they convene at Sankofa, a place owner and noted filmmaker Haile Germia describes as “liberated territory for independent thinking”. They come armed to the teeth with their rhymes, chants, poetry, notepads, drums, guitars, beats and most of all love. Their experience is whole-istic, where the mind is nourished by those that have come to share, the soul feeds of the positive energy, and the cafe takes care of their appetite. Their rules are simple, share material that is family oriented, give some love to those who share, contribute one line to the community poem to be read at the end, and most importantly wave at the riders of the 70 bus because you know they need some love! So who are they? They are children, adults, elders, mothers, fathers, students, professionals, revolutionaries, thinkers, listeners, philosophers, musicians, singers, poets and writers.

They are YOU.

They are the creators of art under the stars.

“Art Under the Stars” Open Mic is from 7pm-9pm, Fridays @ Sankofa Cafe, located on 2714 Georgia Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001. This is seasonal event, generally held during the summertime, but contact the cafe for more information!

Contributing Writer & Photographer- Gezaw Tesfaye