They’re preserving the culture!
Ronald Moten, a longtime community activist and co-founder of #DontMuteDC, has opened the first Go-Go Museum and Café in Washington, D.C., Fox 5 DC reports. The museum has been more than a decade in the making, with Moten unveiling the new landmark in the city’s historic Anacostia neighborhood this week. Go-go music was started in Chocolate City and rose to prominence during the ‘70s as a result of the late musician Chuck Brown. The unique percussion sound has its own culture and is the heart of native Washingtonians. Now, the history of the musical subgenre will be preserved in perpetuity.
Many joined Moten for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new museum. Mayor Muriel Bowser and chief curator Dr. Natalie Hopkinson joined Moten and locals to speak about the significance of the event. Mayor Bowser previously signed the Go-Go Music of the District of Columbia Designation Act, making Go-Go the official music of the nation’s capital in 2020. The new museum is one of the newest businesses coming to D.C.’s Southeast neighborhood, further revitalizing Ward 8 and bringing more recognition to the neighborhood.
“We’ve never had (anything) here in Southeast that was built by the people, that can basically show our talents, our culture and our history,” Moten told WTOP.
The museum is more than 8,000 square feet and features a café, recording studio, outdoor stage, and three exhibition and interactive areas featuring holograms of Backyard Band frontman Ralph Anwan “Big G” Glover, Sugarbear of EU, and rare go-go artifacts. Currently, the museum is open to private tours for ticket holders, with a public opening set for February 19, 2025.
The new Go-Go Museum & Café is located at 1920 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE in Washington, DC.
Cover photo: Activist Ronald Moten Opens First Go-Go Museum & Café in D.C./Photo credit: Darrow Montgomery/Washington City Paper