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Fierceness Served! The ENIK Alley Coffeehouse

A Screening and Conversation

In celebration of Archives Month, LGBTQ+ History Month, and the exhibition D.I.Y. in the District, join us for a screening and conversation focused on this powerful 35-minute documentary.

The documentary Fierceness Served! The ENIK Alley Coffeehouse focuses on the local history of a Black LGBT performance venue, rehearsal space, and meeting place for artists and political organizations in Washington, DC from the 1980s to the mid-90s.

It was the epicenter of a cultural renaissance that paralleled The Harlem Renaissance. The film features the work of Coffeehouse artists as well as interviews with surviving members and supporters. Following the screening, there will be a conversation moderated by Camille Brown, Associate Curator, the Phillips Collection together with Christopher Prince, Michelle Parkerson, and Wayson Jones — artists who were active in Enik Alley’s poetry and performance scene. Brown will discuss her recent exhibition Essex Hemphill: Take Care of Your Blessings and lead each artist in discussion of key performances, connections to other D.I.Y. art spaces, and the enduring impact of ENIK Alley today. The program will also feature a sneak preview of a new documentary by the collective Black in Space and consider the impact of the earlier scene on new generations of LGBTQ+ artists and activists.

This screening and conversation is held in conjunction with the exhibition D.I.Y. in the District: Celebrating D.C.'s Artist-Run Spaces, on view through December 7 at the MLK Library.

This program, and the DC Public Library Arts and Exhibits Program, is made possible in part through support from the DC Public Library Foundation.
Visit the exhibit website for a full schedule of artist-driven programs during October and November.

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