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World AIDS Day: Come Together — Art’s Power for Change

Film Screening and Fireside Chat

Join us as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the feature film Dirty Laundry and the World Premiere of the new 20-minute short film Come Together: Art’s Power for Change.

This special evening marks 20 years since the release of the groundbreaking film Dirty Laundry and unveils the new 30-minute short documentary Come Together: Art’s Power for Change — chronicling the film’s creation, legacy, and lasting social influence.

The program honors the late filmmaker Maurice Jamal, celebrates the enduring power of creative storytelling in the fight against HIV stigma, and brings together guests from the arts, advocacy, and civic communities for a night of reflection, joy, and purpose.

World AIDS Day: Come Together — Art’s Power for Change honors the intersection of art, advocacy, and activism, reigniting the conversation on HIV awareness, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and creative storytelling as a tool for cultural transformation. Through film, reflection, and fellowship, the evening recognizes how Dirty Laundry helped open doors for Black queer representation and continues to inspire healing and social progress two decades later.

What to Expect:

- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Doors Open

- 6:00 PM – 6:10 PM | Welcome Remarks

- 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Short Documentary Premiere
Come Together: Art’s Power for Change (20 min) — a behind-the-scenes journey into Dirty Laundry’s creation and cultural resonance.

- 6:30 PM – 6:45 PM | Intermission
Audience reset, and transition.

- 6:45 PM – 8:30 PM | 20th Anniversary Screening: Dirty Laundry
Full feature presentation celebrating the legacy of Maurice Jamal’s trailblazing film.

- 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Talkback: Stories That Heal
A conversation with the cast and producers on storytelling, stigma, and social change featuring. Learn more about the Panelists below.

For reasonable accommodations, please contact the Center for Accessibility at 202-727-2142 or DCPLaccess@dc.gov. For ASL or tactile interpretation, please allow at least seven (7) days notice.

The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) powered by AHF

The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) is an affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The group was developed to create a coalition of Black-American cultural influencers and health advocates, that through the use of innovative, culturally relevant messaging and initiatives, are revolutionizing outreach to the Black American community and elevating the education and awareness of sexual health and wellness and bringing greater awareness to the social justice issues disproportionately impacting the health and wellness of Black Americans. 

Marissa Mitchell is a five-time Emmy-winning news anchor at FOX 5 DC (WTTG-TV).  She’s the network’s main anchor on several number-one rated programs on "FOX 5 Morning" and "Good Day DC." Marissa is also the executive producer and host of the weekly interview series "Motivation with Marissa," which celebrates people who have overcome incredible odds.

Marissa has expansive experience in print, broadcast and digital media. The Atlanta native has worked as an anchor and reporter at WAGA-TV in Atlanta, WBMA-TV in Birmingham, Alabama and WTVC-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her work has also been featured in major outlets and publications, including BBC World News, NBC Universal, CNN and O, The Oprah Magazine. Her first media jobs included working as a writer for Crossroads News in Decatur, Georgia and traveling the country to cover the biggest stories in entertainment, including the BET Awards and the Essence Music Festival for RollingOut Magazine.

Marissa has covered major events across the nation, including natural disasters, elections and high-profile police investigations and protests. She has also interviewed newsmakers, including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, screen titan Clint Eastwood and world-renowned wellness guru Deepak Chopra, just to name a few.

In August of 2023, Marissa executive-produced, wrote, booked and hosted a 30-minute news documentary special on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington called “March on Washington: 60 Years Later.” That special, not only aired on FOX 5 DC, but on the nationally-syndicated, interactive streaming channel, FOX Soul. It won the "Best Documentary" award in the top 15 market category from the National Association of Black Journalists. That was Marissa's second national award from the prestigious organization.

Marissa attended both Emory University in Atlanta  and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois on full-tuition scholarships, obtaining her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and journalism, respectively. She also received a certificate in media management from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Marissa is enshrined in Emory University’s Hall of Fame and was named “40 Under 40” among the school’s illustrious alumni. She has won the Emmy for “Best Host” two years in a row in the DMV region. Marissa was honored by SpeakerCon in 2023 as “News Anchor of the Year" and became one of Bethesda Magazine's "Women Who Inspire" in a special edition issue in 2024. 

Marissa has received numerous community awards throughout the years for her commitment to philanthropy and community service, and is a member of the Washington Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists and the Rho Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in Washington D.C. She also sits on the Board of Governors of the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 

Marissa also speaks to several youth, women and nonprofit organizations on a regular basis in an effort to inform, entertain and inspire. She believes writing and speaking are the center of her calling and she gives back tremendously in every way she can.

Nathan Hale Williams is the President and CEO of iN-Hale Media LLC, a multifaceted creative services and media company, where he continues to shape brands and tell stories that start with the heart. He is an Emmy®-nominated director, writer, and producer, a best-selling and award-winning author, and a seasoned
entertainment attorney.

Named a Black Enterprise Magazine Modern Man of Excellence®, a GLAAD Media Award® winner, Best Picture winner at the American Black Film Festival, a two-time NAACP Image Award® nominee, and the recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Prestige Award for Excellence, Nathan is a master storyteller across genres and platforms. His upcoming documentary feature, Come Together: Art’s Power for Change, will premiere at the 2025 American Black Film Festival and is the first in an eight-part series exploring how art drives social progress. His Emmy®-nominated film All Boys Aren’t Blue—currently streaming on Amazon Prime—won two Telly Awards, an inaugural Anthem Award, and earned Nathan recognition for his Outstanding Direction.

Nathan is also an alum of Mara Brock Akil/Story27’s prestigious Writer’s Colony, where he developed his next feature film, Love Will Save the Day. His award-winning short, 90 DAYS, screened at over 40 festivals, winning numerous awards including an African Movie Academy Award and Cannes Diversity Showcase – Overall Winner. Other notable film and TV credits include Dirty Laundry (Fox), The Ski Trip (MTV), Blackbird (RLJ Entertainment), The Kimchi Chronicles (PBS), Girls Who Like Boys... (Sundance), and My Model Looks Better Than Your Model(BET). Nathan also made history on Showtime’s The American Candidate as part of the first openly gay Black couple on reality TV. In 2019, he fulfilled a lifelong dream directing and producing live-action films for Sesame Street’s 49th season. His film BURDEN continues to serve as a powerful DEI tool for major organizations and law firms.

Nathan is the author of five books, including Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing Our World (Abrams); the award-winning novel Ladies Who Lunch & Love; and What You Don’t Know Is Hurting You: 4 Keys to a Phenomenal Career—a #1 Amazon Best Seller. He’s also co-author of True Diversity: Going Beyond the Pie Graph and contributed to For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Still Not Enough, which won the American Library Association Stonewall Award. A former columnist for Essence, Nathan has written for Elle, The Huffington Post, The Root, and Black Enterprise. Through his latest platform, Creative Trippin’, Nathan brings his passion for storytelling and creativity to a wider audience with a dynamic universe of content—including weekly Substack articles, a YouTube channel, and an upcoming podcast—all designed to inspire creatives, celebrate the power of art, and demystify the creative process.
A Chicago native, Nathan began performing at age 8 and continued his classical training at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he served as president of the Student Bar Association and received the GW Law Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Leadership. Nathan currently resides in Los Angeles and is a former board member of Outfest Los Angeles and a founding board member of Emil Wilbekin’s Native Son.

Terri J. Vaughn is the definition of multi-hyphenate magic. A three-time NAACP Image Award
winner, she broke out as America’s favorite homegirl, Lovita Alizé Jenkins, on The Steve Harvey Show — and she’s been stealing scenes and stacking credits ever since.

From cult classics like Friday and Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking your
Juice in the Hood, to bold TV hits like Soul Food, All of Us, and Meet The Browns, Terri has always brought heart, humor, and tons of charisma to the screen. She’s given life to recurring characters on Ava DuVernay’s Cherish The Day, BounceTV’s Johnson, and HBO’s Insecure, where her recurring guest role as Rose Cranberry, was so memorable it spun off into the hit comedic podcast series, We Stay Looking — a Webby Award winner (x3!) produced by Issa Rae’s Raedio and TenderfootTV.

In 2025, Terri’s shaking up Netflix as Antoinette Dunkerson in Miss Governor — the sharp, satirical comedy series she co-created with Niya Palmer and entertainment mogul Tyler Perry.
Behind the camera, Terri is a force. She’s directed everything from soul-stirring dramas, like Kingdom Business and courtroom dramas like Reasonable Doubt, to laugh-out-loud holiday hits, like ‘Twas The Chaos Before Christmas, Christmas Belles and even brought Hallmark its first-ever Gracie Award with Unthinkably Good Things, shot on location in beautiful Rome, Italy. Her signature? Real characters, great vibes, and stories that feel like home. Her directing credits span several projects for BET, Paramount, ABC Studios, Disney, Viacom, and Hulu —including the kid’s classic Bunk’d. She made her directorial debut with the self-produced indie hit #DigitalLivesMatter, bringing together viral comedy stars like DC Young Fly and B. Simone for a modern-day Friday.

As co-founder of Nina Holiday Entertainment, Terri has produced over 16 projects with longtime
creative partner Cas Sigers. In 2025, Terri branched off and launched TJV Enterprises — debuting her original Netflix series Miss Governor and setting the stage for what’s next in her ever-
evolving creative empire.

Crystal McCrary is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, author, and entrepreneur. She began her career practicing entertainment law with Paul Weiss. Since leaving the firm, she has published two New York Times best-selling novels and written the critically acclaimed non-fiction book INSPIRATION: Profiles of Black Women Changing the World. She also created original programming for BET and Nickelodeon. 

In 2023, Ms. McCrary, along with her son Cole Anthony, launched the youth sports tech platform GameUp, which is a resource to help families navigate the fragmented world of youth sports.  

Ms. McCrary received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from New York University.

Currently serving as National Director for Communications & Community Engagement for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the world’s largest, non-profit, HIV/AIDS service and advocacy organization and Chair, Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), W. Imara Canady, referred to as the “all around go-to guy” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a highly respected executive leader, nationally known for building partnerships and collaborations that have a sustainable community impact.

Prior to his current role, Imara served as the Area Development Director for the Atlanta Regional Office of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), where his portfolio included overseeing the community engagement and fundraising operations in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, annually raising over $2.5 million dollars, in support of the office’s multi-million dollar goal to achieve the organization’s mission of assisting students to get to and through college. Prior to UNCF, he was Vice-President of Programming and Strategic Partnerships for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, where, as part of the institution’s executive leadership team, he created and developed the Center’s national programmatic infrastructure and foundation. Known as a “connector and bridge-builder” he worked with the national Board of Directors, CEO and Executive Vice-President, cultivating global relationships and building collaborations that connected the center’s vision and mission with a broad array of local, national and international cultural, academic and community organizations and institutions, that led to the successful execution of the institutions historic groundbreaking in June 2012 and the framework for the Center’s current impactful programs and initiatives.

Imara was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, graduated from Northside School of the Arts, though spent most of his early academic years at Woodward Academy. He received an Associate’s Degree in Journalism from Atlanta Metropolitan College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis on Public Relations and Broadcast Journalism from Georgia State University. Currently residing in the Grant Park community in the City of Atlanta, he is an active member of the Baha’i’ Faith, and lives his life in accordance to a quote from the Holy Writings which states “that service to humanity is like service to the Kingdom of God.”

Known as the "Father of Black Gay Cinema", Patrik-Ian Polk made his filmmaking debut in the year 2000 with Punks, the first U.S. film centering Black gay characters. He went on to create the first Black gay TV series, Noah’s Arc and its two feature film follow-ups, Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom and this year's Noah’s Arc: The Movie. Other credits include The Skinny starring Jussie Smollett and gay coming-of-age drama Blackbird starring Oscar-winner Mo’Nique as well as acclaimed drama series Being Mary Jane, The Chi and P-Valley.

Polk's work has garnered him three GLAAD Awards, two Independent Spirit Award nominations and one NAACP Image Award and seven nominations. Polk has received numerous lifetime achievement awards including the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at L.A.’s Outfest Fusion Film Festival and the Founder’s Award at the Pan-African Film Festival.

The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native attended film school at the University of Southern Mississippi and graduate film school at the University of Southern California.

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