Ronald Moten Discusses & Signs Don't Mute Moe

MahoganyBooks is thrilled to host DC Native & founder of the Go-go Museum Ronald Moten. You might remember Mr. Moten from being co-founder of the Don’t Mute DC movement, which has broadened its mission after he and Howard University professor Natalie Hopkinson created the petition that collected over 80,00 signatures which helped bring back the music to 7th and Florida Ave. N.W. This movement has sparked a revolt against gentrification worldwide, policies that have lead to equity for people of color in DC and making Go-Go DC's official music. We can't wait for an exciting night to discuss his book Don't Mute Moe, exploring ways to preserve DC's black community.

• 6:30 PM - Doors Open | 7 PM Conversation Begins
• Masks optional throughout event.

About the book: Don't Mute Moe: The Vision of an Urban Scholar illuminates how Ron "Moe" Moten, an activist fighting for equity and the economic development (among other things) of DC's Black community, has taken on the responsibility of answering this question, not just for himself, but for the entire community.

This book is an incremental uncovering of the steps Moe has taken to ensure the Black community in DC isn't just remembered by future generations. He is actively putting the pieces in place for Black DC to grow with the city and not be pushed out or MUTED.

Don't Mute Moe is a collaboration between Ron and journalist Jeffrey Anderson. It is composed of 12 op-eds that were published in the Washington Post, Washington Times and other publications. The interviews by Mr. Anderson highlight their remarkable and disturbing relevance to current social issues plaguing black urban youth, families, and communities.

About the author: Ronald L. Moten is a fifth generation Washingtonian who attended Roosevelt Senior High School. He received his GED from the state of Connecticut while incarcerated in Danbury Federal Correction Institution (FCI). Mr. Moten also attended Park Community College, in Danbury Connecticut, where he majored in History. His college experience opened his mind to the power of change and activism through the example of great leaders such Kwame Ture (Stokeley Carmichael), of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Winnie Mandela who he had a chance to meet and receive words of wisdom upon his release.Through their leadership, Mr. Moten began to practice the principles and practices of the non-violence movement and observe the struggles of the African American community.

Immediately upon his release from Danbury FCI, Mr. Moten began his work as the Spokesperson and Outreach Coordinator for Cease Fire Don’t Smoke the Brothers. He has traveled around the country promoting peace and devising strategies to positively engage young people. Mr. Moten is a skilled trainer in conflict resolution and has negotiated many truces between both male and female gangs and crews as he helped broker over 40 truces in Washington, D.C. as co-founder and CEO of the Peaceoholics. Mr. Moten also helped send over160 at-risk youth to college and many have returned to become active in their communities as active ANC Commissioners. He has also assisted the city in developing numerous initiatives to combat violence such as: (VIP)Violence Intervention Partnership, Saving Our Sisters, and Rebuild the Village Model in Washington DC at a time when violent crimes such as homicides decreased for five consecutive years after many years of negative increases. Mr. Moten has trained many local youth service providers, government and local and national leaders on the best practices and strategies to develop programs that support moving young people toward success. He has also served as an advisor to government and national leaders to strengthen and deepen the work to move young people from a life of violence to peace;from despair to hope; and from no skills to self-sufficiency. Currently, Mr. Moten is a youth program developer and violence prevention specialist consultant for several service providers and has been a consultant with the Jack Kemp Foundation over the last 6 years focusing on leadership and empowerment of local at-risk or impoverished youth. With over 25 years of experience Mr. Moten success continues to be successful with as he is credited with transforming leaders of the local gay gang “Check It” from wrecking havoc and chaos in Gallery Place and the DMV, productive citizens with their own business “Check It Enterprises” in S.E. Anacostia, Washington DC where they are partnering to open the Go-Go Museum late Spring 2020.

Mr. Moten is also co-founder of the Don’t Mute DC movement which has broadened its mission after he and Howard University professor Natalie Hopkinson created the petition that collected over 80,00 signatures which helped bring back the music to 7th and Florida Ave. N.W. This movement has sparked a revolt against gentrification worldwide, policies that have lead to equity for people of color in DC and making Go-Go DC's official music. Mr. Moten is also founder of the Go-Go Museum which is currently under construction.

About the moderator: Sam Ford is the DC Bureau Chief for 7News and WJLA 24/7. He has been with WJLA-TV for more than 35 years. He has been a broadcaster for 50 years, starting with radio stations in Kansas and Minnesota before moving on to television. Previously, Sam spent a decade as a correspondent for CBS News. During his tenure at the network, he was stationed at CBS bureaus in New York, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Prior to CBS, he reported for WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sam is a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists. His journalistic awards include: AP, New York, Edward R Murrow and several regional Emmys. In his 40 years in the nation's capital, he says he has covered everything from the White House to the crack house. His focus at WJLA has mainly been the District of Columbia government, life and crime. He is extremely interested in history, particularly Black history. He traces some of his ancestry to slaves owned by American Indians in Oklahoma. He is a voting citizen of the Cherokee Nation. It turns out that his father’s ancestors likely came from what today is Nigeria. Ford learned that from the new method of tracing roots through DNA. Ford has traveled to Nigeria twice looking for further clues as to his ancestry. He was married to journalist and media specialist Gloria Murry Ford for 40 years until her death in 2021. They have a son and a daughter: Murry Ford, a hospital vice president in Atlanta, Georgia and Gina Ford, a strategic communications director in Maryland. Sam, a Kansas native, is a graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White Journalism School. He did graduate studies at the University of Minnesota. Sam is an active member of the historic Ebenezer United Methodist Church on Capitol Hill, where he is lay leader and an occasional organist for Sunday morning worship services.

• Event guidelines are subject to change.
• Please email us at at least 14 days in advance at [email protected] should you need any accommodations to attend this event.
• Parking is limited. Ridesharing highly encouraged.
• Photographs may be taken during the event WITHOUT FLASH.
• Please tag us and use #mahoganybooks, #blackbooksmatter, #DontMuteMoe on social media.

-- Let's have an amazing evening, The MahoganyBooks Team

Host or Publisher MahoganyBooks