The D.C. Go-Go Museum & Cafe is marking one year since opening its doors in Anacostia, celebrating the city’s homegrown sound and the young people helping keep it alive.
The milestone was marked with live go-go music filling the museum, reflecting the culture the institution works to preserve.
For founder and CEO Ronald Moten, the first year has been about building a space that lives beyond its walls.
“This is a living museum. We made a lot of progress. We had over 50 events in the last year. We support over 150 creatives, bands, artists, photographers, sound men, executives, children with youth programs,” Moten said.
A major focus, he added, is helping young people understand both their community and themselves.
“The way you love your community is to know the history of your community,” he said.
But Moten said the museum’s progress has come despite significant financial challenges. He noted that many staff members, including himself, have worked for modest pay or volunteered their time.
He also said that while other museums operate with budgets well over $1 million, his team has had to stretch far less. Daily operations, from changing exhibits to paying utilities, remain difficult to cover.
“For us to get what we really want to get and then go to the next phase — in four or five years, where we want to go up and do artist housing with the three buildings that we own — we need support,” he said.
Still, he said the museum is determined to keep going as it seeks more resources.
At-Large D.C. Council member Robert White said a connection with young people is essential to preserving the future of go-go.
“When I see young people in this city, I want to make sure they understand go-go,” White said.
The museum has become a place where students learn about the history and roots of go-go, a style of music that is deeply tied to the District.
Bryce Lawrence interned at the museum over the summer, guiding visitors and sharing the history she learned.
“I worked here in the summertime. … Basically, showing people around and talking about the history of the Go-Go Museum,” she said.
The experience, she said, reshaped how she views the city’s signature sound.
“Go-go is in D.C. It’s made in D.C., and D.C. is keeping it alive,” she said.
Another Anacostia High School student, Bryanna McCray, said one lesson stood out most during her time at the museum.
“My favorite lesson was about Chuck Brown and how he got guitar lessons in jail, and he did not graduate high school,” she said.
She said that story resonated with her because she grew up hearing her family play his music.
The museum also offers hands-on opportunities for interns who help with events and learn how the museum connects visitors to D.C.’s music history.
Moten said those experiences remain central to the museum’s mission.
“We’re teaching people how you’re supposed to live. And throughout history, music and culture have always been an intricate part of that,” he said.
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