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William (Phresh Ingredient) Clarke IV’s connection to the humanities didn't start in a classroom. Inspired by hip-hop magazines, video jockeys, and sports commentators from a young age, Phresh recalls, “Storytelling was always pulling at me before I knew what to call it.” Today, he specializes in documentary portraiture and long-form photojournalism, focusing on individuals who are often overlooked. His work goes far beyond capturing a moment. “My goal is always to build spaces where those people feel genuinely seen,” he says. “I'm always asking, whose humanity is being honored here, and how do we do it with integrity?"
Phresh joined the HumanitiesDC 2026 Community Journalism Program (CJP) to enhance his existing visual storytelling skills through journalism methodology. "I've always worked visually, but I wanted to sharpen the written side of documenting community," he says. This work is deeply personal to Phresh: "As a Black man...I've always been hyper aware of how our stories get told, who's telling them, and what happens when they don't get told at all." Today, Phresh views the very same media that inspired his younger self as an important form of journalism, documenting and preserving culture, by and for the community.
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Phresh is looking forward to building on his own practice of community journalism this fall at MICA’s Photography, Media & Society MFA program. He shares, "I'm stepping into MICA with a clearer sense of purpose and a sharper understanding of what it truly means to create for the community."
We are thrilled to celebrate Phresh as the first member of our 2026 cohort to have his CJP article published. His piece, “How ‘beautification’ threatens DC’s treasured skate spots,” features both his reporting and original photography, and is now live on Medium via 730DC.
Visit phreshingredient.com and check out his Instagram @phreshingredient to see his work and learn more about his latest project, the Phresh Portrait Pull Up Pop Up.
| | | Experience hometown DC – On View June 18 in All Eight Wards | | |
Launching June 18, hometown DC is a community-driven oral history and outdoor exhibition project coming to a DC Public Library location in every ward this June through September 2026. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, this project turns the spotlight on locals, centering the voices of long-term residents and new arrivals alike, to offer a complex portrait of what it means to call the nation’s capital home in the year 2026.
Featuring 16 interactive outdoor cube installations and two free public events, hometown DC invites visitors to explore new oral histories from 21 Washingtonians sharing stories of arrival, belonging, and pride. These narratives are presented in conversation with archival interviews, local artwork, and historic photographs to highlight DC's vibrant tapestry of communities, cultures, and experiences across all eight Wards.
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Visit the cubes this summer at a DC Public Library location near you! Locations include: Bellevue/William O. Lockridge, Chevy Chase, Deanwood, Georgetown, Mount Pleasant, Southwest, Takoma, and Woodridge, culminating with a final display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.
Created in Collaboration
hometown DC is a joint project of HumanitiesDC, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the DC History Center, and DC Public Library. Together, we are proud to celebrate the diverse voices and enduring spirit of Washington, DC.
Click here to read the full press release. More information coming soon!
| | Barry Farms by Jermaine "jET" Carter (2023). Courtesy of the Art Bank Collection, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. | | |
DC/DOX 4th Annual Documentary Film Festival | June 11-14
The DC/DOX 4rd Annual Documentary Film Festival, supported in part by HumanitiesDC, is once again celebrating bold voices, innovative visions, and dedicated truth-seekers in the art of non-fiction storytelling.
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Join us at DC[FRAME] to celebrate the work of Washington, DC-area filmmakers showcasing stories deeply rooted in place, memory, and community. From artists and educators whose legacies continue to shape the city’s cultural life to intimate explorations of belonging, migration, and identity, these films reflect the many ways place is inherited, claimed, and transformed. Together, they form a portrait of a city—and of the people whose lives and creativity continue to define it.
The DC[FRAME] Shorts Program will take place at Regal Gallery Place, 701 7th St NW.
Shorts Program: Of This Place | SOLD OUT
Friday, June 12 | 8:30 - 9:45 PM
Shorts Program: Afterimages | Get Tickets
Saturday, June 13 | 2:30 - 4:00 PM
| | | Guests are encouraged to join the standby line for day of tickets to the sold out June 12 program. Click here to learn more about DC/DOX and to view the festival schedule. | | |
Oral History Interviewing Workshop | Register - Only a Few Spots Left!
Monday, June 15, 6:00 - 8:00 PM | MLK Library, 901 G St NW (401c Conference Center)
This core workshop in the DC Oral History Collaborative workshop series will provide participants strategies to make the interview experience rewarding for the interviewer and the narrator. Beyond research and planning, attendees will co-create strategies for navigating challenging interview dynamics and refine their skills through hands-on practice with their peers.
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Master Teacher: Foundation to Future Soul Exhibit
June 4-30 | Learn More
Manifest 002, Union Market District, 1242 3rd St NE
| Presented by SoulLife Foundation, this public humanities exhibition examines the federal recognition of Black Music Month. Archival photographs by photojournalist Ron St. Clair are set in historical context, connecting that political moment to the music, communities, and advocates who made it happen. | | | | |
Sun Ra: Do the Impossible Screening | Register
Friday, June 5 | 7:00 - 10:00 PM
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW
| Join Home Rule Music and Film Preservation Foundation for a special screening of Sun Ra: Do the Impossible, a powerful documentary exploring the life, legacy, and boundless imagination of musician and visionary artist, Sun Ra. Stay after the screening for an intimate Q&A panel featuring key film contributors. | | | | |
DC Day of Archaeology | Register
Saturday, June 6 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Catholic University Lawn, 620 Michigan Ave NE
| Local families are invited to discover the past and learn about the clues under our feet at the DC Day of Archaeology Festival, a free, family-friendly that brings history to life through hands-on activities. Hosted by Archaeology in the Community, this annual festival will take place outside the Pryzbyla Center. | | FOLLOW US FOR HUMANITIES HIGHLIGHTS, UPDATES, AND MORE: | | | | |
