2. – Learning to DJ – Entrepreneurship
– MC/ Rapping – Leadership
– Graffiti – Recognizing Assets
– Visual Art – Community Organizing
*Lectures are part of Spring, Summer, and Fall workshops held annually at
the New Community for Children in D.C

3. The music you are hearing is
from “Cipher”, one of the cd’s
produced by youth of the
Midnight forum program.
Major social change issues
addressed by the lyrics on this
cd:
1. 'The Intro (ft. Antonio & DJFreestyle)'
• HIV Awareness 2. 'WAR (ft. Antonio & Domo)'
• Gentrification 3. 'In Case You Didn't Know (ft. Gabby & Antonio)'
4. 'Recession Blues (ft. Nate & Erix)'
• The Recession/ Youth jobs 5. 'Today's News (ft. Domo & Antonio)'
• Protecting the Environment 6. 'Move It On (ft. Gabby, Antonio & Domo)'
7. 'It's Me (ft. Domo & DJFreestyle)'
8. 'Who We Are (ft. Antonio & Gabby)'
9. 'The River (ft. Nate & G-Sharp)'
10. 'I Gotta Live Here (ft. Nate & G-Sharp)'
11. 'Bonus Beat (ft. DJFreestyle)'

4. THAT’S , WHAT ELSE DO THEY DO?
Past projects put together
by students include:
• Midnight Forum Mix
CD (volume 1 and 2)
• Mt. Pleasant St. graffiti/
murals
• W.A.Y. too cool to
smoke party
The staff members also host
promo parties at nightclubs
around the D.C area
Midnight Forum also has a
L.E.A.P program that reaches
out to elementary students
from 1st- 6th grades

5. The D.C. Mural Initiative is a collaboration of D. C. Commission
on the Arts and Humanities, Councilman Jim Graham of D.C’s
Ward 1, and non profit youth organizations including Midnight
Forum, Words Beats Life, and Albus Cavus, along with
professional artists in the area.
Their intent is to minimize illegal graffiti by encouraging youth
to create positive graffiti murals around the city.

6. “My Murals program has taken
off. With the DC Commission on
the Arts and the Humanities
(DCCAH), and the Department
of Public Works (DPW) and the
Midnight Forum we produced
seven new murals
today, October 26, 2010.
Here I am with the artist.”
– Councilman Jim Graham
The event was held in front of the Ward 1 mural located in the 700 block of Columbia
Road, NW at the new Bruce Monroe Park (Afterwards we took a tour of the other 6 murals
throughout the city. I launched the MuralsDC program in 2007, to combat the growing trend of
illegal graffiti and reduce urban blight. DPW receives $100,000 in funding for the program through
my committee, the Committee on Public Works, and works with DCCAH and the Midnight
Forum, a non-profit after school arts program, to locate potential mural sites and artists. By pairing
local artists with District youth, the program provides a positive learning environment for youth to
express their artistic talent, respect public and private property, and gain greater community
appreciation.
Through the program, 27 works of public art have been installed throughout Wards
1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, since its inception. Murals are installed in neighborhoods, or on
properties, hardest hit by graffiti.
*material on this page is from Graham’s blog, “DC Unveils Seven New Public Art Murals”, http://grahamwone.com, accessed on 4
Dec. 2010

7. The Murals done by the Midnight Forum
can be found around D.C.
in the 1st, 7th, and 8th wards.
They began in Ward 1, where they have
received continued support from Councilman
Jim Graham

8. Executive Director of the Midnight Forum, DJ “Tru”
Painter, also started a radio program on WPFW called
“Decipher”, which now has various sub- programs for
music and advocacy. “Decipher” archives can be found
on WPFW website, as seen below:

11. • Visit Midnight Forum’s website at:
http://www.midnightforum.org
• Updates on the DC murals:
http://www.scoop.it/t/dc-mural-
initiative
• Decipher’s Show on WPFW:
http://www.wpfwfm.org/programming/
archived-shows.html