Washington, DC History & Culture

We invite you to join us for our latest film history livestream program: "Dolley Madison: America's First Lady", starring Eve Best in the title role.

The first portion of our two-part program (approximately 15-20 minutes) will be a brief overview of the "Dolley Madison: America's First Lady" film, including the historical context, things to look for, accuracy, etc.
The second portion of our two-part program will be a full screening of the "Dolley Madison: America's First Lady" film (90 minutes).
During and after the screening you'll have the opportunity to discuss the film with your fellow participants via Zoom.

Dolley Madison lived through the two wars that established the U.S., was friends with the first 12 Presidents, and watched America evolve from a struggling young republic to the first modern democracy in the world. She was nicknamed “Queen Dolley,” and when she died in 1849 at the age of 81 — one of the last remaining members of the founding generation - Washington City honored her with the largest state funeral the capital had ever seen for a woman.

Born prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Dolley Payne grew up during a time when the country was striving to develop an identity. The daughter of strict Quaker parents, Dolley showed an early interest in contemporary dress and gossip - what her friends considered the evil temptations of the material world. Growing up in the capital city of Philadelphia presented many social opportunities for Dolley, but she acquiesced to her father's wishes that she marry a young Quaker lawyer, John Todd. After only three years of marriage, though, Dolley’s husband died of Yellow Fever in an epidemic that also claimed her youngest son. Widowed and a single parent, she soon met U.S. Congressional Representative James Madison. Four months later, the couple married.

When James Madison became the fourth President of the United States in 1809, Dolley assumed the then ill-defined role of presidential wife. Throughout the world, other nations were ruled by kings and emperors who communicated their power and legitimacy through bejeweled crowns and thrones. In the still new America, and in its capital of Washington, the rules of presidential behavior in a democratic republic had not yet been established by the time the Madisons came to Washington.

As the president's wife, Dolley Madison created a uniquely American style - one that combined power with republican values. She presided over the first Inaugural Ball in Washington, opening it to the public; she took charge of transforming the President's House into a public space that was both elegant and democratic; and as her successors have done ever since, she adopted a social cause of her own, raising funds for an orphanage and advocating for children left parentless by the War of 1812.

Hosting weekly socials where Washington’s elite could mingle in an unofficial capacity, Dolley Madison ushered in a new era of bipartisanship and behind-the-scenes politicking. After the War of 1812, when several politicians talked of abandoning the ravaged capitol and returning to Philadelphia, Dolley Madison continued to host social events, sending a clear message to influential members of Congress and Washington society that Washington was not beyond repair.

Over time, Dolley Madison earned a reputation as skillful diplomat, humanitarian, style icon, and politically savvy hostess. She defined the role of the President's wife and became, in effect, America's first First Lady, and in the process changed the face of the American presidency.

Dolley Madison features Tony Award-nominee Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) as Dolley Madison and Tony Award-winner Jefferson Mays as James Madison (I Am My Own Wife).

Film Trailer:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/dolley/#part01

***

Diana Ross, The Solo Years, 1970 - Present: Music History Livestream

Let’s travel back in time to hear the beautiful music of Diana Ross. This particular program will focus on Diana’s solo years, from 1970 to present, as we have a separate program that features Diana’s years with the Supremes. In addition to listening to great music we’ll also weave in other historical and cultural aspects from this area.
Our program coincides with Diana’s 81st birthday - March 26 (belated).
Group participation of the music with your fellow participants via Zoom.

Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo music career with the release of her eponymous debut solo album. She went on to release 26 studio albums, including Touch Me in the Morning (1973), Diana Ross (1976), Diana (1980), Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1981) and Swept Away (1984). Her singles "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Touch Me in the Morning", "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)", "Love Hangover", "Upside Down" and "Endless Love", all topped the Billboard Hot Hot, making her the female solo act with the most number-one songs in the United States at the time. Her success continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s with global hits, including "I'm Coming Out", "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", "All of You", "Chain Reaction", "If We Hold on Together", and "When You Tell Me That You Love Me".

Ross has also achieved mainstream success and recognition as an actress. Her first role was her Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which made her the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for a debut film performance. The film's soundtrack became her only solo album to reach number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. She also starred in two other feature films, Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), and later appeared in the television films Out of Darkness (1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and Double Platinum (1999).

Ross was named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" by Billboard in 1976. Since her solo career began in 1970, Ross has sold over 100 million records worldwide. She is the only female artist to have had U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles as a solo artist, as the other half of a duet, as a member of a trio, and as an ensemble member, a total of 18. In 2021, Billboard ranked her the 30th greatest Hot 100 artist of all time. Her hits as a Supreme and a solo artist combined put Ross among the top-five artists on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from 1955 to 2018. She has scored a top 75 U.K. hit single for a record 33 consecutive years (1964–1996). In 1988, Ross was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes, and is one of the rare performers to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was the recipient of a Special Tony Award in 1977, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and 2023 (becoming the first woman to win the award twice, the latter as a member of the Supremes), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

***