The museum’s virtual grand opening took place in June 2020 with a conversation with author Ta-Nehisi Coates (an early go-go scholar) and live-streamed performances by the First Ladies of Go-Go during the Covid-19 pandemic. On November 15, 2023, the Mobile Go-Go Museum topped with a live stage and interactive exhibits was unveiled during a ground-breaking ceremony at the physical site of the museum in Anacostia with an event with filmmaker Spike Lee. Along with the go-go band EU, Lee created “Da Butt” the iconic go-go dance, video, and party anthem during his 1988 musical film “School Daze.” The museum is leading an ever-expanding coalition of musicians, scholars, and advocates connecting go-go’s polyrhythms to their roots in West Africa and around the Diaspora through exhibitions, programs, partnerships, and international collaborations. The museum tells the foundational history true to the call-and-response nature of go-go with innovative cultural activities engaging longtime D.C. residents, newcomers, and tourists alike.
The physical site of the museum launched on February 19th, 2025, while fundraising continues to properly resource the premier cultural institution reflecting the city’s official music, heartbeat, and unstoppable spiritual force. While fundraising to support the activities, the museum has been bringing this go-go official legislation to life through collaborations with partners including the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the DC Public Library, Howard University, American University, and many other partners.
