Beyond her political career, state Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery) is known as a folk music devotee and promoter of myriad singer-songwriters. She has hosted a series of folk music concerts in her home for the past 16 years.
Since the election of President Trump, Kagan has merged her political work and her passion for music. Every January since Trump has taken office, coinciding roughly with the anniversary of his Jan. 20 swearing-in, and the women’s march that followed, she has organized an “UnNaugural” – a folk music concert that serves as a fundraiser for a variety of organizations.
In its first year, the UnNaugural raised money for five national advocacy groups whose work concert organizers believed would be threatened by Trump administration policies, like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. The proceeds from last year’s concert went to Maryland advocacy groups like the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Casa de Maryland.
The third annual UnNaugural is set for this Friday evening at 7:30 p.m., at Montgomery College’s Cultural Arts Center in downtown Silver Spring. The featured performers this year are John Flynn; Catie Curtis; Elana & Los Fulanos; Tom Prasada-Rao; and Cheryl Wheeler.
Proceeds this year will go to five local nonprofits: The Montgomery Housing Partnership; Umttr. (pronounced “you matter”), a youth suicide prevention group; the Interfaith Works Clothing Center; the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse; and Trash Free Maryland.
Ticket prices start at $75, but furloughed federal workers will be offered a discount. To learn more, go to https://www.unnaugural.org/.