Who shapes our memory? As my long-time readers know, I have a strong interest in history. Like many others, I believe understanding history is key to understanding our present, and essential if we are to create new frameworks for the … Continue reading Holding History
Public art and monuments can influence the collective narrative. They can provoke new possibilities or perpetuate old systems. They can impact identity and self-perception. Today I am reflecting on the public art of the When Women Disrupt tour and on Confederate … Continue reading Disrupt and Dismantle
I first heard the phrase “collective narrative” from Darin Waters, PhD in 2014 and it lit up my mind. His insights awakened me to the impact the stories we are immersed in have on how we see ourselves and each other. How our society operates. … Continue reading The Collective Narrative
Yesterday, within the space of a few hours, I found myself being moved to tears by three stories. Today I will share them with you. The first story, “Saving Nina Simone’s Birthplace as an Act of Art and Politics,” is … Continue reading Being Moved
This week I have the good fortune of being at the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival on Virginia Key in Miami, FL. This festival is the sister to the Fingerlakes Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY and the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival … Continue reading Miami and Asheville
This is a belated but still relevant post about last December’s announcement by the Lonely Planet naming Asheville, NC as the “#1 Best in the U.S. Travel 2017 Destination.” With the announcement came this video: Sigh. When it came out, … Continue reading It can be a Lonely Planet when people are rendered invisible
Let’s jump into January! There is a lot going on this month… Upcoming Events: Tips for Teens All month, Firestorm Cafe & Books is giving their tips to Word on the Street. I love Firestorm and I love WOTS! Be sure to … Continue reading Jump Into January
My October piece for the Urban News is about an upcoming event that is being produced by Sheneika Smith of Date My City in partnership with Buncombe County and the UNC Asheville African Americans in WNC Conference (more details on … Continue reading Awesome Events + More
TONIGHT “Last fall, UNC Asheville was gifted more than 1,000 photographs by artist Isaiah Rice, including many shots taken locally from the ’50s to the ’70s. ‘What people will see in these photos is a different Asheville as far as … Continue reading Isaiah Rice Photos, Word on the Street, Southside
The Game is Rigged The devastating cumulative impact of centuries of systemic racism on blacks in this country cannot be underestimated. It is way past time to face the fact that whites have been benefiting from a game that is … Continue reading Asheville, Invest in Black-led Solutions
