“We use our craft, our artistry to uplift people. Despite our location, it has not deterred our Black consciousness. We have not left the community. I am physically removed from the community but I am spiritually connected as long as there is 1 Black brother or Black sister in the world in bondage, there is no freedom for me. We are all in the same darkness.”
Harry Belafonte, Activist, Actor, Singer/Songwriter and Humanitarian
On June 11, we continue Part 2 of the dialogue by focusing on the works and efforts of creatives, scholars and practitioners representing the African Diaspora from across the globe: Malawi, South Africa, Antigua, Costa Rica and Panama.
Joining us are:
Masauko Chipembere is a musician and activist. He was born in Los Angeles while his family was in exile from Malawi where they continue to battle for human rights and dignity for all.
Desirée Gordon is a cultural strategist and cultural producer with a special interest in the role of the arts and cultural heritages in catalyzing sustainable, radical, imaginative, holistic, and thriving communities. She has curated and produced art-based community engagement initiatives at The Brooklyn Museum, The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, The Schomburg Center, The Studio Museum in Harlem and the Brooklyn Arts Council.
Dr. Natasha Gordon-Chipembere holds a PhD in English. She is a writer, professor and founder of the Tengo Sed Writers Retreats. She writes on Slavery and AfroLatin@s in the Diaspora. In June 2014, she moved to Heredia, Costa Rica, her maternal homeland, with her husband and two children from Brooklyn, New York.
Javier Wallace is currently a Ph.D. candidate (A.B.D) in Physical Education Teacher Education at the University of Texas at Austin where he researches issues surrounding race, class, gender, labor migration, nationality, and transnationalism of athletes from the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. He is of U.S. and Panamanian heritage and has served as athletic director and physical educator in the Republic of Panama.
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