Join us for an action packed afternoon of learning and exchange, highlighting the artists, people and projects advancing equity and bringing us closer to our shared humanity. Using the power of story to bring people together, we are inviting a cross section of artists, community members, descendant family members, curators, historians, activists, poets, and scholars to be "Free to Speak!" presenting lightning talks on a variety of powerful entry points connected to the Hear Me Now exhibition and its themes. Our afternoon will be guided by museum changemaker, social justice curator, and expert facilitator Monica O. Montgomery and also includes roundtable discussions among participants, summary segments to recap and synthesize important ideas, and a graphic notetaker creating vivid illustrations of all that is being shared.
The afternoon will feature three "lightning rounds" with the following featured speakers:
1:00pm - 2:15pm:
Nandi Comer, Poet Laureate of Michigan
Tonya Matthews, President & CEO, International African American Museum
Wayne O’Bryant, storyteller, activist, and public speaker
Yodit Mesfin Johnson, activist and poet
2:30pm - 3:45pm:
Mary Elliott, Curator of American Slavery, NMAAHC
James Claiborne, Senior Vice President of Exhibitions and Programs, The Wright Museum
Beverly Willis, historian & storyteller from Washtenaw County
4:00pm - 5:30pm:
With descendants of Old Edgefield potter David Drake: Pauline Baker, Wanda Holmes, and Fortune Carolina, Jr.
This program is part "Free To Speak! A Convening on Art, Slavery and Reconciliation", a 2-day celebration of Black creativity, agency, and memory. Inspired by UMMA’s presentation of Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina, 'Free to Speak' hopes to contribute to urgent national conversations about racial justice while exploring what it means to exhibit materials made by enslaved people in Southeast Michigan, especially in light of the region’s relationships to the Underground Railroad, the Great Migration, the explosion of Black music and culture, and ongoing racial protest and liberation movements. Part storytelling, part scholarly deep dive, the discussions and diverse perspectives that emerge will offer new possibilities to inspire change in the arts and culture field.
For the full convening schedule and to RSVP, click here.
