Category: blog

On July 13, the Center for Afrofuturist Studies’ artist-in-residence, Antoine Williams, held an event entitled “Antoine Williams in Conversation with LaTanya Autry and Tiffany Holland.” This conversation brought together the dynamic and influential voices of a historian, cultural organizer, and artist, who explored a range of topics that emerged from Williams’ digital project --- Black Fusionist Society (BFS). At this talk, Williams posed the question: How can we use history, politics, and arts to understand Black identity and humanity in both our past, present, imaginative future? Arguably, Williams’ project offers the needed answers to this reflective question.

Think about current events taking place in our nation and our state. What does present day activism look like to you? What different types of activism have you seen and practiced in recent weeks or months? The Virtual Writing Project…

Read More The African American Museum of Iowa’s Virtual Writing Project gathers stories about 21st century activism

Writing this blog entry has been a challenge. I have struggled to figure out what to say and how best to say it, how to express the volume of internal work this summer has kicked up. Many of my colleagues…

Read More What happens when a project is bigger than it appeared?

As a creative wing of a University that “seeks to advance scholarly and creative endeavors through leading-edge research and artistic production,” Hancher has done much to assist the creation of new pieces of performance art. It has commissioned more than 100 new works in its nearly 50 years of existence and its initiatives—such as the recent Embracing Complexity program—work to bring diverse voices to the stage.

This summer, I began my work as a summer intern at the Center for Afrofuturist Studies (CAS), an artist residency program that reimagines the futures of marginalized people by creating dynamic workspaces for artists of color. This new experience coincided with a pandemic, along with protests for racial justice and calls for the dismantlement of institutionalized racism.

This summer, I am working with Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development to create an audio documentary series on their Grow Johnson County initiative, a hunger relief and educational farm initiative. Working on 5 acres of land at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, the project grows a variety of fruits and vegetables that go directly to local food assistance agencies across the county, which according to Iowa Valley RC&D Food Systems Director Jake Kundert is currently home to over 20,000 food insecure people.

A central part of the programming work at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is working in and with Cedar Rapids schools. The K-12 Learning Specialist at the museum organizes student-centered project-based learning curriculum that the museum then…

Read More Fossil Identities and Digital Literacy

“During the pandemic I have been very careful and cautious about not being in public places and especially indoor spaces. However, the opportunity to co-facilitate the creation of a mural to empower and heal the community took precedence over my…

Read More Black Lives Persist

“At rows of blank-looking counters sat rows of blank-looking girls, with blank, white folders in their blank hands, all blankly folding blank paper.”