Black Women as/and the Living Archive

How do black communities preserve their history? For generations it was done through folklore or viva voce: mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and wives all passing stories to each other and those around them as what Tsedaye Makonnen describes as “living archives.” Through Black Women as/and the Living Archive, the interdisciplinary artist has curated an exhibit of film, literature, performance, and discussion to initiate “a conversation about the modes in which black women encode, preserve, and share memory through community.” The exhibit thus far has included a virtual double-feature of Alisha Wormsley’s Children of NAN: Mothership and Li Harris’ Cry of the Third Eye: The Last Resort; a reading from N.K. Jemisin’s How Long ‘til Black Future Month? by Ola Ronke Akinmowo, the creator of the Free Black Women’s Library; and a new performance by interdisciplinary artist Autumn Knight as a companion to Wormsley’s film. There are two more events slated for June: a storytelling-dance hybrid performance by choreographer Jasmine Hearn on June 10 and a closing discussion with all of the participants on June 13. Past and future events are available to stream at wpadc.org. Free. —Kaila Philo

This post has been updated with the rescheduled date of Hearn’s performance.