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Often I wonder if my limited time on earth lends itself to my optimism. I live and work in a liberal city, many of my closest friends are artists, and I have always felt the most generous love from my mother. So, I think it’s fair to say, I’ve experienced a certain level of blindness when it comes to how the rest of the world thinks and feels. This blindness completely failed me, but I can no longer sit idle and not acknowledge the injustices I now unfortunately know all too well. I’ve had conversations with friends and colleagues about things we should be doing to build community during such a contentious political climate. Should we be attending more protests? How do we organize like-minded individuals? And a more terrifying thought, are we ready to put our literal bodies on the line to move the cause forward? After all, this isn’t an unrealistic question to

Storytelling is undoubtedly a powerful art form. Acclaimed films like The Help , Amistad , and most recently Detroit centers around black people’s narratives but are told through the lens of white artists. This sort of storytelling raises the question: who should tell stories around black experiences? While freedom of speech includes the art of storytelling, how authentic can stories by white creators about black experiences possibly be? Are these artists robbing black voices of a story that should be their own? I remember, going to see a play about the black experience with my brother as a teenager and I loved it. As the predominantly black cast took their bows in front of a predominantly white audience, I turned to my brother and asked his thoughts. He immediately replied, “it was okay, but you could tell the writers aren’t black.” He was correct. This is not a new dilemma. Co-opting stories of marginalized voices

After attending an open-mic poetry session hosted by APIARY Magazine this weekend, one thing became abundantly clear: artists of color are hauntingly talented. I’m talking about the type of talent that keeps you awake at night, the type of talent that bring tears to your eyes, the type of talent that affirms all is not lost in this world, despite the current political discourse. Artists of color who find ways to create moments of peace through their art, I applaud you. Artists of color who strive to tell the truth even when it’s raw and gritty, I applaud you. I applaud you because you give voice to those who are often excluded from conversations held in mainstream spaces. Artists of color reflect our lived realities and remind us that we deserve to be seen, heard, and acknowledged. It’s rare that I find myself at a loss for words, but seeing artists of color from all

While in Chicago for the Open Engagement conference, I noticed a group of folks scribbling Sharpies across brown paper broadsides on the Peoria Street Walking Bridge. In bold, black letters, each sheet prompted participants to list the things they hold space for. After each entry, the broadsides were adhered to the stone wall of the walking bridge, so that with each step pedestrians could meet visible calls to create room for some of the world’s most vulnerable and often overlooked people, places, concepts, and causes. The heel of my black oxford boot sets an almost-rhythmic pace as I walk by each broadside, the Sears Tower looming in the distance. They read: “WE HOLD SPACE FOR…” black lives public education queer voice native lives disagreement environmental protection trans lives healthcare reform immigrants (from anywhere) scientific research fat folks reproductive justice the future ...And the list goes on. This installation, a collaboration between Megan Young and Angela

At this point in my life, I’m no stranger to work conferences. There’s some travel, some question if any outfit can be both serious and interesting, and a lot of presenting my "Best Professional Self." They’re usually educational and always exhausting. The Allied Media Conference is, happily, an entirely different experience. Everyone is encouraged to see each other as more than their “Work Selves,” because we acknowledge that we bring our whole selves to the hard work of remaking the world to better reflect all of our needs. Formally, the AMC focuses on media-based organizing strategies. In practice, it provides a range of ways for people in nonprofit, art, social change, and communications fields to engage in personal and community healing and liberation. That’s a heady and fairly opaque way to describe 4 days in Detroit, so here are some concrete ways I’m bringing this thinking back to my daily life at CultureWorks. The How

At CultureWorks, I spend a lot of time thinking about our staff. The folks we have around the table and those perspectives that are missing. We are in the midst of what may come to be significant growth here in Philadelphia and nationally for CultureWorks. Given that human interaction, empathy, and flourishing for all is at the center of our work, thoughtfully building our staff is more important than anything. I am a white woman that has experienced a lifetime of educational, economic, employment, and security (to name a few) privilege. My privilege and socialization over the past 35 years has informed the racial, gender, age, ability, economic, education, and geographic biases that I both consciously and unconsciously carry with me in my daily interactions and decisions. Last month, I represented CultureWorks at the Philanthropy Network conference. This is a conference that brings together funders and organizations to talk about issues facing the way we

Warrior Writers' mission is to create a culture that articulates veterans' experience, provides a creative community for artistic expression, and bears witness to the lived experiences of warriors. Founded in 2007, Warrior Writers is celebrating their 10th birthday this year with a series of parties and readings in cities across the nation showcasing the written works of their members. As part of Radio Silence , a collaborative project with Mural Arts, Warrior Writers will host a public spoken word performance on Independence Mall on June 29th at 6PM; this performance will feature both US Military veterans and Iraqi refugees, and will serve as the launch of a podcast featuring conversations, music, and poetry between these two groups. The podcast will air on WPPM PhillyCAM Radio 106.5 FM and community radio stations across the country in partnership with Prometheus Radio Project and Public Radio Exchange (PRX). To find out more, check out Warrior Writers’ website ,

Established in 2012, PHLAFF is the Greater Philadelphia region’s only festival showcasing the extraordinary and innovative work of emerging and established Latin American and Latino filmmakers. Not only does PHLAFF showcase and nurture these filmmakers, but the organization also celebrates the richness and diversity of Latin American/Latino experiences, and fosters cross-cultural understanding and dialogue. PHLAFF fulfills this mission not only through their festival but through additional events such as the upcoming RESIST/RELEASE, a jam-packed evening of dance, film, music, and mucho sabor revolving around Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latino diasporas, in collaboration with AfroTaino Productions and the Institute of Contemporary Art . To learn more about PHLAFF, see the festival schedule, and buy tickets, visit: phlaff.org ; check out their recent Metro + Al Día articles; or follow them on all social media at @PHLatinFilmFest!

Looking for something to do this weekend? Be sure to make time for 11 Days Of Love before the series closes. Jos Duncan created the city-wide event to help people envision the changes that should come to the city and the country. "It gives opportunities for people to express themselves,to write, to dance, to create, to really connect personally to what the idea of love means to them," Jos shared on NewsWorks Tonight . Jos Duncan, filmmaker, storyteller, and producer established Love Now Media in 2016 to empower communities to share their narratives. The organization offers storytelling workshops , consulting , publications , and video production programming for people to share intimate stories of revolutionary love. Be sure to check out the web series featuring feel good stories that are sure to put a smile on your face. To stay updated on the organization, be sure to follow them on all social media at @LoveNowMedia!

A new kind of star power is being released on the world. Chinazo Enigwe, Founder of KAMSI magazine is aiming to show more representations for women of color in the media. Launched in 2016, KAMSI is a fashion and lifestyle magazine for sophisticated millennials of color. The digital magazine covers everything from trends and red carpet fashion to life and dating tips, as well as interesting feature pieces. Chinazo is dedicated to the camaraderie of black sisterhood and to promoting positive images of people of color as well as inspiring positive change. KAMSI is tailored to add creative inspiration to the young, chic woman's lifestyle. The publication thoughtfully talks about black women’s experiences in America, and covers topics like beauty standards, empowerment, culture, and the shared parts of our history. To stay updated on the organization, be sure to follow them on social media at @kamsimagazine!