AFROFUTURISM Conference: Designing new narratives to empower the African Diaspora

Though a series of Art Happenings, Performances, Lectures, Panels, Workshops, 
Theater Pieces, Film, Music, Community Events and more we will collectively deconstruct Afrofuturism with structured themes as our lens' such as "NARRATIVE AS TECHNOLOGY," "PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE MOVEMENTS," & "AESTHETICS REVOLUTION."

Join panelists Jamal T. Lewis, Joshua Allen, Juliana Huxtable, and Kiyan Williams for a conversation on gender, prison abolition, and afro futurism. 

In light of recent social and political events, it is a crucial time for students, activists, artists, leaders, and educators to gather in collaborative spaces to build community with and learn from one another. The goal of this gathering will be to bridge gaps and build connections between those working at the intersections of arts, activism, and education within the New School community with the larger NYC community. Made up of workshops, panels, and performances, this event will create a space for artivists to share resources and build a stronger network of people who are doing similar work in NYC.
 

After a great deal of organizing toward the end of last year, many of us were feeling severe burn-out, but this is an opportunity to share, create, revive our spirits, and march forward. The student led workshops and skillshares will be an opportunity to better support one another’s initiatives across NYC organizations and build new strategies for the future.

Join panelists Jamal T. Lewis, Anthony Rosado, Samora Pinderhughes, Yvonne H. Chow and Safi Thomas for a conversation on creative entrepreneurship. 

Join us for our third film screening of the MMA 2015 Film Series 'Moving from the Margins.'

Our third of six films to be screened will be the 1989 semi-documentary film, 'Tongues Untied.' Directed by the illustrious Marlon Riggs, the film blends documentary footage with personal account and fiction in an attempt to depict the specificity of black gay identity. The "silence" referred to throughout the film is that of black gay men, who are unable to express themselves because of the prejudices of white and black heterosexual society, as well as the white gay society. The documentary dealt with the simultaneous critique of the politics of racism, homophobia and exclusion as they are intertwined with contemporary sexual politics. Furthermore, Riggs’ work challenged television’s generic boundaries of conformity during the late 80s and early 90s. 

The film screening will be following by a panel discussion with Jamal T. Lewis, a Community Organizer, Media Maker and Graduate Student in The School of Media Studies at the New School along with Camilo Godoy a Visual Artist/Activist and a graduate of Parsons The New School for Design.

Co-sponsored by The New School, Safe Zone, Queer Collective, and The New School Student Health Services