Art and the Freedom Struggle: A Workshop on Mumia Abu-Jamal, Art, Incarceration, and Creating Activation Space with Melaine Ferdinand-King
Workshop aims to spark engaged activity on the local level related to issues of mass incarceration, and spirited dialogue on the importance of responding creatively in times of political duress.
Saturday, May 25 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Willis Reading Room
John Hay Library
In person only. Free and open to the public.
Co-sponsored by the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice.
The workshop will employ the research Melaine Ferdinand-King, Curator and Ph.D. Candidate, Africana Studies, conducted to curate the exhibition Art and the Freedom Struggle: The Works of Mumia Abu-Jamal, on view at the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice through July 19, 2024.
Attendee participants will receive:
- Brief overview of the creative process engaged to produce the exhibition
- Images of the current exhibit installation
- Background information on Melaine Ferdinand-King’s conceptualization of creating activation space(s)
- Recent report on the conditions in U.S. federal prisons
After remarks by Melaine Ferdinand-King and Christopher West, Curator of the Black Diaspora at the John Hay Library, attendees will be invited to explore these questions:
- How do you understand the relationship between art and politics?
- What struggles are you trying to overcome?
- In what ways are you creative?
Attendees will receive resources for further research and advocacy about the rights of the incarcerated.