I’m pleased to announce that I currently have art work included in three exhibits– “Homage to Harriet” at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore (until June 5th); “Freedom Now,” sponsored by Senator Espaillat’s office on the 8th floor at the Harlem State Office Building on 125th (until April 5th); and “Harlem Memorabilia,” a fiber art exhibit being shown at 120th and Riverside (until March 29th). I’m honored to be in the company of some amazing fellow artists in these shows. If you are able make it to any or all of the above, I promise beauty and inspiration await…

Public Speaking + Public Service On Friday, February 22nd, Shani was one of the featured speakers at Roundtable 63.  The event was billed by the organizers 651 Arts as “an inter-generational modern day civil rights round table dialogue re-examining the relevance of the moral, social, political, educational and human rights issues of 1963 versus 2013.” We are pleased to announce that trainings are currently available for any organizations interested in learning about the methodology and implementation of the New York City Council Human Rights Report Card. Shani edited the 2012 publication which evaluates the legislative record of local politicians.  It is designed to advance the use of a human rights framework in policy evaluation and advocacy.  Please click the following links to schedule a training or order a copy of the report.

Next Up

In other news, Shani is excited and honored to have her artwork included in an upcoming exhibit dedicated to the legendary Harriet Tubman at “Baltimore’s premier facility highlighting the history and accomplishments of African Americans,” the Reginald F. Lewis museum.  A Smithsonian affiliate and the largest African American museum on the east coast, it is located near the Inner Harbor at the corner of Pratt and President Streets.

     Happy new year! As we embrace the promise of 2013, I am full of gratitude for all of the art and activism work of the past year.  2012 was packed with speaking engagements, publication opportunities, travel, art exhibits galore and community work that has nurtured my spirit. Several highlights are shared in this blog.

      If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to reach out via my recently revamped website, www.shanijamila.com. I look forward to hearing about the work you are engaged in and exploring ways we might collaborate. As always, thank you for your interest in and support of my work.

Shani

Visual and Performance Art

     Shani had three photo collage pieces included in  Rush Art’s “The Legacy of Romare,” a group show that featured contemporary women artists who are working in the tradition of the great Romare Bearden. She was also named one of the Bearden 100, an initiative that was formed to celebrate the centennial of Bearden’s birth.  Articulations is proud to co-sponsor an artists talk to celebrate Bearden’s lasting legacy– it was held at Corridor Gallery on Saturday January 5th.

      Shani’s quilt Ring Shout was included in a traveling exhibit called “Honoring Faith,” a tribute by the nation’s premiere fiber artists to the iconic Faith Ringgold.  The show was displayed at universities on both coasts, from New York to Washington, with Ringgold’s Tar Beach.

     In her beloved Brooklyn, Shani had work featured in several local galleries this year. One exhibit was held at the historic Dorsey’s Gallery to showcase the work of artists who have been fortunate to experience the tutelage of the incredible Otto Neals. Shani also had two pieces included in the  “Represent Brooklyn” exhibit at The Rising Arts Gallery, which features the work of practitioners from the community.

     On the poetry scene, Shani performed at Le Poisson Rouge with the deeply talented Burnt Sugar band during two summer shows.  She also participated in a poetry reading at  Queens College with Danny Simmons and Ekere Tallie, among others. She combined her love of dance and poetry during a performance at the Tekrema Cultural Arts Center in New Orleans with the Urban Bush Women‘s Summer Leadership Institute.

     Finally, several of her poems were published in Black Renaissance Noire (Volume 11, Issue 2-3| Winter/Spring 2012), edited by Quincy Troupe. Earl Lovelace and Patricia Smith are among the artists whose work is also featured in this issue.

Public Speaking + Public Service

     In May, Shani gave the keynote graduation address to the New York University Black Student Union. Having served as a panel moderator during their Dilemmas in the Black Mosaic conference a few months earlier, she was especially honored to be invited back in this capacity.

     She also traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to present at the Association for Women’s Rights in Development conference. Her speech was delivered in a session entitled  ”Austerity for the Poor, Bailouts for the Rich: Threats to Equality, Justice and Human Rights in the U.S.”

     Shani worked closely with the 2012 National Black Writers Conference, which featured legends like Haki Madhubuti, Sonia Sanchez, Tyehimba Jess, N’gugi wa Thiongo, Howard Dodson and more. She served as a Mistress of Ceremonies for the main event, and also led a pre-conference panel in conjunction with the Her Word As Witness exhibit at Restoration Plaza. The latter featured an all star lineup including Akiba Solomon, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Pam Newkirk, Jill Nelson and Joan Morgan.

     In her role as the Director of the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center, she had the opportunity to help organize the Reels for Rights: US Human Rights Media Arts Festival and Dancing While Black at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance.  In addition to her work behind the scenes, she moderated panels at both events that examined the intersection between the arts and human rights.

     In 2012 Shani began serving as a regular contributor to The Spin on New York City’s WBAI 99.5FM. Hosted by Esther Armah, this program features socio-political commentary from an array of cultural critics including dream hampton, asha bandele and Jamilah Lemieux. She also spoke on panels at the Women of Power conference hosted by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute and a forum on Global Women’s Empowerment at the Brecht Forum.  A range of topics came up for discussion in these varied venues, including images of women in the media, Black and Latina feminism, popular culture, art and social change.

     The year came to a close with the publication of YoYo/SO4 magazine, edited by Greg Tate and Latasha Diggs.  The most recent issue features an interview Shani conducted with author and media personality Toure, a critical exploration of the theories in his book Who’s Afraid of Post Blackness.

Spelman College Mural

Shani recently had her career in social justice recognized by her alma mater, Spelman College, who featured her portrait and quote in a permanent exhibition entitled “A Choice to Change the World.” Artist Therese McKee Huffman created a visual timeline that traces the history of Black women’s advocacy from 1881, when Spelman was founded, to the present day. Luminaries such as Alice Walker, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, and Michelle Obama were also among those featured.

Shani stated, “I am deeply honored to be included in this work amongst so many of my heroes. It makes me extremely proud to know that generations of Spelman women will be as inspired as I was by this demonstration of our institutional commitment to social justice.”

Next Up

Spelman College, September 2012: With the advent of this new school year, the Laura Spelman dorm reopened after having been renovated to house the college’s recently created Social Justice Fellows program. One of the highlights of the newly repurposed living and learning center is a visual timeline that was created to trace the history of Black women’s advocacy from 1881, when Spelman was founded, to the present day. Artist Therese McKee Huffman put together an absolutely beautiful montage of women who have made “A Choice to Change the World.” The faces on the wall include Fannie Lou Hamer, Michelle Obama, Ida B. Wells, Rosa Parks, Anna Julia Cooper, Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, Angela Davis, Toni Cade Bambara, Johnetta B. Cole, Alice Walker and the list goes on.

Seeing this mural in person was one of those moments that absolutely took my breath away!!!! I am awed, humbled and deeply honored to be included amongst so many of my sheroes in this permanent installation at my beloved alma mater. It makes me really proud to know that generations of Spelman women will be as inspired as I was by this demonstration of our institutional commitment to social justice.

A Choice to Change the World, (c) Inside Spelman

Spelman Mural

The Early Years

Shirley Chisolm

Toni Cade Bambara

Angela Davis

Shani Jamila (!!!)

Alice Walker

Home Economics Class

Spelman Seminary

Let her first steps be towards Spelman...

What a summer it’s been… and technically it ain’t over yet! For me, it’s been about visual art exhibits, dance and poetry performances, a bit of travel and the opportunity to speak to some of our most brilliant young minds as they graduate and set out to make this world theirs. I’m thankful for the opportunities. See below for a few highlights…

Visual Art Exhibit at the Historic Dorsey's Gallery

Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute Performance

Performing with the uber talented Burnt Sugar Arkestra

NYU Keynote, Black Student Union Graduation

NYU students celebrating their day!

Each one of these experiences was amazing in its own right, and each has inspired me to work harder and dream bigger. Shine, stars! That’s what we were created to do…

Hello lovelies,

You are cordially invited to join the Human Rights Project on Thursday evening, May 17th—HRP is partnering with Angela’s Pulse and the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance to present Dancing While Black: Voices from the Bush. This event is a fusion of dance and dialogue. It will feature an amazing show introducing new work from the most recent generation of choreographers to emerge from the acclaimed Urban Bush Women dance company. In addition, I will be moderating a pre-performance panel that will contextualize the work of the choreographers in a human rights frame.

I am very excited about this event, it promises to be a very special evening. If you are able to join us it would be lovely to see you there!

POSTSCRIPT– DANCING WHILE BLACK WAS A ROARING SUCCESS!

BRONX, NY – On Thursday May 17, 2012 the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center, Angela’s Pulse, and the Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance presented Dancing While Black, a panel and performance exploring the intersections of gender, race, and art. The event featured a panel conversation on equity in art, followed by new choreography from the latest generation of dancers to emerge from the internationally-acclaimed Urban Bush Women dance company.

The panel was moderated by Shani Jamila, Director of the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center. Panelists included Christal Brown, INSPIRIT dance company; Shalonda Ingram, Nursha Project; Greg Tate, cultural critic; Milta Vega-Cardona, People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond; and Marlies Yearby, choreographer.

“This evening presents an opportunity to explore Black artistic production within a human rights frame,” said Shani Jamila, Director of the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center. “Who polices our bodies and aesthetics? How do we articulate our own visions?”

The performance, curated by Paloma McGregor, featured dancers and choreographers who have come out of the renowned Urban Bush Women dance company, including Maria Bauman (MBDance), Marjani Forte (LoveForte) with Nia Love, Paloma McGregor (Angela’s Pulse), and Samantha Speis.

Founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, the Brooklyn-based Urban Bush Women dance company seeks to bring the untold and under-told histories and stories of disenfranchised people to light through dance. From a woman-centered perspective and as members of the African Diaspora community, their mission is to create a more equitable balance of power in the dance world and beyond. As with Dancing While Black, Urban Bush Women facilitates the use of art as a means of addressing issues of social justice and encouraging civic engagement.

“Dancing While Black is an initiative that will go beyond the boundaries of this one exquisite evening,” said Paloma McGregor, co-founder of Angela’s Pulse. “It is my attempt to create ongoing platforms for process, dialogue and experimentation. It aims to celebrate our multiplicity of visions, histories and potentials; to honor legacy and support innovation.”

About the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center:

The Human Rights Project is at the forefront of the U.S. human rights movement:  promoting new models of applying human rights to effectively advocate for systemic change across a range of issues.  Through capacity building, engagement in the international arena, government monitoring, policy advocacy, research and the use of the arts, HRP elevates the human rights framework.    For additional information on the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center, please visit www.hrpujc.org.

The Urban Justice Center is a unique organization which serves New York City’s most vulnerable residents through a combination of direct legal services, systemic advocacy, community education and political organizing. The Urban Justice Center’s unique structure involves ten discrete projects which work on various issues faced by politically marginalized communities in New York City.

About Angela’s Pulse:
Co-founded by Paloma and Patricia McGregor, Angela’s Pulse creates vital performance work and fosters collaboration among artists, educators, organizers, academics and other diverse communities in order to illuminate under-told stories, infuse meaning into the audience experience and animate progress through the arts. Dancing While Black is an initiative created by Angela’s Pulse. For more information, please visit http://angelaspulse.org/.

Tonight I’ll be reading poetry with Danny Simmons and Ekere Tallie amongst other talented poets. I will be performing the pieces that were published in the most recent issue of NYU’s Black Renaissance Noire (Volume 11, Issue 2-3| Winter/Spring 2012). A guaranteed good time. Hope to see you there!

As per the Queens College site, here are the details:

An Evening of Poetry, Spoken Word, and Socially Conscience Reggae Music-VS-A Killer Disease, Malaria

In addition to the featured artists, there will be an open mic for faculty and students. All proceeds will be donated to the Malaria No More Organization for the purchase of insecticide treated bed nets.

Date:
May 8, 2012

Time:
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Address:
Queens College
65-30 Kissena Boulevard
Flushing, Queens

Building:
The Patio Room

Phone:
718-997-7156

Admission:
Free

*licks shots*

Hear ye, hear ye… I have some artwork in this show:

The Rising Arts Gallery presents the 2012 Represent Brooklyn Art Exhibition. The exhibit features jury selected painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media art by artists who work live in and are inspired by Brooklyn.

Please swing through and check it out!

DIRECTIONS: C or S Train to Franklin Ave.
35 Claver Place #1, Brooklyn NY, 11238 (Between Fulton St. & Jefferson Ave)
Gallery Hours: Sun-Wed (By Appointment)
Thur & Fri- 4-7pm, Sat- 1-5pm

Up until May 19th.