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A Georgia Humanities Project exploring writing, culture, and literacy in the movements for Civil Rights. These events are part of The Power of Words When Poetry Meets Freedom Song and Images Program. Artistic expression is a critical part of any movement for social change. Everything from freedom songs to protest posters tell the stories of the fight for civil rights across generations. This project is based on the work of photographer and civil rights icon Dr. Doris Derby, Ph.D , "The Power of Words' is a series of virtual creative writing workshops and author panels hosted by Theresa Davis, a slam poet, longtime educator and director of literary programs at the ArtsXchange. As history has shown, young people are often the initiators and leaders of freedom movements. While black-and-white photos might make earlier movements seem distant, we are aiming to help Black and Brown high school-aged and college-aged people see the relevance of the Civil Rights Movement, and draw connections between the struggles of that era and those they confront today. We also hope to expand their understanding of human rights issues in their communities — school safety from gun violence, the lack of educational resources, food insecurity and other conditions of poverty, disparities in incarceration, and more — and develop their ability to express their insights in writing. All events are FREE and open to the public. PROGRAM EVENTS Sunday, October 31, 2021 / 2PM The Power of Words Author Panel with Dr. Doris Derby, Ph.D Host- Theresa Davis VIRTUAL LIVE STREAM- FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE Saturday, January 8, 2022 / 2PM Saturday Writer's Workshop with Theresa Davis Creative Writing Workshop VIRTUAL- ZOOM Images used during Saturday, January 8, 2022 Writer's Workshop Photos by Dr. Doris Derby Ph.D. Parishioner, Union Baptist Church, South Carolina, 1972 Dr. Doris Derby Schoolchildren, Farish Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 1968 Dr. Doris Derby Wednesday, January 26, 2022 / 7:30PM Wednesday Writer's Workshop with Theresa Davis Creative Writing Workshop VIRTUAL- ZOOM Sunday, January 30, 2022 / 2PM The Power of Words Author Panel with Natsu Taylor Saito Host- Theresa Davis VIRTUAL LIVE STREAM- FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE Saturday, February 12, 2022 / 2PM Saturday Writer's Workshop with Theresa Davis Creative Writing Workshop VIRTUAL- ZOOM Wednesday, February 23, 2022 / 7:30PM Wednesday Writer's Workshop with Theresa Davis Creative Writing Workshop VIRTUAL- ZOOM Sunday, February 27, 2022 / 2PM The Power of Words Author Panel Host- Theresa Davis VIRTUAL- ZOOM Details TBA HOST Theresa Davis is an educator, storyteller, poet, author, poetry slam champion and the host of the award winning open mic Java Speaks. She has performed on stages across the nation as a poet and keynote speaker. She was a classroom teacher for over 25 years, specializing in cross curricular education. As a slam poet, Theresa has competed individually and on teams for over a decade and in 2011 won the Women of the World Poetry Slam. In May 2013, her first full collection of poems entitled “After This We Go Dark” was published by Sibling Rivalry Press. “After This We Go Dark” became an American Library Association Honoree, and the book can now be checked out in local and college libraries around the world. Her latest poetry collection “Drowned: A Mermaid’s Manifesto”, released with Sibling Rivalry Press, in fall of 2016 received the award“Ten Books All Georgians Should Read”. In addition to being a teaching artist and outreach poetry coordinator for Georgia Tech for 6 years, Theresa hosts and participates in many of the lit events around Atlanta. Her one-woman show “Then They’ll Tell You it’s all in Your Head” Made its debut as a part of 7 Stages Home Brew series in fall of 2017. Theresa is the Literary Events Coordinator and The Charles “Jikki” Riley Memorial Library, facilitator for The ArtsXchange. SCHOLARS Dr. Doris Derby, Ph.D., is an honored humanities scholar, civil rights icon, documentary photographer, activist, educator, and author. Her first book, POETAGRAPHY: is an Artistic Reflections of a Mississippi Lifeline in Words and Images: 1963–1972. Her second book, A Civil Rights Journey, is an astonishing journal chronicling her thoughts, visual images, and experiences with the people of Mississippi and the founding of several important civil rights organizations. Her 3rd book is titled Patchwork: Paintings, Poetry and Prose; Art and Activism in the Civil Rights Movement: 1960-1972. Read more about Dr. Derby in this 2020 feature in The Guardian Learn more about Dr. Derby’s work in her latest photo book, “A Civil Rights Journey.” Prof. Natsu Taylor Saito, J.D., Regents’ ; Professor and Professor of Law, Center for Access to Justice, College of Law, Georgia State University will provide additional historical perspectives and legal analysis. After receiving her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1987, she taught as an adjunct at Emory University School of Law before joining the Georgia State Law faculty. Prof Saito teaches public international law and international human rights, race, ethnicity, and the law. Currently a faculty affiliate of the Center for Access to Justice as well as the Department of African American Studies. She joined the College of Law faculty in 1994 and became a Distinguished University Professor in 2016. In 2021, she was appointed a Regents’ Professor. Prof Saito is the author of three books and about fifty articles or book chapters. Her latest book is Colonialism, Race, and the Law: Why Structural Racism Persists (NYU Press, 2020). She has served as an advisor to the Asian American Law Student Association, the Latinx and Caribbean Law Student Association, the Immigration Law Society, and the student chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. This project is supported by Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, through funding from the Georgia General Assembly. Additional funding for the ArtsXchange is provided by a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta through the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts fund; and Fulton County Arts & Culture under the direction of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

Louis Delsarte (Sep 1, 1944-May 2, 2020) A message from Lisa Tuttle, Resident Artist, Jack Sinclair Gallery Committee Member, and ArtsXchange Board Member ~ Written Sunday, May 3, 2020 "Sadly, late last night, we learned of the passing of our dear friend Louis Delsarte, an extraordinary artist, charming friend, and long-time member of the arts community and the ArtsXchange family. Our hearts and love go out to his wife Jea, their daughter Rachel, their families and friends. Not only has the world lost an extraordinary painter, muralist and printmaker, we, in Atlanta’s arts community, have lost the most wonderful friend and colleague. On behalf of the ArtsXchange and the Jack Sinclair Gallery Committee, I’ve been asked to add our heartfelt expression of esteem to the multiple tributes which are sprouting up online to honor Louis - from fellow artists, former students and the art world at large. If there’s a silver lining to any of this, as Delsarte was such a prolific artist, he’s left us the long-lasting legacy of magnificent artworks to treasure - the lobby mural and facade at Southwest Arts Center Theater, the tour-de-force Delsarte MLK mural, the Spirit of Harlem mural on 125th in NYC, and works in important permanent collections, including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY, the Schomburg Center, Spelman College and Howard University – just to mention a very few. These losses are so much harder to process without the healing comfort of a gathering, a service, where we can come together to celebrate, memorialize and honor the life of someone we’ve appreciated and admired. Hug, cry, talk, laugh, maybe break a little bread together…That gathering, surely, is to come later down the road, and is something I know we all look forward to…. So, for now, good-bye, Louis, dearest friend! We wish you the very fondest of farewells! We will especially miss those lively conversations at exhibitions or in your studio(s). The ArtsXchange has lost one of its most renowned studio residents, and you, Louis Delsarte, will truly be missed! Know you were loved, and your spirit lives on in your beautiful artwork and our memories!" Rest in peace ~ Lisa Tuttle Louis Delsarte, New Hope Visions, 2008 To learn more about the life and works of Louis Delsarte visit his website. https://www.louisdelsarte.net/about

Mariana McDonald is a poet, writer, scientist, and activist. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including poetry in Crab Orchard Review, Lunch Ticket, and The New Verse News; fiction in So to Speak and Cobalt; creative nonfiction in Longridge Review and HerStry; and journalism in In Motion Magazine. She co-authored with Margaret Randall the recently-released Dominga Rescues the Flag/Dominga rescata la bandera, the story of black Puerto Rican heroine Dominga de la Cruz. Mcdonald lives in Atlanta, Georgia. This Moment Truth is trouble ... It is trouble for the warmonger, the torturer, the corporate thief, the political hack, the corrupt justice system, and for a comatose public.-- Toni Morrison, The Source of Self Regard, vii-viii. We are in a time of profound change. We are in a transformative moment when the Covid19 pandemic, uprisings against racial injustice and white supremacy, the unrelenting climate crisis, and rising forces of fascism and repression, all come together to force a shift that will either propel the world forward or drive it into a tailspin. This moment pivots on how much and how well the United States deals with its past. As Joanne Freeman noted in her August 2020 essay in The Atlantic: ...before the United States can move ahead, it has to reckon with its past ... America’s national identity is grounded in a shared understanding of American history -- the country’s failures, successes, traditions, and ideals. Shape that narrative and you can shape a nation. (emphasis added). How do we understand this moment? How do we address its urgency? How do we shape the US narrative? And what does this moment mean for artists, art, and the arts movement? What Are Artists To Do? Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it. -- Bertolt Brecht This is a time to reexamine and reflect on the role of art and artists, to ponder what artists should do. We need to be discussing this, debating it, and writing about it, not only among artists, but the whole community. As a member of the community of artists, I offer my thoughts on what artists need to do. First and foremost, we need to tell the truth. Artists tell the truth. We do not lie, cover up, obfuscate, gaslight, or avoid. Telling the truth in the United States, a nation rooted and rotting in lies, means we must directly and relentlessly fight the lies. We also need to bring people together emotionally, spiritually, politically, geographically, and organizationally. We can play a role in uniting people, on racial justice (pro-Black Lives Matter and against racist violence), gender justice (women's rights and rights of trans persons), and internationalism (pro-Palestinian, pro-Puerto-Rican independence, and against the Cuba blockade, for starters). We must also unite people to fight the climate crisis. We can strengthen our communities through art. Art expresses the people’s anguish, sorrow, determination, pride, and joy, and helps us heal from trauma. We also need to get people to think. We need art that encourages questioning, art that promotes critical thinking in the tradition of Paulo Freire, whose theory and practice help people discover solutions to their problems. We need to reflect on our real history, rather than the white-washed one we've been fed. We need to unearth our peoples' past contributions and realities. Last but least, we need to fight the fascist trends that are growing every day. These include, but are not limited to: voter suppression; racist anti-Black and anti-people of color violence; anti-intellectual and anti-science stances; anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-foreign language attitudes and policies; anti-women legislation and practices; actions that jeopardize the constitution-based courts system; and the wholesale obliteration of environmental protections. We must fight all fascist actions that curb our right to protest, and those that limit or simply refuse accountability for those in power. A key step is deconstructing the lies. Deconstruct And Refute the Lies I attest to this: the world is not white; it never was white, cannot be white. White is a metaphor for power, and that is simply a way of describing Chase Manhattan Bank. -- James Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro To fight fascism and move toward the society we want and need, artists must confront, deconstruct, and refute what I call the Ten Big Lies That Blind US, 2020: Lie Number 1: The United States was established based on freedom and equality; rather than forged in genocide and slavery. The Declaration of Independence was a document that belied the realities of its time. Certainly there were noble intentions among its drafters, who hoped the dreamlike vision they wrote about might one day be achieved. But as written, it is a kind of national creative non-fiction, a passage in a dreamed-of memoir about what might have been and what might be. Even the country's chosen name, made official on September 9, 1776, was equivocal. Long referred to as "the United Colonies," the nation was on that day named the United States of America, in an action that decisively made official the erasure of both indigenous North America and indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. Lie Number 2: White Supremacy. The fundamental, foundational lie of the United States was and is white supremacy, the ideology and system that allowed all subsequent lies to gain traction. White supremacy asserted, legalized, and operationalized itself based on the lie that Europeans persons were legally, morally, mentally, physically, and spiritually superior to all persons of color, be they indigenous peoples or kidnapped African people. A lie based on a lie, white supremacy invented whiteness and considered persons who were "non-white" to be less than human, thus excluding them from standards of human treatment, rationalizing their captivity, and legitimizing genocide. White supremacy can be likened to permafrost, frozen earth firmly held in place for centuries which now, due to earth's increased temperatures, is disintegrating and destroying the stability of the land and everything rooted in it, while in the process releasing toxic gases that further poison the earth. White supremacy is our nation's permafrost. And it is melting. Lie Number 3: The colonial settlers were helpful, kind friends of acquiescing natives; rather than murderers and thieves who oversaw the genocide of indigenous peoples that continues to this day. Lie Number 4: Slavery was not so bad, and it’s over; rather than being the systematic, centuries-long oppression, torture, violence, murder, and genocide of Black people. Lie Number 5: The United States colonized Puerto Rico to help the "savages" who could not govern themselves, rather than invading the island in 1898 to plunder its vast resources and use the island as a military outpost for intervention throughout the Americas. What am I driving at? At this idea: that no one colonizes innocently, that no one colonizes with impunity either; that a nation which colonizes, that a civilization which justifies colonization -- and therefore force -- is already a sick civilization, a civilization which is morally diseased, which irresistibly, progressing from one consequence to another, one denial to another, calls for its Hitler, I mean its punishment. -- Aimé Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism Lie Number 6: "Manifest destiny" was a legitimate rationale for US expansion, rather than an excuse for outright theft of lands from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Lie Number 7: US worldwide interventions have been well-intentioned attempts to extend a helping hand to poor or disadvantaged nations; rather than a way to exploit populations and resources, establish and defend US hegemony, and control the planet's wealth. Lie Number 8: The United States is a unique, different, special, unparalleled, exceptional nation/geopolitical power; rather than using this essentially narcissistic lie as a veil to hide atrocities and excuse them, avoiding accountability for all crimes. Lie Number 9: The climate crisis is a hoax to be exposed, rather than the global existential crisis that will determine the planet's future. Lie Number 10: Covid19 is a hoax, a little flu, and is under control; rather than a raging global pandemic that has sickened millions and killed hundreds of thousands. We are rapidly approaching the figure of 200,000 US lives lost due to the lies of the current government, and by its incompetence and negligence responding to the pandemic. What is happening now in the United States, with the high and disproportionate number of deaths among Black people and other people of color, is a painful echo of the past, when the genocidal system of slavery prevailed, when blankets infected with smallpox were given to indigenous peoples, and when one-third of Puerto Rican women of childbearing age were sterilized by force. *** There are many other lies the country is based on, and they too should be addressed. These ten lies are essential to the nation's DNA. These are lies that need to be pointed out, refuted, and replaced with the real history of how this country came about, and at what cost to what peoples. What happens when we get rid of the lies? We will need to arrive at a new narrative, one that acknowledges the grievous harm done, while affirming the positive characteristics of US history. It will not be a simple or brief or easy process. And it is bound to be fraught with contradictions and pain. Any real change implies the breakup of the world as one has always known it, the loss of all that gave one identity, the end of safety. -- James Baldwin, Nobody Knows My Name As Baldwin suggests, the disruption of the lies, the disintegration of the long-accepted narrative, is disorienting. It is at once breathtaking and breath-giving for those long oppressed by the lies. The exhilaration of truth is both shocking and empowering. It leaves one yearning to know the real history, the real story, the truth. That search is one in which artists can play a key role. For those who have long benefitted from white supremacy and its quotidian goody-bag, white privilege, "the end of safety" is a source of extreme reaction, hatred and violence, which shakes the rustling robes of those deposed by the truth, and galvanizes their stubborn refusal to heed norms and laws, stoked by 45's unrelenting calls for chaos. This is the dangerous moment we are in. We are facing "anti-maskers" toting guns into state buildings rather than heed public health guidelines, and "pro-blue" armed gangs driving vehicles into throngs of peaceful protesters or gunning them down with rifles, both scenarios starkly absent appropriate responses from so-called "law enforcement." The "end of safety" is the source of cries to "go back to where you came from" directed at people whose ancestors were the first to till the land here hundreds of years ago, cries coming from people utterly terrified of 21st century U. demographics, which are constantly and irrevocably changing. The fundamental fear and outrage that MAGA supporters express with brute force -- and unprecedented impunity -- is that they will no longer be able to keep others down, to enjoy "birthright" advantages in housing, education, employment, and all arenas of social and economic life. Fears that they will no longer be able to convince anyone, including themselves, that they are "superior." If white supremacy were the underpinning of "only" extreme right-wing forces, this moment would be difficult, though not as daunting. But white supremacy is our nation's foundation, its permafrost, and it's not just the red-capped brutes who can feel the earth beginning to shift. The police --indeed, armed forces of all stripes -- are working hard to keep their footing, and their allies in domed towers and halls of state are stepping up to throw them a lifeline, as whole chunks of disintegrating soil break apart and fall into the depths. This is the fascism we have to fight. Archaeologists & Creators History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history. -- James Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro As we tackle the big lies, we quickly encounter the role of erasure in white supremacy. For just as white supremacy invents, privileges, and sings the praises of whiteness, it launches the systematic erasure of Blackness. That erasure has served as an essential tool for genocide. White supremacy disappears Black people (and indigenous peoples, and colonized peoples), their history and voices, their actions and contributions, and even their names. For example, in "The Problem is White Supremacy," Barbara Smith speaks of Ann Petry's novella "In Darkness and Confusion" (about the 1943 Harlem Race Riot) in a way similar to how Toni Morrison discusses, in "The Foreigner's Home," Camara Laye's "The Radiance of the King" -- as works of literature that shed light on, and are examples of, the rich writing tradition of Black peoples in the USA and Africa, which has been for the most part buried and ignored. What this means for US history is that it must be excavated. We must become archaeologists, digging to unearth the real history of our country from the mass graves it was tossed in, from the incomplete parchment documenting who lived and who died, from the systematically promulgated canons that obliterate Blackness, and have made whatever little is permitted to be written in invisible ink. (How many important primary sources, such as the selected works of Puerto Rican leader Pedro Albizu Campos, quickly fall into out-of-print status, becoming unavailable to the next generations of readers?) Enter, into deep trenches with dusty clouds abounding, the artists. And art. And artistic movements. Support Black Artists and other People of Color Artists As we dig, we need to combat erasure intentionally and consistently. We must defend and support Black artists and other people of color artists by supporting and sharing the art they create, but also by identifying and breaking down the barriers that exist to Black art being embraced as central to US culture. These are publishing industry barriers, music industry barriers, art industry barriers, film industry barriers, media and social media barriers, and others, as well as the fundamental economic barriers that impede the work and success of virtually all artists. We should give special attention to the philanthropic and nonprofit worlds and their contradictions, as they are a source both of opportunity and of perpetuation of white supremacy. Art by and for the people Fortunately, there is a long and multi-faceted tradition of arts serving and advancing social change around the world. We can learn from cultural movements of the world’s past, from Lang Son to Santiago and from San Juan to Cape Town, as well as in the United States. For example, when the AIDS epidemic raged in the 1980s, activists envisioned how friends and family could create a quilt to honor their loved ones who died from the disease. The AIDS Quilt project grew rapidly into a national phenomenon, with thousands upon thousands of quilts being made and displayed, offering a healing and unifying activity to remember those lost to the disease, while helping shatter the stigma surrounding it. In the seventies throughout the Americas, protest music became a loud and ever-present part of movements against dictators and foreign intervention. Victor Jara, the beloved Chilean poet-songwriter who radiated courage as he fought to his death in the 1973 US-supported Pinochet coup, was a leading figure in what would become known (in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, and elsewhere) as the Nueva Trova, or new song movement. In the United States the songs of Nueva Trova were sung and played in movements across the country, deepening bonds of solidarity and friendship while educating activists about neighbors' struggles. We can also learn from socialist countries, such as Cuba and Vietnam, that have for decades utilized the arts and culture to transform their societies. There are lessons to learn from their experiences achieving society-wide goals by utilizing culturally effective campaigns, such as Vietnam's recent campaign against the coronavirus. As a result of their decisive efforts, cultural and educational offerings, and diligent handling of infections, Vietnam has defeated the coronavirus, with only 34 deaths to date. A New Nuremberg We also need artists and artistic movements to demand accountability. Artists can point to individuals and regimes that have committed crimes against the planet and peoples of the world, such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jair Bolsonaro, and Rodrigo Duterte. Artists can help create and advance the demand that these individuals and regimes be held accountable. We need a global forum for accountability, justice, and consequences for those who have carried out genocidal crimes against people and terracide against the planet. We call on mechanisms and vehicles from the past century that were used to seek justice for crimes against humanity. Artists can and must declare that now, in the 21st century, we need a new Nuremberg. Onward/¡Pa’lante! Not everything is lost. Responsibility cannot be lost, it can only be abdicated. If one refuses abdication, one begins again. -- “Thinking with Jimmy." Eddie Glaude, Begin Again, xxix. History is not in the rear-view mirror. It is straight ahead, every day, if we can only see it. It may sometimes be in our peripheral vision -- fleeting, uncertain, intuitive, even hallucinatory. Artists must strive for, and nurture in one another, characteristics that foster vision: boldness, courage, creativity, and innovation. We must defend and support artists with vision, and unleash it in ourselves. As artists, we are called upon to ask ourselves, “Can we have Cassandra-like vision? Can we imagine this world we want to see?" At what point do fortune tellers become fortune-creators? That dream-into-reality process can happen when artists combine vision, clarity, determination, and skills with the galloping will of the people. It will not be easy. It will be a bumpy ride. The potholes have been growing, and sinkholes show up where they're least expected. Then there's that ominous Hummer hogging the road. But there is a path that can be taken now, and artists must take it. For even in the darkest moments, we can call upon our ancestors to guide us, so that when we stumble, we can begin again. I'm holding Jimmy Baldwin's words close to my heart. And I'm riding with Cassandra. --------------------------------------- References Baldwin, James. I Am Not Your Negro. Documentary film based on Baldwin's unfinished manuscript Remember This House. Directed by Raoul Peck. Velvet Film, 2016. Baldwin, James. The Cross of Redemption. Uncollected Writings. Randall, Kenan, ed. New York: Vintage International, 2011. Baldwin, James. “Faulkner and Desegregation." Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son. New York: Vintage, 1992. Césaire, Aimé. Discourse on Colonialism. Translated by Joan Pinkham. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2000. Freeman, Joanne. “I’m a Historian. I See Reason to Fear -- And to Hope.” The Atlantic. August 17, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/historian-historic-times/615208/ Accessed September 2, 2020. Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 1990. Glaude, Eddie S., Jr. Begin Again. James Baldwin's America and its Urgent Lessons for Our Own. New York: Crown, 2020. Morrison, Toni. The Source of Self-Regard. Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations. New York: Alfred Knopf, 2019. Smith, Barbara. "The Problem is White Supremacy." Opinion. Boston Globe. June 30, 2020. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/29/opinion/problem-is-white-supremacy/ Accessed September 2, 2020. Vietnam Coronavirus Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o6-TELdvRY. You Tube. Accessed September 2, 2020. Worldometer Coronavirus Tracking. Vietnam https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/viet-nam/ Accessed September 2, 2020. This blog was first Published in In Motion Magazine September 29, 2020

April Meyers Coping with the coronavirus hasn’t been easy. If you’re still struggling to get your bearings in these stress-laden days, meditation may help you cope! Meditation — and other mindful practices like yoga, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation — can work wonders to dispel stress, calm anxiety, and fuel creativity during this tumultuous time. So whether you decide to practice at home or attend a retreat, give it a go! We've created a quick guide to help you get started on your own mindfulness journey. Why Practice Meditation? The mental and physical health benefits of meditation are vast. Meditation involves sitting or lying still and maintaining a gentle awareness of your breath. By turning your focus inwards and away from everything that’s going on around you — and away from that jumbled mess of thoughts constantly crowding your mind — meditation can calm your body’s stress response and alleviate any tension you’re holding in your muscles. Beyond temporary stress relief, meditation can also improve creativity, therefore making it a valuable tool for artists and art enthusiasts. Meditation can also improve your ability to focus and concentrate, build self-awareness, increase patience, reduce negative emotions, and help you build coping skills to better manage challenging situations that crop up in the future. Meditation and yoga go hand in hand, so if you’re looking for a new exercise to pick up in the new year, consider practicing yoga!. When it comes to yoga, there are many different types to consider. For example, We Know Yoga explains that Yin Yoga involves passive poses like child’s pose and seated stretches to help your body relax and unwind. Preparing Your Meditation Space When it comes to yoga and meditation, your environment will play a very important role in your ability to relax and focus. Set up a little meditation space in a quiet area of your home where you can escape from distractions. Keep this area clean and uncluttered. Incorporate soft lighting, calming artwork and décor that make you feel positive, and a touch of nature like a potted plant or painting of a forested landscape. Other helpful items for your meditation practice include an essential oil diffuser and a comfortable cushion. If you're going to listen to meditation music or a guided meditation session, a soundbar can deliver great-quality sound to the room, allowing you to forego the need for headphones. Getting Started Meditation is a skill that takes practice to master. At first, you will likely find it very challenging to prevent your mind from wandering. Start small and try meditating for just a few minutes so you can get used to the feeling of sitting still and the quiet. Focus on your breath, paying attention to how your stomach expands and contracts as you inhale and exhale. If your mind starts to drift, gently direct your attention back to your breath. It may help to play some relaxing music or guided meditations to keep your mind focused during your practice. Meditation apps like Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer offer a range of guided meditations that can help you get started and grow your practice. Dealing with Distractions The biggest challenge in meditation is dealing with distractions. Sometimes you may be able to dismiss distractions and allow them to pass without hogging precious mental real estate. Other times, however, you may need to give attention to your distractions so you can better manage them. Wildmind likens this to clearing the weeds from a garden. Give your thoughts a moment to process, see if you can reach some kind of conclusion, and bring your focus back to your breath. Remember, dealing with distractions is an integral part of the meditation process. Instead of feeling frustrated and annoyed with your distractions, use them as a tool to practice patience and acceptance. If you’re anxious about the pandemic, you’re not alone. These unprecedented times have led to an increase in stress levels for most people. While it’s completely natural to feel stressed during times of uncertainty, it’s also important to find ways to cope with negative feelings and protect your mental health. A daily meditation practice can do a lot to help. ArtsXchange provides inclusive and diverse programming to the community, combining arts and cultural exchange. If you'd like to learn more or wish to support our mission, contact us at 404-624-4211.

Lisa Nanette Allender is a SAG-AFTRA actor and writer. Lisa enjoys writing poetry and has been published in numerous journals, magazines and anthologies. Lisa has been studying Usui Reiki for over five years now, and will receive her certification as a Reiki Master, soon. She is launching her Reiki practice in 2021. Several years ago, I read about a program begun in Detroit for artists in every discipline, which guaranteed them a free house to live in -- and eventually own -- if they were willing to move into neighborhoods described as being in need of artists. Every city knows that when artists move in, the physical surroundings are made more beautiful, and quality of life improves, and then, commerce usually follows. So we find ourselves in this time, the time of CoronaVirus and COVID-19. And here in the United States, we face an ever-more-urgent reckoning of race as well as this international pandemic. This race reckoning is long overdue. We find ourselves (Full disclosure: this writer is white) not quite as woke as we believed. We find ourselves hounding our friends of color, unfairly asking them to help us resolve the systemic racism from which we (whites) continue to benefit. So, how do we define the role of the arts, the role of the artist? What can we ask for, from artists? When asked how to best fulfill one’s life as an artist, accomplished director and theatre artist Kenny Leon said, “The only thing you have on this earth is your time and your talents.” If too many Americans thought they also “have” luxury cars, fancy homes and designer clothing, the Pandemic has made clear that those are merely possessions, and do not raise our status, and certainly not our quality of life during a time of quarantine and self-isolation. And with nearly fifty (50) million Americans unemployed, a full refrigerator and people and companion animals in a home where we can hold each other, are what we value. Indeed, “gratefulness” has become “a thing”, not just an aphorism. Our time in quarantine, and self-isolation With a lucky 40% of Americans able to “work from home”, and another 40% going to work as essential workers (not only medical personnel, but grocery and pharmacy clerks, delivery drivers, truck drivers)and 20% (and rising) completely without employment, there’s never been more time spent at home, as event after event has been cancelled. No theatre, no movies, no sporting events. Americans must learn how to survive -- perhaps thrive -- when left, literally, “to their own devices.” Our electronic devices, that is. What connects us, what provides true communion, is interacting with others, being inspired by others. With no way to connect (other than “virtually”), we feel bereft. Actors and other performers no longer have in-person, live audiences. From this void, “online” or “virtual” performances have begun to sprout up, searching for viewers just as sunflowers bend toward brightness. The necessity has been to create a new way of “seeing”, even as we discover a new way of “viewing” and experiencing, art. Visionaries who illuminate our present reality, and offer solace for our future The case can be made that artists are who we turn to when we need comfort, when we need assistance, both individually and when our society suffers the open wound, bleeding afresh. We look to artists to balm that wound. In modern-day racist America, artists such as writer/filmmaker/director Jordan Peele, multi-hypenate writer/actor/singer/rapper Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) create works that allow the emotional to become visceral. Much like a victim of abuse will often cut herself, to ameliorate the emotional pain that she is afraid to feel, so that she can bleed, in order to make it real, so do we lean-into, or more accurately, perhaps, we bleed-into the pain, and what we cannot face on the television or on our computer screens: the real-life white knee, breaking the neck of George Floyd, the bullet wounds in the backs of black men (Jacob Blake, and too many others to list here) and black women (Breonna Taylor, and too many others to list here), the shots from law enforcement within two seconds of arriving at a playground, that kill a ten-year-old Tamir Rice, who was pretending with his equally-young friends -- ironically -- to be police officers. We look to artists to help us see these all-too-real atrocities through the lens of the film genre’ of suspense thrillers/horror, rap/hip-hop music, and dramatic plays. Jordan Peele’s Lovecraft Country exposes the realities of race relations in mid-20th-century America, and uses monsters as metaphor for what black people faced -- and still do. In Peele’s “fiction”, extraordinary powers bubble up within those who have been subjugated, spat on, dehumanized. Similarly, This Is America, Donald Glover’s explosive music video that adds an exclamation point to his music/lyrics, penetrates our collective numbness as we have borne witness to repeated beatings, chokings, shootings of black people, by law enforcement. And while Glover’s This Is America is reflective of American culture, and gun violence, it also feels eerily prescient (it was released over a year before George Floyd’s gruesome murder) in scenes where groups gather, and raise their arms, in a bid for justice -- however it may be won. We cheer for the protagonist in this video, because we need him to survive. In these Pandemic times, we are all trying, to survive. Pandemic Poetry In the week following 9/11, The New York Times received over 5,000 poems. The editors were inundated with submissions of poetry from well-known authors and poets as well as regular folks trying to process that horrific atrocity. I still recall a few lines from a poem by Nikki Giovanni from that time: Please, come have dinner with me These words are words we all are thinking now, alone in our homes, dreaming of a mask-free day when we can gather, unafraid, in a restaurant, where we may dine, inside a space other than our home. The words reverberate from one terrible time, to this terrible time, and it is no accident that poetry has once again, found a way to reach out to us. In the past few months, online readings have taken root, including the Performance Poets of Palm Beach, a First Sundays afternoon reading with featured authors as well as a generous Open Mic. Dustin Brookshire’s Wild & Precious Life Series features acclaimed authors every Wednesday night. The title of the series is part of the final line of a famous Mary Oliver poem: What will you do with your one wild and precious life? For Atlantans, the famous Java Monkey Speaks series has gone virtual as well, with award-winning poet, host, Theresa Davis serving as raconteur every Sunday night for a stellar Open Mic, with voices from everywhere. This writer was once asked “Lisa, you are an upbeat person; why is everything you write, so dark?” I heard myself say “You write what you don’t talk about, Dad.” We need artists to give us the truth. We need truths that illuminate other truths. Or lies that illuminate truths. Author William Faulkner said: “The past is never past. The past is still here.” We need artists who are unafraid, who will challenge us, not only in their roles as truth-tellers, but in their roles as sages, as comforters, as seducers, as those who ask us questions, who make us question. Everything. Artists allow us a way into the world, by reflecting our current events, and/or creating a new universe -- a utopia, or conversely, an apocalyptic dystopia. Consider Sibling Rivalry Press’ (SBR) tagline: Disturb and Enrapture The young publishing house which offers opportunity to all writers, specializes in giving voice to those voices traditionally silenced: LGBTQI+. SBR knows that the dynamic of art is to challenge us, and captivate us. Challenge the status quo, by disturbing our preconceived notions of what that status quo, is. Captivate us by the rapture of words, evocative/provocative. Change us! This blog was first Published in In Motion Magazine September 25, 2020

Shelley Danzy January 25, 2021 Read the original full article. “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times,” the great singer and activist Nina Simone once said. It’s easy to believe that she supernaturally perceived the Jack Sinclair Gallery at ArtsXchange. The space uses her quote, a beautiful truth, as a welcoming wall text. The exhibition truth 2 power: ART IN A TIME OF UPHEAVAL, on view through Sunday (January 31), features diverse and socially conscious work by resident artists Atu, photographer Jim Alexander, N’Dieye Gray Danavall, Theresa Davis, Carolyn Renée, Tafawa, Lisa Tuttle (also the exhibit’s curator), Kenneth Zakee and Sugacane Syrup artists Ugo Agoruah, Thomas Bess and Choze. Jack Sinclair Gallery is inside the ArtsXchange (Southeast Community Cultural Center) building in East Point. It’s named for the late Jack Whitney Sinclair, the installation sculpture artist who created the old Arts Exchange gallery space in the Grant Park neighborhood. Before joining the center, he’d started what was known as the Mattress Factory in Little Five Points and the Jack Sinclair Letterpress Studio. Under the leadership of Alice Lovelace, founder, and board chair, ArtsXchange has been a performance and studio home for artists since 1984, moving to its East Point home in 2019. Even COVID-19 can’t stop the creativity. ArtsXchange has shifted to virtual offerings that range from online acting classes for senior citizens to a writer’s workshop series and open-air artisan marketplaces, plus artist talks and classes. The focus on “interdisciplinary, intergenerational, multicultural” art “committed to social justice” remains. LOCATION, ETC.: 2148 Newnan St., East Point. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday for socially distanced in-person visits. Masks required. CDC guidelines apply. Stay up to date on Sinclair Gallery events on its Facebook and Instagram pages. 404.624.4211.​ MORE ABOUT ARTSXCHANGE: Housed in the former Jere Wells Elementary School, with 20,000 square feet of space on four acres of land. Has 14 resident artists. Visual artists such as artist/educator Kevin Cole, Beverly Buchanan (1940-2015), and Louis Delsarte (1944-2020) have been part of its community. PREVIOUS EXHIBITS: Signs of the Times: Documenting the Power of the People, 1960-Today with documentary photographer Jim Alexander, whose work is part of the current show, and the juried show Scattering Dreams: Art in Response to Global Crisis, early in 2020. Kenneth Zakee's "Black Power" (2020), a fused textile applique, is part of the "truth to power" exhibit on view through Sunday. (All photos courtesy of the gallery) “Ida B. Wells” (2020) by Lisa Tuttle is pencil and watercolor on vellum. Wells (1862-1931) was an investigative journalist, educator, early civil rights leader, and a founder of the NAACP Also part of “truth to power” are “Creator” (left) and “Cornered Wisdom” by Atu, a master wood sculptor in the ancient West African tradition, WHAT’S NEXT: Sinclair Gallery will hold a solo show featuring Atu; invitational and juried shows; and another resident artist show. In February it launches the podcast series Art Shouts. Week 1 will focus on art and well-being and Week 2 on art and justice. Week 3 will focus on Sinclair Gallery and ArtsXchange events, with Week 4 focusing on art activism. MOST MEMORABLE: At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, outside walls at the ArtsXchange building became a backdrop for community murals by emerging artists. A large cross-section of neighbors attended the unveiling, which was accompanied by music and visual performances. LAST WORD: “We’re trying to keep social justice and the arts relevant and alive,” says Vanessa Manley, who co-chairs the ArtsXchange board. “In the midst of everything we’re going through in this country, our artists were still creating. We really want this gallery — our entire cultural center — to be a destination for folks who want to hear a message in the art. We’re resilient.”

Signs of the Times: Documenting the Power of the People, 1960 - Today Prolific Photography Exhibition extended through Nov.30 th 2020 by Popular Demand. RELEASE: November 9, 2020 Jim Alexander in the gallery- AHampton 2020 Signs of the Times: Documenting the Power of the People, 1960-Today, is an extraordinarily moving exhibit highlighting decades of racial and social injustice through the (literal) lenses of five Atlanta-based photographers. The exhibit documents the nonviolent protests of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to today’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations and recent protests of police killings. Captured in these powerful moments in history is the raw emotion of black and brown people as they fight against systemic racism and injustice. The Signs of the Times exhibit opened on Sept. 15th and has been extended through Nov. 30, 2020, in the Jack Sinclair Gallery at the ArtsXchange located at 2148 Newnan Street; East Point, GA 30344. Lisa Tuttle, the curator of the gallery, believed that extending the exhibit would allow more people to engage with this powerfully moving exhibition. “This intergenerational exhibit shows the breadth and historical range – from Jim Alexander’s work spanning more than 65 years to Davion Alson’s work as a fresh and booming young artist. We understand that this struggle didn’t just start with George Floyd in 2020; it’s an amazing continuum of time that’s been documented through the contributions of all of these artists,” says Lisa Tuttle. This exhibition is in conjunction with the 2020 Atlanta Celebrates Photography festival. Say Their Names - Dennis Morton Jr. The artists featured in the exhibit include Jim Alexander, an award-winning documentary photographer who has spent over fifty years refining what he calls the art of documentary photography. A photojournalist, teacher, activist, Alexander has amassed an impressive collection of Black culture and human rights photographs. He is a 2006 inductee into The HistoryMakers, and in 1995 when the city of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs began its annual "Master Artist" program, Jim Alexander was the first artist to be chosen. Davion Alston, winner of a Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia Working Artist Project fellowship, Alston’s documentary work focuses on social injustice and protests the killing of young black men in America. Sheila P. Bright, an award-winning photographer best known for her works Plastic Bodies, Suburbia, Young Americans, and her most recent series #1960Now. Sheila is the author of #1960Now: Photographs of Civil Rights Activist and Black Lives Matter Protest. Dennis Morton, a photographer whose work is featured in the Fulton County Arts and Culture Public Art program and can be found in multiple Fulton County government buildings. Morton has participated in numerous exhibits throughout Atlanta, and finally Lynsey Weatherspoon, as a member of a modern vanguard of photographers, is often called on to capture heritage and history in real-time. Lynsey Weatherspoon’s work has been exhibited at The African American Museum in Philadelphia and Photoville NYC. She is an awardee of The Lit List, 2018. Weatherspoon’s work has been featured in print and online in The New York Times, USA Today, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, to name a few. Jam'76 - Dennis Morton Jr. The ArtsXchange - Southeast Community Cultural Center, in its 37th year, has always been a haven for the arts community in and around Atlanta. Since opening, it has been celebrated as an exemplary and unique center for community, civic, and arts engagement. The ArtsXchange offers event and performance spaces, artist studios, classes, literary events, survival sessions for musicians and visual artists, wellness classes and more. Some of their programs include The Jack Sinclair Gallery, Jikki Riley Community Library, and the Ebon Dooley Art & Justice Awards. The ArtsXchange requires participants to wear a face mask and social distance while inside the facility. For a complete list of Covid-19 procedures and more info please visit the website at: https://www.artsxchange.org/exhibitions/signs-of-the-times . Lisa Tuttle in the gallery- AHampton 2020

East Point, GA September 18, 2020 The ArtsXchange is proud to present The Ebon Dooley Arts & Justice Awards in recognition of individuals and organizations that, like its namesake, Ebon Dooley, work to improve the lives and futures of the communities they serve. On Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 7pm, The ArtsXchange will honor five extraordinary change agents, during the 3rd Annual Awards Ceremony. This year the event will take place online in a Facebook Live ceremony. The 2020 honorees include: Bridge Builder: Judy Conder Emerging Leader: Sarah Oso Social Justice Champion: Adelina Nicholls (GLAHR) Economic Justice Champion: Elisabeth Omilami (Hosea Feeds) Change Maker: Oronike Odeleye This moment of recognition is significant, as the nation faces uncertain times. To be able to lift up people whose light of service shines brightly, will serve to inspire many. The power of their activism offers encouragement and hope. The Ebon Dooley awards ceremony will highlight the civic accomplishments of our deserving honorees. A call to activism has particular meaning for the ArtsXchange, an institution with a 35-year history of activating change through the arts in service to justice for all people. We salute the 2020 honorees in the name of the ArtsXchange’s legendary founder, Ebon Dooley. This night of virtual celebration and significance will feature a special viewing of Urban Bush Women’s “Give Your Hands to Struggle,” a powerful performance by scholar, griot, and revolutionary rapper, Dontay Wimberly, and a musical tribute performed by Miss Clark Atlanta University, Amiya Crockrom. _________________________________________________________________________________ The Ebon Dooley Arts & Justice Awards, established in 2018, recognizes individuals and organizations that work to improve the lives and future of their communities. Ebon Dooley (1942-2006) was a caring, creative, brilliant, insightful, progressive, proactive, and delightfully charismatic community activist who established the ArtsXchange in 1983. A long-time advocate for the fair distribution of wealth, Ebon brought the spirit of grassroots collectivity to all of his efforts striving to achieve freedom, dignity, and equality for all people. He understood that these interconnected cornerstones of humanity provide the opportunity for creative expression, community building, and empowerment. CONTACT: Moses Kilpatrick program.manager@artsxchange.org Office: 404-624-4211

Signs of the Times: Documenting the Power of the People, 1960 - Today Jack Sinclair Gallery September 15, 2020 - October 31, 2020 With ages spanning five decades, the photographers in this exhibition - Jim Alexander, Davion Alston, Sheila Pree Bright, Dennis Morton, and Lynsey Weatherspoon - use their cameras to document grassroots racial and social justice advocacy - from the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s to today's Black Lives Matter demonstrations and police killings protests. This exhibition is curatorially focused on the texts, signs, and banners carried by participants. We will ask viewers to think about the ways that a practice combining activism and documentary photography has evolved over time? What is new in this digital age? What is the power of the photographic image to affect cultural shift? All of the photographers are currently Atlanta-based. On exhibit will be color/b&w photographs, installation, and video works. Funding provided in part by a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Our programs are made possible with support from our many individual donors, our sponsors, and partners. Signs of the Times Artist Talk Saturday,  October 17, 2020 / 2:00 PM- 3:30 PM VIRTUAL Facebook Live Pre-register to visit the Jack Sinclair Gallery! Pre-registering helps us track attendance data, maintain safe visitor capacity, and keep the office germ-free. ArtsXchange COVID-19 Procedures ArtsXchange recognizes that ensuring the health and safety of our campus requires excellent communication. Importantly, it requires an acknowledgment that success must be a shared responsibility, where everyone feels a common sense of ownership and accountability. Thank you for doing your part to ensure our success! ArtsXchange is asking for your help in maintaining the safety and health of our visitors, staff, and Studio Artists. Please follow the guidelines below while visiting our space. - Any visitor who is sick or showing symptoms of COVID-19 or believes they have been exposed to the virus should self-isolate and stay home. Please wait to visit until you have been cleared by a doctor. - Visitors must wear PPE (ideally a face mask and gloves) while inside. This requirement does not apply to children under the age of 2. - All visitors must wash their hands in the bathroom or use provided hand sanitizer upon entry. - Visitors should maintain six feet of social distance from one another. - Follow signs noting the number of people allowed in one space at a time. - Follow signs noting the direction of traffic in the galleries. - Refrain from touching artwork or walls.

The  Board of Directors for the Southeast Community Cultural Center, d/b/a The ArtsXchange, met on Sunday, July 19, 2020, and decided, in the interest of public safety and an abundance of caution due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) numbers continuing to increase, that the ArtsXchange will remain closed during the month of August 2020. The new projected reopen date is slated for September 1, 2020, and will be in accordance with public health guidelines from the governmental authority making those recommendations. If, for any reason, the projected reopening date is met with further COVID-19 threats to public safety, the ArtsXchange board will review that information and make an informed decision about when to reopen safely. ​ Carolyn Morris ArtsXchange Executive Director ​