333 E River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States
![A composite image with all four speaker headshots](/sites/wam.umn.edu/files/2024-09/reclaiming_the_archive_panel_conversation_2024.png)
Additional Details
Presented in conversation with the exhibition, Seeking For the Lost, this roundtable conversation centers on the critical importance of preserving and curating Black history and cultural heritage. This salon-style conversation aims to address ongoing efforts to recover, protect, and celebrate the rich and diverse narratives of Black communities, which have often been marginalized or omitted from mainstream historical accounts. This panel of speakers includes experts in the fields of history, archival studies, and cultural preservation, all of whom will share insights on the methodologies and challenges involved in the work of memory-keeping.
Davu Seru
North Minneapolis native Davu Underwood Seru is the Curator of the Givens Collection of African American Literature and Life at Elmer L. Andersen Library. He is co-author of the book Sights, Sounds, Soul: The Twin Cities Through the Lens of Charles Chamblis (MNHS Press, 2017) and is an award-winning, internationally recognized musician and composer.
Za'Nia Coleman
Za’Nia Coleman is an interdisciplinary artist experimenting with textiles, moving image, and cultural curation. Her primary medium is film focusing on documentary, oral history, and digital projections. The goal is to experiment with how to visualize the intersections of the archive, Black Folklore, and Black Science Fiction. Za’Nia holds a Bachelor's in Film Studies and Film Theory and Culture. Her community-held positions are as the Engagement Manager for the Fields at Rootsprings in Annadale, MN, Media Education Specialist at SPNN, St.Paul, MN, and Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tangible Collective based in Minneapolis, MN. The root of her work is archiving Black traditional and historical practices around love, pleasure, cultural expression, and community building.
JoJo Bell
Rekhet Si-Asar
was a publisher at Papyrus Publishing Inc. She is a School Psychologist in the Minneapolis Public School District and a volunteer coordinator/instructor at the Imhotep Science Academy (a K-8 Cultural STEM Saturday program in Saint Paul). She was the Board Chair for the Cultural Wellness Center in Minneapolis and is currently on the U of M Friends of the Library Board. Rekhet at heart is a creator, with training in fashion/illustrative arts. She enjoys creating art through her sewing, drawing, and writing. Rekhet is married and has three children.