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Reclaiming the Archive: A Salon-Style Conversation on Keeping Memory | Panel Discussion

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.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Additional support provided by Hannah Rose McNeely.
 

JoJo Bell

A woman is shown seated, wearing a flowing patterned dress, her hair in twists, pulled up
About the Speaker
JoJo Bell
Jokeda “JoJo” Bell is the Executive Director and the Director of Exhibitions and Programming for the African American Interpretive Center of Minnesota (AAICM). Her roles within the organization have led to collaborative programming with state historical institutions like the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota Museum of American Art. She has also appeared as an expert in the Minnesota Historical Society’s documentary Storied: African Americans in WWI. In 2019, JoJo curated The Builders exhibition for AAICM, which was named one of the top ten art exhibitions of the year by the Star Tribune.
 
Currently, JoJo is a PhD student in the History department at the University of Minnesota and is writing a book scheduled for publication with Minnesota Historical Society Press on September 17, 2024.

Davu Seru

A masc-presenting person with very short buzz-cut hair smiles into the camera
About the Speaker
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

A femme-presenting person with long locs and glasses, wearing a blue button-up, looks into the camera
About the Speaker
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.

Rekhet Si-Asar

A woman with long locs, pulled over one shoulder, and wearing glasses sits in front of a bookcase
About the Moderator
Rekhet Si-Asar
Rekhet Si-Asar is the Executive Director of In Black Ink, which creates spaces where the stories and voices of people of African heritage are celebrated, documented, and archived through publications, professional development training opportunities, and public presentations. 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.
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