Art and Healing in the Moment, Free Exhibition click for more information

Learning Circle: Who’s Telling Our Story?

July 21, 2018, at 11 a.m.

In conjunction with the “Art and Healing” exhibition, Mia is co-hosting a series of discussions with artists and facilitators to open up opportunities for dialogue and allow visitors to creatively engage around important issues of injustice and healing. Some conversations are intended to offer strategies for self-care and healing; some are geared toward supporting learning, growth, and understanding around racial justice; and some are designed for visitors to come together to explore art as a powerful vehicle for addressing injustice and a tool for community healing.

This circle “Who’s Telling Our Story?” is led by Rekhet Si-Asar and Hana Dinku from In Black Ink.

“Until the story of the hunt is told by the Lion, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”—African Proverb

Our story is narrated daily, broadcast on every possible airway (newspapers, TV, radio, social media), and the images are not always very flattering or representative. If we are to change the story, we have to change the narrator.

This session will begin with an audiovisual presentation about some of the issues, followed by a facilitated discussion of how we as community members can begin to craft our own image, document, and archive our own stories.

Free; advance rsvp requested to artandhealing@artsmia.org.

About the Facilitators

In Black Ink
The mission of In Black Ink is to create spaces where the stories and voices of people of African heritage is celebrated, documented, and archived through publications, professional development trainings/opportunities, and public presentations. We foster a strong culture of literacy via social enterprising and economic support of artists and professionals by transforming our understanding that our story is the wealth our children and our local, national, and global communities will inherit.

Hana Dinku
Hana Dinku is the residential hall director at Macalester College in St. Paul. She received her master’s degree in leadership in student affairs from the University of St. Thomas, and her B.A. in history from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Her professional background is in student leadership development, student personnel, community organizing, and advocacy work. She is passionate about social justice, community development, and the potential of “liberatory education” outside of the traditional classroom.

Rekhet Si-Asar
Rekhet Si-Asar is the executive director of In Black Ink. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, received a 2-year degree in illustrative arts at Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, and an M.A, and E.d.S from the University of Minnesota in child development and school psychology. Si-Asar is a school psychologist, educator, and coordinator of a local science and cultural program: the Imhotep Science Academy, a Saturday program for youth K–8th grade.