Headshot of Jokeda "JoJo" Bell. A woman with black curly hair sits in front of a tan background, with head turned to face the camera.

Talk: The Life of Hilda Simms


This Women’s History Month, join Jokeda “JoJo” Bell for a talk on her book Red Stained: The Life of Hilda Simms. Hilda Simms emerged as an actress at a time when segregation was deeply entrenched in Hollywood and on Broadway. Black performers were mostly relegated to bit parts, stereotyped characters, or comic-relief roles—if they were hired at all. After joining Harlem’s American Negro Theatre in 1943, Simms became immersed in a vibrant community of African American performers, writers, and other artists. Over the next two decades, she helped chart a path for Black actors who wanted to be considered serious dramatists and tell stories that spoke to the true experience of African Americans.

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 institutions like the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Bell appeared as an expert in the Minnesota Historical Society’s documentary Storied: African Americans in WWI. In 2019, she curated “The Builders” exhibition for AAICM, which was named one of the top 10 art exhibitions of the year by the Star Tribune. Bell is a PhD student in the history department at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include Black women and land ownership in the Upper Midwest. She lives in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Red Stained is a 2025 Minnesota Book Awards nominee for General Nonfiction.