Our Time Together

Program Curator: Rashida Bumbray

This is not a traditional gala or celebration; it is a provocation. Over two days, this intimate gathering will weave together moments for deep relationship building alongside revolutionary art and culture that both awe and mobilize us toward collective action. From Nikky Finney's prophetic words to Toshi Reagon's stage to the world-building of New Orleans-based organizers, we will move from inspiration toward a collective strategy for our Black feminist future.

SPEAKERS & PERFORMANCES

  • DEON HAYWOOD

  • TOSHI REAGON

  • ALEXIS PAULINE GUMBS

  • VOODOO QUEEN KALIDAH LAVEAUX AND THE MYSTIC SEVEN SISTERS

  • NIKKY FINNEY

  • SHARIFA RHODES-PITTS

  • BEVERLY GUY-SHEFTALL

  • SHANA GRIFFIN

  • STEVONA ELEM-ROGERS

  • EVIE SHOCKLEY

  • CAMILLE BACON

  • MADELEINE HUNT-EHRLICH

  • SUNNI PATTERSON

  • STEPHANIE MCKEE-ANDERSON

  • TAKEMA ROBINSON

  • AMINA DOHERTY

  • TYNESHA MCHARRIS

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18

5:00 – 6:30 PM

Welcome Reception

Hotel Saint Vincent

Live Music by Leyla McCalla

7:00 PM onwards

Dinner on Your Own

Black Feminist New Orleans Suggestions:

Compère Lapin
Dakar
Dooky Chase

AGENDA

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19

9:00 – 9:45 AM
Arrivals & Welcome - Rashida Bumbray
Evangeline Room

9:45 – 10:00 AM
Invocation & Cleansing
Voodoo Queen Kalindah Laveaux and the Mystic Seven Sisters

10:00 – 10:50 AM
Do Not Leave the Arena to the Fools
Introduction by Camille Bacon, Cultural Critic, Jupiter Magazine
A reading by Nikky Finney Followed by a conversation between Finney & Evie Shockley

10:50 – 11:00 AM
Coffee Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Conspiracy Film Screening

Co-Directed by Simone Leigh and Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich, Featuring Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts & Lorraine O’Grady
Followed by a conversation between Hunt-Enrlich & Rhodes-Pitts

12:00 – 1:00 PM
A Sower Went Out To Sow Her Seeds

Toshi Reagon and Alexis Pauline Gumbs in Song and Conversation

Music from the Congregational Opera Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Lunch

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Story Circles

A reading by Sunni Patterson

Followed by a conversation between Deon Haywood, Women With a Vision, Inc.
& Stephanie McKee-Anderson
Moderated by Stevona Elem-Rogers, BE NOLA & Black Women Are For Grown-Ups

3:00 – 4:00 PM
A Black Feminist Syllabus for the Future
A conversation between Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Spelman & Shana Griffin, New Orleans, Curator & Black Feminist Cartographer Moderated by Takema Robinson, CEO & Co-Founder, Converge, Producer “Worst Neighbor Ever”

4:00 – 4:30 PM
Closing Tynesha McHarris & Amina Doherty