SUSTAINING VOICES FROM THE BATTLEFRONT: COMMUNITY GROUNDED CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS @ 30

SUSTAINING VOICES FROM THE BATTLEFRONT: COMMUNITY GROUNDED CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS @ 30

New York. NY, May 29, 2007.  The Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute presents Sustaining Voices from the Battlefront: Community Cultural Arts Organizations @ 30.  CCCADI continues with their educational and humanities initiatives by presenting this dynamic two day conference developed as a way to assess the current state of the movement within cultural organizations that had developed their mission during the civil rights movement.  Author, poet, Amiri Baraka  and Artist, Bernice Reagon Johnson of Sweet Honey in the Rock, leads the roster of guest speakers in this conference which will examine the historical efforts to end racism and achieve cultural equity that has resulted in some of our nations most active and successful cultural institutions.  The Conference will be held June 8^th and 9^th at New York University.  Admission is $150.00 for Organizations, $100.00 for community based organizations, $75.00 for Individuals, $25 for artists.  Selected scholarships are available for NYU students.

This Conference will concentrate on the historical link between art and social justice and how new leaders are enacting this powerful history.  The panel discussions will focus on the following themes: What do culturally grounded organizations that have reached their 30^th anniversary have to celebrate?  How can this work be sustained into the next 30 years?  How do we include, learn and grow multi-generational understanding and collaboration? How do we invite people from other non-arts related fields to join this cause? How do we secure leadership and succession? 

The objective is to share information from across generations and cultural communities with audiences who are interested in the concerns impacting the continued development and sustainability of cultural organizations of color.  This unique conference provides a forum to examine the past with a focus towards the next 30 years in the life of the cultural movement.  The key note address will be delivered by Dr. Jack Tchen on the topic of analyzing the community grounded cultural movement that began in the 70’s with organizations like CCCADI, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Studio Museum of Harlem and Nuyorican Poets Café comparing them to the political and social justice movements during that time.  Dr. Tchen will discuss the growth and impact of these cultural organizations in the context of affirmative action, Roe vs. Wade, immigration reform and voting rights. 

Panelists include:
Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, Founder and President, CCCADI
Esmeralda Simmons, Medger Evers College
Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean, Tisch School of the Arts
Ms. Claudine Brown, Nathan Cummins Foundation
Dr. Jack Tchen, Associate Professor of History and Director of Asian and Pacific-American Studies, New York University
Miguel Algarin, Nuyorican Poets Café
Dudley Cocke