Convening

Register here!

We invite you to a daylong forum that offers conversations with artists, activists, cultural workers, memory keepers and scholars who are creating the means to explore and preserve Black histories.   

The Black Like That project was designed to generate new research, creation, reimagination and connection through a process that produced an exhibition of work by three renowned, award-winning artists and community activations. The Convening is both a culmination of the work that has unfolded over the past two years and an exploratory platform for thinking together about what art and cultural preservation mean to the future of Black communities. 

Speakers include: 

  • Mike Africa Jr., author of On a Move: Philadelphia’s Notorious Bombing and a Native Son’s Lifelong Battle for Justice 
  • Eric Battle, artist, editor and author of many works, including BLAM!: Black Lives Always Mattered! Hidden African American Philadelphia of the Twentieth Century 
  • Samantha Hill, artist and Curator of Civic Engagement at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of  Pennsylvania 
  • Karyn Olivier, artist and Professor of Sculpture, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, Black Like That (Germantown Potter’s Field) 
  • Synatra Smith, PhD, anthropologist and archivist, Project Manager for the New Jersey Historical Commission’s Black Heritage Trail 
  • Risë Wilson artist, community organizer, activist, strategic planner, curriculum developer and nonprofit advisor for Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures and Art for Justice, among other organizations. 

The Convening is free, but registration is required, and space is limited.  Register here to reserve a place and receive updates on speakers and the schedule.