Fabio Setti: Tamarados Santos, Raiz do Mundo
The Masons - Donna-Marie and Maruska
February 2022
TSAL Monthly Newsletter
MORE SOUL FOOD A
BLACK LOVING
WORLD
Yodith Dammlash
thirdspace thirdspace ACTION ACTION LAB LAB
Lloyd Foster
Olivia Lifungula
1 Malcom Dia Teferi
February 2022
TSAL Monthly Newsletter
MORE SOUL FOOD Read | Watch | Listen
CONTENTS 1 4 8 7 9 10 11
COVER THIS MONTH'S THEME SOUL CHECK + MIXTAPE TEAM FEATURES TSAL FILM SCREENING SPACE REFRESH ICYMI
Activating Space. Activating People. 3rdspaceactionlab.co
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February 2022
TSAL Monthly Newsletter
MORE SOUL FOOD Read | Watch | Listen
CONTENTS 12 13 21 25 29 33 34
ALL-STAR WEEKEND VIBES + STUFF MIND CONNECTION SPIRIT BALDWIN BACK COVER
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February 2022
TSAL Monthly Newsletter
Samuel Rees Price
BLACK HISTORY MONTH A BLACK LOVING WORLD FEBRUARY 2022 Dear Comrade, This month holds several different significances as this year it holds two major sporting events (including All-Star Weekend hosted in Cleveland), Lunar New Year, Black History Month, and that holiday that we either love or dread. As we continue into the month of February, ThirdSpace Action Lab upholds the charge set at the beginning of the year by reflecting around the theme: Imagining a Black Loving World.
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February 2022
TSAL Monthly Newsletter
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Samuel Rees Price
A BLACK LOVING WORLD The word imagine is key because in many instances a Black Loving World is one that has to constantly push up against a world that subscribes to antiblackness and deeply rooted hatred. One prominent example of this is the continued attacks on historically accurate curriculum, representative texts, and an acknowledgement of systemic racism within the uprising against Critical Race Theory. In their book, "All Boys Aren’t Blue George", M. Johnson argues that “navigating in a space that questions your humanity isn’t really living at all. It’s existing. We all deserve more than just the ability to exist” (2020). Johnson’s book has been banned in 15 states so far, but the power of a Black loving world still pushed the book into its 8th printing. In a Black loving world, we create a counter-reality that makes a space for Black folx to live rather than just exist–to feel valued in their purpose, to be appreciated for their talent, to be seen for their beauty, and to hold a community that honors their resilience. Throughout the newsletter, we highlight pioneers of a Black loving world who have utilized their passions to construct spaces that allow Black folx to exist in their wholeness. In Solidarity, TSAL TEAM
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SOUL CHECK DR. MARTHA
3 words to encapsulate your vision for a Black loving world
MS. TINA Peaceful, pure, & amazing
Hope, intent, & courage
EVELYN
Joy, thrive, & soul
JENINA
MAURA
Joyful, bold, & beautiful
Justice, expansive, & liberatory
BRANDON
MAICA
Subversive, celebratory, & melenated
Ubiquitous, tangible, justice
BENJAMIN
SHAMMAS
Radical, prosperous, & innovative
Bright, smiling, & calm
Charles Henry Alston, The Family, 1955
TRISTEN
AMBER
Nurturing, restorative, & uplifting
Love, restorative, & warm
MIXTAPE
TREVOR Beautiful, bold, & liberated
TSAL INVITES YOU TO IMAGINE A BLACK LOVING WORLD WITH US THROUGH SOUND BY ADDING TO OUR MIXTAPE OR SCANNING THE QR CODE BELOW.
PLAYLIST LINK HERE
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TEAM MEMBER FEATURE MORDECAI CARGILL CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER
3 words that describe your dreamscape for TSAL:
Who are the artists that form your creative lineage?
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TEAM MEMBER FEATURE AMBER N. FORD
TSAL CURATOR
On moCa Residency
"The 2022 moCa residency will focus on exploring the ways loss brings us together. Inspiration is drawn from the act of mourning, traditional celebrations of life and the efforts we create to keep memories "alive". I invite my viewers to be vulnerable with me as we all work through our grief process to create some happiness in the healing."
VISIT THE moCa FEATURE HERE | VISIT AMBER'S WEBSITE HERE
"Bike"
"Flatten Wing"
"Mother Mary"
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FILM SCREENING
SCHEDULE
THIS FEBRUARY, THIRDSPACE ACTION LAB WILL BE HOSTING A FREE WEEKLY FILM SCREENING SERIES TO SHOWCASE THE BREADTH AND POWER OF BLACK NARRATIVES AROUND THE WORLD.
MONDAY
FEB. 07
UPTIGHT (1968)
WEDNESDAY
FEB. 09
MOONLIGHT (2016)
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
FEB. 14
FEB. 16
SCHOOL DAZE EYES ON THE PRIZE: HALLOWED GROUND (1968) (2021)
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
FEB. 21
FEB. 23
SHORT FILM SERIES
A LOVE SONG FOR LATASHA (2019) | THIS LAND (2020) | BLACK BOY JOY (2021) | CANVAS (2020)
WATTSTAX (1973)
MONDAY
FEB. 28
NATIONTIME (1972) FT. A GUEST PANEL TO BE ANNOUNCED ON TSAL SOCIALS!
MONDAYS + WEDNESDAYS 6-8PM ET ZOOM LINK HERE
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SPACE REFRESH
COMING SOON
THIRDSPACE ACTION LAB IS CURRENTLY REFRESHING OUR STREET LEVEL SPACE! STAY TUNED FOR THE SPACE REFRESH REVEAL IN THE UPCOMING NEWSLETTER ISSUES. IN THE MEANTIME, LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PREVIOUS OFFICE REFRESH BELOW WITH CELIA DW, OWNER OF STICKI ICKI BELOW!
"I love the art of the hunt for that perfect piece that makes a home or outfit pop. The smallest thing can enrich your life - a beautiful basket, a cherished bowl, a gold rimmed cup, or a favorite pair of earrings that become a family heirloom." Celia DW, Owner of Sticki Icki Shop | Personal Instagram
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ICYMI DAKARAI AKIL ARTIST TALK On December 22, 2021, Dakarai Akil sat down with TSAL Creative Director Mordecai Cargill to discuss his third selfpublished book. 'CAVEYEARS' is a book is based on his personal journal writings of his early adult life where he would write about fantasies of taking a sabbatical to live off-grid in caves working on a new body of work and prioritizing selfcare.
REWATCH HERE
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ALL-STAR WEEKEND From February 18-20, Cleveland will host NBA All-Star Weekend, which will also coincide with the 75th anniversary of the NBA. Cleveland also hosted All-Star Weekend in 1997, during the 50th anniversary of the NBA, a reminder of our city's legacy.
Going back even further, many folks recognize this picture - from the "Ali Summit" in 1967. The picture comes from a meeting held at E. 105th and Euclid, just down the street from ThirdSpace, between Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Lew Alcindor (soon-to-become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Carl Stokes (soon to become the first Black mayor of a major American city right here in Cleveland) and a number of others.
READ
The Cleveland Summit and Muhammad Ali: The true story
"According to legend — and countless media reports in subsequent years that failed to challenge that legend — the athletes had come together to decide whether to lend their support to Muhammad Ali, who had been stripped of his heavyweight title and faced charges of draft dodging for his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War."
GO DEEPER
WATCH
"From Robinson to Kaepernick: The Evolution of Athlete Activism" Dr. Harry Edwards, in conversation with James Brown of NFL Today
The Ali Summit and contemporary activism fit into a long, rich legacy of Black athlete activism. Dr. Harry Edwards, Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley is a foremost authority on this history. 12
VIBES + STUFF
HOPE IS IN OUR DNA "In a city like Cleveland that has overcome so much, hope is a virtue that we come back to often. Places in a community, like churches, schools, or a neighborhood, can be where hope is found. Hope can also be what a person instills in others through their actions. This definition of hope exemplifies Justin Bibb, the new mayor of Cleveland. Mayor Bibb aims to make Cleveland a city built on equity and people power, to pour as much back into the city that gave so much to him."
LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEVELAND DNA HERE
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VIBES + STUFF
CLEVELAND VOTES IS HIRING!
Operations Administrator + Civic Engagement Strategist Have you heard?! Cleveland VOTES is seeking submissions for (2) open positions Operations Administrator + Civic Engagement Strategist. As a relatively young, but rapidly growing organization - they seek to welcome team members that are committed to social and racial justice, as well as creating innovative solutions to realize a more equitable democracy in Cleveland. If this sounds like you - please head to their website for the full descriptions. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 18th and all required materials (cover letter, resume + references) may be sent to jobs@clevotes.com.
APPLY BY FRIDAY, 2/18 HERE
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VIBES + STUFF NAACP CLEVELAND BHM EVENTS #NAACPMAJORITY MONDAYS
TOWN HALL CONVERSATIONS
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT THE WEBSITE HERE
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VIBES + STUFF
EXHIBITION: TEXTURES ON DISPLAY AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM The exhibition includes the work by TSAL Artist-in-Residence, Amber Ford
TEXTURES is a landmark exploration of Black hair and its important, complex place in the history of African American life and culture. TEXTURES synthesizes research in history, fashion, art, and visual culture to reassess the “hair story” of peoples of African descent. Long a fraught topic for African Americans and others in the diaspora, Black hair is here addressed by artists, barbers, and activists in both its historical perceptions and its ramifications for self and society today. Combs, products, and implements from the collection of hair pioneer Willie Morrow are paired with masterworks of artists including James Van Der Zee, Sonya Clark, Lorna Simpson, Mary Sibande and Zanele Muholi. Exploring topics such as the preferential treatment of straight hair, the social hierarchies of skin, and the power and politics of display,
To purchase your own copy of TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair please click here.
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VIBES + STUFF
KENT STATE MUSEUM February 21, 2022 at 5pm EST: A Critical Conversation about the History of Ownership in the Black Hair Care Industry
Ladosha Wright Instagram
The Black hair care industry has been in existence since the 1900s with the likes of Annie Turnbo Malone, Madam C. J. Walker, and Garrett Morgan. These entrepreneurs set the standard for successful Black owned hair care businesses. However, for more than 100 years that success has been continually threatened by non-Blacks profiting off of products they created catering to the Black community. Ladosha Wright, Goldie Jenkins, and Dr. Tameka Ellington will discuss this phenomenon along with the life of Christina Jenkins, inventor of the hair weave and hair care industry business woman in the 1950s. This Facebook Live event will take place at Dr. Tameka Ellington, co-curator of the KSU Museum’s TEXTURES exhibition
TUNE IN TO FACEBOOK LIVE @ DR. TAMEKA ELLINGTON'S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT HERE
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VIBES + STUFF
KENT STATE MUSEUM March 4, 2022 at 12pm EST: April Bey: The Millennial Natural Hair Movement Bahamian American interdisciplinary visual artist April Bey presents her work on Black hair and the Millennial Natural Hair Movement on YouTube. This talk features a chronological presentation of Bey’s work from an academic career as a student to current works as part of an ongoing studio practice focusing on Black natural hair and the politics surrounding its various expressions in America and the diaspora. Q&A with TEXTURES co-curator Joseph Underwood will follow the presentation.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE.
April 14 – 15, 2022: TEXTURES Symposium The Kent State University Museum’s exhibition TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair synthesizes research in history, fashion, art, and visual culture to reassess the “hair story” of peoples of African descent. Long a fraught topic for African Americans and others in the diaspora, Black hair is addressed by artists, barbers, and activists in both its historical perceptions and its ramifications for self and society today. This symposium surrounds these histories and intends to convene individuals from a variety of backgrounds – artistic, academic and beyond – to discuss, engage, and celebrate ideas pertaining to Black history, hair, beauty, and culture. Cultivating new knowledge through consideration of various topics related to the exhibition themes.
Please visit the KSU Museum’s website for more information about the symposium.
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VIBES + STUFF BLACK HEALTH, WEALTH EQUITY The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival is offering a virtual Black History Month experience this year. For more information, click here.
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VIBES + STUFF February 04, 2022 - February 26, 2022
LOCATION: CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATER | 6415 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102
PANTHER WOMEN:
AN ARMY FOR THE LIBERATION
Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation follows one woman’s journey to self-discovery through the stories of three prominent women who were members of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Movement. This highenergy movement piece with poetry, monologues, dance, and song explores the dilemmas, obstacles, and joy of African American Women, chronicling the lifelong pursuit of justice by some of the founding women of the Civil Rights Movement.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
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MIND
The Intellectual Work
READ The Black Panther Party Newspaper Queer Archive
"A collection of PDF scans of nearly every issue of The Black Panther Party Newspaper was posted to reddit in 2016. In January 2021 we downloaded all of the files to make it accessible here as well."
READ Jahnavi Inniss is a designer invigorating and telling the astonishing unheard stories of Black British history Ruby Boddington, It's Nice That
“My practice is primarily focused on surfacing lesser-known narratives, dismantling 'single stories' and providing visibility and empowerment for underrepresented communities." 21
MIND
The Intellectual Work
READ Mirna Pierre’s curvy and bold typeface is a celebration of Black graphic designers in history Ayta Angelos, It's Nice That
“In the digital age that we live in, we have to be intentional about finding inspiration beyond what the algorithm puts in front of us. If not, we all end up liking the same things and creating the same things, which after a while gets boring.”
WATCH "Black Matter" Everyday Portals to Black Cultural Pasts, Presents, and Futures Black in Design 2021, Dorothy Berry, Emanuel Admassu, & Felecia Davis, Harvard GSD
“A lot of my interest in the ordinary, the everyday comes from the belief that these spaces, for example compound houses on the continent of Africa, provide intimate portals that help us understand how ancestral knowledge and sensibility is transferred across generations.” 22
MIND
The Intellectual Work
LEARN Afrofuturism and Black Joy Kaitlin Smith, Facing History & Ourselves
"Bettina Love put the concept of “Black joy” on the map in the education space with her groundbreaking book We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom. In it, she argues that students must not only learn about the suffering and oppression faced by Black people, but also about the resilience, creativity, and humanity of this community. There are many ways to incorporate Black joy into one’s teaching, and one approach that educators can consider is the rich world of afrofuturism."
READ "An Air of Expectancy": Class, Crisis, and the Making of Manhood at a Historically Black College for Men Jonathan Eig, The Undefeated
"This qualitative study explores formations of masculinity among students at a historically Black all-male college, offering insights into how the institution crafts the manhood of its students in accordance with gender and class ideologies about Black male respectability, heteronormativity, and male hegemony." 23
MIND
The Intellectual Work
READ Artists and designers respond to the relationship between racial injustice and the climate crisis Matt Alagiah, It's Nice That
"The Colour of the Climate Crisis is a new exhibition exploring this inequality and the connections between climate breakdown and racial injustice. 'It’s communities around the world, largely Black communities and communities of colour, in the Global South, who are suffering the worst of the climate crisis that they largely didn’t cause,' says Naresh Ramchandani, a partner at Pentagram and the co-founder of Do The Green Thing, which has organised the exhibition. “Even in the Global North,” he continues, “lower-lying areas around the coasts and areas with worse air pollution index quite heavily against Black communities and communities of colour.”
READ A Ratchet Lens: Black Queer Youth, Agency, Hip Hop, and the Black Ratchet Imagination Bettina L. Love "This article explores the utilization of the theory of a Black ratchet imagination as a methodological perspective to examine the multiple intersections of Black and queer identity constructions within the space of hip hop. In particular, I argue for the need of a methodological lens that recognizes, appreciates, and struggles with the fluidity, imagination, precarity, agency, and knowledge production of Black queer youth who create and consume hip hop. As an example, I apply a Black ratchet imagination methodological perspective to an examination of New Orleans’s bounce culture. I conclude the article by underscoring the need for humanizing, hyper-local, and messy theoretical frameworks that provide further context for research investigating Black queer youth whose identities are informed by the culture of hip hop." 24
CONNECTION The Community Work
READ Healthier neighborhoods is the goal of upcoming surveys in Kinsman, Central, Buckeye Michael Indriolo, The Land CLE
"Those health disparities, largely fueled by institutional racism, hit mostly African American neighborhoods in Cleveland hard. A host of environmental factors make health outcomes generally worse in these areas than in mostly white communities elsewhere in the city. That’s where these CHNAs come in: In theory, they will identify the specific environmental factors that perpetuate health disparities on a block-by-block scale. That hyperlocal information helps agencies like Burten, Bell, Carr, which currently bases its programming on data sampled from the city, county and state as whole, devote resources to projects that meet the specific health needs of each community they serve."
WATCH Black Liberation Walking Tour: Live and Recorded Tours | David Peters Future Histories Lab, UC Berkeley
"Can walking tours be an effective measure in countering the loss of historically and culturally significant spaces? How does the expansion of public awareness of the past feed into activism surrounding present day development? What are the benefits of transitioning a live neighborhood tour into a self-guided tour?" 25
CONNECTION The Community Work
READ 'Cleveland Green Book' Project Is Mapping and Further Documenting Black Entertainment in Northeast Ohio From the 1930s to 1960s Vince Grzegorek, SCENE
"Green Book Cleveland, a map-based historical site filled with hundreds of entries, includes the bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, barber shops, clubs, theaters and other entertainment spots that were included in one of the Green Books, published for 30 years during the Jim Crow era as guides to where African-Americans could enjoy courteous service and a safe, friendly environment in their travels."
VIEW Acres of Ancestry Ayla Angelos, It's Nice That "A mutual aid ecosystem rooted in Black earth-based traditions to regenerate land ownership, stewardship, and cooperative economies in the South." 26
CONNECTION The Community Work
LISTEN AfroQueer Podcast Selly Thiam "AfroQueer is a podcast from AQ Studios telling the stories of Queer Africans from across the continent and diaspora."
LISTEN READ Peel Dem Layers Back Archie Green "The mission of Peel Dem Layers Back is to educate, empower and equip Black Men and Boys with essential tools necessary to live a mentally healthy life through healing hang-outs and cultural artistic expression, while representing hip-hop culture."
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CONNECTION The Community Work
WATCH How can athletes succeed as advocates for social change? The Atlantic
"In modern sports, athlete-activists have been on the front lines of social movements. However, the sharp edge of society’s judgment often points towards athletes who raise their voices for social change."
LISTEN READ The Trail Ahead: Brooklyn Bell - Mountain Biking, Creating Space, and Reclaiming Legacy Faith E. Briggs and Addie Thompson, Patagonia, Merrell
"Brooklyn Bell is Patagonia Mountain Bike Ambassador and a freelance artist from Bellingham, Washington. She skis, she climbs, she rides bikes and she loves getting creative in the outdoors. We love how she clearly defines the difference between diversity and inclusion and how she has found a way to both educate others and create boundaries that help make space for herself. She talks about joy and creativity, tokenism, the role of good friends to step up and have your back and how art has helped her become who she needed to be for herself." 28
SPIRIT The Soul Work
READ All About Love: New Visions bell hooks "Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust. [...] Definitions are vital starting points for the imagination. What we cannot imagine cannot come into being."
READ Open Water Caleb Azumah Nelson “The gaze requires no words at all: it is an honest meeting.”
"Open Water is at once an achingly beautiful love story and a potent insight into race and masculinity that asks what it means to be a person in a world that sees you only as a Black body; to be vulnerable when you are only respected for strength; to find safety in love, only to lose it." 29
SPIRIT The Soul Work
READ Kwabena Sekyi Appiah-Nti’s new photo book documents Ghanaian culture and “its immense heritage” Ayla Angelos, It's Nice That “By doing this,” he adds, 'I’m building a bridge between the past and the present.' He’s interlacing two timeframes, and therefore giving a new relevancy to the old proverbs that he’s referencing. “Nobody knows the beginning of a great man” is one example, with text underneath stating “Obi nnim obrempon ahyease”.
LISTEN Tobi Adebajo on navigating a free, spiritual experience through all parts of life gal-dem podcast "This week on Growing up with gal-dem we’re joined by Anti-Disciplinary artist Tobi Adebajo. Tobi talks about being a doula from both beginning of life to end of life - supporting Black women after experiencing a traumatic birth experience themselves. They discuss how they hold space of care for Black women vs what is currently available in the healthcare system." 30
SPIRIT The Soul Work
READ The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art & Fashion ONYX Self Imaging and Antwaun Sargent
"In a richly illustrated essay, Sargent opens up the conversation around the role of the Black body in the marketplace; the cross-pollination between art, fashion, and culture in constructing an image; and the institutional barriers that have historically been an impediment to Black photographers participating more fully in the fashion (and art) industries."
WATCH Black Lives The Criterion Channel "Black Lives Matter, and art has a role to play in centering and celebrating the experiences of Black people. These films focus on the dreams, struggles, desires, and art of Black characters and real-life subjects. From rediscovered gems by mavericks of early African American cinema like Oscar Micheaux and Spencer Williams, to independent-film landmarks by Charles Burnett and Julie Dash, to documentary portraits of Black artists by white filmmakers Les Blank and Shirley Clarke, to innovative contemporary work by Khalik Allah, these films offer an invitation to reflect on the resilience and creativity of Black individuals and communities in the United States and beyond." 31
SPIRIT The Soul Work
VIEW Black Joy Archive Zoey Pulley "This project began in May of twenty-twenty amidst a worldwide pandemic and the continued racial epidemic this country has battled for centuries. The archive is intended to serve Black people as a therapeutic practice in self-preservation and self-esteem, as we are continually asked to face painful imagery of folks who look like us. The goal is that this collective action can be an outlet for black individuals to heal through lifting our voices and giving space for our experiences to be seen, while also demystifying the notion that black lives can solely be viewed in a negative vacuum of struggle."
READ Praise Songs for the Kitchen Ghosts Crystal Wilkinson and Simone Martin-Newberry, Emergence Magazine
"Remembering her grandmother’s jam cake, biscuits, and sweet black tea, Crystal Wilkinson evokes a legacy of joy, love, and plenty in the culinary traditions of Black Appalachia." 32
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022 | A BLACK LOVING WORLD
"PEOPLE
TRAPPED
AND
ARE
IN
HISTORY
HISTORY
IS
TRAPPED IN THEM." JAMES BALDWIN
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Shyama Golden
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PEACE. Read | Watch | Listen
Follow ThirdSpace Action Lab for mo' Soul Food! Twitter: @3rdSpaceCLE | IG: @3rdspacecle
Athian Akec and Dennis McInnes 34