tatjana rebelle
spoken word artist and activist director of youth programming, earth charter indiana
Tatjana wanted to tap into who they are as a biracial, binational child of an immigrant and sought to visit three locations: the Grand Canyon, Berlin, and Cape Town. During the Covid lockdown, they did some deeper exploration into their family history and used their Creative Renewal project as a means to get in touch with their heritage within U.S. borders. I am still amazed to this day that I was able to purchase a 95 GMC van that I named Sister Rosetta. I know for a fact this trip would not have happened without her. I wouldn’t have had the sense of accomplishment that came with converting Rosetta by myself. The insurgency on January 6, 2021, brought another shift for Tatjana’s travels, and they focused on heading West. They discovered the stunning backroads of Kansas and witnessed the changing landscape of the country, and were thankful for the safety the van brought them.
" I’ve spent my career centering trauma through my art or hiding it while advocating for others. My goal was to learn how to write from a place of centering my own joy without guilt and learn who I am outside of my roles."
The most surprising aspect that shifted for me was how I relate to Indianapolis. I knew I was going to be in mostly white spaces and it’s not something I’m unfamiliar with. However, what I ended up missing almost instantly was being in places that were impacted by Black, Queer and Brown culture. I underestimated how deep the roots of Blackness are in the very fabric of this city. It helped me to appreciate just how Black and Brown and Queer this city really is.
Tatjana Rebelle TAT J A N A R EB EL L E .CO M
CR E AT I V E R EN EWA L A RTS F ELLOWSH I P
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