sunday, August 4, 4-8pm

You are invited to the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Community Gathering presented by Cait Campbell & FreeStrataProjects. This year’s programming is centered upon questioning the historical relationship of Blackness to a post-emancipation America and posits the ways in which the now-National holiday responds, or hinders efforts to define and achieve freedom for Black communities in our current 2024 socio-political climate. A time to come together after celebration and respite to explore: what’s next? A site of unified revisiting, recentering, and re-envisioning “The Land of the Free”; for the now.

The 4th’s event will respond to this query through distinct touchpoints of exchange and creativity featuring a special screening of the documentary film The Cost of Inheritance & Discussion with Randy Quarterman, Spoken Word Performances & Collective Intervention Activity led by Mr.Will, A Healing & Libations Intermission led by Matthew Sodo Shingo, Shissui of Boundless Mind Temple, Cross-Artist Dialogue with Francks Deceus & Visual King Rob Lee Sims III, and a Live Music Spectacle by Ty Blue to bring us to a close.  We hope you can be a part of the change with us.

Schedule

4pm - The Cost of Inheritance Film Screening & Discussion with Randy Quarterman
5:30pm - Spoken Word Performances & Collective Intervention Activity by Mr.Will
6pm - Healing & Libations Intermission with Matthew Sodo Shingo
6:30pm - Cross-Artist Dialogue with Francks Deceus and Visual King Rob Lee Sims III 
7:30pm - Live Music Spectacle by Ty Blu

Cait Campbell (Curator)

www.freestrata.org
Cait Campbell is a curator, scholar, and public organizer based in East Harlem, New York. Hailing from small-town Ontario, Canada, her practice is expansive, integrated and colorful, working across diverse fields of justice, change and resilience. Cait holds a Double Honours B.A. in Anthropology and Environment & Health Geography, with a Specialization Art History and Studio Art from Western University, Canada and earned a Masters of Science in Critical, Curatorial and Conceptual Practices in Architectural Studies from Columbia University GSAPP’21.  Established in Winter 2020, she is the founder of Wedging Forward, an abolition-centered community clay arts initiative for formerly incarcerated persons in Brooklyn, NY, engaging with clay as a practice of liberation and carceral intervention. Since Summer 2022, Cait has developed Free Strata Projects, a public curatorial firm bringing attention to realities and inequalities related to the criminal injustice system and exploring different modes of freedom within non-profit art spaces and unique venues across the Five Boroughs. Cait is honored to have participated in the POWERHOUSE 2023 Summer residency in Liberty, NY, as a site carved out for Queer Black creators to unplug from the city and reconnect with their inner creative spirit as well as, BronxArtSpace Governors Island Summer Residency ’23 which allowed her to reconnect with her roots as a visual artist working in found materials, sculptural painting and fiber arts.  Breathing life and meaning into her dispersed practices, Cait is a 700Hr Certified Yoga Teacher, specifically working in the space of addiction and recovery. She will be commencing her PHD at the School of Social Transformation this Fall.

PARTICIPANTS & PERFORMERS:

(in order of appearance)

Randy Quarterman

SFC Randy Quarterman is a retired Combat Army Veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star for his four tours of service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Randy is the son of Hideko Shimoji and Roy Quarterman who both met during Civil Rights Era and the Liberation of Okinawa from the U.S. Randy is also a Co-founder of Quarterman & Keller Foundation with Sarah Eisner who came together through ancestral past of slavery, both a 5th Generation of their families. The Reparations Project which is the first initiative from the Foundation which supports black land loss, black education and black art.

Mr.Will

Linguistic Alchemy - "know me by my thoughts"

We wield the power of creation, with every sentence we frame
Shaping our destiny, with the words that we proclaim
Our language is a toolkit, to build or to destroy
A double-edged sword, that can heal or employ 

This power is called "Linguistic Alchemy" -

a subtle art
That transforms thoughts into reality, and purpose to our heart
It's a force that can manifest, our deepest desires and dreams
Or perpetuate limitations, and lock us in a prison of schemes

To harness this power, we must be mindful of our speech
And choose words that uplift, and foster a positive reach
We must speak life into our goals, and declare them with conviction
And use affirmations, to rewire our minds with new perception

Examples of linguistic alchemy, in action and in might
Are the words of encouragement, that inspire us to take flight
The motivational speeches, that awaken our inner strength
And the loving affirmations, that heal our soul  breath and length

So let us use our words, to craft a life of purpose and grace
And become the linguistic architects, as we build our own destiny's & place... 

Matthew Sodo Shingo

Matthew, was born on the island of Mannahatta in 93’.  He originally hails from Belize, Central America and is of Yucatec Maya Indian ancestry.  Since childhood, Matthew has devoted his life to the study and practice of Buddhism and received lay ordination in 2022 in the Soto Zen tradition.  His teachers named him ‘Sodo Shingo’, translation: ‘Ancestor’s Way, Intimate Dwelling’.  He serves as the ‘Shissui’ (Work Leader) of the Boundless Mind Temple, of The Brooklyn Zen Center.  The daily mundane work of building transformative and healing communities, within the practice of ethical study and meditation is what drive’s Sodo to speak and act.  His life’s devotion is to creating spacious opportunities for peace, safety, and inner healing for the benefit of all beings.
Sodo’s other driving passion is climate activism and Earth advocacy.  He is a lead organizer with Extinction Rebellion NYC.  A radical direct action collective that deploys non-violence civil disobedience as a means to create global awareness about the climate crisis.  It is the inner practice, ethical resolve, and mind-concentration that allows Sodo to lead the people in physical resistance, speak for those who aren’t given voice, and rise up against oppression, systemic injustice, environmental racism, and the land destroyers across the globe. 

Francks Deceus

Francks F. Deceus was born in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. He currently resides and maintains a studio in Brooklyn, NY. Deceus received a B.A. in sociology from Long Island University, NY, in 1992.
Décéus has studied printmaking at the venerated Bob Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, and in June of 2007, he completed a month-long printmaking residency in Gentilly, France. He was the recipient, in February 2008, of the Samella Lewis Award for Painting in the Hampton University Museum’s juried exhibition, “New Power Generation 2008.”
Throughout his artistic career, Décéus' work has marched chronologically from his childhood in Haiti, through his immersion into his new urban community as an immigrant, and recently, to his meditations on a conceptual vision of humanity. He has always been more interested in exploring themes and issues than in making definitive statements or creating a visual language with his art, and his work resonates with political and sociological content.
His solo exhibitions include the Pounder-Kone Art Space, Salina Gallery, LIU Brooklyn, NY.  Group exhibitions include the Brooklyn Museum, NY; Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts (MOCADA), Brooklyn, NY; The National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN; Gallery M, New York, NY; and Hampton University, Hampton, VA. The works of Deceus have entered numerous private and public collections, including Xavier University, New Orleans, LA, and the Schomburg Center, New York Public Library, NY.

Rob Lee

www.robleevisual.com
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” - Fredrick Douglass

Vision is everything. It’s what moves an idea into action. It’s what keeps us interested. And it takes great vision to create great visuals. Brought up in between South Bronx and Bed-Stuy, Rob Lee has a way with the camera. He has an ability to capture the essence of a moment that’s not often visible, it's uncanny. Clearly, Rob has cultivated his skills and honed his personal creative vision.  Rob created his own learning experiences working closely with LightUpFilms, Loft Boys Media, Ballerstatus.com, OpengovTV, Okayplayer, Get schooled and many others. Rob Lee has developed into a International multi-skilled creative with talents anchoring in photography and filmmaking. His proven track record of contributing to the growth of brands by providing solid visuals is a result of over 10 years of experience executing projects that strongly represent and strengthen the brand image of clients.  Establishing himself as an International creative artist in the Festival network. Robert has dedicated his time to building relationships in Dakar Senegal, Edinburg Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana and Barbados. Working with Sunu Thiossane Senegal, The Edinburgh Festival Carnival, The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, National Festival Arts & Culture in Ghana and the National Cultural Foundation in Barbados.Currently, Robert works as a director of photography and editor.

“Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us." - SusanL. Taylor
“The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.” - Bertrand Russell

ty blue

The Original Ty Blue Instagram QR Code 
Ty Blue™ is an Eclectic-Soul singer, songwriter and performer representing Brooklyn, New York and Senegal. She’s known for her eclectic style both visually and musically with four (4) diverse singles currently available on all major digital platforms. Ty Blue started out training in opera and later found her musical stance in funk which is the foundation of her infused sound. This singer has the vocal ability to bring life to various genres of music including rock and hip-hop, and also music of various eras. During the After Juneteenth program, Ty will be performing her latest single titled “Trust” which has a cool 80’s vibe that speaks on the importance of trust co-existing powerfully with the emotion of love.