Curated by poet and scholar Kadija George Sesay, Our Stories | Our Lives invites readers to bask in the rhythm and intimacy of Black existence through the richness of Black life in the everyday. Readers are invited to immerse themselves in ordinary moments that simultaneously serve as sites of memory, presence, and pride.

Light food and beverage provided
Free parking beside Cardinal House

Gallery Description:

Our Stories | Our Lives

Ordinary moments in these poems — going to ‘The Beach’ almost missing a show, sewing and mending, just lounging — are distilled into the foundations of how Black lives exist in the everyday. From snippets of childhood memories to vignettes depicting scenes in the community, the narratives of Black being, Black presence and Black pride unfold in a myriad of ways - “with the beginnins of a smile” as Rockie Taylor says in ‘Black Henry’. Told in vernacular, slang, Standard English or inherited words of Mother Tongue, the choice and sounds of words create layers that capture pace and time—the beat and rhythms of Black life. The sharing of our stories offers lived and living evidence of our presence.