What does it mean to be Black and alive right now? Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham have brought together a new collection of work—images, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more—in Black Futures, which tells the story of the radical, imaginative, provocative, and gorgeous world that Black creators are bringing forth today. Drew and Wortham will be in conversation with one of the contributors, King Britt, in a pre-recorded, online-only event that is co-presented with the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas (CD Forum).
All tickets, except Student/25&Under and our Digital Pass/No Book ticket levels, include a copy of Black Futures, shipped straight to your doors, in partnership with our partner bookstore for the evening, Estelita’s Library.
This conversation will be pre-recorded and online-only.
Black Futures presents a succession of startling and beautiful pieces that generate an entrancing rhythm: Readers will go from conversations with activists and academics to memes and Instagram posts, from powerful essays to dazzling paintings and insightful infographics. In answering the question of what it means to be Black and alive, Black Futures opens a prismatic vision of possibility for every reader.
We’re delighted to co-present this event with CD Forum, an organization which empowers Black artists. CD Forum builds community through art, providing one-of-a-kind artistic, culinary, and community experiences that lift artists and engage the community. 50% of the proceeds from this event will go directly to CD Forum.
Kimberly Drew is a writer, curator, and activist. Drew received her B.A. from Smith College in art history and African American studies. During her time at Smith, she launched the Tumblr blog Black Contemporary Art, which has featured artwork by nearly 5,000 Black artists. Drew’s writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, Elle UK, and Glamour. She lives in Brooklyn, New York (just a few blocks away from Jenna Wortham). Twitter: @museummammy Instagram: @museummammy
Jenna Wortham is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine. She is also co-host of the podcast Still Processing, as well as a sound healer, reiki practitioner, and herbalist, all of which she lovingly practices on Kimberly Drew. She is currently working on a book about the body and dissociation. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Jennydeluxe.com Instagram: @jennydeluxe
King James Britt is an electronic artist and composer whose practice is rooted in DJ culture but transcends conventional approaches to production. King has produced, remixed, and collaborated with an eclectic list of artists, including De La Soul, Miles Davis, Solange, Meredith Monk, and more. His scoring includes Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, True Blood (HBO), Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar, and The Blacklist (CBS). www.kingbritt.com
