Brea Wilson by Kyla Mae Cantillo

Akoiya Harris, Brea Wilson

Black Collectivity

I am a member of Black Collectivity. During our show Practice of Return, oral histories collected by Esther Mumford helped to build our understanding of 20th century Black dance in Seattle.  We were deeply inspired by the amount of precious historic details that would have been lost if she did not do the work to preserve them. Through SBSHI, I collected five oral histories from Black Seattle dancers to archive their legacy. Regardless of their role in the community or the genre they moved in, many of the narrators’ stories were connected. Even if their stories didn’t literally overlap, though they often did, their shared experiences aligned them. We as the up and coming generation of dancers would not be where we are without those who came before us. Their love of the craft and the community made space for us to exist as we do. We are able to move into the future by leaning on the strengths of the past. Black dance history is Seattle history. This film, Our Story Our Dance, aims to highlight both the diversity of Black Dance in Seattle as well as the interconnectedness of the community. The film was conceptualized by myself and shot and edited by Brea Wilson. 
-Akoiya Harris

Brenetta Ward

Story Scrolls: Unraveled Narratives

I created quilted scrolls to honor the narrators in the first Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute. Each scroll is unique. Collectively, they tell meaningful stories; document important African American history and preserve our community legacy. The powerful contributions of this dynamic group of individuals helped make Seattle the vibrant, diverse seaport city it is today. 

Ariel Paine

Solo’s Fades and Grooming

This installation is a top shelf bedroom barbershop. The TV plays episodes of "Seattle’s Central District Blacklight on - Barbers & Beauticians" with animations of the narrators telling their stories. The Central District is in my blood, my style, my art, my music, my work and my legacy. This project is an ode to my sensei and barber Dorian "solo doe" Dinish.

Ricky Reyes, Eboni Wyatt, and Sierra Parsons

Making.Wavs Zine and Immersive Reading Room

Dive into the contributions that Black and Indigenous folks have made to Seattle’s historic waterfront  with "making .wavs" a Zine created by Seattle artist Eboni Wyatt and inspired by oral histories collected throughout 2021 and 2022. This installation will feature copies of the making.wavs zine and interactive listening stations. 

Ricky Reyes