Black Lives Matter & It's Time to Celebrate Them

The last few weeks have been incredibly challenging for our community, and the Front Porch team has been taking some time to take care of one another and launch a response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and so many others whose lives were snuffed out too soon. We have been mourning the loss of our Black siblings and appreciate the work our non-Black allies are doing to become actively anti-racist. We thought about sending our own resource list, but there's enough of those going around, so we decided to do what we do best: celebrate and program for Black artists and audiences. We are pleased to announce....

Juneteenth 2020

This epic, 10-day celebration of Black art and Black excellence brings together partnering POC artists and organizations for an all-virtual festival with something truly for everyone. With a mix of Black and POC affinity spaces and free events open to the public, we hope that you will all be able to take what you need and celebrate Black liberation with us!

Saturday, June 13
HSHP Digital presented by HipStory
7:00 - 9:00 PM | via Eventbrite & Social Media
HipStory is proud to announce the launching of the HipStory House Party Digital Series. HSHP recreates the live performance and house party elements of Hip-Hop, which gave birth to its distinct value of lyricism and showmanship in ciphers in the 80's. This installment features Boston-based songmaker and boy king, Anjimile, Roxbury rapper and songwriter, Najee Janey, and #YourCommunityDJ, DJ WhySham.
HSHP Digital uses a “PayWhatUCan” ticket price. Proceeds go to the Mass Bail Fund.

Monday, June 15
Kids Corner Reading presented by Castle of our Skins
12:00 PM | via Private Link
​Third installment of Castle of our Skins "Kid's Korner newsletter" comes out on the morning of the 15th. Storytime reading sessions of Black children's books will be available only in the e-newsletter! Two new stories will be available from COOS on Monday: Dancing the Wings by Debbie Allen and Firebird by Misty Copeland read by Lynn DuVal Luse (formerly director of marketing and programming at the Museum of African American History) and Natasha Rosario (our Ops Manager). Be sure to sign up below to be able to share these stories with your young ones!

Tuesday, June 16
2020: Black & Male in America (Continued)
presented by The Front Porch Arts Collective & SpeakEasy Stage
5:00 PM | via Facebook Live
​A second installment of a post-show discussion from our co-production of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu with SpeakEasy Stage Company, join Elliot Norton Award winning actor Kadahj Bennet, our Executive Director Maurice Emmanuel Parent, community leader Thaddeus Miles (Director of Community Services at Mass Housing), and Professor of Worship Dr. Emmett G. Price III (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) for a continued conversation on what it means to be a Black man in our country today. Moderated by Gary Bailey (Asst. Dean of Community Engagement & Social Justice, Simmons College), please tune in to SpeakEasy Stage's Facebook page for a reprise of one the most highly attended talkbacks from our 2019-2020 season.

Wednesday, June 17
Juneteenth Dance Party presented by The Front Porch Arts Collective
5:00 - 6:00 PM | via Facebook Live
The Front Porch Arts Collective, as a part of our week long Juneteenth celebrations, invites you to join us for a moment of Black Joy. We are hosting a virtual dance party featuring DJ Why Sham. Come join us and bust a move in your living room while listening to a lively mix of Black Music Artists! Shamara AKA DJ Why Sham is a visionary, activist, traveler, sister, god-daughter, and uses the tagline "Your Community DJ".
ZOOMba presented by The Front Porch Arts Collective
​7:00 PM | via Facebook Live
Join Front Porch alum, musical theatre actress, and choreographer Yewande Odetoyinbo for an hour-long Zumba class. All levels welcome! The great thing about doing classes over Zoom is that if you don't want to be seen you can turn your camera off ;) It's a great way to have fun, burn a few calories, and maybe even see a few familiar faces! Click the link below to join!
Donations welcome, but not required. 
Venmo: Yewande-Odetoyinbo
CashAp: MyCashApNayme
Zelle/Paypal: yewandeoo@yahoo.com

Thursday, June 18
Poetry Nightcap Series presented by Castle of our Skins
8:00 PM | via Facebook Live
Poet Regie Gibson will join Castle of our Skins on their Facebook Live for their second Poetry Nightcap spoken word performance on Thursday the 18th from 8 to 8:30 PM. Folks can tune, bring their own drink, and close out the evening with some live poetry. ​

Friday, June 19 (Juneteenth)
Black Composer Minature Challenge presented by Castle of our Skins
12:00 PM | via Instagram Live
Composer Shannon Shea will be presenting the world premiere of "Hannah Elias II" performed by Castle of our Skins Executive & Artistic Director and violaist Ashleigh Gordon on the COOS Facebook and Instagram at noon. Part of their weekly 30-second Black Composer Miniature Challenge, be sure to tune in on time...or you might miss it!
Concert with Dzidzor: Freedom as an act of Practice presented by Boston Public Library
12:30 - 1:30 PM | via YouTube
In the spirit of the Concerts in the Courtyard series, the Boston Public Library presents Dzidzor (Jee-Jaw), an African folklore, performing artist, author and entrepreneur. Dzidzor’s style of call and response has re-imagined poetry and story-telling as a way to include the audience in an experience to challenge, inspire and encourage self beyond traditional forms. She began performing through slam poetry and now curates spaces Black Cotton Club, and teaches in Boston.
How to Build an Anti-Racist Movement presented by The Boston Globe
2:00 - 2:45 PM | via Zoom Webinar
Join Dr. Ibram Kendi, director of the new BU Center for Antiracist Research and best-selling author in conversation with Boston Globe Editorial Page Editor and author Bina Venkataraman for their insights on how to build upon the nation’s raised consciousness about the historical legacy of slavery and the deep-seated racism that plagues policing and criminal justice in the United States.
THE BIRCH PREP FIVE, written by Hayley Spivey (she/her/hers) and directed by Tatiana Isabel Gil (she/her/hers), is a story of a group of scholastic black teenagers try to make it through their senior year of high school after a white cop kills their friend, Michael. Their wounds are reopened when the cop’s estranged teenage sister, Delilah, begins attending their school as an incoming sophomore. The teens develop a reluctant and unexpected friendship, which becomes strained they learn the truth behind Michael’s murder. Please be aware there is a content warning for police brutality, violence, and trauma. This will be an activating space in our current world rather than a healing, so take care of your mind and body as you need to! Following the reading, director/dramaturg Tatiana Isabel Gil and co-producer Elliott Hartman will be hosting a feedback session as this play is in development. If you'd like to participate in the session, please fill out this google form.
We also will be fundraising for three different organizations:
1. Act Blue Bail Funds
2. The Loveland Foundation
3. Black Visions Collective
Black Acting Methods: Diversifying Approaches to Acting presented by Crash Acting
4:00 - 5:30 PM | via Zoom
For decades, actors have been exposed to teachers like Stanislavski, Grotowski, Meyerhold, Strasberg, Chekhov, Adler, Hagan, and Meisner. And while these are wonderful teachers, classical acting training has remained deeply Eurocentric and narrowly focused. Here’s the good news: there is much more than the white, European, male-dominated perspectives on acting! Join Black Acting Method Studio founder Dr. Sharrell Luckett for a new perspective on actor training.
Brides Of The Deity: Black Queer Possession With Cultural Uprisings Presented by 
The Theatre Offensive, sponsored by The Boston Globe
4:00 - 5:00 PM | via Zoom Webinar
In Yoruba and other African spiritual traditions, possession by spirits is connected to the people’s existence. When possessed, no matter the gender, one is regarded as a “bride” of the deity. Guided by the insight and work of local Black Queer scholars, artists, and activists, this panel we examine historical and contemporary Black queer figures, profiles, and practices of stewarding cultural uprisings. We will discuss the beliefs that drive their passion and commitment to liberation and the ways they are building capacity, connections, and community.
Juneteenth: A Community Celebration
presented by BAMS Fest & Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
4:00 - 7:00 PM | via Facebook Live & YouTube
Join BAMS Fest for the MFA's annual (virtual) Juneteenth celebration to honor the contributions of Black creatives, scholars, and artists to the City of Boston. We have curated two amazing artists, Debo Ray and DJ Where's Nasty to celebrate all things Black and joyful.
Jerk Fridays presented by Boston JerkFest
7:00 - 9:00 PM | via Eventbrite & Social Media
In honor of Juneteenth, Boston JerkFest is featuring Nahdra and Jahriffe, owners of Oasis Vegan Veggie Parlor in Dorchester, MA along with House of Nahdra, DJ Nomadik, and friends. Vegan jerk dishes are available for purchase and pick up or delivery at this local favorite. This event is free, but donations are welcome to cover expenses related to technology, artists, staff and promotions. Celebrate all things spicy and hot from the comfort of your own home as a preview of the virtual festival!
Stop & Frisk: A Juneteenth Poetry Reading presented by Porter Square Books
7:00 PM | via CrowdCast
Porter Square Books invites you to join them for a virtual Juneteenth poetry reading to celebrate the release of Jabari Asim's newest poetry collection, Stop & Frisk: American Poems, with Porsha Olayiwola (i shimmer sometimes, too). This event is free and open to all; any contributions via Crowdcast to this event will be donated to Black Lives Matter Boston. In Stop and Frisk, Jabari Asim ruthlessly interrogates entrenched injustice and its insidious echoes.
Summer Spectacular presented by The Freitas Effect Podcast
7:30 - 9:30 PM | via Private Link
Join podcasters and siblings Azeb and Simon as they celebrate the one year anniversary of the launch of their podast, The Freitas Effect. There will be performances, appearances of guests from season 1, giveaways, and some pure, beautiful, Black joy! The dynamic DJ/MC duo Mariamawit and Sahlu Loulseged will be hosting and facilitating the discussion. WebEx link will be distributed to RSVPed guests, so click below to attend!

Saturday, June 20
ZOOMba presented by The Front Porch Arts Collective
11:00 AM | via Facebook Live
Join Front Porch alum, musical theatre actress, and choreographer Yewande Odetoyinbo for an hour-long Zumba class. All levels welcome! The great thing about doing classes over Zoom is that if you don't want to be seen you can turn your camera off ;) It's a great way to have fun, burn a few calories, and maybe even see a few familiar faces! Click the link below to join!
Donations welcome, but not required. 
Venmo: Yewande-Odetoyinbo
CashAp: MyCashApNayme
Zelle/Paypal: yewandeoo@yahoo.com
Jpbros live : Virtual sketch show presented by JEANPAULBROS
7:00 PM | via Twitch
The JEANPAULBROS are putting on a live stream sketch show to help bring some laughs during these hard times. Enjoy 25 minutes of scripted comedy, with a opener comedian Mark-Anthony on at 6:45 PM. 100% free show, but donations to Minnesota Freedom Fund, Reclaim the Block, and Black Lives Matter are encouraged. Let the Black community laugh together again! Click the link below at show time to join in on the fun.

Sunday, June 21
Refuge for Black Artists presented by The Front Porch Arts Collective
2:00 PM | via Zoom
As we continue to deal and process the trauma Black lives are experiencing we want to take a moment to come together and heal as a community. Front Porch artists as we heal and process with music, breathing and singing. This 90-minute session is open only to self-identifying Black artists and will be led by Melissa Alexis, founder of Cultural Fabric, with music provided by Akili Jamal Haynes.
Donations to The Front Porch are collected through Central Square Theater, our fiscal sponsor and artistic home.

​Photography by Nile Hawver | NileScottStudios.com