Expanding the Historical Narrative: Diversity, Creativity and Activism

1185 Pacific Street,San Luis Obispo CA 93401

16 April, 2023

Description

History is not limited to the past! Four Bay Area poets, educators, artists and activists reflect on the family, community and political influences that inspired them to become creative changemakers. They share personal stories that heal, connect, and expand the complex diversity of the American story. Presented by the History Center of San Luis Obispo county in partnership with Write Now! SFBay. Organized by Japanese American writer/artist Shizue Seigel, whose family ties to San Luis Obispo’s historic Japantown and Shell Beach agriculture were shattered by World War II incarceration. She is working with San Luis Obispo County historians and community groups to diversify historical narratives of the Central Coast. Donations to the History Center of San Luis Obispo County are greatly appreciated, but no one turned away for lack of funds. About the Readers: Dr. Sandra Bass, Associate Dean of Students and Executive Director of the Public Service Center at UC Berkeley which connects students with communities through jobs, internships, coursework and volunteerism. She is a powerful advocate for civic engagement, social transformation, and nonviolent social change. Karla Brundage, founder of the West Oakland to West Africa Poetry Exchange, grew up in Hawaii and taught high school in Africa for three years. In all her travels, she seeks cultural understanding and the healing connection that arises from sharing stories. Her books include Swallowing Watermelons, Mulatta–Not So Tragic, Sisters Across Oceans, Our Spirits Carry Our Voices, and Black Rootedness: 54 Poets from Africa to America. http://karlabrundage.com Jaime Cortez, a Chicano writer and visual artist based in Watsonville and the SF Bay Area, blends humor and tragedy in Gordo (Black Cat/Grove Atlantic Press, 2022), stories of resilient migrant farm workers and other survivors on the margins of the economy, the law, and social acceptability. His visual art has been shown at the SF Arts Commission Gallery, SomARTS, Strut, Mercury 20, Pajaro Valley Gallery, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and elsewhere. www.jaimecortez.org Shizue Seigel is the founder/director of Write Now! SF Bay, which supports writers and artists of color through workshops, events and anthologies of prose poetry and visual art. www.WriteNowSF.com. Her eight books include five Write Now! anthologies and In Good Conscience: Supporting Japanese Americans during the Internment (AACP, Inc, 2006) and My First Hundred Years: The Memoirs of Nellie Nakamura, 1902-2002. www.shizueseigel.com.