One Poet’s Story on the Power of the Arts and Social Justice

“I think about liberation. When I talk about why I do what I do, when I remind myself why I am in this work, it is about freedom. An awareness that we can’t leap over to revolution if we don’t know why we need one.” -Ama Codjoe

These are the words of Ama Codjoe, former director of the Dreamyard Art Center in the South Bronx, anti-racist and anti-oppression facilitator, and award-winning writer. Few conversations lifted me like the one I had with the one and only Ama Codjoe, back in 2022.

Due to Ama’s brilliance and grounding spirit, I chose her for the inaugural episode of my podcast (Interrupt the Narrative) for a conversation titled, “‘Uh Huh, But How Do It Free Us?’ One Poet’s Story on the Power of the Arts and Social Justice.” Rooted in Sonia Sanchez’s reminder to ask “…how do it free us,” Ama and I engaged in a robust discussion about the importance of interrupting static iterations of DEI and JEDI work. Ama is clear about who she is and who she is not in this work. Ever the poet and wordsmith, Ama expounded upon her vision of herself as a social justice facilitator: “This is who I am” is a phrase that helps Ama communicate clearly who she is to organizations in search of someone to guide their anti-racist efforts.

Want to know more? Want to hear Ama’s voice elucidate the powerful work she has done for years and continues to do? Click below for episodes 1 and 2. In these episodes, Ama takes us on a journey into a world that could help us interrupt and upend static and damaging DEI narratives.

Join the conversation! 🕊

Episode 1: https://lnkd.in/epJBfzkG

Episode 2: https://lnkd.in/eEAFYb-U