Friday, April 14, 6:30pm
Utilizing our Skid Row parks for making a safe space.

Panel
Charles Porter in conversation with Christopher Mack, Hayk Makhmuryan, Alisa Orduna Henriëtte Brouwers. This discussion will highlight the work to activate and support Skid Row parks as venues for cultural exchange, community, and wellness. We will also discuss advocacy and investment to provide essential support and amenities for all patrons, including people experiencing homelessness.

This event is part of the exhibition COSMOLOGY & COMMUNITY: Networks of Liberation
Feb. 18 – July 31, 2023
Open: Thu, Fri, Sat 2-5pm.

Exhibition centers on the work of Community Curator Charles Porter, in collaboration with & support of curatorial staff of Skid Row History Museum & Archive.

The exhibition weaves together five components beginning with Charles’ family history and origins in a historic free Black New Jersey community, the role of mentors, and his education at Howard University. The second part of the exhibition explores philosophy, recovery, wellness, healing, and the quest for meaning, examining social model approaches utilized in Skid Row to create healthy lives and communities. The third part of the exhibition focuses on culture and explores Charles’ incorporation of cultural learning, music, poetry, and African traditions in his work in Skid Row. The fourth component highlights community formation and transformative community-led initiatives to increase safety, expand resources, provide support, and strengthen neighborhood ties. The final component highlights the need for voice, agency, and responsive systems that facilitate autonomy and increase accountability.

Original poetry on the gallery walls, narrating the components of the exhibition were written by Charles who also informed the creation of referential mural elements created by Dimitri Kadiev, Joshua Grace, and Ellie Sanchez. Each station has video and a notebook of historical and contemporary documents.