Midweek Musing: A Personal Reflection on Presence, Practice, and the Networks That Shape Us
Grateful for being in a space that truly modeled belonging and —and bearing witness to work that gave and reflected back—meaning and purpose.
Last weekend at People’s Media Camp, I had one of those rare moments that surfaced some deep feelings about visibility, value and belonging. Let me set the stage for you.
A few months ago, back in July, I learned about the Camp from Tom Casetta, station manager of G-Town Radio, an organization with which I’ve had a long and fruitful association. So grateful for people like him who don’t gatekeep opportunities, but instead, does what he can to see and support people’s professional growth.
Fast forward to September: A few days after my birthday, I received word from the Camp organizers that my applications to facilitate a workshop and install visual art were accepted. Fast forward to last weekend: I facilitated a writing workshop titled “Write Beyond Yourself: De-centered Storytelling Through Your Own Art.”
Also, as part of the Camp weekend, I installed a pop-up photo exhibit of 8 images from my Germantown Juneteenth Festival archive. Titled “Frames of Liberation,” it sparked questions and good conversation about Germantown’s history (including the 1688 Protest Against Slavery), outside perceptions of its safety (we agreed that it was safe) and what’s next for this archive.
Sending big thanks to Tuomi Forrest of Historic Germantown for letting me get into the archives at the Germantown Historical Society at the last minute to select the 8 prints that went on display, and Ingrid Raphaël for the beautifully designed panel and caption labels.
Also, the installation sparked curiosity about my book, Compositions of Black Joy, and by extension, the Johnson House Historic Site and the work JHHS executive director Connie Swinson and her army of board members, staff and volunteers do in the community (including its Center for Social Advocacy and the work to organize the annual Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown).
So on Sunday, for the People’s Bazaar, I hastily gathered up display copies of the book, along with COBJ-branded giveaways for attendees, and set up a table (thanks Rasheed Ajamu!!!)
Not only did I make new connections, I also ran into old friends—people who have been part of Philadelphia’s community media, storytelling, and cultural production ecosystem for years—and it was a genuine sense of “yes, of course you belong here.” I’m not one for over the top emotional displays, but it truly warmed my heart and maybe, my eye leaked a tear or two.
Moments like these reinforce and underscore what I’ve come to understand about my practice over the last decade and a half. My work—through photography, writing, collaborative initiatives, and community engagement—is about cultural organizing, memory work, and fostering/supporting spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued. Each project, each collaboration, is part of a living network of creative storytelling that sustains community and cultivates belonging.
These experiences invite reflection: How do we create and nurture spaces where others feel the same welcome and recognition? How do we make room for voices and histories that have been overlooked? How do we ensure that our work, our presence, and our storytelling contribute to networks of care, memory, and creative possibility?
For me, these questions are not abstract—they are central to every project I take on, every collaboration I enter, and every story I choose to tell. And I hope they are for you as well.