Creating Paradise: A Community Portrait
An intimate conversation series in conjunction with the world premiere of Furlough’s Paradise by a.k. payne.
Created out of deep love by Assata Amankeechi, Spelman Leadership Fellow
Creative Direction by Aniska Tonge
Videography by James Allen McCune
Edited by Bilal Hefner
This series celebrates Black women breaking free from systemic narratives, creating their own sacred spaces, and finding liberation by embracing their magic.
Every day, entrenched systemic narratives confine Black women, hindering them from recognizing the fullness of their own power. However, moments of intense grief can emerge as catalysts for self-reckoning, offering opportunities to confront the invisible constraints that impact them knowingly and unknowingly. The women featured in Creating Paradise have harnessed grief as a transformative force. They craft paradise spaces that depict their personal visions of freedom and liberation through healing across mind, body, and spirit.
Available digitally and on display in the Hertz Lobby of the Memorial Arts Building at the Woodruff Arts Center during the run of Furlough’s Paradise, JAN 31 – MAR 3, 2024.
Community Partners
Portraits
Alexis’s Paradise
Liberation of the Body
Renowned for captivating burlesque performances, Alexis Hudson intertwines the art of seduction with a tale of intrigue and revenge. In response to the end of a significant relationship, Alexis created her stage persona Deidra Knight, a vengeful mistress who orchestrates the murder of her former lover and escapes the clutches of justice. Alexis discovers bliss in burlesque, exploring the depths of her own complexity. On the stage, she not only embraces her darker facets but also unveils the myriad of mysteries residing within her.
Omilaye’s Paradise
Liberation of the Spirit
When Omilaye received her name during an Ifa naming ceremony, she initially resisted it. The name means “she who lives long.” This felt mundane to her until she received a cancer diagnosis six months later. Then, her name took on a new spiritual significance, showing her that, even if her physical body were to transition, her essence would endure through the interconnectedness of the natural world. Nature became her paradise, providing a space for her to deliberately slow down, acknowledge her body’s needs and desires, and connect with the infinite spiritual wisdom surrounding her.
Narkyssa’s Paradise
Liberation of the Mind
Narkyssa Haskel's journey took an unexpected turn when she received a two-year prison sentence just after discovering she was pregnant with her second child. As she carried her son, the bond they forged became a source of companionship and solace in months of loneliness behind bars. Eleven months after giving birth, Narkyssa was released. Her reunion with her children, Elaina and Emanuel, marked a turning point. Her children became not only her motivation, but her paradise; they are the pillars that uplift, affirm, and inspire her to evolve into the best version of herself.
Community Resources
Now, we encourage you to seek your own paradise. The following is a list of books curated by Cheryl Lee, owner of 44th and 3rd Bookseller, to aid your journey towards personal liberation and replenishment.
Women Race & Class by Angela Davis
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman
All About Love by bell hooks
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is not enuf by Ntozake Shange
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Finding Me by Viola Davis
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Sacred Woman by Queen Afua
How We Heal by Alex Elle
