WATCH RECORDED EVENT

DESCRIPTION:
On Indigenous People’s Day, join an important conversation with four rising artists who are making work that advances racial justice and challenges patriarchal systems of exploitation. "New Leaders Now: Artists Advancing Racial Justice" will feature the inspiring work and ideas of USC students and alumni: GEN-ZiNE co-founder Anushka Joshi, hip hop artist Mato, movement artist and abolitionist Brianna Mims, and dancer/choreographer Jakevis Thomason.

This event is part of Foresight Is 2020: Racial Justice and the Arts. Over four evenings of performance and discussion, USC faculty, students, alumni, and guests from Los Angeles and beyond will ask: What does a nation free of institutional racism look like, and how can the arts provide a vehicle for reaching it?

Bios:
Anushka Joshi is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of GEN-ZiNE, a publication dedicated to addressing contemporary issues through the eyes of Generation Z. At USC, she studies communication with a minor in media, economics, and entrepreneurship, and is committed to designing media for social change. Anushka believes in the power of storytelling to empower communities and echo unheard voices.

Born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mato’s first foray into music was through performance. A fascination in music and performance turned into collaborating with friends and, eventually, he made the move to USC for cinema and media studies in 2016. Since then, he has released multiple projects, including 2018’s deeply introspective Part-Time Indian, which explores his complex identity as a mixed, enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge.

Brianna Mims graduated from the USC Kaufman School of Dance in 2019. Her #jailbeddrop installation and performance at the California African American Museum is just a fraction of her artistic and activist breadth. Mims also shot a campaign for Athleta and traveled to Honduras to participate in human rights education workshops. She has collaborated with d. Sabela grimes and Patrisse Cullors, as well as with grassroots organizations, and would like to run arts programming in a refugee camp in Jordan.

Dancer and choreographer Jakevis Thomason graduated from the USC Kaufman School of Dance in 2020. Despite his youth, he is quickly gaining recognition and acclaim as both a choreographer and creative director for screen and stage. Since 2018, Thomason has worked closely with choreographer Frank Gatson, creative director for recording artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Beyoncé, and he eventually hopes to have his own company to showcase his works. 

Related Events (all times are PT):
The Intersection: Woke Black Folk
A Performance by Funmilola Fagbamila
Sunday, October 11, at 5 p.m.
Live via Zoom
For more info and to RSVP, click here. 

Arts, Activism, and the Academy: Addressing Racism within Higher Education 
Tuesday, October 13, at 7 p.m.
Live via Zoom
For more info and to RSVP, click here. 

Racial Radical: Generating New “Woke” Words
Wednesday, October 14, at 6:30 p.m.
Live via Zoom
For more info and to RSVP, click here. 

Presented by USC Arts in Action and USC Visions and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative.