Our friends at Wa Na Wari create space for Black joy EVERY DAY. Their organization is the embodiment of "Black ownership, possibility, and belonging through art, historic preservation, and connection" via the Central District home out of which they operate here in Seattle. So of course, we HAD to give them a Shout-out for all they do as we focus on joy this month!
Back in October, Wa Na Wari held space for community joy with their inaugural Walk the Block fundraiser, gathering over 700 people to experience visual art, music, dance, food, and drinks while exploring their physical space and the neighborhood. The event was a huge success and was an innovative idea to allow for safe gathering during COVID, as attendees experienced art while literally walking the block, with 15 creative stops around the Central District.
Now they offer the community a physical way to bring joy into our homes with their new anthology, Joy Has a Sound: Black Sonic Visions. The anthology contains essays, poetry, musical scores, scripts, and silences by Black poets, musicians, artists, and scholars, and wonders about the time-traveling, place-making power of sound. Wa Na Wari collaborators Elisheba Johnson and Rachel Kessler served as curators and editors for the book.
You can purchase this beautiful anthology via The 3rd Thing Press here.