These stories include a range of artistic pursuits, from Black art exhibitions launched during the pandemic touching moments like Denzel Washington paying for Chadwick Boseman’s summer acting program when he was a student at Howard University.
Arts
In June 2021, the STABLE art gallery in Washington, DC opened “Shoulder the Deed,” an exhibition in collaboration with the social organization, The Black Artists of D.C. Described by the Washington City Paper as a “spiritual reckoning,” Shoulder the Deed sought to strengthen the histories of living Black artists in a rapidly gentrifying city, that is often not considered more than the federal government. Curated by Maleke Glee, Zoma Wallace and Zsudayka Nzinga, Shoulder the Deed is an example of care that keeps art moving and living even amidst a global pandemic.
Dr. Alisha Lola Jones’s first book, Flaming: The Peculiar Theopolitics of Fire and Desire in Black Male Gospel Performance, offers care both in the content of the project itself and in the ways in which it was released. The book treats queer Black men with care, taking the time to understand their musical practices and the churches in which these practices were honed. In releasing the book during the pandemic, Dr. Jones also took care to include virtual performances whenever possible, inviting performers featured in the text to offer opening and closing selections during book talks, as well as hosting a Midnight Musical in celebration of the book at the 2021 Pop Conference.