Spring 2011
Marlon Griffith grew up in Trinidad where he became fascinated with a variety of artistic forms that make up carnival. Working between performance, sculpture and installation, he examines how Afro- and Indo-Trinidadian carnival traditions commemorate historical events. His treatment of carnival as theatrical performance incorporates diverse elements from the urban landscape to construct colorful assemblages layered with patterns, texture, and sound.
Malika Lueen Ndlovu, a playwright and poet, and Chantal Snyman, an actress, both hail from South Africa and shareed their incredible stories and work. They were part of the African Women Writers Festival created by Kathy Perkins, Professor of Theater. In all, seven prominent African artists were in residence over seven days. Artists included performance scholar/storyteller/actor/director Mshai Mwangola from Kenya; Hope Azeda, Rwandan playwright, director and artistic director of the Rwandan based company Mashirika; Andia Kisia from Kenya, playwright; Amandina Lihamba,Tanzanian scholar/ actress/playwright; and Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka of Nigeria scholar/dancer/actress.
Spring 2008
Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour: four stand up comedians performed their boundary-breaking show, shared the views on comedy and conflict, talked about both the applause and rejection they encounter, and provided tips on being a stand up comic.
Fall 2007
Michael Reyes, a Chicano Mexican poet and youth organizer, combined hip hop influences and spoken word to talk with students about his work confronting social ills faced by Latino communities in Chicago.
Spring 2007
Chuy Negrete, the son of migrant farmworkers and with guitar in hand, performed traditional "corridos," the folk music of his native Mexico to narrate 500 years of Mexican history. He is ne of the nation's foremost musicologists and interpreters of Mexican and Chicano music.
Fall 2006
Intersections participated in "Hate Free Week" by bringing the "The Human Race Machine" created by artist, Nancy Burson. This interactive machine allowed students to change their "race" and explore the implications of visual diversity and the social construction of race.
Dr. Shakti Butler showed and discussed her most recent film, "Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible," featuring white women and men who have worked to gain insight into what it means to challenge notions of racism and white supremacy in the United States.
Spring 2006
Vernon Wall, trainer and facilitator in the areas of diversity/oppression and leadership styles, dialogued with students around race and racism, and the importance of self-knowledge and continued learning.
Fall 2005
Rita Pyrillis (Minneconjou Lakota), free-lance journalist, and Jerry Clown (Minneconjou Lakota), cultural preservationist, engaged students in dialogue around issues of Native Americans in the media and life as American Indians today.
Spring 2005
Carl Hancock Rux, writer, composer, musician, playwright, and poet engaged students in issues of identity, art, and creativity.