Two generations after the passing of American icon Romare Bearden in 1988, The New School’s Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy and the Vera List Center for Art and Politics, the Romare Bearden Foundation, and The Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University combine forces to examine Bearden’s legacy under three distinct lenses: the impact of his activist work, especially his prints; the role of music in both his practice at large and the activist projects; and the resonance of his oeuvre in contemporary art making.

Drawing on the art and activist legacy of American icon Romare Bearden (1911–1988), the symposium features musical performances by three-time Grammy Award winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and four-time Grammy-nominated jazz artist Stefon Harris; performance art by Black Quantum Futurism; and discussions with Pulitzer Prize winning poet and MacArthur Fellow Natalie Diaz, former Spelman College president Mary Schmidt Campbell, and many fellow politically engaged BIPOC artists and commentators.

The three-day convening offers a unique, action-oriented investigation into the potent relationships among race, culture, economy, and the common good. Plenary discussions examine the themes of purposeful creativity, the artist as activist, BIPOC leadership in creative culture and economy, and other topics. Live musical and artistic performances evoke and explore key themes, creating a dynamic and thought-provoking experience: part conversation and part performance.

Additional speakers, performers, and artists at the symposium include: Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, Aisha Benson, Johanne Bryant-Reid, Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes, Adrienne Edwards, Nicole Fleetwood, Angie Kim, Eriola Pira, fayemi shakur, Eddie Torres, Yvonne Watson, Calvin Williams, H. Sharif Williams, and Wayne Winborne.

DAY ONE | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 | THE AUDITORIUM

6–6:35 pm
Welcome
Darrick Hamilton, Henry A. J. Ramos, Carin Kuoni, Dr. Renée T. White

6:35–8 pm
The Power of Purposeful Creativity: A Conversation and Performance
Terri Lyne Carrington, Stefon Harris, Maurine Knighton

DAY TWO | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 | STARR FOUNDATION HALL

10–11 am
Opening Plenary: The Artist as Activist
Mary Schmidt Campbell

11 am–12:15 pm 
The Case for a More Engaged Creative Community
Dwight Andrews and Robert G. O’Meally in conversation

12:30–2:00 pm
Lunch Keynote: Multiculturalism, Activism, and Art
Natalie Diaz

2:15–3:30 pm
Artists as Champions of Racial and Economic Reform
Nicole Fleetwood, Angie Kim, fayemi shakur, Dr. H. Sharif Williams, Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes

3:45–5 pm 
New Opportunities for BIPOC Leadership in Creative Culture & Economy
Eddie Torres, Aisha Benson, Adrienne Edwards, Rocío Aranda-Alvarado

6–7:25 pm 
Layer Time: The Past is Already Rearranged by Our Gaze
Black Quantum Futurism closes out Day Two with a soaring performance at the heart and center of the Romare Bearden exhibition in the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery, followed by a festive reception.

DAY THREE | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 | WOLLMAN HALL 

10–11:15 am
Contemporary Artists, Social Content, and Public Engagement
Michael Aghahowa, Salamishah Tillet, Charisse Pearlina Weston, Jordan Weber, Jessica Lynne

11:30 am–12:45 pm 
Confronting Efforts to Censor BIPOC Writers and Artists
C. Daniel Dawson, Evangeline Ordaz, Radhika Subramaniam

12:45–2 pm
Box Lunch with Summary Observations and Closing Comments
Diedra Harris-Kelley, Carin Kuoni, Wayne Winborne, Henry A. J. Ramos