The second annual Dividing Lines Symposium discussed African American and Native American narratives through various creative presentations on Saturday, Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 in Kennesaw State’s Sturgis Library. The event included dancing, visual art, feature films and research presentations.
Graduate criminal justice student Darian Hailes served as the program coordinator for the event and said she enjoyed the cultural showcase opening the event.
The symposium was co-sponsored by the nonprofit Afro-Amerindian Research & Cultural Center and the Global South Research Consortium.
One of the featured films “Bakosó: Afrobeats of Cuba,” directed by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, followed music artist DJ Jigüe back to his small but vibrant hometown in Cuba where he finds love for family and inspiration by reconnecting with the African-Caribbean roots in the streets of Santiago de Cuba.
“Bakosó is this — it’s the streets of Santiago — its the connection between African and the Carribean and Cuba,” Jigüe said. “We are Bakosó.”
Film broadcast teacher Monique Gill’s film, “The Bluest Space,” screened on the second day of the event.
“The symposium was a delightful blend of native and African fine art,” Gill said. “I loved being able to share my film while sharing a space to focus on and discuss the concerns of the current cultural landscape.”
The featured films on Saturday also included CGI and virtual reality short animation “Crow: The Legend,” produced by film director Eric Darnell and voiced by stars such as John Legend, Constance Wu, Oprah Winfrey and Sarah Eagle Heart.
The heartwarming movie portrays a story about Crow, voiced by Legend, and his pursuit to find its place in Native American mythology. The event had also featured a room with equipment that allowed attendees to experience the virtual reality aspect of the movie.
One of the most captivating discussions was held by self-help author Stedman Graham and Director of Diversity Relations and Associate Professor of business law Sonia Toson.
Graham emphasized his ideas by laying out six steps to get ahead of most of the population, all of which are outlined in his novel “Identity Leadership: To Lead Others, You Must First Lead Yourself.”
“The first step is to have an identity and define yourself and communicate clearly who you are, what you do, and how you are going to apply what you can do so that you can become relevant on where the world is going,” Graham said.
After the discussion, the floor was opened to the audience where they asked critical questions on how to implement the steps in their daily lives.
“If you don’t have a purpose in life, if you don’t have an identity in life, you can’t even begin to grow, create, develop, build or design your own future,” Graham said.
