About this Event
The with its annual Town Hall on May 1, a dynamic convening that brings together artists, scholars, and cultural workers for an evening of reflection and dialogue. Centered on the theme of “Black Space”—the ongoing transformation of social and physical environments by Black communities toward liberatory futures—the Town Hall foregrounds how such spaces are forged, sustained, and connected to build sovereign futures.
Through a series of performances, reflections, and conversations, the program sets the tone for the festival’s broader theme, As the Stars Sow the Earth, exploring how ancestral memory, spiritual cosmologies, and creative practice shape African and Diasporic worlds. This event brings together practitioners of visual art, land stewardship, literature, and performance art. Each reflects on how Black communities transform conditions of displacement, ecological degradation, and historical rupture into sites of possibility.
In doing so, the Town Hall invites audiences to consider how cultural production sustains our relationships to one another and the earth, offering new ways of inhabiting and shaping the world.
Doors open at 6PM and conversation begins at 6:30PM.
Participants include Lexii Foxx, a multidisciplinary artist and founder of STOP KILLING US (#SKU); Erin Michelle Washington, a creative waymaker and founder of SoulCenter; Kojo Ade, a Harlem-born cultural ambassador and arts professional; and Stephanie Adusei-Boateng, a Ghanaian-British filmmaker and Co-CEO of African Movie Box. The conversation will be moderated by Abosede George, Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University and Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies.
Artists:
Lexii Foxx:
Lexii Foxx is a multidisciplinary artist and advocate whose work bridges contemporary art, performance, and social justice. She has exhibited at venues including MoCA Cleveland, Performance Space New York, and The New Museum, and has curated performances, runway shows, installations, and community-based events. Foxx is the founder of STOP KILLING US (#SKU), an organization addressing the crisis of Black trans women’s murders, alongside extensive community work supporting housing access, arts education, and legal name change support for marginalized individuals.
Erin Michelle Washington:
Erin Michelle Washington is a creative waymaker and ecosystem builder working at the intersection of arts, land stewardship, and community care in the American South. They are the founder of SoulCenter and co-founder of Clarke Street Fund, FreshGreens Market, and HBCUx, initiatives advancing cultural infrastructure, food systems, and creative entrepreneurship in Montgomery, Alabama and beyond. Their work is rooted in building regenerative systems that support community wealth and imagine futures where queer and trans youth are well.
Kojo Ade:
Kojo Ade is a Harlem-born cultural ambassador, griot, and arts professional whose work connects African and diasporic communities through performance, language, and cultural programming. He has worked with institutions including the New York African Film Festival, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, BAM’s DanceAfrica, and the Apollo Theater. With training in Africana Studies, Swahili, photography, and arts marketing, Kojo brings decades of experience in audience engagement and cultural advocacy, often bridging communities through multilingual connection.
Stephanie Adusei-Boateng :
Stephanie Adusei-Boateng is an award-winning Ghanaian-British filmmaker, producer, and editor whose work spans African and global film industries. A BAFTA Connect member, her films include Misconception (Best U.S. Film, screened at Warner Bros. Studios) and Locked-In, which was longlisted for a BAFTA and screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals. She is also the co-CEO of African Movie Box, a creative platform supporting African cinema and emerging filmmakers, and is currently directing her feature The Return Ticket, shot in Ghana.
Moderator:
Abosede George:
Abosede George is Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University and Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at Barnard College and Columbia University. Her work focuses on West African history, urban history, gender, youth, and migration, with a particular emphasis on Lagos. She is the author of Making Modern Girls, which received the Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize. Her scholarship explores how diasporic and refugee communities shape citizenship and belonging
About The Africa Center
The Africa Center is transforming the world’s understanding of Africa, its Diaspora, and the role of people of African descent in the world. Serving as the hub for the exchange of ideas related to the continent, and in the spirit of collaboration with individuals and institutions who share our values, The Africa Center inspires enthusiasm, advances thought, and empowers action around Africa’s global impact on our collective futures. theafricacenter.org
About AFF
Since 1990, African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) has bridged the divide between post-colonial Africa and the American public through the medium of film. AFF's unique place in the international arts community is distinguished not only by leadership in festival management but by a comprehensive approach to the advocacy of African and diaspora film and culture. Launched in 1993, the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) is presented annually by African Film Festival, Inc. and Film at Lincoln Center, in association with Brooklyn Academy of Music. AFF also produces a series of local, national, and international programs throughout the year. africanfilmny.org
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Africa Center, 1280 5th Avenue, New York, United States
USD 0.00
