During the Loving Blackness workshop, participants will interrogate the centuries-old “alternative fact” of blackness as inherently criminal and otherwise pathological. Grounded in bell hooks’ argument that loving blackness can be political resistance, the workshop uses reading, writing, and dialogue-based activities to explore ideas about blackness and love in our political landscapes.

Participants will read short essays and images by Black thinkers and artists. They will respond to these works through writing exercises and through dialogue with other participants.To act upon this understanding of loving blackness, participants will then create projects that serve the purpose of loving blackness within their communities, culminating in a toolkit that considers what acts of courage look like in private settings.