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Full schedule of programs

Arizona Humanities welcomes internationally-acclaimed artists Bocafloja and Mark Gonzales to Arizona September 28 – October 2. Bocafloja is a poet, rap artist, scholar, cultural ambassador, and founder of the Quilomboarte collective. Mark Gonzales is an international storyteller, speaker, and philosopher. Join us for three public performances in Tucson, Phoenix and Patagonia, and take a journey to examine the intimate accounts of people whose lives have been defined by their ability to negotiate masculinity and racial consciousness. Explore the healing of trauma influenced by social and political contexts through storytelling, poetry, film, and community conversations.

These special events are brought to you through the generosity of our partners: University of Arizona – Common Ground Alliance and Early Academic Outreach & Adalberto & Ana Guerrero Student Center, Spoken Futures/Tucson Youth Poetry Slam, ASU Art Museum Project Space at Combine Studios, the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, ASU School of Social Transformation, Patagonia Public Library and Tin Shed Theater.

Wednesday, September 28th
Nana Dijo: Irresolute Radiography of Black Consciousness
Film screening and post-film community dialogue facilitated by Dr. Rashad Shabazz with Bocafloja on his latest project, “Nana Dijo”
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Arizona Humanities – 1242 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004
In partnership with the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, ASU School of Social Transformation
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Thursday, September 29th
“Masculinity in the Mix”
A public performance by Mark Gonzales, film screening and post-film community dialogue with Bocafloja on his latest project, “Nano Dijo.”
4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
University of Arizona – Tucson – Chavez 211/217
In partnership with the University of Arizona – Common Ground Alliance and Early Academic Outreach & Adalberto & Ana Guerrero Student Center, and Spoken Futures/Tucson Youth Poetry Slam
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Friday, September 30th
“Masculinity in the Mix”
A public performance and community conversation with Mark Gonzales and Bocafloja
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
ASU Art Museum International Artist Residency
Project Space at Combine Studios (821 N. 3rd St. #11, Phoenix, AZ 85004)
In partnership with: ASU Art Museum Project Space at Combine Studios, the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, ASU School of Social Transformation
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Sunday, October 2nd
“Collective Space and Human Story Dialogue”
A public performance and community conversation with Mark Gonzales on the necessity of the imagination to dream and to create collective space for human dialogue.
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Tin Sheet Theater – N 3rd Ave, Patagonia, AZ 85624
Light refreshments will be served.
In partnership with the Patagonia Public Library and Tin Shed Theater
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Questions, contact Ellie Hutchison, Programs Manager (ehutchison@azhumanities.org).

reja-bu-low-jpeg-copy-croppedAbout Bocafloja: Bocafloja is a poet, rap artist, scholar, cultural ambassador, and founder of the Quilomboarte collective. In addition to five professionally edited music albums being “Patologías del Invisible Incómodo” his most awarded musical project, and having toured internationally throughout 15 countries, Bocafloja has transgressed into one of the most revered icons in the Spanish speaking Hip Hop communities. Prognosis is his second literary project is on race relations, decolonial narrative, and the African diaspora in Latin America studies are fundamental topics addressed in his body of work.

Bocafloja is recognized in Mexico as one of the first Hip Hop artists that effectively utilize cultural production as an alternative tool to stimulate critical thinking, developing a divergent form of political participation coherent with the marginalized youth experience.

WATCH Bocafloja 

READ about Bocafloja’s latest project Nano Dijo

markgonzales-4-copyAbout Mark Gonzales: Mark Gonzales is a storyteller, professor, father, and a futurist of social possibility. He specializes in creative potential, engagement strategies, and the unique role stories play in the human operating system. For over 20 years, he has worked with the private and the public sector to synthesize the best practices and fabulous failures of civilizations into strategic visions for the next stage of human power and potential.

His impact portfolio spans 5 continents and include: revitalizing old cities via The New Medina, maximizing idea capital with the World Islamic Economic Forum, and bridging the equity gap in 21st century education. He currently serves as a lecturer at Stanford University.

WATCH Mark Gonzales

READ about Mark Gonzales’ project Wage Beauty

About Nana Dijo

“Navigating in a cultural industry flooded with politically conservative projects about afro-descendency, with approaches that are fully subordinated to the cultural hegemonies and with the only intention to exoticize and not to empower the body of the oppressed, Nana Dijo emerges as a solid effort to affirm the Black experience narratives in first person.

Nana Dijo is an urgent historical registry filmed in Mexico, Honduras, Uruguay, Argentina and the United States, which opens a crucial platform of analysis about race relations/politics by transgressing beyond the parameters of “safe discourses” imposed by culturalist agendas. The narrative sewed into Nana Dijo grows out from the body of the oppressed as an auto-cartographic experience that trespasses the borders created by nation-states. Nana Dijo is the Black experience, often hidden in the colonized psyche, which goes out for a walk each Sunday through the vernacular manifestations of our elders. “

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