The Women’s Mentoring and Leadership Academy (WMLA) culminated their special project with poet, Jessica Care Moore, at the Black Women Rock Community Forum and Concert on May 12, 2018.
The community forum was titled “They Say I’m Different” and was hosted at the African American Art and Cultural Complex, and the evening concert was held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Black Women Rock, according to Moore, “is a tribute to pioneer rocker, Betty Davis and features some of the most progressive vocalists and women musicians in the country. A multi-generational performance, the show is a beautiful and necessary response to the void in music concerts and education around women in the rock and roll genre.”
On Saturday morning, WMLA participants attended the “They Say I’m Different” community forum and had the opportunity to converse with artists featured in the Black Women Rock concert. Panelists included vocalist legend, Nona Hendryx, singer, songwriter, and producer JOI, renown bass-players and vocalists Divinity Roxx (who has performed with Beyonce) and Nik West (who has performed with Prince), Steffanie Christi’an, Tamar-Kali, Kimberly Nichole, and local bay area artist, Sh8peshifter just to name a few. That evening, WMLA participants and family members rocked the night away at the Black Women Rock Concert at YBCA. The events were a powerful display of talented and empowered women, artists, activists, poets and rock stars.
WMLA thanks Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, Dean Lasana Hotep and support staff, and Jessica Care Moore for making this opportunity possible.
Article by Danielle Powell
