Swamp Capitalism Event Series: Earth Pigments Workshop
Registration is now closed. We are thrilled by the interest in this event and regret that we were not able to take everyone off the waitlist. Please stay tuned for announcements on future workshops.
The Workshop
Guided by History Design Studio Fellow Robin McDowell, Participants will work together to create watercolor pigments from foraged organic materials from research sites in south Louisiana, as well as materials from Harvard’s campus.
The workshop will begin with a short informational talk and demonstration of methods for incorporating archives and ethnography in environmental artmaking. Participants will then learn hands-on techniques for creating paints with soil and other organic matter and take home a small pigment pot created during the workshop.
As participants examine and work with the materials, they will engage in discussion about the materials themselves, as well as the histories of the peoples, lands, and bodies of water where the materials were first encountered.
This event is the second in the Swamp Capitalism Event Series convened by History Design Studio Fellow Robin McDowell.
Limited to 15 participants. Advance registration required.
Artist Statement:
My creative practice draws on years of traveling south Louisiana swamps and backroads, oil towns, salt mines, former sugar plantations, flood control structures, shipping ports, tourist attractions, prisons, and chemical refineries tucked along the banks of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. Sites of industry and pleasure blend seamlessly atop remains of enslaved people and displaced towns founded by Black families in the years following Emancipation. Over the course of many years spent following the intertwined histories of oil, salt, and sugar in Louisiana’s sinking wetlands, I came to realize the perverse metabolism of natural resource extraction at the expense of Black lives and labor.
Studies over the course of the 20th century exhibit incredible capacities of soil, air, and water to retain chemical residues (both benign and toxic) and structural damage from environmental duress, such as heat, ice, floods, and industrial pollutants. New scholarship in the life sciences demonstrates that, conceived as a larger system of biomass, these materials metabolize energy in pathways similar to the human transmission and processing of emotion by neurotransmitters and parasympathetic nervous systems. With these studies in mind, my body of creative work offers a provocation: The molecular structures of soil and water collected from former plantation sites are evolving and restructuring themselves due to ecological, economic, racial, and psychological violence and theft enacted upon the environment by European settlers, plantation owners, and corporations. These practices range from soil exhaustion by mono-cropping, erosion from deforestation and engineering projects, and microbiological reconfiguration from the psychic energies of terror, pain, hope, and pleasure. As the pigments crystallize, oxidize, melt, dissipate, and congeal over time, visual and tactile stories emerge through the rendering of new creative and interpretive possibilities from materials themselves.
The Swamp Capitalism Event Series brings together artists, teachers, activists, filmmakers, and academics from New Orleans, Cambridge, and beyond.
Swamp Capitalism: The Roots of Environmental Racism, an interdisciplinary project of History Design Studio Fellow Dr. Robin McDowell, traces racial, ecological, and economic encounters between African descended peoples, petroleum, sugar, and salt in Louisiana swamps on a geologic time scale. The programming brings this research to life through artmaking, documentary film, and intergenerational dialogues.
Swamp Capitalism Event Series: Screening of “Hollow Tree” and Q&A with Director, Producer, and Protagonists
Join us for the Boston Premiere of Hollow Tree, hosted by History Design Studio and co-sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Director Kira Akerman, Producer Monique Walton, and the 3 protagonists.
Moderated by Walter Johnson with an Introduction by Vincent Brown.
This event is the first in the Swamp Capitalism Event Series convened by History Design Studio Fellow Robin McDowell.
We extend special thanks to the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Dean Bridget Long for their generous support
Free and open to the public. Advance tickets highly recommended.
About the Film
Hollow Tree follows three teenagers coming of age in their sinking homeland of Louisiana. For the first time, they notice the Mississippi River’s engineering, stumps of cypress trees, and billowing smokestacks. Their different perspectives — as Indigenous, white, and Angolan young women — shape their story of the climate crisis.
The 73-minute award-winning documentary, directed by Kira Akerman and produced by Monique Walton and Chachi Hauser, invites three young women, who did not previously know each other, to learn with the director, filmmaking team, and their respective communities. Mekenzie Fanguy (Houma, Louisiana) was born on coastal bayous and is a member of the United Houma Nation; Annabelle Pavy (Lafayette, Louisiana) is from a mostly white community, where climate change is largely viewed as a myth; and Tanielma DaCosta (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) immigrated from Angola, Africa when she was 6. They travel to different sites along the Mississippi River, where they engage in dialogue with engineers, activists, and Indigenous leaders. As these young women notice their surroundings, they begin to imagine Louisiana's past — its history of slavery, Indigenous dispossession, and colonization — and, by extension, Louisiana's future. The one that they will experience and help to shape.
Watch the Trailer
Kira Akerman is an educator and documentary filmmaker. Hollow Tree, her debut feature film, won a Jury Prize for Best Louisiana Film at the New Orleans Film Festival, and Best Documentary at the Chicago’s International Children’s Film Festival. Hollow Tree was selected for the Sundance Institute’s 2019 Talent Forum, and was awarded grants from the Sundance Institute, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and others. Previously, Kira directed and produced the short “Station 15,” (PBS, 2017), winner of an Audience Award at the New Orleans Film Festival and “The Reel South Award” at Indie Grits. Screenings included a Smithsonian exhibit, Sheffield Doc/Fest, The Climate Museum, the UN Global Climate Summit, and DOCNYC. Kira directed and produced the short, “The Arrest,” (“The Atlantic,” 2018). Screenings included The Camden International Film Festival, MOMA, and The Ford Foundation Gallery. Prior to directing, Kira worked on art departments, including a visual effects unit mentored by Doug Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey), and as a producer for commercials and shorts, including “In the Wake” (dir. Cauleen Smith). Kira consults for the educational nonprofit Ripple Effect, which is pioneering water literacy in k-12 education, and the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South, an interdisciplinary, place-based institute, at Tulane University. Kira is currently pursuing her Masters in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Kira Akerman / Director
Monique Walton is an independent producer of fiction films and documentaries. She won the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards Producers Award. She recently produced Greg Kwedar’s feature Sing Sing, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by A24. She produced Annie Silverstein’s debut feature Bull, which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival – Un Certain Regard, and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards. Bull is currently being released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. She produced the documentary feature Hollow Tree, directed by Kira Akerman, which premiered at the 2022 New Orleans Film Festival. Other credits include Jesse Klein’s We’re Still Together and Pahokee, directed by Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan. She has produced numerous short films, including Silverstein’s “Skunk”, winner of the jury award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival- Cinéfondation. Her short films, “Dark Matters” and “The Becoming Box”, were recently featured on the Criterion Channel as part of the Afrofuturism program. Walton’s films have been supported by Cinereach, The Sundance Institute, San Francisco Film Society, Austin Film Society, International Documentary Association, and Film Independent.
Monique Walton / Producer
Mekenzie Fanguy (Houma, Louisiana) was born on coastal bayous and is a member of the United Houma Nation. Mekenzie is currently enrolled in Nicholls University, where she is studying business. She is one of the 3 protagonists in the film.
Mekenzie Fanguy / Protagonist
Annabelle Pavy (Lafayette, Louisiana) is from a mostly white community, where climate change is largely viewed as a myth. Annabelle recently finished her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts at Louisiana State University. She is one of the 3 protagonists in the film.
Annabelle Pavy / Protagonist
Tanielma Da Costa (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) immigrated from Angola, Africa when she was 6. Tanielma is currently a dual major of engineering and French at Louisiana State University. She is one of the 3 protagonists in the film.
Tanielma Da Costa / Protagonist
Hosts and Moderator
Vincent Brown / Director of History Design Studio, Charles Warren Professor of History and African & African American Studies
Robin McDowell / History Design Studio Fellow, Convener of Swamp Capitalism Event Series
Walter Johnson / Winthrop Professor of History and African & African American Studies, Director of The Commonwealth Project
The Swamp Capitalism Event Series brings together artists, teachers, activists, filmmakers, and academics from New Orleans, Cambridge, and beyond.
Swamp Capitalism: The Roots of Environmental Racism, an interdisciplinary project of History Design Studio Fellow Dr. Robin McDowell, traces racial, ecological, and economic encounters between African descended peoples, petroleum, sugar, and salt in Louisiana swamps on a geologic time scale. The programming brings this research to life through artmaking, documentary film, and intergenerational dialogues.
DJ Set and Closing Party featuring $paceAgeRasta
A listening party featuring “Rocker’s Revolution,” the debut album of Makonnen Blake Hanna, aka $paceAgeRasta.
Jamaican refreshments will be served.
Free and Open to the Public: RSVP requested (form below)
Makonnen, 'Maki-B', the SpaceAgeRasta, proudly presents to you the 'RockersRevolution' LP.
'ROCKERS REVOLUTION' is Makonnen's debut album, devoted to honouring the giants of reggae and dancehall with a modern twist. Artist/producer Makonnen Blake-Hanna delivers a 12-track album that recreates a night at Jack Ruby's famous James Avenue Lawn, Ocho Rios, where such musical heroes as Brigadier Jerry, SupaCat, Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace and others introduce each track with their familiar styles of 'toasting' and free-styling that became unique within Reggae and Dancehall.
Makonnen burst onto the scene as an artist in 2015 with the massive hit “Red Eye” that launched his career and cemented his place as one of the new generation of reggae artists. The single got recognition at home and abroad, which led to him being noticed by Major Lazer's Diplo and Walshy Fyah and international superstar Justin Beiber who all congratulated him on the song's success. “Red Eye' remains a popular number on reggae playlists all over the world.
The 'RockersRevolution' album showcases Makonnen's innovative skills as a producer and potent lyricist, demonstrating his observation of many social issues and presentation of them in musical commentary. As producer, Makonnen worked with such reggae greats as Third World, Stephen and Damion Marley, Junior Reid, Sizzla Kalonji, Capelton and many more local and international artists.
Makonnen enlists the help of artists Exile Di Brave, T.J. a.ka. “Likkle Briggy” (son of legendary DJ Brigadier Jerry), his N.R.G. brothers Rsenal Di Artillary and Iyah Gift, Century Sam, IBlack Lion, Massy The Creator, Princess Leah, Lady Blu and NY-based rapper Passport. The 'RockersRevolution' album is executive-produced by Makonnen himself, and features riddim production by his Natural High Music team Jordan Armond and Blaise Davis, as well as popular Los Angeles-based Jamaican producer/selector DJ Crooks and legendary musician John 'Pops' Dowling from pioneering reggae group UB40.
Be sure to check out all of the Jamaican Sound System for Body and Mind Events
Panel: The Global Influence of Dancehall Culture
The Global Influence of Dancehall Culture
Panelists:
Makonnen Blake Hanna (Artist and Producer)
Joelle Powe (Filmmaker)
Latonya Style (Choreographer)
Moderated by Vincent Brown (Director of History Design Studio and Charles Warren Professor of History)
Makonnen Blake-Hanna’s mission is to unite the world by breaking down the divisions of racism and religion, and bring awareness to mankind via its already-established avenues of communication and digital media technology. Best known in Jamaica as the 13-year-old technology genius who was appointed Youth Technology Consultant to the Government in 1998, in his role as Technology Consultant, Makonnen traveled across the Diaspora to encourage technology use and establish information technology programs at schools with an emphasis on programming, web design and digital media disciplines. In 1999 Makonnen spoke at a special United Nations seminar to establish a Caribbean Digital Diaspora initiative, and was so impressive that he was invited back to the UN 3 months later to speak at an ECOSOC seminar, where he chose to focus on the developing use of technology in Jamaican music. His work led to an award in 2001 of the inaugural Musgrave Youth Award, a prestigious honour presented by the Institute of Jamaica to achievers in the arts, science and literature. His awards also include an IADB MasterCard Youth Entrepreneurship Award in 2004, and a Silver Award in the 2001 Oracle Technologies ThinkQuest Design Competition. Makonnen has worked on social impact projects with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, as well as former President Jimmy Carter’s The Carter Center. In March 2023 Makonnen was inducted as an Officer of the Royal Guard by His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie, Chairman of the Crown Council of Ethiopia. Makonnen began his music career at age 7 years composing the theme song for the film “Kids Paradise” sung by Susanne Couch and produced by Tyrone Downie of the Wailers, that won an Audience Award at the 1994 Chicago Children's Film Festival. Makonnen's musical journey took off when his talent as a composer & music producer was recognized by legendary Jamaican musical giants Steely & Clevie whose infections beats gave rise to the Reggaeton genre, and who gave Makonnen an internship at their state-of-the-art Studio. There Makonnen started his foray into mainstream music by recording music with DJ's Aidonia, Fanton Mojah, Turbulance, Lutan Fyah, Erup, Mr Peppa and Wasp, who were upcoming artists at the time, but all of whom have since become household names and legit stars in Jamaica. As producer, Makonnen lists 'Pain” by reggae icon Capelton featuring Bobo Zaro and Contractor as his favourite production. The song was a smash hit for Capelton, who credits Makonnen with giving him a hit every time they work. Other memorable production hits include ‘Tenth Stage' by Vybz Kartel, “Way We Roll” “Poverty” & “Ghetto Life” by Masicka, ' and an updated version of the legendary reggae band Third World's hit "96 Degrees" featuring Stephen & Damian Marley. Makonnen has also been involved with production on songs for Lil Wayne, Sean Paul, Carlos Santana, Akon, Rick Ross, Future, Wiz Khalifa and more.. In 2016 Makonnen produced and recorded “Rockers Revolution”, a solo mix-tape album, working with his production team Natural High Music, that established his name as a solo artist. The album was noticed by music celebrities at home and abroad, including being followed on Twitter by pop music mega star Justin Beiber and the Major Lazer crew. Makonnen has not sidelined his personal music career and continues to record his own songs, while adding to his long list of solo releases, co-productions, as well as singles and collaborations with leading young artists and several established Jamaican reggae stars. He recently worked on music for other production labels that had massive hits for upcoming young stars such as Teejay, Jahvilani, Chronic Law, and ever -ontroversial Munga Honorable. During that time, Makonnen also created a Billboard-charting compilation album "Tropical House Cruises To Jamaica" alongside noted marketing guru and artist Sean "Kontractor" Edwards, who Makonnen helped to make a star years prior. Featuring a Who's Who of Jamaican music including Sean Paul, the Marley brothers and legends like Lee Scratch Perry, alongside international stars like Ed Sheeran, Wyclef Jean, Sean Kingston and others, the album reached the top of the Billboard reggae chart and stayed for weeks, also spawning Reloaded and Collector's Edition versions of the album that charted highly as well. Makonnen is also production manager and engineer for reggae icon Sizzla Kalonji, for whom he has recently produced two albums and multiple singles including two international collaboration. In 2017 Makonnen co-founded FARSIDE, a medical cannabis company and digital app specializing in connecting patients to doctors and related medical treatments, using technology to profile and create the best options for users. The company’s services include product research and development, consultation and project management implementation and deployment. FARSIDE has worked in Jamaica with the Cannabis Licensing Authority, Agriculture Investment Council, Rural Agricultural Development Association and the Ganja Growers & Producers Association. FARSIDE is licensed in the Cayman Islands and through partners in Canada and Jamaica. Now Makonnen heads “The Light Must Unite”, the movement created by the Spirit & Truth” church that works to bring race and religion together in a positive unity that overcomes racism and hatred of other religions. The Spirit & Truth Church represents all world religions, with members from all major denominations and operating in countries around the globe.
Makonnen Blake Hanna / Artist & Producer
Latonya Style is a world-renowned Dancehall choreographer, performer, and instructor. She has been a prominent fixture on the Dancehall scene since 1999 when she started choreographing and touring with top Dancehall artistes. Her illustrious career includes visits to more than 40 countries, teaching Dancehall workshops, and judging international Dancehall battles. Latonya is the founder and CEO of Dance Jamaica Academy, an umbrella agency that pushes Dancehall dancers to international festivals and brings foreigners to Jamaica to learn from local experts. She has certified more than 30 women worldwide to teach her licensed dance style, Stylish Moves, and she is a mentor to many upcoming Dancehall dancers. Latonya Style created ‘DanceJa Awards’, an awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing excellence in Dancehall dance. Style has been featured in many films related to Dancehall. She was a key consultant in Nick Canon’s King of the Dancehall movie, and a lead subject in the documentary, Out There Without Fear. Style published her book, the Stylish Moves Guide and Activity Book in 2021. Style is also an artiste; her single, "Female Dancehall," was a hit in 2020.
Latonya Style / Choreographer
Joelle Simone Powe is an accomplished documentary film director, writer, and researcher from Jamaica. Her work explores controversial personalities and topics in Caribbean history and culture. Her debut documentary, "Out There Without Fear," explores Jamaica’s Dancehall dance and the role of class, race, and gender in the dancehall scene. Her subsequent work, "Beverley Manley Uncensored," a four-part docu-series on the former First Lady of Jamaica, created a national storm with its exploration of a very vexing time in Jamaican history. Powe's documentaries have been screened in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas, with significant presentations at notable academic and cultural institutions. Joelle is also the producer of "ButSeeYa," a mini-documentary series that explores provocative opinions on Caribbean society. Recognized as a "30 Under 30 Changemaker" by the Institute of Caribbean Studies in 2021, Powe holds a BA in Anthropology from Bard College. Her work strives to illuminate the complexities of Caribbean culture for international audiences through a multi-media approach.
Joelle Simone Powe / Filmmaker
Vincent Brown is Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies. He teaches courses in Atlantic history, African diaspora studies, and the history of slavery in the Americas. Brown is the author of The Reaper's Garden: Death and Power in the World of Atlantic Slavery (Harvard University Press, 2008) and Tacky's Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War (Belknap Press, 2020), and he is producer of Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness (2009), an audiovisual documentary broadcast on the PBS series Independent Lens, and the short video series The Bigger Picture (2022) for PBS Digital Studios.
Vincent Brown / Director of History Design Studio and Charles Warren Professor of History and African & African American Studies
Be sure to check out all of the Jamaican Sound System for Body and Mind Events
Exploring Jamaica’s Dancehall: A Movement Workshop led by Latonya Style
EXPLORING JAMAICA'S DANCEHALL
History Design Studio, in partnership with The Office for the Arts Dance Program, is thrilled to present renowned Jamaican Dancehall choreographer and teacher Latonya Style for a workshop as part of Jamaican Sound System for Body and Mind symposium.
This exhilarating workshop explores the evolution of Dancehall through movement, introducing a broad range of vocabulary innovated from the Jamaican Dancehall scene throughout the last 50 years. Learn and embody this art form, which has influenced popular culture on a global scale.
Open to the community! For all bodies, all levels, and all abilities. No previous dance training or experience in Dancehall is required. All are welcome!
Latonya will be signing copies of her book Stylish Moves Guide and Activity Book after the workshop.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Harvard Dance Center is accessible for wheelchairs and other mobility devices. If you have questions regarding accessibility, and/or need to request accommodations to participate, please contact dance@fas.harvard.edu.
About Latonya Style
Latonya Style is a world-renowned Dancehall choreographer, performer, and instructor. She has been a prominent fixture on the Dancehall scene since 1999 when she started choreographing and touring with top Dancehall artistes. Her illustrious career includes visits to more than 40 countries, teaching Dancehall workshops, and judging international Dancehall battles. Latonya is the founder and CEO of Dance Jamaica Academy, an umbrella agency that pushes Dancehall dancers to international festivals and brings foreigners to Jamaica to learn from local experts. She has certified more than 30 women worldwide to teach her licensed dance style, Stylish Moves, and she is a mentor to many upcoming Dancehall dancers. Latonya Style created ‘DanceJa Awards’, an awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing excellence in Dancehall dance. Style has been featured in many films related to Dancehall. She was a key consultant in Nick Canon’s King of the Dancehall movie, and a lead subject in the documentary, Out There Without Fear. Style published her book, the Stylish Moves Guide and Activity Book in 2021. Style is also an artiste; her single, "Female Dancehall," was a hit in 2020.
About Stylish Moves Guide & Activity Book
First Dancehall "How To" Manual since 2013... now an Official Book!
Written and Choreographed by Latonya Style (Jamaican Cultural Ambassador, Lecturer, Dance Master Instructor and Lecturer)
Dance Illustrations and Edit by Robin Clare (Jamaican Contemporary Artist based in Sydney, Australia)
Be sure to check out all of the Jamaican Sound System for Body and Mind Events
Screening of “Out There Without Fear: Jamaica's Dancehall” and Q&A with Director Joelle Simone Powe
About the Film
The documentary Out There Without Fear explores the cultural impact of Jamaica’s Dancehall dancers. Topics include art, dance, classism, violence, sexuality, the church, and Blackness. This 45-minute film features interviews with leading Jamaican academics, street dancers, dance advocates, and Rastafarian leaders. Voices include literary scholar Dr. Carolyn Cooper, choreographer Latonya Style, popular dancer Kool Kid, lecturer Maria Hitchins, musicologist Herbie Miller, and members of the church. The film is available in English with Spanish subtitles. It has already been watched and discussed across several universities in the USA and cultural centers, conferences, and classrooms in China, the Dominican Republic, Senegal, Jamaica, Canada, and other countries.
Free and Open to the Public
About the Director
Joelle Simone Powe is an accomplished documentary film director, writer, and researcher from Jamaica. Her work explores controversial personalities and topics in Caribbean history and culture. Her debut documentary, "Out There Without Fear," explores Jamaica’s Dancehall dance and the role of class, race, and gender in the dancehall scene. Her subsequent work, "Beverley Manley Uncensored," a four-part docu-series on the former First Lady of Jamaica, created a national storm with its exploration of a very vexing time in Jamaican history. Powe's documentaries have been screened in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas, with significant presentations at notable academic and cultural institutions. Joelle is also the producer of "ButSeeYa," a mini-documentary series that explores provocative opinions on Caribbean society. Recognized as a "30 Under 30 Changemaker" by the Institute of Caribbean Studies in 2021, Powe holds a BA in Anthropology from Bard College. Her work strives to illuminate the complexities of Caribbean culture for international audiences through a multi-media approach.
Be sure to check out all of the Jamaican Sound System for Body and Mind Events
