Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Time: 7 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Auburn Avenue Research Library, Atlanta, GA

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. Please register HERE. This event takes place at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303.

As part of Charis' 50th birthday year celebration, we welcome home Charis beloved, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, to celebrate the launch of her genre-breaking biography of Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet Audre Lorde, Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde. Gumbs, as one of this generation's greatest writers, offers an interdimensional work of witnessing for one of the greatest writers of the last generation, and in doing so, she brings to life an Audre Lorde rarely glimpsed even by devoted fans. Gumbs will be in conversation with Southerners On New Ground (SONG) co-director, Carlin Rushing at the Auburn Avenue Research Library for this celebration, which is co-sponsored by ZAMI NOBLA and SONG. 

In Survival Is a Promise, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, the first researcher to explore the full depths of Lorde’s manuscript archives, illuminates the eternal life of Lorde. Her life and work become more than a sound bite or a snippet of poetry; they become a cosmic force, teaching us the grand contingency of life together on earth.

Lorde’s understanding of survival was not simply about getting through to the other side of oppression or being resilient in the face of cancer. It was about the total stakes of what it means to be in relationship with a planet in transformation. Possibly the focus on Lorde’s quotable essays, to the neglect of her complex poems, has led us to ignore her deep engagement with the natural world, the planetary dynamics of geology, meteorology, and biology. For her, ecological images are not simply metaphors but rather literal guides to how to be of earth on earth, and how to survive—to live the ethics that a Black feminist lesbian warrior poetics demands. 

We can think of no better duo--Alexis and Audre-- to usher us into our birthday season of imagining how our feminist future may be born from the seeds of our past and present. Join us to take part in this homecoming and celebrate with us again the first week in November, the 2nd and the 9th, as we launch our next 50 years of queer feminist movement building.

Alexis Pauline Gumbs is the author of several works of poetry and of Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Animals, which won a Whiting Writers' Award in 2022. In 2023, she won a Windham Campbell Prize for her poetry. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Carlin Rushing joined Southerners On New Ground (SONG)’s staff as Regional Membership Lead in 2018, after having co-built the Nashville SONG chapter and iterated on our grief and spirit care organizing. Carlin’s work experience involved having one foot in the academy and the other in local organizing and advocacy, including working as a research fellow experimenting with methods for doing racial justice informed by Black queer theology and ethics, and as a project director for an HIV/AIDS intervention program in Nashville. A graduate of Spelman College and Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Carlin has also served  as an adjunct professor at American Baptist College and Fisk University. At her core, Carlin values family, faith, and believes that liberation in our lifetime is possible. Unapologetically Black and Southern, Carlin is a lover of the Black women’s literary tradition, all things percussion and rural North Carolina sunsets.

About the Organizations: 

ZAMI NOBLA headquartered in Atlanta, is the leading Advocacy organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbians over the age of 40. With active chapters in Georgia and North Carolina and a robust national membership, we prioritize advocacy alongside community organizing and community-action research. We are committed to forging a strong collective voice and advocating for the rights of Black lesbians in our communities and beyond.

Southerners on New Ground (SONG) is a home for LGBTQ liberation across all lines of race, class, abilities, age, culture, gender, and sexuality in the South. SONG builds, sustains, and connects a Southern regional base of LGBTQ people in order to transform the region through strategic projects and campaigns developed in response to the current conditions in our communities. SONG builds this movement through leadership development, intersectional analysis, and organizing.

Event address: 

Auburn Avenue Research Library

101 Auburn Ave NE

Atlanta, GA 30303

Event Summary: 

As part of Charis' 50th birthday year celebration, we welcome home Charis beloved, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, to celebrate the launch of her genre-breaking biography of Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet Audre Lorde, Survival Is a Promise.

Please order the book from Charis' website by clicking on this link: Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde

Queer in the South: Existence as Resistance

Date: Thursday, July 25, 2024
Time: 6 PM to 8 PM
Where: Paul Robeson Theater @ ArtsXchange, 2148 Newnan St, East Point, GA 30344

We're here. We're Queer! Let's talk about it.🏳️‍🌈

Explore the contributions of LGBTQ+ artists and organizers at our next Community Conversation series event.

What are their unique challenges and possibilities?

What can the contributions of Queer artists and organizers offer to the community and world?

How does an LGBTQ+ lens can improve accessibility, connection, health services, and other needs?

We're thrilled to have the insight of moderator Frankie Vandellous, performance artist and founder of Vibrance: Centre for Voice & Movement; and panelists, Charles Stephens, founder & executive director of the CNP (Counter Narrative Project); Dr. Wend Ballew, founder of Reforming Arts and Creative Becoming; and Angela UkeGriot (Angela Denise Davis), music educator & creative director of ZAMI NOBLA (National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging).

Please RSVP:

https://www.artsxchange.org/event-details/queer-in-the-south-community-conversations-series

READ-AUDRE-THON

This event takes place in person at Charis and on ZOOM. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. Click here to register to attend virtually. Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event.

This year marks the 90th birthday of Audre Lorde, a Black lesbian, writer, warrior poet, and unapologetic feminist who taught us the power of speaking out, and living authentically. Her words were not just poetry; they were declarations, a rallying cry for justice, equality, and the right to be heard.

This is more than a birthday celebration. It's a reclamation of space, an assertion of identity, and a testament to the enduring power of Audre Lorde's work. Her words are our armor and our guide.

In honor of Audre Lorde, we are gathering voices from our community with this read-a-thon. Your voice is crucial, and we welcome you into the space at Charis Books & More. Please fill out this reader's form: https://forms.gle/BhGDeFMAYJs8wtTc8 and unite in a chorus of resistance and celebration.

Sunday, February 18, 2024, from 1-5 pm at Charis Books & More, located at 184 S. Candler Street, Decatur, GA 30030 

Sponsored by ZAMI NOBLA in partnership with Charis Books & More, and the Counter Narrative Project.

If you need a copy of a book by or about Audre Lorde ORDER HERE and 10% of your purchase will benefit ZAMI NOBLA.

Pre-Order  Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde by Alexis Pauline Gumbs (Publication Date: August 20th, 2024)

This event is free and open to all people, especially to those who have no income or low income right now, but we encourage and appreciate a solidarity donation in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/CharisCircle?code=chariscirclepage

In-person event guidelines: 

• All attendees must wear a face mask at all times inside the building 

• We will begin seating people at 12:30 PM ET.

• This event will be live-streamed via Zoom. Click here to register to attend virtually.

• As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

• If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304

If you would like to watch the virtual event with computer-generated captions, they will be enabled. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we continue to connect across distances.

By attending our event you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to info@chariscircle.org immediately.

In the news:

• Audre Lorde ain’t here for your hopelessness: How her words are fueling a new generation of queer rage

• Lawmaker and journalist discuss HB 501 and SB 367; Local organization to host a read-a-thon to celebrate Audre Lorde

Join Angela Davis for the ZAMI NOBLA Podcast in conversation with writer Sheree L. Greer they talk about writing, building community, and the release of Greer's latest book, the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Once and Future Lovers. In this provocative, anniversary edition collection of short fiction, characters grapple with the courage it takes to love once while discovering the inherent challenge put to all lovers: embracing or denying the possibility of loving again, and again.

A busted bicycle mocks a broken heart, a spurned lover contemplates parenthood as the daughter of a sometimes father, and a teenage girl is unknowingly caught in an intergenerational exploration of desire, obligation, and redemption. These are the stories hearts tell. For the tenth anniversary edition of Once and Future Lovers, Greer revives and refreshes select stories from the original debut collection alongside new and previously published fiction that examines the great risk that is loving.

Sheree L. Greer is a writer living in Tampa, Florida. In 2014, she founded Kitchen Table Literary Arts to support and showcase the work of BIPOC women and femme-identified writers and poets and is the author of two novels, Let the Lover Be and A Return to Arms, and a short story collection, Once and Future Lovers. Her work has been published in LezTalk Anthology, VerySmartBrothas, Autostraddle, The Windy City Times, and the Windy City Queer Anthology: Dispatches from the Third Coast. Sheree is a VONA/VOICES alum, Astraea grantee, as well as a Yaddo and Ragdale Fellow. Her essay, "Bars" published in Fourth Genre Magazine, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and notably named in Best American Essays 2019. https://www.shereelgreer.com

ZAMI NOBLA Podcast: The ZAMI NOBLA Podcast is a sound source for Black Lesbians 40 and older. Our show topics include current events, LGBT affairs, Black Lesbian Herstory & Health and Wellness. Angela Denise Davis is the show's Creator, Producer, and Host. https://zaminobla.libsyn.com

This event takes place in person at Charis and on crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. Click here to register to attend virtually: bull-jean & dem/dey back: Book Signing & Celebration of Author Sharon Bridgforth - crowdcast

Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event.

Join ZAMI NOBLA and Charis on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at 7:30 pm for a special event featuring esteemed writer Sharon Bridgforth in conversation with ZAMI NOBLA creative director Angela Denise Davis, as we celebrate bull-jean & dem/dey back.

Bull-jean & dem/dey back is a collection that unites two performance/novels centered on the southern-Black-butch-heroine, bull-jean. The Lambda Literary Award-winning bull-jean stories was first published by RedBone Press in 1998 and follows the journey of love rekindling throughout the lifetimes of bull-dog-jean. After a twenty-two-year hiatus, bull-dog-jean triumphantly returns in bull-jean/we wake. As the Narrator grieves the loss of their elders and seeks healing, they summon bull-jean for guidance. Be sure not to miss this inspiring event!

Start planning for your future now, no matter your age or financial situation!

Join ZAMI NOBLA - National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging for an insightful virtual Q&A session on Estate Planning with expert Attorney Crystal M. Richardson.

Discover the essentials of Living Wills, Advanced Health Care Directives, Life Insurance, Trusts, Charitable Giving, Power of Attorney, Land Deeds, Marriage/Domestic Partnership Protection, and much more!

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 7 pm EST. Attendance is free and open to LGBTQIA, but registration is required: http://bit.ly/3JX2AD1.

Our distinguished guest, Crystal M. Richardson, is the founder of The Law Office of Crystal M. Richardson PLLC and an estate administration and heirs' property expert. She'll be sharing her valuable knowledge and answering your questions.

Please submit your questions to zaminobla@zaminobla.org by April 9th, and join us for this empowering event.

Together, let's secure our futures.

Crystal M. Richardson (she/her) is a solo practitioner at The Law Office of Crystal M. Richardson PLLC, where she focuses on estate administration and heirs' property matters. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the Charlotte School of Law, where she graduated with pro bono honors.

Attorney Richardson serves on the DEI committee of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Committees with the North Carolina Bar Association. She also works closely with the North Carolina Coalition for the UPHPA and the Heirs' Property Legal Network with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives.

For more information, please visit her website at www.CrystalRichardsonLaw.com

Atlanta Pride celebrates Black History Month at Out Front Theatre Company, 999 Brady Ave., NW, Atlanta on Friday, February 24th from 6:30-8 pm with LGBTQ Leaders: Justin James, Mary Anne Adams, Nicole Young-Turner, and Ashton Marshall. 

Opening Performers: XAY and Legend Elite Dance Co. 

This event takes place on crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/bull-jean--demdey-back-3/register

Charis welcomes Sharon Bridgforth in conversation with Mary Anne Adams for a celebration of bull-jean & dem/dey back.

bull-jean & dem/dey back collects two performance/novels centering Sharon Bridgforth's southern-Black-butch-sheroe, bull-jean.

This event is co-hosted by ZAMI NOBLA: The National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging.

First published by RedBone Press in 1998, the Lambda Literary Award-winning the bull-jean stories chronicles the course of lovve returning in the Life-times of bull-dog-jean.

Set in the rural 1920s south, the bull-jean stories is an act of griot-anthropology, remembering the ancestor we never knew but always knew we needed--the raucous, sweet-talking, heart-aching wo'mn-lovvn-wo'mn bull-dog-jean and the fierce and beautiful community that surrounds her.

Twenty-two years later, bull-dog-jean returns in bull-jean/we wake.

Grieving the loss of their elders, seeking healing, the Narrator calls forward bull-jean.

Through a series of dreams, porch prayers, and visitations from cussing conjurers, Black Mermaids, children that fly, and shape-shifting ole folk, bull-jean and dem guide the Narrator towards a realization of the sustaining power of love, memory, community, ritual, and spiritual binding

Join ZAMI NOBLA and the Remember and Reimagine Ukulele Ensemble for the world premiere of African American Spirituals arranged by Angela Denise Davis, Ensemble Director.

Saturday, November 13 at 8 pm EST

This is an online event and you must register at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZMrfumorTsqHNcxbDxCyhylTBjbg...

We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, please

contact Angela Denise Davis at ukegriot@gmail.com

Ensemble Members:

Edith Biggers

Judy Graboyes

Liz Hendrickson

Judith E. Koons

Maggie Mackenzie

Chadra Pittman

Brooke Smith-Perry

Anne VanDerslice

This project is sponsored by ZAMI NOBLA (National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging) with funding from the CARSS Rapid Response Grants Program, made possible with support from the Henry Luce Foundation.

CARSS: Center on African-American Religion, Sexual Politics, and Social Justice - Columbia University