Get yourself a couple of hype people like Ano Banks and Zoe Nyman. Something that’s been on my mind constantly, especially in the last couple years, is the idea of community and the ways in which we lift each other up. Zoe, Ano, and the Backyard Series are doing some lovely things to provide space for artists, writers, and musicians to share their work and to be heard.

From February 22, 2019 to March 2, 2019, the Hairpin Arts Center in Logan Square hosted “Don’t Be Scurred: Pathways to Liberation”, an exhibition of Afro-futurist exploration. Featuring work from artists of the African diaspora, the exhibition reflected on themes of intersectional politics, community, and spirituality. The Backyard Series collaborated with Don’t Be Scurred to facilitate an evening of performances by and for the community on the second night of the exhibition’s run.