Highlander Center

VIA: @mvmnt4blklives The Supreme Court just gutted the Voting Rights Act — the landmark law that guaranteed the right to vote for every American. States can now rig the system to silence millions of voices and hand our power to a small and wealthy few. In the wake of this ruling, votings maps are being redrawn to weaken Black and brown political power before the midterms. On Saturday, May 16th, we make it clear: we are fighting back, and we are claiming our power. Join M4BL and a national coalition of more than 160 organizations for a National Day of Action to take the fight to the states and protect our power. Sign up today or learn more at https://m4bl.link/AllRoads-LeadSouth (link in bio) Can't make it to Montgomery? Tap in to connect with a local organization doing actions around the country! This is the beginning, not the end, and we need everyone in this fight.

In partnership with @MasisiRadio , Highlander Center presents a day of Haitian film at @LittleRiverCulturalGarden . This event brings filmmakers Monica Sorelle, Al’Ikens Plancher, and more together for a day of films, culture, and community.
 “Mountains” (2023): Monica Sorelle 3p-5p E
 In Miami’s Little Haiti, Xavier (Atibon Nazaire) makes a living as a demolition worker while his wife Esperance (Sheila Anozier) holds down two jobs to sustain their cozy household. Their routine is tested when their son Junior (Chris Renois) returns home after dropping out of college. Xavier and Esperance struggle to relate with Junior, who is no longer interested in speaking Creole with them and harbors ambitions of an artistic career path they do not understand. Xavier aspires to buy a more spacious house for his family, but still wakes up every morning, goes to work, and dismantles his neighborhood brick by brick. Yet even as construction vehicles rumble down the block, Little Haiti remains a vibrant community with traditions and rhythms distinctly its own. Monica Sorelle’s tender feature debut “Mountains” is a multigenerational drama that deftly explores the relationships between immigrants and their children, the looming threat of gentrification, and the pursuit of the American dream.
 “SINEMA CHAT”: Al’Ikens Plancher 6p-8p E We round out our time together with a curated film screening and interactive conversation exploring Haitian identity, memory, diaspora, and belonging. The program features five award-winning short films—Tifi, La Vie, Konpa, Boat People, and Fou—that reflect on the personal and national histories shaping Haitian communities across generations. The event concludes with a dynamic, audience-driven dialogue where viewers engage directly with the filmmaker and panelist in an open, conversational format. This unique approach invites deeper reflection on migration, resilience, and the power of storytelling in the Haitian experience. This conversation will be led in Haitian Kreyòl and centers Haitian voices. Light snacks/drinks provided The space is free to attend, simply RSVP at the link in our bio. 
We’ll see you in class.

Join us for our regular QTBIPOC hangout at The Bottom! All you need to bring is yourself, and a snack if you’re feeling fancy. Feel free to invite other QTBIPOC friends! (Apologies for the last minute announcement.) . . . . . . . . . . #keepknoxqueer #qtbipoc #qtbipocknoxville #knoxville

In partnership with @masisiradio , Highlander Center presents a night focused on Haitian filmmakers in Miami. This event brings filmmakers Monica Sorelle and Al’Ikens Plancher together for a day of films, culture, and community.
 “Mountains” (2023): Monica Sorelle 3p-5p E
 In Miami’s Little Haiti, Xavier (Atibon Nazaire) makes a living as a demolition worker while his wife Esperance (Sheila Anozier) holds down two jobs to sustain their cozy household. Their routine is tested when their son Junior (Chris Renois) returns home after dropping out of college. Xavier and Esperance struggle to relate with Junior, who is no longer interested in speaking Creole with them and harbors ambitions of an artistic career path they do not understand. Xavier aspires to buy a more spacious house for his family, but still wakes up every morning, goes to work, and dismantles his neighborhood brick by brick. Yet even as construction vehicles rumble down the block, Little Haiti remains a vibrant community with traditions and rhythms distinctly its own. Monica Sorelle’s tender feature debut “Mountains” is a multigenerational drama that deftly explores the relationships between immigrants and their children, the looming threat of gentrification, and the pursuit of the American dream.
 “SINEMA CHAT”: Al’Ikens Plancher of @societeproductions 6p-8p E We round out our time together with a curated film screening and interactive conversation exploring Haitian identity, memory, diaspora, and belonging. The program features five award-winning short films—Tifi, La Vie, Konpa, Boat People, and Fou—that reflect on the personal and national histories shaping Haitian communities across generations. The event concludes with a dynamic, audience-driven dialogue where viewers engage directly with the filmmaker and panelist in an open, conversational format. This unique approach invites deeper reflection on migration, resilience, and the power of storytelling in the Haitian experience. This conversation will be led in Haitian Kreyòl and centers Haitian voices. Light snacks/drinks provided The space is free to attend, simply RSVP to hold your spot at the link in our bio🎥

As a culmination of our 2026 Racial Justice Challenge, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee invites you to join Democracy in Progress: Voting Rights at a Crossroads on May 20 from 12–1 PM CT (via Zoom). Over the past 21 days, participants engaged in learning about the history and future of voting rights in America in light of the nation’s 250th anniversary. This conversation offers an opportunity to deepen that learning and connect it to the present moment, including ongoing discussions around policies like the SAVE Act. It also comes at a pivotal time, following the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that narrowed key protections of the Voting Rights Act, as several Southern states pursue redistricting efforts that could reduce majority-minority districts and reshape representation. This webinar will feature: Dr. Chelsea N. Jones, @brennancenter Christine Sloane, @ywcausa Denzel Caldwell, @highlandercenter Together, they will explore participation, power, and what it means to engage democracy today. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Challenge and our sponsors @theharnischfoundation & #NissanFoundation. We hope you will join us for this timely and impactful conversation. Register at link in bio or /webinars

Highlander staff and friends gathered earlier this month to celebrate the completion of our new office building and honor our outgoing and incoming leadership, six years after Highlander's main office building was burned in a white supremacist arson attack in March 2019. In song and fellowship, we acknowledged the hardships wrought by the fire while lifting up the determination and resilience of Highlander's staff and work under the vital leadership of Co-Executive Directors Allyn Maxfield-Steele, Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, and Salimah Muhammad in the years of rebuilding and recovering. Co-Executive Directors Vonda McDaniel and Garrett Stark led the gathering in the initial days of their new leadership, sharing their commitment to shepherding Highlander and our mission forward in this critical moment for our movements, our communities, and our organization. "We have a lot that we're up against, but there's a lot that's possible," Garrett shared. Our new office building will hold a meeting and gathering space available for guests on the Hill to use, and our on-site staff are excited to work together side by side again. We are grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support we received in the days and months after the fire, and for your continued support as we move forward in this powerful new moment. 🎥 Check out more Views from the Hill at the Vimeo link in our Linktree 🎥

VIA: @communityarchivescollab In a world where so much of what we know is crumbling, speculation and imagination allow us to envision the new worlds we are committed to building, and to protect the ones that already exist and deserve our care. With this in mind, the Community Archives Collaborative (CAC) is issuing our first-ever public call for pieces for an upcoming digital zine titled “Speculative Archives: Worlds Worth Making, Worlds Worth Saving.” We invite submissions that explore the following prompt: If you could build and care for any archive, what would it be, how would it be constructed, and what would be made possible through its existence? We welcome pieces that speculate boldly and tenderly and invite conversation on memory, decline, and futurity. Submissions may take the form of short essays, reflections, poetry, interview transcripts, or visual works such as diagrams or maps. 🌀Submission due date: May 15, 2026–please submit full submissions, not proposals. 🌀Submission length: 800-1000 words 🌀Submissions process: Send submissions to [email protected] as a Google Doc or .docx file Visual submissions (optional): submit high-resolution files (300 DPI minimum) in .jpg or .png. Include a short bio (50–100 words) in your submission email. The CAC steering committee will review submissions and respond by May 22nd. Contributors of pieces chosen for the zine will be compensated with a $150 stipend per submission. For more information, please review the CAC editorial guidelines at the link in our bio!

In partnership with @therootsbooksandmarket in Miami, Highlander Center presents a free screening of “BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions” by Khalil Joseph (2025) “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions” is designed as a cinematic experience to mirror the sonic textures of a music album. Adapted from Kahlil Joseph’s highly acclaimed video art installation, which was shown at the Venice Biennale in 2019, the film interweaves fictional and historical characters in an immersive story that spans 247 years across land and sea. The ocean reveals its mysteries to those passengers aboard the transatlantic liner “The Nautica” who are willing to pause and listen. The film can be viewed as a form of inventory as the collective memories of Black people and the history of the diaspora are brought together in a multi-layered narrative. In its mix of fictional and documentary forms, the film is inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Saidiya Hartman and others, juxtaposing their ideas with archive material and samples from YouTube, social media, film, television and journalism. The film’s unique stereo sound was mastered by a music engineer. The artists involved, including Arthur Jafa and Garrett Bradley, deliver their distinct perspectives across the 21 tracks. The screening is free to attend, simply RSVP to hold your spot at the link in our linktree. We’ll see you in class.

VIA: @ignitekindred We invite you to apply for SONG’s upcoming Data Center Organizing School. Members and leaders across the region will convene to learn about strategies and tactics used to stop data centers, sharpen political analysis and organizing skills on this issue, and develop a plan of action for where they live! ⁠ ⁠ We will prioritize applicants who are able to do approximately 5 hours of pre-work and are able to commit for six months to running or joining a data center fight where they live. ⁠ ⁠ Deadline to apply is Monday, April 27th. Travel, ground transportation, lodging, food, and childcare will be covered by SONG. ⁠ ⁠ Click the link in our bio to register!

In partnership with @therootsbooksandmarket in Miami, Highlander Center presents a free screening of “BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions” by Khalil Joseph (2025) “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions” is designed as a cinematic experience to mirror the sonic textures of a music album. Adapted from Kahlil Joseph’s highly acclaimed video art installation, which was shown at the Venice Biennale in 2019, the film interweaves fictional and historical characters in an immersive story that spans 247 years across land and sea. The ocean reveals its mysteries to those passengers aboard the transatlantic liner “The Nautica” who are willing to pause and listen. The film can be viewed as a form of inventory as the collective memories of Black people and the history of the diaspora are brought together in a multi-layered narrative. In its mix of fictional and documentary forms, the film is inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Saidiya Hartman and others, juxtaposing their ideas with archive material and samples from YouTube, social media, film, television and journalism. The film’s unique stereo sound was mastered by a music engineer. The artists involved, including Arthur Jafa and Garrett Bradley, deliver their distinct perspectives across the 21 tracks. The screening is free to attend, simply RSVP to hold your spot at the link in our linktree. We’ll see you in class.

DEADLINE TO APPLY EXTENDED TO MAY 6TH! Monuments Across Appalachian Places and Highlander Research and Education Center invite you to participate in an online Commemorate Workshop on May 12, 2026. Applications to participate are due on May 1, 2026. Link to application and more information in our bio. This Commemorate Workshop is co-hosted by Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia (MAAV) and @highlandercenter with support from @waymakersco @appalachian_studies_at_vt @crmdsvt @vt_liberalarts @mellonfoundation

In March we joined hands with @projectbwafgu , @amistadresearchcenter , and so many bright lights in New Orleans for a Weekend of Freedom Feeling. This weekend centered the interior life of Black women, tracing the blueprints of freedom feeling our ancestors left us and how we live them now. It invited us to embody what we are often taught belongs only to girlhood; tenderness, play, wonder, curiosity, and learning, and to fully claim it in our Womanhood. This collaboration reflected a shared commitment to learning grounded in lived experience, collective memory, and truth-telling, knowledge carried across generations through story, song, study, and care. With over 300,000 Black women pushed out of the job market, many of us are once again being asked to redefine our lives. Having said plainly that we are not Black girls and that our labor is not magic, we turned toward the interior work that sustains and clarifies, work that allows us to keep building a healthy sense of self and our communities. Through archives, song, film, oral histories, a literary supper, and Black books, this weekend gathered us around care, memory, and imagination, grounded in the belief, as Zora Neale Hurston reminds us, that “we are off to a flying start,”with our ancestors still fanning our wings. We want to say thank you to @stevie_elem for her brilliant mind and fierce love of (and for) Black Women, every single collaborator who helped make this weekend feel vibrant and alive, and all of our beautiful attendees. Each one of you reminded us how important it is for us to see each other. Rooting us in the long work of Highlander Center- Gathering, on purpose, to change the world. Photography by @jeremytauriac , thank you for seeing this as art and helping us see ourselves differently. Thank you for seeing US.