The Revival: Women and the Word

The Revival: Women and The Word

d.Sekiya Dorsett/USA/82min/2016

Among a congregation of queer women of color artists, the Holy Trinity—“the poet, the people, and the poem”—is the heart of a tour centering on the power, inspiration, and real-talk of a group of five poets who hit the road to perform in seven states in nine days. Featuring Jade Foster, Be Steadwell, Jonquille Rice, T’ai Freedom Ford, and Eli Turner, the journey to grow community ultimately challenges and impacts their own relationships to the people and art in their lives. Touching on the history of Black women creating space for art and resistance in 1970s Harlem, to gender presentation and fashion, to confronting racism and police violence, filmmaker Sekiya Dorsett captures a story of queer women of color rarely told. Through stunning performances and conversations that surface in a cramped tour minivan, this documentary provides an intimate look at a range of experiences and identities—enriched with interviews from leading Black feminist thinkers, elders, and historians, including Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Nikki Finney, Alexis Deveaux, and CC Carter. Ultimately, the life-saving, life-giving power of words is the foundation of a project so moving it will leave you saying “amen.”

Preceded by a Spoken Word Performance by

Yve Patrimoine

Although Yve has a love for numbers; having an economics degree and working in an investment firm, she does not shy away from words either. Yve is not new to the writing scene but she has only been performing her poetry for two years. She’s written various poems and stories since she was little and continues to do so. Yve aims to inspire and move her audience with her pieces.

Community Sponsor: Kingston Poetry Collective