SPACE FOR US: Afrofuturism and the Poetic Imagination

A multilingual poetry exhibition

space for us

is a multidisciplinary exhibition utilizing historical materials from the African American Library at the Gregory School, multilingual poems, and interviews with Black women leaders in Houston to explore how poetics can serve as a tool for contemporary organizing, world building, and language justice.

This project was created as a part of the 2023-2025 Houston Poet Laureate Community Outreach Project.

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This is a Place that Grows in You

Aris Kian + Atlantis Narcisse, Doris Brown, Tana Pradia, Latricia St. Jules, Koretta Brown, Tangi Smith, Zed Minale and Belay Andarge

A Psalm for the newcomer / Zaburi ya wageni

Loyce Gayo

A Hope for Houston

Ariana Lee

jewish homeland on the corner of cullen and macgregor

Anna Rajagopal

Space City,

Ayokunle Falomo

An evening in April of that spring

Oais Hala

When I Dream of Houston / Saat Aku Memimpikan Houston

Muhammad Khaerisman

Bayou Lakou

Candice D’Meza

Doris Brown: Northeast Action Collective / West Street Recovery
Found poem #1
Doris Brown Interview
Atlantis Narcisse: Save Our Sisters United
Found Poem #2
Atlantis Narcisse Interview
Tangi “Tanuke” Smith: Texas Federation of the People Foundation
Found Poem #3
Tangi Smith Interview
Latricia St. Jules: Stella’s Way
Found Poem #4
Latricia St. Jules Interview
Zed Minale: Migrants and Refugees Leadership Academy
Found Poem #5
Zed Minale Interview
Belay Andarge: Migrants and Refugees Leadership Academy
Found Poem #6
Belay Andarge Interview
Tana Pradia: Positive Women’s Network-Greater Houston Area
Found Poem #7
Tana Pradia Interview
Koretta Brown: Bridges to Empowerment
Found Poem #8
Koretta Brown Interview

What I Am Thinking About While Sitting in Houston Traffic / Lo Que Pienso Mientras Estoy Sentado en El Tráfico de Houston

Lupe Mendez

The Inner Loop

Kell Bernardo

Ghar Ghar

Minahil Zaki

Which planet are you from / Az Kudam Sayareh-i

Zarlasht Niaz

Vietnamese in Blue / Việt Trong Xanh

Võ Đức Quang

*all errors of pronunciation are of the curator.

Dreaming of Utopia Houston / 유토피아를 꿈꾸며, 휴스턴

Dr. Paul Kim

*all errors of pronunciation are of the curator.

This is a Place that Grows in You
Este es un lugar que crece en ti
Đây là nơi lớn dần trong tim
هذا هو المكان الذي ينمو بداخلك
民众滋养之地
Vietnamese in Blue
Việt Trong Xanh
An evening in April of that Spring
The Inner Loop
Space City,
Bayou Lakou
Ghar Ghar
jewish homeland on the corner of cullen and macgregor
What I Am Thinking About While Sitting in Houston Traffic
Lo Que Pienso Mientras Estoy Sentado en El Tráfico de Houston
When I Dream of Houston / Saat Aku Memimpikan Houston
Saat Aku Memimpikan Houston
Which planet are you from / Az Kudam Sayareh-i
A Psalm for the newcomer / Zaburi ya wageni
A Hope for Houston
Dreaming of Utopia Houston / 유토피아를 꿈꾸며, 휴스턴

INTERVIEW CONTRIBUTORS:

Atlantis Narcisse: Save Our Sisters United

Doris Brown: Northeast Action Collective / West Street Recovery

Koretta Brown: Bridges to Empowerment

Latricia St. Jules: Stella’s Way

Tana Pradia: Positive Women’s Network-Greater Houston Area

Tangi “Tanuke” Smith: Texas Federation of the People Foundation

Belay Andarge and Zed Minale: Migrants and Refugees Leadership Academy

MasterWord

Facilitated as a part of Aris Kian Brown’s community outreach project as 2023-2025 Houston Poet Laureate, this exhibition aims to challenge the boundaries between art and organizing, protest and poetics, imagination and demand. Audiences will be able to engage with the demands of Houstonians in real time, allowing the urgency of poetry to serve as a tool for contemporary organizing, world building, and language justice for communities in Houston fighting for all marginalized people.

This exhibition is generously supported by Houston Public Library, Houston Public
Library Foundation, and City of Houston. All photos can be found at the African American History Research Center and the Houston Public Library Digital Archives.