On June 15, 2017, Rolling Counterpoint traveled to Downtown Oakland to participate in Third Thursday at Latham Square, a free event produced by Oakland Central Presents, a project of the Uptown/Downtown Community Benefit District. At this event, artist Taro Hattori joined singer, producer, and “artivist” Jennifer Johns and friends. Jennifer John’s was presenting her interactive community gathering/performance installation/cultural exchange project A Day in AZANIA, A Pan-African Celebration of Freedom, which is designed as a collective expression of freedom, love and joy as a revolutionary act of decolonization, rejuvenation, and alchemy.
For Rolling Counterpoint, this event represented the culmination of a series of conversations staged at venues around the East Bay. Hattori identified one key area of inquiry that emerged during prior conversations, “What is your process of forgiving?” and invited the assembled community to consider and reflect on this question, and use to it to guide conversation about how we might envision a better future. Print maker Ben Engle made embossed letter press cards for guests to note their musings and pin to the teahouse. Other invited guests included visual artist and vocalist Marissa Katarina Bergmann who performed improvised songs based on questions inspired by the stories, ideas, and questions generated through by Rolling Counterpoint, and dancer Krystal William and other performers from Covenant Worship Center. Please see below to view documentation from this event.