Illuminate
Powered by Melanin MeetUps, Illuminate is a dynamic Ted-Talk-like series featuring leading Black luminaries, visionaries, professionals, and changemakers tackling society's most pressing challenges. Hear powerful stories and innovative ideas from established and emerging voices across all industries, addressing imaginative and solution-based ideas from climate change, mental health, entertainment, social justice and more. Illuminate aims to unlock human potential and forge a new path of enlightenment. Download now to be inspired and enlightened. Ideas connect us.
Episodes
Live from San Diego's world-renowned theatre, The Old Globe, Dr. Amani Starnes examines the power of Black performance to drive societal change and personal evolution in Illuminate. Dr. Starnes unpacks the pathways to reimagining Black identity and representation in theater, offering a roadmap for meaningful transformation in the arts to answer the question; what steps can we take to rewrite the narrative to unde...
Live at San Diego's The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego artist and founder of Black Dream Experiment, Kelsey O'Daniels explores the concept of Black dreaming and the urgency of moving beyond the white imagination in the arts in this powerful Illuminate talk. Daniels offers insights into the path toward true identity and creative freedom in the arts, guiding listeners to envision a new cultural landscape for the...
Live at San Diego's The Old Globe Theatre, Performing Arts Administrator of Mainly Mozart Ahmed Kenyatta Dents discusses the evolving role of theater and the arts as we navigate a period of resetting and renewal. Dents shares strategies to help us redefine artistic identity, answering how the arts can better reflect diverse voices in the 21st century as he answers the question; what steps can we take to rewrite t...
Founder of Melanin MeetUps, Kirk Brown discusses the power of theater as a tool for breaking cycles and inspiring personal growth in this riveting Illuminate talk. Live at San Diego Theatre's The Old Globe, Brown highlights the powerful role of storytelling to break cycles such as toxic shame, redefine masculinity and become a better version of yourself. Listen in to discover how theater can be a force for healin...
Live from San Diego's world-renowned theatre, The Old Globe, San Diego artist and playwright Andréa Agosto shares a compelling personal journey to artistry in at Melanin MeetUps' Illuminate series. Discover how Agosto navigated obstacles to find her unique voice as an artist and how her experience offers insights into reclaiming identity in the arts as she answers the question; what steps can we take to rewr...
Live at San Diego Theatre's The Old Globe, join Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access (EDIA) at The Old Globe Theatre Jamila Demby as she takes us through her journey in regional theatre to discusses how Black stories on stage contribute to a deeper, more inclusive human experience. Through personal anecdotes, humor, and calls for change, Jamila sheds light on the persistent underrepresentation in t...
Live at The Old Globe Theater, drag activist and artist Amber St. James delivers a transformative Illuminate talk on drag as a medium for social action. Discover how St. James uses the art of drag to challenge norms and create space for self-discovery and activism as they answer the question, what steps can we take to rewrite the narrative to understand ourselves better and shape our identity in the arts industry in t...
Join us for an inspiring talk by U.S. Senator Cory Booker at Illuminate, where he shares a transformative encounter with Ms. Virginia Jones, a tenant president in New Jersey. This powerful meeting shaped his worldview and creativity in advocating for justice and change. Booker emphasizes the importance of personal leadership in today’s climate and how change begins within ourselves.
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Join Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell in her Illuminate talk as she explores the power of imagination through Langston Hughes' "crystal stairs" and the vision of a 5-year-old in a NASA jumpsuit. She discusses how imagination can drive movements, inspire leadership, and address inequities within the California legislature.
Recognized by Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine for her role in passing The CROWN Act, Supervi...
What happens when you're othered by a racist ad campaign or forced to vote in line during a pandemic? Georgia State Representative Park Cannon explores these questions in her Illuminate talk, connecting trauma with recent voting suppression initiatives in Georgia. She argues for trauma-informed services to help communities heal from state-level abuses and to move beyond toxic patterns. (2021)
Unaddressed trauma in young, gifted, Black youth often leads to anxiety, depression, and silence. Healing requires safe spaces, culturally sensitive support, and addressing both personal and generational pain. For the Black community, breaking free from systemic oppression can look like reclaiming identity, building independence, and creating spaces of empowerment.
At Illuminate, Dr. Nicole Green of UCLA dives into the...
Ever feel that knot when it's time to act? "Don't wait on your neighbor because your neighbor may be waiting on you," says Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, quoting his great-grandfather, a former slave. But what does bravery in leadership look like, especially for Black Americans?
Join us at melaninmeetups.org and discover more Illuminate talks for inspiration at melaninmeetups.or...
Fear is a powerful force for Black creatives like Charles Ray Hamilton, a Black, queer writer who made it to Hollywood, penning for STARZ's POWER. Fear doesn't disappear with success—it fuels creativity and resilience. Hamilton’s story reveals how embracing fear can drive you forward. Download now to see how fear can be your greatest asset on the creative path.
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The 2019 Illuminate Fireside Chat at hClubLA brought together Van Lathan and Jarrett Hill for a powerful conversation on what it means to be a Black American journalist in today's polarized media landscape. With the press labeled as a "threat" by former President Trump, Lathan and Hill explored the heightened responsibility of Black journalists in delivering nuanced, accurate, and truth-telling coverage...
"You're cute, for a black guy." This microaggression is just one of the many experiences that inspired television writer Cameron Johnson's powerful short documentary titled as such. Through humor and insight, Johnson explores how television shapes the way we view Black gay men, and why it's crucial for them to be in the writer's room. Representation matters—authentic Black gay love on scr...
What's in a name? For many southern Black Americans, their last name is not their own yet belongs to someone else beginning on American Plantations or was picked by themselves. With their identity so malleable and a society that has routinely tried to define them with labels and stats, how can they take more control of their narrative? What if they began to honor the very homes where some of the worst atrocities ...
What does it mean to be a strong black woman? Hollywood is transforming the portrayal of Black American artists, especially Black women, who are now breaking out of traditional roles and showing more nuanced experiences. Dr. Starnes explores how to challenge stereotypes and the impact of the "strong Black woman" trope and what it means for the future of Hollywood. Download and share this vital conversation!
What does it mean to be disconnected from yourself? What does it mean to be disconnected from your body after trauma? What does healing look like for the African-American community and the Black American after historical and contemporary traumas? How will this impact our self-esteem and mental health?
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