Mid-Season Harlem Renaissance Social
March 25, 2023 at 12:00pm
The Great Hall at Christ Church Neighborhood House
20 N. American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
EgoPo and Theatre in the X present a nationally-acclaimed expert panel on the history and legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and its effect on American culture to today. The event will occur in the Great Hall of Christ Church where Alaine Locke, the intellectual architect of the Harlem Renaissance, worshipped with his mother.
The Harlem Renaissance Social features all-inclusive beer from Four City Brewing Company and artisan pizza from Down North Pizza, a Black-owned business that aims to help erase employment barriers faced by formerly incarcerated people. Down North Pizza was featured in the top 50 up-and-coming restaurants in the New York Times in 2021. Four City Brewing is a brewery in Orange, New Jersey supported by diverse entrepreneurs and community leaders, supplying diverse brews to the diverse consumers
Season Sponsored by Dr. Stephanie Creary & Hugo De La O
The Mid-Season Social is sponsored by Vos IP, a boutique law firm focused on collaborating with our clients to build robust IP portfolios, with support from Four City Brewing Company, Down North Pizza, and Christ Church Neighborhood House.
Panelists
Dr. Herman Beavers is a Distinguished Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His research specialties include Toni Morrison, August Wilson, Charles Johnson, Ralph Elison and Jazz Literature. He serves as an advisory editor at African American Review, Modern Fiction Studies, The Langston Hughes Review, and The Black Scholar. His latest book Geography and the Political Imaginary in the Novels of Toni Morrison was published in 2018.
Dr. Lisa Bratton, is a tenured Associate Professor of History at Tuskegee University with a Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple Univ. As a historian for the Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project, she has interviewed over 250 Airmen. Her primary research interest is Historic Brattonsville, the South Carolina plantation on which her ancestors, Green and Malinda Bratton, were enslaved. Her diverse research interests include the establishment of African American historic sites and Zora Neale Hurston. Lisa also serves on EgoPo's 2022-2023 Season Curatorial Committee and is the Harlem Renaissance Season Dramaturg.
Dr. Kelly M. Nims has a joint appointment in English and Women and Gender Studies at CUNY Hunter College, with courses on Zora Neale Hurston, Black Aesthetics, The Harlem Renaissance and Black Women Writers. Dr. Nims holds a Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology from Columbia University and is a former Peace Corps volunteer who has lived and worked in Africa. She has presented work at the African Studies Association and has two forthcoming articles in an essay collection on the Black 1960s.
Paule Turner has been a highly visible member of the Philadelphia dance community since 1994, creating politically and aesthetically charged dance theater. He was named "Top 25 to Watch" by Dance Magazine in 2000. As a tenured Associate Professor within the Department of Theatre and Dance at Rowan University, Paule currently serves as the First Black Department Chair. His work has been supported by Pennsylvania Council on The Arts and Dance Advance/Pew Charitable Trusts. He holds his MFA in dance from Temple University.
Moderator
Walter DeShields is Co-Artistic Director of Theater in the X, a theater company providing residents of West Philadelphia and the Black community at large the opportunity to see accessible theater in their own neighborhood for no cost. He most recently performed in Clyde’s at The Arden. With EgoPo, he has appeared in Egoli, Buried Child, and Nocturne, and will be directing Plum Bun. Walter works for a theater-based sexual health intervention called BrotherSpeak in Philadelphia and teaches theater at Drexel University and Rowan University. Walter also serves on EgoPo's 2022-2023 Season Curatorial Committee.
Vos-IP was founded in 2018 with the understanding that we are only as successful as the clients we serve. We partner with growth stage companies to identify and protect their most valuable intellectual property assets, building robust portfolios that make them attractive targets for acquisition. Our deep understanding and decades of experience in patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, uniquely positions us to take a holistic approach when counseling clients.
We are honored to be a part of the Ego Po family and to celebrate The Harlem Renaissance and the phenomenal Black-owned businesses of Philadelphia and the Tri-State Area. More information available at www.vos-ip.com.
Transportation & Parking
Parking
In the heart of Old City, it can be difficult to find street parking. There are plenty of Pay Lots within walking distance of the venue, including a lot in the back.
Public Transit
We highly recommend taking advantage of the convenience of the Market Frankford Line. The 2nd Street Station is right on 2nd and Market, just a stone's throw away from Christ Church.
Nearby Dining
Click establishment names to view their website
214 Market St, Philadelphia, PA
Popular family-run eatery serving up cheesesteaks, hoagies and specialty sandwiches since 1947.
10 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA
Cuban cuisine with a vast rum bar accented by Caribbean decor and late-night salsa dancing.
56 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA
Cozy bar with Southern BBQ as well as a variety of vegan options backed by a vast beer selection.
208 Race St, Philadelphia, PA
Inventive takes on American standards with craft beers on tap and in cans.
DISCLAIMER: EgoPo Classic Theater in no way endorses the companies and/or organizations represented above. This list of dining establishments is provided simply as an informational service to our patrons. EgoPo does not accept any responsibility or liability for the above listed establishments' service/product experience/quality.