Kinaya Hassane

On March 13, 2009, Comorian artist and writer Soeuf Elbadawi collaborated with his theater troupe, O* Mcezo, to stage a performance based on the traditional form of punishment called gungu. During gungu spectacles, individuals accused of a crime or social transgression were paraded through town streets. In this iteration of the gungu la mcezo, Elbadawi played the role of the accused, smearing his body with chalky white paint to transform himself into an embodiment of France.

By Kinaya HassaneAugust 10, 2020 Artblog contributor Kinaya Hassane interviews owner of Harriet's Bookshop and long time activist, Jeannine A. Cook. Jeannine believes art, especially writing, is integral to an equitable and just future. Jeannine A. Cook standing outside of their store, “Harriet’s Bookshop.” Courtesy of Jeannine A. Cook. These days, breaking myself free of the desire to compulsively scroll through social media has become a gargantuan task.

Since the initial allegations of sexual abuse against Harvey Weinstein broke, many more high-profile men from different sectors have been accused of similar transgressions. At such a historic point in time, Americans have been forced to reckon with the reality that many of the men whose work we enjoy are in fact vile, reprehensible people. What makes this particular cultural moment unique is the ubiquity of the accusations.