CELEBRATING OUR PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE
Join us for “Our History Is Now,” a Friday night event series celebrating Women’s History at the Pine Lake Beach House. Each week, influential women from diverse fields—arts, media, faith, politics, and more—will share their personal histories, honoring the women who shaped their journeys.
This intimate and immersive series highlights the power of storytelling, connecting past and present to inspire our collective future.
For more information:
https://ourhistoryisnow.bandzoogle.com
Pine Lake Beach House| 4580 Lakeshore Dr.
March 7/14/21/28 Doors open at 7pm
Free admission|Limited seating
March 7: “Zora Head,” with Veta Goler and Moni Basu
Join us for an intimate and inspiring evening as we inaugurate our Women’s History Series with a special screening of “Zora Head: The Life and Scholarship of Valerie Boyd.” This 20-minute documentary delves into the profound impact of Valerie Boyd, a distinguished writer, researcher, journalist, and educator, celebrated for her dedication to illuminating the lives of Black women writers such as Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker.
Following the screening, esteemed scholars Veta Goler and Moni Basu will share a conversation, including personal insights into Boyd’s enduring legacy and reflecting on the influential women in their own lives who have shaped their journeys to this moment.
This event promises to be a powerful, personal, and deeply engaging experience, honoring the remarkable life and work of Valerie Boyd and exploring the interconnected stories of women who inspire and uplift each other. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with these narratives and the vibrant community they continue to foster.
Documentary:
https://news.emory.edu/stories/2024/08/er_valerie_boyd_women_writers_13-08-2024/story.html
Veta Goler:
Veta Goler recently retired after 33 years at Spelman College, where she taught dance history and served in several administrative roles. Holding an MFA in dance and a PhD in African American studies, she had a successful career as a modern dance artist — performing and choreographing nationally and internationally — and as a dance historian, focusing her research on contemporary African American modern dance artists, particularly women choreographers. Her work also explores the intersection of dance and spirituality in popular culture, and spirituality and contemplative practices in education and the workplace. She is a facilitator prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal and a member of the CCR board of directors. Veta has been offering online self-love retreats for Black women since September 2020. Her website is https://www.awarelife.com.
Moni Basu:
Professor Moni Basu is an award-winning journalist and educator specializing in immersive storytelling and narrative journalism. She currently directs the Low-Residency MFA in Narrative Nonfiction program at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she holds the Charlayne Hunter-Gault Writer in Residence position. Her students have been published in major magazines and have earned national honors, including Hearst Awards. A veteran journalist, Basu has worked at CNN, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and other outlets, with her reporting spanning South Asia and the Middle East. She is a former war correspondent once featured in a Marvel comics series. She continues to write as a freelancer and serves on the board of South Arts and on the national advisory board of the Asian American Journalists Association. Notably, she was named the 2020 University of Florida Teacher of the Year, recognizing her impact on journalism education.
https://grady.uga.edu/faculty/basu/
March 14: Rose Scott—award-winning journalist and host of the midday news program “Closer Look” heard on Atlanta’s NPR, station 90.1 FM – WABE.
https://www.wabe.org/people/rose-scott/
DorMiya Vance, journalist at WABE, covering culture and social justice on Atlanta’s Southside, focusing on communities of color and personal narratives through conceptual storytelling and solutions journalism.
https://www.wabe.org/people/dormiya-vance/
March 21: Rev. Cassandra Henderson— Executive Director of the Interfaith Children's Movement https://www.revcass.online/about
Rev. Kimberlee Payton Jones is the founder of Payton Jones Law, specializing in immigration and personal injury litigation. She has served as co-chair of the Advocacy Committee for the Georgia-Alabama chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and chaired multiple committees for the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. Jones holds degrees from the College of William & Mary, Georgetown University Law Center, Johns Hopkins University, and Emory University.
https://kimjonesusa.com/kimberlee-payton-jones/
March 28: gina Breedlove —author, sound healer, vocalist, composer, grief doula, and oracle for Grace