Across the country, Black city-builders are imagining and building more just and beautiful communities. What are they learning and dreaming? In this episode of Urban Consulate Confidential, host Orlando P. Bailey sits down with Naimah Bilal of Children’s Literacy Initiative (Cincinnati) and Cornetta Lane Smith of Detroit Narrative Agency (Detroit) for a candid cross-city conversation rooted in radical truth, joy and love.
“It’s incredible to watch the amplification of Black thought,” says Bilal. “That’s an absolutely essential part of city-building — making every voice heard.”
“Storytelling has the power to heal,” says Lane Smith. “It has the power to bridge connections. It has the power to build relationships where there weren’t any.”
“Let’s start to engineer cultural joy in schools,” says Bilal. “I want all of us to wake up ready for joy!”
Lane Smith agrees. “When you have joy that overflows, it’s infectious. It impacts everyone.”
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Watch the season’s final episode below:
Urban Consulate brings people together to share ideas for better cities. Urban Consulate Confidential is presented with Next City and made possible by the Ford Foundation. Directed by Charles Ashley. Co-Produced by Orlando P. Bailey and Claire Nelson. Music by Kick Lee. Photography by Valaurian Waller and JP Leong. Recorded at The Cochrane House in Detroit.
Urban Consulate brings people together to share ideas for better cities. Urban Consulate Confidential is presented with Next City and made possible by the Ford Foundation.