Porch Talk Series
The MOCHA’s Porch Talk series is a space where we reimagine solutions for dismantling oppression, anti-Blackness and the minoritization of people. We utilize art as an entry to have difficult discussions.
More than ever, our everyday situations and lived experiences need to be examined and interrogated. The ways in which we communicate, share, and build common language must be reevaluated. Just as porch talks gather neighbors and friends to share life, MOCHA’s Porch Talk series allows for honest conversations that spotlight our differences and similarities. Join us as we talk through the texture and aspects of culture as a community.
The Community Porch Talks’ main purpose is to center the voices of Black people. However, we often utilize intersectionality as common ground to discuss other subjects (ex. Black Queerness, non-binary AAPI youth, etc.) Affinity groups create compassionate and honest spaces to identify the ways in which racism and oppression is embedded within our cultural practices and society. Together, we can equip our community with the language and tools for disrupting inhumane practices within society.
Past Talks
On June 19, 2020, MOCHA hosted its first Porch Talk. People were provided with a preview of what it means to show love to the Black community and to be enabled to locate the ways their own culture perpetuates anti-Blackness. Over 140 attended this peaceful protest in person and virtually!
The second all-virtual talk on July 10th included: a Mindfulness art lesson on dotted Mandalas, Youth-led discussions about anti-Blackness within American culture, a clip from the PBS documentary on James Baldwin, “I Am Not Your Negro,” and a conversation that centered Black voices.