Blackspace Is Paving a Way For Technologically Savvy Youth of Color

[divider type=”space_thin”]For the past two years, tucked away in the middle of North Carolina, the brainchild of Pierce Freelon has been at play. And in that time, it has grown and matured, and now needs to branch out into a new space, a Blackspace. Freelon, a Durham native and University of North Carolina grad earned a B.A. and Masters in Black Studies and afterward sought a way to tie his love of art to his passion for activism. Through the inspiration of his grandmother to “bloom where you are planted,” Freelon gathered his resources and marshaled a team to form his first site for pan-Africanist social entrepreneurship in the heart of the Old North State. The focus would be on Black youth and Youth of Color (ie, the future), exposing them to resources and experiences that would develop their skills and talents in diverse, creative ways. The first site, dubbed ARTVSM for the union of art and activism that inspired its conception, is run by equally passionate ‘artivists’ who teach workshops ranging from beat-making to puppetry. Freelon, who already had success co-founding “Beat Making Lab” for PBS, continued to build new and exciting opportunities focused on youth in Chapel Hill and surrounding areas. One of which was the Black August Summer Camp. Over two weeks the camp had workshops connecting the struggles of freedom fighters from the Congo to the Americas using music, film, and other mediums to center art as the impetus of political change. Now, with Blackspace, Freelon…