toogood gets funded

Though Toogood was a nascent idea in the summer of 2024, the groundwork for projects to come was already in motion.

In late spring, my amazingly supportive doctoral dissertation advisor suggested that I apply for a grant from the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA). I had submitted Loungin’ as a project for a coveted fellowship a few months before, and was rejected, but still wanted to pursue the idea. I could think of nothing more I wanted to do than sit around with a group of Black women looking at photos of our ancestors and talking about joy.

I submitted the application without attachment to the outcome. My meditation practice (along with aging) have taught me to let go of expectations because what is for me will come eventually. I also find it valuable to share my ideas with diverse groups of people, even if the answer to working with me is a no.

I was at an outdoor screening of Purple Rain (shout out to His Royal Badness, Prince Rodgers Nelson) when I received the yes from PJSA! It was an exciting and encouraging affirmation of the importance of creating space for Black women to engage in dialogue, healing, and memory work.

A month later, I received notice that I had been awarded a professional development grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation. The grant supported my participation in the Advanced Institute offered by UC Berkeley’s Oral History Center. I spent a week in August 2024 learning the methodology, history, and practice of oral history and participated in a small group where I workshopped Loungin’ as a project focused on history and memory. The feedback I received was invaluable and I have already started one-on-one interviews for Loungin’ with our first in-person story circle to come soon.

A deep bow of gratitude to the Peace and Justice Studies Association and the Center for Cultural Innovation for investing in this work and for believing that Black women’s stories and knowledge are worth preserving.