NOIR FEST–a Week-Long Party to Manifest Black Liberation

Black Liberation is inevitable. It is literally the expectation of history. White underdevelopment has gone to such great lengths to keep us down because its leaders know that if given the room to activate our full potential, no one, absolutely no one would be able to keep us subjugated. The fight we’ve been fighting for the last 400 years has culminated in this year of unprecedented transformation. It’s only up for us from here.

Well it is time to arise. To take our rightful place in history, and NOIR FEST (Dec 5-12) will be the place where those who dream of Liberation will become those who feel Liberation and then become those who live it. Join us for an unprecedented intersection of artists, visionaries, musicians, healers. We will dance, we will pray, we will collectively visualize a Liberated Black future through our films, our meditations and our Hundred Year Plan.

_{Sonya Renee Taylor to be NOIR FEST opening Keynote}

Topics to be covered at NOIR FEST

I. Radical Self Love

Black Alchemy as Technology (Keynote by Sonya Renee Taylor)

II. New Nigeria

Socialists, Feminists and the other Youth voices working towards a Liberated Nigeria in 2023

III. The Treasury of Black Art

Intersection of visual artists and art investors forging a Liberated Black future through Black creativity)

IV. The Divine Feminine–Power in the Age of the Black Woman

Featuring a very special, very powerful musical guest

V. For the Artists–Making (R)Evolution Irresistible

Featuring roundtable with Residue filmmaker, Merawi Gerima, and the film’s cast and crew as well as Michael Dennis, founder of Reelblack.

VI. Movement is Medicine

Curated Black sounds and the films that bring them into our collective memory

VII. The Hundred Year Plan

A work session and manifestation roundtable featuring key voices in Black Liberation worldwide.

Are you ready?

All this, not to mention we’ll have meditations, reiki and a DJ battle. See more details on the event here.

I can barely contain my excitement, and I can hardly believe I get to have the honor of bringing this powerful community together. Join me and my team from Dec 5-12 for what will surely be a life-changing event. Get tickets here. You can also join us in presenting this historic event! Become a sponsor or volunteer.

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PS: People often ask me about allyship, wondering whether non-Blacks are welcome at NOIR FEST. My answer is always that if you love Black people, are happy to see Black people thriving and centered, that you won’t take up space at NOIR FEST, you’ll be welcome.

_{Featured image: Portrait by Natalia Agatte}

Lolade Siyonbola

Olori Lolade Siyonbola is the Founder of NOIR Labs, noirpress and NOIR FEST. She is a Gates Scholar pursing her doctorate at Cambridge University, she has a computer science degree from Mizzou and an African Studies Masters from Yale. Olori believes that technology (digital, spiritual and other forms) must be wielded intentionally in the service of the Liberation of oppressed people everywhere. Using technology, art and community building, she is leading NOIR Labs to inspire and operationalize Black Liberation worldwide.