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Because, Resilience
January 15 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Collective Tales: The Storytelling Series
RSVP: contact@galleryparticulier.org
MCed by Comrade Cav
Comrade Cav began his artistic journey as a dancer, appearing in Soul to Soul’s first music video, Fair Play. In the 1980s, he co-founded the dance/DJ collective The Company Boys, touring extensively and achieving a No. 1 spot on the British pop charts while collaborating with Tim Simeon of Bomb The Bass. Cav’s dynamic presence made him a fixture in countless music videos and major fashion shows across Europe, Tokyo, and North America.
In the 1990s, Cav established The Company, the UK’s first dance and DJ agency, breaking new ground in the industry. He also showcased his musical talent by writing and rapping on the track London Kills Me, which gained traction on alternative and underground radio. This momentum led to the formation of The Vibe Tribe, an 11-piece band that toured the UK, supported acts such as The Roots, Roy Ayers, MC Guru, and Björk, and released the double A-side single Our Purpose/Johnny. Cav’s success culminated in a publishing deal with Chrysalis Records.
Relocating to the U.S. in the late 1990s, Cav became a staple of Brooklyn’s music scene. As a DJ, he performed extensively and led several bands, most notably Double 05. He later formed Wonderground Sound System, which graced stages at the Afropunk Festival (After Dark), International African Arts Festival, TAMAFEST, BAM Café, and renowned club events. Wonderground also joined forces with the EyeSpy crew to create EYEWONDER, curating iconic events such as the Sun Dance backyard parties in Bed-Stuy, Sunspot Mansion parties in Flatbush, and First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum.
In recent years, Cav has expanded his creative repertoire, contributing articles to 11211 Magazine, Wax Poetics, and The Guardian.
Follow him on Instagram:
@comrade_cav
@dancepartywonderground
@eyewondernyc
@equality4flatbush
Guest Speakers
Jenn Chen
Jenn Chen is the founder and director of Brooklyn FAM: Festival of Arts and Music Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit based in New York. With a visionary approach, Jenn develops impactful initiatives that bridge the gap between aspiration and action. Her lifelong passion for the performing and visual arts, extensive career as an educator, and commitment to creative nonfiction writing and oral history have seamlessly coalesced into a mission of community empowerment and building connections through the arts.
In the summer of 2021, Jenn founded Brooklyn FAM in response to an urgent need for empathic connection across racial, socioeconomic, and cultural divides. Under her leadership, Brooklyn FAM has become a dynamic platform for fostering community through artistic expression and collaboration. The organization’s work continues to inspire individuals to harness the arts as a tool for building bridges and promoting understanding across diverse communities.
Jenn invites anyone who shares her vision for using the arts to create empathic connections to support or participate in this transformative work, whether in Brooklyn, NY, or around the world.
Azeez O. Alimi
A Nigerian native raised in Brooklyn, is the Community and Outreach Liaison at KAVI. His dedication to equity and youth made him an ideal match for this role. Since joining KAVI, Azeez has strengthened the organization’s relationships with community members, elected officials, and organizations.
Azeez is also the Program Coordinator for the Urban Male Leadership Academy (UMLA) at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. He guides students toward academic excellence, personal development and leadership opportunities. His work has been instrumental in fostering connections between community college students and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Luisa de Miranda
Born and raised in New York City, Luisa de Miranda is an art historian, film set decorator, book editor, visual artist, and creative technologist, now working as a software engineer in big tech. Despite her professional achievements, Luisa remains deeply committed to grassroots activism.
As the founder of Worth Fighting For NYC, she organizes to protect civil rights, strengthen democracy, and build community. Frustrated by ongoing injustices, Luisa channels her passion for equity into collective action, inviting others to join her mission for a more just and inclusive society.
Nahed El Rayes
Nahed Elrayes, named in Arab America’s 30 Under 30 (2023), is a Palestinian writer, composer, and the Development Manager of UNRWA USA. Born to a refugee family, his writings have featured him in Meanjin’s “Essays that Changed Australia: 1940 to today”, the Kanafani Arts Prize, and the University of Melbourne’s Ball Prize for Best Essay in International Relations. Through his Instagram (@nahedelrayes) Nahed recently directed Gaza’s first live-streamed concert, the Al Jazeera-featured series “Why I Love Gaza”, and the campaign to boycott the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, which was covered by the NYT and ultimately forced its leadership to resign. Nahed is currently drafting his musical, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Genocide”.
Darnell Benoit
Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project
Organizing at the Intersection of Immigration and Education
Darnell Benoit was an adult ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher for 14 years. In her classes, she noticed many young adults complete years of high school without graduating or being proficient in English. She recognized the cause was poor English Language Learner (ELL) student support in public schools and inadequate placement in high schools without supportive programs for immigrant students. As a teacher and an immigrant herself, she felt obliged to find a solution to these trends.
Imani Keith Henry
Activist, Performer, Writer, Diversity Trainer
Imani Keith Henry is a long-time anti-police brutality, anti-war, anti-death penalty, LGBTQ and Harm Reduction activist. He is also a writer, performer, and playwright that has toured throughout the US and abroad. In 2013, Imani Henry founded Equality for Flatbush (E4F) a Black Lives Matter organization that fights police violence, gentrification and displacement in Brooklyn, NY. Professionally, Imani is a social worker and Organizational Development Consultant and Diversity Trainer under the brand OD For the People. Imani holds a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Public Administration from NYU.
@imanihenry
@equality4flatbush