As a student of both political science and the arts, I’ve always been struck by how interconnected governance, arts, culture, and internal lives are. Policies have (either planned or unexpected) consequences on peoples’ lives, and we respond in the way that is most natural to us: through arts. Why else would songs characterize moments and movements of history, if not for their ability to unite a people for a common cause?

One of the things that I’m sure came through in my recent posts is my struggles with the current climate. On a public level, Richmond has featured heavily - even Internationally - as it reckons with its history and how it chooses to commemorate that history. With the opening of schools looming, the usual hubbub of our ICAPS programming and summer dance classes upended, and a sustained stint at home that began in March, as well as other much more personal events that’ve been shaping this year for us, such as the completion of my Masters degree in Kuchipudi, a job change, the impending birth of a child, I’ve felt compelled to be much more deliberate with how I choose to spend my time.

So, it was a very easy yes when the professor with whom I had the most pivotal conversation during my undergraduate career reached out, giving me the opportunity to dance as part of his upcoming production “Songs of Freedom: A Civil Rights Concert in Memory of Rep. John Lewis.”

Just a few blog posts ago, I was writing about how writing was coming to me easily to process everything, but I still had not yet figured out how to use dance yet. But after speaking with Prof. Tanglao-Aguas, I knew. This is my offering to this moment through the medium of Kuchipudi. I hope others draw as much strength as I have from the literature and music that have haunted me since that conversation .

I invite each and every one of you to please attend this show. Here’s why:

• The event is commemorating the anniversaries of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington and “I Have a Dream” speech, and the anniversary of the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till

• It features a diverse cast of performers from various genres, backgrounds, and careers all coming together for this celebration of the history, values, and vision of a better America

• All proceeds are going towards scholarships for arts and education programs targeted for BIPOC and minoritized students.

Go to https://www.aguasartsink.com/songs-of-freedom and reserve your ticket. The show is this Friday, August 28th, from 7 pm to 9 pm ET.