Speakers

Black and white photo of Ashon Crawley, who is smiling at the camera and standing amid tall flowers with a wooded landscape behind him.Ashon Crawley is a writer, visual and sound artist, and an associate professor of religious studies and African American and African studies at the University of Virginia, and the author of The Lonely Letters and Blackpentecostal Breath: The Aesthetics of Possibility. He is at work on a book and a short story collection, both about the Hammond B-3 organ, the Black church, and sexuality.

 

 

 

 

Photo of Matika Wilbur. She is holding a camera in her hands and facing the viewer.Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) is the founder and photographer of Project 562, a documentary project dedicated to changing the way we see Native America. After earning her BFA from Brooks Institute of Photography, Matika began her career in fashion and commercial photography before deciding instead to use photography as a tool for social justice. Project 562 is Matika’s fourth major creative project elevating Native American identity and culture. She is currently a National Geographic Explorer and recipient of the distinguished Leica Photo Award. Dispatches from Project 562 can be found on Instagram (@project_562), and Matika co-hosts the popular Native issues podcast All My Relations with Dr. Adrienne Keene and Dr. Desi Small Rodriguez, which invites guests to explore the connections between land, creatural relatives, and one another.