There was a lot of laughter and joy emanating over Zoom recently when I joined an eclectic group of individuals involved in “In This Moment,” a ground-breaking storytelling project in Rochester.

 “In This Moment: revolution, reckoning, reparation” pairs 10 Black writers and 10 Black photographers to capture the extraordinary work of 10 Black leaders in Rochester, N.Y. The profiles are being published as chapbooks (small books).

I wrote about the In This Moment project in September, and you can read that post here. Much has happened since then, and I got an update on a Happy Hour over Zoom, along with more details from Jeanne Strazzabasco, who is coordinating the project. Amanda Chestnut is the curator and Tate Shaw of Visual Studies Workshop is overseeing the production of each chapbook. VSW is acting as fiscal partner for ITM, too.

At the In This Moment Happy Hour, I got to meet a variety of the artists, essayists and leaders, along with a few other supporters. It was fun to put a name with a face and see a few friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I learned that three of the In This Moment chapbooks were being printed this month and will start to be distributed. What’s especially gratifying is many public libraries will have copies available in the coming weeks. In the city, look for them at Arnett, Central, Lincoln, Maplewood and Monroe. In the suburbs, chapbooks will be available at Fairport, Gates, Hamlin, Henrietta and Pittsford.   

I’m looking forward to reading the first three chapbooks, which will feature artist Shawn Dunwoody, mother-son activists Dorothy and Dorian Hall, and trumpeter Herb Smith. A full list of leaders, writers and artists involved are listed in my previous blog post.

The In This Moment group is collaborating with a variety of other organizations, too. The photographers have an opportunity to display their art at New City Café and Roastery in the Beechwood Neighborhood of Rochester.  

The Henrietta Public Library is running a series of five virtual presentations between January and May that will highlight the work of the leaders featured in In This Moment. You can register starting in early January through the HPL website. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28, Luticha Doucette and Amanda Chestnut will kick off the series with a talk centered around Equity, Intersectionality and Representation.  

The other themes in the queue are: Power and Impact of Public Art; How to Begin an Appreciation of Classical Music; LGBTQIA issues; Human Trafficking and Placemaking in Rochester. If you belong to a group that would be interested in a presentation, please email Jeanne Strazzabosco at jeannestrazzabosco@gmail.com.

Jeanne also told me that the In This Moment leaders had been looking for a way to connect with students from the city, suburban and rural school districts. PiRi (Partners in Restorative Initiatives) is creating a Social Emotional Learning curriculum and will be using the chapbooks. I love that the students will be learning about people who live right here in the Rochester area. I’m sure it will make it so much more real for them.

To read more about the In This Moment project, click here to read a good article by Patti Singer that appeared in The Minority Reporter.

The group still needs funds to continue to print the chapbooks and reach the $40,000 goal. Recently the group received a grant for $3,500 from Drs. Dawn and Jacques Lipson through the Rochester Area Community Foundation. Tate Shaw continues to apply for grants. But most  donations so far are from individuals. For just $10, you will receive one chapbook. For $25, you’ll get three, and so on.

There’s really no excuse not to get on board with this project. We get a lot of “asks” this time of year, but I think this grassroots effort to celebrate passion and artistry in our community deserves to be at the top of your list. To donate, click here.