Inspired by Chapter 5 of Racquel Bernard’s dissertation, Empress Epistemologies: Intersectional Resistance Through Black Women’s Reggae Music, this live event brings together artists whose music transforms personal testimony, spiritual knowledge, and community experience into practices of healing and social change.
The evening opens with a reggae roots and dancehall DJ set by DJ Papalotl. Performances by Empress Truth, Jahmi Roc, Sara Aiken, and Queen Theresa King will explore the expressive power of reggae, vocal harmony, message-driven songwriting, and culturally grounded performance. Dale “Dizzle” Virgo will also present a creative offering.
The program concludes with a panel discussion on themes emerging from the chapter: visibility and legitimacy in the music industry, the labor of women artists, spirituality, mental health, care work, ancestral connection, and the ways Black women and women of color use music to challenge oppression and imagine liberation.
Together, the performances and conversation invite audiences to hear music not only as entertainment, but also as testimony, knowledge, resistance, and collective possibility.