Black Table Arts Empowers Artists, Community

<p>Black Table Arts hosts events and writing workshops. Over the last couple of months it has served as a community hub, handing out gas masks to protestors and holding healing space during the Derek Chauvin trial. This Friday it's hosting “Embracing Our Roots,” a speaker series about the history of Black literary arts in Minnesota. <br>--</p><p>Samantha HoangLong reports: </p><p><br></p><p>There was a packed room at Black Table Arts last Friday night for “Chai and Chill,” an open mic event for Black artists to share their poetry and connect with one another. </p><p><br></p><p>“It's very simple. It’s fun. Black folks checking in with one another. It’s a function of joy,” says Program Director Donte Collins.  </p><p><br></p><p>Black Table Arts has been empowering Black artists in the Twin Cities community since 2016, but didn’t open a physical space until February. The co-operative is located just blocks from where the third precinct of the Minneapolis Police Department burned down. Executive Director Keno Evol says the space grew out of a flood of financial support the non-profit received in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.</p><p><br></p><p>“We had a conversation with the community at the time called Imagine Black Space Together; how should we respond to the support that we’re getting?” Evol said. “Let’s have a home base for black artists; that’s literally how the co-operative came about.”</p><p><br></p><p>Black Table Arts hosts events and writing workshops, and over the last couple of months, has served as a community hub, handing out gas masks to protestors and holding healing space during the Derek Chauvin trial.</p><p><br></p><p>Evol says the goal is “to have a space that is unapologetically black where folks can just be themselves and breathe a little bit easier.”</p><p><br></p><p>Collins says the space allows people to really see each other in their communities, especially in times of resistance.</p><p><br></p><p>“I believe that this space allows folks to look at each other and to ask each other