Soul Speak - Unveiling the Divine: Reclaiming the Sacredness of Black Bodies

Led by Yvette Modestin and Michele Avery, ReRooted Productions is the driving force behind the impactful play Crown of Times and the popular immersive exhibit What's Hair Got to Do with It? Their collaboration combines two decades of artistry and activism dedicated to amplifying the voices of the Black community.

Lepolata Aduke Apoukissi-Empress Modest-I is a writer, activist, poet, visual artist and storyteller born and raised in Colon, Panama. Ms. Modestin was named one of “30 Afro Latinas you should know.” She is the co-curator of The HairStory Project production ReRooted. She is the founder of #MyCrownSpeaks Street Stories. In 2021 Ms. Modestin testified before the Massachusetts Senate on behalf of the Crown Act. The Crown Act was passed in March 2022 in Mass. She was named an “Influeyentes” in Panama for her advocacy in bringing attention to the struggle of the black communities in Panama with a focus on her home province of Colon. Ms. Modestin is the narrator of Cimarronaje en Panamá/Maroons in Panama, a film by Toshi Sakai. She is the narrator of the Museum of Science production, Black Hole Symphony. She is the cofounder of ReRooted Productions. Yvette’s passion is the empowerment of the Black community, she highlights the need to repair the ongoing impact on the Trans Atlantic Slavery from a Pan African perspective using the arts as a way to heal internally and externally.

Michele Avery is a writer, producer, and director, born and raised in the Republic of Brooklyn, NY. She has 20 years of experience in writing, copywriting, social media, and creative marketing within the entertainment and media space, working with recognizable brands such as the OWN Network, lifestyle brands Food Network, and Cooking Channel. Michele brought her creative and visual skills to the ReRooted project as a Creative Director and Consultant for the HairyStory Project. She is a cofounder of ReRooted Productions. Avery’s passion is the advocacy and empowerment of Black Women and interested in partnering with organizations that engage with the Black community authentically and unapologetically.

Dr. Tahirah Abdullah-Swain is a professor and clinical psychologist born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. Her work focuses on supporting Black mental health and wellbeing through community-based efforts, research, teaching, and consultation towards institutional change. Tahirah’s research centers the lived experiences of people of African descent in the U.S. and examines the impact of racism and discrimination on mental health, resistance and empowerment in response to racism, therapy experiences, and facilitators and barriers to receiving emotional and mental health support. Tahirah is passionate about mentoring and training the next generation of psychologists, and cultivating expanded critical consciousness and understanding of and sensitivity to issues related to race, power, and oppression in future psychologists. Tahirah received her B.A. in Psychology and Africana Studies from the University of Miami, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. She has been a professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts Boston since 2013.

Georgios "Geo" Costomiris is a community engagement manager at the Boston Ujima Project and an organizer for the Black Men's Collective of Boston. Born in Boston to immigrant parents from Greece & South Africa, Geo was raised in the neighborhood of Dorchester where he continues to live to this day. Prompted to serve the community by local & global issues that have persisted since childhood, Geo completed schooling at both Bunkerhill Community College & Boston University ending in a degree of social science for Youth Justice & Advocacy. After serving the community full time as a program coordinator for young people and families for 2 years, Geo took on more responsibility in the current position at the Boston Ujima Project, where cooperative economics meets arts & culture.

Nadia Washington rises to any occasion as a songwriter, producer, educator, and vocalist. Her talent has opened opportunities to perform with renowned artists in Jazz and R&B including Esperanza Spalding, Lalah Hathaway, Dianne Reeves, Terri Lyne Carrington, and the late George Duke- as well as making an impact with movers and shakers in the Hip Hop World including Ray Angry of the Root, Georgia Anne Muldrow and DJ Mark De Clive-Lowe.

Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Nadia had the privilege to collaborate with Dianne Reeves and Terri Lynn Carrington to create a song called “Feel So Good” featuring the late George Duke on the Beautiful Life Album That won best Jazz vocal Album 2015. Nadia has also toured Russia, and Europe and has performed in Africa, and Japan. Along with performing in the New England area, she is now a faculty member in the Ear Training and voice department at Berklee College of Music. Her sound is a blend of Jazz, Soul, R&B, and World Music.

Elizabeth Tiblanc is an Afro-Latina who comes to Embrace Boston with roots in arts and education. She holds a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and a MEd in Education Policy and Leadership from American University. While working as an artist educator, she collaborated with Boston school communities to develop programming that places arts and culture representative of students’ racial diversity at the center of education. She is dedicated to shifting cultural norms of oppression penetrating communities across generations. She finds joy in cooking and feeding as an act of love and serves her community locally as well as in her parents’ home island of Puerto Rico.