The Black Midwest Initiative (BMI) is a collective of scholars, artists, and organizers dedicated to reframing and uplifting the histories, cultures, and lived experiences of Black communities across the Midwest. Housed within and supported by Black Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, BMI was founded in 2018 to challenge dominant narratives that often overlook the Midwest as a vital site of Black life, migration, activism, and cultural production.
Every two years, BMI hosts a symposium that brings together artists, activists, scholars, and community members to engage with pressing issues shaping Black life in the region. The 2024 symposium took place at the Dayton Metro Library—a cornerstone of the Ohio city’s Black community—and unfolded under the theme Adaptive Reuse.
Adaptive Reuse was more than a concept; it served as a call to action for Black communities and allies across the Midwest to reclaim space, memory, and meaning. Over the course of the year, I collaborated with 15 artists and commissioned new work that centered the Midwestern cities they call home. This work was featured in a printed catalogue designed by Lungs Project, and in the accompanying exhibition, Roots & Horizons.
