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MAAM 2024 Annual Meeting has ended
Wednesday October 9, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am PDT
Kofi’s Fire: A Spark of Resistance, an interactive graphic novel, documents the outrage and optimism of the 1741 uprising, in which enslaved people and indentured servants set fire to businesses throughout Manhattan. We follow Kofi, a man enslaved by Adolph Philipse at Philipsburg Manor, as he is put on trial, convicted, and executed for arson.

Created by a Black-led team, Kofi’s Fire highlights underrepresented voices in a courtroom drama created for student audiences. In illuminating this hidden narrative, we found opportunities to contextualize the story of injustice, juxtapose 1741 Manhattan and present day, and illustrate the ongoing consequences of history.

The session will explore how using a new type of digital resource enabled a historic site to explore underrepresented narratives, combining fictional elements with extensive research to present a fuller picture of Black life in Colonial New York. Attendees will learn how charrettes and user testing with scholars, educators, and students created a compassionate, engaging “modern-day textbook” and how we found beauty and contemporary relevance within this difficult history.
Speakers
avatar for Anthony DeRita

Anthony DeRita

Creative Producer, Blue Telescope
avatar for Reese Patillo

Reese Patillo

Senior Creative Designer, Blue Telescope Laboratories
avatar for Julia Butterfield

Julia Butterfield

K-12 Program Coordinator, Historic Hudson Valley
Julia Butterfield serves as the K-12 Program Coordinator at Historic Hudson Valley, planning and leading educational initiatives that support students and their teachers, both onsite at Philipsburg Manor and Sunnyside as well as through digital initiatives such as Kofi's Fire and... Read More →
avatar for Velicia Gourdin

Velicia Gourdin

Illustrator, Blue Telescope Laboratories
Velicia Gourdin began her creative career as a fashion illustrator and graphic designer creating work for The New York Times, Norma Kamali, and We Are Onyx. After a stint as an adjunct online instructor during the pandemic at Pacific Northwest College of Art, Velicia has continued... Read More →
Wednesday October 9, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am PDT
Founders Ballroom, Wyndham 400 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA

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