iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

another great has moved from this plane. one of my favorites of the many gifts Betye Saar gave us. Betye Saar, Black Girl's Window, 1969.

Betye Saar, Black Girl's Window, 1969.
assemblage artwork

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

“That’s actually what we’re currently struggling with in this country: that there is no truth, or that the truth can be dismissed.” —Lorna Simpson Lorna Simpson, Waterbearers, 1986

artwork featuring black and white photograph of Black woman standing with back turned to camera against a black background. she is dressed in a white shift dress. her arms are outstretched and holding water vessels in each hand with water pouring out - in her left hand, she holds a metal pitcher and in her right hand, a plastic jug.
printed caption below the image states:
"SHE SAW HIM DISAPPEAR BY THE RIVER, THEY ASKED HER TO TELL WHAT HAPPENED, ONLY TO DISCOUNT HER MEMORY."

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

In The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America, 2014, Gerald Horne argues that enslaved peoples' numerous rebellions and Britain's moves toward abolishing slavery prompted the colonists to revolt against Britain in order to maintain slavery.

book cover - Gerald Horne's The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Yesterday, I enjoyed the beautiful homecoming for Assata Shakur. Carry It On: A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Assata Shakur, May 30, 2026, The Riverside Church, NYC Carry it on TO FREEDOM —Assata Shakur

program cover features title of event and photo of Assata Shakur

program- list of activities, part 1 and 2

program- list of activities, part 2 cont'd and 3

Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater performing in Riverside Church in front of a packed audience

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

I just received Steven W. Thrasher's new book The Overseer Class: A Manifesto. It focuses on social and political networks of power. I'd love to see this discussion directed at the arts too.

book cover, The Overseer Class: A Manifesto by Steven W. Thrasher m.
cover art by Jamaal Barber featuring black and white woodcut illustration of 4 male figures

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

"We know Black history in our city didn't begin a century ago, when it was first celebrated. As long as New York has been a city, as long as there have been New Yorkers, there has been Black history." —NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani "𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬" 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩! ✨

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

recalling Carrie Mae Weems opened her "Contested Sites of Memory" performance w/ discussing 🧊. this thoughtful and moving address introduced her thoughts on histories of disenfranchisement and violence, struggles for parity and the ability to live, and hopes for reconnection and social betterment.

snapshot of Carrie Mae Weems performance -
"Contested Sites of Memory A Performance With Artist Carrie Mae Weems," at Lincoln Center.
Weems, at right, speaking at podium, on stage. partial view of an orchestra behind her. there is a digital projection, featuring cubes of ice, above the musicians.

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

today I spent the day discussing photography, types of propaganda, and the Black freedom struggle with 100 young people. I'm exhausted but also proud to support young people in learning about our history, interpretating our present, and imagining our futures.

students surrounding display of photos on table

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

a lot of stuff is absolute trash. yet, like before, we out here dancing and shit.

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting The Gay Harlem Renaissance at the New York Historical, @nyhistory. I appreciate that this ambitious exhibition spotlights how gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and queer identities were fundamental aspects of the Harlem Renaissance's vibrancy.

exhibition wall features photograph of Gladys Bentley dressed in white tuxedo, wearing white top hat, holding cane. text: "The Gay Harlem Renaissance"

entry wall text with exhibition description

snapshot of exhibit featuring performer Ethel Waters - signage, over life-size photo image of Waters dancing, reproduction of Waters with other dancers at the Cotton Club, wall text/label, painting of Waters

snapshot of exhibition wall text - description and portrait image of the two photographers

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Thanks for highlighting this video! "Nov. 26, 1925: A Thanksgiving march by the Muskogee Symphony Band of Tulsa." via poster 100 years ago news, Twitter

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

last week at the Schomburg Center's Division of Photographs and Prints we were elated to introduce Chef Carla Hall to collection materials documenting Black foodways. 👩🏾‍🍳 🙌🏾✨

snapshot photo of Chef Carla Hall with Schomburg Center staff standing in front of table where photographs are on display

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

I absolutely love this newspaper from The Black Archives! Happily I had the opprtunity to meet Jessica De Abreu and Mitchell Esajas of The Black Archives, based in Amsterdam, at Wednesday night's fab Black Europe conference at Columbia University. Good diaspora energy come through!

snapshot of The Black Archives newspaper being held in my left hand while on NYC subway. newspaper cover features illustration of Black woman holding hands of fellow demonstrators, her sign states: " NOBODY IS FREE UNTIL EVERYBODY'S FREE"

The Black Archives newspaper opened, placed on wood floor. left page headline Anton & Judith de Kom

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

movement generated art "Let Art Be Training in the Practice of Freedom" by Kyle Goen (IG @ kyledidthis) 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 ✨

poster, by artist Kyle Goen, in open flat file drawer, white paper with all caps centered black lettering "LET ART BE TRAINING IN THE PRACTICE OF FREEDOM"

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

"We were never articulating that stuff as artwork. It was other people who were doing that . . . we were only concerned about making a dent in the AIDS crisis . . . We were making propaganda." —Marlene McCarty, Gran Fury member Gran Fury, Kissing Doesn't Kill, 1989, poster, offset lithography

Gran Fury, Kissing Doesn't Kill, 1989, poster, offset lithography

banner/landscape format poster featuring 3 couples of various races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities kissing,
text along top edge in all caps: "KILLING DOESN'T KILL: GREED AND INDIFFERENCE DO."
text along lower edge in all caps: "CORPORATE GREED, GOVERNMENT INACTION, AND PUBLIC INDIFFERENCE MAKES AIDS A POLITICAL CRISIS."

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

enjoyed a beautiful & restorative evening honoring the 25th anniversary of Dr. Deborah Willis' foundational photography text Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present. many good souls turned out for the opening of her new exhibition Reflections in Black: A Reframing

scholar, curator, photographer Deborah Willis signs a copy of her book Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present.
Reflections in Black: A Reframing exhibition opening, Cooper Square Gallery, NYU

woman stands near exhibition wall text at Reflections in Black: A Reframing exhibition opening, Cooper Square Gallery, NYU

Reflections in Black: A Reframing exhibition opening, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU

crowd at Reflections in Black: A Reframing exhibition opening, Cooper Square Gallery, NYU

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Faith Ringgold, “We Came to America: The American Collection # 1,” 1997. Acrylic on canvas with painted and pieced fabric. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

narrative quilt in bright colors -
figure of a Black Statue of Liberty holding a small Black child in her left arm.
in the red and blue water surrounding them, there are scores of Black people in distress, arms flailing, calling in distress to the Statue of Liberty for help.
in the distance the sun is setting and a ship is on fire.
smoke from the Statue of Liberty's torch arches upward and around the setting sun, and forms into clouds around the ship

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

we out here! celebrating the Schomburg Center's, @schomburgcenter, 100th! surviving and flourishing. our Centennial party continues throughout 2025 and 2026. join us! ✨🙌🏿🖤

doors to Schomburg Center with signs, "Schomburg" and "Centennial"

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

checked out a copy of The African Gaze: Photography, Cinema, and Power by Amy Sall, 2024 I'm excited to learn more about photographers from the continent. they were mostly excluded from my institutionalized studies. so I'm always happy to encounter their work in books, exhibitions, etc.

book placed on metal bench,
Amy Sall, The African Gaze: Photography, Cinema, and Power, published 2024

close-up of pages of the opened book, 2 black and white portrait photographs of women visible on left page, right page: text featuring essay on Felicia Abban

close-up of pages of the opened book, table of contents (features list of photographers)

close-up of pages of the opened book, table of contents (features list of filmmakers)

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, a brilliant and fierce leader. We seriously need more cultural work that speaks to the roots of issues, of existence, especially in these troubling days. We need more real radical cultural work that fosters community, coalition-building, empowerment, respect.

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

I especially love photos of Dr. King surrounded by people. This 1957 photo by Moneta Sleet features him in conversation with people who traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom demonstration he co-organized, published in Ebony.

black and white photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in conversation with people - several women, man, small girl - while walking on the sidewalk

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 26/01/2024

one of several stunning images by Bermudian photojournalist Richard Saunders. I learned of him after arriving at the Schomburg Center, which has a strong collection of his work. "Palestinian National Dress, April 1970" sharing the beauty with you. stop the genocides, ceasefire

snapshot of grayscale photo, at left- Palestinian woman in traditional dress, stone wall/fence behind her, other side of stone wall/fence at right- man in traditional dress, in distant background- mountains;
photo placed on open manila folder titled Palestinian National Dress, April 1970, Richard Saunders

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 19/01/2024

TODAY - 1/19/24 At 1 pm I'll speak briefly (4 min lightning presentation) at the virtual book launch for Critical Memory Studies: New Approaches, published 2023. I'll share some insights about my essay "Critical Black Memory as Curatorial Praxis and Collective Care." Event Launch Meeting - Zoom

[announcement]

Book Launch

Critical Memory Studies: New Approaches
Edited by Brett Ashley Kaplan
Bloomsbury

12 pm US Central Time, January 19th, 2024
Zoom link

Please join us for an online book launch of Critical Memory Studies!
Several contributors will present lightning talks about their contributions to the volume.

University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 17/11/2023

Walking around NYC, I love appreciating various forms of street art and protest visual culture. I've noticed that in areas where the neighborhoods are predominately folks of the global majority the visual culture is decidely pro-Palestine. The people know. as seen in Brooklyn

photo of brown tile wall with graffiti in pink lettering #Free Palestine"

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 01/10/2023

(late on the sky) my news: so happy to be working at the Schomburg, y'all! it's an honor to contribute to this institution's rich history. as Specialist III (reference librarian) in the Photographs and Print Division, I'm excited to welcome folks interested in Black life & visual culture.

snapshot photo of building facade, signage "Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture", tree branches along top edge

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La Tanya S. Autry (she/her) @artstuffmatters.bsky.social · 05/09/2023

parked my bicycle and paused the audiobook (Saidiya Hartman's Scenes of Subjection) to admire the beautiful dahlias.

foreground bright pink dahlia flower - multi-rolled petal flower in spherical shaped head, surrounded by background of many pink and orange dahlias and green foliage, hint of clear blue sky at top

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