Arts & Culture | Arts, Culture & Community | women's history
Everyday Angels (from left to right) Erica G. Bradley, Kia Levey Burden, Dori Dumas, Juanita Sunday Austin, Regina Mullings and Shaunda Holloway at Possible Futures. Karimah Mickens Webber phots.
Dori Dumas is often called on to deliver remarks. As the president of the Greater New Haven Chapter NAACP, she is used to speaking extemporaneously at public events and is rarely at a loss for words.
Dumas receives her flowers on the angel bench at Possible Futures.
However, when she was recognized as an “angel” during the second Everyday Angels Brunch at Possible Futures Saturday, it took her a second longer than usual to get her bearings.
She was stunned that so many people including her dad, her husband, cousin and several of her sorority sisters had been able to gather at the bookspace for an event she was attending without tipping her off that she was among the day’s honorees.
Erica G. Bradley.
Dumas was recognized during this year’s angel event along with fellow everyday angels Kia Levey Burden, Erica G. Bradley, Juanita Sunday Austin, Shaunda Holloway and Regina Mullings for their contributions to uplifting and inspiring others.
“I knew something was weird,” Dumas said with a flustered laugh. “I came because I knew this is a wonderful event and anytime they’re doing something, I’m going to support.”
Surprising women who often have their hands involved in the work of making things happen for their community is no easy feat but the event’s creators, Karimah Mickens Webber of Hamden’s Amplify The Arts Festival, IfeMichelle Gardin of Elm City LIT Fest/Kulturally LIT and Lauren Anderson of Possible Futures have made it their mission to celebrate the work of those who nurture their communities. This is the second year that they’ve organized the event. (Read about the first year here.)
Sha McAllister was recognized as an angel last year. This year she got to recognize her friend and artistic co-conspirator, Juanita Sunday Austin.
Each person was given their wings at the angel bench created by sculptor Linda Mickens that graces a prominent corner of Possible Futures. They were also given their metaphorical and physical flowers by someone near and dear to them, eliciting much laughter and a few happy tears. Mickens’ work is the guiding inspiration for the event and she too was surprised with a gift of art created by Jean Sanchez of Little Feet’s Opus.
Saturday’s brunch featured food prepared by Samad Mickens, owner of Beyond the Salt, and the sweetness of prose, delivered by New London’s inaugural Poet Laureate Rhonda M. Ward and by visual artist and poet Shanna T. Melton of Bridgeport. They were also gifted angels sculpted by Mickens and a copy of Cole Arthur Riley’s “Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human” from Possible Futures.
A moment of laughter for Burden at the angel bench.
“I get to be an everyday angel because so many in this room have been everyday angels for me,” said Burden, who was surprised by her friend, sorority sister and a previous year's angel, Babz Rawls Ivy.