HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE SEASON WOMAN.

I'M YOUR HOST DOCTOR JUHANNA ROGERS AND OVER THE COURSE OF SEASON FOUR, WE'VE HAD SOME AMAZING WOMEN ON THE COUCH.

FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ENTREPRENEURS AND CREATORS, THESE WOMEN ARE ALL SHAPING AND LEADING OUR COMMUNITY IN WONDERFUL WAYS.

TONIGHT WILL BE NO DIFFERENT.

I HAVE BEFORE US THREE DIFFERENT WOMEN ENRICHING THEIR WORK THROUGH THE ARTS.

JOHANNA KELLER, DOMINIQUE HILL, AND GWENDOLYN POUGH.

SO GATHER YOUR FAMILY AND SEND A TEXT TO YOUR FRIENDS, THEY WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THE SEASON FINALE OF BEHIND THE WOMAN.

TONIGHT'S EPISODE IS DEDICATED TO THE WORK OF WOMEN ARTISTS.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY AND WHAT WE HAVE SAID ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES, THIS PARTICULAR PIECE, CALLED EGO TRIPPING BY NIKKI GIOVANNI COMES TO TO MIND.

TONIGHT WE HAVE NAKIEA CHAMBERS PERFORMING EGO TRIPPING.

I WAS BORN IN THE CONGO I WALKED TO THE FERTILE CRESCENT AND BUILT THE SPHINX.

I DESIGNED A PYRAMID SO TOUGH THAT A STAR THAT ONLY GLOWS EVERY ONE HUNDRED YEARS FALLS THE CENTER GIVING DIVINE PERFECT LIGHT.

I AM BAD I SAT ON THE THRONE DRINKING NECTAR WITH ALLAH I GOT HOT AND SENT AN ICE AGE TO EUROPETO COOL MY THIRST MY OLDEST DAUGHTER IS NEFERTITI THE TEARS FROM MY BIRTH PAINS CREATED THE NILE I AM A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN I GAZED ON THE FOREST AND BURNED OUT THE SAHARA DESERT WITH A PACKET OF GOAT'S MEAT AND A CHANGE OF CLOTHES I CROSSED IT IN TWO HOURS I AM A GAZELLE SO SWIFT SO SWIFT YOU CAN'T CATCH ME FOR A BIRTHDAY PRESENT WHEN HE WAS THREE I GAVE MY SON HANNIBAL AN ELEPHANT HE GAVE ME ROME FOR MOTHER'S DAY MY STRENGTH FLOWS EVER ON MY SON NOAH BUILT NEW/ARK AND I STOOD PROUDLY AT THE HELM AS WE SAILED ON A SOFT SUMMER DAY I TURNED MYSELF INTO MYSELF AND WAS I WAS JESUS, MEN INTONE MY LOVING NAME ALL PRAISES ALL PRAISES I AM THE ONE WHO WOULD SAVE I SOWED DIAMONDS IN MY BACK YARD MY BOWELS DELIVER URANIUM THE FILINGS FROM MY FINGERNAILS ARE SEMI-PRECIOUS JEWELS ON A TRIP NORTH I CAUGHT A COLD AND BLEW MY NOSE GIVING OIL TO THE ARAB WORLD I AM SO HIP EVEN MY ERRORS ARE CORRECT I SAILED WEST TO REACH EAST AND HAD TO ROUND OFF THE EARTH AS I WENT THE HAIR FROM MY HEAD THINNED AND GOLD WAS LAID ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS I AM SO PERFECT SO DIVINE SO ETHEREAL SO SURREAL I CANNOT BE COMPREHENDED EXCEPT BY MY PERMISSION I MEAN I CAN FLY LIKE A BIRD IN THE SKY.

>> THANK YOU.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU NAKEIA.

THAT WAS SO POWERFUL.

ON THE FIRST SEASON OF BEHIND THE WOMAN I SAT DOWN WITH CJALA SURRATT AND SPOKE WITH HER ABOUT HOW SHE IS USING ART AS A VEHICLE TO DRIVE CHANGE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

IN HER POSITION WITH LIGHT WORK AND THE URBAN VIDEO PROJECT, SHE WAS ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THE LOCAL IMPACT OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT HERE IN SYRACUSE.

THREE YEARS LATER, CJALA IS STILL ENRICHING THIS COMMUNITY IN NEW WAYS.

AND SO WHEN WE CAME TO THE END OF THIS SEASON, AND THEY SAID WHO SHOULD WE BRING BACK, YOUR NAME ROSE TO THE TOP OF THE LIST BECAUSE... >> LIKE A PHOENIX?

>> LIKE NAKIEA SAID, LIKE A BIRD, RIGHT?

SO FROM THE BEGINNING WE TALKED ABOUT CREATING SPACE TO TELL OUR STORIES, GIVING OURSELVES PERMISSION TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF WHO WE ARE.

AND SO AS WE ARE CELEBRATING THE WORK OF FEMALE ARTISTS HERE TONIGHT, I COULD NOT THINK OF A BETTER PERSON TO COME BACK AND TALK TO US ABOUT HOW, FROM THE MOMENT YOU PARTICIPATED IN "BEHIND THE WOMAN" TO THIS MOMENT NOW, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

>> WELL, FIRST I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME INTO THIS SPACE AND FOR COMING INTO THAT SPACE ON CAMPUS BECAUSE IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.

YOU CAME WITH A FULL, YOU KNOW, ENTOURAGE OF INDIVIDUALS.

AND THEY SAID WHO ARE THEY HERE FOR?

AND I SAID THEY'RE HERE FOR ME.

AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT BOOSTED MY EGO BUT SO OFTEN IN THESE SPACES THAT WE ARE NOT SEEN, WE ARE NOT HEARD.

AND THOSE INDIVIDUAL KIND OF NUANCED STORIES AT THAT TIME WE HAVE TO TELL ARE NOT AMPLIFIED.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT AND WELCOMING ME INTO THAT SPACE.

>> I REMEMBER THAT DAY.

AND 1: I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SHOWING UP WITH A WHOLE ENTOURAGE.

I THOUGHT I WAS ASKING TO TWO EAGER GRADUATE STUDENTS TO HELP ME PUT TOGETHER THIS PROJECT, RIGHT?

BUT THEY SHOWED UP AND I THINK THEY SHOWED OUT IN SUCH A MAGNIFICENT WAY THAT HERE WE ARE BUT I REMEMBER THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE WHEN WE CAME THROUGH YOUR OFFICE DOORS THAT DAY.

AND THERE WAS A WOMAN THAT I SAT WITH THEN, THAT IS A LOT MORE CONFIDENT, A LOT MORE VOCAL, I THINK, TODAY.

>> I AGREE.

I AGREE.

>> I MEAN YOU HAVE A STORE DOWNTOWN.

>> I HAVE A STORE DOWNTOWN.

BUT TO YOUR POINT, I TOOK SOME TIME IN PREPARATION FOR THIS TO LOOK BACKMENT AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I WANTED TO TELL THAT YOUNG WOMAN.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I REALLY WANTED TO IMPART TO HER ABOUT THERE WAS SOMETHING SAID IN THAT EPISODE ABOUT SAYING YES.

I'M GOING TO SAY YES TO EVERYTHING GOING FORWARD.

WOULD I TEMPER THAT WITH SAY YES BUT TAKE CARE, KEEP PRECIOUS YOUR TIME, YOUR ENERGY AND WHERE YOU EXPEND YOUR LABOR; PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF TAKING CARE OF YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR HEALTH.

BECAUSE I THINK WE GIVE SO MUCH.

I WOULD SAY PARTICULARLY FOR CREATIVES, WE ARE ASKED TO GIVE WITHOUT PROPER COMPENSATION.

SO I THINK THAT ABSOLUTELY, I'M A VERY CHANGED WOMAN.

I THINK-- I HAVE THE GOALS-- I WENT THROO AND ALL THIS STUFF.

>> NAKIEA SET THE TONE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND WITH THAT, YOU ARE NOW A FULL-TIME ENTREPRENEUR.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> BUT YOU ARE ALSO WORKING AS A CONSULTANT, NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE WORK OF ARTISTS, BUT ADVOCATING AND HELPING OTHER ARTISTS UNDERSTAND THEIR VALUE AND GIVE THEIR VOICE.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

>> EXITING THE UNIVERSITY AND THE WORK THAT I WASSING TO THERE AS A MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR AN ART GALLERY, I WAS AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY, PARTICULARLY OVER THE COURSE OF COVID, TO WORK WITH THE MELON FOUNDATION AND FORD FOUNDATION BECAUSE OF COURSE DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THE ART SECTOR SAW A COMPLETE EROSION OF OPPORTUNITIES.

SO THERE WAS AN INFUSION OF $125 MILLION AND MY CHARGE WAS TO HELP IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT ARTISTS TO GETTING FUNDING NOT JUST FOR THEIR ART PRACTICE BUT SO THAT THEY COULD EAT AND HAVE ROOFS OVER THEIR HEAD.

I HAVE CONTINUED TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THEM AND WORKING WITH THEM AND ALSO I WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION CALLED MUSEUM HUE WHICH IS FOCUSED IN ON IF THERE ARE DISPARITIES IN THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES ALL OF IT IS REFLECTED IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY AS WELL.

MAKING SURE THERE IS EQUITABLE AMPLY INDICATION SO THEY CAN BE SUSTAINABLE GOING FORWARD.

>> THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO DO THE WORK.

THE NAME OF YOUR EPISODE THEN WAS THE ART OF ACTIVISM.

AND I THINK FOUR YEARS SINCE THAT TIME, YOU HAVEN'T JUST LIVED UP TO THE TITLE OF YOUR EPISODE.

BUT YOU ARE EXEMPLIFYING IT FOR ALL OF US SO THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AND FOR BEING HERE WITH ME.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> OUR NEXT ARTISTIC PIECE WILL BE PERFORMED BY DOMINIQUE WHO IS GOING TO BE JOINING ME ON THE COUCH LATER THIS EVENING.

SHE WILL BE PERFORMING AN ORIGINAL DANCE THAT SHE HAS CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS EPISODE THIS EVENING.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PERFORMING A SUMMONS, RECIPE NUMBER 19, WE HAVE Dr. DOMINIQUE C. HILL.

IT MUST BE BOILED DOWN TO NOTHINGNESS, THEN SIMMER FOR SOME TIME COOKED DOWN LIKE GRAVY AND GREENS AND MEAT RELEASED FROM THE BONE, MAKE CERTAIN IT'S ON LOW.

ADD TWO BIG MOUNDS OF AUDACITY, A SHOT OF BOURBON, NO MAKE THAT THREE.

TWO FOR ME AND ANOTHER TO CREATE THE PUNCH, SLAP, THE BASE.

NO COMING BACK FROM HERE.

THE KIND AFTER AN OVER DUE RELEASE, THE KIND THAT STORES UNREQUITED ENCOUNTERS, THE KIND THAT, THE KIND THAT, THE KIND THAT SHIMMY THE MEN.

DROP IN A HEAP OF LOVE AND ANOTHER AND ANOTHER AND ANOTHER AND ANOTHER.

STIR.

STIR UNTIL THE SHAME AND SILENCE CLUMP WITH THE MENSE ES, STIR, STIR, STIR UNTIL, STIR UNTIL, STIR UNTIL LET IT BUBBLE UP SPRINKLE IN MORE LOVE LET IT ALL CLOT, LIKE STOPPING A SLOW DEATH, LIKE HEALING, LIKE A BODY THAT KNOWS HOW TO MENDth, ADD GARLIC, ONION AND HONESTY.

THE SPICE PURIFIES THE BLOOD, GIRL, FLAVORS THE MEAL.

STIR.

COVER DO NOT CONCEAL.

REMEMBER BEFORE, REMEMBER YOU, YOUR GATE, YOUR SMILE, YOUR CURIOSITY, YOUR HEART, GO BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK TO FLOATING, REMEMBER THE SKY YOU SLEPT IN, PLAYED IN, YOU WANTED TO COME HERE REMEMBER, GIRL?

TO MAKE THINGS, GIRL, TO BRING THINGS TO LIFE, GIRL, TO SEE YOUR THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS AND FEEL IT REMEMBER?

REMEMBER WHAT YOU WANTED?

YOU WANTED TO FEEL IT.

YOU ARE NOT A NO PLACE ANONYMOUS, GIRL, NOT UGLY EMPTY OR IN THE WRONG BODY OR FLAT OUT WRONG.

YOU ARE A WHOLE WIDE WORLD BY YOUR DAMN SELF.

NOW SIMMER SIMMER ON THAT.

SIMMER INTO THAT.

SIMMER.

SIMMER.

SIMMER SIMMER, SIMMER, SSSS...

REMEMBER YOURSELF, REMEMBER YOURSELF BACK TOGETHER, REMEMBER YOURSELF...

REMEMBER YOURSELF BACK TOGETHER, REMEMBER YOURSELF.

REMEMBER YOURSELF BACK TOGETHER.

REMEMBER YOURSELF.

REMEMBER YOURSELF BACK TOGETHER, REMEMBER YOURSELF.

REMEMBER.

REMEMBER.

REMEMBER YOURSELF, REMEMBER YOURSELF BACK TOGETHER, REMEMBER.

REMEMBER YOURSELF BACK TOGETHER SSSS.

REMEMBER YOUR ESSENCE, WHO YOU BE.

REMEMBER YOUR GIFTS.

>> A MANY.

>> A A I AM, I AM.

... >> TURN OFF THE POT.

>> I AM.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> I AM.

I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT NOW BEFORE WE TALK WITH THESE AMAZING WOMEN WHO ARE JOINING US THIS EVENING, TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY TO UPLIFT IT THROUGH THEIR WORK AS ARTISTS.

>> HOW DID YOU START TEACHING THE TOPIC?

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN IT?

>> OH MAN, LIFE.

THAT'S THE SIMPLE ONE.

>> WE ARE AT COLGATE UNIVERSITY IN THE CENTER, AMAZING CENTER FOR WOMEN STUDIES.

WE WERE TAKING AN ADVENTURE THROUGH A NEW UNIT ON CONFIGURATIONS OF DIFFERENCE THROUGH THE CLASS INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN STUDIES.

THIS INTRO COURSE IN THE SUMMER PROGRAM IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN IT IS IN THE SEMESTER BECAUSE I MEAN YOU ARE CONDENSING 15 WEEKS INTO 5.

SO IN THE SUMMER I'M LOOKING FOR THEM TO BE TROUBLED BY THE NARRATIVE THAT THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT FEMINISM WHICH IS VERY NARROW LIKE IT'S THIS OR IT'S THAT OR THIS GROUP WAS NEVER PART OF IT.

TO REALLY JUST BLOW THEIR MIND, TO HAVE THEM THINK ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INDIGENOUS WOMEN SPECIFICALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO SUFFRAGETTES, TO HAVE THEM THINK ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION AND RELIGION AND HOW THOSE SORT OF PROPEL THE CONVERSATIONS THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE AROUND LIKE GENDER INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION, SO TO REALLY HELP THEM SEE AND BE GIVEN A LENS TO REFLECT ON THEIR OWN LIFE.

I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR EDUCATION AND WOMEN'S STUDIES AND JUST FOUND THAT CONVERSATIONS AROUND ISSUES OF RACE, GENDER SEXUALITY, JUST WERE OFTEN HAD IN SILOS AND THE FIELD WAS THE PLACE WHERE WE COULD INTERRUPT THAT.

JUST THAT MY ISSUES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR ISSUES.

THAT'S A LIE.

THIS IS A SPACE WHERE I COULD CRAFT AND CARVE OUT SPACE FOR STUDENTS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR INTERCONNECTIONS AND HOW SMART ACTIONS THAT TAKE EVERY DAY HAVE RIPPLE EFFECTS.

ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE DONE IS SORT OF THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE NORMS AROUND ON CAMPUS THAT OPERATE.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO EACH OTHER.

AND SO I WAS LIKE WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THINK ABOUT JOY AND SMILING AS A FEMINIST PRACTICE.

AND SO I CHALLENGED THEM TO GO OUT AND SEE SMILE AT EVERYBODY, SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

AND THEY COME BACK AND THEY'RE LIKE THAT WAS WEIRD AT FIRST, BUT THEN PEOPLE STARTED SMILING BACK AND IT MADE ME WARM AND IT MADE THIS AND IT MADE THAT.

SO TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO SMALL ACTS, SORT OF SHIFT ENERGETIC FIELD ON CAMPUS.

AND ALSO HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT THAT FROM A SMALL LEVEL BUT ALSO FROM A BIG STALE LEVEL IN TERMS OF MAKING CHANGE IN THE WORLD.

EVERY YEAR, EVERY SEMESTER THERE IS A NEW SET OF STUDENTS SO WHAT THEY PUSH BACK ON IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT.

SOMETIMES IT'S LANGUAGE.

SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT THE HISTORY YOU MAY GET A HISTORY BUFF AND THEY'RE LIKE HOW COME I DIDN'T LEARN THIS PART IN THIS THING?

IT REALLY PUSHES ME TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, KEEPING IN MIND, YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BE INVESTED IN THE WORK BUT HOW DO YOU GET THEM INVESTED?

AND SO EVERY TIME I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW?

WHAT AM I GOING DO THIS TIME?

WHAT AM I GOING THIS GO ROUND TO MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS DO IN MY CLASSES IS I ALLOW MY STUDENTS TO SHARE WHAT THEIR ASSUMPTIONS ARE ABOUT ME.

IT'S WEIRD AT FIRST.

IT REALLY ALLOWS THEM TO SEE THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT WHAT WE COME WITH.

BUT IT'S ABOUT OUR AWARENESS AND IT IS ABOUT US CULTIVATE AGO WEARNESS.

I HOPE TO SEE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE I'VE INTRODUCED IN THE COURSE BEING USED OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.

FOR EXAMPLE, I INTRODUCED STUDENTS TO A PRONOUN I CREATED.

NOT A PERSONAL PRONOUN BUT UNIVERSAL PRONOUN.

WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GENDER AND THINKING COMPLEXLY ABOUT IT, I USE HAVE THE STUDENTS USE THE PRONOUNS.

WHETHER IT BE ABOUT HOW YOU PERSONALLY IDENTIFY, IT'S MORE LIKE APRONOUN TO SAY HUMAN AND I HOPE TO HAVE OTHER PEOPLE USING IT NOT FROM MY CLASSES THAT WOULD THEN SUGGEST THEY'RE THINKING COMPLEXLY AND THAT LEGACY HAS LIVED ON.

>> THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME I'VE WRITTEN A CABARET SHOW.

I'M CO-WRITING WITH MY FRIEND HANNAH RICHARDSON.

CALLED THE CUSE CABARET.

A PARITY SHOW AND SONGS ABOUT SYRACUSE.

ONE OF THE BIG REASONS I WANTED TO DO THIS SO ASIDE FROM MY LOVE OF SYRACUSE IS THAT FIRST I WANTED TO WORK WITH HANNAH.

HANNAH HAD DONE A SHOW A FEW YEARS AGO, FANTASTIC SHOW, AND WE TRIED TO REWRITE IT A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

WE TRY TO WORK TOGETHER BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE.

WE REALLY FELT THERE WAS A THING WE NEEDED TO DO TOGETHER.

I THINK I WAS LISTENING TO THE SHOW CAMELOT AND THE WORDS CAMELOT MATCH SYRACUSE AND THAT MADE ME THINK, WHY DON'T I WRITE A SONG CAMELOT ABOUT SYRACUSE AND THEN I THOUGHT, WE SHOULD DO A WHOLE SHOW AND I KNOW JUST THE PERSON TO HELP ME DO IT AND DO IT WITH ME AS A CO-WRITER.

>> MY INITIAL THOUGHT WHEN SHE CAME TO ME ABOUT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WRITING A SET OF PARODY SONGS, I ALMOST FLIPPED BECAUSE THIS IS MY BRAIN.

THIS IS WHAT I DO ALL DAY AS I'M DOING THE DISHES, I MAKE UP LITTLE PHRASES THAT ARE LIKE OTHER SONGS.

I MEAN THIS IS JUST HOW MY BRAIN WORKS.

AND THE THOUGHT OF LIKE CORRALLING THAT INTO A COMPLETE SET OF SONGS WAS JUST BEYOND THRILLING.

AND IT'S BEEN SO MUCH FUN OBVIOUSLY.

>> I WANTED, FOR MYSELF, TO LEARN HOW TO CO-WRITE.

I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN COLLABORATIVELY.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A SOLITARY WRITER.

AND SO AS WE WERE WORKING TOGETHER, WE FOUND THIS WAY TO KIND OF TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF AND BE TOTALLY TOGETHER WITH ONE ANOTHER CREATIVELY.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE WRITING SOMETHING TOGETHER, YOU ARE VERY VULNERABLE.

AND WE HAD TO DEVELOP A LANGUAGE TO ALLOW ONE ANOTHER TO BE AND TO CREATE.

>> WORKING WITH JOHANNA HAS BEEN A TERRIFIC EXPERIENCE FOR ME.

THE SHOW I WORKED ON BEFORE, THERE WAS SOME COLLABORATION BUT THERE WASN'T A LOT OF WRITING.

WE WERE USING EXISTING SONGS AND EXISTING QUOTES FROM BOOKS.

SO WE WERE JUST PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER.

THIS IS ACTUALLY A PROCESS OF CO-WRITING.

AND I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

I WAS, FRANKLY, A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS SORT OF BEEN THIS SOLO SINGER, SOLO THIS, SOLO EVERYTHING.

BUT JOHANNA HAS DONE A TERRIFIC JOB OF HELPING US KIND OF LAY OUT OUR EXPECTATIONS, A FEW GROUND RULES.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT WAS IN THE BEGINNING.

ONCE WE REALLY GOT UNDER WAY, ALL OF THAT STUFF JUST BECAME UNNECESSARY TO EVEN THINK ABOUT, AND WE JUST STARTED GETTING TOGETHER AND BOUNCING IDEAS OFF EACH OTHER AND IT STARTED HAPPENING JUST COMPLETELY NATURALLY.

>> THE CUSE CABARET IS BORN AND BRED IN SYRACUSE.

ALMOST EVERYONE INVOLVED WAS BORN HERE.

AND THEN A COUPLE OF THE PEOPLE ARE LIKE ME, TRANSFERS FROM OUTSIDE SYRACUSE, WHO HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE AN AMAZING HIDDEN GEM CITY.

I MOVED UP HERE FROM MANHATTAN 20 YEARS AGO.

AND PEOPLE SAY TO ME, OH, AREN'T YOU BORED?

DON'T YOU MISS MANHATTAN?

AND THERE IS MORE GOING ON HERE EVERY NIGHT THAN I CAN POSSIBLY GET TO.

WE NEED TO BE AWARE THAT SYRACUSE HAS A FUNNY LITTLE HABIT OF HAVING, WHAT I USED TO CALL, THE ICE CHIP ON THE SHOULDER.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE THINK OH IT MUST BE BETTER SOMEWHERE ELSE.

BUT I'VE LIVED OTHER PLACES AND I CAN TELL YOU SYRACUSE IS A PARADISE.

THERE IS SO MUCH WE HAVE HERE.

IT'S A TOWN FULL OF CREATIVE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING AMAZING WORK.

THE SHOW IS GOING TO BE AT JAZZ CENTRAL ON OCTOBER 6, 7, 8.

AND I HOPE PEOPLE WILL COME.

AND I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO LAUGH.

IT WILL BE A REALLY FUN TIME.

AND WE'VE HAD A GREAT TIME WORKING ON IT.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE ON THE FOURTH DAY OF THE SUPER TRAINING FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS TO TEACH INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL SETTING.

WE HAVE TWO TEACHERS THIS YEAR.

AND TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE THIRD SECTION OF THE WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES SYLLABUS WHICH DEALS WITH TRANSNATIONAL AND GLOBAL FEMINISMS.

WHILE I THINK THE WORLD COULD USE MORE FEMINISTS, AND THE EARLIER THAT PEOPLE CAN BE INTRODUCED TO THESE IDEAS, THE BETTER.

I BELIEVE WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW AROUND , YOU KNOW,THESE KIND OF ANTIEDUCATION BILLS THAT ARE BEING PASSED AROUND THE COUNTRY, ANTI-WOKE LAWS, BANNING BOOKS THAT TALK ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS, LGBTQ RIGHTS, TRANS RIGHTS.

EVERYTHING IS UNDER ATTACK RIGHT NOW AND I THINK THAT THAT IS ALL THE MORE REASON WHY WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO LEARN THIS STUFF AND TO GET IT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS BEING BANNED.

WE BASICALLY TRAIN THEM, GO OVER CORE TEXT OF THE CLASS.

BY THE END OF THE CLASS, THEY WILL HAVE THEIR OWN SYLLABUS THAT THEY CAN TAKE TO THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CLASS.

AND WE WILL-- THAT DOESN'T END OUR WORK WITH THEM.

WE GO VISIT THEIR CLASS DURING THE YEAR AND WE ALSO HAVE TRAININGS EACH YEAR FOR THEM TO KIND OF CONTINUE THEIR CERTIFICATION.

AND BY THE END OF IT, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ADJUNCT PROFESSORS AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BECAUSE THEY'RE TEACHING A COLLEGE LEVEL CLASS.

>> I GOT STARTED WITH WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES FAIRLY EARLY ON.

WHEN I WAS AN UNDERGRADUATE, I TOOK A POLITICS AND SEX COURSE, WHICH, AT THE TIME, THE TOPIC OF THE COURSE JUST SEEMED LIKE OH POLITICS AND SEX.

I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE THIS PROVOCATIVE COURSE, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY POLITICS AND SEXISM, LIKE A FEMINISM POLITICAL SCIENCE CLASS WHERE WE-- WHERE I GOT INTRODUCED TO FEMINISM AND WOMEN'S ISSUES AND BECAME A FEMINISM FEMINIST BY THE END OF THE CLASS.

I THINK IT'S REALLY PIVOTAL TIME IN OUR HISTORY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THINGS WE TOOK FOR GRANTED ARE BEING ROLLED BACK.

ROE V. WADE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, ROLLED BACK.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE TOOK FOR GRANTED THAT WOULD ALWAYS BE HERE, ARE NO LONGER HERE.

SO WE NEED TO BUILD ACTIVE CITIZENS WHO SEE IT AS A PART OF THEIR ROLE IN SOCIETY TO HELP CHANGE THINGS.

BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE OF US IN ACADEMIA NEED TO BE DOING MORE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS.

I FEEL LIKE US IN ACADEMIA NEED TO BE DOING MORE TO MAKE OUR WORK MORE PUBLIC FACING AND MORE ACCESSIBLE AND MORE MEANINGFUL AND LEGIBLE TO FOLKS OUTSIDE OF ACADEMIA.

SO I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO DO BECAUSE I THINK WE ARE GOING TO NEED EACH OTHER IN THESE COMING DAYS.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> OH MY GOODNESS.

WELCOME TO "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

I'M EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE SO WE JUST LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING, BUT WHEN YOU WERE CALLED AND ASKED TO BE A PART OF THIS SEASON, WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND SOME.

>> WOW!

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

>> WELL, I WAS REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE THE ARTS-- I HAVE BEEN IN THE ARTS ALL MY LIFE.

AND I SPENT, I GUESS 16 YEARS AT NEWHOUSE S.U.

TEACHING ARTISTS TO DO JOURNALISM AND TEACHING JOURNALISTS TO DO THE ARTS.

AND SO MY MISSION IN LIFE WAS SO MUCH ABOUT HELPING THE MEDIA WORLD UNDERSTAND THE ARTS; AND, THEREFORE, THAT HELPS THE ARTS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND AND WRITE ABOUT THE ARTS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

>> SO WERE YOU ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO DO REVIEWS OF SHOWS SO WHEN WE SEE ARTICLES... >> ARTICLES, REVIEWS, VIDEO, YOU NAME IT.

AND THE PROGRAM HAS GRADUATED OVER 200 WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE YOUNG PEOPLE, WHO ARE OUT THERE, WHO UNDERSTAND THE ARTS AND ARE GREAT JOURNALISTS.

SO THAT REALLY HELPS THE ARTS WORLD.

THAT WAS MY MISSION.

AND THEN I RETIRED AND I STARTED WRITING PLAYS.

I DON'T KNOW.

IT JUST CAME OUT OF THE BLUE, LIKE THINGS DO.

YOU SORT OF CHANNEL SOMETHING.

AND I JUST HAD A PLAY OPEN IN HOUSTON THIS PAST WEEKEND.

AND NOW I'M DOING THIS CRAZY CABARET SHOW FOR FUN.

AND I DID A FILM AND RADIO SHOW.

>> AND ALL THIS AND THEN SHE'S LIKE WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME FOR "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

I THINK IT'S PRETTY EVIDENT.

>> WHEN YOU CALLED ME, I WAS LIKE, YEAH, THE ARTS, EDUCATION, BEING AT S.U., ALL OF IT WAS SORT OF WONDERFUL AND THEN WHEN I FOUND OUT WHO I'M GOING TO BE ON THE SHOW WITH, I WAS DOUBLY EXCITED.

SO NICE.

>> AWESOME.

DOMINIQUE, HOW ABOUT YOU?

YOUR FIRST REACTION WHEN THEY SAID YOU HAD BEEN NOMINATED TO BE ON SEASON 4 OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN"?

>> I WAS LIKE WHAT THE... WHAT THE WHAT?

BUT I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

SO IT HAS SENT ME INTO A REFLECTIVE PLACE OF WHAT IS BEHIND ME, SO I THINK ABOUT THE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN THAT I COME FROM.

I THINK ABOUT MY FAMILY.

AND I THOUGHT, I WAS LIKE OH I BETTER GEAR UP BECAUSE THESE MIGHT BE THE QUESTIONS OF WHAT LIVES BEHIND US AS WOMEN.

WHAT IS MOVING US INTO THE ART SPACE, MOVING US TO DO THE WORK THAT WE DO IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WITH OURSELVES.

AND SO I WAS EXCITED AND HONORED.

AND GETTING READY FOR THE DEEP QUESTIONS.

>> THEY'RE COMING.

Dr. POUGH?

>> WHEN I GOT THE CALL, I THOUGHT I WONDER WHY THEY WANT TO HAVE ME?

I HAD WATCHED EPISODES AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE SHOW.

BUT I JUST NEVER IMAGINED THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE ON THE SHOW.

I'M MORE OF THE LIKE STAY BEHIND THE SCENES.

AND YOU KNOW, WRITERS, WE ARE JUST IN OUR OWN HEADS AND ON THE PAGE AND NOT REALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO BE IN THE FOREFRONT.

BUT THEN I THOUGHT, IT COULD BE COOL.

AND WHEN I FOUND OUT IT WOULD BE WITH OTHER PEOPLE, I THOUGHT OKAY.

THAT'S DEFINITELY DOABLE.

IT WON'T BE JUST ME BECAUSE I'M ALSO AN INTROVERT SO I'M JUST LIKE, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THAT.

SO... [LAUGHTER] >> I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT AND I OFTEN START THERE.

BECAUSE WHEN FOLKS THINK ABOUT CREATING A SPACE, THEY THINK IT'S EASY TO JUST SHOW UP AND GO OKAY, I HAVE WANTED TO DO THIS ALL MY LIFE.

SO I THINK HEARING YOU ALL SAY NATURALLY LIKE WHAT AM I GOING TO SAY?

WHAT PART AND WHO AND WHAT WILL I MENTION AND WHAT PART OF ME MAKES SENSE IN THIS SPACE.

I FIND THAT WE AS WOMEN, AS MUCH AS WE KNOW ABOUT SEXISM OR HOW WE ARE REPRESENTED, RIGHT, EVEN WHEN THERE IS A SPACE CREATED, RIGHT, THERE IS THIS OTHER LEVEL OF LIKE HOW DO I STEP INTO IT.

AND SO AS ALL OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE ACADEMY, WHAT IS IT YOU THINK KEEPS YOU COMMITTED TO DOING THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING?

>> WELL, I THINK FOR ME, BEING A PROFESSOR IN THE WOMEN AND GENDERS STUDY DEPARTMENT, IF THERE IS EVER A TIME FOR PEOPLE COMMITTED TO FEMINIST ISSUES AND WOMEN'S ISSUES, IT'S NOW.

SO I FEEL LIKE BEING ABLE TO TEACH THE TOPICS THAT I TEACH AND HAVE STUDENTS SOMETIMES BE INTRODUCED TO IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK.

WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES HAVE ACTISTS ROOTS AND ACTIVIST LEANINGS AND IT'S A WAY TO TIE INTO THAT SIDE OF MYSELF AS AN ACTIVIST, ARTIST AND SCHOLAR.

>> AND WHAT GWEN SAID, YOU KNOW, IS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN WE NEED GOOD JOURNALISM?

YOU KNOW, WE NEED PEOPLE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE, ABOUT CLIMATE JUSTICE, AND ABOUT THE ARTS, WHICH SO OFTEN OPENS DOORS INTO THOSE SPACES AND MAKES PEOPLE APPRECIATE THAT WHICH IS GOING TO COME NEXT, OR MAKE THEM BETTER PEOPLE TO TAKE THE STEX STEP.

SO TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION TO HELP MAKE THAT POSSIBLE THROUGH JOURNALISM, FOR ME, WAS MY MISSION FOR A LONG TIME.

AND IT WAS-- I GOT UP EVERY MORNING EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

IT WAS REALLY A PRIVILEGE.

>> WHEN DOMINIQUE, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN THE CLASSROOM GIVING LANGUAGE AS WE SAW IN THE VIDEO, RIGHT?

BUT AS WE ALSO SAW ON THIS EPISODE, YOU ARE ALSO A MOVER.

AND WHAT FOLKS MAY NOT RECOGNIZE, I THINK THAT WAS ALSO YOUR VOICE ON THE AUDIO?

>> YES.

>> RIGHT?

AND SO YOU WRITE, YOU MOVE, AND YOU ARE EDUCATING.

HOW DO YOU BLEND?

HOW EASY WAS IT FOR TO YOU BLEND ALL THREE OF THOSE ASPECTS OF WHO YOU ARE?

>> NOT EASY.

I THINK, AS SOMEBODY WHO DID SCHOOL WELL, YOU LEARN TO SORT OF EXTRACT, COMPART... MAKE THESE PIECES AND MAKE THESE SPACES BUT I FIND THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT EDUCATION AS A PRACTICE OF FREEDOM AND WE THINK ABOUT IT AS A VEHICLE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, EXCUSE ME Y'ALL, MY THROAT, MY VOICE IS GOING OUT I.

BECOMES IMPORTANT THAT LEARNING AND EDUCATION IS AN EMBODIES PRACTICE.

IT ISN'T JUST ENOUGH TO THEORETICALLY UNDERSTAND THESE IDEAS BUT TO REALLY THINK HOW DO THEY MOVE THROUGH OUR BODY AND HOW DO THEY SIT AS WE ORIENT OURSELVES TO EACH OTHER, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SPEAK TO EACH OTHER.

SO FOR ME, BEING A PERSON WHO CAME FROM A PRODUCT OF ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS IN K-12 TRYING TO GET OUT THE HOOD, THE EAST SIDE OF BUFFALO, LEARNED HOW TO DO SCHOOL WELL AND THAT TAUGHT ME HOW TO COMPORT IN PARTICULAR WAYS.

BUT THEN WHEN I UNDERSTOOD IMAGINATION AND WHEN I UNDERSTAND MY BODY AS A PORTAL FOR MY LEARNING, IT BECAME NON-NEGOTIABLE THAT THOSE THINGS CAME TOGETHER, AND THEY NEEDED TO BE TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY ARE TOGETHER IN ME.

>> SO OFTEN AS WOMEN WE DON'T GET THE MESSAGE THAT WE CAN BE ALL PIECES OF WHO WE ARE, RIGHT?

>> THAT'S THE TRAP.

>> LIKE WE JUST HAVE TO BE EDUCATORS.

WE CAN'T BE EDUCATORS AND ARTISTS AND WRITERS AND, YOU KNOW, AND NOW I'M WRITING PLAYS.

LIKE YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR ASSIGNMENT.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE SUCH.

THIS IS MY JOB, THIS IS MY ROLE.

AND SO HOW HAVE YOU ALL FIGURED OUT HOW TO SHOW UP AS ALL OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT DO YOU?

>> I THINK FINDING A COMMUNITY IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL THING.

AS AN ARTIST AND AS A WOMAN, THERE IS SUCH AN OLD MYTH ABOUT WOMEN BEING COMPETITIVE.

WOMEN ARE REALLY COMPETITIVE.

THEY REALLY-- THEY'RE ALWAYS COMPETING.

IT'S JUST NOT TRUE IN MY EXPERIENCE.

I FIND WOMEN SO INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE.

I FIND WHEN I'M WORKING IN A COMMUNITY OF, PARTICULARLY OF WOMEN, WE ARE ALL TRYING TO HELP EACH OTHER.

THERE IS JUST THIS WONDERFUL SCIEND OF KIND OF MIX AND ART IS SO COLLABORATIVE, SO BEING A WOMAN IN THE ARTS, I HAVE, OF COURSE YOU COME AGAINST CHALLENGES THAT MAYBE MEN DON'T FACE.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU'VE GOT A COMMUNITY OF WOMEN WHO ARE INTERESTED IN EACH OTHER'S WORK, WHO ARE SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER.

IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC.

SO, FOR ME, THAT KEEPS ME SHOWING UP.

>> I WANTED TO BE A WRITER EVER SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD.

MAJORED IN CREATIVE WRITING IN COLLEGE AND IT WAS AS A GIRL FROM PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY, I WAS LIKE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO LIVE AS AN ARTIST SO YOU NEED TO GET A JOB.

WHAT KIND OF JOB ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE?

OH I CAN TEACH.

I'LL TEACH COLLEGE.

NOT KNOWING WHAT WENT INTO BECOMING A PROFESSOR WOULD MAKE ME AN ACADEMIC AND THAT TOOK ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIFE BECOMING A SCHOLAR.

AND IT WAS ONLY AFTER I WROTE MY FIRST ACADEMIC BOOK THAT I REMEMBERED THAT I WANTED TO WRITE FICTION.

THAT I USED TO WRITE STORIES WHEN I WAS IS GROWING UP THAT I WROTE, YOU KNOW, TO THE WHOLE CREATIVE WRITING MAJOR AND I STARTED WRITING MY FIRST ROMANCE NOVEL AND PUBLISHED IT UNDER A PEN NAME.

>> COME ON.

>> THAT TOOK ON A WHOLE OTHER THING.

>> HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?

>> I HAVE 12 ROMANCE NOVELS.

AND... [ APPLAUSE ] >> COME ON NOW.

AND SHORT STORIES AND A NOVELLA.

>> YES!

THIS IS SO EXCITING FOR ME BECAUSE I'M AN ARTIST AND I LOVE MEETING OTHER ARTISTS.

I KNOW DOMINIQUE, YOU JUST PUBLISHED A BOOK AND ARE WORKING ON A SECOND UP WITH ONE.

YOU ARE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.

AND YOU ARE RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK.

AND I THINK TO THE POINT OF EVEN WHAT OUR FORMER GUEST CJELO WAS UP HERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARTISTS AND ART COMMUNITY EXISTS HERE IN OUR REGION, I THINK YOU ALL ARE AMAZING EXAMPLES OF WHO WE HAVE HERE.

BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT YOU.

WHY?

>> SO THE QUESTION, I'M STILL LEARNING THE AREAS, STILL THINKING ABOUT THINGS.

I THINK COMMUNITY IS SUPER IMPORTANT, AND FINDING SPACES TO ELEVATE EACH OTHER, COLLABORATE.

I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE ENCLAVES BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE BLOW UP AND BE ABLE TO SEE EVERYBODY'S WORK?

HOW DO WE CREATE EXPERIENCES THAT PEOPLE CAN EXPERIENCE PEOPLE'S WORK THAT WE CAN READ YOUR FL OVELLA YOUR ROMANCE NOVELS AND DUAL POPUP YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW.

HOW DO WE DO THIS COLLABORATIVE WORK.

I THINK IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY TO SYRACUSE BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT ART HAS STARTED TO GET CO-OPTED INTO TERMS OF NOT NECESSARILY THINKING ABOUT THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AND SO COMING FROM SORT OF GRASSROOTS, I COME OUT OF AN EXPERIENCE CALLED SAVING OUR LIVES, A SPACE FOR CREATING IN HONOR OF BLACK GIRLHOOD, SO WE CREATE THESE SPACES WHERE, IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOU ARE AN ARTIST, YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE THERE KNOWING YOU ARE AN ARTIST.

HO HOW DO YOU CREATE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN TRY THINGS ON?

HOW DO YOU CREATE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN SAY, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M A WRITER BUT YOU WALK OUT AND SAY I THINK I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY.

IT FEELS LIKE ART BECOMES A SPACE WHERE YOU STEP INTO IT, NOT SPECIFIC TO HEAR BUT IT FEELS MORE LIKE YOU STEP IN AND YOU KNOW VERSUS YOU STEP IN AND YOU PLAY.

AND I THINK THAT SPACE FOR STEPPING IN AND PLAYING IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.

FOR US IN OUR, IN THIS MOMENT OF LIFE, FOR US IN THIS TIME OF OUR LIVING.

AND SUFFERING AND FIGHTING.

>> THAT'S DEEP BECAUSE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW CAN I STEP IN THIS AND OWN WHO I AM, I THINK GWEN, YOU SAID IT VERY LOUD.

I KNOW I WAS TOLD, YEAH, I KNOW YOU ENJOY DANCING AND ALL THAT.

BUT YOU GOT TO GO GET A JOB, RIGHT?

AND FOR MANY FOLKS, THE ARTS ISN'T SEEN AS A VIABLE LIFESTYLE.

IT ISN'T SOMETIMES IDENTIFIED AS A WAY TO REALLY EARN A LIVING, RIGHT?

IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH STRUGGLE.

AND SO HOW HAVE YOU ALL PUSHED BACK AGAINST THAT IDEA?

WAS IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR PROFESSOR ROLES AND THAT PROVIDED IT AND GAVE YOU ROOM OR WERE YOU JUST COMMITTED TO FIGURING IT OUT.

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK FOR ME, IT, YOU KNOW, WRITING THAT ACADEMIC BOOK AND PUBLISHING IT GAVE ME PERMISSION TO THEN LIKE, OKAY, NOW YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK YOU WANT TO WRITE.

NOT THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO WRITE THE BOOK.

I VERY MUCH WANTED TO WRITE THAT.

>> ABOUT WOMEN AND HIP-HOP.

>> BUT IT WAS LIKE IDEA, THIS WAS TO GET TENURED, PUBLISHED.

NOW YOU HAVE SHOWN YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK.

WRITE A BOOK YOU REALLY WANT TO WRITE.

AND I THINK THAT GAVE ME PERMISSION.

BECAUSE THERE IS ALSO THAT PART OF IT THAT WAS LIKE, OKAY, IT'S THIS DREAM, LIKE MY DREAM TO BECOME A WRITER.

MY DREAM TO PUBLISH A NOVEL.

AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU CAN GO AFTER YOUR DREAM.

LIKE THIS IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A DREAM.

ARE YOU EVER GOING TO DO IT?

CAN YOU DO IT?

SO WRITING THAT BOOK SAID LIKE, YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK, SO GO AHEAD AND WRITE THAT NOVEL NOW.

>> IT GAVE ME PERMISSION AND SPACE TO JUST DO IT.

>> I FEEL THAT.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

>> IN MY EXPERIENCE, NO ONE JUST SAID TO ME, YOU CAN GO BE AN ARTIST.

I WAS SINGING FROM THE TIME I WAS FIVE.

AND THEY BE THEN DOING THEATER BUT THERE CAME A TIME IN MY LIFE LIKE GWEN WHERE I'M ON MY OWN AND I HAVE TO MAKE A LIVING.

SO I DID A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.

AND EVENTUALLY FOUND MYSELF IN JOURNALISM AND THEN I LOVE THE ARTS SO ARTS JOURNALISM AND THEN YOU KNOW, LATE IN MY LIFE, I'VE WANDERED BACK INTO WHAT I ORIGINALLY WAS DOING.

AND I'M BRINGING ALL THAT OTHER EXPERIENCE WITH ME.

SO I DON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS, YOU KNOW.

AND...

BUT I-- YEAH, IT'S NOT EASY.

IT'S A STRUGGLE TO BE AN ARTIST AND I REMEMBER THAT WHEN EVERY TIME I'M ORKING WITH AN ACT-- WORKING WITH AN ACTOR OR DIRECTOR, PARTICULARLY YOUNG ONES COMING ALONG.

I REMEMBER IT'S JUST A REAL STRUGGLE TO PLANT YOUR FLAG AND SAY I'M AN ARTIST.

THIS IS WHAT I DO.

>> IN THE SPIRIT OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN," WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE JOBS WHILE YOU WERE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THE ARTIST WORLD?

WHAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DID THAT WAS LIKE OH MY GOSH.

I DIDN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT.

THAT WE CAN SHARE ON PBS.

[LAUGHTER] >> INTERESTING QUESTION.

A TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE WAS ONCE WORKING WHEN I WAS YOUNG, FOR A WALL STREET FIRM.

I'M INTERESTED IN ECONOMICS AND THAT'S A HOBBY OF MINE.

SO I WORKED FOR A WALL STREET FIRM FOR A WHILE AND IT KASS WAS KIND OF-- I WAS A RECEPTIONIST AND GOT INTERESTED IN OTHER THINGS THEY WERE DOING.

I SAID YOU SHOULD DO IT THIS WAY.

THEY CALLED ME IN AND OFFERED ME A REAL JOB.

IT WAS FOR LIKE MONEY, REAL MONEY.

I SAID YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING?

ME?

AND I REMEMBER SO CLEARLY, WAY SOSY YOUNG BUT I WALKED BACK THROUGH THE WALL STREET DESKS AND THERE WERE ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING AT DESKS AND THEIR MISSION IN LIFE WAS TO TAKE ONE NUMBER, A SMALL NUMBER AND MAKE IT TO A BIGGER NUMBER.

AND I GOT BACK TO MY LITTLE RECEPTIONIST DESK AND I STARTED WRITING MY RESUME FOR A JOB IN THE ARTS.

I WAS LIKE I'M NOT-- I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY PAY ME, I CAN'T DO THIS.

>> I WAS A...

THERE IS LIKE A FORK IN THE ROAD AND YOU ARE SO CLEAR.

I LIVED IN A ROOMING HOUSE TO MAKE IT BECAUSE... >> I NEVER DID THAT.

>> GOOD FOR YOU.

>> BUT JUST...

THEY COULDN'T BUY ME AND, YOU KNOW, THAT FELT LIKE A REALLY IMPORTANT FORK IN THE ROAD.

>> SO THAT MEANS YOU DIDN'T TAKE THE JOB.

>> I DID NOT TAKE THE JOB.

>> WITH THE REAL MONEY.

>> WITH THE REAL MONEY.

>> DOMINIQUE, HAVE YOU TURNED DOWN A REAL JOB?

[LAUGHTER] >> YEAH, SO WHEN I WAS-- I HAD FINISHED MY Ph.D. NOT TOO LONG AGO, I DID A POST-DOC AND I DID A VISITING POSITION.

AND IT HAD COME TO AN END.

IT DIDN'T TURN INTO A TENURE TRACK AND I FELT LIKE I WAS COMPELLED TO CONTINUE DOING MY ARTISTRY.

I HAD JUST DONE MY FIRST ONE WOMAN SHOW AND I HAD DONE IT AT AN ART CENTER.

AND I ASKED THEM, I SAID HEY, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK ABOUT BRINGING ON LIKE ME AS AN ARTIST RESIDENT AND THEY USUALLY HAVE VISUAL ARTISTS THEY SAID SURE, WE'LL BRING YOU ON FOR MOVEMENT.

I GOT THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE BUT IT CAME WITH ONLY THE MONEY I CAME MADE FROM MY CLASSES SO I OWND UP TAKING A BARTENDING JOB.

AND, YEAH, BARTENDING BY NIGHT AND ARTIST RESIDENCE BY DAY, HAVING TURNED DOWN ANOTHER VISITING FACULTY POSITION AFTER BEING TOLD THAT IF I LEFT THE ACADEMY, IT WOULD BE HARD FOR ME TO COME BACK.

BUT I DIDN'T CARE.

I NEEDED TO LISTEN TO MY SPIRIT AT THAT TIME; SIMILAR TO THE CROSSROADS YOU TALKED ABOUT.

AND SO I WENT.

I BARTENDED BY NIGHT.

I WAS ON SOCIAL SERVICES AS A Ph.D., A PERSON WITH A Ph.D.

IT WAS WHAT IT WAS.

I HAD TO DO WHAT I HAD TO DO.

YEAH.

AND SO... >> EVEN IF YOU ARE ASSURED OF, THIS IS WHO I WANT TO BE, RIGHT, LIKE THIS IS MY DREAM, RIGHT?

THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THIS LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT PULLS AND TESTS AND CHALLENGES YOU.

IN ORDER, I GUESS, FOR TO YOU REALLY SAY LIKE THIS IS WHO-- PUT MY FORK IN THE GROUND, LIKE THIS IS WHO I AM GOING TO BE, RIGHT?

WHETHER THAT'S WALKING OUT ON A WALL STREET JOB?

I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE DONE THAT.

BUT... [LAUGHTER] THINKING ABOUT THE ZEROS.

BUT...

WALKING AWAY.

BUT I DID WALK AWAY FROM THIS GREAT PAYING JOB.

AND SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO DO THAT, TOO, RIGHT?

BECAUSE AS ARTISTS, THERE IS SOMETHING INNATE, AT LEAST IN ME THAT SAYS I HAVE TO #-B JUHANNA ROGERS, ALL 6'3" PLUS ME HEELS OF ME, RIGHT?

AND I THINK THERE ARE MOMENTS IN LIFE WHERE ARTISTS HAVE TO SHOW UP AND SAY REGARDLESS OF ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF THESE GREAT OTHER POSITIONS, I GOT TO BE ME.

AND WE STICK WITH THAT, RIGHT?

HOW DO YOU RELAY THAT TO THE ACTORS OR THE STUDENTS OR THE DANCERS OR YOUR AUDIENCE, I THINK THROUGH YOUR WORK?

HOW DO YOU GET THAT MESSAGE OUT?

>> I SPENT A LOT OF TIME, AGAIN, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH ENRICHMENT AND YOU ARE TRYING TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF A GOOD HIGH SCHOOL, THEN GET INTO A GOOD COLLEGE, THEN GET A FULL RIDE TO GRAD SCHOOL, RIGHT?

WHEN DO YOU THAT, YOU GET TRAINED VERY WELL.

SO IN MY ONE-WOMAN SHOW, I TALK ABOUT THE SORT OF SPLIT OF THE COURSES.

YOU LEARN HOW TO PRESENT AS A CORE SET VERY TIGHT AND VERY PROMPT.

PART OF THE WORK IN MY CLASSROOM IS TO HELP STUDENTS EMBRACE VULNERABILITY.

I THINK AS WOMEN, AS PEOPLE OF COLOR, AS QUEER FOLK, LIKE WE THINK ABOUT VULNERABILITY AS SOMETHING THAT IS DANGEROUS, SOMETHING THAT IS BAD.

WE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT AS A RESOURCE, AS A FIELD SHIELD, AS A CAPACITY TO SHOW UP IN OUR FULLNESS AND SO PART OF MY WORK IS REALLY GETTING THEM TO HOW DO YOU UNDRESS?

LIKE HOW DO YOU UNDRESS AND TAKE OFF THE VENEER OF THE DOCTOR, WHATEVER THAT IS, RIGHT?

WHEN I LIKE TO TWERK AT THE CLUB, HOW DO I TAKE THAT OFF?

LIKE I'M NOT JUST ONE THING.

SO HOW DO I HELP THEM TAKE THAT OFF AND HOW DO I HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT EDUCATION CAN BE SOMETHING THAT CAN CONTORT YOU AND DISTORT YOU AND IT CAN ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO BLOSSOM.

AND SO DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE ROAD OF BLOSSOMING?

SO PART OF THAT IS ALSO SHOWING UP IN MYSELF, RIGHT?

I KNOW GWEN TALKED ABOUT BEING AN INTRO VET, CHECK IT OUT AND WRECK IT WAS MY LIFE IN GRAD SCHOOL.

AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE THE ARTIST, RIGHT?

AND THAT CAN SHOW UP SIMPLY IN TERMS OF MY STYLE AND IN TERMS OF LIKE, DRESS COLOR CHOICE.

THE BAMBOO EARRINGS, RIGHT?

LIKE HOW DO WE SHOW... >> AT LEAST TWO PAIRS.

>> HOW DO WE SHOW ARTISTRY AND NOT JUST, LIKE A FORM, BUT AS A WAY OF BEING?

HOW DO YOU WE TAKE ON ART AS A WAY OF BEING?

>> WE ARE GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO SOME AUDIENCE QUESTIONS.

I HAVE SO MANY MORE.

BUT DO WE HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT NOW FROM SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE OR A COMMENT ABOUT WHAT OUR GUESTS TODAY ARE SHARING?

>> THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING TONIGHT I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT K-12 AND HOW ARE WE CREATING THIS PIPELINE OF LIBERATION AND FEMINISM.

AND I KNOW YOU ARE DOING WORK WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

BUT FROM MY RESEARCH, I'M NEW HERE TO SYRACUSE-- WE HAVE A HIGH CHILD POVERTY RATE AND THE ARTS IS SOMETHING THAT DOES BIRTH JOY, DOES BIRTH PLEASURE.

HOW ARE YOU ALL THINKING AND IMAGINING ABOUT OPENING UP THE SPACES, THEREFORE YOUR WORK CAN COMMUNICATE, NOT JUST TO THE SCHOOL, BUT I DO KNOW SCHOOL TO BE COMMUNITY CENTERS.

HOW CAN WE DO THAT IN THE K-12 SPACE IN SYRACUSE?

[ APPLAUSE ] >> THAT'S SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.

AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO LIVE IN SYRACUSE BECAUSE I'M NOW LIVING IN A PLACE WHERE THE K-12 CURRICULUM IS BEGINNING TO BE POLITICIZED AND SQUEEZED DOWN.

SO I THINK IN SYRACUSE WE HAVE A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT I'M INVOLVED WITH LIKE THE Y, THAT DOES A LOT OF AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT ARE FANTASTIC.

I HEARD A GREAT PERFORMANCE OF THE COLOR PURPLE DOWN AT FOUL FOWLER HIGH SCHOOL.

DID YOU SEE THAT?

>> IT WAS AMAZING.

>> COMPLETELY SELF PRODUCED.

SHE IS AMAZING, A POWER HOUSE.

THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN SYRACUSE FOR PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND DO THINGS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR A COMMUNITY.

I LOVE THAT.

>> I THINK IT'S SUCH A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION BECAUSE THE FIRST THING THAT USUALLY GETS CUT IS THE ARTS, RIGHT?

IT'S CUT IN THE SCHOOLS THAT LACK THE RESOURCES, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROBABLY THE SCHOOLS THAT NEED THE ARTS THE MOST, RIGHT?

SO FINDING WAYS TO CREATE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS WAYS THAT YOU CAN INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO THE ARTS IS SO IMPORTANT.

I REMEMBER GROWING UP IN PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY AND THERE WAS ONE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WHERE I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MY FIRST CREATIVE WRITING CLASS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M, YOU KNOW, WHO I AM TODAY WITHOUT HAVING THAT CHANCE TO TAKE THIS CREATIVE WRITING CLASS AND HAVE THE TEACHER PUT ALL OUR STORIES IN THIS LITTLE LAMINATED BOOK.

LIKE THAT WAS IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, IN SHAPING WHO I AM TODAY.

AND IT'S REALLY CRUCIAL THAT WE HAVE THOSE SAME KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR K-12 STUDENTS.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND SOMETHING WE DO NEED TO REALLY BE COGNIZANT OF.

>> I WANT TO THANK YOU, LADIES FOR JOINING ME HERE TONIGHT AND SHARING WITH US HOW YOU ARE USING YOUR VOICES, YOUR BODIES, YOUR ART, YOUR WORDS, TO ENRICH NOT JUST OUR LIVES BUT THE LIVES OF STUDENTS ACROSS CENTRAL NEW YORK.

I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PERFORMERS AND ALL OF OUR GUESTS THROUGHOUT THIS SEASON FOR MAKING SEASON 4 SUCH A SPECTACULAR ONE.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RE-WATCH ANY EPISODE FROM THIS SEASON OR PAST SEASONS OF THE SHOW, PLEASE GO TO WCNY,ORG/BEHIND THE WOMAN.

MY NAME IS DOCTOR JUHANNA ROGERS AND ON BEHALF OF THE BEHIND THE "BEHIND THE WOMAN" TEAM, THANK YOU, THANK AWR AUDIENCE FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AND HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.

[ APPLAUSE ] [START FLASH MOB] >> BRING THE BEAT IN.

♪ HONEY HONEY I CAN SEE THE STARS ALL THE WAY FROM HERE ♪ ♪ CAN'T YOU SEE THE GLOW ON THE WINDOW PANE ♪ ♪ I CAN FEEL THE SUN WHENEVER YOU'RE NEAR ♪ ♪ EVERY TIME YOU TOUCH ME I JUST MELT AWAY ♪ ♪ EVERYBODY ASKS ME WHY I'M SMILING FROM EAR TO EAR ♪ ♪ BUT I KNOW, NOTHING'S PERFECT BUT IT'S PERFECT AFTER NIGHT FIGHTING THROUGH MY TEARS ♪ ♪ BABY IT'S YOU, YOU'RE THE ONE I LOVE ♪ ♪ YOU'RE THE ONE I NEED ♪ YOU'RE THE THE ONLY ONE I SEE ♪ ♪ COME ON, BABY, IT'S YOU.

♪ YOU ARE THE ONE THAT GETS IT ALL ♪ YOU ARE THE ONE I CAN ALWAYS CALL.

♪ WHEN I NEED TO MAKE EVERYTHING STOP.

♪ FINALLY... ♪ COME ON, BABY, YOU PUT THE LOVE ON TOP ♪ TOP, TOP, TOP ♪ ♪ YOU PUT MY LOVE ON TOP,