The Brief – May
MAY 2021 CONTENT To Belong, but First to Be Known The Forum, featuring Yale Divinity Scholar Eboni Marshall Turman, Ph.D. Wisdom Wednesdays, with guests Baroness Susan Greenfield and Guru Ranjit Deora 5 Questions with Architect and Creative Manoj P. Kesavan, Founder of Que-OS A Word To Belong, but First to Be Known Knowability: Capability of being known. Our upcoming Forum speaker Dr. Eboni Marshall Turman introduced the concept in a recent conversation. She spoke specifically about “civic knowability,” a reference to one’s ability to be seen and understood as a citizen.
Since America’s founding, the question of citizenship has loomed large. The “we” implied in “We the People” excluded most people composing the nation during its first two centuries. Limited to propertied white men at the outset, legal eligibility for American citizenship has slowly evolved to include Native Americans, U.S.-born offspring of immigrants, formerly enslaved people of African descent and women, and immigrants who have become naturalized citizens. Even with rich histories of civic participation—voting, military service, public service, peaceful protesting and volunteerism—by these groups, civic knowability for many still lags.
Legally, there is who qualifies as a citizen, by birthright or naturalization. And then there is whose entitlements and protections as a citizen are recognized, encouraged or valued. The invisibility and exclusion of some citizens is a form of othering, which sets apart individuals or groups deemed different from and alien to oneself.
To be known is fundamental to true belonging—an impulse we all share. Belonging is grounded in seeing and recognizing each other’s full humanity without assimilation or pretending we are all the same. “We are always both the same (humanity) and different (human), and are also multiple and dynamic, constantly renegotiating who we are,” avers renowned law professor john a. powell. The remedy to othering is belonging. Present. Invited. Welcomed. Known. Accepted. Supported. Cared for. Befriended. Needed. Loved
Ten Dimensions of Belonging, Erik Carter, PhD Belonging to anything, whether a country, a community, an organization or even a family, requires both agency and power to co-create—not only for one, but for the benefit of everyone.
How can we work together to create more places and civic spaces where Americans from all walks of life benefit from being seen, heard, responded to and known?
“While it is better to be loved than hated, it is also better to be hated than ignored.”
― Viet Thanh Nguyen, PhD, Vietnamese American novelist and professor of English Join us Today!
Coming up in June
WISDOM WEDNESDAYS A conversation series of free inquiry into the soul of the matter.
Topic: “In Search of Consciousness”
Is consciousness physiological or is it merely the stuff of myth and spirit? 
5 Questions • Manoj P. Kesavan An interview with the architect, educator, organizer and critical thinker who introduced Pecha Kucha and BOOM to Charlotte
BY VALAIDA FULLWOOD
Photo Credit: Mark Hames 
Architect Manoj P. Kesavan is the founder and executive director of Que-OS (pronounced “chaos”), a non-profit organization whose mission is to “transform the way art/culture is created and shared, and how people connect to causes and community.” At Que-OS, Manoj collaborates to create open and inclusive platforms for creative professionals to engage and generate social impact at a large scale. One such creation is BOOM, Charlotte’s artist-led performance and visual arts festival of contemporary and experimental works. In addition, Manoj writes and speaks internationally and has served as visiting lecturer, panelist and juror at several universities. He also consults on urban design/planning, community engagement and public art projects.
What experience spurred your move beyond Architecture to the wider realm of the visual and performing arts?
Well, it was not like one thing. It was a slow realization and transition. I was heavily involved in the community while I was a full-time architect for many years. It was like I had two lives. I had a commercial architecture job and also had all these other things in the community—Point 8 Forums, Pecha Kucha, TEDx and a whole bunch of things.
The 2008 recession provided the push I needed. The architectural firm I used to work for practically shut down. Like a lot of architects in town I was laid off and began doing freelance work to pay the bills. That shift broke the routine. I began to rethink things.
At that time, I was not satisfied with the work I was doing every day as an architect. At senior levels, it’s mostly management and legal work, not much of the creative work. On the other hand, I was fascinated by what was happening in the cultural community, with things like Pecha Kucha and TEDx. I experienced an almost random group of people, as volunteers, coming together and putting on some high-impact stuff. I wanted to see what I could do with that if I was working on it full-time.
Related, ideas on what it means to be an architect or artist are broadening. Some say: Are you still an artist if you don’t actually make an object or a performance—what’s conventionally called art? I consider what I do a part of architecture. It’s an expansion of what I’ve been doing all my life.
Yours is one of the few nonprofits that leads with collaboration and exemplifies it in so many wonderful ways. What have you found to be essential for effective collaboration across people and organizations?
Again, it was a slow process. Building trust for successful and sustained collaboration takes time. Sure, you can work with somebody one time. However, being able to do that year after year and at a bigger and bigger scale requires building trust. I believe this is why we are so organically diverse, which doesn’t happen much in Charlotte. It’s important to find common ground and to trust and respect each other to create something together.
Over the years, we’ve been able to constantly work on the process as newer people come in. Our collaborative process happens in a way that is satisfying and, hopefully, fulfilling for everyone involved. Co-creation is not easy.
As an Indian immigrant, what do you see as America’s greatest opportunities or assets?
I don’t think of things in those terms. That’s if interpreted in an economic or capitalistic sense.
Okay, what strikes you about American values or culture?
Well, I’m struck that anything not white or European is considered exotic or “the other”. For example, if you go to the website of “Charlotte’s Got a Lot,” there’s a whole section titled “multicultural”. That’s where you find everything Black, Asian and Latino placed. The general bias being mainstream means white and anything that’s not is the other. It’s an othering of people. At the same time, that is the strength of America: the ability to integrate everything from everywhere in the world—maybe more so than any other country or culture before.
With all empires and big powers, whether ancient Roman or the British, what they call “their culture” is basically contributions from everyone they ruled over. So, in that sense, America does very much that. There’s this slowness in acknowledging the true sources, which leads to ignoring or undervaluing those contributions. That leads to the struggle we’re a part of. This constant negotiation: the demand for justice and the demand for a seat at the table. It’s also pretty much the history of the country.
What’s your “happy place” and why?
Hmmm…I don’t think I believe in the pursuit of happiness [laughter]. That is a term, which I always find curious. It’s very American. All that pressure to be positive really wears on me.
Let me reframe the question. What place or thing can you depend on to bring you a sense of peace, soothe or inspire you?
The whole “self-care” thing is something I’m not good at. Some of it is cultural, because I come from a culture where the greater good is supposed to be higher than the individual. There’s an implication that if you focus on yourself, it is selfish. It’s not healthy even. There’s some of that ingrained in my thinking.
To be able to do stuff that is meaningful maybe that is my state of flow. The priority for me has been the pursuit of something with meaning. Things with a strong why carry more weight than those that bring satisfaction. While I’m driven by a need to do something meaningful, if it proves satisfying then that’s great, too. The times when I’m unable to do meaningful work—whether because of external factors or internal struggles—have been the most challenging.
What’s BOOM got in store?
Last year started in the worst possible way for us. We had to cancel what was supposed to be the biggest BOOM festival yet. After 95 percent of the planning and eight months of work, we had to call it off at the very last minute. It was a huge blow for us. While every organization faced a crisis last year, for us it was like cancelling a whole year of work in one shot.
Artists don’t get up looking to do the same thing over and over again. With the need to try things we’d never done before, our group was able to rise to the challenge and transition, which resulted in a busy year. In response to the George Floyd killing, artists created ACT:NOW, a three-part virtual series comprising visual art, literary art, poetry, film, dance, and music. We also collaborated with Charlotte Journalism Collaborative to develop “Pandemic,” a graphic-story series, now being turned into a book. We believe these projects will have long-term value, and I’m grateful to the whole team.
We are now facing the challenge of transitioning out of the crisis. Instead of one big event, we’re envisioning several small things—hybrid events with professional livestreaming, socially distanced small gatherings and pop-up street performances. For next spring, once again we imagine the regular BOOM festival, gathering at a large scale with human density. Stay tuned! About The Charlotte Center OUR MISSION IS TO DEEPEN HUMAN CONNECTION WE COMBINE THE HUMANITIES AND CIVIC IMAGINATION
THE HUMANITIES The humanities—philosophy, history, religion, language, and literature—explore the human experience. The humanities ask deep questions about the human condition and what is true, beautiful, and good. The humanities offer a basis for a different kind of conversation: one that seeks to understand who we are and who we can be.
CIVIC IMAGINATION Civic imagination is a process by which citizens envision a better tomorrow and ways to make it happen. It is exercises and prompts that unlock creativity for a more optimum future. Civic imagination helps turn questions into answers and ideas into action. gratitude to our sponsors 
The Charlotte Center operates with support from financial donors and generous sponsors such as those listed above and you. A WORD 
“This is the world I want to live in.
NAOMI SHIHAB NYE American poet, songwriter and novelist 
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Word to the Wise is compiled and edited monthly by Valaida Fullwood Design by Goldenrod Design Co. |
