Artists, activists, and thinkers share contemporary responses to Zoe Leonard’s influential 1992 text I want a president…

Originally conceived in response to the cultural and political climate of the early 1990’s, Leonard’s text urges us to ask: what has changed and what remains the same? Leonard notes, “I am interested in the space this text opens up for us to imagine and voice what we want in our leaders, and even beyond that, what we can envision for the future of our society.”

Engaging with this timeless text in the wake of the upcoming inauguration, this reading highlights the necessity of speaking out, of looking to the future, and the importance of coming together in mourning, rage, and action.

Speakers include:
Sol Aramendi, Albina Mateo, and  Irwin Sanchez
Christopher Cole
Shannon Matesky
Meera Nair
Melissa Ragona
Kameelah Janan Rasheed
J. Soto
Diya Vij
and more!

This event is part of a fundraising series of music, performances, and workshops accompanying NASTY WOMEN exhibition, on view at Knockdown Center January 12-15th, 2017. Day time performances are free and open to the public, while evening programming can be experienced through the purchase of a $20 all-access pass that grants you access to every performance happening in the building that evening. Proceeds in benefit of select charities working towards women’s reproductive health and community health initiatives.