THERE WILL BE JOY: Songs for the Revolution

An Activist Songbook Event

Raise Your Voice! Join Activist Songbook and One Village Healing for a virtual and freely offered community gather for folx looking to enhance their activism and resilience with the practice of collective song and mindfulness. This collaborative gathering will be a special feature as part of OVH’s Sunday Circle -- a weekly gathering dedicated to well-being and connection at the intersection of arts, healing, and justice.

Thema Haida and Hanifa Nayo Washington (co-founders of One Village Healing) will be joined by Activist Songbook Song Leader Brianna Chance for this very special Sunday Circle. Come learn songs from the Activist Songbook repertoire and Mantras For the Revolution. Connect with your inner knowing as we practice mindfulness to help us empower and energize ourselves in this crucial moment of change. We look forward to raising our voices to counteract hate and injustice through thoughtful dialogue, inspiring connection, and healing vibes. All are welcome. RSVP required for Zoom link.

About Activist Songbook: Activist Songbook is a collection of 53 songs and raps to counteract hate and energize movements, created by Byron Au Yong and Aaron Jafferis, based on interviews of Asian American, Asian immigrant, and Asian refugee organizers. Learn more at www.activistsongbook.org.

About One Village Healing: One Village Healing is dedicated to creating grassroots level healing spaces in New Haven consciously designed for restoring wholeness, mindfulness, wellbeing, and health disrupted and imbalanced by systemic oppression and injustice. Learn more at www.onevillagehealing.com.

Thema Haida

Co-Founding Practitioner, One Village Healing

Thema is a certified Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master Teacher, a 500hr Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Instructor, and a certified Advanced Metaphysical Healing Practitioner.

While holding a space of non-judgement and care, Thema combines Reiki with intuitive energy assessments to facilitate and guide people on their healing journey to wholeness. Her practice as an energy healer and yoga instructor has focused on supporting community activists, artists, healers, and people of color- the people that hold and bring life to communities that are most affected by racism, systematic oppression and inequality. Her passion is working with organizations that support these groups specifically, and she contributes by providing a place for stress relief, healing and spiritual guidance.

Hanifa Nayo Washington

Principal Organizer & Co-Founding Practitioner, One Village Healing

Hanifa Nayo Washington is an award winning cultural activist, storyteller, singer songwriter, performing artist, and a certified Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master Practitioner who graduated from Beloit College in 2001 with a B.A. in Communications & Russian & Soviet Studies. Hanifa is a former Arts Fellow of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund and currently works with The Word Poetry, Co-Creating Effective and Inclusive Organizations (CEIO), serves as an Intern for Beyond Diversity 101, and is a leader of the New Haven Community Leadership Program. As a cultural activist Hanifa views her creativity as a radical tool for liberation, healing, and community building. Most recently Hanifa was awarded a Phenomenal Woman in the Arts Award by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.

Brianna Chance

Activist Songbook Song Leader

Brianna Chance is a flautist and opera singer from New Haven, CT. She attended ACES Educational Center for the Arts and Wilbur Cross High School, where she furthered her musical abilities. Brianna has performed for Activist Songbook and the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. She is now attending the University of Connecticut and pursuing a double major in Music Education and Vocal Performance. Brianna's goals include using music as an educational tool and providing impoverished communities with creative outlets.