EmBodied Durham represents feeling at home, with the mind and body connected. As a person of color in the land we call America, it is common for many to feel disconnected with their history. This disconnect often causes generational rifts and a lack of sense of purpose and identity. Embracing one’s cultural identity has to begin with knowledge. The result is empowerment and a sense of pride, which breeds conscious action towards the advancement of one’s community. One definition of ‘embodiment’ is “to be an expression of an idea, quality, or feeling.” Our wish is for EmBodied Durham to reach individuals who long to represent, embrace, personify and materialize the characteristics of the deep roots of Durham, North Carolina in an authentic yet evolved way.
EmBodied Durham is a locally based educational resource that is dedicated to producing historically based, culturally dynamic content for the service of its people. We value fidelity, storytelling, accessibility and most of all, community. EmBodied Durham aims to not only cultivate an internal working-community built around mutual respect and collaborative vulnerability, but to also build meaningful, organic, beneficial and long-lasting relationships. Our team is dedicated and passionate about uplifting communities by preserving the memories of our elders and ancestors, translating those invaluable lessons for posterity by way of oral storytelling. EmBodied Durham as an organization is committed to maintaining fidelity to the dignity, safety, character and independence of a given community. While we may be in relationship with a given community, that community is still its own and will be respected as such. We pride ourselves in our justice-oriented practices. EmBodied Durham is here to guide and assist by providing archival and preservationist content that is inter-generational. Lastly, we direct ourselves towards sharing engaging and thought-provoking content that is accessible to all.
