Exploring Racial and Social Transnational Justice through Creative Expression
The School of Social Work and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts are launching a bold new initiative that merges academic insight with the transformative power of the arts to confront racism and advance transnational racial justice.
In partnership with the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity, the College of Fine and Applied Arts, Asian American Cultural Center, Center for Global Studies, McKinley Foundation, and the Council on Teacher Education, this multi-year project will bring together diverse voices, creative disciplines, and global perspectives. Funding provided by the Illinois Global Institute (IGI) New Approaches to International Area and Global Studies Grant. Events will continue over the next two years — open to students, faculty, staff, and the community. Be part of this powerful intersection of art and action. Learn, reflect, and lead through the arts.
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned for an updated list of grant-supported performances coming the fall semester!
Past Events
Transcending the In-Between: Provocation, Humor, and Joy in Performance
2/26/26 at 3:30 pm, Women’s Resources Center, 616 E Green St, Suite 213 | 1.0 CEU’s available for the lecture and 1.0 CEU’s available for the post-lecture discussion.
Artist, educator and global agitator Anida Yoeu Ali will present a hybrid performance/talk and visual experience on themes of transnationalism, otherness, and belonging. Coming off the energy of the astounding public press perception of her 2024 history-making solo exhibition “Hybrid Skin, Mythical Presence” at Seattle Asian Art Museum, Anida Yoeu Ali returns to her alma mater for a talk discussing the “in-between” space as a powerful space of provocation. At the conclusion of the lecture, join us for a post-lecture discussion.
Learn more about Anida Yoeu Ali
“Moving Through It”: A Playful Uncorked with Raheim White and Kamau Grantham
10/9/25 at 5:30pm, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA), Uncorked Series, 1.5 CEU’s available.
KCPA Afrique Dance Performance
10/9/25 at 7:30 pm, (RSVP for Tickets – pick up at WILL call), 1.5 CEU’s available.
The CEU learning objectives for the AFRIQUE dance performance invite participants to explore Katherine Dunham’s legacy as a lens for understanding race, identity, and resistance, while examining how contemporary artists reinterpret her work to express evolving narratives of Black identity and community. Through this lens, attendees will consider how dance and ritual function as tools for healing, cultural transmission, and advocacy, and reflect on how these insights can strengthen culturally responsive and antiracist social work practice.
Raheim White Workshop
10/10/25 at 12:00 pm, I-Hotel, Conference Room A, 1.0 CEU available.
In A. Raheim White’s workshops, participants will discover how movement can support emotional regulation and the nervous system, while engaging in accessible choreography that builds physical agency and spatial awareness. Through exploring space, constraint, and adaptation as reflections of mental health challenges and coping strategies, participants will gain deeper insight into the power of embodied practices. These workshops also highlight how movement can cultivate group cohesion, empathy, and confidence, while encouraging reflection on how such practices can be integrated into therapeutic, educational, and community healing contexts.
KAMS Grand Re-Opening and a performance by Chechuan artist Liberato Kani
The series began on August 28–29, 2025. After a performance from Liberato Kani at Gallery Art Bar (6pm-8:30pm),a post-performance reception and conversation with artist Liberato at Encanto Restaurant began at 9:00pm. This informal gathering offered a unique opportunity to meet the artist, engage in dialogue about his creative practice, and reflect on the themes and methods present in his work. Liberato shared insights into his process, discuss the cultural and conceptual foundations of his performance, and invite conversation with attendees in a relaxed, salon-style environment. Light refreshments provided. *This was a CEU-eligible event for LCSW/LSW, LCPC/LPC and is ideal for artists, educators, social workers, and cultural workers interested in embodied performance, interdisciplinary practice, and the role of art in cultural storytelling. This event covers the cultural competency requirement for licensure in the state of Illinois. The first 20 CEU registrants are eligible for FREE CEUs.
Why It Matters
Art has the unique ability to spark empathy, challenge assumptions, and inspire action. Through music, poetry, dance, film, and digital storytelling, we will create spaces where performance becomes a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and social change — especially in contexts affecting the Global South.
Core Goals
- Innovate CEU Programming: Pilot a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) program rooted in fine-arts performance and workshops.
- Foster Inclusive Global Dialogue: Facilitate conversations on racial justice that transcend borders and reflect diverse lived experiences.
- Advance Illinois Leadership: Position the University of Illinois as a hub for interdisciplinary education addressing pressing global social justice issues.
Program Features
- Workshops integrating performance and facilitated discussion.
- Artistic mediums including poetry, music, dance, film, and digital storytelling.
- Accredited CEUs and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for educators, with a limited number of scholarships available.
- Free student tickets to select Krannert Center events.
Educational Impact
- Globalizing the Curriculum: Incorporates international perspectives into teaching and learning.
- Enhancing Cultural Competence: Equips students and professionals with skills to work across cultural contexts.
- Supporting International Students: Creates inclusive spaces for cross-cultural engagement.
- Building Pathways: Lays the groundwork for future certificates and degree programs in global social justice.
Workshop & Post-Performance Structure
Each of the four core workshops will:
- Showcase a Fine Arts Performance – by local, national, or international artists whose work engages with themes of justice.
- Host a Facilitated Dialogue – led by trained moderators, inviting participants to examine social, racial, gender, religious, and political injustices depicted in the performance.
- Encourage Deep Analysis – exploring how transnational racial justice manifests in various regions, with emphasis on post-colonial societies in the Global South.
- Draw Historical Connections – linking global struggles with U.S. civil rights movements, South African anti-apartheid activism, and other historical examples.
- Promote Action – participants will reflect, share perspectives, and develop strategies to address racial and social inequities in their personal and professional lives.
Questions?
