Join us as the Audre Lorde Film Series presents Paris is Burning (1990) followed by a discussion led by Dr. Seth E. Davis. This two-part series celebrates films that embody Audre Lorde’s legacy of honoring intersectional identities and exploring the complexities of race, gender, and sexuality.
Directed by Jennie Livingston, Paris is Burning vividly captures the artistry, resilience, and community within New York City’s Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ ballroom culture of the late 1980s. The film also sheds light on broader societal issues surrounding identity, systemic oppression, and the fight for visibility and belonging.
The post-screening discussion will be led by Dr. Seth E. Davis, Director of the Audre Lorde Film Club at Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, TN. Dr. Davis is an Assistant Professor of English and an award-winning scholar whose work focuses on "fierce literacies" of survival in Black queer communities. His extensive research has been published in Salt Hill Press, Literacy in Composition Studies, and the forthcoming issue of Kairos. A two-time recipient of the National Council of Teachers of English Lavender Rhetorics Excellence in Queer Scholarship Award, Dr. Davis brings unparalleled expertise and passion to this discussion, making it a must-attend event.
About the Audre Lorde Film Series:
Hosted by Dr. Seth Davis, this series honors the enduring influence of poet, activist, and thinker Audre Lorde, whose work championed the understanding that our identities intersect and shape our experiences in profound ways. Each screening celebrates stories that explore the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and resilience, creating a space for reflection, education, and connection.
February 2nd 2-4p: Paris is Burning
February 9th 2-4p: Pariah