Ohio University alumnus and scholar of interdisciplinary arts, Dr. Jé Hooper, will uplift the voices and wisdom of heroes who’ve modeled finding strength and magic in blackness, in gender identity, and most importantly, in relationships. This event is presented by:

• LGBT Center
• Ohio University Alumni Association
• Multicultural Center
• Black Student Cultural Programming Board
  

Rev. Dr. Jé Exodus Hooper

Rev. Dr. Jé Exodus Hooper (they/them) is a theater history fellow and ethical humanist clergy. They received a Ph.D. from the School of Interdisciplinary Arts at Ohio University. Both as a performer and clergy at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis and within the Ethical Culture Movement, their ritual-based performance is grounded in the act of homiletics, decolonial humanism and Black Intellectual Thought. Jé’s love for orality involves the aesthetic of Black folk-talk — one of imagination as meaning-making. Their wordworking emphasizes human freedom and interconnectedness through embodiment, intuition, creativity and improvisation.

Their most recent production on the Transverse Streaming Network, titled "Keep Liv’n," expresses the importance of cultural care and self-care. Exemplifying a commitment to equity and inclusion within the arts community, Jé enjoys working closely together to decenter the stage and share the spotlight of all those voices that make up the beloved community. These kinds of transdisciplinary approaches console and agitate communities in re-imagining and re-claiming narratives that honor the inherited worth and dignity within all people — a love-work that Jé is committed to!

You will receive a link to join this event in Microsoft Teams after you register. If you have any questions about this event, contact Micah McCarey, director of the LGBT Center, at  mccarey@ohio.edu  or 740.593.0239.