We are thrilled to welcome back Resmaa Menakem to host the Hudson Valley premiere of Three Black Men at the Rosendale Theatre. 

Three Black Men is a feature documentary that follows visionaries Resmaa Menakem, Bayo Akomolafe, and Orland Bishop as they trace the transatlantic slave route in reverse. Their epic voyage takes them from Los Angeles to Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, and finally to Accra in Ghana. These destinations hold crucial pieces of Black history and representations of the forced migration, survival and demise of the millions who crossed the Atlantic.

The mission is to liberate Blackness from the confines of colonialism and captivity, heal from historical trauma, and envision new paths beyond white supremacy. They challenge an oversimplification of Blackness and the stereotypes and entrapments of Black masculinity, and enter spaces to witness the connection between modern realities and historical origins of the Black experience. On their expedition, along with project vision holder Victoria Santos, they collaborate with Black and multi-cultural communities, engaging in discourse, play and ritual combined with artistic and spiritual expressions of resistance and hope.

By bringing together diverse perspectives, and honoring ancestral wisdom, Orland, Resmaa and Bayo seek to inspire new ways to respond to our global challenges by fostering spaces for collective dreaming, healing, and action. By sharing their work across three continents, they’re not only cross-pollinating ideas but also creating a living example of global Black solidarity and intellectual exchange.

Following the screening, Resmaa will be joined by Repa Mekha for a discussion about the film.

About Resmaa Menakem:

Embodied provocateur, multiple-levels thinker, and structural paradigm-shifter Resmaa Menakem (MSW, LICSW, SEP), is an author, agent of change, therapist, and licensed clinical worker specializing in racialized trauma, communal healing, and cultural first aid based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As the originator and leading proponent of Somatic Abolitionism, an embodied antiracist practice for living and culture building, Resmaa is the founder of Justice Leadership Solutions and the Cultural Somatics Institute and is an educator and coach. Working at the intersections of anti-racism, communal healing, and embodied purpose, Resmaa Menakem is the challenging yet compassionate coach we all need in this time of racial reckoning and near-global dysregulation.

About Repa Mehka:

Repa Mekha, Founder & CEO, Nexus Community Partners, a Community Building Intermediary that works at the intersection of community building and community development to achieve equitable community growth. 

Repa has 35+ years of experience in community-based leadership, leadership coaching, creative institution building, wealth building strategies, organizational leadership, and systems change work.  He is recognized locally and nationally as an innovative and visionary leader, and heads up Nexus’ work with regional and national partners.