Rogério M. Pinto's ‘Colorism’ brings live storytelling to The Wright, Sept. 19

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Rogério M. Pinto’s “Colorism” invites audiences into dialogue on race, identity, and justice through storytelling. (Photo: Emerson Granillo)

The conversation around colorism — how racial categorizations and skin tone have shaped lives, opportunities, and prejudices — will take center stage at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Friday, Sept. 19.

“Colorism: a celebration of diversity and inclusivity through storytelling,” curated by University of Michigan professor Rogério M. Pinto, will bring together artists, educators, and performers for an evening of personal stories that confront the impact of colorism. The event, hosted by storyteller and producer Satori Shakoor, begins at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30).

Pinto, a Diversity Social Transformation Professor at the U-M School of Social Work with joint appointments in music, theatre, and art, first introduced Colorism as a multimedia art installation earlier this year. That gallery exhibition drew nearly 1,000 visitors to experience videos, photographs, and interactive elements exploring the biopsychosocial dimensions of skin color.

“After my Colorism installation, the next natural step was to use different art forms and live performance in Detroit to bring awareness and inspiration for action against colorism,” Pinto says. “Live storytelling is a great strategy to bring about awareness plus action to abate colorism.”

He notes that partnering with Detroit-based Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers, founded by Shakoor, helps extend the reach of the project. “In addition to the live performance, The Society will help me reach larger audiences beyond the storytelling event as our stories will also be featured on the Society’s YouTube Channel and on their monthly Vimeo Livestream,” Pinto adds.

Rogério M. Pinto. (Photo: Nikki Williams)

For Pinto, the move to a storytelling format came directly from community response. “Viewers of Colorism left written notes about how important it was to them to have access to this type of work,” he recalls. “They loved the fact that my exhibit, though focused on autobiographical materials, also featured interviews with 10 individuals who shared their own stories and their views on issues concerning colorism. The need to bring those stories to the stage became quickly apparent to me.”

Joining Pinto on stage will be Yen Azzaro, an artist and illustrator; Sreyashi Dey, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer; and Daicia Price, a clinical associate professor at U-M. Together, they will share personal stories about how colorism connects to other forms of prejudice, from sexism to xenophobia.

“My collaborators performing at The Wright have unique stories that show how colorism is interconnected with many other prejudices that affect our lives,” Pinto says. “We also represent a diverse group of racial and ethnic identities.”

More than a performance, Pinto says, the evening is designed to spark dialogue and action. “Colorism, the storytelling event, will encourage and inspire the audience to engage in discussions about their own racial identities,” he says. “The interactive nature of storytelling will help to expand conversations about institutional racism and its relationship to communities of color around us. Storytelling will inspire people to engage in civic action with the potential to help dismantle structural racism.”

The Colorism storytelling event is sponsored by the University of Michigan Engage Detroit Workshops grant program.