From left to right: Sheikia S. “Purple” Norris & Margie “Mia X” Johnson
Artists
About
Dive into the culture of hip hop and learn how to take the issues that are important to you and your community, and transform them into incredible, meaningful, original Hip Hop works of art! During this workshop Margie “Mia X” Johnson and Sheikia S. “Purple” Norris will guide participants through a Ghetto Detox Writers Recipe. This program is in conjunction with the exhibition Bulletproof Ambition: The Art of Jerry Gant. RSVP required. Zoom details with be sent via email confirmation.
ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS
Margie “Mia X” Johnson is a spoken word artist, mother, community activist, organizer, teaching artist and Newark nurturer. She is the host and producer of “People’s Open Mic”, the longest-running open mic in the city, where she provides space for poets and artists to express themselves once a month at Gallery Aferro. Additionally, she teaches creative writing and poetry, serving as a youth developer for various community organizations, a teaching artist for NJPAC’s in School Assembly Program and a “Brick City Voice” in the Dodge Poetry Festival. She self-published her first collection of poetry, “Norky”, in 2018. She is also the organizer of an annual public art demonstration “Hug the Block” created in 2012 which brings poetry and performance art to her Newark neighborhood. In 2013, she presented her first TED talk, “Why I Hug My Block”, in conjunction with TEDxBroadStreet , an independently organized TED event fueled by the theme “Reach, Rise, and Revive,” that took place at Rutgers Business School in partnership with Newark residents. She’s a graduate of the first “Moms who Hustle” cohort in the city and a leader In the “Happy, Healthy, Whole & Paid” Accountability community online. She uses the space where words and wellness meet. Follow her ig @besthingcreated.
Sheikia S. “Purple” Norris, lyrically known as Purple Haze was born in The Bronx, NY. Currently residing in Newark, the Brick City, NJ, Purple’s performance experiences are dynamic and unforgettable! This independent international performance Emcee rocks with funk and soul to naturally connect with ease to inspiring movement, both hearts, and minds. Haze has mastered her own rich style of balancing power and substance in classrooms or boardrooms as Director of the Hip Hop Education Program at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Enthusiasts appreciate her energy, impeccable flow, and clever deliverance of truth. Acknowledgments as a trailblazer are from piloting programs at Bergen PAC, Newark Public Schools, The Grammy Museum (Newark), Hip Hop Cultural Center (Harlem), and Next Level Hip Hop Diplomacy Team India. This “Lady’s First Fund” recipient is curating transformative experiences for communities with Hip Hop art, education, and performance. Purp is a diversified talent poised for success in a host of areas.
