Hey, I’m Malina – co-founder and creative director at GANGGANG. 

I’m honored to tell the origin story of BLACK: A Festival of Joy. 

In 2021, Pam Ross (then represented the Central Indiana Community Foundation), reached out to Alan and I at GANGGANG – the Indy-based arts advocacy org we’d recently launched – and said she had an idea she could not shake. She called GANGGANG because we were the ones saying to value and name the contributions of creators accurately. I cried as she was telling us her vision. It was our work to name Black people as artists. Pam coming to GANGGANG was affirming of the mission. She told us about her vision to have a family reunion style experience that was all day and that brought Black people together in the name of Joy.

The event was not to be about any one person or org, not to lift up titles or anything else but naming and behaving Black Joy. To create space for us to be who we are, safe in a narrative that centers our power.

In 100% alignment, we started the work. Nigel on our team wanted to do something impactful at Riverside Park and adopted the concept for what would become BLACK immediately. GANGGANG grew a great relationship with Indy Parks and the Parks Alliance from our previous programming of the Taggart Memorial via a performance series. Ebony Chappel was on our board at the time and was on the host committee for this idea. I remember sending a text to people like Jeff at Be Nimble saying this is going to take all of us. It was for everyone. We named it together as a committee. Pam stayed present. BLACK was grown in and through community with joy and intention.

Pam was instrumental in raising dollars to sustain the first 2 years. We leveraged our team and staff time to host meetings and to bring the vision fully to life. GANGGANG does not receive dollars to facilitate BLACK: A Festival of Joy. Instead, we raise dollars to ensure there is a dedicated person thinking about the narration of our joy and the sustainability of this festival, every day. For years, we made sure BLACK kept going as it’s important for the care of a people. 

When there was no interest in sustaining the festival from external funders, GANGGANG said we will figure it out. 

When anything happens with deadlines, logistics, artist care and more…we absorb the responsibility and accountability; which we are here for as well.

Since 2021, GANGGANG plans to continue the following:

• Backend administrative and finance work. (Being responsible for dollars and maintain books, reporting to a fiscal sponsor)
• Share in promo and marketing of BLACK: A Festival of Joy
• Fundraise anywhere from 50k-75k annually to support and maintain a project manager and festival sponsors
• Emotional labor for the sustainability of the movement and historian
• Support the foundation and evolution of BLACK as an incubated program 
• Support the committee when/as needed 

That’s the relationship between GANGGANG and BLACK – very close, very committed and here from the beginning. In love, I’d say. 

Shout out to Nigel for his leadership and purpose. And the entire super team that makes the park come more alive once a year and narrates Joy everyday. 

Mali

Advisory Board Member

BLACK: A Festival of Joy