
S7, Ep 063 with Tonika Lewis Johnson, MacArthur Genius and Chi-Town Artist Reimagining Reparations as Reclaiming Home, Dignity, and Neighborhoods
From Belonging to Blackness by Yndia Lorick-Wilmot, PhD
January 20, 2026 · 53 min · Season 7 · Episode 63
About this episode
Tonika Lewis Johnson discusses her artistic projects and the importance of reparations in reclaiming home and community.
In this episode, MacArthur Genius and Chicago-based artist Tonika Lewis Johnson joins host Dr. Yndia for a deeply moving conversation on reparations as reclaiming home, dignity, and neighborhood life. They explore Tonika’s groundbreaking projects Unblocked Englewood and The Folded Map Project, and how she uses photography as a tool for social justice and collective memory. Tonika reflects on growing up in a household filled with artists and how that foundation shaped her commitment to community, place, and storytelling. This episode centers the power of Black neighborhoods and why honoring them is essential to maintaining thriving communities for generations to come. Production credit: @Masauko. Episode sponsored by @Give Black Alliance. Share and Follow on IG: @BelongingToBlackness_Podcast & @ProfYndia. Listen to episodes directly at: https://yndialorickwilmot.com/belonging-to-blackness/ and wherever you listen to your podcasts. The post S7, Ep 063 with Tonika Lewis Johnson, MacArthur Genius and Chi-Town Artist Reimagining Reparations as Reclaiming Home, Dignity, and Neighborhoods first appeared on Yndia Lorick-Wilmot, PhD .
People in this episode
Hosts: Yndia, Yndia Lorick-Wilmot
Guest: Tonika Lewis Johnson
Topics covered
- reparations
- social justice
- community
- photography
- Black neighborhoods
Keywords
- MacArthur Genius
- Unblocked Englewood
- The Folded Map Project
- collective memory
Sponsors
Give Black Alliance
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Reimagining Reparations as Reclaiming Home, Dignity, and Neighborhoods, Unblocked Englewood
Places: Chicago
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