401. Black Thoughts: An Evening With Martellus Bennett, Michael Bennett, and Jesse Hagopian

401. Black Thoughts: An Evening With Martellus Bennett, Michael Bennett, and Jesse Hagopian

From Town Hall Seattle Civics Series by Town Hall Seattle

March 5, 2026 · 1h 16m · Season 9 · Episode 401

About this episode

An evening of readings and conversation with Martellus Bennett, Michael Bennett, and Jesse Hagopian on race, creativity, and social justice.

Three voices at the intersections of art, education, and social critique come together for an evening of readings and conversation. Jesse Hagopian will share from his forthcoming book Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education, while Martellus Bennett (MR. TOMONOSHi) and Michael Bennett will read from their own works, including Black Thoughts and Things That Make White People Uncomfortable. Together, they'll engage in a wide-ranging conversation on race, creativity, justice, and liberation, offering perspectives that draw from literature, design, sport, and activism. Martellus Bennett (MR. TOMONOSHi) is a multidisciplinary author and the founder of TOMONOSHi! Publishing, the home of his ceremonial philosophy, the TOMONOSHi Gospel. His work is a celebration of the fantastical whimsy of Black life, a poetic exploration of ancestral memory, and a form of Black American Futurism. Michael Bennett is an interdisciplinary designer whose work translates the forms and languages of the African diaspora into spatial practice. His approach moves across architecture, sculpture, and furniture, engaging design through structure, material, and scale. Michael is beloved in Seattle as a…

People in this episode

Guests: Martellus Bennett, Michael Bennett, Jesse Hagopian

Topics covered

  • art
  • education
  • social critique
  • race
  • creativity
  • justice
  • liberation

Keywords

  • art
  • education
  • race
  • social critique
  • liberation
  • creativity
  • justice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TOMONOSHi! Publishing

Books & works: Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education, Black Thoughts, Things That Make White People Uncomfortable

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