Artist Spotlight- “Transforming Communities through Creativity” March 2025

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Center for Equity and Inclusion, and the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment hosted the Artist Spotlight: Transforming Communities through Creativity, featuring The Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute, on Thursday, March 27th, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM in the Student Union. Barbara Bullard, Creative Entrepreneur and President/CEO of SCCI, shared insights on how art has driven social change in urban neighborhoods.

About the SCCI:
The Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute (SCCI) has been at the forefront of art, culture, justice, and economic sustainability since 1977, launched with the official permission and participation of Congresswoman Chisholm herself. Its mission was to preserve the legacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm through initiatives developed during her public service career, integrated with 21st-century activism and innovation. SCCI aligned itself with grassroots groups and frontline communities by establishing substantive community-based partnerships, collaborations, and strategic interoperative relationships with leaders in government and mainstream organizations.

About Barbara Bullard:
Barbara Bullard was a creative entrepreneur, publicist, writer, producer, and keynote speaker who developed programs, including NGO initiatives at the United Nations and multimedia campaigns. Her commitment to inspiring through storytelling was evident in her work to preserve and amplify the legacies of social revolutionaries. She authored RELEASE + BECOME, a book featuring quotes from renowned global luminaries, aimed at restoring the integrity of the human spirit through art, words, and resources for healing emotional wounds.

Barbara was invited to speak at The Library of Congress as an entrepreneur and as President of the Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute in honor of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm—the first woman and African American to seek nomination for President of the United States. She also produced the historic visit of the Congressional Black Caucus to Brooklyn in tribute to Chisholm. A Salzburg Fellow, Barbara participated in Salzburg, Austria, in the program Civic and Civil Education: Identity, Belonging, and Education in the 21st Century.

This event was part of Critical Conversations: creating space for and educating one another about our multiple cultural contexts, activism, civil discourse, and academic engagement.