NOMA and the Congo Square Preservation Society present the Elders Sacred Talk Series with prolific elder New Orleanians, celebrating the lives they lead while providing the opportunity for visitors to learn firsthand about the impact they’ve had on our city.

This month’s program honors Jennifer Turner and Chakula cha Jua.

Free with museum admission. Louisiana residents receive free admission to NOMA on Wednesdays courtesy of The Helis Foundation. When you arrive at NOMA, check in at the admissions desk for directions to the Lapis Center for the Arts.

About Jennifer Turner

Jennifer Turner, affectionately known as “Mama Jen,” is a community griot, an avid reader, and the longtime manager of Community Book Center, the literary hub of Black New Orleans. Born and reared in Central City on Liberty Street, Turner prides herself with studying and promulgating the history of African people in New Orleans, the nation, and the world. As a captivating storyteller, she weaves lessons that spark imagination, introspection, and a reverence for the contributions of peoples of African heritage. As the visionary of HomeFest, an annual celebration of culture and economic development on Bayou Road, she champions local Black artists and businesses. In the words of Ashé Cultural Arts Center Chief Equity Officer Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes, “Mama Jen is a reading missionary, progenitor of parables, connoisseur of information, and builder of intellect.” In 2022, the Southern University at New Orleans Center for African and African American Studies honored her with its Living Legend Award.

About Chakula cha Jua

Chakula cha Jua, an actor, playwright, poet, producer/director and educator, is a native New Orleanian and has been an active voice in the New Orleans Black community theater scene for more than fifty years. He performed and directed with the Free Southern Theater, the Congo Square Theater, the ACT I Players, Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Dillard and Xavier Universities, and his own company, the Chakula cha Jua Theater. His directorial treatment of Tom Dent’s Ritual Murder is one of his longest running productions. He has written plays for children and adults, and his poetry and essays have been published in Callaloo, The African American Review, A Bend in The River, and Word Up. A retired New Orleans Public School Talented in the Arts (Theater) teacher, cha Jua has received numerous awards including the Gambit Weekly’s Big Easy Award, the Mayor’s Arts Award, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Artie Award, and the Big Chief Donald Harrison, Sr. Excellence in Teaching Award.

About Art Thrives

NOMA’s Art Thrives initiative presents creative aging programs designed to support visitors ages 55 and up. In addition to art-making workshops, courses, and opportunities for hands-on art-making, the Elders Sacred Talk Series is a platform for older adults to share their experiences with audiences of all ages.