As we move into the last week of The Source of Self Regard, I feel myself slowing down, not out of exhaustion, but out of reverence. This exhibition has asked something of me that I’m only beginning to understand. It may take me months to fully process the observations, the heartfelt testimony, the inquiries, the moments of recognition and rupture that have unfolded since we opened on October 3rd.
This work, this gathering of images, stories, sound, and memory, has been held up not just by intention, but by people. And before we close, I want to name a few of those whose grace, labor, and presence made this possible.
First and foremost, Andreina Mijares Cisneros, who has not only been a collaborator but a doula for this endeavor, someone who knew how to usher something fragile, layered, and deeply personal into the world with care. I am endlessly grateful for your steadiness and your belief.
To Rachel, Sara Zimmerman, and the entire staff at InLiquid: thank you for the care and gracious hospitality you extend not just to me, but to artists across our community. You create space, real space for us to be held, seen, and supported. That is no small thing in a city that often overlooks its own brilliance.
To my brothers and co-conspirators; Zakee, Gianni, Al-Baseer Holly, Erlin Geffrard, Mr. Ron St. Claire, Mel D. Cole I am eternally grateful for your friendship, trust, and creativity. Each of you carries a different facet of our collective story, and bringing this constellation of visionaries into one room felt, at times, like summoning a spiritual frequency. You gave this exhibition its heartbeat.
I also want to honor the individuals whose words and vulnerability expanded the emotional terrain of this project.
Omar Clifton, thank you for the power and openness of your Medium essay, The Art of Self-Resurrection. You offered language for the soft places Black men move through, often silently, and your honesty has stayed with me.
Al-Baseer Holly, thank you for sharing your journey on WURD with me and Amadee Braxton. That conversation carried a tenderness and depth that reminded me how healing often begins in rooms where truth is spoken plainly.
And Dr. James Peterson, thank you for your generous spirit and your keen, beautifully rendered reflections in your recent piece for The Philadelphia Citizen. Your writing reminded us that regard for ourselves, for our city, for our lineages is a practice, not a posture.
To the filmmakers who widened the lens of this project: El Sawyer and Jon Kaufman at Ming Media , thank you for your generosity and the spirit with which you lent your films to this work. Your contributions deepened the emotional and narrative architecture of the exhibition.
To my frequent collaborator Li Sumpter, thank you for always meeting the work with imagination and clarity.
A special note of gratitude to Marie Alarcón, whose brilliant film Witness offered not just imagery but a resonant meditation on presence, memory, and the responsibility of truly seeing. Your work stretched the philosophical and emotional possibilities of what this exhibition could hold.
And to Tina Farris, and to my mentees Tony Chaunault and Araeia Robinson, thank you for lending your creativity, presence, and trust to the visual narrative around this project. Your energy, willingness, and curiosity helped knit together textures and moments that might otherwise have gone unseen.
As we close this chapter, I also want to honor the final gathering ; the silent reading and discussion session led by my friend and mentee Shakira King this weekend. There is something almost ceremonial about ending this journey in stillness, in community, in shared breath. Shakira, thank you for creating a space where thought becomes ritual and where self-regard becomes a collective practice.
To everyone who walked through the doors, who returned more than once, who brought children, elders, friends, questions, or quiet thank you. You made this living. You made this necessary.
There are only a few days left to experience The Source of Self Regard before it closes on November 29th. I hope to see you one more time, not just to look at the work, but to feel what we’ve been building together: a gentler, more expansive way of being with ourselves and with one another.
With deep gratitude and love,
Tayyib
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