In This Moment

Christine and Nick join Jeanne Strazzabosco and Amanda Chestnut in the latest episode (Listen/Watch) of That Sounds Terrific in the (585). The guests discuss their popular In This Moment project. Chestnut and Strazzabossco are putting their hearts and souls into this series of chapbooks highlighting Black luminaries in Rochester. What started as a seed of an idea five years ago is now a full-fledged movement recognizing Black excellence in our own community.

Strazzabosco, a retired school teacher, was deeply affected by the video of the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and wanted to find a way to spotlight Black leaders in the Rochester area. She began toying with the idea of creating a book to showcase Black artists. She contacted a friend who suggested she reach out to artist and community advocate Amanda Chestnut to curate. 

“Amanda is the creative force, and she lovingly refers to me as the cat herder,” says Strazzabosco with a laugh.

Together the two developed the project that was to become In this Moment. Today more than twenty books have been published and distributed for free through schools, the library, and the website. Subjects include well-known Rochester artists and leaders such as Danielle Ponder, Almeta Whitis, Reverend Myra Brown, and more. The books focus on diverse voices within the Black community, including elders, queer individuals, and those from different economic backgrounds.

The In This Moment mission statement: 

In This Moment unveils, amplifies, and preserves the stories of contemporary Black leaders from across the Rochester area. We provide educational resources that restore and repair historic narratives that would have been lost to time. With independently published free chapbooks, ITM shares community leaders’ stories, images, and life’s dedication to uplifting our communities.

All books are created by Black writers and photographers, all are paid for their work, and the books are made available through community funding and sponsorships.

“You're not just sending us twenty bucks so you can get a book. You're sending us twenty bucks so we can put these books in the hands of black students who have never before seen someone like Joe Beard or Herb Smith and didn't know that they could grow up to be Joe Beard or Herb Smith until we put this book in their hands,” notes Chestnut when discussing public donations to In This Moment. “Know that when you give to local nonprofits, whether it's us or to the Flower City Art Center or to the Memorial Art Gallery or to [other nonprofits] you're not just paying someone's salary . . .  We're really focusing on paying our artists and producing these books and getting them into educational spaces.”

To learn more and to support In This Moment visit inthismoment585.org