G. ASENATH ANDREWS was the principal of the Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit – an institute for high school students who were pregnant or are parents. Created in response to studies that show that the majority of teenage mothers drop out of school due to a lack of childcare assistance, this institute provides on-site child care while mothers and some fathers continue their education. Beginning in 1985, the Academy expanded to provide nursery units to serve over 200 children, ranging in age from 2 weeks to 4 years. Working to develop individuals who are well-rounded and in touch with the world around them.
GROWN IN DETROIT FILM SCREENING + SOVEREIGN EDUCATION PANEL
Grown In Detroit Film Screening + Sovereign Education Panel
Image credit: Grown In Detroit, 2009. Mascha and Manfred Poppenck.
Saturday, September 14, 5-7PM
MOCAD CAFÉ
ADMISSION: Events in MOCAD Café are free and open to the public.
Join us for an inspiring evening at the screening of “Grown in Detroit,” a powerful documentary that sheds light on the transformative urban gardening efforts led by the Catherine Ferguson Academy, a public school in Detroit dedicated to educating and empowering a unique and often overlooked population: pregnant and parenting teenagers. This film follows the journey of 300 young women, predominantly African American, as they learn the art of urban farming on the school’s farm, a space reclaimed from a former playground.
In a city where over 3,000 pregnant teenagers drop out of high school annually, this innovative high school offers a pathway to self-sufficiency, teaching these young mothers essential agricultural skills, the importance of nutrition, and the value of hard work. Through the earth’s nurturing, they discover their strength and independence, transforming their aversion to farm work into a source of pride and empowerment as they witness the tangible fruits of their labor. Following the screening, we are honored to host a panel discussion featuring three dynamic women whose work intersects with the themes explored in the film.
SHANI PETERS (b. 1981, Lansing, MI) is a multi-disciplinary artist based in New Orleans, LA. She holds a B.A. from Michigan State University and an M.F.A. from the City College of New York. Peters has presented work in the U.S. and abroad at the New Museum, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem; Seoul Art Space Geumcheon in South Korea; the National Gallery of Zimbabwe; and the Bauhaus Dessau. Selected residencies include those hosted by the Mississippi Museum of Art (MS), Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, The Laundromat Project (NY), Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (NY), and Project Row Houses (TX). Her work has been supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Creative Capital, the Rauschenberg Foundation, Rema Hort Mann Foundation, and the Joan Mitchell Foundation. Peters has served as a faculty member of The City College of New York, Pratt Institute, and Parsons School of Design. In 2016 Peters Co-Founded The Black School (TBS) with her partner Joseph Cuillier. TBS is an experimental art school using art and activism to transform social realities through Black love, healing, and self-determination. The art project turned organization is currently building a community arts center, The Black Schoolhouse, in Cuillier’s hometown of New Orleans, LA.
LAKELA BROWN (b. 1982, Detroit, MI) is from Detroit, Michigan, where she attended Detroit Public Schools and graduated from the College for Creative Studies in 2005. Brown has participated in solo and group exhibitions globally, including at Reyes | Finn, Detroit; 56 Henry, NY; Swiss Institute (SI), NY; WE BUY GOLD, NY; Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), NY; and Lars Friedrich Gallery, Berlin, and has presented a solo installation of her work at Rockefeller Center in partnership with Art Production Fund and at The Armory Show in 2023 with 56 Henry. Brown’s work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC, and Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL. This event is not just a film screening but an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about urban farming, education, and community resilience. Come and be inspired by stories of growth, both literal and metaphorical, as we explore how these efforts in Detroit can serve as a model for other cities around the world.
Related Exhibition
This program is made possible through the generous support of the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union.
