“My life’s work is turning shit into rich compost.” – Taishya Adams
Welcome to our new normal!
This new year is off to a jarring start. Each day, we are confronted with another individual, government and/or corporate action designed to throw us off. These actions rattle our core and are misaligned with our values and vision for the present and the future. There is also the continued dismantling of policy, services, and programs hard fought by the freedom fighters who came before us.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the escalating violence and terror caused by federal agents throughout the country and especially in Minnesota. The execution of 9 civilians, the illegal deportation of US citizens and residents, and the horrid methods of intimidation and retaliation. More ‘foreign aid’ masking displacement, dispossession and disenfranchisement.
And yet, we know that as shit piles up and festers, composting is in order too. Yielding soils for renewed ways of being. It’s difficult to orient to this moment to compost, to imagine and to dream. Especially when we each come with different lived and learned experiences informed by surgical miseducation, lies, false idols, and erasure.
Each time we hear friends and neighbors say, “this is not the America I know,” we know how important it is to keep birthing Uprooting Qahr: Power, Privilege, and Paperwork project! We are more determined than every to push this baby out into the world with the following intended outcomes:
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Recognize the patterns of oppression, resilience, and liberation.
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Reclaim connection and relationships at the individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels of change and possibility.
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Activate strategies that allow for co-existence between humans and more than human kin in the areas of human rights, environment, education, and policy.
So as we stand before a new month, let us remember that the oppose of war is not peace, its creation.
January Highlights
In January 2025, our team has been focused on revising the script, developing new original songs, identifying musicians, securing venues and performance hosts, enhancing the member experience, and fundraising to support the film crew, performers, and other production needs. We also joined Climatique as a special guest at their open mic!
We attended the opening reception of Beit/Home: Existence and Resistance. The exhibition features works by a dozen Palestinian artists as well as four artists who have worked and exhibited in Palestine.
In partnership with the Boulder Nablus Sister City (BNSC), the exhibition raises funds to support several Therapeutic Art Programs for children including cultural heritage dance programs (Dabke), theatre, photography, drawing, painting, and much more for youth in the Old City and the four Refugee Camps of Nablus in Palestine. Procedures help to fund a new fire truck for Nablus Fire Department – one of the few in Palestine run by a municipality. The closing reception is this Friday, January 30th at 7:00 pm. Palestinian poets will join us to share their work. If you’re in town, Taishya love to connect with you there!
On Deck in February
Film. During this Black History and Futures Month, our film crew – eight16creative – will return to the editing room! We will develop the next work sample and build out a trailer of the full experience – music, film, and monologues.
Music. The music team is expanding as more original songs take shape if you are local to Boulder area and would like to join our budding chorus and band. Calling singers, piano, strings, and guitar in the Boulder, DC, and , please email taishya@mukuyucollective.com.
Monologues. Taishya is also working with her theater coach in the script and performance. These sessions with the magnificent AprilYvetteThompson and her DreamingOutLoud method are tacking the ‘whys’, the characters, and the purpose. Trimming down and out the telling and moving more into the showing.
Bookings. March is just about booked out and April is filling up! Our goal is to host a couple monthly Living Room Performance and Potlucks. We are getting excited about outdoor and backyard performances as well. If you have a great outdoor space for our performance, please fill out the ‘Become a Host’ form. Quarterly, we are seeking to host public preview performances at a theater, community center, school, or place of worship.
This has been an iterative, relational process. As modern history continues to rhyme with the past, the relevance builds and the healing deepens. Your feedback has been critical to update since our first private preview in October 2025. These sessions ensure we are telling the stories that needs to be told now.
Upcoming Public Engagements
February 25, 2026
The Ancestral New Earth Festival 6:00 pm MDT
The Ancestral New Earth Festival is a student-led gathering rooted in healing, art, Afrofuturism, and collective care. This gathering is all day (12:00 – 8:00 pm) of ceremony, creativity and community celebrating racially and ethnically diverse student excellence through healing, art and spiritual entrepreneurship. This event is part of Naropa University’s Black Futures Month. Taishya will be a special guest opening the musical performances starting at 6:00 pm. Click here to learn more.
February 27, 2026
Be !mpact Conference at CU Denver at 10:00 am MDT
This event is presented by Lincoln Hills Cares in partnership with the University of Colorado Denver. The conference provides a space for Black youth, college students, and community members to discuss and share strategies that contribute to student success. Taishya has been invited to serve as the keynote for this years conference. Click here to learn more.
March 3, 2026
Uprooting Qahr Performance at Naropa University – Nalanda Campus
We will host a free public performance of Uprooting Qahr 75 min ‘classroom edition’ as part of Naropa University’s Community Practice Day. This day honors sacred reciprocity between self and planet, between awakening and care, we are invited to remember what the Buddha knew on the night of his awakening: that the Earth bears witness. We are still confirming the time and room assignment. Once confirmed, we will share with our members first then to the listserv. Click here to join the listserv
March 8, 2026
Uprooting Qahr Performance with Earth Angles Act, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Michelle Romeo, founder of Earth Angles Act, has invited us to perform Uprooting Qahr in East Boulder. Earth Angels Act delivers direct aid and compassionate support to underrepresented individuals and families in crisis.
Earth Angel Act offers: (1) relational support to people in Gaza, (2) creative community performances and gatherings that connect us to our deep global humanity, (3) education, Awareness & Public Learning through, lectures, film discussion and other learning events, and (4) Support for young professionals in crisis regions. Registration opens next week and this organization will be one of our beneficiaries!
Online Community Spotlight
Our online Patreon community offers public, free, and paid content (e.g. behind the scenes, extended learning, interviews, reflections, and inspirations). Funds raised through paid memberships support the production team inclusive of performers, filmmakers, musicians, and administrative support. This allows us to offer free and low-cost performances to reduce any financial barriers and pay professionals a living wage.
Your contributions are critical as we work to complete this project by the end of 2026!! We’ve only just begun!!
PUBLIC POST SPOTLIGHT 1
Morning Muses: What are you uprooting in your life?
Taishya shared her reflections on the process of “uprooting” within her mind, body and spirit and how this is essential to the process of transformation and creating the Uprooting Qahr project.
PUBLIC POST SPOTLIGHT 2
We Shine Too: Nourishing Nibble
Taishya uplifted our spirits with a beautiful video from a Palestinian heritage concert that she got to see while visiting the Askar Refugee Camp in Nablus. The concert featured Dr. Nasser who is a lecturer at An-Najah National University (NNU) Faculty of Arts. He is also working on a new project that will be the first of its kind in Palestine, which will contribute in presenting the Palestinian musical and singing culture in the best way.
PUBLIC POST SPOTLIGHT 3
Reflection on Three Evils and the Dream
On MLK day, Taishya spent time reflecting on MLK’s focus on the necessary systemic change, reparations and deeper local global cooperation. Dr. King fought for collective liberation not the illusion of rugged individualism. Liberation that requires political, economic, military, and social changes that Dr. King was crystal clear about.
ROOTED MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Sneak Peek: Private Preview 11/28/25 – Music is My Sanctuary
On November 28, 2025, Taishya hosted the final private preview at the Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library. This performance brought together supporters, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and community members to provide feedback on the experience, content, performance, and direction. Thank you again for those who were able to join us on that special day and to those who continue to support us as champions, mentors, members, donors, and volunteers.
SEEDLING MEMBER’s SPOTLIGHT
Stories of Palestinian Student experiences at Israeli Checkpoints
Taishya shared photos from Nablus where she learned about the violence Palestinian University student experience daily at Israeli checkpoints on their way to and from school. During the tour, several shared the challenges for staff and students to cross check points and lockdowns as well as the lack of visiting scholars and exchange programs. The university identified and implemented a number of ways to ensure students had access through online courses as well as student support services at home and in their community.
Planting Seeds in 2026 – Become a Host or Referrer
In 2026, we are ready to take this show on the road! We are eager to bring the Uprooting Qahr experience to theaters, auditoriums, places of worship, classrooms, and nature-based venues as appropriate. If you are connected to a venue or interested in helping us get set up with medium and large sized venues for 2026, please email us at team@mukuyucollective.com
Become a host!
Frontline Organization of the Month:
Equal Justice Institute (EJI)
Uprooting Qahr includes learnings and experiences from Taishya’s heritage trip to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama. There she witnessed first hand Bryan Stephenson and the EJI commitment to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. His work has grown to include institution building in addition to the educational offerings and even a fabulous hotel! Click here to access more information and to plan a visit.
The organization also has created extensive educational reports and media. Topics include the transatlantic slave trade, segregation, lynching and the racial disparities in our criminal justice system. You can find the writings and short videos here.
Watch here
We stand on the shoulders of giants! Act accordingly.
