“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love
Honoring Black History Month: Yvette Trotman and Harry Waters Jr. are pioneers of love in action bring a potent conversation on Valentine’s Day, in the middle of Black History Month.
What does Love Leadership look like? CPL’s vision is “A just, inclusive, and interconnected world.” Most incentives for change are fear-based, and most of our so-called leaders are leading by fear. This we must change. This we can change.
How can Love Leadership create a new narrative?
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Harry Waters Jr.
As a Director, Harry created the role of Belize in the first production of Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes in 1991.
He is most famous for his portrayal of Marvin Berry in Back to the Future (1985) which earned him a Gold record for his rendition of "Earth Angel." Acting Credits also include numerous television guest-starring roles. He received his MFA in Directing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
As an actor, he has appeared in numerous venues around the country and in the Twin Cities. He is retiring as a full Professor and former Chair of the Theater and Dance Department at Macalester College. He was an appointed Associate Dean of the Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship. His contributions have led to assisting in redefining the mission and impact on the Macalester College community. He has directed productions of RUNAWAYS, PROOF, ANGELS IN AMERICA PART I: Millennium Approaches, THE COLORED MUSEUM, TARTUFFE, CABARET, The LARAMIE PROJECT “PROJECT”, HIP HOP HOPES, IN THE BLOOD, THE CRADLE WILL ROCK, green: a eulogy to summer, URINETOWN, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW.
He has collaborated with his son Jordon Waters and Kevin “KAOZ” Moore on AKA: Fathers/Sons, supported by a National Endowment for the Arts grant about fathers and sons talking about sexuality, sexual identity, and masculinity. During the fall of 2020, he was the co-director with Lelis Brito of a community event called “Passages: Grieving and Mourning the Fires of Lake Street”. This work engaged 35 artists to create and install their responses to the murder of George Floyd as well as the uprising across the span of Lake Street in Minneapolis.
He has worked nationally as a consultant with over 20 communities around the methods and modalities of bringing arts organizations, foundations, and civic/political entities to the table. Most recently working with the National Assembly of State Arts Administrators, he was instrumental in planning their national convening online. In addition, he is workshopping a personal piece called Hi5ve with collaborator Robert Farid Karimi.
Yvette Trotman
Yvette is inspired by her work as Board Chair of COMPAS. COMPAS has been putting creativity into the hands of Minnesotans for almost 50 years. We’re not just a non-profit arts organization; we’re a non-profit education organization that teaches through art. Our professional Teaching Artists work alongside students, teachers, older adults, hospital patients, teens, and just about any other community member to spark their imaginations and infuse their lives with creativity.
She formerly worked with the Minnesota Department of Health, Health Equity serving on a Community Board to create a health equity narrative and helped to launch a Summit designed to support America's black mothers and their babies. Similar work included the Simpson Housing Early Childhood Community Advisory Board and the Wilder Center Integrated Care High-Risk Pregnancy Initiative {ICHRP). She continues to stay active in her church community recently being ordained as a Chaplain.
As a dancer, designer, she has recently added a new form of artwork to her repertoire, a poet.
As an active member of Center for Purposeful Leadership, she is trained in the Art of Convening, a tool she currently uses in her Board related activities and when she served as Dean.
Yvette was formerly Dean of Nursing, Health Sciences, and Public Services where she managed 17 programs. I this role she served as the co-chair in the development of the Schools at the college. Some of her accomplishments included accreditation of the Nursing Program. Her programs included Law Enforcement, Sleep Technology, Addiction Counseling, Dental among others.
For over 20 years, Yvette was a faculty member at Minneapolis Community and Technical College {MCTC} in the health and biology departments teaching courses in nutrition, health-related topics, change management and stress management. She previously served as Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Anti-racism Initiatives reporting to MCTC President Phil Davis.
In her role she served on MCTC's Leadership Council and also worked closely with the Student Senate, Student Success Steering Committee and other areas of the college to support and promote the efforts of Diversity and Multicultural goals on the campus.
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