past

49th Hour Workshop began like any other non-profit in the education space on a mission to do the impossible; we had no clue what we were getting into. This is the actual desk ( pictured above ) from Coach’s old office where we held all those workshops. Our goal was to create space for creatives who otherwise would not have the time nor opportunity to explore their creativity via artist residencies, workspaces, scholarships, arthouses, etc... It is in large thanks due to the tutelage of Bear Paw ( left ), aka Rufus Peterson, James’ great grandfather, who taught him to live an honest, giving, and authentic life and Nana ( right ), aka Anne P. Jennings, Bear Paw’s daughter, who raised James with her super-human sense of love and a hyper-focus on education. 49th Hour Workshop clearly has both of their ancestral fingerprints all over it. Take some time looking at the table collage and you’ll see.

We went left at 49th with publishing. We went right with intern coordination. Regardless of direction or accuracy, we’ve always been focused on schooling, job creation, retaining value, curating real exchange with credible story tellers, learning / unlearning, and a truth-to-light ballast of universal education ( with the humble goal of overtaking the New York Times ). 49th Hour Workshop barely got a chance to launch before we went under. “Life events,” they call them. The 2018 Inspirations Tour fundraiser to save 49th had the goal of raising $49K. We successfully raise $400. Lemon’s to lemonade, we’re still here with Wings Of Red in the world! We are consulting, coordinating, connecting, coaching, storytelling, educating, and partnering as well. No one said it would be easy. Sometimes you’re the favorite. Other times you might be the substitute runner, and the shoes don’t fit, and you might have to decide whether to run the 26.2 miles with bad sneakers or barefoot just to get your point across. Speaking of which, have you heard the Abebe Bikila story?