Leia Lewis, Mary Grace De Joya Vea, Isabelle De Joya Vea, Loren Demerath and Robert Trudeau: TEDx RedRiver event Tues, Jan 31, 6:30 - 8pm, CoHabitat Shreveport

Shreveport Community Drum Circle: Leia Lewis, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Ideas Worth Spreading is what TEDx is about," says John Grindley.

TEDxRedRiver: Community Building
Tues, Jan 31, 2012 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (presentation starts at 6:30 p.m.)
@ Cohabitat (610 Commerce Street Downtown)

The speakers and their presentations:

Leia Lewis Henderson, Founding Director of Sankofa Vision, Inc., will present “Sankofa is a Verb.” Henderson’s work with Sankofa’s community garden annually attracts hundreds of diverse people from north Louisiana and beyond. The organic community garden yields 100 bushels of nutritious vegetables shared among garden volunteers, low-income families, and the elderly.

Robert Trudeau, multi-media artist, blogger, teacher, music maven and author of How To Mardi Gras will present “Currying an Alternative Carnival: the Story of Blanc et Noir Marching Society” detailing his work with Shreveport-Bossier’s exceedingly diverse group, representing several of Shreveport's communities in Mardi Gras celebrations such as the Highland Parade.

Dr. Loren Demerath, sociologist at Centenary College of Louisiana is the author of the forthcoming book Explaining Culture which explores how our desire for subjective order produces culture as we collaboratively express ourselves and our realities through stories, symbols and rituals. Demarath’s talk “The Importance of Self-Expression and Interaction for Growth and Energy: A Theory and Case Study of a Community Organization" applies his theories to an analysis of the citizens organization he founded "ABetterShreveport.org.”

Dr Mary Grace De Joya Vea, cardiologist, is one of the founders of the Aseana Foundation of Shreveport. Among their works is the creation of the Asian Gardens park and annual Aseana Spring Festival.

Isabelle De Joya Vea is a Caddo Magnet High School student who has helped accelerate the activities of the Asian Studies Assoc at Magnet High.

Your RSVP at TEDx January would be a terrific addition to the prep.