Our mission

Black River Life creates art, gatherings and stories that honor global Black identity and our deep ties to land and place. Our storytelling centers migration journeys — where we come from, what we’ve overcome and how we can heal together.

We call this work narrative repair. We believe that migration stories have the power to illustrate paths out of harm into a future that’s abundant with liberation and dignity for all.

Meet the Team

  • Collette Watson

    CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    A musician and cultural organizer from the Gullah Geehee region of South Carolina. Award-winning filmmaker. Previous: Media 2070 Project, J. Walter Thompson NYC.

  • Brian Watson

    CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS

    First generation Jamaican-American by way of Plainfield, New Jersey. Award winning actor and producer, poet, photographer and community organizer. Previously: Bank of America/Merrill Lynch.

  • Lindsay Bernardez

    DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS & EVENTS

    First-generation Honduran-American by way of Harlem, New York. Artist, administrator, event specialist. Previously: The Apollo Theater, Chandler Center for the Arts.

Let’s Work Together

Our Partners

Our organizational partners are key to bringing the community’s true authentic stories to life. Past and present collaborators include Red Velvet Bakery, Tap That Downtown, Archwood Exchange, Black Lives Matter Metro Phoenix, Media 2070, Instituto, Phoenix Center for the Arts, CultureHUB, ASU Art Museum, Mountain Pointe High School Black Student Union, Talking Drum Studios, Arizona Coalition for Change, Mass Liberation Arizona, Cihuapactli Collective, Savvy Pen and Cahokia PHX.

our philosophy

Black River Life is a love letter, a loudspeaker and an exploration of the many streams of Black life. We deliver news, information, documentary films, cultural events and community gatherings that highlight the African diaspora.

We are pro-Black, pro-Queer, pro-Trans, pro-Immigrant, pro-Worker, pro-Abolition, pro-Reparations and in solidarity with all oppressed peoples around the globe.

We believe that land must be restored to its Indigenous caretakers. And we understand that achieving safe, just societies means centering those who are on the margins.

When Black people get free, we all get free.

Creating the healing environments we deserve–it’s not something any of us can do by ourselves.