S7, Ep 063 with Tonika Lewis Johnson, MacArthur Genius and Chi-Town Artist Reimagining Reparations as Reclaiming Home, Dignity, and Neighborhoods
Tue Jan 20 2026
In this episode, MacArthur Genius and Chicago-based artist Tonika Lewis Johnson joins host Dr. Yndia for a deeply moving conversation on reparations as reclaiming home, dignity, and neighborhood life. They explore Tonika’s groundbreaking projects Unblocked Englewood and The Folded Map Project, and how she uses photography as a tool for social justice and collective memory. Tonika reflects on growing up in a household filled with artists and how that foundation shaped her commitment to community, place, and storytelling. This episode centers the power of Black neighborhoods and why honoring them is essential to maintaining thriving communities for generations to come. Production credit: @Masauko. Episode sponsored by @Give Black Alliance. Share and Follow on IG: @BelongingToBlackness_Podcast & @ProfYndia. Listen to episodes directly at: https://yndialorickwilmot.com/belonging-to-blackness/ and wherever you listen to your podcasts.
The post S7, Ep 063 with Tonika Lewis Johnson, MacArthur Genius and Chi-Town Artist Reimagining Reparations as Reclaiming Home, Dignity, and Neighborhoods first appeared on Yndia Lorick-Wilmot, PhD.
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In this episode, MacArthur Genius and Chicago-based artist Tonika Lewis Johnson joins host Dr. Yndia for a deeply moving conversation on reparations as reclaiming home, dignity, and neighborhood life. They explore Tonika’s groundbreaking projects Unblocked Englewood and The Folded Map Project, and how she uses photography as a tool for social justice and collective memory. Tonika reflects on growing up in a household filled with artists and how that foundation shaped her commitment to community, place, and storytelling. This episode centers the power of Black neighborhoods and why honoring them is essential to maintaining thriving communities for generations to come. Production credit: @Masauko. Episode sponsored by @Give Black Alliance. Share and Follow on IG: @BelongingToBlackness_Podcast & @ProfYndia. Listen to episodes directly at: https://yndialorickwilmot.com/belonging-to-blackness/ and wherever you listen to your podcasts. The post S7, Ep 063 with Tonika Lewis Johnson, MacArthur Genius and Chi-Town Artist Reimagining Reparations as Reclaiming Home, Dignity, and Neighborhoods first appeared on Yndia Lorick-Wilmot, PhD.