‘Voices of Change: Stories from Alumni’ to highlight campus activism

By VCU News staff

A panel of Virginia Commonwealth University alumni will discuss their experiences with activism on campus and beyond at a public event, “Voices of Change: Stories from Alumni,” on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. at James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave.

The panel discussion accompanies an ongoing exhibit at Cabell Library, “Voices of Change: Student Advocacy and Action from the Archives,” which explores VCU’s history and legacy of student activism. To attend, register here.

The panel will include:

• Dale M. Brumfield (BFA 1981, Painting; MFA 2015, English) is a writer, publisher and activist. While at VCU, he was the production manager of the Commonwealth Times. Brumfield founded the publishing outfit Tidal Wave Studios and co-founded ThroTTle Magazine. In 2017, he became field director for Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. His books on independent publishing and Virginia’s penal system include “Richmond Independent Press: A History of the Underground Zine Scene” (2013) and “Closing the Slaughterhouse” (2022). In 2021, the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta awarded Brumfield the Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award for his abolition work.
• IBé Bulinda Hereford Crawley (B.A. 1981, English; M.Ed. 1988, Education) creates artist books using letterpress printing, handmade paper, clay sculptures, stitching and printmaking. She is the founder of IBé Arts Institute, a studio and gallery dedicated to creative fellowship documenting history through art. Crawley’s work is held in the collections of the British Library Treasures Gallery, Library of Congress, Library of Virginia and elsewhere. Her recognitions include an Art-in-Ed Artist’s Book Residency at the Women’s Studio Workshop, the Looks Good on Paper award from Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center, a Preservation Virginia Award and a Boundless Residency from the Minnesota Center for the Book.
• Krissi Vandenberg (B.S. 1996, Biology; M.S. 2008, Sociology) has served as the executive director of Vegan Action since 2000. She was a co-organizer of Ladyfest Richmond in 2004 and co-ran the former anarchist bookstore The 818 Space in Richmond. Vandenberg has been a conference workshop presenter at VCU, the Southern Girls convention, Women’s Empowerment Now! conference, C-Fest, Richmond Zine Fest and Girls Rock! with her zines Crucial Sisterhood and Crucial Motherhood. She also contributed a column about veganism to the Slug and Lettuce zine. Vandenberg has been vegan since 1995 and co-founded Richmond Animal Rights Network.
• C.A.P. Ward (BFA 2021, Communication Arts) is a queer Black cartoonist and illustrator working on genre stories featuring diverse characters and natural imagery. Recent works include a short story in the Ignatz-nominated “We Belong” anthology, coloring “Luminous Beings” by Jo Pimienta and David Arnold, and an upcoming collaboration with writer Alex Lupp. At VCU, Ward participated in numerous direct actions and was a member of the VCU Student Coalition and the Communication Arts Student Advisory Board.

The “Voices of Change”  discussion will be moderated by Vineeta Singh, Ph.D., program director for interdisciplinary studies. The event is hosted by VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives and co-sponsored by VCU Alumni. University Archivist Ruth Cody will emcee.