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KOFI'S FIRE: A Spark of Resistance

Blue Telescope PROJECT
KOFI'S FIRE: A Spark of Resistance by Blue Telescope

credits

Title
  • KOFI'S FIRE: A Spark of Resistance
Entrant
  • Blue Telescope

About This Project

Summary

KOFI’S FIRE: A Spark of Resistance is an interactive graphic novel that illustrates the historic uprising of 1741 in New York City from the perspective of Kofi, an enslaved dock worker accused of arson. We collaborated with Historic Hudson Valley to create this immersive educational experience for middle and high school students to spark their imaginations with a richly detailed slice of an often overlooked history and to fan the flames of curiosity when they encounter other stories.

Goals & Objectives

KOFI'S FIRE offers today's students an opportunity to engage with a rare slice of history in new and exciting ways. By combining approachable language and vibrant illustrations with elements of African folklore and Afrofuturism, we ask students to consider what else might rise from history's ashes.

Results & Impact

Kofi’s Fire frees its title character - a real enslaved man - from the margins by imagining a multi-dimensional, main-character story that’s full of humanity, agency, and life while also inviting students to reconsider the limitations of one-sided narratives and the blindspots of canonical history.

the team

Elizabeth L. Bradley
  • Vice President, Programs & Engagement
  • Historic Hudson Valley
Julia Butterfield
  • K-12 Program Coordinator
  • Historic Hudson Valley
Catalina Hannan
  • Research Librarian
  • Historic Hudson Valley
Caitlin Monaco
  • Curatorial Coordinator
  • Historic Hudson Valley
Nicole Wallace
  • Director of Education
  • Historic Hudson Valley
Rob Yasinsac
  • Program Manager, Sunnyside & Phillipsburg Manor
  • Historic Hudson Valley
Ron Cunningham
  • Senior Creative Technologist
  • Blue Telescope
Leslie Dann
  • Senior Media Experience Producer
  • Blue Telescope
Anthony DeRita
  • Creative Producer
  • Blue Telescope
William "GoodWill" Ellis
  • Creative Director
  • Blue Telescope
Velicia Gourdin
  • Lead Illustrator
  • Blue Telescope
Carly Hayter
  • Creative Software Developer
  • Blue Telescope
Deirdre Lynn Hollman
  • Graphic Novel Writer & Educational Content Consultant
  • Blue Telescope
Trent Oliver
  • Principal + Managing Director
  • Blue Telescope
Reese Patillo
  • Creative & Motion Designer
  • Blue Telescope
Kristen Williams
  • Background Illustrator, Storyboard Artist & UX Designer
  • Blue Telescope
Judith Zissman
  • Executive Creative Director
  • Blue Telescope
Dr. Hillary Chute
  • Advisor, Professor of Engilsh and Art + Design
  • Northeastern University
Courtney Grey
  • Advisor, Social Studies Teacher
  • Arlington High School
Dr. Leslie M. Harris
  • Advisor, Professor of History
  • Northwestern University
Dr. Hassan Jeffries
  • Advisor, Associate Professor of History
  • Ohio State University
Dr. Jill Lepore
  • Advisor, Professor of History
  • Harvard University
Kate Livingston
  • Advisor, Principal
  • Expose Your Museum, LLC
Dr. Michael Preston
  • Advisor, Executive Director
  • Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Dr. Diana Ramey Berry
  • Advisor, Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts
  • UC Santa Barbara
Dr. Kate Shuster
  • Advisor, Director
  • The Hard History Project
Dr. Jacqueline Simmons
  • Advisor, Senior Lecturer
  • Teachers College Columbia University
Kadiatou Tubman
  • Advisor, Director of the Junior Scholars Program, Manager of Education Programs & Outreach
  • The Schomburg Center
Kamau Ware
  • Advisor, Founder & Lead Creative
  • Black Gotham Experience
Dr. Heather A. Williams
  • Advisor, Presidential Professor of Africana Studies
  • University of Pennsylvania
With Support From
  • National Endowment for the Humanities