by Mrinal Gokhale

Representation: the act of portraying, symbolizing, or acting on behalf of someone or something, often through images, language, or proxies.  It involves presenting reality in a specific way, such as in art, media, or political delegation, shaping how individuals and groups are understood (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). 

Years ago, I rarely saw niche spaces that celebrated minority communities, besides cultural student organizations. I could count on one hand how many Asian American peers graduated high school with me. During COVID, I wrote my first book, an anthology on South Asian mental health, which instilled in me a greater sense of diasporic pride.  That’s why I feel Ex Fabula and HYFIN’s “For the Culture” storytelling slam is a gem in the highly segregated Milwaukee and in the broader movement of spotlighting marginalized voices.

Competing Storytellers

Hosted on April 9, 2026, only BIPOC performers took the stage at Radio Milwaukee, with five of them competing for the audience’s vote, followed by two featured speakers, both veterans of the Milwaukee poetry and storytelling community. Themes focused on love, loss, grief, art, new beginnings, and sub-communities, cultures, and staples of Milwaukee. Between storytelling sets, co-hosts Kim Shine and Alea McHatten read out loud the “UltraShorts” submitted by anonymous audience members.

My favorite intro piece from Kim Shine described her life in college, dancing drunken nights away, and achieving freedom in young adulthood. Just like her, I miss college but also try to embrace the here and now, appreciating the ways I’ve grown. Her last line struck me and several in the audience, too: “I can stay this way forever, and that is frightening.”

My favorite UltraShort described an audience member attending a “white party” without knowing “white” referred to the dress code, telling the host, “Well, you can’t get whiter than this!” Another described a life of privilege, not thinking much about race until high school, due to never meeting a fellow African American peer until age 14.

  1. Megan Matthews of Radio Milwaukee brought humor and relatability with her story about “ghosting” a former prospect years ago after an awkward, funny stay at his Dallas apartment. A hot topic in Millennial and Gen Z dating culture, she introduced her piece with a poll: “How many of you ghosted someone you dated?”, leading to several hand raises in the audience.
  2. Local artist B. Wyzdom put a twist on Jim Crow, saying that although Crow reminded Americans of the places they “couldn’t be”, his father also went to war so that he could create art. His piece was part spoken word and song.
  3. Audience choice winner Shawn Mitchell, son of a Black Panther and self-described “proper radical,” served in the Navy during the time Public Enemy became prominent. He detailed a time when he was on a ship headed to the Canary Islands, but was abruptly told that Liberia broke into Civil War and that they were going to evacuate the embassy. Shawn knew his good friends may die when trying to save people, yet not one African was saved. This inspired him to give back to the culture for life.
  4. Kimani Winfield’s piece “Land of Loss” was a nod to the grim inner city of Milwaukee, detailing gun violence, drug use, Jeffrey Dahmer, the “hoe house” on Palmer, but also mentioning several local high schools, including a time Bill Cosby came to North Division telling folks to “get off welfare,” and nostalgically reminiscing about the time you could stroll through any neighborhood after dark.
  5. Kimmy Dooh was born to 18- and 20-year-old parents and had no siblings until age 16, growing up mostly alone, reading and playing outside during much of her free time. She felt her life was saved by the Boys’ and Girls’ Club Mary Ryan Branch, where she learned to type, swim, and received continuous mentorship over years.

Featured Storytellers

  1. Spoken word artist Tina Nixon’s commanding energy captivated the audience, making people laugh and think deeply at the same time.  From turning to God after losing a grandchild and seeing her daughter “breathe life again” to a baby girl under a year later, to getting entangled in mother-daughter conflict, Tina became inspired to write the book “I Think My Daughter Hates Me,” a statement made by woman she met in a workshop she hosted.
  2. Kwabena Nixon, author of Futures Not Funerals, talked about the year 1981, when the grass was green in the ghetto in Milwaukee, and when he could still play outside after the streetlights came on. He had friends and associates who died to gun violence or in prison over the years, and he found a lot of solace in writing, becoming an author of five books as an adult.

 

Photo from AfterDark: For the Culture. From left to right: emcee Kim Shine, featured tellers Kwabena Nixon and Tina Nixon, and emcee Alea McHatten.

 

Upcoming Ex Fabula events:

Deaf StorySlam: Jaw Dropping
Stories in American Sign Language of surprise, shock, and awe
Date: Sunday April 26, 2026
Time: 4:30pm doors, 5pm stories
Location: Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. (Walker’s Point), 224 W Bruce St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Cost: $12 advance / $15 at the door/ Pay-it-forward tickets available!
Tickets: https://www.exfabula.org/product/dsp-storyslam-4-26/

ALL STARS: Ancestors
Stories of those who came before you, cherished traditions, and legacies
Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
Time: 6:30pm doors, 7pm stories.
Location: Falcon Bowl, 801 E Clarke St, Milwaukee, WI 53212
Cost: $15 advance / $18 at the door / Pay-it-forward tickets available!
Tickets: https://www.exfabula.org/product/all-stars-ancestors-5-15/