Alexis Lewis Booker

Congratulations Governor Mikie Sherrill!

MLK Day asks more of us than remembrance. It asks for honesty. It asks us to look clearly at how far we still have to go, and whether we are willing to do the work required to get there. Today, I hope we take a moment to honor Dr. King’s legacy with that kind of clarity.

Grateful for my unforgettable first visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Thank you to Shanita Brackett, Acting Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Denise Robinson Simms and Timothy Anne Burnside for such a thoughtful and generous tour. It was a privilege to spend time with Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and to learn from the leadership shaping this institution. Thank you as well to Anne Bachman for all the work behind the scenes. With appreciation to the entire team at @NMAAHC

Congratulations @CoryBooker and @AlexisLBooker .. sending you both lots of love… Jon and Dorothea

Growing up, I dreamed of dancing on every stage at the Kennedy Center. After many years, that dream came true in high school. I danced in The Velveteen Rabbit, Spirit of Kwanzaa, enrichment programs connected to The Dance Theatre of Harlem and other programming. These photos were taken during my childhood at different studios around DC and summer programs in NY, including Alvin Ailey, at a time when dance was a fundamental part of my everyday life. Looking back now, I realize how much access, mentorship, and funding made those moments possible. And right now, programs like the ones that shaped me are increasingly under threat. It breaks my heart that under our current administration and in our political climate, funding for the arts and cultural institutions has been repeatedly targeted, leaving fewer opportunities for young people to experience the same creative pathways. Arts education changes lives. Access to dance should not be a privilege. Funding the arts is investing in future generations. The White House announced that the Kennedy Center will be renamed the "Trump-Kennedy Center.” This administration isn’t just trying to change the Center’s name, it’s trying to change its spirit. The Kennedy Center was named for a leader who believed in art as a public good and understood the power of culture to reflect the full, diverse beauty of our nation. Watching that legacy be diminished is painful. Names matter. But values matter more.

so much to be thankful for.

quickly becoming a Jersey girl

fostering good energy…