Ayoka ("Ayo") Chenzira (born November 8, 1953) is an independent

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

producer, Film director,

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

, animator, writer,

experimental filmmaker Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...

, and transmedia storyteller. She is the first African American woman animator and one of a handful of Black experimental filmmakers working since the late

1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War ...

. She has earned international acclaim for her experimental, documentary, animation, and cross-genre

filmmaking Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, cast ...

productions. Her work, as well as her efforts as one of the first African American woman film educators, have led some in the press to describe her as a media activist for

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...

and challenging stereotype representations of African Americans in the mainstream media.Gateward, Frances K. "Chenzira, Ayoka." ''St. James Women Filmmakers Encyclopedia'' (1999): 74-76. ''Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text''. Web. February 7, 2016. Chenzira is most well known for her 35mm feature film ''Alma’s Rainbow'' (1993''), the drama MOTV, animated films'' ''Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People'' (1984) and Zajota & the Boogie Spirit (1989)''.'' Many of her recent works as a transmedia storyteller play with the increasingly digital media world through art that combines material objects with digital environments, and interactive films including Chenzira and her daughter HaJ's collaboration on ''HERadventure (2013)''.

Early life

Born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, Ayoka Chenzira was raised by her mother in

North Philadelphia North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as everything north of either ...

, living in the same building where her mother owned a

beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, and medical spas. Beauty treatments Massage for the body is a ...

. She grew up playing the

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

and studying

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

. Chenzira was exposed to art from a young age, including dance lessons,

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

visits as a child. Her mother made reimagined

designer clothing Designer clothing is expensive luxury clothing considered to be high quality and haute couture for the general public, made by, or carrying the label of, a well-known fashion designer. Brands Designer clothing is not always created by the foun ...

for Ayoka, and strongly encouraged her to pursue her artistic ambitions. She has been working with

moving images Moving or Movin' may refer to: Moving of goods * Relocation (personal), the process of leaving one dwelling and settling in another * Relocation of professional sports teams * Relocation (computer science) * Structure relocation Music Alb ...

since she was 17.

Education

After graduating from high school, Chenzira studied film and photography at

The College of New Rochelle The College of New Rochelle (CNR) was a private Catholic college with its main campus in New Rochelle, New York, but also in Australia, England, and Germany. It was founded as the College of St. Angela by Mother Irene Gill, OSU of the Ursuline O ...

Westchester, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

. She accomplished her M.A. degree in education at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. She received her B.F.A. degree in film production from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

, where her

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

film was ''Syvilla: They Dance To Her Drum'' (1979), "a short film that documented the African American concert dancer,

Syvilla Fort Syvilla Fort (July 3, 1917 – November 8, 1975) was an American dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher. Born in Seattle, she drew on her African-American heritage in her original dance works. American composer John Cage wrote his first piece fo ...

, who was the vital link between the

Katherine Dunham Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 – May 21, 2006) was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for ...

and

Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Center ...

periods of modern dance and who was Chenzira's dance teacher". She is the first African American to have earned her PhD in Digital Media Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Chenzira is the Division Chair of the Arts at

Spelman College Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman rece ...

and one of the first African Americans to teach film production in

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

Career

Chenzira was one of a group of young Black filmmakers who worked outside of mainstream

financing Funding is the act of providing resources to finance a need, program, or project. While this is usually in the form of money, it can also take the form of effort or time from an organization or company. Generally, this word is used when a firm use ...

and production systems for films. From 1981 to 1984, Chenzira was the programs director of the Black Filmmakers Foundation, where she helped promote and distribute black films. She was one of the first African-American women to produce a feature-length film, ''Alma's Rainbow'' (1993)''.'' In 1984, she was one of seven writer/directors selected for the

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and composers fr ...

. In the mid 1980s, Chenzira formed Red Carnelian, a New-York based production and distribution company focusing on media productions depicting life and culture of African Americans. The company has a successful production division as well as a distribution division, Black Indie Classics. Chenzira was the Chair of the Department of Media and Communication Arts at the City College of New York, where she managed programs in

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...

, film and video; she also co-created their first M.F.A in media arts production graduate program. Chenzira was an

arts administrator The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both h ...

and

lobbyist In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

for independent cinema. She was a founding board member of Production Partners in New York, a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to the visibility of African-American as well as

Hispanic and Latino American Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify a ...

films. She was key in providing support for Charles Lane’s award-winning feature ''Sidewalk Stories'' (1989). She has also served as a media panelist for the

Jerome Foundation James Jerome Hill II (March 2, 1905 – November 21, 1972) was an American filmmaker and artist known for his award-winning documentary and experimental films. Career Hill was the child of railroad executive Louis W. Hill. He was educated at Y ...

, the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, and the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell (1905–1996 ...

. Her contributions along with 14 other panelists for the Minority Task Force on

Public Television Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

resulted in the first Multicultural Public Television Fund. In the mid nineties, Chenzira was consultant to the

M-Net M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

Television of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. She taught screenwriting and directing in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

, and

. In 2001, Chenzira was invited to serve as the first William and Camille Cosby Endowed Professor in the Arts at

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. There, she created and directed the award-winning Digital Moving Image Salon (DMIS), a year-long research and documentary production course. She also created and served as director of Oral Narratives and Digital Technology, a joint venture between Spelman College and the Durham Institute of Technology (DIT) where she designed and taught documentary filmmaking primarily for Zulu students at DIT. in 2015, Chenzira's films are in several notable permanent collections including those at

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

and the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...

. She was also invited to show her early films at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

as part of a celebration of Black filmmakers titled " Tell it like it is : Black independents in New York, 1968–1986. and the touring exhibition, '' We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women 1965–1985''.

Films

''Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People'' is a 1984 satirical short film incorporating

mixed media In visual art, mixed media describes artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed. Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Materials used to create mixed media art incl ...

and animation to describe the emotional connection of Black women and their hair. Chenzira said the film was inspired by the question, "Why is

kinky hair Afro-textured hair, or kinky hair, is a human hair texture originating from sub-Saharan Africa. Each strand of this hair type grows in a tiny, angle-like helix shape. The overall effect is such that, contrasted with straight, wavy, or curly ha ...

seen as broken?" Chenzira, noted for her feminist topics, points out "self image for African-American women living in a

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

where beautiful hair is viewed as hair that blows in the wind". The pioneering short animated film tackles matters of

space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually cons ...

and

personal rights Personal rights are the rights that a person has over their own body. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Personal Rights are defined as "rights (as of personal security, personal liberty, and private property) appertaining to the person". Among pe ...

for Black women and their

bodies Bodies may refer to: * The plural of body * ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme * Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series * "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order'' * ...

.Weaver, S. Q. (2015). ''Resurrecting black beauty culture: A critical analysis of the black beauty salon through contemporary film'' (Order No. 1597097). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1712861117). The award-winning ten-minute, 16-mm color animation contrasts the hair experiences and culture of Black women against white

beauty standards Physical attractiveness is the degree to which a person's physical features are considered aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from either. There are many ...

. Chenzira depicts the salon locale as an engaging space, calling for an initiation in

scholarly The scholarly method or scholarship is the body of principles and practices used by scholars and academics to make their claims about the subject as valid and trustworthy as possible, and to make them known to the scholarly public. It is the me ...

and film discourse about Black hair culture and Black female agency. Using humor,

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

, and mixed media of magazine photographs, Chenzira examines African American beauty trends as well as issues for Black women from the early 1900s to the early 1980s. In 2018, ''Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People'' was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures added to the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and recommended for preservation. Chenzira produced and directed ''Alma's Rainbow'' in 1993, a "coming-of-age" comedy-drama about middle-class black women in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. This was one of the first 35mm feature films produced, written and directed by an African-American woman. It is one of

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...

’s top 40

home video Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...

rentals. Through the course of the film, Alma Gold, her daughter Rainbow, and Rainbow’s semi-estranged

Aunt An aunt is a woman who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent. Aunts who are related by birth are second-degree relatives. Known alternate terms include auntie or aunty. Children in other cultures and families may re ...

Ruby work to reinstate themselves and their various types of "work" with a sense of value in society, to find

happiness Happiness, in the context of mental or emotional states, is positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishing and eudaimonia. ...

in life,

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

and finances.Wright, G. W. (2008). The gravity of alma's rainbow: Problems of work and feminism in ayoka chenzira's film. ''Quarterly Review of Film and Video, XXV''(4), 296-305. The film explores the tensions and pitfalls that arise in a journey of this nature—most paths are fraught with

risk In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environm ...

, while others should not be pursued under any circumstances. Though assumptions were made about the film on the "palette of the movie’s mise en scene", "bubble gum dialogue" and "splashy costumes", the subject matter had intellectual weight in its deconstruction of roles based on

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

, and

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures ...

. Chenzira dismantles the sexist,

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

modes of patriarchy that negatively affect women's

self-image Self-image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to an objective investigation by others (height, weight, hair color, etc.), but also items that h ...

s within the working world; a struggle Black women face in "how to deprogram the ideological brainwashing they have received from the capitalist system without sacrificing the spiritual and economic success that such a system allows them access to through its lines of

power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

." Two of her films, 1979's ''Sylvilla: They Dance to her Dream'' and 1989's ''Zajota & the Boogie Spirit'', are explorations of the role of dancing in black history. ''Sylvilla'' is a documentary exploring the life of Sylvilla Fort, who was a dance, choreographer and the vital training link between the

and

. periods of dance. ''Zajota'' & the Boogie Spirit is an animated film about the path of Africans taken to America and the Caribbean. Chenzira said the film grew out of a sense that Black Americans felt discomfort at the idea of dancing well. Beginning with ''Zajota & the Boogie Spirit'', Chenzira's work began to focus more on in digital and transmedia storytelling in the 2000s. She released the first part of ''HERadventure,'' an "interactive

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

film" on her website and YouTube. Created by Chenzira and her daughter HaJ and funded by the

, the part film and part

interactive game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedback ...

has been accessible worldwide online since 2014. Her transition from film to a " transmedia storyteller" has been partly inspired by the new multitasking environments people inhabit: "parts of the story can be on a specific website while other parts can be accessed through a smartphone or on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

, Instagram, etc. If you look around most people are doing more than one thing. They’re on phone while in conversation with someone else and also looking at some other

screen Screen or Screens may refer to: Arts * Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing * Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry * Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which mul ...

. This is not the linear way of being in the world for which most people have been

trained Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

." In 2018, Chenzira began directing episodic television.

Filmography

* ''Syvilla: They Dance to Her Drum (Short)'' (1979) * ''Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy Headed People (Short)'' (1984) * ''Secret Sounds Screaming'' (Short) (1985) * ''Five Out of Five'' (Music Video) (1986) * ''On Becoming a

Woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

'' (Animation) (1986) * ''The Lure and the Lore'' (short) (1989) * ''Zajota and the Boogie Spirit'' (Short) (1990) * ''Pull Your Head to the Moon'' (TV Short) (1992) * ''Alma's Rainbow'' (1993) * ''Snowfire'' (Short) (1994) *''Sentry at the Gate: The Comedy of Jane Galvin-Lewis'' (1995) * ''In the Rivers of Mercy Angst'' (Short) (1997) * ''HERadventure'' (2014) * ''MOTV (My Own TV)'' Many of Chenzira's films today are in permanent collections including MOMA, the

and some have been translated into French and

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. Her 1984 film short ''Hair Piece'' was inducted into the 2018 class of the

Television credits

In 2018, Chenzira received a call from

Ava DuVernay Ava Marie DuVernay (; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, television producer and former film publicist. She is a recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee ...

inviting her to direct an episode of season 3

Queen Sugar Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...

(Here Beside the River). For this episode Chenzira was nominated for an NAACP Award for Best Director. Since then, she has directed the season 4 finale of Queen Sugar, and episodes of Greenleaf,

Trinkets A trinket may refer to: * A small showy piece of jewellery, such as a jewel or a ring. * Trinket Island, an island of the Nicobar Islands ** Trinket (village), a village on the island * Trinket snake, common name for '' Elaphe helena'', a species ...

Delilah Delilah ( ; , meaning "delicate";Gesenius's ''Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon'' ar, دليلة, Dalīlah; grc, label= Greek, Δαλιδά, Dalidá) is a woman mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. She is loved ...

, and

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

(2021).

Awards and honors

Black Women Animate and the Cartoon Network honored Ayoka Chenzira in 2020 with the Cultural Innovator Award. In 2019, the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

began to restore and preserve the films of Ayoka Chenzira. In 2018, her animated film, ''Hair Piece: a Flm for Nappy Headed People'' was inducted into the

. In 2018, Chenzira was nominated for an NAACP Award for her directing work on the television series, Queen Sugar. Chenzira won the 1991

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...

Innovator Award, and has been honored for her contributions to

Black cinema African American cinema is loosely classified as films made by, for, or about Black Americans. They are an example of Black film. Historically, African American films have been made with African-American casts and marketed to African-American ...

by the mayors of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Additional recognitions and honors

* Brooklyn Cultural Crossroads Achievement Award, 1981 *

Paul Robeson Award An award bestowed by the Paul Robeson Citation Award Committee of the Actors' Equity Association. Recipients * 1974: Paul Robeson * 1975: Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee * 1976: Lillian Hellman * 1977: Pete Seeger * 1978: Sam Jaffe * 1979: Harry Belafo ...

, 1984 * First Place/Cultural Affairs of National Black Programming Consortium, 1984 * Mayor's Award for Contributions to the Field —Detroit, 1987 * First Place for Animation (''Zajota, The Boogie Spirit''),

Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, Inc. (BFHFI), was founded in 1974, in Oakland, California. It supported and promoted black filmmaking, and preserved the contributions by African-American artists both before and behind the camera. It also sponso ...

, 1990 * Best Producer, National Black Programming Consortium, 1990 * Silver Apple, National Educational Film and Video Festival, 1990 * First Place, Sony Innovator Award in Media, 1991"Chenzira Is Innovator." ''Black Film Review'' 6.4 (1992): 3. ''Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text''. Web. February 7, 2016. * First Place, John Hanks Award, 1991 * First Place, Dance Screen, 1992 * Best Overall, Best Drama, Community Choice Award,

1993 *

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

Computer Distinguished Educator Award (2003)

References

External links

* http://www.ayoka.com
WOMEN MAKE MOVIES, Ayoka Chenzira
* http://www.heradventure.com * http://ayomentary.com *
Ayoka Chenzira at TEDxPeachtree 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chenzira, Ayoka 1953 births Living people African-American women writers American directors American filmmakers American producers City College of New York faculty Spelman College faculty Transmedia storytelling