Michelle Browder: Reclaiming Space with Art, History, and Courageous Conversations
Artist and activist Michelle Browder will take us on a narrative journey to Montgomery, Alabama. She is the sculptor of The Mothers of Gynecology Monument Park and creator of The More Up Campus for community engagement where the dark history of Dr. J. Marion Sims’s medical experiments on enslaved women is confronted, addressed, and processed for healing.
Browder is the founder and director of I AM MORE THAN…Youth Empowerment Initiative and she operates More Than Tours, a social business that has provided educational tours for the general public and nearly 10,000 underserved youth. For 35 years, Michelle has used art, history, and courageous conversations to mentor those from marginalized communities of color through the visual arts, spoken word, and art diversion programs in juvenile detention centers in Alabama and Georgia.
Michelle Browder is a native of Denver, Colorado. At the age 7, Michelle and her family moved to rural Verbena, Alabama in the late 70’s. Michelle experienced bullying through racial bias at an early age. Out spoken as a child, Michelle began combating her attackers through physical confrontations leading to multiple suspensions. During her last suspension, Michelle’s father gave her an ultimatum, “Prison or Art.” He challenged her to seize the moment to be creative.
At the age of 13, Michelle harnessed her entrepreneurial spirit and started a hand painted T-shirt business. After graduation, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia and attended the Art Institute of Atlanta studying Graphic Design and Visual Communications.
For nearly 35 years, Michelle has used art, history, and “real talk” conversations to mentor marginalized and disfavored students through visual arts and spoken word. She has created and branded art diversion programs used by juvenile detention centers in Atlanta, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama.
Michelle’s art has been shown in galleries across the country notably the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. She has painted for Tyler Perry, Denzel Washington, and countless other stars. She opened a gallery and restaurant called PJR’S FISH AND BBQ RESTAURANT that employed high school students, returning citizens, and the homeless. Michelle has traveled across the country speaking and motivating our children to be More Than a statistic, generalization, or stereotype. She challenges all children and students to defy the odds of victimization.
Today, Michelle is the founder and director of I AM MORE THAN… Youth Empowerment Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. She owns and operates More Than Tours, a social business providing educational tours for nearly 10,000 underserved students in marginalized communities of color. Michelle’s mission is simple,“Exposing Our Children To The Truth, Will Give Them Access To A Seat At The Table.” Michelle is the artist and creator of The Mothers of Gynecology Monument Park and The More Up Campus located in downtown, Montgomery, Alabama. We’re using ART, HISTORY AND COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS TO CHANGE FALSE NARRATIVES.
