Alignment

Doors open at 1:30pm.

651 ARTS and Men At Work Healing are partnering to bring you ALIGNMENT, a community experience and care-fully curated space to ask questions, challenge ideas and share thoughts out loud.

Conceived by Men At Work Healing, ALIGNMENT addresses the perceived conflict and opposition inherent between masculine and feminine by inviting us to play with our preconceived notions through both dialogue and embodiment.

ALIGNMENT is:

• A communal environment for dynamic conversation
• A re-centering of our experience and the togetherness that is possible
• A safer space to play with what it means to be masculine and feminine.
• An invitation to flow rather than stay fixed on one side or the other.

Join us as we reconsider what it means to be masculine and/or feminine, explore new ways to be with these energies, and find new community as we play with the possibilities.

Reach out to info@651arts.org if pricing is concern that may prevent you from joining this event.

Meet the Team

Dashaun Simmons is a play enthusiast, initiated priest, certified Level 2 Reiki practitioner, copywriter, martial artist, intuitive counselor, and diviner. He approaches each of these roles—or as he likes to call them, “games”—through the lens of play, seeing it as a gateway to joy, a foundation for resilience, and a profound spiritual practice.

Through workshops and talks, Dashaun guides others in reclaiming play as a vital part of their lives, extending far beyond childhood. As a gifted listener with a deep capacity for holding space, he co-facilitates healing spaces for men as a co-founder of Men At Work Healing and the virtual collective Black Men Speak. His work also extends to supporting mindfulness meditation retreats for young people, helping them cultivate presence and self-awareness.

Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Dashaun now calls Los Angeles home, where he finds joy dancing in the park and revisiting classic video games—because, to him, play is always in session. It’s the only game in town.

Dahkil Hausif lives to empower himself and others through the passion of storytelling. Growing up traveling the world as a NYC-born military brat, Dahkil later embraced his griot birthright as a mentee of Micere Githae Mugo, a Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence in the African-American Studies Department at Syracuse University, learning to understand the power of African Orature. He has since gone on to have a successful and interesting career over the past 25 years as a commercial film editor (Beats, Verizon, Bvlgari, GMC), voice over artist (ESPN 30 for 30 “What If I Told You…”), and a writer & director (Shades of Brooklyn on HBO). Today, Dahkil’s griot practice has expanded into his capacities as a facilitator at Men At Work Healing, utilizing storytelling as a medicine for empowerment or recognizing where our story is holding us back.

Daoud Abeid actualized his lifelong attraction to spirituality and the healing arts in 2005. He has been surrounded by martial arts and healing practice since childhood, spiritual awareness was commonplace within his family and immediate surroundings. His mother first introduced him to reiki in 1991 and after years of curiosity and searching he was finally introduced to his reiki master who was visiting New York from India in 2005. Since then he has been actively working to expose people to wellness, energy healing and the philosophy that disease or health is the product of life choices. He is dedicated to inspiring people to embrace choices that reinforce healthy living. Daoud trains with indigenous south and North American Medicine people and utilizes techniques from these traditions in his healing work. Daoud is also a black belt in Kuntaw a filipino Martial art. He began training with his teacher in 1999.

Daoud is working toward normalizing spiritual and healing practices , through workshops and retreats. He feels that people are suffering from a spiritual disconnect from self and ancestors and believes that with an embrace of the traditions, wellness will be restored to many who are suffering.

Rasu Jilani is a self-described Social Sculptor, Cultural Producer, and an expert at convening people, designing cultural experiences, and building synergy around shared values and practices. His practice investigates the intersection between art, culture and innovation through the lens of equity, justice and purpose as a way of facilitating creative ecosystems. Over the last 20 years, Rasu has collaborated with over 500 creatives, 200+ startups, and 100+ non-profit organizations. He currently serves as Curator of Cultural Networks at the Lambent Foundation and is formerly the Director of Recruitment and Community Engagement at NEW INC. He also, co-founded the grassroots lifestyle brand and art collective, Coup d’Etat BROOKLYN.

Rasu’s prowess for making ontological connections between People, Purpose and Practice has elevated both his creative and personal offerings the facilitative model, ‘The Purpose Path.’ The model has inspired his clients to integrate their spiritual, professional and creative consciousness into a practical realization that allows them to move through the world powerfully and with intention.

Saadiq Anderson-Bey, MSW, LSW, has over 16 years of dedicated experience as a clinical social worker. He is deeply committed to driving positive change through my expertise in qualitative research, social justice advocacy, mitigation specialization, and mental health. Throughout his career, Saadiq has consistently demonstrated a strong track record of fostering impactful outcomes and advancing equitable and inclusive practices within the human service field. His passion lies in utilizing comprehensive clinical skills to empower individuals and communities, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.

About Men At Work Healing

Men At Work Healing is a brotherhood where we explore and reimagine manhood through the lenses of Story, Purpose, Healing, and Play.

This is where the divine masculine, awareness, and the process of self-realization are explored to become embodied.

We understand that as men this process is internal, vulnerable, and essential. We are offering a community of support to collectively guide men on a journey toward true freedom and integration.

About 651 ARTS

Since its founding in 1988, 651 ARTS has become a trusted convener of contemporary African Diasporic artistic expression, a champion and nurturer for emerging artists and their work and a vital cultural resource for its surrounding community. As it moves forward, part of 651 ARTS’ mission is to preserve the legacy of Black culture in Brooklyn, celebrate the eclecticism of Black performance and to pioneer new visions of African Diaspora artists. This year – the transition year – is integral for the institution as it continues to lay the framework that will further help to reinforce 651 ARTS’ role as a leader of African Diasporic culture while also establishing it an incubator for artistic innovation in the 21st century.