Ralph Remington & Laurie Cumbo in Conversation on "Penetrating Whiteness"
Join us for an evening with Laurie Cumbo and Ralph Remington in conversation on his new book Penetrating Whiteness, a powerful and timely collection of essays offering piercing insights into the realities of racism, sexism, and homophobia in our country.
At a time when America faces escalating racial tensions, the re-emergence of white nationalist movements, and growing threats to democracy, Ralph Remington's Penetrating Whiteness is an urgently needed clarion call. His essays boldly confront the uncomfortable truths about the persisting toxicity of white supremacy and systemic discrimination.
PARTICIPANTS
Ralph Remington is the Director of Cultural Affairs for the San Francisco Arts Commission, a position he has held since January 2021. In this role, he oversees the city's renowned collection of public art, grantmaking that supports art across all disciplines, gallery programs, and efforts to sustain affordable space for artists and organizations.
Remington brings extensive professional experience in arts administration and government, with a diverse background as a director, actor, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter. Prior to joining San Francisco, he served as Deputy Director for Arts and Culture for the City of Tempe, Arizona, where he had artistic responsibility for the Tempe Center for the Arts.
His career includes serving as Western Regional Director/Assistant Executive Director of Actors' Equity Association and as Director of Theater and Musical Theater for the National Endowment for the Arts. Remington is also a former Minneapolis City Council member and is the founding Producing Artistic Director of the award-winning Pillsbury House Theatre in South Minneapolis.
A former Guthrie Theater Acting Company member, Remington holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from Howard University. Born on January 2, 1963, he grew up in West Philadelphia and was a member of the first graduating class of The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts in 1980.
Under his leadership, the Arts Commission focuses on equity, diversity, and inclusion, championing San Francisco's diverse community of artists and cultural organizations.
Penetrating Whiteness is Ralph's literary debut.
Laurie Cumbo: Driven by a vision for inclusive, transformative leadership, Laurie Cumbo has consistently championed equity, innovation, and community empowerment throughout her career—from public office to cultural stewardship. As Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (2022-2026), Cumbo led the nation's most prominent public cultural funding agency. During her tenure, she negotiated the three largest cultural budgets in New York City's history, expanded public art funding, and directed major capital investments across all five boroughs. She also grew the Cultural Institutions Group to include five new organizations, spearheading the City's most prolific expansion to date.
Cumbo previously represented the 35th District in Brooklyn on the New York City Council. From 2017 to 2021, she served as Majority Leader, becoming the first African American and first woman to hold the position, and chaired the esteemed Women’s Issues Committee from 2014 to 2017. Over eight years on the Council, she authored more than 40 laws and resolutions, including the creation of the Mayor’s Office to End Gun Violence and the Mayor’s Office of Victim Services. Her legislative work advanced pay equity, doula access, breastfeeding spaces, and emergency communication for survivors of domestic violence. In addition to securing major fiscal support for education, cultural institutions, and community development, Cumbo negotiated funding to build the $250 million Major Owens Health and Wellness Community Center in Crown Heights—a defining professional and personal accomplishment.
Before entering elected office, Cumbo founded the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts in Bedford Stuyvesant. MoCADA became renowned for exhibitions confronting issues that few museums addressed, including gentrification, police brutality, homelessness, and the prison industrial complex system. Cumbo directed its evolution from concept to venue, its expansion to Fort Greene, and its 2025 move to the L10 Arts and Cultural Center in partnership with BAM, the Brooklyn Public Library, and 651 Arts.
Her background also includes nearly a decade as a graduate professor at Pratt Institute, where she mentored students pursuing careers in cultural management and helped them secure hands-on opportunities.
Born and raised in the East Flatbush community of Brooklyn, New York, Cumbo earned a B.A. in Art History from Spelman College and an M.A. in Visual Arts Administration from New York University. During her university years, she worked with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the NYU Grey Art Gallery, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Brooklyn Museum, bringing classroom lessons to life and laying the foundation for her ongoing commitment to public service and broadening access to arts and culture.
