Blackspace

Blackspace is a hub for Afrofuturism, digital media and social entrepreneurship based in Durham at American Underground: 212 W. Main Suit 103

BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET

Blackspace founder Pierce Freelon is an Afrofuturist. Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina his parents and grandmother fed him a steady diet of Star Trek: the Next Generation, the Museum of Life and Science, and Afrocentricity. After graduating with degrees in Black Studies from UNC Chapel Hill (BA) and Syracuse University (MA), he started searching for ways to an

swer his calling to art and activism. Pierce found early success with his PBS web-series, Beat Making Lab. BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

In 2014, after several years teaching beat making and songwriting across Africa and the Caribbean, Pierce's ancestors communicated a clear message: go home. Inspired by his Grandmother's mantra "bloom where you are planted" he returned to North Carolina and opened Blackspace Chapel Hill at 179 E Franklin Street. SPACE IS THE PLACE

Blackspace provides free Pan-African centered social entrepreneurship and digital media resources for local youth. Pierce has worked with a team of Artivists to teach workshops in beat making, computer graphics, videography, radio, spoken word and puppetry - with a particular focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) curriculums. Read about BLK AGST summer camp in the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kendrick-lamar-black-lives-matter_us_55d76c60e4b08cd3359c05de

Listen to a story about "Cristo Negro" on PRI's The World: http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-02-20/panamanian-carnival-tradition-manages-make-blackface-playful-and-emancipatory

Read about 5P1N0K10 in The Indy: http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-master-puppeteer-and-familiar-emcee-pair-to-reimagine-the-story-of-pinocchio/Content?oid=4967762

DURM

After two years in Chapel Hill, Blackspace is opening a second location in Durham at American Underground. The Durham Blackspace officially launched in the Fall of 2016.

02/10/2026

Blackspace x RN Horror Collective continue Durham Youth Horror Movie Night (featuring Black leads in Horror films) with a screening of Sweetheart this Friday 9:00PM at

We’re already got over 20 kids and mentors signed up! Join us at

02/05/2026

Join us for DURHAM YOUTH HORROR MOVIE NIGHT at on Friday the 13th for a screening of Sweetheart. This event is FREE, with FREE FOOD and is especially curated for youth aged 14-24 just hit the link in our bio to sign up. Big thanks to for supporting this event!!! Shouts to the RN Horror crew .zone919

Sweetheart is Blumhouse survival horror film about Jenn (Kiersey Clemons), a woman shipwrecked on a remote tropical island who must fight for survival against a monstrous, humanoid sea creature that emerges from the ocean each night to hunt her.

01/20/2026

RN Horror Collective’s inaugural screening of Night Patrol was a hit! Join us on Friday the 13th for Sweetheart at !!

01/13/2026

Join us for DURHAM YOUTH HORROR MOVIE NIGHT at Southpoint this Saturday for a screening of Night Patrol. We will purchase tickets and snacks (while supplies last) for youth aged 14-24 just hit the link in our bio to sign up. Big thanks to for supporting this event!!!

Repost
•
Trailer For Horror Thriller ‘Night Patrol’ Starring Jermaine Fowler, RJ Cyler, YG, Flying Lotus, Nicki Micheaux, Freddie Gibbs And More Released

An LAPD officer must put aside his differences with the area’s street gangs when he discovers a local police task force is harboring a horrific secret that endangers the residents of the housing projects he grew up in. Night Patrol in theaters January 16, 2026.

The film is led by Jermaine Fowler, Justin Long, and RJ Cyler. The cast also includes Freddie Gibbs, CM Punk (Phil Brooks), YG, Flying Lotus, Nicki Micheaux, Dermot Mulroney, and Jon Oswald.

FULL STORY
https://www.blkscript.com/p/trailer-for-horror-thriller-night

01/11/2026

Blackspace x RN Horror Collective are proud to present:

Durham Youth 💀 Horror Movie Night Series

RN Horror Collective is a Black-led group of horror-movie enthusiasts founded in 2023 by adult mentors and , alongside youth leaders .zone919 and . What began as a shared screening of Talk to Me has grown into a community space for exploring Black representation, storytelling, and emotional release through horror cinema.

In partnership with , a Durham-based Afrofuturist digital makerspace, RN Horror Collective is hosting a series of chaperoned movie nights for youth aged 14-24 supported by the City of Durham Youth Leadership Fund.

Our first screening is this Saturday! Get tickets at

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026 | Time: 9:25PM
Film: Night Patrol (2026, Shutter, Rated: R)
Venue: AMC Southpoint 17
Address: 8030 Renaissance Parkway, Durham, North Carolina 27713
About the Film: Night Patrol (2025) is a horror-thriller about an LAPD officer who uncovers a dark, supernatural secret within a police task force, forcing him to team up with local gangs from his childhood projects to fight a shared, horrific enemy — featuring a Black-led main cast (Jermaine Fowler, Nicki Micheaux, Freddie Gibbs, YG and Flying Lotus).

08/29/2025

Blackspace is excited to share free tickets to the upcoming documentary screening of God Said Give Em Drum Machines: The Story of Techno from the Streets of Detroit to the World!

Dates & Times:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 – 7:00 PM (Director’s Cut)
Sunday, September 14, 2025 – 3:00 PM Matinee (Classroom Cut)
Location: Durham Arts Center, PSI Theater, Durham, NC (120 Morris St, Durham, NC 27701)
Tickets: visit our website for a link to free tix!

About the Film: From its birth in the heart of Black American communities in Detroit to its global ascent, this film goes beyond the beats to explore the untold stories, pioneering artists, and profound historical impact of a genre that reshaped modern club music.

08/28/2025

September 5th join us for the final Rowdy Summer Cypher of the season! will be on the boards making live beats and freestyle raps, VJs, and good vibes will be in abundance!! Pull up!!

08/15/2025

Join and at in Durham Sunday August 24th for our Ancestor Garden — 🌍 African drumming 🪘 and dance 💃🏿, giant ancestor puppets 🎭, make your own floral 💐 arrangements and wellness bags 🔮🪴, a community mural 🎨, hydration station 🌊 and more!! Celebrate, grieve, and be in community with us! 🙏🏾⚡️💪🏽

08/12/2025

Only TWO CYPHERS LEFT before we wrap it up for the year!! Pull up on this Friday for Rowdy Summer Cypher 📍 201 Corcoran St. by the 🐂 at 9:19PM!! Yall know what time it is! Beats, rhymes, community in honor of our fam J Rowdy and J Bow!

08/02/2025

Rowdy Summer Cypher is cancelled tonight due to rain 😢 see yall on 3rd Friday August 15th!

07/31/2025

Rowdy Summer Cypher returns this Friday August 1st 9:19PM 📍at the Bull (CCB Plaza) in downtown Durham. Celebrate Rowdy’s birthday week with beats, rhymes and good vibes every 1st and 3rd Friday all summer long!

Shouts to our incredible cypher team: .zone919 @416.official .22

07/30/2025

Happy Birthday Rowdy! We still feel your presence! We still feel your love! We still celebrate your impact! We still shed tears! We still miss your smile! We still listen to your music!

See you at the cypher on Friday big dawg! Your legacy lives on!

Address

212 W Main Street
Durham, NC
27701

Website

http://www.theblackspace.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Blackspace posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Blackspace:

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Durham?