Seattle artist Lakema Bell’s one woman show Tell It Like It ’TIS’ took place at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center last weekend, taking audience members on a heartfelt journey through her reawakening. 

The show takes her through the depths of mental illness, the anguish of her children’s suffering, the weight of internalized racial inferiority, the quest to emerge from her mother’s shadow, and the determination to raise her own children in a manner different from her upbringing.

Bell, a dedicated community activist, dancer and instructor, choreographer, and much more, also hosted a reception after the show.

You can follow her work on instagram @loveintheskinimin and online at skiniminllc.org

Photos by Seattle photographer Susan Fried.