Two Tales of One City
Exploring story, place, memory, and belonging.
A hybrid screening and conversation featuring Sekou Coleman’s TED talk and his short film The Fabric of Downtown.
Two Tales Of One City is a hybrid screening and conversation that brings together two recent storytelling projects from Sekou Coleman: his newly released TED talk and The Fabric of Downtown, the short film created for the Asheville Downtown Association.
The event uses these two pieces as case studies for a larger body of work focused on story, place, memory, belonging, and community-rooted action. Together, they offer a window into how public storytelling can help communities understand where they have been, what they are navigating now, and what kind of future they are trying to build.
Guests can expect a welcoming community space with both in-person and virtual participation. The program will include a shared viewing of the TED talk, a screening of The Fabric of Downtown, brief reflections from Sekou on how these projects connect to his work over the past year, and an invitation to engage with upcoming efforts.
This gathering creates space for two stories, one city, and a deeper conversation about how storytelling can support memory, culture, connection, and meaningful action.
Two Tales of One City takes place on Sunday, June 7, 2026 from 6-8 p.m. at the YMI Cultural Center in Asheville, NC.
>> Watch Sekou Coleman’s TED talk.
>> Watch The Fabric of Downtown.
