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Soul-AR Talk with CC Mercer Watson *

Enjoy a fireside chat with a gem from the Natural State, CC Mercer Watson, and learn about Black Arkansas history and how she bridges her heritage and artistry with activism.

Join us for an intimate fireside chat with CC Mercer Watson, whose work as a textile artist, actor, playwright, poet, and activist weaves together history, culture, and social justice. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Watson uses storytelling and artistry as a powerful tool for change—uplifting marginalized voices and preserving the rich, often overlooked narratives of Black Arkansas.

In this conversation, powered by Her Set Her Sound and moderated by Robyn Jordan, Watson will share how she bridges her artistry with activism, her deep connection to Black Arkansas history, and her journey as a storyteller. She will also discuss her latest book, From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair, an ode to cultural beauty and the superpowers of the kinky, curly coif!

Come experience an evening of insight, culture, and creativity as we explore the intersection of art and activism with one of Arkansas’s most dynamic voices.

CC MERCER WATSON is a magnetic gem from The Natural State. She has a kaleidoscope of talent that includes being a Textile Artist, Actor, Activist, Poet, Playwright, Published Author (A Love Story Waiting To Happen, Butterfly Typeface Publishing, 2018, and From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair, Et Alia Press, 2021), Found(her) and Executive Director of A BLACK SPACE, a nonprofit that serves and liberates Black folks through culture bearing, oral tradition, ancestral craft, design and consultation, and Lead Designer and Merchant of Mercer Textile Mercantile, a fiber business that merges farm-to-fashion and fine art which expresses current and evolving Black culture… those passions being a conduit for uplifting voices of color and making marginalized populations visible. 

She holds a BA in Theatre Arts and Dance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a graduate of the Clinton School with a Master’s in Public Service. She has performed on international stages in theatre houses, recites poetry, and she has exhibited work The Studio Accra (Accra, Ghana), SOO Visual Arts Center (Minneapolis, MN), Thea Foundation (North Little Rock, Arkansas), and at M2 Gallery (Little Rock, AR) where her visual art career is represented. A dedicated public servant, a woman of many creative talents, and the daughter of legendary late civil rights lawyer, Attorney Christopher C. Mercer, Jr., she honors the legacy of her father by using artistic mediums as a tool for empowerment, education, and radical justice.

Her maiden name, Mercer, means “a merchant in textiles” and she is a textile maven, stitching by hand thousands of hours a year. Watson, at her core, is a storyteller and keeper of culture. She is holding the belief that Arkansas can be a cultural Mecca of The South, universally unifying our history and healing, and that she can be a keeper of that story, too. In every thread of her being, she is weaving a tapestry of her ancestors, draped in Afro-futurism. Follow the odyssey at www.ccmercerwatson.com and across social media platforms @ccmercertoo. 

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