Ayana Haaruun is a multi-faceted media arts practitioner. A Chicago native, Ayana’s work as a filmmaker have been recognized by Women in the Director’s Chair, the Black Harvest Festival of Film and Video, and the National Black Programming Consortium. She recently worked as producer on “Hollywood Jerome” winner of the IFP/Chicago production fund award. She has also produced “Let the Bucket Down”, a documentary film about a cooperative of African American farmers, and “First We Pray” an experimental film. She is a former fellow of The American Photography Institute and has participated in numerous photography exhibitions. She is the co-author of “Ayiti 2000” a collection of documentary photographs from Haiti. A social scientist at heart, Ms. Haaruun has also worked as a media archivist at the historic Chicago Defender Newspaper, The HistoryMakers, a video oral history archive and the Center for Black Music Research. Ms. Haaruun holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Howard University and a Master of Fine Arts in Media Arts from Southern Illinois University. She is a former professor at Chicago State University and the City Colleges of Chicago. Amazwi offers Ayana the opportunity to explore many of her interests including, oral history, African cultures, photography, and empowerment through media. She plans to use her skills and experience as a teacher to assist Amazwi women in developing as graphic artists and multi-skilled journalists. Her experience in South Africa is being chronicled in a weekly column for the Chicago Defender Newspaper.
