Hollywood Assault on the Black Mind – Anthony Browder
by amun ra ~ May 11th, 2010. Filed under: Uncategorized.
Spread The Message:| ♻RE:TWEET ME
393
18
ratingsTime:
10:58
The Colour of Beauty
The Colour of Beauty is a short documentary about racial discrimination in the fashion industry. Director Elizabeth St. Philip follows a young and fiercely talented Black model, Renee Thompson, as she navigates the fashion world as a visible minority.
This film asks: Why isn’t the multi-cultural society that we live in reflected in our magazines, on billboards and on the runways of fashion shows? And who are the parties involved in this industry’s lack of diversity? Does the answer lie somewhere in the back rooms of fashion magazines or in the offices of casting directors of fashion shows? Is it something that is discussed at advertising agencies, or between designers and modelling agencies? Whatever the answer, the fact is that models of colour work less, and their chances of success are very low.
And what do you think? Work For All in partnership with Schema Magazine is launching a quest for your stories about how racism affects the world of fashion. And, we are launching a live event with our other partner The Museum of Vancouver. Find out more about this contest and event at Schema Magazine.
Racism in the Fashion Industry
While making this film, we found many examples of racism in the fashion industry. Take the L’Oreal scandal in France, where it was felt that the French woman would not be represented by a model without white skin. Or the famous “Black issue” of Italian Vogue that made headline news in 2008 and sold out in 72 hours. Some saw this as a turning point for Black models, but others considered it a poor apology for the lack of diversity at Milan’s fashion week and a token gesture to models of colour.We also wanted to show the responses to bold moves by the fashion industry to be more culturally inclusive. For example, the Sikh Model who caused a buzz among fashion professionals and the Sikh community. There are also many in the industry who actively want to change the face of fashion, like Norwayne Anderson of NAM Agency in Toronto, and Dallas Logan, an acclaimed photographer who speaks candidly about why we do not see more Black women getting the high-end campaigns.
How Does this Racism Affect Young Women?
Many questions that we asked ourselves that did not make it into this short film. Like, how do young girls of colour feel when they do not see their skin colour and their physical features celebrated as beautiful? And when we do see a non-white woman spokesperson for major product campaigns, why is she so often a singer, or actress – someone with another role in the media (e.g. Beyonce, Queen Latifah, Rihanna)?
We knew it was important to hear from the models themselves – the women working and struggling in this industry who are not getting a chance to speak for themselves. We are very proud to have talented Canadian model Renee Thompson, someone with drive and a passion for her work, be the main character of this film.
So what do you think – is there racism in the fashion industry? And in an industry that many dismiss as a frivolous and decadent, what discussion can we have around race and representation? We hope you enjoy the film.
You Can Hide, But You Can’t Run
Posted by: mark_floegel | 11 May 10 | 2 commentsNow that BP’s jury-rigged contraption to contain its massive Gulf of Mexico oil spew has failed, the company's only resort is to continue pumping massive amounts of dispersant into the water near the wellhead, in an attempt to — what exactly?
The dispersant goes by the trade name "Corexit." It's supposed to be a pun on the words "corrects it." Marine conservationist and oil spill expert Rick Steiner says “Corexit” is called “Hidez-It” by insiders because its purpose is not to correct but deceive.
Oil is toxic to marine life. Dispersant is toxic to marine life. Together, their toxicity exceeds the sum of their parts. The people running the spill response for BP are geologists, but what needs protection in the gulf is not geology, it’s biology.
Read all the latest news about the oil spill, view pics, and take action to stop the next one. One active ingredient in Corexit is 2-butoxyethanol, which in laboratory tests has been shown to reduce fertility, increase embryo deaths and increase birth defects in animals. Animals are the primary marine inhabitants of the Gulf of Mexico.
Another ingredient is propylene glycol, which you may know as anti-freeze or airplane de-icer. It has high biological oxygen demand, or BOD. This means that as it degrades in the water, it removes oxygen via biological processes. The more propylene glycol in the water, the less oxygen for plankton and fish.
In all, Corexit acts like a surfactant, the same thing that’s in your dish or laundry soap. The oil is more attracted to the surfactant than to the water it’s floating in. The oil forms globules and sinks to the bottom. This is a boon for BP, because it creates less of a photogenic oil slick on the surface of the gulf to be filmed by television news crews.
As we’ve seen in Prince William Sound in the two decades since the Exxon Valdez spill, oil that sinks to the bottom tends to be re-suspended in the water column by storms and with the frequency of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, we’ll see BP’s oil belched back up — with damage to the environment — for generations to come.
Why would anyone in their right mind pour chemicals that poison and suffocate fish into an oil spill that already threatens their lives? I think BP executives — in their long and sorry string of explosions, spills and mishaps — have demonstrated clearly that they are not in their right minds.
I’ll hazard a guess, though. The fewer dispersants you use, the more dead, oily birds and turtles you’ll have washing up on shore. The more dispersants you use, the more dead fish you’ll have — some of which will wash up on shore, many of which will sink to the bottom of the gulf and never be seen again. I imagine the PR department at BP prefers dead fish to dead birds and turtles.
If, when the lawsuits come, the plaintiff attorneys show up in court with plastic bags full of dead, oily sea birds, the jury is likely to award a bigger verdict than if the plaintiffs show up with plastic bags full of dead fish. Fish just aren’t as cute as birds. So I imagine the legal department at BP also prefers dead fish to dead birds.
Of course, what do shore birds eat? Fish and shrimp and other marine life. And if you kill a good portion of the marine life, it inevitably follows that the species that depend on that marine life for sustenance will also die. Just make sure they don’t get oily doing it.
Twenty-one years after Exxon’s huge spill, 20 of the 30 most affected wildlife species have not yet recovered.
People ask me: “Is BP doing enough?” My answer is that there is no “enough.” The tools we have to respond to oil spills are orders of magnitude too small to combat the damage they do. We can’t fix oil spills; we can only prevent them. And we can only prevent them by not drilling in the ocean.
Music Break – Tupac’s “Dear Mama” (Happy Mother’s Day)
A perfect way to end the day, I thought… thanks Joshua for the reminder! How could I forget… Happy Mother’s day folks. But please let today not be the ONLY day of the year you show appreciation for your mothers. I lost mine 8 years ago…
via shadowandact.com
Lineup for May 15th Benefit for Black Bird Press
Is Marvin X a Parable or Fable? I doubt Marvin X exists! I double doubt there is a Plato Negro!--Amiri Baraka
photo Kamau Amen RaQuite extraordinary! Who else in America publishes two and three books a year? Who else within the Black Community engages our folks daily to liberate themselves in real and cyberspace?
Congratulations! on your wondrous achievements.
--Rudolph Lewis, founding editor, Chickenbones, A Journal
The African American Museum Library
14th and Martin Luther King, Jr., downtown Oakland
presents
a benefit for Black Bird Press
celebrating the release of Marvin X's
The Wisdom of Plato Negro
Parables and FablesSaturday, May 15, 2pm
Donation for book $100.00
(one hunid)
Admission to event:
free
(give a donation)
The Linda Johnson Dancers
will perform Parable of the
Woman in the Box. Alona Clifton will read.Alona Clifton has 35 years of activism and engagement in political, social and economic grassroots efforts. Her activism centers on providing better access, opportunity, and equity to African Americans in particular and to the gre
ater community as a whole. Her desire to be involved and to be an active participant in social justice was shaped in the movements of the 1960’s during her teenage years.
Paradise is a Bay Area living legend in poetry. His selection is Parable of the Penguin.
ReedAuthor Timothy
will perform Parable
of the Pit bull. photo by
Kamau Amen Ra
August Collins will
open show. He was
recently inducted
in the the Blues
Hall of Fame and
signed with Sony.
San Francisco Bay View Newspaper writer,
professor Wanda Sabir will read Parable
of the Heart. photo by Kamau Amen RaContra Costa College. He is aDr. J. Vern Cromartie is
chair of the Sociology Department
at
Marvin X scholar and student.
Parable of the Hustler will be hiscontribution.
of San Francisco
Geoffrey Grier
Recovery Theatre will read Parable of the Poor Righteous Teacher.
Eugene Allen and Ptah Allah El will perform also.
photo by Kamau Amen Ra
Mr. James W. Sweeney
will read Parable of the
Preacher's Wife. Mr. Sweeney
is a long-time associate and adviser
to Marvin X.
Mechelle LaChaux, actress, singer, will perform Par
able of the Cell Phone along with Baron Cope.
. produces the Annual Kwanza Show in Oakland, among other produciton. He will read Parable of the Good Children.
James Moore, Jrupcoming CD The Language of Love, her originalRasheeda Sabreen will perform material from
songs with poetry read by Marvin X. Rasheedah Sabreen has been singing as long as she has been talking. She received her first acoustic guitar at the age of fifteen. Rasheedah's creative expression includes singing, acoustic and electric guitar, dancing,visual art, and short story writing.
Ramal Lamar will read Parable of the Parrot. He is a math teacher and will obtain his M.A. in Logic from Cal State U. East bay in May. He is an associate of Academy of Da Corner.
photo by Kamau Amen Ra,Charlie Walker
author, businessman,
activist will read
The Parable of what right?
photo by Kamau Amen Ra
Reginald James will read the Parable of Black Man and Block Man. Reginald James is an independent journalist. He hosts the internet radio show, The Black Hour."
is an educator/activist/actress. She will read Parable of the Woman at the Well.
Hunia Bradley
is a c0-founder of Recovery Theatre and established her own theatre in West Oakland, the Lower Bottom Playazs. Poet, playwright, director, actor, she is one of Marvin X's brightest students. Ayo will read The Parable of the Real Woman.Ayodele Nzingha
photo by Kamau Amen Ra
Malcolm Shabazz Hoover. Parable of the A Students
is his selection.Academy of Da Corner Reader's Theatre
Tentative Program
Musical interlude, Augusta Collins
Greetings, Veda Silva
Biography of Author, Carolyn Mixon
The Wisdom of Plato Negro, Introduction by Ptah Allah El
Parable of Love, Marvin X
Parable of the Heart, Wanda Sabir
Parable of the Real Woman, Ayodele Nzingha
Parable of Black Man and Block Man, Reginald James
Parable of the Woman in the Box, Alona Clifton, choreography by Linda Johnson
Parable of the Penguin, Paradise
Parable of the Hustler, J. Vern Cromartie
Parable of what right? Charlie Walker
Parable of the Poor Righteous Teacher, Geoffery Grier
Parable of the Parrot, Ramal Lamar
Musical interlude, Rashidah Sabreen and Marvin X
Parable of the City of God, Rev. George Murray
Parable of the Cell Phone, Michelle LaChaux and Baron Cope
Parable of the Rooster and the Hen, Fuad Satterfield
Parable of the Pitbull, Timothy Reed
Parable of the Preacher's Wife, James W. Sweeney
Parable of the A Students, Ramona Massey
Parable of the Good Children, James Moore, Jr.
Parable of the Donkey, Gregory Fields
Parable of the Woman at the Well, Hunia Bradley
Parable of Desirelessness, Marvin XQ and A
Book signing
Refreshments
This event is a project of the Academy of the Corner Reader's Theatre and Black Bird Press, in cooperation with San Francisco Recovery Theatre and the Lower Bottom Playaz.Thanks to the African American Museum Library, Greg Bridges of KPFA radio, Terry Collins of KPOO radio, Paul Cobb of the Oakland Post, Wanda Sabir. Thanks to the crew documenting this event: photographers Gene Hazzard and Kamau Amen Ra; videographers Ken Johnson, Adam Turner and Khalid Wajjib and Gregory Fields.
If you can't attend the benefit, please order the book from Black Bird Press, 1222 Dwight Way, Berkeley CA 94702. $100.00 or send a donation ASAP.
Once Off Flash Fiction Contest
In response to the growing popularity of flash fiction, the Dublin Review of Books is pleased to announce the opening of its Once Off Flash Fiction Contest. Entries are welcome from around the world, although all submissions must be in English.
Stories will not be limited to content or style, although there are important factors to consider before submission:
- Does the writing exercise brevity, yet still have the ability to stand on its own? Does it have a beginning, middle and end?
- Is the voice compelling? Is the writing free of clichés?
- Does the story have something to say? We are looking for literature not therapy.
In addition to a 1,000 euro grand prize, publication of the top three entries in the Dublin Review of Books will add to the portfolios of the winning writers. Final decisions will be made by authors James Ryan, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne and an appointed editor from the Dublin Review of Books.
See submission guidelines for details on eligibility and the deadline.
Work Title* Name* Address Email* * Phone Attachment*
Note: Please submit only .doc(Microsoft word) / .rtf(Rich Text Fromat) files
via drb.ie
ABC Disney’s 4th Annual Fellowship Launches
May 11, 2010 – 9:00 amIf you live in Los Angeles or thereabouts, you’ll have a chance on May 23rd to see if you’ve got what it takes to make it in Hollywood. The ABC Disney
ABC Fellowship director Frank Gonzalez
Fellowship looks all over the country for unknown talented writers to become employed full-time staff writers at ABC Disney, says a spokesperson. Here are two free steps you can take to see if you can be one of the lucky ones: Compete for the ScreenPlayLab ABC Disney Fellowship and attend a diversity outreach Q&A event that will give you a leg-up in applying for the Fellowship.
The prize is nothing to sneeze at: Winners of the ABC Disney Fellowship get $50k/year staff writer jobs at ABC
Disney. The ScreenPlayLab event is a Q&A town hall session with Disney execs and writers to give you the best chance of winning the Fellowship and to find out about other opportunities at ABC Disney and in Hollywood.If you’ve ever sent letters or made phone calls to a studio or network, you know how frustrating that can be. Chances are, no one responded. For the last four years, however, each May, the ScreenPlayLab’s outreach event allows anyone to ask ABC Disney executives in person everything they’ve ever wanted to know about how to get ahead and how to get a break at ABC
Disney, regardless of ethnicity, gender or age. “The tips and insights often reach beyond ABC Disney,” said the spokesperson. “Anyone with questions how to get ahead in Hollywood should come to this event.”Attendees will also see a sizzle reel with new shows that are under the radar, learn about ABC Disney’s outreach programs to empower unknown writers, actors, directors, and crew to break into the business and hear success stories from people who’ve done it. The event takes place on May 23 from 11 am to 1 pm at the 460-seat Majestic Crest Theatre at 1262 Westwood Blvd. in Los Angeles. Register online here.
via studiodaily.com
“Tribute to Kamau Brathwaite” Celebrating his 80th birthday
Posted by AirBourne on Apr 30th, 2010 and filed under Culture, Photo Gallery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
The National Cultural Foundation
and the National Art Gallery Committee
invites you to
A Tribute to
Kamau Brathwaite
An Art exhibition in celebration
of his 80th birthday
on May 11th 2010
by some of the leading Barbadian
Artists
The exhibition opens at the Queen’s Park Gallery on May 16th 2010 at 6.30pm
There will be a Performance by
Yvonne Weekes
of a selection of his work
The exhibition continues until June 26th
Curator: Janice Whittle
RSVP: QPG tel. #427-2345
Gallery opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10am -6pm
=======================
Poet Kamau Brathwaite reads from Born to Slow Horses
vlziegler — November 10, 2006 — Barbados-born poet Kamau Brathwaite reads from Born to Slow Horses, winner of the 2006 International Griffin Poetry Prize. Learn more at www.griffinpoetryprize.com.
>via: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbHQAK2J7NA
Wangechi Mutu on her art
May 11, 2010 · Leave a Comment
8-minute video interview with Kenyan-born, Brooklyn-based artist Wangechi Mutu, whose work focus on themes of “beauty, consumerism, colonialism, race, and gender.” In the film, made for The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, where Mutu’s work is currently on show, she also talks about her creative process.
h/t Binyavanga Wainaina