Out of Africa: Early Humans
 

Studying Evolution: Mini-Essays and Sub-sections
Evolutionary Psychology

8 -- Human Evolution Made Easy

• 8 - Human Evolution Made Easy
• 9 - Human Ancestry Made Easy
• Evolution Primer #5: Did Humans Evolve?
• Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot
• Carl Sagan "Pale Blue Dot" (New Version)

• Out of Africa: The Real Eve
  The greatest journey ever undertaken left behind a trail of unanswered questions: How did our species arise and spread around the globe to become the most dominant creature on the planet?

   

• The Human Family Tree
  The Human Family Tree retraces the deepest branches of the human race to reveal interconnected stories hidden in our genes - using diverse neighbors from a single street who represent a microcosm of the world.

   

• Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey
  The Journey of Man is a documentary that talks about our evolution, our recent history, and how we came to be to the way we are today. It looks at the Y chromosome, that's passed down from male to male, and tracks the marker mutations to map our ancestors' journey. It's how we conquered the Earth in just the last 59,000 years.

   

• Journey of Mankind
  The Bradshaw Foundation, in association with Stephen Oppenheimer, presents a virtual global journey of modern man over the last 160,000 years.

   

Human Evolution News

All Non-Africans Part Neanderthal, Genetics Confirm
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Human DNA 97% Same as Orangutans
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Lost Civilization Under Persian Gulf?
Friday, December 10, 2010
Modern Humans Mature More Slowly Than Neanderthals Did, Analysis of Teeth Suggests
Monday, November 15, 2010
First humans arrived in Britain 250,000 years earlier than thought
Thursday, July 8, 2010
New Pre-Human Species Offers Evolutionary Clues
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Missing link between man and apes found
Saturday, April 3, 2010
DNA identifies new ancient human dubbed 'X-woman'
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A skull that rewrites the history of man
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Scientists Unveil Missing Link In Evolution
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
African tribe populated rest of the world
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Study shows 28,000-year-old Europeans' DNA was like ours
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Humans lived in tiny, separate bands for 100,000 years
Friday, April 25, 2008
Study says near extinction threatened people
Friday, April 25, 2008
Gene studies confirm 'out of Africa' theories
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Advanced Russian civilization found
Friday, December 28, 2007
Neanderthals trekked all the way into Siberia
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Row sparked by US tour of 3.2m-year-old Lucy skeleton
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Egyptians, not Greeks were true fathers of medicine
Monday, May 14, 2007
DNA shows Aborigines descended from Africans
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Scientists find first known human ritual
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Genetic breakthrough that reveals the differences between humans
Thursday, November 23, 2006
'Lucy's baby' found in Ethiopia
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Ancient Tomb Sheds New Light On Egyptian Colonialism
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Anthropologists Discover A 'Missing Link'
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Stone age man used dentist drill
Friday, April 7, 2006
Clues to origin of Chinese characters
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Scientists find gene that affects skin color
Friday, December 16, 2005
Bio-archaeologists pinpoint oldest northern European human activity
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Humans in England May Go Back 700,000 Years
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Ancient humans brought bottle gourds to the Americas from Asia
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Skulls in South America Tell New Migration Tale
Monday, December 12, 2005
Earliest European Farmers Left Little Genetic Mark On Modern Europe
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Human genetic diversity supports 'Out of Africa' model
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Unexpected Stone Age Find in South Africa
Friday, September 2, 2005
400,000-year-old stone tools discovered in Mazandaran
Thursday, June 9, 2005
Chinese come from Africa, just like the rest of us
Thursday, May 12, 2005
New Species of Tiny Humans Were Smart, Brain Study Reveals
Saturday, March 5, 2005
Origins of modern humans pushed back
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Ethiopian fossils show our ancestors stepped out 4.5m years ago
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Scientists find possible ancestor common to humans, great apes
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Tiny new species of human unearthed
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Growth Study Of Wild Chimpanzees Challenges Assumptions About Early Humans
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Longevity Evolved Late For Humans
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
Chimps Belong on Human Branch of Family Tree, Study Says
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Oldest human jewelery found in Africa
Monday, April 19, 2004
Fins to Limbs: New Fossil Gives Evolution Insight
Thursday, April 1, 2004
6-Million-Year-Old Hominid
Thursday, March 4, 2004
Difference Between Humans And Primates
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
New Study Shows Neanderthals Were Not Our Ancestors
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
'New World' link to Arctic find
Friday, January 2, 2004
The Earliest Known Relative Of Marsupial Mammals
Thursday, December 11, 2003
A Window On Africa's "Missing Years"
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
Baboon Studies and Complex Social Societies
Friday, November 21, 2003
Research Sheds New Light On Process Of Evolution
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Stone Tool And Bone Find Earliest Ever Excavated
Wednesday, November 5, 2003
Humans Sped to U.K. After Ice Age, Study Says
Monday, November 3, 2003
Discovery in Ethiopia sheds new light on history of man
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Evolutionary origins of laughter
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
Head lice key to clothing history
Monday, September 29, 2003
Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon hunted same prey
Monday, September 22, 2003
Earliest Modern Humans Found in Romanian Cave
Monday, September 22, 2003
When did we start talking?
Thursday, August 7, 2003
Early Hominids May Have Behaved More 'Human'
Thursday, August 7, 2003
Out of Africa
Wednesday, July 9, 2003
Regarding Neandertal Facial Length
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Oldest 'modern' human skulls found in Africa
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
When humans faced extinction
Monday, June 9, 2003
Migration Of Modern Humans
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
'Oldest sculpture' found in Morocco
Friday, May 23, 2003
Race: The Power of an Illusion
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Study: Human DNA Neanderthal-Free
Monday, May 12, 2003
Study Discovers Key To Baby-like Skin
Wednesday, May 7, 2003
Stone Toolmaking Also Done By Women
Monday, April 7, 2003
Flat-faced Man in family feud
Friday, March 28, 2003
Chimpanzees With Little Or No Human Contact Found
Friday, March 14, 2003
Oldest human footprints found
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
A New Way To Compare Genomes
Friday, February 28, 2003
Clovis People Acquitted Of Ancient Killings
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
New Age For Mungo Man, New Human History
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Is race only skin-deep?
Sunday, February 9, 2003
Earliest Fossil Evidence Of Differences Between Sexes
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Ape culture hints at earlier evolution
Thursday, January 2, 2003
Cloned animals don't look alike
Saturday, December 28, 2002
Assimilation of Archaic Humans into Modern Human Populations
Thursday, December 26, 2002
Fresh debate over human origins
Tuesday, December 24, 2002
Fossils may be 'first Europeans'
Monday, December 23, 2002
Gene Study Identifies 5 Main Human Populations
Friday, December 20, 2002
Sea Squirt DNA Sheds Light On Vertebrate Evolution
Friday, December 13, 2002
An Ancient Link to Africa Lives on in Bay of Bengal
Wednesday, December 11, 2002
New Theory For Origins Of Life On Earth
Wednesday, December 4, 2002
Human skulls are 'oldest Americans'
Tuesday, December 3, 2002
Secrets Of Feather Formation
Thursday, October 31, 2002
Overlapping Genetic and Archaeological Evidence Suggests Neolithic Migration
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Human-Specific Variety Developed When Humans, Chimps Diverged
Friday, August 2, 2002
Is Crawling babies Overrated?
Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Third and Smallest Skull Of "First Eurasians"
Friday, July 5, 2002
Genetic roots of Europe
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Neanderthal clues from mammoth find
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Prehistoric Human Footpaths Lure Archaeologists Back To Costa Rica
Thursday, May 23, 2002

Extract: Inbreeding, Incest, and the Incest Taboo: The State of Knowledge at the Turn of the Century by Arthur P. Wolf and William H. Durham (Nov 1, 2004)

Voodoo & Tignon Laws

in Louisiana

 

.
During the 19th century, Marie Leveau (d. 1881), a devoted Catholic known as the Voodoo Queen, was generally a feared figure in New Orleans. Though apparently adept with Voodoo charms & potions of all kinds, Marie's real power came from her extensive network of spies a& informants. The New Orleans elite had the careless habit of detailing their most confidential affairs to their slaves & servants, who then often reported to Marie out of respect & fear. As a result, Marie appeared to have an almost amazing knowledge of the workings of political & social power in New Orleans, which she used to build her power as a voodoo priestess.

In this portrait Marie Laveaux of New Orleans, Marie was depicted wearing a tignon. A tignon is a series of headscarves or a large piece of material tied or wrapped around the head to form a kind of turban resembling a West African gélé.

It was the mandatory headwear for Creole women in Louisiana during the Spanish colonial period, and the style was adopted throughout the Caribbean island communities as well. This headdress was required by Louisiana laws in 1785. Called the tignon laws, they prescribed appropriate public dress for females of color in colonial society, where some women of color & some white women tried to outdo each other in beauty, dress, ostentation and manners.

In an effort to maintain class distinctions in his Spanish colony at the beginning of his term, Governor Esteban Rodriguez Miró (1785 - 1791) decreed that women of color, slave or free, should cover their heads with a knotted headdress and refrain from "excessive attention to dress."

But the women, who were targets of this decree, were inventive & imaginative with years of practice. They decorated their mandated tignons, made of the finest textiles, with jewels, ribbons, & feathers to once again outshine their white counterparts.

Extramarital relationships between French & African settlers, occuring since slaves arrived in New Orleans about 1719, had evolved into an accepted social practice. The custom of freeing the children of such unions; the right of slaves to purchase their freedom; the policy of liberating enslaved workers for excellent service; and the arrival of free people of color from Haiti, Cuba & other Caribbean colonies led to the rise of a vocal free black population.

Through inheritance, military service, and a near monopoly of certain skilled trades, free blacks acquired wealth & social status.

By the time Thomas Jefferson arranged for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, New Orleans free blacks constituted nearly 20% of the city, while enslaved Africans comprised about 38% of the residents.

Women of color, slave & free, continued to wear their bright tignons well into the 19th century, and they continued to attract the attention of men regardless of class or color.

1786 Francois Beaucourt, Portrait of Servant Woman. McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

 

1796 Thomas Rowlandson. Rachel Pringle of Barbados. Published by William Holland (London, 1796); Barbados Museum.

Women of Santo Domingo in Tignons. www.slaveryimages.org, sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities & the University of Virginia Library.

Woman Wearing Red Tignon with Bag of Laundry. The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University.

19th Century Tignon Wearing Women of Color. www.slaveryimages.org, sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities & the University of Virginia Library.

 

Woman in Tignon Selling Fruits & Vegetables. The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University.

 

19th Century Mulatto Women and Tignons. www.slaveryimages.org, sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities & the University of Virginia Library.

19th Century Caribbean Island Women in Tignons. www.slaveryimages.org, sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities & the University of Virginia Library.

19th Century New Orleans Tignon.

19th Century Portrait. Historic New Orleans Collection.

1840 House Servant with Tignon. Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans.

1844 Adoph Rinck. Possibly a portrait of Marie Laveaux. University Art Museum, Lafayette, Lousiana.

  1910 Black Woman in Tignon, Ellsworth Woodward Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans.

.

 

Posted by Barbara

 

FULL AUDIO DOWNLOAD:

Questlove’s

Bonnaroo Superjam

featuring D’Angelo!!!

rlbayers / June 10, 2012

Thanks to one of my close friends we have an excellent audio recording of D’Angelo‘s first U.S. performance in 12 years! On the morning of June 10, 2012 at 12:15am central time, Questlove hosted the Bonnaroo Music Festival Superjam and the rest is history. Finally, the Soulquarians reunited after 12 years!

UNTRACKED MP3: DOWNLOAD OR LISTEN

TRACKED MP3: DOWNLOAD

16BIT FLAC: TORRENT DOWNLOAD

24BIT FLAC: TORRENT DOWNLOAD

Questlove’s Bonnaroo Superjam featuring D’Angelo & The Soulquarians
June 9, 2012 (actually 12:15am on June 10th, 2012)
Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
Source: Schoeps mk4v (DINa/FOB) > kcy > Sonosax SX-M2-LS2 > Sony M10 (24/48)
Transfer: Micro SD > Sound Studio > xACT > FLAC

THE SETLIST:
Intro >
Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) [Jimi Hendrix] (including Go Back 2 The Thing & Superman Lover [Johnny Guitar Watson] teases) >
Pride And Vanity [Ohio Players] >
Players Balling (Players Doin’ Their Own Thing) [Ohio Players]
Funky Dollar Bill [Funkadelic] >
Hit It And Quit It [Funkadelic] >
What Is And What Should Never Be [Led Zeppelin]
Babies Making Babies [Sly & The Family Stone] >
Hollywood Squares [Bootsy Collins] >
Mother’s Son [Curtis Mayfield] (including Chicken Grease tease)
Power of Soul [Band of Gypsys]
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window [The Beatles]
My Summertime Thang [The Time] >
Jam (including Fire [Ohio Players] & other teases)

THE BAND:
Questlove – drums
Kirk Douglas – guitar
James Poyser – keys
Frank Knuckles – percussion
Pino Palladino – bass
Eric Leeds – saxophone
Jesse Johnson – guitar
Kendra Foster – vocals
D’Angelo – vocals, guitar, keys

All photos (except top shot) by Questlove.

P.S. You can find Questlove’s 2005 Bonnaroo Superjam with Herbie Hancock, Pino Palladino & Lionel Loueke here.

P.S.S. If you’ve missed it, I recently featured audio downloads of D’Angelo in Paris 2012, as well as Voodoo Outtakes & Rehearsals, as well as D’Angelo North Sea Jazz Festival 2000 audio and video. Make sure you don’t miss any of those.

2012 First Book Award

~ $3500 and publication

final judge: Chad Davidson

Below are the guidelines for the 2012 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award, which will be open for entries on May 10, 2012 and close on July 7, 2012 (postmark and online submission deadline):

A first book of poems will be selected for publication from an open competition of manuscripts, in English, by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who has neither published, nor committed to publish, a volume of poetry 48 pages or more in length in an edition of over 500 copies* (individual poems may have been previously published; for the purposes of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry, a manuscript which was in whole or in part submitted as a thesis or dissertation as a requirement for the completion of a degree is considered unpublished and is eligible). Current or former students, colleagues, and close friends of the final judge, and current and former students and employees of Southern Illinois University and authors published by Southern Illinois University Press are not eligible. For questions about judging, please visit http://CrabOrchardReview.siu.edu/conpo3.html.)

The winner will receive a publication contract with Southern Illinois University Press, and will be awarded a $2000 prize. The winner will also receive $1500 as an honorarium for a reading at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

SUBMISSION PERIOD / DEADLINE: All entries must be postmarked or submitted online between May 10, 2012 and the end of July 7, 2012 (online entries will be accepted until 11:59:59 PM (CDT) on July 7, 2012). (For postal submissions since this is a postmark deadline, there is no need to send Express Mail, Fedex, or UPS. First Class or Priority Mail are preferred.) Please do not send revisions of either postal or online submissions; the winner will be given an opportunity to work with the series editor before the manuscript is delivered to SIU Press.

ENTRY FEE: $25.00 per entry for postal submissions; $28.00 per entry for online submissions through Submittable ($25.00 plus $3.00 online processing fee). Entry fees will not be refunded for manuscripts withdrawn by the author. All entrants will receive a year's subscription to CRAB ORCHARD REVIEW, beginning with the 2013 Winter/Spring CRAB ORCHARD REVIEW.

PAGE LENGTH: Manuscripts are recommended to be a minimum of 50 pages to a recommended maximum of 75 pages of original poetry.

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR POSTAL SUBMISSIONS: Manuscripts should be typewritten, single-spaced. Include a Table of Contents. No more than one poem should appear on a page. Submit two title pages for the collection. The author's name, address, and daytime phone number should appear on the first title page only. The author's name should appear nowhere else in the manuscript. An acknowledgments page listing poems previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies should be placed after the second title page. A clean photocopy is recommended, bound with a spring clip or placed in a plain file folder (no paper clips or staples please). Please do not send your only copy of the manuscript since manuscripts will not be returned, and please do not include illustrations. CRAB ORCHARD REVIEW and Southern Illinois University Press assume no responsibility for damaged or lost manuscripts.

All postal submissions must be accompanied by a $25 entry fee (check or money order). Please make your check out to "Crab Orchard Series in Poetry."

Please address postal submissions to:

Jon Tribble, Series Editor, First Book Award, Dept. of English, Mail Code 4503, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1000 Faner Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for notification of contest results. If you would like confirmation that the manuscript has been received, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard as well.

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONLINE SUBMISSIONS: Online entries should be sent through Submittable (there is an additional $3.00 processing fee for online entries, making the entry fee for each online entry $28.00). Payment for online submissions must be made online.

Please submit your file in .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .pdf, .odt, or .wpf. 12-point font, Times New Roman or Times preferred. Manuscripts should be single-spaced. Include a Table of Contents. No more than one poem should appear on a page. 

Submit a single title page with only the manuscript title in your file.

The author's name should appear nowhere in your file or in the file name.

In the place of the cover letter or biographical note in the submission process, an acknowledgments page listing poems previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies can be included, but this SHOULD NOT be included in the manuscript file.

Please name your file the first eight letters of your manuscript title, with no spaces; for example, if your manuscript was titled “A Collection of Poems,” your file would be titled “acollect” or “ACOLLECT” (either lower or upper case is fine). If your manuscript title has fewer than eight letters or uses numerals, use what you have. If you have a symbol or mark of punctuation as your title or as part of your title, spell out what it stands for and use the first eight letters of that; for example, if your manuscript was titled “Poems!,” your file would be titled “poemsexc” for “Poems exclamation point.”

All entrants submitting online through Submittable will be notified of the results via e-mail by October 1, 2012.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSION: Manuscripts may be under consideration elsewhere, but the series editor must be informed immediately if a collection is accepted for publication. Entry fees will not be refunded for manuscripts withdrawn by the author.

Entrants are not to contact the final judge under any circumstances; all questions should be directed to Jon Tribble, Series Editor of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry.

E-MAIL: jtribble@siu.edu (e-mail preferred)

PHONE: 618-453-6833

 

Home

View Your Submissions

Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award - Deadline July 7, 2012 - $28.00

Size limit: 1 Mss. Entry; 50 - 75 pages (recommended)

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONLINE SUBMISSIONS: Online entries should be sent through Submittable (there is an additional $3.00 processing fee for online entries, making the entry fee for each online entry $28.00). Payment for online submissions must be made online.

Please submit your file in .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .pdf, .odt, or .wpf. 12-point font, Times New Roman or Times preferred. Manuscripts should be single-spaced. Include a Table of Contents. No more than one poem should appear on a page. 

Submit a single title page with only the manuscript title in your file.

The author's name should appear nowhere in your file or in the file name.

In the place of the cover letter or biographical note in the submission process, an acknowledgments page listing poems previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies can be included, but this SHOULD NOT be included in the manuscript file.

Please name your file the first eight letters of your manuscript title, with no spaces; for example, if your manuscript was titled “A Collection of Poems,” your file would be titled “acollect” or “ACOLLECT” (either lower or upper case is fine). If your manuscript title has fewer than eight letters or uses numerals, use what you have. If you have a symbol or mark of punctuation as your title or as part of your title, spell out what it stands for and use the first eight letters of that; for example, if your manuscript was titled “Poems!,” your file would be titled “poemsexc” for “Poems exclamation point.”

All entrants submitting online through Submittable will be notified of the results via e-mail by October 1, 2012.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSION: Manuscripts may be under consideration elsewhere, but the series editor must be informed immediately if a collection is accepted for publication. Entry fees will not be refunded for manuscripts withdrawn by the author.

 

Submit

The 3rd Annual New Media

Writing Prize (worldwide)

Deadline: 11 October 2012

The Media School at Bournemouth University is delighted to announce the 3rd annual prize for new media writing. The prize encourages new media writers working to showcase their skills, and aims to provoke discussion and raise awareness of new media writing, the future of the 'written' word and storytelling.

WHO CAN APPLY

Anyone can apply! Whether you’re a student, a professional, an artist, a writer, a Flash designer or an enthusiast, the competition is open to all. It's also an international competition, open to all outside the UK. For Competitions Rules click here.

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

There are three categories/prizes -

• Overall Winner
• Student Winner (laptop)
• People's Choice (iPad 2)

There will also be substantial media coverage of the Award, and winners will be given full acknowledgement in all press releases and related material.

WHEN IS THE DEADLINE?

Midday on Friday Oct 5th (GMT) Shortlisted entrants will be invited to the awards ceremony on Weds November 21st 2012. Winners will be announced then.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are looking for good storytelling (fiction or non-fiction) written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the web, or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, documentary or poem using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction.

We are looking for creativity, so try to be imaginative to create an engaging story i.e. combining any number of media elements, such as words on a screen combined with images and video clips. New media writing can be created using a variety of tools i.e. a word processor, DV camera, social networking tools (i.e. Twitter), mobile phone/s, a scanner – anything goes!

WHAT ARE WE NOT LOOKING FOR?

We are not looking for a story/poem which you can upload to a web page or place on a disc.
We are not looking for screens of words uploaded to your blog and we are not looking for a slideshow of photos uploaded to Flickr or a video uploaded to YouTube.

WHAT ARE THE JUDGING CRITERIA?

The judges will be looking for the following:

• Innovative use of new media to create an engaging, satisfying narrative or poem
• Ease of accessibility for the reader/viewer
• Effective use of interactive elements
• An example of how new media can do things traditional media can't
• The potential to reach out to an wide audience, i.e. not just specialist interest groups

COMPETITION RULES

1. These terms and conditions are the competition rules (the “Rules”). By entering into the competition (the “Competition”), the entrants agree to be bound by these Rules. Failure by an entrant to comply with the Rules will result in his/her entry being disqualified.

2. The Competition is organised by Bournemouth University Higher Education Corporation (“BU”) through The Media School.

3. The objective of this Competition is to reward the best new media work based on the following criteria:

• innovative use of new media to create an engaging, satisfying narrative or poem;
• ease of accessibility for the reader/viewer;
• effective use of interactive elements;
• an example of how new media can do things that traditional media cannot do;
• the potential to reach out to a wide audience, i.e. not just specialist interest groups.

4. BU will award the following two prizes:

• Best Student New Media Writing Prize: a laptop donated by Adido, where the winner is a student who satisfies point d. of clause 7;
• Best New Media Writing Prize: an iPad 2. The winner of this prize can also be a winner of the Best Student New Media Writing Prize.

5. The Competition is free and open to any person whatever his/her age or nationality.

6. To submit his/her entry each entrant must do the following by Monday 31st October 2011, 12 pm :

• send an email to submissions@newmediawritingprize.co.uk including the valid URL address of the entrant’s work for entries accessible on the Internet; or
• send an email to submissions@newmediawritingprize.co.uk including the explanation of how the panel can access the entrant’s work for entries which can only be viewed on a mobile phone or another electronic device; and
• supply the information listed in clause 7 below.

It is possible for one person to submit more than one entry provided each entry is submitted separately. It is possible for several persons to submit a joint entry provided one entrant is identified as the main contact.

7. Each entry should contain the following information within the text of the entry email:
title of the work;

• entrant’s contact details: name, email address, telephone number and postal address. For joint entries, all entrants’ contact details must be provided with identification of the main entrant for contact purposes;
• entrant’s short autobiography (50-100 words). For joint entries, all entrants must provide their autobiographies;
• entrants who wish to submit a work for the Best Student New Media Writing Prize must provide a proof of identity which should be displayed in the body of the entry email, e.g. a scan copy of the entrant’s Student Union ID card or university enrolment number, so that the entrant’s student status can be verified by BU;

No attachments will be accepted. The email may contain links but may not contain footnotes or formatted text.

8. All work entered in the Competition must be original material. The copyright in such work remains with the entrant(s). Each entrant agrees to grant BU a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use his/her submitted work in BU’s corporate publications, on the BU website and new media writing partners' websites, in BU’s advertising and marketing materials and for display purposes.

9. Each entrant hereby warrants that the work which (s)he submits for this Competition does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party and BU reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who has submitted a work which, in BU’s opinion, constitutes a potential or actual infringement of third parties’ rights.

10. BU will acknowledge receipt of each entry by email. The entries will be reviewed by a panel consisting of BU, Andy Campbell (digital writer and designer), Sophie Rochester (editor at The Literary Platform website), and Christine Wilks (2010 prize overall winner). BU will not read any email from entrants nor will it send any email to entrants during the review period. BU will notify entrants if they have been shortlisted by a further email within two weeks of the last date of submission (31st October 2011). Shortlisted entries will be showcased at BU’s premises during the week of the BU Awards Ceremony on Wednesday 23rd November 2011. Winners will be announced as part of the BU Awards Ceremony. The winning entries will be featured in the high profile new media web-hub, The Literary Platform.

11. Entrants hereby agree that participating in this Competition does not imply nor can it be construed as creating any obligation for BU to enter into any undertaking with any entrants in the future.

12. BU does not accept any liability for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrants as a result of participating in the Competition or being selected. BU does not exclude its liability for death or personal injury as a result of its negligence.

13. The personal information entrants provide to BU when entering the Competition will only be used by BU in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and BU will not disclose it to third parties other than the non-BU members of the panel as named in clause 10.

14. BU reserves the right to mention the entrants’ names in relation with this Competition and all entrants agree to take part in any publicity or promotion that may be organised by BU in relation with this Competition whether or not their work has been selected under clause 10.

15. BU reserves the right to cancel or amend the Competition or these Rules at any time if deemed necessary in BU’s opinion or in the case of circumstances arising outside of BU’s control upon prior written notice to all entrants.

16. In the event of any disputes regarding these Rules, the Competition process, the results and all other matters relating to the Competition, the decision of BU shall be final and conclusive.

17. The Competition and the Rules shall be subject to and governed by English law and any disputes arising from or under them shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

18. Entrants can contact BU at: jpope@bournemouth.ac.uk

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: jpope@bournemouth.ac.uk

For submissions: submissions@newmediawritingprize.co.uk

Website: http://www.newmediawritingprize.co.uk

 

Brian Jones

Still Separate, Still Unequal:

Racism, Class

and the Attack on

Public Education,

with Brian Jones

by N Alexander  

<p>Still Separate, Still Unequal: Racism, Class and the Attack on Public Education, with Brian Jones from N Alexander on Vimeo.</p>

Public education is under an unprecedented attack. The powerful people who want to privatize our schools are using many different means: charter schools, mayoral control, high stakes standardized testing, school closures, merit pay and attacking teacher unions are all a part of this assault. Often, these "reformers" claim that the sweeping changes they want will bring genuine educational justice for communities that have long been underserved -- especially for African American families. But will privatization actually create racial justice? Or will it exacerbate the problem? Will these "reforms" strengthen the educational rights of students and parents, or weaken them? Will turning education over to the free market lead to less segregated schools, or more so? Who is behind the effort to privatize education and why are they pursuing these changes? Is there an alternative way to reform our public schools? Come to a discussion of these and other urgent questions with NYC public school teacher and activist, Brian Jones.

Brian Jones is a teacher, actor, and activist in New York City. He is the co-narrator of the film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman, and a contributing author to the new book, Education and Capitalism: Struggles for Learning and Liberation (March 2012, Haymarket Books).

Celebrating the diversity of Nigerian culture

June 13, 2012

30 Nigeria House is part of the London 2012 Festival bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK. As the world looks to Stratford during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Theatre Royal Stratford East continues its commitment to new writing and new artists by creating an international platform, seeking original ideas from artists from the UK and abroad and throughout the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

Celebrating the diversity of Nigerian culture 30 Nigeria House aims to assist emerging and existing UK-based artists of Nigerian descent and artists residing in Nigeria in developing a new piece of work through an award of £3,000 each.

 

The chosen 30 will attend the launch of the Nigeria Hospitality House (Nigeria House) for the London 2012 Olympic Games and 8 of these artists will participate in an event to share their work as part ofNigeria House, which is located at the theatre in August.

 

30 Nigeria House is looking for fresh and dynamic new voices, working in the performing arts. Submissions are welcomed from the art forms of theatre, dance, film animation, poetry, spoken word, and music.

 

30 Nigeria House also reflects Nigeria’s recognition of its talented people and aspirations to develop the Creative Industries in Nigeria, which are strongly emerging sectors

 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS

 

18 JUNE 2012

 

5PM

 

For more information: 

  

Jo Melville 

30 Nigeria House Project 

jo.melville@virginmedia.com

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

30 Black Women Bloggers

You Should Know in 2012

Posted by For Harriet  

Finally, it seems Black women bloggers are getting the due respect they deserve. You'll find them in major publications, on national television, at conferences across the country. Their voices reach across platforms. These women show the world breadth of our knowledge with their pointed, thoughtful commentary. This year, we've assembled a brand new list of women of African descent who share their voices online. Thought many of the women maintain their own blogs, some do not. They each use the digital space to facilitate diverse dialogues about our womanhood and our interests.

Jasmine Crowe of Black Celebrity Giving - Celebrity gossip blogging is big business, but Jasmine built a thriving audience around highlighting stars giving back to their communities. Black Celebrity Giving provides a much needed alternative to the drama and arrests we're used to seeing from celebrity coverage. In addition to covering celebrity philanthropy, BCG regularly covers missing Black men and women.

 

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J. Danielle of Player Perspective - In a world where women's sports knowledge is questioned ad nauseum, J Danielle skillfully dissects the every aspect of professional sports from a fresh viewpoint. She's quickly become one of few prominent women of color in the white-male dominated world of sports blogging.

 

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Mattie James of Mattieologie - Mattie shares the life through the lens of fashion. In every post, her personality and charm shine through. But Mattie is more than a fabulous clothes horse, the savvy fashion writer organized the Style Bloggers of Color community and conference bringing men and women of color across the country together to discuss their passion.

 

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Tai Goodwin of Launch While Working - Tai Goodwin transformed her career, now she's guiding aspiring entrepreneurs to job freedom. Her blog is a collection of helpful tips and advice for those who wish to start a business while maintaining full-time employment.

 

 

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Jamie Fleming-Dixon of For Colored Gurls - Jamie uses her gift for words to create a space that provides a steady stream of diverse content dedicated to inspiring and uplifting Black women. FCG leaves no topic left uncovered. No matter what your age or station in life, you'll find something that touches you.

 

 

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Taren Guy of Taren916- It seems everyone's a beauty expert these days, but we trust Taren to give us the real deal. Hair and makeup are her specialty; however, you'll find much more on her Youtube channel. Fall in love with her infectious personality and stirring insights.

 

 

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Lutze of The Feminist Griote - Feminism comes in many shades. Thankfully we have bloggers willing to explore the intricacies of feminist theory in public. Lutze melds critical feminist analysis of culture and events with personal commentary.We're thankful for her voice.

 

 

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Kimberly Allers of Mocha Manual - Kimberly's blog is a prime destination for Moms of Color who wish to share open, honest views on pregnancy and parenting. She and her cohort broaden important discussions that too often exclude Black women. She's also written a series of books about her parenting journey.

 

 

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Nicole Clark of Nicole Clark, MSW - Too often conversations about Black womens' sexuality are steeped in shame and colored with fear. Nicole Clark opens up the dialogue with factual information and nuanced analysis. With every post, this sex educator works to mobilize Black women to take control of our bodies.

 

 

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Ginger of Girls Just Wanna Have Funds - Ginger's a wealth of financial knowledge, and she's helping women better understand the often confusing ins and outs of personal finance. From the basics and beyond, her easy-to-understand is a great guide for women looking to better manage their money.

 

 

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of the series! What do you think of the list so far?

Mutua Matheka and the

Cityscapes of Nairobi

June 7, 2012 By Emily Wood 

Mutua Matheka is a young Kenyan photographer who has taken it upon himself to re-visualize the city of Nairobi through the lens of the camera. To him, Nairobi has been ill abused by contemporary photographers who have only ventured to show it through the worst depictions of itself, its growing poverty, slums, and eroded infrastructure, “All we have are pictures that do not do the city any good and people, used to seeing them every day, start believing that that is all Nairobi has to offer” (Daily Nation). And this is the platform on which Matheka’s work stands. He has taken hold of the idea that photography extends beyond mere aesthetics, and can even shape and affect our own sense of self. His aim is to instil in Kenyans, and eventually all Africans, pride in their cities and pride in their place within them.

Matheka’s photography of Nairobi’s urban-scape envisions the city on both approximations of scale: the very minute and detailed versus the monolithic and sprawling, the latter a visual testament to its thriving, absent populace. His focus on light, both soft morning glows and, the more striking, vibrant pulsations of night capture the city’s various moods, energies, and activities that correspond to its inhabitants. While his signature twinkling night lights act as beacons of the metropolis, and signals of industry.

However, the presence of digital remastering within Matheka’s work complicates the reading of his images. With the introduction of digital manipulation, Roland Barthes’s idea (read: Camera Lucida) that the photograph marks an irrefutable place in time becomes more malleable. In Geoffrey Batchen’s estimate, “Digital images are in time, but not of time.” Thus Matheka’s photographs, while marking the historical (now contemporary) presence of Nairobi, they do so beyond the realm of objective reality. Shirley Jordan brings our attention to Regis Durand’s criticisms of ‘photographic excess’ in urban depictions. Photographic excess is brought on by “ocular experiments, which puncture our idea of the real and do violence to any simple idea of representation.” Matheka’s panoramas of Nairobi’s skyline, reworked in Photoshop to provide the viewer with an impossible 200° view, and taken from improbable vantage points, strip away human scale and puncture reality. His wide angles, depth of recession, and focus on the monumentality of his subject dissolve any sense of individual connection with his photographs of the urban sprawl. Additionally, many of his skylines are shot through with irresistible saturations of color, which further numb our senses to nature’s often more muted palette.

Matheka himself notes that this violence is done not only to the viewer, but to the cities, when their images become distorted by photographers, “You look at Paris, New York and Dubai and you just want to visit them, but when you get there, of course they are nowhere close to the pictures you saw.” And yet, it seems that Matheka is trying to force Nairobi into visually conforming to these contrived idealizations found in pictures of New York, Paris, Dubai, and thus to what Rem Koolhaas coined the uniquely, familiar “Junkspace” of the postmodern city. Is this the direction artists should be merrily marching towards — a consensual urban ideal?

For Matheka, it seems the answer is yes. In essence, Matheka’s art is reaching for the future by manipulating the present. He is orchestrating a relationship between what is and what can be in the creation of his urban-scapes. For him this opens up the door to “change the mentality of those living in these cities because if people believe they live in this bad place, you cannot motivate them to make it better.” His work leaves behind present realities for the tantalizingly benefits the future holds in the wake of globalization. And in doing so, maybe, people have something visual to hold onto in their minds eye, and something concrete to hang on their walls. But if he fails, it is because, despite his photographs’ commanding presence, the viewer cannot locate his/her place within them.

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DUSK TO NIGHT