via Gira Gira Bambola “Orixas. I took a picture of these paintings in the market across the Elevador Lacerda in Salvador, Brazil. If anyone knows the name of the artist I would love to give him/her credit. What I love about the Orixas is the subversive nature of their presence in Latin American culture. Imagine […]
Read More The OrixasFor the past couple of years, I have gained an interest in studying Vodun and all the other religious systems that stemmed from it. So, I have become sensitive to portrayals of those religions (they are not cults), especially when they are put in binary to Christianity. I watched Florence and the Machine‘s video for […]
Read More Yo Flo, I Have Some Words About Your Video…Negro: A Docu-Series about Latino Identity Created by Dash Harris, this docu-series explores Latino identity throughout the world and issues of racism, colorism and social consequences of a color complex throughout the community. This is the first part of the series and it focuses on the stereotypes of Latinos. If you have seen Henry Louis Gates’ […]
Read More Negro (and say it with a Spanish accent!)Via Arc Direct (posted 2 months ago) “During the next few weeks I will highlight some of the audio elements that make up weeksvILLe puMzI X, an afrofuturist/black speculation fiction themed sound collage. Each of the production’s sound elements was placed to create a sense of thematic significance. In the case of “Secret Wars, Pt. 2 & Superfly Meets […]
Read More Black People and Comic Books? Part III will admit I am a nerd, but unfortunately I was never greatly interested in comic books. However, lately, they are starting to catch my attention. Jonathan Gayles’ film, “White Scripts, Black Supermen,” examines the barriers placed on black superheroes and includes many interviews, such as with the late Dwayne McDuffie and Mark Anthony Neale. You […]
Read More Black People and Comic Books?Tiya Miles is a 2011 MacArthur Fellow, which gives $500,000 grant to individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more. Currently, Miles is a professor of history, African and African-American studies and Native American studies in Michigan. She is researching the history of the interactions between Native American […]
Read More Modern Griots: What is a “Public Historian?”Several months ago, I saw a few of Cauleen Smith‘s short films, including “The Changing Same” and “Green Dress,” at the Studio Museum of Harlem. Smith is an experimental film director with an Afrofuturistic focus, dealing with issues about identity and black women. Her alter ego’s name is Kelly Gabron, a character that allows her to […]
Read More Modern Griots: Cauleen SmithNas feat. Olu Dara- Bridging the Gap I remember seeing this video a few years ago and I remember liking it, but it did not fully connect with me until recently when I started my research on jazz, blues and hip-hop for my senior projects. My appreciation of Nas increased knowing that his father is […]
Read More Rewind: “Bridging the Gap”“The Starlite Project is a feature-length documentary film titled Starlite and an interactive website based on the making and the taking of the historic Starlite Lounge- the oldest black-owned gay bar in Brooklyn. The goals of the Project are to preserve the historic memory of the Starlite and to counteract the forces which contributed to its closing. See […]
Read More Starlite,Star bright, Support This with All Your Might…“Could it be possible for humans to breath underwater? A fetus in its mother’s womb is certainly alive in an aquatic environment… During the greatest holocaust the world has ever known, pregnant America-bound African slaves were thrown overboard by the thousands during labour for being sick and disruptive cargo. Is it possible that they could […]
Read More Aqua Incognita
Sherese Francis 