“Who chooses black women first and wins?” — Esther Armah “Video helps us scan events; film expresses a worldview.” — a very beloved professor of mine My friend and I were stopped by the police while sitting in his car, edge of Brooklyn, last hours of June. Their car confronted ours, lights flashing and all….
Standing to My Left and My Right: The Limits of Music Video Feminisms
Music has long been a fueling component to political struggle. That one of fully recognizing the personhood of women is no exception. And this is what I find profoundly intriguing about singer Willow Smith. A music video she released last year presented a challenging mix that was both representative of a tradition of contemporary black…
Turkish Skies
One of my most favorite female artists. I’m inspired by dj lynnee denise’s work across all platforms. By the content, how she presents it, and what she decides is possible. Enjoy and visit her page to listen to some of her brilliant mixes.
And the Beat Goes On: Chris Brown, Too $hort, and the Disposable Conscience of Consumer Society (repost)
by Lisa Guerrero, reposted from NewBlackMan Last week while still reeling from the controversy put into motion by Too $hort’s avuncular primer for young black boys on how to violate young black girls, people momentarily paused to consider, and by “consider,” I mean “rush to judgment,” on Rihanna’s decision to collaborate with Chris Brown, her…
Kenya’s Workspace
You need to watch this. Some of the videos are chilling, others are funny. (And maybe chillingly funny?) You can even create your own online art gallery experience and play a few of them at the same time to find out what the viral expressions of female identity look and sound like in unison. (thank…
Teaching White Boys to Dance and Other Solutions to the Black Marriage Crisis (repost)
This was, hands down, one of the most brilliant, spot-on, and engaging pieces I’ve seen on a topic that happens to be the flavor of the moment. (Quickly being surpassed by the Sh*t _______ Say explosion) Read on and check out the Crunk Feminist Collective’s site. This morning, while reading Kate Weigand’s 2001 book Red…
On John Mayer (And Apologies That Don’t Really Offer Clarity)
Upon a few hours of trying to process reports of offensive remarks that popular musician John Mayer made in the current issue of Playboy magazine, I tried coming up with a few clever Facebook status-updates, my favorite being that Mayer sorely needed a Racism and Sexism course. (I didn’t publish that, but I still think…
Good Hair: About Us but Not For Us
Documentary films are often powerful in doing what typical mainstream media outfits can’t: accidentally reveal truths. There’s a moment in comedian Chris Rock’s Good Hair when a group of young black women discuss the realities of having straightened hair in order to secure work. When her friends express their concern for her, the lone woman…
Walking Home
I’ve been on a longer hiatus from making movies than I’d like. Got caught up in a month too many of teaching, non-profiting, and Brooklyning it up. But this might be my inspiration to pick up the camera again. My girl Nuala wrote, directed and edited this piece as a response to the casual sexism young…
Casa Bey
Well, welcome back Mos. Kind of…I’ve seen the ads and trailers for the mailroom movie that I’m not sold on, but maybe I’ll catch it on USA next year. But after weeks of my sister nagging me to look at this video, I gotta give it to you. Extreme, extreme close-up, real minimalist and a…
new growth 