#mike brown
SOUTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL — MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Black Out and 4 1/2 hours of silence for Mike Brown#you’re changing the world keep going
I spoke with students from this school prior to the rally at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and they said that not only did their principal/administration know this was going to be happening, but they had the floors washed, too, knowing students would be sitting and laying down on it.
I love to see young people organizing, and I love when their efforts are supported by the adults in their life.
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We’re Elated to Announce that We’re Hosting Our Second Annual Blackout Black Friday. Last Year, the Potent Power of the People Was on Full Display for #BlackoutBlackFriday. The Time Has Come Once Again For All of Us to Stand United Against Police Brutality, Racist Policies and Racial Terrorism. Join Us on Black Friday for a Nationwide Boycott and Day of Action to Spark Change. In the Coming Weeks, We’ll be Announcing Free Blackout Events for Black Friday and Our Featured Partner Organizations. Check Out These Captivating Articles on #BlackoutBlackFriday 2014 and Stand With Us in 2015!
- #BlackoutBlackFriday: A National Call To Boycott Black Friday For Ferguson And Beyond: http://huff.to/1Mlsqcm via The Huffington Post
- How #BlackoutBlackFriday Boycott Fared on Social Media During Black Friday: http://bit.ly/20euz46 via TheWrap
- Selma and Fruitvale Station Directors lead Black Friday Protest Over Ferguson with #BlackoutBlackFriday: http://bit.ly/1M40y0F via The Gurdian
- “‘We’ve got to fight the powers that be!’ proclaimed Public Enemy’s Chuck D in 1989. With the embers of Ferguson still smoldering, it is clear that the struggle continues. But by taking their purchasing power away on retailers’ favorite day of the year, the voice of blacks in America, and their allies, may echo more loudly in its absence from shopping malls and big box stores.” Read CNN’s Article Here: http://cnn.it/1MwS3gU
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The potent power of inclusive storytelling can not be expressed enough. For people privileged enough to see themselves reflected on TV, movie screens and magazine covers in a positive and nuanced light, it is easy to dismiss the impact of media representation. Shout to Ava DuVernay and her Company AFFRM for promoting voices from all backgrounds and seeing the beauty and value of diversity in storytelling. We’re honored to have them as an official partner of Blackout Music & Film Festival. Join at Blackout Music & Film Festival this Saturday: http://bit.ly/1NviXBK and Read the Articles Below:
- “Long before “Selma” came along, its director, Ava DuVernay, was working to help distribute films with black themes through the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement. As she said in 2011, explaining why independent black artists needed the organization, “No one is ever going to care about their film except the people it’s made for, which is, black folks.” On Wednesday, hoping to raise awareness of AFFRM’s distribution label, Array, Ms. DuVernay enlisted more than 40 black filmmakers to share insights and advice via Twitter. Using the hashtag #ARRAY, the “Rebel-a-Thon” began in the morning with Debbie Allen, among others, and has progressed throughout the day with veteran and newcomer directors alike taking turns every hour or so” Continue Reading The New York Times article: http://nyti.ms/1JbRfLA
- “And that is just so important, not only because she called out Hollywood for a status quo that refused to give such complex roles as that of Annalise Keating to women of color, but that she called out Hollywood for a status quo that refused to give such complex roles to a woman who is almost in her 50’s. Ageism and racism still run rampant in America today, something that has come to the forefront of American consciousness in the wake of the controversy surrounding the 2015 Oscars nominees, and for Davis to call that out in her speech was truly beautiful. How To Get Away With Murder does something that very few other shows are doing on TV right now, and to have a lead like Davis makes it even better.” Continue Reading Bustle’s Article Here: http://bit.ly/1MO0thB
- “The auteur, and Paste’s 2014 Film Person of the Year, invites you to join her community of film artists, film advocates and film lovers who want to experience true diversity both in front of and behind the camera.” Continue Reading Paste Magazines Article Here: http://bit.ly/1KkPzzz
- “I started writing this movie some 10 years ago as an impulse because I didn’t really my story out there in the culture. I didn’t see myself reflected back at me in the films I love or the stories that resonated for me. I tried to put myself in the culture. That can be difficult when, along the way, there’s really nothing there to tell you that you belong there. If you don’t see yourself in the culture, please put yourself there, because we need you. We need to see the world from your eyes” Justin Simien Wins the Award for Best First Screenplay at the Spirit Awards. Watch His Full Speech Here: https://youtu.be/JpBPTVejG2w
- “I am keenly aware of how we as women (and most specifically women of color) are presented and portrayed in media and how we present ourselves. And here was my mama from almost 30 years ago on the surface doing something that often snags me in videos today but why did I feel differently about it?” Continue Reading Tracee Ellis Ross’ Article Here: http://bit.ly/1hB34Qz
- “Black Women Are Leading a Cultural Movement through TV” For Harriet:http://bit.ly/1h4JAmq
- “We need stories for and about black youth. We need stories where they are painted in the same light as their white counterparts. “I turned to books to figure out how to navigate life and relationships,” said I.W. Gregario, a founding member of the We Need Diverse Books campaign. As a result of not seeing her identity as an Asian woman represented in the literature she loved, she says she became self-hating. We live in a society that sees black kids as both less innocent and older than white children. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that “black boys can be seen as responsible for their actions at an age when white boys still benefit from the assumption that children are essentially innocent.” The U.S. Department of Education revealed in a report that black children face discrimination as early as pre-school. This systemic dehumanization has life-altering results in the case of, say, Dajerria Beckton who was tackled at a pool party, or the life-ending case of Tamir Rice” Continue Reading For Harriet’s Article Here: http://bit.ly/1MHfHWX
- “Even before his tragic death at the hands of Officer Darren Wilson, though, Brown’s chances of being seen—or seeing himself—as a hero were already limited. The image of a young black man, prostrate in the street, is one we’re much more accustomed to seeing in Hollywood movies than we are a black man working to save humanity. Marvel Studios, the folks behind Iron Man and The Avengers, recently announced they’d be releasing Black Panther—their first black superhero movie—in 2017. It’ll be the kind of film Michael Brown saw very little of in his lifetime. It’s hardly a surprise that many people of color were thrilled by Marvel’s announcement, or that the Internet recently erupted in jubilant conversation around the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer—which opens on a black man dressed as a stormtrooper. There are huge portions of society, including the more than 50 percent that are women, who are starved for this kind of representation in our grandest forms of entertainment” Continue Reading Bright Ideas Magazine’s Article Here: http://bit.ly/1EFp4hU
- “I am a storyteller. I write movies, short stories, and poems. I’ve spent years trying to understand the ways that narratives underscore society, how the stories we create, retell, and amplify influence our thinking, our actions, our ways of life. I cannot tell you how many times someone has had a pre-packaged idea of me before I even opened my mouth or entered a room. These people had a “black woman narrative” already constructed and were waiting for me to fulfill it. When I didn’t, they appeared confused. I just breathed and existed. But sometimes, even doing that is cause for violence and brutality. Because narratives of black beasts, black demons, of black criminals are so strong, that just breathing, and existing, might get you killed” Continue Reading Indiewire’s Article Here: http://bit.ly/1E8nyKC
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Don’t Miss Our Storytelling Panel at Blackout Music & Film Festival Featuring Actress Tracee Ellis Ross, The Blacklist Founder Franklin Leonard, Actor Mo McRae, Entertainment Tonight Co-Host Kevin Frazier, Director Justin Simien and More. Presented by CBMA, the Panel Will be Moderated by Indiewire Editor-In-Chief Dana Harris. The Panel Will Center on the Importance of Diversity in Media Representation, the Power of Visual Storytelling and the Need to See the World We Live In Reflected on Screen: http://bit.ly/1NviXBK. Join Us Next Saturday at The GRAMMY Museum and Check Out these Insightful and Compelling Articles Below:
- “We need stories for and about black youth. We need stories where they are painted in the same light as their white counterparts. “I turned to books to figure out how to navigate life and relationships,” said I.W. Gregario, a founding member of the We Need Diverse Books campaign. As a result of not seeing her identity as an Asian woman represented in the literature she loved, she says she became self-hating. We live in a society that sees black kids as both less innocent and older than white children. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that “black boys can be seen as responsible for their actions at an age when white boys still benefit from the assumption that children are essentially innocent.” The U.S. Department of Education revealed in a report that black children face discrimination as early as pre-school. This systemic dehumanization has life-altering results in the case of, say, Dajerria Beckton who was tackled at a pool party, or the life-ending case of Tamir Rice” Continue Reading For Harriet’s Article Here: http://bit.ly/1MHfHWX
- “Even before his tragic death at the hands of Officer Darren Wilson, though, Brown’s chances of being seen—or seeing himself—as a hero were already limited. The image of a young black man, prostrate in the street, is one we’re much more accustomed to seeing in Hollywood movies than we are a black man working to save humanity. Marvel Studios, the folks behind Iron Man and The Avengers, recently announced they’d be releasing Black Panther—their first black superhero movie—in 2017. It’ll be the kind of film Michael Brown saw very little of in his lifetime. It’s hardly a surprise that many people of color were thrilled by Marvel’s announcement, or that the Internet recently erupted in jubilant conversation around the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer—which opens on a black man dressed as a stormtrooper. There are huge portions of society, including the more than 50 percent that are women, who are starved for this kind of representation in our grandest forms of entertainment” Continue Reading Bright Ideas Magazine’s Article Here: http://bit.ly/1EFp4hU
- “I am a storyteller. I write movies, short stories, and poems. I’ve spent years trying to understand the ways that narratives underscore society, how the stories we create, retell, and amplify influence our thinking, our actions, our ways of life. I cannot tell you how many times someone has had a pre-packaged idea of me before I even opened my mouth or entered a room. These people had a “black woman narrative” already constructed and were waiting for me to fulfill it. When I didn’t, they appeared confused. I just breathed and existed. But sometimes, even doing that is cause for violence and brutality. Because narratives of black beasts, black demons, of black criminals are so strong, that just breathing, and existing, might get you killed” Continue Reading Indiewire’s Article Here: http://bit.ly/1E8nyKC
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If you read the hit pieces on Michael Brown (referred to as Mr. Brown by the NYTeven though he was just 18 years old), you realize that this system is one which creates falsity and lies in order to defend the ability of white supremacist pigs to murder unarmed children on the street.
Do they even know which side they are on?
“Ugh I didn’t like France. French people are racist”“Go to Italy! They’re so friendly and I hear they love black women”“Do Germans even have black people outside of the military?”
It’s something almost every black traveller fathoms before venturing abroad. How will my blackness be perceived in this predominantly non-black space? It’s a valid concern. At best, our otherness might put us on a flattering pedestal. At worst, we might get mistreated. Even traveling to remote areas of the U.S you will find people that stare at you and ask aggravating questions like “Can I touch your hair?”. I certainly wondered about how I’d fare as a black woman before moving to France.
But this post is really not justabout me. Yes I am black. Yes I am in Europe. But that really doesn’t make me special. Because even though only a small percentage of African Americans travel to Europe yearly, there are tens of millions of black people that are already there: Afro-Europeans.
Black people don’t just live in Africa and the United States. Thanks (but like, no thanks) to colonialism, the African diaspora truly reaches some of the most unlikely corners of the earth. Most African Americans make the mistake of assuming that we are the only group of african descendants living as the underrepresented, mistreated, systematically oppressed minorities in predominantly white spaces. Tell that to the 55 million Afro-Brazilians. Or the millions of black descendants in the UK, Italy, and France.
But our egocentricism isn’t entirely our fault. I, too, had no idea exactly how many black and brown people lived in Europe until I came here. I assumed based on films, television, and images I had seen growing up that Europe is one homogenous white continent. Full of sameness with very little variation of color or culture (or at least not culture from an ethnic standpoint). It’s the invisible diversity of Europe. In the same way African-Americans lack representation in almost all facets of our society, Afro-Europeans lack it even more.
I had met a lot of people my first couple of months in France but I still felt something was missing. I yearned to connect with people that were like-minded. People in which I had an inevitable bond with. In short, I needed to make black friends. It sounds silly to some but anyone a part of a minority group in some way (race, sexuality, etc) understands this desire.
The problem was never the lack of black people, but how to organically make friends with them. Making friends as an adult is not an easy feat. When you’re a kid it’s so easy! All you have to do is say this:
But how do you tell a random person you think they’re kinda cool and we should hang out in the most platonic way possible without being creepy?
Several months later and I’ve met friends of friends, connected with random people through social media, and have even joined a Black Expats in Paris meet-up. By speaking with people I’ve gathered quite a few perspectives.
African Americans are both admired and envied in France. Believe it or not, we have the type of global visibility not afforded to others of the African Diaspora. African Americans are the examples of cool, the creators of pop culture. Our celebrities are their celebrities, our favorite TV shows are their favorites too. African Americans are vocal in periods of inequality and reactionary during times of social injustice. Mike Brown & Trayvon Martin are not only names uttered on American soil. “I Have a Dream” is familiar to all European ears, the “Black Lives Matter” cry has been heard around world and the Civil Rights Movement is a part of their curriculum just as much as ours. In short, the Black American experience has left a definite mark in world history.
For Black Europeans, however, their history tends to get shoved under the rug. I am not AT ALL an expert on this topic but here is a concise history of European colonization in Africa in my own words.
**Anndi’s Quick and Over-simplified History on the Conquest of Africa**
In the late 1800s, several European countries such as the UK, France, and Portugal had set up port cities in Africa for trading goods and resources. Everything was cool until this dude named King Leopold II of Belgium was like, “you know what would be awesome? My own territory in the Congo”. So homeboy sliced out a chunk of the Congo for his own PERSONAL benefit, not even in the name of Belgium. The other European powers (UK, France, Italy, Portugal, and Germany) started to freak out and thought, “Damn my ego is super big, how can I make it bigger?”. So they had a meeting in Germany, found a map of Africa, and literally cut the continent apart like slices of pizza. It’s worth mentioning that none of the African countries in question were invited to said pizza party. So NINETY PERCENT of the continent was colonized without permission,MILLIONSof Africans were forced into labor, resources were exploited, men were killed, women were raped, children were maimed, feuding ethnic groups were mixed…all under the guise that they were “saving uncivilized savages from eternal damnation”.
Flash forward several decades and the European Powers finally started to leave. Whether they left on their own accord or were driven out by revolutionary groups, the heinous effects of imperialism are evident for several African countries by way of corrupt governments, tireless civil wars, and psychological trauma.
**The End** ….Except not the end because these heinous effects still linger.
I’ve noticed a slight lack in community for Afro-French people. For African-Americans, there’s this idea of fictive kinship. I may not know you from Adam, but if we are the only two black people within a predominantly white space then we will acknowledge one another. But that’s only on a micro-level. On a macro-scale, we have become masters of creating spaces for ourselves. Hair salons & barbershops, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, BET Network, NAACP… we have a black national anthem!! All with the intent of uplifting and strengthening one another, for validating our place in a society not made for us.
But our sense of community derives from our shared experiences. Many of our ancestors were slaves. Many of our living relatives grew up in segregation. For France, and many other European countries, the experiences of black europeans, while similar, are not identical nor are they shared. At any rate, its hard to have a sense of community when you don’t even know how many people of African descent live in your country. Apparently, taking an ethnic census is constitutionally banned in France.
For Afro-french people, they’re not bound together by race as much as their family origins. If you’re a black woman from Guadeloupe, you might feel a bigger bond to people from the West Indies than to those from West Africa. Honestly, I envy greatly that Afro-Europeans know exactly where they come from and even have family that still live in those countries. I have never felt so shameful about not knowing my roots until moving here. Every time I meet an Afro-french person for the first time, the conversation goes as follows.
Them:So where are you from?
Me:I’m from the U.S!
Them:Yeah, I know. But like where are you really from?
Me: Washington, DC.
Them:What’s your family origin I mean to say.
Me:Um…I don’t know? My ancestors were slaves so…
Them:…..
Me:…..Nice meeting you!
In general, there’s this idea that black people are never really from whatever predominantly white country they reside in. Afro-french people can be born and raised in Paris and never feel or be seen as “french”. Even when I meet White Europeans, they are generally skeptical about my origin story but for a different reason. Because I have a lighter skin tone than most Afro-french, many assume that I am “métisse” or mixed. During my trip to Italy, an italian man told me “You’re beautiful. I love mulattowomen”. The assumption really bothers me because black and beautiful are not mutually exclusive concepts homeboy! But I do love their faces of disappointment when I tell them I am proudly, undeniably, 100% BLACK.
But let’s discuss some positives, for there are many. While Black French don’t organize against injustices in the same way we do, that doesn’t mean they aren’t having these important conversations. The Afro-fem movement seems to be really big here. I’ve seen countless articles, youtube videos, tweets, and have even been invited to conferences by Afro-feminists to discuss the interesting balance of race and gender.
I’ve met so many black french women who are smart and woke. Clever and funny. Women who want to be a voice for their community. Women who are artists, poets, and singers. Women who are beautiful inside and out. Women who are writers. Women who are fly. Women who are college educated. Women who want to uplift and strengthen their fellow sisters. Women who want to be a vessel for serious change in their society.
So don’t sleep on Afro-Europeans. They have a very real place in our world.
I would be remiss not to mention the Strolling Series by Cecile Emeke, which was in truth my personal introduction to Afro-European voices. Cecile Emeke is a British woman who brilliantly decided to film black individuals across the African diaspora. The result? Unraveling the generalized blanket of our black experiences into singular, personal threads of testimony. Emeke has filmed in the Netherlands, Italy, Jamaica, and many other countries and its widespread appeal has garnered a huge Youtube following. Of course, you’ll hear the familiar stories of micro-agressions, respectability politics, and self-love affirmation. But you’ll also hear views on mental health, sexual orientation & expression, capitalism, veganism, colonial reparations, and a plethora of other subjects not often heard from black standpoints.
If you’re interested, I would start with one of my three favorites: Two Black Friends in France ,One Black Male Feminist from the UK, orA Black Actress in London.
So what does it mean to be Black in Europe? I have the same answer for someone who would ask what its like to be black in the U.S. There is no simple answer. The culture, the attitudes, the ideas, the joys, the struggles of black people are not monolithic. They are varied. They are nuanced. They may intersect but they don’t coalesce.
I write this to say there is more to the black experience than what you have experienced personally. I think its important not only to have conversations on blackness within the US but in a global context as well. And lets remind ourselves that as Black Americans, our global visibility gives us a certain level of privilege. The next time you say #BlackLivesMatter, mentally expand that demand outside of North America. When you think of the black community, challenge yourself to think beyond your own borders.
And if you’re able, travel abroad. Talk to people. Have these discussions. Your eyes and minds will open wider than you know.
Quintessential Quin
Mike Brown Is An Outstanding Fullback For The Quins, And He Will Help Them To The Premiership Cup This Coming Season.
Bring It On, Baby!
And He Is So Damn Hot!
Woof, Baby!
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Race has always been a painful and complicated issue in America. It is tragic and embarrassing that things need to come to such a point of crisis to create the potential to open such a critical conversation.
The Story:
Overview
http://mashable.com/2014/11/24/darren-wilson-charges-michael-brown-ferguson/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link
Missouri teen shot dead by police had assaulted officer: police
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/10/us-usa-missouri-shooting-idUSKBN0GA0Q420140810%20
Police Fire Tear Gas Quell Protests Over Michael Browns Death
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/police-fire-tear-gas-quell-protests-over-michael-browns-death-n178606
Obama Calls Michael Brown Death ‘Heartbreaking’
http://time.com/3105013/obama-death-of-michael-brown-heartbreaking/
Obama responds to Ferguson decision:
http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000003254144/obama-responds-to-ferguson-decision.html
More Links:
NBC Live Video Coverage:
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/watch-live-continuing-coverage-ferguson-grand-jury-decision-n255161
New York Times Live Coverage:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/us/ferguson-darren-wilson-shooting-michael-brown-grand-jury.html
Ferguson National Response Network (unaccredited at time of posting tumblr):
http://fergusonresponse.tumblr.com/
Transcript of State of Missouri v. Darren Wilson (unaccredited at time of posting):
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1370494-grand-jury-volume-5.html
Twitter Hashtags:
#ferguson, #blacklivesmatter, #noindictment,
ap·a·thyˈapəTHē/nounnoun: apathy
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I have a favor to ask. A very big, demanding favor that I have never asked before and I hope I will never have to ask in the future:
I want you to, for just a moment, read what I’m about to write WITHOUT thinking about race. Okay? Cool.
Over the past three years since the death of Trayvon Martin, there has been no shortage of racist tweets. Racial slurs here, deflection there - it’s a complete and utter mess. But what really strikes me as peculiar are the sheer numbers of folks who are ELATED by the notion of someone being shot to death.
“Trayvon deserved to die! That’s one less thug on our streets!”
“Mike Brown was a typical n****r and I’m glad he got shot!”
Now think about it. REALLY, truly visualize what that means when someone says that. This isn’t a random thing you say during small chit-chat by the water cooler. I mean this is a dark, sadistic, and evil thing to say. Quite frankly, most people would be scared to say it out loud. Shit, you wouldn’t even feel safe writing it in your personal diary for fear of someone finding it and accusing you of malicious thoughts.
And yet, there are so many white people saying this exact same thing: Black people are dying… and I don’t care.
Let’s be explicit: we are talking about death. We are talking about internal bleeding, suffocation, and cold-blooded murder. We are discussing humans, laying on the concrete, blood gushing from out their mouth, trickling down their eyeballs, taking in their final breath and you wanna say that you’re GLAD? You’re happy about someone dying? When is it EVER okay to be happy when someone dies? When is it EVER okay to LITERALLY wish death upon someone and feel overjoyed when it happens?
Sure, we say things like, “omg, you ate my hot pocket! I’m gonna kill you!” but this is NOT the same. There is no humor or sarcasm when people say that Mike Brown deserved to be murdered. And so now, I start to wonder: if we take off our racism goggles for just a second and look at it from the simple perspective of human death, murder and the value of life… you start to see things in a much more grim and macabre fashion.
When I do this, I imagine a group of 17 year old white kids hovering over a bloody black body, spitting on the corpse saying, “good… you deserved it” and I can’t help but feel disgusted. Why aren’t we addressing this? Why aren’t we throwing these kids in an asylum for saying this shit?
This doesn’t sit well with me…
“UNITED”
A documentary short covering how the Atlanta Community has responded to the brutal murder of Mike Brown.Upon learning that elements of this murder were not getting covered properly, it dawned on us to ensure our story was properly documented. As this piece was being put together and the news footage was being compiled, ironically not only was video footage from Ferguson hard to come by, but I didn’t find much online from other cities either. In fact the search engines don’t readily turn up many results outside of Missouri. It’s not to say footage doesn’t exist, but to say that if we are actively searching and it’s hard to find, it’s unlikely that someone who is less aware of the events would find anything.There needs to be as much VIDEO footage out there as possible for all cities doing anything around these events. Moving images controlled by the people as opposed to mass media provide a broader opportunity to draw real conclusions. I encourage every and anyone who is able to film and upload what is happening in your city. Everyone, specifically the residents of Ferguson need to see the support we all have for them and a large amount of that support is not letting the momentum subside as the news cycle moves on to another story.Out of sight, out of mind is the age old saying, so remain vigilant and visible as we continue fighting to attain justice for all who have become victims of police brutality and murder.
