The 6th annual WAM!NYC Women in Media Conference took place on June 20th at Barnard College. Following last year’s incredible Janet Mock keynote, the 2015 conference featured three powerhouse keynote speakers: Alicia Garza, co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter; Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show; and Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times reporter and author of the viral investigative series “Unvarnished,” which exposed the working conditions of nail salon employees.
More than 90 percent of Oscar-Winning films are led by male directors. Although minorities comprise roughly 37 percent of the U.S. population—they comprise a tiny 12 percent of American newsrooms and are outnumbered 7 to 1 among lead roles in Broadcast Television. In the news cycle, white men continue to dominate the ranks of Sunday morning talk show guests. How can we organize for more balanced, diverse and just representations of women in media? That’s the question we set out to tackle at our 2015 WAM!NYC conference in New York City.
The all-day summit brought issues of race, gender, class and social justice to the forefront, and explored media and activist-based solutions to challenges facing our nation. To view conference photos, click here. You can also view the full speaker lineup, panel listings, schedule and sponsors here.
The New York City-based chapter of Women, Action, Media (WAM!) is run by Regina Mahone, Clarissa León, Chevon Drew, Amy Littlefield and Martyna Starosta (collectively the WAM!NYC Board). WAM!NYC provides a progressive space for feminist journalists, editors, publishers, media activists and gender justice activists to convene, build skills, address issues, network and strategize on getting their voices more fully heard in mainstream, independent, and alternative media.Join WAM!NYC by emailing a three-sentence bio to the board at wamnyc-board@googlegroups.com. You can also keep up with our monthly events by joining our Facebook Group!
Comments Off on ChevonMedia and Soulful Sips Teamed Up To Take 4 Little Brown Girls To See Kehinde Wiley’s Art At The Brooklyn Museum – Watch Their Reactions
Can seeing faces that resemble yours in art function as a form of self care? Can committing to take a group of girls to the museum be a form of self care for you (and them)? ChevonMedia and Soulful Sips set out to answer these questions and were delighted by the art, and the girls earnest reactions to each Kehinde Wiley piece. At the end of the video, tell me if you catch the moment where one little girl seems to realize that she, like the women in a painting, will need to team up with other black women for protection in this world. Watch her eyes.
The Surdna Foundation works to foster just and sustainable communities in the United States. The 2015 Artists Engaging in Social Change program will accept online applications between Monday, September 15, 2014 and Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Please note that applications will only be accepted via the online process.
Through this RFP, Surdna will support compelling projects that artists develop in response to their communities’ specific challenges, and will also fund the projects of artists whose long-term, deeply-rooted work has increased social engagement without necessarily being explicitly defined as “activist.”
Successful applicants will receive grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000 over one or two year periods, with a maximum total award of $150,000. The Request for Proposals is on the Surdna Foundation website: http://www.surdna.org/rfp
Eligibility criteria:
Projects must be artist-led.
Projects must demonstrate a deep commitment to a community, demonstrated by the process through which the work is developed and the theme or themes it focuses on.
These funds are designated for one-time project support and cannot support organizations’ ongoing programs, operations, capital or endowments, although up to 15 percent administrative overhead is allowed.
These funds cannot support curricular work.
Applicants can be at any stage of their careers, but must have a track record of developed work that demonstrates their capacity to complete the proposed project and to manage the level of funds requested.
Eligible disciplines include traditional or folkloric arts, visual arts, literary arts, dance, theater, film/ video, music, performance-based arts, and interdisciplinary/ hybrid arts.
For architecture or design-related projects, please refer to our Community Engaged Design guidelines, here.
Proposal must make a clear case for the arc of change envisioned by the project, based on the applicants’ own criteria for defining and measuring impact.
Individual artists and groups of artists and organizations without 501(c)(3) status must apply through a fiscal sponsor, which they will list on their application as the applying organization.
Applying organizations (including fiscal sponsors) and the project for which funds are requested must be based in the United States.
Tonight is a big night for art, music and culture enthusiasts in Brooklyn. Check out the Schedule.
July 5, 2014
Brooklyn Summer
Visit Ai Weiwei: According to What? at the discounted admission price of $10 (regularly $15) during Target First Saturday.
Interactives
4:30 p.m.
Add your mark to sidewalk chalk drawings led by The City Kids, and hula hoop away with members of Hula Nation.
Music
5 p.m.
Matuto fuses Afro-Brazilian beats with folk and bluegrass.
Talk
6 p.m.
Curious tales from Brooklyn’s history are told by a local historian. Free tickets (25) at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m.
Film
6 p.m.
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989, 120 min.). On the hottest day of the year, on a street in Bed-Stuy, racial and social tensions meet head-on, with tragic consequences. Free tickets (310) at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m.
Hands-On Art
6:30–8:30 p.m.
Sketch from a live model to learn the art of figure drawing. Free tickets (330) at the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.
Interactive Talk
7 p.m.
Filmmakers Paul Trillo and Landon Van Soest discuss their Brooklyn in 3,000 Stills project. Bring your smartphone and contribute to a crowd-sourced portrait of Brooklyn. Free tickets (25) at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.
Talk and Music
7 p.m.
Michael July on his book Afros: A Celebration of Natural Hair. Co-hosted by Malik Yoba, and Michaela angela Davis. Anu Prestonia of Khamit Kinks leads a natural-hair show. Book signing follows.
Music
7 p.m.
In his only NYC-area summer show, Blitz the Ambassador blends African popular sounds, vintage soul, and hard-hitting beats and lyrics. Opening set by DJ Ushka and DJ Beto (iBomba) at 6:30 p.m.
Comedy
8 p.m.
Erica Watson hosts a showcase of hilarious female comedians. Free tickets (310) at the Visitor Center at 7 p.m.
Music
9 p.m.
Remember “Move Ya Body”? R&B duo Nina Sky performs their biggest hits.
Stacey Muhammad is an award winning filmmaker and director. Her work includes the award winning “I AM SEAN BELL, black boys speak”, which was an official award winner at the HBO/Media that Matters Film Festival. For Colored Boys is a series of short stories that follow the lives of African American men from various walks of life as they navigate and overcome challenges, face their fears and find their truth.
The show is produced in part by Cynical Smith, with music direction by General Steele and an acting debut made by Tekomin of Smif-n-Wessun.
The first season of For Colored Boys, subtitled REDEMPTION, follows the life of Benjamin Boyd, Sr. who upon release from prison seeks to reunite his family by rekindling his relationship with wife, “Lisa” and reassuming his role as father to his teenage daughter, Sidney and 20 year old son, “E”. A talented yet somewhat troubled young man, “E” has had to shoulder a tremendous amount of responsibility during his father’s incarceration.
WATCH BELOW – Season 1, Episode 1 Starring Julito McCullum and Rob Morgan. Tiye Phoenix, Roudy St. Fleur, Ryan Stephenson, Kai Muhammad and Danny Simmons
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Synopsis: Accustomed to assisting his mother with his 15-year-old sister, Sidney, he is pulled and persuaded by the temptations of his environment to make money and help provide for his family. Returning home, Benjamin finds his son is no longer a boy, but a man unwilling to acknowledge or accept the presence of his father. In order to mend a troubled and fragile relationship and rebuild his family, Benjamin must be careful not to overstep his bounds, yet still re-establish his presence as E’s father. Finding his place in a world he’s been estranged from is more difficult task than he could have ever imaged and suffering from Post Incarceration Syndrome makes it seem nearly impossible.
Written and Directed by Stacey Muhammad.
Cinematography by J. Anders Urmacher.
Edited by Kathryn Hood Moore
Original Music by Chris Rob
Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff stars as Ivan Martin, an aspiring young singer who leaves his rural village for the capital city of Kingston, Jamaica hoping to make a name for himself.
Robbed of his money and possessions his first day in town, he finds work with a self-righteous, bullying preacher and an unscrupulous music mogul who exploits naive hopefuls.
September 5 at 9:00 pm
Dir. Perry Henzell | 120min | Crime | Music | Jamaica | 1972
In desperation the simple country boy turns outlaw, at war with both the police and his rivals in the ganja trade. Ivan’s dream of stardom soon becomes a reality as he rises to the top of the pop charts and the most-wanted lists.
This gritty, groundbreaking film brought reggae music to the international stage, made Jimmy Cliff a star worldwide, and demonstrated that music and art can change the world.
Through this RFP, Surdna will support compelling projects that artists develop in response to their communities’ specific challenges, and will also fund the projects of artists whose long-term, deeply-rooted work has increased social engagement without necessarily being explicitly defined as “activist.”
The show is produced in part by 
September 5 at 9:00 pm