Uploaded on Oct 10, 2009
‘Slit my wrists, my blood does not excrete in black and white’ prophesizes 13-year old Zora in her poem entitled ‘Bi-Racial Hair’ which was performed live in front of 1500 of her peers and adult allies at the 2006 Urban Word NYC Teen Poetry Slam.
My short film of the same title, is a satirical look at the racial tension young African American’s experience who are of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Using Zora’s poem as the thread, the film follows her initial comedic rant about the challenges she faces in stylizing her hair to her personal frustrations of being teased about her ethnicity by her African American peers. The film weaves between fictional reanctments, archival footage of the civil rights movement and Zora’s infamous live spoken word performance, Illustrating the struggles youth of mixed color face with identity and social position. Zora’s resolution about proposing a ‘new race’ sheds light on the complexity and depth of the racist wounds our nation still faces 150 years after the abolishment of slavery.
‘Bi-Racial Hair’ was one of five short pitches chosen for WGBH Lab and the National Black Programming Consortium’s ‘Eviction Notice’ Open Call which gave production funding and online feedback to the chosen filmmakers. It was broadcasted on Independent Lens for Black History Month in February 2009 and won a Boston/New England Emmy Award for Outstanding Advanced Media Interactivity
Published on Nov 30, 2012 by TotallyBiasedFX
Let’s face it: Kwanzaa is nowhere near the most popular winter holiday and it probably never will be. A word to any well-intentioned whites who want to help by spreading the Kwanzaa joy: don’t.
Published on Oct 2, 2012 by chinadailyus
Perched in San Francisco Bay, Angel Island was opened in 1910. For the next 30 years, it was the point of entry for most of the 175,000 Chinese who immigrated to the United States.
One man detained at Angel Island, Show Nam Lee, who is now 91, shared with China Daily his memories of that time.
Since white settlers arrived in the American heartland of Nebraska in the 19th century, less than one per cent of the original tall grass prairie has survived an onslaught of plowing and grazing.
The prairie is home to some rare species endangered birds, flowers, and butterflies, that do not flourish anywhere else.
Nebraska’s Nine-Mile Prairie was preserved by the Cold War, its borders which were once nuclear weapon bunkers.
The prairie is now preserved by the University of Nebraska.
Al Jazeera’s John Hendren reports from Lincoln, Nebraska.
The video was filmed in front of a live audience at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on August 10, 2012. … She performed on a high-rise stage with a big screen behind her. As she sang, the screen filled with images of U.N. aid workers on the scene in various wars, famines, and floods around the world.[46]
Margo Anderson, a professor of History and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, talks about how the United States was the first country to use a census to apportion power in the government.
Published on Jul 2, 2012 by uscensusbureau
William Fliss, an archivist at Marquette University, tells how census data shows us how the United States has transformed from a new republic to the nation it is today.
In the mid to late 18th century, missionary schools were opened on Native American reservations in the U.S. The goal was to convert young people to Christianity and immerse them in Western culture. Native languages and culture were discouraged. Over decades, many grew up knowing little about their culture or languages. VOA’s Jeff Swicord reports on one Tsimshian tribesman who has dedicated his life to keeping his native culture alive.
It was known as the Noble Experiment. In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com explores the period of history known as Prohibition in the United States.
The buck stopped with him. http://www.WatchMojo.com learns more about the life and accomplishments of the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman.
This is the harshest penalty allowed by the courts. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we explore the history of Capital Punishment in the United States.
February is observed as Black History Month in the United States and Canada. The original goal was to educate Americans about African-American history, focusing on African Americans’ cultural backgrounds and achievements. In New York, the month began with a rare look at the 13th Amendment, the amendment to the U.S. Constitution that freed the slaves. One of only 14 copies signed by President Abraham Lincoln is on loan to the New York Historical Society. VOA’s Bernard Shusman reports.
The September 11 terror attacks may have changed our view, even of objects created before 9/11/2001. A new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art’s branch in New York’s Long Island City explores this idea. The exhibit features pieces made years before the attacks, which seen in a new context, find different meanings and responses.
