Community groups are invited to join Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute staff at the Urban Research and Outreach Center (UROC) for a question and answer session on our recent Request For Proposals: Community - University Research Spring Grants. Stop by between 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 1st to have your questions answered or to get feedback on your existing project. RSVP is not required, but appreciated in order to gauge the size of the group. Please send RSVP or other inquiries to hfhl@umn.edu. Visit www.hfhl.umn.edu for additional information.
Friday, March 26, 2010
new course: Black Women in Cultural Production
Black Women in Cultural Production
AFRO 5910/DNCE 5500
3 weeks during May Session 2010
May 24 - June 11, M-Th 11:15 - 2:30
Instructors: Rose Marie Brewer and Ananya Chatterjea.
"Black Women in Cultural Production" is a studio/lecture class investigating the history and politics of cultural production in visual and performing arts, by black women in both diasporic locations and transnationally. Examining the work of a select group of artists, the course will propose some core questions about the ways we come to know and value their artistic production.
Some of the questions we will be investigating are: How do we learn to read resistance in such work? How do these histories position us to think about the ideas and aesthetics articulated in the work of contemporary practicing Black women artists? What kinds of epistemological questions, questions about world-making and world-knowing, are proposed by the tropes that inform such cultural production?
The course will conclude with students creating presentations and writing brief papers that they will be invited to present in a History Jam session at a symposium hosted by the Dance Program in October 2010.
AFRO 5910/DNCE 5500
3 weeks during May Session 2010
May 24 - June 11, M-Th 11:15 - 2:30
Instructors: Rose Marie Brewer and Ananya Chatterjea.
"Black Women in Cultural Production" is a studio/lecture class investigating the history and politics of cultural production in visual and performing arts, by black women in both diasporic locations and transnationally. Examining the work of a select group of artists, the course will propose some core questions about the ways we come to know and value their artistic production.
Some of the questions we will be investigating are: How do we learn to read resistance in such work? How do these histories position us to think about the ideas and aesthetics articulated in the work of contemporary practicing Black women artists? What kinds of epistemological questions, questions about world-making and world-knowing, are proposed by the tropes that inform such cultural production?
The course will conclude with students creating presentations and writing brief papers that they will be invited to present in a History Jam session at a symposium hosted by the Dance Program in October 2010.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
From Vices to Verses: A New Era of Hip Hop & Action
From April 9 to April 11, 2010, the University of Minnesota will be hosting "From Vices to Verses," a conference featuring workshops, performances, discussions, and educational events centered around how hip hop pedagogy, activism, and culture can educate, empower and transform communities. The conference will focus on three central themes:
Other presenters include filmmaker Rachel Ramist, Chaka Mkali of the Hope Community Center, Sage Morgan Hubbard of Northwestern University, Ruth Nicole Brown of the University of Illinois, poet and activist Tish Jones, rapper/poet/writer Kyle "Guante" Myhre, photographer B-Fresh and many more.
Workshops on spoken word, breakdancing, drumming, MC-ing and community organizing. Come learn, celebrate and participate in contemporary hip hop culture in the Twin Cities.
On Saturday, April 10, noted Twin Cities performers Toki Wright, Maria Isa, PosNoSys, Ill Chemistry, the Tru Ruts crew and others will take over the Cabooze for a special concert.
For more information please contact Idalia Robles at 612-624-6006. Registration for the conference is free. For updates, see http://vicestoverses.blogspot.com.
- April 9: "I Used to Love H.E.R.: Bring Back the Love," exploring hip hop feminism and women's roles &mdash past, present and future &mdash in hip hop culture. Keynote speaker: hip hop activist and former Green Party Vice Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente.
- April 10: "Remixing Borders, Transcending Boundaries," focusing on using hip hop as a tool to create unity and move beyond generational, national and cultural boundaries. Keynote speaker: hip hop activist and author Bakari Kitwana.
- April 11: "Us," focusing on hip hop's power to heal and transform individuals and communities through organizing, activism and youth engagement. Keynote speaker: educator and multidisciplinary artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph.
Other presenters include filmmaker Rachel Ramist, Chaka Mkali of the Hope Community Center, Sage Morgan Hubbard of Northwestern University, Ruth Nicole Brown of the University of Illinois, poet and activist Tish Jones, rapper/poet/writer Kyle "Guante" Myhre, photographer B-Fresh and many more.
Workshops on spoken word, breakdancing, drumming, MC-ing and community organizing. Come learn, celebrate and participate in contemporary hip hop culture in the Twin Cities.
On Saturday, April 10, noted Twin Cities performers Toki Wright, Maria Isa, PosNoSys, Ill Chemistry, the Tru Ruts crew and others will take over the Cabooze for a special concert.
For more information please contact Idalia Robles at 612-624-6006. Registration for the conference is free. For updates, see http://vicestoverses.blogspot.com.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Morrill Hall/Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund
The Morrill Hall and Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund has been created to acknowledge and honor the work of the Afro American Action Committee (AAAC) and Rachel Tilsen. By acknowledging the 1969 Morrill Hall Take-Over at the University of Minnesota Campus (see the award-winning film at www.vimeo.com/6608437) and Rachel Tilsen, we recognize the importance of personal sacrifices as well as organizational efforts in the struggle for social justice. The Afro American Action Committee (AAAC) emerged from a rich tradition of protest, revolt, and resistance to the spirit of racism and ruthless domination. AAAC embraced the "incarnate spirit of justice, hatred of a lie, that willingness to sacrifice money, reputation, education and life itself on the Alter of right." AAAC stood on the shoulders of the NAACP and the Niagara Movement. The members of AAAC believed, they stood and they spoke. In fact the tenacity of the AAAC members transformed the University of Minnesota to become more inclusive, more tolerant, and less separated from the dynamics of the entire community.
Rachel Tilsen epitomized the term Social Justice. Rachel was more than just a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend and wife. She was a fierce freedom fighter and lover of life. In many respects her legacy lies in her courage and the attributes she instilled in every woman that had the opportunity to meet her. She was not only a freedom fighter she was a teacher. Rachel taught others to have respect for self, family, culture and history. She was a morale lifter who believed that you had to let your voice be heard and that you had to follow your words with action. She championed what she believed. Rachel insisted that we have a responsibility to stand up for the people who do not have the strength or the will to stand for themselves. Rachel fought for social justice regardless of race, color, religion or creed.
The Morrill Hall and Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund is intended to continue and promote the activism AAAC and Rachel subscribed to: equality and justice for all people, with all people equally valued; vigilant relentless struggle in the fight for justice.
Grants up to $5000 will be awarded to individuals or organizations for projects addressing social justice.
Applications and criteria are available for download. Email questions to mhrtjfquestions@gmail.com
Applications will be accepted up to midnight April 1, 2010.
Awards will be presented on May 1, 2010 at the inaugural Morrill Hall/Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund Gala Event.
Rachel Tilsen epitomized the term Social Justice. Rachel was more than just a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend and wife. She was a fierce freedom fighter and lover of life. In many respects her legacy lies in her courage and the attributes she instilled in every woman that had the opportunity to meet her. She was not only a freedom fighter she was a teacher. Rachel taught others to have respect for self, family, culture and history. She was a morale lifter who believed that you had to let your voice be heard and that you had to follow your words with action. She championed what she believed. Rachel insisted that we have a responsibility to stand up for the people who do not have the strength or the will to stand for themselves. Rachel fought for social justice regardless of race, color, religion or creed.
The Morrill Hall and Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund is intended to continue and promote the activism AAAC and Rachel subscribed to: equality and justice for all people, with all people equally valued; vigilant relentless struggle in the fight for justice.
Grants up to $5000 will be awarded to individuals or organizations for projects addressing social justice.
Applications and criteria are available for download. Email questions to mhrtjfquestions@gmail.com
Applications will be accepted up to midnight April 1, 2010.
Awards will be presented on May 1, 2010 at the inaugural Morrill Hall/Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund Gala Event.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
African Americans in the movies, 2009
2009 had few great roles for African Americans in the movies, according to a February 21, 2010 article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
HeLa cell line
In 1951 an African American woman's biopsy cells were made available to biological researchers, without her knowledge or consent. Today her cell line is one of the most powerful ones for scientific research. See a Wired magazine article on Henrietta Lacks for more information.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
2010 Martin Luther King Celebration
The University of Minnesota's 2010 Martin Luther King Celebration will honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and commemorate Black History Month with music, song, readings, and spoken word poetry. This year's event takes place from 4:00-5:30 p.m. on February 21, 2010, in the Ted Mann Concert Hall on the West Bank of the University's Twin Cities campus. The event is free and open to the public.
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