Storyteller Crystal Chan share with us, “My story was published by The Guardian in the UK about my mixed race experience. I hope you like it!”
We like it! Thanks for sharing Crystal!
Check out her story in The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/01/mixed-race-childhood-midwest-crystal-chan
Mixed Roots Stories is looking for a motivated person who is experienced, or wants to gain experience writing grant proposals. The Grant Specialist will work with the Mixed Roots Stories team to grow a database of grant opportunities as well as gather information, collect and organize data, and draft grant submissions. This could be either an intern or volunteer position. The intern/grant writer must be self motivated, organized, detail oriented, a team player and timely with due dates. This is an ideal position for someone looking for an internship or volunteer opportunity working with an up and coming, very active nonprofit.
Please send resumes/CVs (include references) and cover letters expressing your interest in Mixed Roots Stories and the Grant Specialist position to info@mixedrootsstories.org. Please put “Grant Writer” in the subject line.
We are looking for a motivated person who is experienced with multiple social networking sites and promotion within those sites. The individual must be self motivated, creative, organized, team player, and timely with due dates. This is a perfect position for someone looking for an internship working with an up and coming and very active nonprofit. Some tasks may include: keeping a constant presence on facebook, twitter, etc.; creation of promotional material; research to support the MXRS podcast, and more.
Please send resumes and cover letters expressing your interest in Mixed Roots Stories and the Media Intern position to info@mixedrootsstories.org. Please put Media Intern in the subject line.
This is a wonderful piece on a program that encourages inmates to put their stories to paper (through poetry, fiction, songs and more). The article mostly focuses on the documentary film At Night I Fly – which visits California’s New Folsom maximum security prison. We hope it inspires you to take advantage of every opportunity you have to write you story – there are many who are deprived of this privilege. Here’s the article: http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/11/can-storytelling-ease-the-pain-of-incarceration/281785/
The Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh has developed a new Race Research Online Directory that provides more than 10 years of research at your fingertips.
“The center has always served as a leading resource for race-related research, but now it offers unprecedented access for students, educators, foundations, and government agencies whose work depends on good scholarship.
The site includes the topic of “Interracial Group Relations.”
This resource is a great place for those who do academic work to gather information and possibly submit their work to expand the discussion on the Mixed experience.
This is also a great resource for those who need some background information and/or research to consider/include/inform the development of their Mixed Roots Stories!
Here’s a link to a fascinating thesis: Infant Perceptions of Mixed-Race Faces: An Exploration of the Hypodescent Rule in 8.5 Month-Old Infants (click the title to the left to be redirected to the full thesis).
Is our story solidified at such an early age? If so, what can we do to change it?
This brief article doesn’t go into detail about what this teacher might have done to make students feel uncomfortable – but we found the racial labeling of those involved interesting (did they self-identify as ‘white’ and ‘biracial,’ or did the journalist make assumptions?). Our goal is to change the narratives we all have around ‘race’ – even when it causes discomfort; perhaps ultimately the students at MCTC will have a new perspective for new and different conversations at the very least. Here’s a link to the article (which includes a video quote from the teacher): http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/11/20/controversy-at-mctc-following-lesson-on-structural-racism/
Food! It has a way of gathering people….families….friends…communities. Many favorite recipes are accompanied by a story that has been passed down through the generations. A recent blog post, Cooking Genes: Our Culinary Legacy on the Narrative Network, talks about the mixing of recipes that are brought from two different cultures in an a multiracial family. The author’s mother “loved to say that our food was delicious because we were a “mixed-up” family!”
http://yonarrative.com/cooking-genes-culinary-legacy/
This year Gloria Govan and Marlena Attinasi published A Mixed Girls Favorite Recipes.
“This cookbook is a collection of recipes that Gloria Govan and Marlena Attinasi have developed over the years of entertaining and raising their children. The Book is a sampling of our favorite recipes that are from the flavors of the cultures of our childhood, African American, Mexican and Italian. Some of the recipes we have named after our family members to honor them, as they have been an influence in our cooking styles and why we love food and entertaining. We are passionate about family and food being the center of every gathering. ” Find out more about the authors and order their book on their website http://www.mixedgirlsfavorites.com/
An author of a new children’s book filled out our ‘promote your story link’ to promote her Kickstarter campaign for a new children’s book. Let us know if you have any projects you’d like us to promote!
From their Kickstarter Campaign page (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/453478160/a-friend-can-be)
“A Friend Can Be” is a book inspired by years of preschool teaching and by a “three round” motherhood experience. While most books about friendship are geared towards older children, ” A Friend Can Be” is written in a way that even a very young child can understand. The language of the book is clear and simple and the illustrations feature familiar landmarks in Atlanta that captivate an older audience as well as the young children. Crafted for children roughly from 2 to 6-years-old, “A Friend Can Be” is written and illustrated to include all kinds of kids, all kinds of places, and all kinds of people in general. Written by an Early Childhood and Special Ed teacher with over 12 years experience Ana Hazanov, and designed and illustrated by amazingly creative artist Gregory Lee, this books reflects years of expertise and many days (and nights) of creative labor.
Grandmothering: Real Life in Real Families is a new book by Becky Sarah (Child Development Specialist, midwife and childbirth educator, Public Health Director for the City of Chelsea, MA and, most importantly, Grandmother). The book offers practical advice to women whose grandchildren’s worlds are very different from the ones they themselves grew up in. The section on Multiracial Families includes references to Loving v. Virginia, the one-drop rule, and why stating that you’re “Colorblind” is not helpful to young children (or anyone, for that matter). Mixed Roots Stories is also very proud to be included as a resource. Take a moment to read the synopsis and reviews on Amazon, and if you enjoy it as much as we do – add it to your collection and to your gift-giving list. http://www.amazon.com/Grandmothering-Real-Life-Families/dp/0989791807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381004049&sr=8-1&keywords=grandmothering