Doors: 7:30 PM (ends at 11:00 PM)
All Ages
“Other,” a song by Guante & Big Cats, featuring Chastity Brown, See More Perspective & Chantz Erolin
The song “Other,” from Guante & Big Cats’ 2012 album “You Better Weaponize,” explores mixed-race and mixed-culture identities in a way that is intimate and personal while also keeping an eye on the bigger picture. Featuring Chastity Brown, See More Perspective and Chantz Erolin, the track weaves together different experiences, styles and approaches to coming to terms with what “mixed” really means. More on Guante: www.guante.info
Listen to the song now: http://guanteandbigcats.bandcamp.com/track/other-w-chastity-brown-see-more-perspective-chantz-erolin
Thank you Guante for sharing your story with us!
Lenny Kravitz has not been silent about his racial background. He has been known to tell his story through music. In his recent album, Black and White America, he discusses the world in which his parents met and he was raised.
In this video he shares what it was like being called out by a student on his first day of school that his father was White and what it was like being a mixed in school.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/lenny-kravitz-race-biracial_n_3355448.html
Although it comes with a hefty price tag ($200), if you know of a worthy filmmaker, actor, singer or writer who tells Mixed Roots Stories, this is a great way to show your support. The fee is tax deductible and they are accepting submissions until November 15, 2013. Click this link for their Guidelines and Instructions packet: https://www.naacpimageawards.net/submissions/45th_NIA_GuidelinesandInstructions.pdf
The beautiful Eartha Kitt!
Did you know: She didn’t know her actual birthday until she was 71? She never knew who her father was?
Once she finally discovered her birth certificate she was allowed 15 minutes with it and her father’s name was blacked out.
Kitt died in 2008. Her daughter said: “She carried the scar of her rejection with her all her life. She was rejected for the colour of her skin ironically by both black and white.” Her daughter goes on to say: “To some extent, I think my arrival completed her because it gave her a family that she never had.”
Our mixed roots stories might have rejection, secrecy, and pain…telling and sharing our stories can provide healing.
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/19/eartha-kitt-suffered-over-identity
Alejandro T. Acierto is an award winning performer.
“Alejandro T. Acierto is a musician and interdisciplinary artist whose innovative work in contemporary music, performance art, and art installation has led Time-Out New York to call him a “maverick.” He employs a multi-media aesthetic integrating music, sound, performance, and installation that explores notions of fluid identities and the slippages of cultural definitions.”
His next performance, Suspicious Package, is October 26th at 7:30pm in Brooklyn, NYC.
He will be in Saint Paul, MN November 5th and Chicago, IL Nov 8th.
Learn more about this storyteller and his future performances at
Mark, Chandra and I were so fortunate to meet Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran (www.thesingerandthesongwriter.com) when we worked together producing the 2012 Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival. They’ve changed their name to The Singer & the Songwriter (they were called Ampersand then), and are now running a Kickstarter campaign to fund their debut album! They only have about a week to go on their campaign – please head over to Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com/projects/thesingthesong/the-debut-album-from-the-singer-and-the-songwriter), listen to their wonderful music, and support them in any way you can! Do it for Beatrice 🙂