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UrbanHealthWatch.net is a blog managed by the Urban League of RI and funded by a Preventive Health and Health Services partnership between the RI Department of Health and the CDC. For more information, email urbanhealthri@gmail.com.

PROVIDENCE, RI - As part of the month-long health-related activities and events held annually in April, producers of the health blog, UrbanHealthWatch.net, will hold a community film event and discussion group as well as host short movies on their website. Also being proposed and implemented on the blog is the use of “Health Equity Awareness Month” to describe the month’s activities – in the place of the traditionally used “Minority Health Awareness” title.

Urban Health Watch is a blog cofounded in the summer of 2009 by Michelle Wilson, Director of Community Services of the Urban League of Rhode Island and the site’s editor, Reza C. Clifton. The purpose of the project is to address several objectives, including to bring health education into the community, deliver culturally appropriate messages on how to prevent and manage chronic diseases, and to translate medical research about health promotion and disease prevention into actionable steps people can use everyday in life. The blog is funded through a Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant offered through the RI Department of Health (HEALTH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The idea to show and post films in April is based, in part, on recognition of those in the community, even those with regular health providers, who may prefer or better retain information through visual learning. It is also in response to a successful campaign by HEALTH in 2009 to get members of the community viewing and discussing the health documentary, “Unnatural Causes.” The film sparked dialogue and a better understanding among viewers of important topics like cultural competence, social determinants of health, and why health disparities matter. One of the action steps many took away from the film was the need for more action to advance health equity, a phrase that denotes the types of practices and policy-changes required to truly address “minority health.”

The community-based movie event will happen on Saturday, April 10, at “Live Empowered! Diabetes Awareness Day,” an event scheduled from 10 am – 3 pm at the Urban League of RI. Community members who come for the film will be encouraged to pursue screenings and consultations on-site from the experts who are part of the Diabetes Awareness Event. Those who attend for diabetes tests and information are encouraged to use the movie to learn additional strategies about staying healthy and to hear from another network of experts and providers.

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For more information about the April 10 movie event and Urban Health Watch, visit www.UrbanHealthWatch.net, email urbanheatlthri@gmail.com, or call 401-497-5246. For more on the Live Empowered Diabetes Awareness event, contact Albert Whitaker, Associate Director Community Initiatives, American Diabetes Association, 617-482-4580 ext. 3469 or by email at awhitaker@diabetes.org.

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Celebrate the launch of an online magazine for New England’s “Ethnic” Professionals on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 from 6-9 PM at RISD Museum in Providence, RI. Music will be provided by me, Reza Rites / Venus Sings / DJ Reza Wreckage, but register by Monday, March 1 by emailing lwebb@ethniconline.net

PROVIDENCE, RI - Join me, Reza Rites/Venus Sings, Ethnic Online Magazine, RISD and a host of community partners on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, for a kickoff of Ethnic Online Magazine and the official RI launch party. Ethnic Online (EO) was launched in September 2009 to serve as “New England’s Magazine for Ethnic Professionals.” Sections of the magazine include those covering money, health, politics, and arts and entertainment.

The March 3rd event will go from 6-9 PM and will be held at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum, 224 Benefit Street in Providence. Music will be provided by me, Venus Sings, and the event is free and open to the public. However, registration is required by Monday, March 1st.

For more information see the flyer below or to RSVP, contact Ethnic Online Founder and Publisher, Leonard Webb, by emailing lwebb@ethniconline.net or by calling 781-652-0777.

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Isis Storm Presents…

Finding the Gray:
A Black History Month Film & Discussion On the Diaspora & Identity

Thursday, February 25, 2010
Brooklyn Coffee Tea House
209 Douglas Avenue
Providence, RI 02908

Doors open at 6:30 PM; $5 donations collected at the door.

Can Blacks tell the story of Whites and can Whites tell the story of Blacks? Can men properly reflect women in art, and can women reflect men?

What about everyone in between?

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Join members of Isis Storm and RI’s film community for this special viewing of “Mix,” courtesy of the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC). Mix is a film directed by South African filmmaker, Rudzani Dzuguda, about “freedom in South Africa after 1994.” Following Tumelo and Dominique, two female, hip-hop disc jockeys (dj’s) – one Black and one White – Dzuguda explores the issues of personal freedom “in ways that genuinely baffle their parents.”

Part of NBPC’s critically acclaimed AfroPop Series, Dzuguda through his filmmaking and Tumelo and Dominique through their everyday lives, “are forging new social realities – between black and white, between males and females, across vast stretches of land – which seem to leave the generation gap as wide as ever.”

For more information about Isis Storm and the February 25 event, visit www.IsisStorm.com or email beginthestorm@gmail.com or call 401-497-5246. For more about NBPC’s AfroPoP series, visit www.afropop.tv. To learn more about Brooklyn Coffee Tea House, visit www.brooklyncoffeeteahouse.com.

Before she passed away on December 27, 2009, Dana Wright was spreading the word about a children’s book she had written called Rolling with Nia. Click on the image of the book cover or here to watch a video to see and learn more about Wright and her book. I, Reza Rites, produced the film for “Black Perspectives Now,” an online initiative of the public media organization, WGBH, and the program “Basic Black.”

by Reza Corinne Clifton

PROVIDENCE, RI - On Sunday, December 27, 2009, a friend, mentor, and colleague of mine passed away, leaving me shocked and saddened. From her activism in the community and online, to her work as a storyteller and published author, Dana Wright inspired me professionally and personally, and for these reasons and more, I will never forget her.

Before her untimely death I had a chance to talk to Wright, about a project she had recently completed, and about the impact she was on having on youth and families. And I wasn’t the only one interested in her story.

Up in Boston, Massachusetts, series producer Valerie Linson had just launched a new online initiative, which was to be tied to “Basic Black,” a television show she runs out of WGBH. Basic Black was created in 1968 - “during the turmoil of the civil rights movement as a response to the demand for public television programs reflecting the concerns of African Americans.” But Linson saw a more contemporary need for “Black Perspectives Now,” and for “stories, events, people and voices of black New England.” Dana Wright’s was one of them.

Learn more about my interview with Wright and see other stories from Black Perspectives Now by clicking here. To learn more about Basic Black, visit www.wgbh.org/basicblack.

And Rest in Peace, Dana.

The People Are the Panel at Saturday’s Isis Storm event, and Good Times continue afterward.

Isis Storm Presents “The Breaking Point”:
A Film Screening, “On the Rise” Performance, and Panel Discussion

Saturday, November 21
5:30-8:30 PM
The Providence Black Repertory Company
$5.00 cover, free refreshments

Info: www.IsisStorm.com, beginthestorm@gmail.com.

Take a look at women and people of color “finding the breaking point” within the usual narrative to rise up and tell their stories in the private sphere and public sphere, and through artistic mediums!

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FOLLOWED BY

Good Times Cafe at the Black Rep
10:00-2:00 am
Ladies free before 11

“Good Times Cafe: It’s old, It’s new, It’s fresh, It’s fun… Every Saturday at The Black Rep for the Adult 25+ crowd. Music by Hot 97’s DJ Garfdigga.”

Originally sent in the October 3, 2009 RezaRitesRi E-newsletter

PROVIDENCE, RI – This week’s edition of the Take 5 Newsletter is filled with stops in a lot of fun and frustrating locations. One of the links will help you travel to Pawtucket, RI, where I was recently inspired into literary action. Jump next to the other side of the globe with URI’s program about India, or with an update about girls’ schools being bombed in Pakistan. Other links I’ve provided take you to Cuba, Washington, D.C., New York, and New Orleans. It’s not always pretty; in fact it’s often times gritty, but at least for this trip you don’t need a passport.

Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites

P.S. Thanks to everyone who supported the Isis Storm-led Diversity Week Open Mic at URI. I had a great time spinning music for you, but nothing topped the bagpiper, traditional Indian music, and the glimpse into the adventures of a first-time performer. Holler if you hear me. - Rz

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Take 5

A Thank you letter to Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket

Michelle Obama on Healthcare, Girls’ Schools Bombed in Pakistan and Other News from the Feminist Majority Foundation

What Would Gandhi Globalize? An October 6 Event at URI

Free Workshop on October 7: Blogging, Social Media, and other E-Marketing Tools from the Center for Women and Enterprise

Film Screening for Piece About Legendary Cuban Singer, Celia Cruz: Friday, October 9 in NYC

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A Bonus 5 More

The Whitewashed Emmy’s, The Invisibility of Hurricane Katrina in the News, and More from Unity Journalists of Color

Fellowships, Scholarships and Seminars from the National Association of Black Journalists

The Truth about the Patriot Act and other Uncovered Lies about National Security

Is Obama the only black official in D.C.? On Sunday shows, it seems so

How to Start and Run a Small Business, Twitter for Small Business, and Facebook for Business: Free Workshops in October from Every Company Counts

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Originally sent in the September 26, 2009 RezaRitesRi E-newsletter

Take 5 with Reza Rites

PROVIDENCE, RI - It is Saturday night here in RI, so I want to make this week’s newsletter pretty brief. I hope you’ve enjoyed your week and Saturday as thoroughly as I’ve enjoyed mine; in fact that, is why this week’s update is so late. No regrets, and more detail to come.

Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites

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Take 5

But Beautiful or Lost Chords: A Poem by Indigo Bethea

A Video and a Letter Addressing Sexual Harassment on the Streets

Support Women of Achievement, Prevent Premature Births: New Posts on UrbanHealthWatch.net

Open Mic at URI, Reza Rites at the Tables

Seats Still Open for Providence/Philadelphia Art Expo Trip

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - Sexual harassment on the streets? Or poorly delivered greetings? A lack of consideration? Or consideration for your presence? These are the questions that may come to mind when you watch a recently produced “experimental” film - shot in Brooklyn and Philadelphia - “about women ritually facing street harassment as they walk home.” A mix of 16 mm film, video, poetry and music, the piece was directed by Providence, RI native, Nuala Cabral, in what she and her collaborators call “an effort to honor and reclaim our humanity in the public sphere.” It is, they say, “for the walkers, talkers and those who say nothing.”

The film, “Walking Home” is a Third World Newsreel Workshop Production in collaboration with Messages in Motion. It was directed by Nuala Cabral, a Providence, RI native who now lives in Philadelphia.

Cabral and her featured subjects are not the only ones to recently address this topic. In a piece called “Oh You Can’t Speak To A Brotha?” which appeared on the website Racialicious.com, Guest Contributor Ndidi Oriji writes a letter to a transportation employee who repeatedly dodges her inquiry for assistance in favor of (not as smoothly as he thinks) asking for her phone number. See a portion of the post below.

Dear MTA Employee,

I am the woman who requested your help Wednesday morning at approximately 9:40am. I came to the station agent’s window and told you that I swiped my metro card and the display read “See Agent”. You told me to swipe it at the window. When I did, the display read “See Agent” once again. You looked at me and you said, “It says we should go out to dinner.” I responded “What?” and you repeated what you said. I asked you to help me because I didn’t want to miss the train. You repeated, “It says we should go out to dinner, you should give me your number…” I walked away angry, while you yelled after me, “Miss! Miss!” and pushed the button to let me in. I ignored you, used a new metro card to let myself in and went on my way. I’m writing this letter to explain my anger and in the hopes of preventing this type of interaction in the future.

You don’t know me. I am 32 years old. I am a lawyer. I have a mother and a father, two brothers, two sisters, one grandmother still living and a lot of cousins, aunts and uncles.

Click here to link to the full article on Racialicious.com and here to see what people are saying about Cabral’s new film. Click here to see a different film project produced by Cabral: a music video for the song, “We Don’t Vote.”

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Originally sent as a RezaRitesRi.com e-newsletter on Friday, September 18, 2009.

Take 5 with Reza Rites
by Reza Corinne Clifton

PROVIDENCE, RI – Does personal hardship yield better artwork? Or can you be a happy person and a talented creator? Do you work better under pressure and stress? Or have you found personal balance and an ability to be productive and efficient? As I lay the final touches on this week’s Take 5, and reflect on conversations I’ve recently had or heard, I wonder where you stand on the possession and application of joy, pain, worry, and tranquility.

Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites

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Take 5

Surprise: Venus Sings Radio 2nd Week in A Row – September 19

Flamenco Dancing and the Work of Federico Garcia Lorca – September 19

Charted and Improvised: A Poem by Indigo Bethea

Before They Were Four: Photos of 2 ‘Thieves’ from the RRR Archives

The Reza Rites Interview on Nobidade TV

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5 More

Famed African Writer Chinua Achebe Joins the Brown Faculty

Media Fellowships, New York Arts Summit: Updates from the Association of Independents in Radio

Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival and other Boston Arts Events – September 18 and More

Envisioning Our Media Future in Black Boston – September 23

Half the Sky: A Book And Writing Contest to Turn Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

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Two ‘thieves,’ Andrew Moon Bain and Angel Quiñonez, pose near ‘Moon’s artwork in 2006. The two artists, alongside Anna Shapiro and Monica Shinn, are part of a new exhibit called “4 Thieves,” for which there is an opening event on Saturday September 19, 2009 from 7-10pm at Firehouse 13 in Providence, RI. Live entertainment follows from 10pm - 2am.

PROVIDENCE, RI - Yesterday, Thursday, September 17, marked the first official day of a new art exhibit called ‘4 Thieves: New Work by Monica Shinn, Andrew Moon Bain, Anna Shapiro and Angel Quiñonez.’ Gallery hours for the show are Tuesday - Friday, 1-6 PM, and the exhibit will be up till September 29 at Firehouse no. 13, which is located at 41 Central St in Providence. But what can you expect to see?

Almost 2 years ago, in November 2006, I had an opportunity to view other works done and displayed by Bain and Quiñonez. Take a look at these photos from the RezaRitesRi.com archives, to catch a glimpse of the kind of work you might see, or, more likely, from whence these artists have grown.

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From left to right, Angel and Moon pose by their respective art pieces.

Artist Angel Quinonez poses near his artwork alongside his father.

Artist Angel Quinonez poses near his artwork.

The artwork of Angel Quinonez.

Moon poses near his artwork

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And if you want to mix music and art, check out their opening, happening Saturday September 19, 7-10pm. Music will be provided by DC Roots, while additional entertainment can be enjoyed with a $5 cover from 10pm-2am with the following performers: Butcherings, Atlantic Thrills, DJ Micah Jackson.
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