RezaRitesRi.com

Originally posted on www.IsisStorm.com

Click here to purchase tickets online or keep reading IsisStorm.com to learn about opportunities to pick yours up in the community.

PROVIDENCE, RI - It has been too long. FAR TOO LONG. It is past time for women in hip hop to take the recognition they deserve, and Rhode Island is ready to bring its fiercest women organizers and emcees to the table to do it!

Isis Storm has partnered with SlyShuga to present “WE RUN THIS: Women and Mother’s in Hip Hop” – an event that will happen during May to stress how much we believe that women in hip hop have been mothers both literally and metaphorically to their friends, family, and community. Taking the title from Rah Digga’s track- like the lady herself we are not holding anything back and are not afraid to tell you that we know WE RUN THIS!

In addition, because women spend so much time supporting others that they do not take care of themselves we have added a VIP segment full of self care that will be given to the first 60 women who purchase their tickets at the full price.

Yes Yall…It has been too long. FAR TOO LONG. It is past time for women in hip hop and the community to take the recognition they deserve, and Rhode Island is ready to bring its fiercest women organizers and emcees to the table to do it! CAUSE WE GON RUN THIS!

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Isis Storm and SlyShuga Present:

We Run This!
Women and Mothers in Hip Hop

With a Headlining Performance by
Queen Yonasda

Sunday, May 16, 2010
8 PM – 1 AM
Jerkys Bar and Grill
71 Richmond Street
Providence, RI

18 plus
$12.00 Advanced
$17.00 Day of the Show
Click here to purchase tickets online

Sponsorships are available to businesses, organizations and individuals who want to support the event, and there is a special VIP party for sponsors and the first 60 who purchase their tickets and register for the event. For more information visit www.IsisStorm.com or join “I Support We Run This…” on Facebook. To register for the VIP party or for sponsorships, email beginthestorm@gmail.com or call 401-497-5246.

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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You might like the video, but you’ll love them live! Catch me, Reza Rites, and the ladies of Isis Storm on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 16.

PROVIDENCE, RI – Summer may have come in April earlier this week, but a Storm is rolling in. In fact, you better be ready for TWO big celebrations, because the thunder can’t help but be heard. Save the following dates, and be ready to join us:

Isis Storm Presents ‘On the Rise’…
And Celebrating National Poetry Month

Saturday, April 30, 2010
8:00 PM
Brooklyn Coffee Tea House
209 Douglas Avenue
Providence, RI 02908

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We Run This!
Women & Mothers in Hip Hop

Sunday, May 16, 2010, 8:00 PM

To get your regular forecast, visit www.IsisStorm.com, or email beginthestorm@gmail.com for more information. Female poets, musicians, and hip hop artists, community organizations, and women in the color are encouraged to inquire.

The Rhode Island Young Professionals Invites You to Its 7th ANNUAL WINTER SOIREE, Saturday, February 27, 2010. Media interested in covering the event should contact Raymond Watson by calling 401-338-7606 or by emailing rlwatson06@yahoo.com.

Providence RI, February 12, 2010 — Rhode Island Young Professionals, an auxiliary of the Urban League of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island chapter of the National Urban League Young Professionals, announce it’s 7th Annual Winter Soiree. The event will feature a night of decadence, grace, and stature that includes a live Pianist, followed by dinner, a brief awards ceremony, and plenty of dancing. The theme for this year’s Soiree is “ Taking the Torch” where all professionals, both young and old, will be inspired and encouraged as the leaders of a new tomorrow. The event will take place on February 27, 2010 at the Providence Marriott Downtown (1 Orms Street) from 6pm to 1am.

The Keynote Speaker for the evening is Keith Stokes, Executive Director of RI Economic Development Corporation. The Black Heritage Society will be honored for their contributions and commitment to the Rhode Island Community. The Master and Mistress of Ceremony for the evening will be John Guice, Reporter of ABC 6 News, and Reza Clifton from RezaRitesRI.com.

This year’s event will be sponsored by Lifespan, Amica, Banneker Industries, Rhode Island Foundation, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Metlife Auto & Home and Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island. However, sponsorship opportunities are still available, and additional support is invited through ticket sales.

Tickets are $60 for the general public and $50 for RIYP Members. Tickets can be purchased directly from the RIYP website by visiting www.riyp.org or email wintersoiree@riyp.org for ticket and sponsorship information and to learn more about the RIYP Winter Soiree. Media interested in covering the event should contact Raymond Watson by calling 401-338-7606 or by emailing rlwatson06@yahoo.com.

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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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Celebrate and curse Valentine’s Day all in one show: Venus Sings Radio on WRIU: Saturday, February 13 from 9-11 AM (est) on 90.3 FM.

KINGSTON, RI - Last year, it sounded like Duffy’s “Mercy” and Amel Larrieux’s “Make Me Whole;” Lily Allen’s “Shame for You,” and Sade’s “This Is No Ordinary Love.” What will it sound like this year, during the 2nd annual “Venus Sings Radio for the Lovers and Haters?”

Join me, Venus Sings / DJ Reza Wreckage, and find out for yourself:

Venus Sings Radio
Saturday, February, 13, 2010,
9:00-11:00 AM

Hear it: 90.3 FM or www.wriu.org
Contact: www.VenusSings.com
studio lines: 401-792-9030 or 1-888-303-9748

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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.

Join me and tune in to WRIU on Sunday, February 7 from 2-5 PM

KINGSTON, RI - For more than twenty years, Peter Dante has been spreading the sound and gospel of reggae music from a point in southern Rhode Island - the University of RI, Kingston Campus. That is the home and headquarters of WRIU, 90.3 FM, a student- and community-run radio station known for playing independent, noncommercial, and eclectic music. Dante has been holding it down there since 1982, holding different slots but staying steadfast to rocksteady and other forms of reggae.

On Sunday, February 7, I, Venus Sings of Venus Sings Radio and Voices of Women, will try my best at shape-shifting as I fill in for Dante on his Sunday afternoon “Reggae Showcase” program. Every week, from 2:00 - 5:00 PM (EST) on 90.3 FM (in and around RI) and streaming online at www.wriu.org, Dante provides listeners with the best in “roots, reggae, dub, rock[steady] and ska,” and I’ve signed up to be the substitute teacher for his classroom of students and music lovers.

Now no, I won’t be the almost thirty-year reggae playing, radio hosting veteran and guru people know and love, but I am a disciple of Bob Marley, an admirer of Sanchez, and a scholar of Sly and Robbie; a collector of Queen Ifrica, a sister of Tanya Stephens, and a soldier for Etana. In sum, I look forward to the show and I hope you do too.

Sunshine and laughter,
Venus Sings (DJ Reza Wreckage)

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