RezaRitesRi.com

The Community Wants More than Shallow Commentary

Originally sent to the Director of 360 on Sunday, October 18, 2009
Resent to the Director of 360 and the General Manager on Thursday, October 22, 2009

Greetings,
My name is Reza Clifton, and I am a freelance journalist, blogger, and Providence community member. I have also been a visitor to WBRU in the past, to talk about minority health issues and race relations, and local music in relation to media work I was doing. I am contacting you because I want to see if you would be interested in meeting sometime, and I’d like to tell you about what sparked my interest. Today, Sunday October 18 a little after noon, one of the 360 dj’s played a song called make-up sex, and he prefaced it with the question to listeners of “how many of you have had make-up sex?”

I had two immediate reactions to this:

- Why would he ask such an abashadely adult question at such a significant listening time like a little after noon on Sunday when later on, there is the gentle touch, midnight madness, and the soul serenade for that kind of theme?

- Does this DJ know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and African American Women experience ” ‘intimate partner violence’ at rates 35% higher than their White counterparts?” That Black women “comprise 8% of the US population” but, in 2005, “22% of all intimate partner homicide vicitims,” that Black women who are battered are less likely to practice safe sex, and that anyone who’s been in an abusive relationship is more likely to get HIV? That 1 in 3 sexually active girls in the 9th - 12th grade reported experiencing physical or sexual violence from dating partners? And that a partner forcing you to have make up sex after a fight or after he has hurt you is a warning sign that some police departments suggest potential victims look out for or analayze?

It gives a whole other dimenstion to the make-up sex conversation and the idea of sharing it or glamorizing it on a day and during a time of day that African American men and women, and countless youth are listening.

I’d really like to set up a time when we could talk about curbing or reducing this type of thoughtless or shallow commentary during such peak hours, and/or balancing it with more regular features that include news, facts and resources that our community needs. Please see my contact info below or feel free to send me an email if you’d like to engage in such a conversation, because whether I’m in the middle of it or not, changes need to be made - and I know many in the community who would embrace such a change.

Sincerely,
“Reza Rites”

***

Since sending the email, while I have not heard from WBRU, I have continued investigating the station’s 360-specific news and community offerings. Airing every Sunday at 10:00 AM and available online is a show called “The Pulse,” which is designed to take “a closer look at community news and the issues that affect Southern New England’s urban centers.” Recent episodes of The Pulse addressed Rhode Island Minority Enterprise Development Week, the New England Regional Minority Health Conference, and Chris Rock’s movie, “Good Hair.” Go to http://360.wbru.com to see more.

By the way, what do you think? Send me an email at rezaclif@gmail.com to tell me your thoughts on whether or not radio stations are serving the needs of communities of color in RI.

by Reza Corinne Clifton

KINGSTON, RI - Well, I’ve done it again. Before my finances could fully announce readiness, I went and picked up a bunch of music. Once again I went “global” with my selections, picking up artists like the Afro-Puerto Rican artist, La Sista and the band Ocote Soul; the afrobeat band Aphrodesia; and the reggaeton (male) duo, Jowell and Randy. And while I won’t be playing Jowell and Randy, necessarily, I am excited to present the other artists and more - tomorrow, Saturday, October 24 on Venus Sings Radio.

Broadcasting live from 9-11 am (EST) on 90.3 FM in and around RI and streaming online at www.wriu.org, tomorrow’s show should be exciting for several reasons. First, I’m going to be transporting and using home equipment to do a live-mix show in the studio - instead of using in-house stuff. The effect should equate into tighter and smoother transitions between the songs and more fun on my end. Second, I’ll be dj’ing later on in the evening at the Isis Storm On the Rise event in Pawtucket, and I’m going to want to inspire you to come out, so I’ll be playing lots of upbeat selections and achingly wonderful tunes to bewitch your ears and soul.

Tune in today, Saturday October 24 - and the second and fourth Saturday of every month - to catch Venus Sings Radio on WRIU.

Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites

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For more information about archives, other programs, and WRIU as a whole, visit www.wriu.org. To view previous playlists, to track the schedule, and to read more about women in music, visit www.VenusSings.com.

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Pictured here is singer, drummer, and pianist, Nisha Purushotham. She will be one of the featured performers at the October 24 Isis Storm show.

PAWTUCKET, RI - Do not be alarmed, but there is a NEW LOCATION for the October 24 On the Rise event presented by Isis Storm. The date, time, and city is still the same, there will still be free food, and some of the best artists in the region - female or otherwise - are still on-board to be there. Take note below of the details and slight change.

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Isis Storm Presents On the Rise:
An artist showcase and networking reception spotlighting female musicians, poets, and emcees.

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009
8:00 PM - 1:00 AM

Mixed Magic Theatre
171 Main Street
Pawtucket RI, 02860
$5.00 cover charge, free food, BYOB

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To sign up as a performer, call Kal at 401-207-5717 or call Reza at 401-497-5246. For more information about the Isis Storm initiative and collective, and for more about women in music, visit www.IsisStorm.com or www.VenusSings.com. For more from Kal and Reza, tune in to WRIU (90.3 FM or streaming online at www.wriu.org) on Thursday, October 22 from 3-6 PM and on Saturday, October 24 from 9-11 AM, respectively.

Take 5 with Reza Rites: Get Together and Demand Change

How does a community make changes that endure? By coming together, demanding it, and supporting each other. That was the idea behind this past week’s New England Regional Minority Health Conference (NERMHC), and that’s the idea behind many of this week’s Take 5 items. The next Isis Storm show coming up on Saturday, October 24 is a great example. When my partner Kalyana and I reflected on what we saw and heard from female musicians, poets, and hip hop emcees, it was clear to us that getting together on a regular basis was going to be the best way to do address the problems around visibility, supporting authentic content, and networking.

More coverage from NERMHC will be included in next week’s e-newsletter and on UrbanHealthWatch.net, so stay tuned. In the short term I will say it was great meeting all the change-agents in the community and across New England. And next Saturday, October 24 is the next edition of Venus Sings Radio, so spend some time on VenusSings.com for more about when to tune in and what to expect.

Thanks for the support and helping me get the word out.

- Reza Rites

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Take 5

- Isis Storm Presents On the Rise at the Poets Place on Saturday Oct 24 for Female Musicians, Poets, and Hip Hop Emcees

- Information, Action and a Word from Destiny House: Domestic Violence Awareness Month on UrbanHealthWatch.net

- Legal News and Updates for Bloggers

- Tech School Scholarship for GED-Recipients and Adult Learners

- Info Sessions About New Roots Trainings and Grants - Oct 20 and more

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This month, the Isis Storm event will happen at the Poets Place, which is a Mixed Magic Theatre Project. If you are a female artist who wants to perform, call 401-497-5246 or call 401-207-5717.

PAWTUCKET, RI - Are you ready for the healing and calm that comes after a storm?

On Saturday, October 24, Isis Storm Presents On the Rise at the Poets Place: An artist showcase and networking reception spotlighting female musicians, poets, and emcees. The event goes from 8 PM - 1 AM, and it will be held at 235 Main Street in Pawtucket, RI - at the Poets Place.

The event will be hosted by Kal Champlain and Reza Rites (DJ Reza Wreckage) - the founders of “Isis Storm.” To sign up as a performer, call Kal at 401-207-5717 or call Reza at 401-497-5246.

For more information about the Isis Storm initiative and collective, and for more about women in music, visit www.IsisStorm.com or www.VenusSings.com. For more from Kal and Reza, tune in to WRIU (90.3 FM or streaming online at www.wriu.org) on Thursday, October 22 from 3-6 PM and on Saturday, October 24 from 9-11 AM, respectively.

For more information about “The Poets Place,” which is a Mixed Magic Theatre Project, and a space for smaller organizations and community members, call 401-305-7333 or visit the Mixed Magic Theatre site at www.mixedmagictheatre.org.

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Originally sent in the RezaRitesRi E-newsletter on Friday, October 9, 2009.

PROVIDENCE, RI - From school bands and chorus, to mixed tapes and live shows, if you know me, then you know music is a constant in my life. But who would’a thunk that I’d find satisfaction working around the topic of health when as a youth I ran at rapid speeds away from the idea of med school. It started after I graduated from college, when I was entrused with the responsibility of examining and analyzing possible factors attributed to health disparities in different youth with asthma. The topic was interesting then, and it remains so today, but when I left the position in 2005, I thought that my working life around health was over.

Fast forward to today and this week, and I’ve spent considerable time scouting, booking, and selecting live and recorded music as part of my work with the New England Regional Minority Health Conference. And I am excited, for I’ve spoken with and booked talented, creative, and independent performers who will be weaved into an eclectic fabric of cultural and thematic arts. For those planning to attend NERMHC, you can anticipate the drumming troupe, Didakan featuring Issa Coulibaly; actor and poet, Rudy Cabrera; singer-singwriters Kim Trusty and Candida Rose; and vocalist and master percussionist, Nisha Purushotham.

Life can be funny that way if you give it a chance.

Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites

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Take 5

- October 10 and October 24: Venus Sings Radio on WRIU

- RICJ Youth Discuss Afghanistan Thru Film - Oct. 13

- ‘DJ Reza Wreckage’ and Youth at the New England Regional Minority Health Conference – Oct. 15

- Other Updates about the Regional Minority Health Conference

- Free Health Screenings for Women Ages 16-26

KINGSTON, RI - It is official: Venus Sings Radio is now coming to you live twice a month - the second and fourth Saturday every month. This means more music, more interviews, more special guests, and more surprises brought to you by me, Reza Rites (aka Venus Sings, aka DJ Reza Wreckage).

I hope you’ll tune in for my next show: Saturday, October 10 from 9-11 AM on 90.3 FM (in and around RI) or streamable online at www.wriu.org.

Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites

***

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Public Health in Action - Seeding the Pipeline is a youth-focused summit happening during the New England Regional Minority Health Conference, on Thursday, October 15 at 5:30 PM. I, Reza Rites, will DJ during the networking social.

PROVIDENCE, RI - On the evening of Thursday, October 15, the New England Regional Minority Health Conference (NERMHC) will present its first youth-focused summit: “Public Health in Action – Seeding the Pipeline.” Youth from across New England will attend and present during the evening event, and several regional colleges and employers will be on-hand for a panel discussion and networking. The summit is open to the public, but students are highly encouraged to attend. Doors open at 5:15 PM and refreshments will be served. Music during the networking social will be provided by me, multimedia journalist and DJ Reza Rites (aka DJ Reza Wreckage).

Seeding the Pipeline is FREE to attendees, but registration is required. For more information about the summit and to find a link to register, visit www.nermhc.com/PHIA-information.htm.

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“Public Health in Action – Seeding the Pipeline”
A Youth-Focused Summit
Thursday, October 15, 2009
5:30-10:30 PM

The Westin Hotel
One West Exchange Street
Providence, RI 02903

Info and registration at www.nermhc.com/PHIA-information.htm. More updates about NERMHC can be read on UrbanHealthWatch.net.

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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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Dear Mixed Magic Theatre,

I am writing this letter to express my thanks and to elaborate on why I extend it. It all started with a phone call from the venerable Bernadette Pitts-Wiley, who was personally inviting me to participate in a program your organization was organizing – rather than simply relying on email, an effective albeit impersonal and, unfortunately, not always persuasive way to reach out. She was recruiting me as an orator and participant in a reading and discussion of Moby-Dick. It was the inaugural event for Books that Defined a Nation, a program your arts organization is doing.

At first, I must admit, I was hesitant. As a self-prescribed writer, avid reader, and disciplined student, I should have already read Moby-Dick, for it was part of my high school reading requirements. Yet I remember drawing a line in the sand as a youth and placing myself on the side that simply wasn’t going to be bothered with such a voluminous piece of literature, no matter how sacred it might be. Furthermore, I had no desire to cross that divide – until, first, the call from Bernadette, and then, later, the discussion and environment I was allowed to absorb. Topping it off was the youth-centric adaptation of Moby-Dick penned and adapted by your own ship’s captain, the innovative and visionary, Ricardo Pitts-Wiley.

If I had to pinpoint my favorite elements from Saturday, September 26, I would have to select the discussions about the lively, independent, and sometimes nearly sordid life of the book’s author, Herman Melville, and the debates and embedded lessons pertaining to archetypal characters, stories, and images referenced by the well-read Melville.

Besides leaving your event with a new mission – to read Moby-Dick – I also left ready to tell someone about my experience, which I found in my mother. Upon hearing my description of your event and my corresponding resolve, she vowed to join me in my Melvillian journey. Therefore, in one stroke, Mixed Magic, you have given me fuel to quench my thirst for more literature, a partner to join me on my voyage, and another personal treasure that my mother and I can share.

So again, I say thank you, and I implore you to continue your good work.

Sincerely,
Reza C. Clifton
Online Publisher, Freelance Journalist, Multimedia Producer, Music DJ