On Friday, August 19, Reza Clifton participated in “Troubling issues at Kennedy Plaza and the Ethics Commission dismisses the complaint against House Majority Leader John DeSimone,” a conversation on “A Lively Experiment,” a show that airs on RI PBS.
PROVIDENCE, RI – Did you know that Black women and the African American community in RI deal with the highest infant mortality rates, the highest percentage of infants with low birth weight, and the highest percentage of pregnant women with delayed prenatal care? Did you know that the Black and Native American communities in RI have the highest rates of children with incarcerated parents – 63.8 for Black children compared to 8.0 for White children? Did you know that “all minority groups [in RI] have higher poverty rates than [W]hites and the state as a whole,” and that Black Americans and Latinos in RI have higher unemployment rates than Whites and the state?
These sometimes staggering and often saddening facts, gathered and disseminated by the RI Department of Health, show how some communities are more vulnerable to the devastating consequences that come with these conditions and barriers – while others exacerbate the inequities or, at least, remain free or much less affected by them. On the other hand, both Black Americans in RI and Latinos have a lower median age than White Rhode Islanders and the state – meaning there are more and more Black and Brown youth and younger generations being brought up in RI who may help turn the tides on some of these Ocean State trends.
Watch the episode TODAY at noon on RI PBS or click on play above to see the episode on Youtube
Those are just some of the reasons why it’s important that we have inclusive and broad conversations and representations in the media, during and outside of election years. And that is why team #sonicwatermelons was so glad that Founder and Executive Producer, Reza C. Clifton, was selected to be a panelist on this week’s edition of A Lively Experiment, a political roundtable show that airs on RI PBS and PBS Learn. The show was guest-hosted by producer Kim Keough, and at the Friday, August 19 taping, #rezarites appeared alongside the following co-panelists: Ian Donnis, political reporter for Rhode Island Public Radio; Kate Nagle, news editor for GoLocalProv.com; and Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, president of Latino Radio and Chairman, Women & Infants Health Care Alliance.
Catch it on the medium screen TODAY at 12 noon on WSBE Rhode Island PBS, which “transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; on Massachusetts cable: Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36 / 3128HD, Dish Network 36.” Or see the YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/ENtr-yu-ZU4.
Click here or on the sheet above to review some of the coverage and fact sheets reviewed by Clifton prior to Friday’s taping.
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Follow Reza Rites, On the Web: http://www.VenusSings.com http://www.AmbitiousBlackFeminist.com
“Sonic Watermelons” on iTunes
Follow Reza Rites, On Social Media:
@rezaclif (FB, Twitter)
@3amblack (FB, Twitter, IG)
@watermelonsradio (Twitter)
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FALL INTO MUSIC: Venus Sings’ List of Favorites, November 2015
by Reza Corinne Clifton
Other songs by Yuna that I enjoy jamming to are “Live Your Life,” and, from her album “Nocturnal,” “I Want You Back,” and “Lights and Camera.” And her cover of Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” is spectacular!
PROVIDENCE, RI – A few nights ago I had the pleasure of running into a friend I collaborated with in my previous role as co-producer and co-host of Voices of Women on WRIU. I miss the show and the corresponding opportunities, adventures and pursuits that came with having a slot where I curated and presented two hours of music every month. In particular, I miss the way the show inspired me to locate, uncover and share music made by hard-working women in and from all over the world. I was reminded of the rush and given another chance to relive the good ol’ days, when my friend asked me for recommendations for new, sultry women she could share on the show.
The song “Mama Says,” by Ibeyi, inspired me to write a poem that you can find here. “The River,” another song by Ibeyi, has a video that blends the shockingly surreal and shockingly real.
Twenty minutes later, I sent Liza the following list of artists that I thought she should check out:
Ibeyi
Yuna
Jhene Aiko
The Internet
Melanie Fiona
FKA Twigs
Hollie Cook
No, it’s not that all of these women are new, though some are, yes. On the other hand, all of them are artists that fit the sound that my friend seemed to be seeking out. In case she’s reading, and because, in hindsight, seven seems like a strange number, here are four more artists I’d recommend based on new music they’re producing and/or the timelessness of what they’ve already done.
Jill Scott has been out for nearly two decades. Still, as one viewer on Youtube wrote, “She pulled the words out of my heart” with this one. A couple other favorites of mine from over the years include “A Long Walk” and “So In Love.”
Nneka
Santigold
Solange
Jill Scott
I hope to share additional recommendations before the year ends. In the meantime, leave your favorites in the comments or with me on Twitter @rezaclif.
Article by Reza Corinne Clifton. Photo/Collage Credit: Codex Prime, R.Clifton
I don’t remember where I was when it hit me: Reza Rites, you are celebrating a decade of blogging.
My first site was called RezaRitesRi.com, my first post went up in 2005, and it’s how I earned the nickname Reza Rites. Some of the work I posted there earned me awards, and some job opportunities where I was asked to replicate the style or topics I was publishing on the site. My presence, persistence, outreach and networking also helped me start and run other sites (including VenusSings.com and AmbitiousBlackFeminist.com, the two sites I run today) and contributed to readers and collaborators not only from RI, but also from and within different spaces and quarters around the country – and world – like Washington, DC, Boston, MA, New York, New Bedford, and even San Sebastian, Spain. In short blogging has been a big part of my personal and professional development, so it feels significant that I’ve been doing it for about a decade.
Soon after realizing and reflecting on all of this, I found myself in one of the chairs in the home studio where Maurice, Aris, Carl and Victor tape their weekly podcast, “Codex Prime.”
Codex Prime, if I had to describe it in one sentence, is a space for nerds, blerds, gamers, techies, fantasy football players and/or Comic Con enthusiasts. In my case, I was invited as a guest to talk broadly about music and my current projects (ie, as a music nerd). But after hearing about my decade of blogging, and two trips to Cuba that happened before that, the window opened for a full, fun conversation with me and the guys.
Click on the Soundcloud file below to hear the Codex Prime Podcast that featured me, Reza Rites, as the special guest. And check out the show info below, from the Codex Prime page, to learn more about their program and about some of the topics that arose during the show.
The Famous Foursome of Maurice, Victor, Aris and Carl are joined by writer, digital storyteller, cultural navigator, and friend of the show Reza Clifton. Their awesome conversation delves into Reza’s work in media and education, Aris’s tales of salty Best Buy employees, Victor’s reviews of The Martian and Sicario, Reza’s experiences with the Afropunk and Afrolatino Festivals in New York this past summer, and some super cool music talk as well.
All of this and so much more, so listen, like, subscribe, GET IT!
Recorded October 6, 2015
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CATCH REZA CLIFTON AT:
#3amblack and #RezaRites at Afropunk 2015: Video and Photo Coverage by Reza Corinne Clifton
BROOKLYN, NY – On Sunday, August 23, 2015, two women hit the road for a one-day voyage to the annual Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn, NY. Why would two women spend six hours in a car for half of a festival? Take a look at this video for hints, cues, and clues about what makes this growing cultural gathering a force that can’t be stopped and a destination not to be missed if you identify with words like underground, alternative, Pan-African, weird, different, black….
With performers like Lauryn Hill and Grace Jones, Afropunk producers proved they were willing to offer big names while also displaying a high level of consciousness as far as the importance of including women in festivals. Unfortunately I missed both Hill and Jones, the latter of which performed and produced a show that prompted a high volume of chatter on social media afterward.
On day two, upon arrival, I shopped…a LOT because the vendors and overall marketplace there speaks to me aesthetically, personally, and culturally. Apart from that, one of the most memorable parts of the day was catching the performance by Gary Clark Jr., who I realized I recognized from his performance at this year’s BET Awards (see video clip below), when I was also impressed with his chops. I also got to catch some of the multi-decade career-spanning beautiful brown rocker, Lenny Kravitz, whose enthralling set was loud and clear enough for decent cellphone footage – featured in the #3amblack and #rezarites at #afropunkfest15 video podcast above.
Photos can also be seen on Facebook in one of the 3 AM Is the New Black photo albums; click here to link to it. Below are credits for the Vimeo film embedded above.
Gary Clark Jr. performs with Anthony Hamilton at the BET M
Producer: Reza Clifton
Music: Live cell phone footage of Lenny Kravitz at Afropunk, 8.23.15
Photography: Reza Clifton and Sophia Wright
Info on Afropunk: afropunk.com afropunkfest.com @afropunk on FB and Twitter
Info on #3amblack and #rezarites venussings.com ambitiousblackfeminist.com @3amblack on FB, IG, and Twitter
Cherise Morris, a Brown University student and member of Students Against the Prison Industrial Complex, visited Sonic Watermelons to discuss divesting from prisons and dismantling the Prison Industrial Complex. She also talked about how private prisons were developed and how states’ relationships with private prison-makers are contributing to high incarceration rates and unequal/disparate prison rates for Black and Latino men and women; watch that excerpt above or here.
Divesting from Prisons, Problems with Private Prisons and Students Against the Prison Industrial Complex: New Podcasts from Reza Rites and Sonic Watermelons ft. Student-Activist Cherise Morris
by Reza Corinne Clifton
PROVIDENCE, RI – “Columbia First US University To Divest from Private Prisons.” That was the title and topic of a June 23, 2015 article written by Jenn M. Jackson, a writer who focuses on politics, news, and culture as the Assistant Editor for The Black Youth Project (BYP) – where the article appeared. BYP is an organization and multimedia news blog that serves as a “platform that highlights the voices and ideas of black millennials” by working with young people on “producing research about the ideas, attitudes, decision making, and lived experiences of black youth.”
I’ve been following and admiring the work of BYP for years, and I’m frequently pulled in by their headlines. That was the case in this instance too, but this time I was also interested due to the movement-building I’ve observed and individual relationships I have with at least a dozen scholars and activists working on “reforming prisons,” “abolishing prisons,” ending “legal slavery,” dismantling the “prison industrial complex,” and “ending the school to prison pipeline.”
According to Jackson, the actions followed a period in which “Columbia held approximately 220,000 shares in a company called G4S, the world’s largest private security firm, and Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the largest private prison company in the country.” The policy-change, explains Jackson, “sets a precedent regarding how universities in this country align themselves with private corporations.” She goes on to say that “[w]hen those business firms are harmful, violent, and exploitative of certain racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual groups, these schools should seriously consider what their financial support for these companies means to students, staff, and alumni.”
What does this mean as far as the movement and awareness-raising happening nationally and globally? What are the other trends – historically and currently – we should be examining as we talk about racial disparities in prisons and problems within the prison industrial complex? And what role do private prisons play in exacerbating incarceration rates and abuses faced by prisoners?
At Columbia, it was many students “who protested via sit-ins, teach-ins, and other public displays of concern for the University’s involvement and support for private prisons,” so to answer and discuss my questions, I reached out to Cherise Morris, a Brown University student and member of the campus organization Students Against the Prison Industrial Complex (SAPIC). In addition to her organizing work, Morris recently published an informative and artistic zine to provide “a brief introduction to the massive entity that encompasses the prison-industrial complex, its historical legacy, and its modern manifestations inside of and beyond prison walls.” Morris also works with a group of community members (including me) who are helping to found the Fred Hampton Institute for Resistance in Providence, in part, to provide community-based Black History courses and she teaches art at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute (ACI).
To hear/watch the full conversation featuring Morris speaking with me and my Sonic Watermelons team member Jose Ramirez, click on the Vimeo video above or click here to access the Vimeo podcast link. To hear it in small parts use the Souncloud links provided below.
For more information about SAPIC, follow @againstthepic on Twitter or facebook.com/studentsagainstthepic. For more information about Sonic Watermelons, click here. For more information about the Fred Hampton Institute for Resistance, click here.
In the first part of the interview, Morris defines the term Prison Industrial Complex and talks about the communities most often targeted or caught in incarceration nets – men of color, the LGBTQ community, the Transgender community and women of color. She explains that prison industrial complex refers not only to prisons and jails, but also to indirect things like neighborhood segregation, educational inequalities, screening workers and students for previous incarceration, and the factors that lead people to be incarcerated and the realities that happen afterward. Morris also points to the practice of colleges looking at students’ disciplinary records as a practice that is a function of the prison industrial complex, as well as their practice of selling products on-campus that are made by incarcerated men and women – or what some call prison slave labor.
In the second part of the interview, Morris talks about the concept of consumer complicity and the idea that, often times, the store you’re frequenting that has lower prices can make those deals because they’re using incarcerated men and women and low to no wages – and they’re investing in things that “[get] your cousin locked up too.” Morris acknowledges that activism cannot be about demonizing individuals or ignoring some communities’ needs for affordable pricing. She says the focus, instead, needs to be on institutions like Columbia, Brown University and other colleges and universities, and she points to work being done by students at different schools who are advancing a campaign to “ban the box” (asking students about past convictions) on student applications.”Students from fifty schools who are all using the same common application can have real power.”
In the third part of the interview, Morris discussed the history of prisons and how they evolved over time from the 1700’s to 2015: “Everyone’s talking about mass incarceration and black men and women being incarcerated at such high rates, but this has been happening since the birth of the modern prisons.” Prior to the Civil War, she explains, prison populations were predominantly white; Blacks were enslaved at the time – with legally sanctioned constraints on movement on top of labor demands already. After the Civil War, she explains, prisons everywhere changed to being predominantly Black and one reason is because of the introduction of “Black Codes” or laws that intentionally targeted former slaves and “criminalized blackness.” Morris contextualizes the situation with a reminder that the 13th amendment bans slavery unless it’s used for punishment and imprisonment. Morris linked this history with the more contemporary story about the rise and impact of private prisons, and how the war on drugs, and the differences between crack and cocaine sentences in particular – a more contemporary version of the Black Codes – helped fuel the development of private prisons. The racially biased laws and high incarceration rates, says Morris, led to states both making financial deals with private companies to house the growing prison population and appeasing private prison companies by ensuring filled prisoner beds. Not meeting the lock-up quotas means paying the corporations, says Morris, which means governments are incentivized to keep incarceration rates up. Morris talks about other scams, abuses, and problems within the prison industrial complex, including bad practices by telecommunications companies providing phone services in jail, “human rights violations” such as maggots being found in food continually and sexual assault in the facilities.
I’m not sure it can be diagnosed, but I’m positive that’s what I’m suffering from. That’s because it’s been exactly 7 days and 16 hours since the launch of the third annual Afro-Latino Festival in NYC – which I, too, attended last weekend. Last month, I had included the festival as part of my #venussings and #sonicwatermelons 2015 Music Festival Guide, but it surpassed my expectations.
What was so good about it, you ask? In short: the people; the music; the attention to scholarship.
I’ve got videos, photos, and interviews from the Festival, coming soon, so you’ll see what I mean. For now, though, here are some videos/tunes from four of the musicians who attended the festival and brought great vibes: Les Nubians, who I’ve followed for nearly the same 20 years the band is celebrating this year; Danay Suarez who was one of the reasons I was inspired to attend LAMC last year; Los Hacheros, whose salsa melodies and rhythms had me dancing fearlessly at the festival’s Friday night Gala; and Cultura Profetica, whose reggae chops are so beloved that most in attendance during their Sunday night performance were singing along, word for word, song to song.
Tune in to Sonic Watermelons this Tuesday (and every Tuesday) from 7-8 PM on bsrlive.com to catch additional reports and stories from the Festival. Plus follow me on venussings.com, ambitiousblackfeminist.com, and @3amblack on FB, Twitter and IG for additional reporting from me, Reza Rites/Venus Sings/DJ Reza Wreckage/The AmbitiousBlackFeminist.
On Friday, August 19, Reza Clifton participated in “Troubling issues at Kennedy Plaza and the Ethics Commission dismisses the complaint against House Majority Leader John DeSimone,” a conversation on “A Lively Experiment,” a show that airs on RI PBS.
Venus Sings by Reza Rites 