‘Forever Jones’ is a reality television series debuting on Bounce TV that gives viewers a sneak peek into the lives of a family of musicians living a Christian life. (Google Images)
Primetime reality television has evolved into spotlighting gospel artists like Mary Mary and The Sheards. Viewers are given candid access weekly into these musical families balancing their recording careers with caring for their loved ones.
Debuting on Jun. 5, forever JONES is the first program of its kind on Bounce TV, which primarily broadcasts nostalgic black programming and cinema. Kim says forever JONES is an intimate portrait into what makes a family work.
“It’s really an honor for us. Watching [Bounce TV] is like watching black history everyday. We’re a big family that travels together and works together,” says Kim.
forever JONES chronicles the band on-stage, in the recording studio and at home. Each member plays instruments, writes songs, sings and deals with personal revelations. “We don’t know how it’s gonna be edited. It was not a natural thing to have a camera in my face, lighting from the ceiling and in my bedroom,” says Kim. Adds Dewitt IV, “We’re all nervous,” he says.
On the pilot episode, forever JONES is trying to promote their sophomore effort, Musical Revival. Kim and Doe are both asked to consider solo careers. Judah heads to Kansas State on a full scholarship.
Like most parents, Kim is a nervous, protective mother. “It’s difficult. I just don’t want my baby to go so far,” she says.
Growing up, Kim recalls her children banged on pots and pans. She says each member developed its own spiritual identity and interest in music. The family still huddles and prays together at 9:00 a.m. everyday.
“They have their personal space. It was about worship and entertaining the presence of the Lord. We gave the kids their freedom with their instruments,” says Kim.
forever JONES offers another glimpse into a working class African American family. Doe says the family is often interrogated about their target audience. She is optimistic about the series building its own following.
“Hopefully, this will allow us to create that demographic. The entire family can sit down in a room and watch,” says Doe. Known for their 2010 chart topper, “He Wants It All,” the band’s Stellar Awards-winning gospel stylings blend rock, R&B, funk, pop, country and electronica.
“It aligns with what The Bible teaches you about life in general. You have to involve Him[God] in your decision making process” says Doe.
Kim adds, “When you hear their music, you hear their lives. Take your gift, and talk to him about every challenge that you have and any challenges that you face. I want them to do and be what they really believe that God is calling them to do,” she says.
Considering illness nearly threatened Kim’s ability to have any children, forever JONES acknowledges the power of prayer. “I celebrate the fact that we’re still in this. We’re not afraid of our own faith. That’s who we are,” says Kim.
Christopher A. Daniel is a pop cultural critic and music editor for The Burton Wire. He is also a contributing writer for Urban Lux Magazine and Blues & Soul Magazine. Follow Christopher @Journalistorian on Twitter.
‘Forever Jones’ is a reality television series debuting on Bounce TV that gives viewers a sneak peek into the lives of a family of musicians living a Christian life. (Google Images)
Primetime reality television has evolved into spotlighting gospel artists like Mary Mary and The Sheards. Viewers are given candid access weekly into these musical families balancing their recording careers with caring for their loved ones.
Debuting on Jun. 5, forever JONES is the first program of its kind on Bounce TV, which primarily broadcasts nostalgic black programming and cinema. Kim says forever JONES is an intimate portrait into what makes a family work.
“It’s really an honor for us. Watching [Bounce TV] is like watching black history everyday. We’re a big family that travels together and works together,” says Kim.
forever JONES chronicles the band on-stage, in the recording studio and at home. Each member plays instruments, writes songs, sings and deals with personal revelations. “We don’t know how it’s gonna be edited. It was not a natural thing to have a camera in my face, lighting from the ceiling and in my bedroom,” says Kim. Adds Dewitt IV, “We’re all nervous,” he says.
On the pilot episode, forever JONES is trying to promote their sophomore effort, Musical Revival. Kim and Doe are both asked to consider solo careers. Judah heads to Kansas State on a full scholarship.
Like most parents, Kim is a nervous, protective mother. “It’s difficult. I just don’t want my baby to go so far,” she says.
Growing up, Kim recalls her children banged on pots and pans. She says each member developed its own spiritual identity and interest in music. The family still huddles and prays together at 9:00 a.m. everyday.
“They have their personal space. It was about worship and entertaining the presence of the Lord. We gave the kids their freedom with their instruments,” says Kim.
forever JONES offers another glimpse into a working class African American family. Doe says the family is often interrogated about their target audience. She is optimistic about the series building its own following.
“Hopefully, this will allow us to create that demographic. The entire family can sit down in a room and watch,” says Doe. Known for their 2010 chart topper, “He Wants It All,” the band’s Stellar Awards-winning gospel stylings blend rock, R&B, funk, pop, country and electronica.
“It aligns with what The Bible teaches you about life in general. You have to involve Him[God] in your decision making process” says Doe.
Kim adds, “When you hear their music, you hear their lives. Take your gift, and talk to him about every challenge that you have and any challenges that you face. I want them to do and be what they really believe that God is calling them to do,” she says.
Considering illness nearly threatened Kim’s ability to have any children, forever JONES acknowledges the power of prayer. “I celebrate the fact that we’re still in this. We’re not afraid of our own faith. That’s who we are,” says Kim.
Christopher A. Daniel is a pop cultural critic and music editor for The Burton Wire. He is also a contributing writer for Urban Lux Magazine and Blues & Soul Magazine. Follow Christopher @Journalistorian on Twitter.
Is ABC’s ‘Scandal’ that different from ‘Mistresses?’ Why are we focusing on mistresses when ‘Devious Maids’ is going unchecked? (Photo credit: Barton J. Taylor)
ABC‘s show ‘Mistresses’ has been criticized for celebrating mistresses, known in many married circles as home wrecking harlots. Based on the BBC’s hit show ‘Mistresses’, ABC puts an American spin on the drama following the lives of four women who sometimes reflect the traditional definition of a mistress, while falling into the category based on life’s circumstances. What I found to be interesting is the folks raging against the show for celebrating deviant behavior, some of whom are the same people that rave about the show, ‘Scandal’ whose lead character is the ultimate mistress. Kerry Washington convincingly plays the role of Olivia Pope, a D.C. “fixer” who has carried on a long-term affair with married President Fitzgerald ‘Fitz’ Grant played brilliantly by Tony Goldwyn. I wondered why the same people who are enamored with ABC’s show ‘Scandal’ which centers around a sophisticated, highly accomplished and intelligent mistress reject ABC’s new entry ‘Mistresses.’
I also wondered aloud on Facebook (June 4), why people were so caught up in critiquing ‘Mistresses’ but were pretty much radio-silent on Lifetime’s new entry ‘Devious Maids,’ a Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria production (both of Desperate Housewives fame). The show features four Latinas playing the role of devious maids, some of whom are also mistresses. I found it interesting that people were so interested in the representation of wayward women, but not in the continued representation of Latina women as “hot” maids. The thread that followed is worth re-presenting on this site in an effort to further discuss the challenges of television programming for viewers of color. The thread even inspired a graphic from The Burton Wire friend and supporter Barton J. Taylor. Check out the graphic above. Check out the thread below. What are your thoughts on this matter. Please share in the comments section and please keep it clean.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire.
FACEBOOK STATUS (JUNE 4, 2013) Wondering why folks are up-in-arms over ABC’s Mistresses which is based on a BBC show of the same name which was on years ago, but radio silent on Lifetime’s new show Devious Maids featuring an all-Latina cast playing, well devious maids. I suppose folks are so focused on JLo’s “The Fosters,” (the first episode was decent), that they haven’t been paying attention to this obvious slight against Latinas. Trot out JLo and maybe they won’t pay attention to how Latinas in the industry are being treated. I know it’s a Marc Cherry show but still. Back to Mistresses – I can’t not believe the nerve of the many Scandalites (Scandal fans) dissing Mistresses over the title. I thought celebrating mistresses was just great drama – right? #startingishtoday
THREAD RELATED TO FACEBOOK STATUS (JUNE 4, 2013)
TAB: Preach, cousin!
June 4 at 1:51pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
KH: You knew it was coming…
June 4 at 1:51pm · Unlike · 1
SMW: I would sat that it is b/c no one has seen the ad for this show on Lifetime. Everyone gets ABC. A few get/watch lifetime.
June 4 at 1:52pm · Unlike · 1
TC: My thoughts exactly!!
June 4 at 1:55pm · Unlike · 1
MAC: Oooooh! You love starting stuff! I’m looking forward to the dialogue!
MK: Haaaaaaa! Yeah this is very true. I knew with the success of Scandal that the envelope would continue to be pushed. When I saw the preview for Mistresses I was like…well here we go. I like Scandal. But I’m also not blind to what’s going on. We live in a society that is increasingly diminishing the sanctity of marriage. We trivialize divorce and make adultery (as you said above) great drama. Fantasy is tearing down our standard and destroying the family. So no I don’t celebrate a show like Mistresses that glorifies this type of thing. Scandal is bad enough. No More! Hahaha!
June 4 at 2:02pm · Unlike · 2
KW: Mistresses — Ain’t nuttin’ wrong with that
June 4 at 2:06pm · Unlike · 1
KW: Here’s a question…why is marriage so “sanctified” in the first place?
June 4 at 2:16pm · Unlike · 1
BTS: I’ve actually seen some commentary focusing on Devious Maids and disappointment in Eva Longoria for being behind its production.
June 4 at 2:16pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
KW: And when did it stop being held up in such esteem and why.
June 4 at 2:17pm · Like
MK: @Karl because it was instituted by God.
June 4 at 2:17pm · Like · 2
KW: Meka, what if one doesn’t believe in God, but does believe in the concept of marriage?
June 4 at 2:19pm · Like
SAH: Ouch!! The truth can sting!!!!
June 4 at 2:20pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
KW: or vice versa…
June 4 at 2:20pm · Like
KW: as for devious maids…downside — This could be a minstrel show waiting to happen… upside — Susan Lucci
June 4 at 2:24pm · Like
MK: Hahaha well to me that’s like saying I’m drinking this bottle of Fiji water but I don’t believe that Fiji exists. HA!
June 4 at 2:25pm · Unlike · 1
KW: Maybe so…but I wonder sometimes, do well laud and/or santify the idea of marriage…or the discipline involved with marriage…That is what I question.
June 4 at 2:28pm · Unlike · 1
MK: I think it’s all sacred: the concept, the order, the structure, what it takes to live it out…all of it.
June 4 at 2:53pm · Like · 2
KW: MK, I agree with you, but a majority unfortunately, like the idea and the fantasy of the concept…but don’t embrace the real of the process…and that’s the work involved. Those vows are unbreakable…or should be.. If they are breakable in a person’s mind then that person should not engage….however, I do disagree with you on the idea of “Fantasy is tearing down our standard and destroying the family.”….A TV show can’t do that…We invididual human beings do that by our actions…ultimately we control that fantasy machine and we control what happens in our households and our relationships.
June 4 at 3:21pm · Unlike · 3
WL: Ndeed! Considering the lead on Scandal is a WHAT? mistress, side chick, side piece, etc. BTW u doing something right Nsenga keep up the good work and con’t engaging your readers.
June 4 at 4:11pm · Unlike · 1
KL: Thanks Nsenga Burton. I can say this without the “black”lash. I do not like Scandal. It’s entertainment for masses. And if that was REALLY going on in the White House between the president and a white woman, African American women would lose it. There’s nothing entertaining for me about seeing a depressed African American character home wrecker act out on TV. So I don’t.
June 4 at 4:16pm via mobile · Unlike · 4
JAB: Never liked Scandal from the beginning, won’t look at Mistresses either. I think it is just another show that negatively portrays intelligent women. The institution of marriage has been attacked enough with other shows that are on television, won’t look at one that intentionally does it. No thanks.
June 4 at 4:28pm · Unlike · 2
MK: Oh Absolutely! I am not taking the responsibility away from the individual at all. But that’s also one of those “Guns don’t kill people, people do” arguments. While fantasy may not be holding a gun to your head and making you step out on your marriage. It does plant seeds in your mind and heart and causes you to romanticize desires that are contrary to what you should be feeling or seeking as a married person. Same thing with kids and video game violence. Fantasy definitely plays it’s part. We can’t diminish that. And yes…some people are stronger than others. Unfortunately sometimes you don’t know your strength or lack thereof until it’s too late…
June 4 at 4:30pm · Like · 1
KL: Yeah… I dunno. People make mistakes. We deconstruct and construct this behavior as artists, audience, storytellers, actors. I just wonder, to Nsenga Burton Nsenga’s point. WHY are we telling these stories to each other as women of color? Why is Jlo and Shonda and Eva Longoria telling this story. We don’t even have to have some white male executive hypersexualuzing us anymore! We tell that story ourselves! And does it make it better? Cause we are making money off of it ? Cause its a Black woman doin’ the President ? Isn’t it the ultimate “Massa-slave” complaint I hear black women make abut black men who date inter racially? Don’t get me started… Can’t wait for Scandal to get cancelled. Cannot. Wait.
June 4 at 4:36pm via mobile · Unlike · 2
JAB: The typical jezebel role.
June 4 at 4:38pm · Edited · Unlike · 2
MAS: This post did not disappoint! Thank you Nsenga Burton! The diatribe between MK and KW is great reading! Great point about the Figi water, MK! I was going to make a similar point about Christmas. Anyways, as you were! Carry on!
June 4 at 6:17pm via mobile · Like
Nsenga Burton Great comments. BTS: – thanks for adding the point about Eva Longoria. KL: pointing out that now we’re doing this to ourselves as opposed to having it done to us. What is this about? An acknowledgement that this is what it takes for black and brown women to succeed and stay in Hollywood or the privileging of material success over social responsibility? MK: and KW: make interesting points. Can we give entertainment this much power over how we live our lives? Is the institution of marriage broken because of television or because we’re broken?
June 4 at 7:39pm via mobile · Like
KL: I dont actually believe that any of these women believe they are putting material success over being responsible. But no one in Hollywood feels like they have to be socially responsible. Not even Oprah.
June 4 at 8:07pm via mobile · Like · 1
ST: Unfortunately I think many of us know a bright, beautiful, successful, intelligent woman who for some reason or another has chose to play the role of ‘mistress’ in her own version of ‘scandal.’ If such a title makes the viewing masses uneasy, maybe we’…See More
June 4 at 8:31pm via mobile · Unlike · 2
PC: Heck, between Basketball Wives and Real Housewives I would have thought we already had this covered.
June 5 at 6:56am · Unlike · 1
JAB: @Nsenga the institution of marriage certainly has its problem with the percentage rate being what it is. However, I don’t thing the institution is broken as long as people want to and continue to get married. It is just a matter of perhaps re-evaluatin…See More
June 5 at 12:41pm · Edited · Unlike · 1
Nsenga Burton Hilarious and true PC! Thoughtful JAB. I especially like what you wrote about ratings.
What are your thoughts Burton Wire readers? Share them in the comments section of this post!
Is ABC’s ‘Scandal’ that different from ‘Mistresses?’ Why are we focusing on mistresses when ‘Devious Maids’ is going unchecked? (Photo credit: Barton J. Taylor)
ABC‘s show ‘Mistresses’ has been criticized for celebrating mistresses, known in many married circles as home wrecking harlots. Based on the BBC’s hit show ‘Mistresses’, ABC puts an American spin on the drama following the lives of four women who sometimes reflect the traditional definition of a mistress, while falling into the category based on life’s circumstances. What I found to be interesting is the folks raging against the show for celebrating deviant behavior, some of whom are the same people that rave about the show, ‘Scandal’ whose lead character is the ultimate mistress. Kerry Washington convincingly plays the role of Olivia Pope, a D.C. “fixer” who has carried on a long-term affair with married President Fitzgerald ‘Fitz’ Grant played brilliantly by Tony Goldwyn. I wondered why the same people who are enamored with ABC’s show ‘Scandal’ which centers around a sophisticated, highly accomplished and intelligent mistress reject ABC’s new entry ‘Mistresses.’
I also wondered aloud on Facebook (June 4), why people were so caught up in critiquing ‘Mistresses’ but were pretty much radio-silent on Lifetime’s new entry ‘Devious Maids,’ a Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria production (both of Desperate Housewives fame). The show features four Latinas playing the role of devious maids, some of whom are also mistresses. I found it interesting that people were so interested in the representation of wayward women, but not in the continued representation of Latina women as “hot” maids. The thread that followed is worth re-presenting on this site in an effort to further discuss the challenges of television programming for viewers of color. The thread even inspired a graphic from The Burton Wire friend and supporter Barton J. Taylor. Check out the graphic above. Check out the thread below. What are your thoughts on this matter. Please share in the comments section and please keep it clean.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire.
FACEBOOK STATUS (JUNE 4, 2013) Wondering why folks are up-in-arms over ABC’s Mistresses which is based on a BBC show of the same name which was on years ago, but radio silent on Lifetime’s new show Devious Maids featuring an all-Latina cast playing, well devious maids. I suppose folks are so focused on JLo’s “The Fosters,” (the first episode was decent), that they haven’t been paying attention to this obvious slight against Latinas. Trot out JLo and maybe they won’t pay attention to how Latinas in the industry are being treated. I know it’s a Marc Cherry show but still. Back to Mistresses – I can’t not believe the nerve of the many Scandalites (Scandal fans) dissing Mistresses over the title. I thought celebrating mistresses was just great drama – right? #startingishtoday
THREAD RELATED TO FACEBOOK STATUS (JUNE 4, 2013)
TAB: Preach, cousin!
June 4 at 1:51pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
KH: You knew it was coming…
June 4 at 1:51pm · Unlike · 1
SMW: I would sat that it is b/c no one has seen the ad for this show on Lifetime. Everyone gets ABC. A few get/watch lifetime.
June 4 at 1:52pm · Unlike · 1
TC: My thoughts exactly!!
June 4 at 1:55pm · Unlike · 1
MAC: Oooooh! You love starting stuff! I’m looking forward to the dialogue!
MK: Haaaaaaa! Yeah this is very true. I knew with the success of Scandal that the envelope would continue to be pushed. When I saw the preview for Mistresses I was like…well here we go. I like Scandal. But I’m also not blind to what’s going on. We live in a society that is increasingly diminishing the sanctity of marriage. We trivialize divorce and make adultery (as you said above) great drama. Fantasy is tearing down our standard and destroying the family. So no I don’t celebrate a show like Mistresses that glorifies this type of thing. Scandal is bad enough. No More! Hahaha!
June 4 at 2:02pm · Unlike · 2
KW: Mistresses — Ain’t nuttin’ wrong with that
June 4 at 2:06pm · Unlike · 1
KW: Here’s a question…why is marriage so “sanctified” in the first place?
June 4 at 2:16pm · Unlike · 1
BTS: I’ve actually seen some commentary focusing on Devious Maids and disappointment in Eva Longoria for being behind its production.
June 4 at 2:16pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
KW: And when did it stop being held up in such esteem and why.
June 4 at 2:17pm · Like
MK: @Karl because it was instituted by God.
June 4 at 2:17pm · Like · 2
KW: Meka, what if one doesn’t believe in God, but does believe in the concept of marriage?
June 4 at 2:19pm · Like
SAH: Ouch!! The truth can sting!!!!
June 4 at 2:20pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
KW: or vice versa…
June 4 at 2:20pm · Like
KW: as for devious maids…downside — This could be a minstrel show waiting to happen… upside — Susan Lucci
June 4 at 2:24pm · Like
MK: Hahaha well to me that’s like saying I’m drinking this bottle of Fiji water but I don’t believe that Fiji exists. HA!
June 4 at 2:25pm · Unlike · 1
KW: Maybe so…but I wonder sometimes, do well laud and/or santify the idea of marriage…or the discipline involved with marriage…That is what I question.
June 4 at 2:28pm · Unlike · 1
MK: I think it’s all sacred: the concept, the order, the structure, what it takes to live it out…all of it.
June 4 at 2:53pm · Like · 2
KW: MK, I agree with you, but a majority unfortunately, like the idea and the fantasy of the concept…but don’t embrace the real of the process…and that’s the work involved. Those vows are unbreakable…or should be.. If they are breakable in a person’s mind then that person should not engage….however, I do disagree with you on the idea of “Fantasy is tearing down our standard and destroying the family.”….A TV show can’t do that…We invididual human beings do that by our actions…ultimately we control that fantasy machine and we control what happens in our households and our relationships.
June 4 at 3:21pm · Unlike · 3
WL: Ndeed! Considering the lead on Scandal is a WHAT? mistress, side chick, side piece, etc. BTW u doing something right Nsenga keep up the good work and con’t engaging your readers.
June 4 at 4:11pm · Unlike · 1
KL: Thanks Nsenga Burton. I can say this without the “black”lash. I do not like Scandal. It’s entertainment for masses. And if that was REALLY going on in the White House between the president and a white woman, African American women would lose it. There’s nothing entertaining for me about seeing a depressed African American character home wrecker act out on TV. So I don’t.
June 4 at 4:16pm via mobile · Unlike · 4
JAB: Never liked Scandal from the beginning, won’t look at Mistresses either. I think it is just another show that negatively portrays intelligent women. The institution of marriage has been attacked enough with other shows that are on television, won’t look at one that intentionally does it. No thanks.
June 4 at 4:28pm · Unlike · 2
MK: Oh Absolutely! I am not taking the responsibility away from the individual at all. But that’s also one of those “Guns don’t kill people, people do” arguments. While fantasy may not be holding a gun to your head and making you step out on your marriage. It does plant seeds in your mind and heart and causes you to romanticize desires that are contrary to what you should be feeling or seeking as a married person. Same thing with kids and video game violence. Fantasy definitely plays it’s part. We can’t diminish that. And yes…some people are stronger than others. Unfortunately sometimes you don’t know your strength or lack thereof until it’s too late…
June 4 at 4:30pm · Like · 1
KL: Yeah… I dunno. People make mistakes. We deconstruct and construct this behavior as artists, audience, storytellers, actors. I just wonder, to Nsenga Burton Nsenga’s point. WHY are we telling these stories to each other as women of color? Why is Jlo and Shonda and Eva Longoria telling this story. We don’t even have to have some white male executive hypersexualuzing us anymore! We tell that story ourselves! And does it make it better? Cause we are making money off of it ? Cause its a Black woman doin’ the President ? Isn’t it the ultimate “Massa-slave” complaint I hear black women make abut black men who date inter racially? Don’t get me started… Can’t wait for Scandal to get cancelled. Cannot. Wait.
June 4 at 4:36pm via mobile · Unlike · 2
JAB: The typical jezebel role.
June 4 at 4:38pm · Edited · Unlike · 2
MAS: This post did not disappoint! Thank you Nsenga Burton! The diatribe between MK and KW is great reading! Great point about the Figi water, MK! I was going to make a similar point about Christmas. Anyways, as you were! Carry on!
June 4 at 6:17pm via mobile · Like
Nsenga Burton Great comments. BTS: – thanks for adding the point about Eva Longoria. KL: pointing out that now we’re doing this to ourselves as opposed to having it done to us. What is this about? An acknowledgement that this is what it takes for black and brown women to succeed and stay in Hollywood or the privileging of material success over social responsibility? MK: and KW: make interesting points. Can we give entertainment this much power over how we live our lives? Is the institution of marriage broken because of television or because we’re broken?
June 4 at 7:39pm via mobile · Like
KL: I dont actually believe that any of these women believe they are putting material success over being responsible. But no one in Hollywood feels like they have to be socially responsible. Not even Oprah.
June 4 at 8:07pm via mobile · Like · 1
ST: Unfortunately I think many of us know a bright, beautiful, successful, intelligent woman who for some reason or another has chose to play the role of ‘mistress’ in her own version of ‘scandal.’ If such a title makes the viewing masses uneasy, maybe we’…See More
June 4 at 8:31pm via mobile · Unlike · 2
PC: Heck, between Basketball Wives and Real Housewives I would have thought we already had this covered.
June 5 at 6:56am · Unlike · 1
JAB: @Nsenga the institution of marriage certainly has its problem with the percentage rate being what it is. However, I don’t thing the institution is broken as long as people want to and continue to get married. It is just a matter of perhaps re-evaluatin…See More
June 5 at 12:41pm · Edited · Unlike · 1
Nsenga Burton Hilarious and true PC! Thoughtful JAB. I especially like what you wrote about ratings.
What are your thoughts Burton Wire readers? Share them in the comments section of this post!
Students are protesting an increase in bus fares in Rio de Janeiro. (Google Images)
Ben Tavener of The Rio Times is reporting that protests over the increase in bus fares in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil have resulted in 31 arrests, after demonstrators clashed with riot police. Tavener writes:
“Police reportedly used rubber bullets, stun grenades and pepper spray against the protesters, who are accused of causing damage to public and police property. Protesters set light to traffic cones, threw stones at cars and buses, and damaged a building belonging to telecom company Embratel.
One student also allegedly damaged a police motorbike. At least some of the students are from the city’s main federal university, UFRJ.
Around 250 protesters are reportedly to have blockaded roads in central Rio, including Avenida Presidente Vargas and Avenida Rio Branco, which led to severe traffic congestion in the areas affected.”
Students are protesting a 7.27 percent in bus fares (R $2.75 to R$2.95). Sao Paolo saw protests last week as well due to bus fare increases.
Reports that Mandela’s family has banned visits from the ANC and other government officials have been rebuffed. (Google Images)
The Mail & Guardian (South Africa) is denying reports that former South African president Nelson Mandela’s family has barred the African National Congress and other government officials from visiting the ailing icon. The author writes:
“We have spoken to the family about this report and they deny that they issued such an instruction or spoke to the media on barring the ANC and government from visiting Madiba,” said spokesperson Jackson Mthembu in a statement.
“What we know is that given the pressure associated with the admission of president Mandela, there are general restrictions that permit only relevant people to have access.”
The Star newspaper reported on Monday that the Mandela family had taken charge of the 94-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner’s hospital stay, banning everyone – including government leaders and senior party officials – from visiting him.
Reports that Mandela’s family has banned visits from the ANC and other government officials have been rebuffed. (Google Images)
The Mail & Guardian (South Africa) is denying reports that former South African president Nelson Mandela’s family has barred the African National Congress and other government officials from visiting the ailing icon. The author writes:
“We have spoken to the family about this report and they deny that they issued such an instruction or spoke to the media on barring the ANC and government from visiting Madiba,” said spokesperson Jackson Mthembu in a statement.
“What we know is that given the pressure associated with the admission of president Mandela, there are general restrictions that permit only relevant people to have access.”
The Star newspaper reported on Monday that the Mandela family had taken charge of the 94-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner’s hospital stay, banning everyone – including government leaders and senior party officials – from visiting him.
Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in
“Our success educationally, industrially and politically is based upon the protection of a nation founded by ourselves. And the nation can be nowhere else but in Africa.” – Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr.
MARCUS GARVEY
On June 10, 1940, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., publisher, entrepreneur, orator, and Black Nationalist, died. Garvey was born August 17, 1887 in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. In 1914, Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, “To unite all people of African ancestry of the world to one great body to establish a country and absolute government of their own.”
Garvey moved to New York City in 1916 and founded the Negro World newspaper. In June, 1923, Garvey was unjustly convicted of mail fraud and sentenced to five years in prison. That sentence was commuted by President Calvin Coolidge and Garvey was released in November, 1927 and deported to Jamaica where he is interred at a shrine in National Heroes Park.
There are memorials to Garvey around the world, including statues and streets and schools named after him in Jamaica, Trinidad, the United States, Canada, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom. A number of books have been published about Garvey and his movement, including “Black Power and the Garvey Movement” (1971), “Marcus Garvey: Anti-Colonial Champion” (1988), and “Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey and his Dream of Mother Africa” (2008).
The Akosua Report: Facts on The African Diaspora, is written by Akosua Lowery. Follow her on Twitter @AkosuaLowery.
Anti-Apartheid activist and former South African president Nelson Mandela has been admitted to a Pretoria hospital for a lung infection. (Google Images)
BBC Africa is reporting that anti-Apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela has been admitted to hospital in South Africa with a lung infection. A presidential spokesman said he is in a “serious but stable condition.” Mr. Mandela is able to breathe on his own, which is being seen as “positive sign” for the ailing former president who is 94-years-old. The article is reporting that Mr. Mandela has been ill for some days but deteriorated overnight which is why he was transferred to a hospital in Pretoria.
Mendi + Keith Obadike’s digital installation ‘American Cypher’ is showing at The Studio Museum in Harlem until June 30, 2013. (Photo courtesy of Mendi and Keith Obadike)
Who says black folks don’t create digital art? New media artists Mendi + Keith Obadike beg to differ, having worked in the field for well over a decade. In August 2001, Keith Obadike auctioned his Blackness on Ebay for $10 as performance art. This bold act helped usher in a “futurist sensibility” in using new media to question, subvert, deconstruct and reconstruct problematic ideologies. Recognizing the the web as a natural space to combine art, sound and text while having the ability to reach mass audiences, exploring digital space as art was a natural progression for the visual artists.
The married, multimedia/conceptual artist duo’s latest exhibition,“American Cypher” is now showing at The Studio Museum in Harlem through June 30th. This site-specific work is a suite of projects that respond to American stories about race and DNA. The project includes an eight-channel sound and video installation with a series of letterpress prints and a book. The dynamic duo will be hosting an artist talk at the Studio Museum on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 3 p.m.
As a prelude to the talk, The Burton Wire caught up with the trailblazers to talk about the exhibit, the politics of DNA, black cultural production and digital media, and why Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings make such interesting subjects for this exhibit.
TBW: How did the opportunity to work with the Studio Museum come about?
M+K: We had the good fortune of being in an exhibition (Race in Digital Space) many years ago at the Studio Museum that was curated by Erika Muhammad (now Erika Massaquoi). We had also performed there in the past. Like many artists in our generation, we were influenced by artists and administrators associated with the Museum. As a result, we really see the Studio Museum as our community museum. We were living in Harlem until very recently, and had many friends involved with the museum (in residences and staff positions) over the years. It had been a while since we’d done anything at the institution, so we were pleased when Curatorial Assistant Abbe Schriber contacted us about a studio visit.
TBW: How did you decide that American Cypher was right for the Studio Museum?
M+K: During the studio visit with Schriber, we went through our current and upcoming projects. One of the projects was American Cypher, which had been commissioned by two institutions at Bucknell University — the Griot Institute for Africana Studies and the Samek Art Gallery. We decided that a site-specific version of American Cypher would work well at The Studio Museum.
TBW: What is American Cypher?
M+K: The project (American Cypher) considers the role of DNA in our current understanding of race and American identity through five stories about figures including scientists, members of the criminal justice system, and politicians. We begin with the story of the relationship of president Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings—who was his slave, his wife’s half sister, and the mother of some of his children. At the center of this project is an 8 channel sound art installation derived from a 200-year-old bell belonging to Sally Hemings. There is a short video piece projected onto one wall in the museum. There is also a series of letterpress prints hanging on the walls with text about each of the characters in our project. In the museum’s Reading Room there is a book that accompanies the exhibition and it includes poems about each character in our piece.
TBW: Many erroneously believe that blacks are at the margins of multimedia production and digital installations. Why do you think this myth continues to persist?
M+K: There is a general stereotype that Black people are not at the forefront of tech-based work in the arts or the commercial/industrial sector. This myth often goes unchallenged because there is often very little written about or scarce documentation of folks working in these fields. We don’t solely work in the digital realm, but it is where we did much of our early collaborations and certainly a part of the American Cypher project might be described as digital or multimedia. When we began this work together years ago, we saw this as a space where we could easily combine our individual backgrounds in music, poetry and visual art. Digital sounds, video, or interactivity are no longer unusual in the arts. We’ve been working together almost twenty years, and when we started there were very few people (Africans or people of color) working (in what was then called new media) in this way. But there was always a long, quiet history of a small Black community working in the digital and electronic trenches. In addition to decidedly non-digital folk like writer Toni Morrison and musician Pharoah Sanders, we were influenced by folks like Keith’s mentor Acha Debela, who has been working with CG since the 80s, British multimedia artist Keith Piper, and folks like composer/trombonist George Lewis.
In a small effort to combat this myth, we’d like to list a few folks in the experimental media arts field:
TBW: You mentioned lack of documentation of this type of work done by black artists. What is your take on this issue?
M+K: Our work (the work of independent Black media artists) from the 1960s to the present has not been historicized adequately. The exhibition that we mentioned earlier, Race in Digital Space (2002), was one of the few major attempts made by a curator/critic to really give some context for this interdisciplinary work done by Black media artists over the last 40 years. There are very few critics or scholars working on this area of cultural production. Art made by Black people is mainly written about and seriously engaged by Black critics, Black art historians, and Black musicologists. We have few numbers in those ranks (art history/musicology) and there seems to be a general academic inertia towards more traditional and commercial forms. So we get this strange cycle (much like folks in the commercial / industrial tech world) where in addition to run of the mill racism deterring folks from working in an area, the work of Black media artists is not well documented because our numbers are small. Our numbers remain small because there is very little written about in the mainstream texts, so younger folks are not encouraged to enter the field. This has changed a bit since the rise of social media. We now see more artists connecting across zones and a little more documentation happening.
TBW: DNA has been a major factor in the exoneration of many convicted felons of color. How does this relate to your exhibit?
M+K: Our exhibition American Cypher, is made up of a series of true American stories told through sound, images and text, about DNA and identity. It is not, however, a documentary approach. We deal with these stories as a springboard for poetic reflection in an art context. One section of the piece focuses on DNA and the criminal justice system. The role of DNA in law enforcement is being hotly debated right now. While this science has aided in the exoneration of many innocent people, there are still many questions about when DNA material should be collected and what should be done with the material after it is collected. No matter how one feels this science should be used, what is clear is that there is a lot at stake for African-Americans in this process. As a way to think through these issues in our work we looked at two significant legal cases. We dealt with the story of James Bain, an innocent African-American man who was released after 35 years in jail when DNA evidence was allowed to be used in his defense. He served the longest sentence overturned by DNA evidence. In his case it was contemporary science triumphing over the often problematic “eyewitness testimony”. We also deal with the story of an African-American serial killer, Lonnie Franklin, known as the Grim Sleeper. He preyed mainly on African-American women and he eluded police for many years. He was captured when the police used information in a familial DNA database to track him. His son was arrested for a crime, this son’s DNA was collected, matched to the serial killer, and it led the police to the father. The capture of a serial killer is obviously a good thing. The debate begins when we recognize that DNA material from African-Americans is disproportionately collected in these police / FBI controlled databases and once one family member enters the system, then an entire group of relatives are now on record. Many states currently allow anyone arrested (wrongfully or justly) to be swabbed and entered into the database. Proponents say DNA collection is just the contemporary method of fingerprinting and not an overreach; opponents say this is an unusual invasion of privacy that will lead to even greater unjustified surveillance of Black and Brown communities.
TBW: With the many DNA stories that you could tell, why Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson?
M+K: The project was originally commissioned by Bucknell University’s Griot Institute for Africana Studies and the Samek Art Gallery as a public sound installation. They asked us to think about the relationship between Hemings and Jefferson. As we began our preliminary research, we began to see how much the DNA evidence that undeniably links the Hemings and Jefferson family lines affected the historical record. While there had been rumors that Jefferson had fathered Hemings’ children since the time in which they lived, the DNA evidence changed the way some members of the Jefferson family and some institutions talk about this story. For us, this opened the door to other conversations about the role of DNA in our understanding of roots, race, and American identity.
TBW: What other stories are covered in this project?
M+K: We address four additional stories in this iteration of the project. The first story is about Oprah Winfrey. A few years ago Winfrey met with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates on a PBS special and had her DNA tested to find her place of origin on the continent of Africa. Before tests were concluded she announced to the press that she was Zulu. This seemed highly unlikely since most African-Americans descended from enslaved Africans taken from the west coast of Africa. The DNA test later concluded that she was from Liberia. In this project, we really wanted to think about what Oprah’s Zulu fantasy meant. Other sections of our piece included the infamous discoverer of the double helix structure, James Watson, who in 2007 made racist statements about African genetic inferiority only to be outed later as being of African descent. In addition to the stories from the justice system that we mentioned earlier, we also look at popular stories about President Obama’s heritage. But the spark for all of this is the Hemings and Jefferson story. We see the Hemings/Jefferson story as an American origin story. It gets to the heart of two questions — Who gets to be American and how do we identify them?
TBW: What are your thoughts on the intersection of art and social justice?
M+K: One of our consistent goals has been to engage audiences in a dialogue about the codes that order our understanding of social place. We’ve pointed to this dialogue in a number ways across our projects, but we’re always trying to get ourselves and others to be more thoughtful about what it means to categorize living things.
We think justice, politics, history, and power will always be compelling subjects for artists. And of course art is extremely, extremely important, but an artwork about these subjects rarely brings about large scale political change or social justice. If social change is the goal, then direct political action seems much more effective. What art does do well is allow us to see our culture in new ways, imagine new possibilities, and to reflect on our values and our own humanity. And we don’t get necessary and effective political action without this kind of reflection and imagination.
TBW: Have you experienced any anti-intellectual feedback from the exhibit? If so, how did you address it?
M+K: No. When we receive feedback it is usually from people who have come to engage with ideas. Perhaps it is because the Studio Museum’s audiences expect the exhibitions to be “about something”. This is not necessarily the case with all art institutions and audiences. But in general, we really just try to make the work and let it do its thing. It’s not something we worry about for the most part. There are also a number of ways to engage with the work from the sound installation, to the book, prints, and video. The depth of engagement is, of course, up to the audience.
TBW: With all of the amazing exhibitions taking place in New York this summer, why should “American Cypher” be at the top of the list?
M+K: There are always many great things to see in this city and it is a privilege to be in the mix. See as many as you can and be enriched. We’d be honored if folks stopped by to experience our offering.
The American Cypher exhibit will be at the Studio Museum in Harlem until June 30, 2013. Please note that Sundays are free at the Studio Museum (144 West 125th Street). Keith + Mendi can be found at Obadike.com. Like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @MendiandKeith.
This article was written and edited by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire, an award-winning news site dedicated to covering news, opinion and culture of the African Diaspora.
