ZenSation by Queen Lifestyle

Wellness is Black Excellence!! How can you tell? Because of ZenSation, that's how! During the last weekend of Black History Month, We Got Flavors and our very own Fashion Editor, Sydnie Beason of Queen Lifestyle, curated this occasion to display our community’s strength and knowledge of health through a holistic lens. The lower level of the North Avenue Market was occupied wall to wall by some of the best that the wellness community has to offer. The atmosphere was so loving and was topped off by the soothing background acoustic cover songs of Tlalok Rodriguez who was centered in the room with his guitar, a perfect choice for the ambiance by the curators. Walking around I saw turmeric soaps and other skincare items from Nakedd Skin Studio by Licensed esthetician CiCe, gemmed up energy cleansing jewelry and oils from Freequensee by JB, and Healing IVY brought teas, beads, and more beads. Queen Lifestyle herself brought in several jars of her own herbal juices. That Fire Cider Tonic? You don’t know spice till you've had that one. Cough where?? 

These ladies were artists of different talents and niches who had found themselves convicted with the responsibility of bringing their skills and resources to the community- to step back from the vanity of it all and bring attention to the actual quality of living which starts with the health of the body, mind, and keeping some smell goods in the house.

 While recovering from my first few sips of that Fire Cider (seriously I was taken aback…in a good way!), I began to gather something after admiring the visual of this excellence; the real truth. This pop up was not only of course a great marketing strategy for the vendors or just a sign that health and wellness is becoming more and more of a conscious consideration amongst our people, but that despite what has been economically decided, healthcare truly is accessible and affordable when we open our minds to where the solution might be. Your remedy for an ailment, an ache, or just needing a kick start of good energy for the day could literally be on your nail tech’s counter or in your stylist’s blender. Your cure for oily or dry skin is a 15min drive away at a local studio spot, not 3-7 business days ahead. Black health and wellness is simply the gift that keeps on giving and it's more within our reach than we think. 

/CW Naomi-Re’a

You are invited to LEGACY NIGHT @ The Milwaukee Chamber Theater | Hosted by CopyWrite Mag

BLACK PEOPLE IT IS TIME TO TAKE UP SPACE!

INFO FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT MCT

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We invite Black and African American community members to join us for Legacy Night on March 22 at 7:30 pm, a special performance of THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall hosted by CopyWrite Magazine [THATS US!] dedicated to and celebrating the Black community.

What is Legacy Night?

The intention behind this event is to purposefully create an environment in which a Black audience can experience and discuss this play about a Black leader, created and performed by Black artists, in a space that celebrates the Black Community and centers their perspectives.

Legacy Night is inspired by a similar event created in 2019 by actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris, where for the first time ever, every seat in Broadway’s Golden Theatre was occupied by Black audience members. We're calling this special performance Legacy Night not only because legacy is one of the major themes within THE MOUNTAINTOP but also to honor and celebrate our Black and African American community and the legacy we hope to create together in Milwaukee. 

What if I'm not Black or African American?

We encourage our non-Black audience members to join us in honoring this initiative by choosing to experience the play at another performance.

We thank you in advance for supporting these artists and MCT as we facilitate an opportunity for a community to come together to enjoy this special event. 

Ticket Options

Legacy Night Tickets are $20 (plus sales tax and box office fees).

Purchase Online

You can purchase tickets online by clicking the button below and using the code LEGACY. You will need to enter the code in the "Promo Code" box at the top right corner of the Broadway Theatre Center ticketing page and click submit before you try to select the date. The Legacy Night performance will not show up until you have submitted code LEGACY.

Donyale Luna | What Does it Mean to be a Black Supermodel | A Fashion Experience by Sydnie Beason /CW Style Editor

Donyale Luna: Breaking Barriers in the Fashion Industry | Until the 1960's, European beauty was acknowledged as the professional standard in the fashion world. That is until Donyale Luna entered the scene becoming the world’s first African American Supermodel, Luna introduced diversity to the industry by presenting her beautifully distinct features as well as her unique outlook on life. She stood up for black women who had not been represented before in fashion and won the world over with her charm.

A Tale of Two Worlds: From Detroit to Europe's Runways Reflecting on her time modeling in Europe, she contrasted it with her upbringing in Detroit, where she felt her looks were not appreciated. Her striking appearance was not lost on everyone, however; Verna Green, a fellow student at Cass Technical, remembered her as unforgettable, yet Luna remained unaware of her beauty. Her fashion sense was simple, opting for black skirts and long-sleeved tops. Sadly, she was ostracized for being different and speaking and looking differently at Cass Technical. Luna recalled, "I grew up realizing I was strange." Despite this, she achieved a significant milestone in 1966 by becoming the first African-American model to grace the cover of British Vogue. She paved the way for young black girls to be authentic in their imagination. She captured the essence of how unique black beauty really is.

Sydnie Beason for /CW

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Like what you see?

check out the BTS for this fashion experience.

Want to hire /CW for your next style or fashion experience? Hit us up at copywrite.mke@gmail.com | Attn: Fashion Department

What Vaule We Share: MKE Film Back History Month Programming | Shorts: TREASURED HEIRLOOMS

Happy Black History Month!

Happy being Black, living in Black bodies, and living Black truths!

As a Community Partner for Milwaukee Films 2024 Black History Month Programming, the /CW Fam selected screenings that we thought would speak to our audience and our specific cultural nuances. 

My experience watching the collection of Treasured Heirlooms shorts, was one that absolutely filled my culture cup reminding me that what we value in the Black community [with all its intersectionality] should be shared and celebrated. I note this as I am in the infancy of producing one of my own art installations that discuss culture as a proponent of space, thus creating a place [stay tuned]. Marquese May's curation of six short films of treasures, was dynamic and telling of voices we may know but reluctantly share outside of our community. I applaud programming like this because it allows the African diaspora to be seen in the light it deserves. Here are the values I would like to share from each film.

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WILD MAGNOLIAS |  Dir. Alexandra Kern

We don't get to talk about culture that has been cultivated in appreciation and in proximity to other cultures. Wild Magnolias shows an appreciation between Native American practices and African Americans in Louisiana. The link of these people is due to colonization and enslavement but it is a link that is vital to the survival of both peoples heritage and history. The bead work and visual storytelling in the garbs the Wild Magnolia Men [and young men] created were breathtaking, showed true skill, and showed historical narratives that the white gaze [don’t try to tussle with me] has tried to erase. Not only have the bloodlines mixed genetically [I would know from my own lineage] but also the archive of survival can not be told without mentioning the other.

This is the value of ancestry we share.

MORE THAN HAIR | Dir. Fitch Jean

Hair is sacred. How we manage our crown is how we manage the world. I have never been able to truly describe why or how but the complexity of Black hair [All Black hair] should be considered a world wonder. More Than Hair, is a heart moving peace because it pulls at the fragility of the Black hair experience. Not knowing, experimentation, acceptance, and revelation. I teared up when he sat down in that barber shop with his adopted mother [blessings to her for seeking the help he needed]. When he turned the pages of the hair catalog I smiled with excitement for the endless possibilities. When he picked cornrows I knew he had discovered that his hair was worth keeping.

This is the value of hair we share. 

GLITTER AIN'T GOLD | Dirs. Christian Nolan Jones and Dominick Cormier

Ornamentation is our birthright! The value that the Black community places on aesthetics should be looked at as an obligatory reflection of existence. From historical narratives, we know that our adornments were stripped from us during the conquest of our land and the enslavement of our people. Our markings, garb, and emblems were always signs of our identity and status. So when baby boy worked hard to get that money for that chain to impress that little girl I was proud of him. But when he discovered that material things won't always suffice I empathize with his longing to be seen and admired by those he admires. We carry our worth. We want to be recognized for our worth. 

This is the value of adornment we share. 

Other films shown during the screening included, QUILTED EDUCATION  [Dir. Kayla Robinson], OVER THE WALL [ Dir. Krystal Tingle] and AMPE: LEAP INTO THE SKY, BLACK GIRL [Dirs. Ife Oluwamuyide and Claudia Owusu]. These films too showed the value of archiving our history, representation in spaces less traveled for our community, and how the practices of our youth may help build the skills needed for strong futures. 

I value my Blackness in its performance, its lineage, and its legacy. 

Thank you for the reminder that it is all to be treasured and shared. 

Lexi S. Brunson | Editor-in-Chief /CW

"Renaissance" | Milwaukee Film Screening

Beyonce’s “Renaissance” film proves to be the model for all concert films! This grand, 3-hour production masterpiece was four years in the making and as I sat in the third row from the big screen at The Oriental, I could tell that not a day was wasted.

“Flaws and All'' & “Dangerously in Love” was the opener and despite its history as a declaration to a lover, in this particular performance, Beyonce allowed herself to be in awe of the moment and sang it as a ballad to her growing audience of almost 30 years and shared some words of affirmation along with it. She was dressed in an ethereal black gown in the first scene which complimented the romanticization of the mutual admiration between herself and the fans, yet it also could be seen as a tamed contrast to the otherworldliness of her later outfits- symbolic of her growth from a pop star to world declared icon. Through her catalog, she humanizes this journey with flashbacks of behind-the-scenes development consisting of aches, pains, hands-on construction, harsh hours, and properly giving out flowers to all who had a hand on this tour. Even to those whose smaller parts have had a great impact on her, like her daughter Blue Ivy, who did not shy away from the stage nor from having a creative opinion. The standard was the method for all to adopt and this large collective crew of artists and otherwise showed true to it by their results. There was positivity depicted in wins of all magnitudes and mishaps that only highlighted the true nature of teamwork and leadership; Trust. However, with being human comes the not-so-great reality as well. A piece of that reality, which may easily be overlooked by many whom it may not concern, is that no matter how many victories your method has produced, being intelligent as a black woman creative doesn’t put one out of range from having ‘them’ (yes ‘them’) attempt to try you mentally. When approached with such bravado, Beyonce’s only response was fearlessly remembering to choose to stand in her own authority rather than giving into the regret of the so-called stigma of being assertive with high demands. Who's to say how long it has been that Beyonce has truly felt within herself the courage to see through to getting her way at all times and at all costs but mastering that commitment can make an established art form to those on the outside feel renewed to the one inside.

As narrated and depicted through and through, the Renaissance is not just an era or a stage, it's a transcendence of a culture and the individuals in it. As the most catered-to audience (haha-wink), the African Diaspora, whether they be man, woman, straight, LGBTQIA+, adult, child, African or Black American, and so forth, vicariously experienced the glamor of our multifaceted culture through time via this tour. It is a great hoorah! moment for all leaving no question that Beyonce is a voice for every creed and that the modern approach is historically unapologetic.

/Naomi-Re’a CW

/CW is a Proud Community Partner of Milwaukee Film's Black History Month Programming

Art by liv burks

We are going “BLACK to BLACK” with Black History Month Celebrations. /CW is a Proud Community Partner of Milwaukee Film's Black History Month Programming. Check out the last of films we cant wait to see!

FOLLOW US ON INSTIGRAM FOR YOU CHANCE TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO SEE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER FILM SCREENINGS.

@copywritemag

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GAINING GROUND: THE FIGHT FOR BLACK LAND | 2/29/24 | THUR. 7:00PM

In just a few decades after the end of enslavement, Black Americans were able to amass millions of acres of farmland. Today approximately 90% of that land is no longer in Black hands. Various factors have been employed to take Black land, including violence, eminent domain and government discrimination. But it is a little-known issue — heirs’ property — that has had a devastating effect on Black land ownership. Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land is a timely and stirring documentary from Emmy-nominated producer/director Eternal Polk and Al Roker Entertainment that examines the causes, effects what is being done to fight the exploitation of these issues, and how landowners are reclaiming their agricultural legacy and creating paths to generational wealth.

INVISIBLE BEAUTY | 2/17/24 | SAT. 12:00PM

Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity. From walking runway shows alongside Iman to discovering supermodels like Tyson Beckford and mentoring icons like Naomi Campbell, Hardison has been at the epicenter of major representational shifts in fashion. Catalyzing change requires continuous championing, and as the next generation takes the reins, Hardison reflects on her personal journey and the cost of being a pioneer.

In tandem with Frédéric Tcheng (Halston, Dior and I), Bethann Hardison and her co-director trace her impact on fashion from runway shows in New York and Paris in the ’70s to roundtables about lack of racial diversity in the early 2000s. Interviews with industry players speak to the state of fashion, while friends and family attest to Hardison’s rebellious and ambitious spirit. The film is an absorbing record of Hardison’s accomplishments and a rare contemplation on the life of a radical thinker.

TREASURED HEIRLOOMS - Black Lens Shorts Program | 2/10/24  | SAT. 12:00PM

From the tingling sensation of the alcohol spray following a haircut to the quick-paced hand games of our youth that occupied us for hours, the essence of Blackness has continuously worked as a dynamic archive of rites of passage and traditions that hold a special place in defining who we are. "TREASURED HEIRLOOMS" is a short film program delving into how Black folks globally are actively engaged in preserving, archiving, and creating approaches to ensure the endurance of our cherished traditions. This reflective cinematic offering aims to encourage us to embrace our traditions intimately, connecting us with both our past and future selves. - Marquise Mays, Black Lens Programmer

Shorts: Treasured Heirlooms featuring:

WILD MAGNOLIAS Dir. Alexandra Kern

MORE THAN HAIR Dir. Fitch Jean

GLITTER AIN'T GOLD Dirs. Christian Nolan Jones and Dominick Cormier

QUILTED EDUCATION Dir. Kayla Robinson

OVER THE WALL Dir. Krystal Tingle

AMPE: LEAP INTO THE SKY, BLACK GIRL Dirs. Ife Oluwamuyide and Claudia Owusu

The Mountaintop Legacy Award | Honoring Milwaukee Change-Makers

Art by Mikal Floyd-Pruitt

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is thrilled to share with its community Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall’s celebrated stage play THE MOUNTAINTOP, an inspiring reimagining of the final night of the life of legendary Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 3rd, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel, where a mysterious stranger forces him to confront his destiny and legacy. A classic of the modern theater that in humanizing Dr. King suggests that we all have within us the power to be the change we wish to see in the world, THE MOUNTAINTOP will be directed by acclaimed Milwaukee theater artist Dimonte Henning. 

In keeping with its larger mission of bringing its community closer together while celebrating what makes Milwaukee great, and in partnership with CopyWrite Magazine, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, and Zao MKE Church, MCT will highlight Black excellence in Milwaukee during the run of THE MOUNTAINTOP through the Mountaintop Legacy Award. MCT will recognize at each MOUNTAINTOP performance one Milwaukee difference-maker who exemplifies the ideals of unity, equity, and locally led movements highlighted by Dr. King in his final speech, commonly referred to as “The Mountaintop Speech.”

Mountaintop Legacy Award recipients will be selected by a panel of MCT artists and community partners from nominations by the public of individuals who best exemplify Dr. King’s ideals across sectors including but not limited to political, nonprofit, business, educational, art, and tech.  

[INFO PROVIDED BY /CW COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT MCT]

Happy Black History [everyday] Month from your /CW Fam!

History is made daily.

Active practice is true performance.

Advocacy should be ambitious.

Challenges should never stop progressive change.

We are Black.

We are proud.

& you know why it matters.

Happy Black History Month from your /CW Fam

SnapShot Press Release: Laughs in Spanish [Gallery Life Off The Wall]

Nobodies documenting the Telenovela that is gallery life. 

You know the pretentious acting curators, the thirsty for stardom gallery assistants, and the notably irrational and irresponsible artist who would prefer to be on some remote island with a stiff drink, conjuring inspiration for their next big thing.

Ashley Oviedo, Isa Condo-Olvera, Jenna Bonofiglio, Arash Fakhrabadi, and Rána Roman [All Images provided by milwaukee chamber theater via Michael Brosilow]

Okay well maybe somebody is, but these idiosyncrasies void that this performance of art culture is an overtone of whiteness that fills gallery white walls, with white washed economics, and white narratives that are positioned to be “profound”. 

*Did she really just go there?*

Ohhhh, yes! I did!

The scene I just “painted” [See what I did there? Lol]  is one that can be drastically altered when considering how non-white bodies navigate these spaces. These bodies start to resemble people whose characteristics feel familiar, feel like friends, feel like family, and feel like voices I intimately knew existed but seldom get to hear.

Saturday's [September 23rd, 2023] opening night of Laughs In Spanish, by Alexis Scheer took me there. Giving the audience Miami realness with the complexities of the modern human experience including motherhood, divorce, pregnancy, abandonment issues, high off THC conversations, same-sex relationships, immigration, and a monologue by Rána Roman that had me totally reanalyzing my own journey into motherhood. Its scenic set design of gallery aesthetic with Miami glam by Em Allen, had my critical “interior designer by trade” mind fangirling on that vibey beach air balcony hidden behind those opaque white rolling walls. With DJ Palante giving the music vibes in the lobby, to a Latinx artist installation curated by Katie Avila Loughmiller, the tone was set before the show even began.  It truly brought me back to my last visit to Art Basel. [If you have never been, this play will inspire you to book that trip].

Labeled as a “crime comedy” [Yes, because stealing art from galleries is definitely a trope the world needs more of. Art is valuable, monetarily and culturally!] It cleverly uses its title as the punchline in an exchange of wisdom and remorse that is easy to share between strangers, when it should be saved for the people you love.  

How do you “laugh in Spanish”? 

¡JAJAJA! 

I died at the subtlety of that hilarious cultural exchange and felt warmth in knowing my upbringing had allowed me to understand [and have access] to the inside joke.

This again is a familiarity that Isa Condo-Olvera [Mariana] , Arash Fakhrabadi [Juan], Ashley Oviedo [Carolina], Rána Roman [Estella] and Jenna Bonofiglio [Jenny] provided by pulling at emotions through their characters that went beyond the surface.

Mariana reminded me of my mother; guarded and jaded by the world. But of course there is a reason why.

Juan was ready to risk it all for Carolina. [Love me like that or not at all] 

Jenny, is that voice of annoying reason that you really should listen to. [Don’t you hate it when they’re right?]

Carolina questioning her career for motherhood echoed by Estella’s choice to be ambitious to inspire her daughter but failing to hit the mark in Mariana's eyes is. . . me. 

Can I escape the narrative that a woman can’t do it all? Only time will tell.

Laughs In Spanish is a think piece. It’s “profound” without pretentiousness. It's relatable without stunting the growth and impact of Latinx culture. It is palatable because it is plausible. If you know you know and if you don’t, Alexa will understand you want to change the song the first time you ask. 

So if you need a little art in your life, consider looking away from the walls and feeling up a seat at the Milwaukee Chamber Theater.

Lexi S. Brunson for /CW

HYFIN Anti-Gala: Recap Video

They have messed around & made our Editor-in-Chief, Lexi, the cover photo to the HYFIN Anti-Gala Recap Video! Did make the event? Catch this “Connecting The Culture” Vibes!