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!

SnapShot Press Release | To Be Seen [Milwaukee Film Festival 2023]

We love the Milwaukee Film Festival, not just because it's the one time of year we can do our job while sitting around eating popcorn [yes, we will mention popcorn every year because we trying to get a popcorn stipend too lol]. But because every year it gets better. More films we love, more screenings of things we are interested in, and more programming that makes us feel seen. Being seen is something that is undervalued. But we know that representation changes how the world engages with differences. It is how we find understanding in the unknown and clarity in a vision that is not our own. CopyWrite explored the Milwaukee Film Fest 2023 through the joy of being SEEN, and here is what we found. 

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BAD PRESS [Directors: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker & Joe Peeler]

We take our profession seriously!

Where it is in CopyWrite’s nature to bend the rules, redefine tradition, and grapple with the culture of “Media” we do so with care [& strategy], that is thoroughly directed by research, transparency, grappling with the woes of disenfranchisement, and engrained with the responsibility of Free Press. So when these ideologies were at risk of being dismantled in  Directors Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, “Bad Press”, my soul jumped out of my chest and I felt that my own livelihood was on the line. 

If you look up the saying, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”, a picture of Angel Ellis should be attached. Her controversial approach to defending Muscogee Nation against press censorship is GAWDS WORK, okay! To not only go against a political institution, but also the corruption that is unnerved by the historical rhetoric of Native American need for sovereignty, had everyone I saw in the film screening break into mass hysteria [or was it just me?]. 

With this feverish concept that the press is a unneeded, sh*t show of falsity in today’s society, running at an all time high, to note that my freedoms as a “media maker” are seldom called into question, had me in tears for Angel and her other “native” press counterparts. How dare anyone try to put their hyperbolic feet on the necks of truth [just because it's not always pretty]. How dare you use the tactics of your oppressors on your own people [my Choctaw, Blackfoot, and Cherrokee blood was boiling]. How can you not see that the historical lack of information to these people has left them all traumatized by genocide and the true ills of treason. 

Lexi acting like she wasn’t just crying after the screening of bad press

Every time Angel's anxiety shot her into a frenzy that sent her running to the door to spark a cigarette, [I don’t smoke] but I felt the need to light one up with her. The attempt to get protection of the Free Press as an amendment to their nation's constitution was unprecedented in “Indian” Country but with Angel, and the true staff of Mvskoke Media, the fight was on. I think “Bad Press” should be a reminder to all that what is privileged in your reality is not inherent in all futures, cultures, and lands. 

Just know at CopyWrite, if we have to fight for our rights, we absolutely will. They will never take our voice!

Lexi for /CW

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BLACK LENS SHORTS: BLACK REMEMBRANCE

Somebody clap for this year's Black Lens Programmers, because THEY - DID- THAT!

You don’t even know how good it feels to be SEEN. Not that fake “lets hit this quota” monotony most institutions try to pass off as diversity & inclusion [Y’all are shamefully fake] but the real attempt to dig into culture as a reflection of its genius as nuanced as a day in the life of some, not all, and more, not less. The Black Lens shorts at Milwaukee Film Fest 2023, did that for me.

proof we were there!

Eye for an I [Director: James Grisom]: To be seen Vulnerable. This short is a music note of the burden of Blackness & the beauty that straddles that space. If you love hard it may mean death comes with vengeance. If you forgive easily, that puts you at risk. It is a trauma we did not create but a lexicon that gathers a dark cloud above our legacy. The rules of engagement simply mean we never win.

By Water [Director: Iyabo Kwayana]: To Create a sense of seeing. This short had me like, “What in the Black art school?”. And that tickled me. It tickled me because in my life that was the space I felt the most unseen. Where representation is not only willed by those inhabiting the space, it is disregarded by the work that they make. The characters seen in “By Water” of curly fro like beards and fluffy naturals on well groomed women are not common. Nor do they ever allow for the Black image to be whirled into the figurative where nature is as natural as the city and black memory is championed by Black creation of new or different worlds. I like that space of little clarity and big exploration.

Port of a Prince [Director: JR Aristide]: To never Unsee. This short is the moment when you finally can stomach that you too are desensitized. Desensitized by violence, corruption, and the ills of capitalism. You can't unsee the first death, and somehow every death of innocence, youth, friendship, family. . .it all just becomes a thing you live with. This is the untold truth of the African Diaspora, we have suffered so now we still suffer, at the hands of many and even our own. Don’t you ever put a gun in the hands of a child, for that is the moment they will unsee what joy life can bring.

T [Director: Keisha Rae Witherspoon]: To be seen Vividly: It is the cadence of art. It is culture and freedom. It is neon lights and innsense. It is memorial tee’s and talking spirits. It is to live beyond the time you are alive. Now without context you probably have no idea what this movie is about, but everything in me said this was for homegoings and healing. This is for my people and after looking at the shorts description, everything in me was right.

We Were Meant To [Director: Tari Wariebi]: To be seen in Flight. Why are we great like that? The metaphorical thought of rite of passage for Black men as the first time he takes flight sent me! It was clever in its social commentary, “The No Fly Zone”, is everywhere you are Black man. To have your wings clipped is a way to keep you down, without, undervalued. And the production was clean! It was thoughtful and nuanced beyond need [the Vitruvian man with wings] but because it was I bought into it like it was a thread of reality that was beyond plausible. It had me grappling with the surveillance of Black bodies [is this body not my own?]. It had me checking for my own super pours [& as a Black woman I know I have many]. This was by far one of the best films I have seen in my life because I know what it feels like to fly without wings.

Lexi for /CW

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DEAR THIRTEEN [Director: Alexis Neophytides]

The world has changed a hell of alot since I was thirteen. That was circa *cough cough* LOL, social media was in its infancy, my mother was still trying to hide our working class poverty from me, and there was no wifi [first world problems]. So to see life through the eyes of today’s thirteen year old is an unsavory pill to swallow, yet it comes with a glimmer of hope that this generation is not lost, but very much misunderstood.

Being Thirteen is weird!

You're in this inbetween space where you're not a little kid anymore but you still don't have the full blown privileges of a teenager. It’s like being in limbo and that purgatory at minimum lasts a full calendar year [Yikes!]. But the issues of the world are noticeable at that age. The fears of the future strike you and thus it is a period of grounding oneselves, as depicted by the film, that gets lost in translation. Who narrates for this age? Only someone in the thick of it can. So the lack of adult commentary [besides editing] was vital to noting, thirteen year olds have something profound to say!

We brought our fifteen year old “intern” to see the film and she too had to reflect on who she is and why she is in this space in time. Too see that reckoning kindled by a global perspective of young reality, she murmured, “That was good to see”, which is more than enough in our book.

LEXI & /CW YOUTH INTERN JAZALE AFTER SCREENING OF DEAR THIRTEEN

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“Dear Thirteen” is something that everyone, but especially everyone who has a child should watch. Often, adults tend to feel like teenagers don’t have problems.There is this belief that since a child is free from the burden of finances and large responsibilities like mortgages and car notes, that they live a worry and stress free life. But on the contrary, “Dear Thirteen” narrates how society impacts the lives of children in the same ways they do for adults. Each of those 9 children, whether they were a gun-toting American boy or an Australian trans girl starting her first day of puberty blockers, will all experience things that will transcend race, gender, socio-economic class, or geographical location. I appreciate the lengths Alexis Neophytides went to to establish diversity. I believe it really helps the claim that although we all come from different places, there are life experiences we all share. Australia, America, India, Europe, no matter where you are, adolescent years come with similar trials and tribulations. This film wasn’t a tearjerker, it wasn’t a comedy or a horror, it was the reality of adolescence and a voice for the unheard 13 year olds around the world.

Lexi & Peazy for /CW

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LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING [Director: Lisa Cortés]

“Tooty Fruity” was the first song that I ever heard by Little Richard before I knew who he was. It was considered “grown folks music”, the stuff you can’t listen to because it has too many foul words or because they’re talking about some that isn't appropriate for your age. But that only increased my fascination which ignited the interest to find out who Little Richard was.

Lisa Cortes’ documentary puts to bed everything you THINK you know about the true King of Rock and Roll. Richard was labeled as “the one of a kind icon that shaped the world of music” and throughout the story that claim has been supported a thousand times over. But she also focuses on the imbalance Little Richard faced, which truly intrigued me because I think this a battle we’ve all faced: the battle between secular and sacred. On one hand, Little Richard is a worldly icon, doused in glitter and gold from his wardrobe to his makeup, he is the king of a people yearning for soulful music. On the other hand, in his heart he knows he should not conform to the desires of this world because he’s called to be a servant of God and create a new foundation not built on sex and fame but the love and obedience to God. I think it’s these details that fans don’t know that allow them to create the idea that celebrities aren’t human. Some of the most notable names recalled the best and worst times with Richard: Billy Porter, Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, John Waters, Pat Boone, amongst others.

Richard Wayne Penniman is not unlike many other queer or trans people who’ve been outed by the ones that they love and forced to create a new family through a talent like music or art. He is one of the blueprints to androgyny and queerness, one that has even now, in 2023 remained relevant because so many people can now be comfortable in their identity because of artists like Little Richard. Lisa Cortes accurately depicted each phase of Richard’s life. In the church where it all started, to the stage where he grew into an icon, back to the church where he renewed his faith and restored his relationship with God, and then the end of his story.

I appreciate Cortes’ understanding of representation in music, not only do I believe this greatly directed documentary re-established that Richard was the true originator of rock but it gave space for his intersectionality. Richard Wayne Penniman was a queer, black, Christian, rock and roll artist and creator. He walked so our generation could run, and “Little Richard: I Am Everything” depicts that in the most notorious way.

Peazy for /CW

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RISE AND REBUILD: A TALE OF THREE CITIES [Directors: Asako Gladsjo & Sam Pollard]

We chose, “Rise and Rebuild: A Tale of Three Cities” as our community partnership film because when the world see’s Black America it often sees what we don’t have and not what we have had that has generationally been taken from us. Where the film captures Wilmington's Brooklyn, Atlanta's Sweet Auburn, and Chicago's Bronzeville, those localities might as well be Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, Detroit's Black Bottom [Lafayette], and Milwaukee’s original Bronzeville. But with Tulsa being a trendy storyline Directors Asako Gladsjo and Sam Pollard thought it best to highlight these other narratives that hold just as much weight. The pivot to black communities that once prospered, were harmed, and now are looking to reinvigorate their communities as they rebuild are stories that should be cautionary [as gentrification is at an all time high] and inspiring as now more than ever before the Black dollar, the Black education, and the Black voice has leverage.

The quote, “It's not about politics. It’s about people”, that Mayor khalid kamau of South Fulton said during the film, was one of those notes I don't think enough people comprehend. At the end of the day the value of our quality of life is not determined by the parlor tricks of politics but the people who enforce politics as a tool in which one secures the value of that quality of life.

I saw my city in that film. I saw our hardships like a mirror. I know what is at risk if we don’t carve out the infrastructure and let “them” take the wheel. We don't want a repeat. We want ground breaking change. This film shows us exactly what that can look like.

Lexi for /CW

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THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER [Director: Bomani J. Story]

Viewing “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster”, a top-tier thriller/suspense film that in my opinion personified the pain of a Black child’s trauma surrounding death, was a pleasure. Although inspired by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, this film provokes deep thought about the trauma of experiencing death at a young age and how death is disproportionately in closer proximity to Black children more than it provokes goosebumps. Vicaria, the main character, is almost stalked with gun violence as it has plagued her family, killing her mother and her big brother. Meanwhile, on the opposite end her father is still alive but fighting the battle of addiction that will ultimately lead to an untimely demise. Life hasn't always been like this for Vicaria, we see this through Bomani J. Story’s allusion to better times during the intro of the film. Evidence that Vicaria has a loving relationship with her father and a pretty normal life outside of her mad science lab is pretty clear; the only thing that is truly wrong with this seemingly normal teenager is her perception of death.

Because of the randomness and aggressiveness of her mother and brother’s death, Vicaria is convinced that death is a disease, one that can be cured through science. Through the doors of her abandoned science lab, Vicaria takes the body of her slain brother and attempts to revive him to prove that death can be cured. She connects every source of power to his lifeless body, hits a switch, and after a citywide power outage, the monster awakens. But things start to get out of hand quickly, “Frankenstein” has no concept of life, he only knows death and to destroy.

As the plot thickens, Vicaria’s invention has taken his place as a true monster, [& here is the part where I am tempted to give the full story away]. In the end, she has no brother, no mother, father, family or even Kango and his henchmen, which in my opinion validated her hypothesis that death is in fact a disease. Once it claims someone close to you, the cycle continues until there is no one left to kill. I wouldn’t categorize this as horror, this film falls more on the suspense spectrum but the suspense kept us at the edge of our seats at every turn. Bomani took a classic horror story and turned it into an attempt to fix and cure what we have all deemed as incurable, and it worked. The ending scene shows a scientific genius grin into the camera as she brings her sister in law back to life using the same tactics she used before only this time…they WORK! I loved this film and I truly believe Bomani J. Story has earned his flowers.

Peazy for /CW

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BLACK LENS PRESENTS WRITING IN COLOR [Event]

Santana Coleman, Paulina Lule, Derek Jay Garlington DURING WRITING IN COLOR PANEL

I love to write, but I’m not sure if writing a movie is the best place for my skills. However, after attending, Writing In Color, I might just change my mind. Because the word from the judges is i [& my random collaborative team] are pretty good at it. Well, at least that little trophy sitting on my desk says so.

Being at Radio Milwaukee [my media home away from home] for an event that showcases film through the writer's lens was fascinating. Did you know that there are local & Black filmmakers accessible to you in Milwaukee? I Stan [as the kids say Lol]. The panel to bless us with insight about the film industry at a micro and macro level included Milwaukee’s very own Emmy Award winner, Santana Coleman, the amazing Paulina Lule, and Pitch It To Me, game designer Derek Jay Garlington. They told us their perspectives of the tumultuous realm we call Hollywood, the glory of having Milwaukee [a non permit film city], and the nuance of being Black in the world of film. When creatives get to speak no holds bar, I live. You can always learn something worth holding on to.

But it was the game for me! Pitch It To Me, is a fun way to get those gears turning in your head. The game is noted to be “your chance to pitch the next hit film or tv show! Pitch It To Me is an entertaining card game that builds collaboration and creativity through the journey of storytelling”. And it did just that. My team won the pitch competition by putting together a new era story of Isis and Osiris set in dystopia Milwaukee. We named it, Gods of The Eastside. We set Tyana Taylor as Isis and Damson Idris as Osiris and it was a rap!

“If you're scared just say that!”, was my snark at the competition [but I don’t talk sh*t unless I can back it up].

Like I said, the trophy is sitting on my desk.

Lexi for /CW

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To be seen in film is to be seen in mediated reality. We love it. Please keep it going!

Love & All Things Urban,

/CW Fam

SnapShot Press Release: A Web worth Tangling | Spider Creek 7

Community & Collaboration is undervalued. 

[Did that statement sting a bit? If it didn’t then you must be oblivious to the power of social capital.]

You hear the overtone of these words in many spaces but their merit in the creative realm changes everything. It can be the difference between success and sabotage. Which is why Spider Creek, “a music collective based out of Milwaukee Wisconsin full of an eclectic group of artists ranging from musicians and producers to visual artists”, is prolifically moving through today's scene. SAINTRÈ, .IanJames., Makatà, Lizzie Kay, Keyba, and LOVEPeso, are the full time members of the crew that are growing a relatively large communal family. 

in tymless studios “no face no case” | /Cw image

If you're a music lover in Milwaukee then of course the formula sounds familiar. [Don’t say their names, we don’t have time to go down that rabbit hole. But clearly that’s the point of me bringing it up]. With so many artists making waves as a unit but still posturing as vivacious forces in their own right, how can Spider Creek maintain their positive trajectory?  

“We are actually like a family”, said Saintrè, while catching the reggaeton vibes of a song being recorded by producer Keylime, for duo Gego y Nony featuring Cam Will at Tymeless Studios. 

Sneak peak of Cam Will & Keylime in the writing room [ Gego y Nony not in frame | /CW video footage

[Wait, but why are we here?]

Spider Creek 7, aptly named for its seventh installment of collective recording sessions meant to inspire “artists of all genres and skill sets . . to create great music with other talented people they may have never worked with before”, brought your /CW Fam right into the heart of creative genius on April 22nd, 2023. The two day recording session [which ran from 12:00PM to 12:00PM on both the 22nd & 23rd] was filled with a nostalgic energy that reminded us of our own origin story, just reincarnated into new era tastemakers, creatives, and dreamers.

“It started with the four of us and now it's like the whole city of Milwaukee”, Saintrè noted. 

Is that an exaggeration? Not really. Including the core members of Spider Creek, 32 artists [& counting] were invited to the “lock in sessions” including some heavy hitters that almost every MKE based artist would want to hop on a track with, and even some of the /CW Fam [like $hunmillion$ who was featured in CopyWrite Magazine Issue 10, The Surge]. But of course we have the receipts so you can be the judge of that.

Spider Creek 7 Invite List

Makata - @makata.888

Saintrè - @aka.saintre

Keyba - @itssolowkey

LOVEPeso - @7939peso

.Ian James. - @the.ianjames 

Lizzie Kay - @_lizziekay_

Ja dubb - @ja_dubb

Adrienne - @spell.Adrienne 

Ash - @ashouttafocus 

Darylanne - @darylanne.music

Felix Ramsey - @felixramsey

Zonk - @zonkrolan

Aya* - @ayainthesky

Quies Terry - @quiesterry

Cam will - @_camwill

NileXNile - @nilexnile

Lake - @lakehomie

$hunmillion$ - @shunmillions

Odiefromthego - @odiefromthego 

Grey genius - @grey_genius

Eli $tones - @elistizzy

Mocity - @mocitysw

Shadi - @th3_shadi

Gego y nony - @gegoynony

Fred the black kid - @fredtheblackkid

Holly Mae -  @iamhollymae

Paperstacks - @bigdog_stacks

Duwayne - @Duwayne.mp3

MeloChld - @calvinlharmon

2 hi - @im_2hi

Dj the Jenius - @djthejenius 

Keylime - @officialkeylime 

And they only want the list to get bigger.

“This is definitely a dream. We are going to always try to get this feeling”. Saintrè said, and was followed by Cam Will’s testament to not knowing what to expect when invited but being pleasantly surprised. “Everybody has egos but if you put everyone in one room they become connected”, Cam said while jotting down lyrics to another beat.

The social capital that comes with being a part of something bigger than yourself is indispensable in our underfunded, overlooked, and under reprepresented market. Building relationships, letting down walls, and creating opportunities is a narrative that weaved through every conversation that we overheard while at Tymeless Studios. “But it's also about execution”, someone chimed in. 

Shadi, Keyba, Makata sitting in a studio session | /CW Image

The execution is natural for this bunch. With space to vibe, the skill to perform, and the technology to “put it on wax”, the formula Spider Creek originally intended for their own creative stimulation is being put to communal use.

When we arrived the scene was already set. We walked into three active sessions. Three active sessions, with three different vibes. 

One was giving Reggaeton. . .

Cam Will was getting spanish pronunciation lessons from Gego y Nony in the writing room, “You can say, De eso…” and “Or you can make it just one word like Desso”.  

The next was giving Indy, alternative. . .

NileXNile was held up in the booth trying to get his verse just right, “One more time” he repeated ten times until the imperfections became the nuanced perfections the track needed. “This is my favorite kind of environment. All good energy.” Someone reassured, as they waited for their turn. 

The other session was giving classic Hip Hop, turned all the way up. . .

Deshun Jetson was cooking up fire [ask him about the Spacecraft track], while 2Hi commanded the booth [crazy bars],  LOVEPeso [such a lively persona] geeked up Keyba [whose cadence mixed with the requested autotune had this sonic playfulness we really enjoyed], while preparing to do a “deep voice” overlay of the hook, “So I should put the base in it like I’m in my bag?!?”, type vibes. 

Keyba in the booth | /CW Image

“This happens every time.” - .Ian James. , said when I questioned if the aura of each space was intentional. 

But the vibes [I need to coin a new word for vibes smh] are natural. Everyone finds their space, and the rotation ebbs and flows. They intrinsically are guided by what calls to them, and they zone in as if nobody's watching [& you know WE were watching, with inquisitive eyes, and the most eavesdropping of ears. LOL it comes with the journalistic territory].

Well, they have done this six times already and if Ian’s math is right, the last three times they had multi-studio locations where the subtlety of genre came into play. [We think it's a good formula for musical magic.]   

“This just keeps getting bigger. The [Spider Creek] collective keeps growing. And as it grows we get to [see] what the city can create”, Lizzy Kay said [& I’m paraphrasing because yall know I don’t believe in voice recording in the stu. We are not the feds!”

Lizzy kay in the booth | /CW Image

The things we witnessed are inspiring. The discussions being had were noteworthy for all stakeholders and gatekeepers that intersect with the music industry around these parts. The rhetoric of professional music makers was present and robust. 

Milwaukee is beyond talented and Spider Creek sees it beyond their own contributions.

So I guess what I am really trying to convey to any one who may read this is that YOU should really want to be a part of this legacy. You should show up & show out for your city. You should pour into the talent that is here. You should collaborate when able. You should contribute monetarily, with resources, with SOCIAL CAPITAL, or use whatever skill you may have to be a part of the positive shift so that ten years from now Spider Creek is not just “one of those things” that used to be. But instead are seasoned vets in the game championing collaboration and a fraction of the creative industry that has more legs to stand on then a . . . spider.

See y'all at Spider Creek 8 [Speaking it into fruition].

Love & All Things Urban,

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

P.S. - Send me all those tracks! I need it in my life.

HAPPY 4-1-4 DAY FROM YOUR /CW FAM!

At /CW we love to #SupportTheLocal & for us that’s the 414!

Stay in the loop by signing up for our /CW newsletter where we keep you plugged in our creative community, poppin’ events, giveaways, and more.

Help Our Neighbor, Shakkiah Curtis | The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) & Milwaukee Visionaries of the Year

Help Our Neighboor, Shakkiah Curtis of Spinn MKE, raise money for raise money and awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

A message from Shakkiah:

I’m running my campaign in honor of my mom. As some of you may know, when I was 17 years old, my mom had a blood clot that brought her to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. The doctors didn’t know much about her specific blood disorder, and it was first treated like Leukemia, then Sickle Cell Disease and now fast forward to 15 years later and they still don’t have a specific diagnosis for her. I remember being so frustrated as a teenager that my mom was sick and spent way too many nights at the hospital. My mom recently moved to Atlanta for her care where she is still on medications, receiving blood transfusions, and currently battling seizures…and I’m still frustrated. My mom deserves a diagnosis and specific treatment catered to her diagnosis.  

We were so thankful that LLS was there to provide us with resources but there is still so much more work that needs to be done. I am proud to share that LLS is leaving no stone unturned in the fight for equity in healthcare and this includes: 

• Making sure EVERY patient has access to clinical trials

• Preventing discrimination against cancer patients on the basis of race, color, and other factors

• Ensuring robust data collection in healthcare that allows us to better understand our progress in addressing racism—and the work that remains

I believe that through better access to clinical trials and better access to healthcare we can hopefully get answers to someone like my mom much sooner. 

My team’s goal is to raise $50,000 between March 30thand June 10th. It’s a lofty goal, but I know with the support of my community we can make it happen and I need your help. There are a few ways you can support my fundraising efforts: 

1. Donate via my personal fundraising page:https://pages.lls.org/voy/wi/wi23/dcurtis

2. Share my message & fundraising link with your contacts via email or social media

3. Donate a silent auction item that can be used for the Grand Finale Gala auction

4. Help me secure a corporate sponsorship(Sponsorships start at $5,000 and sponsors receive Gala benefits)
   

Thank you for your generosity and support. Your donation truly makes a difference and with your help, we’re one step closer to a cure for blood cancers. 

Happy Juneteenth for your /CW Fam

Snap Shot Press Release: Cultural (big “C”) Complexities | Milwaukee Film Festival 2022

It’s the smell of popcorn topped with butter, salt, and yeast (let's call it a brew city delicacy). It’s the sky blue backdrop (also known as a step & repeat) adorned with a white iris-like logo that screams “pose for the camera”. It's the ornate walls and the grandiose statues of Buddha, watching in an omnipotent way. It is the marquee that has read many titles and that knows many stories. It is the Milwaukee Film Festival taking on its true form; re-emerging on the big screen.

CopyWrite’s coverage of Milwaukee Film Festival 2022, is a compilation of perspectives, trying to sample the ample platter of cinematic programming that was served. Where in past years our favorite moments have always been the local music videos and documentaries that comment on creative communities, this year we navigated the Cultural (big “C”) complexities of film in multiple genres, advancing our engagement in Black Lens programming, and of course, indulged in all things Milwaukee specific. As a Community Partner for four films this year, we felt even more involved in the action and how our audience might engage with everything that Milwaukee Film Festival had to offer. The most exciting part is that many of the perspectives we will be sharing here are from journalists who are first-time festival-goers, whose naivete in what to expect created opportunities to just experience the moment and view the world through many curated eyes.

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Community Partner Film Selects

BEBA [Director: Rebeca Huntt]

Rebecca Huntt, a young Afro-Latina woman from New York, allows us to travel with her through history as she recalls her childhood. BEBA, from toddler to adolescent, is faced with challenges like many of us. The unspoken, but identified, generational trauma she experiences has cultivated her into the woman she is. The anger she exudes when things don’t go her way, the coping mechanisms she’s learned along the way, everything no matter how bad or good, it’s BEBA. She eloquently displayed the attitude of “if you don’t like it, you don’t have to deal with it”.

I especially admired the vulnerability of the entire film. We see first hand how the generational trauma and mental illness takes a toll when she interacts with her mother versus her father. 

The reason I admire this is because the dynamic of mother and daughter relationships is being highlighted and it’s something I believe should be talked about more. Her mother constantly victimizes herself and places the label of “aggressor” on BEBA. Meanwhile, the interactions with her father are more relaxed and calm, as if she feels more secure or safer there. She even depicts the most traumatic moments of her life like losing her former lover to suicide. I think the karaoke scene was the most touching, I actually cried mid-scene. 

Another notable moment consisted of BEBA and three of her White friends having a conversation about “Black Lives Matter”. The frustration BEBA got was sent through the screen. Honestly it was a comedic but empathetic moment because as funny as it is when people try to “white-splain” (is that a word? We just made it one if it’s not) Black issues, it’s also SO frustrating and tiring to constantly have to be the mouthpiece for the Black voice. “WHY AM I THE ONE WHO HAS TO ANSWER THAT?”, she annoyingly screams to her roommates. James Baldwin describes this as something called “the burden of representation”, the idea that ONE Black person must speak for and advocate on behalf of all others simply because they’re Black.  

This activated some thought provoking conversations in the movie and a simultaneous roar of laughter from the crowd. I could go on and on raving about this film, but all-in-all BEBA was amazing! Rebecca Hunt is a prodigious screenwriter and I can’t wait to see more from her! 

/Pam

LET THE LITTLE LIGHT SHINE [Director: ​​Kevin Shaw]

“Let The Little Light Shine'' by Kevin Shaw was extremely moving to say the least. This film entails and follows the journey of a self-made prestigious, predominantly black elementary school community that fights against Chicago Public Schools to maintain their status as an elementary school. Parents, students and staff work day and night to prove that the school's community is more than just protocol, it's a family. Through pain, protest and lots of turmoil, this documentary catches the heart strings of its viewers while also bringing awareness of a much bigger crisis in Chicago: The mass closings of schools. This is an extremely important film because of the parallels it exposes to our very own public education here, in Milwaukee. 

Milwaukee is no stranger to pain and protest as we’ve made national news for it several times. The power of protest is something that’s unexplaining. It’s an experience you have to be a part of to really understand the emotions and willingness to break societal norms in order to make sure your voice is heard. Countless times in this particular film, they found themselves civilly disturbing conversations about destroying their community. What does this look like? This looks like taking people to the streets and in buildings to be heard and seen. This looks like sacrificing your normality. This looks like sacrificing respectability politics. This looks like taking control of the narrative. This looks like getting external help. This looks like hiring lawyers and making noise about mistreatment. This film shows you that in black and white. It’s not hard to digest, it’s not overtly biased, it is just their truth. 

The truth is that it’s not a “Chicago” issue. It’s a national issue and that includes Milwaukee. It’s been known for quite some time that Milwaukee Public Schools is not at all what it could be at its full potential. After countless school closings and poor funding, MPS has been diminished to a similar situation with school overcrowding and strained educational resources.  I feel as though this film can spark a new conversation about modern education in other cities outside of Chicago because the film shows that with persistence and protest, anything is possible. There is light at the other end of the tunnel.

/Imani 

Queen of Glory [Director: Nana Mensah]

Our imperfections, upbringing, and lived experiences make us who we are, but how we choose to project them defines what the world sees us as. Nana Mensah’s, Queen of Glory, is a prime example of the cultural complexities of the human experience. It was comedic, reflective, and gave commentary on multifaceted lifestyles. Sarah, also played by Mensah, was brilliant, considering how publicly deprived she is of her true self. Who are we when no one is watching? It is a question that I kept mulling over after seeing the film and it unearthed an analysis of “expectations” society fosters.

Losing a parent is a traumatic experience that most of us are expected to encounter at some point in life. And for those of us who have “tasking” relationships with our parents the ability to navigate their final wishes will seem burdensome. For Sarah, it was clear that she had some obligatory responsibilities to her mother's business and social affairs. But as a first-generation Ghanaian-American, her mother's Christian bookstore and multi-celebratory funeral were not the situations she was trying to get mixed up in. But who is going to do it? Who is going to take on that role if you decide to neglect it? Not her father who was fighting his own disrespectful ways of coping [Get that ol’ heffa out of her mama house sir!]. But Pitt, a Tattooed faced felon played by Euphoria’s Mouse [​​Meeko Gattuso], just does not fit the “stereotypical” profile of a good guy [But see it’s the Bible Bars keeping that store litty]. Oh, and that life that she thought she had set up in Ohio was a bust [ you can’t run from your problems, they always catch up.]. The expectations were the issue, the choices decided from taking L’s in the lived experiences were the solutions. Everybody was wrong from one perspective and right from another. It was something like, an unbalanced balance. 

With authentically warm cinematography, and the interwoven cultural practices depicted, Queen of Glory is a film that leaves the audience with a voice that is not often heard. Because listen. . . When she took those tracks out of her hair, I sighed with relief to see the woman she truly was. 

Not just some women, but a “Queen” of glory

/Lexi 

THE MILWAUKEE SHOW I 

We had the pleasure of viewing this years’ screening of “The Milwaukee Show I” at the Milwaukee Film Festival. This particular showing is a very popular event, as it shows 10 different shorts, films, documentaries and music videos that allow us to be immersed into different cultures, ideologies and communities. The best part? While their films may have global influence, the filmmakers are locals! I got a chance to hear from some of the many directors about their films:

Britany Gunderson, Director of “Building an Edge'', described the short film as “Seeking out the edges of a landscape you've never been to, we keep finding ourselves at the center of something.”

Inna Dmitrieva, Director of “Landays”, enlightened us on how they couldn’t show the woman who was reciting lines for the film for security reasons, as women do not have certain freedoms in Afghanistan.

Diya Gitanjali Mark, Director of “The Waiting Room”, says her inspiration for the purgatory-like film was actually Spotify’s Wrapped feature. She thought “What if we saw our lives wrapped after death?”

Barry Paul Clark, the Director of “Enough is revealed in the way you wait, and in the way you leap”, shared with us that he improvised all editing while listening to his very own album. Talk about inspiration! 

Justin Goodrum, Director of “The Stigma of the Durag” said during the Q & A following the screening that, “I’m still learning as a filmmaker how to take what happens in my personal life  and change them into cinematic moments.”

Hearing from all of these directors was vital to me because they all carried themselves completely different – just as their films were. Some were shy, some were confident, some were very straight to the point but all flowing with their film. 

Considering I’ve never been to a film festival before, this was a perfect introduction into the world of film. I was extremely impressed with the variety of content and genres during this specific show of screenings. It didn’t seem as if there was another underlying theme besides the directors being locals, which is important because it was still cohesive. A lot of times when seeing films too similar in nature in one sitting, it can be aggy and uninteresting after a while. The idea of ‘local minds creating global insight’ is a powerful message to send in a city that's considered to be filled with underdogs. With a show as meaningful and complex as “The Milwaukee Show I,” I would gladly stop by again next year and the year after that!

While CopyWrite is a proud community partner of the Milwaukee Film Festival, what makes our job even easier is digesting top tier content. The Milwaukee Show is not something you’d ever want to miss. 

/Imani 

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#ForTheCulture [& other /CW Like Things]

Bitch Ass [Director: Bill Posley]

First, let me set the record straight. I don’t do horror films. 

I’m leery when it comes to things that could happen in real life [like psychopathic neighbors, demon summoning Brujeria, killer A.I. taking over the world]. I mean, seriously, I get spooked [‘cus anything can happen LOL]. So how did I wind up attending Bill Posley's urban horror flick Bitch Ass? Well, it was the trailer at the Black Lens kick-off event that pulled me in. With the original CANDYMAN, Tony Todd, giving a pensive yet comedic narrative of the tale we would be watching unfold, I was torn between laughter and fear, and I had to find out why.

It was ridiculously EPIC!

There was not enough popcorn, candy, or vodka spritzers in the theater to keep my mouth stuffed enough to stop me from talking to the screen [which is usually a frowned-upon practice in a public setting] but I was not alone. Voices from around the theater chimed in with laughter, blurts of disbelief like “How Sway?”, and the effervescent rounds of “Oh Hell Naw!”. It was crazy and culturally comforting because if you know the joy of a good Blaxploitation film you know that it is the margin of familiarity that gets you going. The “common” characters of “urban” life [read between the lines] looped into this not so “fun house” and those ‘80s Street Fighter game-like graphics were just the right balance of humor to displace the blood splatter and torture that would normally have me gripping my seat in a panic. 

What Bitch Ass provided was a moment to be unapologetically unprepared for a movie. I could have never anticipated where the story would go, and how engaged the audience would be with the film. But just like many other horror films, there was a lesson to be learned. . . watch how you treat people. You never know when their “bitch ass” is going to come back and f*ck you up! 

[Explicit vocabulary required *wink wink*]

/Lexi

Check out post-audience reactions to Bitch Ass, captured by Tanasia Shaw [ /CW Intern Journalist].

Black Lens Shorts: Black Love Through a Black Lens

For the 2022 Milwaukee Film Festival, we attended the screening of “Black Lens Shorts: Black Love Through a Black Lens”. This collection of shorts truly details Black love through different lenses, as it not only focuses on the intimate love between two people, but the love for our culture and the love we have for one another as Black people. From the first film to the last my eyes were attached to the screen, I thoroughly enjoyed each film starting with Friendzone LA. 

Friendzone LA [Director: Angel Kristi Williams] 

At first, I was surprised by the fact that there was no dialogue between characters in the film, only music. But the soulful sounds of the R&B music and the chemistry of both friends spoke louder than any script. It seems innocent enough but as the 3 minute film progresses, the love that this man has for his best friend becomes noticeable and I start to understand the title. Director, Angel Kristi Williams really highlighted how silent adoration can speak volumes. 

Gales [Director: Ingred Prince & Tshay]

This was my absolute FAV! Nurse Indigo is trying to balance a work/school life and a love life. In the interim she runs into so many obstacles. One friend’s encouragement and another’s discouragement, mixed with her need to study for nursing school, pulls her back and forth but ultimately she decides to treat herself to the date. The whole plot of the movie is so relatable, for one because as a Black woman I can say that I find it hard to find a balance between work and pleasure because of the minuscule amount of guilt that trails my decision if I choose the latter over work. And just when she FINALLY makes the decision to choose pleasure, she OVERSLEPT for the date and misses it! I was in the theater punching the air y’all! Overall, I loved this film. It was funny, it was relatable, and it kept me engaged. Shoutout to Ingred Prince and Tshay on their amazing film. 

Pure [Director: Natalie Jasmine Harris]

I loved this film in its entirety. The main character lives a life that’s been defined by others: how she should live, how she should love, what love looks like, etc. It’s amazing to watch her come into the discovery of what she truly likes no matter what anyone else thinks. I especially loved the ending at the cotillion when she danced with her lover in spite of what others may have thought. Love is love, and no matter where you come from or what others may have taught you to believe, love will always be love. Natalie Jasmine Harris, thank you for this experience.

Things At Rest [Director: Desirae Lee]

All I kept repeating as I left the theater was “GIVE ME BACK MY STUFF!!” If you’ve seen “For Colored Girls” or “Beauty Salon” you’d understand the feels that this film gave me. The parts of both of those movies where the elders recited spoken word to uplift their sisters was so similar to Things At Rest. The tribal dance and the clips of Black aesthetics! This whole film was like a compilation of how dope Black people are and I lived! 

Reasons [Director: Yvette Pabon]

This SHORT film needs to be an entire film. Y’all remember how Brenda was in the movies on “Scary Movie”? That was ME! “I know he didn’t just hit her!!!” “Why doesn’t she just date the milk man?” “I KNOWWW he ain’t cheating in a house he don’t pay bills in, I just know”. The main character struggles with being a single mother and truly understanding her value as a partner, so much so that although she really likes one guy, she can’t seem to escape the other. And the reason this was so good to me is because it speaks volumes about “broken homes”. They’ve always been defined as places where two parents aren’t together but the REAL brokenness comes from the forcing two people to tolerate each other for the sake of their child. She moves away from this narrative as she stands her ground and advocates for herself and her happiness. And in the end she got the fairy tale ending! 10/10 I loved! 

Pink and Blue [Director: Carmen LoBue]

Director Carmen LoBue tells a story of a trans couple who’s expecting a new baby. The conflict of the film comes from within the relationship, contrary to what I thought before the film started. From misgendering their child to figuring out just how they will raise their baby in a world so set on labeling everyone, this couple is determined to succeed in this thing called parenting. 

You Can’t Stop Spirit [Director: Vashni Korin]

I almost booked a flight to New Orleans after I saw this film. Because before this, I never knew much about Mardi Gras culture. The Baby Doll masking tradition is something started by Black women that allows them to be free and liberated and unapologetically Black. The costumes are beautiful and the honor of becoming a Baby Doll is something that’s coveted by young women all around New Orleans. This powerful ensemble of women sent a vibration through the cinema. 

Postmates [Director: Grasie Mercedes]

This film was simple but the message was clear as day: PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SPOUSE! The wife is bored with everyday life, her routines are becoming mundane. So to get excitement, she constantly orders Postmates and entangles the delivery driver into a web of conversations and “therapist” like questions, leaving them in a mist of confusion as her husband comes home and forces her to release them. And to some people, this would be an obvious sign that she needs companionship. But her husband seems oblivious to the fact, maybe it’s because he’s consumed by working 12 and 16 hour shifts or maybe he truly doesn’t notice. But in the end, her feelings go unnoticed and her husband goes to bed. I feel you girl, I feel you. Shoutout to Gracie Mercedes for being a voice for women who go through this silently! 

Seeing that this was my first film festival, I had no preconceived notions. I didn’t know what to expect but what I received was an authentic, enlightening, comedic and heartfelt experience. Each of these films, none lasting any longer than 22 minutes, taught me some sort of lesson at the end. Whether it was to appreciate your relationships or prioritize self care, I was highly satisfied with each film of this short series and I can’t wait for next year! 

/Pam

Look At Me: XXXtentacion [Director Sabaah Folayan]

As Milwaukee Film Fest neared its conclusion, a film tribute to someone who was larger than life was a proper end to this celebration of the cinematic mastery and video documentation.

Look At Me is a grand opportunity to get an unveiled view of the lifestyle of JahSeh “XXXtentacion” Onfroy. Director Sabaah Folayan and Producer Chloe Campion carefully and honestly depicted the high highs and the low lows of this modern day rockstar, with the grace of his mother Cleopatra Bernard, they were able to artistically guide us through his musical journey, from his serendipitous beginnings to his rise to fame becoming the voice of many troubled youth, to his tragic murder in 2018. This film exposed him to be as imperfect as they come; as imperfect as anyone else. 

Many dynamics and relationship perspectives were given from friends like rapper Ski Mask the Slump God, his mother, his ex-girlfriend, and we even were given a short glance of the fatherhood situation that would have become an addition to his life just before his death. Though there were a few broken hearts leaving the theater due to the disappointment in ‘X’s reality, this film shows that telling all stories is of some importance and that the motivation to live a good life can come from the darkest of moments, even when they are not your own.

/Naomi Rea’

GRAIN [Directed by Alex Contell & Tomasso Sacconi]

Through the literal lens of professional and beginner photographers, whether published or just an admirer of the everyday Kodak Moment, GRAIN brings forth the pride of analogue and the weight that it holds in a digital age. For anyone in the audience who is a fan of film photography, watching the process from lens to dark room would be nothing short of satisfying. Many would detest a full length film dedicated to film, but there is a humanity in the art that Directors Alex Contell and Tomasso Sacconi deemed worthy to capture. If this film does anything it will prove two things to be true: 

1. In a physical world, physical mementos are good for the psyche 

And - 

2. The ways of old will always find their way back to the present

Seeing film on film is just different.

/Naomi Rea’

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Honorable Mentions

The Exchange. In White America. Kaukauna & King 50 Years Later [Director: Joanne Williams]

In 1966, during the Civil Rights era, students from Rufus King High School and Kaukauna High School participated in an exchange program that culminated in a production of Martin Duberman’s play ‘In White America.’ Over fifty years later, the original students who participated were able to come together with a new generation reprising the play at King. I got the chance to speak with Joanne Williams, the mastermind behind this documentary, and find out how this all came about.

CW: “You said you started this back in 2016, how are you feeling at this moment now that the public is able to see this film you’ve been working so hard on?”

Joanne: “I was very happy that they laughed in the right spots and cried in the right spots. I think everybody got the message of the film which is empathy, optimism and hope. I’m glad it’s now out in the world.”

CW: “What would you say was the hardest part about putting it all together? Because like you said, there was a lot of film to go through. Was that the toughest part you would say?”

Joanne: “No, the toughest part was raising the money to pay for it, which I’m still doing. It won’t all be paid off for a while, but that was very difficult.”

CW: “Is there somewhere people can donate?”\

Joanne: “Yes, you can send a check to Milwaukee Film in care of The Exchange.”

CW: “The part that was interesting to me was the actual exchange, it was deeper than just the play. And I see what type of benefit that it really had for the community to do it. Do you think that it would be beneficial to keep that going with MPS schools and suburban schools that we have throughout Wisconsin, so people can see both sides?”

Joanne: “Well it would have to be an exchange like they did at Kaukauna and King. Not just a day or two. . . they literally lived with families for a month in both communities and they were immersed in their communities. So I think it would be worth it but it takes a lot of work to do that kind of exchange. If some school district or two school districts want to do that work, I say go for it! They can watch the film and be inspired.”

CW: “Exactly. Now with King, they just did the ‘In White America’ play back in 2016 and you had your hand in that, I’m sure that felt like a full circle moment, so how was it?” 

Joanne: “It was pretty emotional. I was happy to be back in my high school and watch them do the play in the same classroom that I had theater classes in. And I was glad to see that 50 years later a new generation with a multi-ethnic cast could do the play.”

CW: “How did you get everyone back together again from 1966? We have social media now so it helps, but getting everyone together, was that difficult?”

Joanne: “Well, we didn’t get everybody, we got many of them. And it was difficult to find people because they’re [the original exchange students] all over the country. Actually, we got together on one day and did the interviews, so that was a big challenge. I’m still in touch with them and hope to talk to them in the future and let them see the film. But that was a big challenge. There were a lot of days that were very rough.”

CW: “What inspired you to create this film?”

Joanne: “I knew about the story. I had the story in the back of my mind and in the back of my files for 50 years. I just was busy doing TV news, anchoring and reporting and didn’t have time to devote to do this. After I retired and found this newspaper in a box marked high school stuff, as Christina said, we looked at the King’s page and said, ‘This is a story and it’s time to tell it’.”

CW:  “And you are a great story teller so I feel like this is perfect for you. What’s next for you? Do you think you want to do more films or was this just the one film you wanted to do because it was a story that had significant meaning to you?”

Joanne: “I would like to continue doing films. I would like to work on other people’s films. But we have to get through this and then we have 10 other film festivals to which we submitted, so I may be going all around the country showing it at other festivals.”

CW: “What do you think the viewers here took from watching the film?”

Joanne: “I hope they got the feeling of how important it is to get to know people who are different from you, but you’ll have to ask them how they felt. I would love to hear what they thought!”

Although most of the people who watched the film were gone by the time Joanne and I finished chatting, I can honestly say I think the overall consensus of the film from everyone was well received. Like Joanne mentioned, you could hear and feel the crowd sharing the same emotions together either through a laugh or a cry and it was refreshing. 

After all that the United States has been through the last eight years or so–being in the Trump era, the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement and of course we can’t forget COVID bullying its way into our lives–it’s not often I find wholesome content that makes me have faith in humanity. However, watching The Exchange I was pleasantly surprised by the actions from Joanne Williams and her peers. With the exchange happening during the Civil Rights era, I wasn’t expecting to see the outcome be so successful. I would love to see if this type of exchange could work again today in 2022 mostly because I think with all that has been going on, there’s a disconnect between humanity. But if you want to make the world a better place, there’s no better place to start than with the kids – they are our future. 

/Carrie

THE STIGMA OF THE DURAG [Director: Justin Goodrum]

Give Justin Goodrum his flowers, a big tub of wave grease, and a couple thousand dollars [if you have it], for his short film, The Stigma of the Durag. His film was noted as an honorable mention amongst for the Cream City Cinema Jury Award, [which if he had won would have given him $5,000] and was a part of the Milwaukee Show I [one of CopyWrite Magazine’s Community Sponsored showings]. The Durag, is a utilitarian-cultural symbol that has been worn through the intimate confines of the Black home, out through the multifaceted terrain we call neighborhoods, right into the media spotlight of Hip Hop, and now floor length interpretations are making appearances on the most prestigious fashion runways of the world [Society, you’re welcome!].

So why is there a disconnect between what a durag is and who wears them? Justin gave us the run down on his film and the narrative he is confronting for the culture.

CW: “The Stigma of the Durag, how did you come up with that concept?”

JG: “It actually came from a project that I am working on that is more of a narrative and a feature film.  I wanted to include an experience that I had in college where I was putting my durag on at night and one of my roommates asked me if I was in a gang.”

CW: “I’m assuming this was a Caucasian roommate?”

JG: “Yes, and it was crazy because the thing is he really didn’t know and I always explain to people that my roommates were all cool. . .”

CW: “But if there is a cultural difference, where you are a person who doesn't need a durag or has never had that experience [outside of media] how would they know?”

JG: “Even the other producer on the project, I told him the scenario and even he didn’t know what [a durag] was.”

The producer had heard the term durag before and seen them but really was not sure what they were used for either.  From that conversation The Stigma of the Durag documentary short was born. The documentary uses the “man on the street” method where they go around and ask people about their knowledge of drugs and provide cultural tidbits that define, and humanize the durag and its wearer. 

JG: “Even with the incident that occurred to me, I never thought that people really did not know what [a durag is] or that they didn’t get. In popular culture, you see people saying a lot of things like ‘Bye Felicia’. Like a lot of people know [that saying]. . .”

CW: “But they don't knooooooow it.”

JG: “Right! So I just assume that they treat the durag like that.”

As we talked I discussed my understanding of the durag and how I have observed its cultural evolution of hair protection and maintenance, to it being as common as a baseball and fitted cap in the early 2000’s. 

CW: “I just think it is so fascinating how it has transformed in use. People who don’t even need durags are wearing them.”

JG: “There is a portion of the film where you can see that. I think the biggest take away from the film is to take away the stigma or the baggage that comes with wearing one. I have a cousin that maybe 80% of the time I see him, he has a durag on. I mean he is spinnin’ [We both laughed because the cultural connotation of a Black person wearing a durag usually means that their “waves” or hair pattern is impressively laid out underneath]. So of course I know why he has it on. I know he is not in a gang or anything like that. I don’t want him to have to go out in the world wanting to look nice, and be judged.”

The judgment comes with more than just crazy looks and mumbling. It also comes with social projections, barricaded opportunities, and the assertion of hierarchical assimilation. So changing the stigma of the durag is another step in eradicating the plight against cultural disenfranchisement.  

So next time you see a durag, ask yourself, “Are his waves on swim? Is that why they hate on him?” [Lol See POP culture can go two ways, if you know what I’m sayin’.]

/Lexi

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See you next year, with more films to see and memories to make!

Love & All Things Urban,

/CW Fam

What People Wear Milwaukee: MKE Film | Clueless & Cocktails