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Posts tagged as “Minneapolis”

#BaltimoreUprising Protests Spread To NYC, DC And Beyond

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New York City Protest for Freddie Gray (Photo: Michael Skolnick)

Wednesday evening protests inspired by those who marched for answers in the death of Freddie Gray spread from Baltimore to other cities. Some highlights:
-In New York City, protesters starting at Union Square in Manhattan marched throughout the city, at one point shutting down the West Side highway and Holland Tunnel., according to CBS-2. At least one dozen arrests were made, according to USA Today, and Michael Skolnik of Interactive One, who was out with the marchers, and sent out a photo of Instagram of one of them. His caption: “Lots of arrests in NYC tonight. This could be a very long night…”
-In Washington, DCNBC-4 reported that “a large group of protesters,” rallied peacefully after gathering at Gallery Place and DuPont Circle.
-In Denver, a rally that started at the county jail ended with several arrests and police pepper-spraying protesters, reported ABC-7.
-In Minneapolisabout 1,500 people marched throughout the downtown area, reported the Star Tribune. There were no arrests.
-In Boston, the Boston Globe reported that more than 500 protesters marched after gathering behind police headquarters in the Roxbury section of the city.
Meanwhile, back in Baltimore, the epicenter of protests in reaction to the death of Freddie Gray after suffering a severed spine in police custody, USA Today reported that thousands gathered outside of City Hall. Eighteen people had been arrested in Baltimore by 8 p.m., including two juveniles, the paper reported. Just after a citywide 10 p.m.-5  a.m. curfew took effect, conditions were reportedly calm.
article via newsone.com

Stevie Wonder Surprises Baptist Church With Appearance And $10,000 Gift

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Those attending New Salem Baptist Church in north Minneapolis were surprised by a famous visitor during Sunday’s service.
There in the front pew was singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder who happened to be in town for a performance at the Target Center.
The Rev. Jerry McAfee knows Wonder and extended an invitation to the Sunday service. Church members cheered when Wonder rose to sing a favorite hymn, “I Won’t Complain.”
Minneapolis’ WCCO-TV says Wonder is known for speaking out against violence during stops on his concert tours, specifically in the African-American community.
Toward the end of the service there was another surprise. Wonder said he would donate $10,000 to the church.
article by Associated Press via blackamericaweb.com

Minneapolis Barbershop Fades of Gray Donates Free Haircuts to School Kids

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l-r: Bilal Saleem, Anthony Clark, Monique Stevenson, Marquita Fox, Mikayla Fox, Julian Gray, Marcus Bennett, Mark Webster. Photos by Mike Madison – Unknown Prophets

Several businesses and education leaders came together to do something for disadvantaged youth.
This was the simple notion for action that came from a conversation during a haircut. The result was a daylong stream of happy and hopeful children, from many cultural backgrounds, with happy and thankful parents in tow.
Fades of Gray barbershop owner Julian Gray, together with his longtime client Kevin Bennett, principal of The F.A.I.R. School in Minneapolis, devised a simple event to give away free haircuts to youth headed back to school. In order to challenge his group of barbers, and have the greatest impact, Gray set a difficult goal of 100 haircuts during the one-day event.
Free backpacks donated by Ameriprise Financial, filled with wooden hair brushes, snacks and coupons were given to each child after their haircut. julian gray and malik harris 3334Fresh from their haircut, children glowed as they took their tickets to claim a free backpack with additional goods and gift cards donated by Fades of Gray, F.A.I.R. School – Downtown, Target, Osseo Public Schools director of Educational Equity, Tony Hudson and Will Walker of Walker Law Offices. Excitedly, some children immediately put on their backpack as they made their way back to mom, dad, or guardian, with new wooden brushes in hand.
“We all know how good it feels to get a haircut. For the kids it’s something simple to set them up so they can learn better. It’s just a way to support them and help them be successful,” said Gray.
Event sponsor Hudson commented on his appreciation taking part in the initiative, saying, “My kids go to F.A.I.R., so I’ve got a good relationship with Kevin. We’re two brothers that try to support each other with our work. And it’s powerful that everybody else here is like that too. Once you have that, it’s just about showing up. Sometimes you just have to keep it simple.”
“We want to let the kids know that we’re Black men who care about you and understand your experience. Just to give the kids a simple pat on the back and say thank you to them, for adding value to the community by showing up and doing their best in school,” said Bennett.
Reflecting, and pointing around the room, Bennett continued, “Most of us can say we grew up in the church and the barbershop. But a couple of boys who came in early this morning were getting their first haircut in a barbershop. It makes an impact on them just by bringing them in to take part in a positive male experience. And it allows us to pay it forward.”

Walker Art Center Opens "Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art" Exhibit Today

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Senga Nengudi: RSVP at CAMH performance

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is set to present the groundbreaking survey “Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art.”
“Radical Presence” chronicles the development of Black performance in contemporary art beginning with fluxus and conceptual art in the 1960s and extending to the present. While this tradition has previously been contextualized from the perspective of theater and popular culture, its prevalence in visual art has gone largely unexamined until recently. Organized and first presented by the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, “Radical Presence” was co-presented in New York City by The Studio Museum in Harlem and New York University’s Grey Art Gallery. The final opportunity to view the exhibition will be at the Walker. The showing opens July 24 and runs through Jan. 4, 2015 in the Target and Friedman galleries.

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Pope.L: Costume at CAMH performance (Photo by Max Fields)

The July 24 launch, a Target Free Thursday Night, with live performances at the Walker by contributing artists Senga Nengudi, Pope.L and Jacolby Satterwhite. Performances continue on Saturday, July 26 with Maren Hassinger and Jamal Cyrus, in addition to a panel discussion hosted by organizing curator Valerie Cassel Oliver from the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and contributing artists Adam Pendleton, Satterwhite, and Xaviera Simmons that addresses the role of performance in their larger artistic practice.
A range of performances and events continue beyond the opening weekend and throughout the run of the exhibition. Beginning in September, the Walker and The Bindery Projects will host Theaster Gates’ “See, Sit, Sup, Sip, Sing: Holding Court” (2012), while additional performances include Benjamin Patterson’s “Activation of Pond” (1962), a performance lecture by Coco Fusco, and Trenton Doyle Hancock’s “Devotion” (2013).

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Jacolby Satterwhite: Orifice at CAMH performance (Photo by Max Fields)

Featuring more than 100 works by some 36 artists, “Radical Presence” includes video and photo documentation of performances, scores and installations, interactive works and artworks created as a result of performance actions, presenting a rich and complex look at this important facet of contemporary art.

‘”Radical Presence’ is a risk-taking exhibition that looks at the vitality of performance-based works by Black artists from the United States and the Caribbean over several decades and across generations,” said Olga Viso, executive director of the Walker. “Engaging works where the performer is often the medium and subject, the exhibition is both provocative and captivating, as it addresses the limits of representation of the Black body and elicits timely reflection on American culture and identity.”
“From seminal works by such highly influential artists as Coco Fusco, Lorraine O’Grady, Pope.L and David Hammons to essential new voices like Theaster Gates, Jacolby Satterwhite, and Xaviera Simmons, ‘Radical Presence’ brings together artists from across generations that push the boundaries of performance,” said Fionn Meade, the Walker’s senior curator of cross-disciplinary platforms. “Ranging from intimate acts done solely for the camera to participatory installations and the tracing of overtly public gestures of celebration and resistance, the Walker is thrilled to welcome such a dynamic and far-ranging exploration.”

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Maren Hassinger: Diaries (Photo by Adam Avila)

Works on view in “Radical Presence” include “Hopes and Dreams: Gestures of Demonstration” (2006-2007), a photographic series by Carrie Mae Weems, “Pond” (1962), a performance score conceived and activated by Benjamin Patterson, documentation of Lorraine O’Grady’s performance, “Mlle, Bourgeoise Noire” (1980-1983), “Eating the Wall Street Journal” (2000) by Pope.L, a sculpture and video installation, “Say It Loud” (2004) by Satch Hoyt, a participatory sculpture meant to be activated by gallery visitors and documentation of Jamal Cyrus’ performance “Texas Fried Tenor” from the series “Learning to Work the Saxophone” (2012).
article via insightnews.com

Y.N. Rich Kids New Single 'Khaki Pants,' Is This Summer's 'Hot Cheetos & Takis' (VIDEO)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQDN9j_kKV0&w=560&h=315]
From the group that brought you last summer’s hit “Hot Cheetos & Takis” comes another song on a subject hip-hop has heretofore seldom considered: school uniform swag.  The song, “Khaki Pants,” which dropped earlier this month, is an ode to school uniform bottom wear, and it comes complete with its own accompanying dance. According to the video, the song, presented by Y.N.Rich Kids, is performed by the NSJ crew (although, as Grantland points out, it’s unclear what the relationship between the two groups is).
Screen Shot 2013-06-01 at 4.47.45 PM“Walking through the school in my khaki pants, when they see how I be fresh, they do the khaki dance,” raps one member the group. “Yeah, we got ‘Hot Cheetos & Taki’ fans, but after this, you gon’ wanna do the khaki dance,” raps another member.
The video, which has more than 134,240 views on YouTube as of this writing follows last summer’s release of Y.N. Rich Kids’ video “Hot Cheetos & Takis,” which has over 6 million views on YouTube. The young group is a product of the North Community YMCA’s Beats and Rhymes program in Minneapolis.  The program is “designed to provide challenging, positive youth and career development opportunities for low income, culturally-diverse youth,” according to its website.
original article by Rebecca Klein via huffingtonpost.com; additions and updates by Lori Lakin Hutcherson