"Brownstones to Red Dirt"

Ruth/Rachel: This is a SIFF blog to be graded for extra credit

Brownstones to Red Dirt is a film about two groups of grade school students that are pen pals with each other. One group is from Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, NY, USA. The other is from Freetown, Sierra Leone. The children from Bed-Stuy are living in a neighborhood which has been historically known for high rates of crime, especially murder as well as poverty. The school children from Bed-Stuy attended the Urban Environment School that was built in between two housing projects. This school was designed to provide an enriching educational environment that would not have been available otherwise. The Freetown kids were mostly orphans of civil war and attended the Children In Crisis School that was run by three Auntys, one of whom had originally rescued many of the children during the war. The Children In Crisis school was a safe haven for these children, but was overcrowded and lacking greatly in materials, food, water and medicine.

The children from both countries created strong bonds with their pen pals and learned more about each-other's situations. One really positive aspect of the sharing was that the kids in Bed-Stuy felt motivated to reach out to the kids of Freetown by hosting a fundraiser for the Children in Crisis school. They ended up raising about $1000 and providing serious aid to their pen pals. This funding was able to provide bedding, medicine and educational resources. I think that this helped show how even in the position of a child in an area known for poverty you can still make an impact and create a change for social justice that you care about. It also shows that there is a need for unity among all peoples. Malik, one of the students from Bed-Stuy's closing words of the film say it well. "People. Friends. Other countries. Tokyo. Sure I’m black. Sure you’re black. Sure you’re white. Sure you’re Spanish. Sure you’re Hindi. Doesn’t matter. We’re still people."

A few of the other Bed-Stuy kids address race briefly. Fred, who is African-American says he feels stereotyped against because he is black. He says that people assume that he fights and gets into trouble and that he is just "a black piece of dirt." He also was hesitant to begin skateboarding, his now favorite hobby, because he thought it was something that only white people did.

This film passed the Bechdel test for gender and for race. In fact I do not recall anyone in the film who was not a person of color. Though on screen we saw communities of color being represented, I feel that it should be noted that the director and writer (who were also producers for this film) were both white men. Not to degrade any of the work that they have done but to be aware of the fact that even when people of color and women are represented on screen they are not often behind the screen in positions of power. In the case of this documentary even though people of color and women are telling their story, the are still seen through the lens of white males.

Photos From:

Brownstones to Red Dirt Website

Quote From:

Malik in Brownstones to Red Dirt (Dir. LaMattina, Walker, 2010)

Topp Twins: Amusing Activist Allies

Ruth/Rachel this is SIFF blog 2 of 2 for regular grading

Last night I went to the SIFF opening screening of "The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls". This film showed how two down-to-earth Kiwi sisters communicated with their music & humor and used it to educate and motivate on issues which they were oppressed and those which they were allies for.

In the late 1970s the Topps' music was a part of the Women's movement and then in the early 80s they were on the forefront of marches and protests for several other issues. They addressed issues from Maori land rights and anti-apartheid to homosexual rights and a nuclear-free New Zealand. They were out lesbians on the forefront of a broad collection of movements and helped create role models for activists and LGBTQ people.

Before the screening, the Topp's came onto the stage and preformed an opening song in Maori as a tribute to their country. As well, the film showed them fighting for the land rights of indigenous peoples. The Topp's told the story of how at the last minute they had to dodge being arrested for the cause as they planned when they were summoned to perform the next day as a fundraiser for those who were being arrested. The Topps were also shown performing a song with one of the close friends they had made in this fight. Their rendition of "Nga Iwi E", a Maori song, showed their ability to create a rallying cry for people through music. With their performance before the film and their activism with in it voicing the rights and respect to indigenous peoples it makes me wonder what it would look like if non-indigenous Americans honored the tribes whose lands they occupy.

The Topps also showed themselves to be great models for LGBTQ people. Lynda and Jools Topp came from a farming country background and still carry on that as a big piece of their identity. These are 'good old country western gals' and they are also lesbian. They affirmed that being gay is about who you love, not liking certain kinds of music or being from an urban or rural background. Country musicians don't have to be straight and gay people don't have to be urban. They can also be funny. The Topps have created several campy characters that are both humorous and contain some social commentary. They reached many rural audiences and helped to normalize lesbian performers. Just as the Topps had been allies and activists for many causes they also appealed to a wide audience from rural people and steel mill workers to members of the gay community and women's movement.

Overall I feel that this film displays the work of two strong women who are allies and activists as well as entertainers. I think that the Topp Twins can be good role models for all people as to what it means to be an ally and an activist and how we can all use our talents to communicate a greater message of unity.

All Images From:

The Topp Twins Website

Trailer Courtesy:

Youtube

Lose the Fear.

Ruth/Rachel: This is not for grading about a SIFF film

"A life lived in fear is a life half lived"- Anonymous

and that doesn't just go for the guys.

This side entry does not deal much with the media, but I wanted to post about it as an ally to African-Americans and lower class people, as well as some big connections I see between myths about these oppressed groups and violence against women. This is me speaking out on something that I do not feel is right.

Today on a social networking website I received a mass warning from a friend to watch out for a man who had been attacking women in the Seattle area. The only information included in the warning about the man was that he was Black and that women should 'be careful'. Some responses to this warning included one woman saying that she had a 'creepy' black homeless man near her work and that she would be cautious around them today. Though I appreciate a warning of an attacker on the loose, I find some serious problems with the way this information was communicated. Seeing this simple warning unfold today really made me see a lot of connections between the myths surrounding gender violence and stereotypes about race, class, and gender.

Though Seattle has a small African-American population 8.4%, it is the highest of west coast cities other than Los Angeles. Among this population exists friends, family, colleagues, respected professors, leaders, community members, and advocates working against gender violence. So why is being Black used as the sole descriptor of this attacker? As a woman, should I go to class tomorrow and be suspicious of my Black male professor who is an ally for gender equality? Should I assume I need to protect myself from my classmates who are African-American men? No. The reality is that there are unfortunately many, many, many white men who attack women. Life is not a D.W. Griffith movie! Black men are not ravaging animalistic rapists on the search for their next (white) female victim! Realistically solely telling the information that the attacker is a black male with no age or other identifying characteristics leaves us a huge amount of people that one is supposed to suspect as a possible attacker and is not helpful much at all except for re-instilling myths about attacks on (white) women being carried out by black men.

Another piece that is brought up is myths about class. Often people in the lowest class or those who are sometimes seen as out of the class system, the homeless are regarded as dirty, mentally unstable and criminal. The myth that homeless strangers and vagrants are most likely on the search to commit alley way rapes and assaults on women is not very representative of most assaults. In reality, 7/10 female sexual assault victims know their attackers (Dobrovolny). The reality that most attackers are not homeless strangers brings up the rape myths that are put in place to scare women.

Rape is one of the worst crimes but is often taught to us in myths that are not true. Women are taught to be afraid of going away from the home in order to avoid rape and sexual assault. Truthfully 3/4 of all violent attacks occur within 5 miles of the home (Dobrovolny). So staying in the home and being Suzie Homemaker is not the ticket to safety from violence. Women are also told that if they do leave home they definitely need to 'be careful'. What does that even mean? Make eye contact/don't make eye contact? Be obvious/don't be obvious? Carry a weapon/don't carry a weapon? Most attackers are not strangers and these puzzling solutions may even make the situation worse.

Some strategies for preventing sexual assault that are more effective then these common ones are to:

• Clearly express boundaries
• Watch out for controlling behaviors, signs of violence and disrespect
• Educate yourself on rape myths
• Trust your inner voice
• Know who you are hanging out with
• Don't pass out in private

It is important that women do not restrict themselves from public mobility because they fear assault. They are limiting themselves and placing their fear in the wrong place. It is important to dispel the myths about race, class, and gender especially when it comes to situations of violence. If we break down the myths, we can redirect our energy into educating people on truly effective strategies to preventing violence and can bridge gaps to communities that are too often given the role of scapegoat in violent crimes (among other things.)

Assault Statistics from:

"Road Worrier" by Michell Dobrovlny

Sexual Assault Prevention Strategies from:

Rachel David's "Gender, Violence, and Social Change" course