Feb 1, 2021 12:00am to Feb 28, 2021 11:45pm
Online
Afro-Tradition, Environmental Racism, and Black Place-Making in Mexico
Friday, February 5th, 11am to 1pm
Jose Luis Benvavides (Moderator) with Ebony Bailey, Jayson Maurice Porter, and Meztli Yoalli Rodriguez.
Screening and presentation of Ebony Bailey’s documentary Jamaica and Tamarindo: Afro-Tradition in the Heart of Mexico, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and the panel discussion, “Environmental Racism, Gender, and Black Place-Making in Mexico's Costa Chica,” with Ebony Bailey, historian Jayson Maurice Porter, and anthropologist Meztli Yoalli Rodríguez.
Bailey’s film uses two iconic food ingredients, Jamaica and Tamarindo to explore Mexico’s African identity and heritage through the eyes of five people in Mexico City. The multidisciplinary panel presentation will explore—through history, anthropology, and film—environmental racism in the coast of Oaxaca and Guerrero and the ways in which Black and Afro-Indigenous populations in México resist and defend their land and water.
This event is sponsored by the CSUN University Library and the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center. Support for this event was provided by CSUN’s Diversity and Innovation Grant from the Office of the President.
Read More and Register for this Event
Dr. Cornel West Event
Friday, February 26th, 3-5 pm
Engage in an important and informative discussion with the University Student Union during Essential Talks: A Conversation with Dr. Cornel West.
Join us for the first installment in the Multicultural Speaker Series Join us to continue celebrating Black History Month while also engaging in crucial conversations elevating our Black community. surrounding the black community. American philosopher, political activist, social critic and author Dr. Cornel West will dive into students’ experiences and the topic of racial battle fatigue. and You’ll learn how to care for yourself as a student of color or grow in your journey as an ally.
Learn More and Register for this Event
Confronting a Pandemic within a Pandemic: 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests in LA
Continuing Online Exhibition starting in February
The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 demonstrated unequivocally that racial inequality will no longer be tolerated. The repeated crimes committed against the Black community had reached a breaking point, forcing society to confront systemic racism and its influence on the country. The nation responded with protests aimed to increase awareness on the subject and to demand change and accountability for those responsible.
The 2021 BHM Digital Exhibition: Confronting a Pandemic Within a Pandemic provides a glimpse into the events that unfolded in the summer of 2020, as viewed through the lens of various photographers, including Keith Rice, historian/archivist at CSUN, and Nicholas Soracco. Depicted in this collection are protestors occupying intersections; marching in the streets; delivering valiant and inspiring speeches; and displaying thought-provoking signs that collectively demanded equality for the lives of Black people. The protests also highlight the divisions and the differences in political ideology. It became clear that supporters of former President Trump's actions received little resistance from police during their counter protests, culminating in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2020. Tragic and painful, these events provide a snapshot of America and the racial pandemic amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing pursuit of equality in a country that was built on the premise of freedom.
Black History Month Virtual Book Display
We invite you to explore this virtual book display to celebrate Black History Month 2021. Included are digital books by accomplished writers, leaders, and scholars that highlight the journey and showcase numerous contributions of the Black experience. Many of these works address issues of race and institutional and structural racism that persist and that are relevant to current society. Most of these titles are featured in the University Library’s #BlackLivesMatter and Anti-Racism libguide. All of the books within this display are electronically available through the University Library and require logging-in with a CSUN User ID and password.
Assistive Services
Requests for accommodation services (e.g. sign language interpreters or transcribers) must be made at least five (5) business days in advance. Please email library.event@csun.edu in advance of the event.
Feb 5, 2021 11:00am - 1:00pm
Online
Screening and presentation of Ebony Bailey’s documentary Jamaica and Tamarindo: Afro-Tradition in the Heart of Mexico, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and the panel discussion, “Environmental Racism, Gender, and Black Place-Making in Mexico's Costa Chica,” with Ebony Bailey, Historian Jayson Maurice Porter, and Anthropologist Meztli Yoalli Rodríguez.
Bailey’s film uses two iconic food ingredients, Jamaica and Tamarindo to explore Mexico’s African identity and heritage through the eyes of five people in Mexico City. The multidisciplinary panel presentation will explore—through history, anthropology, and film—environmental racism in the coast of Oaxaca and Guerrero and the ways in which Black and Afro-Indigenous populations in México resist and defend their land and water.
PARTICIPANTS
Ebony Bailey is a filmmaker and photographer from Central California. Her documentaries have been screened at film festivals and forums in the US, Mexico and Europe. She was awarded for the Samuel L. Coleman scholarship for emerging filmmakers at the Haitian International Film Festival. As a “Blaxican,” she tells stories about cultural intersections as a way to represent her community and build spaces of empowerment between diverse populations. Bailey studied an MA at UNAM’s University Center of Cinematographic Studies. Photo by Jessica Lum
Jayson Maurice Porter is a PhD Candidate of history at Northwestern University, where he focuses on agrochemicals, ecologies of food/energy/power, and environmental justice in Mexico and the United States. He's a former Fulbright-García Robles scholar, current research fellow at Noria Mexico and Central America, and incoming Editorial Committee member of the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA).
Meztli Yoalli Rodríguez is a PhD Candidate in Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin who studies gendered environmental racism, mestizaje State politics, and violence in Mexico.
This event is sponsored by the CSUN University Library and the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center. Support for this event was provided by CSUN’s Diversity and Innovation Grant from the Office of the President.
Assistive Services
Requests for accommodation services (e.g. sign language interpreters or transcribers) must be made at least five (5) business days in advance. Please email library.event@csun.edu in advance of the event.
Feb 14, 2023 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Cypress Hall - Shigemi Matsumoto Recital Hall
Sponsored by the University Library, the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center, the CSUN Music Department, and the USU
This event is FREE
The Cookies feature the extremely talented musical lineup of Maxayn Lewis, vocalist for the film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; Bobby Watson, bassist for Rufus featuring Chaka Kahn and Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You;” Allen Hinds, guitarist for Randy Crawford and Cece Winans; and Donald Barnett, drummer for Toni Braxton and Lady Gaga. Their performance will provide an inspirational and funky evening of the structured yet improvisational and interactive ingredients of African American music developed in cotton fields, churches, juke joints, and nightclubs.
Vocals — Maxayn Lewis is an American soul singer, musician, songwriter, and producer. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and began her musical career under her birth name Paulette Parker, as member of the Ikettes in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. In the 1970s, Maxayn sang lead in the band Maxayn. She co-wrote "So Much More" recorded by Ramsey Lewis and "We Belong Together" recorded by Rockie Robbins. Both songs reached the Billboard R&B chart. Maxayn is also a prolific backing vocalist. She has sung with various acts, including The Gap Band, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Bonnie Raitt, Duran Duran, Smokey Robinson, Ricky Martin, and Britney Spears. She also sang backup on albums for Sammy Hagar, The Gap Band, Rosanne Cash, Rita Coolidge, B.B. King, and Namie Amuro. Maxayn provided background vocals for the soundtrack for the film Grease and recently provided the lead vocals for all but one song in the film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Bass — Bobby Watson was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in South Central LA. He started his musical journey-playing guitar at age six. While still in high school he went on tour playing bass for The Whispers. Bobby has a reputation around the industry for bringing a solid foundation to any unit, but he particularly shines in the group Rufus and Chaka Kahn, a band he joined forces with in early 1973. Bobby was a major contributor in helping create the 'Rufus' sound, not only with his playing, but also as a producer & songwriter on Rufus’s gold, platinum, and Grammy winning albums since 1973. Bobby’s production and songwriting credits also include the duo of Renee and Angela and Janet Jackson. His bass playing can be heard not only on Rufus albums, but on other hit records such as the Pointer Sisters’ "Jumping Jack Flash," Michael Jackson's "Rock with You," and Billy Preston's "Nothing from Nothing."
Guitar — Allen Hinds was born in Auburn, Alabama. Allen was exposed to blues and R&B at an early age. Moving into jazz and fusion in his teens, he attended Berklee College of Music. He moved to Los Angeles to attend Musician’s Institute, where he has remained on staff to the present. Allen has six solo albums under his name. Besides a solo career he has performed and/or recorded with jazz and R&B luminaries including Hiroshima, Randy Crawford, Gino Vannelli, Patti Austin, Roberta Flack, BeBe and CeCe Winan, The Crusaders, Bobby Caldwell, James Ingram, Joan Baez and many, many others.
Drums — Donald Barrett was born in Waukegan, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He learned to play the drums at the age of three, and while on a scholarship to Northern Illinois University, he immersed himself in trios to big band, while studying with jazz greats Ed Thigpen and Wynton Marsalis. Donald moved to Los Angeles and found work as a session musician, and has played on numerous soundtrack albums, including Twilight: Breaking Dawn and the Kikaider Reboot. His debut single as a solo performer, Futurama, was released in September 2014. Donald has toured with Grammy Award-winners Toni Braxton and George Benson. He has performed with Sade, Seal, Pink, New Kids On The Block, Jesse McCartney, and Lady Gaga during her Residency in Las Vegas.
Assistive Services
Requests for accommodation services (e.g. sign language interpreters or transcribers) must be made at least five (5) business days in advance. Please email library.event@csun.edu in advance of the event.