Spike Lee's Chiraq Release Date: 04 December 2015

Check out the movie trailer for Spike Lee's new film, Chiraq (release date: December 4, 2015). The film is an interpretation of the Greek comedy, Lysistrata. However, don't mistake Chiraq as a comedy. It is a satire that we should take seriously.

WORLD PREMIERE: "For Colored Boys" A web series written and directed by Stacey Muhammad

PREMIERES SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2013, 7:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME.

WATCH.SUBSCRIBE.WATCH.SUBSCRIBE.WATCH.SUBSCRIBE.

Ice-T Presents: Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (Official Trailer)

Here are some early reviews of the film:
-- Michael A. Gonzales, via Ebony.com
-- via Vibe Magazine
Official Website: IcebergSlimMovie.com

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(Part 2 of 3) Making Literacy Connections Via Street Lit: One Scholar's Incredible Work

In last week's installment of Dr. Joseph Richardson's interview he talked about the need for educators to support the reading public with literacy practices from early ages. This week, Dr. Richardson discusses actual titles that his teens have requested and read. He advocates for educators to (re)perceive children as "scholars in their own right". Read on:

StreetLiterature.com: Have your young adults suggested any authors / titles / themes for the reading program in your research study? If so, what are they? If not, why do you think this is so?

The kids actually suggested The Autobiography of Malcolm X probably because they saw the film and have heard a lot about the book on the street. We cannot forget that the streets talk. You have older guys or old heads within their families and their neighborhoods that have done time. They will pass down in conversation books they read during their bid. So surely Malcolm’s book will come up as well as other books, like The 48 Laws of Power and Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

I also found that films and videos were a better medium to introduce youth to books, and not vice versa. For example, many kids were introduced to Malcolm X via the movie and not the book. The movie tie-in of a book often opens the door for them to be interested in reading the actual book. The kids suggested films as well. For example, they wanted to watch the 1971 Italian pseudo-documentary, "Goodbye Uncle Tom", which was crazy to me, because I had no idea they even knew that film. Once when I screened the film to a group of juvenile inmates, as I reached to take the movie with me when I was packing to leave, they pleaded with me to leave the movie, so they could show the film to some of their friends who were on lock down. That was amazing!

The majority of the kids are really sharp and scholars in their own right. They are victims to a dysfunctional world and set of circumstances which by no choice of their own, adults have created and brought them into. That may sound cliché, but it’s true. Some of the young brothers in my group were far more insightful and perceptive than some college students I have encountered.

StreetLiterature.com: In what ways has Urban / Street Literature impacted your teens’ reading tastes and habits?

Once they get the information and are able to digest what is relevant to their lives, they want more information. Again, these young brothers spend the majority of their days doing absolutely nothing so they are hungry for knowledge. Now some will not be interested, of course you have those who do not want to read, probably because they can’t read, so they are going to try to disrupt the energy of the group. 

But I’m realistic, I’m not there to save everybody, some will not want the information and that’s cool, maybe someday in the future they will have an epiphany and a moment of clarity where they realize how much they missed. I cannot worry about those kids because that small minority can impact the larger majority of those who want to learn. I’m not going to force anyone to participate in our group, participation is voluntary, you have to want it or else if you’re forced to do it, more than likely that kid is going to be a detriment to every else and I cannot afford that. 

We’re only in the jail for a couple of hours once a week so we have to make the most of our time. Anybody who has ever worked in this setting can understand what I am saying. I think we often set the bar too low, coming in with preconceived ideas about what they can’t read or don’t want to read. 

You have to understand that all people whether they are children or adults have multiple intelligences, and as an educator you have to tap into those strengths. You have to deal with the strengths first if you want to improve their self-esteem.  In short for those who love reading I believe that my mentorship has increased their breadth and range of what they will read and that’s a good thing. For others, they may be more visual, actually I respect that because I am more visual. That kid may be the next Cle Bone Sloan. So I have to tap into his strengths as well. That young brother may be more inclined now to make a film that documents his hood and how structural violence has caused the direct violence he witnesses around him.

--- Please post your questions and comments to this interview, below. We'd love to get a meaningful discussion started about Dr. Richardson's work. Next week's final installment for this interview series concludes with Dr. Richardson's discussion of the scholarly thinking of inner-city youth (yes, you read that correctly). --- 

Article: IceBerg Slim Documentary Debuts at Toronto Film Festival

The star and subject of new documentary "Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp"

(Toronto International Film Festival 2012)

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-with-iceberg-slim-documentary-ice-t-honors-an-influence-20120914,0,6632694.story

The documentary film brings to life, the autobiographical novel of pioneering street lit author, Iceberg Slim (1918-1992), entitled: Pimp, The Story of My Life (originally published in 1969).

From the article:  

" "Iceberg Slim," which is also being sold for U.S. distribution, is a passion project through-and-through. Ice-T and Hinojosa spent years developing it, tracking down family members and shaping it into a story they felt would do justice to his legacy. 

The result is an excellent primer about the man born Robert Beck, who went from pimp to convict and then, with the help of his wife and co-writer, bestselling author with 1969's "Pimp: The Story of My Life." (Slim died in 1992; his books are not only still popular but they're studied with the rigor of a Ralph Ellison.) Through interviews with members of his family and others close to him, "Slim" teases out a portrait of a troubled soul and the way art can be used to redeem it. If there's a larger-than-life quality to the story it's only because Slim really lived that large."

This title should definitely be a staple in your library collection, as it is a defining classic in the street lit genre. It is readily available via all major book retailer and vendor outlets.

Wikipedia's article on Iceberg Slim is informative.

Short Film Debut: REDEMPTION, For Colored Boys

If you are a fan of "The Wire" you will love this short film series by award-winning filmmaker, Stacey Muhammad!

You can purchase the film plus a bonus film for just $10 USD via PayPal at: http://www.staceymuhammad.com/.

This film would be a great addition to any library video collection. Enjoy!

Documentary TRAILER: Behind Those Books (2011)

Description of Trailer from YouTube:

The first and only comprehensive documentation, on film, of the urban literature genre, giving viewers a raw and uncut look inside the emerging industry. Behind the Books chronicles the evolution of Street Fiction through interviews with pioneer authors, industry insiders, fans, activists, Hip-Hop artists, book clubs, editors, literary agents, vendors and the like.

Featuring: Terry McMillan, Zane, Nikki Turner, K'wan, Omar Tyree, Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Nick Chiles, Kevin Powell, Teri Woods, Vickie Stringer, Anthony Whyte, Treasure E. Blue, J.M. Benjamin, Randy "Ski" Thompson, Azarel, KaShamba Williams, Queen Pen, Brandon McCalla, Brandi Bowles, Momowilly and many more.

Executive Produced by: Mark Manderson and Elaine Watkins
Written & Produced by: Kaven Brown
Associate Producer: Franchesca Ho Sang
Edited & Directed by: Mills Miller

http://www.behindthosebooksmovie.com

Street Lit Films and Tags

Street Lit Films

Precious, the movie based on the novel Push (2009) ... directed by Jeff Daniels, starring Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey

The Soloist (2009) ... starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.

Life Is Hot In Crackdown (2009) ... starring Lara Flynn Boyle, Kerry Washington, Evan Ross

16 Blocks (2008) ... starring Bruce Willis, Mos Def

American Gangster (2007) ... starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe

Illegal Tender (2007) ... starring Wanda De Jesus, Rick Gonzalez

Life Support (2007) ... starring Queen Latifah, Tony Rock, Wendell Pierce

Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005) ... starring Terrance Howard and 50 Cent

6. Hustle and Flow (2005) ... starring Terrance Howard, Taraji P. Henson

Harsh Times (2005) ... starring Christian Bale

The Street King (2002) ... Mario Lopez

8 Mile (2002) ... starring Eminem


Blue Hill Avenue (2001) ... starring Allen Payne

Once in the Life (2000) ... based on a play, "Riff Raff", starring and Directed by Laurence Fishburne, also starring Gregory Hines, Eamonn Walker

Belly (1998) ... directed by Hype Williams, staring rapper Nas

Hurricane (1997) ... written and directed by Morgan Freeman, starring Edie Falco

Moll Flanders (1996) ... starring Robin Penn, Morgan Freeman, Stockard Channing

Fresh (1994) ... starring Giancarlo Esposito, Sean Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson

Menace II Society (1993) ... starring Larenz Tate, Samuel L. Jackson, Jada Pinkett Smith

Boys in the Hood (1991) ... directed by John Singleton, starring Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne

New Jack City (1991) ... directed by Mario Van Peebles, starring Wesley Snipes, Allen Payne, Ice-T

Colors (1988) ... directed by Dennis Hopper, starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall
Scarface (1983) ... starring Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer - remake of 1932 film

Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975) ... starring Rosalind Cash, Laurence Fishburne

West Side Story (1961) ... starring Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno

IMDb "Street Life" Title Tags:
Relationship = 85 + 55 + 21 + 26
Death = 75
Money = 73
Police = 66
Independent Films = 57
Violence = 57
Love = 55
Sex = 55
Guns = 54
Blood = 49
Based On A Novel = 38
Prostitution = 36
Drug Use = 34
Drunkeness = 33
Poverty = 32
Homelessness = 30
African American = 21
Urban Setting = 18

Precious - The Response

This is what I wrote on my Blackberry, in the parking lot, after seeing the movie, "Precious," with the PAALA Bookclub, on Saturday, November 28, 2009, around 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Note: This is stream-of-consciousness writing.

***
Intense
Emotional
Cinematically creative
Excellently acted
Provocatively silencing

It's all about love, even when it hurts, when it is shameful, is uncomfortable, embarrassing.

Is this street lit? What makes it so?

How is this fiction? How is this non-fiction?

After the film was over, I said to the group, "We can do this one of 2 ways: we can either go in silence and talk about it tomorrow, or we can talk about it now." Everyone unanimously said, "Silence. See you tomorrow."

Choosing silence. Silence as a choice. As a means to process, to think, to feel. Silence as a gathering of thought, of emotion, of recollecting experience. Silence as a survival mechanism. Silence to save soul, and life. Silence to endure.

When we speak out, what are we simultaneously silencing? Anger. Bitterness. Injustice. Ignorance.

We speak to denounce silence. We become silent to recapture voice.
We breathe, we live. We live to breathe.

The street is a silent antagonist. It never speaks in language or in voice. It speaks as an expression of nature's cycles of seasons, coagulated thoughts, words, and deeds. It speaks through the gaps in silence - the exhale, the gasp before the breath - the street speaks. It demands response to the blood it sheds, as if a sacrificial altar upon which souls are summoned to purgatory. The street positions itself as a necessary rite of passage in order to reach that American dream (whatever that may be). The street is an unnatural hell where through elevation of the mind (education) emancipation is not only possible, but inevitable.
***

In this movie, the street is her passageway back and forth from hell to emancipation - from her mother's world to the outer world. How does Precious break free? What is she breaking free from? Her mother? Or the silences of an unspoken love that her mother owed her - as a mother? If so, what kind of mother will this make Precious? Who will be there to see her through? To usher her to the other side, beyond the streets? Will education be enough? I think this is a crucial question for this story: is education - enough?

I believe the movie is telling us that the streets will continue to work with Precious - the movie begins in the street and if you notice, it ends with Precious doing what? Walking - alone - with her two babies - down the street. She is not graduating from a program, she is not enrolling into college, she is not moving to live in a suburb with some well meaning people of a different hue, or attending a church service, or joining the military. At this juncture, she has only been emancipated from silence. Even though this is very necessary, and powerful, in order to move forward in life, the question still stands: What happens after Precious' emancipation? History tells us reconstruction. History tells us a renaissance. History tells us there is anger to contend with; injustice to confront. History tells us - the story is not over; there is still much work to be done.

I believe the movie is challenging US to ponder: what do WE see as the hope for Precious? Do we see the street as a passageway or as a testing ground for Precious? What does our vision for Precious' future say about who we are, who we decide to like, love, accept, SEE and HEAR? What does our vision say about what we accept from society? from ourselves? from our own voiced-ness? our own silences? Even though this story is err ... fiction, as in - not true, it is necessarily, quite real for us all.

Thank you for listening,
Vanessa.