Hellas quartet performing at #blackfuturists speak. (Taken with picplz.)

I am a queen. Not a bitch. Artwork at #blackfuturist speaks. (Taken with picplz.)

Live painting at #blackfuturist speaks from black diamonds shining. (Taken with picplz.)

So the live stream didn’t work out. But still a packed house for #blackfuturist speaks. (Taken with picplz.)

Donna Summer, RIP 

oneinch:

Donna Summer Dead at 63

Black Futurists Speak tonight in Oakland!

Black Futurists Speak is a multimedia literary performance project from the Black Futurist art collective. The project showcases the most cutting edge young wordsmiths, lyricists and storytellers in the Bay Area combined with live painting and musical performances from hip hop to free jazz.

Tonight. 7pm

Omiiroo Gallery

400 14th st, Oakland, CA 94612

And you can  online at http://bit.ly/Jz8OYC & use the #blackfuturists hashtag to join in.

“Made You Die” Trayvon Martin Tribute featuring Yasiin Bey, Dead Prez, and mikeflo.  (by bmodums)

masteradept:

notesonascandal:

stfuconfederates:

• Octavia E. Butler
• L.A. Banks
• Tananarive Due
• N.K. Jemisin
• Nalo Hopkinson
• Samuel R. Delany
• Haruki Murakami
• Andrea Hairston
• Shaun Tan
• Steven Barnes
• Nisi Shawl
• Nnedi Okorafor
• Dark…

themasqueradecrew:

Book vending machines. Great idea.

But the writing was the real freedom, because nobody told me what to do there. That was my world and my imagination. And all my life it’s been that way, even now. 

—Toni Morrison (via Interview Magazine)

sourcedumal:

I Love My Boo campaign features real young men of color loving each other passionately. Rather than sexualizing gay relationships, this campaign models caring, and highlights the importance of us taking care of each other. Featured throughout New York City, I Love My Boo directly challenges homophobia and encourages all who come across it to critically rethink our notion of love.

GMHC is the world’s first and leading provider of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy. Building on decades of dedication and expertise, we understand the reality of HIV/AIDS and empower a healthy life for all. GMHC fights to end the AIDS epidemic and uplift the lives of all affected.

futurejournalismproject:

A Finely Curated List of Data Tools

A fantastic resource for getting started in — and advancing — your work with data from some of the best in the business.

Via Datavisualization.ch:

Datavisualization.ch Selected Tools is a collection of tools that we, the people behind Datavisualization.ch, work with on a daily basis and recommend warmly. This is not a list of everything out there, but instead a thoughtfully curated selection of our favourite tools that will make your life easier creating meaningful and beautiful data visualizations.

As Benjamin Wiederkehr writes on their blog, “It includes libraries for plotting data on maps, frameworks for creating charts, graphs and diagrams and tools to simplify the handling of data. Even if you’re not into programming, you’ll find applications that can be used without writing one single line of code.”

FJP Pro Tip: Jump in and start playing. If you’re just getting started, check out our short videos with Bitly data chief Hilary Mason for her advice on working with data.

imwithkanye:

What are the best times to post to your favorite social media platforms? Bitly crunched the numbers and here’s what they found:

Twitter

• Post 9am-3pm ET, Monday through Thursday
• Especially post 1-3pm ET, Monday through Thursday
• Avoid posting after 8pm ET during the weekends
• Avoid posting after 3pm ET on Friday and at all on weekends

Facebook

• Post 1-4pm ET during the week
• Especially post midweek 1-3pm ET
• The very best time is Wednesday at 3pm ET
• Avoid posting between 8pm ET and 8am ET during the week
• Avoid posting on weekends

Tumblr (graphic posted above)

• Post from 4pm ET onward
• Especially post from 7pm-10pm ET onward, with Monday and Tuesdays being good
• Post on Friday evenings

(Sounds about right. Tumblr’s popularity in the evening supports my assessment that everyone likes to live-blog TV.)

Really? Nonalcoholic energy drink beer? Even I wouldnt drink this. (Taken with picplz.)

Urban folk music project at Betty Ono gallery. Oakland art murmur. (Taken with picplz.)

jalwhite:

COLORLINES:  Adam Yauch in 1998: America Really Needs to Think About Our Racism

Adam Yauch, a member of the seminal hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys, has passed away. He was 47 years old.

When the Beastie Boys accepted their Video Vanguard award at the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards Yauch introduced millions of young viewers to Islamophobia.

“That’s another thing that America really needs to think about is our racism, racism that comes from the United States towards the Muslim people and towards Arabic people and that’s something that has to stop and the United States has to start respecting people from the Middle East in order to find a solution to the problems that have been building up over many years, so I thank everyone for your patience, and letting me speak my mind.” 

  - Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys, MTV Music Video Awards 1998

Uh, so many people between me & the caffeine. #whyidontdomorningmeetings (Taken with picplz.)

peppertalks:

So much growing in Detroit:

+ Brother Nature Produce - they’re farming on empty lots, and if you’re lucky enough to be one of Detroit’s own, YOU could be eating their CSA.

+ Hantz Farms - known as one of the richest men left in Detroit, John Hantz has invested in creating an agrarian city.

+ Birdtown Community Garden - the feature of recent local headlines, in response to a city ruling that sided with doggie daycare - allowing said business to purchase the vacant lot on which BCG had been farming.

+ RecoveryPark - thinking beyond the farm to include housing, an if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em model that could prove more sustainable in the event developers begin buying up vacant lots - leaving urban farmers on their own unable to compete. Sometimes referred to as the dolla dolla bills ya’ll model.

In some other U.S. cities, such as Milwaukee & Chicago, activists are working to protect vacant lots as a treasured resource from developers, in order to set aside  for green spaces and community gardens. Milwaukee Urban Gardens is one such land trust.

Detroit has the equivalent in vacant land to the size of San Francisco. That has been said.

Now to think just for a moment on the vacant-lot-wreckage to farm idea, there are questions. Such as, what happens when the prosperity from each of these farm projects promised becomes a reality? Will the present day non-profits become for-profit businesses - filling the aisles of new grocery stores, or CSA subscriptions purchased by new residents? Will these gardens become a trendy, decorative (peppers replacing petunias) component to high income housing, while squeezed out of neighborhoods siphoned off in the cost/benefit analysis for everyone else? Will it be another round of the same old, same old?

I think this line of questioning is impractical, and therefore can be answered with one more question. If urban ag can fulfill promises of bringing renewed life to Detroit, does its future model matter?

alliedmedia:

AMP’s Operations & Outreach Manager Adriel Thornton explains AMC sponsorship.

See you in June! Can’t wait to go back to Detroit.