Here’s your week in review, in haiku.
1.
Hell, a coffee shop:
Kendrick in cuffs; R. Kelly
the only music.
2.
“We’re a ‘legal’ act!”
“Yeah? Whaddaya call yourselves?”
3.
So, first <redacted>,
then <redacted>? “We’re in deep
<redacted>”, I sighed.
4.
Duckling onesie, yes.
Flexible workplaces, yes.
Maile Pearl votes yes.
5.
Spring day, shots fired.
Thirteen souls, nineteen years. Feels
just like yesterday.
Have a fun and flexible weekend, everyone.
On Point
| Becoming Janelle Monáe |
| There is nothing in this powerful profile of the singer, producer, actor and activist that isn’t surprising; Monáe is a wholly original talent and has evolved into an artist who is unafraid to take risks. She is also the creator of a deeply supportive village – her Wondaland Arts Society, the part compound, part concert and recording venue, and part corporate headquarters has become a center of black culture in Atlanta. If it sounds like Prince’s Paisley Park, it’s because he was an early mentor. But Monáe's new solo album, “Dirty Computer,” some ten years in the making, is also a surprise. She’s officially retired an old performance alter ego and now plans to fully engage with a troubled world in her own voice. “I’ve always understood the responsibility of an artist — but I feel it even greater now,” she says. |
| New York Times Magazine |
| Competitive e-sports is coming to a high school near you |
| Delane Parnell, a 25-year-old Detroit native, has a familiar sounding story: Raised in the projects by a single mom, his father murdered before he was born. But when a high school science teacher put a computer in front of him and created a competitive video gaming club, a visionary was born. Now, his venture-backed start-up, PlayVS, aims to bring competitive gaming to high schools around the country. Click through for the PlayVS story, business case, and new partnership – all compelling stuff. Parnell seems like an entrepreneur to watch: He was recruited after high school to be a senior associate at a small seed-stage investment firm, and became an early employee at a high-speed internet company in Detroit. Who needs a Harvard dorm room? |
| Business Insider |
| Calling all photographers and videographers: Ava wants you |
| DuVernay’s foundation, the ARRAY Alliance, and Getty Images are jointly offering four grants designed to support visual content creators working on cool stories, specifically focused on the ethnicities that are traditionally underrepresented from editorial or commercial work. Four grants of $5,000 (plus mentorship) will be awarded to two photographers and two documentary filmmakers. From the website: “The winners will be selected based on their project submissions, focusing on the quality of their cinematography, photographic skills and how their work is used to drive authenticity and inclusion.” Deadline is June 8, 2018. Please share; go forth and create. |
| Where We Stand Grant |
The Woke Leader
| Prince’s estate is now online and fully annotated |
| Yes, it's his entire catalog, including some really important unreleased stuff. Let’s go crazy, everyone. |
| Prince Estate |
| The man for whom a form of autism is named was a Nazi collaborator |
| The story gets worse, I’m afraid. A new examination of previously unseen Nazi-era documents seems to show that Hans Asperger, the Austrian pediatrician who was a trailblazer in autism research, actively participated in a child euthanasia program which was designed to help create a “pure” society. While not an official member of the Nazi party, Asperger did refer disabled children to a notorious clinic where they were drugged or gassed. The revelation has sparked an emotional debate among people with autism and their communities about whether his name should continue to be linked to the condition. |
| New York Times |
| The incredible true story of Ghetto Gastro and the Black Power Kitchen |
| The name came to him in a dream says Jon Gray, who goes by Fidel Gastro. Ghetto Gastro is a collective of classically trained chefs (except Gray, who runs the show) who mostly grew up in the Bronx, and who are creating a movement around food – first in private parties and special events, and eventually an “ideas kitchen,” that will reflect the creativity of the neighborhood. “The ghetto is nothing but creativity that hasn’t been stolen yet,” says Gray. The plan is to dip into diaspora cultures for inspiration and create food experiences that are wholly new. “So much came out of here, and really, what’s hip-hop but taking things and cutting them up and reworking them?” Gray says. “That’s modernism. That’s the Bronx.” |
| Vogue |
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