BDC at Harlem Stage: Wed, Nov 2, 2012, 7:30p

BDC at Harlem Stage Wed, Nov 2, 7:30 pm $10   The Black Girl Project by Aiesha Turman         In The Black Girl Project, we hear from nine ethnically diverse young African American women between the ages of 18 and 21, who speak of hope, triumphs, education, sex, relationships, abuse, love and more.  Through them, we see the diversity of Black girls' and women's lives that we are often not privy to in the mainstream. In a culture where Black women and girls are either the venerated martyr/mammy, or the demonized fall gal who represents all that is wrong with the Black community, it is important to hear and see Black girls speak their truths.  The film aims to contribute to a paradigm shift in how they are seen by others and how they see themselves.  Take a Sneak Peak at:  http://vimeo.com/10243488       + From the Media That Matters Short Film Festival:   A Girl Like Me    by Kiri Davis (7:08 min.)   Inspired by a high school literature class project, teen filmmaker Kiri Davis decides to explore how standards of beauty imposed on today's black girls affects their self-image   by re-conducting the "doll test" initially conducted by Dr. Kenneth Clark.  This short and poignant film challenges us to examine the many things in society that affect us and shape who we are.         Moderated by    Hip-Hop Artist and Educator, Toni Blackman Listed in ESSENCE Magazine's "30 Women to Watch," Toni is an international champion of hip-hop culture, known for the irresistible, contagious energy of her performances and for her alluring female presence.  An award-winning artist, her steadfast work and commitment to hip-hop led the U.S. Department of State to select her to work as the first ever hip-hop artist to work as an American Cultural Specialist.  She has already served in Senegal, Ghana, Botswana, and Swaziland where her residencies include performance, workshops, and lectures on hip hop music and culture.  Toni is the Founding Director of Freestyle Union, a cipher workshop that uses free styling as a tool to encourage social responsibility, and her work has held great influence in the world of hip hop activism.    Reception to Follow      Click here to let us know you're coming on Facebook! Directions to Harlem Stage Gatehouse  150 Convent Avenue     By Subway  1 to 137th Street at Broadway. Walk south to 135th Street and walk east two blocks to Convent Ave. and 135th Street. Entrance of both the Gatehouse and Aaron Davis Hall is located on Convent Ave. A, B, C, D to 125th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue. Walk east one block to Morningside Drive. and 125th Street. Walk north to 135th Street and Convent Ave (Morningside Drive. turns into Convent Ave. past 127th Street). Entrance of both the Gatehouse and Aaron Davis Hall is located on Convent Ave.

On Gil Noble: The Best of the Best Among Us

ON GIL NOBLE: THE BEST OF THE BEST AMONG US

 by Eric V. Tait, Jr.

The greatest accolade I know to bestow on Gil Noble, the highest tribute, is the one Blacks once used to define a man whose every fibre was always focused and dedicated to the betterment of his people: A Race Man. 

No matter what I asked of Gil—a family day dedication/celebration at the small, off-the-beaten-path AC-BAW Art Gallery in Mt. Vernon, New York in the early-Seventies, an appearance on one of our early NYABJ Media Watch Shows in the mid-Nineties, or the high-profile One-on-One with Harry Belafonte for the Black Documentary Collective at the Apollo Sound Stage and the CUP Award presentation to Ambassador Dudley Thompson just a few years ago, Gil Noble was always there. He always delivered on his personal commitment to and for his people.

That he has done so unflaggingly, on that very public, highest professional level of his own Show, LIKE IT IS, probably the longest running Public Affairs Show on commercial television in this country (and maybe the world) since the 1960s, and no doubt quietly, behind-the-scenes for most of his life, is a tribute to him, his family, and the people he comes from. I am most grateful to them, and also thankful that organizations to which I belong—the New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ) and the Harlem Preservation Foundation (HPF)--- had the foresight to publically recognize his inestimable value and contributions by honoring him with their highest Awards.

Despite the battles he’s had to fight to maintain the On-Air presence of LIKE IT IS—because of his unfailing integrity and willingness to speak truth to power--Gil Noble has been an amazing, dedicated torch-bearer: positively enlightening, affirming and guiding us through the negative legacy of Slavery, through the discrimination, the criminal, social and economic injustices we’ve battled for 400 years in this country and around the globe.

He has been our modern day David Ruggles, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Martin Delany, Ida B. Wells and Thurgood Marshall all rolled into one. The world needs to know, understand and appreciate his sacrifices and contributions.

He could not have been more fittingly named: Gil is one Noble individual, and the world is so much the better for his existence. I’m blessed to have had the privilege of knowing, working and collaborating with him personally and professionally. My love and prayers are with him and his family.

ERIC V. TAIT, JR. is president of EVT Educational Productions, Inc. and Co-Chair of NYABJ Media Watch