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Zeitgeist

(Film Screening)

 

 

Greetings from The Brotherhood of ADODI

 

We invite all same-gender loving men of African heritage to join us in the gathering for our 25th annual summer retreat:

 

The ADODI Promise:

Claiming the Legacy, Living The Legend

 

If, as Joseph Beam postulated in 1986, "Black men loving Black men is the revolutionary act..:" then the ADODI Brotherhood is surely revolutionary. It lies with each of us to ensure that this life affirming movement does not become simply an historical moment.

 

We gather together in July 2011 to conjure the legendary qualities of the ADODI Brotherhood. We journey forth to hold one another and affirm the fearless vision and life-saving, life-giving mission of black men loving black men. We congregate to appreciate the lives - both past and present - that define our tribe of caring, compassionate community among same-gender-loving (SGL) men of African descent. This summer we join together and share our commitment, knowledge, skill, passion and evolving aspirations of freedom, so that our beloved tribe may thrive 25 years more!

 

For this special 25th summer gathering we invoke the idea of

"legends" to honor the values, traditions, ancestors and historical significance of the ADODI Brotherhood. We call forth the notion of "legacy" to center our spirits on the seemingly modest gifts turned into grand treasures - our inheritance of loving intent and beloved community called ADODI. As trustees and beneficiaries of this legacy, we have our own bequests to the future to consider. This year's Retreat is dedicated to celebrating that legacy, and envisioning the future. As we benefit from the fruits grown by those who have gone before us, so the future of the brotherhood rests on our shoulders.

    



ADODI Summer Retreat (2011) Registration Form (PDF)

  

Registration for the 25th Annual ADODI Summer Retreat is now available online, too!!!

 

Visit www.ADODIonline.com and click on The Adodi Annual

Summer Retreat on the banner to be taken to the Retreat info.

page.

 

You will need to create a login to ADODInline.com to register for the Retreat. Above the Retreat information tabs is where you click to create your free account to access the ADODIonline community.

 

You may register online now and mail your payment(s) in later, or you can register and using a credit card via PayPal. (if you pay using a credit card, a $15.00 service fee is added onto your registration price).

  
Registration Fee Information 

If paid in full by May 31, '11 ............ $700.00

After May 31, '11............................... $800.00

 

 

Round trip coach bus transportation will be provided from the  

Adam Clayton Powell Jr State Office Building 

163 West 125th Street

(between Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Blvd and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd)

Harlem, New York City 10027

 

GOOGLE MAP

 

 

  

Official Website: TheNewBlackfest.org

 

 

   

THE NEW BLACK FEST is A THEATER FESTIVAL.

 

THE NEW BLACK FEST  

with guest curators Judy Tate and Godfrey Simmons  

in association with  

651 ARTS

 

presents

 

 

THE AMERICAN SLAVERY PROJECT

 

In recognition of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War (now through 2015), The New Black Fest with Guest Curators Judy Tate and Godfrey Simmons, launch the American Slavery Project Series, a monthly reading series that celebrates the work of African American playwrights who boldly and refreshingly explore slavery and/or the Civil War. The purpose behind the American Slavery Project is to initiate new conversations around theater's role in counteracting the increasing revisionism in our political/social discourse about the Civil War and slavery. More importantly, the American Slavery Project aims to promote a generation of African-American voices who are telling the diverse and rich stories from an era that most adversely affected us. The series runs from mid-March through Juneteenth.

 

Schedule of Events

 

Monday, March 7, 2011 at 7 p.m.

 

Fast Blood by Judy Tate

 

It's 1845.  Ham and Effie, an enslaved couple, stumble across the body of a hanging man who's miraculously still alive.  It is their connection to this mysterious and seductive stranger that tests their faith, love and ultimately, their own notions of slavery.

 

Location:  CAP 21 - 18 W. 18th Street, 6th Floor, NYC

 

Post Show Conversation:  The Human Face of Slavery

 

Kick-Off Wine and Cheese Reception will follow.

 

Co-presented by CAP 21

 

 

 

Monday, April 4, 2011 at 7 p.m.

 

Sweet Maladies by Zakiyyah Alexander

 

It's been two years since slavery was abolished and three recently freed slavegirls, stuck in 'the big house', play the only game they know: history.  But what happens when the game turns sticky sweet and deadly?

 

Location:  Mark Morris Dance Center - 3 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn

 

Post Show Conversation:  Tiny Rebellions

 

 

 

Monday, May 2, 2011 at 7 p.m.

 

Living in the Wind by Michael Bradford

 

Georgia. 1876. Isaiah, a former plantation stud, steps into Sarah's front yard after a twelve-year absence. Married as slaves and separated by their owner on the night of their marriage, Sarah and Isaiah attempt to salvage a relationship.  However, difficulties arise as new lovers, past conquests, and the deadly reminder of slavery stand before them.

 

Location:  The Drilling Company - 236 W. 78th Street, NYC

 

Post Show Conversation:  Slavery's Impact on Male Sexual Identity

 

Co-presented by The Drilling Company

 

 

 

Monday, June 6, 2011 at 7 p.m.

 

Voices from Harpers Ferry by Dominic Taylor

 

In 1859, twenty-one men, including five free Black men, attacked the arsenal at Harpers Ferry along with the legendary John Brown.  This exciting new play probes into the lives of the five Black men who fought alongside Brown, and more importantly, Osborne P. Anderson, the only Black man who survived to tell the tale of Harpers Ferry.

 

Location:  Audubon Ballroom - 3940 Broadway, btw 165th & 166th Streets, NYC 

 

Post Show Conversation:  John Brown and Civil War Uprisings

 

Co-Presented by The Classical Theatre of Harlem

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 7 p.m.

 

Safe House by Keith Josef Adkins

 

1843.  Kentucky.  Addison Pedigrew is a free man of color who has big dreams of opening a shoe business.  His family also secretly helps fugitives flee to Liberia.  When a young woman knocks on his door seeking refuge, Addison's loyalty to race and family finally clashes with his unrelenting desire for success.

 

Location:  Audubon Ballroom - 3940 Broadway, btw 165th & 166th Streets, NYC 

 

Post Show Conversation:  Free People of Color and the Trek to Liberia

 

Co-Presented by The Classical Theatre of Harlem

 

 

 

Please check back for updates:  TheNewBlackfest.org

 

THE NEW BLACK FEST is URGENT.

 

The New Black Fest is a movement. It's a call to action inspired by the state of Black theater in the 21st century. It is a bold step motivated by a growing need within the Black theater community for serious change and boundless opportunity.

 

THE NEW BLACK FEST is A COMMUNITY.

 

The New Black Fest is a gathering of artists, thinkers, activists and audiences who are dedicated to stretching, interrogating and uplifting the Black aesthetic.

 

THE NEW BLACK FEST is VISIONARY.

 

The New Black Fest is a commitment to celebrate, advocate and showcase diverse and provocative work in a festival of Black theater artists from throughout the Diaspora.  It is a convening of visionaries who are determined to reintroduce the way black theater is perceived, who are ready to chart out resolutions and promote action through panel discussions, workshops, and putting both artists and community members on the hot seat.

 

THE NEW BLACK FEST is FOR EVERYONE.

 

The New Black Fest is for everyone and anyone who supports elevating and celebrating Black theater around the world, in a fresh way.

 

THE NEW BLACK IS NOW.

 

WE ARE THE NEW BLACK.

 

For reservations, e-mail reservations@thenewblackfest.org

The New Black Fest couldn't do this work without your support! A donation of any size will help! You can make your tax-deductible donation here. 
 
  

The New Black Fest  

is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of The New Black Fest must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The New Black Fest

Keith Josef Adkins & J. Holtham

Co-Artistic Directors

 

 

Ethel Waters was an American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her best-known recordings includes, "Dinah", "Birmingham Bertha," "Stormy Weather," "Hottentot Potentate," and "Cabin In The Sky," as well as her version of the spiritual, "His Eye is on the Sparrow." Ms. Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award.

After her start in Baltimore, Waters toured on the black vaudeville circuit. As she described it later, "I used to work from nine until unconscious."Despite her early success, she fell on hard times and joined a carnival, traveling in freight cars along the carnival circuit, eventually reaching Chicago. Waters enjoyed her time with the carnival and recalled, "the roustabouts and the concessionaires were the kind of people I'd grown up with, rough, tough, full of larceny towards strangers, but sentimental and loyal to their friends and co-workers." She did not last long with them, though, and soon headed south to Atlanta. There, she worked in the same club with Bessie Smith, who demanded that Waters not compete in singing blues opposite her. Waters conceded to the veteran blues headliner and instead sang ballads and popular songs, and danced. Perhaps today best known for her blues voice, Waters then was to sing, dance, play and star in musicals, plays and movies, and later in TV; but, she returned to singing blues whenever opportunity presented.

Waters obtained her first Harlem job at Edmond's Cellar, a club that had a black patronage. She specialized in popular ballads and became an actress in a blackface comedy called Hello 1919. The jazz historian Rosetta Reitz points out that by the time Waters returned to Harlem in 1921, women blues singers were among the most powerful entertainers in the country. In 1921, Waters became the fifth Black woman to make a record, on the tiny Cardinal Records label. She later joined Black Swan Records, where Fletcher Henderson was her accompanist. Waters later commented that Henderson tended to perform in a more classical style than she would prefer, often lacking "the damn-it-to-hell bass." According to Waters, she influenced Henderson to practice in a "real jazz" style.

She recorded with Black Swan from 1921 through 1923. In early 1924, Paramount bought the Black Swan label, and she stayed with Paramount through 1924. Waters then first recorded for Columbia Records in 1925, achieving a hit with her voicing of "Dinah"-which was voted a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998. Soon after, she started working with Pearl Wright, and together they toured in the South. In 1924, Waters played at the Plantation Club on Broadway. She also toured with the Black Swan Dance Masters. With Earl Dancer, she joined what was called the "white time" Keith Vaudeville Circuit, a traditional white-audience based vaudeville circuit combined with screenings of silent movies. They received rave reviews in Chicago and earned the unheard of salary of US$1,250 in 1928. In 1929, Harry Akst helped Wright and Waters compose a version of "Am I Blue?," her signature tune.

Although she was considered a blues singer during the pre-1925 period, Waters belonged to the Vaudeville-style style similar to Mamie Smith, Viola McCoy, and Lucille Hegamin. While with Columbia, she introduced many popular standards including "Dinah", "Heebie Jeebies", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Someday, Sweetheart", "Am I Blue?" and "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue".

During the 1920s, Waters performed and was recorded with the ensembles of Will Marion Cook and Lovie Austin. As her career continued, she evolved toward being a blues and Broadway singer, performing with artists such as Duke Ellington.

She remained with Columbia through 1931. She then signed with Brunswick in 1932 and remained until 1933 when she went back to Columbia. She signed with Decca in late 1934 for only two sessions, as well as a single session in early 1938. She recorded for the specialty label "Liberty Music Shops" in 1935 and again in 1940. Between 1938 and 1939, she recorded for Bluebird.

In 1933, Waters made a satirical all-Black film entitled Rufus Jones for President, which featured then-child performer Sammy Davis Jr. as Rufus Jones. She went on to star at the Cotton Club, where, according to her autobiography, she "sang 'Stormy Weather' from the depths of the private hell in which I was being crushed and suffocated." She took a role in the Broadway musical revue As Thousands Cheer in 1933, where she was the first Black woman in an otherwise white show. She had three gigs at this point; in addition to the show, she starred in a national radio program and continued to work in nightclubs. She was the highest paid performer on Broadway at that time. MGM hired Lena Horne as the ingenue in the all-Black musical Cabin in the Sky, and Waters starred as Petunia in 1942, reprising her stage role of 1940. The film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, was a success, but Waters, offended by the adulation accorded Horne and feeling her age, went into something of a decline.

She began to work with Fletcher Henderson again in the late 1940s. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1949 for the film Pinky. In 1950, she won the New York Drama Critics Award for her performance opposite Julie Harris in the play The Member of the Wedding. Waters and Harris repeated their roles in the 1952 film version of Member of the Wedding'' In 1950, Waters starred in the television series Beulah but quit after complaining that the scripts' portrayal of African-Americans was "degrading." She later guest starred in 1957 and 1959 on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. In the 1957 episode, she sang "Cabin in the Sky."

Rosetta Reitz called Waters "a natural". Her "songs are enriching, nourishing. You will want to play them over and over again, idling in their warmth and swing. Though many of them are more than 50 years old, the music and the feeling are still there."  

 

 

 

  

 THE BLACK MEN'S XCHANGE - NEW YORK (BMX-NY) was founded in Harlem in 2002 and is a gathering for same gender loving (SGL) and bisexual Black men to powerfully and respectfully address issues that impact their lives, and to connect with one another in a positive, affirming, nurturing and transformational environment. Ages 18 and up.

BMXNY.org 

 

THE BLACK MEN'S XCHANGE (BMX) was founded in 1989 by activist, writer and behavioral health expert Cleo Manago, as an instrument of healing and empowerment for same gender loving (SGL) and bisexual African descended men. The mission of the Black Men's Xchange (BMX) is to affirm, heal, educate, unify and promote well-being and critical thinking among Black people - 18 and up - diverse in sexuality, class, culture and philosophy.  Black Men's Xchange (BMX) conducts activities that promote healthy self-concept, sexual health, constructive decision making, and cultural affirmation among same-gender-loving (SGL), bisexual and heterosexual Black populations. BMX affirms and educates Black men (and the community at-large) while providing tools for self-determination, community responsibility, self-actualization and the prevention of health threats (e.g. HIV, isolation, substance and other addictions, and mental instability). BMX creates an environment that advances black culture and involves identifying and unlearning ingrained anti-homosexual and anti-black male and female conditioning,

 

BMX is built on a philosophy that embraces same gender loving experience as intrinsic to everyday Black life.  Integral to BMX's approach is the understanding that, in order to decrease internal and external anti-homosexual thinking, and demystify differences around diverse ways of living and loving Black people must engage in supportive dialogue with each other and the community.

 

At BMX we believe that self-determination is crucial in achieving success toward healing and empowerment.  We understand that our cultural and experiential uniqueness requires a uniquely focused and precise approach.  Affirming strategies born out of our own experience is powerful; hence, the adoption of the terms, Black, African American and Same Gender Loving (SGL).

  

 

 
The term Same Gender Loving (SGL) emerged in the early '90s to offer Black women who love women and Black men who love men (and other people of color) a way of identifying that resonated with the uniqueness of Black life and culture.  Before this many African descended people, knowing little of our history regarding homosexuality and bi-sexuality, took on European symbols and identifications as a means of embracing our sexualities, including: Greek lambdas, German pink triangles, and the white-gay-originated rainbow flag, in addition to the terms gay, and lesbian.

The term gay, coined as an identification by White male homosexuals in the '50s, was cultivated in an exclusive White male environment.  By the '60s, the growing Gay Liberation movement developed in a climate largely excluding Blacks and women.  In response to this discrimination, White women coined the identification lesbian, a word derived from the Greek island, Lesbos. The Lesbian movement, in turn, helped define a majority White movement, called feminism.  In response to the racism experienced by women of color from White feminists, celebrated author, Alice Walker introduced the term womanist.

The term womanist identified women of color concerned with both the sexual and racial oppression of women.  In this spirit of self-naming and ethnic-sexual pride, the term same gender loving(SGL) was introduced to enhance the lives and amplify the voices of homosexual and bi-sexual people of color, to provide a powerful identification not marginalized by racism in the gay community or by "homophobic" attitudes in society at large.

As gay culture grew and established enclaves in San Francisco, Chelsea, Provincetown, Key West and other territories, Blacks especially, were carded and rejected from many establishments.  Even today Blacks, Latinos and Asians often appear in gay publications and other media solely as potential sexual objects.  Ironically, gay rights activism was modeled on the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements initiated by African Americans.

In the years since the advent of the Gay Rights movement many Black SGLs have found scant space for the voices, experiences and empowerment of Black people.  Additionally, the rigid influence of the Black church's traditionally anti-homosexual stance has contributed to attitudes that repress and stigmatize Black SGLs.  The lack of acknowledgment and support in the Black community has shunted multitudes of same gender loving African descended people to the White community to endure racism, isolation from their own communities, and cultural insensitivity.

The high visibility of the white gay community along with the absence of illumination on same gender loving experience contributes to the tendency in Black communities to overlook and ridicule same gender loving relationships as alien or aberrant.  The SGL movement has inspired national dialogue on diverse ways of loving in the Black community.  The term same gender loving explicitly acknowledges loving within same-sex relationships, while encouraging self-love.

The designation, same gender loving has served as a wake up call for Blacks to acknowledge diverse ways of loving and being, and has provided an opportunity for Blacks and other people of color to claim, nurture and honor their significance within their families and communities.

BMXNational.com

 


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