I'm going to back up a little bit to late-2000, when I started Soleil's To-Dos.  I didn't start Soleil's To-Dos to make money; rather, I started it because, far too often, I would go to events and leave feeling really disappointed.  I might be disappointed because the event just really sucked.  Or maybe only "kids" were there.  However, more often than not, the event would be of high quality and under-attended - particularly by people of color.  Many of us are one of thousands on several distribution lists and receive an ad multiple times from multiple sources regarding certain well-funded events.  But, there is so much more To-Do that you might not otherwise hear of - without Soleil's To-Dos!  So, this newsletter features a selection of upcoming To-Dos that you're probably not going to find anywhere else - and that you certainly won't find all in one place - except at Soleil's To-Dos!

Got To-Do It Early - Margaret Garner

On November 1 (and continuing through November 9), a new American opera arrives to Chicago - Margaret Garner, featuring Denyce Graves and Tracie Luck.  "Librettist Toni Morrison weaves the epic story of Margaret Garner's decision in 1856 to flee with her children to Ohio in an attempt to escape their lives as slaves at Kentucky's Maplewood Farm. Upon facing recapture, Garner made the chilling decision to attempt to kill herself and her two children, rather than see them return to the bonds of slavery.

Margaret Garner's trial became the longest fugitive slave case of this era. An intense national debate - over whether Garner should be tried for "destruction of property" or murder - directly and blatantly addressed critical questions at the core of the causes of the Civil War." - Auditorium Theatre

Tickets are $40-150 - or, pay $500-750 for the performance and Gala with the Stars of Margaret Garner  on Sunday, November 2!  The 3pm performance is followed by cocktails, dinner and entertainment at the Palmer House Hilton. 

Looking for a little more cerebral Margaret Garner experience?  Get yourself ready by attending Slavery, Freedom and Legacy: A Community Conversation this Saturday, October 18^th.  Al Bennett, Director of Sinclair Drake Center of African and African American Studies for Roosevelt University and a panel of experts address the issues and contradictions raised by slavery and the lingering impact on the notions of freedom and democracy in America.  On October 21^st, Banished will be screened, followed by a conversation with the director, Marco Williams.  Banished tells the story of forced abandonment of three African-American communities that, one hundred years later, remain almost entirely white.

I don't know about you, but I'm certainly sick of the perpetuation of white imagery as the defining source for African-American female beauty.  From Halle Berry and Janet Jackson tapering their noses to the trend of extremely long and frequently blond weaves and wigs worn by celebrities, not as a hairstyle, but as a crutch, to recent reports of brown-skinned sisters bleaching their skin - something's wrong.  The Souls of Black Girls  delves into media's portrayal of African-American women in a provocative fashion.  Featuring candid interviews regarding self-image with actresses Jada Pinkett Smith and Regina King, PBS Washington Week Moderator Gwen Ifill, Rapper/Political Activist Chuck D and Cultural Critic Michaela Angela Davis, this film is bound to give you something to talk about during post-film discussion.

On Saturday morning, October 18^th, treat your kids to some time with Nikki Giovanni, who presents her two new children's books: Hip Hop Speaks to Children and Lincoln & Douglass: An American Friendship. 

Diane Chen, School Library Journal blog "Practically Paradise" says:

"Our consensus is Hip Hop Speaks to Children is the most essential poetry purchase to make this year.

The poetry is enough.

The illustrations are enough.

The CD is enough.

Together, this book is a treasure of which you cannot get enough.

We shall accomplish much this year. Children will be encouraged to put their words to poetry and beats. Teachers will be encouraged to allow the artists to speak to children."

 

The Chicago International Film Festival starts this week and includes a wide variety of culturally diverse films, including the special segment,