In The News 2

Incase you missed it, Murals DC and WBL helped to contribute to a front-page story of the Washington City paper. Read it for yourself here and feel free to leave comments about what you think of graffiti in DC.

Academy 1

Via Prince Of Petworth

On 9th ST, NW, Washington, D.C. you can see the images of children in the windows of an abandoned building. The children appear happy and smiling as their images stare back at you. These images were produced by children of Lincoln Heights and Edgewood Terrace with the help of Rosina Teri Memolo in association with Inside Out Project and

Words Beats & Life, Inc. Students between the ages of 7 to 17 years old did the work. Rosina Teri Memolo says, “ The intent was to expose the world to kids D.C. doesn’t know exists. Thanks to this project the kids feel like they have a connection to NW now. I can’t begin to explain what this means to them.”

Inside Out is a large scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artwork. JR, a French street artist invented the concept of using the power of art to resolve conflicts and create large scale exhibitions documenting people’s faces. The artwork of Inside Out can be seen all over the world from Paris, France to Brooklyn, New York. And now this artwork can be seen in your backyard right here in Washington.

WBL CipherSpecial: NickTha1da & FlexMatthews from Words Beats & Life on Vimeo.

For all our DC hip-hop heads, you will recognize a couple of the faces and one of the voices in this Cipher. Every single day our students participate in freestyle session and we are always looking for local MC’s to come through and help them build their skills by joining the Cipher. Shout out to NickTha1da and Flex Matthews for coming through.

In recognition of Violence Prevention Month, Reel Vision with Konyka Dunson and the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) present a special screening of the award-winning documentary Concrete, Steel and Paint followed by a Q & A with the film directors Cindy Burstein and Tony Heriza. Daniel Malec of the Latin American Youth Center will join the post-film discussion to share LAYC’s efforts to promote restorative justice programs in Washington, D.C. schools— a proactive approach to mediating conflict that aims to reduce the pipeline of youth into the criminal justice system.

THE FILM:
Concrete, Steel and Paint chronicles an art project where inmates at a Pennsylvania State Prison come together with victims of crime to create a mural about healing. While revealing numerous challenges to forging consensus, Concrete, Steel and Paint bears witness to the very real possibilities for healing and reconciliation.

Black Power Mixtape 1967 to 1975

Missed the Black Power Mixtape Screening?

Black Power Mixtape 1967 to 1975 was shown Friday September 30th at the Landmark E St Cinema.

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 mobilizes a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the U.S. drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution. Gaining access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement — Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis and Eldridge Cleaver among them—the filmmakers captured them in intimate moments and remarkably unguarded interviews. Thirty years later, this lush collection was found languishing in the basement of Swedish Television. Director Göran Olsson and co-producer Danny Glover bring this footage to light in a mosaic of images, music and narration chronicling the evolution one of our nation’s most indelible turning points, the Black Power movement. Music by Questlove and Om’Mas Keith, and commentary from prominent African-American artists and activists who were influenced by the struggle—including Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli, and Melvin Van Peebles—give the historical footage a fresh, contemporary resonance and makes the film an exhilarating, unprecedented account of an American revolution. Featuring music by The Roots and Michael Jackson.