The Reason Why NUBIAN KNIGHTS NETWORK Exists!!!

The Rag Tag DVD
Is Finally Available In The United States At

Hey Black Family,

I just received a letter (well, an email) today from Ms. Adaora Nwandu who is the writer & director of the Black British same gender loving (SGL) film Rag Tag which is arguably my #1 favorite film of all-time. Below is the letter re-posted in its entirety with my response to her afterward. Look no further than THIS CONVERSATION to know why I do what I do as gatekeeper for Nubian Knights Network...

Hello Rod

my humblest apologies for such a late response. I have been holding off with the hopes of being able to bring you some good news regarding my latest production. Unfortunately, the release of 'Say My Name' trilogy of short films about a pair of SGL black british men has been delayed due to a dispute with my main collaborator in the production. However, we hope that it will eventually be resolved so that you and others finally get a chance to see it. In the mean time, the first short film in the trilogy (and the lowest budget one) 'Say My Name' is featuring at OUTFEST's Fusion festival in LA in coming months.

But the main point of this email is just to thank you for all your support. There are often dark times in this filmmaking process, especially when one is committed to telling stories about SGL men, and as much as one's belief in the work keeps you going, it really helps to have people like you in our corner. You don't just enjoy the work, but actually make a real effort to spread the love and do tangible things to help us keep going. There was a spike in Rag Tag DVD sales at the end of last year and I am pretty sure your research and communications had something to do with it.

Thank you again, truly.

And I hope you and I can eventually meet when my new productions bring me to your town, or you to mine.

yours appreciatively,
Ms. Adaora

MY RESPONSE:

Hi Ms. Adaora,

WOW! THANK YOU sooooooo much for keeping me in the loop as to your upcoming productions. I'm really, really sorry to hear about the set back regarding the production of Say My Name. Nevertheless, I'm happy that you are sharing the information with me. I will patiently wait to see this new trilogy of short films and will disseminate the information to my network base when the time comes. Having Say My Name exhibition at OUTFest is excellent, excellent news! However, I live in New York City so it is my hope that can get the films into NewFest, the premiere LGBT film festival in New York City. The brotherhood and I will definitely be eager to see your film(s). And likewise, I definitely hope to meet you in person, too. And perhaps work together, too!!! I am a budding filmmaker myself so learning and experiencing the art of filmmaking would be so qool.

It is my absolute pleasure to support you and other filmmakers like Kirk Shannon-Butts (Blueprint [2007]). I'm glad I was able to use the Nubian Knights Network blog as a vehicle to create a spike in awareness and e-commerce sales for Rag Tag. The very reason why Nubian Knights Network exists is Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective Work and Responsibility, the 3rd KWANZAA principle. And I also firmly believe in the 4th KWANZAA principle of Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics which is simply a pro-active measure of recycling our Black dollars back into our communities of the global African Diaspora.

My personal motivation behind the brilliant film Rag Tag, Blueprint and many select others is because the stories are being told about the Black same gender loving experience. There's nothing more culturally affirming for me than seeing positive same gender loving Black men on the screen that is a reflection of me and the brotherhood of the African Diaspora.

Take care Ms. Adaora and much LOVE!

ROD PATRICK RISBROOK
N3 > Writings On My Black Wall:
http://nubianknightsnetwork.blogspot.com/

The 8 Black Homosexuals You Will Meet In Your Lifetime (FUN With Stereortypes)

Hey Black Fam,

Not a usual something I'd post, but thought it was funny. A lil' humor is okay now and again, right?

ROD



After reading “A Handy Guide to All Gay Men” by Brian Moylan over at Gawker, what stood out to me (obviously) was that I don’t know many Black men like this. Any one of these archetypes can apply to my Black gay brethren, but by and large, in my experience, they do not. So some mischievous friends and I decided to compose a more colorful equivalent to Moylan’s classifications. Your education begins now.

- Nova Slim

Read more...

WHERE THEY AT: A Multimedia Archive Of New Orleans Bounce Hip-Hop & Homosexuality Sub-Cultures Overlap Feb 11th - Mar 27th (NYC & Beyond)

Sissy Valentine's Show (One Eyed Jacks)

“Where They At:
A Multi-Media Archive of New Orleans Bounce”
February 11th – April 3rd, 2010
Henry Street Settlement Abrons Art Center
466 Grand Street (@ Pitt Street)
New York, New York, U.S.A.
(212) 726-9200
www.henrystreet.org

OTHER EXHIBIT CITIES AND DATES LISTED BELOW


SPECIAL THANKS TO MY BOY ANDRE P.
FOR GIVING ME THE HEADS-UP ABOUT THIS EXHIBIT

Brief Synopsis:

Just in time for Mardi Gras, check out this multimedia tribute to the key players and founders of bounce, a unique style of hip-hop homegrown in the projects of New Orleans. This fascinating homage to a little-known genre presents viewers with photographs, oral histories and video footage chronicling bounce's development, from its roots in the late '80s through its current dispersion throughout the post-Katrina New Orleans diaspora. Where They At will hold its opening reception on February 11 and run through April 3 at the Henry Street Settlement's Abrons Art Center.

Big Freedia (Queen Diva)

About The Project...

Where They At, an exhibition that portrays the founders, architects, and players in New Orleans hip-hop and the uniquely regional rap known as bounce music, a phenomenon that evolved from the communities based in the city’s housing projects. Photographs, oral histories, and video footage compiled by photographer Aubrey Edwards and journalist Alison Fensterstock document the passing of seminal beats from New Orleans music traditions to a new generation in the late 1980’s, and the creation of this new voice in Southern roots music. This multi-media archive draws a line to the present-day diaspora, as Hurricane Katrina has scattered a once tight-knit bounce and hip-hop community whose music only existed at home — a home that has been redefined physically and culturally.

New Orleans has midwifed every existing form of indigenous American music, from jazz to blues to funk, and Hip-Hop is the newest manifestation of that Southern tradition. Mardi Gras Indian chants, brass band beats and call-and-response routines equally inform Bounce music, which almost invariably samples the Showboys’ “Drag Rap” (a.k.a. “Triggerman”) and Derek B’s “Rock the Beat” or Cameron Paul’s “Brown Beats.” Featuring lyrical patterns that focus mainly on sex, parties and dancing, it invites – even demands – audience participation by calling out dance steps or prompting replies.

OTHER "WHERE THEY ARE" WEB PAGE REFERENCES

Website: Innocent Words Magazine & Records Where They At, a multi-media archive of New Orleans Bounce


Website: Museyon Guides
“Where They At”, a Look at Queer Rap in The Big Easy, Bounces to NYC’s Henry Street Settlement

UPCOMING “WHERE THEY AT” EXHIBIT EVENTS

“Where They At: A Multi-Media Archive of New Orleans Bounce”
February 11th – April 3rd, 2010
Henry Street Settlement Abrons Art Center
466 Grand Street (@ Pitt Street)
New York, New York, U.S.A.
(212) 726-9200
www.henrystreet.org


March 7th – March 21th, 2010
Birdhouse Gallery
1304 East Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, Texas
www.birdhousegallery.com


April 22, 2010: Full archive opening at the
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
900 Camp Street
New Orleans Louisiana 70130


April 23, 2010: Partial exhibition opening on the grounds of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in the Grandstand.

Ongoing programming at the Ogden Museum (see above), including performances, live interviews and screenings, will continue through July 2010 – dates TBD.

For more information go to www.WhereTheyAtnola.com
All images copyright © Aubrey Edwards and Alison Fensterstock.
Website: Aubrey Edwards Photography (Where They At)


UPDATE (Tuesday, March 30th, 2010)

Hey FAM,

I went to the Henry Street Settlement Abrons Art Center in lower Manhattan to check out the WHERE THEY AT Multimedia Archive Of New Orleans Bounce and had a nice time.

I invited my heterosexual cousin James (aka hip-hop artist SladeOne) to come check it out with me. It was clearly an eye-opener for him because he didn't know about the history of "Bounce" in the south of Louisiana which is a sub-culture of hip-hop (read the above information) of which my cousin LOVES a lot.

I felt it was an important opportunity for us to hang out together besides the family related events we go to. He could see the Black same gender loving experience (which I am and a part of) with a merger of hip-hop which he's a big part of. My cousin brought another friend of his and we looked to see what the exhibit had to offer.

So below are some pics I took the day we went which was Tuesday, March 9th, 2010:

My Cousin James (aka Hip-Hop Artist SladeOne)
Standing Next To Vockah Redu Poster

My Cousin SladeOne (pictured left)

Layon Gray's Black Angels Over Tuskegee Post-Show Mix & Mingle Gathering Saturday Night, February 13th, 2010

Two Different Versions Of The Poster!

I WANT BOTH OF THEM!!!

Black Angels Over Tuskegee (Pictured Left To Right)
Sitting: Demetrius Grosse, David Wendell Boykins, Derek Shaun,
Standing: Thom Scott II, Lamman Rucker and Layon Gray
(Photo By Alexandria Marlin)

The play incredibly interweaves some Black history (not just the Airmen) into the story. One of the next steps we discussed is buying out the whole theater on one given night. The idea will be to have an adult bring at least one youth that is 21 or younger to see the play. If we get the logistics worked out, I will post another follow-up blog entry.

Actor Demetrius Grosse
Having A Conversation After The Play Ended

Demetrius

Black Angels Over Tuskegee T-Shirts Galore!
I Bought One For Myself

Actor, Writer & Director Layon Gray
Of Black Angels Over Tuskegee
In A Group Convo

Pictured Left To Right:
My Friends Haynes and Bryan
With Actor Antonio D. Charity
(Whose Role As The Narrator Was Beyond Brilliant)

Bryan , Antonio And A Sistah

Haynes Standing In Front Of One Version Of The Poster For
Black Angels Over Tuskegee

My Friend Bryan Chatting With Actor Demetrius Grosse

Brutharly Embrace

ME (ROD) And Actor Derek Shaun.
Brutha Shaun Was Brilliant And Very Intense In The Play.
BELIEVE ME!!

Actor Thom Scott II Givin' ME
A Light Hearted Pose

ME (ROD) With My Friends Delmar, Bryan and Haynes
(Who Coordinated The Ticket Arrangements)
THANKS HAYNES!



My Souvenir T-Shirt With
My Autographed Flyer (Pictured In The Middle)
-
I'm Going To Take The Bunch Of Palm Cards
To BMX To Hand Out To Help Promote This Really Good Play

Affordable Workspace For Artists And Organizations! NYFA (New York Foundation For The Arts)

In response to the current economic downturn, NYFA is opening its Affordable Workspace program to artists and organizations who have been directly affected by the recession—be it through loss of office space, employment, etc. Activity must be arts, literary, or culture-related; artists and organizations working in all genres, graphic designers, creative writers, journalists, and art historians are welcome to apply.
Affordable Workspace Program Benefits:

* A private workstation within the NYFA space dedicated to you
* High-speed wireless Internet access
* Meeting space available by appointment (in NYFA’s small conference room and library)
* Free scanning (black and white)
* Free printing quota of 200 pages per month (discounted printing fee for larger printing projects)
* Discounted rate for copying
* Fully equipped kitchen with hot coffee, tea, and filtered water
* Individual phone service available for additional fee

For more information and an application, click here.
New York Foundation for the Arts
20 Jay Street
Suite 740
Brooklyn, NY 11201
http://www.nyfa.org

Travel Directions: "F" train to York Street

The ADODI New York Chapter Presents ADODI Bus Ride to Baltimore Harbor! Saturday, May 15th, 2010Bus Leaves From Harlem, NYC @ 7:30AM

Presents

ADODI (1 Day) Bus Ride to Baltimore Harbor!
Saturday, May 15th, 2010
Bus Leaves HARLEM, NYC, USA @ 7:30AM
THEN
Bus Leaves Baltimore Harbor @ 6:45PM

Hello My Brothers:

I'm writing this email to you to personally invite you to the ADODI Bus Ride to the Baltimore Harbor! The (1 day) trip is taking place on Saturday, May 15, 2010. The bus is departing promptly at 7:30am sharp from in front of the Adam Clayton Powell Federal Office Building in Harlem.

Why Baltimore Harbor?

Why not? Its a beautiful, yet short ride to the south to a beautiful harbor filled with great restaurants, shopping and historical significance for you history buffs. It also gives you a great opportunity to fellowship with your ADODI brothers and make new friends as well.

What's the cost?

The cost is $65.00 per person - which includes your round trip transportation in a luxury coach, as well as an all you can eat American Style buffet dinner.

So what do I do now?

Well, if you're still hesitating on this tempting offer, refer to the attachment that I've given you on this email. It includes some inexpensive, yet interesting items to place on your 'to do' list while in Baltimore. After that, simply give me a call at (917) 805-2249 or reply to this email (dalbri0420[at]aol.com) to request that I hold a ticket for you. I'll be happy to take your payment in installments or in one payment - your choice! Following that... - its just a matter of time before I'll see you on the motor coach and together we can take Baltimore Harbor on by storm!

The bus will be leaving Baltimore Harbor at 6:45PM sharp and returning to New York City later that night.

Join me on this exciting journey and support your New York ADODI affiliate at the same time. If you want to know more about ADODI, check out www.adodiintl.org - Act now... seats are limited!!!

With fondest regards,

Don Albritton

TICKET SELLERS:
(1) Herb Williams.......Cell: (917) 828-5971


(2) Eugene Howell......Cell: (914) 237-5262 or
email: eugenehowell [at] yahoo.com


(3) Don Albritton........Cell: (917) 805-2249 or
email: dalbri0420 [at] aol.com


(4) Paul Nicholson......Cell: (917) 533-5607




About ADODI...

ADODI, the plural ADO, is a Yoruba word that describes a man who "loves" another man. More than just a description of partners in Africa, the ADODI of the tribe are thought to embody both male and female ways of being and were revered as shamans, sages and leaders.

Who is ADODI?

ADODI is a community of men of color who affirm their African Lineage and love of men. Our purpose is to foster and encourage the self-discovery, validation, empowerment and liberation of all members of our diverse community.

The mission of ADODI New York is to provide a safe space to same sex loving men of African Heritage who seek a better understanding of their own spirituality, self-expression and sexual identity.

Visit ADODI New York online at www.adodiintl.org

As of 2010, ADODI celebrates its 24th year of existence and has 4 local chapters in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC and Philadelphia.

Also visit our brand new (may be under construction at times) ADODI National website at ADODIonline.com and find out more about the men of ADODI and also the 24th annual ADODI summer retreat which will be held in Clarkston, Michagan from Wednesday, July 14th through Sunday, July 18th, 2010.

Ache!