dykeumentary

This must have been this time of year because I watched the snow melt, then the tulips come up from my window.

Go figure.

This matters a lot to me.
This situation is about power — capitalism, racism, classism and community organizing.
There is more information about the fight at starlitestays.wordpress.com

There have been several violent crimes in my neighborhood lately, including a police chase through my backyard (!), a shooting, and a stabbing. You can read about it here Ditmas Park Blog

Several people in this recently-gentrified neighborhood and on the blog are quick to say that “suspicious” (let’s be honest: they mean “Black”) people are responsible, but at my job we have insider information about this situation.

So I’ve wanted to make some sort of movie like this for a while. I’ve been trying to figure out why I have a kind of allergic reaction to racist/state violence and why I can’t bear to see pictures of children suffering. And why I think that people should tap dance when courting me, and wear more fabulous outfits generally.

I put this video together this week, I think I will keep working on it. I am very interested hearing the stories of girls born between 1965 and 1970, and finding out who we have become as adults.

In case you didn’t know, the images of the man with the police, and the bombing of the (inhabited) city block that the Philadelphia police dropped a bomb on are from the anti-MOVE violence in Philadelphia . The mug shot is of Assata Shakur.

This photo on the left ran on page 3 on June 15th, 2008 in the New York Times. The caption of the photo is “Last Resort: Haitians searching for food or anything else at a dump. Rising food prices led to riots in April. Most Haitians earn less than $2a day.” That photo was so upsetting to me that I cut it out of the paper and made the picture on the left based on it. So when people act surprised and sad — and I know they read the NYT, especially on Sunday, it really makes me frustrated that we can know this information, but not do anything about it. We see (or choose not to) suffering every day.

As some of you know from my experience working with the victims from the improperly maintained levees in New Orleans, medical attention after a geologic/weather event is absolutely the most important thing. Doctors Without Borders will be helping the people of Haiti long after the newscameras leave. My prayers are with the people of Haiti, and with my neighbors here in Flatbush, who are waiting for news of their loved ones.