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As we commemorate that life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it occurred to me that it might be nice to hear something other than his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As King neared the end of his life, he became more and more radical. These two speeches demonstrate how little has changed since his death. March 14, 1967, gave a speech at Grosse Pointe High School outside Detroit. It was one of King’s last public speeches before his assassination three weeks later in Memphis, Tenn. “Hitler was a very sick man. He was one of the great tragedies of history. But he was very honest. He took his racism to its logical conclusion…” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from The Other America.“Again we have diluted ourselves into believing the myth that Capitalism grew and prospered out of the protestant ethic of hard word and sacrifice, the fact is that Capitalism was built on the exploitation and suffering of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor both black and white, both here and abroad.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from The Three Evils of White American Society.Her voice is ethereal; haunting- it often bars me from sleep, leaving me staring wild-eyed into infinity and oblivion. Her croon conjures images of women from centuries past, gathering in sensual worship of the moon, shadows, stars, and all things umbra. For a self-proclaimed pop artist, Be Steady’s art exhumes a depth as vast and enveloping as an ocean. For a self-proclaimed pop artist, Be Steady’s art exhumes a depth as vast and enveloping as an ocean. Singer/songwriter filmmaker Be Steadwell shares her struggles and triumphs as an independent artist by This Light on Mixcloud Before I continue on about Be Steadwell’s art, I have a confession to make; I know Be personally. I met Be as an adrift adolescent, attempting to formulate a self in the realm of DC’s radical art and social justice scene. The first Be Steadwell performance I witnessed left me dazed- with a microphone, a looping machine, and her own voice, Be brought magic into the room. Afterward, I obtained a CD; the thought of endlessly have more of these sonically euphoric experiences was euphoric. Be gave me the CD for free, even though she was selling them for $5, or more, each. Which is to say, Be is nice. However, ‘nice’ has never made great art. Be Steady began recording music in the two-person group, The Lost Bois, with childhood friend Awkward Original (a.k.a A.O). According to the groups’ Bandcamp, A.O and Be sang in the same jazz band during their teen years. While in college, the two independently continued pursuing their musical passions and, upon returning to DC in the summer of 2009, the two began collaborating to “challenge the sexist, racist, and homophobic hot-mess that is mainstream music.”. The Lost Bois released an EP in the early summer of 2012 and, in it, one can clearly hear the earlier stages of what I would name Be Steadwell’s sonic signature; ethereal, eclectic, and layered- without pretension. The Lost Bois no longer seem to be collaborating as frequently anymore- music was last uploaded to their SoundCloud account four years ago. The Lost Bois are still “together” in some sense though, they had a 5-year anniversary concert this past April at the Potter’s House. However, Be has been consistently rising in her career as a solo artist- in music as well as film. Be’s art is complex, in form as well as content. From what I understand, Be produces, writes, and performs each of her musical pieces herself. Incorporating a wide variety of sounds, drop-ins, fall-outs, and other production sleight of hands- what would easily become ambitious and amateurish in the hands of a less talented and experienced producer, Be transforms into seamlessness and silk. In regards to content, Be often sings of love; in its various stages and manifestations. Love in murkiness and mess. Love unwanted and unrequited. Queer love between women. In her track Gilded Cage, Be sings about a relationship as pleasurable as it is stifling. Although Gilded Cage is an exemplary example of Be handling the content of her work with complexity, it is by no means an aberration. One of Be’s most recent releases, Black Girls Who Can’t Dance, was intentionally created to convey a more nuanced portrayal of Black woman- a representation rarely often seen in media- independent and mainstream. In Be’s work, we are allowed an intimacy that is as alluring as it is astonishing. Unlike many other independent artists, Be doesn’t seek to construct a persona behind cheap aesthetics and pretension- instead, she lets us in, without betraying her mysteriousness and privacy. Now an artist-in-residence at the Strathmore in Strathmore, MD, Be is steadily expanding her career. Two or three years ago, a QWoC friend of mine posted lyrics from one of Be’s songs in a Facebook status. Initially, I was shocked to know that this friend, who lives in California, had ever heard of Be. However, this friend nonchalantly replied that Be is quite well-known across the United States, especially in QPoC circles. In the time since this Facebook exchange, Be has been on tour across the country- performing her music live, as well as screening her film, Vow of Silence, which has been screened on 4 continents, over 10 countries, and close to 25 cities to date. Before long, Be will be touring her music internationally, and haunting other Queer folks of color across the globe with her bewitching art.  Comments are closed  Art & Culture  Be Steadwell, Lost Bois, Malik Thompson, This Light: Sounds for Social Change Kids can be mean. Few know this better than 36-year-old DC native and Potomac Gardens resident Michael Ballard. Michael Ballard was heavy all of his life. The kids called him Fat Mike. His mother suffered from weight problems also so she understood what it was like to be teased and humiliated at school. It was only natural that they would become extremely close. Michael continued to put on weight throughout school. By the time he graduated high school he weighed 300 pounds. Many people assume that anyone that weighs that much can’t do anything. Michael proved them wrong by going to work right out of high school. From 2000 to 2005 he worked for Goodwill Industries in housekeeping, a job he enjoyed. In 2005 Goodwill lost their contract with the Armed Forces Retirement Home and Michael went to work for Melwood, a nonprofit that creates jobs and opportunities for people with disabilities, in their housekeeping department.
He was accused of sitting on and breaking Goodwill’s second-hand chairs. To address the problem, the Government Service Administration brought a bench to his job site exclusively for Michael to use. Unfortunately, his project manager, unwilling to find ways to accommodate an employee of Michael’s size, threw the bench into the trash. Besides the stress of the hostile work environment, Michael developed an upper respiratory infection from working in Goodwill’s Garage. Despite all this, Michael continued to work at Goodwill from 2006 until 2013, when he was let go. After losing his job, Michael’s health deteriorated. Due to his extreme weight, Michael had for years suffered from lymphedma— a condition that causes swelling in the arms or legs as a result of a blockage in the lymphatic system that prevents lymph fluid from draining well—on the bottom of both his legs. Michael also developed cellulites—a noncontagious bacterial skin infection—which spread from the bottom of both of his legs to his pelvis. This condition landed him in Washington Hospital for a ten-day stretch in March of 2013. From there he was transferred to Saint Thomas Moore Rehabilitation Center where he was bed bound for two months. Two months of having to eat in the bed, having the bed made while lying in it, having his body turned and cleaned in the bed was more humiliating than years of being teased. Michael’s weight had made him a target for mockery but now it was risking his life. Michael knew that the only way to escape the derision and to save his life was to control his weight. In May 2013, he went from being bed bound to being wheel chair ridden. Once in the chair, he was able to begin participating in physical therapy. Soon he was able to move around with a rollator. In December of 2013, Michael was well enough to move back home to Potomac Gardens but not without the use of two portable oxygen tanks. By this time, his mother was in trouble. Being overweight herself, she had a hernia that had grown to the size of a soccer ball. In 2014, Michael’s mother had surgery at Georgetown Hospital. Terrified that he might lose his best friend, Michael’s stress levels soared along with his eating. While his mother was recovering, Michael’s weight ballooned. At 700 pounds, hospitalization was inevitable. This time, Michael was offered the option of a sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure that removes all but twenty-five percent of the stomach and greatly limits the patient’s food intake. The operation was performed by Dr. Paul Lin at George Washington University Hospital in March of 2015. Seven months later, Michael had lost 301 pounds. How did he do it? In addition to the gastrectomy, Michael started exercising with regularity and intensity. For three hours, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he does water aerobics. His real passion is line dancing, which he does from 6:00 – 8:30 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center. In fact, Michael has been line dancing for five years, but this December 1st will be his one-year anniversary line dancing at Turkey Thicket with a group that calls themselves The Line Dance Addicts. Michael no longer needs to use the portable oxygen to get around, although he still uses it at home. He is well on his way to full recovery from a lifetime of weight-related issues. He is grateful for his second chance and is working to spread what he’s learned to the community around him. He has begun teaching line dancing to Potomac Gardens’ and Hopkins Apartments’ residents. Classes cost only $2 and it’s already proven popular with those of all ages and all sizes. Line Dancing with Big Mike teaches you more than the Nae Nae and the electric slide; line dancing with Big Mike teaches you that overcoming even extremely large obstacles is possible and easier when your community has your back. The community that has Michael’s back as he continues to lose weight includes but is not limited to: Cheryl Thompson Walker, Kembal Bonds, Russell, Jordan, Miss Rita and Rita from Turkey Thicket, as well as Miss Paula Allen, Miss Reshida Young and the entire Line Dance Addicts family; Dee, Reggie, Adrienne Jenkins and Dr. Cristina Schreiber from George Washington University Hospital; Sisters With A Purpose and the entire Master’s Child Church Family under the leadership of Bishop Melvin Robinson junior and his wife and church co-founder Erma Robinson-Fitzgerald; and last but not least the Lord, his mom and grandparents. One comment - (Comments are closed) Art & Culture, Communities, Health Care, Potomac Gardens line dancing, Michael Ballard, Obesity, Potomac Gardens Octavia’s Brood, co-edited by Walidah Imarisha & adrienne maree brown, is an anthology of radical science & speculative fiction written by organizers & activists, based in the idea that those working to change the world are sci-fi/speculative thinkers! Many radical minds believe this field was evolved by late science fiction writer Octavia Butler, for whom this collection will be named. Butler explored the intersections of identity and imagination – exploring the gray areas of race, class, gender, sexuality, militarism, inequality, oppression, resistance and most importantly, hope. [audio:http://www.grassrootsdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/adrienne-maree-brown-octavias-brood.mp3]Any excuse for a day off is welcome, but Christopher Columbus is the worst reason we’ve come up with yet. If you need a reminder why, check out this video by the Young Turks. Posted by The Young Turks on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 And here’s a manifesto from The Red Nation, who are fighting for the rights of indigenous communities today. Finally, here’s a really wonderful video about changing the way Native Americans are portrayed in the media by photographer, activist, writer and educator Matika Wilbur. If you’d like to do a little something to end Columbus Day and perhaps remember the indigenous people that he and his intellectual and emotional descendants did their best to eradicate, here’s a petition you can sign to help move the issue forward. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/celebrate-indigenous To learn more about this issue and many more actions you can take, go to http://www.abolishcolumbusday.com/ Comments are closed Art & Culture Christopher Columbus, Columbus Day, genocide, Indigenous People's Day, Matika Wilbur, Native Americans, Red Nation, Young Turks |
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