FORWARDEVER MEDIA CENTER
Writer Alex
Haley writing The Autobiography of Malcolm X with Brother Malcolm.
"The
media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make
the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power.
Because they control the minds of the masses."
- Malcolm X
Mission
The Forwardever Media Center is 100% committed to providing unconventional writing workshops and media literacy training to "at-risk" Black youth, particularly males, ages 14 through 24. Working in partnership with The Mentoring Center in Oakland, CA., the Center's writing workshops, website internship, and film forums, help students develop critical thinking skills and discover their creative talents. We recruit youth for our programs from the California Youth Authority (the state's largest prison for youth) as well as from universities and high schools. This cross-pollination of young minds creates dynamic shared experiences.
Programs
Whatchusay Cinema–A monthly film forum hosted at schools or community centers in Northern California that explores issues such as race, class, gender, and society. Students are joined by a panel of activists, educators, athletes, entrepreneurs, etc. to rate the films and convene roundtable discussions about corresponding relevant issues in society. For info about film screenings and schedules contact: cheo@whatchusay.com
Writing Workshops–We offer intensive seminars in journalism, creative writing, cultural criticism, new media, film production, etc. These seminars are taught at the center, located at 1224 Preservation Park, Oakland, CA, 94612. They are also available on location, at schools, community and detention centers, churches, etc. For info about class schedules contact: cheo@whatchusay.com
Internships–Whatchusay.com offers competitive internships to young writers who have clearly demonstrated a passion for the craft of writing or media production. The 3-month internship covers news writing and reporting, feature writing, creative writing, media literacy and new media. Working in partnership with community based organizations, universities and international and national media outlets, we produce a pipeline of informed journalists of color who will go on to create their own independent media organizations or work for major media organizations.
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Fast Food Politics
By Pendarvis Harshaw
I've been thinking about the connection between the consumption of fast food and the consumption of political information. It seems these days, we consume both rather greedily with little time to think about the consequences of this consumption. How does it shape our waistlines as well as our perspectives? Whether its political spin or happy meals, when does consumption consume?
Advertising is everything. Four years ago, the campaign to get the young African Americans involved in politics was "Vote or Die" which was spearheaded by
Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. The campaign failed, as results showed no improvement in that demographics turnout. Much like the political world- the fast food world has
been making a strong push at young African Americans.
McDonald's has been taking their "Im loving it" slogan to a new beat as they recently revealed a Super Bowl commercial which shows two young men beat boxing while they consumed their meals. Advertising isn't everything- rationality is everything.
I found myself in the notorious McDonalds on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Barry Place in Northwest, Washington DC without a penny in my pocket. I was accompanied by two other starving Howard University students who just happened to be just a couple of quarters richer than myself. Absent of any influence from media, they made the rational decision, and ordered their dollar menu favorites, while I stationed
myself at a table facing a flat screen Television.
Once the two had received their orders, they joined me at the table and acknowledged the CNN news reports of Barack Obama's moderate political success thus far. A discussion based in Black politics ensued between the three of us, until we were interrupted by an African American DC Metro officer.
One of the two students whom accompanied me, Chuck T, had just given reasoning as to why McCain might win- saying: "You know how America feels about its toothless war hero Presidents - John McCain might be the biggest thing to happen to DC since George... Washington, not Bush."
The cop intervened and offered his two-cents, "see...that's why I'm not voting."
Due to inflation- pennies don't matter any more- and neither did his two cents. This time around politics are not about the buying into the advertising strategies. "that's why I'm not voting" and "vote or die" are both dead- or at least falling on deaf ears.
Rationality is alive and kicking here in the capitol: if you want something to be consumed reach the consumers where they are- this is why McDonalds has a dollar menu- this is why McDonalds has a television airing political news- and following suit, Barack Obama is the reason why Young African-Americans, who were not priorly, are now interested in politics.
Posted on March 3, 2008 11:30 AM
