10/27/2005

the house of mizrahi returns this sunday!


I get dozens of emails each month from people either saying that they want to learn more about the house-ballroom scene or they want to know when and where these infamous "balls" take place.
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This sunday, Jack Mizrahi (mother of the house of mizrahi's new york city chapter) will be hosting his much anticipated October Mini-Ball at Escuelita. Because this is a "mini-ball" it's sort of like a sample dish. You get all the drama and shade of a full function without having to go through all of the categories, the notoriously late-morning start times, or the usual $30 admission fees.
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I'll be there with the rest of the Mizrahi's, feel free to say hello, i'll be on stage handing out trophies. starts at 1 am. $15.
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flr

Posted by the young people's professor at 10:18:00 AM | | Comments

10/26/2005

shot in the dark: legends ball 2005, harlem new york

Pictures from
THE LEGENDS BALL 2005
OCTOBER 9TH, 2005
HARLEM NEW YORK
Courtesy of Charles Wade

at 3 am, just before the ball started, my baby Darrell and I posed for a quick candid

sexy lil' jeffrey mizrahi (prettyboy realness) tried to stay awake in the wee morning hours...

2003's "new face of the year"
david miyake mugler was calm, cool, and collected as always

former "real world" star Aneesa Mizrahi Prestige looked great that night walking "women's face"

for 'executive realness' i revisited my sly industry mogul look, adding in a legendary cuban cigar (yielding positive responses)

father ruben mizrahi offered some last minute encouragment to one of the Virginia chapter members

face kid jeremy revlon watched (and glowed) from a distance

as did the legendary father of the house of miyake-mugler, whitney mugler

the infamous and absolutely hilarious selvyn mizrahi provided plenty of comic relief throughout the night

runway newcomer caliente mizrahi looked great as a contender for the $5,00o grand prize

by the end of the "night" (i.e. 9 am the next morning) we were all tired

by 9:30am I wondered, can we go home yet?

Next stop:

SUPERBALL SUNDAY V

CLUB ESCUELITA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, 2005

12:30 am

Posted by the young people's professor at 12:57:00 AM | | Comments

10/25/2005

Cover of Corpus, Fall 2005.
New issue deals with race & sexuality among gay men of color


For the past seven or eight months i've been working on a small collection of essays about the cultural politics of black men, social value, and HIV/AIDS, with LAMBDA Award winning performance artist and poet Marvin K. White (of eighties PomoAfroHomos fame). The manuscript for this collection, which is a "sequel" to a small anthology published in 2003 called Think Again, has gone through several title changes and transformations. Currently entitled "If We Have To Take Tomorrow": New Essays on Black Men and Sex Same Desire, its scheduled to be released in early 2006 by AIDS Project Los Angeles, the New York State Black Gay Network, Gay Men's Health Crisis, Black AIDS Institute and the National Black Justice Coalition.
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The unreleased anthology features great new material from Dr. David Malebranche, Thomas Glave, Reginald Harris, E. Patrick Johnson, Tim'm West, Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, Kenyon Farrow, Charles Stephens, Khary Polk, and many others. New York State Black Gay Network Executive Director Colin Robinson and Institute for Gay Men's Health Director George Ayala are creative heads for the book. I'm excited about the opportunites that this project will provide for new discussions about the future(s) of black gay and lesbian cultural politics.
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In the meantime, AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES & The Gay Men's Health Crisis, two of the fabulous co-publishers of If We Have To Take Tomorrow, have just published the latest issue of their fascinating cultural studies journal Corpus. This gorgeously designed bi-annual journal uses visual culture, cultural criticism, poetry, short stories and photography to expose some of the challenges of HIV prevention in gay and bisexual communities (primarily in communities of color). Edited by the brilliant Robert Reid Pharr, the new issue of Corpus features writings by Samuel Delaney, John Keene, Darieck Scott, Ronaldo Wilson, Aldo Alvarez and so many more. Additionally, this latest issue features many of the writers that will be in the collection that Marvin White and I are co-editing. Wonderously, the complete journal is available for downloading in the PDF format at APLA's website here.
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Definitely check it out.

Posted by the young people's professor at 5:52:00 PM | | Comments

10/24/2005

rosa parks: is it our fault?

like the rest of the (black) nation, today i mourn the death of the legendary rosa parks, an instrumental figure (almost to the point of cliche) in twentieth century African American social movements in general and the history of black women's political activism in particular.
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what bothers me about the way the press is discussing her life and death is the complete lack of criticism to "people" (black people? government people? bush people?) for her destitute conditions near death. Few people are aware that in her last twenty years, Rosa lived most of her life in complete poverty, at one point even living in the projects. Only very recently (and perhaps too late) was she provided with stable government assistance. As late as 2002, she was almost evicted from her apartment. What is the relationship between this type of neglect and our recent government (in)attention to Katrina's victims?
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certainly no one is "to blame" for rosa's death. she was a 92 year old woman. however, like a naive child, i have to ask: how and why did (black) america let a woman like rosa spend so much of her post-civil rights life in complete poverty? now that she's dead, will we learn to cherish our living cultural icons? how does the neglect and poverty that she experienced speak to a larger continued neglect of black women's lives and bodies?
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would rosa be alive today if she had not spent so much of her later life scrapping coins together just to pay the rent?
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Posted by the young people's professor at 11:26:00 PM | | Comments

what's your favorite color purple moment?

Oprah Winfrey Presents
The Color Purple
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway @ 53rd Street
Previews begin November 1st, 2005
Opening Night Decemeber 1st, 2005
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“ we share love like a blade of corn. Like a honey-bee. Like a waterfall, all apart of me. Like the color purple, where the wind come from….now my eyes are open, look what god has done.”
-lyrics, "The Color Purple" (sung by Celie, listen to it here)
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My friends and I always joke that 'The Color Purple' is the "blackess" film every made (shhh...ignore the fact that Steven Speilberg directed it). I dont think that I've ever met an African American that has not at least seen the film. Honestly, i've never met a black person that couldnt recite at least three of four lines from the movie or do that legendary crooked-hand-sign/finger thing that Celie does at the end of the movie.
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I've just finished listening to three tracks from the forthcoming Oprah Winfrey produced Broadway version of 'CP' (something doesnt seem right about this abbreviation), and I have to say I'm impressed. I'm legitimately excited to this show. The Atlanta run of the show only got lukewarm reviews, but I here this Broadway version is fantastic.
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The lyrics of the title track "The Color Purple" are absolutely beautiful and Elisabeth Withers' performance as Shug Avery reminds me that the (film) role was initially offered to Tina Turner. Withers' showstopper "Push The Button" sounds like a young Turner. Listen to it here (cant you imagine Jenifer Lewis singing this??).
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Now that I think about it, it would be hot to see Tina Turner play Shug on Broadway. I'd also like to see Audra McDonald as Nettie (perfect for her) Heather Headley as Celie (can you imagine Audra and Heather on stage together again?) or even Jasmine Guy as Shug. And I DEFINITELY could imagine the legendary JENIFER LEWIS as Shug. Anyone else that comes to mind for one of the roles?




always refreshing to see an all black cast on Broadway
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Nettie & Celie embrace during the beautiful title ballad "The Color Purple" (listen to them in "What About Love" here)

The demure and beautiful Renee Elise Goldsberry as Nettie, Celie's loving sister

Elisabeth Withers' (Shug Avery) spicy act 1 showstopper "Push The Button" reminds audiences of a young Tina Turner. Listen to "Push The Button" here.

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So what's your favorite Color Purple moment?

mine include:

"You told Harpo to Beat me!" (Sofia to Celie) (yes, its terrible that I love this line).

"You sho' is UGLY!" (shug to celie).

me and you must never part, makidada (shug and celie)

Oprah Winfrey slapping the shit out of Rae Dawn Chong.

Posted by the young people's professor at 9:19:00 AM | | Comments

10/21/2005




Photo: Out Magazine, October 2005. Taken here from Rodonline.

As writer and critic 'Rod Online' announces on his blog today, the October issue of Out Magazine features a story on the aftermath of the documentary 'Paris Is Burning' on its director Jennifer Livingston and former stars Octavia Mizrahi (formely Octavia St. Laurent) and Willi Ninja. Read about the details of the story here at Rod's website.
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-Frank Leon Roberts

Posted by the young people's professor at 3:00:00 PM | | Comments

10/19/2005

the most amazing show you'll see this year.



TILL OCTOBER 30TH.
I want every single person that reads this blog to go out and see a show that in my opinion represents the best of contemporary black performance. I first met writer, musician and playwright Hanifah Walidah when I invited her as a co-headliner for an event I hosted at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the East Village on behalf of Black Pride NYC.
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I remember that night Hanifah was without a doubt the most breathtaking performer. Her show, Black Folks Guide To Black Folks is the most original, witty, thought-provoking and enjoyable piece of black and/or queer theater that I have ever seen.
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I've been in New York for a while now and am trained in the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, so needless to say I've seen a lot of political performance art. But Black Folks rises to the absolute top. A reader review at the New York Times website gives the show five-stars. I give it six.
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As many of the reviews of the show explain, "In the play Walidah plays an entire neighborhood of characters linked together in a polyrhythmic mesh of loves and life lessons. Black Folks Guide approaches the topic of homophobia in the black community by remaining true to the familiar as it blurs the lines and giggles in the faces of sexuality, health, love, faith, and fear" (cited here).
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Black Folks Guide To Black Folks is playing for a special limited run at The Producers Club 358 West 44th Street in Manhattan from October 14th to October 30th. Tickets range from $15 to $25 dollars (at the door) and can be purchased be clicking here. I would also encourage you to visit her website, which is almost as amazing, jam-packed, creative, and innovative as the show itself.
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If for some insane, crazy, and/or irresponsible reason you are unable to get to her performance while it's running, she will be in dialogue with black performance critic & scholar Tavia Nyong'o here in the department of performance at NYU on November 8th, 2005. Information about this special Q &A can be found here.
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If you have a blog, take a moment to post the show's flyer up and spread the word. I'll see you at the theater.

Posted by the young people's professor at 5:10:00 PM | | Comments

10/18/2005

BLACK IS/BLACK AINT. The Million More March.

Sidney Brinkley, the editor of the website www.blacklightonline.com, has posted--- in their unedited entirety----the two speeches that were to be delivered at the Millions Move Movement March last Saturday in Washington, D.C.
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By now, I'm sure you've witnessed, heard, or read about the spectacle. To recap: author Keith Boykin, a self-identified "gay" man and President of the National Black Justice Coalition was prevented from delivering his speech. Activist Cleo Manago, a self-identified "same gender loving" man and founder of New York City's Black Men's Exchange (BMX) did speak however.
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Though I have plenty of thoughts on the politics of these performances, I'm more interested in what you might have to say.
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Below, vis-a-vis the blacklightonline website, is a copy of both speeches. As you'll see they offer two widly divergent articulations of the politics of blackness and same-sex desire.
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Enjoy. Or Not.
Frank L. Roberts
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Speeched Delivered by Cleo Manago
Million Movement March
October 15, 2005
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Welcome family. I don’t have sufficient time to properly thank my parents, family, friends, supporters, the Honorable Louis Farrakhan, The Black Men’s Xchange and community. Neither can I fully address the issues of Black manhood disorientation, the repression of homosexual and bisexual Black people and its relationship to a Black manhood resurrection agenda. I speak in honor of the victims of Katrina, and my recently deceased, beloved friend and BMX member, LeRoy Whitfield.As we plan for the political and economic strengthening of our communities, so that the framework is not vulnerable to inter-group conflict, we have to take care of our people, because, movements are made up of people. Parallel to the Minister’s brilliant MMM plan I suggest that there be mental health and restoration intervention for Black people, because many of us need it.
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We need cultural affirmation courses, because many of us do not know who we are. We need healing opportunities particular to the Black experience that explicitly acknowledge our diversity, which includes same-gender-loving Sisters and Brothers, non-religious folks, powerful women, people who are differently-abled physically, and others loyal to Black unity, life and success. That I’m up here, a same-gender-loving Brother, indicates that there is great possibility that this can happen. Mind you, I’ve been called a Black nationalist most of my life. Most recently – a separatist, by the gay community.
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There are some, among Blacks, especially among those who identify as gay, who believe that White people are more tolerant of homosexuality than Blacks; that Blacks in particular are hell on homosexuals. Yet, material truth contradicts this premise. Brutal attacks on Black homosexuals by Blacks do occur (especially between Black homosexuals). But outside of this sub-culture, violent attacks that lead to death or disfigurement are very rare in Black communities, nationally. Most brutal or deadly attacks on homosexuals occur among Whites. And their victims have included Black, White, and Latino homosexuals and transgendered people. Black community attacks tend to be emotional.
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continue reading Manago's speech here
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Remarks Prepared for Delivery
The Millions More March Saturday,
October 15, 2005
By Keith Boykin

Good Afternoon. Today I am honored to stand here at the Millions More Movement March as a representative of the National Black Justice Coalition, the country’s only national civil rights organization for Black lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people. The National Black Justice Coalition strongly supports the goals of the Millions More Movement for unity and inclusion of our entire community.
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In February of this year, Minister Farrakhan and I participated in Tavis Smiley’s annual “State of The Black Union” event in Atlanta. During a press conference that day, Minister Farrakhan announced that women and gays would be encouraged to participate in today’s March. “The makeup will be our people, whoever we are,” he said. Then he added, “Male, female, gay, straight, light, dark, rich, poor, ignorant, wise. We are family. We will be coming together to discuss family business.”
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After the press conference, I spoke to the Minister and I introduced myself. “Minister Farrakhan,” I said, while shaking his hand, “My name is Keith Boykin, and I am a Black gay man. And I want to thank you for your inclusive comments about gays in the Million Man March.” Without missing a beat, Minister Farrakhan responded to me with a long, warm embrace. “Brother, I love you,” he said as we hugged. “We are all part of the family. We are all part of the same community.” That was an historic moment.
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continue reading Boykin's speech here

Posted by the young people's professor at 5:45:00 PM | | Comments

10/12/2005

is it raining in france?

will i get my passport in time to skip over to france this weekend?

* UPDATE: No, I didnt get to France. I didnt get the passport in time. I suck.

I'm blessed to keep such beautiful company. A special someone that i've kept in touch with since I attended a Black Gay Men's political mobilization retreat earlier this year, has invited me to spend the weekend with him in Cannes, France.
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Because I've actually never been to France, of course i'd love to go. There' s just one problem: I've lost my freakin' passport! I havent traveled out of the country for a little over a year and a half, since I last got back from South India.
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Today's Wednesday, is there anyway realistically that I can get my passport by Friday at 9:30pm?!??!? Isnt there some kind of emergency service? If not, i'm stuck in New York this weekend, while France passes me by. Considering how ready I am to leave the country permanently, perhaps a weekend abroad might be too much temptation anyway.
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Stay tuned for the final word on this story. And do help a brother out if you know how to.

Posted by the young people's professor at 9:05:00 AM | | Comments

10/10/2005

new Ph.D. program in african american studies

Black Queer Studies: A Critical Anthology, a landmark new collection (due out this fall) is co-edited by Northwestern University's E. Patrick Johnson
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The academy is witnessing an exciting new moment for Black Queer Studies. Northwestern University's department of African American Studies, whose faculty include Darlene Clark Hine, Dwight McBride, E. Patrick Johnson, Jennifer Brody, John Keene, Alexander Weheliye and Sandra L. Richards, has instituted a new Ph.D. program in African American Studies.

Northwestern is now the sixth institution in the U.S. that currently offers a doctoral degree in African American Studies: Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, Temple, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, all currently have programs.

Graduate courses set to be offered in Northwestern's new program include "Issues in Black Queer Studies", "Black Feminist Theory", "Figurations of Humanity in Afro-Diasporic Literature and Culture"," Black Independent Film and Video", "Black British Cultural Studies", "The Aporetic Ideal: Blackness and Silence in Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory", "Transnational Black Politics", "Seminar in African Philosophy", and "Black Internationalism in the Twentieth Century", to name a few.

The department's chair and graduate director is Dwight A. McBride, a literary scholar whose publications include Impossible Witnesses: Truth, Abolitionism and Slave Testimony (NYU Press, 2000), Black Like Us: A Century of Black Gay and Lesbian Fiction (Cleis Press, 2002) and Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch: Essays on Race and Sex in the U.S (NYU Press, 2005).


The program will feature five full years of funding for admitted students, including three years of summer support. The department also offers important postdoctoral fellowships. Full information can be found at
http://www.afam.northwestern.edu/grad.html


You might want to pass the information along to any scholars applying to graduate school this fall. Requirements for consideration for admission include substantial undergraduate or graduate coursework related to African American Studies; GRE scores, letters of recommendation and scholarly writing sample.


Posted by the young people's professor at 7:13:00 PM | | Comments

10/07/2005

weekend forecast: flavamen boyz, the aggressives, and the legends ball.

flavalife release party tonight at KRASH

This weekend my boys from Flavamen & Flavalife Magazine will be in the New York City area. Though i've written for the magazine in the past, and have since developed a great relationship with its staff and crew, i've never had the opportunity to meet most of the boys in person in New York City. As Rodonline has profiled many times, Flavamen & Flavalife are two publications under the umbrella of Flava Works Inc. directed by Editor-in-Chief Phillip Bleicher.
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Right now im working on several innovative pieces for Flava that will be appearing in the upcoming months. Look for them soon.
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In the meantime, come out to Chelsea's favorite blatino-boy-toy spot, KRASH, and support the New York release party for the Flava Boyz.
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In other news, the absolutely fabulous documentary The Aggressives (which I've raved about previously) opens for a short commercial run at the Quad Cinema on 13th Street tonight. The documentary, directed by Daniel Peddle, an NYU film graduate who holds a degree in Anthropology, explores the rich culture of black, butch lesbians in New York City (particular those in the ballroom scene). Imagine "Paris Is Burning" but women instead. It's fantastic.
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The House of Mizrahi, New York City

Speaking of Paris Is Burning, this sunday the ballroom kids are at it again. The New York City Legend's Ball will finally be held on Sunday night at the Minisink Townhouse on 142nd and Lenox. The Mizrahi's will be in the house. Grand prize is $5,000. Gossip around town is that the legendary Octavia St. Laurent of Paris Is Burning fame will be debuting as a Mizrahi. I'll neither confirm nor deny. It's business as usual.
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be safe this weekend.
-Frank

Posted by the young people's professor at 3:24:00 AM | | Comments

new photographs by luna luis ortiz















All photographs by Luna Luis Ortiz
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Last night I had a fantastic photo shoot in my home with my favorite photographer (and very close friend) Luna Luis Ortiz. There were so many great shots I really didnt know which ones to post. Above is just a montage of some of the ones that struck me the most. Sorry that some of them repeat or look the same---like I said, I really didnt know which to choose from. I had to seriously crop the sizes in order to get them on this blog--they look a lot stronger in their full 8 x 10 glossy format. Later on, i'll try to post them one by one. Any in particular that you like? This was just a preliminary shoot of about four or five more to come. The photos will be used as a part of the slow re-vamping of my website www.frankleonroberts.org that will be taking place over the next few weeks. Eventually, the site should feature a series of images of me photographed by Ortiz, who i'm currently working with on a book monograph and visual archive that documents the history of the underground house ball scene in New York City.

Posted by the young people's professor at 1:38:00 AM | | Comments