Our Voices Project

Kick off Juneteenth weekend with our screening of BEING BLACK IN AMERICA!

📽 BEING BLACK IN AMERICA
📆 Wednesday, June 17 at 6-8pm
📍Rochester City Hall, 30 Church Street
🍿: Refreshments provided
🎟: Free & open to the public - to RSVP, visit https://beingblackonjuneteenth.eventbrite.com

🎞 BEING BLACK IN AMERICA is a documentary short film that shows an array of different thoughts and attitudes behind Blackness and what it means to everyone on a personal level by asking one central question, What does being Black in America mean to you?

📣 Immediately following our screening, storytellers featured in the documentary, along with entrepreneurs, community leaders, and educators, will facilitate a discussion about Black Art--what it means to us, how we preserve our history and culture through it, and how we support our Black artists and creatives.

We're excited to announce that our panelists will include Dee Ponder, Rae Da, Ta**us Savant, and Iyhana Avent.

♿️ The venue is wheelchair accessible and the film has subtitles. (We're working to confirm ASL Interpretation as well - stay tuned!)

HUGE thank you to Stanley Martin for your support and for hosting us!

I had a quick exchange with Rian Johnson (Director behind Brick, Looper, Knives Out, The Glass Onion, etc.) and I’ve been spiraling ever since. (In a good way.)

I’d been trying to figure out why I’ve been so emotional over this - and yes, I know it’s “you just met one of your faves, Jackie - it’s really not a hard thing to grasp!” but hear me out because it’s more than that.

Several years ago, I was working on set for a local director who said something that devastated me. I forget what movie or movies we were referencing, but she said, “it’s just a movie.” Now, I’m not the best with processing my emotions. Since therapy, I’ve definitely gotten better at this, but it took this small chance encounter all these years later for me to realize why she’s wrong.

Movies are an art form - they entertain us, they move us, they teach us, they challenge us. Like other art forms, they evoke emotion and memories.

Would we collectively say that about other art forms? I want to challenge you if the answer is anything, but no in my latest Substack - link in bio!

I'm pretty sure he won't see this, but Rian Johnson - thanks for the inspiration!

- Jackie

Stop Saying "They're Just Movies". They're More Than That. I met Rian Johnson over the weekend and I've been spiraling ever since.

THE INJURED BODY is a film that you NEED to see. That your family, friends, colleagues, peers, students, and community leaders need to see. I'm still processing all of the stories we heard over the weekend. WHEW!

If you're not booking a screening with mara, please fix that right now. Run, do not walk to neelumfilms.com EXPEDITIOUSLY!

, you did such an incredible job directing and editing this film. So many stories of women and non-binary folks sharing stories that, whether they knew it or not, were all very interconnected and that so many of us can resonate with.

Shoutout to for the cinematography, with the still photography, and the rest of the crew and storytellers for putting together a beautifully-made, powerful, and thought-provoking film.

It was an honor discussing the film with you, mara, and I'm grateful to know you, friend.
-Jackie

If our city supports artists, why are so many of us struggling? Let's talk about it after our community film screening of BEING BLACK IN AMERICA on the week of Juneteenth!

🎬 BEING BLACK IN AMERICA: SCREENING AND DISCUSSION
📆 Wednesday, June 17 at 6-8pm
📍Rochester City Hall, 30 Church St.
🎟: Free and open to the public
RSVP here: https://beingblackonjuneteenth.eventbrite.com

BEING BLACK IN AMERICA is our award-winning documentary short film that shows an array of different thoughts and attitudes behind Blackness by asking one central question, What does it mean to you to be Black in America?

Following our screening will be a panel discussion + Q&A about Black Art - what Black art is to Black people, ways that we preserve Black culture and history in our art, how we protect our art, and how the community can support Black artists.

That Saturday, June 20, visit us and other Black-owned businesses at the Black Business Expo at between 10am-4pm.