Christina

[wpvideo xmBmLJmy]Name: ChristinaAge: 29Hometown: Columbus, OhioLove Is: An intense appreciation for another, an unexplainable connection. It is multifaceted. Beautiful and ugly but powerful.Last month I attended a brunch hosted by Blavity during Essence Festival. It was an event full of young, black women who all were there to network and learn one another. It was there I met Christina and we started talking about Baby Boy and the kind of "ghetto" love that is often portrayed when talking about black love.Watch as Christina speaks earnestly of the loyalty that is the foundation of black love and so-called "ghetto" love.

Love Is: Dialogue with the African Diaspora

 Three years ago, I began collecting interviews of Black people, questioning their definition of love and discussing other issues related to their personal Black narrative. I started by asking friends (thanks to you BUGA), strangers and musicians, including Big Sant and 9th Wonder. Each interview, each personal narrative proved that Black is not a monolith, that we do perceive and feel and above all, we love.One of the goals of Black Love Project is to create a digital media library of Black history. I believe it is important that we are our own storytellers. As I grow and as Black Love Project grows, I think it's important that the way I document these stories evolves, as well.Love Is, is that evolution. Love Is: Dialogue with the African Diaspora is a docuseries of Black stories that I will collect along my travels and everyday life. I am in no way a filmmaker, but I do believe it is important the these narratives are told with the nuances and inflections of the people who are telling them. This series is meant to reveal the layers of the Diaspora, to educate and connect.Stay tuned for the first episode's release in August!  This series is also offered as a workshop and Black healing space. If you, your school or organization would like to participate, please contact me directly at: blackloveprjct@gmail.com

love poems: tilted crown

oneblack boys rap about their dick sizehow they'll bust this pussy wide openlike the .45 that killed his best friendskull bust wide openbrain matter on grounda mind is a terrible thing to wastehard to get out of concretehe can't sleep at nightvisions of it haunt himsees himself in the morguewhite sheets and coffinseveryday he prepares for battleso his dick becomes his gunand he don't shoot no blank shotssays he wants to put a baby in me'cause he don't think he'll last longwhere he's from, black boys don't last longand black girls lay on our backsspread our legs for these boysspread ourselves for these boyslet them slide inside of uswhile they try to find their way homethey think it makes them men when they comebackshotsso they write rap songs about how they'll kill this pussy'cause, there's a war in the streets, ya know?twohave you ever tried to love a man who thinks that death is chasing him?have him weep between your breasts and ask you to pray for him?i haveand it feels like the darkest night and the sweetest dawnto watch the phoenix right before he rises from the ashand we sit here and break our bones for youwe beat our chests in grief for the men you have becomelost boys of blacknesswho wander through the ruins of the kingdom that you foundtitled crown, how does it feel to have lost it all?titled crown, how does it feel to have lost it all?and he says to me,'bitch don't tell me 'bout no kingdomjust let me kill this pussy'cause there's a war in the streets, ya know?

Black Love Project x The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition

 I was recently asked to be the Poetry Slam Coach for the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, a non-profit that works with high achieving, low-income high school students, preparing them to succeed in their collegiate careers. I will be working with local young poets and coaching them on their writing and performance, at the end of the season our goal is to compete in All City, a nationwide poetry slam for teen poets.Out of this opportunity also comes something I've envisioned for a while and I'm pleased to announce that  Black Love Project will be working with the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition in facilitating Griot, a creative writing workshop.  The workshop is a safe space for the kids to learn and discuss music, artists and socio-political statements of the African Diaspora. They will also be able to explore and express themselves creatively. Since a goal of Black Love Project is to gather black stories from black storytellers, these workshops will be filmed in order to give light and a voice to the young, gifted and black students of Baton Rouge.Griot will be held every Saturday morning at 460 North 11th Street. Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816If you'd like more information or know of any youth who may benefit from the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition or Griot, please contact me directly: blackloveprjct@gmail.com