Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Brave Soul Collective... Returns"

THIS SATURDAY is when BSC RETURNS!!! 

Saturday June 30th, 2012
Brave Soul Collective (in conjunction with the 2012 DC Black Theatre Festival) presents,

"Moments Of Truth"

When: Saturday, June 30th 2012      
Where: Navy Memorial Theater, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004

Time:  9pm  /  Cost:  $15

Just months after our National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day performance which took place at Warehouse Theatre on February 7th, Brave Soul Collective (BSC) returns with an all new, full length performance of"Moments Of Truth: Healing Ourselves from the Inside Out" on Saturday June 30th at 9pm.
Through theatre, spoken word, and personal testimonials, BSC will entertain, educate and enlighten individuals about a host of topics & issues including love, relationships, sexuality, self esteem, body image, & mental health. The evening of artistic performances also as BSC's artistic contribution to the continued fight against HIV/AIDS. It is presented to help mobilize the African American community around HIV/AIDS education & awareness; reduce stigma and infection rates; and to reinforce the importance of assuming personal responsibility for individual choices that affect collective mental health and wellness.

The performance serves as BSC’s 3rd annual appearance at the DC Black Theater Festival, after presenting the production “Smoke Screens” - a highlight of last year's festival.
Tickets for this event are available now by visiting: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3365146243 & will also be available at the door, (while supplies last).

For more information about purchasing tickets, & special discounts for groups of 10 or more, email:bravesoultix@gmail.com. For general info regarding this performance please visit: http://bit.ly/BSC_DCBTF2012 . FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

Missed the 1st performance of "Moments of Truth"?

purchase the LIMITED EDITION DVD recording of the show by clicking here:

 BUY "MOMENTS" ON DVD

SUPPORT BSC 

To make a donation online, visit:  http://bit.ly/SUPPORTBSC
OR  Make a check payable to "Fractured Atlas" and mail to:   
Brave Soul Collective
PO Box 4034
Washington, DC 20044

Brave Soul Collective is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of Brave Soul Collective may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Connect with me online:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Peace & Surrender"

PEACE & SURRENDER

Bonjour friends,


I've made it to Paris safe and sound. Taking in the sights and sounds (literally as I type I'm enjoying the chipper voices of young lads playing catch on the street corner.)  Play,  what we did a lot when we were younger, like there was no tomorrow.  Playing in peace and surrendering to the moment, contentment.  


I received a word very prolific, motivating, and wise in meditation on Sunday at Kadampa 
Meditation Center in Silverlake. It went something like this:  "If something can be remedied, why be unhappy with it.  If something can't be remedied, still why be unhappy."  I can use this to assess many situations in my life. I hope it can offer you peace in your surrendering.  Find the joy and go play in peace, just like the kids I'm hearing on the street corner.   

SKINNY the movie Premieres in NYC this weekend

FILMMAKER PATRIK-IAN POLK OF

“PUNKS” AND “NOAH’S ARC”

NEW YORK CITY OPENING OF NEW INDIE FILM

“THE SKINNY” AT THE FAISON FIREHOUSE THEATER ON FRIDAY, JUNE 8TH

The highly anticipated NYC premiere of THE SKINNY, the third feature film from Patrik-Ian Polk (PUNKS, NOAH’S ARC) will be presented during the First Annual Pride Cultural Series at the Faison Firehouse Theater, 6 Hancock Place, Harlem, NY 10027 opening Friday, June 8th with proceeds benefiting GMAD’s (Gay Men of African Decent) Charles Angel Youth Leadership Academy's 'Stop the BS' campaign- an anti gay-bullying and suicide initiative.

A sharply scripted comedy, THE SKINNY tells the story of four young, black, gay men (Magnus, Sebastian, Kyle, Joey) and their lesbian best friend (Langston), who meet up in New York City one year after their graduation from Brown University. Their plans for a weekend of fun start off well, relaxed in each other’s company as only old friends can be. But old tensions quickly resurface.

Drinking, drugs, hidden desire and the demands of promiscuity put friendship, trust and even lives at risk. In between sharp one-liners and a great soundtrack there’s a few important lessons that these pleasure-seekers must learn for themselves. Written with a real sense of the demands of urban living, these bright and believable characters will remind you of someone you know. Remaining true to his past work, Polk addresses issues in THE SKINNY that face the LGBT community such as date-rape, infidelity, and HIV/AIDS awareness.

The film stars Jussie Smollett (the former child actor of “Mighty Ducks” & “North”, and older brother of well-known actress Jurnee Smollett), Blake Young-Fountain, Anthony Burrell, Shanika Warren-Markland and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman. Supporting cast includes alumnus of Polk’s past features such as Darryl Stephens (“Noah’s Arc”), Jennia Fredrique (“Noah’s Arc”), Wilson Cruz (“Noah’s Arc”) and Seth Gilliam (“Punks”, “The Wire”, “Oz”, “Teen Wolf”). The cast also includes newcomers Dustin Ross and internet sensation B. Scott.

THE SKINNY’s open-ended NYC run begins Friday, June 8th at the Faison Firehouse Theatre in Harlem (6 Hancock Place, New York, NY 10027) as the featured film of the Firehouse's First Annual Pride Cultural Series.

OPENING WEEKEND's Showtime: 3:30pm | 5:30pm | 7:30pm & 9:30pm

Tickets $15.00 purchased in advance online at Smarttix.com.

For additional details & showtimes go to Skinnythemovie.com.

The FUTURE's Cornelius Jones Jr. - &Now Festival 2012: New Writingin PARIS!

Cornelius Jones Jr. selected for 

"&Now Festival 2012: New Writing in PARIS!"

June 6-10, 2012

Cornelius Jones Jr., actor-author-advocate-playwright-spoken word/performance artist.  Former cast member of Broadway's The Lion King, featured in MTV's LOGO PSA: "I AM LIVING MY TRUTH," and author of the debut poetic memoir Shadows & Lights.  Appearing June 6-10, in Paris, FRANCE part of the 2012 & Now Festival" and he needs your help on indiegogo.com.  

4 Colored Boys Like Me

Dane Harrington Joseph

Writer and actor; producer, 'Drama Queenz' and 'Langston's'

Posted: 1/9/12 02:49 PM ET on The Huffpost Gay Voices

I am not a racist.

There's a perfectly sound reason why my new project, Langston's, is subtitled "a film by (4) colored boys." Besides the obvious answer (it's a collaboration between four noted black and latino filmmakers), there's also a much more personal reason, dating back about 20 years to when I was a little colored boy myself (as my grandma would affectionately call me).

Back then, I would occasionally wet my bed at night. After such incidents I'd hide my gold-tinted "tighty whities" from my father, who would undoubtedly "whoop" me if he found them. Nonetheless, despite my best efforts, he would sniff them out after they had festered for a few days in some ill-concealed location.

He would then call out for me in his ironically shrill, baritone voice, and, after a series of insults, proceed to beat me, accentuating verbally my various flaws with each lash. My worst offense, however, would be crying, because "black men don't cry," an adage he'd bark at me whenever my eyes started to well up. So I would just bite my lip until he was finished, then retire to my room and cry secretly into my pillow, all the while thinking, "I need help."

Of course, I didn't mean I needed to be rescued from my father's "tough love." Rather, I needed help controlling my compulsion to be me. I didn't want to be me. I hated me. "Me" needed help, and I knew no other little "colored" boys like me who could show me the way. So I looked to pop culture for guidance: music, movies, TV. Bill Cosby? No. Montel Williams? Denzel Washington? No. Flava Flav? Hell no. There was not one media personality or public figure that reflected me. I wasn't relevant. I didn't matter.

I grew up, cried a little less, and, as a teen, became even more obsessed with the idea of finding someone to connect with -- other little colored boys like me. I discovered this newfangled thing called "the Internet" at the library. I made new virtual "friends" and consequently put myself in unsafe situations, sexually and emotionally, just to feel something, to relate to someone. I thought that love manifested physically between a 41-year-old Italian bear and a 15-year-old little colored boy could fill a void, could help substitute for the lack of love I felt for myself; it didn't.

I recall going to my mom a few months later and having her take me for my first HIV test, and crying, and then her crying, and then us crying again when the results came back negative. And I remember thinking I would never be self-destructive in that way again.

I must admit, however, that the lure of boys and booze to fill a void still lingers, to gain instant gratification to temporarily replace constant feelings of illegitimacy. And while this could, in truth, be the story of anyone of any race, I find that my existence as a gay man of color has rarely been validated; how I felt as a little colored boy looking to the media for validation still resounds today as a grown colored man. Aside from a slew of big black men in pretty dresses (RuPaul, Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, and Flip Wilson, all of whom I admire, but almost all of whom aren't gay) and some admirable attempts by a few noted filmmakers (Patrick Ian Polk, Maurice Jamal, and Roger Omeus, to name a few), there has not been a constant presence of gay men of color in mainstream media or popular culture.

Coupled with negative societal perspectives on homosexuality, the diminished presence of black-themed entertainment that was so pervasive in the '80s and '90s, and the Euro-centric focus of most gay entertainment and advertising, it's not so surprising that self-destructive actions among young gay black men are on the rise, with the CDC reporting that new infections among said demographic saw a dramatic increase of 48 percent in recent years, with 59 percent of those carrying the disease unaware of their status.

As a filmmaker, I see the problem as a matter of value. Television and film are a reflection of reality, barometers of what is real and relevant. If you do not see "you" reflected, subconsciously or not, a feeling of irrelevance can set in. And when this occurs, it can devalue your existence, especially when you are at a younger, more impressionable age and trying to find yourself.

So what happens to little colored boys like me? The ones growing up with no one to look up to? The ones who wet the bed and can't make their fathers proud? The ones who hate themselves and cry at nights? The ones sleeping with older men to fill a void or sleeping with just anyone with disregard for their lives or personal health? Are they as lucky as I was, or do they become a statistic?

My resolution for 2012 is to create more works for boys like me and turn feelings of irrelevance into feelings of self-love and inner peace. This resolution is reflected in the aforementioned film Langston's, a piece that spans the gamut of the LGBTQ experience for people of color. After a year of development, the four of us have created a singular film comprising four interconnected stories set in a gay, urban nightclub in Brooklyn.

The film is unapologetically colored, daringly gay, and yet strikingly universal. More importantly, it will forever be a testament to the worth and beauty of a community, something for little colored boys to look to so that they rarely, if ever, feel the emptiness I once felt.

May your stories be told, no matter what race, religion, orientation or creed, as well. You deserve it. You have value.

Through Jan. 14, we are accepting donations for this passion project on Kickstarter. We welcome your support for our love letter to little colored boys like us.

"I'm Not Alone @ the Table" - a benefit

presents:

"I'm Not Alone @ the Table" - a benefit

Saturday, November 19th, 2011 - 7:00pm-11:00pm

Doors open at 7:00pm. Program begins at 7:30pm.

Hosted at:

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

53 Prospect Park West

Brooklyn, NY 11215

This benefit seeks to raise funds for the completion of a documenatry, “You Are Not Alone”, in which Black gay men, through their stories, are breaking an inherent taboo of silence in the Black community and speaking out about their struggles with depression: the circumstances which led to their downward spiral, how they lived with it, and more significantly, how they overcame and survived it.

Through Black gay men sharing their stories, they are intent on encoraging other Black gay men who find themselves stuck in a racial, discriminatory and homophobic rut or loop, and who feel powerless and hopeless, that there is hope, that they are not isolated in their experiences, that it is shared by many, and that they could rise above and achieve their full potential.

The benefit will feature food & coffee tastings, a wine bar and cocktails created exclusively by El Dorado Rum, and " beer lovingly provided by Brooklyn Brewery".

Nationally renowned comedienne Tammy Peay hosts/MCs a program of performances by Roderick Young, Diamond Saunders, and Chris Udemezue; with music provided by NYC's best DJs Fred Pierce and Cameron Fitzpartick, spinning from their laptops.

Another feature is a Silent Auction of items from various businesses and individuals including: Charly Dominguez, Lawrence Graham-Brown, Jon Lucas, Kate Clinton, and many others. The auction is led by Kaz Mitchell, Circle of Voices, Inc. If you are interested in donating items for the auction, please reach out to Kaz Mitchell @ kaz@circleofvoices.org

Tickets are $45 per guest or $80 per couple and will include two (2) drinks, if purchased before November 1st.

(TICKETS PURCHASES AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY)

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Singer/Songwriter Nhojj - My Brother"

Singer/Songwriter

Nhojj

My Brother

If yo have not heard this new song by OutMusic Award winning singer/songwriter Nhojj, listen now. Also get your feet, knees, hips, booty...your FULL body ready to move because this tune has a dance groove that'll drive you bananas!

Follow the link or CLICK HERE to hear via Nhojj Cafe:

http://nhojj.bandcamp.com/album/my-brother

A.A+W

with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Tune in next Wednesday for more

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Stay connected with me:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

FaceBook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

Twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

FaceBook Fan Page: FlagBoy Official Fan Page of the Actor

New Gay Series " CockTales" FAQ

CockTales explores the life of Christopher Street's Jharmey Smith, a southern transplant from Memphis, TN who as nested himself in the fabulous Upper Westside of Harlem, New York, has tried on several different hats to become the young adult that he is today. He has survived an abusive relationship, the break-up of his best friend, and the trials of finding himself in the gay mecca of the world Christopher Street. After his new discoveries, he has realized that girls run the world and decided to link up with his new BFF, Blaire Knowles, who gives you no middle line you-either love her or hate her. Jharemy and Blaire are co-managers of the hottest gay night club in New York City and they never see eye to eye on anything except both loving and sharing a good CockTale. Both adults experience their own business and relationship struggles that mold their entire New York City experience and bridge the gap between hetero-homo lifestyles.

Continuing with the story of “Christopher Street TV,” the humor of "Will and Grace", and the reality issues of “Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys", the pop "dramedy", CockTales presents controversial concerns such as abortion, prostitution, sex, HIV/AIDS, relationships, crime, and alcoholism, straight up with a twist. We all have CockTales.

CockTales 7 MOST FAQ

1. How do I become a part of CockTales? Meak Productions is working in conjunction with Off The Clock Productions to select the best talent to help bring the story alive. For more details on Meak Productions check out www.meakproductions.com and www.facebook.com/CockTalesTheSeries.

2. Where is Christopher Street TV, is CockTales taking its place? CockTales is the continuation of the powerful story that Christopher Street TV shared. CockTales is showing what life is like once you began a career path and have learned from the mistakes and experiences that came with your early twenties. Characters from Christopher Street TV are still going to appear in parts of CockTales and that story will continue through the new situations that CockTales presents.

3. Why the vulgar name CockTales? When you say CockTales I am hoping that audiences are able to infer that the film is about the tales that come along with men. This story is sharing two points of views, the first being that of how it is for a gay man to deal with men and the second is of how it is for a straight woman to deal with them as well. What is so unique about the story is the men are being compared to cocktails which are the perfect analogy; because with men you usually can never get one straight up… they are usually always mixed up.

4. Where is filming taking place for CockTales? We will be producing the series in New York City. Filming will be taking place in one of the hottest nightlife spots in NYC and we will be starting in early 2012.

5. Are there sponsorship or investment opportunities available? YES!!! We are definitely seeking individuals that want to assist in bringing the story to life. We already have a distribution deal on the table which is very exciting and it makes it worth your time to be a part of this wonderful entertainment piece.

6. What is your message with CockTales? Acceptance. I want to use this film project to create allies for the LGBTQ community. I strongly feel that by showcasing the similarities in how our lives play out it will address a lot of homophobic issues that are destroying our world.

7. Where can we find out more about CockTales? Details concerning CockTales will be updated at www.facebook.com/CocktalesTheSeries and www.ONealAppeal.com. No official website will be launched until 2012. If you really want to be up to date on the lives of the characters that you will meet on CockTales you need to watch Christopher Street TV… order it today with TLA Releasing.

'The Game' Says There are 'Several' Closeted Rappers, Tells them to 'Be Gay and Proud': VIDEO

Rapper The Game spoke with VLAD TV about closeted rappers in the hip-hop industry

ARE YOU A MAN FAN?

Says the rapper:

"I don’t have a problem with gay people. Like, Beyoncé should’ve said, ‘Who run the world? Gays,’ because they’re everywhere and rightfully so. Do you. It’s a free country. Be gay, you can do that...Game don’t have a problem with gay people. Game has problem with people who are pretending not to be gay...The number one issue with that is that you could be fooling somebody and you could give them AIDS and they can die and so that in the closet shit is real scary. So, we’ve got to get into the real seriousness of it and it’s just not fair to other people..."

Adds The Game:

"It's not cool to be in the closet. If you gay, just say you gay. Be gay and be proud.”

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

In 2006, The Game was criticized for remarks he made on DJ Jo Whiley's radio show when he referred to gay men as "faggots" and "not real men".

At the time the BBC decided not to take action against Whiley because she made a 'sincere, full and swift' apology and distanced herself and the network from The Game's comments, according to WENN. The BBC also said that it would not deny The Game future interviews: "The BBC does not ban artists, but we do have editorial guidelines making clear that we do not condone homophobic comments or bad language, which all artists are expected to follow when they are on air during a live interview."

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Alarming NEWS"

ALARMING NEWS

within the Black LGBT Community

in the fight toward ending HIV/AIDS

HIV Epidemic is Growing fastest amongst Black Gay and Bisexual Men. Just when I thought things were progressing and moving in a better direction. Young black gay and bisexual men are the only population in the U.S. in which the pace of HIV’s spread is increasing, according to a startling study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday. I am perplexed at this information, with all the education and assistance that is available, I ask "what is REALLY going on?" Please click the link provided, which directs you to the CDS's website. I would love to hear thoughts today.

A.A+W

with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Tune in next Wednesday for more

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Stay connected with me:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

FaceBook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

Twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

FaceBook Fan Page: FlagBoy Official Fan Page of the Actor