Monthly Archives: March 2018

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Submissions sought for inaugural Bloomington Black and Brown Arts Festival

Artists and performers of color are being sought for the inaugural Bloomington Black and Brown Arts Festival in May.

“The Bloomington Black & Brown Arts Festival is a celebration of African and Latino creative arts and artists to affirm community space, preserve arts appreciation, and enhance pride in the spirit of diversity of the Bloomington community,” according to a city press release. “The festival will provide a medium for local talent to showcase visual and performance art in an environment that engages the audience with artists and their work.”

The festival will take place on Saturday May 19 at the Bannerker Community Center from noon to 4 p.m.

Interested artists/performers have until Friday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m. to submit their pieces or work for a panel review that will take place on Saturday, May 5. Artists/performers selected will also be asked to submit a $15 non-refundable fee to reserve space.

A planning committee seeks a variety of art styles and forms to include as part of the festival. This includes but is not limited to spoken word, visual arts, ceramics, performance, dance and craft.

Works can be submitted on the web at bloomington.in.gov/bhm. For more information or questions about the festival contact the Safe and Civil City Program at safeandcivil@bloomington.in.gov, Latino Outreach Programs at latinoprograms@bloomington.in.gov, or call 812-349-3860.

View original on GOVTRACKER

This article originally ran on blogs.hoosiertimes.com.

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A US vet facing deportation

A US Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan says he didn’t realize he’d been deported to Mexico until it was too late to turn back.

Speaking from Tijuana Monday, Miguel Perez told reporters that he’s feeling well physically, but is “very confused.”
Perez was escorted across the US-Mexico border from Texas and handed over to Mexican authorities Friday, ICE said in a statement. Perez says a truck took him to an airport in Indiana. He was then flown to Brownsville, Texas, ICE said.
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Indiana Health Rankings Report

“Black and Hispanic children in Indiana are doing worse than white and Asian children,” said Willems Van Dijk.

In Indiana, Hamilton County near Indianapolis ranked as the healthiest county. The county placed first in health outcomes, which included length and quality of life statistics. Hamilton was also the best in health factors, including health behaviors, clinical care access, social and economic factors, and physical environment.

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QUEER ALIENation

QUEER ALIENation is a free, interactive evening of visual art, installation art, performances, conversation, and community solidarity. Join six local scholars, artists, educators, and activists as they play with issues of time, space, equity, and identity in order to present original artworks about their experiences as queer im/migrant graduate students with​in the United States. Grounded in arts-based research and rooted in a conception of art as activism, this show is a clarion call for individual and collective commitments to justice, mutual aid, and liberation.

Featuring the work of:
Javier Cardona Otero
Daniela Gutiérrez López
Asja Žero
Marie Papineschi (Marie French)
Don Dumayas
Kelvin Burzon
with original research by Alexandria Hollett and in collaboration with The Back Door.

March 27, 2018 from 6pm to 10pm, Dance Party at 10pm:
Cruise the room from 6 – 8 PM,

ask questions during the panel discussion from 8 – 9 PM,

and be fabulous on the dance floor when we turn the disco lights on from 10 – 3 AM. Most importantly, though, show up for queer im/migrants and their lives from now – as long as it takes to build a queer future, without borders.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2064458157166120/

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What is Puerto Rico?” A state? A territory? A commonwealth?

Almost everyone can remember the video of President Donald Trump throwing rolls of paper towels to the people of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

“People were aghast,” said Dr. Luis Fuentes-Rohwer. “To me, that’s just the way it’s always been. You, the American public, just happened to see it then.”

Fuentes-Rohwer, a native of Puerto Rico and current professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, was one of the keynote speakers at the 19th Annual Indiana Latino Leadership Conference held at Indiana University Kokomo on Saturday.

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