The Experience of Blacks in Nazi Germany

Check out an interesting post from Heidi Durrow about the experience of Blacks in Hitler's Germany.

Author Heidi Durrow Talks Race and Identity On NPR

Hear an interview with Heidi Durrow from NPR's All Things Considered. She was discussing her book The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction. It's a story about human tragedy and the struggles related to race and racial identity (something that I wrestle with and can therefore relate to). Durrow creatively uses fiction to address serious social issues. She was able to highlight & challenge false ideas about what it means to be Black and what it means to be White in American society, even though the point of the story was to paint a picture of life for a mixed girl.
She doesn't accept the label of Tragic Mulatto for this story because it has so much more to say than that. In fact, it could be seen as the opposite of the Tragic Mulatto, because in the end..... well.. to find out what happens you will have to buy the book.

The book has subtle (maybe not so subtle) reflections of Durrow's own life interwoven throughout the plot, although she once vehemently stated that it's not really about her. However, if you have been listening to Durrow over the years (via her radio program) or have been following her blogs, you can pick up the similarities.

Reviews and Commentaries on the book:

Abagond Blog

Blogcritics

Washington Post

Miami Herald

Christian Science Monitor

Book Named a Top 10 Debut Release for 2010 by Publishers Weekly.

“[An] insightful family saga of the toxicity of racism and the forging of the self . . . Durrow brings piercing authenticity to this provocative tale, winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction.”
—Booklist [starred review]

“[A] breathless telling of a tale we’ve never heard before. Haunting and lovely, pitch-perfect.”
—Barbara Kingsolver, author and founder of the Bellwether Prize

“The Girl Who Fell from the Sky can actually fly ... Its energy comes from its vividly realized characters, from how they perceive one another. Durrow has a terrific ear for dialogue, an ability to summon a wealth of hopes and fears in a single line.”
—New York Times Book Review

“Rachel’s voice resonated . . . in much the same way as did that of the young protagonist of The House on Mango Street. There’s an achingly honest quality to it; both wise and naive.”
—Shannon Rhodes, NPR

“Echoes of the early Toni Morrison, resonances with Langston Hughes. . . . A stunning debut.”
—George Hutchinson, author of In Search of Nella Larson

“That rare thing: a post-postmodern novel with heart that weaves a circle of stories about race and self-discovery into a tense and sometimes terrifying whole.”
—Ms. Magazine

“Taut prose, a controversial conclusion and the thoughtful reflection on racism and racial identity resonate . . . as the story succeeds as both a modern coming-of-age and relevant social commentary. ”
-Publishers Weekly

You can read more about Heidi Durrow and the book by visiting one of her many blogs or websites. Her main websites are HeidiDurrow.com, and Lightskinnededgirl.typepad.com. You can also find her on a weekly internet radio program called Mixed Chicks Chat (see links on our sidebar).

Support The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival

WHAT: The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival celebrates those who have created and continue to create works addressing the Mixed racial and cultural experience through film screenings, readings and workshops.

WHEN: June 12 - June 15, 2008, in celebration of Loving Day, the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming the right of people of different races to marry.

WHERE: Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First St., Los Angeles, CA

WHO: Co-producers Heidi Durrow and Fanshen Cox of Mixed Chicks Chat (www.mixedchickschat.com, also available on itunes, keywords: mixed chicks) will host the event. The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival is inclusive: anyone who identifies as Mixed, has a trans-racial/cultural adoptive family, or who supports interracial/cultural relationships is welcome. Admission to the Festival is free, however, pre-registration at www.mixedrootsfilmandliteraryfestival.org is highly recommended.

WHY: In the past, artists of Mixed heritage and their works have been forced into mono-racial/cultural categories based on antiquated notions such as the ‘one drop rule.’ The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival validates and celebrates Mixed identity and experience. The goals for the festival are to encourage emerging storytellers to explore the Mixed experience; introduce and encourage role models for future generations of Mixed artists; provide a safe and positive forum for honest discussions about race and culture; and to promote the Mixed experience as a valuable and important part of World History.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

CONFIRMED PROGRAMS/GUESTS:

Opening night Loving Day Celebration in conjunction with Loving Day (www.lovingday.org). Loving Day’s mission is to fight prejudice through education and to build a sense of community among people who engage in meaningful interracial and intercultural relationships.

Honoree: Kip Fulbeck “for inspirational dedication to celebrating and illuminating the Mixed racial and cultural experience.“ Kip Fulbeck is recognized as one of the world’s premier artists exploring Hapa identity through art, film, literature and spoken word.. His popular books (Part Asian, 100% Hapa; and Paper Bullets: A Fictional Autobiography) and short films (Banana Split) speak to and inspire a You Tube generation to political involvement. Kip has been featured on CNN, MTV, and PBS, and has performed and exhibited in more than 20 countries. He is a Professor of Art and an affiliate faculty in Asian American Studies and Film & Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a nationally ranked masters swimmer and ocean lifeguard. His current book is titled Permanence: Tattoo Portraits by Kip Fulbeck published by Chronicle Books.

New Media 101: Creating an Online Show: Zadi Diaz. Zadi Diaz is a producer, writer, host and speaker best known for her work on the Webby Award-winning Internet TV series EPIC-FU. She is considered a pioneer and thought leader in the online video and new media community. She is co-founder and principal of Smashface Productions, a new media production company, and co-founder of Pixelodeon, an annual screening festival recognizing innovation, inspiration, and community in global online video. Zadi has spoken on panels for NPR, SXSW, Digital Hollywood, and NAB among many others about her progressive work in the new media landscape. Her online work has been highlighted in the New York Times, Forbes, CBS Evening News, MTV, TV Guide, The Associated Press, The Guardian, and many other national publications. She is a Film Independent Project: Involve Fellow and a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS). Zadi is also a select member of The Transatlantic Network 2020 founded by the British Council, a multilateral network engaging future leaders to collaboratively address global issues.

ORGANIZERS:



Fanshen Cox Founder & Producer, Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival. Actress/Producer/Podcaster/Educator Fanshen graduated with honors from the University of Michigan and holds an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University. She served 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cape Verde, West Africa and was given the Peace Corps’ Franklin H. Williams Award when teaching in a high school in the South Bronx. She honed her production skills as a 2007 Project: Involve Fellow; and is the co-producer and co-host of Mixed Chicks Chat - the only live, weekly podcast about being racially and culturally Mixed (available on itunes or at www.mixedchickschat.com). She was recently quoted in The Guardian and served as an interviewer on StoryCorps’ Griot Initiative. As an actress, her credits include: Gone Baby Gone (directed by Ben Affleck), Ellie Parker (opposite Naomi Watts) and numerous television and theater roles. The word fanshen was created by peasants during China’s land reform movement and means start a revolution. Fanshen’s parents are Jamaican, Scottish, Danish and Native American and she has dedicated her life to sharing her story as a woman of Mixed racial and cultural heritages.

Heidi W. Durrow Founder & Producer, Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival
Writer/Podcaster/Lawyer. A graduate of Stanford University, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and Yale Law School, Heidi Durrow is a Los Angeles writer who is African-American and Danish. A former litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Heidi has also worked as a consultant to the National Basketball Association and National Football League teaching conflict management and decision-making workshops. As a fiction writer, Heidi has won several awards for her writing - which focuses on issues of biracial and bicultural identity - including the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, and the Chapter One Fiction Contest. She has received grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the American Scandinavian Foundation, the Lois Roth Endowment and an Emerging Writers’ Award from the Jerome Foundation. The Elizabeth George Foundation and the American Antiquarian Society have awarded her grants for her novel-in-progress about Miss Lala, a mulatta circus performer and strongwoman of the Victorian era. Heidi’s writing has been published in Alaska Quarterly Review and The Literary Review, as well as on the popular blog Light-skinneded Girl. She was recently nominated for a
Pushcart Prize. Her novel manuscript is currently a finalist for Barbara Kingsolver’s 2008 Bellwether Prize for Literature of Social Change. Heidi is the co-host and co-producer of Mixed Chicks Chat (www.mixedchickschat.com), the only live weekly show about being racially and culturally mixed.

Lesa Lakin Writer/Producer. Lesa Lakin is a writer/producer who began her career in advertising. Her work for clients such as ABC, ESPN, Oxygen, MTV, Snapple and the New York Mets has won many awards in advertising. This experience in commercials led Lesa to television and film production. Starting as a director’s assistant on Warner Bros.’, Vegas Vacation and Universal’s, Billy Madison, she excelled in production and became the Executive Producer of Mambo Entertainment. While at Mambo, she was responsible for the series Neighbors for HBO, as well as working on the Academy Awardâ nominated short film, Birch Street Gym, NBC’s Sunday’s Best, and the MTV series, A Day in the Life. Lesa also produced the feature film, The Independent, featuring Jerry Stiller, Janeane Garafalo and Ben Stiller. The Independent is currently being adapted for the New York stage.

For more information, visit the Festival website here.

Also visit Heidi Durrow's Personal blog.

*************************************

The Mixed Chicks mention 'Mirror On America' in Podcast episode 39. Take a Listen.

See My previous post on The Mixed Chicks.

Visit The Mixed Chicks Podcast page.

The Mixed Chicks

If you are not familiar with the Mixed Chicks, you are missing out.

The Mixed Chicks = Actress, Producer, Comedienne, & Educator Fanshen Cox, and Author, Attorney, & Blogger Heidi Durrow. These were the girls who finished #1 in everything in your High School... (& perhaps college too) they were the really gifted, extraordinary students.

They co-host their own weekly podcast on TalkShoe.com. Shows usually run for approximately half an hour. They usually get together to have interesting discussions about issues that impact mixed raced individuals and families.... sometimes focusing on racism and the social awkwardness that comes with being mixed or that comes with being in interracial relationships. They cover everything from racial identity, the use (or misuse) of words, to the absurdities that mixed raced people often face. Sometimes their discussions get deep and uncomfortable (metaphorically, they really strip themselves down sometimes for these discussions)...almost like intellectual/emotional S&M. (That's what makes the show work). But usually the show is a balance between humor and the uncomfortable. Some of their discussions can be a little edgy or controversial. They leave no doubt that the issue of race in America is still very real.

For a taste of a Mixed Chicks discussion, take a listen to one of their podcasts from earlier this month. This episode was a slightly different format from their usual show, because this installment was part of the Story Corps program.

You can find 3 links on my sidebar for the Mixed Chicks...yes, they have a lot of websites. But on my sidebar, you will find: 1. Lightskinned-ed girl (Heidi Durrow), 2. Mixed Chicks Blog, and 3. Mixed Chicks Podcast (scroll down to the bottom of their site for archived shows).