The Black Response asks ‘Where Do Black Men Live?'
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Inspired by Lee Mun Wah's
Advertisement
'The stories are really rich and important,' Guirand said. 'And for me, one of my commitments in doing the project — and I was really held accountable by the participants — was that I would share the stories back with the community.'
Film still from "Where Do Black Men Live?"
Corinne Spencer
As The Black Response prepares for its third screening of the film and first Juneteenth Festival in Cambridge Common, Guirand is keeping her promise.
Advertisement
At the past two screenings at
She said she hopes the film continues to be a catalyst for people to share their experiences and dismantle the narrative that the Cambridge community is solely affluent people.
'I think telling these stories and making it real shows that there are marginalized people everywhere,' Guirand said. 'Especially in these times, it's really important to document those stories and sit in community together and share and listen, and that's what we're hoping that people do, especially on Juneteenth.'
Recently,
'I think this film is going to help people to reflect,' Guirand said. 'Hearing these stories, seeing these men, it makes it more real. It reminds people that these things are happening in one of the most affluent cities in the world and it's really important, and I'm incredibly grateful that we get the opportunity to do it.'
The film serves as the opening to The Black Response's Juneteenth Festival. That morning, parents can drop their children off at a childcare service provided by the organization in Cambridge Common and go watch the film at the Brattle Theatre.
Advertisement
Afterwards festival-goers can partake in conversations about the film's themes as they enjoy free food, live music, and spoken word performances, and explore the numerous community groups tabling throughout Cambridge Common.
There will also be a 3-D printed mockup of a monument by Haitian artist Woodly Caymitte on display that The Black Response hopes to erect in the future. The monument is intended to symbolize the hope for true freedom from mass incarceration one day.
Guirand said the monument will serve as a place for people to reflect on the toll mass incarceration takes and the people who have fought against it.
Along with the sculpture, the installation will incorporate excerpts of interviews with formerly incarcerated people about their experiences.
Guirand said she hopes the film, the celebration, and the monument stand as a call to action.
Juneteenth is a day for reflecting on those who were enslaved and remembering there is still more work to be done, she said.
'Coming to our event, a free community event, is an opportunity to plug into that as a source for collective reflection and to refuel and then get to work with like community people to make change,' Guirand said.
The Black Response's Juneteenth Festival, June 19,
from 12:30
to 4 p.m. For more information,
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Miami Herald
Affectionately offensively-named sub shop closing down
Embrace the hate? Keep Austin weird? Sometimes, things just get weird on their own and something that seems offensive on the outside actually was done out of love. That, of course, does not always translate well, and people not in on the joke might not see the words being used as playful. Related: Nearly-100-year-old beer brand closing more locations My son, for example, worked at a Wendy's while he was in high school. He was the only white kid who worked there who lasted and he worked alongside some Haitian women who cooked the burgers on the grill. The women spoke Creole and almost no English. My son knew a little Creole due to a past relationship and had a warm relationship with the women, even though he and they could not communicate much. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter The women called him "White Boy." That sounds like a slur, and taken certain ways it could be. But when a phrase is used with love, it becomes more of an inside term of endearment. JewBoy Sub Shop, an Austin icon, has a similar origin story. Image source: Hofacker/Shutterstock When you visit the the website for JewBoy SubShop, it's immediately over the top and you can see the intentionally hamfisted effort to merge two cultures. "Hola! It's time to get meshugganah. Welcome to the JewBoy Sub Shop. We are a sandwich shop in Austin, Texas, inspired by both Border and Reform Jewish Culture. Hope you're hungry," it says. ("Meshugganah" is transliterated Yiddish for "crazy.") The menu is decidedly not kosher, or even kosher-style, as it offers meat served with cheese, as well as pork products. JewBoy Sub Shop's owner does explain the restaurant's name on its website. "Mo Pittle, born in Cleveland with ties to Philadelphia and Washington, DC, was raised in El Paso, Texas. Not the first place you'd expect to find Jews, but they're there. Growing up among the Homeboys, he became affectionately known as 'El JewBoy,'" he wrote. More Fast Food & Restaurant News: Starbucks makes shocking pricing move customers will loveBankrupt restaurant chain offers new deal, stiff drinkNew Taco Bell menu items combines multiple classics The name stuck and he carried it over to his sub shop and two JewBoy Slider locations. "A few decades later, it now describes the subs you're about to consume," he said. "A perfect mix of Border and Jewish culture. So open your mind, but more importantly, open your mouth, because if you know Jewish people, or you know Latinos, you know you're about to feast," Pittle recently posted the decision to close his questionably named sub shop. "All roads eventually come to an end," he posted on Facebook. "For our Sub Shop, their road will come to an end this Sunday, July 20th. Our lease is up and other opportunities call. "We can't express our gratitude enough to all our customers and employees who supported our journey these last 4 and a half years. Come in this week and for sure on Sunday when we'll have food and drink specials until we sell it all." The two JewBoy Slider locations are unaffected by the shutdown of the sub shop. Whether Pittle owns all three locations is unclear. "Gone but not forgotten is the theme here, as many of our menu items, or versions of them, will make their way into our other locations," he posted. "Stay tuned for our next journey starting next month. Details forthcoming. Peace, love and a slutty sandwich!" Related: Iconic Mexican restaurant closing after 23-year run Fans of the eatery were devastated. "Oy vey! By far my favorite sub shop in Austin," Dan Bruce posted on Facebook. "Not just currently, but for the entirety of my 20+ years living here. I hope you eventually find a new location (preferably down south). Until then, at least we still have the burgers." Ben Glasthal shared similar emotions. "That is a gut punch, I love the sub shop. If I wasn't down in far south Austin I'd be there a few times a week. I hope this doesn't end up being goodbye to subs forever," he wrote. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Boston Globe
From ‘Flow' to ‘Apocalypse Now': Boston's week of timeless cinema screenings
It's the middle of July and, well, let's just say it's the If summer blockbusters aren't doing it for you this year, Boston cinemas play host to repertory screenings to revisit favorites: from last year's Oscar-winning 'Flow' to the aviation action film 'Top Gun,' here are Boston area screenings for the week of July 15–20. No Country for Old Men (2007) It all starts with a briefcase. When Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles across $2 million dollars — the result of a failed drug deal — in the West Texas desert, his big break becomes his worst nightmare as both sides of the law pursue him. Good-natured sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) and an inhumanly relentless hitman (Javier Bardem) cross paths in an endlessly entertaining three-way entanglement of justice in one of the defining Westerns of the 21st century. July 16, 4 p.m. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Rick Rossovich, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, and Tom Cruise in the 1986 film "Top Gun," directed by Tony Scott. Advertisement Top Gun (1986) Before Tom Cruise was July 17, begins at dusk. Free . 410 Revere Beach Blvd., Revere. Advertisement In the Mood for Love (2000) Summer yearners rejoice: Wong Kar-wai's masterful portrait of withheld emotion returns to cinemas this week for its 25th anniversary. 'In the Mood for Love' follows Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung — two of Hong Kong's biggest stars at the time — as neighbors who learn their respective partners are in an affair, and the romantic gray zone they enter. The restoration includes a new final chapter, previously only seen at the film's original Cannes premiere. July 15-18, various showtimes. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. Tony Leung in "In the Mood for Love 2001," the rarely-seen chapter included with the 25th anniversary restoration. Janus Films Flow (2024) A July 18, 6 p.m. Free admission, RSVP required. Kendall/MIT Open Space, 292 Main St., Cambridge. Apocalypse Now (1979) At the tail end of director Francis Ford Coppola's legendary '70s run sits 'Apocalypse Now,' a Vietnam War film about a group of soldiers sent on a mission to kill a rogue colonel (Marlon Brando) who has fled into the depths of the Cambodian jungle. As the captain (Martin Sheen) becomes consumed by his quest, he loses sight of his own humanity, and the journey down the river leads to one of the great depictions of human madness. Not bad enough? Catch the making-of documentary ' July 19, 7:30 p.m. Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. Advertisement Ryan Yau can be reached at
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Restaurant review: Mahari, a neighborhood home with the cuisine of the African diaspora in Hyde Park
Mahari brings not just the vibrant cuisines of the African diaspora to Chicago, but chefs tracing their cultures and blazing their own paths. Executive chef Rahim Muhammad owns the restaurant in Hyde Park, the neighborhood where he was born, with his mother, Shawn Muhammad. Mama Shawn, as everyone calls her, is a chef as well who does all their desserts, he said. The restaurant's name held meaning in their family long before they opened in January. It can be translated as 'gift' in the Swahili language, Rahim Muhammad said, and it's also his oldest daughter's middle name. 'We wanted to find one word that encompasses the beauty behind it,' he said. 'And it was Mahari.' The restaurant has become an escape from the everyday, where 'people feel like they're on a retreat somewhere,' Muhammad said. A woven grass ceiling over the main dining room with warm-hued tiled tables enhances that feeling. 'It's a very homey place,' said the chef, who was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 'Because a lot of us have a strong representation in Southern hospitality.' It feels very exotic, he added, and communal too. I felt the power of community during my two visits. I can't tell you how many times I witnessed friends surprised to find one another, from younger groups standing at the back bar at brunch to older diners seated for dinner. A beautiful Caribbean lamb burger, available for brunch and dinner, has earned a reputation even among those who yearn to visit the restaurant. 'In the Caribbean, lamb and goat are more prevalent than beef,' said Muhammad. 'We use lamb, but there's layers to it.' They start with a toasted brioche bun baked at La Boulangerie across the courtyard, he said, spread with a hidden layer of mango chutney. A spiced lamb patty, cooked to your preferred doneness, is then topped with smoked Gouda cheese, grilled pineapple and spicy pikliz, the pickled and peppered Haitian condiment. 'One of our chefs, she's from Haiti,' he said. 'So she makes a Haitian pikliz that has lots of complex flavors, sweet and sour and spicy.' That pikliz may be my favorite component, adding a distinctive kick and crunch. But it's not just one chef dedicated to making it. 'Everyone can make it in the kitchen,' said Muhammad. A side of golden yuca fries is done perfectly in the style of pommes Pont Neuf, the thick-cut frites arranged in a crosshatch stack. I haven't seen the old-school French fries since culinary school in Paris, which makes sense since Muhammad graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, before beginning his career under chef Art Smith at Table Fifty-Two. A spectacular prawn and polenta, offered at dinner only, is his interpretation of shrimp and grits. Giant river prawns come piled high on an exquisite pan-seared crisp yet creamy polenta cake, set against a canvas of aromatic Jamaican yellow curry, garnished with caramelized cipollini onion petals. 'The polenta cake, I learned that in Louisiana,' said Muhammad. 'It's just a way that my aunt made it.' That was his mother's sister who taught him how to make those glorious fried grits, the ingenious American Southern cousin to fried rice. Pineapple wings rival the lamb burger as their bestseller, said the chef, and both dishes are halal. Crackly charred chicken skin gives way to flesh that's tender and deeply seasoned to the bone. 'You can get wings everywhere in Chicago,' said the chef. 'But I wanted these to stand out, so we have a four-step process.' They start with a pineapple brine marination, a Creole Cajun seasoning, then roast and finally grill. And it's the final grilling, and a pan sauce made by deglazing with pineapple juice, that makes all the difference. Stunning salmon calas, batter-dipped and deep-fried fritters, are formed with coveted heirloom Carolina Gold rice. 'Those were inspired by New Orleans,' said Muhammad. 'And that's true to my roots.' But the chef reimagined historic calas, created in this country by enslaved people. 'In the 1800s, women were making a living by selling calas, sweet rice fritters served with a café au lait,' he said. 'But we turned it into something savory, because people love a good salmon croquette.' His batter dip and deep fry create something more substantial, with a final flourish of roasted salmon skin and a lovely green salad dressed in mandarin segments and vinaigrette. A French toast flambé transforms pillowy slices of brioche bread into nearly a custard, while maintaining its character through a tableside rum-fueled flame, with caramelized plantains and hot honey too. 'We have something we call Habesha honey that's made with berbere spice, which we get from Demera Ethiopian restaurant, one of our friends,' said Muhammad. 'It's straight from their homeland. Their farmland.' An intoxicating ruby red nonalcoholic sobolo drink also infuses spice with intention. Beverage director Lisa Brown was previously at The Promontory. She steeps floral red sorrel leaves with pungent Grains of Paradise, star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon, ginger, orange and clover honey. The resulting delicious cold drink is available with and without alcohol. Her Afrodisiac Island cocktail sips smooth yet strong with Ten To One rum, the Black-owned brand co-owned by Grammy Award-winning R&B star Ciara. Brown mixes the rum with pomegranate, lime and smoked pineapple juices plus fig honey, finishing with Cavi-art vegan caviar for delightful tiny boba-like pops. A cazuela de mariscos, however, while abundant with sea scallops and PEI mussels, seemed to substitute prawns for crawfish, which were once served in the shell when the restaurant opened. The chef said they were in the delicate pineapple coconut broth, but I sadly couldn't detect the crustaceans. The okra étouffée, a wonderful substitution of traditional crawfish with the polarizing pods, had nice flavors, but the basmati rice in the smothered dish was overcooked and broken. The desserts, including a plantain bread pudding and watermelon cheesecake, were so endearingly homestyle and as soft as an embrace, but not as refined as the rest of the bold menu. If I might say something as a critic that a son might find hard to say to his mother, those desserts can be taken to the next level, as were the fried grits. The sambusas are an uplifting example. Colorful, hot and crispy, the savory triangular pastries are filled with spicy beef, pulled chicken or fine lentils. As someone who grew up making egg rolls my whole life, I appreciated the many careful folds. 'Those are special,' Muhammad said. 'They're handmade by a good friend of mine.' Dalya Aderob's family is from Eritrea and Ethiopia, added Muhammad, and they wanted to highlight her family recipe. A brilliant Haitian epis dipping sauce made with tons of peppers, onions, scallions, a lot of spices and herbs, is a heck of a process to create, said the chef, but the flavor stands out. What also stands out are the many women leading the restaurant. Nia Nunn, the sous chef, and Christina Mighty, the general manager, keep everything in alignment, said Muhammad. Mahari has chefs from West Africa, including a line cook from Mauritania, from across the Caribbean and from the American South. But now, they're all from the neighborhood. 'This is our town,' said Muhammad. 'We just love being here.' And they love celebrating, evident with birthday drums and a communal toast by the excellent staff and diners alike. Their drummer, Kavonn Smith, who's from the Bahamas, plays a Bahamian carnival-style drum called a tum tum, said Muhammad. 'We have a community engagement director,' said Muhammad. 'His name is actually Magic Johnson, and he typically heralds every time we have a special occasion.' When you go, the collective energy of those celebrations will linger like vibrations of fiery spice and resilient joy. Mahari 1504 E. 55th St. (located in the Hyde Park Shopping Center Courtyard) 312-907-5274 Open: Dinner from 5 p.m.; Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday until 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.; brunch weekends from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m; closed Tuesday Prices: $24 (Caribbean lamb burger), $18 (salmon calas), $17 (Kutkoota sambusa trio), $44 (prawn and polenta), $13 (sobolo nonalcoholic drink) Sound: OK (75 to 79 dB) to loud (95 to 97 dB) during birthday drum procession Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with restrooms on same level Tribune rating: Excellent, 3 of 4 stars Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
