Category: Social Issues

Baltimore Artists Expose CM.Ball Festival Organizer as Scammer Bringing Awareness to Fraudulent Business Practices and Misogyny

The 5th Annual CM Ball Music Festival was cut short after the owner of CM.Pops Ky McCoy’s mistreatment towards Saxophonist Rachel Winder post her scheduled Saturday night performance at the culture festival. Days later, a social media protest emerges bringing awareness to allegations of fraudulent practices and misogynistic abusive behavior against female performers of the festival. Spoken word poet Maya Camille and artist Amorous Ebony support artists in a Cash App campaign to pay performers not compensated for their participation in the event.   

Just short of a week following the blow-up of the Stardust Music Festival, Baltimore women speak out about abuse in the Baltimore arts community at another music festival held during Labor Day weekend. Allegations of fraudulent business practices by McCoy emerge on social media days after artists flock to social media with feedback of the culture festival. Maya Camille, the activist, and representative for Rachel Winder published a series of tweets outing abusive and dismissive business practices with the event’s promoter.

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The CM.Ball, as stated on the website, is “an annual celebration of Baltimore creators and entrepreneurs presented by food startup cm.pops.” It’s a complete DIY community-based art project in its 5th year taking a stance to educate on health, environmental, and social issues while stimulating the economy of small businesses and artists. A few Baltimore artists to perform at the CM.Ball in previous years is Blaqstarr, Kotic Couture, Ducky Dynamo, Baby Kahlo, Miss Kam, and many more Baltimore-based talent.

Maya calls Ky McCoy out to be a con via her Twitter. “CM Ball is a scam. Ky doesn’t pay artists. He is a disrespectful, unprofessional, who uses the iota of clout he has to scam artists,” she shares in her first tweet about business handlings with McCoy. She tweets nine days after Rachel Winder and numerous other artists were not paid for their performances. Maya also shares that McCoy blocked her and Winder as followers from the CM.Ball Instagram account when contacted about payment. She further explains on her Instagram McCoy’s belligerent behavior during the event. 

Ray Winder retweets Maya saying McCoy is “a true scammer and doesn’t know how to treat artists.” She follows up in another tweet a picture of McCoy. “This dude is a heartless and Spineless scammer. He’s blocked by several other artists. But He doesn’t know it’s not that simple.”

Maya and Winder’s disclosure of a scam artist sparked a wave of concerns from other performers that weekend. Some artists share their personal reviews via their social media accounts. Cash Liss, the founder of Tortilla Gurl, a small black Baltimore artist collective devoted to covering local artists in Baltimore’s arts scene, published a text conversation with McCoy to her Instagram Story. The conversation was a response after contacting McCoy about her payment. The conversation was later shared on singer and producer :3ION’s Twitter account. 

This public mishandling led to a “Cash App Roll Call” for artists not compensated for working the CM.Ball Music Festival. Maya led the campaign to raise money for Winder. A number of artists went to action sharing each other’s social media handles in support of the profit they lost. Cash Liss gave thanks to the artists who supported her in her hesitation to share her personal account with McCoy.

Say Her Name Coalition is a foundation that prides itself in “continuing the work of affirming, empowering, uplifting and fighting for the visibility and livelihood of Black women and femmes.” As stated on their website, “they seek to smash respectability politics, patriarchal and white supremacy systems, misogynoir.” When Amorous Ebony, activist, and founder of Say Her Name Coalition, caught wind of the debate between Cash Liss and McCoy, she expressed with us in an email, she personally reached out to Cash Liss to donate payment towards her performance “after seeing the disgusting texts.” 

We contacted McCoy for comments about the social media protest, and when or whether artists will receive payment from CM.Ball. Doc’s Castle Media is yet to receive a response.

How To Support Black Women and Femmes in Baltimore Community

We wondered if there would be future efforts to raise money for helping artists impacted in situations like this. Ebony shares with us she’s “open with connecting and organizing to support them with a separate fund.” There currently are no campaigns with the organization specifically for artists impacted by this incident. In the meantime, the Say Her Name Coalition is a great place to start if you’re looking to support Black women and femmes facing similar challenges. It is their mission is to end violence against Black women and femmes within this city!

Support the Say Her Name Coalition. 

#PrayForLove: Baltimore Women Demand You to Speak Up Against the Sexual Abuse in Baltimore Arts Community

Article Updated: September 13, 2021

Labor Day weekend Basement Rap Artist Butch Dawson celebrated the release of the album Stardust. The Stardust Music Festival took place at the YNot Lot. However, the celebration was short-lived as protesters put a halt to the event speaking out against Karlos Locke, alleged sexual abuser of 20 women within the Baltimore arts community. 

A video surfaced on Twitter and retweeted over 120 times, of performers demanding protestors leave the music festival for the disturbance. Protestors are seen in the video holding a white sign with red lettering that says “1 Man + 20 Victims.” Protestors called to bring awareness to sexual assault in the Baltimore arts community. Karlos Locke, former manager for Butch Dawson and numerous other artists under the Basement Rap label, is the alleged rapist in over 20 Baltimore women accusations. 

Numerous other videos surfaced on social media displaying disorderly conduct and commotion amongst the crowd. In one video, Butch Dawson is seen provoking violence towards demonstrators saying “I ain’t got nothing to do with no motherfucking rape….Y’all doing all this performative stupid ass bullshit…. If y’all don’t want to support me, don’t support me. Anybody say something negative, pop one of these motherfucker, yo.” A supporter of the protests yells “stop gaslighting,” as a response. Another video raised concerns of safety as one individual on the stage was seen flashing a weapon towards the crowd. The event ended early due to the disruption. 

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Later, Basement Rap states the artist flashing the gun to the crowd as a non-affiliate to the label in a photo published to their IG Story.

Butch Dawson’s Apology

Two days following the Stardust Music Festival, the Basement Rap brand released a public announcement addressing actions that took place that evening. 

Butch Dawson also released a statement further apologizing for how he handled events that occurred that evening, disassociating his affiliation with Karlos Locke and the CMND Group, and apologizing to all the women in his life. He, later in the week, deleted the video along with remaining photos on his Instagram page.

Source: Butch Dawson’s Instagram

DMV Artists affiliated with the free festival apologize for the position they played during the protest. Miss Kam and Detranada published video apologies to their social media channels while artist Kelow Latesha and numerous other performers personally reached out to supporters of the event regarding how they responded to the protest during the show. Journalist and creator of A Ride Down 95 Kosso is spotted in a video shoving one of the protestors on stage. He also released an apology video. Later in the week, he deleted the video from his Instagram profile.

Source: comment under a supporter’s Instagram post.

Baltimore Curators Speaking Against Sexual Assault in Baltimore

Following the commotion, at the Ynot Lot Saturday evening, event curators and small businesses in Baltimore Station North Arts District postponed shows and made public stances on their social media accounts to stand in solidarity with those silenced and to find solutions that’ll resolve conflicts inflicted upon underrepresented communities.

Mia is the co-founder of Invisible Majority, a “Baltimore-based creative community incubator providing space, services, and support to Baltimore’s independent creative business community.” She often shares her opinions via her social media channels. In her video shared on her business Instagram profile, she shares her support with those who were silenced at the Stardust event. Mia talks about supporting the women in the movement brave enough to stand against sexual abuse, the importance of holding people accountable when wrong is being done, and why this is such a vital time to ensure that we stop injustices brewing in the art scene.

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City Beach, a group of artists and event curators known for the Pretty Beach and Heathen Beach Drag Shows, postponed the Strange Family Variety Show to use as a time of reflection. Curators will use the time to send surveys to supporters in the Baltimore Arts community for feedback in order “to hold themselves accountable as event curators, space holders, and humans in this city to ensure that moving forward [they] can be a safe and secure space for everyone to feel heard and welcomed.”

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Previous Doc’s Thumbs Up feature Kotic Couture publicly announced their break, as well, deciding to pause performances and withdraw from the majority of their upcoming bookings. 

Sexual Abuse is Unacceptable

How unfortunate it is to write about a #MeToo moment in my very own neck of the woods. It’s unfortunate, but not surprising because the majority of women face sexual assault, especially in the professional environment. There’s no exception to the Baltimore arts community. There is no right or wrong way, or time, for exploiting intolerable and inappropriate behavior such as sexual abuse. Silencing someone’s choice to speak out against it does more detriment to an individual’s mental health than finding a resolution. Seeing the protestors brutally treated as if their words are falling on deaf ears is an outrage! 

As a woman myself, I can speak as a victim of sexual abuse throughout my working career. I stand with the women silenced during the Stardust Music Festival. I understand that I have a platform I can bring awareness to this injustice that these 20 victims and many other women face. This is why I chose to document the demonstration using Doc’s Castle Media. It’s important that women, AND MEN, speak up and use available resources to spread the word about sexual assault to stop biases and corruption within the arts community.

I am not associated with the protest that took place during Stardust, but I am a listening ear to those ignored. Sexual assault is unacceptable. It is intolerable. All in all, abusers must be held accountable.

What do you think? How can we make sure that the Baltimore Arts Community has the resources for victims of sexual abuse? Leave your thoughts below.

Doc’s Thumbs Up: Kotic Couture Celebrates One Year Anniversary of Pink Durag A Few Weeks Before #DuragHistoryWeek

Kotic Couture celebrates their one-year anniversary of the official music video for Pink Durag ft. 310N this August 2021. And I can’t help to wonder if they meant to release the video for Pink Durag weeks prior to Durag History Week. Today I share in its glory by making the Pink Durag featuring 310N official music video the latest Doc’s Thumbs Up feature on Doc’s Castle Media.

Kotic and I go way back to 2016 working for Baltimore pop hits radio station Today’s 101.9 as promotion assistants. Thank God we’ve evolved from those humble beginnings. I always loved Kotic’s straightforward tell-it-how-it-is attitude. So when they told me who they really are outside of working at the station, I kept following them closely on all their social media so I can watch their musical journey.

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Kotic makes waves in Baltimore like no other. From appearing in the Netflix documentary Dark City Beneath the Beat, DJing, and opening up for other musical artists in Baltimore, to hosting parties at arts and entertainment venue Crown in Baltimore, Couture alerts are from every direction in the DMV and tri-state area. Obviously, the couture is juicy because the Kotic buzz has been busy for a while now. They also appeared in Spotify’s DMV Ripple Effect Playlist as a feature on Miss Kam’s FTCU along with Ddm. Finally, as of recently, they’re traveling more booking gigs across the east coast from New York City to even DJing in the PBNJ Block Party club music tour on August 28th in New Jersey. Like, is this Kotic giving us all that they got? …because gah!

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Kotic Couture Pink Durag ft. 310N Official Music Video

Pink Durag is the Doc’s Thumbs Up feature because it’s long overdue. The video premiered last August while I was still learning how to build this website. Now, I remember while Kotic celebrates its one-year release via Instagram. I’ll say this post is better late than never because they deserve all the recognition they can get with this one.

In honor of #DuragHistoryWeek, Kotic Couture is here with it. Though there isn’t a durag insight in this video, the message is as strong as its staple in the black community. Kotic shares with us via email the idea came during the pandemic after watching, what felt like consecutive, fatal killings as a result of police brutality. “The deaths of George Floyd, but specifically Breonna Taylor and Oluwatoyin Salau, left such an impression on me. I was tired of screaming on the Internet. I literally had to tell myself to calm down so I started working on music.” Out of frustration, the song was born. 

The production and visuals of the video are fire, but the overall message is what should take you away. Breaking barriers from what society pictures as the norm is what makes Kotic one of my favorites in Baltimore’s art scene. They can really put on a show defying the odds and truly showing who they’ll be.  But listen closely to the spoken word closing out the video.

Kotic narrows our attention on Oluwatoyin Salu, a 19-year-old BLM activist who was murdered days after protesting for George Floyd in Tallahassee, FL. Her murder highlighted the notion that despite being the backbones of communities and large movements, Black women still face a high risk of facing a violent end. I love that Kotic took a moment to bring this message to the forefront. It is what truly should be on our minds in her case. The music video defies stereotypes, sure. This breeds a fire 🔥 reaction in itself. But Kotic is also spitting a message American’s need to hear.

The sound and video are a bit different from the usual fast tempo or club banger from Kotic. “The last time people saw a visual from me it was loud and colorful,” Kotic shares. Pink Durag is quite different which shows, early, them to be versatile through maneuvering genres. With this skill, we can expect them to work with numerous different artists in the future. Wow, oh wow, at what we get coming from little ole Baltimore, hmm?

Durag History

Over the course of a decade, summertime is designated as an hour for black people to ride the Durag wave. In September 2014, Durag History Week was declared by Van R. Newick II in a thread of memes via a tweet and Black Twitter went wild. Black people started to come together yearly in honor of celebrating durag history by sharing their favorite durag memes on social media. A few years later, visual artist and activist Dammit Wesley initiated the 1st annual Durag Festival in Charlotte, NC to showcase its history and dismiss the stereotypes associated with black hair and black culture. Just this year on Juneteenth, black folks in NC celebrated its 3rd annual durag celebration, and on July 25th the residents of Milwaukee saw their 1st durag festival. What’s to say that these durag traditions won’t evolve and carry on to more cities and states.

[Read more on “The Renaissance of the Durag” by Alisha Acquaye via Allure]

I wondered if there was any relation to releasing Pink Durag the time black people love cherishing durags so much. Actually, Kotic told me the durag didn’t have any influence on the song at all. “I definitely didn’t wear a Durag on purpose. I never want to be too predictable or cheesy and the song had nothing to do with Durags, that’s just the metaphor for things sitting on your mind, so I didn’t think that being in the video needed to be represented.” I guess I’ll scratch the idea of Kotic touring in Charlotte and Milwaukee offering to perform Pink Durag for next year’s festival is officially off the table. 

What do you think? Do you like the video? Share your comments below.

#PrayForLove: Visit Loring Cornish’s #ICantBreathe Exhibition at How Great Thou Art Gallery

On another walk around Baltimore, I came across another outside art exhibition like the Black Lives Matter Mural in Patterson Park in September. This time in Baltimore’s Fell Point to get out of the house for a bit and visit Sound Garden to browse some vinyl and old flicks. A trip well spent because I bought some cool new socks. But also set my eyes upon a beautiful exhibit at the How Great Thou Art Gallery worthy of a PrayForLove highlight on Doc’s Castle Media. Baltimore Mosaic Artist Loring Cornish creates I Can’t Breathe outside exhibition to bring attention to police brutality.

Last month, we were hit with the devastating news of Breonna Taylor’s verdict. And just like when I scroll my social feeds, days later, I strolled by a reminder, in person, that we’re still in the midst of a war with police policy and reform. I’m tired.

Cornish exhibit is a pause in time. It makes you think. I took a moment of silence before I visited the Sound Garden next door. I saw all the names of victims fallen by police brutality represented by burning candles just under the “I can’t fucking breathe” sign. George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s pictures displayed large as day with words of frustration and “I will never understand” written in all caps all around them. This case is the loudest breakthrough we’ve had in recent years. Two pictures of Breonna Taylor stand directly along side the burning candles. The exhibit makes me upset. The build-up of all of this has gone on far too long. I don’t understand, either. So I pause to take it in.

The exhibit is getting quite the buzz as people share their experiences on their social media using the hashtag #LoringCornish. On Instagram, there are over 500+ shared posts of Loring Cornish’s exhibit. 

Cornish had many other exhibitions focusing on race and police in previous years. In 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray, Cornish decorated a police box in Station North “to bring attention to police operating practices that have made millions of Americans uncomfortable.” He also received national attention for his Black “lynched” doll exhibition in response to Eric Gardner, Walter Scott, and Michael Brown. Cornish used his passion and talent to raise awareness of police brutality throughout the decade.

The How Great Thou Art Gallery is owned by Cornish and is the home to a plethora of beautiful creations made by the Mosaic artist himself. Check out more art at the Loring Cornish website.

“I will never understand,” either. Would you visit this exhibition? Leave your comments below.

#PrayForLove: Support #BLM Murals in Patterson Park & The North Avenue Window Joint for September 2020

Outside art exhibitions are one of the best things to emerge out of this 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. I spotted another art exhibit in Baltimore worth visiting if you’re looking for something to do but still want to social distance. Patterson Park is holding Black Live Matter Murals after recent George Floyd protests in Minneapolis.

Photo Credit: CtrlMyCamera

The “invisible enemy” Covid-19 has required businesses of all industries to maneuver differently because infection rates in America are at record-breaking highs. Restaurants, bars, casinos, and nightlife are closed or open with limited capacity throughout the state of Maryland. It wasn’t until last Friday, September 4th, Governor Larry Hogan announced Maryland is ready to move forward into phase 3 of reopening. As news that infection rates continue to rise in Baltimore city, there doesn’t seem to be any new changes with the city moving fully forward into Phase 2. Restaurants dining increased to operating at 50% capacity or with outside dining. Masks are required in every place of retail. Baltimore city must continue operating like there is a huge risk at stake.

There are precautions being taken at many Maryland businesses, and new creative avenues are being explored for how to continue conducting business as usual. For art galleries and museums, there are fundraisers, window exhibitions, and virtual workshops considered as options in this industry during these trying times. In Baltimore, there is no exception. Art lovers can find alternative options to continue enjoying popping up all over the city. Labor Day weekend, Baltimore creative Alanah Nichole hosted The North Avenue Window Joint opening reception for the window exhibition at the Impact Hub in support of financially helping artists during the pandemic.

Source: The North Avenue Window Joint/ Station North Facebook

The North Avenue Window Joint will be in Impact Hub on North Avenue until October 31st. 

Companies opened for business highly encourage patrons to take safety precautions by practicing social distancing with face masks and utilizing hygiene stations. But at the start of the pandemic, it never crossed my mind how a virus could affect almost every social activity humans partake. It’s really changing how we operate in our daily lives. I see people being affected, and for the first time, I saw the entire world react in either fight or flight mode. It’s weird that we’re still in the midst of it, but also awesome to see how new opportunities are created.

[Read: Baltimore Creatives Become Forefront Activists for the Perception of Baltimore Housing and Community Change (Support Vacants Tour and The People United Exhibition]

Alanah isn’t the only activist making things happen during COVID. I saw a post of a #BLM mural shared by Baltimore based artist Jasmin Manning via Instagram. But didn’t expect that the following week I’d stroll past it while on a mission to get fresh air and clear thoughts from Covid-19 isolation at my house. I found several Black Live Matter murals along the sidewalks of Patterson Park.

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According to a post shared to the Reginald F. Lewis Museum Facebook page, these #BLM murals were “erroneously removed by park rangers. They were loaded into the back of the truck with the intention of taking them to the city dump. Due to the vigilance of the Patterson Park community, the removal of legally displayed murals was halted.”

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum located in downtown Baltimore, MD will display these selected murals in Fall 2020 if you fail to get the chance to head over to Patterson Park in Baltimore to view these great works in person. The murals will be part of an exhibition on the power of protest.

Have you seen any art exhibitions or attended events during the pandemic? Let us know what cool things you’ve done while social distancing in the comments below.

Juneteenth 2020 is something else

We’re living in the foreshadowing of what really happened during the time of our ancestors. For two years, Texan slaves didn’t know they were actually freed by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. Today in 2020, we have the president of the United States taking credit for making the holiday famous in the midst of rescheduling his first 2020 presidential campaign in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Though there could be some truth to that statement for many Americans, Trump is not the reason why I know about Juneteenth and also many other people who are fortunate to be educated on the true history of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Did you know this artist was offered a job after sharing his 2019 Google Juneteenth Illustration?

Juneteeth 2020 was more proactive because of the current social climate of our country. Since the death of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police department on Memorial day, daily protest bringing attention to police brutality and excessive force has remarkably surged throughout the nation. People are making it their duty to protest in support of their stances against systemic racism and support or police reform. Every day there are new updates around the country changing legislation and proposed laws. It’s liberating to see.

But it was a first for me to see black people telling others how to celebrate Juneteenth. Entertainment site xoNecole shared a series of infographics encouraging how people could celebrate their Juneteenth. While I am a black woman, I have never had a tradition for this day. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that there are many black people who honor it.

I felt like I needed to do something to bring more awareness of my history, especially currently with what’s happening. Until June 19th, I’ve remained in my home social-distanced, and my only knowledge of what’s occurring in the outside world is met through the Internet. I needed to get out of my selfmade COVID-19 dungeon. So Juneteenth, I thought of doing something safe that could give me an escape and purpose. 

After George Floyd, my boyfriend and I talked about our feelings about our current social climate in America. Both of us expressed a desire for wanting to do more with our brands in support of the Black community. I don’t know what it was, at that moment we felt like we weren’t doing enough. It’s like a kick of activism sparks in your spirit when something you know that isn’t right eludes in fairness. So boom I had an idea. Taking pictures of BLM signs, morals, businesses in support of #BlackLivesMatter while driving around Baltimore could give us that oomph we were missing. We can still do this and remained social-distanced.

Defund the Police. Need I say more?

I don’t think it’s necessary. We haven’t kept quiet since Floyd. I think people are fed up and won’t keep quiet.

CtrlMyCamera takes the credit for all these photos. That’s why I want to bring attention to supporting this talented black artist.

It’s always fun to catch an artist at work. It’s even more fun when you can get a class from it. Haha. Akeel is the most skilled photographers that I personally know in Baltimore city. So if it came down to finding the perfect person to coach me during a photo walk, no doubt it would be Ctrlmycamera.

A nice night hanging by the fire with friends in our blackness 12 am on Juneteeth.

Akeel Shabazz is the owner of the photography brand CtrlMyCamera. CtrlMyCamera specializes in portrait, event, wedding, landscape, and nature photography. Check out more from Akeel found on his Instagram @ctrlmycamera.

When did you first hear about Juneteenth? Leave your comments below.

So What Are We Doing Now? I thought the topic was police brutality? Where to donate to Support #BlackLives

Let’s talk about how the world is moving after the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmed Arbury. 

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We’re now near to a month in with bringing police brutality to the forefront of the media. Almost every day, we’re hearing new stories of someone getting killed or abused by cops. Just this week, former Atlanta Officer was charged with the murder of Rayshard Brook, a black man who was fatally shot in an Atlanta Wendy’s drive-thru after running away with the officer’s taser. We’re also seeing multiple petitions for many other cases involving social injustices being revisited. Mom of Kendrick Johnson, the black Georgia high school student that was found dead in the high school gymnasium in 2013, held a “Justice for Kendrick” rally on Saturday. Even Kim Kardashian shared her sentiments and support for signing a petition to reopen his case. The world looks like it’s making a turn for a change.

There are hundreds of companies and organizations making public stances in support of ending police brutality, supporting police reform, defunding police departments, and so on. The world is looking like it’s making a breakthrough. It really is. As a result of all these changes happening, we as a society look like we don’t know what we should be focusing on because there are lots of organizations making PSAs that aren’t directly focused on police reform but systemic racism in general. I log online and feel like my brain is being pulled from one breakthrough on one side of the country to the next breakthrough on the other.

And like any hot topic, there are so many inquisitive people pondering why we are making so many changes. Questions I’ve seen being asked: 

  • What should be our main focus in the media?
  • What should we have our attention emotionally, spiritually, and physically?
  • What’s good for our mind during all of this?
  • What does this tell me about my frame of character? 
  • Are the changes we’re making moving us in a positive direction? 

These are all very good questions to ponder. But I also see people arguing about why we are fighting when they thought racism ended? What are we trying to change? Honestly, I can sense their frustration. If you’re now truly beginning to see how messed up everything is, I’m sure you’re finding out how much more fight we have left to right a wrong system. 

Source: Facebook

Ultimately, all of these questions show us how much we don’t know how structured a systemic racial society has shaped how we live our daily lives. So we’re confused. It’s good news one minute to hear people talking of police officers walking out in Atlanta after the charges were made against the cop accused of murdering Rayshard Brooks. “Because this is what it all started from. Police Brutality is the topic.” It’s labeled off-topic the next minute people celebrate the rebranding of breakfast delicacy Cream of Wheat, which if someone was educated on the history of the image on the package, they’d know the chef name is Rastus – a pejorative term and considerably offensive as it’s associated with a depiction of a stereotypically happy Black Man in a plethora of minstrel culture in the 1920s. 

We are capable of focusing on more than one thing at a time. Still, while these are two separate stories, racism is the dark cloud that overcasts each. Systemic Racism needs to be addressed from every angle. We don’t have to erase it. But let’s REVISE our history to include everyone in it. Let’s have our story told with the inclusion of the people it’s about. Let’s hear the dialog of those who find that this is wrong. This is one reason why we diversify the people sitting in the seats at big tables at large corporations…AND actually, listen to their input, then implement it. We include them so we don’t have to say oops.

Change is good. Social evolution is a good thing. If you have a problem like NASCAR’s Truck Series Driver Ray Ciccarelli who quits racing because of the confederate flag ban, and if you don’t see how innovative such change can be for NASCAR to move forward from allowing this in the first place, it is your complacency to racism speaking from within. You’d better check it. Because we must knock out every single angle of this racist ass circus:

Though…I agree, there are some people making stances for change that are a little questionable. I’m seeing how desperate during this political season candidates make statements in hopes they sway voters in their favor. I question how genuine Joe Biden really feels when he makes public his opinions about wanting reparations for blacks as long as it’s expanded to Native Americans, too. Sounds like you itching for my vote buddy. If you mean it, I’m with it.

As I mentioned before in my blog “Is this the Revolution I talked about not being Televised? My #BlackOutTuesday Protest Against Racism in the Wake of the 2020 Minneapolis Riots,” it is time for people of color voices to be heard. Everywhere there are injustices there should be someone trying to address it. Society is evolving with many breakthroughs because people are sharing their stories with white allies who are listening. We have to be ready to receive it.

It still blows my mind people complain about good changes.

Why should corporations and companies change their company stances and political stances in supports of #BLM matter?

Because the “black” dollar has weight.

Black people spend money. Everyone should know black people spend their money. As stated in the Black Detour, “Though Black America makes up a small portion of the US population, Black buying power is approximately $1 trillion with estimates placing it close to $2 trillion by 2020, making us [black people] one of the largest economies in the world according to the World Bank, the 15th largest economy in the world in terms of GDP.” This means black people have an influence on what defines mainstream simply from decisions made from their wallets. This is important to everyone else because this tells us black spending is why you’ll see that item in the isles at the stores, on your television screens, and even down to the place you choose to purchase your crabs in Maryland. It’s crazy how you can find a GoFundMe account created for a Maryland crab shop after it opted to shut down all four of it’s Maryland locations because BLM protests emerged at the Middle River location for the owner and his family’s choices of words and viewpoint in response to 2020 Minneapolis riots and looting.

Screenshot of Vince Crab’s GoFundMe

The weight of the black dollar matters to these corporations. What we see here is our country facing an economic crisis from the coronavirus crisis, too. When the stores open back up, the black dollar matters, right? I’m cautious knowing that my wallet has weight. I’m aware of this power. Companies are changing policies and making public stances also because they know this power, too. Especially in the wake of a pandemic where we’re desperate to not fall into an economic depression. So now I’m choosing to use this power to continue to expand on with conscious shopping, investing in what I feel is worth my money. I’m researching the company and its product. Does this give back to the issues I care about? Hmm…and is it blacked owned, too?

Humans know right from wrong. But our issues are layered and capitalism is corruption. We have to put back into what matters in order to live a better life. So putting money into communities that matter to me is important.

Finding a motive that you’re passionate about. It doesn’t have to be specifically for the BLM organization.

I read everything. I’m not naive to claims of people who opt-out of paying money directly to the BLM organization. Speculation of where the money that’s donated to BLM is always questioned. Speculation for why #BlackLivesMatter protests emerge during the political season, too. Why is it? Who knows? Is it the assumption that it’s a black organization? People could argue. I research where my money is going, too. So often when speaking to someone about supporting black lives, I hear their doubts about donating money to an organization like #BlackLivesMatter. 

You can still donate to something else…🙄

Source: Curators of Hip-Hop Facebook

The Curators Of Hip-Hop hosted a zoom panel discussion “The Organized Culture” on Facebook live discussing issues in the current climate like what we should be doing next from protesting and what needs to be done to see changes when it comes to injustices. Five community leaders in Baltimore had this open discussion on Facebook live sharing what they do as their contributions to helping support the community around them.

[Watch the Facebook Panel Of The Organized Culture hosted by the Curators of Hip-Hop via their Facebook Channel.]

It’s important that I shared this entire panel because each speaker shared points worth considering when taking on supporting a cause against injustices like #BlackLivesMatter. But there are many more issues that require attention because the injustices are interchangeably relatable to each other when it comes to the challenges that plague an oppressed and disadvantaged culture. As crime is directly linked more to poverty than race or any other factor. We should be looking to support and find ways to better improve these communities and neighborhoods. We can find roadblocks to almost every avenue of social interaction. Causes that could be addressed for inner-city communities are unemployment, poverty, drug, and alcohol addiction, homelessness, it is not only police reform that needs fixing. Because there is a connection to high crime rates in a system that embellishes all of the above, racism is a plague that is weaved within all of it, and a privileged group that rarely experiences it at all needs to know what’s going on.

Will you make a stand to donate to a cause to change systemic racism in its entirety? What are some causes that you know that fight against injustices? List them in the comments below.

Is this the Revolution I talked about not being Televised? My #BlackOutTuesday Protest Against Racism in the Wake of the 2020 Minneapolis Riots

I started writing this blog last week. I revised and deleted it a few times. I’m still weird about publishing this now. But to tell you the truth, I feel the same feeling of word vomit eroding my mouth today as I did 5 years ago when I wrote “#OpinionEssay: The “Real” Revolution Will Not Be Televised. #ILoveBaltimore” during the unrest in Baltimore resulting in the Baltimore Uprising. I don’t care how the blog comes off because it is another protest about what is happening around me. I just asked God to use me as he did before.

On Memorial Day, May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a black American man was executed on video by Officer Derek Chavin of the Minneapolis Police Department. The video went viral like a plethora of other police brutality videos that surface online. But this one…this one might just be the video that dropped a major bomb into white people’s reality. Do we actually have white people on alert as to what happens to Black people in America? Because a week later after this horrific image was shared countless times on our feeds, America also has seen protests and riots in cities across the country calling for justice for Floyd. 

Credit:Nick Oxford/Reuters

When I wrote my Opinion Essay about how a revolution and revolt would not be televised, it was to send a message to Black people to come together and educate their families on the realities of being black. I wanted people to talk to their children about Black history. I needed black parents to take the time to teach their kids about a culture and a reality that has led their children to face a different lifestyle than those of other backgrounds. I wanted black people to heal in their black pride by sharing themselves with each other. It wasn’t my intention to tell black people to seek help or compassion from anyone who is white. When black people feel betrayed, that is the last thing they’re thinking of doing. I really believe many black people, like myself, took the time to immerse themselves in their blackness and grew in their pride because I saw so much uplifting and positivity living in the midst of the 2015 Baltimore Uprising. But the revolution was not going to be televised and all the positivity Black Baltimoreans experienced was short-lived. 

Source: Vice ID

Today I feel different about this revolution for Black America. I mean, the revolution is definitely on TV lol. There are so many black people who are already strong, having pride for themselves and culture. Black people live in their blackness daily. We don’t need to keep being reminded of why we go through these harsh realities. We’ve even gotten accustomed to healing each other whenever we’re knocked down with each release of a new video or news story. Though so many people yell #AllLivesMatter or Black on Black crime -blah, blah, blah- that is absolutely irrelevant to what attention we want. Black People are faced with injustices that people are deliberately ignoring. The revolution we’re watching for sure needs to be televised but this part of it is not for our spectatorship, it’s for our voice.

This revolution needs our labor at this moment to be a voice in our pure authentic blackness. This revolution needs for us to share our black stories, our black experiences, our black pain, and our black hopes. We need to share these things with our white friends so they can empathize with them. We need them to find some way to feel how we feel so that it can provoke them to fight for their allies because when white people care, they fight. It’s liberating to see more of my white friends, co-workers, and acquaintances speaking up after seeing this video. It’s amazing seeing white people taking the initiative to do the things that I asked of from Black people.

June 2, 2020, is a unique day in history particularly because #BlackOutTuesday will mark a day when industries and companies around the world chose to stop what they were doing to stand in solidarity against systemic racism. It’s the day America is literally acknowledging the bullshit. It might not be the whole country because there are still many doubters. But America today looks like it wants to listen to what we have to say. Black people have been screaming for such acknowledgment since forever ago. I’m a little overwhelmed with America lending an ear to Black folks, but goddammit about time. It’s the first time in all my life that I’m seeing white guilt on such a huge magnitude. I watched a video on Baltimore Fox 45 Facebook Live of hundreds of white people kneeling in solidarity on Northern Parkway and Roland Ave. We’re nowhere near the endpoint of racism but at least I’m seeing white people just as outraged as we are.

Several hundred protestors are kneeling for 9 mins on Northern Pkwy and Roland Ave.
Eddie Kadhim WMAR is on scene (Source: Facebook WBAR-2)

It’s not over. We still need our white allies. But we need this issue to be in their faces constantly. That’s the just reality of it. Once George Floyd’s investigation dies down in the media, will white people stop trying to learn what’s really affecting people of color? When I think of the answer to this question in general, it’s no because it’s a really uncomfortable subject. People do not like facing being uncomfortable. A huge part of me believes that once we stop talking about it, we’ll fall back into this being black people’s reality, and I’m not being a narcissist when I think this because this is my reality. I’m black and there are a lot of wow factors about my daily escapades of being a black woman I often gaze over as just another thing I’m used to.

This is the new challenge that I would like white allies to face now that we’ve got a lot of their attention. I challenge them to continually diversify their mind while learning black culture because many of us have concerns about what’s genuine. All these awesome stances are being made, but will they make an effort to continue to learn about systemic racism and seek ways to help fight it? Will they deliberately seek moments that may make them uncomfortable with the intentions of it helping them grow? The country needs unity and in order to get there, we need collaboration and understanding that will not expire once the next headline takes the lead, I’m just saying.

Credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

I’m tired. So are a lot of other black people. Are white people truly tired?

Have you read What You Missed at the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March… (Four Main Points Minister Farrakhan Shouted at Us)?

WFH: It’s Your Essential Right. 100 Work From Home Jobs During #Covid19

Everyday the statistics of unemployment reach astronomical levels with billions of people laid off globally while we await for the reopening of a global shutdown. People are getting antsy to leave their homes for survival. As people label even the minuscule of tasks as essential in order to escape their homes, they’re ignoring precautions to keep everyone safe. Ain’t nobody got time for that! So we need to push the alternatives.

I have friends and relatives fortunate in finding quick fixes in hard times. Like turning on a switch to active “hustler mode,” they are fast at coming up with plans to tackle the changes that could come up physically, mentally, spiritually, and even financially. It’s a talent that I can admire when people put in the hustle during times of adversity and tragedy.

The benefits of living in the digital age and smacked in the middle of year 2020 is the ability to remain connected in so many different ways while remaining so far apart. Distance isn’t a factor anymore if we need to get things done. So when trials appear, if there should be any during this pandemic, financial stability is everyone’s essential right. 

It’s recorded that over 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment within a six-week rolling period according to an article on CNBC. To measure this pandemic’s impact on a more local level, Maryland received over 37,000 unemployment claims within the last week! New approaches are necessary since we cannot determine when the country will go back to normal.

I saw a solution on my Facebook timeline. One of my friends shared a post of 100 companies that are currently hiring for work from home positions. I think this is useful for anyone. Take a look.

I pray anyone that is in need will find something in the list below. 

“Laid off during #Covid19, or looking for a 2nd stream of income? Do you have stable internet access? Here’s a list of employers who are hiring for remote positions.

NOTE: You will need to copy and paste the entire post (not share it), otherwise you will only see the DOI link. 😉 I hope this helps those in need. 

WORK FROM HOME POSITIONS

LIST OF REMOTE/WORK FROM HOME EMPLOYERS

1. Live Ops- http://www.liveops.com

2. TeleTech- http://www.localjobster.com/company5?company=teletech

3. Amazon- http://www.amazon.jobs/en

4.Teleperformance- http://www.teleperformance.com/en-us/work-with-us/

5. UnitedHealth Group- http://careers.unitedhealthgroup.com/

6. Dell-http://jobs.dell.com/north-America-jobs

7. IBM- http://www.ibm.com/employment

8. U.S Department of Agriculture – http://www.usda.gov

9. Working Solutions- http://workingsolutions.com

10. Humana- http://www.humana.com

11. Aetna- http://www.aetna.com/about-us/aetna-careers.html

12. Intuit- http://careers.intuit.com/

13. Kaplan- http://kaplan.com/work-with-us/our-culture

14. Kelly Services- http://careers.kellyservices.com/

15. Cactus Communications- http://www.flexjobs.com/jobs/telecommuting-jobs-at-cactus

16. Westat- http://www.westat.com/careers

17. Salesforce- http://www.salesforce.com/company/careers

18. PAREXEL- http://jobs.parexel.com

19. CyberCoders- http://www.cybercoders.com/?logo=1

20. American Express- http://jobs.americanexpress.com

21. Vmware- http://careers.vmware.com/main/

22. SAP- http://www.sap.com/career

23. Xerox- http://www.xerox.com/en-us/jobs/work-from-home

24. First Data- http://www.firstdata.com/en_us/about-first-data/careers

25. US-Report- http://www.us-reports.com/jobs

26. Oracle- Oracle-http://Work.Jobsgalore.com/Jobs

27. CACI International- http://careers.caci.com/key/work-from-home-jobs.html

28. A Place for Mom- http://www.aplaceformom.com/jobs

29. Anthem,Inc- http://careers.antheminc.com

30. DellSecureWorks- http://www.secureworks.com/careers

31. World Travel Holdings- http://www.worldtravelholdings.com/careers,work-home

32. ADP- http://www.adp.com/careers.aspx

33. Aon- http://jobs.aon.com

34. University of Maryland University College- http://www.umuc.edu/visitors/careers

35. Allergan Inc.- http://www.allergan.com/careers

36. K12- http://www.k12.com/careers

37. U.S. Department of Transportation- http://www.transportation.gov/careers

38. CSI companies- http://thecsicompanies.com/candidates

39. Robert Half- http://www.roberthalf.com

40. Nielsen- http://sites.nielsen.com/careers

41. Red Hat- http://www.redhat.com/en/jobs

42. Adobe Systems- http://www.adobe.com/careers

43. Overland Solutions, Inc.- http://overlandsolutionsinc.com

44. BCD travel- http://www.bcdtravel.com/get-to-know-us/careers

45. Connections Education- http://www.connectionsacademy.com/careers

46. Deloitte- http://www.deloitte.com/careers

47. Apple- http://jobs.apple.com

48. Mckesson Corporation- http://careers.mckesson.com

49. Thermo Fisher Scientific- http://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/home.html

50. Precyse- http://careers.precyse.com

51. Haynes & Company- http://www.haynesandcompany.com

52. Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc- http://www.ppdi.com/careers

53. IT Pro Philadelphia- http://www.phillymag.com/property/2013/10/22/live-work-homes

54. Cigna- http://www.cigna.com/career

55. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt- http://careers.hmhco.com

56. Sungard Availability – http://jobs.sungardas.com/

Services- http://sungardas.com

57. Infor- http://www.infor.com/company/careers

58. Sodexo- http://www.sodexousa.com/home/careers-usa.html

59. About.com- http://www.dotdash.com/careers/

60. Altegra Health- http://altegrahealth.com/careers

61. GE- http://jobs.gecareers.com/

62. Western Governors University-http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/employment/work_remote

63. Grand Canyon University- http://jobs.gcu.edu/admissions-enrollment-jobs

64. Walden University- http://www.waldenu.edu

65. Vivint- http://www.vivint.com/company/careers

66. BroadSpire- http://www.choosebroadspire.com

67. Covance- http://careers.covance.com

68. Ellucian- http://www.ellucian.com

69. HD Supply- http://hdsupply.jobs

70. Perficient Inc.- http://www.perficient.com

71. Teradata- http://www.teradata.com

72. Wells Fargo- http://www.wellsfargo.com/about/careers

73. Symantec Corporation- http://www.Symantec.com

74. Real Staffing-http://www.realstaffing.com/en

75. Science Applications International- http://www.saic.com

76. AmerisourceBergen Company- http://www.amerisourcebergen.com

77. Appen- http://www.jobs.net/jobs/appen/en-us

78. Hartford Financial Services Group- http://www.thehartfordatwork.com

79. RetailDatat- http://retaildatallc.com

80. SYKES- http://www.sykes.com/Careers

81. CARA- http://www.jobbankusa.com

82. Citizens Financial Group- http://citizensbank.jobs/work-at-home

83. CVS Health- http://cvshealth.com

84. Healthfirst- http://healthfirst.taleo.net/careersec…/hf_ext_cs/jobsearch

85. American Heart Association- http://careers.heart.org

86. BMC software- http://www.bmc.com/careers

87. Hibu- http://hibu.com

88. inVentive Health- http://www.inventivhealth.com/careers

89. Rosetta Stone- http://jobs.jobvite.com/rosettastone

90. Erie Insurance Group- http://www.erieinsurance.com/careers

91. Deluxe- http://ww.deluxe.com

92. Clevertech- http://weworkremotely.com/jobs

93. Achieve Test Prep- http://www.achievetestprep.com

94. Worldpay- http://www.worldpay.com

95. DataStax- http://www.datastax.com/

96. CDK Global- www.cdkglobal.com

97. Teleflex- http://www.teleflex.com/en/careers/workingAtTeleflex

98. Aquent- http://aquent.com/find-work

99. Parallon- http://www.parallon.com/careers

100. U.S Department of the Interior- http://www.doi.gov/careers

Quality vs. Quantity (Part 1): The Saturation of Wanna Be Artists In Baltimore’s Art Culture

This blog was bound to come. For it’s been brewing for me to bring up this topic for a couple of years since my article Baltimore is Too Cliqued Up to Have Supporters. I never knew how to approach it until now after years of living as a writer, artist, and social influencer in Baltimore’s Art scene. It’s not until now that I know how to express my observations on what has changed, and what we as artists and influencers should be doing to finally let go of our crab in a barrel mentalities and work together to show the value of our city.

I decided to write a four-part blog series about the quality of the Baltimore arts scene since I’ve become a participant of the culture in 2013. When I began frequently attending open mics, showcases, and other artsy events in the city, I met a lot of talented people while writing about my experiences. I learned that this culture is constantly changing but there’s a stigma that remains were artists fight for support. Though I haven’t heard the saying “Baltimore city artists are crabs in a barrel” thrown around much this past year, this city has not overcome it. So I thought I’d reflect on some of my speculations.

http://www.instagram.com/p/Beag0FZnSP9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

It all starts as a response to my friend and blogger of Uncommonrealist Shae McCoy who discusses her sudden lifestyle change as her opinion for Baltimore’s Art scene changed in her December 2017 article “Becoming an Introverted Creative: Being Seen Ain’t Always Peaches and Cream,” I’ve found a lot of bloggers and artists, including myself, who once took a front seat in being influencers of their crafts slow down and become more reserved since the 2015 Baltimore Uprising while a plethora of newcomers stood in a line waiting for their glorious turn to have their shine in the front seat. There was a slew of folk taking larger interests in things already innovated in the present art culture, and until this day there remains a culture of creators lacking originality; very few creating a lasting impact for “real” talent represented in Baltimore.

Shae discusses her shift to becoming an introvert having sparked from observations of the social environment that surrounds Baltimore creatives. With this generation’s desire to chase instant gratification, Shae finds that she isn’t a creative that resonates with the fascination of social climb visible on social media. The temporary fame that follows instant gratitude lacks substance and becomes similar to debates contrasting quantity and quality. For people who want to be remembered for what they spend most of their lives perfecting, building a legacy is what’s most important for many artists in Baltimore. Shae doesn’t believe that a legacy can be met focusing on the attention attracted through staying abreast on social media and each amount of likes on a post does nothing but temporarily boost self-esteem.

There is more to the artists that meets the eye. Have we forgotten why we like art? Have we forgotten why we pursue these artistic dreams?

Why has the art scene in Baltimore become much more saturated with people pursuing similar passions?

As social media usage breeds more creators and self-starters, an increase of there being less unique content fills the pages across our browsers. Everyone who wants to be anyone creates startups for podcasts, blogs, vlogs, websites, and more. There are more rappers, painters, party promoters, models, producers, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and clothing designers. The scene is lacking originality and a true understanding of good branding because everyone wants to do the same thing. It comes off as people being more ready for their big break and quick fix.

Published Book by Baltimore Photographer Devin Allen

Could these newcomers be looking for their craft to become their savior? Influencers like D. Watkins, author of memoirs The Cook Up and The Beast Side, Devin Allen, photographer and author of A Beautiful Ghetto, and Kwame Rose, activist, and public speaker during Baltimore Uprising, gained recognition and a social following for their talents after the tragedy of Freddie Gray’s death. They sparked a career in their passions that people see and admire with the help of the Uprising. People from around the world seek to hear the stories of Baltimoreans during a time of adversity and these people showed a promising perspective while using their talents. They also received support from many locals because they presented a story of our city that we could all agree upon.

I once mentioned during the Uprising artist should take this moment to share what makes Baltimore city a great place to live. We should shed light on what’s positive happening rather than focus on what national media wanted to report. But never did I think that everyone would jump the gun to use their art to grasp the attention of the world.

With the rise of these artists came the many crabs of the city still seeking the same gratification. But three years later, it’s evident these crabs were not understanding why these artists were getting genuine love and support from locals. Baltimore is known for its crab in a barrel mentality; which means whenever people see others succeeding they generally find ways to hold those reaching success back by not lending support or by offering alternatives that could ruin their positive climb.

In the case of the many crabs that have emerged, there isn’t much of a pull to hold others back lately, rather a saturation of the culture. There are too many people doing the same thing. There are too many artists providing a solution to an issue already resolved by other artists that paved the way for recognition. Everyone wants to provide a platform for artists to showcase their talents. Everyone has an open mic. Everyone believes they have the “it” factor. The list goes on.

We used to hear, “Everyone wants to be a rapper.” We would hear it so frequently that we coined the term “Baltimore rapper” and knew immediately the persona of that individual. Now everyone wants to be anything they see another person doing within the arts. The entire country was watching us at our worse, and Baltimore artists decided it was a show-and-tell for literally everyone.

It could be the number of likes a successful artist gets that crabs start snipping at their glimpse of hope. But that should not be the general mission for building a better reputation for a city that’s constantly slandered in national media.

We as influencers do not chase likes. We chase a legacy. We strive to be the change the Baltimore city needs. We are the positive images opposing HBO’s The Wire, a series that outsiders praise and uphold as what they think is a true representation of Baltimore city. We are the people that work hard to erase those negative stereotypes. We cannot reach change chasing views and likes on Instagram or Facebook because those likes are only temporary. Those are only platforms that assist in the bigger picture.

I don’t believe it’s doing the Baltimore Arts Scene much justice having so many artists doing similar things, instead, people look like they’re incapable of being authentic. Artists that come after innovators are viewed as trend followers rather than trendsetters. That isn’t what true pushers of the Baltimore Arts culture wanted. The art culture in Baltimore is unique once you stumble across true gold. But saturation pushes the talented and influencers away from being the great representation the city needs. Thus why we hear so many people believe they must move out of Baltimore in order to truly gain the recognition they desire.

Why should we need to move away to get what we deserve? It should start at home, as it did for Rose, Allen, and Watkins. An artist who has real talent must bring the spark that makes an audience adhere to a story worth hearing. It must be original. They must work hard and strive for their legacy. It won’t happen overnight or in an instant with a click or like.

The quality of our cultural scene is still thriving because there are so many people that participate. But there should be more resources available to help artists own up to a legacy they see within themselves. It’s not enough if the artist is the only one who sees their own potential. Alike does not confirm that a message has been met, and there is a desperate need for someone to force these crabs to wake up smell the coffee.

What do you think? Is it a problem that there is more artist striving to do the same thing? Do you think Baltimore is on the right path to playing in the fields with artists who come from Atlanta, LA, and New York? Leave your comments below?

Have you read about DaCornerStore’s attempt to create a #NewBaltimore for hip-hop artist in Baltimore and my opinion of how it was a drastic fail? Read NewBaltimore or OldBaltimore? We’re all Crabs on Doc’s Castle Media.