What’s the Big Idea, [Miley]?
White exploitation of Black culture is not the same as respectfully sharing influences in the U.S. music industry.
Jazz Reggae Festival Returns Strong on its 31st Anniversary
Jazz Reggae is a longstanding tradition at UCLA that began with in 1986, born from the desire to promote student performers and examine the intersections of different art forms within the spectrum of jazz. The festival later expanded, incorporating reggae and jazz forms of music, which have inspired hip hop, R&B, rap, and soul music. From visual and live art to live music performances and local vendors, the festival has incorporated various cultural aspects that honor the diversity of Los Angeles and the rich history of Jazz and Reggae genres.
Girlpool Grows Up With “Powerplant”
Los Angeles folk punk duo Girlpool’s Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad met when they were just teenagers at The Smell, a local DIY venue. Since then, they have produced work mapping their maturation as people and as musicians, leading up to the release of their newest album, “Powerplant”. With stylistic decisions such as the addition of a drummer and rhythm guitarist to the album, it is clear that Girlpool is evolving. While these changes may be shocking to Girlpool fans, they come as proof of growth and expansion Cleo and Harmony have experienced since the early days of the band.
The Facing Project Celebrates LGBTQIA+ Narratives
The Facing Project was launched by the USAC Community Service Commission in order to create awareness in the UCLA community about the challenges and social stigmas faced by marginalized communities through the art of storytelling. Each year, the Facing Project gathers writers and storytellers in order to create a book that talks about the experiences of the community the group has chosen to focus on. The editor-in-chief, Nicolette Olson, told us more about the Facing Project’s newest book centered on LGBTQ+ stories.
When a Safe Space Is No Longer Safe: PWR BTTM, Consent, and Holding Artists Accountable
Queer punk band PWR BTTM’s fast ascent to fame within the DIY and LGBTQIA+ communities has just as speedily turned into a sharp downfall. Known for providing queer youth with a much-needed safe and supportive space in which to escape an often queerphobic mainstream society, the band has become the subject of quickly developing and highly publicized sexual assault accusations.
Event Review: Robin Coste Lewis at the MOCA
To have Coste Lewis read at the MOCA during Marshall’s retrospective was monumental. In her opening remarks, Lewis alluded to this fact, pointing out that the celebration of Black artists within a hegemonically white space when such a concept would not have been possible until very recently.
Defending Joan of Arc’s Legacy with “La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc”
The movie shown by the UCLA Center for Medieval and Renaissance Center aimed to push back against the manipulation of Joan of Arc’s legacy for xenophobic purposes, and to show audiences who Joan truly was.
Things I Have Called Myself and Things Men Have Called Me (Ages 7-21)
7 years old and i am
jagged fingernails bitten down
to the flesh, pink and raw.
my mother wraps bandages around my fingers
to protect me from my own mouth.
Art As Resistance: “Our First 100 Days” Album Review
This album stands as a reminder that we will not stand by while communities are threatened.
Mujeres de Maiz: Celebrating 20 Years of Intersectional Artivism
The Indigenous people of America view corn as a sacred item, which inspired the name of the East Los Angeles collective Mujeres de Maiz, or “Women of Corn.” After 20 years of artivism, the group is celebrating with an exhibit at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, entitled “Mujeres de Maiz: 20 years of ARTivism and Herstory en L.A.”