:: HOODsisters :: State of creation
HOODsisters will be blessing our creative space with he(art) at the 1st Annual Womyn in Hip-Hop Gathering Saturday, November 15th in SanTana. Served with love. http://on.fb.me/1v22rQi
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HOODsisters (Honoring our Origins, Ourselves and our Dreams) is an all-womyn collective dedicated to creating awareness through public art. As community members, we hope to transform our hoods into beautiful spaces for healing and self-empowerment.
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4elementzz: How can we utilize our various creative forms of expression to speak up on sexism, misogyny, and homophobia in hip-hop?
HOODsisters: The various creative forms within the four elements of hip-hop are ideal vehicles for womyn to break misogynistic barriers. We often talk about seeing more conscious female emcees, which is definitely needed (a womyn commanding the stage, rockin’ the mic with potent lyrics and controlling her representation as an artist all carry messages of strength), but womyn in turntablism, breaking, and graffiti art have an ideal opportunity to challenge stereotypes while engaging locally.
In our community, the HOODsisters have previously supported the GR818ERS (a coalition of local students and hip-hop artists dedicated to improving cultural and racial relations) in their monthly and annual events that incorporate all four elements of hip-hop and offer a space for both young womyn and men. It’s important for young males to see young womyn classmates or neighbors alongside male counterparts engaging in the very same activities with equal amounts of enthusiasm, creativity and skill. And it’s just as critical for the younger set to see a womyn expressing herself through a spray can or in any other typically male-dominated domain, so that these behaviors are not seen as the exception for the next generation.
The HOODsisters, as a public art collective, are especially sensitive to visual images and murals in the community. It’s one of the main reasons we formed as a group: to create a safe space for womyn to gather, express themselves creatively, and choose the images seen daily by our community members. The first person we painted together was Assata Shakur, an African-American activist who happens to be Tupac Shakur’s godmother. Maybe a young man will see Assata’s last name on the mural and wonder if there’s a connection to his favorite rapper; perhaps he will even go beyond wondering and begin a Google search that leads him to a womyn with a history of radical thought. Maybe not. But the possibility is now there and that’s enough for the HOODsisters, and I’m sure that possibility is what drives most womyn in hip-hop. Yes, we’re dealing with sexism, misogyny and sexism, but the four elements of hip-hop are accessible ways to engage communities at a local level, so we can begin to see shifts on a global scale. It’s possible.
Stay connected with HOODsisters on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1wJP74c
