meet atrice. describing herself as: passionate creative whimsical curious gemini
atrice possesses a wisdom and sense of urgency that lets me know she has been here before. each lifetime guided by the question, “how do we as an african people gain liberation in this time and space?”
grounded in the scholarship of dr. amos wilson, dr. john henrik clark, and many others, atrice has used social media as a forum for dialogue & exchange about our current cultural, economic, social, and political conditions. she recently published a widely shared post on buzzfeed entitled, “12 action responses to the dunn verdict,” in order to create conversation and idea sharing around the possible ways we as a people can be action-oriented in the era of micheal dunn, trayvon martin, and renisha mcbride. this commitment to liberation also informs her academic and professional work as a mental health advocate.
steadily working to remove the stigma attached to mental health within our community, atrice is currently pursing a master of arts in drama therapy. her advocacy has led to involvement in organizations such as the siwe project, where she served as a board member and currently helps promote special projects. this summer she plans to participate in #noshameday and the out of the darkness walk to continue the visibility of mental health awareness.
in other words, atrice is a powerful sista whose commitment to our care and self-care is as unfaltering as her spirituality, wisdom, and the fire in her belly that keeps her determined to see us thrive as a people. i am truly blessed to share space with this queen .
in this edition of “five on the black side,” atrice shares an album of timeless music as relevant in 2014 as it was in 1971, a film that blurs the line between reality and fiction, a piece of literature that nourishes the spirit, an artist who captures the beauty of the human body at home, and a space where nature reigns.
so let’s get connected…
music.
"my militant twin has been raging, and so what’s going on has been ministering to my soul.”
film. snow on tha bluff ”snow on tha bluff is a hidden netflix treasure. its a story about curtis snow, a stick-up kid from atl. the 79 min glimpse into his life is so trill. it’s a modern day menace II society with a twist— i have no idea if it’s a documentary or movie.”
literature. "susan taylor’s in the spirit enhances my life every time i pick it up. i literally thank god for enabling her to produce such soul food. the book provides priceless wisdom, reflection, and comfort.”
artist.
"shoccara marcus is my fellow bison and photographer who moonlights as a trained dancer. she’s in her final semester at scad where she’s exploring a marriage between both of her artistic passions. in fact, i’m in love with her most recent series: choreographing my past. the series of images are dynamic to say the least. marcus’ storytelling is like nothing else I’ve ever witnessed. she captivates the viewer from the very outset, and enthrall us with her vulnerability, photographic and dancing skills to the last shot.”
space. "the ocean. i am most at peace when sea salt is filling my nostrils, sand is tickling my toes, and i cant see anything man-made for miles."
…and this concludes “atrice’s five on the black hand side"…
photo credit. atrice
