Making the Personal Political: Anti Street Harassment Week

Trinidad Submissions

Reblog from: http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/2012/03/trinidad/

Editor’s Note: Today in Washington, DC, I’m co-curating an art exhibit on street harassment for International Anti-Street Harassment Week with the Deaf Abused Women’s Network. There are 35 pieces, including art work by high school students and from activists as far away as Yemen and Afghanistan. Tracey Chan and Stephanie Leitch each submitted work electronically for the exhibit. They guest wrote this post about their submissions.

My name is Tracey Chan and I’m a Trinidadian interdisciplinary visual artist and writer whose disciplines include drawing, illustration, and installation. I’m also involved in graphic design and art event management.

In 2011, I created an illustration as part of Simona Lee’s WomenSpeak project. I created an updated version called “Eyes” for this exhibition, which examines the daily challenges women face on the street and the negative feelings that arise with harassment incidents. It also represents my feelings of insecurity, and a stigma attached to simply walking around my own neighbourhood.

My latest project, with my art collective is an all women’s exhibition, Women Make Art: Home & Away (WOMA). WOMA 2011 celebrated International Women’s Day and was the first women’s art exhibition in Grenada. The current show, now in its second year, opens on 31st March in St. George’s, Grenada.

My name is Stephanie Leitch and I’m a social activist and conceptual artist. My work focuses on issues of gender equality both through performance and organizing. My 2011 International Women’s Day event evolved into an ongoing space for Caribbean feminist voices, WoMantra and the place where the collaboration for this project was hatched.

Even though I got word of this project only two or three days before the deadline, it hit way too close to home for me to ignore. I have been dealing with public harassment since I was 12 years old and still in my primary school uniform. I remember a friend telling me once that she would no longer walk in the street with me because of how much attention I would get all the time. This is not a point of pride or ego booster but a sick social practice that I have had to endure for more than half my life. It has affected me deeply in many ways, from valuing it in earlier years to despising it and as a response changing aspects of my aesthetic to detract male attention. Some of these methods have stayed with me, most noticeably my decision to never wear my hair down.

The collaborative series was created when Stephanie requested help to put several of her ideas and tags into visual format for the exhibition. Tracey then designed an image using one tag, “Encourage Women to Speak Out,” using bright colours and minimalist design to attract attention with the simple, powerful message. We will develop a series of posters from the remaining tags that may be used in future events or projects.

Spring Water - Verse iTal

Check me out nah! Doe mine iz the last 2 minutes of the video and ah lip singing but big up to mah breadrin Verse. Check all the links below to download his music or visit his website. Love everytime <3

Buy the new album from trinitunes: http://www.trinidadtunes.com/node/album/16450

Website: www.verseital.com

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Verse-Ital/27837245865

&

Youtube vids: https://www.youtube.com/user/shevaunnewilson

Cheap Ting iz Good Ting - Alternative Market IV

Reblog: Thank you Shaunelle for your very comprehensive post about our market!

Some days after my departure from the freezing pasta land Italia in mid-December and returned to my sweet warm Trinidad & Tobago, a friend referred me to an alternative market in Port-of-Spain. Having had religiously attended the Milan street markets on a weekly basis (evidently a market lover), it was definitely a pleasure to learn about and participate in the local Trini market scene.

The old expression “Good thing no cheap, cheap thing no good” is somewhat contradicted by this‘Cheap Ting iz Good Ting - Alternative Market’. It’s a relatively new initiative by Stephanie Leitch, as the 17^thDecember 2011 market was the 4th  installment event. It’s a flea market that allows artists, artisans and the general public to make convenient resourceful and gainful exchange (cash | barter | negotiation) and most importantly things for sale are very affordable! The market aims to take place once every month, with the venue changing accordingly, allowing persons from various communities to participate. Vendors are not given any tables and are therefore not required to pay any fees for a vending space at the event. Artisans can simply contact the market committee to confirm their participation and show up with their goods and good vibes on the day!

So you don’t always need a large table spread setup to sell jewelry. I remembered seeing this little girl during my summer road trip in Callela, Spain selling her jewelry, so here was my mini vending display.

Jewelry Display

There were some other cool things I saw and got from other vendors selling at the market:

These playful sead-bead doll earrings immediately caught my attention, which Liz Steinberg the artisan, was wearing. She started jewelry as a therapeutic hobby and uses natural materials such as stones, juju beans, bamboo, leather in her pieces. Emal: sweetheavenliz@yahoo.com

Doll Seed bead earrings made by Liz Steinberg 

ILA Designs

This self-taught Bajan empress Micaela Walker, launched her homebased jewelry and accessories business over 1 year ago. This ‘I Love Afrika’ movement offers knitted bags, purses and her signature clay jewelry. She uses natural stones and handmade clay stones in her pieces. Placing emphasis on the beauty of natural life, her work is inspired by Africa, roots culture and rasta women. Even Bob Marley's granddaughter is a fan of ILA clay jewelry. 

 ILA Rasta Clutch purse $150TT  |  ILA Clay Earrings

Sloppy Secondz

This second hand shop on the move, is a group business venture involving Stephanie Leitch, Michelle Isava and Candace Moses.  Stephanie uses recycle jeans pants and makes hand bags and other hair accessories. She also makes some cool earring holders which would definitely help you manage your earring collection at home. Candace sells her Kandakejewelry and Michelle sells a variety of second hand clothing, shoes, books etc.

Jeans bag & Earring holder  |  Candace working on her Kadake Jewelry  |  Second hand items

Vice Versa
Jamilia Alexander and Sanian lewis launched their fashion company 1 year ago. They offer styling, image costultancy services along with design, restyling and customization of fashion accessorries. they both aim to bring the latest international fashion trends to Trinidad & Tobago. 

Vice Versa *Photos courtesy 8Point Images

Tuff Like Iron

Is an Afrocentric clothing line from designer Kindele Aixe. Based in New York, her line is described as a fashion movement drawing inspirations from nature and the struggles of African people worldwide. Her designs combine jersey, African prints, bright colours, bold images creating a look that is truly original. So if you want to join the movement check out her website.

Tuff Like Iron Designer Kindele Aixe

Suede Molte Art Studio

Jemima Charles graduated from UWI 2012 in Visual Arts and is now a fulltime artist with her own studio. Suede Molte Art Studio is a space for artistic development through fine arts, craft, workshops, artistic events and conversation. Feel free to visit her studio to view her glass print and drawing art work or see what’s buzzing in her workshop.  

Glass Prints by Jemima Charles

ALTERNATIVE MARKET 5 <event link 

Ciao!

Shaunelle.

www.shaunelle.com

Only Monkeys Dance for Peanuts

 

~ In life things happen to remind us of who we are ~

Tuesday morning I received a phone call from a woman who asked me if I was interested in attending a screening for Texas de Brazil. I was temporarily confused because I'd almost forgotten sending my resume to the restaurant about four months earlier when I was out of a job. I agreed to the screening the next day and the woman on the phone told me she would e mail the directions. 

Waiting to go in to my class that afternoon I checked my e mail and was quite surprised to see that along with the directions to the building was a list of requirements, including a $40 registration fee. I ran this by some of the other women in the Gender Department as well as my mother who all agreed that this was at the very least exploitative if not illegal. I decided then to reply to the e mail, seeking clarification on the grounds for this registration fee. The woman explained to me that she was running an employment agency J.A.&A. - Human Solutions and this was one of the ways in which she recouped her costs. This I agreed was not unreasonable but explained to her that I was unaware that an employment agency was even involved in this recruitment process and after a subsequent phone call, I decided to go to the interview based on this new understanding.

On arriving to the interview I had a brief conversation with the man at the front desk, having worked with him at a previous job. I spoke loudly to him based on my prior knowledge of his hearing condition. While being seated in the waiting room a woman attached to the agency asked if I had passport sized pictures to which I replied no and then she asked if I had the registration fee. Before I handed her the money I asked if the fee was for registration with the agency to which she replied yes. About ten minutes later I asked how long I'd have to wait before going in and asked someone else for the time to adjust the clock on my mobile after having just switched sim cards.

A few minutes later I was next. The woman who I'd spoken to on the phone and exchanged e mails with shook my hand and I had a seat. I told her she looked familiar and she responded by saying that we would have met at the previous screening. I realised then that she still did not understand that I'd never attended any prior screening or was even aware of her agency's involvement up until the day before.

Ms. Adams questioned me about my previously held job at a radio station and my reasons for leaving and I explained that I was not interested in being in news and the job was not a right fit. She then questioned me about a position I held in another media house WIN TV years before and I explained that I had a lot more creative freedom based on the length of the news cast and other factors. She asked again why I'd left the job and I explained that I had to go back to school and most of the jobs listed were held between June and August when school was on break. 

 J.A: Why haven't you tried to regain a position at WIN after graduating, maybe doing some other type of program?
Me: Well I'm no longer interested in working at WIN TV
J.A.: And why is that?
Me: Well I've been trying to get out of the media and WIN TV is now and Indian station
J.A.: But wasn't it always?
Me: No
J.A.: But doesn't an Indian own it?
Me: Yes
J.A.: So that doesn't mean that you can't do something there
Me: No it doesn't.I'm just not interested in that type of work right now.
J.A.: Well what type of work are you interested in? (raising her voice a decibel) I'm just trying to get to know you here.
Me: Well I am an academic and I would like to continue to with school, do my Masters, publish and teach.
J.A.: So what exactly are you doing here?
Me: Well to be quite honest my mom lost her job a few weeks ago and I just really need work now.
J.A.: Well everybody has their stress. Someone came in here earlier with cancer (and some other story I can't remember) but you have to remember this is a screening process and you have to present your best face.
Me: Excuse me? (confused)
J.A.: Well Stephanie I've been looking at you and you seem quite angry. It's not my fault your mother lost her job.
Me: *blink blink* she did not just say that!
J.A.: continues... Companies want to know that the people who work for them are committed and not just there to receive a pay cheque. I mean look at the way you dealt with me, Oh my God you sent me three e mails ----signs off--- Do you understand me?
Me: blank
J.A.: Have you paid the registration fee?
Me: Yes, which I quite regret now.
J.A.: So am I to take it you are no longer interested in the job?
Me: That's right.
J.A.: I will organize for you to get your money back.
Me: Thank you for your time.
Me: Would it also be possible for me to get my registration form back?
J.A: *cut eye*rips it to shreds. Even the woman out front said you had an attitude.
Me: Walks out the room humming Gyazette's "Crabs in a bucket" 

From the time we come out of our mother's womb we are taught to dance. For some it is a dance of liberation but for most it is one of constraint. How can we put one foot in front of the other without disturbing the water or rocking the boat? Existing in a post colonial space creates a hierarchical dimension to the West Indian dance, that being white over brown over black. So my question is: Are we still required to dance like porch monkeys if we want to eat from the master's plate?

Anyone who is familiar with me knows that my temperament is far from giddy and I have been accused of a sedate countenance but does this mean that my lack of feckless enthusiasm should render me useless to an employer and worst of all condescended? In the same way we are guided by various conventions and political correctness that call for respect of all languages, including the many variations of dialect that were traditionally marginalized, why isn't the same applied to the various existing communication styles? Is a woman required to wear the smile of a beauty queen in order to secure a position, or is she hired based on her skills and willingness to work?

As long as I can remember my face has looked the same. In pictures at the age of nine I had the same straight stare. That is who I am. Who I have always been. It does not make me angry, aggressive, sour, unapproachable or any of the other negative attributes that one can attach to un-smiling face. This does not mean that I cannot be angry, aggressive, sour or unapproachable at any one time or another but this is not definitive of any (unrealistically) stagnant or outward caricature. The very fact that I possess these characteristics makes me quite typical, as is it does everyone else.

At no point was I discourteous to Ms. Adams, who chose to grill me about returning to a job I'd left five years prior. In fact despite my pridefulness I confided in a complete stranger about my situation at home, believing that honesty was the best policy (and might help to explain a university graduate applying for a waitressing job.) Instead that information was manipulated in intention and used against me not more than  thirty seconds later. I was spoken down to and insulted  - all because I wouldn't dance.

Dear Ms Adams,

The Colonial days are over and I am not a wind up doll or your slave. I do not dance on que. I do not cartwheel, do tricks or any other activity that compromises who I am for a successful interview. I'm sorry that my royalty offended you.

JR REID -  WE NAH BOW FIH MONEY

♫ One blood family we bun bad mind nuff a dem go bow just fih de dollar sign and on dey back de have monkey ah climb ♫

Bless.