Queen City Creatives React to the Death of George Floyd
 PHOTO CREDIT: Clay Banks – @clay.banks On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed after being pinned to the ground by three Minneapolis police officers for nearly 9 minutes.
In the week since, protests have occurred all across the nation and globe to lament the death of George Floyd, promote the Black Lives Matter movement, and call for reform in police departments of the United States that are plagued with systematic racism.
The Twin Cities. New York City. Washington D.C. Chicago. Atlanta. Baltimore. Seattle. Los Angeles. Raleigh. Charlotte. Every corner of the country is filled with communities that are hurting. Communities who want their voices heard. Communities who need their voices heard.
We want to use our platform to help amplify those voices in any way we can, especially here in Charlotte. Over the past few days, we’ve seen an awe-inspiring amount of moving artwork, powerful photographs, images and thought-provoking words from creatives in the Queen City. And we want to share some with you.
Please click the button below and see beautiful, moving, powerful and unforgettable work from Charlotte creatives.
“All Part of the Same Ecosystem …”
Prospera Aids Hispanic Entrepreneurs
“Sometimes, our clients are in desperate need. This isn’t just their livelihood; this is their life.” – José Alvarez
José Alvarez, head of Prospera, a nonprofit that offers free bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs, has a motto: “Everyone’s an entrepreneur.”
In his estimation, starting a business is one of the bravest, most audacious things anyone can do. It takes gumption, courage, an appetite for risk and creativity. And if you’re opening a business in the U.S. and English isn’t your first language, it takes a helping hand.
Read Page Leggett’s interview with José about how Prospera is fueling Charlotte entrepreneurs.
Crafting Careful Communication in Crisis —
Ohavia Phillips DEC(OH)DEs the Situation
You want to speak to your community about the state of the world in crisis, but you’re worried about how to do it.
Ohavia Phillips has got your back. She wants you to speak out, but with care, planning and intelligence.
A communications expert, community activist and emcee in the Queen City, Ohavia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a masters’ degree in crisis communication. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, Ohavia has taken to Instagram to share her thoughts daily on how you can enter the conversation intelligently, authentically and helpfully. What she shares is for all people and for any form of sensitive, important messaging today and in the future.
Watch her Masterclass Monday video on how to DEC(OH)DE the message you want to share with the world.
Yanira Fuentes Shares Intimate Glimpses of Her World During COVID-19
The Biscuit and The Charlotte Ledger have partnered up to present our photo series, “Visions of the Not Normal” — offering views of neighborhoods and communities across the city through the eyes (and lenses) of local photographers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
This week, photographer Yanira Fuentes shares very personal images she took a few weeks ago of how COVID-19 has impacted the people and the places she holds dear. Her use of close-up, intimate, almost claustrophobic, framing underscores how this viral outbreak has invaded every aspect of our lives.
Patrice Gaines Marks the Times with Her Words
The COVID-19 outbreak hasn’t been an easy time, but Patrice Gaines has put her passion for meditation and for writing to work, to calm her mind and remain productive. Patrice is an author, a teacher, a community advocate and a former Washington Post reporter who calls Charlotte home … for the second time. She swore she’d never come back, but is now well at home in the Queen City.
Patrice spoke at the second gathering of CreativeMornings/Charlotte in the fall of 2015. On Friday, June 5, CM/CLT meets for the 56th consecutive month. To commemorate that, Patrice spoke with Matt Olin about her love of the written word and the strangeness of time at this … well … time. Watch their conversation here.
Unmasked: “We Can’t Breathe” by Harvey B. Gantt Center
Wednesday, June 3 at 6PM
Tonight, the Harvey B. Gantt Center is playing host to an online discussion of policing. That it has been and still is a weapon of racial discrimination and control. This is a conversation that is intended to lead to action featuring:
- QCityMetro Editor/Publisher Glenn Burkins
- Former South Carolina State Representative & CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers
- U.S. Congresswoman Alma Adams
- Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden
- Image activist Alvin C. Jacobs, Jr.
The event will be broadcast at 6PM on the Center’s YouTube Channel.
Orthopedic Anatomy Livestream with Experience Anatomy
Thursday, June 4
6:30-8:00PM Online
Tune in to OrthoCarolina’s next Orthopedic Anatomy Series Livestream event on Facebook or YouTube as they explore your body from the inside out on Thursday, June 4th from 6:30-8:00 PM. Their Hip & Knee surgeons will be answering your questions in real time.
Want to make sure your questions get answered? Send it over ahead of time to ocinfo@orthocarolina.com.
No RSVP required, you can just follow them on Facebook or YouTube to be notified when they go live – you don’t want to miss it!
OthroCarolina is a sponsor of Charlotte Is Creative, the publisher of The Biscuit.
“Love is the bridge between you and everything else.”
Love is going to be an important factor over the coming days, weeks, months, and years as our country attempts to heal and create effective widespread change. We can do this, but we need to do it together.
This mural was created in 2017 by Brand the Moth, a nonprofit focused on uplifting the community through art, in collaboration with the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte, now known as Roof Above. Painted by Lane Morris, Sam Guzzie, and community volunteers, including men staying at the shelter, the mural was designed to show the ups and downs of life. The theming and imagery were based on ideas given by residents of the Men’s Shelter.
One passionate volunteer artist from the Men’s Shelter, Preston Flemming, was included in the mural by Brand the Moth. He is the man in the photo above. “After this, I think people in the area will see that homeless people do care about their community,” said Preston about working on the project.
To learn more about the mural and to see more images of the full project, check out Brand the Moth’s website.
Directions: 1301 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28206
This Queen City exploration was powered by OrthoCarolina.
Don’t go ’round hungry. If you missed the last batch of The Biscuit, don’t worry. We’ve kept it warm for you. This batch features:
- A “Who Built Me” micro-podcast with Toni Freeman
- A Biscuit Blitz with the indomitable Michelle Guobadia
- Designer John Howard’s 30-day Movie Poster Design Challenge
- Tips on 3 Things to Update on Your Website Now by Four Eyes Productions
- A “Where Are We in CLT” exploration of the Gateway & Century buildings
Click here to dig in, y‘all.
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