Black In Mayberry Nonprofit Launch Party

208 Main Street,El Segundo CA 90245

21 May, 2022

Description

Black in Mayberry is a nonprofit with the mission to combat racism through the arts. We will be celebrating our launch and works. Black in Mayberry is celebrating becoming a non-profit and the one-year anniversary of the award-winning documentary. Join our launch party celebrating Black in Mayberry's (BiM) incorporation into a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and the one-year anniversary of our award-winning documentary. Our organization's mission is to combat racism through the arts. We intend to keep the desperate need for equality and justice at the forefront of minds and change hearts, as well as to support artists with a socially conscious message. When & Where We’re hosting this event at the El Segundo Museum of Art (ESMoA), the exact location used to shoot the documentary. Saturday, 21st May 2022, 1PM – 3PM ESMoA 208 Main Street, El Segundo, 90245, CA www.esmoa.org What to Expect Attending this event will be the producer and director of Black in Mayberry the documentary, Tanya Taylor and Mark Knight, who will be celebrating the year anniversary since the release of the documentary in May 2021. As well as cast and crew members. The board of directors of Black in Mayberry, the nonprofit, Tanya Taylor, Lee Tonks, Denise Harris and Erin Workman will be present to share a message. We're inviting all to come and raise a glass with us whilst enjoying the art at ESMoA, appetizers and music. *** Daydreaming *** Visitors will also witness the unveiling of our 12-piece photographic series called “Daydreaming”. This new art series will depict the ambitious dreams of our Black youth. Our Organization Will Create a Safe Space for Artist & Activists We’ll provide artists with the resources to play a direct role in black activism and to create art that vulnerably depicts the African American experience. Later this year, BiM will be launching a year-long program that teaches photography to the youth. This program will give them the skills and the means to express themselves, document their lives and even pursue a career in the field. We’re also developing a new documentary that will showcase the unheard stories of Black people across America. It will also expose systemic and institutional racism as the deliberately designed and organized machines that destructively impact the lives of Black people everyday. How the Award-winning Film “Black in Mayberry” Inspired Our Non-profit The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others who have lost and continue to lose their lives daily as a direct result of police brutality and systemic racism, erupted in a national and international response. People flooded the street to protect the indignant disregard for Black lives and support BLM protests which demanded change. During this time Tanya, as the events and community education coordinator for El Segundo for Black Lives, would organize protests in the city. During these protests often speakers who had an important message to share would be drowned out by counter-protesters who would yell racial slurs and vile comments. It became clear to Taylor that a topic as sensitive as racial injustice needed a stage where Black experiences could be spoken and heard without interruption. She would later have a conversation with Mark Knight about documenting the protests and the experience that Black people rarely if ever share with their white friends, colleagues or neighbors. It was at this point that the two decided to create short videos that would give a safe space for Black people in El Segundo to share their experiences. Despite El Segundo having a racist history and most of the town's population being white, the film was well-received by both races and sparked healthy dialogue. Black in Mayberry the documentary received the best documentary award at the Marina del Rey film festival and honorable mentions from the LA Times, Yes Magazine, Spectrum News and others. "Seeing how powerful a tool art is in bring people together and facilitating discussions on a topic as sensitive as race inspired me to want to lean on the arts even more to keep the demands for equality and justice a live and people engaged, so we can all be working towards living in a world where every person is treated humanely." - Tanya Taylor If you haven't already seen the documentary, you can visit www.blackinmayberry.com to view, support and join our mailing list. If you have any questions regarding the launch party, the non-profit or the documentary you can reach us at 310-293-8010 or [email protected]