Tag Archives: Malcolm X House

FEATURED
VIDEO: Karmenife Paulino ’15 Delivers Powerful Comedy Set at Malcolm X House

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Content warning: the following post and video discuss sexual violence and assault.

[Updated 2/16/17, 11:53AM] Check the bottom of the post for photos of the performance from Jejomar Erln Ysit ’19

If you were on campus at any point from Fall 2014 – Fall 2015, you might remember Karmenife Paulino ’15 as being something of a legend. Here are a few ways you may be familiar with her:

  • She became a very public activist against sexual violence, openly talking about her assault at Psi U her freshman year.
  • She also spoke out against members of Eclectic (which she was also a member of) for allowing her rapist into their home and perpetuating rape culture. Along with controversy surrounding a racial slur on a membership application, this contributed to Eclectic losing their house for the 2016-2017 school year.
  • She, along with Tess Altman ’17, created a photo project titled Reclamation during the Fall 2015 semester. We covered the project in a 12,000-word interview with Karmenife, and then the photos went viral. Even Margaret Cho took notice.

Since graduating, Karmenife has gotten involved with numerous projects and collaborations. She created a portrait series of black icons and turned OKCupid harassment (and her comebacks) into art. She’s written and spoken extensively on how white feminism perpetuates rape culture. She’s a very active presence on social media. And, to top it all off, Karmenife has started to perform as a comedian.

She returned to campus last Friday for a one-hour stand-up routine, “Make Your Own Reparations 101,” and delivered a rousing set to the packed basement of Malcolm X House. Her jokes covered everything from the Wes administration, to casual racism at her workplace, to scamming white men on Tinder. Watch the video of her performance after the jump:

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EVENT
Turn Up or Nah? Featuring Apollo Mighty x Thread Count

Screen Shot 2014-04-11 at 6.04.29 PMFrom McKenzii Webster ’13:

Ujamaa is bringing you the show and after-party of the year featuring Apollo Mighty (Memphis, TN, Alternative R&B singer/songwriter) & Thread Count (One of Wesleyan’s DOPEST genre-blending bands)!

If you think the show is something ridiculous, wait until you experience the after-party. Just to make the after-party interesting, we are bringing back Class of 2013’s DJ KenziiKenz!

So, are we TURNING UP or nah?

**Apollo Mighty** Soundcloud / Album Review / Website

Sponsored by Ujamaa & Hosted by Malcolm X House

Date: Saturday, April 12th, 2014
Time: 10PM (NOTE: After-party will immediately follow the show.)
Place: Malcolm X House Basement
Cost: Free!

EVENT
OPEN FORUM: Middletown Detention Center

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A very important open forum notice from Ashe Kilbourne ’14:

Decarcerate CT (link here) is organizing an open forum to discuss the new juvenile women’s locked detention center being built in Middletown (article here).

Community members and Middletown students are invited to come to the Malcolm X House basement at 5:30 this Thursday to listen to community organizers talk about prison abolition activism in Connecticut and to discuss organizing against the new facility and the expansion of the prison system in our state.

 

Date: Thursday, March 27th
Time: 5:30pm
Place: Malcolm X Basement
Cost: a raising of your consciousness

FEATURED
On Black History Month

Black History Month, for as long as we have been students at Wesleyan, has been the only time during the year that Ujamaa has had a significant and visible presence on campus. This is in stark contrast to the historical roots of Ujamaa, which was formed to serve as a space for the Student of Color community to build relationships and community with one another and really strengthen themselves against a campus that at the time (and more often than we’re willing to admit now) was systematically separating, tokenizing, and in no uncertain terms, oppressing them.

Black History Month, then, was a space for community development, education about critical issues going on in the African diaspora, and a reclamation and centering of topics that weren’t being taught on Wesleyan’s campus. It served as a reflection of the state of the collective and the state of the Student of Color community.

This is still true. However, the efforts of community development, education, and campus awareness have not been the premise of Ujamaa’s current mission. Before we have a Black History Month, the events that take place during this month should be reflective of the community that it represents. Last semester, however, there was one Ujamaa collective meeting. The planning of Black History Month has taken place completely within the confines of the Ujamaa board members. This does not mean that the events would necessarily be bad, but it does highlight that Black History Month is not reflective of the community as a whole.

Black History Month, as it stands on campus, is a performative activity.

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EVENT
Privilege, Policy, and Race: A Discussion

FlyerFrom Christian Hosam ’15:

On Sunday, October 27th from 3 – 5 PM at the Malcolm X House Lounge, we will have the third of the Privilege and Policy at Wesleyan series. The discussion will cover how race impacts the Wesleyan experience in both implicit and explicit ways, with topics like racial profiling by public safety and police officers, assumptions about class made based on skin color, the history of and role of the Student of Color community on campus- anything you want to talk about, we’re down to discuss. We invite all students to join us to share their experiences, come up with ideas for change, and meet other students who care about how race affects the Wesleyan experience.

Moderated by Christian Hosam ’15.

E-mail nupdegrove[at]wesleyan[dot]edu with any questions/concerns.

Date: Today
Time: 3-5 pm
Place: Malcolm X House

EVENT
Red Flag Open Mic

The Sexual Violence Action Committee wants you to speak up (and eat up):

Join us for an open mic (and some free Thai food!) to wrap up the Red Flag Campaign. The first hour will be dedicated to writing and creating and then we will invite people on stage to share their work/experiences. The central focus of the night is relationships and sexual violence. If you already have an act that you’re interested in performing, shoot an email to the SART intern Rachel Verner ’15, at rverner(at)wesleyan(dot)edu and she’ll set you up.

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 7th
Time: 6 -8 pm
Place:  X House

Check out the Facebook event here.

EVENT
Kalalu & WISA Dance Party

Anonymous ’15 invites you to partay:

Dance party and performances, Caribbean style, are a deadly combination. Everyone should come! Enjoy music you already love or come taste a different culture.

Date:   Friday, Dec. 2
Time:   11:30 PM – 2:00 AM
Place:  Malcolm X House Basement

EVENT
WeSLAM Presents: 2nd Preliminary Slam (feat. SciryL)

From WeSLAM:

Midterms are ending. Fall break is approaching. But before you make your brief getaway (or lack thereof), come and join us this Thursday for some words and some lovin’.

This is because WeSLAM is coming to Malcolm X House for THE SECOND PRELIMINARY POETRY SLAM OF THE SEMESTER. 12 poets. 2 rounds. Only 4 will move on to the Wesleyan Grand Slam. If you wish to participate, get in line to sign up at X-House at 7:45pm. Open mic is at 8:00pm. The slam goes down at 8:15.

But that’s not all. We are bringing in SCIRYL to feature. SciryL (“lyrics” spelled backwards) is a poet, rapper, singer, and overall lyrical genius. He has even been a poet on HBO’s Def Jam Poetry. Check him out here and here.

  • DATE: October 20th (TOMORROW)
  • TIME: signups @ 7:45pm, open mic @ 8pm, slam @ 8:15pm
  • PLACE: Malcolm X House, 345 High Street
  • WHO’S THE BOSS?: You, clearly.

Love, Solomon.

EVENT
Static Stamina Ends; Weekend of Insanity Begins

This post is later than it should be because the internet cras33330tu3tisnsjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

We don’t really post Weekend Roundups anymore (why would we?–that’s what the event calendar’s for), but holy-god this weekend is nuuuuts:

If you don’t break any bones, you’re probably not paying attention.

But tonight’s Static Stamina show (at Malcolm X House, featuring ska-punkers Aaron Burr & the Hamiltones and Dink-583) is a little more poignant. Because I met some fellow wide-eyed frosh during freshman orientation, and they decided to start a band, and named it Static Stamina one aimless Friday night in the Butt C lounge, and soon I parted ways, but that band has spent the past four semesters injecting some hardcore energy into Wes’s music scene, treading a thin line between rock, hip hop, performance art, and sheer vulgarity, and it’s been a hell of a trip, and now, tonight, it’s all coming to an end (or indefinite hiatus, whatever). And that means farewell shows from Static Stamina and Wordsmith and Mad Wow all in the same week, and then Flora & Fauna mostly graduates after they play Spring Fling, and Bones Complex goes on hiatus, and The Japanese is taking a break (I think?) (that’s assuming they even survive opening for Lightning Bolt), and AARGGH WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO WESLEYAN’S STUDENT MUSIC  SCENE??

Right. More specific info about tonight’s show after the jump.

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