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And Off to the Next Conference : The Allied Media Conference

7:27 am By Maegan La Mala · Allied Media Conference|Detriot|Media|media justice · 2 Comments

22 Jun 2011

Beginning on Thursday through Sunday, both Bianca and I will be at the Allied Media Conference in the lovely city of Detroit.

No offense to any of the other conferences I have been to so far, but the AMC is so special to me. It is truly a conference that inspires me, gives me new skills, and brings together other people who really inspire me and with whom I feel I can build something with. Plus it has childcare – real child centered spaces that attempt to engage the kids the same way the adults are engaged.

On Friday morning, I will be participating in one of the first workshops of the conference, Editing as an Act of Love. Here is the official description:

PRESENTERS:
Jessica Hoffmann, make/shift magazine
Lisa Factora-Borchers, Dear Sister anthology, make/shift magazine
Mariana Ruiz, 3 Sad Rivers Press
Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Editor, Broken Beautiful Press

This workshop will insist upon and celebrate the ways editing can, and in liberatory media projects, must be an act of love. While dominant media uses editing to serve conformity, hierarchy, and elitism, radical media makers can engage in different kinds of editing: editing rooted in skill-sharing, relationships, the bringing together of many different voices, collaboration, amplification of often marginalized stories, and more. In this session, we will give examples of multiple projects that engage editing as an act of love in different ways, and share practical tools and tips for editing in line with our love-and-liberation-minded values.

I believe that some of the others participating in this panel include the amazing media makers Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, China Martens, and Vikki Law.

I was very excited when Jess from Make/Shift reached out to me and asked me to be on the panel. I have been blessed enough to have worked with some of the amazing editors at Make/Shift. I have edited here as a blogger/website publisher, I have been edited less than lovingly in the mainstream press, I work on writing and editing with young people and edit myself all the time as a writer/poet/performer. I hope to bring all of those experiences to the mesa.

Allied Media Conference Workshop: Editing as an Act of Love from Lisa Factora-Borchers on Vimeo.

In collaboration with other marvelous editors and writers, this video was made for the 2011 Allied Media Conference. A workshop, “Editing as an Act of Love” will feature creations and insights from different individuals who practice editing as a form of love and activism.

As with Netroots Nation, the best way to keep up with what I’m up to at the AMC is to follow the twitter stream, especially the hashtag #amc11.

Immigration Enforcement Following Parents Taking Children to School in Detroit

12:38 pm By Maegan La Mala · Detriot|Immigration · 11 Comments

6 Apr 2011

The first time I saw an Immigration & Customs Enforcement van was in Detroit. For some children of immigrants in Detroit, they may say the same thing and add that the last time they saw their parents was in an ICE van.

The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) is reporting that in Detroit ICE followed parents taking their children to the Hope of Detroit Academy, detained at least two parents, and essentially forced other parents to remain inside the school, afraid of leaving and afraid of being detained by ICE. Eventually the ICE officers left.
Read more…

VivirLatino’s Mala Heads to Detroit for the Allied Media Conference

7:40 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Allied Media Conference · 1 Comment

17 Jun 2010

I’m really excited to be heading to Detroit today for the Allied Media Conference and participate in presenting a workshop. I will be posting updates here and maybe even liveblogging some sessions. I was also playing with the idea of doing a video log of my time at the AMC. We’ll see how it plays out.

Here’s the workshop I am helping to present:

M/others, Mamaz and Community Care-Givers Unite Through Truth-Telling!
Saturday,
June 19, 2:10-5:30 pm (w/ break)
…
Presenters: Gia Hamilton, Gris
Gris Lab; WelfareQUEENS;
Rachel Caballero, La Semilla Childcare
Collective; China Martens;
Future Generation & Don’t Leave Your
Friends Behind; Kidz Space;
Katina Parker, New Orleans Labor of Love;
Noemi Martinez, Hermana,
Resist; Maegan “la Mamita Mala” Ortiz,
Vivir Latino/Dos Mujeres Media
Facilitator: tk karakashian tunchez,
To tell You the Truth/New Mythos Project TRACK: INCITE! / To Tell You the Truth

M/others (self-identified single, teen and welfare mamaz),
mamaz and community caregivers around the country are telling their
truths through zines, blogs, printed media, performance work etc, and
using this process oftruth-telling to create stronger selves, families
and communities. In this 3-part, interactive workshop, we will share
practical skills and organizing models, then strategize on how we can
support each other year-round through a national network of mamaz and community caregivers. Come share your questions and your knowledge with us!

This session will take place in three one hour parts. Part one is
a knowledge fair, showcasing the many incredible projects in the room.
Part two is a skill share, giving you a chance to learn some specific
truth-telling and organizing techniques, including: zine-making, social
media, on-the-go-video-how-to, blogging 101, and building a radical
childcare collective. Part three is a strategy session for all us
m/other, mamaz & community cargegivers in theroom to think, dream,
strategize, and envision specific ways we can work together over the
next year. We will explore questions like; What do we bringto the tables
as mamaz? What support do we need? How can we fortify our national
community and our families? How can alternative media-making further our movements and transformations?

This session prioritizes the participation of mothers and community care-givers of color, but is open to all.

Pete Hoekstra: Michigan Does Not Claim You

1:12 pm By la Macha · Detriot|Media · 1 Comment

29 Dec 2009

And unless you think I am not serious about the level of humor Michiganders were able to drum up in reaction to the terrorist attack, please check out this post from Blogging For Michigan about our lovely representative, Pete Hoekstra. Pete is famous for having his ass handed to him by Rachel Maddow and being all all around extreme Christian Conservative.

And of course, as somebody who is not from this side of the state, much less Detroit, as somebody who has never once stood for Detroit (or this side of the state), as somebody who has supported racist “support ‘rural Michiganders’ instead of urban areas” (aka freeloading black folks are stealing from hardworking white people) agendas of various politicians in the state–Pete feels totally comfortable playing the attempted attack up to suit his own agenda.

…that didn’t stop Pete from spending part of Christmas and the entire day of the 26th like some warped modern version of Paul Revere, running to every available form of mass media that he could to remind you that it wasn’t a terrible day, but if you just use your imagination, you can and should turn it into one! Here he is in the Detroit News, “Hoekstra: Attack not aimed at Detroit”, the Detroit Free Press, “Hoekstra: Air terror try hints at a larger plot” (followed by the inevitable, Napolitano: No sign of larger terror plot), the Associated Foreign Press, “Pete Hoekstra: Detroit terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab may be connected to Fort Hood shooter”, WOOD TV in Grand Rapids, “Hoekstra: attack attempt cutting edge”, and there were probably other appearances that we didn’t see because we were too busy checking our basements to make damn sure there were no terrorists down there. Whew.

Ah…Pete. If you weren’t such a total asshole, Michigan might claim you just for the humor you make available to us.

Flight 253 Renews Calls for Ethnic and Religious Profiling

9:28 am By Maegan La Mala · Detriot|New York City|race|Religion · 1 Comment

29 Dec 2009

At this point everyone has read/heard about Flight 253 in Detroit. If you haven’t here’s a rundown: A man attempted to detonate an explosive device that was attached to his leg. It didn’t work. The man burned himself. Another man is being called a hero and selling his pictures.

Perhaps what is more interesting than what 23 year old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is accused of doing, is the media frenzy and fear fiesta. It’s like we’re back to right after 9-11 where the public is expected to say yes to whatever is said in the name of “safety” Take NYS Assembly person Dov Hikind who represents parts of Brooklyn, who took this opportunity to revive some old legislation of his that failed. The legislation essentially called for the legalization of profiling against certain people, namely Middle Easterners, Arabs and Muslims.

It’s been a long time, pero la Mala is back

22 Jul 2009

Peeps may have noticed my absence over the last week. While I wasn’t blogging, I was hard at work meeting with other radical media makers, including our own la Macha in Detroit which housed the Allied Media Conference and the Women’s Equity Media Summit.

This was my second year attending the AMC and I consciously entered the experience with the intent of using it as an opportunity to examine my work here and in other spaces as a radical woman of color media maker. I was blessed with amazing experiences and sharing space with other radical women of color media makers who inspire me and teach me. I also left with a head full of ideas and projects that will be sustained with the help of some of the same women who busted ass making sure that I was housed, fed, and loved.

I will resume regular posting, some which will include deconstructing some of the experiences I have had over the last week so stay tuned and gracias for reading and supporting the important work we do here at VivirLatino.

Mala’s on the Road : To Detroit for Women’s Media Equity Collaborative Summit and the Allied Media Conference

6:21 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Allied Media Conference|Detriot|Media|media justice|VivirLatino · Comments Off

15 Jul 2009

WMECmphSUM2
While all of you are reading this, I’m on the road again, this time returning to Detroit for a busy few days that I hope will recenter me and the work that I do.

Thursday I will be at the Women’s Media Equity Collaborative Summit.

A day long session of exchange in a nourishing environment
++ to build a strong women centered media movement
++ that broadens outreach, evolves programs and is sustainable

* In Detroit a new women’s media strategy will evolve. POLICY in action!
* Emphasis on attendees from groups led by women of color, low income women, queer women, the disabled and moms – focus for scholarship assistance
* “Being there” is vital for long term sustainability of women led media

Critical initiatives to explore and build:
* Create Trust & Relationships across race/class/geography/media-genre borders
* Share Field Developments and discuss the results of the survey
* Build For The Future, embrace new digital paradigm along with political/economic shifts
* Envision a New Fund that is sustainable and responsive to critical field needs
* Advocate Gender Justice amidst independent media and the larger public sphere

From Friday, I will be at the Allied Media Conference

The Allied Media Conference is the central project of the Allied Media Projects (AMP) network, which emerges out of ten years of organic relationship-building. Since the first conference (then the Midwest Zine Conference) in 1999, people have been compelled by the concept of do-it-yourself media. Later, as the Underground Publishing Conference, the emphasis was on building a movement of alternative media makers. With the shift towards Allied Media, the AMC has attracted more and more people who are interested in using participatory media as a strategy for social justice organizing.

More Mala Approved Ways to Celebrate Hoy : Silent Art Auction to benefit the Allied Media Conference

9:17 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism|Allied Media Conference|Detriot|Events|media justice · Comments Off

12 May 2009

Come see the art and learn more about the AMC. All are invited!

Host: Allied Media Conference
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time: 8:00pm – 11:00pm
Location: Motor City Brewing Works
Street: 470 W. Canfield
City: Detroit, MI
Email: info@alliedmediaconference.org

Auction bidding: 8PM – 1030PM. Winners announced at 11PM. Come see the art and learn more about the AMC. All are invited!

The show will be held May 12 at Motor City Brewing Works.

The 11th annual AMC will be held July 16-19, 2009 in Detroit. More info at www.alliedmediaconference.org

Via / Nadia Abou-Karr

Detroit Metro Area a Fast Growing Deportation Center

12:44 pm By Maegan La Mala · Detriot|Immigration · 1 Comment

4 Dec 2008

The Detroit Metro area is fast becoming the epicenter for deportations. In the year ending on September 30th, The Office of Detention and Removal Operations in Detroit increased deportations about 45 percent — from 5,057 to more than 7,500. This is a new record and already for the new year are ahead of that pace deporting about one-fourth of that record number in October and November alone.

The Detroit Metro area has more than 400 ICE investigators and their presence and actions are making familias scared, even young children.

VivirLatino