Ashley and New York

3/5/15

6th Annual African American Film Critics Association Awards: Selma; Ava DuVernay; David Oyelowo; Oprah; Tessa Thompson; Gugu Mbatha-Raw; Stephanie Allain; Effie Brown; Debra Martin Chase; Donna Langley; Franklin Leonard; Susan King

Director Ava DuVernay (Selma) won Best Director

actress Tessa Thompson (Selma / Dear White People)

actress Gugu Mbatha=Raw (Beyond the Lights / Belle)

Legacy Award winner Stephanie Allain (film producer)

BET's Robi Reed

Gil L. Roberston, AAFCA President and co-founder

feature film producer Amber Rasberry

Film producer Effie Brown was awarded for the film 'Dear White People'

TV and film producer Debra Martin Chase is honored with the Ashley Boone Award

Film producer Stephanie Allain accepts her award

Film producer Effie Brown's AAFCA award acceptance speech

Entertainment writer Susan King wins inaugural 'Roger Ebert Award'

Yesi Ortiz, DJ/Music Director at Power 106

The PR staff and event coordinators did an amazing job!

#Selma

Oprah accepts award on behalf of Selma's win

Ava DuVernay's heart warming acceptance speech for Best Director (Selma)

1/19/15

'Nominate to Discriminate' (Open Letter Poem to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Regarding Their Problematic Oscar Nominations)

I was honored to meet and congratulate actor David Oyelowo for his exemplary performance as Martin Luther King in 'Selma' during the post-Golden Globes festivities

Nominate to Discriminate

by Ashley

(An Open Letter Poem to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and

Sciences Regarding Their Problematic Oscar Nominations)

The Academy’s Oscar actor nominations are all white this year

What is it about Black, Brown and Yellow that you fear?

David Oyelowo’s performance in Selma is the cream of the crop

'Selma' director Ava DuVernay's talent shines brightly on top

Yet your primarily all white male jury has shut them out

Seriously? What are these obvious snubs truly about?

Is it studio politics, money related or a slap in the face?

Whatever the reasons, your actions are a total disgrace

Nominations were announced on Martin Luther King’s birthday

If he were alive I’m sure he’d have a whole lot to say

“I had a dream that awards would be based on merit alone,

That sinister politics and exclusion would not be condoned,

Jury demographics would accurately reflect the U.S. of A.,

This year at the Oscars will be a grey, colorless day”

The people are not accepting this diversity- lock-out

They’ve created #OscarsSoWhite, can you hear them shout?

Are you uncomfortable #BlackLivesMatter ain’t backing down?

Social justice movements shake this country’s ground

We don’t need golden statues to know our people’s worth

We’ve endured discrimination and ignorance ever since birth

Yet still we have organized to make the world a better place

For our resilience and spirit are blessed by God’s grace

All stories have value, be they Brown, Yellow or Black

Eyes of the enlightened behold the integrity you lack

It will take more than barring our heroes from your stage

To disempower the ever-growing resistance and rage

We’ll protest racism and police brutality until we see peace

From Selma to Ferguson, our movement will not cease

Enjoy the Oscars this year, though it’s truly a shame

To value politics before principle in this sham of a game

Goodbye and we hope that you can sleep well tonight

Sincerely, the People - fighting the good fight

12/11/14

Russell Simmons, Beverly Bond, Stephen Hill, Valeisha Butterfield-Jones, Estelle, Bevy Smith and others Host ‘Together We Stand’ Benefit for Eric Garner’s Family

with Eric Garner's daughters Emerald (center) and Shardinee (right)

with TV producer Saleda Bryant (left) and Valeisha Butterfield-Jones (center)

with Black Girls Rock founder Beverly Bond (right)

“I can’t breathe” (#icantbreathe) has become the rallying cry in protests following the unjust verdict which failed to indict the white police officer who killed Eric Garner, an African American man in Stanton Island who was choked to death by a police officer all while Garner was alerting the officer that he literally couldn’t breathe, which was caught on tape. Sadly, this terrifying abuse by law enforcement is not an isolated incident. There is a long history and current epidemic of law enforcement exercising extremely violent “tactics” when dealing with people of color, such as police sexual assaulting women (Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Ken Holtzclaw is being charged with assaulting 13 women, at least 7 of whom are African American, and one a minor), innocent children killed in police raids (like seven year old Aiyana Stanley-Jones), the unconstitutional and humiliating ‘Stop & Frisk’ protocol, or the brutal and often fatal beatings or gun violence disproportionately effecting Black and Brown men (like Michael Brown of Ferguson). The ever growing militarized police force dealing with peaceful protesters is also a larger concern that has to be dealt with.

On Wednesday, December 10^th a committee of Black social justice leaders, artists, entertainment moguls and politicos hosted a fundraising soiree at the Hudson Commons at the Hudson Hotel in Manhattan. The benefit raised financial support for Eric Garner’s family, including his widow, son and two daughters, Chardonnay and Emerald, all of who attended the event. Many gave their condolences to Garner’s family, and they were very much showered with support and love. Their quest for justice is also our struggle for peace. Until there is accountability and genuine reform there will unrest in this country. There’s a tidal wave rising that has no intention of landing until the people secure protection from corrupt law enforcement and societal equality regardless of race, class or gender.

Russell Simmons, Beverly Bond, D.J. Mos, D.J. Kiss, Legendary Damon, Stephen Hill, Valeisha Butterfield-Jones, Bevy Smith, Estelle, Tyson Beckford, Chef Roble Ali, Demetria Lucas and Janell Snowden were among the event co-hosts

Other noted attendees were Essence editor-at-large Emil Wilbekin, music mogul Kevin Lyles, TV producer Saleda, rapper Q-tip (who gave an inspiring speech in the DJ booth), social justice advocate Michaela Angela Davis Global Grind’s Michael Skolnik and BET correspondent Breon Robinson

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 13^th, large marches are planned in both Washington DC and in New York to draw attention of this country’s epidemic of police violence against people of color. Eric Garner’s family will attend the one in DC

Here is Eric Garner’s family’s IndieGoGo page so you can donate funds to help their family: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fund-for-the-children-of-eric-garner