Revolution: Celebrate Harlem 127th Street — A Collaboration
2004 | Harlem, New York
PROJECT PARTNERS:
-
Antibalas Afro-Beat Block Party Band
-
DJ Rich Medina
-
Red Jacket Orchards
-
Vee Bravo/CBM productions
-
Martin C-Perna
-
Paper Tiger Television
-
Andrea “ACB”
-
St. Joseph Parish
-
TRUCE students and counselors
-
Strictly Roots Restaurant
-
Residents of 127th st.
A revolutionary, joyful celebration for 127th Street in Harlem
“’Revolution’ is a return to something that in its process of change is made new. If we are the results of what we have thought, as Buddha once said, let us change the world through our thoughts; let us think of new and better ways to be. Let’s imagine the best things possible, and through our thought and synthesis we can create the best existence possible. Thinking the divine in us creates a revolution.”
Revolution: Celebrate Harlem 127th Street – A Collaboration was a neighborhood festival to build divine relationships in positive multidisciplinary ways. At the center of this block party for positive shared experiences was a commentary, if not a representation, of revolution—with the focus being the people of Harlem, most specifically folks from 127th Street.
The various activities at Revolution were creative practices for evolution. Different collaborative visual art experiences, continuous short film screenings, video stations, and DJ/music performances were some of the activities to explore radical social, environmental, cultural, and spiritual themes. The project was revolutionary in its generous, inclusive, joyful nature, with none of the activities of the event driven by commerce, competition, or anger. Like affirmations, the repetition of positive experiences created an existence beyond-better. With celebrations of multi-geographic, multigenerational, multicultural, and multi-class participants in dialogue, the project encouraged participants to become practitioners of greatness. Revolution: Celebrate Harlem 127th Street – A Collaboration was a gathering for social change for the better.
Photo: John Walder