All posts tagged: home

The Road Home: Marching from Selma to Montgomery

Published by Khadijat Oseni

One plane. Two feet. Three breaths. Four different thoughts flickering back and forth like a light bulb spiraling out of energy. Step after step after step definitions of purpose circle my brain as I move from point A to B, trepidation to resolve. I had been tapped by the State of Alabama and the National Park Service to partake in their 50th Anniversary Walking Classroom where 300 people from across all U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, would congregate and reenact the historic Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights – 54 miles for five days straight. We would learn and document firsthand experiences from some of the original foot soldiers, like Dr. Bernard Lafayette and Dr. Frederick D. Reese who walked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965, and I was afraid of debasing a legacy that made relatively cold, still gravel appear like shiny rose petals beneath my feet. This was holy ground, and I was sullied in this matrimony of thought as freedom of choice is something that I’ve tasted all my …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ George Abi-Hanna

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

Travel for inspiration, such a beautiful phenomenon, to escape the mundanity of routine and inject one’s self with positive experiences from around the world. A voluntary timeless blood transfusion that delivers on many intangible levels. For musicians, that’s the never ending pilgrimage for musical influence, leading some to claim a home away from home.  Growing up in Lebanon during turbulent times, travel was reactionary. Plucking families like dandelions seeking a safe haven away from political turmoil. That “somewhere” evolved into Brooklyn for me. A beautiful borough with raw character, sharing inspiration beyond its borders, which reminded me of Beirut. Walking down either’s streets you get a sense of immense creative energy seeking an outlet. Graffiti covered walls incubating bands tucked away in packed alley bars. A comparable music scene in Lebanon giving Arabic rock and hip hop a platform where Arab artists can express themselves. A sense of sonic unity that Brooklyn taught me to appreciate. This journey for clarity has bought things full circle for me.  Now I find inspiration in seeing the work …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Teff

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I suppose I always seek out nuances of Orange. Or anything in the citrus family…greens, yellows, soft pink, etcetera. The burnt Orange dirt roads, my family home is the softest peach colour and white. The vibrant, vivid hues of yellow, Orange ridden all through the Sunrises and Sunsets. I haven’t seen the Sun rise nor set quite like it does in Africa. Nigeria in this case… This particular photo was taken in the Wuse II neighbourhood of Abuja, Nigeria. My dad, older brother, and myself had been out for most of the day, in the heat, running errands. We didn’t have much breakfast, so we stopped to get some bananas and roasted groundnuts. This woman was out there with her daughter and young son. In all her hustle, her daughter – not any older than 12 – had assumed the role of caretaker. The image reminded me of how some roles may be imposed on us. But the true measure of character and strength is riddled in the management of said roles. Her daughter reflected …

#Art Life: The Bowery Mural

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Like a true Brooklyn girl who still wells up at the sound of Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” when thinking of home, no matter how highbrow an art experience I encounter at classic museums around the world, there is always a special appreciation I have for the street art adorning the walls of New York City’s concrete jungle whether as “high” as commissioned, public art pieces or as “low” as illegal graffiti tags. The landmark Downtown NYC spot for street art aficionados alike is the infamous Bowery Mural located at the corner of  Houston (pronounced HOUSE-Ton for non-New Yawkers 😉 ) & Bowery streets, one of my favorite places to periodically visit when home. The wall was first christened by the iconic Keith Haring and Juan Dubose in 1982 and has since showcased an impressive list of established and up & coming artists splattering their vivid imaginations across coveted NYC territory. The Bowery Mural is Downtown New York’s interactive allegory with bright colors, patterns, tags and graphics telling tales of life and culture once experienced and presently observed by its residents. It is a constant …