This is Not Reality

In 2015, when I was a Junior at Hamilton College, I received the Emerson Collaborative Research Grant to research gentrification in Washington D.C.

I used those findings to develop my senior thesis and take a deeper dive into Urban Planning and migrations trends in the U.S. That research project, first titled Selling the City and later renamed to Saving the City, allowed me to better understand the origins of gentrification in order to combat it in Boston.

There was so much overlap between my research and the other grant projects and creative ventures I was pursuing at the time, curating art shows for emerging artists of color in Boston. Before I wrote Saving the City, I completed the Levitt Research Center's Social Innovation Fellowship at my college where I planned and pitched the creation of a local art gallery and studio to support black and brown artists competing in the creative economy. This research has been integral to my ongoing work in the arts and the city.

Saving the City challenges the prediction commonly made by early social theorists that globalization would eventually diminish the importance of place in society. I found that globalization has actually made place more valuable. My research led me to wonder how local government, entrepreneurs, and visionaries can leverage the value of place and placemaking in the 21st century to combat the gentrification and displacement of disenfranchised communities.

Featuring Curtis Santos & Eilakeisha Spencer

Founders of the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation

Organizers of Boston Urban Pride

I spoke to Curtis Santos and Eilakeisha Spencer who are the founders of the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation, which provides, “programs and activities ​supporting mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health in urban communities helping them to improve a healthier lifestyle”. They are the organizers behind Boston Urban Pride and Boston LesbiGay Urban Events aka B.L.U.E. During our conversation, we reflect on the controversy surrounding the dissolution of Boston Pride, how Curtis & Eilakeisha are working with a coalition of queer organizers of color to reallocate resources, what it was like coming of age as queer in the city, Lil Nas X and homosexuality in hip hop and more.

For more information about their programs and events follow the Boston Lesbigay Foundation @boston_urban_pride or visit their website

https://www.lesbigayurbanfoundation.org/about

Timestamps Below:

4:20 - What the foundation does

6:20 - Socializing and Serving community

7:40 - The Sacred ritual of gathering

8:30 - Starting during the pandemic

9:15 - Boston Pride

10:10 - Boston Pride boycott

12:40 Lack of access to funding

13:30 Boston Pride dissolving

16:50 B.L.U.E (Social Engagement)

22: bisexual community

26 organizational mission and structure

“Social engagement is really of a huge priority when we talk about social determinates of health…when we talk about folks living a healthy lifestyle when we talk about what does health and wealth looks like in urban communities, social engagement is at the #1 spot”.

38 Lil nas X & LGBTQUIA representation in Hip Hop

Music by Blessin @blessinindisguise and Lubiggz @Bahnanabites

For updates on new episodes of This is Not Reality follow @ambersafro

www.ambersafro.com/thisisnotreality

Ft. Zeisa, owner and creator of Zeisa’s Haircare

Amber spoke to Zeisa, owner and creator of Zeisa’s Haircare. The conversation touches on natural hair do’s and dont’s, curly hair in the cape verdean community, the impact of natural hair influencers and more. Visit zeisahaircare.com to purchase organic hair care and beard care products. If you’re in New York stop by House of Skillz Beauty, 2065 Fulton St in Brooklyn.

“It’s always been about the style and the style only…your not actually doing anything to take care of it before you do the style” 11:15

Timestamps below:

9 mins styling your hair vs. caring for your hair | 12 mins you’re gonna learn your hair | 16 mins keeping perm in her closet, just in case | 19 mins influencers | 21 mins hair types | 26 mins family hair care, creating new traditions | 29 mins nyc vs Boston | 30 mins cabo verde | 40 mins business owner and educator; turn over in charter schools | 43 mins Zeisa’s Hair Care now in stores, what’s next?

Music by Blessin @blessinindisguise and Lubiggz @Bahnanabites

For updates on new episodes of This is Not Reality follow @ambersafro

www.ambersafro.com/thisisnotreality

Ft. Lorenzo Recupero, creator of the Chelsea Poetry Walk

Over 20 small businesses in Downtown, Chelsea will be participating in the Chelsea Poetry Walk , from August 7th-September 30th, displaying poems written by residents of all ages in their window fronts. The creator, Lorenzo Recupero is a Chelsea Native, a writer for the Everett Leader Herald and more. He stopped by to talk about journalism, growing up in Chelsea and more.

Timestamps below:

0-10 min| the inspiration behind the event and the grant writing process. 15 mins| Lorenzo’s introduction to journalism, writing for the Boston Globe, Heavyweight champion John Ruiz article, Reporting on the opening of Encore casino & it’s impact. 30 mins| the state of Journalism today, the difference between opinions and journalism. 40 mins| Lorenzo tells the story of his mother giving birth to him at home in Chelsea (literally born & raised in Chelsea, not a big hospital in Boston) & how his father became a city councilor in Chelsea. 52 mins| growing up as a 1st generation Sicilian - Puerto Rican. 1 hr| we nerd out and Lorenzo shares 2 of his favorite historical facts about Chelsea.

Music by Blessin @blessinindisguise and Lubiggz @Bahnanabites

For updates on new episodes of This is Not Reality follow @ambersafro

www.ambersafro.com/thisisnotreality

0- 10 min The Broadway vs The Musical | Lin Manuel Miranda and The Impact of In the Heights (and Hamilton)| the overwhelming negative critique | 10 min how Latinos have historically been portrayed in media | All I had was Dora: the struggle of understanding my latino identity through pop culture in the 2000's | 23 mins My journey to embrace my Latinidad | shout out to local latino Ethnoburbs like Washington Heights: Chelsea, Ma, Jamaica Plain, the South End, Dudley Park, & all over the city.

0- 10 min The Broadway vs The Musical | Lin Manuel Miranda and The Impact of In the Heights (and Hamilton)| the overwhelming negative critique | 10 min how Latinos have historically been portrayed in media | All I had was Dora: the struggle of understanding my latino identity through pop culture in the 2000's | 23 mins My journey to embrace my Latinidad | shout out to local latino Ethnoburbs like Washington Heights: Chelsea, Ma, Jamaica Plain, the South End, Dudley Park, & all over the city.

My Room’s a Mess & This is not reality Podcast Cross-Over .

"Like a Messy room, life is all over the place"… & I definitely talked about anything & everything in this cross over episode with hosts Vic and Jason- Art, Philosophy, Kanye West, Immigration and more! They brought the heat this year--with their most recent guests including Flawless Real Talk, finalist of Netflix’s 2019 hit show, Rhythm + Flow......... and me ;) (to name a few). The hilarious trailer for season 2 of My Room’s a Mess features various shots of Jason (and Vic…. kinda lol), 2 Chelsea natives, running past popular landmarks like Chelsea Highschool, and the Tobin Bridge. For a few years now I’ve called Chelsea home, while acting very much like a stranger, but since I got this co-sign from My Room’s a mess, that makes me legit now right? Y’all go subscribe to My Room’s a Mess & follow them on social media. Thank you for welcoming me into the Messy Room, it was quite neat actually.

@ourmessyroom

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQierS2CtpLj04hUFLAewGQ/featured

Music by Blessin @blessinindisguise and Lubiggz @Bahnanabites

For updates on new episodes of This is Not Reality follow @ambersafro

www.ambersafro.com/thisisnotreality

My Room’s a Mess & This is not reality Podcast Cross-Over .

"Like a Messy room, life is all over the place"… & I definitely talked about anything & everything in this cross over episode with hosts Vic and Jason- Art, Philosophy, Kanye West, Immigration and more! They brought the heat this year--with their most recent guests including Flawless Real Talk, finalist of Netflix’s 2019 hit show, Rhythm + Flow......... and me ;) (to name a few). The hilarious trailer for season 2 of My Room’s a Mess features various shots of Jason (and Vic…. kinda lol), 2 Chelsea natives, running past popular landmarks like Chelsea Highschool, and the Tobin Bridge. For a few years now I’ve called Chelsea home, while acting very much like a stranger, but since I got this co-sign from My Room’s a mess, that makes me legit now right? Y’all go subscribe to My Room’s a Mess & follow them on social media. Thank you for welcoming me into the Messy Room, it was quite neat actually.

@ourmessyroom

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQierS2CtpLj04hUFLAewGQ/featured

Music by Blessin @blessinindisguise and Lubiggz @Bahnanabites

For updates on new episodes of This is Not Reality follow @ambersafro

www.ambersafro.com/thisisnotreality

Featuring My brother’s Keeper 617, a non-profit based out of Dorchester, created to provide mentoring to young men and boys in the Boston community aged 8 and up. The goal is to show the youth that they can make choices that will increase academic growth and professional opportunities. By pursuing these opportunities, they will grow to become an asset to the community and leaders of the next generation. MBK617 @mybrotherskeeper617 , was founded in 2014 when six men raised in Dorchester came together to make a change in the neighborhood (not to be confused with Obamas My Brothers Keeper Alliance).....Having grown up in the neighborhood and experienced the struggle from Boston's streets, these six men were uniquely familiar with the pressure to go down the wrong path. My interview with Mario & Tony begins with Mario asking how my moms doing because no big surprise, each of us in the interview are related in someway (that’s being Cape Verdean in Boston for you). We go on to speak in depth about the immigrant experience, gang violence & how MBK aims to expose the community to more opportunities in life. From snowboarding, to baseball games at Fenway Park, to starting & running a business MBK does so much !

@mbk617

www.mbk617.org

Music by Blessin @blessinindisguise and Lubiggz @Bahnanabites

For updates on new episodes of This is Not Reality follow @ambersafro

www.ambersafro.com/thisisnotreality

shorturl.at/ruDJP

Featuring My brother’s Keeper 617, a non-profit based out of Dorchester, created to provide mentoring to young men and boys in the Boston community aged 8 and up. The goal is to show the youth that they can make choices that will increase academic growth and professional opportunities. By pursuing these opportunities, they will grow to become an asset to the community and leaders of the next generation. MBK617 @mybrotherskeeper617 , was founded in 2014 when six men raised in Dorchester came together to make a change in the neighborhood (not to be confused with Obamas My Brothers Keeper Alliance).....Having grown up in the neighborhood and experienced the struggle from Boston's streets, these six men were uniquely familiar with the pressure to go down the wrong path. My interview with Mario & Tony begins with Mario asking how my moms doing because no big surprise, each of us in the interview are related in someway (that’s being Cape Verdean in Boston for you). We go on to speak in depth about the immigrant experience, gang violence & how MBK aims to expose the community to more opportunities in life. From snowboarding, to baseball games at Fenway Park, to starting & running a business MBK does so much !

@mbk617

www.mbk617.org

Music by Blessin @blessinindisguise and Lubiggz @Bahnanabites

For updates on new episodes of This is Not Reality follow @ambersafro

www.ambersafro.com/thisisnotreality

shorturl.at/ruDJP