WHAT WE GON DO?

This week we are focusing on performance artists who are building platforms and using them to advocate for equity and change. Last up is trans performance artist, twerk master and activist Qween Amor and she is coming with the HEAT! Qween is a fearless warrior against ignorance, racism, white supremacy and hypocrisy in all of its many forms. Her performances critique capitalism, complacency and hope to inspire people to be the fullest and most engaged version of themselves. She talks with us about what it's like to see her perform, how it feels to take up space even in the face of extreme adversity and violence, and what she hopes for the future in a world in chaos and turmoil.

Our first Pivot episode of What We Gon Do? features our editor Teddy Kareem talking about his first-hand experience with police and an examination of the sort of over-policing and community fear that has brought us to this point. What is it like to live in a deprived neighborhood and what sort of interactions every day lead to this boiling point? This is a vital watch for anyone wondering what this is all about. Thank you to Teddy for joining us and keep checking back as we create content to address this crisis!

This week we are focusing on performance artists who are building platforms and using them to advocate for equity and change. Second up is Tyler Matthew Oyer, performance artist, visual artist and singer songwriter. He joins us to discuss how he's getting through this difficult time, what we can learn from the past and how we can all use our voices to create radical change that is desperately needed.

This week we are focusing on performance artists who are building platforms and using them to advocate for equity and change. First up is Terra Lopez, front woman of Rituals of Mine and co-founder of label Bitchwave Studios. She has been very effective at building an audience that cares about the issues she advocates for and leveraging it to create conversations, advocacy agendas and activism to create a more just and equitable world for queer people, poc and women/trans people. Please take a listen and learn how we can use our platforms more effectively.

We are dealing with so much! This week we are going to still run our interviews with three incredible performers who are using their platforms and practices to create change! They are all queer and amazing and committed to creating a world that respects and uplifts all people and demands the dismantling of inequitable systems. Still relevant even amongst the police state atmosphere we are undergoing.

Terra Lopez - Frontwoman of Rituals of Mine and Co-Founder of Bitchwave Studios

Tyler Matthew Oyer - Performance Artist, Singer/Songwriter, Visual Artist

Qween Amor - Performance Artist, Activist, and newly minted Nurse!

Host Tre Borden recaps a heartbreaking week in American history and previews the performers interviewed this week who are using their platforms for change.

This week's episodes ask "What We Gon Do About Gatherings?" and our second conversation is with Damon Turner. He is the founder of TRAP HEALS - www.trapheals.com - a Los Angeles based arts and events collective centered around healing black people and communities of color. Damon and host Tre Borden discuss his practice and how he is spending his time preparing for a time after COVID-19. They also explain the power of "alchemy" to transform our biggest challenges into power and opportunity, and the importance of rest and healing during this time to make sure you are showing up as your purest self when this is over. In a time where Black people especially are suffering and experiencing so much loss and pain, this is an especially timely and poignant conversation.

This week's episodes ask What We Gon Do About Gatherings?" and our last conversation is with Whitney Richardson, the Global Events Manager for the New York Times. Based in London, she gives us a perspective on how The Times is responding to the crisis and the limitations on live events to create new forms of content that reach readers in new ways. She also discusses how to capitalize on some of the realities COVID-19 has wrought in order to reframe crucial conversations on issues effecting our world. Whitney also talks with host Tre Borden on her perspective of being a Black American woman living abroad during a global pandemic.

This week's episodes asks 'What We Gon Do About Gatherings?' and our first conversation is with Heather White. She is the founder of Boston-based fitness studio TRILLFIT (www.trill.fit) and head of Brand Marketing for HubSpot's INBOUND conference - www.inbound.com. Heather and host Tre Borden discuss the challenges and opportunities of providing wellness opportunities for her customers in a time where coming together can literally be deadly and how she took her business global by embracing new platforms and content delivery methods. She also talks about the obstacles for a 26,000 person conference to pivot and provide value in a much more virtual way!

WEEK 2 of WHAT WE GON' DO? Host Tre Borden introduces this week's topic - The Art of Gathering. How has the landscape of bringing people together changed in the short and long term? Get a preview of our conversations with this week's wonderful guests:

Heather White - Owner of fitness and dance studio TRILLFIT - www.trill.fit - and Brand Marketing Manager for HubSpot's INBOUND conference - www.inbound.com

Damon Turner - Founder of TrapHeals an event and arts collective focused on healing black people and offering opportunities to connect and care for one another. www.trapheals.com

Whitney Richardson - Global Events Manager for The New York Times.