"I have a deep love for women caught in the cycle of incarceration I have watched them for the last nineteen months, they taught me how to do time for that length of time. They showed me something has to be done to break this cycle. They showed me they trust me to be the one to represent them and advocate for them. I connected my dream with theyre wants and needs catering to the emotional needs of women who are and have been incarcerated a sisterhood that will serve the womens needs and the communitys needs. so you ready for us? we call ourselves (S.T.B.T.) Sisters That Been There we came up with the name while waiting in the holding cell at drug court pretty cool huh?"- Steeda McGruder 5/11/11 first day on the outs
g$
The G $pot
Monday, August 19, 2013
Steeda McGruder: "Sisters That Been There"
Steeda walked into DeBug 2 years ago fresh out of county jail asking about what we do and what not, which is a rhetorical question if anything. But I set up her first email account had her sit down and write her story that day. Good thing about looking back is to track yourself on why we move forward. Grateful to know this woman. Working on a re-entry photo slide of her raising her daughters now. An excerpt from that writing and some photos from a Mcgruder weekend.
"I have a deep love for women caught in the cycle of incarceration I have watched them for the last nineteen months, they taught me how to do time for that length of time. They showed me something has to be done to break this cycle. They showed me they trust me to be the one to represent them and advocate for them. I connected my dream with theyre wants and needs catering to the emotional needs of women who are and have been incarcerated a sisterhood that will serve the womens needs and the communitys needs. so you ready for us? we call ourselves (S.T.B.T.) Sisters That Been There we came up with the name while waiting in the holding cell at drug court pretty cool huh?"- Steeda McGruder 5/11/11 first day on the outs
"I have a deep love for women caught in the cycle of incarceration I have watched them for the last nineteen months, they taught me how to do time for that length of time. They showed me something has to be done to break this cycle. They showed me they trust me to be the one to represent them and advocate for them. I connected my dream with theyre wants and needs catering to the emotional needs of women who are and have been incarcerated a sisterhood that will serve the womens needs and the communitys needs. so you ready for us? we call ourselves (S.T.B.T.) Sisters That Been There we came up with the name while waiting in the holding cell at drug court pretty cool huh?"- Steeda McGruder 5/11/11 first day on the outs
Posted by
Jean Melesaine
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Oakland Is Burning
Before everyone watched "Paris Is Burning" and started popularizing Ball terms like "realness" and what not....there were OG's like "Lovely" who was vogueing and hitting every category on that "realness" tip. Had a chance to document one of the last Balls at SMACC in Oakland since their building burnt down. Was given a opportunity to redesign their new building and going to hold a opening art exhibiton fundraiser for September's first friday. A couple of photos to be featured from all the great folks who held it down on that SMACC floor. Best thing I heard "Ball Culture" is not for exhibition so these photos are the contradiction minus permission from the OGs. Big ups SMACC and all the Oaktown folks that make this city what it is.
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Jean Melesaine
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Ramon Vasquez
Check out time-saved.org, really dope project my work homies are doing for the community legal justice aspect, shows that families/community support can really dictate the control of the courts. Remember when Ramon's family came into DeBug saying the police just basically kidnapped him and took their son/husband/father for 9 months for a crime he didn't commit. Got to shoot him from looking outside the cell window he used to peer out of and ask his wife to drive at certain times just to see them from it. Always good to be around humble folks like him.
Posted by
Jean Melesaine
"Mi Viejito"
Collaborating with beautiful words by my homie Yosimar Reyes. Honor your elders. Mi Viejito from g$ on Vimeo.
Posted by
Jean Melesaine
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Joe Rodriguez
is the shit...very inspired by his work and what it means to be a good person who happens to be able to take photos. Its gonna be exciting to learn from an OG this summer. If we saw trauma as an onion that constantly needs to get peeled, and we saw the ability for one to express themselves and harsh realities as a privilege, than there should be a connection to photography and peeling away those layers for people to be able to make the first step of sharing harsh realities by just the second of their life in a click. This my friends is the power that photography holds, a way to liberate people to see themselves, their stories in a way that is easier to express. Also this dude has inspired me to curse the fuck out of all the curse words the english language provides.
Re-entry in Los Angeles: Darlene Escalante - by Joseph Rodriguez from liveBooks on Vimeo.
Re-entry in Los Angeles: Darlene Escalante - by Joseph Rodriguez from liveBooks on Vimeo.
Posted by
Jean Melesaine
Friday, May 3, 2013
French Bread and Imagination
When The Matai Has Fallen
There is one thing I am beginning to learn in life about
growing up too fast. It is the practice of heartbreak, there is no
heartbreaking moment in my life that can surpass the heartbreak that I have
when it comes to the love of my family. In that case, it has meant all my life
I’ve had heartbreak practice. It also means that when you are driving down the
880 with your father in the passenger side crying there are two things
happening, imagination and trauma.
Imagining that the wind blowing against the window pane kind
of sounds like how the ocean will crash as you drive faster to ignore his cry
so you don’t cry . It means this is the moment that you will think of your
relationship with French bread.
The moment your
passenger once ran out of the childhood house frantically and you followed him
in the car to drive away. Driving to Safeway to buy a loaf of French bread.
Only returning back home with the bread in your lap as your father pulls out
his wallet to give you all of his money. 14 dollars. Two five dollar bills and
four one dollar bills. Nobody is suppose to remember shit like this. Nobody
gives their money away at this time. This time when your father will step out
of the car to his fate, the wonder you had on arriving home to the complex
where all the neighbors stood in a crowd standing near your beaten mother outside
next to the 2 cop cars that awaited your fathers arrest for domestic violence.
So it is this night’s silence I’ll remember as I remember as
a child. That as we grow and things change or don’t change the things that have
passed on without knowing whether it be through my father or mother happen in
the most subtle ways. Then men in my family have a way of beating each other
drunkenly like they will be able to skip their tears through drunk laughter.
An important, very simple thing someone told me when I was
locked up was; you can not get to 10 without getting through all the numbers.
Because if you think you are at 8 because you bypassed 6 or 7….you will have to
take your ass back to complete them to really be at 10.
Sometimes I feel at 10……then I realize I’ve skipped a lot and
return back to imagination and French bread.
Posted by
Jean Melesaine
Monday, March 4, 2013
Where We Once Belonged
Straight from Samoan writer Sia Figiel's book, Where We Once Belonged, they've produced a really dope play. Auckland is winning my heart in pacific arts. "Ganguin is dead. There is no paradise", Sia Figiel is a G .
Posted by
Jean Melesaine
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