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Art can re-posses. The fact is, there is a time to stand out and do your own thing, especially when the decision makers aren’t including your perspectives and experiences in their media, film and creative outlets. But, there’s also a time to re-write and re-interpret the stories that mis-represent or ignore you, put some stank [...]

Hello Live Unchained world! I’m Kristen, Live Unchained’s Chief Technology Officer. I’m writing to thank you on behalf of the entire Live Unchained team for supporting our crowdfunding campaign with Warsan Shire. While we didn’t reach our financial milestone for the campaign, we learned a great deal along the way, and had a great time [...]

This article originally appeared in GOOD Magazine, March 29th, 2013. Women of African descent have consistently challenged limited understandings of blackness, femininity, sexuality, and nationality. Still—too often—dominant media representations of black women across the African diaspora do not reflect the diversity of our perspectives, experiences, and even nations we come from, and languages we speak. [...]

Maps lie; if they told the truth, the drawings would reflect Jamaica’s greatness. Noted Jamaican poet and cultural activist, Louise Bennett, called out the problem of Western cartography when she wrote: “Worl-map fi stop draw Jamaica small!…For de lickle speck cyaan show we independantness at all!” Building on Bennett’s critique, Dr. Carolyn Cooper‘s most recent [...]

My conversation with J’Nell Jordan reminded me that a woman should never have to hide her power just to make others feel comfortable. J’Nell is the talented painter who contributed an original print of Warsan Shire to our “Terrifying, Strange & Beautiful” crowdfunding campaign. She believes in simply doing what you were meant to do, [...]

We can’t thank you enough for supporting Live Unchained’s vision for “Terrifying, Strange & Beautiful, an awards ceremony honoring poet Warsan Shire and women artists across the African diaspora. We’re working hard to spread the word about the campaign, but we need your hep as we reach out to creative minds and organizations. So, please [...]

When a poem is visualized, you can relate to it in new ways. We’re happy to have the support of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Graphic Design department in our “Terrifying, Strange & Beautiful” crowdfunding campaign at www.indigegogo.com/liveunchained. Graphic Design students read several poems by Warsan Shire and created artwork based on the lines [...]

30 Days Unchained/#30Unchained | Day 30 2/6/13 | Inspiration: Warsan Shire We close the 30 Days Unchained/#30unchained countdown with the talented London-based, Kenyan-raised, Somali poet, Warsan Shire. Inspired by a line from Warsan’s poem, “For Women Who Are Difficult to Love,” we need your help in putting on a truly “Terrifying, Strange and Beautiful” event… [...]

30 Days Unchained/#30Unchained | Day 28 2/6/13 | Inspiration: The Women of Live Unchained Kathryn Buford (Chief Visionary Officer), Jess Solomon (Connectivity Director), Sam Vernon (Outreach Director), Nesrien Hamid (Multimedia Journalism Intern) [Not pictured (but there in spirit): Kristen Nicole (Chief Technology Officer), Jaimee Todd (Legal Advisor), Kathy Chamberlain (Operations Advisor), Alison McNeil (Business Advisor), [...]

30 Days Unchained/#30Unchained | Day 28 2/6/13 | Inspiration: Kristen Nicole An influential voice on technology, social media and all things “Big Data,” Kristen Nicole wants women of color to see just how powerful the Internet can be in building your brand, network and dreams. In our interview, she also discusses why we are only [...]