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Further study and sources

For those who feel like learning more about the topis, here are some books, and readings that can help you with that!

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

hope you like it! best, luiza

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 intensive sports and healing:

According to a study made at National Center of Biotechnology Information,” Grounding includes a normalizing influence on cortisol [20], a calming impact on the electrical activity of the brain [33,34], and a normalization of muscular tension [33]. In addition, there is an improved response to trauma and tissue injuries with accelerated wound healing [21,24,25]. In anyone participating in high level sports activity and especially professional endeavors, significant changes in immune function and markers have been found among grounded individuals but not among the ungrounded. In two studies on grounding and delayed onset muscle soreness, grounded participants had minor inflammation, less discomfort and a shorter recovery time [21,24]. In another investigation, grounding during cycling exercise significantly reduced the level of blood urea, a marker of less muscle and protein breakdown [35]. Such findings represent a major recovery benefit for training athletes.

 Electron transfers are the basis of virtually all antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. And the earth may very well be the ultimate supplier! When the supply is restored, humans have the potential to thrive. Touching our skin to the earth, is perhaps the perfect natural anti-inflammatory supporting biochemical and physiological effects that enhance healing.”

This is something I realized a lot the difference after I moved to nyc, specially during the winter. After a long and intense run, my parents and I used to practice grounding ( alone or together) by diving in the river, by meditating or simple taking the shoes off and walking barefoot in the yeard. During the cold winter in nyc, I notice how much I don’t do that, and how this interfiers the after exercise feeling. Running is a meditation for me, however, it is not only about the run, it is also about the moement of relief from the stress and endorfin after the exercise. When I started researching about the grounding after sports, it made a lot of sense to me that I was missing this factor on my equation, and now, I try to make an effort of stopping by the river a little bit, concentrate my breathing, and connect myself to the moment and to the nature around me. Even though we are at the concrete jungle, we are also at a island, and full of nature. We just need to pay attention to it.

With that in mind, I invite you all to after exciting, go for a walk or whatever your exercise might be, you should also take some time to reflect, recognize, and appreciate the accomplishments and the contact with your surroundings.

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5,4,3,2,1 activity

This post will be dedicated to a practice that doesn’t necessarily need you to be at a park, or a place full of nature, but it is encouraging that you do it so. 

The 5,4,3,2,1 activity is a exercise to make you feel more present in the moment. With so many digital distractions in our surroundings and our phones, being present and aware of our surroundings has not been practice as much as it should, NYC is a place where everywhere you look at, there is something new happening, a fair, a music show, cars and bikes everywhere. And even though this can be very inspirational, fun, and interesting, it can also be very overwhelming. Practacing grounding can made a difference in people’s lives.

To practice this activity, I went to Bryant park and sat on a bench, however, you could do it from anywhere. I found being close to nature during this practices more comforting and relaxing, but you could do it from different places, as long you ground yourself to the present moment. 

You start by seeing and noticing 5 things you see around you, count them. I observed:

A tree beeing blown;

A dog running after his owner;

Beautiful leafs falling by my side;

A sequirel;

A kid playing with the falling leafs.

Now, touch 4 things and acknowledge four things you can touch including parts of your body, furniture textures, etc.

The wood bench;

The grass;

The leafs by my side;

The  cute dog.

Now, notice and acknowledge three things you hear in your environment (focus on sounds, not your thoughts).

A laugh;

The wind;

A ice cream truck

Now, acknowledge two things you can smell. This can be easier done outside, but virtually everything within your home has a distinct smell.

This one is more difficult to me because since I had covid, my smelling senses are not as accurate as before… but, I did smell the weat grass.

You can repeat this process as often as you want.

How was this experience to you? I try practicing this activity at least once a day. Every time I get myself in an anxious mood I stop for 5 minutes to acknowledge my surroundings and make sure to control my breaths, which will be the next activity in this blog, stay tuned.

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Barefoot walk

The simple action of making contact with the earth, if you have a park close by, or a beach, or any place that you feel comfortable being barefoot, this activity is for you. Earthing restores a primordial electric connection to the Earth lost over time because of the human lifestyle. Earthing appears to correct what we call an “electron deficiency syndrome,”3 an overlooked and likely significant cause of multiple health disorders. 

Today I decided to enjoy the fact that it is not freezing outside and go for a walk into Central Park Middle Sheep barefoot with my friend. It was a great experience. I believe that more than walking barefoot, it is also about being able to pay attention to the feeling of touching the grass,  working our  senses, feeling the textures, and paying attention to being present, the different temperatures of where you are walking by. My friend and I  walked together, and we talked for a couple of minutes, but afterward we stayed in silence, we paid attention to the people around us, to the dogs around us, to the different types of grass that were in the field, the areas that were more humid than others, the wind. The experience is not simply touching the grass, but experience that, connecting to it and the moment. It was a  great walk. I felt very good after this 35-minute walk. 

After I told my friends about my experience, several of them agreed that we would do it again together and we did on the next day, a Sunday morning Earth session! Was great, some of them reported that they felt much more energized to work on their projects after the walk, others said they didn’t feel much different but would practice again, because “it felt nice.” Personally on this day, I felt a lifts my mood and helped me quiet the anxiety I was feeling with the street from work.

According to a study made from When one is in simple direct contact with the ground (walking barefoot, sitting, or laying down on the soil's surface), or if one is utilizing a grounding system for sleep, zeta potential increases, and RBC aggregation and blood viscosity decrease. Grounding may represent one of the simplest and yet most profound interventions to help reduce cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular events.”

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Grounding and its benefits for Health and connection to Earth Practices

The next posts are going to be dedicated to a series.

Grounding is currently an under-researched topic.

In a study made by the National for Biotechnological Information, they describe the practice of the Earth’s electric change as a natural anti-inflammatory, non-pharmaceutical therapy of choice. A free, easy-to-implement, and improves the quality of the living resource. Some Research group refers to grounding as perhaps vitamin G or electronic nutrition [4,5]. In the NBI paper, they say the practice are “energetic phenomenon that includes the Schumann resonances, an electromagnetic “vibration” (7.83 Hz, fundamental frequency) in the atmosphere as well as a humming of the energetic surface of the earth [6]. The Schumann resonances are not uniform but vary from moment to moment in a rhythm that affects the motion of the electrons on the surface of the earth. Thus, the earth's ground is electronically active and dynamic.

Other research over the last decade demonstrates that grounding studies have documented results including reduced inflammation and pain [20,21,22], better sleep [23], improved response to trauma and injuries with accelerated wound healing [21,24,25], improved blood flow [20,26], and reduced blood viscosity [9,10]. Grounding includes a normalizing influence on cortisol [20], a calming impact on the electrical activity of the brain [33,34], and a normalization of muscular tension [33]”

Coming back to the roots. Mother Earth has always been there for us, we need to recognize that and give her attention and gratitude. Earthing is about reconnecting to the most primitive and simple aspects of life, it is feeling the grass, paying attention to the surroundings, being present and alive.

Growing up in the city it can be hard to recognize so much in simply walking barefoot, and spending time with nature, as everywhere there is so much concrete and buildings. I am very grateful to my family for having introduced me to the Earthing practices from a young age. Spending time outside, taking care of animals at the farm, fishing, diving into the river, spending evenings close to the river, camping… All these activities made me realize how much I don’t practice this in NYC, and made be see how this has an crucial effect in my life, mental health, and physical health. Moving to NYC made me interested in researching and learning more about what are the benefits that contact with nature can bring. This blog has as goal, to bring personal reflections, and reviews of grounding activities, together with studies to support some of the realizations.

There are many different ways to connect with electrons from Mother Earth, and each post of this blog will bring a different practice focusing on making earthing accessible for everyone. 

An important note:

The benefits are not like a cup of coffee, it won’t give you an energetic punch immediately, and it can relieve stress, and mood change in minutes, but the biggest difference is looking at a long-term lifestyle change. Adding this practice to your daily life will make the biggest difference. For me more personally, I can feel the difference in my mood, in my muscle and gut inflammation, less pain after intense sports practices, and better sleep. I hope you enjoy this blog, and feel free to collaborate with any feedback and ideas!

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Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

The book has a very literal, beautiful, and poetic writing about nature and feelings. It is organized into different topics and chapters, each one with a different “lesson” that the world is giving to us, or an example of how native groups learn from the earth, how they incorporate materials from nature into their lives, the giving and receiving from the earth, and how we should move forward in life and next generations. 

Personally, this book was an affirmation of different texts and concepts I have been interested in in the past years, definitely a core reading for whoever is interested in learning more about the relationship of humans with earth, what we have been doing wrong, what we should do more often, what we should teach future generations, and how we should pay attention to nature as equals, and not only as a place. The book also touches bases on the native culture, and how they have a different interpretation of how to coexist with Earth than the Western world. How earth is something they rely on in their beliefs and how nature also relies on them to grow and to exchange benefits. 

Two examples of that are, (1) the beginning of the book, in which the author tells us the story of the skywoman. A  story told by generations of native people to explain to kids and every one the coexistence and the trust that we should have with earth, ecosystems, and nature. It talks about a woman who falls from the sky into the back of a turtle and makes that her home, it is a beautiful story about how both, the turtle and the woman come together to make the best of the coexistence.

Another example of that (2) is the example of the woven baskets that the author talks about. In this chapter, Kimmerer takes a class by John Pigeon, to learn how to make baskets out of Black ash trees like swampy ground. However this class is more than a guide on how to make the product, it is about being conscious of the basket source. Pigeon talks about finding the perfect tree, using all the possible parts of the tree, and being extremely thankful and respectful of that resource. No wast. And in return, a study has shown that in forests that coexisted with traditional methods of weaving basket makers, the trees were diverse in age and size. Having the trees occasionally cut down opened up gaps in the foliage for new growth to flourish. The ash trees and the basket makers had formed a symbiotic relationship. 

Change in our world is starting to happen, laws and limitations are starting to bring more attention to regulations of how the world should be taken care of, and generations are ( hopefully) getting more knowledge and more expertise in how to address change in the environment. However, this book takes a step back when thinking about these regulations and questions the way we look at the world, as not a place to find resources, but a place to give resources for and take others in return. For me the main lesson of the book was that, as native groups have shown, the goal is sustainability, in relationships, in resources and this can be done by reciprication, by a both-way path of care. It is taking care because you want to, because of love, and not due to a need or a demand of laws. 

In relation to that, the book that explores the idea of what is “to be”. In English, to be means something, but in the book, the author explores how in her native language, there is the idea of to be of something. To be from water, to be from spring…  We are so fixed on being something, framed into boxes, that we don’t allow the coexistence of energy and we don’t think about us being part of the earth, as we were separated things, and in native languages, they don’t think about that necessarily, they embrace the interrelations that we need to have with nature and the Earth to exist. There is a quote that says:

“Yawe— the animate to be. I am, you are, s/he is. To speak of those possessed with life and spirit we must say yawe. By what linguistic confluence do Yahweh of the Old Testament and yawe of the New World both fall from the mouths of the reverent Isn’t this just what it means, to be, to have the breath of life within, to be the offspring of creation The language reminds us, in every sentence, of our kinship with all of the animate world.”

The author talks about the difference between the learning process of learning indoors and learning from textbooks, and the difference between learning from the outside, from the senses, from touching the environment, smelling, and creating a deeper connection to the environment than an actual textbook. That connects a lot with Spiritual Ecology, in a way that you give and you receive back. There is a word in their language that the direct translation to English would be “ the medicines” however, the author explains that when breaking the word in parts, it also means “ the strengths of the earth”. Grounding and other medicines that native cultures use are based on the meaning, of being healed by the strength of the earth.

When thinking about how the book can be connected to Icelabraties, I believe it is a way to spread the idea of this different and more respectful mindset that relates to Earth. The author also mentions the way that she wrote this book intending to feed a circle of knowledge. She learns from her grandmother how to respect and interact with the world. After that, she implemented her learning into her life, and then she moved to teaching to be able to spread the knowledge to others and possibly replicate the circle that she had grown in. I believe this is a great lesson for all of us, on how celebrities and anyone in fact, can be influential in creating change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cumEQcRMY3c - great talk from the author!

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STREET ART WEEK

We Love NY – 212 8th Avenue

another Kobra so we can compare and see the similarities in his projects!

180 1st Avenue - Black or White (Michael Jackson) 

Kobra is a Brazilian artist that I have been following for a while now, He has a very particular style that you can look and say, "It's Kobra". I love the color and the fact that every piece has a meaning behind.

Lexington and 24th street - a nice view! I really liked the negative space used and the contrast with the yellow sun.

gramercy Park north and 20 street - Small and simple detail, art? yes, someone added that in purpose and art has purpose. Love that, coincidentally, are my initials haha - made for me.

this is a photo I took in Austin during my spring breaks, I thought it would be nice to also added here. It is from Mr. Doodle, an artist that I didn't know before but know I keep following his paths. He is very active and does his works over night. This wall was on the way home from the Airbnb I was staying and over a night it was painted, such a great surprise for the next day! I was supper impressed!

This is a photo I took in one of my walks on Williansburg bridge. There is a lot of graffiti in the bridge and it is definitely a very Nyc aesthetic. there was graffiti everywhere, for 40 minutes I was paying attention to all the phrases, drawing, colors and typographical touches that were around me! almost to much!

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Week 13 - Trees, Mycelial Networks and Community

Watch the Suzanne Simard video and respond in a post on your blog. What did you discover?

In my first year, my Sustainable Systems class dived in into this topic. The connections between the trees by their roots and the way they connect to each other was a topic that I was very interested about. But I didn't know the scientific part of their connection, all the chemicals they exchange. The mycelium and fungi are just the top of the iceberg of the connection that a forest is related to. The cooperation that they have, for when to ask for chemicals that they miss, and the way that mother trees can recognize their "baby-trees", take care of them, talk... It really says how forests create systems to survive. Something that was really nice to hear she talking about, it is how reforestation needed to be address with diversity and not only one or two types of trees, each tree has it's own "role" in nature and to create an sustainable cooperation system and a healthy forest, they need a variety of species.

Weave in your thoughts on this breakthrough research? What have you gleaned about trees as cooperative networks? What can we learn from the trees?

communication can come in different ways, people talk, dogs bark and trees connect by their roots, by the underground hub with mycilum. Trees can communicate with miles of distance, and recognize who is needed help, who can help, who are the components of their surroundings and what they have to do to preserve their forest. Trees help each other, they send nutrients to each other, they try to find a balance with their neighbors trees, no matter their species. This is something we should all acknowledge and value. Humans should also look-up more to help their surroundings, in small and in bigger gestures. Making the local community strong is a important component to earth health and for social impact.

Why do you think trees have entered human consciousness to such a degree in recent years, including pop culture examples like Ted Lasso? 

I believe that in the last decades, with all the technology that has been developed in, many people are getting further and further from nature, however, in the other hand, this distance has also make people realize how important nature is in their lives, and how much impact the today's practices are effecting mother earth. At the same time, the pandemic also had impact on how people see the world, we started giving more value to be outside, and to be close to nature. So I think this topic is getting more attention, which is good, and it should be like that. Also, personally, I believe that mother nature is the greatest professor we could have, learning from her should be more and more explored.

Choose one of the quotes above and comment. Why does this quote speak to you? 

Describe a tree from your childhood or a recent interaction with a tree. How did it impact you? "Yet our blindness to the role of inter species cooperation, including with the trees, has led to our current situation of climate crisis." This sentence really spoke with me. I live in a city, back home I lived in São Paulo, also a big city, and I keep thinking about the trees that live in the middle of the cities, in the side-walk, I think about all the concrete around them ,and I keep asking myself, how does your roots fit in this grey underground? And the sad truth is that many of this trees don't make as far as they should, they get sick, they don't grow, they are knocked down by rain, trees need trees, they need space, and they need the connection of a healthy soil to rely on. When growing up, I lived in a house, in front of my house, there was a centenary tree, beautiful, very special, it was the first thing I saw from my room everyday, it was were my family and I would escape from the sun in weekends afternoon, and where I would host my tea parties with my toys and friends. One night, I woke up with the most painful, load, surreal noise, of a crack. It was the fallen of the tree. My family and I were devastated, the huge trunk lay down peacefully above the car, we all sat in the bench close to the front door, in chock, sad, scared, and I swear I could feel her saying, that she did the best she could to stay alive and there, but there was just not enough space, she needed to rest.

Nowadays we planted another tree, but no tree will ever be as beautiful and as important for me and my family, as that one.

Did your Digital Detox experience heighten your awareness of trees? Please describe.

I think so, trees and nature are a big part of my life, so I think I've been always paying attention to them, but, now that we are in spring, walking around and looking at the trees have been a great surprise and experience.

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week 11 - Sustainable Fashion: Innovators and Outliers

How does Fast Fashion impact you directly?

Fast Fashion is everywhere nowadays. It is hard to admit that it is so much in my life, but that is the true. If I look at my wardrobe you would find clothes from stores that produce clothes in an unsustainable way, and all over the world. When I was younger I wasn't aware of the impact that buying in these stores had in our planet. But nowadays I try making choices that are more conscientious. The truth is that I hardly buy clothes if I don't really need them. But when I need, I try going to places that are either more conscious about their materiality and process of making, or to thrifty shops. But even trying to be the most mindful as possible, some aspects such as price and practicality are hard to ignore, also leading me to a fast fashion brand.

 Which celebrity brands are doing the most to address sustainability? Which ones are greenwashing?

When thinking about the celebrities that are trying to make the difference regarding the fast fashion industry, Mandy Lee is an example. Mandy used her social media to spread the awareness of how consists we are without even noticing, and challenging their followers to reflect on their action regarding purchasing new clothes. I think this is a good way to try changing user behavior. There are possibilities to scape fast fashion, and being aware of your own consumption is the first step to do so. Regarding greenwashing, there are influencers that stand for a better world, participate in events of charity, post about the importance of taking care of the world, and at the same time, they buy clothes that are not from sustainable brands constantly and in a large quantity.

What are your thoughts on the viability of the Bio-textiles mentioned in articles and video above? I love the idea, I developed kombucha leather already, and it works very nicely! I also had the pleasure to see one of my friends in parsons to develop a clothing piece that was made of bio-textiles materials. When thinking about the space that these materials may have in industry I think one of the challenges that will be faced is the acceptance of the buyer to be wearing something that is not traditional for Tham, something that could be considered "alive". Personally I think I would were it, but I'm scared of what it can cause to my skin as I'm allergic to many things. One more think to consider is the time that the bio material needs to grow and to be ready to be used, and the duration that it will have. It is important for the brands to be mindful that the usability of the piece might not be the same as other types of materials, and the price needs to be correspondent to that.

Choose Three Facts gleaned from this post and comment about your own practices with regard to fast fashion and sustainability

The best way to be more sustainable: choose quality pieces that will last a long time over cheaper ones that wear out and quickly go out of style;

Pretty much every textile is recyclable, but not much of it is actually recycled;

Avoid lycra, polyester, and nylon which are made from fossil fuel petrochemicals. They release microfibers into waterways during washing. Spot cleaning these fibers can mitigate the release of microfibers;

This three facts made me think:

1- thinking about the longevity of the clothes is something to keep in mind, and I think I do that, I see it as an investment on something that can be pass through generations. That is why I'm hardly attempted to buy clothes that are trending and I try to think about my own style and wearable occasions before buying the clothes. I don't think I'm boring for that, or out to date, I simple know what I like and need, so I invest in clothes that might be more expensive but will be there for me for a long time. This also makes me think about the importance of having kids clothes that are sustainable and recyclable, as kids are in constant period of growth and they will probably be needing to buy new clothes every year.

2- the power that the government have regarding the last two points. Creating laws that enforce brands to stabilish a well organized way to actually recicle the materials that were used before; teaching and creating campaigns for citizens to have more accessibility on how and where to recycle their clothes; and demanding the massive fast fashion stores to produce clothes whiteout the fabrics that are pollute and can realize microfibers... etc are just some of the ways.

some of the stores that I go the most here in NYC:

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Book 2 reflection - How to do Nothing, by Jenny Odell

When I first saw the book's name, I was worried that the book would be one more self-help about optimizing time in our lives. But his book turned out to be a great inspiration for me. It made me reflect on the balance in our world. We live in a world that doesn't stop. We are always doing something, worrying with time, working with the capitalist thinking that is engraved in us without us even realizing it. Social media, platforms are an example of that. Companies use different platforms to learn about you, to produce products that will make them profit, and to generate ads and algorithms that will distract you from a more self-centered life to a more consumerist life that might not be for your benefit, but for theirs.

Time from a human perspective is related to the productivity and accomplishments of new and innovations. However, this book brings the perspective on how we can deal with the world surrounding us, not being dependent on following the rigid timelines and expectations of capitalist thinking, breaking free of the need to be doing something, having something, and taking time to take care ( real care) of ourselves.

The author explores this idea in different scenarios, showing examples of people who stopped their lives as they were living and decided to take time to think, observe, listen, and learn. These people are celebrities to me. Very brave people who decided that different is okay, different is good, and different should be the new normal.

In the book, the author tells the story of a marketing intern who goes to work to exercise the power of thinking without doing anything at her working table, people would be very bothered by her behavior, and she stands to her right of not expressing, and doing nothing. This is one of the examples, maybe a little extreme, but it makes me think, that people were bothered because that seemed weird, they are so used to being burned out on things to do that doing nothing became a problem.

The notion of free time was an interesting topic for me. Before reading the book I saw free time as a time to clean my apartment, cook, and sleep. But the book made me think about what was free time for me when I was a kid. I used to draw, make collages, lay down on my room floor, and literally do nothing but connect to my thoughts, observe the shadows of the sun in the wall, create narratives, and write. I used to write short stories because it was fun. We grow, and we lose that. If you ask me when I stopped, I wouldn't be able to answer, because it was an organic change made by my surroundings. In the book, the author talks a lot about questioning our will to do nothing regardless of what is happening around us.

Nature is the greatest professor we could have in life. Animals live free from the "human timezone", the way they connect deeply in the moment and how they observe the surroundings is a great lesson for humans. It is important to mention that the book is not an anti-tech book, it simply makes you think about questioning our notions of productivity altogether. Technology has a big role in our lives regarding work, studying, and interacting with others. However, it is also important to identify the cost that it has to our most primitive senses, such as observing our surroundings, connecting to them, and allowing ourselves to connect internally with our thoughts, which also makes us achieve a new vision of who we are and who we not.

During the Pandemic, our workspaces were combined with our homes, and people started having more time in one place, being forced to interact with their surroundings in a way they hadn't before. There were last appointments and urgency to be in multiple places within an hour or at once. People started noticing things, plants that were there for years, but never really noticed. Hobbies and activities were introduced in many people's lives, it was a time to rethink, a time to recognize how crazy and intense routines were, how attached to the clock our lives are. In my opinion, it is essential. One of the most devastating moments in history was also life-changing. Maybe, this was the reason why this book became such a great read for the quarantine. People started having realizations but needed to learn how to deal with these realizations. A moment of realization is followed by the understanding that this realization, this one thing, is actually the door to many other ones, and the only way to look at them is by spending time and having the patience to explore in depth. But it takes time. And we don’t really have free time.

Practicing detox breaks is so important, and revitalizing. However, it is hard to have one if it is not considered a priority in the daily routine. I personally try my best, go for runs, and walk around the city without using my phone or earbug. But I needed to be reminded sometimes. Being 20, living alone, studying, working, and living in Manhattan is not easy to have time to ground myself, be off-screen, take a deep breath, and observe nature. I try my best, but it is hard.

Regarding sleeping, I try reading before going to bed, but many days I need to be working on school assignments until night, which also means having my computer and my cellphone with me for a very long time. This being said, I try my best. One thing that I do to try to minimize the impact of the blue light in my eyes before going to bed is to use glasses that block the light.

“My experience is what I agree to attend to. Only those items which I notice shape my mind—without selective interest, experience is an utter chaos.” 

DIGITAL DETOX EXPERIMENT

It was a great walk! Surprisingly calm considering my noisy neighborhood. I was able to observe some beautiful trees that were blossoming, and some birds ( many pigeons to be honest), and I saw some coffee shops that I had never realized before. Madison Square Park was really beautiful and it was a sunny day.

the map:

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Week 7 - biopic

'Oppenheimer' - the turbulent, genius, life of a man with a eternal legacy

A dense and powerful movie that tells the story of the man who created the atomic bomb. Directed and written by Christopher Nolan, the narrative expose the connections of J. Robert Oppenheimer with very powerful people, himself and close ones. the personal narrative also covers in details historical contexts.

The three hours long narrative was a success, winning several Oscars, BAFTA and Golden Globe awards of best pictures, actors, music and more. Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey jr. , Florence Pulgh, Emily Blunt are some of the names of the amazing cast. In terms of writing and techniques used the director really did an implacable job to create a blur vision of thoughts and events, the use of effects and dialogs were well explored and the proximity with the main character and his life was well explored and vital to the story. In my opinion, a well deserved attention to the movie.

The atomic bombs used in the World War II are well known history, a tragedy that devastated cities, however the background to this story might not be well known by many, and this movie gives context to the life of the man and the institutions that had the power of using the bomb make in 1945. I wouldn't say that it brings a new context to the subject, at least not for everyone, but it brings a new and more personal look to what happened.

It is also interested to think about the time in which the movie was released. Wars are present in our history since the begging of humanity. Destroying cultures, cities, taken innocent lives, and responding to conflicts in violence. Nowadays, there are wars happening in this exact moment, when the film was released, there were wars happening at the same time. Israel and Gaza conflict, Ukraine and Russian conflict, civil conflicts.... If I had to say that the movie had a purpose to be commented, or a cautionary tale to prove, I would say it is a reminder of what humans created in the past, the power that nations have, the destruction that it can cause.

While watching the movie, even though there is the presence of woman in it, I didn't stop to think if they interact to each other and talk about something that it is not related to men, but I researches after watching and disappointingly, this is what I found:

"

In a movie like Oppenheimer that packs an all-star cast and an intricate narrative, one would think that it would pass such a simple test. But surprisingly, the thriller biopic fails the test in the last two parameters as it doesn’t have any scenes to tick those boxes.

Applying the Bechdel test on Oppenheimer delivers the following results:

Are there 2 or more women in the movie?

Yes. Katherine Kitty Oppenheimer, Jean Tatlock, and more.

Do Kitty Oppenheimer and Jean Tatlock or other women in the film talk to each other?

No, not in any scene of significance.

Does the movie have two women talking about anything besides a man?

No."

As a conclusion, I really liked the movie. It is well interpreted, well written, directed and the production as whole ( clothing, make-up, effects...) are all well thought. I would say it is dense, and tragic at it's nature. It interprets an event that resumed in uncountable deaths. Maybe due to that, many people that I talked about it didn't think it was as good as other movie, such as Barbie. I think it is a matter of interpretation. But when looking at representing history, I believe it was a good take about the event.

[beyondicelebrities]

Compassionate Leadership WEEK 3

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern became a Prime Minister at a considerable young age. During her almost 6 years as a prime minister she showed how empathy and respect are the answer to many challenges we face on a daily basis and around the world.

Ardern faced challenges in personal and political aspects such as sexist questions made by journalists, being a mother, and having a important position in government but also the horrific massacre of 50 Muslims at two Christchurch mosques and the COVID pandemic. Despite the challenge, she showed how strong and confident she was, translating confidence and comfort for all. The Prime Minister also defended herself in a very light and respectful reaction to journalist nonsense questions, showing how we shouldn’t give ears to that. And besides all of that, she also showed empathy for all the people, especially after the mosque shooting. She supported all of the families who lost their loved ones, made sure to honor their lives, and addressed change regarding gun violence not only in New Zealand but around the world. She made us think and emphasize the topic, always bringing it to a personal level of taking care of people.

To finish, she knew when was the time to step out of the Prime Minister's post, and in my opinion, this is also a huge sign of a compassionate leader. She had no greed for power, she gave her best and once she recognized it was time for a new person in charge, she let go of something that was very important for her, but saw a bigger purpose than she could offer at the moment.

How would you define compassionate leadership? Can power and empathy coexist?

Compassion “Compassion and empathy both refer to a caring response to someone else’s distress. While empathy refers to an active sharing in the emotional experience of the other person, compassion adds to that emotional experience a desire to alleviate the person’s distress” - following this definition which I agree, compassion is an act of care, which someone times implies putting other before you, and go out of your way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others. Leadership on the other hand has an important aspect of power over others or with others.

With that in mind, I think compassionate leadership requires understanding the audience, listening to them, and knowing that you wouldn’t be able to solve all their problems, but you will try accommodating the majority of them. Being a compassionate leader also requires working together with people instead of demanding them to perform as the leader wishs. Besides all of that, a compassionate leader in my opinion always aims for peace.

On the other hand, it can be delicate and a challenge for some leaders once they see themselves with the power of making decisions. Thinking about everyone is not an easy task, and there will always be someone not satisfied with the choices made by the leader. In other words, I believe that it is possible to have power and still be empathic with your surroundings, but I think it is impossible to achieve a 100% rate of satisfaction.

Does the world need more female leaders? How could this change the world?

I think so, it is very good to see women in important spots in politician and companies, women tend to have a more compassionate way of developing ideas and topics, as Jacinda Ardern mentions “as a mother” they are thinking about the next generation, and trying to take care of others.

However, we can not generalize the topic saying that men can not be as compassionate as women when leading. We had great examples in history, some mentioned in discussion this week, that dedicated their lives to justice and social changes.

Greta Thunberg

born in the Swedish capital Stockholm in 2003, Greta Thunberg is only 1 and a half older than me. During her journey in this life, she paid serious attention to the biggest problem we have in the world: climate change. She started studying the topic more deeply and as a representation of our generation, she started questioning important leaders about their actions and impacts on climate change nowadays. She used her power of speech to enhance a movement for change, moving thousands ( maybe millions) of people around the world to make nowadays leaders take more actions to save our mother earth from burning down. I chose her not only because the environmental cause is an enormous topic to be discussed, but also because she reminds me that even at a young age we can create change and be listened to. Maybe I won’t lead a worldly movement, but something in my neighborhood that can create a difference in people’s lives. She is an example for our generation, for future generations, and past generations.

“Once we start to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come.”

[beyondicelebrities]

Introduction, week 1

Hi, my name is Luiza Whately, I’m a Communication Design student at Parsons School of Design in NYC.

Design has always been my interest, I believe in design as a way of change, a mindset that solves problems thinking in innovation and collaboration.

Besides design, some of my areas of interest are psychology, marketing, film writing, film production, cooking, and being involved in social causes, mainly related to education and community growth.

Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro was born on August 30, 1821, in Laguna, Brazil.

 

At a young age, Anita didn’t know all the fights that she would have to cross during her life. But in 1839 everything changed after she met Giuseppe Garibaldi who was an Italian nationalist revolutionary, who had fled Europe in 1836 and was fighting on behalf of the separatist Riograndense Republic in southern Brazil. Anita and Giuseppe were in love and Anita taught him about the Gaucha culture. During their life they suffered many injustices, having to run for their lives to survive. Anita for instance had a baby and due to persecution, she had to run in a house with her 10 days just born baby to a forest, where Giuseppe and her had a hiding place.  Despite any circumstances, she showed strength and courage.

After years of fighting in the Brazilian wars, and fighting for their own lives, the Garibaldis decided to go to Italy, where they also participated in a revolutionary war.

Today Anita is very recognized not only in Brazil for being part of important wars and for representing women's strength, but also in Italy.

Anita had shown how women are strong and fearless

[beyondicelebrities]

week 2

How can celebrities use their influence and power for social good?

Celebrities have a huge influence on people’s behavior and actions. One example of that was the post that Taylor Swift made influencing people to vote, and a large number (recorded more than 35,000 registrations) of people registered to vote. With that in mind, being a celebrity comes with a lot of responsibility and it is important for them to know how to right advocate their thoughts and intentions. When a celebrity makes a call to action upon a movement or a subject in general, there will be people that are not even going to question before clicking on links, following instructions, or something like that. Not saying that all the followers will treat celebrities as gods and authorities, but certainly, a group of people who appreciate their idol might follow the steps being done.

thinking about the social change that celebrities can make, we can look at some examples such as Shakiras Foundation: Pies Descalzos Foundation, that help her home country develop schools for children who live in poverty. or Bono from U2, who since 1999, has been a main presence in campaigning for third-world debt relief and raising awareness of problems in Africa like the AIDS pandemic. Celebrities in general can make a social change using their economic power to raise change or by simply influencing people to get involved with social and environmental causes.

Can they become superheroes (ine)s for social change to influence and impact much-needed accelerated change?

There are examples of people who were already nominated "Men of Peace" (just like Bono), and there are celebrities who were already nominated for Nobel prizes... So for me, the question might depend on what a hero(ine) is. Is it someone who can raise the money? Is it someone who starts a ONG, or a Foundation? Is it someone who steps up for a cause and influences others to also have the courage to? 

In my opinion, yes, for all of the above questions. A hero for me is someone who has the will and the courage to make a change and takes action to do so. We can all be small heroes every day. With that in mind, I think celebrities in general should more often recognize their influential power and impact to motivate accelerated change. One example of where accelerated change can be crucial and a life-changer, is when natural causes such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes happen. People need help quickly, they need supplies, food, clothes,... celebrities can be heroes at that moment and use their power of quick response and engagement to make a change in people’s lives.

3. Is the nature of celebrityhood, in an era of superstorms and super-sized global issues transforming for social good? How? 

Social media and the internet in general are hitting as they never had before. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and so many other social media platforms are being used as a communication tool for celebrities and people in general to sell products, communicate ideas, and also to raise awareness of infinite social topics and campaigns. Social media has started to be a way of having access to knowledge and participation in social causes. With that in mind, I would say that celebrityhood is in a total superstorm of undergoing transformation ( for good, and bad).

People all over the world can have access to what has been said and done by a celebrity on the other side of the world, and probably by using the internet, they can also be part of what is happening. This also shows how important having responsibility over their posts and interaction with fans can be important. 

. In light of the recent statistics on celebrity private jet usage, do you agree with proposals to tax them at a high rate? Would this solve the issue of global warming caused by airplane emissions and climate crisis-level overconsumption?

Charging celebrities more than other people because they are emitting more carbon dioxide might not be the best way to proceed with the operation in my opinion. So many people travel in private jets all over the world and are not celebrities. Maybe a way to approach these high emissions by private jets would be by charging anyone who would emit more than a certain amount of Carbon dioxide per year. So for example: if the average per person is 7 metric tons of CO2 annually., every owner of private jets that exceeds this number should be charged more taxes for each of the flights. 

I don’t think that charging the celebrities wouldn’t solve the crisis, other sectors such as agriculture, and factories produce a concerning amount of carbon dioxide. Besides that, paying taxes would not be a problem for celebrities who are super wealthy such as Taylor Swift. 

5. How can we reward celebrities who align with social causes? And how can we discern greenwashing spin from a true commitment to sustainable innovation?

That is a hard question to be answered. Many celebrities who have social causes initiatives are rewarded with engagement and recognition among their followers. But for me it goes back to their principles: do they need to reward? For what reasons are they engaging in social causes? Is it only for the reward? Or it is to achieve a better world? Is it a competition on who makes the most important impact? Or is it a initiative to awaken in people the will to help others and create a better world? I don’t think it should have a supper reward. There are prizes such as the Nobel prize that are open for anyone who creates impact trives and makes a difference. 

Greenwashing on the other hand, I think it should be much more surveillance. Certificates have been created so that only serious companies can have access to the prestige of being a sustainable or impactful organization. Maybe this system can also be implemented to celebrities’ initiatives. With that, I think even more people would engage in celebrity projects,as they know for sure that their money, and time are being seriously used and taken care of.

 Imagine the next generation of admired celebrities: what would they be known for? Write an imagined bio for a celebrity of the future. 

The world is more and more demanding of public figures and companies that they are part of social causes and environmental changes. Companies nowadays have certification once they achieve a certain requirement to be more sustainable and socially active. This gives them an advantage over their competitors who do not have all the requirements and engagement. And clients/ admirators will easierly close contrats and engage with them as they show their emphatic side for the causes. Thinking about that, in the future I believe that the admieirs of celebrities will require a big involvement of celebrities in some social causes and movements. Due to that, bios will be probably listing all their participation regarding social causes and showing how good impact they create. And I’m afraid that  many of them might not really be interested in making a difference but showing that the they do, and benefitting from that.

[beyondicelebrities]

All We Can Save - review by Luiza Whately

Provide an overview of the anthology and describe the most resonant aspects of the book. (2-3 paragraphs)

The book edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is an interesting and different reading experience. This book addresses the most important crisis we have in the world right now, climate change, but in a very uncommon way, not bringing only facts about natural tragedies and scientific data, but also bringing personal stories and experiences, through the lenses of empowering and inspiring women who decided to take action regarding the topic, or reflect on ways that it might affect communities in our society. This book does not only address the Climate Change topic but also the feminine power to make a change and the importance of having more female figures in leadership positions to achieve change.

It is amazing how the editor combined such different backgrounds, from indigenous women to mothers, lawyers, mayors, educators, and journalists… ensuring that different information would be covered for the reader. But still making the topic relational to the readers.

Climate change is affecting our lives in ways we can never measure. Other crises are related to Climate Change crisis and many people don’t realise their relationship. Or if they are aware many, (being a big part of them) corporative leaders choose not to care, as the effects of their acts would only be visible at a further time in history. However, as Sherri Mitchel, one of the writers mentions “ We must recognize that Climate Chnage is only one symptom of a larger problem. Human beings have fallen out of alignment with life. Their beliefs and ways of being have shifted dramatically from those of their ancestors, taking them further and further away from the sources of their survival.”

Why do you think the editors chose to include so many voices using different formats of self-expression? (2-3 paragraphs)

By providing us with the reader’s different perspectives on the topic, it was possible to analyze the problem from lenses that I would never before imagine, such as the lens of a woman who lived in Hawai and experienced the population worries about the floats and the next years of their island. Or the point of view of a very religious woman who explains and connects climate change to her religious mission in this life. 

More personally, I think that seeing all of these different forms of self-expression coming from women, just made me feel empowered as a woman to don’t wait for a command, or join an initiative that has already been started, but to take action on my own. There are so many ways of doing that, and this book is proof of that.

Does this book provide concrete solutions? Does it inspire hopefulness in you as a reader? Why are hope and solutions important in these times? Provide six specific quotes and examples from the book. 

This book doesn’t have a concrete solution, instead, it has a call to action and an infinite reflection on the topic. Each writer has their own story, but all of them advocated for love, compassion, strength, and prosperity for a better world, and ways that we can all work together to fight climate change and other crises related to it. On the last page of the book, Ayana E johnson and Katharine K Wilknson say that they hope that this book embroidered a kindred circle and that it awakens in each reader a ferocious love for Mother Earth, and each other. 

I think that was a great way of summarizing the book and I hope that others were able to finish this book just as passionate about each of these stories as I did. 

It is too easy to be sad about the fact that the world might end. It is too easy to be conformed, not caring about the next generations, and not believing that Global Warming is true. It takes passion, courage, determination, and hope to make a change, and that is why I believe that this book is such an important reading for young design thinkers and students. Here are some quotes ( there are so many others) that will stay with me: 

“We know we don’t have time to sit around and wait for someone else to make decisions. Instead, we are simply finding ways in our communities to effect change.” “Communities, our mothers, and our daughters are depending on us, and because our ancestors are watching. We shall make them all proud.”

“I was born during a phenomenal burst of consciousness and lawmaking, and I come to cherish our bedrock environmental laws as a birthright.”

“Our sense of responsibility for the coming generations is reflected in this awareness.”

“This project is an example of the opportunity that adaptation investments present. It will transform the waterfront of the Lower East Side with a park that will serve the community while also protecting it.”

“Across the country and the world, community by community, people are building microcosmos of the systems and societies we need to reverse the tide of catastrophic climate change and become a world that respects all rights for all people, in harmony with Mother Earth.”

“We must make fundamental shifts: from a society that drills and burns to power our communities to one that harnesses the sun and the wind; from a society that buries or burns our waste to one that recovers, reuses, and recycles, from a society that genetically modifies, trucks and ships food to one that advances local productions of food that is nutritious and accessible for all.”

“We are never far from the answer to the problem we have created- it is within each of us.”

A. Many of the contributors to All We Can Save have had long, varied trajectories to and in climate work. Choose a contributor from the book who you identify with. Research their story and learn about their climate awakening. What galvanized them to take action? How did they develop their expertise? How did they locate community support, and what groups have they helped to form or elevate? Why does this person's story inspire you? Give concrete examples. (4-6 paragraphs)

Sherri L. Mitchell - 

Weh'na Ha'mu Kwasset is a Native American lawyer, author, teacher and activist from Maine.

Sherri has a deep connection to Mother Earth, coming from a Native American background she shares her culture, traditions, and perspectives with people who don’t have the same connections with grounding as she does. And that is why I love her writing. I grew up in São Paulo, the biggest city in South America, however, during my whole life I had the privilege to be connected to nature at the farm. My family is from the countryside, and the farm became a space of deep connection to nature, myself, and my loved ones. During the pandemic I moved to the farm and for 5 months I lived an alternative realizing that in my mind was never before possible. No internet, (wifi in some spots) animals everywhere, people with different backgrounds than mine, different values, different perspectives of life, calmer, more attention, people that had a deeper connection to nature and with their surroundings.

When I read Michell’s text and her reflection about the connections of the trees, and the way that nature works together to survive and thrive, I minimally understand what she is saying, I emphatize, I connected and I agree a million percent. 

Nature has been in our planet for much longer than we did, they are the best professors we could possible have. And indigenous people know that, they value that connection, which very few of us do. 

Michelle knew that, and knew the importance of sharing indigenous beliefs and ways of living as one way to provoke change. Do to that, she started her career as a lawyer, teacher and activist. Her goal was to keep her mothers and acestrals beliefs and practices  alive for a more united, conscious way of living. With that in mind, some of her actions were, to write a book, participate in several podcasts, get involved with initiatives from different parts of the world that would help native people, natura and practices to try slowing down Global Warming.

[beyondicelebrities]

week 6

Leah Thomas is an American Activist who aims to make the world as she says is her website “tryna make the world a little more equal for everyone and a little nicer to our home planet. Follow this mindset through her writing on The Good Trade.” She was invited to take part in the COP26, and even though she was very happy to be invited, she also found herself in a dilemma: “Why have we had nearly 30 of these events when the goal should be immediate climate action? COP27 was already slated to be held in Egypt before COP26 began, signaling to me that perhaps not much progress would be made.” And I partially agree with her wonder, I think that there is a lot of value in having a schedule for the meeting so goals can be defined within a time range, so they can be achieved and other goals can be set. However, I also agree, was this effective enough if there is another already planned? I think she thought about this event more as a commercial aspect than an actual way of making change. Besides that, she also shared how she felt a sense of exclusion at a place where welcoming and belonging should be a primer: “sense of exclusion when several youth climate activists told me they were barred from being at the front of the protest throughout the day. They were told “only Scottish youth” or those who were given a special bracelet could be at the front of the protest, which was blocked off by ropes.” and again this makes me think about all the events and greenwash that happen many times. I’m not saying that COP26 and the other ones shouldn’t happen, but as proactive thinkers, it is very important to keep paying attention to what is happening underneath.

Intersectional Environmentalism uses an inclusive approach to environmentalism that advocates for the protection of people and the planet. The movement believes that social and environmental justice are intertwined and environmental advocacy that disregards this connection is not sustainable and incomplete. The movement not only embraces making the world a better place, but it also focuses on addressing the historical context of the scenario. Bringing to context excluded voices and justice.

This movement and initiative has a similar approach to the black lives matter movement, understanding a context as a full picture, and fighting for justice for all.

Leah Penniman is a farmer. An awesome farmer, teacher, author, and food activist. 

When looking back at farming history, it is very hard not to emphasize the role that slavery took all over the world. I’m from Brazil, and the history of slavery is really strong and sad, a primary subject until today. It can’t be forgotten and in America, this is not different.

Leah Penniman knows that and also knows all the past and present actions that black people have in the sector of farming. As mentioned in the reading “Many of us have forgotten that our cultural heritage as Black people includes ecological humility, the idea that humans are kin to, not masters of, nature. (...) 

With that in mind, she decided to combine that with the goal of creating awareness and change in the agriculture sector. 

“Black farmers continue to take a leadership role in regenerative agriculture and soil stewardship. We look to farmers like Leonardo Diggs, who manages a 418-acre carbon-neutral regenerative incubator farm in California; Keisha Cameron, who is reviving fiber farming in a sustainable silvopasture system in Georgia; and Germaine Genkins, who has enhanced the organic matter in her South Carolina urban farm so as to avert the need for irrigation. They are a few of the hundreds of Black farmers demonstrating how to feed the community without destroying the soil. “

Soul Fire Farm was an initiative that started with the goal of recognizing the historical context of the agriculture sector, creating a sustainable way of farming, and helping others. In their statement, they write “We raise and distribute life-giving food as a means to end food apartheid. With deep reverence for the land and wisdom of our ancestors, we work to reclaim our collective right to belong to the earth and to have agency in the food system. We bring diverse communities together on this healing land to share skills on sustainable agriculture, natural building, spiritual activism, health, and environmental justice. We are training the next generation of activist farmers and strengthening the movements for food sovereignty and community self-determination.”

Black Forager is a very interesting account that I didn’t know about before! A way to introduce culture and awareness of her culture and practices in a very light way. I think nowadays we are so not used to making food out of what we have in our backyard that it is unfamiliar to people to see that. Which can definitely bring to the account those impressive numbers of followers.

My food sovereignty has been better. Back home, I used to have much more contact with the growth of my food, my family and I would grow vegetables, greens, fruits, and more at the farm. In the city as well, not as much of course, but still, all greens we eat would be produced at home. 

Regarding recycling and composting, at home, we used to compose a little, in our own little garden, and at the farm we composted more. But here in NY, it is hard for me to keep composting as a sustainable thing. Last year I collected my composting trash and brought it to Union Square where they have a composting station, several times, but this year I have to say I haven’t been composting as much as I wish. And I want to go back to doing it! Unfortunately, collecting that trash and keeping it has been a problem with a small fridge and three roommates. And Union Square is not as close as it used to be to me so I can carry my compost solids there. But I should! I will!

I haven’t before volunteered in a community garden ( only at the farm but I don't think that counts!), I would love it too if I have time, I miss taking care of the garden.

Ayisha Siddiqa is an activist aiming to fight climate change by addressing a dynamic perspective on the scenario. She recognizes that in countries where politics is not unified, people and more women suffer from climate change in a much deeper way. She takes this journey as a personal mission as she says “Work is in defense of life. By default, it's the defense of the rights of women. Therefore, it’s also by default human rights. (...) I was raised with the idea that the earth is a living being, that she gives life to you, and in return, you have a responsibility, I think we, collectively, have come to a point where we are ignoring the cries of earth mother” 

[beyondicelebrities]

week 9 - documentary week

Summer of Soul (Questlove 2021) Winner Academy Award 2022

Summer of the Soul is a documentary that brings in color real footage of a great moment in history that I’ve never heard before, and I’m so glad that now I know! Summer of the Soul was a music festival happening in Harlem that brought together the greatest musicians of the time to celebrate the black power, the proudness of their origens! Not only black, but latinos, and other groups as well. In the documentary multiple people  say that that was one of the first times that they would be very empowered and proud of being part of that community. 

However even though the music festival was a festive event, it was so much more than that, it was a way of evoking change, bringing people together to fight for their rights, and feel strong together. They mention the way that investments in the US were being done, prioritizing the discovery of the moon instead of investing into the community for better. They mention the heroin epidemic and the relation of it with the difficult times and depression for Harlem population and really all over. They mention music as a way of therapy, they pray, and much much more! This festival was not a festival was a mark in history.

I wouldn't say it is a new concept that we are all equals, but this documentary brought particular stories that illuminate the power of hope. It brought the story of their generation, their challenges, their wishes, their perspective and much more. It is a beautiful overview of the black music and the importance of the black music for their mental health, the gospel importance, and so so so much more, it truly gave me goosebumps to watch so much greatness. Not only in music, but in their principles. The different speeches, the emotions, the strength.

The festival definitely had an impact in the community to empower them to fight for their rights and evoque for change. However , it was very sad to hear that so many people didn’t even know that festival happened. I didn’t know. And this choked me, so much happened, all the speeches and will for evoque change, and I didn’t know about the Summer of the Soul. It makes me think how many people at the time knew what importance it had in white people's lives. Personally, a great way to remind myself that music is a universal language, a language that transmit faith, hope, love, joy, pain, transparentness, strength and that we should all be proud of where we came from, all always fight for the equalness in civil rights.

This documentary has to be watched by everyone, this festival has to be more known, not only because of the beautifulness of the music, but also for the story and power behind it. It is a screening of celebration, but also a movie to show the black history and their power.

The documentary expanded my understanding on the importance of music in the black community, it gives the music and their history a spotlight, shows that music is for joy, but also for empowerment, for hope. I knew that gospel was a strong statement of faith, but after watching the documentary, I literally got emotional! It is beautiful!

A very important aspect of the documentary for me was all the different narratives, it told the story of several musicians, all the challenges and achievements, their contribution to the fight for equal civil rights and more. In documentaries usually it tells the story of one person, or an specific group of people, and in this documentary it shows different time-lines, different cultures, different takes in life but all around the same topic, it is a very special way of representing history and the producer and director thought really well on that, specially, by bringing the real footage and the artists into the spotlight.

Thankfully, Tulchin kept all 47 of the reels he shot in his basement. Almost 50 years later, it was retrieved, cleaned up, and edited to serve as the backbone of “Summer of Soul.” The clips are chosen carefully, not just for the familiarity of the performers but also as context for the backstory Thompson wants to tell. He sets the stage both musically and historically, beginning with the main purpose for the Harlem Culture Festival. Through news and interview footage, we’re reminded of the assassinations of both Kennedys, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the last of which set off riots in Newark, Detroit, Atlanta, and Watts in 1968. The next year, to commemorate the anniversary of Dr. King’s death, the Harlem Culture Festival was created.

This explanation made me think of the 1973 concert film, “Wattstax.” In the opening scene, Richard Pryor calls the concert a commemoration of the Watts Uprising. “For over six hours the audience heard, felt, sang, danced and shouted the living word in a soulful expression of the Black Experience,” 

There’s no shortage of system shocks in “Summer of Soul.” This is a concert movie that basically opens with a 19-year-old, pre-imperial-era Stevie Wonder getting behind a drum kit and whomping away — sitting, standing, kicking, possessed. It’s a movie that nears its end with Nina Simone doing “Backlash Blues” in a boxing match with the keys of her piano, her hair indistinguishable from the conical art piece affixed to her head. - 

By Wesley Morris https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/movies/summer-of-soul-review.html

Gladys Knight recalls that “it wasn’t just about the music; we wanted progress”; the Edwin Hawkins Singers perform Oh, Happy Day in lime-green harmony; Ray Barretto and Mongo Santamaría bring the Latin-fusion beat; BB King cradles his guitar like a baby while he sings the blues; Rev Jesse Jackson speaks to the soul; and Stevie Wonder is on fire – on drums, keyboards and vocals – as he enters a new era of meaningful jazz funk.

The fact that the “rose coming through cement” of this festival was overlooked for so long served as further evidence that “Black history is gonna be erased”. Yet Questlove’s film begins and ends with festivalgoer Musa Jackson viewing the uplifting reclaimed footage (a sly counterpoint to the horrorshow bookending of Gimme Shelter) and tearfully thanking the film-maker for proving to him that “I’m not crazy!” – that this really happened. Thanks to this terrific film, we can all share in that sense of wonder