Outdoor Afro » Music

“Birds in the Air, Squirrels on the Ground!” – Enter the Get Active Youth Contest!

Rue — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:45:07 +0000

Talk about inspiring – here is a wonderful Get Active Rap Video by New American Media for the East Bay Regional Parks‘s Get Active Youth Contest based in the San Francisco Bay Area to encourage young people to get outdoors!

Contest winners will be featured in the Healthy Parks Healthy People Festival in June, and there are three (3) $500 top prizes and tons of other great prizes.

In this example, we love how youth share in the video what they care about in nature – like tossing a ball, grilling meats, and hanging out with loved ones within an appreciation for surrounding nature.

Get Active Rap Video from New America Media on Vimeo.

Learn more by “Liking” the contest on Facebook!

Making Mini-Afros Into Nature Superheroes: Pacha’s Pajama’s

Sela — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:55:30 +0000

Creative Director and Co-Founder of BALANCE Edutainment Aaron Ableman shares information on their inspiring flagship initiative–Pacha’s Pajamas! Let’s turn all the mini-Afros into Nature Superheroes!

I once heard it said that you are what you eat. Well, it’s also true that you are what you listen to and what you watch on YouTube! In fact, I was with a classroom of 4 year olds the other day and half of them could quote the entire verse of a Jay-Z song, with degrading lyrics and all. Then, I asked them to describe a Pine Tree and they shook their heads in silent confusion. What an emblem of a larger human condition! In a recent study, it was reported that children spend 7-13.5 hours per day on screens, lost in the vapid content of today’s entertainment free-for-all. In a world that broadcasts crisis and destruction, it’s not hard to imagine why children are failing out of classrooms, mired in violence and experiencing disease at greater rates than ever before.

Listen to a track of Pacha’s Pajamas here! Call Heard Round The World (Feat. Mos Def)

At Balance Edutainment, this is the problem that we’ve set out to solve. We intend to #Occupy Pop Culture with stories, music and games that uplift children and families on critical environmental issues. To do so, however, we need to meet children where they’re at. And, as anyone who’s anyone knows, most kids are addicted to games, music, and media. With Pacha’s Pajamas, our flagship initiative, we intend to use an urban fairy tale about a little girl, who through her dreams, becomes a Superhero for Nature. We will reach mainstream audiences with this meaningful story about saving the planet on our favorite TV and radio stations.

Through innovative technology platforms and social media, we will edutain millions of youth and families on vital green issues. To start with, we are releasing a mobile game app companion to Pacha’s Pajamas, called Nature Superhero, (on April 22nd, Earth Day), which rewards children for taking actions to improve their communities and environment. We also have a series of products to support this transmedia pipeline, including a children’s book, live show, and album featuring Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Majora Carter and youth stars on the rise! For more please check out www.pachaspajamas.com and get up with us on Twitter and Facebook!

Carolina Chocolate Drops “Cornbread and Butterbeans”

Rue — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:40:54 +0000

Okay…I consistently hear black folks say they don’t like country music, but this modern-hip trio just might make you rethink your position! I know, a music post might seem slightly off topic at first glance, but this song, and many others like it, actually refer to a relationship African-Americans had with the land that was also connected to the ways we related to our food, and ultimately to one another.

“…ride the mule and ‘cut the fool’ and love begin’ all over…”

Enjoy!

Thanks Obafemi Origunwa for passing on the link!