Kat’s Korner: One Mic Conversations (RECAP)

16 Apr Kat’s Korner: One Mic Conversations (RECAP)

In looking back on my involvement in the One Mic festival, I can’t help but smile a little as I reflect. What initially seemed like an unorganized attempt at “including the locals”, eventually morphed into a somewhat well-oiled machine of creatives with one mission in mind-highlight the positive and represent the culture. Yes, there are definitely things that could have been done better, but I am proud with the overall arc of the festival and really hopeful that this is in fact, the beginning of something special.

Young Lions & Lionesses: Despite the unexpected rain and cold, a good number of people gathered in the warmth and history of HR 57. With comfort food and drinks on hand, the panelists spun a tale of personal memory and observation where jazz and hip hop live together seamlessly. Tamara Wellons, the only woman on the panel, opened up the conversation with her rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon” accompanied by DJ 2-Tone Jones and it set just the right tone for the evening. The conversations were a mixture of jazz history lessons and narratives of personal discovery. The most important takeaway was the importance of recognizing the benefits both jazz and hip hop bring to the culture of music. It was a great start to the series.

Who is the I?: To be honest this was the conversation I was most excited about. My goal was to approach the space of identity from the perspective of the shifting narrative. We lost a panelist to a scheduling snafu, but what was shared by the remaining panelists, far exceeded my expectations. The conversation ran the gamut and included not only dialogue on the importance of giving voice to self-identification from a gender perspective but also the fact of mainstream community homophobia and the artists that are pushing back in an effort to level the playing field. The intimacy of the UDC setting allowed for an seamless dialogue between the audience and panel, something, again, I had not expected. There were many times throughout the talk that I was floored by the perspective and the personal stories of the audience members.  There were significant takeaways as a result of this panel, but the one that sticks out most is that we need more conversations. There is so much that we fail to know simply because of proximity. There were so many teaching moments; the panelists lifted spirits, empowered hearts and opened minds.

The State of the U: There was so much leading up to this panel, that  I was a little nervous once the day finally arrived. There had been some intense criticism via social media of the festival regarding the lack of significant DC presence when it came to festival performances and there was an expectation that there would be a ruckus once the panel finally happened. In actuality, what transpired was one of the most honest and engaging discussions I have seen to date regarding the effects of gentrification on the DC music and arts scene. It was a big panel, but I felt that the story of U Street couldn’t be reduced to a few folks. There needed to be a continuum in terms of length of artistic service. All of the panelists were still active in their respective professions and had ‘been there” in the beginning of what would be considered one of U Street’s last golden ages. The night was filled with remembrances of the U Street of yesteryear and the moments of realization that things were in fact changing. One of the major takeaways (there were so many) had to be when spoken word artist Raquel Brown likened the changes along the U Street corridor to being “buried alive”. For her, the fact that of development came at the price of historical erasure even while artists were still creating. Powerful metaphor for sure and one that even a week later, still haunts me.