Tenacidad work in progress

Please feel free to make a conscious donation as I continue to film this project that explores rape and healing from a survivor who had a child and continued healing. 

BCB Welcomes Marvelous Marvin

We are honored to welcome Marvin McCraw to our movement.  Marvin has been working with youth inspiring them poetically and we welcome his humble spirit. Marvin is our Creative Producer for Bringing Consciousness Back and manages over thirteen youth in Rochester, New York and started "It takes a Village" ITAV workshops that teach inner city kids to use their voice poetically.  We look forward to collaborating with Marvin and the youth from ITAV.  

Bringing Conscious Back in February

Join us February 17th

Our new website!

Blessings Friends and Family 

we finally have our new website up. 

We are so excited to share our new look. 

Please leave a comment if you approve our message.

Click below and it will take you straight there.

Bringing Conscious Back Website

MAY 30th

Join us at our next event in Rochester

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to the "Bringing Conscious Back" movement!
MAY 19th, 2013 we started this movement at the Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X educational center in Washington Heights.  Myself Abiodun Oyewole and Jamal Joseph were part of a panel of "Bringing Consciousness Back" we spoke about how Malcolm X effected our lives in front of hundreds that day.  I wanted to keep that light alive in our community and implemented this movement to inspire communities through the arts FREE of charge.  We now have a few sponsors now The Rochester Black Bar Association, MVP-MCC, Filmstress Filmz, Lujar Art, The Shrine and The Monroe County Library.  If you would liek to assist with a donation please feel free to email us at bconsciousb@mail.com

We want to thank the performers, artists and speakers that volunteered their skills to the community.

The Band Droidz 4/25/15 @ The Shrine

The Band Droidz have been rocking stages for years and have the energy of a cyclone.  

We are honored to have the Band Droidz to be a part of our movement of change.
They infuse rock with reggae and promoting conscious music.

Band Droidz are an amazing group check them out.

THE BAND DROIDZ

Wolf = Drummer, Monk = Guitarist, QMaxx = Bass

Videography by Maurice Bolden

Upcoming events

Upcoming Events

NEW YORK CITY!

ROCHESTER, NY

Sponsored by Filmstress Filmz, The Rochester Black Bar Association, The Art Factory, 

The Monroe County Public Library System

March 25th

Today Was A Good Day!

Feel free to make a conscious donation.

February 25th!

Join us on 

FEBRUARY 25th

This Place Ain't Big Enough 4 Me

Well, last week at my jail workshop I read to the group of about twenty men who Dr. Leonard Jeffries was and why he was a threat to the education system. I had a print out that I handed around for some of them to read. I realized that some of the men may not have knew how to read, so I read some of the material so they can get a gist of who Dr. Jeffries is and why he was so hated. I screened some trailers of mine for the life of me, my feature had no sound. I had a few white brothers in the group and they nodded they head a few times to the knowledge I was kicking.  It was good to go back and have my spoken word/black history workshop as I call it.  The holidays it was cold and this was the first time back.   I feel if ain't nobody gonna pay me I might as well give freely of my time to some people who appreciate my time and films.  At least I can always say I screened my films with a captive audience.  I use to know a person that said to me "Go where your celebrated, not where your tolerated".  Now it's not my desire to be hanging around a jail, but it is my responsibility as an artist to educate and inspire where I can. Perhaps when they do get released they will give back to the community to make it a better place then when they left.  That is what Bringing Conscious Back is all about, bringing awareness to one's self and environment to inspire and educate others in your journey of life.

"This Place Ain't Big Enough For Me"

By Mike Holloman 

This place ain't big enough for me,

I don't really like the company.  The food is lousy...I got places to go and people to see

This place ain't big enough for one of my thoughts,

cause while I'm thinking...

that same thought that I'm thinking needs room to grow.

They can imprison my body, but hey can't touch my mind or soul.

Inside my mind exist a creative essence essential to become a connoisseur of extraordinary expressions lyrics that exist inside my mind idle are spasmodic gravitational pull transcends them to paper.  Effortlessly written out drama or static...

When I feeling the flavor of the swag in my flow... my lyrical rhythm and rhymes start to bubble again.

Exclusively opponents of my art were two crabs one was a Jew the other was a Republican.  But my deepness survives in rhythm of rhymes poetic in nature...

Jewels dropped are captured and retained in consciousness of the true participator...

Realness is hard but understanding is free so I tell you for the second time. 

That this place ain't big enough for me!

They thought I was crazy, so they sent in a shrink. I let him inside, took him on a journey through my mind...

He started to get dizzy then...

Ho got sick, his name was Dr. Nero now he's in a state of comatazation...Hook to a brain scan her...with understanding zero...

Everyday I remain in here these devils prey. I loose a little more...They spike my food with kryptonite yesterday and the  day before.  I feel as if I'm sidelined...In the middle of the game. It's 3rd & 25 and my fam and I can't calla play. Deep down I know it's on me, I know I'm the blame...

Life keeps turning, inside I'm bumming wife is missing me, money is short...Problems quickly rise. I'm sitting here stuck, out of the fight, can;t throw a punch forgive me I apologize.

But in consolation, you don't have to be a genius or understand Einstein's theory of relativity or that Pie = Y times I = 3

Cause the reality that these devils can't hold me for long...and if you were listening when I said 

"This place ain't big enough for me".

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A POEM FROM AN INMATE THIS IS NOT THE BLOGGERS VIEWS OR OPINIONS THIS IS AN EXPRESSION OF ART

So next week I am going to cover Nelson Mandela and speak about his journey.  I always need printing for my workshops so if you  donate financially to assist my printing costs, please feel free to donate.

Bringing Conscious Back honoring Dr. Leonard Jeffries

Natural Light in Life

The five blessings in life are:

health, longevity, virtuous behavior, prosperity and a natural death.  The five constant virtues are:

propriety, benevolence, righteousness, wisdom and faith.  

Those who live in accord with the universal subtle law are preserved.

Aim at human and spiritual nobility.  There is one word that we can can use as a motto for our entire life: reciprocity.

  What we do not want to be done to ourselves, we must not do to others.

The more we give others. the more abundant our lives become.  In helping people and caring for  life, our own lives will be very rewarding.

In life we meet all type of people some folks may claim they need help but when confronted with assistance they lock up. Is it because they aren't sincere with their need? Lately I have been keeping busy with organizing events and staying positive.  We will have our haters and we will have our supporters, taking everything in stride is the key.

We look forward to you joining us

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

 5-7 P.M.

The Phillis Wheatley Library

33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way

Rochester, NY

JOIN US MLK DAY

J. Cole: "Be Free" - David Letterman

Namaste

J.Cole is 

Bringing Conscious Back

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Conscious Events

Bringing Conscious Back 

is a grassroots movement of artists that collaborate with their talents of spoken word, film & music to inspire communities to have open dialogue for social change.  We invite non-profit organizations every month to bring awareness to issues rarely heard in the media.  Non-Profit please contact filmstressfilmz@gmail.com to speak at our 

future engagements.

February 25th, 2015

5- 7 P.M.

Phillis Wheatley Library

33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way

Rochester, NY 14608

Free film screening, music, spoken word 

and community discussion.

February 28, 2015

6-8 P.M.

The Shrine

2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.

New York, NY 10031

Free film screening, music, spoken word 

and community discussion.

March 25, 2015

5- 7 P.M.

Phillis Wheatley Library

33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way

Rochester, NY 14608

Free film screening, music, spoken word 

and community discussion.

National Poetry Month

Erin Johnson

"Dune Pledge"

excerpt

March 28, 2015

6-8 P.M.

The Shrine

2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.

New York, NY 10031

Free film screening, music, spoken word 

and community discussion.

April 22, 2015

5- 7 P.M.

Phillis Wheatley Library

Journalist,
 Arthur Ryan Brooks

33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way

Rochester, NY 14608

Free film screening, music, spoken word 

and community discussion.

April 25th, 2015

The Shrine

6-8 P.M.

2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.

New York, NY 10031

Free film screening, music, spoken word 

and community discussion.

Sponsored by Filmstress Filmz

Somebody Wake My Brother Up

So today I had a poetry workshop at the jail 

and read from my friend and mentor

Abiodun Oyewole book

Branches of the Tree of Life

The inmates enjoyed a few of the poems I selected.  As I was reading Dune pointed out Black Wall Street in one of his poems and one of the bruthas was curious to find out the name of the book so he can read it.  I am always happy to hear when individuals are excited about learning something new.  Dune has so much embodied in one poem that the inmates had to take time to digest what I read.  We had a good poetry session today hopefully we can get some donations before the holiday so I can print out some poems for them to read.  I go every week and need help with gas and printing so if your able please feel free to donate online.

Poems I read today:

The Cycle

For The Millions

A Picture

Party and Bullshit

When the Revolution Comes

Rain of Terror

*One of the inmates read his poem here it is below*

"Somebody Wake My Brother Up"

By Mike Holloman

"Somebody wake my brother up"

They tried but he just wouldn't go to school

Uneducated with no job, no skills, he played his self like a fool

"Somebody wake my brother up"

See you man sagging on the block with the crew, you told me you were a leader not a follower

Now you on the block with your pants down too.

"Somebody wake my brother up"

Cause you got a little cash in your pocket just like you wished it...

But you got it by pushin, posing on your own people...

Man have you got life twisted.

"Somebody wake my brother up"

Sitting on 20's, carrying quarter pound of weed, ain't seen baby momma, done forgot about your seed.

"Somebody wake my brother up"

Gold all in your mouth,  chains hanging like an Egyptian Pharoah, come time to help another brother out, you got the mentality of that crab in the barrell.

"Somebody wake my brother up"

They told you it was all love, But you've been hoodwinked, flimflamed & bamboozled now your in the county, crushing cheese crackers over a dry ass ramen noodle.

"Somebody wake my brother up"

Gloomy Sunday morning and we've seen these days many to often.. Ma Dukes and baby moms got their head down crying...Cause your ass lying in a coffin.

"Now nobody can wake that brother up"

We had a good day our group and look forward to building more with the woman in lock up when I return in two weeks.  If you have any inspiring poems or suggestions you would like to donate for me to read feel free to email me.

Nicholle La Vann

Blessingz...

Bringing Conscious Back 2 The Jailz

So, we finished up our public engagements and have partnered with Just Us Inc. a non-profit organization in Rochester, NY that has been helping incarcerated individuals in the system and upon release helping them with housing, employment and education.  James Caldwell has a had few people come in and out to help in the jails but from my observance most people who donate time are the church people trying to indoctrine their beliefs on individuals in a compromising position.

I didn't give up my events but I will be writing to get money from investors and online funding to keep doing what I have been doing and that's inspiring audiences artistically with a message.

So I have been working with the inmates for about a month.  We have had some technical issues as far as my DVD playing for the inmates. I have changed the format 2x and still to no avail they have the oldest DVd players it's not even funny. So we are still moving forward with our discussions and mentoring time. I look forward to the next DVD working this weel,

 

So please help donate if you can as we need to print some materials for the holidays for the inmates. We have raised $70 thusfar and still have a long way to go.

Have a great day and remember to keep a positive mind. Because a positive mind cannot be denied.

Conscious Inmates...

We had our last joyous occasion at "The Shrine" last month it was fabulous. 

We screened "Living Legendz" that featured Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Jamal Joseph and Abiodun Oyewole. We had outrageous girl talent that rock the joint.  Marc Polite did his thing on the mic such a brilliant writer and humble gentleman. 

As we came to a close this year many folks kept asking when is the next event. To be honest it will be in the spring of 2015.  We have to revamp our mission and make it more health conscious.  

I am continuing the campaign through the winter months I have started screening my films at a jail nearby.  Which was my goal to reach individuals in the system so that I can inspire them and in some way stop recidivism.  Always wanted to work in the jails because it's such a depressed atmosphere that needs attention.  I feel that many of the individuals that are in lock up facilites wanted attention and used criminal activity to get that attention, but then again that is my opinion.  Recently I have made some strides with meeting men and women inmates introducing myself and who I am.  The women were a bit harder than the men from what I observed.  One lady who was very masculine came up to me and said "yo, you really touched my heart" that meant a lot to me.  That someone that looked that hard actually could relate to my story.  I shared with the ladies my life and how I came to be here.  I realized that "Bringing Conscious Back" had to keep going for the folks who are going to return back into our society.  The jail is not going to rehabilitate these individuals it's obvious.  That leaves programs from the community or the state which are doing the best they can on a shoe string budget.  Most programs are GED, or religious activity to keep the inmates mind of the mayheim I suppose.  While I was there some of the inmates spoke about wish they could get some college credit while they were sitting in there.  I tend to agree with them, why not let them read and educate their mind it's not like it's going to do any harm.  Most of the felons that return already have that stigma they have a felony record so with that strike agaunst them with no education society is forcing them to make another unconscious decision.  

I will be screening "110 Morningside" this weeks visit to the jail.  I am looking forward to feedback and inspiring individuals for change.  My goal is to make it to 2 prisons this holiday season so the campaign will touch more people.  It is my goal to also have MCC MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) program graduates to assist me in this campaign.  My contact for the progam has been sick so looking to link up wth them the end of the month.

We will be putting an online fundraiser for gas and administrative expenses for our jail visits.  So if you would like to help us financially on our journey you will be able to be a part of the solution.

THE BEST 2014 Interns
Shamar & Flix 

I thank all of the artists that came out this year and showed love, you are deeply appreciated.