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In the age of the millennial and the subsequent post-millennial generation, terms such as safe spaces and trigger warnings have become a normal part of an ongoing conversation. Some dismiss such terms, attributing their ubiquitous presence in our dialogue to the onslaught of political correctness and call-out culture. However, others have incorporated them into their lexicon because the meanings of these words serve a necessary function.
Consider the case of many LGBTQ folks who are black and of color. For many decades, the non-white members of the LGBTQ community were, and still are, visibly excluded in advertisements, media, films about gay and queer life, and were only visible when they were connected to a white character in some way—partner, witty best friend, or merely window dressing to give the illusion of Inclusion. While there has always been a decent cache of films highlighting the lives of black SGL (same gender loving for those who reject the Eurocentric connotations of calling themselves “gay”) men and women over the years, only a handful of them were able to garner the universal presence they rightfully deserved. In recent years, the visibility and stories of black gays and other non-black gays of color are on the rise. Films like the Oscar-winning Moonlight, Tangerine, Pariah, and others have shown once again that there is an audience. While visibility has increased, there is still a lot of work to be done. Where can black and queer people of color go when they want to see creativity that reflects them and their culture?
To assist in adding media spaces for black people to thrive, a young man from Minnesota recently launched a website that solely features the stories of black gay men, women, and other gay/queer people of color. The goal is to feature voices rarely heard with such openness and vulnerability. The creator of this media outlet is Ja’Mon Kimbrough aka AriesFireBomb, from whom the media website takes its name.
Ja’Mon Kimbrough aka AriesFireBomb
The Creation of AriesFireBomb
I met up with Kimbrough one warm summer day in Brooklyn to discuss what was to become AriesFireBomb. Standing outside of the bar in Dumbo with a camera around his neck, we greeted each other with a warm hug as if we’d known each in person for decades. As we sat down at our table and the drinks started to flow, he began talking about his passion project.
“The problem with LGBT media,” Kimbrough said as he looked at recent photos in his camera, “is that it’s still very Eurocentric. Quiet as it’s kept, or quiet as it used to be kept, white gay men sit at the top of the LGBT social chain. With shows like Pose and My House, we get a bit of representation but not a lot. Those are only two recent examples out of how many years? When it comes to media spaces, forget about it. You have to search to find them if they exist [at all] and the ones that are thriving wind up getting bogged down with trying to make their spaces “safe” for white readers and not safe for the black people they were supposedly created for. It can get hairy,” he explained.
“In response to the foolishness and absence of our visibility, I decided to stop talking about it and started doing something about it. I started Haus of Firebomb as a response to what was lacking and am building upon it. I wanted to create a site that was for us, by us, tells all of our stories with our slants, tones, idioms—all that make us beautiful and unique as a people.”
AriesFireBomb Content
“I struggled with deciding what to do with this website since its inception. How vast should the content be? What parameters should be put into place? etc. So over the last year, it’s changed a lot. It initially started as a platform to tell different kinds of stories. Now since the site launched, we are showcasing photography, music, podcasts, fiction, and nonfiction stories as well as short films, which is soon to come. The content is robust, uncensored, and unflinchingly tells hard truths about what it means to be black and gay, or trans, or nonbinary, or a straight man who loves trans women, which can be confusing for those who aren’t up on current gender norms. AriesFireBomb will highlight subjects without the sensationalism that often comes with these kinds of stories but with tender truth.”
An example is an essay written about Gemmel Moore, one of two black men who died in the home of Ed Buck. Buck is a wealthy white gay man with political ties who has a penchant for buying the time of black hustlers, getting them high on Crystal Meth by offering obscene amounts of money, and seeing how much their bodies can handle. It’s a visceral essay that speaks on addiction, sex work, and the dangers of the white gaze, something Nobel Prize-winning and recently deceased author, Toni Morrison, and many other black writers of today, have spoken about in-depth.
The website also features photography of all black people—straight, gay, trans, non-binary—and aims to attract the talents of other creatives looking for a platform to showcase their work. More can be found here.
(AriesFireBomb.com)
The AriesFireBomb website was created by black people as a platform to show the artistic endeavors of black artists. However, it is not exclusively for black creatives. Non-black people of color are also encouraged to submit their work. AriesFireBomb aims to cater to the entire LGBT spectrum of color: Asians, Latinos of all races, but with black artists taking center stage.
“We don’t get to tell our stories authentically or uncensored very often and no shade, the stuff that does get put out there isn’t really that great,” Kimbrough said with a casual shrug. “Ideally, if AriesFireBomb can help find the next James Baldwin-esque figure via the mediums we share, then my job is complete.”
In the age of the millennial and the subsequent post-millennial generation, terms such as safe spaces and trigger warnings have become a normal part of an ongoing conversation. Some dismiss such terms, attributing their ubiquitous presence in our dialogue to the onslaught of political correctness and call-out culture. However, others have incorporated them into their lexicon because the meanings of these words serve a necessary function.
Consider the case of many LGBTQ folks who are black and of color. For many decades, the non-white members of the LGBTQ community were, and still are, visibly excluded in advertisements, media, films about gay and queer life, and were only visible when they were connected to a white character in some way—partner, witty best friend, or merely window dressing to give the illusion of Inclusion. While there has always been a decent cache of films highlighting the lives of black SGL (same gender loving for those who reject the Eurocentric connotations of calling themselves “gay”) men and women over the years, only a handful of them were able to garner the universal presence they rightfully deserved. In recent years, the visibility and stories of black gays and other non-black gays of color are on the rise. Films like the Oscar-winning Moonlight, Tangerine, Pariah, and others have shown once again that there is an audience. While visibility has increased, there is still a lot of work to be done. Where can black and queer people of color go when they want to see creativity that reflects them and their culture?
To assist in adding media spaces for black people to thrive, a young man from Minnesota recently launched a website that solely features the stories of black gay men, women, and other gay/queer people of color. The goal is to feature voices rarely heard with such openness and vulnerability. The creator of this media outlet is Ja’Mon Kimbrough aka AriesFireBomb, from whom the media website takes its name.
Ja’Mon Kimbrough aka AriesFireBomb
The Creation of AriesFireBomb
I met up with Kimbrough one warm summer day in Brooklyn to discuss what was to become AriesFireBomb. Standing outside of the bar in Dumbo with a camera around his neck, we greeted each other with a warm hug as if we’d known each in person for decades. As we sat down at our table and the drinks started to flow, he began talking about his passion project.
“The problem with LGBT media,” Kimbrough said as he looked at recent photos in his camera, “is that it’s still very Eurocentric. Quiet as it’s kept, or quiet as it used to be kept, white gay men sit at the top of the LGBT social chain. With shows like Pose and My House, we get a bit of representation but not a lot. Those are only two recent examples out of how many years? When it comes to media spaces, forget about it. You have to search to find them if they exist [at all] and the ones that are thriving wind up getting bogged down with trying to make their spaces “safe” for white readers and not safe for the black people they were supposedly created for. It can get hairy,” he explained.
“In response to the foolishness and absence of our visibility, I decided to stop talking about it and started doing something about it. I started Haus of Firebomb as a response to what was lacking and am building upon it. I wanted to create a site that was for us, by us, tells all of our stories with our slants, tones, idioms—all that make us beautiful and unique as a people.”
AriesFireBomb Content
“I struggled with deciding what to do with this website since its inception. How vast should the content be? What parameters should be put into place? etc. So over the last year, it’s changed a lot. It initially started as a platform to tell different kinds of stories. Now since the site launched, we are showcasing photography, music, podcasts, fiction, and nonfiction stories as well as short films, which is soon to come. The content is robust, uncensored, and unflinchingly tells hard truths about what it means to be black and gay, or trans, or nonbinary, or a straight man who loves trans women, which can be confusing for those who aren’t up on current gender norms. AriesFireBomb will highlight subjects without the sensationalism that often comes with these kinds of stories but with tender truth.”
An example is an essay written about Gemmel Moore, one of two black men who died in the home of Ed Buck. Buck is a wealthy white gay man with political ties who has a penchant for buying the time of black hustlers, getting them high on Crystal Meth by offering obscene amounts of money, and seeing how much their bodies can handle. It’s a visceral essay that speaks on addiction, sex work, and the dangers of the white gaze, something Nobel Prize-winning and recently deceased author, Toni Morrison, and many other black writers of today, have spoken about in-depth.
The website also features photography of all black people—straight, gay, trans, non-binary—and aims to attract the talents of other creatives looking for a platform to showcase their work. More can be found here.
(AriesFireBomb.com)
The AriesFireBomb website was created by black people as a platform to show the artistic endeavors of black artists. However, it is not exclusively for black creatives. Non-black people of color are also encouraged to submit their work. AriesFireBomb aims to cater to the entire LGBT spectrum of color: Asians, Latinos of all races, but with black artists taking center stage.
“We don’t get to tell our stories authentically or uncensored very often and no shade, the stuff that does get put out there isn’t really that great,” Kimbrough said with a casual shrug. “Ideally, if AriesFireBomb can help find the next James Baldwin-esque figure via the mediums we share, then my job is complete.”
On Saturday, the ESSENCE Fashion House closed out day two of Essence Festival with a panel entitled, “Look Good, Do Good, And Feel Good,” which was moderated by attorney and political commentator, Angela Rye.
Actress, political activist and one half of lifestyle brand Studio One Eighty Nine, Rosario Dawson joined business partner and former communication executive, Abrima Erwiah to discuss their lifestyle label, colonialism and affecting change in the fashion industry.
Worn by Iman in her recent July/August ESSENCE cover shoot, Dawson and Erwiah’s fashion brand produces African-inspired content and clothing. Their manufacturing facility prides itself on empowerment through job creation, educational support and strategic collaborations.
The pair stressed the importance of appreciating the resources that come from Africa and working with creators on the continent to ensure greater control over our supply chain.
Dawson and Erwiah encouraged the audience to make a conscious effort to support clothing made in Africa and invest our time and financial resources into initiatives that will benefit us all.
The post Angela Rye, Rosario Dawson And Abrima Erwiah Talk Sustainability And Circularity In The Fashion Industry appeared first on Essence.
Writer: Jason Aaron / Artist: Stefano Caselli / Marvel Comics
You Win, Jason Aaron
From the jump of Jason Aaron’s run on Avengers I have pretty much tolerated Ghost Rider. He’s a new version of a character I’ve never had much affinity for or interest in. He’s been a good character creating interest as the young, “out of their depth” addition, not to mention he possessed a Celestial. It took time but after issue twenty-three of Avengers I can finally say that Aaron has worn me down and made me care about Robbie Reyes. Not only that, I found myself more interested in his race with Johnny Blaze than the rest of the Avengers’ fight with their own possessed Celestial base.
In Hell, Robbie is challenged to a race by the original Ghost Rider who’s now the leader of the underworld. Robbie is absolutely done with the Spirit of Vengeance after it threatened to hurt his little brother. He doesn’t want to even race, telling Blaze he can just take it until the O.G. Ghost Rider also threatens little Gabe. After a good ‘ol action movie style, respect-earning punch to the face they get started.
Hazmat Suit? I Need No Hazmat Suit
While the Ghost Riders are occupied in Hell, the rest of the Avengers are dealing with their own Spirit of Vengeance that’s possessed Avengers Mountain. The combined expertise of Black Panther (I always forget that his powers are mystical), Blade and Hellstorm try to get a handle on the powerful spirit turning their home against them. Firstly, they understand the importance of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). The team has been fitted with hazmat suits equipped with a stylish pentagram to protect them from being possessed themselves. The exception being T’challa whose O.P. suit already protects him. The book ends with the introduction of a newer character. Or rather, a new version of an old character.
Now I don’t know when Frank Castle got the Power Cosmic AND the Spirit of Vengeance but I won’t lie. It sounds like the creation of a drunk Stan Lee and I am here for it. The book continues to impress with Aaron’s pulling on several threads laid down in earlier issues. Here the Ghost Rider story intersects with the concept of the ancient Avengers whom we got a few stories about. The creme filling here is in Hell. Caselli’s hellscape is beautifully terrifying. It had the unfortunate side effect of reminding me how much I prefer Ghost Rider’s original design, especially in the hands of a capable artist. Keep this book in hell for as long as you guys need!
8.5 “Zombie Cannons” out of 10
Reading Avengers? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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The post Avengers #23 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.