According to “Changemaker” Lorenzo Vargas, democratizing access to media resources and other sources of information is fundamental to creating societies where citizen engagement, economic prosperity, and systems of justice can thrive simultaneously, particularly in the Global South. 

This “Changemakers” conversation was recorded live on November 24th, 2021.

Link to transcript: https://thewestmeetingroom.tumblr.com/post/672576866329280512/changemakers-series-confronting-information

Series website: https://harthouse.ca/series/changemakers

Hart House Changemakers: Confronting Information Poverty with Lorenzo Vargas

This mix is for Black women who love Björk Guðmundsdóttir. For some of us Björk is one of the guiding forces in the most secret parts of our emotional lives. And there is something to be said about the fact that my deepest, most intimate romantic relationships have been with Black women who speak Björk. She is one of the most brilliant artists of our time, with relevance far beyond the boringly sensational Academy Award swan dress debacle, which on the low, I believe was a challenge to American popular cultural values. Like on some fashion resistance shit. “I thought I could organize freedom, how Scandinavian of me?”

During my New York years, I had the opportunity to witness Björk live at the Apollo with three other Black women. Björk at The Apollo? What a combination and what an honorable way to honor the Black folks that get down with her like that. Aside from the sheer weight of the decision to perform in Harlem, we, like thousands of her students, made sure to have loot in hand ready to buy tickets the moment they went on sale. We managed to get tickets, but please understand, in less than five minutes the show was sold out. And to be honest, it wasn’t Harlem or Brooklyn who showed up to see her, which I understand; Björk is ‘strange fiction.’ It was the usual crew at the Apollo concert; former club kids, angsty white women and entitled hipsters. And of course some of us were in the house. My crew and I represented for all the Black women inspired by her audaciousness, by her work ethic, and by her willingness to make whatever screw face necessary to offer ‘love scholarship’ through song. We cheered from the balcony squinting to experience what looked like an Icelandic ball of glitter performing unapologetically to self-composed electro folk music. I will never forget her relationship with the microphone, dancing around it, stepping away from it, looking into it and making it sing her songs. She’s a beast of a live performer. 

Visit my website to download this mix and to read the full liner notes for a small donation! www.djlynneedenise.com

Bjork Mix Final

What sounds, sensations, and feelings do you associate with home? In this week’s episode, we delve into a conversation on the sounds of home. We discuss the beauty of the everyday, the nostalgia and the memories, and the complexity and fluidity of home. In the second half of the episode, we sit down for a conversation with multi-hyphenate powerhouse Hoda Katebi, an Iranian-American political fashion writer, activist and community organizer, based in Chicago but whose work and community has an international reach. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @hodakatebi and check out her website http://www.joojooazad.com/  And be sure to follow @bluetinproduction on Instagram to find out more the apparel manufacturing co-op.

TWMR Ep 13 - Sounds of Home

What's On Your Plate? The cultural, personal, and systemic relationships we have with food. What do we eat, why do we eat it  and where does it come from? This week in The West Meeting Room we're covering the topic of food and the personal and cultural importance it holds in our everyday lives. We're also taking a look at Canada's complex food systems and the food justice movement with Paul Taylor, Executive Director of Food Share Toronto

TWMR Ep 14 - What's on Your Plate?

In honour of Valentine’s Day, the West Meeting Room’s team has come together to discuss topics of self-care and self-acceptance. But first, we were all tasked with trying a new narrative audio style that we’ve never done before. The first half of our conversation is a journey in listening to our pieces and discussing the lessons and triumphs that came from putting them together. This week’s episode is about learning, trying new things, accepting ourselves where and who we are, and appreciating our talents. For further information on some of the things that you heard today, please check out the links below. 

Information about New Circadia: 

https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/events/2019/11/07/new-circadia-adventures-mental-spelunking

https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/climbing/spelunking.htm

Freesound links for sounds:
https://freesound.org/people/eliasyian/sounds/140481/
https://freesound.org/people/Sclolex/sounds/177958/
https://freesound.org/people/kyles/sounds/450145/
https://freesound.org/people/INNORECORDS/sounds/456899/
https://freesound.org/people/squashy555/sounds/341368/

TWMR Ep 15 - Conversations in New Experiences and Self Care

This episode of The West Meeting Room is hosted by Zoe Dille and Jessica Rayne from the Integrated Learning and Community Engagement team at Hart House. Today we are shining a light on the Black Futures program with two incredible guests, Dr. LaToya Brackett and Dr. Janelle Joseph. Black Futures is a series of events that seeks to explore futurisms as it relates to the black community, as well as pressing social justice issues, identity politics and how we not only survive, but thrive as we imagine and lay the groundwork for our future.
https://www.latoyabrackett.com

TWMR Ep 16 - The (in)Visible Black Woman

This show features The Hart House Farm Committee who discuss the Hart House farm and invite students and staff to explore this off-campus site. Afterwards, we’ll be speaking to Kashi Syal, the Arts & Culture editor for The Varsity who discusses how she takes up space as a woman of color in different contexts.
 @harthousefarm

TWMR Ep 17 - Exploring Different Conceptions of Space

As human beings, we are constantly in flux. With each new life experience we wade through, our physical, mental and emotional capacities expand and evolve. We each respond differently to change, but there are also many commonalities in how we, as a collective, move and grow through life. Through a combination of four poetry readings*, creative audio pieces corresponding to the four seasons, and snippets from a roundtable discussion, this episode will take you on a journey through the oftentimes murky and sometimes pristine waters of change. Are you ready to embark on the seasons of change? ****************************************************************
*Readings of Gibran Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet, chapters: On Beauty; On Joy and Sorrow.

TWMR  Ep 18 - Seasons of Change

In celebration of Black Music Month, KCRW DJ Novena Lynee interviews DJ Lynnée Denise on what Tina turner's career has taught us about the myth of music genre. More at kcrw.com/feetprayer

KCRW DJ Novena Lynee + DJ Lynnée Denise

This conversation between Disability Justice activist and educator Alex Locust, aka the Glamputee, and U of T Disability Justice leaders, centres lived experiences and explores how Disability Justice offers a framework to create a society that uplifts all people, where no body/mind is left behind.*  Our panel speaks honestly about claiming power through representation, activism, and self-care, challenging capitalism and toxic notions of productivity, and what it means to embody disability justice in our activism, planning, and the day to day.  
This episode captures a conversation held in November 2020 at the Diversity Moves Us Conference organized by U of T’s Sport & Recreation's Diversity & Equity. 
With heartfelt gratitude to our panelists, and Robin Waley. Produced in partnership with KPE.

Panelists
Alex Locust @glamputee 
Jheanelle Anderson, MSW Grad, Disability Justice Network of Ontario Board Member
Alisha Krishna, U of T Law student, Students for Barrier Free Access Board member
Beau Hayward, Equity Initiative Student Lead, Sport and Rec  
Facilitated by Day Milman, Hart House
Download the full transcript here https://thewestmeetingroom.tumblr.com/post/641402870643769344/twmr-ep-48-no-body-mind-left-behind 

Resources and mentions
*Sins Invalid 10 Principles of Disability Justice https://www.sinsinvalid.org/blog/10-principles-of-disability-justice 
Students for Barrier Free Access link https://uoftsba.wordpress.com/ 
Disability Justice Network of Ontario https://www.djno.ca/ 
U of T Sports and Rec Diversity and Equity https://kpe.utoronto.ca/aboutstudent-outreach/diversity-equity 
She’s All Fat https://shesallfatpod.com/ 
Patty Berne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_(Patty)_Berne 
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha https://brownstargirl.org/ 
Leroy Moore @kriphopnation 
Mia Mingus https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/about-2/ 
Sebastian Margaret https://transgenderlawcenter.org/about/staff-and-board/sebastian-margaret 
Mutual aid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_aid_(organization_theory) 
TL Lewis https://www.talilalewis.com/about.html 
Eli Clair https://eliclare.com/ 
Superfest Disability Film Festival http://www.superfestfilm.com/ 
Stacey Park Milbern https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Milbern 
adrienne maree brown http://adriennemareebrown.net/ 
Alice Wong Access is Love Project https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2019/02/01/access-is-love/ 
Myrna Mcallum https://traumainformedlegal.ca/

The West Meeting Room Ep 45 - No Body/Mind Left Behind

A gathering of storytellers and audio producers in the Hart House Community. Thanks for listening!

Hart House Changemakers: Confronting Information Poverty with Lorenzo Vargas

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