Seniors at Akins HS interviewed community leaders, activists, and artists in Austin.

Akins High School 2020-2021 - "The Fire Inside"

"Known as a creative catalyst, Jonathan 'Chaka' Mahone has a strong background in event production, curriculum development, multimedia content creation, visual art, songwriting, music production, and youth empowerment through arts."

Written and Produced by Jairus Jakubowski and Abigail Segura, with the help of Carlos Salazar for Stories from Deep in the Heart

Everybody Wants the Culture But Nobody Wants the Pain

"Our roots stem from a realization that if art is not worked to be preserved it may be demised. As this happens, it takes with it: culture, expression, opportunities and a voice speaking for the unheard. We are hear to amplify the voices of these artists in what ever form of expression they choose. We have been in Austin through the changing landscape of people, culture and expression. We are part of the progression to hold the values of this city in check as opportunities seem to be taken away from local artist and tailored for larger industrial productions. We started with a vision of helping local artist and although our city continues to change, our commitment has not." - Clifford Gillard of Capital View Arts.

Written and Produced by Christina Dominguez and Jennifer Ponce, with the help of Jeannelle Ramirez from Stories Deep in the Heart, a project of Texas Folklife.

Creating a Lasting Something

Ishia Lynette is Austin Justice Coalitions Social Media Manager and Community Service Director. An El Paso native who moved to Austin in 2012, she began to notice commonalities happening in minority/marginalized communities and decided to use her voice to make a change. 

Her inspiration for her work in AJC is her father who is a single black male that raised 5 children and faced many struggles as a black man in America, her late great-grandmother who taught her to always speak her mind and to stay strong in spirit, and her two nephews who keep her grounded, and give her strength to make their future better.

Written and Produced by Karen Gonzalez and Keoni James with the help of Morgan Kuehler from Stories from Deep in the Heart, a project of Texas Folklife.

Fighting Racial Injustice in Austin

Interview with DaShawn Barr of Peace in Austin. "Two crises are now confronting the country. People are taking to the streets to protest police use of force amid the coronavirus pandemic....Why we're risking our personal lives, why we don't care about the sickness, is because maybe we're just tired of seeing, I guess, innocent people die every day.” 

Written and Produced by Mia Noralez and Jimena Sandoval, with the help of Ezra McPherson

We Are One We Are the Same

David Rice has always lived in Texas. Born in 1964 in Weslaco, he now divides his time between Austin and the Rio Grande Valley. South Texas and his Mexican American culture are the inspiration for most of his work. The former writer-in-residence for Llano Grande Center for Research and Development in Edcouch, he now teaches and mentors middle and high school students in creative writing. His short story collection, Crazy Loco, has received much acclaim, and his stories have been included in several other anthologies for adults and teens. He has also written and directed plays, feature films, short films, and a one-man show called "Just a Kid from Edcouch.”

Written and Produced by Juliana Lopez, Ashley Magana, and Mia Melendez, with help from Linda O’Neal

Life Guard

Miami revolves around la ventanita here at Versailles. (Marvin Tapia)

In this episode, we trace the history of country music in Kenya, dating back to the 1920s and 30s when local populations first heard Jimmie Rodgers on early country western 78 records, to the current day, where the clubs of Nairobi are filled with rising stars bringing their own unique sounds to country music.  Hear their takes on the hits of Don Williams, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and more.  Tune in for an interview and performance from Kenyan country singer Steve Rogers, radio and tv presenters Catherine Ndonye and David Kimitho, music historian Elijah Wald, and Olvido Records founder Gordon Ashworth.  Produced by Brandi Howell.

APWW #853

From Nashville to Nairobi: The History of Country Music in Kenya

Content Warning - Loud school bell sound starting at 3:45.

Interview of Ms. Gratten, Assistant Principal 7th Grade at Gus Garcia Middle School by some of students during the May 2017 semester.

In May 2017, students at Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy worked with Ms. Ferich and producers to create five radio profiles. These stories were produced as part of Texas Folklife's Stories from Deep in the Heart media education program.

Assistant Principal Gus Garcia Middle School Ms. Gratten

How many of us would be lost without our regular coffeeshop? In the age of wifi and telecommuting, cafes have become more than purveyors of lattes and cappuccinos. They’re the office, the community hub, and the conference room as much as the provider of our caffeine fix. And now—are they also a surrogate for the church?

In cities and towns across the South, an increasing number of the folks offering up latte art and high-end pourover brewing are devout Christians. Is it an unlikely and subtle tool for proselytizing? Or a more nuanced expression of 21st Century Christianity, intertwined with social events and professional endeavors. We sent writer T Cooper to explore the coffee scene in the famously bible-minded city of Knoxville, Tennessee, to find out.

Separation of Church and Coffee

Members of The American Turkish Association are at the end of a five-city tour in their Mobile Turkish Coffee Truck. The idea is to spread the word about Turkey's centuries-old coffee tradition.

Sharing Turkey's Centuries-Old Coffee Tradition with a Food Truck

Murderous Mary & The RISE Of Erwin

Pasta. Olive oil. Polenta. Much of Italian cuisine today has come to be defined by staples like these and their associated dishes (with strict recipes and rules to boot!). Yet how did we arrive at these ideas? Karima Moyer-Nocchi is a food historian who looks at the development of the Italian culinary landscape. She discusses how the traditions of “authentic Italian cuisine” are more cultural invention than fact, revealing that beliefs about authenticity erase—rather than enrich—the stories of what people cooked and ate across modern Italian history. Also, a word on immigration in Roman history, and the possible (in)coherency of the Mediterranean Diet.

Karima Moyer-Nocchi: Italian Foodways and the Myth of Authenticity

Artist profile of Lench Martinez, an Austin rapper. This story is part of an audio series "See It Through My Eyes" created at Akins High School during the fall 2019 semester. This story was produced by Hope, Leslie, Caden, and Yvette for Stories From Deep in the Heart, a project of Texas Folklife.

♪ East Austin business owners say they woke up this morning to find their store destroyed. It wasn't vandals, but a demolition crew that had all the right permits. How does something like this happen... What Happened to Austin? by Lench Martinez plays ♪ 
Leslie Rosario: [00:00:11] Can a homie from the 44 be Austin's next mayor? Lench Martinez, a barber, rapper, and activist has inspired many with his well-known song which brings it back to La Raza. Growing up on the south side, life wasn't always easy. 
Lench Martinez: [00:00:25] My father was known as a gangster and I don't want- I carry the same name, so it's very important to me that I go out and be the change I wish to see in the world. 
Rosario: [00:00:33] Lench has witnessed most of his friends and family getting kicked out of their own barrio. His family's roots in Austin dates back to when Texas was a part of Mexico. 
Martinez: [00:00:43] See I'm not from the east side, I'm from the south side, I was supposed to go to this school right here. I'm from Dove Springs. My daughter tells me I gotta chicken tattoo on my face, it's actually a dove. She's grounded by the way. (laughter) 
Rosario: [00:00:56] Many of us, including Lench, love that people from other parts of the country were noticing our hometown. The Texas rap scene was starting to get noticed and year after year, Austin made the top 10 list of great cities. Austin was special even with its controversial history. 
Martinez: [00:01:13] Austin is racist by design and that is not an opinion that is an observation because it's a straight up fact. I think it was the plan of 1900, was it 1902- I need to brush up on my history. But I know that it was broken into four sections, you know, pretty much it's going to be poor whites, rich whites, Mexicans, blacks. Thats just, you know, past the river. If you look at it, the border was Ladybird Lake, Town Lake, all the way to Huston-Tillotson college, cause there was a slave village back there called Clarksville. Point being is, Austin is the only city in America where the population went up, but the black population actually went down. 
Rosario: [00:02:00] Despite Austin's racist history, Lench remembers the keep it weird vibe in Austin, but the constant growth and the rising cost of the city has gentrified many neighborhoods. 
Martinez: [00:02:11] Gentrification has affected me so much that I really don't want to live in Austin anymore. So just because of what gentrification has done to the entire face and shape of the city. I don't think that Austin really reflects what it used to at all and I don't think it's somewhere I would like to be going forward because I don't know where it's going. It's kind of unpredictable place right now. 
♪ The Boulevard by Lench Martinez plays ♪ 
Rosario: [00:02:50] Lench Martinez has always been a fighter. 
Martinez: [00:02:53] Well, I was born and raised in Austin, Texas. I was born with one hand. I was supposed to be a boxer because my father was actually a champion, Golden Gloves champion boxer and my mom was just kind of a youngster who just didn't have her stuff together. They were both popular kids and that led to my popularity later on. But, I'm a rapper. I'm a well-known rapper in Austin. I'm a- I guess you could say an activist of sorts, I'm a barber, and I'm a local leader. 
Rosario [00:03:24] But right now, Lench is fighting for his life. 
Martinez: [00:03:27] Under the weather. Couldn't find out what was wrong, it turns out I had a horrible disease and on top of that an infection in my lungs, and it was growing. And by the time I caught it, they said probably about two or three days away from killing me and I never knew it.

Que paso con nuestro barrio - Lench Martinez Story

A fascinating look at a new and sometimes controversial folk spiritual tradition to cross over the border from Mexico to Texas. Produced by students at Eastside Memorial High School for Stories From Deep in the Heart, a project of Texas Folklife.

La Santa Muerte

A Tex-Mex party-polka by Nick Garza's Get Along featuring special guests. The legendary Augie Meyers (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornados) sits in on Vox organ while Max Baca and Josh Baca of the Grammy-winning band, Los Texmaniacs get down on bajo sexto and accordion. [48Khz 24bit wav]

Muchacha (Feat. Augie Meyers & Los Texmaniacs)

Texas Folklife is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and presenting the diverse cultures and living heritage of the Lone Star State. Since 1984, Texas Folklife has honored cultural traditions passed down within communities and explored their importance in contemporary society. Texas Folklife has been called “one of the state’s true cultural treasures” by the Austin American-Statesman for the accessible, joyful arts experiences we provide.

For more, visit:
http://www.texasfolklife.org

Fighting Racial Injustice in Austin

Texas Folklife

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