Brooklyn Girl In…Amsterdam [Episode #2]
March 24, 2008 by souloperator
Before meeting up with the Brooklyn Funk Essentials for a month long tour, Hanifah stops in Amsterdam as a guest of the Crime Jazz Festival. There she meets people who not just show her the town but bits of herself 3,000 miles from home. She finds out that Amsterdam is more than what it is known for and that its real intoxicants are found in its people. During the Crime Jazz Festival there was a special U People Screening in front of a Dutch audience made up of black, white and racially mixed people. Below are snippets of the audio from the talk back.
Crime Jazz U People Talk Back [14:50m]: 
I love that you have gone outside of America with the black-lesbian scope. I would like to ask: Have you any footage of sexuality and religion or do you and Olive have any views of your own? This is not to raise debate…simply a quest for understanding (my own). As a religious, estrogen gravitating:) young lady, I am caught in between “a rock and a hard place”. Although, I am sure I am not the only one facing this personal dilemma and I would just like to seek the views of religious lesbians and how they have found peace with the two as one; if that makes sense. Just a thought. Thank you for reading:)
We actually have a short documentary that we have been working on about Gay Black American Moslem Women. Though born and raised in the faith it is no longer my personal practice. I have defined a faith for me that works, blesses and challenges me as every faith does. ButI personally have not gravitated to any organized or even somewhat dogmatic religion. My own faith is more of a concept or understanding of how the universe works and ever expanding place in it. I am not a theologian but I do understand that your faith should not make you feel like you are between a rock and a wall. I would think it would empower you to blossom into all that you are capable of being.
And I don’t mind debates. I hope to have more on the site.
Hanifah
OK, this comment just cries out for a little self-promotion! Hmmm, you should get the book Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity, edited by G. Winston James and Lisa C. Moore (RedBone Press). Spirited is a collection of personal essays from black lesbians and gay men who affirm themselves as sexual and spiritual people. “These sacred narratives are a canon for our survival–holy texts proclaiming the divinity of our lives, the righteousness of our love, and the sanctity of our being,” says the back cover. I think it’ll be a big help to you. http://www.redbonepress.com
Thank you, Hanifah and Olive, for all you do!
Lisa
enjoyed eppy 2 of black girl in…
also appreciated the different yet the same aspects… yeah, that’s it different yet the same. peace and luv!!
damn… BK Girl In!!
I really did love this! … and I continually show it by plugging U People at Super Dope Word.
But really, what I think that U People does, more than moving past religious, cultural, and social boundaries, is to show black lesbians as they are. Not African American, not West Indian, European, etc etc, but black women simply invested in and actively participating in their own lives. period. And that is a beautiful thing.
(All of these podcasts are making me regret more and more missing out on the U People screening when i won the haiku contest. but such is life, and you still SO have my support.)
peace. love. power ‘n ish.
Keep up the wonderful work with this and the U People podcasts!! Seeing places I’ve been (Amsterdam, Stockholm) through your eyes have made them feel fresh again. Shay and Simone seem very cool.
As an American expat in Belgium, U People has been a godsend. I no longer take for granted the avenues available for connecting lesbians of colors at home. As mentioned in this episode, it’s difficult to live on both axes here in W. Europe, especially when it comes to finding other black lesbians. I miss those connections, but continued to be inspired by the work I see you and others accomplishing.
YEAHHHHH !!!!!!
Thanks Hanifah and Lisa! Hanifah, I have another question: Having deviated from your original faith (or belief system), did you have a sense of…um…maybe fear or uncertainty that the revolution you were gravitating toward was unwise? I ask this because, just as you, I too found myself embracing a broader understanding of life and purpose but I was pulled yet again into the faith of my childhood (Christianity). Yes, I do understand that often what we are used to has a certain level of comfort and that it also has psychological chains and what not but I feel as though maybe it is indeed the influence of a higher being. Such the thought is my primary dilemma. Perhaps we make things far too intricate and perhaps it is as simple as your words: “empower you to blossom into all that you are capable of being”. I do like that! If I’m not being too personal, what in fact are your views (in detail)? Maybe it would help me…
Again——THANKS
My faith, without hopefully being redundant can be summed up in the immortal words of Octavia Butler (RIP) in her book ‘Parable of the Sower” ; when she wrote “God is change”.
I understand your wanting a sense of a Being greater than yourself but I offer an alternative view of maybe needing to feel that we are “apart” of this greater source as oppose to subjective (if your will) to it. I would NOT so much state ” I am God”, because I think linguistically, the intent just doesn’t fly in our culture. But I do appreciate a concept of not resting my fate, falls and triumphs on a being outside of myself. God, as most of us were raised to believe, needs us to believe in ‘him’ in order to find salvation whether on this earth or not. I don’t think any God, understood in that context, needs us for anything. We cannot offend, hurt or praise him/her any higher or more than he/she must infinitely be already. DOes that make sense?
So when I say “God is change” or “life is change” , I’m saying that ‘change’ is that constant, that rock that inspires, challenges, teaches and conforms to our actions and essentially sculpts the world around ‘us’. I stress ‘us’ because how life affects your world is completely different to how it affects mine.
This view on one hand says that you alone are responsible for your actions and reactions to change. And you life is altered or changes based on your decisions whether minute or grand. On the other hand it frees you from guilt, anguish, judgement of yourself. If you fall, then get back up and try a new way. Falling is not failure it is simply change.
I just had a long talk with Lati, the band leader about these prinicipals and life and love in general on our 3 hour train ride here to Dijon, France.
I would love to continue this discussion but if I don’t get some sleep before the show tonight I will pass out on stage.
Maybe hopefully we can provide a place on ILoveUPeople.com to talk about these things more. Because well ya know, its nice to talk nicely about faith.
HW
Blessings, HW
Hanifah
Do get your sleep! We can’t have you passing out in the middle of the show by any means!:)
I definitely feel you on this “philosophy” (if i may loosely use the term). I see the freedom and growth in it. So, in what way do you connect with change, through the term itself (as it is an action word)? You know, I believe I connect with God through prayer so is that an active thing for you? I don’t think you know just how badly my heart yearns for understanding and when I think I’m on her trail, just how badly my heart fears! It’s…how do I say….an inhibitor.
Hello!
Just want to say that I loved this episode, especially since I’m also a black lesbian from Curacao, living in the Netherlands. I could totally relate to everything Shay was saying and it was just nice seeing something this familiar on your podcast. And for the record, the line from Shay’s poetry wasn’t stupid.
Anyway Hanifah, thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.
Super fantastic, Miss W!
Nice editing, and the “u people” of Amsterdam were totally engaging. Great job baby girl!
You are bringing it all together with courage,grace, wisdom and eyes that are wonderfully open to new experiences. Keep doing what you are doing. I am inspired.
Chi
And what a wonderful weekend it was! Thanks for the great time, the lessons, the light and the laughter. I watched this with the biggest smile on my face.
Hanifah, you are a force! Power should look up to YOU!
‘U People’ has no choice but to become a bright brick on our road to change. Sisters…you know we need this!
Blessings and love,
Simone
(from Amsterdam)
Hi Hanifah, thanks for the Amsterdam episode. It really gave me an idea of the vibe you got here in Holland. I am going to finish writing the interview that you gave me this week. I had some other deadlines that I had to honour but I will make sure to send it to you before I give it to the magazine.
greetz from Jen