Tag: signal boost

[Signal Boost] Boyega Brigade Boost for Theatre Peckham

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From the GoFundMe:

“I admire Theatre Peckham’s continued mission to increase diversity in the creative industries, inspiring young people like myself to be the change we want to see in this industry.” — John Boyega

Hey, fellow John Boyega stans! John put his heart and soul into bringing the amazing Finn to life in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Many of us who never saw ourselves in major sci-fi franchises found a champion in Finn’s journey from slave to hero. John told us from the door that he lives, breathes, and bleeds Finn, and his dedication to the role and to his fans have been a high point of the entire series.

In honor of his fantastic portrayal of Finn — and the effortless cool, poise and sense of humor he maintained offscreen — we’re raising money for something near and dear to John’s heart — Theatre Peckham, the South London-based training theatre company where he was a featured player from ages 9 to 14, and of which he became a patron in 2016. The group recently unveiled a mural  of John, and as a patron, he has helped TP kick off its 2020 fundraising drive to celebrate “talent that has come from Peckham and looking towards the future of those who will become.”

All money raised here will be sent directly to Theatre Peckham in aid of its programs and its mission of building a diverse talent pool for creative industries. Since 2020 is the year that John brought in with a bang, we’ve set that as an initial target.

(TP takes donations in pounds only, so this will work out to about 1600 GBP depending on currency exchange. If you feel most comfortable donating directly to TP’s donations’ processor , that’s cool too!)

Please consider donating to this worthy cause if you can. Thank you!

Boyega Brigade Boost for Theatre Peckham

For me, John Boyega’s performance as Finn changed the game.

I wasn’t a die hard Star Wars fan before the sequel trilogy. I’d liked the franchise, sure. But I was well in my teens before I saw all of the previous films. I didn’t have opinions on favorite characters or any of that. I saw a cool space opera and that’s about where it went for me. I wasn’t invested.

And then John Boyega, my Attack the Block bae, gets cast in The Force Awakens and I pretty much got sucked into further fandom-ing for him – but also for Finn. Finn remains a character I adore and who I would love to write some day. I’ve seen myself in him and I know many other John Boyega fans and Black people in the general (non-nerdy) audience did too.

Like Em says in the description for the GoFundMe above, “Many of us who never saw ourselves in major sci-fi franchises found a champion in Finn’s journey from slave to hero.”

As far as I can remember, there are only four Black people playing human characters in Star Wars. John is the first to be a main character. That he’s playing a character with as much power and potential as Finn – who broke his own conditioning and rebels against the fascist First Order that took him away from his parents…

I get chills thinking about it.

I am a huge John Boyega fan and that’s why I want to ask that my friends and followers alike donate whatever they can to this GoFundMe and share it with anyone that might be interested! This way, we can all show our appreciation to John by can supporting the place that helped set John on his path to stardom.

Let’s help light the way for future generations of actors to find themselves and practice their craft at Theatre Peckham!

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Signal boosting an emergency fundraiser

Stitch

A very dear friend of the family – she’s my mom’s best friend and her daughter and I grew up together – is trying to raise funds so that get to New York by the sixth of June in order to attend the funeral of her sister, who recently passed away.

I know money’s tight all over, but if donations aren’t a possibility (and even if they are), can y’all share this so that she can see her sister off?

Please.

FACEBOOK DONATION LINK

[Stitch Links to Stuff] Joyful Reads

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Joyful Reads Image.png

Joyful Reads is the brainchild of blogger Kristen Carter. A book subscription service in its infancy, Joyful Reads will serve the purpose of gettng diverse Young Adult literature into the hands of teenage and young adult readers.

This is a labor of love and an attempt at diversifying the very white landscape of book subscription boxes that I think has a lot of potential. I’ve been book buddies with Kristen for over a year and they’re pretty awesome!

Right now, the subscription service is set for a May 2017 launch.

You can support Kristen and Joyful Reads on her GoFundMe where you can find out more about the service, as her questions, and help her afford a website designer, social media manager, and shipping supplies for the first set of subscriptions.

(And if you can’t contribute financially but want to see Joyful Reads get off the ground to get diverse books into the hands of eager readers, you should always consider talking to Kristen and seeing if there are other ways that you can help her with this endeavor!)

To find out more about Kristen and Joyful Reads, visit the following webpages:

Kristen’s Twitter: HERE

Joyful Reads Webpage (which is in-progress):  HERE

Joyful Reads Twitter: HERE

Joyful Reads GoFundMe: HERE

Serious Stitch Stuff

Stitch

So for the past few months I’ve been working as the editorial assistant for a set of professors working on putting out a business manual with Routledge. This morning, the professor in charge of the project sent in the manuscript which means that, barring further complications with the project or him hiring me for another one, I no longer have a job.

Somehow, I didn’t realize that you know… them finishing the manuscript would put my job on hold (or straight up get rid of it) for the foreseeable future. I have I think two more checks coming because of the way the pay period is set up, but that’s all the money I’ll have until the beginning of September at the absolute earliest outside of any freelance jobs or commissions I manage to get and finish.

As I have been using the money from this job to help my family pay for rent on top of paying my own bills, this is kind of terrible.

That being said, if you like any of my writing (and if you’re following me on any of my social media sites or my blog, I should hope you do) here are some ways that you can help me out.

I have A PATREON PAGE that you can subscribe to at one of three different tiers in order to have access to audio posts, short fiction, and lots of stories that center queer characters of color.

You can donate directly to me VIA PAYPAL

Or you can use THIS KO-FI LINK to “tip” me if you read something you like from me and want to throw a little money my way

If flinging money at me isn’t your thing, you can also legit hire me to write or edit things for you.

I have lots of experience with both writing and editing fiction and as long as you give me firm deadlines, I’ll make them. On top of that, my recent experience as an editorial assistant on a Routledge book gives me added experience in editing things like creative nonfiction and business manuals.

If you’re someone running a website (or who knows someone that is) that needs content, I’m also available to write articles on pop culture, race, gender, and superheroes. If you know of a site that needs a Black feminist view on pop culture like the upcoming Luke Cage series and fandom (and is willing to pay on the regular), I’m your Stitch.

If you want to hire me or find out my rates for writing fiction, writing articles, and editing anything here’s my blog’s CONTACT PAGE. You can find examples of my article writing style in posts like THIS and THIS and HERE’S an in-progress page with the fiction I’m posting on my main site (as the majority of my writing is on Patreon). I can also provide you with a copy of my CV if you’re really interested in hiring me for a long-term project or a serious position.

Please share this post with anyone y’all think might be even remotely interested in supporting me, a queer Black writer who looks critically at media, fandom, and feminism, as I struggle to keep doing what I’m good at while taking care of my family.

Urs

Stitch

[Signal Boost] New Beginning for Homeless Mom

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Signal Boost - E A DevineNote from the Stitch: I’m signal boosting this fundraiser for E.A. Devine, one of my  wonderful Twittah followers who is trying her best to get her mother in a good position after tragedy and loss have rocked her world. Let’s get 2016 started right by helping her help her mother get on the right track!

Information from E.A. Devine’s GoFundMe:

Mother’s Day, 2004: mom had a head on collision, shattered her pelvis and foot, and doctors put her back together with titanium pins, plates, and screws.

When she was able to walk, she continued to work two jobs at a time with her partner to support their two children.  She was in severe pain most nights.

2014: Dad, her partner of 22 years was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer.

He chose to continue working while going through chemotherapy and radiation.  When he was unable to work anymore, mom took care of him full time.

March of 2015: mom and dad married after 22 years together and raising two children.

Dad died five days later.

The bills took everything.  Mom lost the home they loved, enough belongings to fill a house is reduced to enough to fill a closet, and the car was eventually taken.

September, 2015: I have spent my life watching my parents work themselves to death just to suffer and lose everything.  I want to see my dad every day.  I want to see my mom flourish.

She now stays with a friend, and has to ask for rides.  Things are far enough away that to walk places to apply for work causes crippling pain.  She has been denied disability twice.

Her birthday is fast approaching.  When I asked her what she wanted, she said: “I want to be able to do things under my own power, without asking everyone else for help.”

It will be her first birthday since her husband died.  She lost the home they loved.  They loved the area so much that we scattered dad’s ashes near it.  She wants to go back.

I may have found a way.

I have found a deal for a tiny fully furnished house AND a working vehicle for $8,500 three miles from their former home.  I’ve also found a four-month education program for a field she wants to enter for $1500.  The career wouldn’t be physically demanding and she could work from anywhere.

The challenge: Our family is financially decimated.  I go to school full time and work full time.  My brother has just gotten his first job.  Between us we make enough to all barely survive.

The goal:  If we can somehow raise $10,000, mom can have a place of her own, a working vehicle, and an education that will allow her to support herself and maintain her independence without destroying her body or living in agony.

Will you help us give our mom the gift of a lifetime?

I know how every little bit helps when you’re trying to reach a goal as important as this one.

So share with your friends, your followers, your boss! Please also support her fundraising  when and/or if you can because every dollar will go towards getting E.A. Devine’s mother in a position to get a place and remain independent while not taxing herself too much. That’s really something that everyone should have the chance to attain, you know!