In September 2019, organizer Rachel DeGuzman held a long table discussion at VSW, inviting female elders from Rochester’s black community to discuss the roles black women have played in Rochester ‘s cultural, social and political movements. Black and Female in ROC: The Remix continues this conversation, focusing on the current community interrogation of race and sex through the juxtaposition of archival media and a contemporary local news stories and the coverage of prominent black women. This screening centers the perspectives of women of color, examining how they are depicted through the lens of the media.

DeGuzman has worked with videographer Rashaad Parker to produce From Us, About Us, a 54 minute video about coverage of Black women in local media and its impacts. From Us, About Us includes interviews with Athesia Benjamin, Tamara Leigh and Cocoa Rae David. 

Black & Female in ROC: The Remix is part 2 of a 2 part series curated by Rachel DeGuzman and At the Crossroads: Activating the Intersection of Art and Justice, in conjunction with the VSW Community Curator Program.

The Community Curator program invites representatives from  community groups in the Rochester region to curate film screenings using VSW’s collection of over 9,000 film and video titles.  For more information on how to participate, visit the Community Curator page on our website.

The VSW Film Series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and by the ArtWorks program of the National Endowment for the Arts.