by Cassendre Xavier
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A) WHO IS THE RENAISSANCE NEGRESSE?
B) GREETING & FEELINGS
1) CALL: NEW PROTEST SONGS (FROM COSACOSA)
2) BOOK RELEASE: SH/E SPEAKS: VOICES OF WOMEN & TRANS FOLX
3) CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE BLACK WOMEN’S ARTS FESTIVAL
4) HOUSING CONCERNS
5) FUNDRAISING NEEDS & LINKS
Z) FAREWELL FOR NOW
CONTENTS OF TABLE
A) WHO IS THE RENAISSANCE NEGRESSE?
Haitian/Chinese-American multi-media healing artist Cassendre Xavier coined the term *”renaissance negresse” in 2002. A musician, writer, fine artist, and actress, Cassendre (who also works under the names Amethyste Rah and Amrita Waterfalls, and who also became an ordained Interfaith Minister in September 2010) says the term describes a black woman who is skilled or gifted in 3 or more arts. Xavier is a recipient of a $15,000 Leeway Transformation Award which “supports women and trans artists creating art and social change”. Cassendre founded and directed several Philadelphia arts initiatives including The Women’s Writing & Spoken Word Series (Est. 2002) and The Black Women’s Arts Festival (Est. 2003). She also teaches classes, and leads or co-leads workshops and support groups related to creativity, personal growth, recovery (from abuse and addictions), relationships, and yoga. She is originally from Brooklyn, NY and has been living creatively and joyfully in Philadelphia since 1990. [*”Negresse, Negre: In the French- and Spanish-speaking Caribbean Islands, these words often have a connotation of affection, entirely non-racial in meaning. `Ma petite negresse, mon negre, are equivalent to `My dear, my darling, my sweet.’” [From Masters of the Dew, a contemporary classic novel by the Haitian author Jacques Roumain, translated by Langston Hughes and Mercer Cook.]
B) GREETING & FEELINGS
I feel much different now writing this museletter than I did years ago. Over the years and having lived through a pandemic, I’m much lower in energy, hope, and joy. But I still have some so I persist.
Mental healthwise, I have an update. Since the 1990s, I have talked about my bipolar 2 and PTSD diagnoses and struggles. A few years ago I received a different diagnosis and due to feared stigma I haven’t shared it. I will now, for the same reason I was out about the others – to help others who have the same diagnosis – for them to feel less alone. I now have schizoaffective disorder bipolar type (and I still have PTSD -posttraumatic stress disorder). I have little understanding or familiarity with my condition, but I am learning. I’m a little annoyed because after three decades of bipolar treatment and education, I had finally achieved a fair bit of understanding. Now I have to start over from scratch. I hope my sharing this helps someone.
In other news about my mental health, this week I said good-bye to my excellent therapist of five years (she left to start her own practice). I am waiting weeks for my healthcare center to hire my therapist’s replacement. I hope I am a good fit with the next one. If not, then I have to try another. I rely heavily on therapy – I had two sessions a week – so I’m looking forward to continuing.
1) CALL: NEW PROTEST SONGS (FROM COSACOSA)
Some time ago, I was invited, proud, and honored to be one of 8 local artists of color to create a compilation albuum of protest songs. I did it and it was a wonderful experience. More about the project:
Call, an album of 14 new protest songs, combines the narrative power of 8 Philadelphia songwriters of color with the artistry of over 30 area singers and musicians. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the album is a project of COSACOSA art at large, Inc.
Call explores issues from police brutality to mental health, from bodily autonomy to housing insecurity, from the school-to-prison pipeline to the power of Black culture. Individual tracks are written from varied perspectives and in diverse musical genres, including neo soul, jazz, R&B, folk, and gospel.
Participating songwriters include Jay Fluellen, Keisha Hutchins, Homer Jackson, Namarah, Victor Rodriguez, Jr., Venissa Santi, James Solomon, and Cassendre Xavier. The album was recorded and produced by Anthony Tidd of TidbiT SonoS, Homer Jackson of Philadelphia Jazz Project, and Chris Ploss of Sunwood Recording. Album cover art is by Shae Payne
CX: I contributed two songs: “Let’s Be Authentic” and “I Am Here”.
You can listen to the album here (it also includes a link to listen on YouTube): http://cosacosa.org/Call.html
2) BOOK RELEASE: SH/E SPEAKS: VOICES OF WOMEN & TRANS FOLX
At the Black Women’s Arts Festival last year while daydreaming I had an idea for another event to produce at The Rotunda (which has hosted BWAF since its inception in 2003). I realized I had a strong curiosity to hear women’s and trans writing. I thought of the title and invited a dear friend to co-edit a corresponding book with me, that would be published by Moonstone Press. After putting out a call for submissions and working on the book, we completed the project and will be doing the book release on Sat. June 3rd at 1pm at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia. The event will be free and open to the public and feature 5 of the 51 contributors. An open reading will follow. Hope to see you there, and yes “trans” includes nonbinary.
3) CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE BLACK WOMEN’S ARTS FESTIVAL
The 17th Annual Black Women’s Arts Festival will happen in person for the first time since the pandemic, on Sat-Sun September 16-17 at The Rotunda (see above). Musicians, writers, filmmakers, poets, fine artists, and more, plus vendors, are welcome to inquire at cxwriting(at)gmail.com. Participating artists will receive a stipend.
4) HOUSING CONCERNS
And now for what I’ve been dreading sharing for a couple of years now! I am sharing this because I’m stuck and don’t knowo how to solve this problem. When it comes to creativity, I am very strong and able. When it comes to keeping a roof over my head – not so much.
I am very fortunate to have met someone and after 8 months of dating moved in with him. The problem is he lives with his adult daughter who strongly disproves of my presence. The good news is my friend-who became platonic as soon as I moved in, and I get along really well and live well together. He also said to me once, “As long as I have a place to live, you have a place to live,” which was the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.
More good news is that this arrangement has lasted 6 years. The time has come for me to move elsewhere, but I don’t know how to do that. I haven’t worked since 2015 (I think), so I don’t have the income that it takes to move. Even if I raised funds to move in someplace, I wouldn’t qualify because I have no regular income.
I’ve applied and been rejected for disability and have been slow to reapply. I’ve applied for one job (home health aid) but that was months ago, so I’m super slow with job applications, too.
I’m pretty good at manifesting housing, but I feel differently – I don’t know how to go about it.
How I manifested the situation I’m in now is that I put out a prayer and psychic call, “Let me be a blessing.” And I think I was and am. Now I watch endless YouTube videos of little cats and dogs getting rescued and being found “forever homes”. I want a forever home 🙂
I’m looking for someone who has space in their heart AND their home for me. In the past I’ve kept my romantic life semi-private, but now I may need to share more than before.
In my heart of hearts my dream is to be gainfully employed and rent a room in a cooperative and functional, friendly household. But a nice second is to meet someone who happens to have space and willingness to share that space with me. Do you know anyone? Could it be you? 🙂
I’m polyamorous and am best matched with a mature (over 40) intellegent, white cis-gendered man preferably with a beard 🙂
Speaking of beard, mine is still going strong. I’m being “authentic”!
So, where I live is somewhat precarious. If something happened to my friend, his daughter would immediately kick me out. So, I’m trying to leave before that happens.
5) FUNDRAISING NEEDS & LINKS
Every once in a while I receive donations to my GoFundMe page. With those funds I buy public transportation rides, Uber rides, and things that my food stamps won’t’ pay for. I really appreciate your donations and they really help me get by being that I have no employment.
My GoFundMe link: https://www.gofundme.com/CXYear50
I also receive funds at Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/CXInspiration
Z) FAREWELL FOR NOW
Thank you for listening to my sharing, and for caring if you do. If you are one of my supportive patrons, I thank you very much. If you aren’t (yet? 🙂 I wish you well also.
Thank you for your ongoing support of my art and therfore life,
In art and community (and HOPE!),
CASSENDRE XAVIER | renaissance negresse 