Gamma Xi Phi

Category: Renaissance Conversations

  • Theta Chapter Presents the Art of Comedy

    Theta Chapter Presents the Art of Comedy

    DURHAM- The history, method, and inspiration behind crafting jokes served as the topic of an August 14, 2021, panel discussion featuring the work of North Carolina-based comedians Jon Champion and Darian “DWissh” Tedder. SLIPPAGE,  located on the campus of Duke University, served as the location for the event, sponsored by the Theta chapter of Gamma Xi Phi. The Art of Comedy panel discussion served as the chapter’s Renaissance Conversations, one of the national organization’s signature programs. Gamma Xi Phi chapters throughout the organization present panel discussions with artists who are impacting society and culture.

    “In times like this, laughter is crucial to survive and thrive. Theta chapter members wanted to allow members of the community to enjoy an evening as well as understand the process that goes into the art of comedy,” La Toya Hankins, program director of Theta chapter, explained the purpose of the event.

    The show opened with brief performances from Champion and DWissh. Champion is a professional stand-up comedian who blends performing nationally, coordinating shows featuring local comedians, and establishing a non-profit WILLJOKE4FOOD that presents comedy shows to raise money for charity organizations. DWissh, a native of Durham, known as the Carolina King of Comedy, has performed throughout the Triangle, including serving as the host for several years of Durham’s Juneteenth event.

    Champion and DWissh shared with the audience their thoughts about the impact comedy legends and North Carolina natives Moms Mabley and Dewey “Pigmeat” Markham had on the art of comedy. The two also discussed the necessity of navigating telling jokes that toe the line of being appropriate and how important it is to recover when a joke doesn’t go well. The duo’s comments came during a panel discussion facilitated by Jordyne Blaise, GXP Nominating Committee Chair and Theta chapter member.

    Gamma Xi Phi was founded on October 7, 2010, on the campus of Ramapo College. The purpose of the organization is to honor the achievements of artists through fellowship, philanthropy, social justice, and service. Theta Chapter was charted on October 11, 2020, to serve the Research Triangle area.

  • Milton Williams Wows Iota Chapter

    Milton Williams Wows Iota Chapter

    On Wednesday, June 30th, 2021, the Iota Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi, the fraternity for artists, hosted their inaugural program, Finding Your Muse.  The virtual program highlighted Mr. Milton Williams, a music educator at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery, Alabama.

    Finding Your Muse is a quarterly activity under the fraternity’s national Renaissance Conversation initiative.  Designed to uplift all who desire artistic careers, Finding Your Muse invites an artist from any discipline to discuss how they found their passion and developed it into a career. The event also details how artists managed to persevere during the global COVID-19 pandemic, and how they were able to continue to hone their crafts in times of crisis.

    The keynote speaker was Mr. Milton Williams, a charter member and treasurer of the Iota Chapter, which serves Montgomery and Southeast Alabama. Williams holds degrees in Music Education from Huntingdon College and Auburn University, and an Educational Specialist degree from Liberty University. He has been the choral director at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School for 15 years where he teaches choral music, music theory, and music history. He has also adjudicated various choral, vocal, theatrical, and artistic competitions throughout Alabama and the South.

    Putting a spin on the renaissance conversation, Williams did not just speak, but proved his passion for the art of music through a live piano concert. Williams showcased his professional history by breaking down each piece and why they were chosen.  He further explained how it was music and his love of teaching that helped him through the pandemic.

    Iota Chapter Program Director Hunter Irby of Troy, Alabama hosted and moderated the event, with audience members from Alabama, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia.

  • Theta Chapter Hosts Black Southern Filmmakers

    Theta Chapter Hosts Black Southern Filmmakers

    DURHAM-Theta Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi, the fraternity for artists, presented a virtual panel discussion featuring three North Carolina-based filmmakers this week. The event highlighted panelists Leslie Cunningham, Rukiya Shanteel, and Kimberly Knight, who discussed both the art and the craft of their work. The artists’ projects involved a traveling revue during the Jim Crow era, Afro-Indigenous residents of North Carolina, and the fight for justice through video and song.

    “The opportunity to bring these filmmakers together to discuss their work is what Gamma Xi Phi is about: raising awareness of the depth of artistry that exists in our community,” said La Toya Hankins, program director for Theta Chapter. “The artists are turning the lenses of their lives around and elevating those who interact with them in a way that promotes Gamma Xi Phi’s mission of honoring the achievements of artists.”

    Cunningham is a self-described “raconteur with a journalistic background.” She is the owner of TRIBES Entertainment, LLC, a boutique digital media company known for creating daring and entertaining narratives that represent a diversity of subjects and communities. The Los Angeles, California native and current Durham, North Carolina resident is currently working on a documentary film series titled Jig Show: Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana, which honors her grandfather’s popular traveling revue. She is a member of Film Fatales and Brown Girls Doc Mafia. Cunningham is a graduate of the documentary arts program at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in Durham.

    Shanteel is a Greensboro, NC based filmmaker and artist that describes her work as being geared toward creating complex narratives that drive introspection and soulful entertainment. Her impromptu short film How Much Longer was showcased at the Gender Reel Film Festival in 2015. Shanteel won best in genre in 2018 and 2019 C47 Film Festival in Carrboro. She had her first solo art exhibition entitled Soul Sessions and is currently filming her next feature film.

    Knight, a Wilson, NC native and Raleigh, NC resident, maintains a lifestyle blog called The Lux Blog and is a contributing writer for Sheen and Essence magazines. She is the committee chair of the Advisory Council for the first Black Indians NC Powwow for the State of North Carolina scheduled for September 2021. She is also serving as the co-director and co-producer of a film entitled Duality: A Collection of Afro-Indigenous Perspectives.  Knight is also a member of Gamma Xi Phi.

    The event was moderated by GXP member Thomas De Frantz.  Remarks were provided by National President Rashid Darden.

    Gamma Xi Phi was founded on October 7, 2010, by Ramapo College men and women who were interested in creating strong bonds between students pursuing artistic careers. The purpose of the fraternity is to honor the achievements of artists through fellowship, philanthropy, social justice, and service.  Theta Chapter was chartered on October 11, 2020, to serve the Research Triangle.

  • Gamma Chapter Hosts Behind the Arts

    Gamma Chapter Hosts Behind the Arts

    On Monday, March 22, 2021, the Gamma Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi kicked off a brand new series called Behind The Art. Falling under the national program Renaissance Conversations, this series is designed to be a space to highlight artists of color who are carving out space for themselves in the Newark, New Jersey area.

    The series is available on Instagram and YouTube. Topics included, but were not limited to, the business of the industry, the craft, mental health, healing, and more. The series is spearheaded and hosted by Sister Treasure Borde.

    The artists interviewed in the first four episodes were Radicule, Nicki D the Poet, Don Krypton, and WATA.

    “It was a smooth interview,” poet Don Krypton said. “I felt it was very insightful for myself as well as those who wish to know me.”

    Gamma Chapter is already preparing for future episodes of the series, premiering at their Instagram page: www.instagram.com/gxpnewark

  • Protecting My Brand: A Discussion for Emerging Artists and Creators

    Protecting My Brand: A Discussion for Emerging Artists and Creators

    Sigma Delta Tau Legal Fraternity, Inc., and Gamma Xi Phi, the fraternity for artists, presented a program called “Protecting My Brand: A Discussion for Emerging Artists and Creators.”

    Gamma Xi Phi member Shaina Jones Magrone of Artisan Law, P.C., moderated a helpful discussion that benefited artists and all those working in artistic professions.

    Panelists included Sigma Delta Tau members Joseph Drayton, Esq., of Cooley LLP; Bradley Thomas, Esq., of the Law Offices of Bradley Ashton Thomas; and William Jolley, Esq., an Entertainment Attorney and Strategic Connector.

    The event, a celebration of World Intellectual Property Day, was a lively introduction to the field of intellectual property, and discussed trademark, copyright, and even patents. Panelists shared best practices as well as stories from the field. It was agreed that an early investment in an intellectual property attorney is always a wise one.

    “Gamma Xi Phi and Sigma Delta Tau Legal Fraternity assembled the Black Legal Avengers!” shared event attendee Seun Ogunlegan, CEO of Bold Ventures Media. “Incredible information and all of it well explained. I’d sign up a second time, if offered.”

    This event was the first collaboration between Sigma Delta Tau, the oldest continuously existing African-American legal fraternity in the United States, and Gamma Xi Phi, the nation’s leading fraternal organization for artists of color and their anti-racist allies.

  • Beta Lambda Chapter Presents Hip-Hop: A Pedagogy of Reinvention

    Beta Lambda Chapter Presents Hip-Hop: A Pedagogy of Reinvention

    Beta Lambda Chapter, the South Atlantic Region Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi, presents Hip-Hop: A Pedagogy of Reinvention. In conversation with Beta Lambda member Rashid Darden, Mr. Byron L. Williams discusses how educators of all age groups might infuse hip-hop into their lesson plans. (more…)

  • Delta Chapter Screens Extra Credits

    Delta Chapter Screens Extra Credits

    The Delta Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi, the nation’s leading fraternity for artists, recently sponsored a viewing party for Black history-themed episodes the web series Extra Credits, written by chapter member Steven Van Patten.

    Shortly after the slaying of George Floyd in May of 2020, producers for Extra Credits approached Brother Van Patten to participate.  Their goal was to add episodes focused on Black history to their already vast catalogue of animated vignettes that feature everything from the life and times of Genghis Khan to the mythology of the Easter egg. 

    Brother Van Patten, an awarded author of horror and dark fiction, had already written episodes for the mythology wing of the channel. Jumping at the chance to tackle Black history, he gave the folks at EC a list of subjects he wanted to address. Still other topics would be added by to the list by sponsors. 

    While a handful of the episodes have yet to be released, Delta Chapter was happy to host a viewing party with those that were available. The subjects varied, from the burning of “Black Wall Street” to the troubles black heavyweight faced outside the ring. Most of the episodes left the audience visibly disturbed. However, the general consensus among the attendees was that while uncomfortable to watch, these videos could help change the paradigm and the conversations currently being had all over the country.

    When asked which episode was the hardest for him to work on, Brother Van Patten explained that most of them were difficult. The yet-to-be released episode on the assassination of Medgar Evers was the one that had reduced him to tears and forced to him have to step away for a few hours.

    Delta Chapter encourages the public to gird themselves and go down this Black history rabbit hole with Brother Van Patten.

    The Burning of Black Wall Street – Tulsa, OK – Extra History

    The Harlem Hellfighters – The 369th Infantry – Extra History

    The Harlem Renaissance – An Explosion of Art – Extra History

    Redlining – Income and Housing Inequality – Extra History

    Black Boxing Heavyweights – Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, & Muhammad Ali – Extra History

    Interstate Displacement – The Legacy of Robert Moses – Extra History

  • The Prerequisites of Publishing

    The Prerequisites of Publishing

    Brother Shawn P. Spencer, National Vice-President of Gamma Xi Phi, hosted a Renaissance Conversation called The Prerequisites of Publishing on August 26, 2020, via Zoom.  This virtual activity brought together five members of the fraternity who are published authors and poets, from traditionally published to self-published. Participating members were Brother Marc L. Abbott, Brother BuddahDesmond, Brother Rashid Darden, Sister Melanie Hatter, and Brother E. Ethelbert Miller. (more…)