This website is under construction. These are freelancing articles prior to August 2024. Times Union work can be found on the second published writing page, which will soon be consolidated into one. Thank you for your patience!
Rap Is Art, Not Evidence
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of Paramount+ May 14, 2024 – Link to article Though rap music is the most listened to genre in the United States, it is still the only creative medium consistently being used to prosecute and incarcerate people. The ongoing criminal trial of Grammy-winning artist Young Thug exposed this prosecutorial tactic to many people…
Seeking Mavis Beacon: The Black Tech Icon Who Wasn’t Real and the Journey to Find Her
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of Sundance February 29, 2024 – Link to article When the interactive software program Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing was released in the late 80s, it was a revolutionary moment in technology and culture: a Black woman was on the cover of a software program. As a kid, Jazmin Renée…
The Philadelphia Presence at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in Park City
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of Sundance February 6, 2024 – Link to article The streets of quaint and chilly Park City, Utah were warmed by creatives gathering from around the world to celebrate the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival. The festival is renowned worldwide for its initiative to support and highlight independent artists,…
Police ‘Power’ investigated in Yance Ford’s documentary
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of Ford February 1, 2024 – Link to article Yance Ford’s documentary Power, an investigation into 300 years of policing history, is not an easy film to watch. But, “It is a true film,” Ford said about the doc which premiered at the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival. “It is…
From Narcan to Fentanyl Testing Strips: Where to Access Harm Reduction Resources in Long Beach
By Kelsey Brown Nov. 16, 2023 – Link to article Humans always have and always will use drugs—so it’s essential to be informed on how to reduce harm when using. Harm reduction is a philosophy and public health approach that focuses on minimizing the negative consequences of drug use, rather than trying to criminalize or…
The Future of Reality tv is Green
By Kelsey Brown / Photos courtesy of Rikki Hughes and Cyle Zezo. Oct. 31, 2023 – Link to Bluedot Living article Rikki Hughes, a Grammy- and Emmy-winning producer and founder of the production company Magic Lemonade, doesn’t buy the excuse that it’s too difficult to implement sustainable practices in Hollywood. In fact, incorporating narratives on sustainability…
Cultivating eco-friendly fine Dining
By Kelsey Brown / Photo by Gisselle Palomera Oct. 2, 2023 – Link to article At Heritage, a sustainably-sourced fine dining restaurant in Long Beach, the dynamic, evolving six-course tasting menu routinely rotates based on the season and availability of ingredients at local markets, resulting in innovative flavor combinations. The summer menu features a grilled…
The Radical & Revolutionary Return of Chocolate Babies, 27 Years Later
The restoration of Chocolate Babies, which screened at Outfest Los Angeles last month, stylishly serves lessons on community-led queer liberation during the AIDS crisis of the ‘90s in New York City.
Springing into action: the restoration of Kuruvungna
A dream propelled Bob Ramirez to volunteer at Kuruvungna Village Springs five years ago. Now president of the Gabrielino Springs Foundation, he’s spearheaded the site’s rebirth.
Malcolm Kenyatta Documentary is a Love Letter to Philly
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of Tim Harris June 13, 2023 – Link to article Despite the documentary Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn opening with Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta in a suit, filmmaker Tim Harris is adamant it is more than a political film. While the film follows Kenyatta’s historic journey as the first openly gay Black man…
“We Are More”: Trans Resistance and Historic City Council Run in “House of Tulip”
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of Brown Girls Doc Mafia June 6, 2023 – Link to article Mariah Moore never saw herself represented in magazines until she saw Laverne Cox’s 2014 Time cover. “I had never seen a Black trans woman on the cover of a major magazine,” Moore reflects. “That was inspiring for me.…
‘House of tulip’ centers trans love, community and culture
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of House of Tulip May 3, 2023 – Link to article In the historic fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation and in response to rising transphobia across the country, Black trans women have trailblazed social movements and community-building. Violence faced by transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people is only exacerbated for…
Outfest fusion Family Day celebrates queer childhood
By Kelsey Brown / Photo by Kelsey Brown April 14, 2023 – Link to article The laughter of children wearing paper crowns and rhinestone-studded face paint echoed in the Los Angeles Theatre on April 1 during Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival’s first Family Day, a celebration of queer joy and childhood. As controversy circulates throughout…
Righting historic wrongs
By Kelsey Brown / Photo by Kelsey Brown December 2, 2022 – Link to article The walls of the Native American Grave and Repatriation Act lab at Cal State Long Beach are lined with storage shelves crammed with beige boxes, each labeled with archeological trinomials. Though the boxes appear plain, inside are Native American remains,…
Short Docs—Long on Visibility and Virality, Slim on Sustainability
By Kelsey Brown / Photo courtesy of Breakwater Studios Dec. 13, 2022 – Link to article There’s been much talk in the documentary ecosystem over the past five years about “The Golden Age of Documentaries,” and short docs have enjoyed more visibility than ever. Over the past 20 years, the digital age has revolutionized how…
Meet the Logan Elevate grantees
By Kelsey Brown – Photo courtesy of grantees Sept. 23, 2022 – Link to article IDA’s Logan Elevate Grant, which is made possible through the generosity of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, aims to uplift emerging filmmakers. This year, the grant program awards $30,000 to three women and nonbinary filmmakers of color directing feature-length journalistic documentary films.…
Past the party princess persona
By Kelsey Brown / Photo by Robert Torres II June 16, 2022 – Link to article During weekdays, Allison Byer sports a short blondish shag, rounded-glasses that tint her blue eyes, and 80s-inspired fashion. But on weekends, with the help of waist-length wigs and princess gowns, Byer transforms into a vision straight from a Disney…
Today’s Tarot: A transformative tool
The once esoteric, obscure practice has become extremely popular on TikTok. In its modern resurgence, interpretations have shifted to meet people’s needs.
Perspectives on Puvungna
Indigenous people tied to the sacred village site that CSULB lies on share the importance of the land.
A rising scholar: CSULB alumnus Joseph Valadez’s triumph over decades of struggle
After his post about graduating from Long Beach State went viral, Joseph Valadez proves to be breaking stigmas and believing in himself after decades of struggling with drug use and incarceration.
Two-spirit people transcend the gender binary
How Indigenous people’s perspective on gender was tainted by colonization.
Bylines by Brown 