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Brooks
Black Boys Can Swim, 2021
Black Boys Can Swim is a performance film piece highlighting black people's relationship with water. In the United States there are at least 10 drownings a day. According to the Centre for Disease Control African American children between 5 and 14 are three times more likely to drown compared to white children. In the UK 80% of Black children do not swim and that number rises to 95% for Black British adults. A history of segregation not allowing access to pools, financial disparity and fear that can be linked to the Middle Passage has left multiple generations in the African diaspora fearful of water. In this performance Khaleb Brooks offers a new take on the common stereotype "Black people can't swim" in Lamu, Kenya where local cultural exists in relation to the sea.
Booty - Music Video, 2020
This year we have seen the reignition of a global movement fighting for the survival of black lives. Countless deaths, inequality and continued silencing has led to monuments falling, masses taking to the streets and the beginnings of defunding the police. Visual artist and performer Khaleb Brooks uses comedic satire to investigate queer masculinity and assshaking as a technology of power in their new music video "Booty". Over the last few months several videos of black women twerking at the police during protests have gone viral. Is there power in disrupting state violence with ownership over ones sexuality? Many see this response as "embarrassing" and deem twerking during a protest as a sign of "mental instability". Recent responses to the new music video release "WAP" further this idea that a black woman's sexuality is only deemed appropriate when controlled by men. Through awkward dance moves, Soultrain footage, blaxploitation clips and archival images of the artist's hometown Chicago in the 70's, Khaleb attempts to subvert the typical image of the black male figure in music videos.
Who You Is!? Teacher, Brother Sissy, 2020
"Who You Is!? Teacher, Brother Sissy" is a short film by Khaleb Brooks that explores codeswitching, race, class and projections on to the black trans body. Characters Dani, an aspiring doctoral student, Robert a young man from Chicago and CC a salacious transfemme are simultaneously caricatures and fragmented aspects of the artists identity.
Destroy the State, 2018
Janet Cooper is a 27 years old and just moved to Berlin from Queens, NY. After hearing her brother overdosed from a long time heroin addiction she takes the state into her own hands.
What Is the Meaning of Justice? , 2018
A part of an ongoing series, Khaleb Brooks explores aspects of his identity and family history through personas. Robin, a young black man from the Southside of Chicago makes a Public Service Announcement.
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