Here’s the winning video!

On Saturday, June 16, the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race screened the My Story shorts during SouthNext in the SOPAC Loft. Between April and June, residents of all ages were invited to produce two-minute video vignettes with their smartphone or tablet that featured the vibrant life and distinct experiences in our diverse South Orange/Maplewood community.

To assist with the creative process, professional artist and photographer Mansa Mussa conducted multiple free one-hour workshops that taught the fundamentals of conceiving, shooting, editing, and adding audio to video.  The seven videos submitted to My Story ranged from first-person accounts of what it is like to live in SOMA to investigative interviews of residents focused on what race means to them. Attendees at the viewing ranged from toddlers and teens to adults, and all enjoyed popcorn while being entertained with thought-provoking stories.

These videos tied for 2nd place:

My Story: From Piano Student to Teacher, by Melanie Smith (tied for second place)

XRootsFest, by Barbara Velazquez (tied for second place)

The twentieth anniversary for South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race delivering programs and initiatives like My Story Videos, Conversations on Race, the Annual MLK Observance and others that move South Orange and Maplewood towards the vision of a truly integrated and inclusive community. My Story brought people from different backgrounds, neighborhoods and races together to work on an arts-related project. The true value is building relationships with neighbors.”