Special notice:
During this week end, this web-site will constantly change.  Please re-visit!!

First, we'd like to thank those of you who supported us financially to make this project happen.  It is greatly appreciated. 

We are excited about the possibility of demonstrating the potential of New Media technology within an Internet environment to the visitors, both at the celebration and on the Internet. And we welcome you and your fellow students volunteering to help us in our work.  Our work schedule is listed below and we welcome your assistance.

Our webcasting initiatives are intended to demonstrate the potential of this technology to "spread the word" about the Black Family Reunion event and the ideas it presents. 

The principle idea of the BFNet 2002 technology demonstration is to present various applications of New Media technology. Our demonstration will enable visitors to observe and interact with New Media designers and technologists as they: 
record and webcast BFRC activities 
create music mixes 
design and upload the project website 
maintain a computer network 
demonstrate New Media design applications. 
BFNEt 2002 will be set up in the Education Pavilion, sponsored by State Farm Insurance Co., located near the oval parking lot ( Constitution Avenue at 16th Street) 

We will create a computer environment containing up to 12 network stations (eight workstations for New Media workers & four for use by visitors and a server).  Our telephone line already installed and  DSL is connected with both upstream and downstream speeds of 768 Kbps. 

Participants: 

• N’Dieye Gray Danavall will direct the operation 
• Bill Martin ofInformation Brokers, Brian Tildon of Future Network Solutions and vernard r gray will provide network engineering & technology support 
• Gail Foy, ConnectDC2000 volunteer coordinator, will manage our volunteers 
• Stephanie Luster of Digital Freedom Institute (web casting) 
• Damien Danavall (music mixes) 
• Cheko Hall, Cultural Projections, Inc.(New Media project demonstrations) 
• Jarvis Grant, Duke Ellington School of the Arts (New Media project demonstrations) 
• Ayesha Morris ( New Media journalism). 

Work schedule:
Friday, September 6, 
12 noon to 6 pm 
Setup activities.  Participating New Media artists bring their computer for  configuration it into the network.  Around 4 pm, we should be in a position to test all systems and have a meeting to discuss particulars.

Saturday (9/7) & Sunday (9/8), 
11 am to 6 pm. 
We will be up and running with scheduled lecture demonstrations at 2 pm and 4:30 pm each day.  At those times the New Media artists will inform the assembled audience about the work they're performing. 

N'Dieye will lead the presentation and will encourage audience members to ask questions about the work we're doing.  All other times, when we're working at our work-stations, we expect visitors to come up and ask questions about our work.  We will be engaging in our interaction and, when ever possible, teach them something about what we're doing. 

There are significant numbers of visitors to the BFRC every year (500,000+-) and many of them find there way to our space in the Education Pavilion sponsored by State Farm Insurance, Co.

During the hours that we're active at BFNet 2002, we encourage you to call us at 202.682.9380
peace,

vernard

 Join Interchange

"Come on divas."
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, 1:15 pm
About eight teenagers, wearing black, pink, and green butterfly cat suits, are getting props even before they start their routine at the main stage of the 17th Annual Black Family Reunion. Members of D.C.’s own Bren-Car Dancers start up a mix of modern and hiphop moves to the sound of some pumping techno music to a piece called "2000 Watts."

"I love the exposure and everything," says 14-year-old  Cha’nise Goldston, whose been performing with the company for the past four years. 

In between other R&B-inspired numbers by a group of bandanna-sporting young men and a saucy rendition of Aretha Franklin’s "Respect" by some shy hip-shaking little girls, the emcee took the chance to inform audience members of the sponsor’s more sobering message.

"Don’t let Type II Diabetes sneak up on you," he said, after reading a Glaxo Smith Kline list of symptoms to be on the lookout for.

Health is one of the main issues at the Reunion this year. And, according to Joyce Brown, a national consultant for the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program, it is something that affects a large number of African Americans.

"It’s not just white people having these issues," she says, adding that half the people waiting on kidney transplants are black. "[Disease prevention] is not a weird science. It’s a way of living a quality life."

From his turntables under the Freddie Mac tent, Norman "DJ Nose" Reynolds Jr. said he appreciated the chance to learn about ways to live better, in addition to the good food and chance to eye "fly" women.

"[The Black Family Reunion] brings African Americans together," says Reynolds, who is deejaying for the first time at the event this year. "It’s a wonderful event [that] keeps the family kicking."
 

Photo:
N'Dieye and Bryan Ainsworth with video camera.
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, 2:30pm

AudioPrint

Story Telling with Geri Meredith and a Cloud of Witnesses
Education Pavilion
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, 3:00 pm

Photo:

Javis Grant with youthful students, Keia and Britany.
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, 3:12 pm