Community Voices

More than a dozen people who love the Dayton community have been beating each other up at Drake's Downtown Gym to support Dayton History and AIDS Resource Center Ohio. Dayton Knockout is a first-time charity event and VIP fight night. Boxers and Community Voices Producers Amelia Robinson and Kristen Wicker report.

For Latesa Slate Williamson, being a poet is more than being an entertainer and a writer.  Here Williamson speaks with Community Voices producer Caressa Brown about living what she writes and the role of poets in society.  She also shares her signature piece, "Redemption."

Spoken word artist Jay Martinez has been performing in Dayton for 10 years and has a book of poetry called An Orator's Declamation of the Ghetto.  Martinez recently launched a national tour, and Community Voices producer Caressa Brown spoke with him about hip hop influenced his unique poetry and style.

The sixth annual Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival starts next Friday, September 23rd . And this is the only time many of these films will be screened in Ohio. Festival founder and director Jonathan McNeal sat down with WYSO Community Voices Producer Liz Cambron – to talk about some of his personal favorites.

"There are certainly some films that stand out for me. Weekend is one that's the closing night film and not only the best of the festival but also one of the best films of the year. There's a short that I love that's in the Top Drawer Shorts collection which screens on Saturday afternoon, and that is I Don't Want to Go Back Alone which is a little foreign short which has been winning awards all over the world and it's just spectacular.

 

The question “What did you do this summer?” Is the topic of many a back-to-school essay. Forty area students will answer “I was a Blue Sky artist”. Community Voices producer Susan Byrnes follows the experience of a few of those students who participated in the Blue Sky Project, one of Dayton’s most unique summer arts programs. The results of their participation can be seen at the Blue Sky Project Final Exhibition, on display for Urban Nights, September 16th , at 8 North Main St. in downtown Dayton.