#jaybookunedited

Wrapped in all white with swaddled hair, Tanisha Carter gave new life to the ancestors as she kicked off her Yeye: A One-Woman Journey performance series at T.B. Smith Community Center in Richmond, VA. Yeye, which is the Yoruba word for mother, marks the beginning of her next evolution as an influential artist, poet, and woman of color.   

Entering with offerings of food in hand and the mood set, Ms. Carter captivated those in attendance with her soul quenching poetry and knowledge. Utilizing her skills as a master orator, the nationally published poet commanded the attention of the room as she piloted guest through a journey of realization and reorganized thinking. Yeye Carter invited us in with intimate poems which at times felt more like scriptures of a life well lived or the stories of a seasoned Jeli.

Poised with the strength and presence of an African Queen, her powerful narrative lead to an engaging performance illustrated by her depth and detail. Shying away from judgment she managed to question societies quick acceptance of religion, false history, and truth. Reminding us of our sun-kissed skin and deeply rooted heritage, Carter skillfully challenged the invite-only audience to embrace a new line of black thought in place of colonized propaganda. 

Under the radiating thud of drums, Mama Carter effortlessly transformed from plain face beauty to face painted warrior queen. Now ready for battle, she chased down racist inaccuracies and liberated the crowd with reclaimed inner beauty. While entertaining questions she was asked about her views and she simply responded, “We should look at everything we’ve been taught through a different lens, a black lens.”

Yeye: A One-Woman Journey is one of those rejuvenating performances you hear about but rarely witness. Throughout her performance, Tanisha embodied the true essence of a Griot, historically known in African culture as a traveling artist or storyteller.  With shows up and down the east coast, Yeye Carter shared plans of future growth as she pursues additional funding. If more funding is secured, Tan envisions a wider scope of material, more performers, and adding more tour dates to help elevate her platform and for a more enriching experience. Carter’s next performance will be a live recording featured on #UnEdited’s “Sessions Series,” a nationally viewed webcast that features established and budding artist in stripped-down performances. 

Man! We told yall #UnEdited was coming for necks! We dropping bangers and bombs ALL DAY LONG! Big letters on that ass! Alright were done boasting over here. Now to the reason for this post...

@shinobininja is like family around here at #UnEdited they’ve been rocking with us since day 1! Day 1 like they were rocking with us at Jay’s Open Book! Shinobi is also the first major group to support and feature our work on their website! Years ago it was their rendition of a BoyIIMen song that made me fall in love with the group and I still support them wholeheartedly to this day!

UnPlugged Travel

Greetings UnEditors! The team is hittin the road! We’ve packed our bags, grabbed our bug spray, and scooped our tickets! We’re going on a global adventure! #UnEditedTheExplorer #NationalUnEditedGraphic #AGalaxyFarFarUnEdited #JayBookBordain #WhereInTheWorldIsUnEdited...I’m such a dork, but Carmen Sandiego was a baddie!

Yea...but back to it. Today UnEdited is kicking off our travel series UnPlugged Travel. Since our inception, UnEdited has wanted to deliver diverse content from a global perspective and our UnPlugged Travel series will do just that. Some of the most popular questions we get around here typically relate to travel and where we are or where we’re going. Welp, we heard you once again and delivered!

Over the past year, we traveled about 17,657 miles across 8 countries and recorded it all! From Amsterdam - Paris we saw it all and I guess smoked it too! (Jay Book even became an international narco...more on that later) Each week UnPlugged Travel will bring you adventures from world-class locations and never the same place twice! We’ll also be taking it back to the motherland in an ancestry series special early next year! 

Remember, although we visited, it’s almost impossible to see and do everything a city has to offer in one visit. With that, enjoy, and miss us with the shoulda, coulda, woulda! Like, Share, Comment! 

Historically Richmond, Virginia is a southern city caught between two worlds, the traditional south, and the progressive north. Its unique place as the crown of the south has proven to be Richmond’s greatest gift, granting it a front row seat and role in a savage American past and present. From the delicately placed cobblestone streets of Shockoe Bottom to the banks of the James River, Richmond has been the hotbed for America’s atrocities since its incorporation in 1742.

As a full-blooded Richmonder, born and reared in the city’s north side, there is rarely a day that goes by that I am not shocked with its growth and evolution into RVA. This gradual development into RVA has ignited the flame of Richmond’s hellish past and its role in the Confederate States of America, slavery, and glorification of racist hate mongers. Although descendants of these faded misplaced heroes of hate refer to them as “Patriots,” what most black Richmonders see is the immortalization and god-like projections of their oppressors!

If you haven't figured it out yet UnEdited Insight is jumping directly into the debate regarding the confederate statues decorating the City of Richmond’s Monument Avenue featuring Arthur Ashe. It’s no secret that Richmond’s slave markets fueled the American south and its obsession with oppression. Richmond, VA is said to have had more than 40% of all African slaves imported into the United States come through its humble thoroughfares.

After their loss in the American Civil War, Confederates erected statues of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, J.E.B Stuart, and other prolific traders along Monument Avenue. These statues were placed there and in other areas around Richmond as a reminder and battle cry to confederate fighters that the south would rise again! These statues were also built as a way to intimidate former slaves desiring equality in a post-war south.

So whats the next step in respecting history but not honoring its all-star line up of hate? Most, like me, believe the statues should stay but additional signage should be added for further clarification of their crimes. Although the nature of them are grotesque, they serve as a reminder of times past and attract thousands of people into the new RVA. A removal is an option but not the most financially viable option. Estimated quotes for removal averaged about 900k - to 1.2 million per statue. It is my opinion that the city government has taken incredible steps to hear both sides of the debate without bias. During the debate, local government has maintained transparency in their role in statue upkeep, security, maintenance, and investigations regarding vandalism and removal.

This week our UnTamed Health series is tackling Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR for short. As stated last week it’s one of our goals at UnEdited to bring our “UnEditors” (readership) simple life-saving information that can help save you or somebody else during an emergency. CPR isn’t hard and the concept is generally very basic!

Recently I, Jay Book, was admitted into the hospital for respiratory failure and hypoxia. I spent 8 days in intensive care and if things would have gone array I would have needed CPR. In most cases, CPR is used when the heart stops and there is no breathing or pulse. Chest compressions are used to keep oxygenated blood circulating to critical organs and rescue breaths to assist with breathing.

The ratio for CPR is 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue ventilations, 30:2. To prevent disease transmission, rescue ventilations should only be given if proper barriers are in place.  Compression-Only CPR is a continuous rate of compressions on the chest and highly recommend per your circumstances.

Effective CPR should be performed on a flat firm surface. Providers should interlock their fingers and place the heel of their hand on the center of the rib cage; compressing at a rate of 100 - 120 compressions per min. Rescuers should compress about 1.5 - 2 inches deep and allow the chest to completely recoil between compressions! Monitor the victims level of consciousness and count aloud if needed. 

UnEdited Updates

Before I get into the subject matter of this posting, I wanted to take some time to address my listeners, readers, and friends of Jay Book UnEdited. First, apologies are due to the talented Ms. June Elizabeth, her episode was recorded, but never posted due to unforeseeable circumstances regarding my personal health. Along with June, I owe my Editors (“listeners”), the same apology. Countless amounts of you all have reached out with concerns of where I’ve been and when the next episode/season 2 is dropping. I heard you loud, clear, and UNEDITED!

Originally when this endeavor began I never imagined it would grow as rapidly as it did and at the rate that it occured. During that period, the show, audience, and listenership boomed. Like with any business, with growth comes more demands and more content, which we struggled with at times to produce. Growing pains lead to some transition in team, but shows continued to stream by all means. During this time we also realized the UnEdited brand was uniquely positioned and somewhat before its time, which was great.

Onto greater news! UnEdited is coming back for another untamed season with an associated mini-cast called UnTamed; a behind the scenes look of some of the foolery. Season 2 will go live September 2018 with more antics, more guest, and...drinking! We are also going bigger and better with more streaming platforms and forms of access. Lastly, fan favorite Tan Carter will join the team and co-host a web-series alongside me, Jay Book. We are honored to welcome Tan and she and I are ecstatic to launch 2 Views 1 Voice this fall.

Thanks for the loyalty! Remember to share, like, and post! Follow UnEdited on social media.