More than just black, white, red, brown or yellow- Mixed is a heritage rich in the diversity of the races. Mixed people from all over the world cannot identify with one single race, so they identify with the title, “Mixed”. Mixed race is a beautiful mosaic of colors, cultures, ancestries, family histories, and ideals.
The Mixed people of the world deserve a place to gather and share their views, the heritages that make them special, and the opportunity to use this gathering as an outlet for their creativity.
In 2008, the Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival was born. Created by Heidi Durrow and Fanshen Cox, this festival is dedicated to showcasing and encouraging storytelling of the Mixed experience. The Mixed experience includes that of interracial/cultural relationships, trans-racial/cultural adoption and anyone who identifies as having Mixed heritage.
Storytelling isn’t just the putting of pen to paper, it’s the telling of stories through film, music, poetry, comedic performances, plays, skits, and other artistic outlets meant to encourage, inspire, stir passions and create lifelong relationships with other Mixed people.
A sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit organization, the Festival brings together film and book lovers, innovative and emerging artists, and multiracial families and individuals for two days of workshops, readings, film screenings and live performances including music, comedy, and spoken word.
This Festival encourages the creation and discovery of content that reflects the Mixed experience and has showcased many talented artists including: Rebecca Walker, Kip Fulbeck, Danzy Senna, Kim Wayans of In Living Color Fame, Kevin Knotts, Angela Nissel, Neil Aitken, Sundee Frasier, Karyn Parsons from Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and many more.
Festival founders, Heidi Durrow and Fanshen Cox, are also responsible for creating the popular podcast, "Mixed Chicks Chat," which was launched in 2007. With more than 4,000 downloads per month, this innovative podcast has been awarded "Best Podcast" by the Black Weblog Awards.
These two enterprising women of Mixed heritage have also been featured in mainstream media with publications such as NPR, CNN and in The Guardian, San Francisco Chronicle, and Blur Digital.
The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival was such a draw, that next year the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles will be hosting this event from June 12th through the 13th.
Diversity among the nations is growing, and now the community born of this diversity is getting a voice. A voice so beautiful and colorful, that the whole world will be tuning in to hear it.