April 3, 2019 – Vee Bravo
Vee Bravo’s presentation, “The Franchise: Million Dollar Blocks & The Economy of Incarceration,” will take place in 362 Willard Building on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, at 6:00 p.m.
Description: The South Bronx—A historic neighborhood known for its iconic production of hip hop culture, past and present. Yet this beacon of artistry also produces the single largest source of incarcerated residents for New York State prisons. Each year an estimated 20% of its residents are corralled by the criminal justice system, their experience spanning the length of one day in detention to a life sentence behind bars. It costs 80 million dollars per year to house this population in prison. Yet, a closer look at the South Bronx prison pipeline reveals an eclectic ecosystem of financial stakeholders that reap nearly 700 million dollars annually from the neighborhood’s relationship to the criminal justice system.
The Franchise—an episodic documentary series in production—uncovers the tangled characters that make up the financial ecosystem behind the prison pipeline that connects the South Bronx to rural upstate New York and everywhere in-between. Join us for a conversation with Vee Bravo, the producer behind the series.
Vee Bravo is a New York based media activist, educator, and filmmaker who has documented youth culture, hip hop and politics over the past two decades. During that time span, he co-founded Stress Magazine, widely recognized as the first national publication to fuse hip hop and politics. Since 2000 Bravo has been instrumental in the integration of music, film and education programs into the New York State prison system. As a filmmaker, Bravo co-produced the PBS documentary Estilo Hip Hop [2009] which chronicles the rise of hip hop activism across Latin America. In 2009 he launched the Education Department of the Harlem-based Maysles Documentary Center. Most recently he served as Vice President Education at Tribeca Film Institute. Here, Bravo spearheaded a vast array of filmmaking programs that reached an excess of 25,000 students across public schools and prisons. During his tenure, he launched several film screening and script writing programs for young people and adults across Rikers Island, Otisville, and Shawangunk Correctional Facilities. In addition, Bravo has served as a story consultant to George Lucas and Oprah Winfrey. He’s currently producing The Franchise, an episodic documentary series on the economy that binds the South Bronx and rural communities in upstate New York. Bravo holds a B.A in political science from Binghamton University and an M.S in public policy from The New School.
By Vee Bravo:
