Hip Hop Smoothie TEAM:
Pastor Stephen “Cue” JnMarie / Church Without Walls
Cue is the Pastor of The Row LA – “The Church Without Walls” in Downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row community. Pastor Cue is also a faith-rooted organizer with Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), and is co-lead organizer of the Black Jewish Justice Alliance (BJJA) as well as Co-convener of the “We Will Live” Coalition, a Black and Brown Clergy and Community group. A former Virgin Records Artist with the rap Group College Boyz (the Group which brought you Victim of the Ghetto), Cue heard a call from God in 1994 while watching the movie Malcolm X. Cue’s work revolves around addressing injustice in public policy in Los Angeles. For the past Eighteen plus years, Cue has advocated for the rights of homeless people, especially through his ministry. Cue also works to defend the rights of workers, immigrants, Muslims, and many others who are marginalized and vulnerable in our society. Among his main areas of interest is increasing police accountability and dismantling mass incarceration and the police state in Los Angeles. Cue is a visionary and co-church planter, helping to establish the NewSong LA Covenant Church, of which he is former executive pastor. Thirteen years ago Cue also established “The Row LA-The Church Without Walls”- Skid Row. He is a graduate of the Passing the Mantle Program at the University of Southern California. Cue has also completed a two-year program at USC’S Institute for Violence Prevention. That led to his involvement in the planning committee organizing prisoner re-entry hearings for AB-109 in Los Angeles with the Re-entry Council Network in 1999. |
Natasha Agrama is a young LA artist, promoting freedom, healing, and creativity through her art, and by bringing jazz into the modern age. True to her tradition, as a daughter of fusion music, you can find her interpreting, innovating, and re-appropriating all forms of music and poetry bringing them into new light and new ears. She is on the verge of releasing her first album, produced by jazz giant Stanley Clarke, which includes other beloved ledgedary musicians including: Austin Peralta, George Duke, Stephen Thundercat Bruner, Ronald Bruner Jr., Kamasi Washington, Vinnie Colaiuta, Miles Mosley & Ruslan Sirota. She plans to introduce thousands of young people to the music that has touched her soul, as well as encourage all people to create their art, whatever form that may take, so that they can participate in the creation of their OWN FREE CULTURE.
|