- It’s an emphatic attitude towards contemporary literature.
- Born from the need to change a static mindset on the written word.
- Conceived with the vision of a nonprofit organization to foster understanding of and respect for cultural diversity through literature and media literacy.
- Realized by its founder in a literary arts TV program and printed magazine to provide a forum for poets, writers and educators.
- Evolved to include a series of initiatives that combine the strength of traditional media with the power and reach of new media.
In 1997 looking to fill an obvious gap, founder Gabrielle David published phati’tude, a literary magazine that challenged a canon based on a European white male model that excluded works by women, gays and lesbians, Native American, and of African, Hispanic/Latino and Asian descent. Expansion continued on the internet and with other TV programs – VISIONARY VOICES and phati’tude Language & Literary Arts Curriculum, among others.
By 2002 the magazine led to the development of phatLiterature, a cable access TV program produced at the Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center (Queens Library) in New York, featuring notable writers and poets from around the country in lively interviews and performances of their work.
In time, phati’tude became more than just development of programming initiatives, it was becoming a community of teachers, professors, poets, writers, activists, students and business people who wanted to create and communicate artistically and culturally for the greater good. The Intercultural Alliance of Artists & Scholars, Inc. (IAAS), a nonprofit organization, was created to house all these programs and strengthen the ability to foster understanding of and respect for cultural diversity through literature and media literacy.
- phati’tude. . . captures the imagination and encourages engagement through literature;
- phati’tude. . . motivates a new generation to learn through innovative literary arts programming; and
- phati’tude. . . reaches across cultures to empower through a collective voice.
The organization attracted new talent who brought new ideas and fresh perspectives. It was decided to strengthen the brand by putting all programs and initiatives under the phati’tude umbrella.
While each program initiative uses different media to broaden and enrich the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of multicultural literature, they all promote and help accomplish the overall mission. Our current line-up includes:
We’ve relaunched the website as a fun, interactive, newsworthy and informative destination. You can now find us on video websites such as YouTube, and social networks such as Facebook. We’re publishing on Amazon Kindle™ and using print-on-demand services for books and DVDs. While we remain dedicated to bringing you programs that inspire and promote literature and literacy, we’re continuously looking for ways to bridge both the digital and cultural divide.
While phati’tude has mutated into a myriad of initiatives, our goal remains the same: to reach the broadest audience possible by collaborating with artists, scholars and community organizations to advance the art of writing as essential to a good education and to promote literary talent and achievement through all media, old and new.
You can do your part by providing financial support – every dollar helps us to bring to you the best phati’tude literary programs and activities. Participate in our TWITTER FOR LITERATURE fundraising campaign . . . . make donations on our website . . . attend events.
We’re also counting on you to spread the word – tell all your friends about this site, our programs and the inspiration you’ve gotten.
So come join our movement and catch some phati’tude!
