Benjamins puts best foot forward with stylish shoes made in Sacramento
S.T. VANAIRSDALE
Portrait by Jeremy Sykes
Benjamin Schwartz in his shop at R Street's Warehouse Artist Lofts, where he handmakes shoes to order
Benjamin Schwartz knows what you’re thinking the first time you see Benjamins, his industrial workshop and store on the ground floor of the hip new Warehouse Artist Lofts (WAL) on R Street. “People come by,” Schwartz says, “and they kind of look at the sign, then they look at the table, and they look at us making stuff. And they say, ‘Are you making shoes?’ ”
Indeed, Schwartz is making shoes—to order, by hand, one pair at a time, stitching cashmere or cotton uppers to rubber soles. The 31-year-old has seen demand for his eponymous footwear—which ranges in cost from $195 to $245 per pair and resembles a dignified hybrid between moccasin and deck shoe, crafted with high-end fabrics from sources like Ralph Lauren and England’s Fox Brothers (aka the inventors of flannel)—from online devotees as far away as Switzerland, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. They arrive in handmade linen bags with a thank-you note from Schwartz and a sprinkling of shredded cash that the US Treasury creates from uncirculated bills and ships in five-pound bags.
Hometown interest has spiked as well since his storefront opened at the WAL in mid-June: Of the 40 pairs Schwartz currently has on order, he estimates 30 were purchased in the shop. He has enlisted his girlfriend, Diana, and an apprentice to help him manage the store and manufacture the shoes, a process that takes roughly 10 hours per pair. (Deliveries are generally filled within eight to 10 weeks of ordering.)
Benjamins shoes are fashioned from fabric by high-end sources like Ralph Lauren and Fox Brothers, which supplied the Chocolate George Check pattern pictured above. (Photo courtesy of Benjamins)
Meanwhile, Schwartz's work has sparked collaborations with local artists like Irubiel Moreno (who lives in the loft complex and is painting three pairs of cotton twill Benjamins to be sold at the shop) and Insight Coffee Roasters. The latter partners, who have supplied burlap coffee-bean sacks to be repurposed as Benjamins shoe bags, are working with Schwartz on a limited-edition set of shoes made from fabric dyed in their coffee.
“Menswear is growing faster than women’s wear right now, and there’s this growing market of men who I think really want more to choose from,” says Schwartz, an autodidact who learned his craft from an Australian shoemaking textbook and whose own interest in fashion dates back to receiving his first tailored suit as a 12-year-old growing up in Carmichael. “There really isn’t a higher-end casual shoe that you can wear with jeans and a T-shirt, and also maybe wear with a suit.” There is now—this shoe fits.
Members of the Piranhas swim team of the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA in Brooklyn, N.Y. NEW YORK CITY YMCA
W
hile lots of other kids are sleeping in and playing video games this summer, a group of dedicated swimmers are hard at work, preparing for the upcoming competitive season. The Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA Piranhas team, in Brooklyn, N.Y., has won nearly a dozen trophies since forming in 1997. This year’s team has 45 swimmers, the majority African American. Eighteen of the team’s swimmers qualified to compete at the state championship level—an accomplishment that few black athletes achieve.
They’re among the most elite swimmers in New York. But their skill and speed in the pool didn’t happen overnight. One mother, Talene Perry-Renwick, made a bold decision: She introduced her two children to swimming at just 8 months old.
“As a new parent, you read books about child development, and I read recommendations about getting your kids into the pool as early as possible,” says Renwick, who learned to swim as a toddler. “I also thought it would be a fun, lifelong activity for us.”
And while these young people are making waves on the competitive stage, they’re also breaking stereotypes about African Americans and swimming, and setting an example that could go a long way to saving lives.
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black children ages 5-19 drown in swimming pools more than five times the rate of white children. Their lack of swimming skills ends, all too often, in tragedy.
Renwick’s children, Ashley, 11, and Matthew, 8, both qualified for the state championships. Piranhas coach Erwin Samuels describes them as strong swimmers. He recalls seeing Matthew swimming underwater for long periods when he was younger. “I always knew Matt would make the team,” Samuels says. “He easily picked up all the strokes at age 7.”
Piranhas team members Laila McCormock and Maya McCormock; coach Erwin Samuels; and team members Korey Soomai, Matthew Renwick and Ashley Renwick NEW YORK CITY YMCA
Samuels, 33, understands many of the challenges his team faces. He learned to swim in high school and fell in love with the sport. Some of his friends tried to discourage his passion for swimming and suggested other sports that are more traditional for black athletes. But he ignored them and competed successfully at the state level.
He admits that the Piranhas face some disadvantages. For one thing, most of them started competitive swimming later than their competitors did. And other teams have facilities to be able to practice year-round, while the Piranhas have to give up their pool to summer campers.
However, Samuels levels the playing field by instilling commitment and hard work in his team. During the YMCA’s offseason, they practice “dry land” swimming, stretching and weight training to improve their speed.
He also addresses the pink elephant in the room: race. Most of the other teams—and the spectators—are predominantly white. That could create a tremendous amount of pressure on his team.
His pep talk goes something like this: “Look, the other kids have been swimming for a long time. But you’ve put in a lot of hard work, and we’re here for a purpose.” Despite the disadvantages, the Piranhas finish at the top.
The disparity is rooted in this country’s racial history. During segregation, African Americans had few options if they wanted to learn how to swim. At the same time, erroneous academic studies said black people lacked the buoyancy whites have. That myth, says a diversity specialist with USA Swimming, continues to fuel the misperception that black folks can’t swim.
Saturday, members of the North Carolina’s Loyal Knights of the Ku Klux Klan gathered in front of the South Carolina State house in Columbia to protest the recent decision to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds.
During the protests, photographer Rob Godfrey snapped a photo of South Carolina Director of Public Safety Leroy Smith helping an elderly man wearing a white supremacist shirt escape the oppressive heat, getting him to shade and safety.
It seems like forever since I've posted, and for that I apologize.
I've been on the road for over a week now. I arrived in New York last Monday and had a terrific time with Frankie and his girls. I met the newest addition, little Theia Jean, and she's a cutie. At 4.5 years old, Zadie is so grown up now, it's a hoot hanging out with her. She and I made our annual pilgrimage to Coney Island, and that was a blast.
I'm currently in Sacramento visiting Ben and his girls. Milu is a sweetheart. At 2.5 years old, she and I are buddies. I made a conscious effort to send her videos of me singing to her so that she would recognize me when I arrived. That helped tremendously. We video chat as much as possible, but the videos can be played over and over again to keep me in the loop. These technological advances take the sting out of being so far away.
On Friday I'm headed to Texas to see my brothers.
Like before, I'm covering a lot of ground in less than a month.
As an ex-pat, we're limited to returning to the US for a maximum of thirty days a year. Any longer and we would have to pay taxes on our earnings for that year.
Thank you for your patience and for hanging with me as I get rejuvenated and reacclimatize, seeing as many family and friends as possible, and making my daily visits to Target, just basking in the glory of walking up and down the aisles.
U.S. player Serena Williams returns against sister Venus Williams during their women’s singles fourth-round match on day seven of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2015. LEON NEAL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The New York Times on Saturday came under fire on Twitter for a tone-deaf article that essentially condemns the physique of tennis star Serena Williams.
The critique uses the lens of top female tennis players, who, ahem, refuse to look like Williams, who will be vying for the Wimbledon title against Garbiñe Muguruza on Saturday.
The article says that in spite of Williams’s success (a win Saturday would give her 21 Grand Slam singles titles and her fourth in a row) body-image issues among female tennis players persist, forcing many players to avoid bulking up.
Williams “has large biceps and a mold-breaking muscular frame, which packs the power and athleticism that have dominated women’s tennis for years. Her rivals could try to emulate her physique, but most of them choose not to,” the report says.
Tomasz Wiktorowski, the coach of Agnieszka Radwanska, who is listed at 5 feet 8 and 123 pounds, says: “It’s our decision to keep her as the smallest player in the top 10. Because, first of all she’s a woman, and she wants to be a woman.”
From the Sports Illustrated article by Ken Rodriguez - Texas State University defensive end Brian Guendling performs special concert in sign language
Texas State University defensive end Brian Guendling gave a special performance in sign language to help bridge the gap between the hearing and non-hearing communities.
This is another version on "Uptown Funk, but this one is especially moving because the guy is signing it. Watch it through the end where he explains why he did this, then read the wonderful article below.
The college bar crowd is on its feet, jumping, dancing, eyes locked on the artistry of a 6'3", 230-pound defensive end whose performance will soon go viral. Brian Guendling dances. He gesticulates. He moves across the stage with a costumed, choreographed routine that brings down the house. The house includes seven hearing-impaired patrons. The performers include nine Texas State University football players, eight dressed as police and firemen, the star in a gray jacket and open-collar white shirt delivering “Uptown Funk” in the artful swirl of American Sign Language, or ASL.
The deaf here have never seen anything like it. A concert choreographed just for them. The non-hearing impaired are wowed. A song and dance by a performer signing the lyrics. The hearing and non-hearing blend and bounce as one, which is why Guendling produced the show. He wanted to bring the two communities together.
Two and a half weeks after the June 19 performance in San Marcos, Texas, Guendling posted the video on YouTube. Within three days, it had received more than 65,000 views. On Friday morning, Brian awoke to 200 messages on his phone and Facebook page. Reporters waited outside the football complex for him. His father in Southern California, former San Diego Chargers linebacker Mike Guendling, fielded multiple media requests, including one from a reporter who tracked him down on a golf course. Hearing impaired viewers from across the U.S., Thailand, England, Australia and Sweden wrote to express their gratitude.
“You have inspired me,” one fan said. “Please give me two weeks notice and I will fly to your next performance.”
“When are you coming to my country,” inquired a second. “I cannot afford to go to the United States but I want to see you so bad.”
In Southern California, Mike’s throat tightened. His eyes grew moist. A mother in Sweden with a hearing-impaired child played the ASL video for her entire family. “They jumped up and down and the deaf child understood what was going on,” Mike said. “It was the first time that had ever happened. It just breaks you down. Brian is a special kid. He’s got all the heart in the world. It’s amazing the wildfire this has caused.”
Wildfire is a good word. Viewer response has been as hot as the video, a four minute, 30-second blast of smoking wonder. Who kills a Bruno Mars-Mark Ronson No. 1 hit with moving hands and dancing feet? Who mesmerizes a bar crowd with ASL? Brian Guendling does: A 22-year-old mass communications major who didn’t speak until he was 4, a charismatic athlete with a memory disorder who was bullied as a kid, a resilient student who spent his youth in special ed, a compassionate soul who coached a special needs baseball team his senior year at Poway (Calif.) High.
Mike Schultz, the Texas State co-offensive coordinator, discovered Brian at Palomar College in San Diego. Schultz liked Brian's explosion, that quick first step that enabled him to set the Poway High season record for sacks in 2011 with 15. “We had a lot of conversations when I recruited him,” Schultz says, “but I had no idea he had a passion for the hearing-impaired.” That passion came unexpectedly.
As a special ed student at Poway, Brian was required to take a foreign language. He chose ASL. When he arrived at San Marcos, he noticed a young lady signing at a restaurant. Brian introduced himself to Karlie Franke, a Texas State student. They exchanged phone numbers and a friendship blossomed. One day he asked Franke and several deaf and hard-of-hearing friends to attend a concert with him. They said they’d feel awkward standing alone in a corner.
“That upset me,” Brian says.
The hearing-impaired should not feel isolated, he thought. They should not be feel uncomfortable at a music venue. Then an idea came to him. Why not produce a concert for the deaf? He pitched the idea to Franke. She helped him learn how to sign “Uptown Funk.”
The social media storm that followed caught Mike by surprise, but his son's heart didn't. Mike has two brothers who are blind and mentally challenged. Brian enjoys visiting them in Chicago. As a kid, Brian tried to throw and catch a ball with Uncle Tommy and Uncle Billy even though they couldn’t see. “We’d spend time feeding them and caring for them and trying to play with them,” Mike says. “Brian has an incredible passion for helping people.”
Brian spent three weeks planning the concert. He bought the costumes. Hung the curtains on stage. Selected the music. Organized rehearsals. When the show commenced, Brian looked like a natural, commanding the stage.
One teammate in the crowd connected with Brian more than most. Tyler Blades, a free safety from San Antonio, has an autistic brother, Ryan. Tyler’s parents, Mike and Missy, taught Ryan sign language at a young age. They progressed to picture prompts. Then Ryan learned to speak. Ryan’s first grade teacher wrote her thesis on him.
When Brian hit the stage, Tyler marveled at the signed performance, at the hearing-impaired joy around him. “I could see people from the deaf community with some of the biggest smiles,” Tyler says. “The crowd loved it.”
On stage, Brian felt the energy and fed off the electricity. “It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Franke stood nearby, reveling in a show she could feel but not hear. “It was an awesome experience because I’ve never gone to a music performance where it was signed and I could understand every word,” she says. “My deaf friends and I felt included in the crowd and had never been part of something like that before. We felt the vibrations to the music and danced along to a song that we could fully understand. It was amazing to be a part of it.”
Brian appeared in four football games last season. His video has appeared all over the world. He’s gained several hundred followers on Twitter (@BrianGuendling) and Instagram (BGUENDLING) and 20,000 subscribers on his Facebook page, “The Sign Language Man.”
The most frequent question he gets: When is your next performance?
Brian doesn’t know the date or location. But he’s received invitations from clubs and bars across the country. For his next concert, Brian hopes to perform a set of six to eight songs, possibly near San Antonio, where he often visits a community of deaf and hard-of-hearing friends.
“My goal in life is to travel the world and put on concerts for those who have never experienced them before,” he says. “This will allow the deaf and hard of hearing to meet new friends and potentially, a boyfriend and girlfriend. That’s exciting.”
The emails are piling up. The calls are pouring in. So many people want to talk, to share, to tell Brian how he inspired them and made them weep. On Friday morning, Brian made a call and booked a flight. He gave an interview and then boarded a plane for Southern California. It was time to visit the man who showed him how to care for those with special needs.
“Here’s my dad’s phone number,”
Brian was telling me, just before he left. “When you talk to him, don’t tell him I’m coming. I want it to be a surprise.”
Later in the day, Brian leaped from behind a parked van in the driveway and embraced his stunned father, kissing him on the cheek. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” Mike said, stepping back in astonishment. “I am so proud of you.”
And then, wrapping his arms around Brian, the father began to cry.
See an animation of the slave trade in two minutes. Each dot represents a ship. It is utterly fascinating. Unfortunately I couldn't figure out how to post it, but you can find it here:
From 24/7wallst - Any surprises? 10. Louisiana > Hate groups per 1 million: 3.2 > Number of hate groups: 15 (21st most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 22.5% (5th smallest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 62.9% (6th lowest) 9. Virginia > Hate groups per 1 million: 3.3 > Number of hate groups: 27 (9th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 36.1% (6th largest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 69.3% (15th lowest)
8. Kentucky > Hate groups per 1 million: 3.6 > Number of hate groups: 16 (18th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 22.6% (6th smallest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 87.7% (11th highest)
7. Alabama > Hate groups per 1 million: 3.7 > Number of hate groups: 18 (17th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 23.5% (7th smallest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 68.9% (13th lowest)
6. South Carolina > Hate groups per 1 million: 4.0 > Number of hate groups: 19 (15th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 26.1 (12th smallest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 67.2% (9th lowest)
5. Tennessee > Hate groups per 1 million: 4.5 > Number of hate groups: 29 (7th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 24.8% (10th smallest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 77.9% (22nd lowest)
4. New Jersey > Hate groups per 1 million: 4.5 > Number of hate groups: 40 (4th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 36.6% (5th largest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 68.2% (10th lowest)
3. Idaho > Hate groups per 1 million: 6.2 > Number of hate groups: 10 (24th fewest) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 26.2% (13th smallest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 91.5% (5th largest)
2. Arkansas > Hate groups per 1 million: 6.8 > Number of hate groups: 20 (14th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 20.6% (3rd lowest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 77.9% (3rd smallest)
1. Mississippi > Hate groups per 1 million: 7.4 > Number of hate groups: 22 (12th most) > Adults with at least bachelor’s degree: 4 (20.4% 2nd smallest) > Pct. pop. identifying as white: 59.0% (3rd lowest)
Obama to Make First-Ever Presidential Visit to a Federal Prison for VICE Special
President Barack Obama announced today that he will visit the El Reno federal prison in Oklahoma next week to participate in a VICE special on America's criminal justice system. It will make Obama the first sitting US president to visit a federal prison.
As part of the VICE special airing this fall on HBO, Obama and VICE founder Shane Smith, host of the special, will tour the facility and meet with prisoners, prison staff, and law enforcement officials.
The interviews will be part of a documentary looking at the pervasive impacts of America's approach to crime and imprisonment. The special is the latest in VICE's ongoing coverage of what has become a major civil rights and reform agenda in the United States.
"There's an emerging consensus in this country — on both the right and the left — that the way we treat criminal offenders is utterly broken and weakening our society in profound ways," Smith said. "Visiting El Reno with President Obama — the first-ever visit to a federal prison by a sitting president — will give our viewers a firsthand look into how the president is thinking about this problem, from the policy level down to one on one conversations with the men and women living this reality. It's going to be fascinating."
In late June, after what the president described as a "gratifying" week that saw the Supreme Court legalize gay marriage and uphold a key part of the Affordable Care Act, he said that criminal justice reform would be a priority during the remainder of his time in office.
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