We Keep Us Safe
We Keep Us Safe is a 23-track visual, and 11- track digital album created by the Washington, DC based multimedia collective of artist activists, Freedom Futures Collective (FFC). FFC created the album in response to the Minneapolis Uprisings in 2020.
The album features original protest songs, liberation music videos and short political education films highlighting the organizing work of DC-based abolitionists. Using art as a tool of resistance, FFC members worked collaboratively to radically reimagine a world that prioritizes community care and is absent of state sanctioned violence.
How can we keep each other safe without police? Listeners and viewers will have the chance to explore this world through the eyes of FFC members and leading activists in the District.
FFC members include seven young artist activists between the ages of 16 - 21, and six experienced artists who have dedicated their work to promoting education and racial equity. The group was formed by music producer, videographer and creative arts educator, OnRaé Lateal after receiving a fellowship with the Open Society Foundations. Through her fellowship, OnRaé developed FFC's first Production Team program, a 10-week intensive internship providing seven youth the opportunity to support producing FFC’s debut project, "We Keep Us Safe”.
Producing a series of original works, Production Team participants documented stories from some of the District’s leading abolitionists, developed an array of freedom songs and liberation music videos, and explored campaigns fighting police brutality. For professional training and support, Production Team participants were mentored by a set of experienced teaching artists in the areas of music and film production, musicianship and performance. Together, the students and teaching artists spent three months producing the project and hope that it will be used as a tool of resistance and political education to support individuals and organizations striving to keep our communities safe without police.
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ONRAE LATEAL WATKINSDirector
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DIDAS AKOGNONDirector
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ALLYSA LISBONDirector
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ROB LLOYDDirector
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OLIVIA BROWNDirector
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DARIUS SCOTTDirector
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SANAA LIGGANSDirector
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CANDICE TAYLORDirector
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ONRAE LATEAL WATKINSWriter
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FABIOLA CASTROWriter
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SHOMARI HALLWriter
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BERNARD MYERSWriter
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OLIVIA BROWNWriter
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ONRAE LATEAL WATKINSProducer
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DIDAS AKOGNONProducer
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ALLYSA LISBONProducer
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OLIVIA BROWNProducer
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REGGIE VOLUMEProducer
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SARAH CAPPOProducer
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FABIOLA CASTROProducer
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SHOMARI HALLProducer
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ROB LLOYDProducer
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BERNARD MYERSProducer
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DARIUS SCOTTProducer
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SANAA LIGGANSProducer
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TEDDY GEEProducer
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ONRAE LATEAL WATKINSKey Cast
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DIDAS AKOGNONKey Cast
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ALLYSA LISBONKey Cast
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CANDICE TAYLORKey Cast
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REGGIE VOLUMEKey Cast
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SARAH CAPPOKey Cast
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SANAA LIGGANSKey Cast
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OLIVIA BROWNKey Cast
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ROB LLOYDKey Cast
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DARIUS SCOTTKey Cast
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BERNARD MYERSKey Cast
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SHOMARI HALLKey Cast
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BETHELEHEM YIRGAKey Cast
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MAKIA GREENKey Cast
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PERC WILSONKey Cast
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NEE NEE TAYLORKey Cast
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TRINICE MCNALLYKey Cast
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SAMANTHA DAVISKey Cast
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TY HOBSON-POWELLKey Cast
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NYA CUNNINGHAMKey Cast
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CASEY BELLEKey Cast
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TIARA MOTENKey Cast
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NAIYA LEGGETT-SPEIGHTKey Cast
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CHARLENE CARRUTHERSKey Cast
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JONATHAN LYKESKey Cast
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DOMINIQUE HAZARDKey Cast
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LUNA YIRGAKey Cast
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SHILOH WILSONKey Cast
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KEVIN CRAMERKey Cast
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APRIL GOGGANSKey Cast
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JOSHUA MUSEKey Cast
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FRANKIE VEEKey Cast
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TASHIRA HALYARDKey Cast
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WANDA HERNANDEZKey Cast
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MAURICE MCKINNEYKey Cast
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Project Type:Music Video, Short
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Genres:FICTION, NON-FICTION, HIP-HOP, URBAN CONTEMPORARY
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Runtime:46 minutes 16 seconds
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Completion Date:October 29, 2020
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Production Budget:45,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
OnRaé Watkins, aka OnRaé LaTeal, is a music producer, creative arts educator and videographer holding a B.A. from Howard University's School of Communications in audio production. OnRaé has produced content for national and international commercial broadcast stations including Washington D.C.’s 96.3 WHUR-FM and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. She has worked alongside veteran radio personalities Frank Ski, Michel Wright, Tony Richards, Olivia Fox and John Wesley, while spending consecutive years leading DC's evening show chart as the executive producer of The Weekend Review with Bobby Gailes.
With over eight years of training as a classical instrumentalist, OnRaé made her official music debut in 2014 with OnRaé LaTeal Presents...Libra Season and later formed the hip-hop and soul collective, Aflocentric. The group released their debut album, Libra Season: Aflocentrism with the title track, "Infatuation" currently being aired on radio stations around the world.
As an experienced creative arts education consultant and public programs specialist, she supports local and national organizations’ efforts to produce racially inclusive and diverse programs through OnRaé LaTeal Productions, an A/V production and special programs consulting agency. OnRaé is currently assisting the Arts and Industries Building as Programming and Community Engagement Lead and the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past initiative as Lead Education Coordinator.
OnRaé is also the Co-Founder of the Black Girls Handgames Project, a grassroots program dedicated to using childhood handgames to uplift joy and resiliency for Black girls through music and education. The project revitalizes age old games such as Miss Mary Mack, Gigolo and Rockin' Robin with hip-hop and soulful remixes created by and featuring Black women and girls. OnRaé uses the project to elevate gender equality in the field of music production by teaching teenage girls fundamental skills in beat-making.
Her most recent endeavor to merge the arts and social justice includes the Black Joy Experience, a compilation album of mainstream freedom songs and liberation chants she produced in conjunction with the national activist organization, Black Youth Project 100. Since the album's release in 2018, OnRae has continued to transform sounds from the movement into contemporary music prompting her alias as "The Liberation Music Maker". Her work was further propelled when she began integrating hip-hop music, liberation chants and live footage from DC protests following the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. OnRaé's multi-media work has taken the city by storm serving as the soundtrack of the revolution and on-going ground work of organizers in Washington, DC.
Building from the recent momentum of her art activism, OnRaé has founded Freedom Futures Collective (FFC), a multi-media group of 13 artist activists using music, film, and education to support the movement for ALL Black lives. The collective was conceptualized while receiving a fellowship with one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world, Open Society Foundations (OSF). As an OSF fellow, OnRaé collaborated with FFC members to release a visual and musical album dedicated to highlighting campaigns in DC centering the reimagining of public safety. The album, "We Keep Us Safe" includes 23 original liberation music videos, and short immersive films highlighting the organizing work of DC-based activists groups and abolitionists. "We Keep Us Safe" is available on Youtube and for streaming on all digital music platforms.
Awards and Acknowledgements:
2021 - Global Music Awards |Silver Medal Winner - Outstanding Achievement | Freedom Futures Collective's We Keep Us Safe album | Category: Protest Music
August 2, 2021 - Brighton & Hove's Film Pride Festival | Build Black Futures ft. OnRaé LaTeal, Fresco Steez and Black Youth Project 100 | Category: Music Video
February 28, 2021 - London's International Music Video Awards | Finalist |Build Black Futures ft. OnRaé LaTeal, Fresco Steez and Black Youth Project 100 | Category: Music Video