(614) July 2020 by 614mediagroup

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BIG PIC(s)

Juneteenth observance in downtown Columbus. P H OTOS BY R E B E CCA T I EN

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CONTENTS

48 30

COV E R PACKAG E THE CITY SPEAKS 48

OUTDOOR EXPLORER 16 QUINCI EMPORIUM 30 COVID CRASHED MY WEDDING 34 ENTREPRENEURS GO ROGUE 38

40 67 12

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ART AS ACTIVISM 40 FLAVORTOWN, OHIO? 67 COHATCH 70

ON THE COVER:

Neisha Holloway in front of her artwork Photo by Rebecca Tien

O P E N I N G VO L L E Y

This feels like the “Transformation Issue,” for me and for you, dear readers. Though I’ve been with (614) in the past as a writer, this new journey as Editor-In-Chief lands me over content as a whole—an opportunity I’ve grasped excitedly. I have enjoyed telling your stories, Columbus, for almost 10 years, in varying capacities, and I’m looking forward to continuing it here. Thank you for sharing with us and letting us come into your lives on a monthly and daily (614now.com) basis. For this issue in particular, my first, there’s a lot of transformation for us, you, and our city. What I’ve learned about transformation over the years is that, at its root, it is always and has always been, painful. It’s in our human DNA—ever tried to get that flat stomach to sport at the beach? To get it, you have to put your body and mind through a lot of pain and discomfort. How about childbirth, ladies? Or for some, health battles that require difficult trips to the hospital. Yes, humans are hard-wired to endure the maximum amount of discomfort in order to get to the other side. It’s our biological make-up. And here we are, halfway through 2020, and everywhere we turn these days is human pain. People are hurting. Whether it’s health worries, financial worries, or worrying about the color of our skin, never have we experienced such emotional and physical calamity, all at one moment. In this issue, we pay tribute to the pain. We’re giving it a voice. Whether it’s COVID-19 or the Black Lives Matter movement, we understand that sometimes it’s important to just be able to yell at the top of your lungs. To be heard. And when it’s done, the most important thing is to be understood. To feel the empathy from your family, friends, and community. To know that someone is going to walk this difficult road with you. And then, transformation.

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When you get to the other side of pain and discomfort and yelling and wishing and crying and just barely holding on to get to the next day, a beautiful thing awaits—change. More than anything, we believe this issue is about change. Because the stories you’re about to read all have one thing in common—in the worst of times, the voices in this issue are finding a way to get to the other side of pain and use it to make something even better. To take what ailed them and move the needle forward in a new, transformative way. Whether it was Markiesha Johnson, owner of Bom Bombs, now Bom Skin & Co., shifting focus, by using her background in chemistry to shift from bath bombs to hand sanitizers, or Deborah Quinci’s tiny Italian market Quinci Emporium transforming from a traditional Italian store to a mecca for delicious to-go meals, you’ll see a theme emerge of Columbus businesses and individuals taking the worst and shifting to the best. Just look at our Outdoor Adventures and how Central Ohioans have discovered a new love of nature and the great outdoors. And then, there’s our July special section. You’ve seen our cover by now. A stunning visual of CCAD graduate Kayneisha Holloway and her art. Her story is even better. The special section kicks off with Holloway and fellow CCAD graduate LaShae Boyd talking about being Black, female visual artists in Columbus and how they’re using their art as activism to be heard. In the special section itself, you’ll hear the pain of Black Americans who live and work in Columbus. You’ll hear the voice of protestors through poetry, art, and photos, as they grapple with the imagery from the long June days of protests across Columbus. And then you’ll see something remarkable. You’ll see that pain transformed into what Black leaders hope is the way forward. You’ll see Black Americans in Columbus living the transformation they wish to see. Who are laying the groundwork for the change that needs to happen. Who have taken the worst of their lives and the fear that they feel and used it to fuel their passion and desire for the one thing we all wish for—equality. No one has ever said that life on this marble would be easy. No one ever said there wouldn’t be pain—we are wired for it, after all. But the one thing we can always count on through the hardest times is our ability to rise above it. Our innate ability to take our pain and use it for the common good. To grow and transform; to become the better thing. But this time, change is about more than New Year’s resolutions and flat abs—it is about human survival, human equality, and human rights. We must find the way through. Because on the other side of this painful chapter we will find a way to bring the change necessary to keep us all moving forward. As former Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Janet Jackson says in this issue, “Step up and step out.” The only path to transformation is to step up and out of our comfort zone. To face our pain and our biases. The only way out is through, Columbus.

PUBLISHER Wayne T. Lewis EDITOR IN CHIEF Stephanie Greegor STAFF PHOTOJOURNALISTS Zak Kolesar Julian Foglietti

SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS J.R. McMillan Jaelani Turner-Williams John Mclaughlin Melinda Green Rebecca Tien

LEAD DESIGNER Sarah Moore CREATIVE DESIGNERS Justin Remotap, Paul Barton VIDEO PRODUCER John Thorne DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Taryn Meidl ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meggin Weimerskirch SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Derek Landers ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Nikki Harris, Mindy Wilhite DIGITAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lori Brittenham

Here we go. Thanks for joining me.

Stepahnie Greegor Editor-In-Chief

(614) Magazine 458 E Main St., Columbus, OH 43215 Office: (614) 488-4400 | Fax: (614) 488-4402 Email submissions to: editor@614columbus.com www.614now.com

Alum Creek trail ↓

Schrock Lake ↑

The Great Migration Columbus residents eager to get out of the house find new activities outdoors BY Z AK KOLESAR

he Wooks are migrating. Months that are typically spent by one subset of the modern-age hippie—AKA, the Wook—pitching tents in blazing-hot open fields, kaleidoscopic wooded areas, and sometimes even a high-end desert were postponed until 2021 thanks to COVID-19. This left the summer of 2020 void of traveling around the country, chasing live music, and enjoying their youthful exuberance. It’s not just Wooks, however, but people of all sorts who find themselves stumped for things to do in 2020. •

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Dave Kuck, with most of his summer 2020 plans canceled, went out and bought a smaller kayak while he waits for a larger one that’s on backorder due to the high demand for outdoor equipment. Before COVID-19 hit, Kuck made a premeditated decision to buy kayaks next summer, but the pandemic pushed his purchase. Erin Custer, a flight attendant who usually makes last-second decisions to attend festivals because of her job, took to Once Ridden Bikes on Indianola once her stimulus bucks were deposited and bought a bike. The store she chose to patronize was a smart choice, as those within the bike-making industry are saying those wanting to purchase a new bike will most likely have to wait until 2021 due to short supply and high demand. Tanner Dew would usually be making his

bones playing festivals this summer, which made the pandemic even worse for him. But his desire to get out and do something, anything, pushed him to buy a tent, kayak, and a new backpack for the great outdoors. “I always have camped and grownup (around) camping but having a free schedule definitely pushed me toward wanting to get outdoors and try new activities like kayaking,” Dew said. Hopefully the city of Columbus continues to hang out with mother nature far after COVID-19 is part of our memory. Oh, and if you see a Wook, say hello. They’re friendly creatures.•

Big Darby Creek ↓

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METROPARKS ATTENDANCE SPIKES DURING COVID

Increase in visitors creates lasting bonds with nature. BY JAC K M C L AU G H L I N

fter another twitchy, restless, April day stuck inside, I knew something had to change. I had to go somewhere. Anywhere. But where can someone go when the whole world is closed? After hitching up my highly disobedient hound mix, I decided to explore Three Creeks Metro Park, located several miles southeast of Columbus. If I’m being honest, the idea felt like a Hail Mary, a timekilling walk that might get me a touch of exercise as well. But I loved it. As my dog and I explored miles of waterfront trails nestled in an expanse of native forests, it was easy to forget—if only for a few minutes—the wild state of the world. And it appears I wasn’t the only one with the same idea. According to Metro Parks Public Relations Director Peg Hanley, attendance has skyrocketed since March, when quarantine first went into effect throughout Ohio. “May 2020 Metroparks attendance was just over 5 million people,” said Hanley. “In May 2019, attendance was 3,759,350. That’s a 33 percent change.” Hanley noted the parks use a counting system that observes every car entering the park and approximates its number of passengers based on averages. She added weekdays have become like weekends at the park. “A Thursday attendance in March this year was the same as a regular Saturday or Sunday in June,” she said. And over the last several months, Hanley said the public’s 18

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move to reconnect with nature in Columbus isn’t just for those native to Central Ohio. “It’s been amazing to see. I have people calling from Toldeo about our parks,” said Hanley. “A woman from Pittsburgh who was going to be in town for the weekend called me to figure out where she should go.” She added the parks have become a coveted spot for those who are just wanting to get out of the house as well, even if that means they don’t leave their car. “We’ve seen people pull up and park in front of the pond— they never even got out of their car; just watched the pond for about an hour,” she said. And while she admits that MetroParks' numbers will likely return close to normal this summer as more of the standard city attractions across Columbus re-open, she believes this recent outdoor renaissance will have a lasting positive effect for visitor numbers. “Just the other day at Sharon Woods I was talking to a pair of grandparents who were out with their grandkids because their parents were still working from home,” Hanley said. “That’s an experience those kids wouldn’t have had otherwise, and they’re going to remember it.” •

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Need a meal? Check your backyard COVID creates a niche for culinary self-reliance

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BY JACK M CLAUGHLI N P H OTOS BY JU LI AN FO GLI ET T I

hen Nelson Hicks realized just how seriously the COVID-19 pandemic could affect food supply chains, he knew immediately he wanted to create a self-contained source of protein and produce to feed his wife Jen and their three children. While his first thought was to raise chickens for meat, there was a problem, and a pretty big one at that—the law. The Ohio municipality in which Hicks resides doesn’t allow citizens to raise “barnyard fowl” within 1,000 feet of property lines. But Hicks wasn’t about to give up and it didn’t take him long to find his answer: rabbits. “Almost all municipalities have laws against livestock,” he said. “But some animals fall between the cracks.” While rabbit-stew may not be your idea of a Monday night dinner, it’s not completely unheard of these days. From backyard-raised meat to expansive home vegetable gardens, Hicks represents a growing population of Ohioans turning to self-reliant food sources in response to the pandemic. And this newest trend born from COVID-19 doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. In a backyard now brimming with a breeding population of 10 New Zealand rabbits, plus a variety of produce including a pear tree, pumpkin, squash, watermelon, and more, it’s difficult to imagine that less than a year ago, none of this existed in Hicks’ backyard. “Our original plan was to install a fence this year and put rabbits in next year,” said Hicks. “But with the food shortages we were expecting I figured we could spend some of our savings and move up the time tables.” Each eater rabbit, Hicks estimated, grows to between 5 and 6 pounds, yielding 3.5 to 4 lbs of meat. “A little less than you’d get from an eater chicken,” he said. And Hicks is constantly exploring options to better his food production as well, as he eventually plans to raise both tilapia and catfish in his garage, inside food-grade drums. Ideally, he would like to create a “closed system” on his property. A miniature ecosystem where all of the things he would need to perpetuate his produce and animals would come from his own backyard. And while he doesn’t believe it’s practical for him to become fully self-sufficient, he does believe self-sustaining practices are important for the well-being of his family and the world. • SAVE THE DATE!

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“I want to depend less on modern meat and vegetable production,” Hicks said. “A lot of it is bad for your health and the environment. The money you’re saving on buying cheap chicken from the supermarket is money that you’ll be spending on your medical bills later on.” The self-reliance gene appears to run in the family. Hicks’ mother, Elizabeth, has expanded her already large backyard produce operation due to COVID to 14 beds, installing five additional 4-by-4 raised garden beds that hold squash, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, beets, carrots, watermelon, green beans, cantaloupe, asparagus, and more. Elizabeth grew her seeds indoors and utilized a variety of homegrowing equipment, such as an indoor casing for plants known as a bio dome to cultivate a backyard garden that yields an inordinately high amount of produce. And to make her harvest last, she’s turned to canning a large percentage of it. From her tomato plants alone, Elizabeth yielded 24 quart jars of spaghetti sauce, 24 quart jars of pizza sauce, tomato canned juice, several cans of whole tomatoes tomatoes, and homemade salsa. “Besides the food we get, there’s just something rewarding about it,” she said of the process. Kyla Raffert and her husband, Eric, residents of nearby Fairfield County, have been producing much of their yearly food supply themselves ever since they moved to the rural location in Central Ohio with their children. In addition to growing a variety of fruit and vegetables for harvest, they raise chickens for both eggs and meat, as well as lambs for meat. For Raffert, much like Hicks, this comes in part from an environmental conscience, but also a desire to expose her children to the realities and benefits of self-reliance. “Now that I have kids I want them to grow up equipped, and this makes them value it more. I want them to see how things are grown and raised, to be able to touch them,” she said. “And now our kids will just come out and munch on raw kale, something they would never do in a grocery store.” Earlier this year, as the effects of the pandemic were beginning to seep into everyday life, Raffert made the decision to acquire even more chickens, more lamb, and a greater amount of fruit and vegetables. 22

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But there was a problem. As self-reliance farming has spiked during the pandemic, Ohio residents have felt a shortage of animals and related services. “We’ve never had trouble getting chickens, but for the first time this year almost everyone was sold out,” said Raffert. “Eric was able to get the last six layer birds that were available at Tractor Supply, and everything else has been first come, first serve.” What’s more, the family normally has their lambs processed at Bay Packing—a market and slaughterhouse that has served the Lancaster area since 1932. But a massive increase in processing demands has thrown off the company’s timeline. “At this time we’re normally scheduling into October, but right now we’re scheduling as far out as February,” said Bay Food Market co-owner Karen Kraft Crutcher. And while this spike in Ohioans turning to farming and selfsustenance has created an unforeseen hurdle for some, the influx of interest in these areas is a boon for others. One of those is the Columbus Garden School. The interactive educator offers hands-on courses in everything from construction to gardening to beekeeping, and boasts a two-acre demo garden at their northside facility. The school, which had just started to see nearly all of its classes filled before quarantine, had to close its doors on March 15. But after offering an eclectic slate of carefully-crafted online courses, they’re seeing attendance surge. “We have local students, too, but we’re seeing people attend online classes from as far away as Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia,” said Columbus Garden School owner Tisa Watts. “There are people who wouldn’t have been able to attend normally.” According to Watts, their most popular online class is an introduction to beekeeping, which is regularly full. “For many of us, we’re at home all the time, so now you suddenly have the ability to think more about the things that you really want to do with your time,” said Watts. “People are finally allowing themselves the opportunity to get into farming, gardening, beekeeping. They finally have the time. And we couldn’t be more excited.” • SAVE THE DATE!

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Star

CHEF

EXECUTIVE CHEF

Tomi Z. Reichard

Olde Towne Partners OLDE TOWNE TAVERN | WALRUS KITCHEN & PUBLIC HOUSE | PECAN PENNY'S BBQ THE WOODBURY

I couldn’t have told you eight years ago that a rare chance to open the Olde Towne Tavern kitchen would flourish into a long-standing and heartfelt relationship with some of the best people I know—Kevin Burns, Brad Hobbs, Krista Sparks, and Heather Henley. I started my career in the industry as a mere dishwasher to help me pay for my education at the Columbus College of Art & Design. Imagine it— a Farmhand from Pennsylvania is now overseeing four restaurants. I couldn’t have done it without this tremendous restaurant family and the creative education I received at CCAD, where I used my skills towards menu development and plating. Every time I would put my pen to paper for a new menu, I looked at the market and found new ideas to set our restaurants apart. Walrus Kitchen & Public House has the Maple Burger with Maple syrup in the ground beef. Tavern’s menu in Olde Towne East has uniquely featured items like a Bartlett Pear grilled cheese and, of course, some of the best neighborhood regulars you could ever ask for—love you guys! Pecan Penny’s BBQ is an honor to work next to Greg Schmidt and his extensive knowledge of barbecue food—I’m always learning from him. In fact, if there’s one thing I know about this Industry, it’s always be a student; always be learning from the people around you. And, finally, our newest pride and joy is The Woodbury, located at 215 E. Towne St. I had a blast working on this menu given the motto “Why not?” We have something for everyone on this menu—because, hey, why not? Stop in today and meet Woodbury’s friendly staff—and many thanks to Austin Crawford, General Manager, and Ryan Bentley, Woodbury’s Head Chef.

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Signature Dishes AT THE WOODBURY

Thit Kho Thom Hash is a play on Vietnamese pork and pineapple, twisted into a more non-traditional breakfast item, but holding true to the basics. Caramelized pork belly with maple sweet potatoes topped with sunny side eggs. Featuring: The Vegetable melt with sautéed roma tomatoes, portobellos, onions peppers and spinach, house pesto mayo, and melted mozzarella on whole wheat served with sidewinder fries and house made pickle chips. You Will Love: Our Country Fried Steak dinner cut in house, featuring an 8-oz. Strip, lightly breaded and pan fried, then topped with house brisket gravy (the brisket is from our sister Pecan Penny’s BBQ). It’s served with grilled asparagus and loaded mashed potatoes.

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Quinci Emporiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Pandemic prompts pivot to delivery & to-go meals for local Italian specialty store 30

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BY J.R. MC M I L L A N PHOTOS BY JULI A N FOG L I ET T I

etween intrusive construction and coronavirus concerns, the retail disruption of the Short North has been interminable, if not untenable. But when your faithful clientele is still willing to fight for parking during a pandemic, you must be doing something extraordinary. Deborah Quinci’s tiny Italian market may seem modest from the street, but one step through the door is in many ways a world away. Featuring imported provisions and authentic accoutrements for adventurous home chefs eager to up their game despite a crisis, the term emporium hardly sums it all up. What started four short years ago as a culinary boutique has evolved into a community kitchen for prepared fare, handson classes, and wine tastings. It’s an immersive retail experience defined as much by the passion of its patrons as the exclusivity of the selection. “It reminds me a little bit of Dean & DeLuca, before they became so big. They were a grocery, a neighborhood store,” explained Quinci. “Italians love to gather together and share food, so our kitchen and cooking classes became an extension of that. We call it ‘convivial’ and it’s just part of our culture.” Quinci’s close-knit classes soon became their own community, with • SAVE THE DATE!

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students connecting socially beyond the space that initially brought them together. Suddenly, Quinci Emporium became much more than just a store. “We wanted to explore more original recipes in Italy, some that are not even well known to me,” Quinci confessed. “I'm from Sicily, from the west part of the island. I don't know everything they're doing on the east or the north part of the island. They have recipes that I've never heard before.” But as a consequence of COVID-19, Quinci’s immersive student excursions to Tuscany have been put on hold, as have in-person cooking classes closer to home. Though technique is often tactile, enthusiasm and rapport still make online instruction intimate, despite the inherent limitations of the format. Despite the inherent limitations of the format, enthusiasm and rapport closed the gap. “We prepared baskets of ingredients already measured for everyone. They came and picked them up, or we delivered them so everyone was prepared,” she noted. “Everything was extremely detailed. We all knew each other, but I was still surprised by how well it went.” 32

"We’ve learned to adapt, something Italian immigrants, all immigrants, have done for generations." The kitchen is a heart of any home, and that’s also true of retail stores that suddenly become restaurants, essentially overnight. The shift from showcasing preparation skills and their edible inventory to serving prepared meals to-go wasn’t without its challenges. Supply chain concerns for imported items and limited availability from local vendors required some keen insights and novel negotiations to stay stocked. “Sometimes, we used to give away the bread or the focaccia leftover at the end of the day. Now people are buying more than ever,” noted Quinci. “I remember the first week of the pandemic, I had people coming in and buying up wine. They were worried we might sell out,” she revealed. “I called all of my purveyors and asked if they had any closeout wine, ones I

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could sell for up to $10 and have, you know, a pretty decent bottle of wine. They’ve become huge sellers and people are buying them by the case. Maybe they only used to buy really expensive bottles, but they’ve discovered a $10 bottle can be really, really good too.” From sauces and spreads to spices and sweets, the staple for comfort food is still Quinci’s impressive selection of pasta. Cavatelli with porcini mushrooms for four is also $10, as is their risotto with porcini and white truffle oil for three, among more than a dozen pastas and “one-pot” dishes, ready for easy pickup or nearby delivery—as well as all of the ingredients for those who prefer to hone their own skills. “It’s a lot of pasta, but not just pasta. Salmon has proven very popular, and they can get buffalo mozzarella and our dough and make their own pizza at home. We haven’t noticed anyone avoiding carbs lately,” Quinci chided. “We’re here to preserve and celebrate traditions, but we also know this hasn’t been an easy time for everyone. We’ve learned to adapt, something Italian immigrants, all immigrants, have done for generations.” •

Menus and online ordering for pickup and delivery available at quinciemporium.com SAVE THE DATE!

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COVID crashed MY WEDDING

Quarantine creates what could become a new trend in microweddings and civil ceremonies Kay Karg and Alex Boehnke

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BY MELINDA GRE EN PH OTOS BY JULI A N FOG L I ET T I

he March 21 wedding for 150 friends and family was just a week away. The venue was making final preparations. The photographer and DJ were ready. The hotel reservations were confirmed. But there were rumblings about a pandemic. And anticipation for a grand celebration became apprehension that there would be no celebration at all for soon-to-be-wed couple Bethany Cramer and Alex Farchione. The first indication that something was amiss was when out-of-town family expressed hesitation about traveling. “All week, we were saying ‘We’re still having our wedding, are you guys coming?’ and about half of the people told us they were not coming because they felt uncomfortable,” Cramer recalled. Cramer and Farchione had done their own wedding planning and couldn’t imagine the special event going on with only half their guests in attendance—so they sprang into action. Within a few days, they had rescheduled the event for March 2021. “We could have gone as early as July to rebook, but availability and pricing [were factors]—and, to be honest, my decor isn’t fit for a winter wedding,” Cramer laughed. None of their vendors charged a penalty. “Our venue handled it above and beyond,” she admitted. “They probably had already put in the flower order, maybe the food as well, but they didn’t charge us for those things that I assume were already paid for and on hand.” They also had a civil ceremony right away, not knowing if even that would become prohibited in the coming weeks. Their officiant met the couple at the Columbus Idea Foundry, where Cramer and Farchione are members, and remained socially distant as they said “I do,” with parents and siblings watching via Google Hangouts. Cramer recalls, “My family was pretty scared by [COVID-19]. I think they were really thankful that we called it off, because they didn’t want to have to make that decision. I think some would have come anyway, to be with us, and we didn’t want to make it unsafe just for our sake.”

Saving the Date Meanwhile, Kay Karg and Alex Boehnke had planned a July wedding and were determined to keep the date, no matter what happened. “We decided we would adapt to whatever regulations were in place, but to not get married on that date was non-negotiable,” Karg said. As time went on, they decided to postpone their 160-guest reception until 2021, then to cancel it entirely and have a more intimate reception after their wedding this year at a smaller, outdoor venue “The more Alex and I talked about it, the more we realized that it wasn’t a good fit for us to wait a whole year, and have the wedding planning details, the budgeting, the stress with us for another year,” Karg explained. All but one of their vendors agreed not to charge penalties for the cancellation. Still, there are challenges to be met. “[Family invitations] have been the most stressful part,” Karg continued. “The situation that we’ve created, having kind of a minireception, it’s hard. Our friends totally understand. Our families understand, too, but I have a big family, and I’m the first one in [my generation] to get married… it’s hard, navigating that.” • SAVE THE DATE!

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Pictured is Flat 51 decorated for a micro wedding

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“My family was pretty scared by [COVID-19]. I think they were really thankful that we called it off, because they didn’t want to have to make that decision.” A Balancing Act For others, juggling vendors has been complicated. “Rescheduling the event is the easy part,” said Lucretia Williams of Distinct Event Planning. “Every wedding has nine to 15 vendors, so trying to reschedule up to 15 businesses, to make sure they’re available, is the real challenge. “It’s about double the effort now, because those vendors are not only booking regular events, but also working with other clients who are also trying to reschedule.” Some of Distinct Event Planning’s clients have rescheduled; others have changed platforms, having a micro-wedding now and a larger celebration next year, such as a reception or vow renewal. “To say the least, it has been an adventure,” Williams laughed. “COVID-19 has birthed micro-weddings,” said Williams. “In the past, there were ‘intimate’ weddings, but with small receptions. With COVID-19, they’ve been having just the ceremony, with the celebration next year, because you couldn’t go anywhere, because no one could host you. “But the biggest challenge we have now, with social distancing, is that venues can’t hold as many people as they normally can. We have to measure and come up with a revised floor plan, and if someone has a venue that holds 300, well, now it holds 175. So now they have to go back and revise their guest list.”

A New Way Forward Jen Brown of Flat 51, an event rental space in German Village, recalled, “We started seeing things change the second week of March. We had our first micro-wedding just 48 hours before the shelter-in-place order went into effect.” After that order was lifted, Flat 51 has been busy with micro-weddings and other events, including couples who would rather say “I do” than “I postpone.” The space is a DIY space, and couples are enjoying the fact that they can come in and decorate it to their taste. “We are definitely seeing that the wedding landscape has changed,” Brown said. “We have micro-weddings booked even into 2021, and we feel like this is a trend that is going to continue. “It’s a completely authentic experience for them,” she explained. “We’re noticing that the smaller, more intimate setting is allowing for deeper connection with family and friends. Couples are realizing they don’t need a big, traditional wedding—they’re rewriting the book on what the entire experience looks like.” • Alex Farchione and Bethany Cramer

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PHOTO BY J E N B R OW N P HOTO GRAP H Y

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Entrepreneurs go rogue in gig economy COVID proves nimble and quick are key to staying afloat amid rough waters STO RY A N D P HOTOS BY ZA K KOL ESA R

arkiesha Johnson, owner of Bom Bombs—renamed in June to Bom Skin & Co.—a skincare company featuring products from bath bombs to moisturizers—was already planning to move her successful business of five years from her home to a warehouse in Gahanna. Plans for expansion had been in the works and she was ready to go. And then, COVID-19 put every mass gathering on lockdown. Suddenly, Johnson, who started Bom Skin out of her house in May 2015, had to use her background in civil engineering and chemistry to shift gears—and fast. “[COVID] allowed every business owner to take a look at what their business trajectory plans were, take a look at what their 12-month 38

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forecast was and say, ‘OK, something right now is not a necessity,’ and for me, bath bombs were not a necessity,” Johnson said. That focus, along with her background in chemistry, gave her the know-how to create a formula for a hand sanitizer in a matter of three days; it took an additional five days to order the bulk supplies. As soon as Bom Skin launched the product, it couldn’t stop the orders from coming in. “The pandemic showed us that we are way more capable of doing extraordinary things than we think we are,” said Johnson, who quadrupled her sales during a period of the highest unemployment rates in American history. The inspiration to take the business structure into people’s own hands was contagious. Take Columbus’ beloved R&B duo, Honey and Blue. Singersongwriters Stephanie Amber and Adam Darling, also husband and wife, had their entire income swept out from under them once the quarantine was set into place. “Out of nowhere, it felt like we were kind of just left with our hands in the air,” Amber said. “Particularly gig workers were not able to get any financial aid for quite a while.” Without the immediate aid of the government, and with prior experience running a bakery out of Weiland’s Market, Amber and Darling took matters into their own hands after photos of baked goods posted to her Facebook account suddenly created a frenzy. Messages asking her how to purchase her array of pastries started to flood in and within days, Amber and Adam teamed up to create Shut In Sweets and a website for orders within two weeks. Having the health code know-how of operating a business safely out of their house, the couple, along with every other

Ohioan looking to start a small business, took advantage of the ease of snagging an LLC in the Buckeye state. “Ohio is known for its business friendliness,” said Maggie Sheehan, Press Secretary at the Office of the Ohio Secretary of State.“Entrepreneurs can create their business online in just a matter of minutes.” Although Amber and Adam weren’t bringing in hundreds of dollars each week like Johnson’s business, the modern-day ability to create a business on the fly out of a passion or hobby is a godsend in the COVID-19 age. And one that’s especially important to the brazen and independent spirit of entrepreneurs and small business owners.

“The pandemic showed us that we are way more capable of doing extraordinary things than we think we are,” “I think as artists and creatives, we kind of have this rebellion mentality where we want to do our own things and we don't necessarily want to have someone else's guidelines and structures and rules and regulations,” Amber said. Through five months of data collected by the Ohio Secretary of State in 2020, Ohio has seen a 15.5 percent increase in the number of LLCs that were applied for compared to 2019’s average. COVID-19 may have canceled your gig or put you on furlough, but it didn’t stop Ohio entrepreneurs from hiking up their bootstraps and putting their skills and talents to work. “I said from the very beginning when this hit that the tables of wealth are turning and we are seeing it right before our eyes,” Johnson said. “The businesses that have been holding the majority of the wealth for hundreds and hundreds of years, they are now looking for small business owners to guide them through how to obtain new wealth.” •

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ART AS ACTIVISM Gallery Space

CCAD grads make good use of their creative edge during Black Lives Matter ‘revolution’ BY JA ELANI TUR N ER -W I L L I A M S PH OTOS BY REBECC A T I EN

he bleak isolation of the COVID-19 quarantine caused a mental block for many creatives. But for recent Columbus College of Art and Design graduates andvisual artists LaShae Boyd and Kayneisha Holloway, the time and space only helped to enrich their craft. Their post-grad artistic pursuits were especially sharpened during recent Columbus protests, as thousands of Central Ohioans joined together throughout the month of June to commemorate the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and numerous other Black Americans killed by police. The most recent of which was the death of Floyd on May 25, who was killed by excessive force to his throat by Minneapolis, Minn., police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin is charged with second-degree degree, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers on the scene are charged with aiding and abetting. For both Boyd and Holloway, they hope that the growing Black Lives Matter movement sparked by Floyd’s death translates into further local opportunities for Black visual artists. With a pop-surrealist focus, Boyd’s paintings are traditionally distorted and shadowy, which she attributes to the theme of chaos. When the pandemic became widespread, Boyd committed her time in quarantine to hold a daily creative process, whether it meant sketching or painting on full canvases. In turn, Boyd executed her goal, tackling more than one piece each day and later painting a mural commissioned by Maroon Arts Group. “I wanted to represent Black people in a higher light. A lot of my work has to do with spiritual transformation within myself, so I wanted to push this further specifically highlighting black magic and the power we possess as a whole,” Boyd said of creating the mural during protests. “I think we should start taking this energy to neighborhoods of lower classes, the areas with less income and support, and fill it up with art. Art can raise awareness and infuse the community with love and unity.” In a similar vein, Holloway embarked on taking multiple commissions earlier this year after being furloughed from two • SAVE THE DATE!

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Lashae Boyd | lashaejboydart.com

Art can raise awareness and infuse the community with love and unity.

positions during economic turmoil while finishing her degree. The multi-dimensional artist and interior architect caught up on meditating and reading to decompress from the heaviness of the pandemic. Once revived, she set off to the Greater Columbus Arts Council, where she was joined by other visual artists who encouraged her to share her thoughts on Floyd’s murder. “The word ‘empathy’ came to mind; that’s the only word I could think of since the first night of protests in Minneapolis,” Holloway said, later creating murals at Snap Fitness on Hubbard Avenue and the Huntington Center. “The silver lining is that this revolution is pushing me to become a full-time freelance artist, even [an] activist, which I would like to embrace more.” Prior to completing their studies at CCAD, Boyd and Holloway’s senior thesis seemed to foreshadow the current social climate in proximity to their core audience, even expanding their message to local government officials. Though Boyd initially lacked confidence, which transmuted into her work as a student, she soon transformed through

her thesis titled “Out of Control,” previously showcased at Beeler Gallery on the CCAD campus. “It was a group of paintings and photos on the topic of finding self through the unconscious, using dreams as a guide back to repressed memories and personal truth,” she said. “With everything going on, it’s elevated my understanding of my position as an artist in society. I started thinking about how art not only is a great way to communicate difficult emotions but it’s literally like a time machine that you can explore.”

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Being a first generation college graduate, Holloway’s thesis analyzed the consumption of public art through murals and placemaking implemented into Columbus neighborhoods. Though she worked solo as classes went remote due to the quarantine, she attributes her pride as a muralist to studying interior design and architecture during those four years. “I did feel relieved to not have to worry about submitting an assignment online, but I didn’t feel I accomplished much outside of my grades and received my diploma through mail,” she said. “Attending classes remotely set my creativity and drive back a little because I liked the environment I was working in. I especially miss doing ceramics, which is impossible to do remotely when your art studio is also your bedroom, laptop, or phone.” Still, Holloway was able to put finishing touches on her thesis dedicated to revolutionary artists who have used their proximity to local people to acknowledge and create space for those who have been disadvantaged. Those who inspired Holloway’s work included Stephanie Rond, Rick Lowe, Tyree Guyton and Aminah Robinson—whom she painted at the

Neisha Holloway | artdealerchicc.com

Ohio State Rotunda. “On a community level, I hope every person as a whole will acknowledge themselves as worthy of living, and simultaneously will view their community members’ lives as worthy, without the role of police officers and authorities,” Holloway said. “On a political and economic level, I hope that our politicians, city council members, and city planners will acknowledge that Black people, regardless of class, lives matter; their health matters, their education matters, their neighborhoods and homes matter, and their safety and security matters.” Disappointed when being unable to walk the stage at graduation due to social distancing, Boyd celebrated safely at home and hopes that recent community art pushes collective exposure for Black women. “I hope that we can see the reasons why murals are so important outside of the aftermath of the rioting that was going on,” she said. “I want to make pieces speaking on what’s happening, keeping in mind that this is a piece of history [that] future generations can look back on and learn some of the events that structured their present.” Noting the magnitude of male artists in Columbus, Holloway obliges with Boyd’s sentiment, aiming for Black women artists to receive their roses while they can still smell them. “We need to embrace change and differences—I haven’t seen many Black women artists being celebrated as much who are still living,” she said. “I think allowing Black women the space to develop their voices as well as express their voices and concerns is a step to support Black women and artists, even if their message is very different from what we normally hear and see.” • SAVE THE DATE!

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Maroon Arts Group born from Black artists seeking a voice Today it thrives as one of the most active, Black artist spaces in Columbus

STORY AND PHOTOS BY REBECCA TIEN

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rom its inception, the Maroon Arts Group’s (MAG) mission has been to provide a platform for Black artists and voices that may not easily find a welcoming space in other venues. Sheri Neale, a Baltimore transplant, formed MAG when she was seeking backing for a performance art piece directed by Troy Burton titled “A Real Nigga Show”—a pastiche of poetry, dance, and music, that takes a hard look at the stereotypes surrounding the N-word. She had first seen the production in college and was moved by “the truths it touched on from both a mental health and an artistic perspective.” She felt called to bring the production to Columbus after the deaths of Black men Eric Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of police—in New York and Missouri, respectively. “I couldn’t rest in my body about Eric and Michael,” Neale said of the deaths and, since then, “I’ve been doing the work through art.” When she attempted to find a platform for the provocative piece, nary a corporate backer was in sight. So, Neale took matters into her own hands. She called on local artists and creatives to join efforts to bring the production to life in Columbus. From that tour de force, MAG was founded in 2015. Shortly after, the production 46

was performed at Columbus Performance Arts Center’s Shedd Theatre to a sold-out audience. Although reluctant to take credit, she does own that she has the gift to motivate others into action. “I recognize that gift, I honor that gift, and I’m just happy that it serves others through art,” Neale said. This service to others, using art as a medium to affect positive change in her neighborhood, is what inspired Neale to create a physical space for MAG. In 2016, the organization was awarded a grant from the City of Columbus called Community Impact which offered them an abandoned lot on the corner of Mt. Vernon and 17th Street. Once they had the land, the question became how to create a space that was affordable and accessible to the neighborhood. “We were trying to figure out what we could take on that wouldn’t represent like an office space,” said Neale. “It was Marshall Shorts (the vice-chair of MAG) who introduced the idea of shipping containers and I was like… keep talking.” And so the boxpark known as MPACC (Movement Pursuing Arts, Commerce & Community) was born. MPACC is a community art space comprising two shipping containers— one housing a performance space with a stage

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and the second holding an art gallery. A third container onsite is owned and operated by Willowbeez SoulVeg. The boxpark is situated just down the street from the King Arts complex and around the corner from Lincoln Theatre, creating an art walk of sorts from one destination to the next. “I don’t know if it’s a triangular art hub, but it’s a nice end cap to the area,” said Neale. What makes MACC so unique is that it sits at the heart of a community whose residents do not always have access to those larger art venues. It’s park-like structure and lack of entrance fee mean that people can feel free to come and go, experiencing events at the space in whatever way works for them. “We want folks to know they can come over whenever something’s going on here,” she said.“This is for them. Everyone’s invited, but this is really providing something for this neighborhood.” During recent protests for racial equality, MPACC has been a consistent rallying spot and a safe space for community members to be engaged in a movement for change in a familyfriendly environment. At a recent event hosted by MAG, the public was invited to come and create yard signs for protest. Families gathered

and let their kids enthusiastically spray paint signs in black and of course, maroon, with rallying slogans such as “Rise, Create, Resist” and “Protect Black Futures.” While there, they were encouraged to engage with artists who were painting a series of boards that had been staked around the perimeter of the park for a project titled “Nothing to Fear.” On display were portraits of faces of Black boys and men. The project is spearheaded by Francesca Miller, a local artist and recent graduate of OSU who majored in art education. Miller conceived the project as her own form of social protest through art. “I wanted people to see each individual face as the beautiful, dignified humans they are,” she said. Upon reading on social media that Miller was looking for a space to house her idea, Neale contacted her and offered up MPACC. Most of the boards are painted by artists who reached out to Miller when they heard about the project. One young man who lives across the street, wanted a board of his own. He approached Miller to find out what the project was about and how he could get involved. “He was so excited and couldn’t stop smiling and I was like….OK, go ahead,” said Miller, who was initially uncertain whether he had the artistic experience to match the other contributions, but couldn’t resist his enthusiasm. As Miller tells it, he began to draw a self-portrait on the board with a pencil but quickly became overwhelmed and admitted to her that he was good at drawing, but not that skilled at painting. When she relayed the story to contributing artist Richard Duarte Brown, he asked Miller for a photo of the young man and offered to finish the painting.

“When we use art to beautify a space, it impacts people on a deep level.” The next day the teen returned, Miller said, and was struck. She said he told her, “Oh man, that looks just like me!” she laughed as she relayed the story. He told her that “All day people came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I think your face is on one of those boards over there!’” When MAG isn’t directly holding an event, the space is open to community members to use. Over the last month, there has been a constant flow of performances by poets, musicians, artists, and activists. On any given night one could tune in to live streams of the performances and seek solace listening to young writers weave their frustration into spoken word as silver-haired singers belt out, “A Change is Gonna Come” and other Civil Rights era songs.

Neale says that the space is for the community and this is how it manifests—voices ringing out to bring comfort and guidance, paintings around its borders reminding neighbors of their beauty. As Miller so aptly put it, “When we use art to beautify a space, it impacts people on a deep level. The programs that they have [at MPACC], engaging people with the music and arts, is really uplifting.” This sentiment was echoed by board member Ekundayo Igeleke who told Orie

Givens of Spectrum News television last week, “As long as oppression exists, we’ll be out there fighting against it, but also, experiencing joy.” MPAAC is a place for the community, for education, gathering, and celebration, a space to hold grief and rage. Most importantly it is a space to hold hope and the possibility that through art, transformation can be achieved. And like the young man who came back to find his portrait on the wall, MAG is a place for the Black community to find their faces on the wall and know they are counted too. •

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THE CITY

Speaks P H OTO BY JU L I AN FO GLI ET T I

stands in solidary with Black Lives Matter.

he anger, sadness, and frustration Central Ohioans are feeling over the most recent injustice in the African American community is understandable. Black lives do matter. Now is a turning point, an opportunity for dialog and solutions to put an end to injustice and distrust. As a cooperative, KEMBA Financial Credit Union was founded in 1933 on the principle of equality and is committed to advocating for the communities we serve. All people should be treated with dignity and respect; we believe that diversity within our organization and communities make us stronger. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to serve as the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s credit union by offering everyone a better way to bank AND standing with Central Ohio to help bring about solidarity, progress, and inclusion.

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Letter to the City of Columbus W

ith dried pepper spray tears on my shirt, I am shaken, saddened, and angry. I’m angry that racist violence against black people seems to change its form but never ends. I’m shaken at the feeling of powerlessness experienced by so many when they see visceral racism. And when folks try to grasp power and take to the streets they face hundreds of police officers maintaining order while reinforcing the violence inherent in police powers. I’m saddened that for many watching from the comfort of their homes, the violence of a few on the fringe will give yet one more excuse to do nothing to challenge the status quo of racism in America. I will never forget the burning blindness of indiscriminate pepper spray as I stood with Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and County Commissioner Kevin Boyce trying to keep the crowd on the sidewalks. I’m not a natural protestor. I like to sit around a table to hash out policies and plans. But I felt I needed to show up as a black man because George Floyd should be alive. Breonna Taylor should be alive. Ahmaud Arbery should be alive. Tyre King should be alive. Our residents in Columbus and citizens across the nation are speaking out in a thousand ways to say we need immediate action. The people are speaking. I hear them. Now we must get to a shared table and use this powerful voice to make change real. We cannot do that if the table is on fire. As a black, gay City Council President of America’s 14th largest city, I know my story is only possible because of protests past. The beatings, dogs, and hoses used through the South during Dr. King’s marches and the Stonewall Riots. We must stand against oppression. Despite real reasons for anger, I do not excuse the few who walk amongst the protestors and choose to be destructive. Many of these folks come from outside of Columbus with their own agendas and are not seeking constructive change. These are not the protestors I know and am happy to work with. I also want to acknowledge that our police officers are tired. Many have been out for days and days, sporting bruises from where they were hit with rocks and frozen water bottles. Protestors are bruised from wooden bullets and more. Both sides need time to rest and heal. We must use this civil unrest to accelerate progress on real, specific reforms to fight systematic racism. On Monday, Columbus will pass a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. Franklin County has already lead the way on this cause, Mayor Ginther concurs, and we are all united in calling on other levels of regional and state government to join hands with us in honestly addressing the negative impacts of racism. Today I also call on local leaders to help make policing

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EDITOR’S NOTE: 614 Magazine was given permission to reprint this letter penned by Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin following his involvement with the Columbus protests in June of 2020. Hardin joined fellow protestors to express his frustration over the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis, Minn., May 25, 2020. Hardin was one of many protestors who was pepper-sprayed by Columbus police during peaceful protests. Police also used wooden bullets and tear gas to control the large crowds. Since then, the City of Columbus has altered policy to reduce the use of chemical agents during protests, aligned use of force directives with national best practices, and formed an advisory committee to help Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan implement public safety reforms.

reforms real this year. We must make concrete moves on the 80 recommendations from the Community Safety Advisory Commission ranging from recruitment, training, diversity and inclusion, community engagement, and independent investigations. Columbus needs to establish independent investigations into police use of force, including negotiating a Civilian Review Commission into the next police contract. The Fraternal Order of Police has long opposed such a move, and I call on them to join us at the table to get this done. Having experienced it first hand, we need to change the use of crowd disbursal techniques and stop spraying dangerous gases into peaceful crowds. The negative impacts far outweigh the temporary control it gives officers. We must diversify our safety divisions, and train cultural competency for the dozens of diverse international communities that call Columbus home. Our Police Chief is working for internal reforms. I want him and every officer to know that we want you to succeed. But we will not accept the status quo or those who cover up for egregious past acts of violence on duty. Fighting racism is imperative in every sector and part of our society, not just policing. Through race-conscious policymaking, we’ve got to unwind the generations of racist policies in housing, public health, education, and elsewhere. On corporate boards and in the philanthropic sector we need to see clear, measured strategies to combat racial disparities. I do truly believe that things can get better. As a Christian, I’ve been thinking a lot about grace over the past couple of days. It’s something we need to extend to one another now more than ever. And with that renewed goodwill towards one another, we can move forward with resolve and create a more just Columbus.

Yours in Service,

SHANNON HARDIN Columbus City Council President

Other

by Tenika Seitz

BARBARA FANT

the thing about my world is it straddles two worlds and there are places in each ill never see imagine lightness like a feather darkness heavy as the thunder but neither penetrates me too deep

STEPHANIE ROND

so when i tell you "i can't breathe" its not from pressure on my neck, the pressure I feel is the pain i've repressed black skin white skin is that a tan? am i light-skinned? see i can hide on the right side of the story the side that fits in and gets all the glory

Learn about Stephanie and Barbaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story and other Columbus artists at ColumbusMakesArt.com.

i benefit from the illusion that my skin has cast I steal away your privilege and answer when asked questions that aren't fair; if you may touch my hair

Discover virtual and streaming performances, exhibition tours, fun creative activities, and more at ColumbusMakesArt.com/virtual. Murals, sculptures, fountains, historic theaters and much more are searchable at ColumbusMakesArt.com/public-art.

ColumbusMakesArt.com | #artmakescbus

but i can let it all go bury it deep down inside no one will know because no one will try I'll just live undercover so that i don't have to be other.

Additional support from: The Sol Morton and Dorothy Isaac, Rebecca J. Wickersham and Lewis K. Osborne funds at The Columbus Foundation.

â&#x2020;&#x2019;

Photos: Barbara Fant by Joe Maiorana, Stephanie Rond by Meghan Ralston. Wall mural: Labyrinth of Imagination is a collaboration by Barbara Fant and Stephanie Rond. Design: Formation Studio

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PHOTO BY EZRA M. NGABO

YWCA President & CEO Christie Angel

Tenika Seitz, 28, of German Village, moved to Columbus from New York City in 2017. She wrote this piece during the June protests after seeing the Black Lives Matter movement and feeling the emotion it elicited inside her. She says of the experience, “As a biracial black woman, racism in various capacities, nor the many dayto-day discomforts that come with having brown skin, are foreign concepts to me. All the same, I've reconciled that I've sort of pushed down or brushed off a lot of these discomforts for most of my life—pretending they don't hurt or bother me. This poem was sort of born out of that reconciliation. It's an acknowledgement to myself of how I've been living in the world because of my skin color...and the frustrations that have come with that lifestyle.”

merica has an abhorred and sustained tradition of using violence to silence Black Americans and promote white supremacy; and it’s critically important to acknowledge the historical and ongoing traumas of statesanctioned racism. Black communities have endured endless campaigns of exploitation, terroristic violence and police brutality, mass incarceration, and economic disinvestment. As the threat of coronavirus continues, we are reminded that the history of restricted health care access and a documented bias in treatment, combined with a history of exploitation and abuse by the medical community, and higher rates of environmental stressors, have resulted in a community that disproportionately suffers from chronic conditions and the comorbidities that place them at higher risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19.

Racism is, and has always been, a public health crisis.

Yet, Black communities persevere. Through centuries of resilience and resistance, Black Americans have been and continue to be foundational to the idea of freedom and common good in America. As the activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham said, “Being Black is not exhausting. Oppression is. Being Black is a blessing and I will treat it as such.” To move forward, we must acknowledge the “invisible” lines we draw that separate ourselves from each other—the enduring lines that, for example, mark Columbus as the second-most economically segregated city of its size in the country. In our community, we can draw lines around neighborhoods with high infant mortality rates, eviction rates, health disparities, and youth vulnerability. These lines overlap where households of color are concentrated and where red lines meant to marginalize people of color were drawn on maps around neighborhoods in the 1930s. We should all be outraged about the systems of marginalization that have perpetuated centuries of racial inequities and the loss of Black lives. But outrage without action is the same as complacency and it is crucial that we come together and build a community of accomplices to fight against structural racism. Political leaders change, but these systems and policies take more time and intention, more resources to undo. We know this because we’ve been fighting inequity and unjust policies alongside other organizations, since we opened our doors over 134 years ago.

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Right now is a critical period in American history—we are living through the largest civil rights movement of our time. We all have a responsibility to commit to anti-racist direct action and build a sustained momentum to fight against systemic racism.

To take the next step toward change, you can:

Take a stand against racism and do the work to be anti-racist. When you see something, say something. Have difficult conversations with friends, family, and neighbors. Advocate that your employers take a stand against racism and implement policies internally to combat bias. Register to vote, encourage your network to register, and vote in every election. Your vote and voice count. Further urge the Governor, Speaker of the Ohio House, and the Ohio Senate President to declare racism as a public health crisis and enact policies of equity in all places in Ohio. Sign the letter to show your support at ywcacolumbus.org/ coalition-of-african-american-leaderscollective-statement. Educate yourself and others about our nation’s racist history and advocate for inclusive educational reform. Seek out anti-racist resources about, for example, slave patrols, Jim Crow laws, redlining, medical apartheid, disenfranchisement, the prison industrial complex and schoolto-prison pipeline—this list is just the tip of the racist iceberg! Support YWCA Columbus in our work to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Take action by making a donation today or by attending our virtual Activists and Agitators event in the fall. Learn more at ywcacolumbus.org.

Kemba Financial Credit Union stands in solidary with Black Owned Businesses.

Taken May 30, 2020, during Columbus protests

“I was all the ‘ things’ — a Black, lesbian woman.. where in the hell did that leave me?”

LETHA PUGH (pictured bottom left) community activist, co-owner of Bake Me Happy, & Columbus 2020 Steven Shellabarger Illuminator Award Recipient

or the longest time, I walked around thinking that if white people didn't outwardly say and do things that I thought were racist, they were cool with me. I'd spent so much time with white people in academic settings and, typically, the vibe was pretty liberal. Besides, what I had experienced growing up didn't have anything to do with white people...or so I thought. I attribute this journey I am on to an even pour of resilience, risk, opportunities, and a good ole "fake it til I make it" luck. I grew up on welfare for a larger part of my younger years and I've been an entrepreneur since fourth grade—taking a one dollar food stamp and turning it into ten dollars. I’d spend the money on dishwashing liquid, toilet paper, laundry soap, and yogurt. Yep, you heard me...yogurt. Yogurt was probably the healthiest item at the corner store. It wasn't like Hamburger Helper or Banquet chicken, it seemed "white" and different...sort of like being gay. On more than one occasion, my mother would tear into me because I'd

charge her credit account at the corner store with 10 to 20 yogurt purchases per month. As a child, I’d open the container and walk from the corner store to my house, eating the yogurt on the way. It was like this magic elixir that literally took me to another world. Compared to what I was dealing with in real life, white people were the least of my problems. I knew I was gay at 12 and I knew that was gonna be a problem in my community. College became the place where I felt just far enough away from home to begin to explore...me. And I was a shit show. Over the course of a few years, I was so busy sorting out all of my “stuff ” that it wasn't until an incident in my senior year in the college of nursing that I realized that white people were cool with you being Black until you smacked them in the face with the reality of racism. The college had asked me to make a collage for Black history month and I took this as an opportunity to help me get through the long ass days as the ONLY Black student in the college of 250 students. The collage had data and stats and pictures that allowed me to stay the course, not just for me but for all the Black people in an environment that was oddly foreign but often seen as the only "way out." One day, the collage disappeared from the conference room and I raged through the college until I found it in a professor's closet. The professor took it down because the other students complained. I stood my ground and the Dean put the collage back in the conference room. This was the first time I had experienced the uncomfortableness that white people have when presented with the history of racism. I came out of the closet in college and pulled away from many of my Black friends…friends who’d braid my hair

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and cook me meals. Solid people who I eventually reconnected with, but at the time, the thought of being rejected by my own people was too much. I've been pretty consistent; I have never thought I was white.

My Blackness has always woven itself into what I have done. When I volunteer to speak with youth, its because I want them to see a Black woman who happens to be a lesbian. But I also felt like I was compartmentalizing...I was all the "things”—a Black, lesbian woman and I wasn't apologetic. But in Black space, I struggled to find a voice, I shrank and made myself small. In reality, I perceived the at-large LGBTQ+ community to be just as racist as the rest of the community and the Black community was largely and openly homophobic...where in the hell did that leave me? I have never walked into a room and not been aware of my Blackness and the obvious way that I carry myself like a lesbian. My hair is a statement, my skin is a statement and my energy is a statement and they are all intentional in the way that I show up in the world - whether it is in white space or Black space. I am not asking for permission to exist anymore, I am here and I have value…and with that, I have a responsibility. As Black people, we know there is something better out there. Our people will stop dying at the hands of the police. We’ll have equal opportunities in business, housing, healthcare, and education. And I’m not saying, give us these things…we are just as capable of doing these things for ourselves, but damn, something has got to give

Columbus photographer Ezra M. Ngabo photographed by Robert Etters

Photo by Ezra M. Ngabo, 26 Taken May 30, 2020, during Columbus protests

Kemba Financial Credit Union stands in solidary with Black Owned Businesses.

because this current situation we are in is not working and we are literally being killed. This moment that we are in is scary and wonderful and hard and amazing and an opportunity for everyone to look deep at what exists in the world and how you can contribute to the movement. I am working with The Queer Partnership for Black Liberation, an organization committed to taking on the next steps in the journey to freeing our people. In the meantime, support the agitators (protestors) because they bring energy to the movement; support the leaders (nerds) who unselfishly take on the reading of documents and the deciphering of laws; fund all the activities that you can and sit still in the muck of it.

And for the white people—being uncomfortable in your privilege is a first step in understanding how racism has continued to ﬂourish over the last couple hundred years. Support the initiatives put forth by Black people because if our work has gotten us far enough to be presented to the masses, trust that many minds went into putting all the pieces together. The people diving into the work right now are smart, committed, energetic, balanced and working from a place that is just… support their work. Now is the time to educate yourselves, not by bogging down the Black people, but actually doing the work. The shift in the universe has created an opportunity for our generation to move the needle. Right now is just as significant as the 1960’s, but it’s going to take sacrifice and energy and a solid commitment on all sides to do the work. I’ve often compared the white LGBTQ+ community to a conga line. With all the advances the LGBTQ+ community has seen, when there was a break in the line and the “haves” kept right on dancing across the stage…did anyone ever look back? For my Black community—embrace and love all your pieces…we are better together and will get farther WITH each other carrying the load. The shaming and disowning has got to stop, the Black LGBTQ+ community will be this bastard child… no more. We deserve better from our people. Letha Pugh, not a writer or a baker…or a fan of texting. Do not ease the pressure on the wound until you are sure the bleeding has stopped (at least that what they taught us in nursing school).

PHOTOS BY MARKIA FRYE

Skin

by Toni Hernandez We are the same, but your skin is darker than mine. And you feel pain when I feel comfortable by design. And you feel fear when I feel threats that are benign. So we’re not the same, because your skin is darker than mine. And I’m to blame for not drawing a harder line. And I‘m ashamed for not giving more of my time To be the change that gives your skin the same privilege as mine.

Toni Hernandez, of Harrisburg, Penn., pictured left, wrote this poem about her best friend, Tenika Seitz, of German Village, pictured right, who is also featured in this section. Toni said of Tenika, “Tenika has been my best friend since college and she is the person who inspired me to learn, reflect, and ultimately write.” Toni wrote the poem in reaction to the recent protests and Black Lives Matter movement. She said it was Tenika, and what she’s seen her best friend go through, that inspired her words. •

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JANET JACKSON former Franklin County Municipal Judge

Speak up and out Former judge calls for all sectors of

business, education, and faith, to be purposeful in ending racism

BY ST EP H G R EEG OR

“

Everyone has to be engaged. No one can be left on the sidelines.

“

alking to former Franklin County Municipal Judge Janet Jackson is like stepping into a warm kitchen filled with every good thing you could possibly want. This lovely woman is disarming in a way you can’t quite pinpoint—she feels like what home should feel like. She’s intelligent, graceful, speaks her mind; she listens carefully and talks smartly. No, Jackson is what human should feel like. Perhaps it’s because her insides rage with a fierce empathy for other beings. An empathy born from her own childhood facing racism, where she was often the outsider; the only Black girl on the school bus; the girl always with an eye on her own back. “Either people don’t know, or they don’t remember, that I was born in segregated Virginia,” said Jackson, as she recounted that she was one of the first African Americans to enter an all-white high school. “Before I started high school my exposure to Caucasians was very limited—we had to go to another community to shop or do most things. My grandma was biracial, so she could pass when she wanted; she could go into a restaurant and buy food when we couldn’t. →

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“I fear for my child every day,” said Jackson.

“It’s very real.” “I lived it,” she said of the Civil Rights movement and the racial segregation that existed before laws began changing across America in the 1950s and 1960s, paving the way for today’s protests that are asking, once and for all, to end systemic racism that has plagued Black Americans for centuries. Especially in the South, where Jackson grew up—but that didn’t last long once she was ready for college. “I knew I was not staying in Virginia,” Jackson quipped. “The colleges were just as racist as everything else.” So, Jackson moved to Springfield, Ohio, and received her bachelor of arts degree from Wittenberg University in 1975, before earning her law degree at the George Washington University of Law School in 1978 on a full scholarship. From there, she had a storied career fighting for equality and justice through first the Ohio Attorney General’s office, then as a Civil Rights lawyer, before becoming a Judge at the Municipal Court until 1997. She then spent six years as City Attorney for the city of Columbus, before moving into the nonprofit sector as President and CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio for nearly 18 years. Jackson is also a mother to a 30-year old son. A Black man. “I fear for my child every day,” said Jackson. “It’s very real.” To say she’s seen, lived, and felt it all would be an understatement. “When I was a judge and a city attorney, I shared my story with the schools, because we have so many children who are living in Columbus that live in poverty and they’ve never met a Shannon Hardin (Columbus City Council President) or a Kevin Boyce (Franklin County Commissioner)—there’s a whole list,” Jackson said. “They don’t see people like them in these positions, so they don’t see themselves doing it. 58

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“When I look back at my history, I think we are simply failing our children,” said Jackson. “We are failing so many of our children. They live and die in poverty. Our schools are not equal.” Jackson said that on the bench, she saw discrimination across race and sex—people of color and women. And the number one issue with young men 18-24 years-of-age was a lack of education. Particularly around driving without an operator’s license. “When I started asking a lot of questions, I found out that they couldn’t read well enough to take the driving test,” said Jackson. “So, one thing I used to do was, I would put them on probation and I would require them to learn to read. “I wasn’t trying to fix the licensing; I was hoping my actions would give them a better chance to succeed,” she said. “I was trying to address the underlying issues.” The other issue she saw in her courtroom was poverty. “I am hopeful that in the community there is now an emphasis on workforce development,” said Jackson, who noted that retailers like Target, who recently raised their minimum wage, will start making it possible for people to live on those salaries. “For some people, that will move them out of poverty. What Target did…that’s the kind of corporate change we need.” In fact, Jackson said it will take all the effort of the private sector, not just government, to make real change happen, adding “If we don’t get the private sector fully involved, we can’t move forward.” She’s hoping the education and faith sectors take note as well. “There should be conversations going on in (our churches),” said Jackson. “Children should not be left out in our churches.” And as far as education, it has to be a combined effort in both private and public schools, she said. “Our schools need to make sure they are exposing all children to our true history and our true issues,” said Jackson. “We have to make sure we’re not only educating our children, but we’re being intentional about exposure to different cultures so we can build bridges across the divide.” But it must be everyone coming together for the same cause to make change happen, she said. “Everyone has to be engaged,” she said, adding there is a special training out of the Racial Equity Institute that she feels would benefit many sectors here in Ohio as the state moves forward to end racism. “No one can be left on the sidelines.” And no one can just stand by—there must be action, not just words, she said. “There first needs to be the desire and commitment to learn. What does it mean to be an ally for Black Americans? If you really want to see change in this country and to eliminate racism, you have to play an active role,” she said. “If you’re a true ally, then you have to speak up and speak out, whether it’s a workplace where you observe racist behaviors or speech, or your Uncle at a family barbecue. You can’t be silent if you’re ever going to be an ally. You have to speak up and speak out.” •

Photo by Ryan Jones, Reynoldsburg, snapped this photo of his two daughters, Harper, 5, l, and Logann, 2, on June 14 in front of a piece of art displayed next to the Ohio Theatre in downtown Columbus.

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Photo by Jarrod Carman, 24, of East Linden, currently residing in the heart of campus, took these photos during the June protests in Columbus.

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Kemba Financial Credit Union stands in solidary with Black Owned Businesses.

Protests

by A White Woman

Natalie Harrison, 16 put into art her experience of watching the protests throughout June. The high school student, who supports and encourages equality, used art on her social media channels to show solidarity. •

I know what I’m supposed to say. I’m supposed to talk about the unifying beauty of fists of all colors breaking the air in solidarity; about the signs and the chants and the profound sound of hands slapping chests as we shout out, One Heartbeat! The unmistakable buzz of the masses fighting. Fighting for the release of the breath that cannot be taken until the knee of oppression is lifted off their necks. No Justice. No Peace. We stand, voices raised in unity against the explicit bias of the Authority never addressing that we’ve been complicit in our own implicit bias as we watched from the windows of our white privilege; safe in the color of our skin, reassuring ourselves, I like Black people, this isn’t I Have a Dream re-lived.

I cannot ignore the why. I cannot ignore the hurt and the anger and the tiredness on the faces of my Black brothers and sisters. Their pain is palpable. The idea that freedom means free, so laughable. Step by step. Right Foot. Left foot. This is where we tear down the world our ancestors designed. There is no rebuild. Only new. Say Their Names.

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Linz M, of northeast Columbus, wanted to write something that “while it's beautiful to see so many people coming together to fight for Black lives, it is a fight that white people can enter and exit as they please because they don't have to live it. This is not new. This is not a trend. We cannot forget the WHY in the midst of WHAT we're doing. Systemic racism is a white problem designed by white ancestors and it is time for action; it is time for systemic change.” •

DR. TALISA DIXON Superintendent/CEO, Columbus City Schools

A call to action

for 614 readers & the Class of 2020.

olumbus City Schools has reaffirmed its commitment to the fight to overcome systemic racism and to work tirelessly for change in our schools and in our community. As one of the largest urban school districts in the country, Columbus City Schools must lead the way in spreading hope by educating our young people, not just with the knowledge of content, but most importantly of diversity, inclusiveness, and humanity. It is our responsibility to create the change agents of tomorrow through the education of today. That means we must equip our students with the tools necessary to understand and overcome systemic racism by teaching culturally competent and historically accurate curriculum, especially about the city and country that they will one day lead. We also must be forward-thinking and proactive in addressing the inequities and disparities that persist within our school district. As superintendent, together with the support of the Board of Education, equity and cultural competency are our priorities. We are committed to making meaningful, forward-thinking changes that address racism, sexism, and gender- and religious-based biases inside and outside of our classrooms. In my commencement address to the Class of 2020, I asked each student to join me by making their own commitment to be an agent of change. I ask you, the reader, to make that same commitment right now. Even though the world may appear scary, ugly, and without hope, my confidence and optimism in our community’s rising leaders of tomorrow to help achieve fairness, equality and social justice has never been stronger. We need immediate change and we need long-term, lasting change. In fact, we must demand both. We cannot stay the same as individuals if we are to transform as a community and as a society. Commitment to change is personal and requires self-examination. Take the time to think about the best way to live your truth, spark your passion, and make a difference. A quote from President Barack Obama as told by Michele Obama in her book, “Becoming,” speaks to this truth: “Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be?” My call, my challenge, to this generation, especially the Class of 2020, is the commitment to the latter.

Be the change. Take us forward. SAVE THE DATE!

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I Fit the Description W

hen I was a 13-year-old boy, I was stopped by a white police officer during winter break walking from home to basketball practice at Memorial Junior High School in South Euclid, Ohio. My mother decided to take a chance and moved us to a predominantly white neighborhood just three years earlier, primarily in search of a better long term educational experience. My experience with the police was certainly educational, but obviously not the variety of education that my mom had hoped for. Apparently, I fit the description of someone that just minutes earlier, had stolen a car from a local car collision repair shop. How did I fit the description? Was it because I was 6’1” and I styled my hair like Allen Iverson in cornrows (I miss that hair)? Maybe it was my hooded sweatshirt sticking out of my oversized Nautica coat.

Or maybe it was simply because I was a Black male close to a crime and fit the most recognizable component of the description..."Black man". The officer immediately turned on his sirens, yelling through the speaker “Get your hands up! Don’t move!” His patrol car impeded my ability to continue walking at the crosswalk, as he hopped out and aggressively drew his firearm continuing to shout “DON'T MOVE!” He shouted and contentiously asked for my ID and when I couldn’t produce one (remember, I was 13), he put me in the back of his

cruiser. By this time back-up had arrived and a 10-minute conversation ensued between the two officers. They decided that Officer #2 would drive back to the auto shop, pick up the owner, and bring him back to determine whether or not I was the criminal. The 20-plus minutes I spent waiting in the back of that cramped police car for the owner to arrive felt like 20 hours. When the owner of the auto shop arrived, I saw that he was white, too. He was hesitant, almost seemingly attempting to transform my face into the lawbreaker’s, but came to the conclusion that I wasn’t the guy. The officers proceeded to let me out the back of the cruiser, and candidly said, “Make sure you stay out of trouble!” I’m sure you can imagine all of the emotions that would be common for a situation like this. Anger and fear primarily. If I’m being honest, the only thing I was scared of was being late for practice and having to run extra sprints. I somehow let it go immediately. Was I giving them a “mistakes happen” pass? Did I give them the traditional benefit of the doubt “I can see why they stopped me”...? Did I bury it and attribute it to being Black and “That’s just the way it goes?” Or maybe it was because a year prior, a white police officer showed up to my house, after I dialed 9-1-1, with extraordinary care and concern for my mom’s well-being after her boyfriend broke her nose with one cowardly blow to her face. He helped escort my mom and I to the ambulance and even stuck around the rest of the day just in case that $%@% came back. Please forgive my language. Whatever the case, I didn't allow my

by Roy Hall anger, frustration, confusion, or feeling of helplessness stop me from getting to practice; from accomplishing my mission. In my mind, practice led to great performances, which would carry over into high school, which could earn me a scholarship to a great college like THE Ohio State University, which would put me in position to make it to the NFL, which would allow me to generate enough income to protect my mom for the rest of her life. Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond. I know it sounds silly, but as a 13-year-old I knew I had to let that experience go in order to move forward with my inner motivation, to be the greatest student-athlete my city had ever seen. There were two attributes of mental toughness that assisted me in accelerating my healing and my ability to move forward quickly, and I believe they will help you as well. Love and Forgiveness. The story goes: A strong man, armed to the teeth, equipped with hate and evil as his weapons of choice, is guarding his recently acquired stolen property. If a stronger man approaches, with more experience and superior weapons (love and forgiveness), he will overtake the strong man and take back what was stolen. Love and forgiveness are the unexpected superior weapons that will conquer hate, evil, and racism. Let me explain in a different way. Have you ever heard the story of David and Goliath? If you haven’t, the condensed version is a scrawny teenager, David, defeated a great warrior, Goliath (8 feet

Roy Hall, Executive Director of the Driven Foundation in Columbus Hall founded Driven Foundation in 2008 with former NFL and Ohio State University teammate Antonio Smith. The Driven Foundation has provided over 1,000,000 pounds of free food to over 8,000 families in Central Ohio; distributed 2,500 backpacks with school supplies to students in need; and leads 12 youth development and character building programs throughout Ohio. Additionally, the Driven Foundation’s speakers travel the country, helping audiences reach their goals and add value to their teams through its ELITE leadership and discipline strategies. Driven partners with leaders and innovators in every industry, from Fortune 500 companies to youth groups, to make a difference in the lives of kids and families who need it most.

Learn more at staydriven.org. 64

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“

No more excuses for being silent. Excuses are the crutches of the uncommitted.

Focus on what you need to do and not on how you feel. Reasons for being passive now, open the door for treason later.

“

Kemba Financial Credit Union stands in solidary with Black Owned Businesses.

tall, 400 pounds) in combat with a makeshift slingshot and a few stones instead of using the typical sword. He used an unexpected tactic to take down a seemingly undefeatable opponent. The very thing that Goliath used to sharpen his sword (a stone), was used to shatter his reign. Again, love and forgiveness are the unexpected weapons that will shatter the reign of racism. Removing concrete statues is impactful, but until we remove the "statue" of unforgiveness in our hearts, the monument of hurt will always remain. Highly paid public relations teams unify vowels and consonants to produce a cavalcade of sentences in official statements that promote love and declare an allegiance to equality; but until people empathize and grieve with Black people whose families and relationships were destroyed publicly through senseless acts of violence, injustice, and murder, those words on the page are as worthless as a pair of Jim Harbaugh’s Walmart khakis in a Buckeye Cruise silent auction. No more excuses for being silent. Excuses are the crutches of the uncommitted. Focus on what you need to do and not on how you feel. Reasons for being passive now, open the door for treason later. Can’t you feel the vibration of the incipient change in our country? Silence is not an option.

Are you willing to be a difference maker? Are you willing to sacrifice relationships with family and friends to stand up for what’s right? Are you willing to volunteer, make financial contributions, and offer your area of expertise to organizations that are empowering and strengthening the black community? Are you willing to love and forgive? Are you willing? If the answer is yes, you probably fit the description of the person that stole the solution for a better future. Now use it. Evil and hate chaperone racism, but love and forgiveness will escort change. 65

There is legitimate precedent to rename Ohioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital BY ZAK KOLESA R P HOTOS BY J UL I A N FOG L I ET T I

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t takes a collective force for change to happen. We’ve found that out firsthand in our city and in many major cities around the world through the summer months of 2020. Weeks of protests have already led to the statues of Christoper Columbus coming down and Juneteenth replacing Columbus Day as a national paid holiday in Franklin County. All of that has been a direct effect of emboldened protesters pushing for change. The voice of the majority is winning out, and is it too ridiculous to think that their voices could soon force a name change on our city? When (614) asked Columbus to vote on the matter, more than 5,000 of you chimed in and gave Carmen, Ohio, the laser-thin lead over Flavortown. Yes, the Flavortown popularized by eccentric Food Network star and frosted-tip legend—the one, the only, Columbus ex-pat Guy Fieri. But, the real winners were the writein votes. We here at (614) deeply appreciate your clever new names for our great city. See the Editor’s choice list. We got everything from STOOPIDVILLE and Dumbassliberalville to the serious ones amongst you who heavily favored Tecumseh and Capital City. Some 30 percent of you begged us not to rename the city at all (though we have nothing to do with that anyway) and one very annoyed reader who commented, “Please don’t encourage this nonsense. Someone is apt to take you seriously.” Well, someone already took the idea of renaming the city seriously before we ever printed a word. Right now on change.org, there’s a petition with nearly 80,000 signatures, as of publication, asking the city of Columbus to change its name to the more wholesome namesake of Flavortown. Tyler Woodbridge, the self-proclaimed Flavortown ambassador of Tennessee, is a Columbus ex-pat himself. “Tradition is just peer pressure from the dead, from generations past,” Woodbridge said. “Names and identities are fluid. In this day and age, we should embrace our truths and live it as loudly as Guy Fieri would want us to.” From a branding standpoint, a lot of local companies would stand a lot to lose by giving up on Columbus. Would Experience Columbus shift its marketing plan to Experience Tecumseh? Would we see the Crew run onto the pitch with blazing bowling shirts? As of now, the Columbus Blue Jackets haven’t discussed the possibility of the Carmen Blue Jackets, or any other new name, according to Todd Sharrock, vice president of communications and team services, but, come on, wouldn’t you be curious to see that sweater on the ice? Bottom line: There IS precedent for a city to change its name. In Ohio, it’s happened four times in the state’s 217-year history. Losantiville became Cincinnati in 1790, the earliest of Ohio name changes. In 1836 a Cleveland newspaper dropped an “a” after the first “e” to become the city’s official spelling. And when you see that Dublin was once Sellstown and Shelby was once Gamble’s Mill, it makes you wonder if John Sells or James Gamble were no-good doers. Sells wasn’t, according to Tom Holton, president of the Dublin Historical Society–the city was officially named Dublin in order for Sells to be able to sell territory in the Columbus Gazette Newspaper. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico—formerly Hot Springs— found out the true democratic nature of what it takes to have a city’s name changed back in 1950, well before trolls thought it would be the ultimate meme to get a dead gorilla elected into office (Rest In Power, Harambe).

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According to a librarian from Truth or Consequences (the city, not the show), the game show host of the program of the same name Ralph Edwards promised to hold the premiere of the 10th anniversary of the show in whatever town renamed itself after the quirky game show program. The city even began throwing a yearly fiesta for the beloved TV icon.

“Tradition is just peer pressure from the dead, from generations’ past,” Woodbridge said. “Names and identities are fluid. In this day and age, we should embrace our truths and live it as loudly as Guy Fieri would want us to.” When put to the test, the town of Hot Springs, New Mexico, exercised a democratic vote, in which over 81 percent of those who turned out voted for the name change. With nearly 90 towns in the United States already named Hot Springs, and the process of switching over zip codes being a task no one wants to take on, Truth or Consequences has stuck for the past 70 years. It’s really not that far off from thinking that a capital city, and a populous one at that, is immune from having its namesake taken away. As we’ve seen over the past month, a spark can go a long way in igniting substantial and permanent change. Two Christopher Columbus statues have already come down and Columbus Day is no more, in favor of Juneteenth. So the idea that changing our fair city’s name is not as science fiction as one may think. In fact, it may be the next new thing. •

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Top 25 Names YOU suggested

1 2 3 4 5

Beloved, OH — Hard not to love a city that is attributed to both Toni Morrison and Saeed Jones. Wyandot, Shawnee, or Tecumseh, OH — Or as one reader stated, “Anything Native American.” his Is the Dumbest Poll Ever, USA — Sir, have T you read all the dumb polls in the USA to know the dumbest should be our city’s name? est Pittsburgh, OH — We see what you did W there, ma’am. Smackdab, OH — The vintage comic book feel of this makes it exceptionally qualified. Can you imagine the Experience Smackdab campaigns we could make out of this?

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

owtown, CowTown, Cowlumbus, Cowpie, C Kowtown, Kolumbus, Kowlumbus, OH — Really?

olumbus 2.0, OH — How very iterative C of you, sir. Construction, OH — Clearly you live in the Short North. Bad Drivers, OH — I wish I could argue with this. atbus, OH — My vote stops here. #Catbus C #LOLCats

iddle Earth, OH — Well, we are building the M film industry here.

15 16 17 18

No — I appreciate your brevity, Ma’am. Ohio City, OH — I mean, New York did it. apital City, OH — Because we really need C people to know Cleveland isn’t. Also: The Capital City Clippers? Not bad. Sciotangy, OH — Olen-oto? Seabus, OH — Clever, sir, we get it. rch City, OH — We do have a lot of them, but A St. Louis still has the one and only. h for Fuck’s Sake, OH — City name and O slogan all in one!

Other honorable mentions: Mostly Cloudy, OH Gotham City, OH Are you kidding? Bobcat, OH

Upper Worthreygadubville Pickhillport City, OH Jello with Mixed Fruit, OH Deez Nuts, OH

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COhatch Redefines Cowork COVID gives rise to new opportunities BY J. R . M C M I L L A N P HOTOS P R OV I D ED BY CO H ATC H

Rendering of Dublin location. (provided)

oworking is collaborative by design. It’s the intersection of independence and interdependence. In many ways, it emerged as the clever alternative to corporate cubicles or home offices, offering the advantages of both without the overhead or isolation. Like every industry built around bringing people together, the climb now seems more steep for businesses based on communal space when the world and the way we work still seem so far apart. Yet, state-level limitations on social interaction and occupancy often seem at

Upper Arlington Look Out Room. (provided)

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odds with restarting businesses shuddered for months. But COhatch sees it differently. Among the first such endeavors in Central Ohio, coworking creates the opportunity to address concerns about ongoing costs and loss of corporate culture. Established businesses, once flush, are now facing an uncertain recovery the same as already strapped small businesses and nonprofits. Reducing expenses through an innovative approach to space was already an advantage COhatch had in its favor. Now, with newfound value among traditional enterprises of every size, the COhatch model could become the new standard. “It's not going to be a 20,000 square-foot dedicated office space,” explained CEO Matt Davis, suggesting the future of business may become more flexible. “It could be two private meeting spaces on each side of town with a creative lab and 35 coworking passes. But if you're willing to rethink how you want to work, we're willing to create something that fits.” Supporting philanthropic efforts remains a crucial part of their own culture, more so with the current crisis pushing donations to unprecedented lows for many charitable organizations. Dozens of nonprofits also call COhatch home, leveraging evening meeting space and their network of members.There’s also a remodeled, vintage Airstream already used by local charities for mobile legal clinics, résumé writing workshops, even free haircuts for those in need. “We’re trying to help businesses and nonprofits rebuild together. We need people doing good things, and we can’t let them fail,” Davis explained. “I'm blown away by how many of our members are active in philanthropy. Our nonprofit scholarships are probably one of the most rewarding things we have done. It helps us extend our mission of a balanced life into the communities where we work.” Like the larger economy, COhatch is built around small businesses and recently launched its “No Small Business Left Behind” campaign with a 75 percent discount for the first month, 50 percent the second month, and a 25 percent discount the third month. Davis described it as a 90-day opportunity to reconnect with clients and generate revenue gradually without the pressure of additional expense. “COhatch was built by small business owners. We're not this large company that sits back and just looks at spreadsheets asking each other

how to optimize,” explained Davis, who remains reluctant when it comes to the “coworking” moniker, considering their larger mission beyond shared square footage. “We were also a group of friends trying to find a better way for our customers to live a balanced life.” Anyone who has longingly hoped for years to work from home has probably had some buyers remorse in the past few months. That looming pile of laundry and sink full of dishes are the silent distractions companies have always feared would undermine productivity. Now even skeptical remote workers are growing sympathetic to such concerns as the lines that define work-life balance become more blurred. “We pride ourselves on being able to relate with small business owners. We built the kind of environment that allows us to thrive and get the most out of our abilities,” he noted. “So that's why we've spent a lot of time trying to build spaces in the heart of communities where people live. If you live in Dublin, you may want to work in Dublin, not downtown.” Dublin isn’t an arbitrary example. COhatch has quickly grown to five offices in Central Ohio, with Easton and Dublin among their latest, a new location near Dayton, and expansion into Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis already underway. But these also aren’t cookie-cutter concepts. Their original Worthington locations were once a library and a hardware store, and the Polaris space is a former pub. “The Market” in Springfield is the reimagination of a century-old public market now featuring fresh produce, a shared kitchen, and local eateries as well as open and private office space. COhatch doesn’t cover up their character. They embrace it, incorporating it into the brand. “We're launching a whole new marketplace where members can sell goods and services. You can advertise or fund your startup. Everyone loves the whole buy local movement, but no one ever really says support your local freelancer,” Davis explained. “So we want to try to get back to smaller communities and build tools to make small businesses more visible and relevant. I actually don't like being called a coworking space because we’re so much more. Nothing is really out of scope for us.” •

“

We've spent a lot of time trying to build spaces in the heart of communities where people live.

“

For more on memberships, amenities, and locations, visit cohatch.com

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CAN LOVE

CONQUER COVID?

For better or worse is put to the test as divorce rates rise amid pandemic BY JACK MCLAUGHL I N

ou’ve probably seen the stories in your Facebook feed. Those bold, impact fonts that hijack your attention as you wearily glance at your partner, quarantined in sweats and no haircut for weeks, before haplessly clicking on the seemingly truthful headline: PANDEMIC DOOMS MARRIAGES. It seems logical, doesn’t it? Quarantine has been tough on all of us. Many have lost jobs; some struggle emotionally; hoarders took all the TP; we’re stuck with our partners and our children 24/7—it’s a lot to take. And, sadly, for many, the relationship that once bound them eternally may not be able to withstand the unique and devastating pressures of quarantine. For Ronald R. Petroff, managing partner of the Columbus-based Petroff Law Offices, the number of divorce filings his practice handles has risen roughly 15 percent in June, just four

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months after the stay-at-home order was issued by Governor Mike DeWine. While this is a notable spike, Petroff doesn’t attribute all of it to quarantine-related issues “Because we’re seeing people get stimulus checks plus unemployment benefits, counterintuitively some people have more liquid cash than they did before,” he said, allowing them to initiate divorce proceedings that may have been decided on long ago. And for those who feel a legal split is the best option, the Franklin County Domestic Courts— despite being in a phase of “curtailed operation”— have remained open throughout the pandemic. In fact, due to procedure changes within the county’s domestic courts that allow lawyers inside the courthouse for a maximum of 30 minutes, unless they’re seeing to a contested trial (a move that has been strictly enforced), the courts are actually operating with increased productivity. “There’s never been a better time than now to file,” Petroff said. “The court system is more streamlined and less backlogged.” Columbus divorce and custody lawyer Catherine White agreed. “You know how everyone always says that counties are a mess —I actually couldn’t be more impressed with how

Franklin County is handling this,” she said. “Their organization and efficiency right now is impeccable.” White went on to advise couples to not make a rash decision during the pandemic, even if you’ve got the cash, the courts are smooth, and things look bleak at home. “I kind of caution people as a divorce attorney, especially when they're cooped up at home together all day, that they can’t get divorced as a knee-jerk reaction.” In fact, David Bowers, a marriage and family therapist with a PhD from Ohio State University, who will be opening a new practice called Thriveworks Polaris in July, weighed in on how to avoid a too-quick jump to divorce following quarantine. Marriage and family counselor Yvonne Judge added expert advice as well. “Don’t make any lasting relationship decisions based on quarantine,” said Judge. “We’re all kind of different right now; everything is different right now, and who knows if a lot of these issues won’t resolve themselves when things go back to normal.” Other pointers include focusing on communication, now more than ever. Opening up, Judge says, may reveal an easy solution to a previously difficult problem. Establishing boundaries with partners can also be critically important during a time when many of our boundaries have been dissolved. Some of us just need focused alone time to recharge. And while the pandemic can restrict the things we’re able to do, Bowers says finding any sort of new activity to do as a couple, such as exploring a downtown park, could be helpful. What both clinicians also agree on is that the pandemic isn’t a destructive force with a bullseye locked on all the otherwise happy couples in Central Ohio. Extended time together—like people are currently experiencing—likely isn’t creating many new problems out of a vacuum, they say, but instead it often causes existing issues to boil over. “I’ve seen that the quarantine has acted a lot like a magnifying glass in relationships, bringing into focus the negatives, but also the positives,” Bowers said. And there are important positives, he says. First, while issues can be pushed into the spotlight when we’re forced to be

“Don’t make any lasting relationship decisions based on quarantine. We’re all kind of different right now; everything is different right now." together all the time, we should still attempt to appreciate just how often we’re able to see our families and significant others. This can actually help some couples with their issues, he said. Bowers also noted that during the pandemic, clients have been more willing to seek help, and more willing to open themselves up in order to truly address their issues. “What I’m seeing is couples that are making really good progress in what they want to work through during all of this,” he said. Even if it’s virtual. Not surprisingly, he noted for those seeking help that there are real differences in remote counseling sessions versus traditional ones. “When you’re with a person or a couple you get to see the whole person, you don’t just see a talking head. There’s a lot more you notice,” he said. To communicate better and more naturally with his patients, Bowers has even carefully adjusted the camera angle he uses for telehealth sessions so that patients are able to watch his body and hands while he’s talking. “A lot of these meetings require more from the clinician’s end. It takes a lot more focus, we’re still learning and adjusting.” According to Judge, COVID may actually help get more folks into counseling. “Some don’t want to have a session online, but I’ve noticed others, who normally live too far away to meet regularly, are coming on.” COVID may have been the catalyst that caused you to re-think why you married your partner, but it could also be the thing that brings you back together. Maybe go buy a pack of TP, change out of those old sweats into a new pair that doesn’t have rips and stains, and go ahead and wash that hair—perhaps love is in the air after all. • SAVE THE DATE!

RESTAURANT WEEK

AUGUST 10-15 2020

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