March '17: Unapologetic by The BLACK ACE Magazine

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table of contents 03

editors’ note

poetry

editor-in-chief

Abeke Teyibo teyiboabeke@gwmail.gwu.edu

assistant editor Abenna Nuamah sabenaa@gwmail.gwu.edu Shynelle Kissi shynelle_k@gwmail.gwu.edu

IF I AM ME

on campus

copy editor

BLACK GIRL MAGIC

Leslie Ogu leslie0523@gwmail.gwu.edu

NAVIGATING BLACKNESS AND STUDY ABROAD DERAY MCKESSON

photography

education

Devan Cole devancole6@gwmail.gwu.edu Lauryn Hill lhill4@gwmail.gwu.edu Michael Ferrier michaelferrier@gwmail.gwu.edu Sydney Lawson sydneynlawson@gwmail.gwu.edu

FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHT TO EXTIST COLORISM AND ACTIVISM

social SOUL REVUE FINALE

promotional team

political

Michael Ferrier michaelferrier@gwmail.gwu.edu

ATHLECTICS AND ACTIVISM

entertainment

business manager

BLACK IS BACK

Maxwell Young maxwellyoung@gwmail.gwu.edu

creative work

creative director

TO MAKE IT TO HEAVEN

Angel Veliz sdotfly@gmail.com | www.sdotfly.com

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faculty advisor Professor Robin Marcus

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social media

The Ace Magazine is funded in part by a generous grant from Generation Progress, a national organization that works with and for young people to promote progressive solutions to key political and social challenges.

We’re looking for new staff!

Email us personally or at thenewace@ gmail.com if you’re interested in writing, reporting, photography, design, publication, or simply in helping out the premier publication of the multicultural community at GW!

editors’ notes

topic

As the first, and only, multicultural magazine at GW, the ACE Magazine aims to share the happenings, accomplishments, and struggles of the multicultural community. This issue specifically focuses on the Black community in honor of GW’s Black Heritage Celebration. Through a collection of photos and articles, it chronicles the events from the celebration, as well as portrays the various perspectives of the Black community. Last month’s celebration stressed how times are changing; and there are new ways to speak out, communicate, and spread awareness. We hope to open a door which can spread awareness and promote understanding and unity between all cultures. With this issue in particular, we hope to emphasize the magical, Unapologetic excellence that is the Black community. - ACE Magazine

The Ace Magazine Mission:

The Ace Magazine connects the multicultural community to the university at-large with contributions from student writers and faculty members. Since 2008, The Ace has sparked discussion between campus groups furthering our belief that “we all have similar issues no matter our color.”

poetry

IF I AM ME By Imani Mack

What if I am a black woman Would my hair be too loud Skin too dark Voice so profound? Thick lips, round nose Curly hair to form a fro My curly hair offends many They expect me not to know any Of the many hardships I may endure Wanting to excel but I am not sure Standing strong with broken backs I just wanted to be black They say I am too pretty to be me For beauty should not be a part of me Oh how I wish that one day we That we can all be truly free For being stripped of our identity Left us with so much serenity

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BLACK GIRL MAGIC By Imani Mack

o define ‘Black Girl Magic’ requires experience as a black woman, dedication to culture, and being strong-willed. The McCartney Affinity truly represents this concept. Ms. McCartney, the first African American woman to graduate from the George Washington University, opened up doors for black women to be recognized as educated and powerful. With this in mind, the affinity was designed to empower women of color as well as to uplift and [T]o be wholly and encourage us to continue unapologetically you, to strive for our education. Black women are brilliant, with an attitude as beautiful, and inspirational. loud as ever or as I am pleased to live amongst such strong women as well quiet as you please. as continuing to empower my community. We all have various meanings of what it means to be ‘Magic’. To some this is interpreted as carefree and confident. Others say it is

important to feel comfortable and beautiful in your own skin, and to be happy being naturally you in any and every way. Imani Ross states that Black Girl Magic is, “to be wholly and unapologetically you, with an attitude as loud as ever or as quiet as you please.” We have all come to the conclusion that this is defined as being true to yourself and not being ashamed of who you are, no matter how loud or timid your personality is. I truly love the girls in the affinity and feel as though we are a family. We are sisters by choice. We laugh together, cry together, study together and there isn’t anything that can replace that bond. We have sincerely grown on each other and learned so many things about one another that make us all great. We inspire and motivate as a whole just by sharing our personal stories. This is definitely the start of something miraculous and I am glad to be a part of it. Black History includes the celebration of Black women.

on campus

NAVIGATING BLACKNESS AND STUDY ABROAD: ONE STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE By Nkechi Okoronkwo

TO TRAVEL IS TO A TAKE A JOURNEY INTO YOURSELF

- DANNY KAYE

tudy abroad is a time for students to lose themselves in the beauty of another way of life; a time when you learn about what motivates you outside of a classroom, to meet new and incredible people, and to confront your values.

But these wonderful experiences are not created equally. Students of color and particularly black students studying abroad face an entirely different set of trials and experiences than the rest of their peers. In Fall 2016, I had the privilege of spending a semester in Jaipur, India studying the different social issues facing Northern India with a group of 14 other students. As a black woman in India and the only black person in my cohort, I felt the weight of my race in a way that I never had before. Everywhere I stepped foot, I was a spectacle. People took pictures of me, pointed, and stared. From the tour guide at the Taj Mahal that sunk his sweaty palms into the afro on my head, to the waiters who only addressed my white counterparts when taking our orders, I learned that people had opinions about my blackness and my womanhood, and they weren’t afraid of expressing them. It is difficult for black students to manage adapting to a new culture, schoolwork, and engaging with the inner and outer dialogue about their identity abroad. me the majority I learned that people Itof took my semester for me had opinions about to realize that I simply have the energy to my blackness and didn’t address every instance of my womanhood, and racial injustice or slight I experienced.

they weren’t afraid of expressing them.

ever study abroad in India again?

And so we arrive at the ultimate question: would I

The answer is a thousand times yes—and I would encourage other students of color to as well. In the wake of my discomfort and confusion, I was forced to look inward and assess parts of my identity that I had always taken for granted. I grew more than I could ever imagine and was lucky enough to invite people on my journey with me.

on campus

DERAY MCKESSON: ORGANIZING AT SCALE By Maxwell Young

lens. And in 140 characters or less, we can inform the whole word that Beyonce is pregnant with twins. For a long time, information was asymmetrical. Information was controlled and disseminated by institutions like media syndicates and the federal government, manipulating the way it was perceived. Malcolm X was conveyed through nightly news channels as a militant Muslim, while the mass incarceration pervasive through the 1980s was disguised as “the war on drugs.” Individuals, and more specifically oppressed peoples, were voiceless—plugged into equations that widened the margin of white supremacy. In 2017, the media is everyone and information is everywhere. The violent persecution of colored peoples can no longer be misconstrued. In 2017, video footage of New York police officers strangling and suffocating Eric Garner, who desperately cries out, “I can’t breathe,” is a viral reminder of police brutality thanks to YouTube and Twitter sharing. In 2017, students from across the country can stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement by posting statuses on Facebook. McKesson has become the figurehead of activism in the digital age. The blue Patagonia vest he wears every day has quickly become his identifier, like the late Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck, dad jeans, and New Balance sneakers ensemble he wore during Apple product launches. “I have the single biggest platform of [activist] individuals. I had about 800,000 followers on Twitter when I started in the protests… and I became known as the guy in the blue vest to people. It’s a safety blanket,” he says of the jacket. “I’ve never not had it overnight.”

ivil rights activist DeRay McKesson, presented the keynote address for George Washington University’s thirteenth annual Black Heritage Celebration. Open to all students and alumni from GW, students from Georgetown and Howard joined, and gathered in Betts Theater to listen to the significance of ideas and how disenfranchised peoples can build power. The social media generation is barely thirteen years old, though it has revolutionized the way people share information. In 2004, Facebook defined what a social network meant. Users could interact with people from around the world on “walls” or uploaded photographs that represented a digital footprint of their lives. The first YouTube video recorded in 2005 has engendered millions of visual journalists telling stories on the platform through a unique

“I think about social media activism as our way to push back,” said McKesson. “As people of color, we’ve always faced this issue of an eraser. An eraser manifests in one of two ways: one, is that the story is never told and two, that the story is told by everyone but us. In this moment, we became the un-erased. We became our own storytellers, and we were able to push our own ideas.” McKesson is leading a new wave of activism in the United States. From protests in Ferguson, MO. and Baltimore, MD. Following the deaths of Mike Brown and Freddie Gray to fiery debates with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, the Baltimore native has been a fixture in the conversations of police brutality and Black Lives Matter. These conversations are more about how to enact change as opposed to deriding societal institutions and issues. He says, “When I hear people talk about the work of dismantling oppressive systems, I feel like people get the ‘dismantle’ part really well. But the build part is two pronged: one, we have to think about what these institutions would look like and two, we have to have a set of people ready to lead them. It’s not enough to have people ready to tear them down…How do we create the next set of people

on campus

people. Your co-workers, your neighbors, or your friends are those who change the hearts and minds of others.

who can build? That has to be a part of the work.” McKesson has been tinkering on a national scale with the way in which these new ideas and institutions can be organized. In 2015, the 31-year old launched “Mapping Police Violence,” which is a website that collects data on people killed by police. Moreover, to enforce the messages An eraser manifests of the Black Lives Matter movement, McKesson and in one of two ways: his team created Campaign one, is that the story Zero—a ten-point policy plan for police reform. is never told and two, Campaign Zero has already that the story is told aided in the implementation of reform, as the police by everyone but us. chief of Orlando, FL changed the police department’s policy on use of force following a meeting with the organization.

“We believe that the best idea wins,” he said. “That the right idea will somehow magically be the idea that wins. And history tells us that’s not true. The idea we fight for the most is the idea that wins. The idea that we beat into people’s head over and over again is the idea that wins.” The organization of these notions of equality and racial justice is what McKesson aims to accomplish next. “The work of our celebrities and the people who make the culture have to be a real part of how we organize…their platforms are so big that every time they offer ideas, they offer more people to participate in the conversation. What would it look like to have canvases in every neighborhood in America ready to change hearts and minds, ready to push people and ideas? What would it look like to have nationwide telephone banks, so that people can mobilize at the drop of a hat? That to me is what real organizing would look like in this moment.”

Ideas don’t just seep into the American conscious though. There’s a battle of ideas all around us. The ideas of white supremacy and ‘making America great again’ war against ideas of equality and civil rights. Ideas are indoctrinated into American society because of

education

FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHT TO EXIST By Abeke Teyibo

n honor of the Black Heritage Celebration, on February 20th, the Brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. educated the audience with a viewing of the documentary The Black Panther Party.

The Black Panther Party was founded as a means to protect the black community against unjust brutality from police officers and other white supremacist groups. What the media did not show was that the Party not only protected their citizens, but also fed the hungry, educated children, and created neighborhood programs such as reconstructing ghettos, and creating The Black Panther the safer and healthier Party was founded as environments.

a means to protect the black community against unjust brutality from police officers and other white supremacist groups.

Some of these “survival programs” included factors such as food giveaways, free health clinics, and free breakfast for children and the poor. Although their actions are seen as just, society has labeled them as an antigovernment militancy. The misconceptions of their purpose have started a lot of controversy in the news. Currently, some groups still label and view the party as a terrorist group, but as more people are

starting to notice the amount of police brutality in the media, the viewpoint about the Black Panther Party is starting to change. The Panther’s are brave enough to stand up for themselves socially and politically. Their bravery is used as an example across the world that you as a citizen have the right to protect yourself from an unjust system.

education

COLORISM AND ACTIVISM By Lauryn Hill

thought of as a privilege, I love my skin and I am grateful for it.”

ou go out into the sun. It’s fine. That is supposed to happen,” said Lauren Battle, a sophomore at The George Washington University.

The event opened with a video that featured people from different ethnic backgrounds and how their darker skin tone, relative to their ethnicity, has affected their lives.

Battle said that as she was growing up, she found herself saying, “I need to put on sunscreen, I don’t want to get darker.” As she got older, she started saying it less.

The two proctors, Tyler Staton, Public Relations Chair of Crown of Glory and Breonna Glover, a community service chair from NCNW, led the discussion on how colorism might have helped or hindered activists’ abilities to gain a massive platform as a result of their skin tone.

Battle was one among nearly 30 people attending a discussion surrounding colorism and activism, an event that was part of GW’s Black Heritage Celebration.

The discussion turned towards Jesse Williams, an actor famous for his role as Jackson Avery on Grey’s Anatomy. His speech at the 2016 BET Awards was played on the screen, which had the room quiet, and listening. The night the BET awards were aired, Williams stunned social media with his words of wisdom and ended his speech with his infamous line, “Just because we are magic, does not mean we’re not real.”

The student organizations Crown of Glory and The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) joined together to host the discussion, which was held in the Multicultural Students Services Center on February 7th. “I never thought that my skin tone has made things easier, if anything, it’s been a hindrance,” said Battle. “I guess now it could be

education Many of the people at the discussion claimed to have seen the speech prior to the event, and followed social media that night. While the speech left some viewers in awe, it was discussed that others felt Williams was only to successfully give that I think I am able speech because of his lighter understanding my skin tone.

privilege more each day regarding my light skin because I am just realizing that people see me that way.

Haben Kelati, a sophomore at GW, said she did not think all the negative or positive reaction to Williams’ speech was related to one factor.

“However, I do think he got so much attention because of his lighter complexion,” she said. “And he has definitely acknowledged his privilege in the past.” The talk about Jesse Williams led the group to discuss three case studies, which analyzed the impact of activists and whether or not their skin tone had a role in their success. The case studies included: David Banner versus T.I, Jesse Williams versus DeRay McKesson, and Angela Davis versus Nina Simone. Many people claimed to have known T.I. more so than Banner because he has a bigger social media presence, despite Banner acting in roles including This Christmas and having famous hits such as Get Like Me and Like a Pimp. Both are southern rappers who emerged to mainstream media during the early 2000s. The group also agreed that that Williams and McKesson are both activists in their own way. The only difference was that McKesson had to create a platform and William’s platform already existed because of his acting role as Jackson Avery. The same was discussed between Angela Davis and Nina Simone and the group concluded that Davis was an activist that was more provocative in her actions, where Simone used her music platform to artfully voice her opinions on current political movements. In these cases, the group concluded that these particular case studies did not come down to colorism’s effect, but rather one’s field and how they molded activism into it.

Staton, one of the proctors, also shared her personal views on herself surrounding the topic of colorism. During high school, her peers viewed her as having brown skin because they were “paler” than she was. Since coming to college, her new peers have told her that she was light skinned. “It’s something I have had to realize,” said Staton. “Of course I have understood I had a privilege not just in my complexion but in class as well. I think I am understanding my privilege more each day regarding my light skin because I am just realizing that people see me that way.” Staton said that overall the event was “healthy” as it provided a space for students to vent about controversial topics regarding colorism.

social

SOUL REVUE

GOING BACK IN TIME!

social

FINALE

Black Prom

social

political

ATHLETICS AND ACTIVISM By Taylor Williams

social media activism are the stakes truly the same? Social media has enabled everyone to passively engage in activism. It’s very easy to retweet or tag a picture with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, but are these passive forms of activism truly beneficial to the marginalized communities? Additionally, one has to consider are we too harsh of critics on athletes, and are we measuring activism by what we see on social media, or active donation and active participation?

thletics and activism have been interconnected for decades. The first and arguably most iconic display of activism happened at the 1968 Olympics when athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their left fists in a black power salute during the medal ceremony. In subsequent years, there have been numerous displays of activism within the athletic sphere. On Monday, February 13th, Kevin Merida, Editor-in-Chief of the Undefeated, senior NFL writer for ESPN Jason Reid, and co-host of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption”, Michael Wilbon, joined GW for a conversation on activism, sports, and the It’s very easy to intersection of the two worlds.

Perhaps the most famous activist within the sports world today is Colin Kaepernick, his decision to take a knee during the national anthem has been controversial, and labeled by some as unpatriotic. However, it is hard to measure the success of Kaepernick’s activism, while he has certainly caused discussion and stirred controversy, the panelist questioned if Kaepernick undermined himself by choosing not to vote. Kaepernick is just one example of the interplay of activism and professional sports, however, do we hold our athletes at too high of a standard when we expect them to speak out on every issue, and as a culture should we need to know how to look for activism outside of sports? Additionally, how politically educated are our athletes for them to create a meaningful platform for change? Has social media delegated and tainted our view of what constitutes activism simply to what is visible on social media? Ultimately, the political and social climate we live in today has made it possible for anyone to engage in activism, it is easier today for our athletes to be activist because there is no one lone voice, and the stakes are not as high for activism as they were at that Olympics in 1968.

retweet or tag a picture with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, but are these passive forms of activism truly beneficial to the marginalized communities?

While many have questioned if activism and sports should coexist, the panelist argued that prejudice has always existed in sports, justifying the need for activism. They also pondered what the cost of activism is and how it shapes the careers of the athletes engaging in it. In 1968, the cost of activism for Tommie Smith and John Carlos may have been great, yet in today’s age of

entertainment

BLACK IS BACK. AND HERE TO STAY By Victoria Akosile

frican American centered sitcoms are no stranger to TV screens. Going back to the 70s with shows like Good Times and The Jefferson’s, and moving into the late 80s mid 90s era where we saw shows move from the strictly family based sitcoms like The Cosby Show, to shows targeted at capturing young adults through Martin, Fresh Prince and A Different World. The next wave of shows were seen in the early to mid 2000s when UPN was still around with shows such as The Parkers, Moesha, and options such as My Wife and Kids and The Bernie Mac show were available. Even Everybody Hates Chris, which was among a wave of newer shows, ended eight years ago in 2009. But recently, with the help of people like Shonda Rhimes, Ava Duvernay, Issa Rae and many others, black faces on TV are starting to be a norm, and different facets of the what it’s like to be an African American are shown. There are currently quite a few shows that center around black characters, each which are different, and offer a little something for everyone. For example shows like Empire (Fox) and Queen Sugar (OWN) cater to those who like drama series. Black-ish is a very family oriented comedy that looks into the life and struggles of upper-middle class black families, while shows like Atlanta and Insecure portray the everyday life of young adults trying to find their place in the world. These shows not only add more black faces on TV, but the shows are also diverse in what they cover and how they approach different topic areas. For example, let’s look at one of my personal favorites, Issa Rae’s breakout series Insecure. Before she had that hit show, she had a mini youtube series called “Awkward Black Girl” and let me tell you, I’ve have never seen anything that I’ve related to so much in my life. Away from the Reality Shows and traditional “black family sitcoms”, Rae’s show is unique because it shows regular black people living their life. “I liked the show because it was relatable and something different from the usual way you see black people portrayed on TV” said Lisamarie Wright, a junior who has watched the entire season 1. “It was people just living lives like the rest of I think it’s important their us do” she continued. for young kids to see Lisamarie is one of the that thought this people that look like many way. HBO reported that them so they know Insecure first episode drew millions views and that it’s something inhas1.18 received critical acclaim they can do too. receiving 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and nomination for a Golden Globe, and multiple NAACP Image awards. This is just one of the many examples that represent what could be a shift in television. It’s almost as if network producers suddenly realized that black people watch TV too, and that maybe --just

maybe-- there should be shows that reflect and portray their experiences. It’s actually amazing that it took them this long. I mean I guess you can only remake Friends so many times *coughs at How I Met Your Mother*. But better late than never right? And it seems like the timing couldn’t be more perfect. At at time where #Black Girl Magic and #CareFree Black Boys are everywhere. It’s important that black faces are visible in the television industry. “I think it’s important for young kids to see people that look like them so they know that it’s something they can do too.” says Breonna Glover, a criminal justice major. And not only are our faces visible, but being recognized. This year alone has seen a number of successes for black TV actors. Donald Glover took home two Golden Globes for Atlanta, and also won Critics Choice Awards, NAACP Image Awards, among other nominations. Blackish has been nominated for dozens of awards since it aired, and has won Emmys, and Golden Globes. “I think shows like these are important because it shows that not all black people are the same. We are multidimensional and there isn’t one thing that represents what the black experience is” Breonna added. This is very important. Too often black experiences can be reduced and over told story of a hard life, with even harder obstacles to go through. But through shows like Blackish, Insecure, Atlanta and many others that are currently on air, it is proving that black families, black faces, and black experiences are here to stay.

creative work

TO MAKE IT TO HEAVEN By Simone Hobson

My father, hovered by the police, searches for air -- I Can’t Breathe! -Like the queens and kings before him, dragged from their homes, knives to throat. Slave ship, 1619 -Hear his silent thoughts of wicked cursing, hissing I Can’t Breathe! His wife pleading against the bare deck, left cheek iron-branded. See her baby girl snatched from her mother’s bosoms. There’s nothing more but a school-to-prison pipeline, the new Jim Crow laws still transporting my people to the new incarceration. Punished like Harriet, not allowed to read or write. I can hear their crying I Can’t Breathe! echoing through the jail cells, and humming the gospel “Roll Jordan, Roll!” Necks lynched by the white gleaming stars of the American flag, as we march down the Boston Commons, harmonizing “Roll Jordan Roll! because we want our brother to make it to heaven and hear Jordan roll!” He will enter the gates, soulfully singing I CAN’T BREATHE! I CAN’T BREAThe! I CAN’T BREathe! I CAN’T Breathe! I CAN’t breathe! I Can’t breathe! I can’t breathe! i can’t breathe!

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