Black SD Magazine October Issue 2021

Inside

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36

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Featured Story

In This Issue

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CookHouse: LA

5

Words from the Publisher

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Alquincia & The Virtual Mall

10

11 Black Tech Companies

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Anada Davis CryptoShare

18

History of Black Astronauts

29

Lamar Tyler

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25 Blacks in Tech to Know

36 WHAT’S

Antonio Depina

October Issue 2021

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What’s Inside

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Inside WHAT’S

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Featured Story

In This Issue

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SDSU - Screening Circle

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A Chat with Competitive Gamer Terrence Miller

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Dr.Nikki Watkins has a heart for the underserved

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Dr. Leticia Carson

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Maya’s Cookies

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Elizabeth Cotton of Black Tech Link

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Abi Daniels is Creating Opportunities for Himself and Others with NSBE

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Explore the Universe with Victor Glover

Words

From the Publisher As a kid we always dream of being something out of this world; coincidentally, that usually is an astronaut. After a certain age that dream fades and we think of something else, but that doesn’t mean the dream didn’t matter. In fact dreaming for the stars like that gives us an ability to believe we can do anything we put our minds to. This issue is dedicated to all the African Americans in technology, science, and medicine who continuously serve as an example for our community.

The spotlight is on them because these fields aren’t necessarily glamorous but they take an enormous amount of education, training, and financial investment to achieve success and notoriety. We complain that our community looks towards entertainment and sports as the only means to be successful, but the individuals and companies represented in this issue prove otherwise. The importance here is placed on the visibility in seeing and reading stories of individuals who look like you who are creating apps, virtual malls, going to space, and healing people.

These people might not get the same shine as other professions, but, as the CEO and Publisher of a magazine that showcases Black Excellence, I want to dedicate a shine to them that is deserved and for some long overdue. This is just another form of Black Excellence that needs to be presented more to the public because, though the community is filled with some many exceptional cultural curators, we have equal amounts of doctors, engineers, and scientists to match.

When I was a child my mom told me I could be anything I put my mind to, but I had to do the work. What she said back then still stands true for me today!

For the little black children this issue is for them.

Those who might not be able to dream big because of where they are from or might not have been taught to reach for the stars this is for you all. Our stories and our lived experiences can be vehicles and tools of change to help encourage another generation to do more, be more, and strive for excellence.

I say reach for the stars and when you think you finally have gotten close to it, reach for the next galaxy because you can always reach for more! Never stop dreaming and never stop becoming what you are meant to be! They say the skys the limit and you literally have nothing standing in your way besides your own mind!

October Issue 2021

BlackSDMagazine.com

Words From the Publisher

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CEO & Publisher Chief Operating Officer

Michael Cox Anthony Perry

Executive Assistant

Margaret White

Art & Style Director

Lady Maximo

Head of Digital Lead Graphic Designer

Anthony Casillas Branden Carter

Editorial Department Design Department Adilene Delgado Calvin Brown Cheyenne Simpson Ciara Hendrix CM Lucas Davonne Evans Gloria Peebles James Quinn Katherine Fernandez Lorraine Jones Margaret White Rashawn Raysor Rasheeda Campbell Sabrina Giles Timothy Black Donohoo Victor Sledge

Wade Ramsamooj Billy Martinez Jaylon Kraus Marlo Calderon Mikhaella Walden Nathan Clark Nyłes Møøre Shelbi-Kaye Alves Emma Tideswell

Photographers Courtesy of the following Cohen Clinic at VVSD Cryptoshare NASA

Some people just see the world differently.

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Cryptocurrency and the Environment BY Margaret White Created in 2009, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which means that it is not traceable or regulated by most countries. Some people use them to make purchases anonymously and internationally, while others may just purchase them as an investment and wait for their value to accumulate (Yellin). It is apparent why cryptocurrency has gained such popularity, due to its discretion. Since Bitcoin is not physically tangible, the “new coins are ‘mined’ or brought into circulation, through a process that involves powerful computers to solve complex mathematical problems” (“Sustainably…” 2). It is evident to see why cryptocurrency might need to be abandoned. Surely, those invested into the benefits of cryptocurrency may have an optimistic or hopeful bias.

Although it is hopeful that many corporations and groups seem dedicated to reducing the carbon footprint that crypto mining creates, it is still just a possibility.

People do not regularly associate the world wide web with the well being of the planet, when they are indeed connected and impact one another.

Cryptocurrency is still relatively new, so it is still very unpredictable, but an optimistic perspective is that it can be used to help nonprofit organizations abroad with getting money directly to refugees and other disadvantaged groups (“Sustainability…”). The Ethereum Foundation which is also responsible for creating the cryptocurrency Ethereum, will try to solve the energy waste crisis “By switching to a different method (called Proof of Stake, or PoS), the Foundation says that the energy cost of each transaction could be cut by 99.95 percent” (“Sustainability…” 4). Even if these potential outcomes do come into fruition, it alone would not be able to significantly solve the climate crisis.

For instance, “Even now, the total Bitcoin carbon footprint exceeds the total emission reductions of electric vehicles” (Baxter 2). This exemplifies how cryptocurrency erases these efforts to switch to clean energy, efforts that have taken years to be put into practice. The main issue with cryptocurrency is that Crypto mining “requires so much energy that the Bitcoin network is estimated to consume more energy than several countries, including Kazakhstan and the Netherlands” (“Sustainably…” 2). Although this is concerning, keep in mind that the U.S. is much bigger in land mass and population, than the countries mentioned and contributes more to global warming in other ways. To put into a deeper perspective, “The carbon footprint of a single Bitcoin transaction equates to nearly 2 million Visa transactions, or 135,229 hours of watching YouTube! A single Ethereum transaction consumes the equivalent power used by an average U.S. household over 455 days” (Baxter 2). In a country like the U.S., where practically everything relies on technology, like advertisements, personal use, or entertainment, this raises the awareness of the consequences of one’s actions, even while one is passive.

At the end of the day, if the carbon footprint cannot be reduced and if the cons outweigh the pros, cryptocurrency might need to be stopped– again just another possibility, since it is still new and unpredictable.

If there is success in substantially cutting the energy use, it alone would not be sufficient in reversing the climate crisis. If the companies investing into cryptocurrency fail to acknowledge the system, or their contribution to the problem, it is a testament to their greed.

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11 BLACK TECH COMPANIES TO KNOW

Diversant

Pindrop

PopCom

Founded

A

A

by Gene C. Waddy, Diversant is the world’s largest African American owned IT staffing firm. This company includes diversity in their goal to provide business with the best staff they can offer. They incorporate important aspects to their employees that include having respect for others and ethical behavior. This ensures when a company partners with them to fill roles, they can only expect the team they get from Diversant to be nothing less than professional and respectful. Diversant is the recipient of the Equity Champion award of 2021.

company that works with providing solutions to prevent fraud and other identity risk for businesses that utilize call centers. These businesses fall under categories such as banking, healthcare and even government to name a few. They offer products like Anti-Fraud and authentication to their clients. Co-founder and CEO Vjay Balasubramaniyan speaks on fraud threats worldwide and how vital it is for companies to invest in software that companies like Pindrop offers to protect their big-name clients. He wrote his thesis to obtain his PhD on telecommunications security. Partners with Verizon and Amazon Web Services.

company that assists entrepreneurs and companies expanding their business. Their focus is the automated retail industry, but they also deal with helping companies with e-commerce growth. The founder Dawn Dickson (who found the company in 2017) saw that the automated retail industry had the capability of being a lucrative and efficient way for consumers to access everyday goods in a more convenient way. The company is a leader in the vending and kiosk business. Popshop partners with smaller businesses to bring their products to consumers by providing contactless selling and transactions.

October Issue 2021

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11 Black Techs to Know

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Frontdoor

Afrinanny

A

The world has seen an increase in incorporat-

Neyber

LISNR

This

company offers clients much needed information on loans and financing. They are under the company Salary Finance Limited.

They have their own financial education hub in place to assist with information on obtaining loans, payment plans and options for those loans and even pension plans. They shouldn’t be confused with small businesses in place with the main purpose of getting people to borrow, they inform and are able to equip clients with accurate and clear information on handling their finances.

“Ultrasonic

Bandwagon

Scizzrs

A venture-backed identity infrastructure com-

This

Reach Robotics

Femly

Now

Feminine

company that is trying to change the way home owners sell their properties. Their app is convenient and makes the process a breeze by asking questions about the property and offering the seller a price for Frontdoor to purchase their home. In the middle of a pandemic, this keeps homeowners away from the normal process of having to stage their home, and have clients walk through while it is still being lived in. Owned and founded by Alain Kapatashungu, he was able to take in everything he learned in the real estate business and innovate the home buying and selling process that not only really helps during COVID, but even after the pandemic will be used indefinitely. Made Frontdoor is capable of handling all aspects of real estate such as residential and commercial properties.

pany that helps its customers transparently manage, aggregate, and store valuable consumer identity data founded by CEO Harold Hughes in 2014. Bandwagon believes in the Glass box Technology system. This system enables creators and clients to share the information they choose to share, with a reliable hand-picked system in place. This system helps consumers share their identity with their consent, which results in companies showing consumers products and services more tailored to their preferences. Bandwagon was built around putting an end to ticket fraud.

under the leadership of Awarri, which means “seek and find” in Yoruba. The company’s main purpose is to bring the education of robotics and AI technology to Africa, and other regions. They are in place to bring this education to young people and provide a brighter ecosystem by teaching about this technology that regions like Africa are not accustomed to.

ing more diversity in the care and nurture for their children. Some families prefer a nanny or caregiver with culturally relevant experience. With what’s going on in our world, it’s not surprising that diversity in a young child’s life has a positive impact on how they may grow up to view the world. With the numbers growing of African Americans children being born, these families have a hard time finding African American child care. It is important to understand that every culture has needs that other cultures may not understand. A good example is hair care with African American children, and how some cultures may not be able to meet these needs. That is where Afrinanny comes in.

audio is better” is the term that gave founder, Eric Allen the idea for this company. His main goal was to bring an affordable and useful audio system to companies that not only worked better but didn’t cost a fortune. This idea resulted in a software that used encoded data as a solution for inaudible tonesList of investors includes big names like Intel, Visa, and Land Rover. LISNR is a four-time recipient of the CNBC Disruptor 50 award as being one of the most innovative companies in the world from 2015-2019.

company helps small business owners take their business mobile. Helping businesses become mobile is a very important step in growing clientele and networking. Not only do they help create an app for the business, but they also offer tools to help organize the businesses finance files. It’s like having a digital assistant because the company helps organize appointments, offers secure mobile transactions and payment of services, and even can calculate mileage to be reimbursed. Any person with a business would see an increase in profit and productivity with Scizzrs.

hygiene is a huge topic in today’s world, but black woman have found that they are unable to use the same products as their counterparts. Femly comes in to offer natural and chemical free products. CEO and founder Arion Long found she had cervical cancer which was linked to well-known and popular period products. She made a mission to offer products that could accomplish the same thing, without the negative effects on women’s health.

COOKHOUSE L Where music and community intersect

C

lose your eyes and picture a recording studio.

Did you imagine a family-style Sunday dinner?

Then you might be thinking of Cook House LA, a North Hollywood recording studio unlike any of its predecessors. The creative minds behind the business are Steven Grier and Daniel Manteca, friends who came together through their love of music and realized that the bond they cultivated was just what their communities were missing.

“It’s a safe space for people to come create,” said Grier.

“There’s no judgment. You can bring a song that you started and haven’t finished and we’re going to listen to it and come together and cook up and make something beautiful.”

Grier, who already owned several recording studios prior to establishing Cook House LA, recognized that their clients needed more than just a space to record; they needed fellowship. Grier and Manteca, who have worked with the likes of Kanye West and Raphael Saadiq, co-founded Cook House LA with an emphasis on community and collaboration in all aspects of their business and created their Youth for Peace program with those values in mind.

“Youth for Peace is a program where we work with kids from the age of 12 to 19. They come in, and we build a song from the ground up. Everybody records a little bit, everybody writes, everybody does every part of the music production.”

“It’s a safe space for people to come create”.

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The program - which Grier and Manteca hope to revitalize and relaunch - found so much success that the young artists involved were formally invited to President Obama’s Inauguration in 2009.

“When we did it in the past, we did five songs and created music videos for them,” explained Grier. “They got the whole experience of what it felt like to be an artist. We released the music and it was such a success and we got to see how it impacted these kids lives. We really killed it when we did that program and now we’re in North Hollywood and it’s time to bring it back because we see more of a need than ever before. The school system is pretty messed up and there’s not a lot of after-school programs and some schools cut music entirely. A lot of kids are just out there and you know, sometimes when people are just out there, they make bad decisions. Youth for Peace is a place where young people can come and understand the different skills and the different job positions in music. We expose youth to the different roles in the industry and then show them how it all comes together.”

LA LA With so much innovation in the current music industry, Grier and Manteca knew they wanted to find new ways to reach their audience. They came up with the perfect plan to marry technology and community at a time when everyone in the world felt isolated and estranged: live streaming.

“The studio is called Cook House LA, so we were trying to come up with something that would make people gravitate towards the studio and feel welcome,” said Manteca. “We developed the idea of a backyard barbecue-style cookout and have local artists that we work with just come in on Sundays and jam with us. You can have a musician that’s just starting their journey and a professional musician side by side learning and communicating and just creating a vibe.”

If you arent exactly musically inclined, Grier and Manteca still got you covered. Cook House LA also offers podcasting and live streaming spaces complete with 4K video and professional lighting set-ups, a dance room, and a rehearsal lounge.

Tune into Cook House LA’s Sunday Cook Out at https:// www.twitch.tv/cookhousela or visit their official website cookhousela.com for more information.

E-Commerce is the Future of Black Business with Akanundrum Alquincia,

you might know her as Akanundrum, and the Black Virtual Mall are working towards leveling the playing field for black-owned businesses. As the first virtual commercial property developer, Akanundrum has put together the mall experience in virtual form. At the Black Virtual Mall, you will not only find black-owned shops, but a functional food court that will deliver food to you and even a movie theater to watch movies. Virtual commercial property does not stop at the Black Virtual Mall, Akanundrum has plans to develop virtual spaces that provide all kinds of services.

“Covid is not a change agent; Covid is an accelerant.”

The retail apocalypse, the closing down of brick and mortar shopping centers was not caused by Covid-- it was already happening--but Covid did speed up the process. And with the Pandemic and people staying home, people want the convenience of not leaving their homes. With e-commerce and all of these delivery apps, people no longer have to go out and buy their groceries.

But even with the convenience of having groceries delivered and buying things with just a swipe of a finger, is that digital enough?

“Los Angeles and Long Beach make up a third of the United States imports. There was a record breaking 44 boats, those big vessels with all those cargo containers on them...there’s this bottle neck, there’s this backlog, there’s this congestion.” Akanundrum informed me as we spoke about the need to monetize digital products and services. Since the pandemic, Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have been backed up, the highest number being 73 ships waiting to port in mid-September.

As a business owner, when selling a physical product, there are plenty of things that can get in between a sale. With outside issues like the backlog of ships at the ports preventing a business from receiving their products, Akanundrum emphasizes the importance of finding ways to monetize your product and skills digitally. “100% of my money is digital.” Akanundrum shares that she even makes money in her sleep. This money comes from many different digital sources including subscription fees for her apps and online courses and even rent payments from the Virtual Black Mall.

“Black businesses must leverage e-commerce.”

The traditional marketplace is redlined in a way.

There are barriers for black people to overcome in terms of financial credit, legality , and just the knowledge you must know for setting up a shop.

But with things like Shopify, you can set up your shop online within a day. E-commerce is revolutionizing black businesses. “[It] is our opportunity to get into the fray in ways we never could.”

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Alquincia

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CRYPTOSHARE THE APP THAT BRINGS FINANCIAL FREEDOM by anade davis

BY Gloria Peebles Anade Davis is a Financial Data Scientist and Founder of the World Data

Science Institute. His business develops Blockchain (which is a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain and Financial Applications). He is a South Carolina native and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He is known for “Cryptoshare” which is a Digital Wallet and Peer to Peer lending App. He is an expert in the field of stocks, crowdfunding, tech stacks, blockchain, cryptocurrency regulations, and building financial technology applications.

Anade saw the black community struggling to get loans when going to the bank and decided it was time to do something about it.

He found out according to Fico Statistics, in the USA African Americans have the lowest credit scores and are declined for loans three times more than white applicants. Anade stated “30% of African Americans and Hispanics do not have a bank account”. He also said, “In Latin America over 70% of the population do not have a bank account or good enough credit to get a loan at all”. This was a problem Anade was determined to solve. Anade stated “African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately forced to use high interest cash advance and pawn shop loans that can be up to 500%”. He sees this as utterly biased. This is what inspired him to create the Cryp“We use digital wallet technology to replace the need of a bank account, for example PayPal and to solve the problem of needing credit we allow peer to peer lending to be done in the App by using physical and digital assets to be used for collateral at a much lower interest rate”. Said Anade. The physical assets can be placed in the locker, and if they don’t pay, the lender will have access to their collateral in the locker or it will be mailed to the lender. The Digital Wallets come with a Digital Debit Card so borrowers can use the funds immediately to shop online and if the borrower needs cash, they can withdraw from the ATM machine.

Here’s how it works: the borrower requests a loan using the App or at the ATM machine, then the borrowers place digital collateral in CryptoShare Digital Escrow or physical collateral in Blockchain Smart Locker, the lender accepts collateral for the loan, the collateral can be as small as an expensive watch.

Next the collateral is released from Digital Escrow or Blockchain Smart Locker finally but not last the borrower pays the loan back with a low interest rate.

This plan sounds like a winner to me. If you would like to know more about achieving financial freedom and start living life like it’s golden you can visit his website for more information on this life changing App. https://wefunder.com/Cryptoshare.

October Issue 2021

Anade

BlackSDMagazine.com

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The History of African American

Astronauts October Issue 2021

BlackSDMagazine.com

African American Astronauts

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The seemingly infinite void of the cosmos has long been considered the final frontier. For over 60 years, courageous men and women have donned the unmistakable white pressure suits and braved the perils of escaping Earth’s mighty gravitational pull en route to the celestial wonderland that is outer space.

Among those valorous figures, 17 individuals wished to become members of the illustrious group that powered through the stratosphere and entered the heavens, and they just happen to be African American. They exceptionally dared to look up at that very frontier and say, me too. And through hard work and determination, those 17 stargazers cemented their legacy as pioneers within the annals of American history.

Bernard A. Harris Jr. Inspired by witnessing the Apollo 11 mission on TV, Bernard Harris became the first African American to perform an EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) spacewalk on February 9, 1995.

A native of San Antonio, Dr. Harris earned his MD in 1982 and was honored with the naming of The Bernard A. Harris Middle School in 2000.

Joan E. Higginbotham Discovery is what the exploration of space is all about. So, it’s fitting that this Southern Illinois University, Carbondale grad would find herself on board the Discovery space shuttle. Higginbotham, who holds the distinction of being the third African American woman in space, would join NASA in 1996. Joan has been on missions to the ISS, and her list of honors includes The League of Black Women’s Black Rose Award and an Honorary Doctor of Aerospace Science.

Charles F. Bolden Jr. A recipient of the Carl Sagan Award, the Nierenberg Prize, and a veteran of the Vietnam War, Charles was commander of the first joint American - Russian space shuttle mission in 1994. He became the 12th and first African American Administrator of NASA until his retirement in January 2017.

Guion S. Bluford Jr Inspired by witnessing the Apollo 11 mission on TV, Bernard Harris became the first African American to perform an EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) spacewalk on February 9, 1995. A native of San Antonio, Dr. Harris earned his MD in 1982 and was honored with the naming of The Bernard A. Harris Middle School in 2000.

Frederick D. Gregory A graduate of the USAF, Frederick became an accomplished pilot, flying many test missions. Hanging up his wings, the Vietnam veteran was selected to become an astronaut in the late 70s. Wishing to continue his rise through the ranks of NASA, Frederick would become the Deputy Administrator before resigning in 2005. Stretching his wings until he broke through to space, the Washington native is living proof that with enough ambition, nothing can stand in your way.

Stephanie D. Wilson Born in Boston, the Harvard Grad grew up gazing into the night sky, wondering what lay waiting in the heavens. Interviewing an astronomer while in school, the engineer’s love affair with the cosmos continued into adulthood, where she would receive the call from NASA. In 2006, Stephanie would take her first experience in low Earth orbit, racking up 43 days in space.

Stephanie’s journey is a shining example of reaching high to achieve your dream.

Winston E. Scott

Jeanette J. Epps

Placing his feet in the ocean before daring to touch orbit, the Naval Aviator answered the call toward the frontier of space. This Florida State grad would join NASA in 1992 and, from there, would accumulate 25 days in orbit. Scott can add testing the AERCam Spirit as well as writing a book of his experiences (Reflections From Earth Orbit) to his list of accomplishments.

With an M.S. and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Jeanette is no stranger to hard work and fitting rewards. A native of Syracuse, Epps was awarded a NASA GRSP fellowship and conducted research in materials engineering.

In 2011, Jeanette officially became an astronaut after undergoing extensive training. But her largest accomplishment came in 2020 when Epps became the first Black woman to join the ISS crew.

Victor J. Glover Jr. A fine athlete and excellent student, The former Jaguars quarterback earned his B.S. in General Engineering in 1999.

Glover’s journey would continue as he entered the US Navy that same year, but being Earthbound was not his destiny.

Glover joined NASA in 2013 and was a pilot for the first operational flight of the SpaceX Dragon crew.

Benjamin Alvin Drew

Benjamin is the 200th person to walk in space and is the co-founder of the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. The D.C. native was inspired at an early age when he viewed the Apollo 7 launch on TV. Spending close to a year in Russia as Director of Operations overseeing US operations, Drew conducted a lecture in Moscow entitled “Space Shuttle Flight 118: A Mission To Build The ISS.”

Ronald E.McNair, Ph.D. When Ronald McNair was a child, the thought of becoming the second African American to enter space was likely a distant dream for the South Carolinian.

A dream that would ultimately become a reality.

Tragically, Ronald lost his life on January 28th, 1986 aboard the Challenger. Ronald leaves a monolithic legacy that will stand the test of time.

Mae C. Jemison, M.D

Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to travel into space in 1987. The good-natured Alabamian has worked at a Cambodian refugee camp as well as the Peace Corps, while always maintaining the presence of a strong Black woman. Author of Find Where The Wind Blows, Jemison is also Principal of the 100-Year Starship.

Michael P. Anderson The late, Michael Anderson, lost his life on February 1, 2003, in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. A Lt. Colonel in the USAF, Michael held a B.S. in physics and astronomy. Lt. Colonel Anderson received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor after his tragic passing and though he may be gone, his spirit continues to live on in the hearts of those who dare to live their dreams.

Robert L. Yvonne Darlene Cagle, M.D Curbeam Jr. A graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, the Aeronautic Engineer currently holds the record for the most spacewalks during a single space flight. The former Navy Fighter School alum got the call from NASA in 1991 and has spent 38 days in space, conducting various experiments, including changes to the earth’s atmosphere.

A member of Astronaut Group 16, Dr. Cagle rose through the ranks of the USAF, becoming a colonel before making her way to NASA. Though she never experienced space flight, Dr. Cagle’s position as a NASA Management Astronaut allowed her the opportunity to continue operations and conduct research out of Ames Research Center.

Leland D. Melvin A celebrity of sorts, Melvin has appeared on episodes of Top Chef and The Dog Whisperer. The Virginia native was also a standout football star, being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1984 and playing for the Toronto Argonauts before hanging up his cleats. Becoming an Astronaut in 1998, logging 171 Earth orbits, Melvin is a champion on the field and amongst the stars.

Bobby L. Satcher There are many Earthbound orthopedic surgeons, but Dr. Satcher has the distinction of being the first to venture into space. The Harvard Med School grad received the call from NASA and has worked as a mission specialist, logging 259 hours in space, including two spacewalks. Satcher is truly a doctor who is out of this world.

Black

horror

movies T

he Halloween season brings with it decorations, costumes and candy, as well as a bevy of horror flicks old and new sure to send a chill up viewers’ spines. With all of the ghosts, ghouls, goblins and slashers running amok on the silver screen, one noticeable element that many of these films clearly lack is black leads.

When it comes to horror films, the genre’s relationship with black characters is most characterized by the cliche of black cast members dying first. This has seen very few horror movies feature predominately or all-black casts, let alone starring in narratives that touch upon themes of racial identity.

Though the tide is turning in terms of greater diversity within films, horror is still one of the most segregated, with both the killers and their victims typically being white. Here’s a closer look at why black horror movies are still such a rarity, and why it seems that in Hollywood, scaring people is something typically left to white stars.

The Lack of Black Directors One easy explanation for a lack of black horror movies and slasher flicks could stem from the veritable lack of black directors both male and female in the mainstream movie making industry. Hollywood has long been an industry dominated by white male filmmakers, with horror movies being one of the more niche genres.

Thus, if there aren’t that many black directors in general, they definitely won’t be making any entries in the less than universal horror or even thriller and suspense genres. This is especially true since many of the biggest horror franchises got their start back when there was an even greater dearth of black creators in film, potentially making black filmmakers feel shut out to their legacy.

The Issue of Authentically Black Horror Movies Another issue that may keep even established Black movie professionals from making horror movies is the

Written by:

By Timothy Blake Donohoo question of whether to make them fully “black” in nature. Some might have an aversion to simply making the same sorts of campfire and haunted house stories and simply featuring a black cast instead of a white one. Thus, any horror movie made by them would in some way have to tie into the black experience.

This can be seen in films such as Get Out, Candyman and even Blaxploitation classics such as Blacula. The sentiment may be that black audiences may be unwilling to invest in horror movies about them that don’t directly reflect their personal realities in some way. This idea is bolstered by the fact that the suburban and camp site settings of horror franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and Friday the 13th are stereotypically “white” settings.

Still, more black creators are moving outside of the box for both the genre and their seeming constraints as filmmakers of color, making black horror movies that are neither stereotypical nor exploitative. Movies such as Us and Spiral provide as many thrills and suspense as their “white” counterparts, all while featuring black actors and actresses in roles that move beyond the typical socio-political scope of many black movies. This is certainly a hopeful triumph in seeing more faces on the big screen that reflect the world’s diversity and that of the blac diaspora, even if the events on screen are bloodcurdling.

Classic Black Horror Movies The aforementioned examples of Blacula, Get Out, Us, Candyman and Spiral are all great places to start in terms of both seeing black stories through a horror lens as well as being good examples of horror movies in general.

Another underrated example would be 2016’s The Purge: Election Year and 2018’s The First Purge. The former features several black actors and actresses in prominent roles, and while some of them are a bit on the stereotypically comedic side, none of it feels exploitative.

The 2018 followup that also served as a prequel to the franchise had a much more obvious sociopolitical bend, portraying the titular Purge as an event first experimented upon lower income black and brown communities that were already rife with crime and turmoil. This premise certainly begs the question of why more horror movies don’t take place in the projects, with black horror movies in general still being far too infrequent affairs.

Lamar Tyler Wants to Teach Entrepreneurs How to Maximize Their Traffic, Sales, and Profit

BY Margaret White

Lamar

Tyler and his wife Ronnie first got the idea

of creating a blog in 2007. This was before making money online via blogs and influencing was a common practice. In fact, it was almost unheard of.

The couple at the time was working, Lamar ran the IT department at Fox5 television station in DC and Ronnie was a project manager for IBM, when they heard a blogger in California might be making money.

They set off to make a blog that made them excited.

They wanted to create something that they wouldn’t be tired of. Black and Married with Kids was their creation and it grew tremendously. The media at the time was doing a smear campaign against the single black woman and the representation of black relationships has never been the best. BMWK became a huge hit. It garnered a million unique visitors every quarter. Lamar and Ronnie had found a void in the market place and were talking to people in a way they have never done before.

“People literally saw us go from just a husband and wife posting two or three times a week...to having an editor to...having 40 freelance writers creating content.”

The

blog

was

just

the

beginning

for

Traffic, Sales, and Profit is here to help entrepreneurs grow.

Lamar lists two types of entrepreneurs: the type who have a great product that can’t reach enough people to sell to and those who have an audience but still aren’t quite selling. With TSP and Lamar, entrepreneurs are able to learn how to maximize their profits by focusing on who they are communicating with and how they are communicating. TSP offer plenty of avenues to learn their strategy to success including hosting events, conferences, trainings, and courses.

Lamar wants to teach the skills of business ownership, or creating a stable and sustainable business, not the hustle. By creating sustainable black-owned businesses, we are on our way to “further build and grow legacy wealth.”

Lamar.

BMWK created documentaries around black relationships and family. They created resources, e-books, audio books, and workshops. “We became really good at marketing,” says Lamar. Lamar and BMWK were selling and selling out. That’s when people began coming to Lamar with questions on how to profit from their own brand and businesses. “They wanted us to show them how to get more clients.”

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A C h at w i t h C o m p e t i t i v e G a m e r

Terrence Miller

You would think that Terrence’s proven skill and love for Hearthstone would earn him respect as a player. But Terrence, like a lot of other black gamers, have been on the receiving end

Written by Margaret White

of racist comments. During the Hearthstone tournament at the 2016 DreamHack, the livestream chat was filled with racist

They weren’t trying to go to tournaments every weekend like me.”

felt very natural to me. It’s a card game that has a big online fandom,” Terrence says. If you are unfamiliar with Hearthstone, it’s a turn-based card game where two opponents battle each other. It’s a game that focuses on strategy. Winning battles in Hearthstone results in in-game rewards like gold, new cards, and other prizes. But winning matches in a real life gaming tournament? That prize money can range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars up to $250,000.

The first competitive tournament

card games like Yu-Gi-Oh!, TCG,

that Terrence qualified for was

and Pokemon. He shared how he

the collegiate tournament PAX

would drag his dad to different

Prime, now known as PAX West.

card tournaments to compete

He describes the experience to be

in Pokemon tournaments. He

a bit surreal. He had gone from

described himself as always being

watching live streamed tournaments

drawn to the competitive and

for games like League of Legends

strategic nature of card-based

to competing in one. Since then,

games.

Terrence has competed in several

“I always wanted to go to a

the $10,000 prize for placing second

tournament, you know, when I was

in the 2019 World Cyber Games in

younger. It’s kind of one of those

Xi’An China.

would just grow out of it.

somewhat.”

The gaming surrounding culture tends to be one that allows for racism and sexism. Terrence describes a time that he joined a stream and people were making racist jokes. Terrence said he hadn’t announced himself in the stream but when they noticed he was there, the racist jokes were only called out because of his presence and not because they were racist. “There are just racist the anonymity of the internet combined with the inherent racism of the world but there has to be

different tournaments and even won

October Issue 2021

something I unfortunately expected

and sexist comments and it’s like

Terrence Miller started off with

would play the games with before

Terrence’s turn to play. Terrence says that the experience “was

“When Hearthstone came out it just

things where all the people that I

comments and emojis when it was

something that can be done.”

Terrence says that black people trying to get into the gaming industry, either by livestreaming or competing, should really focus on finding their own community.

And if gaming is something that you are truly passionate about, “it’s very important to have a support system when you’re doing the grind.”

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Terrence Miller

30

@TerranceMHS

25 BLACKS IN TECHNOLOGY WHO ARE BUILDING SYSTEMS OF INCLUSION IN TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL THAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

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25 Blacks in Tech

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For far too long, even with chairs at the tables, the contributions of blacks in technology have been overlooked. However, some incredible and brilliant Black data analysts, engineers, advocates, financial gurus, software developers, venture capitalists, educators, and more are shaking things up in Silicon Valley and beyond. They are bridging the gap, creating lanes, demanding diversity and inclusion, and breaking molds in the technology industry. Standing on a mission to build a system of inclusive technology for all, showcased below are 25 Blacks in tech that everyone should know.

1.Aniyia Williams Honored by Penn State with the esteemed Alumni Achievement Award for prominent alumni 35 and younger, Williams is a Principal on the Responsible Technology team at Omidyar Network, working to bridge business and technology to make lives better. A systemprenuer and founder of Black and Brown Founders, her nonprofit is designed to help Black and Latinx entrepreneurs launch tech businesses.

2.Sidney Thomas As a Berkley MBA graduate, Thomas is currently a Principal at Precursor Ventures. Acknowledging that stepping into the tech business can be lonely and seemingly foreign, she co-founded and built the Women of Color in VC, a network to connect women in the venture capital business. Thomas holds positions on several advisory boards that focus on the racial wealth gap for people of color.

3.Timnit Gebru An entrepreneur continuously working to improve her technical skills, Gebru is the founder of Blacks in AI, an organization dedicated to increasing the inclusion and visibility of Blacks in the field of artificial intelligence. With software experience with AI, machine learning, and computer vision, this Stanford University graduate’s mission is to mentor, advocate, and foster collaborations for people of color.

4.Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins Ensuring that people in poverty get support instead of punishment led Ellis-Lamkins to start Promise, a groundbreaking debt management company.

With nods from venture capitalists, including Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Bumble, this leader works on decarceration, and has a commitment to make tech accessible to underserved communities.

5.Catherine Bracy Bracy’s extensive experience with technology policy, public communications, community organizing, and digital democracy back her belief that the internet can be a force for distributing power more equitably. As co-founder and CEO of techEquity Collaborative, her mission is to build an environment of tech professionals and companies. A Boston University graduate, Bracy also helped design the technology policy of former president Barack Obama.

6.Ruben A. Harris Providing the tools, information, and support needed to get into a tech career quickly is why Harris co-founded Career Karma. As CEO, Harris and Career Karma have grown to include coding boot camps and courses in just about every tech discipline. Harris is also co-host of the Breaking into Startups Podcast. A former investment banker analyst, this Southern Adventist University grad also knows a thing or two about raising the stakes.

7.Sarah Kunst As Managing Director of Cleo Capital, Kunst has insider know-how on raising capital. She is part of the decision-making on whom Cleo Capital invests $500,000 to $1 million in the early-stage startups. Recognized for her work in Business Insider as a “30 Under 30 Women in Tech,” Kunst also serves on the Michigan State University Foundation endowment board.

8.Angel Rich Partnering with a major credit bureau, Rich is shaking things up in the financial tech world. As founder of Credit Rich, Angel has provided an app designed to provide a low-cost and easy way for users to pay bills wisely to build their credit score as fast as possible. This Hampton University graduate finished school with over a hundred thousand dollars in debt, she understands debt and the power of credit.

9.Brenda Darden-Wilkerson Advocating for opportunities, access, and social justice for the underrepresented is Wilkerson’s mission. As President and CEO of AnitaB.org, she strives to connect, inspire, and demand equality for women technologists in business, academia, and government. Wilkerson is also responsible for building the computer sciences curriculum for every student in the Chicago public school system.

10.Jeremy Richardson As VP of Product at Catch&Release, an advertisement tech company, Richardson ensures that creatives can capture their brand voice with unlimited content.

In 2013, at only 23, Jeremy Co-Founded San Francisco-based startup Womply, which employs over 250 people and is one of the fastest-growing merchant-focused companies in America.

11.Everett Harper Harper is co-founder and CEO of Truss, which since 2011 has trained companies to make reliable, sustainable, and predictable production a habit. Helping both startups and large enterprises transform into modern systems, Harper’s years of engineering and management experience has transformed massive health care data systems.

12.Brian Brackeen As founder of Lightship Capital and a Harvard Business School graduate, “Brian B.” focuses on technology-driven startups led by underrepresented professionals. Brain B. is focused on investment funds and works with clients on portfolio management, professional services, and training. His approach is about comprehensive, organic, and sustainable growth for startups.

13.Ulili Onovakpuri At Kapor Capital, Onovakpuri serves as managing partner focused on sourcing investment opportunities for those in the digital health and medical technology industries, especially in the seed stages. This Duke University graduate previously served as Director of Global Programs at Village Capital with entrepreneurs worldwide to make their ideas marketable businesses.

14.Tyron (“Ty”) Ahmad-Taylor As a trailblazer in the multimedia industry, Ahmad-Taylor has paved a solid lane in technology. Currently Vice President of product marketing at Facebook, he serves on The Consumer Technology Association and GoPro’s boards of directors. A Columbia University graduate, Ahmad-Taylor has over 25 years of experience in information design as former President, CEO, and VP of several fortune 500 companies.

15. Taj Ahmad Eldridge

18. Stacy Spikes

Creating ownership and wealth is how Eldridge impacts as Senior Director of Investments for the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator by raising millions of dollars to fund Black and Latino Entrepreneurs. A graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce (BA), Pepperdine University (MBA), and Claremont Graduate University School of Politics & Economic (Ph.D.), Taj is also a member of the Arab Bankers Association of North America.

Spikes makes raising capital look fun for his new company, PreShow Interactive, where he offers unique technology and opportunities for customers that other platforms do not provide. Spikes also co-founded and was CEO of MoviePass, which he sold in 2016. He also co-founded the Urbanworld Film Festival, a crossroad between bold and diverse creators and filmmakers and their audiences.

16. Jullia Collins

19. Leslie Miley

From pizza made by robots to healthy, organic snacks made with regenerative ingredients prepared and packaged to reduce the carbon footprint, Collins’ Planet FWD’s has uniquely raised over $2.7 million in seed money from women and people of color. The Stanford University School of Business graduate has built a software system to capture the regenerative food landscape.

A natural leader dedicated to bringing executive-level diversity into tech across the country, Miley’s work for the Venture for America Executive in Residence program encourages tech investment in people of color. He has held leadership roles at Google, Slack, Appel, and Twitter and was the CTO of the Obama Foundation. Additionally, he serves as an adviser to startups founded by minorities and women.

17. Jessie Woofley-Wilson

20. Kathryn Finney

As a Harvard Business School graduate, Woolley-Wilson has worked in the education technology space for nearly 20 years. She serves as CEO of DreamBox Learning, the online software provider that supports school leaders and elementary and middle school students. DreamBox Learning is focused on mathematics education and uses animated adventures, games, and other challenges to teach.

This Yale University grad is making big moves with digitalundivived (DID). As founder and managing director of DID, this visionary and her incubator program work to help secure venture capital for Black and Latina women whose goals are to own their future and economic security through entrepreneurship. Finney was also the first black woman to sell her blogging website, The Budget Fashionista.

21. Erin Teague As a Harvard Business School graduate, Teague currently leads the virtual and augmented reality production team at YouTube. Since her arrival, she has led the immersive video app to be rated #1 across VR platforms. Teague previously designed algorithms embedded in electronic trading applications for Morgan Stanley’s Algorithmic Trading Technology Group.

22. Shelly Bell Named one of the Top 100 Powerful Women in Business by Entrepreneur Magazine, Bell is a Serial Entrepreneur and Computer Scientist with experience in IP Strategy, K-12 Education, and performance poetry. Bell is also founder of Black Girl Ventures, creating access to social and financial capital for Black/Brown women founders. Bell serves up a pitch that shifts the power dynamics in funding by combining crowdfunding and pitching.

23. Sheena Allen As a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Allen is the founder and CEO of fintech company and neobank CapWay, which provides opportunities, fair opportunities, financial access, and digital banking to the overlooked and financially underserved. Capay solves problems that impact over 2.5 billion people worldwide. Allen is also a public speaker, recognized by the Forbes Under 30 Summit, TEDx, Yale University, and other notable forums.

24. Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene As a pioneer with over 20 years of experience in the equity crowdfunding space, Dickson-Akpoghene is a Serial Entrepreneur and Inventor. The Ohio State graduate studied technology at DeVry University and founded PopCom, which develops software to make kiosks and vending machines intelligent through data and analytics at the point of purchase. Dickson-Akpoghene is also the host of BARS!, a podcast that offers tips and advice to entrepreneurs over hip-hop beats.

25. Bryan Dixon As a partner at Kapor Capital, Dixon is one of the first and youngest African American partners at a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Working his way up from an intern at Kapor, Dixon is committed to ensuring that entrepreneurs of all backgrounds get the information and advice necessary for their business to succeed. The Northeastern University and Babson College School of Business graduate has been recognized for his work to close the gaps of access to opportunities for low-income entrepreneurs.

W

ho is Antonio Depina? Yes everyone has been talking about The Circle on Netflix. Many people wondered where the show came from and how did these lucky individuals get the opportunity to win $100,000. Lucky for Antonio he scrolled on Instagram around 3 am because this is what we all do when we first wake. Boom, and there was the ad. The interesting part is Antonio didn’t even take it seriously, like most of us he saw it, signed up for it and actually forgot about it. To his surprise, he was flown out on the next plane to Hollywood to meet the producers and casting directors. Now you all know the rest after that, but do you know Antonio? On the show, he was laid back, calm, cool, and collected which didn’t work in his favor because everyone perceived him to be stuck up and conceited. Trust me after chatting with him for nearly an hour I can tell you that is far from who he is.

Though he was introduced as a basketball player, he is actually a young and ambitious entrepreneur who has a vision and plan for his future. A native of Delaware growing up in the inner city he found his way out by attending and graduating from Lincoln University and playing basketball overseas in Europe. This journey laid him on the path to real estate business development, homeownership, and now a tech entrepreneur. Speaking with Antonio is like talking with that one friend who is always thinking about their next move.

He even gave me real estate advice and almost convinced me to purchase houses in Delaware since the market is so cheap.

He has it down to an exact science.

Antonio made it clear that this opportunity was circumstance, but was one based on a strategy for his future. He said, “I knew this would be an opportunity to help me gain a bigger audience for my business ventures.” For him, this was all about exposure for his business.

He never cared or thought about being a reality star or Instagram famous. It was all about seizing the opportunity that presented itself.

The CIRCLE, WHY? Now on the show, he was presented as the typical basketball player type. He couldn’t mention his career in real estate or app launch at all. This created an image of him, which if you watched the show worked. The castmates from being introduced to him to voting him off thought stereotypically about him. None of that bothered him because Antonio stated, “this is the perception that comes with the territory of being an athlete.” He doesn’t try to combat it or change it because of the more focused on his business rather than what people think.

The

The show and social media have changed the way he perceives utilizing social media tools. He told me,” Man it’s all business now because everything is based on perception so there is no personal or business page, it’s all business.”

Instagram is 100% a business tool for him and he suggests others look at it as such. It is because even if you aren’t using the page for business, others you may work with or hope to work with in the future will view your page and make decisions on who you are based on your content. This is why he is selective to the most marginal thing on what he shares or how he interacts.

topic

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“I knew this would be an opportunity to help me gain a bigger audience for my business ventures.”

Entrepreneurship and conclusion H

e learned quickly overseas that real estate was where he would continue his professional career. He is like a sponge when it comes to mastering a subject matter. He goes from YouTube to books to learn as much as possible. This is what he did with real estate and how he became successful. He learned which homes to purchase, where to purchase them, and how to utilize them to create additional sources of income. This is why he encourages everyone to get into real estate. His mold his very simple, but I won’t give away his secret. I will say he always pays in cash and has a very fast payback period from each investment.

At 25 years of age, he has really developed a strong business brand and sense.

Now basketball comes back into play with his next business venture which is launching soon. He has fully funded, created, and developed the marketing plan for an app that will connect basketball players with overseas teams. This will eliminate the need for an agent. He said, “most of the time you don’t even know if the agent is working for you, but you are paying them.”

This will give the players full control over their careers and in front of recruiters from top teams overseas.

This isn’t your normal connection app because Antonio is taking care of those players from other countries that don’t have the same luxuries.

The model is subscription-based for the players but free for the recruiters. They are able to upload their stats, records, and even video footage of their plays and performances.

He said, “think of it as the Indeed for basketball players.” The players will have their careers in the palms of their hands. It is meant to empower them and give them more opportunities than the antiquated methods of “hoping” a recruiter notices you.

The app is set to launch the end of Summer and he has big plans for it.

He wants to develop it and the business model to be profitable and valuable for users. The next phase is to expand it into other sports markets.

Athletes regardless of the sport they play have the common issue of getting notices by teams to be picked. Closing the gap between the two is Antonio’s focus for the future.

Antonio is the epitome of a tech-savvy and think-smarter not harder Millennial. He is very focused on his future which at 25 isn’t the case for most young adults or ex-athletes. Speaking with him is refreshing because you start to bounce ideas off each other. As I tried to ask different questions there were many moments when we were sharing business advice. He almost convinced me to purchase houses in Delaware and I have never been. So you can see he is even a good salesman. This young brother is truly motivated by the mere fact that he sees opportunities countless. He believes everyone in his age range should take advantage of things such as free educational resources online, start a business venture, and learn about real estate. He like many others believes real estate can be key for people to acquire financial freedom.

catching up with antonio and the lAUNCH T

he Overseas Basketball Connection app is finally here and I was able to catch up with Antonio on this journey in the tech space. “Honestly I lost a lot of money early on in the development process,” said Depina when I asked what was something he experienced early on. It was developers he had to watch out for, because in several instances they would take his money and produce no work. Depina said, “A developer team actually took $3,000. I paid them to work on the concept and they ran off with my money and another I paid $1,000 who I thought was working on it, but wasn’t.” This is a common issue in the entrepreneurial and tech space because many who venture in like Antonio don’t have the necessary educational background to decipher what’s the best course of action.

It’s harder when it’s your own money being wasted.

“It’s fulfilling when I hear of players who use the app get signed to international teams” Antonio was on a mission to get it completed so he did like most of us and went to YouTube University and used other resources to teach himself the basics of coding. “After losing money, I had to teach myself these things so I could finish what I started,” said Depina. He brought on someone that he could trust to assist him getting the app completed and ready to go to market. Like most, once things are in the marketplace, the next step is advertising. As a social influencer and personality himself, he knew the power of influencer marketing, so he invested heavily in it.

From app to League Owner Going above and beyond his love for basketball, Depina recently started his own basketball league in Cape Verde. The Praia Basketball League was another part of his dream to bring professional basketball to Africa.

“I want the people to have opportunities like I have and to build an entire professional basketball league throughout Africa,” said Depina.

Though a challenge like that is hard because of the many different governments and political dealings of the nations, he is hopeful to at least start with his home town of Cape Verde and expand teams there on the different islands. This wasn’t a small venture for him because within the first six weeks of getting the league and team started he invested over $300,000. He worked hard to get investors and others to believe in his vision so that he could see it come true because his vision revolves around creating more opportunities for others.

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More than a Movie: One School’s Efforts to Spur Discussion and Educate Students about Race and Injustice

By Baylee Akins and Jensen Bell

The School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University holds second Screening Circle event featuring the Academy Award-Winning film “Moonlight”

E

vents involving race, sexuality, class and other social issues over the past few years have further amplified the call for macro and microscopic change of many traditional processes, and the world of academia is no exception.

The School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) at San Diego State University (SDSU) seeks to answer this call, most notably with the idea that something as a simple book club proposal can turn into an initiative taking on a life of its own.

The Screening Circle is a forum for the critical and civil exchange of ideas.

Conceptualized by the JMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee, the Screening Circle was brought to life through a collaboration between Dr. Temple Northup, director of the School of JMS; JMS professor Dr. Kaye Sweetser, APR+M, Fellow PRSA; Gabe Adibe, JMS alumnus class of 2021; and JMS students in Dr. Sweetser’s 585 capstone course in spring 2021.

As storytellers, JMS understands how sharing stories can be a conduit for change. It’s with this in mind that the Screening Circle aims to amplify voices of traditionally marginalized communities; encourage participants to engage in respectful and thought-provoking conversations about race, class, sexuality, and social issues; and motivate allies to act against the horrors of racism, classism, and homophobia.

“The topics covered are not easy to discuss, but those difficult moments are when voices are heard and changes are made,” said Dr. Northup. “Our goal is open dialogue about the crisis we’re facing right now and empowering our students to understand their roles as storytellers in

the media. We want our students to understand how all of them are catalysts for changing race and identity representation in the media. ”The focus of the second Screening Circle is the Academy Award-Winning film “Moonlight,” directed by Barry Jenkins.

The free screening will be held in-person at SDSU and is accessible to SDSU students, faculty and staff eager to join the conversation. “Moonlight” is a coming-of-age film that chronicles the life of a young black man from child of Black queer masculinity, and tell a story that is not frequently seen in mainstream media, making it the ideal film to start a discussion about the larger implications of representation in media.

“Intersectional representation in the media is extremely important for identity negotiation in traditionally marginalized communities,” said Dr. Nate Rodriguez, associate professor of Digital Media Studies in JMS. “The movie ‘Moonlight’ has been a staple in my courses and helps students better understand that identities are not monolithic, but rather overlap and intersect; and with that comes compounded oppressions and unique lived experiences. The Screening Circle provides a space and a media artifact that celebrates as much as it examines Black queer masculinities and underrepresented identities.”

The media studies program within JMS that Dr. Rodriguez is a part of continually challenges its students to analyze different types of media for diversity, equity and inclusion markers, training them to think critically about representation in media. However, students in other majors may not recognize these themes as readily. While showing students October Issue 2021

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media outside of the classroom that portrays varying types of representation is important, in and of itself, JMS understands the value in discussion and shared interpretation to encourage change. Therefore, a curriculum and supplemental modules for each Screening Circle event are created allowing professors to incorporate the series into their own classes, offering course credit for participating students.

Following the screening of “Moonlight,” students will read and watch additional academic content on intersectionality, Quare Theory and Black masculinity and then have the opportunity to write a reflection on the film integrating their newfound knowledge.

“There are obstacles when stories are told from a single perspective without diversity,” said Megan Blacher, JMS student. “There’s a need for change and it’s our responsibility as students in media studies to shift the spotlight toward voices and stories that haven’t received the recognition they deserve.

The inaugural Screening Circle event in spring 2021 was entirely virtual. Throughout the three-part series, more than 215 participants gathered to face difficult conversations brought to the screen on the HBO show “Lovecraft Country.”

Each Screening Circle meeting featured Hollywood storytellers; the show’s musical composer and production designer were among some of the professionals who shared captivating insights. Attendees opened up to moderators to discuss the extended parallel process model, the glass ceiling effect and other mass communication strategies that can threaten traditionally marginalized groups. The students that participated last semester shared their lasting impressions following their Screening Circle experience:

The Screening Circle is just one of many ways JMS is acting to continue addressing important issues that impact its students, faculty and staff in a very real way, both inside and out of the classroom. Change doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen alone. As the Screening Circle gains momentum approaching its second screening, JMS hopes it will continue to spark thought-provoking discussions and shine a brighter light on the important themes in films and shows like “Moonlight.”

“When one student shared the difficulties she faced in her interracial relationship, it nearly brought me to tears,” said Adibe, Screening Circle host and JMS graduate student.

“That’s the type of vulnerability we encouraged at these events.”

To learn more about the School of JMS, visit https://jms. sdsu.edu/.

“The more students we reach and other people that students are connected with, the more support and awareness we garner,” commented Kandyce Lewis, Screening Circle attendee in her post-event coursework. “This is how we ignite change.”

To learn more about the intersectional representation and themes explored in “Moonlight,” visit the website Dr. Rodriguez created for this Screening Circle here.

Follow the School of JMS on Instagram and Twitter to be notified of upcoming public events: @SDSU_JMS.

Dr.Nikki Watkins Has A Heart for the Underserved Dr. Nikki Watkins jumped at the opportunity to help open the Steven A Cohen Military Clinic when the opportunity presented itself. She had years of experience serving disadvantaged communities like the homeless through the San Diego Rescue Mission. She started off at the Cohen Clinic as the lead clinician and associate director before moving her way up to Clinic Director.

“Every community has specific needs. For our BIPOC community, there is a need for clinicians that are culturally sensitive and culturally competent and trained.”

Dr. Watkins acknowledges the negative view BIPOC communities tend to have on therapy “Some of it is mistrust. Some of it is not wanting to be stigmatized as crazy or that somethings wrong with you because we are already seen as having deficits and we don’t want to add another deficit like mental health.”

With the hesitation of the BIPOC community to seek help, it’s important that when they finally do that their treatment is one that takes into account their cultural perspectives. Therapy is a service that needs to trust in order to be effective. How can a patient trust their therapist if they constantly need to explain or defend their cultural perspectives? While the Cohen Clinic and Dr. Watkins do their best to maintain culture sensitivity in their treatments. Dr. Watkins shares that it is not always easy when you take into account mandated reporting and what actions might be culturally acceptable to some. She describes it as a balancing act.

With their efforts for serving the BIPOC community, the Cohen Clinic offers individual, couple, and family therapy. They hope to be able to provide group therapy as well in order to really target the BIPOC community. “When George Floyd happened, it would have been great to have a group session because there were a lot of people who were coming in struggling with that,” Dr. Watkins says. Group sessions will be able to offer support for whatever is happening in our community and would allow for people to be able to connect with others that are experiencing similar situations.

Dr. Watkins describes the treatment at Cohen Clinic as brief and client-centered. They use evidence-based practices to target Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and PTSD. She mentions that a lot of their clients deal with PTSD from their military experiences.

“You are going to get PTSD if you served in the war, but so many come in here that weren’t in combat that still have PTSD.” Dr. Watkins states that just losing your fellow service friend in the war can be traumatizing.

But also the treatment of those in the military— especially those that belong in marginalized groups— is enough to have traumatic effects on people. There are those who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma, harassment, degradation, and dehumanization simply for being of another race or sexuality or gender.

“It’s interesting how much trauma was already there before they entered the military.” When asked if there is a preventative measure for military PTSD, Dr. Watkins’ answer was “we need to help individuals know that joining the military is not an escape.”

We all have known someone who joined the military to escape their home, or because they needed the money, or because it seemed like their only means to travel or receive an education.

But should the military be your only option?

And the treatment while in the military is horrendous for these marginalized groups, the reacclimation to civilian life is also as bad. “From Working with the homeless population and then parole and probation, I’ve learned I have a heart for the underserved,” Dr. Watkins shares as she describes her disappointment in this country’s treatment of veterans. Dr. Watkins shares that veterans should receive way more support to adjust back to normal everyday life, especially when they are dealing with their traumatic experiences from war and combat.

The Cohen Clinic has plans to decrease the barrier to treatment by offering tele-health and paying for uber-commuting for patients. Before Covid, they had also offered free childcare for people and hope to be able to bring that service back soon.

They also have plans to expand in the San Diego area by opening up new clinics and by serving military families. “Their service doesn’t only impact them when they’re gone on deployments.

That impacts a whole family because we are now without a father or mother.”

Dr. Nikki Watkins and the Cohen Clinic are truly about making mental health equitable with their emphasis on cultural competency and serving communities that are often overlooked.

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er Breast Canc nd Awareness a ion Early Detect with on s r a C a is t a L .

Dr dez ne Fernan : Katheri

Written by

October marks the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and millions of people all over the world don the emblematic pink ribbon to honor the survivors and those we’ve lost to the disease.

Dr. Latisa Carson runs Unique Healthcare for Women and is the only African American obstetrician-gynecologist to run a solo private practice in San Diego County. She shed some light on breast cancer, early detection, and what you should be doing every month to keep an eye on your health.

“1 in 8 women will get breast cancer during their lifetime, which is kind of scary because those numbers are really high,” said Carson. Breast cancer screening is typically recommended for women at the age of 40. It then continues every other year until age 50, when annual mammograms are more strictly suggested. But your health isn’t something that you should put on a shelf for later inspection.

Dr. Carson recommends that women do a home breast exam regularly, but many women don’t know what to look for or even how to look for it.

When educating her patients, she harkens back to an age-old institution, the Girl Scouts.

all the difference when combatting a disease that claims the lives of 40,000 women across the country annually.

“Early detection is really important and how that happens is we encourage women to examine their breasts every month, usually the week after the menstrual cycle,” explained Carson. “The week before the menstrual cycle, the breasts can normally get a little bumpy and lumpy, especially if you have benign breast cysts or fibrocystic breasts. The week after the menstrual period, the breast tissue feels more normal, so if a woman does her breast exams, she may find something and be able to be seen by a healthcare provider a lot earlier.”

Be sure to remember that these home exams don’t replace a mammogram. Mammograms detect masses that cannot be identified by touch, so even if your home breast exams turn up nothing, always see a health care professional and schedule an appointment to be sure.

Unfortunately, Dr. Carson knows firsthand that some women don’t get the care they need until it’s too late. She lost an aunt to breast cancer after her primary care physician misdiagnosed her, something that happens all too often to African American women.

“I teach women to examine the breasts in four quadrants using flat fingers... the girl scouts use their first three fingers together, so I teach them to examine their breasts with those three fingers,” said Carson.

“African American women tend to be diagnosed with breast cancer later and part of that has to do with access to healthcare. Unfortunately, we think it has something to do with genetics. Our breast cancers tend to be a lot more aggressive and are diagnosed in later stages when it is more difficult to treat or cure.”

She explained that you could get the most accurate feel for any irregularities when the skin is moisturized, like with soap and water in the shower or with lotion. Getting familiar with your body and knowing what feels normal for you can take the guesswork out of detecting any future changes. Early detection can make

If you are in the San Diego area and are looking for women’s health resources, organizations like La Maestra Community Health Center and Neighborhood House offer free breast cancer screenings and mammograms. For local screenings and other care questions, you can also call the Susan G. Komen breast care helpline at 1-(877)-465-6636.

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American Cancer Society Recommendations for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer Guideline for women at average risk for breast cancer

EVERY YEAR

Ages 40 – 44

Women should have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.

Ages 45 – 54

Women should get a mammogram every year.

Age 55 and older

Women can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.

©2019 American Cancer Society, Inc. No. 046010 Rev. 6/19 The American Cancer Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

ELIZABETH COTTON, THE ESTEEMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLACK TECH LINK

BY Katherine M. Fernandez As

the STEM field continues to grow exponentially, people all over

the world are paying closer attention. Unfortunately, March 2020 saw school closures and disruptions across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic and left students suffering from severe learning loss. Elizabeth Cotton knew she wanted to combat learning loss and equip the next generation with the tools they need to succeed, so she established Black Tech Link (BTL) in April 2020.

“I noticed there wasn’t so much outreach being done as far as middle school and high school students during the pandemic, particularly students of color, and so that’s what I wanted my organization to focus on,” said Cotton. And she’s right. A study conducted by McKinsey and Company found that factors like race and ethnicity, economic status and geographic location affected learning loss. When the 2020-2021 school year came to a close, the average student was five months behind in math. Comparably, black students were six months behind in math and low-income students were seven months behind.

As educators become more aware of these disparities, local organizations like Black Tech Link. have been stepping up to close the gap.

“We partnered with some great local organizations that already had kids enrolled and we brought in instructors and took our programs over to them. During the pandemic, some of our programs were robotics, teaching web development, building a computer and understanding the parts, and really just furthering their knowledge of the tech space. “ Cotton, who serves as the Executive Director of Black Tech Link, created a catalog of programs designed to support students and professionals at varying points of their careers, like the BTL Pipeline Initiative.

“We realized that a lot of people develop an interest in tech or STEM at different stages of their education and their careers, so we take a look at different areas in the pipeline where we can bring more students into STEM,” said Cotton. “Part of that pipeline is from kindergarten to mid-career professionals.”

BTL also utilizes its network of community organizations and corporate partners to support black tech professionals seeking employment. The nonprofit collaborates with companies looking to recruit and retain diverse talent, placing hundreds of STEM professionals at businesses that appreciate what they bring to the table.

Often, people associate the technology industry with fancy computers and costly software but Cotton urges parents to look past that and recognize the opportunities that are out there.

“A lot of times, especially for students that go to public school and may come from underrepresented communities, they may not always have access to different tech programs,” said Cotton. “STEM advocacy is being done by a variety of community organizations, not just nonprofits like ourselves. By churches, by youth groups, chambers of commerce. There is STEM programming all over. You just have to seek it out and be willing to push for your kid to be a part of it..

Whether you’re seeking to diversify your talent pool, looking to apply your technical skills at a company that will value you, or exploring STEM programs for your children, Black Tech Link can make all the difference. Learn more about the organization and all of its offerings at blacktechlink.org.

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Abi Daniels is Creating Opportunities for Himself and Others with NSBE BY Margaret White Black people are typically underrepresented within the STEM fields.

Within the Engineering world, less than 10% of professional Engineers are black. Programs like the NSBE exist in order to support black engineering students academically as well as connecting them with potential opportunities.

Abi Daniels is the current president of San Diego State University’s chapter of NSBE. The fourth year engineering student is originally from Sacramento but came down to San Diego in order to pursue mechanical engineering.

Abi shares that he recognized NSBE as an organization vital for him, “NSBE was really going to be a big support system for me— definitely with everything that I want to do with my professional aspirations.”

Abi first joined NSBE as a freshman.

He started off as a regular body member but as he continued on he decided to become more involved. His second year he participated as a program’s chair and took on the responsibility of coordinating a career fair for all engineering students at SDSU to connect with professionals.

Abi has also worked on fundraising for NSBE and has raised $40,000 for the program. Taking on these responsibilities helped him realize that he wanted to do more and make an impact, so he decided to run for president of NSBE as he finishes his engineering degree.

The impact of an organization like NSBE is profound.

“On campus we are already underrepresented and in the engineering world we’re even more underrepresented,” Abi says, “it can be pretty difficult, especially as a first year, when you’re in these classes when you don’t see anyone like you or anyone you can gravitate to.” NSBE helps connect these underrepresented students. “NSBE has given me a huge boost in confidence and a huge boost in motivation.” Abi shares that NSBE has guided him and offered him stepping stones to his goals. And Abi is using NSBE to help others to their own goals. He shares that students find internships and job opportunities through the career fairs he has organized through NSBE. “It feels amazing to be able to provide those types of opportunities to students.”

On track to graduate in Fall of 2022, Abi plans to go directly into the workplace. Learning is over for him after graduation; he is eager to learn in the field and use his skills to pursue entrepreneurship.

“I was thinking of maybe opening a 3d print shop to directly print parts or prototype parts for companies.”

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NSBE has helped Abi feel confident enough to pursue his goals. He compares it to a snowball effect: “it just takes time. It just takes a little leap of faith to get you going and then after that it feels like a snowball effect with all the opportunities that are coming to you.”

W

hen you hear the phrase “Reach for the Stars” you don’t think of it literally, but in Victor J Glove’s case that’s what he did. He didn’t just reach for them, he slept among them, walked with them and even cultivated crops. Now though this may have all happened in the confinement of the space station he did walk among the stars, well alongside the space station, but you get my point. But this wasn’t an easy journey and it is one that few get to experience in a lifetime or even considered.

So where did it all begin for Mr. Glover?

“It was a dream as a kid that had to grow with me though,” said Glover as he reminisced on his childhood at the age of 10 when he saw the shuttle launch on television. He said it grew with him because though he had a particular interest in going to space he had many interests such as being a racecar driver, policeman like his dad, a fireman, and even a stuntman. He eventually obtained a degree in engineering which resulted from his deep passion and love for learning how things work and operate. “So I understood even more about the aerospace industry, but the influence from my love of sports took me to the military,” said Glover. The journey to space for him had only merely begun as he continued to climb the ranks and impress those higher in command.

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“So I understood even more about the aerospace industry, but the influence from my love of sports took me to the military.”

I had the amazing opportunity to listen to one of the few female shuttle commanders.

It was the representation that gave him the needed motivation to realize that he not only could attempt to become an astronaut though unbeknownst to him he was already training for the mission. During his time in test pilot school they had speakers come speak to the students about the various missions.

He had the opportunity to hear from one of the few female shuttle commanders. “ She told the story of her mission, how they had to handle challenges, and how the crew responded to everything as a united force,” said Glover. This was the spark that lit the flame that reminded him that he could not only do it but he is already in a similar situation. He was in the Navy and had to handle challenging things with an amazing group of individuals.

It was kind of a no brainer, so I’m going to apply.

After much consideration and research Glover discovered that he had a lot in common with the original Mercury Seven and other test pilots. Glover said, “ Well you know I’m already a little bit down that journey so let me go ahead and throw my hat in the ring and see what happens.” So the hat was tossed and the mission began because as they say there’s layers to this. He had to first apply to the military board, the navy then had to select him to then apply to NASA. It didn’t stop there because the process with NASA took two years for Glover. “ Most of the process with NASA is waiting,” said Glover. Getting ready to be an astronaut is more about exercising your patience than anything else.

“I was living in Japan, deploying on aircraft carriers and transitioning to my work in Congress all while I waited.”

During this period of waiting you are still employed or performing whatever function you were doing to support your family financially. “Mike I was living in Japan, deploying on aircraft carriers and transitioning to my work in Congress all while I waited,” said Glover. Victor had a fulltime job, family that included a wife, and four kids to support so these obligations weren’t waiting on the final answer from NASA.

He was then invited with seven others in 2013 to start training. Two years in July of 2015, they had finished all the requirements to become astronauts. They were pinned on July 8, 2015 and received their silver astronaut pins. Now as they say the rest is history.

came

It was the time he had to invest in them and coping strategies that kept him sane through the process. Victor said, “It was the stories that resonated with me the most that were similar in my preparation process,” For him If he didn’t get the call he was going to be happy for those received because he didn’t expect it. It’s because this once in a lifetime opportunity is something he believes people have to earn, so those who attain it earned it.

He

The call answered and

Summary:

Victor J. Glover, Jr. was selected as an astronaut in 2013 while serving as a Legislative Fellow in the United States Senate. He most recently served as pilot and second-in-command on the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon, named Resilience, which landed May 2, 2021. It is the first post-certification mission of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft – the second crewed flight for that vehicle – and a long duration mission aboard the International Space Station. He also served as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 64.

Personal Data:

Born in Pomona, California. Married to the former Dionna Odom of Berkeley, California. They have four children. His mother lives in southern California, and his father and stepmother live in Prosper, Texas.

Education:

Graduated from Ontario High School, Ontario, California, 1994.

Bachelor of Science in General Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, 1999.

Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering (USAF TPS), Air University, Edwards Air Force Base, California, 2007.Master of Science in Systems Engineering (PD-21), Naval Postgraduate School, 2009.

Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Montgomery, Alabama, 2010.

Experience:

Following commissioning, Glover began preflight training in Pensacola, Florida, and completed his advanced flight training in Kingsville, Texas, earning his wings of gold on December 14, 2001. In 2002, Glover reported to the Marine Fleet Replacement Squadron, VMFAT-101, in Miramar, California. In 2003, after completing the F/A-18C syllabus, he was assigned to the Blue Blasters of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-34 in Oceana, Virginia.

With the Blue Blasters, he completed the final deployment of the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed, he completed a Space Systems Certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). Glover was then selected as the United States Navy’s exchange pilot to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School.

During the one-year experimental test piloting course, he flew more than 30 aircraft in the U.S. and Italy. On June 9, 2007, he was designated a test pilot. Glover then served as a test pilot with the Dust Devils of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-31 in China Lake, California, testing various weapons systems on the F/A - 18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. In his off-duty hours, he earned a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering via NPS in Monterey, California.

In 2009, Glover received orders to the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Following graduation, Glover reported to the Dambusters of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-195, in Atsugi, Japan, where he served as a Department Head. With the Dambusters, he deployed three times to various locations in the Pacific Ocean. In 2012, Glover was selected for the Legislative Fellowship. He reported to the Office of Legislative Affairs in Washington, D.C., and was assigned to the office of a U.S. Senator. While in Washington D.C., he completed a Certificate in Legislative Studies at Georgetown University. Glover was a Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Senate when selected as an astronaut candidate. Glover accumulated 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, over 400 carrier arrested landings and 24 combat missions.

NASA Experience:

Glover was selected in 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. In 2015, he completed Astronaut Candidate Training, including scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training and water and wilderness survival training.

SpaceX Crew-1 and Expedition 64 (November 15, 2020 to May 2, 2021) was the first post-certification mission of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft – the second crewed flight for that vehicle – and a long duration mission aboard the International Space Station. He also served as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 64. He contributed to many things while aboard the station including scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, growing crops and taking hundreds of pictures of Earth. He completed 168 days in orbit and participated in four spacewalks.

Awards/Honors:

Ontario High School 1994 athlete of the year; Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Service to the Community Award and community service notation on transcripts; Distinguished Graduate and Regimental Commander, U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School; Onizuka Prop Wash Award, United States Air Force Test Pilot School; Distinguished Graduate, Air Command and Staff College; Named one of Jet Magazine’s inaugural 40 under 40 in 2013. Military decorations include a Navy Commendation Medal and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Organizations:

Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Alumni; Dean’s Advisory Council, College of Engineering, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated Life Member; Society of Experimental Test Pilots - Member; National Society of Black Engineers; International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE); Tailhook Association - Life Member.