FEMME NOIRE Vol 3
who we are editors in chief keturah raymond and jayla goodloe
creative director colette lathan
design editor olivia zimmerman
graphic designer taylor hamilton
visual directors callista mcmaye and alanne stroy
editor taysha cerisier
social media directors summer thompson and makaela simmons
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take a read 4 letters from the editors
6 love is peace 8 vulnerability 10 love on the brain 16 wait it out 18 love is pure 20 self love 22 khiana calica 25 this is for you 30 love is electric 32 virtual luv 34 love you long time 36 sisterhood 40 child's play 42 goodbye
Keturah Raymond co-founder This issue is called the love issue for a lot of reasons. Love is something we need right now, it’s something a lot of us are experiencing or lack thereof, and it’s a concept I’m learning to grasp myself. The original idea spanned from a drowsy thought at 3am during layouts: “It’d be lit to do a couple’s shoot” This was followed by a collection of gasps and coo’s in agreement and so our theme was set for the following semester. Love. And then we probed and dug deeper. We asked ourselves ‘what does love look like? How does it manifest? What are all the different kinds of love?’ And as the semester went on it became clear that this topic was more than a couple’s shoot. It was about sisterhood, it was about self-love, it was the hookup culture, it was waiting for the right one, it was learning to let go. It was learning to commit to yourself and understanding that in order to help others you had to ensure your own health and well-being first. It was seeing how love is timeless and can transcend distance and obstacles life throws your way. This issue was accepting that I am still a work in progress and maybe it was okay to let go of the past to grow on my own. It was learning to not be so hard on myself and understanding that mistakes are okay as long as they are lessons learned. And then, April 18 came around. And this issue became a necessity. It was something this campus needed. It was unity. It was change. It was love. I’m proud of this issue. More than any of the others we’ve published in the past. And I think it’s because this journey was such an emotional one. This semester has truly been a test of strength, character, and will. For all of us. But one thing I know for sure is that good always trumps evil. That there is strength in numbers. That love conquers all. As I’m writing this, I’m not sure of what will come tomorrow. But I do know that our campus will forever be changed and that we must remember to love one another and to love ourselves. We pour our heart and souls into each volume of Femme Noire but this one we’ve invested so much more. Our first issue was a celebration. Our second issue allowed for us to take time and reflect. Now we’re making sense of the world around us.
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jayla goodloe co-founder Wow. We made it to the third issue and to be honest, this one may be my favorite one yet. This issue is real, this one is something special. LOVE. Something that can’t just be described in one word. It’s authentic and can bring the most pain, the most joy, and everything in between. Love heals. Love hurts. Love prospers. Love solves. Love is love. It is what all people know and it shapes us all in different ways. College has taught me a lot, so when working on this issue I felt it to my core. Being someone that cannot really open up with emotions and feelings, learning how to transform that and see the beauty in love and sharing it with others has been unbelievable and truly special. This issue explores love and how it affects humans and comes in numerous ways. Articles will talk about everything from romantic relationships to self-love to friendship and more. We acknowledge young love that helps us young people grow and transcend obstacles together. We focus on the nature of self-love and the importance of it especially when residing in minority bodies that are always being broken down, chained, and dealing with the weight of society on their shoulders. We look at the power of love in friendships and how that unwavering and unconditional love from those relationships carry people into their greatest days and those same people help them to overcome their hardest days, too. Love makes you dig deep and I’m proud that is what Femme Noire decided to do. To dig deep, to feel, and to express a concept so simple but a feeling so intense. This issue pushed us out of our comfort zone. It forced us to look inside and open our eyes to the joy that surrounds us. This issue showed our vulnerabilities and we hope it encourages those that read it to express and experience the power of love whether that pertains to themselves, a friend, or another person. For those reading right now, this issue also just means that our words matter and are being listened to. It means that we still have a support system that holds us down and for that my heart couldn’t be anymore full. In the wake of the climate of this country and this world, I hope that this magazine brings you self-reflection and inner peace. I hope it makes you realize the people around you in your life that matter and how to love them like it’s their last day here in this world. Take time to think and I hope the words and photos on these pages uplift you. Love is power and that power conquers all. Spread the love.
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LOVE IS PEACE artwork by hannah ingalls
VULNERABILITY. written by nhari djan
Vulnerability sucks. Why can’t everyone just know how I feel without me having to say anything? Why does anyone need to know how I feel? Why does it matter? I love my walls, they are my greatest defense mechanism.
I never knew that it could be hard to be myself. I grew up going to school with the same kids my entire life, and I was unaware of how comfortable I was. I was sheltered. I didn’t realize that being put in a college environment would change how I saw myself. Being here is exciting, but it’s also unforgiving. Suddenly, a first impression means more than it ever has before, because you’re racing to make a connection with somebody. Very few people will take your straightfaced quietness and say to themselves “Oh, she’s just uncomfortable. I’m sure she’s actually really nice.” So why do I struggle with vulnerability? Is it all on me? I’ve been told I’m mean looking, unapproachable, that I seem judgemental, but I know many Black women can relate to this. We get mistaken as aggressive when we’re simply existing. You ever correct someone, and everyone looks at you like “Damn sis, take it down a notch!” That’s my whole life. You know why it’s hard to be vulnerable? Why it is hard to open up? It’s the rejection. And I anticipate rejection like nobody else. Because it’s much easier for me to know what to expect out of people and out of situations, that way I don’t look foolish. I absolutely hate looking stupid. It’s my one of biggest fears. It hurts, too. This year was filled with different “firsts” for me. The biggest and most embarrassing example I can think of: the first time I ever kissed someone was here at Syracuse. A lot of “firsts” resulted from me deciding to be myself and be more open, and they didn’t always end well. Although I am resilient, I do feel the doubt sometimes, slowly consuming me. The doubt justifies the barriers I put in place. Although putting myself out there is difficult, I have so much more to gain from doing that than holding myself back. More than what I can give to others, it’s about acknowledging my feelings and recognizing the truth in them. I know that I can’t control all my gut reactions, and I know that I can’t ignore them either. Now I make a conscious effort to listen to myself and allow myself to feel what I need to feel. Basically, I cry more than I used to, but like, in a good way. Here, I choose to talk about my struggle with vulnerability because I believe honesty is the key to my liberation.
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love on the brain
photography by hannah meader
clockwise from top left: dylan lowther, julie elliston, monica nowicki, marcus holloway, sunnie addison, cierra britton, sky howard, dominic samuels, nicholas george, leslie sanchez.
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wait it It’s 2:30 on a Friday morning and even though you know you should be asleep you’re not. Instead you’re endlessly swiping past men holding fish, posing half naked in front of mirrors, and trying to figure out which boy in this group picture the Tinder belongs to (note: it is almost never the black one). As you keep swiping, in the back of your mind, you think back to a time when you said to your friends, “Oh girl I’m never gonna make a Tinder, that is not for me.” Yet, here you are meticulously looking through bios and Spotify “anthems” trying to see which of the few profiles you bothered to expand on is worth that swipe to the right. You’ve already swiped past five guys who listed their location as Watertown, a.k.a. Army headquarters, two guys clearly trying to promote their SoundClouds, one who hooked up with your friend, that boy from your AAS class, and someone who definitely posted a #WCW on Instagram last week and shouldn’t be on Tinder in the first place. This is the reality of dating in college that no one will tell you. College itself is already a very unique experience, because literally everything you do exists within the bubble of campus. Applying that in a romantic sense, dating in college quickly gets hella messy. Not only are there very limited options for your dating pool, but no one actually seems to want to date you. If you came to college expecting cute relationships like the ones you saw in
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movies and shows like “Love & Basketball” and “A Different World”, it’s a dub sis. Most campuses only have a few couples like that, those who were able to make it past the hardest test in college you never heard about until you got here: the “talking” phase.
“Talking” to our generation is what dating was to our parents when they were in college. Except “talking” is very different from dating. You probably won’t meet the person you “talk” to on campus, you’ll most likely meet them at a frat party, and end dancing up against the wall to some old-school R&B song like “Bump & Grind”. Five songs later after the dj has gone through their mini-sex playlist, whoever you’re dancing with will ask you THAT question, “What you tryna do after this?” That’s when things can get sticky, at least if you’re not into hookups. You already know what you’re trying to do is get home, take off your makeup, and hopefully wake up in time to get all the work you put off that weekend done. So, you say something that clearly lets them know whatever you’re doing after the party you’ll be doing without them. Some will just let it go, but you might get someone persistent who somehow manages to finesse you out of your number. The next morning they’ll send a text, and so caught off-guard by the fact that they texted you, you’ll find yourself sucked into texting them.
out
written by volda appia-kusi
This period lasts anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks, even though you know deep down it won’t amount to anything more than them asking you to ‘come over and chill’, which is never actually just chilling. Eventually after so many times carefully avoiding the ‘come through’ texts, you’ll end up hitting them with a calm block and delete. You’ll go through this many times with varying degrees of success, which is very frustrating. It always starts the same way of you thinking that this time it’ll be different, and ends with you at a friend’s house complaining at 3 am about how the campus dating scene makes it so difficult to find someone who doesn’t just want to have sex with you. In college it’s so easy to feel othered, or that by making a decision opposite to the one you think everyone else is making you’re missing out on something. The truth is no one really ever thinks about what the rest of campus is doing, most people are too wrapped up in their own stuff to notice yours. You might feel like the only person on campus going through this endless cycle of time-wasting encounters, but you’re really not. If anything more people have these type of experiences on campus than don’t, and you have to remember that people love to lie and exaggerate to seem like they have more
experience than they do.
You don’t need to change anything about yourself and the things you want for yourself just because of what you think is the campus norm. For now it could seem that all campus has to offer is one dusty, musty person after another, but that’s not really the case. There are gems hidden all over, and you don’t necessarily have to search for them.
Instead of letting yourself get pressed over what looks like a very dry dating pool, put your energy into other things. Not to say that you shouldn’t still go out and meet people, but try taking things less seriously. Let go of all the #relationshipgoals you looked up to and expected coming into college and try to make your own. College is a time for experimentation and exploration and that’s not just limited to academics! Try out some things you never thought you would like Tinder, sliding in DMs, and shooting your shot.
It’s easy to get discouraged when the experiences you’re having are not the experiences you want. We all be in our bags if things don’t go quite according to our plans, but honestly life can’t be planned. Sometimes you just have to accept the lemons life gives you, and get in formation to make that lemonade.
love is pure transition page from hannah
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LOVE IS PURE
Self Love written by abbigail henry
Disclaimer: The identities of the quoted individuals were kept anonymous to reiterate that though self-love is a reflective journey, you are not alone. To attach a name to these quotes would be to limit the experience to one individual. A reader may identify with these quotes as things that they do themselves and their journey to selflove because less lonely and transforms into a collective journey to peace. My idea of self-love is allowing my foot to follow the other out of bed and to my doors as I accept my overpriced, artery clogging, but delicious Popeyes. It is spending a few more minutes in bed to prepare myself for the day ahead. Its remembering not to define myself by my failures and indiscretions. It is allowing quotes to decorate my walls when the voice inside of my head decides to be my greatest enemy, during a period when I need an ally. My self-love is remembering that I am in my early twenties, and it is okay to not have the answers to everything. Remembering to breathe, to exhale and keep moving forward. Self-love is not a 140-character twitter quote taken out of context that you can apply to your life. It is a process produced by you for your own development. When you make decisions remember to take care of future you, you are all they have.
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“Self-love to me is knowing to love myself on even the lowest of days. It is knowing that no one else has my heart, and no one will love and look out for me like I do. Knowing that I am perfectly imperfect and trusting and knowing that because I am me, I am amazing because this is who I am.” Self-love to me means taking that extra slice of pizza without the guilt and shame. Finding yourself sexy in your most unflattering moments. Taking moments for yourself to restore your inner peace. Just fulfilling your own desires within reason.”
"It means feeling good about yourself no matter what people think about you. Being in charge of your self-esteem regardless of what others feel about you."
“It means not needing validation from anyone. It means being satisfied with your physical and mental state and if you are not satisfied with it, then understanding that you will make changes at your own pace. Loving yourself means understanding that saying no is okay and putting yourself first in all aspects can lead to spiritual and mental healing.” "Self-love means not having to compromise on what I want. Being able to stand up for what I want and know that I deserve it. I do my homework because I love myself enough to work towards my dreams, I go to restaurants, go out with friends, sleep in, and pray. I talk to myself in the mirror saying, “ you are beautiful,” and I hype myself up in my pictures and never criticize my appearance." To me, self love is taking time to be more mindful and aware of yourself and your place in this world. It is communicating with yourself and acknowledging your self-worth and relishing in just being who you are. For me personally, learning is an act of self-love along with simply doing things I enjoy like binge watching a show or something!"”
the quest for self written by naomi duncan
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Khianna Calica is a friend, mentor, and kind spirit. From the moment I met her I was able to see that there was something special in her. There was something about her vibe and smile that made me feel comfortable around her; I wanted to get to know her and be like her and without even knowing her - I asked her to be my mentor. And I promise you I have not regretted that day. Khianna was not always such a free spirited person who goes through life without worrying about her next move or wondering if she should be scared of anything. When Calica entered college she was your average freshman - beautiful, smart, involved in numerous organizations. She constantly pushed herself to make a name for herself on Syracuse University’s campus and she did so up until the point where her own light was starting to burn out. As she laid in her own bed one day, she thought to herself that if she continued doing things to help others (without helping or thinking about herself first) without understanding herself or her own happiness, she was going to die. And just shy four months until graduating, Calica took a leave of absence from school (a years worth) and decided to travel the world in order to find herself and her light and learn the meaning of self love - which she did. When she first left college she did not have much support about her decision. She thought of herself as a failure because most of the people she knew thought that she made a mistake and responded negatively towards her because of her decision; however, as time proceeded she knew that she made the right decision for herself because she was finally caring for herself and putting her feelings and thoughts, first - which she never did before. Calica was not impressed by herself; constantly degrading herself and residing in her flaws until she realized that she would not allow someone to do that to her and questioned why she was doing it to herself. Because of that she constantly gives herself daily acclamations in order to remind herself that she is an amazing person who is still growing and is allowed to make mistakes. A person allowed to not know everything yet strong enough to know that that does not make her any less of Khianna. If anything she would be less Calica because she no longer is a surface level person who degrades
their self or hides from people when she is feeling too overwhelmed with the world. She even lived in the jungles of Costa Rica for a month after attending school to become a flight attendant, got the job, left school again and quit in order to move on to another chapter in her life - getting her yoga teacher certification. And while she was being a flight attendant she started her own blog called the Plantation Profit which turned into a business that empowers other people to participate in self love and living in their truth in order to better themselves and their purpose. One thing that Khianna said was “I am so in love with myself...I am so full of myself in the best possible way. I had spent most of my life being empty and pouring out mentally to other people and not satisfying myself.” And this resonated with me because I was able to see the growth in her. I was able to see the transformation that she went through as she told me her story, as she expressed herself and I could see it in her eyes how honest she was being. Calica - a hardworking person who spent most of her life tending to others and caring about how they felt before herself, who was only known of or on a surface level by others became Khianna; a strong, beautiful individual who now knows how to love and care about herself by putting herself first BUT still being able to help and guide others in their journey through life. She no longer was a surface level person but a person that took the time to know herself and others, on a personal level. Khianna never regretted leaving school before graduation because she knew that if she was to regret doing that then she would have regretted finding herself and helping so many other people find themselves, too. And that is something that she is proud of and would never change for anything in the world. And you know that saying “Live your best life”? That is exactly what Khianna is doing day in and day out; living her best life with no regrets. And honestly, wouldn’t you love to do so, too? Her advice to everyone is “1. No is a complete sentence - you don’t ever have to apologize for saying no; 2. Set your boundaries 3. Explore yourself before you let other people explore you *in all aspects*”.
this is for you this is for you This is for you The Colored Women of the World Who forever remain Sweet as honey And strong as our ancestors Who fought chains and whips And who are smart enough to know Your worth Yet humble enough to know When you need help We are Not your baby Not your sugar But we are women of different shades With defining backgrounds That make us Strong Smart Gentle But Yet fragile This is the recipe that we have lived by To become the women we envisioned for ourselves Owning up to life And knowing when to stand down or fight That is the mentality that we share Learning to love Remaining role models for the rest of the world to look upon But yet staying true to our ourselves We forever fly in the skies Because that is our aspirations in life While knowing our limits And still pushing past them This makes you the best version of yourself And so we say thank you For teaching and showing us Different definitions of beauty and grace This is for you
written by naomi duncan and jherlyn brady
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this is for you.
left to right: ebhani blackwood, brittany belo
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photography by ohemaa dixon styled by brittany belo
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love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric love is electric
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VIRTUAL LUUUU
artwork by olivia zimmerman
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UUUUV written by jasmin gill You’re back home from that kick back, edges sweated out, eyelashes partially off and knees hurting from that mean slow wine; collecting all of the tea you sipped at that party and trying to remember that one good looking guy you danced with, you sit and think. What if that’s future bae? Of course, you gave him your number because the vibe was on point and you’re in the mood to finally have someone to call yours. In your head, you’re envisioning the Valentine’s Day posts on Snapchat of sharing gifts and the posts on Instagram with comments from friends saying “yessss goals”. Yet you come back to reality when the guy you thought was future bae texts you off the henny “you finna come and chill with me I live...” at 3 in the morning.
Staring at that very text message you take a second to think about that cute Instagram couple that posted a throwback Thursday photo of how they met in the most romantic way possible, then you decide that the “you up?” text that makes its scheduled appearances around Friday or Saturday night at 1-5 am is not worth your time. Expectations are set high, you aspire be the next Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard who just enjoyed their wedding that’s all over the Shade Room on Instagram. You want to be the next Ayesha and Steph Curry with bae appreciation posts. No more “yeah you are my girl but you know I don’t do that Instagram stuff ” or “I’m gonna talk to you but I will talk to other people too, I’m just trying to have fun”. You aspire to achieve that wifey status that comes with one couple post every other week, being showered in gifts perfectly wrapped so that Snapchat can see how much effort your partner put into it, and being showed off
on every social media platform to show the world that you have not only been serving looks but serving looks with bae.
Yes, I may have exaggerated the obsession with cute social media couples just a bit but the reality is we all sometimes do strive to mirror the very picturesque and beautified couples we see on our screens. At this point some people reading this may disagree with me. Maybe people do not strive to replicate the culture of the idealistic relationships we see on our screens but answer these questions. Would you let your potential partner take you out to Wendy’s for your first date and then post it on Instagram? Would you post that box of cvs heart chocolates for 3.99 on your Snapchat that bae got you for Valentine’s Day? Would you even be less inclined to post bae on social media if they aren’t attractive physically?
I recently read a University of Berkley article on how technology is shaping romance and they highlighted the novel Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari. In the novel, he challenges all aspects of romance and its development throughout time with the influence of media. Towards the end of his novel he states, “Culture and technology have always shaken romance…History shows that we’ve continually adapted to these changes. No matter the obstacle, we keep finding love and romance.” Our lives on social media do not just stop when we lock our phone screens, the virtual world seems to follow us throughout our lives. With the world becoming increasingly more intertwined with media, it is evident that our romantic lives are partially driven by what we observe on social media. Though this can be viewed in a negative light, as Aziz Ansari states “we keep finding love and romance”. Yes, there is still love and romance in this crazy technology driven society we live in and it is reflected through the amazing relationships that we see today, that may have met on tinder but are going strong and building something solid.
LOVE YOU LONG LONG LONG TIME written by jewel jackson “Relationships are like seeds, you need to plant roots for stability and growth”. As of March 3rd, Cedric Bolton and Gwen Pough are celebrating 19 years of marriage. They sat down with me to discuss love, the ups and down of relationships, and how to be true to yourself while being with someone else. “My sorority sister actually matched Cedric and I together. She gave me his number and so one day I was bored and decided to call him,” said Gwen. We laughed afterwards to think that her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta was the ones partially responsible for her romance with Cedric.
in an initial long-distance relationship helped them, they stated that it introduced them to new experiences and that it allowed them to build on the initial friendship they had. Although some friends and family disregarded Cedric’s move to Washington he highlighted the importance of not allowing others to persuade or influence one’s own actions. Like most people, there were fears between the two about being in a relationship and being with each other. Having been raised in a single parent home, Cedric stated that he felt like he never had a true example of true love thus making him feel pressured to not fail in his relationships with others. On the contrary, Gwen stated that she didn’t initially have fears but instead knew what she wanted in a man.
I define love as being willing to sacrifice for the happiness of someone else.
That first phone call by Gwen led to the start of them writing letters, engaging in more phone calls, and occasional visits in order to maintain their long-distance relationship. Cedric who was living in New Jersey while Gwen lived in Ohio, knew that he was in love with Gwen through their exchange of letters.
“There was so much honesty in the letters. We actually still have some,” said Cedric. Gwen expressed that she knew she was in love from their process of getting to know each other. Their love led Cedric to follow Gwen to Bellingham, Washington. There, Gwen completed her teaching fellowship at Western Washington University in order to complete her dissertation at Miami University of Ohio. When asked if they believed whether or not being
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“I think I define love as being willing to sacrifice for the happiness of someone else. But that sacrifice shouldn’t feel like a loss,” said Gwen. When listening to their story, I could tell that they both had to make sacrafices but this has only allowed them to become stronger. While they’ve been married for 19 years Cedric mentioned that one of the biggest things that they continue to work on is communication and Gwen added that they continue to work on making time for each other.
While they’ve been married for 19 years Cedric mentioned that one of the biggest things that they continue to work on is communication and Gwen added that they continue to work on making time for each other. “You have to trust but also trust that they have your best interest,” said Gwen. She went on to explain relationships are a “give and take” and that it’s important to be in a relationship for the right reasons. Cedric followed up by saying that its important for partners to be unselfish and to set goals for one another.
As the discussion came to an end, I asked if they had specific advice for men and women in relationships or going through the different phases of finding love. “Men, don’t be so shallow. Know what you want and stick to it. Also it’s okay to be emotional. You have to know how to meet in the middle and compromise,” Cedric said.
Get to know yourself first because then you can love someone better,
“Naturally as humans we believe in self preservation, but in terms of a relationship that’s not always good,” explained Gwen.
“You have to be aware of the others feelings and keep it 100 or whatever you kids say nowadays,” laughed Cedric.
Gwen’s advice to women consisted of learning how to be okay without company. “Get to know yourself first because then you can love someone better,” she said.
As Gwen and Cedric continue to look on into the future with their marriage they have goals of buying their dream house, for Cedric to finish obtaining his master’s degree, and being able to adopt. As the story of Gwen and Cedric continues to be written in the years to come, their understanding of each other and love is a testimony of how true love continues to live within our world and society.
SisteR Sister What does social action mean to you?
For me, it means actually going out there and being involved. I think for a lot of people, especially nowadays, the ‘social’ part is more like social media. Don’t get me wrong. I think social media is a great way to show solidarity through doing something as simple as an Instagram post or a Twitter retweet. That being said, I think the ‘action’ part of social action is the most essential, but that’s what too often gets lost. What do you think is the hardest part about being an activist on a college campus?
Probably the administration. You’ll always ben able to find a teacher or professor to support your cause. However, in terms of the ‘higher-ups’, those who push the paperwork, they’re one of the biggest problems that we’ve encountered. For example, last spring we [LTAs] encountered so many issues with
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written by tajanae harris an interview with jazzi-blue baker helping La Lucha organize a DACA march. The particular day that we planned for also happened to be a game day, and administration was concerned about how a march would affect ticket sales and the comfort of game-goers and all these other things that seemed to matter more to them. You also have to remember that you’re a college student while you’re being an activist. You still have to balance academics with the things that really matter. We sisters don’t want to get to the point where we’re getting kicked out because we’re failing our academics. Are there any causes that you’re especially passionate about?
Well with me being Afro-Latina, of course I support Black Lives Matter. Other than that, I’m also a support of large-scale movements surrounding Afro-Latinx feminist issues.
Do you think there are any issues that you and your chapter like to all get together and rally behind?
For us in particular, LGBTQ rights have always been something that we advocate for. One of our founding siblings at this chapter is non-binary so that has allowed this chapter to already have a cause to focus on for activism. Also with the appearance and election of Donald Trump, we’ve really been trying to defend DACA rights. Some of our sisters have friends and family members who are effect by DACA so supporting that cause has become personal and one of our big priorities.
That being said, we’re also very inclusive of the things we want to advocate for. Since we are such a diverse chapter with sisters from so many different backgrounds, we don’t limit ourselves to one issues. We try to understand that there’s always more than one problem that people are facing and therefore, we need to have more than one issues that we consider worth fight for.
What sorts of things does ZE do to bring its social action message on campus?
I think specifically to show our solidarity with people who are non-binary and LGBTQ, our Mr. Burgundy & Grey pageant is one of the biggest things that we do. One of this year’s contestants [Lashelle Ramirez] is the first nonbinary person we’ve had compete in the show; but in the past we’ve also had transgendered contestants. Oftentimes many of our contestants will even choose to dedicate their winning proceeds to LGBTQ organizations. Outside of that, we have had small fundraisers where the proceeds have been given to local LGBTQ organizations, and many sisters also do community service with LGBTQ groups when they go home for breaks. With all this being said, this semester’s issues is about love. Could you tell me one thing you love about being an LTA?
Definitely my sisters. There have been times where I’m feeling stressed but I don’t mention it to anyone; yet somehow they still know and still do things that indicate their love for me.
clockwise from top left: nuhami mandefro, ramona yun, zeelee segura 36 femme noire
child's play photography by ohemaa dixon
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left to right: amariah dejesus, callista mcmaye 40 femme noire
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THANK YOU marissa willingham ohemaa dixon hannah meader brittany belo khianNa calica cedric bolton gwen pough jazzi-blue baker lamda theta alpha latin sorority, inc. valerie martinez all readers and supporters
lovers worldwide
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