Carbondale celebrates Black history through food
Emily Fulk
On Feb. 22, Carbondale highlighted the Black community’s food in homage of Black History month.
After a several-year hiatus due to COVID-19, New Zion Missionary Baptist Church hosted the fundraiser Taste of Blackness, a soul food dinner to appreciate the loving food made within the community.
“Well, soul food is different, more so because it came out of a historical perspective of our people having to utilize what was available,” Pastor Darryl Cox said. “...What was available was the parts and even the produce that people didn’t want, and because they came into an environment, because of the environment they lived in, they had to make do with what they had.”
Soul food is unique because there is so much history and community
behind every meal served. It’s not only about the flavors and ingredients but what went into creating the recipes, the care that goes into each dish and the sharing
Nancy Maxwell’s film inspires community change
annalisE schmidt aschmidt@dailyEgyptian com
Nancy Maxwell has spent over 20 years advocating for the southern Illinois community, and her latest project — a documentary in the works — continues that mission.
As the executive director of Carbondale United and vice president of the Black Chamber of Commerce, Maxwell has been on the front lines of addressing systemic issues that Black people face in Carbondale. She said her upcoming film will bridge generational gaps, amplify marginalized voices and inspire action in other communities
facing ongoing challenges.
“When the presidential election was final, a lot of people went into, like, a deep depression. They got really upset, and it was really devastating to them,” Maxwell said.
She noticed a disconnect between younger and older generations in how they processed political and social turmoil.
“The older generations were like, ‘we’ve been through slavery. We’ve been through the ’50s and ’60s. We’ve been through some stuff. This is nothing, we can survive this again,’” she said. “And I felt the disconnect
of these recipes from generation to generation, Cox said.
One of the servers at this event, Elva Liddell, said, “I grew up in Mississippi. My mother and my
grandmother cooked soul food all the time. They did not use a box. I learned how to cook from them from scratch, you know. And it goes back
Black business owners reshape Carbondale
JasminE thompson JasminEthompson@dailyEgyptian
In Carbondale, a quiet revolution is reshaping the community, led by resilient Black entrepreneurs. “Our journeys may be paved with challenges, but they remind us of our strength and the power of community,” Ryan Reed Sr., supervisor of GRO Community, said. Business #1: GRO Community & Southern Illinois Supervisor –Dr. Ryan Reed Sr. Reed is the southern Illinois supervisor for GRO Community, an organization founded out of a commitment to addressing mental health needs within marginalized communities, particularly among Black and Brown populations. The organization was established by Aaron Mallory, who aimed to redefine the narrative surrounding mental health care. Reed’s personal experiences, including the loss of close family members and his struggles with depression, influenced his dedication to helping others. As he put it, “I wanted to answer the question, ‘Can I live?’ because I believe we all struggle with mental health.”
The path to establishing GRO Community was filled with challenges.
“It’s not easy navigating these waters, especially when the system isn’t designed to support us,” Reed said. Additionally, the emotional burden of caring for others during the COVID-19 pandemic added complexity to his role, he said.
GRO Community has become a resource for Carbondale’s Black community, offering individualized counseling, group therapy and community support services, Reed said.
“We’re not just offering therapy; we’re about building connections,” Reed said. Their initiatives extend into the community, engaging clients in activities such as sports that promote
Chef Jacquelin Ocole serves green beans to Taste Of Blackness attendee
David Rouse at the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Feb. 22, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Jason Isele | @iselephotography
Nancy Maxwell stands for a portrait Feb. 24, 2025 at Carbondale United in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs
BUSINESSES
wellness and social involvement. He emphasized the need for culturally competent care. “We have to empower individuals and show them the value of their own stories,” he said.
To manage the stress of running GRO Community and handling multiple responsibilities, Reed prioritizes a strong network of support from family, friends and trusted colleagues. “God comes first, family second, and then my work,” he said, adding that this is crucial for him to maintain balance. Reed also advocates for personal therapy.
“You can’t help anyone if you’re not helping yourself,” he said, underscoring the importance of selfcare in mental health professions. He said he uses reflection and writing to navigate mental noise, believing that vulnerability is essential for healing.
“Being vulnerable is what connects us and allows us to truly help others,” he said, highlighting the transformative power of shared experiences in fostering hope and resilience.
Business #2: Little Resource Center – Chastity Mays and Debbie Olusoga
The Little Resource Center is a support hub for families in need. They provide emergency supplies like diapers, wipes and formula while also offering social work services.
Founded by Claire Hughes and Chastity Mays in 2023, the center has made a positive impact in Carbondale. They help families quickly by providing resources without needing extensive documentation.
Debbie Olusoga, an intern at the Little Resource Center, said, “We’re here to serve them. If you need diapers, wipes or formula, don’t hesitate to drop in.”
Chastity Mays is the assistant director of A Gift of Love Charity Inc. and a certified birth doula.
Mays and Olusoga have faced challenges in accessing resources for families. Mays’s journey started when families expressed urgent needs for basic supplies.
Mays said, “I always wanted to know how I can give back to the community.”
Olusoga, an intern from SIU, said she is passionate about public health.
“Public health is really communitybased,” Olusoga said. “Interning here shows growth within the program
and allows me to give back.” Their teamwork and open-door policy show a strong commitment to helping the community.
Both women said that they want to create a legacy of compassion and support. Mays aims to increase the number of black birth doulas and midwives, saying, “I have been building up the birth community because there are no black midwives or obstetricians.”
Business #3: Afro Empire Company – Sarah Harris
Sarah Harris, a student at SIU, founded Afro Empire Company during the pandemic to create an additional stream of income.
“I realized I had to create some sort of extra income for myself when a lot of businesses were closing down,” she said.
Inspired by her own experiences with sensitive skin, she identified a gap in the market for natural skincare products that are free from toxic ingredients. “I wanted to offer not only for myself but for other people the chance to access natural and organic safe skincare,” she said.
Afro Empire Company highlights aspects of Black culture and identity by focusing on natural ingredients and holistic wellness, which are deeply rooted in many Black communities. Harris said
she believes in the importance of self-care.
“I wanted to supply the need for organic skincare products because I know how toxic many mainstream skincare products can be,” Harris said. Through her products, she reinforces a narrative of empowerment and care that resonates within her community.
Looking ahead, Harris said she hopes to expand her product line and reach more customers both on campus and beyond. She envisions collaborating with local events and markets to showcase her products and educate potential customers about the benefits of using organic skincare.
“I want to connect with more people and show them that they have options when it comes to their skincare,” she said. She is also eager to explore potential partnerships with other local businesses to bolster her presence and impact.
Harris emphasized the importance of
conducting thorough market research to understand the community’s need for your business. “Do your research, and see how sustainable your business is within the market,” she said.
She encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to brainstorm their ideas, create a business plan, and seek guidance from local business development centers that offer free resources.
“Those centers can be your greatest guide,” she said.
Harris encouraged others to pursue their passions wholeheartedly. “You can do anything you put your mind to,” she said. “Life is so short; don’t waste it doing something you don’t want to do. Go after your dreams and stay true to yourself.”
Staff reporter Jasmine Thompson can be reached at jasminethompson@dailyegyptian.com
Celebrating Black Art: DeSande R on bringing life to the canvas
undergraduate journey at Northern Illinois University.
For DeSande R, art is the equivalent of a heartbeat. It keeps her alive.
“It’s just part of me,” she says, sitting at a desk that’s covered in paint brushes, Sharpies, damar varnish and linseed oil. “It’s like breathing. That’s what I do. I paint, I draw, and it relaxes me.”
R was only 5 years old when her pieces first started receiving recognition. “You draw so well,” her classmates would echo – a compliment that fueled her to continue perfecting the craft in grade school, and later high school, where she began to design covers for romance novels.
“I just always liked drawing,” she says, reflecting on her journey. “It was something I could do. I didn’t know it was a big deal, you know, it’s like making a sandwich. It was so easy for me, so I just decided to stick with it.”
But there was another reason she decided to continue painting: Her mother encouraged her to go to college. Excited to leave the suburbs of Chicago – the only place she ever knew – she started her
“I only stayed like a year and a half,” she says. “It was just too much of a culture shock for me, not being anywhere except at home, and then all of a sudden, I’m thrown into this independent life, and it didn’t go too well.”
R decided to take a hiatus from college. She got married, had two kids, and then moved to Carbondale, finishing her bachelor’s degree and completing a master’s in art at Southern Illinois University.
“I don’t like to be a quitter, and I was determined to get my degree,” she says.
Determined rings true. It’s a cold evening in February when she invites me into her house, 55 years after her days of drawing pictures in kindergarten. In true artist fashion, materials are scattered everywhere. Her house is a small but cozy space that radiates the presence of a creator. Paintings and photographs on the walls pass us by; some gifts and others her own work. She shows me her smaller, more intimate studio, then leads me to another room with windows overlooking the snow covering the back porch. This studio, where
SIU student Sarah Harris, owner of Afro Empire Company, stands in front of Charlotte West Stadium on the bridge leading to Trueblood Hall Feb. 18, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
Therapeutic mentor, Shandon Scott-Rivers, licensed clinical social worker/therapist, Dwuan Wilson and southern Illinois supervisor for GRO community, Dr. Ryan Reed (left to right) stand in their new office at 300 E Main St. Suite #1 Feb. 18, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
Carly Gist @Gistofthestory
between the younger generation and the older generation because the younger generation hasn’t really experienced some of the things that happened like the older generation has.”
Maxwell said she wants her documentary to center on interviews with people from all backgrounds and age groups, focusing on how different generations have experienced activism, discrimination and social change.
“It’s just gonna be diverse interviews, spanning across race, age and generations, weaving together stories of past insights into the present and hopes for our future through intimate conversation, historical perspectives and candid analysis,” she said.
This generational divide is part of what motivated her to collect different perspectives for the documentary. Maxwell wants the film to encourage difficult but necessary conversations.
“So basically, I wanted to interview some young people and some older people and let them tell a story about what they think about what’s happening now,” she said.
Maxwell also spoke about plans for a nationwide economic protest.
A social media campaign, organized originally by The People’s Union USA, a “grassroots movement dedicated to economic resistance, government accountability and corporate reform” according to their website, is rallying for a one-day spending blackout on Feb. 28, urging consumers to avoid purchases both online and in physical stores.
The initiative is in response to recent changes in diversity, equity and inclusion policies, particularly by major retailers such as Target and Amazon, as well as actions taken by the President Donald Trump administration.
John Schwarz, founder of The People’s Union USA, said in a video posted to Instagram,
“They have told us we have no choice, that this is just how things are, that we have to accept these insane prices, the corporate greed, the billionaire tax breaks, all while we struggle just to get by. They’ve made us actually believe we need them, that without them, we’re hopeless and that we would collapse.”
to actually participate in the boycott and not buy anything that day from anywhere. We want this boycott to stand out,” Maxwell added.
She linked this effort to previous economic protests in Carbondale.
Maxwell said, “That’s kind of like the beginnings of the Black Chamber when they
“This is not just a story of struggle. It’s a call to action and a reminder that the fight for equality is far from over.”
- Nancy Maxwell Executive director of Carbondale United, vice president of the Black Chamber of Commerce
The blackout encourages people to avoid shopping at major retailers, purchasing gas, or spending money at fast food chains in an effort to demonstrate collective economic action.
“This is how we change the game, not by waiting for politicians, not by thinking they’ll do the right thing, but by finally taking action ourselves,” Schwartz said.
Carbondale United, a community organization focused on fostering safety and activism, will be participating in a local demonstration of the blackout.
Maxwell said, “They’re planning a nationwide blackout, people won’t buy or sell anything. So I’ll be talking to some people…about trying to plan an event that will happen here on that day, for people to attend.”
The goal of the blackout is to highlight the importance of DEI efforts and encourage greater public support for these initiatives.
“I’m envisioning a place in the area that we can have the boycott, to have some kind of discussions, to have some food, you know, and
did a boycott after George Floyd. The rapper T.I. called for a boycott.”
George Floyd was a Black man who was killed in May 2020 by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck for over nine minutes during an arrest, sparking widespread protests and calls for racial justice and police reform across the U.S.
“We actually did the boycott here, at the church, and we had the Black businesses come out and set up tables so you can only buy from Black businesses during this boycott. And that’s kind of how we got started with highlighting the Black businesses with that boycott right there, they called it Black Tuesday,” Maxwell said.
The documentary will highlight similar efforts and ongoing discussions that will be happening the day of the boycott.
“We can have food and have a conversation. It’s something we’re looking at. And then I would like to get stuff like that filmed about how we are making it through…the first 30 days,” she said.
Maxwell said she is committed to capturing as many voices as possible, even if not all interviews make it into the final cut.
“I want to forge a renewed path going forward,” Maxwell said. “Let’s go challenge viewers to reignite the fire of peaceful resistance, sustained action and unwary commitment to justice. This is not just a story of struggle. It’s a call to action and a reminder that the fight for equality is far from over.”
Her personal experiences in politics and activism have shaped her perspective on the issues the documentary will address.
“I’m not super old, I am older, and I kind of feel like this is already going on, maybe not so intensified, but just by being in a political lane I see so many things that I cannot do anything about. I see so many things that I feel like what happened even back in slavery days, it still lingers here, and it’s just put in a more modern version. And so, of course, that upsets me,” she said.
Maxwell reflected on continued racial disparities.
“Even sitting on City Council, we still see differences between black and white. And I feel like in this day in time, we should have been moved further than where we are,” she said.
“With the death of George Floyd, we’ve seen a lot of things change, but now those changes are rolling back, the changes that happened in the ‘80s, ‘70s, ‘60s.”
She also noted the misconception that the
election of Barack Obama marked the end of racial struggles. “I think about when Obama became president, people said, ‘Oh, everything’s good. Black people are gonna be okay.’ That’s just not how it goes. We are still fighting the same fight, but in a different way,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell said she believes some people have grown complacent in the fight for justice.
“Feel like they’ve kind of forgotten and it’s not really that important to them. I mean, like we can sit on a bus now, we can drink out of a water fountain. I think we’ve kind of just went past that and kind of settled here,” she said.
Beyond racial issues, Maxwell wants the documentary to explore broader social struggles.
“It makes you wonder, when will this struggle be over? Not just with Black people or Brown people, but with LGBTQ, when will this stop? What can we do to stop? What can we do right now?” she asked.
Community gatherings have been playing a role in addressing these concerns.
“We had a People’s Assembly Saturday, and it was so good. We did a peace circle. People got up and talked, and you could tell that it made people feel better. People came up afterwards and said, ‘I feel so much better because it’s hard to look at the news because there’s fires going up every day,’” Maxwell said.
She stressed the need for continued proactive efforts such as these assemblies.
“We can’t just sit and say, ‘okay, let’s cross our fingers.’ We need to be doing some planning. Now is not the time to be disconnected. This is the time, more than ever, for everybody to be connected, because the things that they’re trying to do will affect each and every one of us,” Maxwell said.
Her goal is to have the project completed in the summer.
Maxwell said, “I got the questions, I got the whole package put together. I just need people to come help me execute this package, and so that’s what I’m working on,” she said.
She will also be planning a community screening after the project is complete.
“The plan is to rent a theater and actually play it in the theater, where everybody can just come in free and watch the video…and it’ll be some people that you actually know. Like it might be a neighbor you hear them tell the story that you never even heard from them before, but it kind of maybe will make you more woke, for lack of better terminology,” she said.
Getting to hear community members’ experiences first hand is a crucial aspect of the project.
“People will get a good history lesson, because you’ve got to know where you’ve been, to know where you’re going. So it won’t be like reading this in a book. You’ll be actually watching somebody tell a story,” she said.
She said she hopes the film will encourage civic engagement by emphasizing the power of collective action and community.
“We can’t just sit and be quiet anymore,” she said.
Updates and volunteer opportunities for the project will be shared on Carbondale United’s Facebook page.
Staff reporter Annalise Schmidt can be reached at a schmidt@dailyegyptian.com.
she agrees to tell her story, is home to her latest works, including a commission she’s been working on for years now.
“I like to have the essence of the person I’m painting,” she says. “I want it to show through the painting, almost like it’s talking to you or speaking to you.”
I examine the easel behind her. To make a long story short, she’s taken a photograph of three young girls on a beach and turned it into a masterpiece. I ask her if creating personalized paintings for others has become the norm lately.
“Sometimes, yeah, sometimes,” she says. “I’ve been working so much I haven’t had a lot of time to do artwork. It’s slowed down a little bit, but I’m in the process of picking it back up again.”
She uses her weekends to catch up on her artwork, and sometimes late nights. She said she finished pieces for her latest art show at two in the morning. Her days currently consist of working a 9-to-4:30 job at an insurance firm, checking emails when she returns home and talking with her mother on the phone. “That’s my highlight of the day, calling my mom,” she says. “Because we crack jokes all through the conversation.”
Before this, R was a part-time instructor at John A. Logan College. She worked there for 21 years after graduating from SIU. She taught an art appreciation course, and she says it was rough. “I’m not used to standing in front of a crowd and talking, but I had to get used to it,” she says, later adding that she was able to manage it.
But “manage” might be an understatement. I talk with one of her close friends, Janice Kirksey, just three days later, and find out her daughter was one
of R’s students. “She said, ‘That’s the best art class I’ve ever been in, Mom,’” Kirksey says. “My daughter said, ‘And the teacher made you feel so relaxed and at ease, and if you made a mistake, she would just say, ‘It’s not a mistake. That’s just an opportunity to perfect your art.’ So just knowing that, that you could make mistakes, was very calming to my daughter. And by the way, she aced that class. I still have her portfolio that she did for DeSande.”
The duo first met around 15 years ago, when R brought her daughter to the afterschool program Kirksey was teaching at. They lost touch when summer came around, but they reconnected 10 years later. Kirksey said it was shortly after she lost her mom.
“I was in a, oh, kind of a depressed state, and we met at a function, I can’t remember what, and so that’s what rekindled our relationship,” Kirksey said. “And we made a date to go out to have lunch…and had the best time. She was so comical. Come to find out that we were both from somewhat of the same area, from the Chicago area… and we just began to talk about the different things that Chicago offered. And I said, ‘Mhm. Isn’t that something?’ And we just laughed and laughed, and it was the most laughing I had done since my mom had passed. And when we parted that evening, I was in such a good spirit. And from then on, we’ve just been close. We make sure we meet every so often, and we now attend the same church, and we just have a good time. She’s a wonderful person. She can be very comical, keep you laughing, but I was so surprised at her artwork.”
Many of R’s paintings and photographs are currently being displayed on SIU’s campus. Her work runs in a Labor of Art exhibit at Sharp Museum. The
exhibit is concurrent with the National Black History Month theme of “African Americans and Labor,” which according to the month’s founders, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, “focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary –intersect with the collective experiences of Black people.”
“I consider it a privilege,” R says when I ask her how it feels to see her work displayed this month. “You know, not everybody gets to do that, so I’m very thankful for SIU asking me to do this show. I consider each one to be unique, and I enjoy showing my hard work and sharing with the others.”
R credits several Black artists for influencing her work, including Laura Wheeler Waring, Archibald Motley Jr. and SIU professor of studio arts and art history Najjar Abdul-Musawwir.
She says that throughout her journey as a Black woman in art, the main challenge she faced was trying to book shows. “It got easier as the years went on, because I’m more recognized, more heard of, so it’s not as hard,” she says. “Now I’m not with the bigwigs, but I hope to be someday.”
Increased recognition for artists is what she’d like to see change in the industry. “This is not a hobby. This is my life,” she says. “I eat, breathe and sleep artwork. You know, everything’s a photograph to me. And then, I think about ‘Oh, I wonder how that would look but (as) a painting.’
Like, I can see you as a portrait…I always see each person as a portrait.”
On Friday, Feb. 21, a reception was held for R’s exhibit, which Kirksey attended. Kirksey says she witnessed visitors engaging
DeSande R poses for a portrait in her home studio Feb 20, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Deangelo Handley | @_deevisuals4
in long conversations, expressing what it was they took away from the artwork.
“These (art pieces) were different workers – some in factories, some in coal mines, but you could feel the character come through, and you would have thought, ‘Wow, this must have taken a month or two to get all of these different expressions out on paper,’ and it hadn’t taken her long at all, a few days, but the drawings looked as if they had taken a month or two because of all the different impressions and expressions that come through,” she said.
In the near future, R is looking to finish her painting of the girls at the beach. She’s also working on another commission, but it’s being gifted to someone as a surprise, so
she wants to keep that one off the record. Her talent is something that continues to surprise her, despite having a three-series painting of singer Billie Holiday sell for $3,000 recently.
“I’m surprised at what I turn out. I’m like, ‘I did that?’” she says, letting out a laugh. “I’ll be surprised that I was even able to paint this or draw that. And so, it’s a miracle to me. It’s God’s gift, and I honor that in that fashion.”
The Labor of Art exhibit will run through April 5, 2025 at Sharp Museum, which is housed at Faner Hall on SIU’s campus.
News editor Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com.
to my roots, all the different foods that we had today.”
Nathan Colombo, a candidate for Carbondale City Council, was asked to share a message to the community members who aren’t part of the Black community who didn’t attend the event.
“It is not just here to share Black culture within our Black community,” Colombo said. “It’s
here to share Black culture with the entirety of our Carbondale community. And I would encourage anybody from any walk of life to come to this event and I’m so glad that it is returning after several years of hiatus.”
Education of the history of soul food was an essential part of Taste of Blackness. Carbondale City Council member Ginger Rye Sanders said, “It’s very important to share our culture
with our children and those who are friends of our children, and it seems to speak to the fact that when we educate our children about our culture, the way we eat, the way we eat because of... scraps that were given to us to make it during plantation times or whatever. Those are things that should be communicated to our children.”
The passing down of soul food cooking isn’t just about teaching
one’s child or relative to cook, it’s also about giving an insight and connection to one’s ancestry and cultural history, Sanders said.
The Taste of Blackness event was aimed to help educate, strengthen the bond, and connect the community through food. Soul food is a key part in honoring Black culture and Black history, but it’s also about genuine connection and love, Liddell said.
“It’s like love,” Liddell said.
“The best way I can describe it is love, because when you’re cooking the greens and the green beans, you put all this love into it, you know, to make it good.”
Staff photographer Emily Fulk can be reached at efulk@ dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @emilyfulkphotography
Staff photographer can be reached at jisele@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @iselephotgraphy
Carbondale United highlights Black hair, history and education
On Feb. 17, Carbondale United held their fifth Hairstory: A Black History Month Event to demonstrate how to style Black hair, as well as hair’s importance to the culture and community.
The event was held at the Carbondale United Collaborative Center and mainly focused on the history of braiding culture within the Black community.
Community members who attended were given boards where they could practice braiding as they listened to the history and techniques of braiding. Food, drinks and goodie bags with brushes and combs were provided at the end of the event.
Due to several speakers getting sick, most of the talking was done via a recorded Zoom of the same event that was held in 2021. The event and what is provided during each one differs every year.
In the Zoom recording, Mide Adeleye, now Dr. Mide Adeleye, spoke about how slaves used braids as maps to freedom during the Transatlantic slave trade.
Cornrows (or canerows depending on what part of the Americas you’re from) were also used to hide food like grains of rice so that escaping slaves had food to eat on their journey. In the Zoom recording that is located on the Carbondale Public Library’s Youtube page, there is a video showing
attendance doing research with SIU involving Carbondale Connected and participated in the event. “So I feel like I learned a lot about the richer history about braiding. Obviously, as a white person I know a little bit about braiding, but I didn’t know how significant it was in terms of like early American history as well as, like, African history, and so I feel like I learned a lot more about the significance of braids versus it being more just like a hairstyle,” Christensen said.
Yolanda Dean is also an SIU student. She is studying to get her certification in special education and teaches at SIU’s Head Start. This was the third Hairstory event that Dean has attended.
someone braiding grains of rice into a little girl’s hair in the same fashion that would have been done in the past.
Current Black braiding techniques and culture all stem from these roots, which attendees of the HairStory event got to learn about in great detail.
In 2024 there was a barber who came and gave a demonstration on how to cut hair. This year Ryan Reed spoke about the barbershop’s importance and how it serves as a mental health outlet, especially for the Black community. Reed is a licensed
therapist and barber among many other things. He works as a supervisor for GRO Community, a mental health service provider that focuses on the mental health of Brown and Black communities.
“I’ve always found a great fascination with cutting hair…. But the beauty… wasn’t just the process of cutting hair. It was the ability to actually connect and talk to people in the community,” Reed said.
“I think it’s important for people to know how to step in for themselves when needed and not depend on somebody else,” Normay said when asked what she hopes people take from the event and her demonstration. Shannon Christensen was in
After Reed spoke, Ginger Normay, an SIU student, gave a demonstration on the basic braids that make up most braiding hairstyles. She showed everyone in attendance how to do an underhand cornrow, an overhand cornrow and a box braid while those watching practiced their own braids on the provided braiding boards.
“Especially in this area, you have a lot of people who have children who never learned how to do hair, like every girl doesn’t play with dolls, so they don’t learn how to do hair,” Dean said. “By the time they’re an adult and (they) don’t know how to do it, they’re embarrassed to admit that they don’t know how to do it… So we have workshops like this, that teach people how to do stuff that they don’t know how to do or how to improve from what they think they know how to do. It benefits us as a community.”
Staff reporter Dominique Martinez-Powell can be reached at dmartinezpowell@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @d.martinezphoto
Dominique martinez-Powell @D martinezPhoto
Yolanda Dean gets her hair that had been braided for an example taken out at the end of the Black Hairstory event Feb. 17, 2025 at the Collaborative Center in Carbondale, Illinois.
Dominique Martinez-Powell @d.martinezphoto
Lacy Wagner watches as Ginger Normay shows everyone how to braid.
An attendee works on a second braid strand during the Black HairStory event.
Yolanda Dean (left) and Nancy Maxwell (right) practice doing braids on the braiding boards during the Black HairStory event.
Chef Louise Woods organizes boxes with food in the kitchen.
Chef Patricia Wooley serves chicken and dumplings.
Chef Will Bollinger sits at the drink station during the Taste Of Blackness event at the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Feb. 22, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Jason Isele | @ iselephotography
Visitors to the Taste of Blackness dinner eat together at a table.
Spaghetti is among the foods offered.
Black Magic Variety Show hits high note during Black History Month
Elias WEss EWEss@dailyEgyptian com
As part of SIU’s Black History Month celebrations, over 100 people gathered in the SIU Student Center on Sunday for the Black Magic Variety Hour, which capped the month on a high-spirited note. Several notes, actually, as multiple songs were performed during the show.
The performances varied, with church choirs, high schoolers giving a high-energy dance performance and a variety of spoken-word poems. However, throughout the event, attendees cheered and clapped, sang along or danced at times. The music ebbed and flowed, able to be felt vibrating in attendee’s ribs as it pulsed through the ballrooms.
“Let’s make a new Black history by showing up to vote in record numbers,” said Nancy Maxwell, a Carbondale City Council member, in her speech at the show.
Maxwell talked about how many people had fought for the right to vote, and how it is more important now than ever to have high voter turnout, especially in local elections.
For Dina Timmons, head of the black resource center, Black History Month means “that we’re not forgetting our ancestors, we’re recognizing them for their talent, for their fight, and we’re realizing through them, their struggles, and their fighting-if they can do it, we can as well.”
Before the performances kicked off, booths outside the ballrooms were operated by many different people from the Carbondale community offering food, clothing, accessories and more for sale.
“We’re here to promote our businesses,” Imani
McHenry said, one of the vendors with Black Men Need Hugs. “Right now we’re raising funds and selling tote bags for a scholarship that we do every year in the Carbondale community.”
However, there were also informational booths available. One of these was run by the local branch of the NAACP, providing information on voter registration, upcoming election dates and workshops available for the community. Linda Flowers, who was running the booth, greeted attendees with a smile.
“We do scholarships for high school students,”
Flowers said. “And we have a writing workshop to help students with filling out their scholarship applications.”
She continued to say that she was taking advantage of the chance to give out information.
Flowers stated, “If people need to register to vote for the April 1 election, we have information here for that. This being the last week of Black History Month, we do a Black history scholar bowl here on campus, and the questions are all going to center around the Black history of southern Illinois and
SIU. Even if you don’t have a team, you can come and observe, and I can guarantee that you will leave knowing some history of southern Illinois and SIIsome Black history.”
The scholar bowl will be hosted Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. Teams have already been submitted, but attendees are welcome to come and observe in the Cambria room at the SIU student center.
Staff reporter Elias Wess can be reached at ewess@dailyegyptian.com
Black Greeks dance and stroll to represent their fraternities and sororities at the Black Variety Show in the SIU Student Center. Feb. 2, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Daylin Williams | @photosbydaylin
‘I want to be a part of Black history:’ Black leaders in Saluki
Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com
Athletics stand out
While it should be celebrated throughout the entire year, Black History Month gives the United States an opportunity to appreciate the contributions and historical significance of Black Americans in culture.
The contributions go into sports as well. At SIU, there are currently two Black head coaches: Kelly Bond-White of women’s basketball and Richard Jones, the director of track and field and cross country. Both are quick to recognize the importance and impact of Black History Month.
To Jones, Black History Month as an excellent opportunity for educating Americans.
“It’s an opportunity for the country to be exposed to information that they may not have regularly seen or been aware of,” Jones said. “We take this as an opportunity for us to do a deep dive in history… and the contributions that African Americans have done for this country and in so many different disciplines.”
Protecting and looking back at these contributions is critical in Jones’ eyes, as knowledge about these great contributions will be lost if it isn’t shared.
“It should be something that is in all of the levels of education that we’re going through,” Jones said.
“African American history is really American history,” Jones said. “It’s not a separate history, it’s just our contributions to this country.”
Men’s basketball player Damien Mayo Jr. helps bring a younger perspective to Black History Month, especially the cultural significance.
“Growing up in St. Louis and seeing the culture behind it, the Black history
and seeing the role models always meant something to me because I see myself in their shoes,” Mayo Jr. said. “I want to be a part of Black history. I want to be a person that’s celebrated and talked about when this month comes around.”
Part of what may help Mayo Jr., a junior guard, be remembered is the message that he delivers to younger generations.
“Spread love. I know there’s a lot of negativity and hate within the world,” Mayo Jr. said. “A lot of people are taught to think a certain way, and if you teach people to love each other and always look to offer a helping hand, the world will be a better place.”
In her younger days, Bond-White had a similarly strong role model that helped instill high expectations into her.
“My high school coach, Arthur Penny, took the time to invest in me. They took me around Chicago and then outside of Chicago to camps and colleges… and it showed me there was an expectation of higher education.
That was no longer a dream for me; it was an expectation,” Bond-White said.
After this experience, Bond-White wants to make sure to pay it forward to her athletes today.
“And that’s what I want for all our young people, regardless of what that is, to be able to say, ‘You know what, I’ve seen her do it, so why can’t I go out there and exceed even further than what they’re doing?’”
Bond-White also talked about the legacy of Black female coaches like Vivian Stringer, Marian Washington, Dawn Staley and Carolyn Peck, and how she wants to “carry out and continue what they’ve done” in terms of creating access to opportunities for young people.
“That’s all I’m trying to continue, is to help open doors for all our young people, men and women, that come through this way… by way of basketball or not, it’s just a responsibility that I feel like I’m in a position to be an extension of that, to help young people reach their dreams,” Bond-White said. “And hopefully, as they start reaching, they start reaching back and pulling people with you to show them what else is out there.”
The opportunities aren’t limited to young athletes coming fresh out of college. Jones has seen an increase in opportunities for Black track and field coaches, something that he is happy to see.
“There’s opportunities for African Americans to become coaches in certain programs… now that we have African American head coaches in other positions, maybe at small universities, is giving them an opportunity to kind of move up to some of the large ones,” Jones said. “Over these last few years, there has been a pretty significant shift in those positions for African American men and women alike.”
Bond-White had advice, learned from the poet Maya Angelou, that she dispenses to both her athletes and for those, especially Black women, pursuing coaching jobs.
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated,” BondWhite said. “You got to understand that sometimes that adversity, that’s how you can know who you are, what you can rise from and how you can still count out of it on top. But at first, you got to understand that life is tough at times, and you got to be willing to stand and fight.”
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com.
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About Us
The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a weekly basis. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Carterville, and Springfield communities. The Daily Egyptian can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com or on the Daily Egyptian app!
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Head coach Kelly Bond White of SIU’s women’s basketball gives direction during their practice Sep. 30, 2024 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Emily Brinkman | @erb_photo_
Marion VA loses ‘small number’ of employees
Jackson Brandhorst @Jacksondothtml
The Marion Veteran Affairs Health Care System has responded to last week’s inquiry from the Daily Egyptian, confirming that some probationary staff have been fired from their positions here in southern Illinois.
“The Marion VA Health Care System has dismissed a small number of probationary staff,” the VA said in a statement to the DE. “This decision will have no negative effect on veteran health care, benefits or other services and will allow VA to focus more effectively on its core mission of serving veterans, families, caregivers and survivors.”
The VA statement added that, due to privacy concerns, it cannot disclose specific personnel matters, so it is still unclear exactly how many people were fired and what exactly their roles were.
On Thursday, Feb. 13, the United States government announced the firing of more than 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees across the country, which, at the time, had left southern Illinoisans unsure if employees at their local clinics would be affected.
The nationwide firings announced by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins are part of a Trump administration effort to cut costs and limit spending within federal agencies, including those in the Department of Education, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the National Park Service and many others.
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost, a Republican from Murphysboro who represents Illinois’ 12th District, released a statement last week saying that he trusts the cutting actions that Collins’ and Trump have taken.
Since the announcement, however, many members of Congress have openly opposed the firing of VA employees, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democratic U.S. senator and combat veteran serving Illinois.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Feb. 19, Duckworth announced that she had joined Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, along with 34 other Democratic senators in writing a letter that demands Collins reinstate the fired VA employees.
“Last week, we were outraged by the Administration’s abrupt and indiscriminate termination of tens of thousands of workers across almost every government agency, including more than 1,000 VA employees,” wrote the senators in the letter to Collins. “We were further disturbed by the manner in which you (Collins) publicly celebrated this reprehensible announcement – a clear departure from the assurances
provided throughout your confirmation process to never ‘balance budgets on the back of veterans’ benefits’ and to always ‘put the veteran first.’ Not only will this latest action put veterans’ care and benefits at risk, but it further confuses, demoralizes, and threatens a VA workforce we need to fulfill our nation’s sacred promise to our veterans and their families who have already sacrificed so much…
“Because probationary employees tend to be younger, many of them represented the next generation of VA employees – talented men and women who chose a long-term career path of serving veterans. VA already invested in recruiting and training these individuals because veterans deserve the very best staff possible…
“With the best interests of veterans in mind,” continued the letter, “and to ensure VA is capable of carrying out its sacred obligation on behalf of veterans, we urge you to immediately reinstate all of the employees dismissed in the latest indiscriminate terminations and commit to VA employees and veterans that no additional widespread terminations will occur without advanced notification to Congress, a detailed justification, coordination with service-level leadership, and an appropriate assessment of potential impacts on veterans’ health care and benefits.”
Duckworth and members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs followed up this letter on Thursday with an additional plea to the Trump administration, asking that he and “unelected billionaire Elon Musk” immediately restart operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – another federal agency that has seen cuts from Trump and team.
In their follow-up letter to both Collins and U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Duckworth specifically set out to sound the alarm about the impacts that dismantling the agency would have on veterans and servicemembers.
Since the firings, Bost has announced that he will host a “telephone town hall” on Feb. 24 where he will look to hear from southern Illinoisans and tackle what he says are “some of the biggest challenges facing our country.”
If you would like to participate in that, you can sign up at https://bost.house.gov/participate.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the recent firings within the Marion VA Health Care System, please email jbrandhorst@dailyegyptian.com.
Bost has not yet responded to requests for further comment on the firings.
Staff reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached at jbrandhorst@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @jacksondothtml
Donors dive into icy campus lake for Special Olympics fundraiser
Enan ChEdiak
LyLEE Gibbs
@EnanChEdiak
@LyLEEGibbsphoto
“Let me win, but if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt,” the Special Olympics oath, rings out across the crowd before dozens of Polar Plunge participants jump into the frigid waters of Campus Lake.
The SIU Touch of Nature Polar Plunge was hosted at Campus Lake on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Around 100 people gathered in the 35 degree weather at the boat house pavilion all with a goal – to raise $40,000 for Special Olympics Illinois. The event had raised $38,000 at the time of the event, and the amount kept rising.
As participants ran down a snowy slope and into the lake, organizer Jaedyn Beers announced the team names out to the rest of the crowd. Beers, only six months into her position with the Special Olympics, organized and hosted the event for the first time after participating for seven years prior.
“It just warms my heart to see that people are here to jump into a lake that has been frozen for Special Olympics,” Beers said. “It’s just really cool.”
The event lived up to its polar name after a layer of ice left behind from a midweek snowstorm that hit the area left the lake frozen solid. Just before the event, the Franklin County Dive and Rescue Team braved the frigid temperatures to break out a section of the ice for the event to take place.
“In all the years I’ve been doing it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this cold,” Beers said.
Several groups and individuals registered to take the plunge. Dressed in a polar bear onesie topped with a golden plunger on her head, Special Olympic athlete Valerie Densler raised thousands of dollars leading up to the event and participated for her 11th year in Carbondale since she began in 2014.
Murphysboro resident Stacy Reed, dressed like Minnie Mouse, raised $10,865 for the fundraiser this year. This wasn’t her first polar plunge, with 15 years of experience she raised the most individual money for this year’s event.
“I love to do this cause because I can’t run a marathon, so it’s something I can give back,” Reed said.
Participants and donors from the event came from all around southern Illinois, including the Feather Hill Winery, some SIU sororities and fraternities and the SIU athletic department. Saluki Football, a long time supporter of the Special Olympics, brought a group of athletes to make the plunge.
Saluki Football partners with Special Olympics throughout the year from volunteering at the Duck Derby that takes place at the Du Quoin State Fair in August to the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine event in Herrin.
“I feel like physically being here is a good way to show support,” Director of Saluki Football Operations Chris Gillespie said. “Actually being on the scene and not just being a supporter from the stands. Actually getting out here and getting in the water and fellowshipping with everyone that wants to support something cool like Special Olympics.”
Originally to be hosted at SIU Touch of Nature, the event was moved to the SIU Campus Lake following the draining of Little Grassy Lake, but that did not stop the involvement of Touch of Nature. Several volunteered to help out and to jump into the frigid lake in support.
“It’s been really fun to see the program change a little bit,” Stacy Pogue, the assistant director at SIU Touch of Nature, said. “And we’re hoping by moving to campus lake, we’ll get more people from SIU through Special Olympics.”
Since the draining of Little Grassy Lake, programs such as the Polar Plunge have been impacted.
“We’re just adapting to what we came with, and that’s going to happen with all our programs,” Jack Datus, Touch of Nature program assistant to hospitality, said. “We’re learning how to go without our lake right now.”
Photo editor Enan Chediak can be reached at echidiak@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @enanchediak
Editor-in-chief Lylee Gibbs can be reached by lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @lyleegibbsphoto
Renée Feather (left) and Brandi Jo (right) participants from Team RWG from the Feather Hill Winery run into the water in the SIU Touch of Nature Polar Plunge Feb. 22, 2025 at the Campus Lake in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
Jack Datus, Touch of Nature program assistant of hospitality, pulls his sunglasses off his face after dunking into the frozen lake for the SIU Touch of Nature Polar Plunge Feb. 22, 2025 at Campus Lake in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
SIU students, Carbondale enjoy snow day
LyLee Gibbs LGibbs@daiLyeGyptian com
Another snow storm swept the southern Illinois region beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 18 into Wednesday, Feb. 19 bringing 5 inches of snow to the Carbondale area, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah.
The SIU campus announced on Monday that the campus would close early at 1 p.m. for an administrative closure, which extended to a full day closure on Wednesday.
Other parts of Jackson County received 3 to 4 inches. Surrounding areas like Perry County saw a lower amount with 2.5 inches across the county as of Wednesday morning while Williamson County ranged from 3.5 to 5 inches according to the National Weather Service in Paducah.
The snow did not keep students or residents indoors and many showed up to the hill near the Banterra Center parking lot to sled and snowboard and around Campus Lake for a walk. Temperatures dipped into lows of 9 degrees and highs of 19 recorded by the National Weather Service.
Ranging from an air mattress used as a snowboard by students Morgan Langendorf, Addison Rhode and Matthew Landreth in the afternoon to a laundry basket used by students Lilie Lim and Rayden Meyer, many got creative in finding ways to sled.
Editor-in-chief Lylee Gibbs can be reached at lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @lyleegibbsphoto
SIU students and Carbondale residents stand at the top of a hill near the Banterra Center to sled down after several inches of snow hit the Carbondale area Feb. 19, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Young Carbondale resident Jessica plays in the snow on a snowdrift at the bottom of a hill where she and her sister were sledding. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Jake Brown picks up his dog after it ran off to meet another dog. Will Elliott | @cameramanwill06
SIU students (left to right) Morgan Langendorf, Addison Rhode and Matthew Landreth snowboard down the hill near the Banterra Center on an inflated air mattress. Alexis Lessman | @lex_lessman_photography