Encore February 2019

Gryphon Place Is a Call Away

February 2019

Lash Business Is Booming

Lost Buildings to Remember

Meet Cheryl Dickson

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

Wrangling Black History

Murphy Darden lassos the past

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CONTRIBUTORS ENCORE

Gryphon Place Is a Call Away

Lash Business Is Booming

Lost Buildings to Remember

February 2019

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

Jordan Bradley

While visiting Gryphon Place Kalamazoo’s 211 and crisis call center for her story, Jordan was surprised at the atmosphere in the call center. Instead of bustling and chatter, as she expected, there was a sense of calm, quiet and peace: the perfect atmosphere for listening. “Gryphon Place focuses on the often underrated practice of listening to enhance their callers’ experiences and help the residents of Kalamazoo and about 8 other counties,” she says. "It blows my mind how all of their sectors seem unrelated — the volunteer connections, the 211 line and the crisis call center — but actually complement each other really well." Jordan, a Kalamazoo resident, is an editorial assistant at Encore.

Meet Cheryl Dickson

Wrangling Black History

Murphy Darden lassos the past

Publisher

encore publications, inc.

Editor

marie lee

Jennifer Clark

Ever since experiencing Murphy Darden’s “Going Back in Time” exhibit at the 2015 Black Arts Festival, Jennifer has been captivated by the man behind the artwork and artifacts.

“Mr. Darden’s joy and love for history is infectious,” she says.

“Over the years, he has quietly and diligently been preserving Southwest Michigan’s cultural history. He’s a remarkable man, and it’s an honor to share his story.” Jennifer is the author of two poetry collections and her third book, A Beginner’s Guide to Heaven, will be released later this year by Unsolicited Press. Jennifer also serves on the staff of Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo.

Lisa Mackinder

For this month’s issue, Lisa spoke with Kami Hill of Pure Lash & Beauty, in Portage. In 2015, Hill opened the salon — which specializes in eyelash extensions — after experiencing a huge demand for those services while employed at another business. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Kami didn’t bat an eyelash at having a building torn down to construct another and launching a business there. “Kami is definitely a go-getter — and she loves to learn,” Lisa says. “Whether it’s keeping tabs on the latest beauty industry products, doing ongoing service training or thinking of new ways to create a welcoming atmosphere for clients, Kami is on top of it.”

Designer

alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k. powers

Contributing Writers

jordan bradley, jennifer clark, lynn houghton, marie lee, lisa mackinder

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark celeste statler krieg lee

Distribution

chris broadbent

Office Coordinator hope smith

Events Calendar hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2019, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:

www.encorekalamazoo.com 117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Telephone: (269) 383-4433 Fax: (269) 383-9767 Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com The staff at Encore welcomes written comment from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print-ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by those interviewed and published here do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Encore Magazine or the official policies, owners or employees of Encore Publications.

4 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

ENCORE EDITOR'S NOTE

From the Editor Our writers are truly the eyes and ears of Encore.

Through them, we get some of our best stories and learn more and more about our dynamic community. These stories come not only through their keen powers of observation, but also because people often recognize our writers from their bylines and offer story ideas to them. Lisa Mackinder, for example, has a small army of people who regularly come up to her as she is working out on the elliptical machine at her gym to talk about the stories she’s written and give her ideas for new ones.

Her Pure Lash & Beauty story in this issue came from one of those encounters.

It was another writer, Jennifer Clark, who brought us this issue’s cover story on Murphy Darden. Clark had worked with Darden in another capacity, and it occurred to her that more people needed to know about his efforts to collect artifacts from Kalamazoo’s African-American history and create artworks to document that history.

It just so happened that Darden also loves cowboys and uses his artistic talents to depict forgotten black cowboys. The result of Clark’s interview with Darden is a wonderful, detailed profile of one of Kalamazoo’s most interesting residents.

And while all of our writers see stories in different places, they have one thing in common: They love to share the people they meet and write about with the community. And Encore, in turn, loves to share those folks with our readers and are grateful for the chance to do it.

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CONTENTS

February

2019

FEATURE Wrangling Black History

Local ‘cowboy’ Murphy Darden lassos the past one artifact and artwork at a time

20

DEPARTMENTS

Contributors 4

5 From the Editor

Up Front

8

12

First Things

Happenings and events in SW Michigan

Five Faves — Historian picks lost local buildings worth remembering

14

Lovely Lashes — Entrepreneur Kami Hill finds success in the blink of an eyelash

26

Good Works

38

Back Story

A Wealth of Help — Gryphon Place aids in conflict, crisis and connections

Meet Cheryl Dickson — Making better doctors by teaching them about health equity and being culturally competent

ARTS 30 Events of Note 35 Poetry

On the cover: Artist, collector of local black history and cowboy enthusiast Murphy Darden. Photo by Brian K. Powers.

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FIRST THINGS ENCORE

First Things Something Nostalgic

Heartbreaker Ball has ’80s theme Whether you wanna dance with somebody you love or feel like love is a battlefield, Bell’s Eccentric Café has the perfect event for the day after the most romantic holiday of the year: an ’80s Heartbreaker Ball on Feb. 15.

The Adidas-track-suit clad ’80s cover band Starfarm will treat attendees to hits from the decade of big hair as well as a tubular light show.

To enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere of the evening, you’ll need $10 for a ticket and at least 21 years of life experience. For more information or tickets, visit bellsbeer.com/events.

Something Delicious Get a taste of downtown

If you’ve been wanting to try a downtown restaurant for the first time or to revisit one (and there are more than 30 of them), then Downtown Kalamazoo Restaurant Week, Feb. 23-March 3, will make it easier to do so.

This special week is a celebration of the downtown area’s eclectic dining scene. The best part: prix fixe (fixed-price) menus with such deals as $10 lunches and shareables to $25 and $35 dinner options for one or two. And with these special prices, you can explore a new restaurant every day.

For more information on Restaurant Week, including participating venues and menus, visit kalamazoorestaurantweek.com.

8 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

ENCORE FIRST THINGS

Something Wintry

Dig into a Snow Party in Portage We know you winter lovers haven’t had

much to celebrate this season, so that’s even more of a reason to revel in the white stuff (if it’s around) at Portage’s Winter Snow Party, set for noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 2.

The event, to be held at Oakland Drive Park, 7650 Oakland Drive, will offer sledding, a cardboard sled contest (time to put all those Amazon boxes to good use!) and a snowmanbuilding contest. Prizes will be given for fastest sled and for best-decorated sled and snowman.

If you need to warm up, there’ll be a bonfire and a warming bus station available and, for purchase, hot chocolate and coffee.

And just in case Ol’ Man Winter isn’t forthcoming with snow, there will still be a cardboard sled design contest and other activities to enjoy.

For more information, visit portagemi.gov.

Something Fun

Dress up for Costume Prom If you’ve been looking for a good excuse to put on your furry costume, the State Theatre’s got one: the Community Costume Prom at 7 p.m. Feb. 14.

This Valentine’s Day event, presented by Bare Backstage Productions, will include the band Bride of Fleckenstein, ballroom dancing, a costume cabaret, a DJ and dance party, awards and prizes, and karaoke. Not to mention there will be a photo station, games and food.

All costume types are welcome at this 21-and-older event. Tickets are $35, or $60 for two, with tickets prices increasing by $2.50 the day of the show. VIP tickets, which allow early entry and offer other benefits, are also available, at $55 for one or $90 for two. For tickets or more information, visit kazoostate.com.

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FIRST THINGS ENCORE

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Something Moving

Diavolo to dance at Miller Combining acrobatics, structured sets and a spectacularly shiny wardrobe that any aspiring circus runaway would

envy, the group Diavolo brings its unique dance act to Miller Auditorium Feb. 27.

Fresh from its recent success as a top 10 finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, the dance company explores the relationship between the human body and its architectural environment. Show time is 7:30 p.m., and tickets range from $25-$40. For tickets or more information, visit millerauditorium.com or call 387-2300.

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Something Classical

Chinese pianist Zhang Zuo to perform You can catch a pianist whose performances have been called “a powerful, passionate and compelling representation of pure artistry” when Zhang Zuo comes to Kalamazoo Feb. 10 as part of The Gilmore’s Rising Stars Series.

Zuo, also called “Zee Zee,” was the recipient of the coveted Petschek Piano Award from The Juilliard School and has collaborated with leading Chinese orchestras throughout her impressive career. She will perform Bach’s Partita No. 5 in G Major and other pieces at 4 p.m. at the Wellspring Theatre, in the Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $7 for children. For tickets or more information, visit thegilmore.org/event/zhang-zuo or call 342-1166.

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You’ll get that combo with the musical Once on This Island, playing at the Civic’s Parish Theatre, 426 S. Park St., Feb. 22-March 10.

Island girl Ti Moune finds herself at the center of a bet among the island’s gods after saving a stranded man, Daniel, and falling in love with him. The bet: Which is stronger, love or death? And the stakes? Ti Moune’s life.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 and 23; March 1, 2, 8 and 9; and 2 p.m. Feb. 24 and March 3 and 10. Tickets start at $25. For tickets or more information, visit kazoocivic.com or call 343-1313.

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FIVE FAVES ENCORE

Five Faves

Historian picks lost buildings worth remembering by

LYNN HOUGHTON

In 1981, while working at the Kalamazoo Public Museum, I created a program called “Lost Kalamazoo” that described a variety of local buildings that were once part of this city. This program formed the nucleus of the 2001 book Kalamazoo Lost and Found, which I co-authored with Pamela Hall O’Connor. It was published by the Kalamazoo Historic Preservation Commission and is still available for sale. The book features not only local buildings that were lost, but also buildings that have been preserved and reused and new buildings that are good additions to our built environment.

Here are five of the many lost buildings of Kalamazoo that I admire:

Kalamazoo Public Library

Southeast corner of South and Rose streets

The Kalamazoo Public Library began as a library for the Kalamazoo Public Schools in 1860, and opened to the public 12 years later. In 1893, a structure funded by Dr. Edwin and Cynthia Wendover VanDeusen opened, replacing the library’s two different downtown locations. The VanDeusens gave close to $70,000 for both the building and the site they chose, at the corner of Rose and South streets. It was the largest philanthropic gift for the library at that time. There was no grand opening for this Romanesque building, which is what the VanDeusens wanted, although they did request that the reading room be open on Sundays for those who worked six days a week. The building came down in 1958 to make way for a newer building, completed the next year, and that building underwent a major remodeling in 1996 and 1997 to become what is the current library.

12 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

Academy of Music

East side of South Rose Street, between West Michigan Avenue and West South Street

By

the 1880s, Kalamazoo had grown into a prosperous community, which led to calls for a proper public opera house to hold a variety of events.

Citizens formed a company that raised funds and chose a Chicago architect named Dankmar Adler to design the building. When it opened in May 1882, much information could be found in the newspaper describing its cherry woodwork, frescoed ceiling and velvet-embossed walls. Seating 1,500, it held a variety of performances and events. In 1916, the venue became a vaudeville and movie house called the Regent. A fire in 1930 destroyed much of the building, except for the front portion. That portion held offices until 1967, when it came down to make way for the Industrial State Bank (ISB) Building, now the Comerica Bank Building.

Temple B’nai Israel South side of East South Street, east of the Kalamazoo Mall

Completed in 1875, this was not only the first building for Temple B’nai Israel, located on East South Street just past South Burdick, home for Kalamazoo’s early Jewish residents, but also the first synagogue in Michigan. Although there are no interior photographs, the newspaper gave detailed information on the rooms and how they were decorated. By 1910, Temple B’nai Israel moved to a new home on South Park Street and is now located on Grand Prairie Avenue. The original Temple, hidden by another building in front, remained until its demolition in 1976 to make way for a parking ramp. The building is featured on the cover of the book Kalamazoo Lost and Found.

Severens House

Michigan Female Seminary

East side of Thompson Street

Southeast corner of Gull Road and Riverview Drive

One photograph remains of this house, built in 1871 for lawyer and later judge Henry Severens, his wife, Sarah, and their family. The house, which was located on the east side of Thompson Street, in the center of the Kalamazoo College campus, was a Second Empire structure with a tower covered by a mansard roof. The house had long, narrow windows and tracery on its gables that gave the structure some texture. Lemuel D. Grosvenor designed this residence as well as some other local houses and the Lawrence and Chapin Ironworks, a building on the northwest corner of North Rose and West Water streets. The Severens House, owned by only two different families, came down in the early 1960s to make way for a parking lot.

My interest in lost buildings started with this structure, as its name and its size fascinated me. Michigan’s Presbyterian Church supported this private secondary school for young women from across the Midwest. It opened in 1867 and held classes in a variety of subjects, in addition to requiring regular exercise, church attendance and daily chores of its students. An addition to the original building in 1892 doubled its size. College-level classes were added, but a lack of students and money led to the seminary closing in 1907.

The buildings came down in the 1930s. Some of their materials were repurposed for the original St. Mary’s Catholic Church, which acquired part of the seminary land and is still there today.

About the Author Lynn Houghton is the regional history curator at the Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections. She leads the Gazelle Sports Historic Walks, a series of free architectural and historic walks in Kalamazoo and other parts of the county during the summer and fall, and is a co-author of Kalamazoo Lost and Found, which is available for sale at local booksellers. She also participated in the PBS series 10 that Shaped America. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from WMU and a master’s in library and information science from Wayne State University.

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ENTERPRISE ENCORE

Lovely Lashes

Kami Hill finds success in the blink of an eyelash by

LISA MACKINDER

In February 2015, when Pure Lash & Beauty opened its doors at

1106 W. Centre Ave. in Portage, business instantly boomed — and that’s an understatement.

The shop specializes in eyelash extensions, and Kami Hill, a certified lash stylist and the shop’s owner, had anticipated demand and planned on hiring one other lash stylist. But almost instantly a line of enthusiastic clients created a three- to six-month waiting list for lash services, which changed her plans a bit.

14 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

“We have seven (lash) stylists now, and I’m hiring more,” says the 37-year-old Hill, “and I have two in training.”

In 2006, Hill discovered the demand for lash extensions after taking classes in Detroit. She received certification from Lash Affair, a Phoenix-based company that provides professional eyelash extension supplies and training.

Lash extensions used at Pure Lash & Beauty are made of polybutylene terephthalate, Hill says, which is a soft, flexible lightweight material

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ENCORE ENTERPRISE

that withstands heat and retains its shape and curl. A latex- and formaldehyde-free adhesive is used to apply the extensions to a client’s natural eyelashes during a two- to three-hour process.

Most clients of Pure Lash — who range from teenagers to baby boomers — generally find the technique relaxing and fall asleep, Hill says, as each extension is attached “one by one” to each natural lash. It doesn’t disrupt the growth cycle of the natural lashes because the extensions shed with the natural lashes. Customers return every two to three weeks for “fills,” which take about an hour and a half.

“We can make it dramatic, or we can make it natural-looking,” Hill notes.

‘Demand kept growing’ Back when Hill underwent her initial training, she says, nobody in the Kalamazoo area was offering lash extensions. She was working as a cosmetologist at Studio 24 SalonSpa in Portage and, after becoming newly certified in lash extensions, started practicing application of lash extensions on co-workers. Customers immediately took notice.

“Within probably a year and a half I was doing more lashes than hair,” she says.

Studio 24 SalonSpa didn’t technically have a space for a lash extensions station, so Hill did her work in a converted closet.

“It wasn’t ideal as far as lighting, and the demand kept growing,” Hill says, so she decided to open her own business.

Hill didn’t open Pure Lash & Beauty on a whim. She had always wanted to open Opposite page: Kami Hill stands in front of her Pure Lash & Beauty building on Centre Avenue in Portage. This page: Eyelash extensions are applied to a customer.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 15

ENTERPRISE ENCORE a salon and possessed the skill set to do it.

She was armed with an associate’s degree in business from Kalamazoo Valley Community College and a family lineage of entrepreneurs — her parents, Larry Hill and Andrea Khairallah, owned businesses before retiring, and most of her siblings have followed suit.

Hill designed the look, brand, name and feel of her salon — she wanted a warm, uplifting environment for employees and clients — long before the building on Centre Avenue

became available. When it hit the market, Hill was prepared.

“It was the right spot and the right timing and the right price,” Hill says. “It was a lot of upfront investment, but I’m very glad I did it.”

Entrepreneurial parents Was Hill scared to purchase a property, tear down the building and construct a new business from scratch? Sure, she admits, saying leasing a spot was a consideration.

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Top: Customers recline in stations inside of Pure Lash & Beauty. Bottom: Kami Hill meticulously applies extensions to a customer.

ENCORE ENTERPRISE But her parents’ example helped dismiss any fear and fuel her determined attitude.

“My mom and dad owned multiple businesses,” she says. “While we were growing up, I always saw that hustle and heart and the dreams that would come to life.”

Hill’s dream also came true. Currently, Pure Lash & Beauty has four private rooms for lash services and 17 employees. She recently replaced three hair stations with recliners to accommodate the growing market for lash services. Business is brisk, and even though Hill had the opportunity to expand her business by moving into another, larger building, she chose not to. Pure Lash & Beauty has a cozy, welcoming atmosphere,

she says, and maintaining that, as well as keeping customer service the top priority, came to mind while she was getting ready to sign on the dotted line.

“That’s what stopped me from expanding,” she explains. “I just was afraid I would lose that. I think that’s what makes us really unique.”

Doing lash extensions was and still is Hill’s favorite part of her business.

“I really, truly love the art of doing it,” she says, “and especially the relationships that I make with clients. Then they open their eyes and see what it does for them. I love that reaction and the confidence that it gives women.”

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This spring Pure Lash & Beauty will launch a new service: microblading, a type of tattooing, to enhance eyebrows. In microblading, a small, manual tool made of multiple tiny needles is used to create brushstrokes of ink in the skin that are semi-permanent. (In traditional tattooing, ink is injected into the skin with an electric hand tool.) Hill trained under celebrity microblading artist Lindsey Ta, of Microblading LA Studio & Academy, in Los Angeles. This service is great for people who have sparse eyebrows and regularly draw them on, Hill says.

The technique seems to have originated in Asia about 25 years ago, according to multiple websites. “It’s been around for a long time,” Hill says, “but it’s new to the beauty industry here in the States. It’s just starting to grow and be a more mainstream beauty offering.”

While speaking with Hill, one can’t help but notice her full lashes and frequent smiles. She has good reason to smile. In addition to having a thriving business she loves, in October, Hill was named a trainer for Lash Affair, the company from which she received her lash extension certification. Hill travels to salons and classrooms throughout the country, training groups of three to 20 cosmetologists and aestheticians as future lash stylists.

For Hill, who started out as an elementary education major at Western Michigan University, conducting the trainings is icing on the cake, especially when she knows it is empowering women. “(It’s) being able to give them the tools to grow their own businesses and potentially give them financial freedom.”

Downtown Kalamazoo Restaurant Week is the best time for food in Downtown. Restaurants highlight what makes them truly special with a prix fixe (fixed price) menu at $10, $25 or $35. Experience the tastes of a place you’ve never been, or try innovative parings and specials for 1, 2 or a table of friends. And with our $10 prix fixe, you can try more than one by hopping from place to place on the Restaurant Week Trolley! Check out the Winter menus beginning Feb. 16 at kalamazoorestaurantweek.com.

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Throughout Restaurant Week, Webster’s offers a 3-course menu with multiple combinations for just $25! If you haven’t visited Webster’s, this is the perfect time to see what it’s all about — our exceptional service and food won’t disappoint.

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Comensoli’s

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Food Dance Restaurant

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Havermill Café

(KVCC Culinary Restaurant) 418 E. Walnut Street (269) 548-3200

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Mangia Kitchen & Bar

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600 Kitchen & Bar— 600 E. Michigan Avenue Arcadia Brewing Company — 701 E. Michigan Avenue Artisan Sandwich Company — 348 S. Kalamazoo Mall Central City Tap House — 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall Fuze Kitchen & Bar — 214 E. Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo Beer Exchange — 211 E. Water Street Old Dog Tavern — 402 E. Michigan Avenue Olde Peninsula Brewpub & Restaurant — 200 E. Michigan Avenue Principle — 230 S. Kalamazoo Mall The Stamped Robin — 128 Portage Street The Union Cabaret & Bar — 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall

For more information visit www.kalamazoorestaurantweek.com

Wrangling Black History Local ‘cowboy’ lassos the past one artifact and artwork at a time by

JENNIFER CLARK

photography by

F

or most of his 90 years, Murphy Darden has been riding alongside the past and grabbing history by the horns.

With little fanfare, this artist has wrangled a heap of Kalamazoo’s cultural history and the country’s black cowboys from stampedes of time, ignorance and indifference.

He’s captured historical moments with paint and brush, like the NAACP’s 1963 boycott of Van Avery Drugstore for not hiring blacks.. He’s rounded up tableware from Kalamazoo’s no-longer-there Pacific Inn. Once located east of downtown Kalamazoo near the East Michigan Avenue/ Riverview Drive viaduct, this restaurant/ nightclub was one of the few places AfricanAmericans and whites mixed. With his scalemodel creations, Darden has resurrected Kalamazoo’s first black churches as well as Parchment’s paper mill. His model of the former mill is on permanent display at the Parchment Community Library.

When the Enoch and Deborah Harris homestead on Parkview Avenue was destroyed by the Oshtemo Township Fire

BRIAN K. POWERS

Department for firefighting practice in 2006, Darden sifted through the ashes, rustling up bits of roof shingle, broken pottery and foundation stone. Appreciating the significance of the Harrises being the first African-American settlers in Southwest Michigan, he transported the items to his home for display there.

He has also designed eye-catching displays depicting George Washington Carver and other historical figures. Through these displays, along with his artwork and wideranging collection, he has transformed his Northside Kalamazoo home into the Murphy Darden African-American Cowboy and Historical Museum. (Until recently, private tours were available by appointment, but now Darden is working to find a permanent home for his collection, where it can live on after him.)

A man is not born a cowboy — he becomes one Right out of the gate, Darden will tell you he’s a church founder and charter member of Bible Baptist Church of Kalamazoo. A man born into a segregated South, he’s made his home in the North. But he also carries the West in his heart. Which is why, with all the things he does, one would be remiss not to add would-be cowboy to that list.

Along with his identical twin brother, Irvin, Darden was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi, in 1928. He has a habit of punctuating his lilting Southern speech with an occasional “woo-hee!” that jingles like spurs at the end of his sentences. He’s loved cowboys for as long as he can remember.

When Darden was a young boy, his mother, Dicy, would take her twins to the movie theater. “They were all Westerns back then,” recalls Darden, and cowboys piqued his imagination. “It was all action and big 10-gallon hats, and I loved how the cowboys always, always get the bad guys.

“Later, my brother and I, we’d go to a show for 10 cents. Ten cents was sure hard to come by then. Woo-hee!” hollers Darden, slapping his knee. When they could round up a bit more, they would buy ice cream in Dixie cups, collecting the lids, which had pictures of white cowboys and movie stars on the underside.

His mother, a cook, saved up and bought the boys Buck Jones and Hoot Gibson cowboy outfits. After Darden outgrew his cowboy costume, he created his own Lone Ranger mask and fashioned gun holsters from leather belts. “I always dressed like a cowboy,” he says. “And ’cause of Herb Jeffries, I started collecting anything I could on black cowboys. Jeffries, now he was a tall, good-looking fellow, the Gene Autry type, you know? He was a black singer and actor, and he told Hollywood, ‘I want to make Murphy Darden, right, among the art and artifacts that he has created and collected over the years, including, at left, this replica of the home owned by Enoch and Deborah Harris, the earliest black settlers in Kalamazoo.

20 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

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No matter where you ride to, that’s where you are At the end of his ninth-grade year at Aberdeen Colored High School, Darden decided to seek wider pastures “because,” he says, “I found my girl.”

“Manassa was in 12th grade. She was going back to her daddy and mama in Macon, Mississippi. I couldn’t let her get away, so I married her, secretly,” he says. “We got married for five dollars. I had three and borrowed two. Woo-hee!”

Eventually, their parents found out. In 1948, with $50 that Darden’s mother-inlaw loaned him, he boarded a train bound for his cousin’s home in Kalamazoo. “Well, now, I didn’t have all $50,” he says, admitting he spent some of it on candy to impress his young bride before he left.

Darden got a job at the Hotel Harris as a houseman and then sent for his wife. (She worked at Borgess Medical Center for 33 22 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

years. She died in 1988.) Darden then sent for his twin brother, who also got work at Hotel Harris and sent for his wife. Eventually, his twin brother got a job as a sweeper at Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co. (later James River Corp. then Crown Vantage). Irvin helped Darden get a sweeper job there, too.

Darden would later move into the position of industrial painter before retiring from the mill in 1990.

The couples worked hard, saved money and pooled their resources to buy a house.

But that would prove to be quite a feat. Back then, in the 1950s and '60s, it was easier for a black cowboy to infiltrate a herd of wild mustangs than break into the housing market. Darden shakes his head, recalling a rodeo of real estate agents unwilling to show them homes they were interested in and the brothers and their wives being told at open houses that the homes were no longer available. The couples finally bought a house together on North Rose Street. (In the 1930s and for several decades thereafter, the federal government and banks would provide home mortgages only for certain neighborhoods based on racial or ethnic makeup — a practice called redlining — and homes in Brian Powers

my own Westerns. I want to be the star and ride and shoot and sing. And I want all black actors cast in my movies.’ Well, they let him.

He made Westerns like The Bronze Buckaroo and Harlem Rides the Range.”

those neighborhoods would have deeds that prevented blacks from buying those homes.

Redlining was outlawed in 1968.)

“We were the first blacks on the street,” notes Darden. “Whites started moving out as we moved in, and pretty soon the whole street was black.” After 10 years, the brothers decided to each buy their own home to accommodate their growing families. They encountered the same old rodeo. Eventually, Darden and his wife purchased a ranch-style house a few blocks north, the same home he lives in today. Darden’s brother and his wife bought a house on the west side of town.

“Moving from the South, I didn’t think it would be the same,” says Darden of the racism they encountered in the home-buying process. “But it wasn’t any different back then. Only difference was that you didn’t have to say ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘No, sir.’”

Ride the horse in the direction it's goin’ It was years later, while working at the Parchment paper mill, that Darden’s true cowboy spirit reared up.

“I was in the washroom cleaning up, and the radio was on. It was Black History Month,

and they were talking about a cowboy named Bill Pickett. A black cowboy! I stopped and said, ‘What?’ Up till then, I only knew of Herb Jeffries. And he wasn’t a real cowboy. He just played like he was one. But Bill Pickett, he was the real thing. I thought, ‘Now I got some history here too. I can be Bill Pickett.

I never had a horse or anything, but I’m a cowboy!’ Woo-hee! “… We’ve been left us out of a lot of history,” he says, his tone turning somber. “If we’re written about at all, books might say ‘a negro’ or maybe ‘a negro cook.’ Names are important. Names! Names! Names!”

Once Darden lassoed the lie that the Old West was white, he couldn’t let go. Learning of Bill “Dusky Demon” Pickett spurred Darden to learn all he could about black cowboys.

Opposite page and this page: Darden has amassed an extensive collection of artifacts from Kalamazoo’s and the nation’s African-American history as well as black cowboy history. In addition, he is an artist who has sculpted busts of significant figures in AfricanAmerican history, such as those pictured in the bottom photo at the far left.

Historians estimate one in four cowboys was black, so it’s not surprising that names started piling up: Bob Lemons, Nat Love, Bass Reeves and more.

“We were cowboys,” says Darden. “We were marshals, outlaws and cooks. Everything the West did, we were part of it! If we don’t write about our own history and tell it — and correct it when we need to — it will be lost.

It hurts me, all the history we’ve already lost, the names lost, all those that helped tame the West.”

Some people follow wagon tracks; others blaze new trails It bothered Darden so much that he started his own speaking circuit, “from Galesburg to Plainwell,” visiting schools, libraries and churches, sharing what he’d wrangled over the years, and helping people understand that history is more colorful than they could ever imagine.

“There’s so much history to be learned,” he says.

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Darden believes our country’s educational system must reconsider the way students learn American history. He’d like to see black history integrated throughout the school year as well as the subject matter deepened during Black History Month.

“He’s had this dream for a long time, to get people more aware of African-American history,” says local playwright and poet Buddy Hannah, “and especially the African-American cowboys.” Hannah arranged Darden’s speaking gigs and did the driving. Often, Darden would rope him into speaking too.

“We’d go into classrooms and he was so sincere in his message to young people,” recalls Hannah. “Just from their faces you could tell they loved learning about their history. The message relayed was, ‘Here’s something for you to be proud of — your ancestors weren’t just slaves. Look at all they’ve done. They’ve even helped pave the West!’

“Man,” says Hannah, “his passion is so genuine. If I can be like him when I’m 90, I’ll be very happy.”

If you ain’t making dust, you’re eating it Darden found other ways to express his admiration for black cowboys as well.

“I love drawing. Always have,” he says. In his early 20s, after a decade of drawing the white cowboys he saw in movies, Darden wanted to develop his artistic talents, so

24 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

Above and right: Cowboy memorabilia and artifacts from African-American history are part of Darden’s collection, which is being cataloged by the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

he took a correspondence course out of Chicago. “That didn’t help any. It didn’t give me any kind of feedback to know how I could get better,” he admits.

In 1948, Darden and his brother took a class at the Kalamazoo Art Center (now the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts) “to learn to draw the human figure, and we did.” After years spent perfecting his craft, Darden says, “I’ll see something in my mind or see a picture

Ride into History If your organization is interested in showcasing Murphy Darden’s Black Cowboy Exhibit, contact the Black Arts & Cultural Center at 269-349-1035 or via email at info@blackartskalamazoo.org.

or scene, and I’ll draw or paint it.” When Darden feels deeply moved by a subject matter, he’ll “take it to another level, not just something that’s going to hang on a wall.”

Creating scale models and busts gives him the greatest satisfaction.

“I want something I can carve and feel, take in from different angles. Drawing or painting on paper, yes, that’s all good, but when you make a model, something three-dimensional that you can touch, look at from all ways, it gives you a deeper connection,” he says.

It takes Darden “about a year” to carve a bust from wood. “If I don’t have a picture

for reference, I’ll draw it out first,” he explains, “then draw it in on wood, then start cutting out the wood. Chisel, chisel, chisel.

Sometimes I have to fill in with a little putty.

And then chisel, chisel till it comes out right.

You can tell who they are, so I’d say they come out pretty good.”

Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. line one wall in his dining room. A bust of Frederick Douglass sits in the living room.

“I’m working on Obama now,” he says, gently cupping his hands over the cheeks of the 44th president of the United States. He

stands back and inspects his work. “I don’t have him quite right yet. Not sure what I need to do. Maybe his cheeks? Eyes? The eyes are a little too squinty, I think.”

It’s in moments like this that he yearns for his twin brother, who died in 2015. “I miss him so much,” says Darden. “We criticized each other, helped each other. I miss that. We always did things together.”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch …

Darden’s lifelong passion and work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In September 2018, the Historical Society of Michigan presented him with a State History Award in the category of "Education: Educator" in recognition of his outstanding work in African-American history education. The following month, he was honored by the Michigan Legislature and Governor Rick Snyder with a State of Michigan Special Tribute Award.

These days Darden feels a sense of urgency to get his artwork and collection in order. So, before this old cowboy rides off into the sunset, he’s saddled up with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, which has been cataloging the items in his collection, and with the Black Arts & Cultural Center in hopes his life’s work won’t gallop away and be “stored somewhere people can’t see it.

"I want it to be in a museum so people can see history for themselves. I want it to last and be preserved for future generations.”

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GOOD WORKS ENCORE

A Wealth of Help

Gryphon Place aids in conflict, crisis and connections JORDAN BRADLEY

Brian Powers

by

On the front desk of Gryphon Place is a

statue of a griffin the size of a small house cat. In mythology, a griffin is a formidable beast with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle that symbolizes strength and valor and has been said to be a guardian of secretly buried wealth.

It’s an appropriate mascot for this Kalamazoo County nonprofit, which is tucked quietly off of Stadium 26 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

Drive, at 3245 S. 8th St. Inside the unassuming building is an organization with a big mission: connecting people and organizations to resolve conflict and crisis, foster volunteerism, and meet community needs.

One way Gryphon Place does those things is through its 211 and 381-HELP call center.

In addition, it offers mediation for middle and high school students struggling with bullying and interpersonal conflicts; educates

ENCORE GOOD WORKS

middle and high school students on mental illness and suicide, teaching them warning signs and positive coping skills so they can help themselves and their peers; and provides mediation for family and neighborhood disputes, landlord/tenant disputes and more.

And since August 2016, Gryphon Place has been the volunteer center for Kalamazoo, helping would-be volunteers connect with nonprofits in the area.

Buried wealth, indeed.

On the line Gryphon Place was born out of a drug overdose information line that was created in 1971. The following year the organization added its 211 and 381-HELP lines, and by 1973 the HELP line was operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Now the 211 and 381-HELP call center operates all day and night 365 days a year.

In Michigan, there are six regional 211 call centers that help connect people with information about the services in their cities Opposite page, top: Gryphon Place’s CEO Marciela Alcala, right, with Kristen Smith, director of clinical operations for the organization. Bottom: A statue of a griffin stands sentinel in Gryphon Place’s lobby. This page: The outside of Gryphon Place on 8th Street.

and counties. But Gryphon Place is unique in that it also houses the 381-HELP suicide prevention and mental health line; no other 211 center in Michigan does that, according to Maricela Alcala, CEO of Gryphon Place since 2014.

Gryphon Place’s work extends beyond Kalamazoo County too. Its crisis hotline serves eight other counties 24 hours, seven days a week, and it takes after-businesshours calls from 22 additional counties.

Most often these calls regard mental health issues, suicide and substance abuse.

At Gryphon Place, an expertly trained army of about 50 staff members and anywhere from 30 to 40 volunteers offers a kind voice, an open ear, and information about services available.

But first they need to hear your story.

Before they address any caller’s crisis, they simply listen, says Kristen Smith, Gryphon Place’s director of clinical operations.

“The biggest part of training people to be on the crisis line is preparing people to hold space for someone’s story,” Smith says.

“It’s really powerful and impactful to be able to share your story. We’re not providing counsel or advice. We’re just listening.”

Then, with Gryphon Place’s connections to more than 600 regional agencies and thousands of programs, the call center workers use the plethora of knowledge and relevant information at their disposal to make referrals for additional help.

“The volunteers that are drawn to us are helpers,” Smith says. “They want to fix and solve and help because they can. But, you know, people have to help themselves too.”

Suicide prevention Gryphon Place’s two areas of expertise — helping people in crisis and connecting people to services — are necessarily intertwined, especially when it comes to suicide prevention.

A 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study on U.S. suicide rates found that 54 percent of suicide cases were “related to relationships, substance use, physical health, and job, money, legal or housing stress” — issues not unlike those that Gryphon Place attempts to alleviate by connecting callers to other agencies that can help.

But Gryphon Place itself offers additional helping services when it comes to suicide prevention. “Very few communities have

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 27

similar models (to Gryphon Place’s),“ says Alcala, “where community organizations and partners have come together and are creating a community-wide suicide prevention plan.”

That plan includes prevention of suicide among young people. Alcala explains that Gryphon Place is one of only a few programs in the nation that provides a higher level of suicide prevention in middle and high schools.

In 2016, suicide was the second most frequent cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 34, claiming more than 13,500 lives in that age range alone, according to data from the National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics and the CDC. To combat the issue, Gryphon Place’s Gatekeeper Program is woven into health class curriculums in the Kalamazoo area, providing three days of instruction in middle school and four days in high school. A Gatekeeper thoroughly trained by Gryphon Place spends those days in classrooms discussing mental health and suicide prevention with students.

“I think for every program that we have here, safety for whoever is utilizing our service is always No. 1,” Smith says. “When you talk about suicide, you have to be thoughtful.”

So the presenters — volunteers who are engaging speakers and have completed 30 hours of training — begin by talking about mental illness and what it looks like in the students themselves and in their peers. Through interactive games and role

28 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

Brian Powers

GOOD WORKS ENCORE

playing, Gatekeepers teach students positive coping skills for facing mental illness before addressing the topic of suicide.

“Suicide doesn’t just happen overnight; it’s a buildup of things,” Smith says.

Gatekeepers teach the students to assess themselves with questions like: Who are my trusted adults? What resources do I have?

How can I help my friends and how can I help myself?

The call center at Gryphon Place is staffed 24/7.

“Suicide is everybody’s business,” Alcala says.

When asked to describe a situation that made an impression on her, Alcala recalls a student who had been in mediations with Gryphon mediators without much success.

“This time,” she says, “he was very open and very expressive. Our staff asked him,

Helping Thousands These statistics from 2018 reveal the depth of Gryphon Place’s wide range of services and the number of people the organization helps each year:

Top 3 types of calls • Mental health • Suicide • Sexual assault

211 information and referral services 63,170 calls 9,870 online searches

Gatekeeper Program for youth suicide prevention 10 school districts 158 classes 4,123 students taught

Top 5 referred services • Food assistance • Electric service payment assistance • Rent payment assistance • Gas service payment assistance • Information and referral Crisis helpline 33,289 calls 96 emergency rescues

‘What was different? You were so open. I’m so proud of you. You did so good.’”

The student had gone through the Gatekeeper Program in his health class, where the speaker emphasized how crucial it is to be open and positively express feelings when struggling with depression.

Conflict resolution 504 cases referred 307 cases resolved

Now Open!

Top 5 dispute types • Breach of contract • Divorce • Domestic matters • Landlord and tenant • Property “That’s what really drew me (to Gryphon Place),” she says. “And also the potential I saw.

I saw the level of commitment the community has, not only to Gryphon Place but to the community impact work as a whole.”

Look & Feel Your Best

Benefits of two call lines As far as Gryphon Place’s call center, Alcala says having a 211 line and a crisis call center in the same building allows for a better experience for both people on the line.

When Alcala worked with United Way’s 211 line in Toledo, she says, her staff “received a significant number of suicidal calls,” despite the fact that the 211 line was not a crisis line.

“My staff would not enjoy them,” she says, “because they were not equipped as a crisis line center was equipped. They were always in fear, right? Because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Alcala and her staff would find that when someone would call, the person would “hear the friendly voice and somebody’s helping them. (Then when) they’re suicidal, that’s who they want to talk to. They would call us back.”

Because of that experience, coming to work at Gryphon Place just made sense to Alcala. In fact, it was a dream of hers, she says.

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Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse — Based on the books

by Kevin Henkes, 4:30 p.m. Feb. 15, 19–22,; 10 a.m.

Feb. 16 & 23; 2 p.m. Feb. 16 & 23; 5 p.m. Feb. 17 & 24, Farmers Alley Theatre, 343-2727.

PERFORMING ARTS THEATER Plays

The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr — The Civic presents 37 plays with five performers in a fastpaced romp through the Bard's plays, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 1, 2, 8 & 9; 2 p.m. Feb. 2, Civic Auditorium, 329 S. Park St., 343-1313.

The Wolves — A girls' indoor soccer team braves challenges dealing with survival, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1, 2, 7, 8 & 9; 2 p.m. Feb. 3 & 10, York Arena Theatre, WMU, 387-6222.

The Father — The story of an elderly man with dementia and his daughter's efforts to balance care for her father and the demands of her own life, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8, 9, 15 & 16; 2 p.m. Feb. 10 & 17, Carver Center Studio, 426 S. Park St., 343-1313.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance — Wild West story of good versus evil, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8–9 & 14–16, 2 p.m. Feb. 17, Shaw Theatre, WMU, 387-6222.

Doubt: A Parable — The audience plays the jury in this intense drama about a nun's crusade against a parish priest, 8 p.m. Feb. 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 & 23; 2 p.m.

Feb. 10, 17 & 24; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 & 21, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343-2727.

Foley's Folly — All Ears Theatre radio theater production, 6 p.m. Feb. 9, First Baptist Church, 315 W. Michigan Ave., 342-5059.

Special Event: Love Letters — Television and Broadway veterans Edie Falco and Stephen Wallem star in the story of a 50-year correspondence between two friends/love interests, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 & 15, Civic Auditorium, 343-1313.

Student Body — Michigan premiere of the story of college students who must decide about a video of a sexual encounter, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21–23, 2 p.m.

Feb. 24, Balch Playhouse, 129 Thompson St., kzoo. edu/festivalplayhouse.

John & Abigail: An American Love Story — 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Feb. 22–March 9, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., 381-3328.

The Wind — All Ears Theatre radio theater production, 6 p.m. Feb. 23, First Baptist Church, 342-5059.

Musicals

The Phantom of the Opera — Story of a young soprano who becomes the obsession of a disfigured musical genius, 16 performances, Feb. 6–17, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 387-2300.

Once on This Island — A peasant girl finds love more powerful than prejudice, hatred and death, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 & 23, March 1, 2, 8 & 9; 2 p.m.

Feb. 24, March 3 & 10; Parish Theatre, 426 S. Park St., 343-1313.

MUSIC Bands & Solo Artists Tusk: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute — This tribute band presents music from the legendary group, 8 p.m. Feb. 1, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., 345-6500.

Iverson — Synth pop quintet, 8:30 p.m. Feb. 1, Bell's Eccentric Café, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332.

Delilah DeWylde's 1959 Winter Dance Party Tribute — Americana, rockabilly and honky-tonk music, 8 p.m. Feb. 2, Bell's Eccentric Café, 3822332.

FlyLiteGemini — Original folk, rock and blues, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Bumpus — Funk, soul and rock, 9 p.m. Feb. 8, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Justin Moore — Country singer/songwriter, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, 345-1125.

Jim Brickman: Share the Love Tour — Awardwinning pianist and recording artist, 8 p.m. Feb. 9, State Theatre, 345-6500.

Max Lockwood Album Release with May Erlewine — Rock 'n' roll, folk and pop, 9 p.m. Feb. 9, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Starfarm — The ’80s pop/rock band heads the Heartbreaker Ball, 9 p.m. Feb. 15, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Teddy Riley & Dave Hollister of Blackstreet — R&B vocal group, 8 p.m. Feb. 16, State Theatre, 345-6500.

Desmond Jones — Five-piece rock/funk/jazz fusion band, 9 p.m. Feb. 16, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

See Through Dresses — Dream punk band, 8:30 p.m. Feb. 21, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Elise Davis — Indie, folk and alternative country singer, 8:30 p.m. Feb. 22, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Overdue Brew: The Polkaholics — Punk rock and polka, 7–9 p.m. Feb. 23, Shakespeare's Pub, 241 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 553-7879.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More University Jazz Lab Band — With trumpeter Benje Daneman as guest soloist, 8 p.m. Feb. 2, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Trombonist Kip Hickman — Guest artist recital, 3 p.m. Feb. 3, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Western Winds — 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Aether Eos — Guest artist recital, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

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30 | ENCORE FEBRUARY 2019

Gold Company Show — WMU vocal jazz ensemble, 8 p.m. Feb. 8 & 9, 2 p.m. Feb. 9, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

Austen, Jorden and Branden DeHaan with their father, DRS founder, Robert DeHaan

THE QUALITY YOU DESIRE

Concerto Competition Finals — 3 p.m. Feb. 10, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

THE PEOPLE YOU TRUST

The Phantom of the Orchestra — Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Family Discovery Series concert in which Inspector Jones uncovers a scheme to silence the orchestra, 3 p.m. Feb. 10, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., 3497759.

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Love is in the Air — Second Sundays Live concert of a cappella love songs sung by WMU and Kalamazoo College students, 2 p.m. Feb. 10, Parchment Community Library, 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747.

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Gilmore Rising Star Zhang Zuo — The Chinese pianist performs works by Bach, Schumann and Ravel, 4 p.m. Feb. 10, Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 342-1166.

Drummer Carl Allen — Guest artist recital, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

Love Is, Love Is, Love Is — Kalamazoo Bach Festival Chorus, Kalamazoo College Singers and First Congregational Chancel Choir present songs celebrating love, 7 p.m. Feb. 13, First Congregational Church, 345 W. Michigan Ave., 337-7407.

Sitarist Arjun Verma — Bullock Performance Institute concert, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

Suor Angelica/The Spanish Hour — WMU School of Music opera, 7 p.m. Feb. 16, 5 p.m. Feb. 17, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

University Symphony Orchestra — 8 p.m. Feb. 16, Chenery Auditorium, 387-4667.

Crescendo Academy of Music Student Recitals — 2 p.m. Feb. 17, First Presbyterian Church, 321 W. South St., 345-6664.

Metamorphosis — Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra performs Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice and the KJSO Concerto Competition winner performs, 4 p.m. Feb. 17, Chenery Auditorium, 337-0440.

NOW AT THE KIA The Expressionist Figure through May 5 Leading artists of the mid-20th century, including important women painters, push back against abstraction by reintroducing the figure.

University Wind Symphony and University Symphonic Band — 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, Chenery Auditorium, 387-4667.

Mary Abbott, Untitled, c. 1955, oil on canvas.

Courtesy of McCormick Gallery, Chicago

Pianist Keith Kirchoff — Guest artist recital, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Watanabe: Print Envoy

Student Composers III — 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Curtis on Tour — Operatic and American songbook selections and Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes performed by stars from the Curtis Institute of Music, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 382-7774.

Dancing on Airs — Kalamazoo Concert Band performs with Wellspring Dance Company members as guest artists, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, Chenery Auditorium, kalamazooconcertband.org.

Choral Showcase — Collegiate Singers, Cantus Femina and University Chorale, 3 p.m. Feb. 24, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

through March 10 Evocative and colorful representations of Japanese life by a master publisher and promoter of 20th-century printmaking done with ancient techniques and collaboration by designers, woodblock cutters, and printmakers.

Ohara Shoson, Snow on Willow Bridge, ca. 1920-30, color woodcut. Bequest of John H.Van Vleck, courtesy of the Chazen Museum of Art

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EVENTS ENCORE Collect/Project — Guest artist recital, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

DANCE Winter Gala Dance Concert — WMU dancers perform works by guest artists, faculty and students, 8 p.m. Feb. 1 & 2, 2 p.m. Feb. 2, Williams Theatre, WMU, 387-2300.

Dancing on Airs — See MUSIC listing.

Diavolo – America's Got Talent finalist group performs dance, gymnastics and acrobatics, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 387-2300.

COMEDY Crawlspace Eviction: Chicken Noodle — Improv and sketch comedy show inspired by soup, 8 p.m.

Feb. 15 & 16, Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., 599-7390.

Chris D'Elia Follow the Leader Tour — Stand-up comedian from the TV comedy series Undateable, 8 p.m. Feb. 23, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., 3456500.

VISUAL ARTS Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 314 S. Park St., 349-7775 Exhibits

do it — An exhibition engaging the local community in dialogue that responds to instructions by artists, through March 3.

Watanabe: Japanese Print Envoy — Prints that combine Japanese techniques with Westerninfluenced style, through March 10.

The Expressionist Figure — Mid-20th century expressionist paintings by leading artists of the time, through May 5.

Events ARTbreak — Weekly program about art, artists and exhibitions: Japanese Printmaking and the Global Economy, talk by A.J. Hartman, Feb. 5; Black is the Color: African-American Artists and Segregation, video, Feb. 12; African-American Artists in the KIA Collection, talk by docent Harvey Myers, Feb. 19; Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity, Stereotypes, video, Feb. 26, sessions begin at noon, KIA Auditorium.

Film Screening: Detroit 48202: Conversations Along a Postal Route — The rise, demise and contested resurgence of Detroit through the lens of mail carrier Wendell Watkins, followed by discussion with filmmaker Pamela Sporn, 6:30–8 p.m. Feb. 8.

Sunday Tour — Docent-led tours: Watanabe: Japanese Print Envoy, Feb. 10; do it, Feb. 24; both tours begin at 2 p.m.

Get the Picture: The Blue Pool — Michelle Stempien discusses Romare Bearden's collage, noon Feb. 21.

Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem — A sneak preview of an upcoming exhibition, led by curator Connie H. Choi, 6:30–8 p.m. Feb. 21.

Richmond Center for Visual Arts Western Michigan University, 387-2436

Carolyn Case: Second Thoughts — The painter premieres a new body of work featuring a process of layering and erasure, through March 17, Netzorg and Kerr Gallery.

Christina Quarles: Yew Jumped Too Deep, Yew Buried the Lead — Abstract paintings depicting racial and sexual identities, through March 17, Monroe-Brown Gallery.

Only the Shallow Know Themselves: Kaylon Khorsheed, Sophie Lane Dennis and Audrey Mills — Exhibition of sculpture, ceramics, painting and video installation, through March 17, Monroe-

Brown Gallery; panel discussion with the artists, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 7, Room 2008.

17 Days (Volume 11) — One artist's video work per day is played on 50-inch plasma screens, through May 1, Atrium Gallery.

Amos P. Kennedy Jr. — Visiting artist, printer, book artist and papermaker whose letterpress prints express social and political commentary, 6 p.m. Feb. 28, Room 2008.

Other Venues Community Gallery: Portage Public Schools — Elementary through high school students display their work, through February, Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane, 329-4544.

Solo Gallery: Dan Hook — Various media on display and for purchase, through Feb. 25, Portage District Library, 329-4544.

Art Hop — Art at various locations in Kalamazoo, 5–8 p.m. Feb. 1, 342-5059.

Painting in the Parks — Create a masterpiece, 6–9 p.m. Feb. 10, Schrier Park, 850 W. Osterhout Ave., Portage, happyourart.com; registration required.

Garage Sale Art Fair — Overstocks, seconds and leftover supplies, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Feb. 23, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., garagesaleartfair.com.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS Kalamazoo Public Library Vintage Views of Michigan Roadside Attractions — Authors M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson discuss tourist attractions along Michigan roads, 6 p.m. Feb. 5, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St., 553-7980.

The Page Fence Giants: A History of Black Baseball's Pioneering Champions — Author Mitch Lutzke tells the history of this all-star team, 7 p.m. Feb. 6, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St., 342-9837.

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ENCORE EVENTS Blues and a Little Bit of Sweet Potato Pie — Event honoring Black History Month, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Feb. 8, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson, 553-7960.

Overdue Brew: The Story of Black Frog Brewing Co. — Christopher Harris, owner of the first minority-owned and operated craft brewery in Toledo, describes his experiences, 7–9 p.m. Feb. 16, Tibbs Brewing Co., 402 S. Burdick St., 553-7879; registration required.

Mystery Book Club — Discussion of IQ, by Joe Ide, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 18.

Spread the Love: All Things Cats and Dogs — Learn about adopting, grooming, nutrition, safe handling and more, 10 a.m.–noon Feb. 23.

Portage District Library 300 Library Lane, 329-4544 Friends of the Library Book Sale — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Feb. 2.

Novel Ideas Book Club — Discussion of Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 18, Oshtemo Branch, 553-7980.

International Mystery Book Discussion: Australia — Discussion of The Dry, by Jane Harper, 7 p.m. Feb. 7.

Classics Revisited — Discussion of The Golden Ass, by Apuleius, 7 p.m. Feb. 21, Boardroom, Central Library, 342-9837.

Book Discussion — Disscussion of American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, in support of WMU's 2019 Common Read, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11.

Overdue Brew: Beer Tasting — Alex Mantakounis discusses styles of beer and explains flavors and textures, 7–9 p.m. Feb. 21, Brite Eyes Brewing Co., 1156 S. Burdick St., 553-7879; registration required.

SciFi/Fantasy Discussion: Alien Weddings — 7 p.m. Feb. 12.

Golden Age of Building — Lynn Houghton explores the expansion of building construction in Kalamazoo in the 1920s, 7–8:30 p.m. Feb. 25, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 342-9837.

Urban Fiction Book Club — Discussion of The Forgotten Wife, by Lakisha Johnson, 6 p.m. Feb. 26, Alma Powell Branch, 553-7960.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747 Parchment Book Group — Discussion of The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4.

Yum's the Word: Valentine Cupcake Creations — Meka Phillips, owner of Dessert First, shows how to decorate like a pro, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13; registration required.

Front Page: Donuts & Discussion — Discussion of homelessness: causes, resources and things we can all do to help, 10:30 a.m.–noon Feb. 16.

Right Size Gardening: Tips for Growing Your Own Veggies and Kitchen Herbs — 2 p.m. Feb. 16.

Open for Discussion — Discussion of Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, by Robert K. Massie, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19.

Other Venues Aimee Nezhukumatathil — This poet, essay and nonfiction writer speaks as part of the KVCC Visiting Writer Series, 10 a.m. craft talk, 2:15 p.m. reading, Feb. 12, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 6767 West O Ave., 488-4821.

MUSEUMS Gilmore Car Museum 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089

Duesenberg: Celebrating an American Classic — This exhibition showcases up to 20 rare Duesenbergs in rotation, through fall.

Speaker Series — The Bradford Model T Girls, John Butte, Feb. 3; Built in Battle Creek: Threshers and Steam Traction Engines, Robb Gillespie, Feb. 10; Profiles in Citizenship: A Portrait of Henry Knox and Rosa Parks, Cameron Brown, Feb. 17; Barn Finds: Automotive Archaeology, Ryan Brutt, Feb. 24; all lectures begin at 3 p.m.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N. Rose St., 373-7990

Your Kalamazoo Wings! The First 45 Years — The history and culture of Kalamazoo's oldest professional sports franchise, through March 31.

What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria — Refugees' journeys to America through images of their personal carried objects, through April 15.

Storytelling Festival — Storytellers, musicians and illustrators share their stories, music and books, with book signings and vendors, 5–8 p.m.

Feb. 1, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Feb. 2.

Math Moves: Experiencing Ratio and Proportion — A multi-sensory interactive exhibit to set up, measure, describe and compare ratios and proportions in a fun approach to problem solving, Feb. 2–June 2.

Sunday Series — A Change in the Weather, with meteorologist Keith Thompson, Feb. 10; The Douglass Community Association: Then and Now, with Sidney Ellis, Feb. 24; sessions begin at 1:30 p.m., Stryker Theater.

NATURE Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510 Winter Tree Identification Workshop — Hike and learn how to identify common Michigan trees using bark and twigs, 1–4 p.m. Feb. 9.

Birds and Coffee Walk — A morning bird walk and discussion over coffee, 9–10:30 a.m. Feb. 13.

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EVENTS ENCORE Other Venues Owl Love You Forever — Learn which Michigan owls are getting "cuddly" during this season of love, 5:30–8 p.m. Feb. 14, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574.

Feb. 2, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, midwesternsynchrosectionals.com.

Ice Breaker Festival — Ice sculptures, chili cookoff, skating, cardboard sled race and frozen fish fling, Feb. 1–3, South Haven, southhaven.org.

Audubon Society of Kalamazoo — Ken Cook speaks about birds and wildlife of southeastern Arizona, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25, People's Church, 1758 N. 10th St., 375-7210.

Winter Auto Swap Meet — Hosted by the Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Feb. 2, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Feb. 3, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 375-3669.

MISCELLANEOUS

Winter Snow Party — Snowman building contest and cardboard sledding, noon–3 p.m. Feb. 2, Oakland Drive Park, 7650 Oakland Drive, 329-4522.

2019 Midwestern & Pacific Coast Synchronized Skating Championships — More than 2,000 athletes compete, Jan. 31-

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Chinese New Year Celebration — Presented by the Chinese Association of Greater Kalamazoo, 7–9:30 p.m. Feb. 2, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., cagk.org.

Kalamazoo Indoor Flea Market — New and used items, antiques and handcrafted items, 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Tues. & Wed., Feb. 5–27, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 383-8761.

Country Dancing in Kalamazoo — Contra and square dancing to live music, 7:30–10:30 p.m. Feb. 9 & 23, with beginner's workshop at 7 p.m., Oshtemo Grange Hall, 3234 N. Third St., countrydancinginkalamazoo.com.

Valentine's Skate Date — Skating, live music and dinner on the ice, 6–9 p.m. Feb. 14, Millennium Park, 280 Romence Road, mypark.portagemi.gov; registration required.

Community Costume Prom — Live music, ballroom dancing and a costume cabaret, 7 p.m. Feb. 14, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., 345-6500.

Valentine's Dinner — Four-course dinner and jazz musicians Terry Lower and Edye Evans Hyde, 6:30–9:30 p.m. Feb. 15, W.K. Kellogg Manor House, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, 671-2400.

Kalamazoo & Calhoun County Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Michigan — 9:30 a.m. Feb. 16, Bell's Eccentric Café, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332.

`

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Buy, sell or trade reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Feb. 16, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 779-9851.

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Kalamazoo Dance — Monthly ballroom dancing, 8 p.m. Feb. 16, with foxtrot lesson at 7 p.m., The Point Community Center, 2595 N. 10th St., Oshtemo Township, kalamazoodance.org.

Shipshewana on the Road — New and used items, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Feb. 16, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Feb. 17, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 979-8888.

Kalamazoo Record & CD Show — Collector records, music memorabilia and supplies, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Feb. 17, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, Room A, 734-604-2540.

MeatEater: Live Tour — Podcast with Steven Rinella covering hunting, fishing, wildlife conservation and wild foods, 8 p.m. Feb. 22, State Theatre, 345-6500.

Downtown Kalamazoo Restaurant Week — Restaurants highlight specials with a fixed-price menu, Feb. 23–March 3, participating downtown restaurants, 344-0795.

Winter Blast Half Marathon, 10K & 5K — Kalamazoo Area Runners (KAR) and the city of Portage host this event, 8 a.m. Feb. 24, starting at Loy Norrix High School, 606 E. Kilgore Road, portagewinterblast.wordpress.com.

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ENCORE POETRY

Waiting The cat digs her claws into the couch when she hears tires plow through driveway ice that doesn’t want to let them.

Snow carcasses blown loose plummet through fir trees, exploding on the roof.

The soup won’t boil, just steams.

Rooms are warm enough to sustain a sort of life.

The deer’s coats hang extra heavy on their crutches.

Today seems like halfway through the hopelessness that is Midwest winter.

Pavement shows again, catalog of potholes and gutter clogs.

Light enhances cat hair and catnip-flavored toys along the baseboards.

Nothing is quite right.

Wouldn’t take much to fix it, but we can’t put our fingers on it, the calendar, January. — Elizabeth Kerlikowske Kerlikowske is a retired Kellogg Community College English professor who is president of Kalamazoo Friends of Poetry. She lives in Kalamazoo’s Winchell neighborhood, where deer often visit her yard.

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BACK STORY (continued from page 38)

Growing up in urban Newark, New Jersey, Dickson, an AfricanAmerican, says she was not exposed to overt bias based on her race.

That changed in high school when she was the only African-American student to attend a science study program in Florida.

“My school was mostly African-American, and I hadn't really been exposed to white people or diversity. We went by bus down South and stopped at different places along the way, and when we would go into restaurants, people would be smiling and then they would stop smiling when they saw me,” she recalls. “I roomed with a group of girls, and we had this big cockroach in our room, and the girls said, ‘You kill it. You're used to that.’ I had never even seen a cockroach before, and I was like, ‘Why do you think I can kill it?’

“It was subtle things like that that made me aware of how people can look at you differently because of some factor like the color of your skin or your religion or something. It made me understand how important equity is.”

Now Dickson teaches aspiring doctors at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine about cultural competence and health equity, helping them to understand and address their unconscious biases in treating patients from all walks of life.

way they've grown up. Their unconscious bias makes them behave in a way that they think is the right way to behave, and they treat people differently as a result. If you become aware of these biases and have some experience, then you realize that that's not the way to be.

We give students exposure early on to vulnerable populations by having them work out in the community with the different organizations so that they have a feel for the need and what organizations are doing to help people.

How did you end up a in a career promoting health equity?

What other ways do you help them learn about disparities?

I trained in hospitals and medical schools where there was a really vulnerable population of patients that were poor and from ethnic minorities, and you could see the differences in their health. I saw diabetics who had had amputations and hypertensives who had heart disease, and they were young! There are really bad morbidity outcomes from the diseases they had, but if they had proper care, a primary-care physician or different circumstances, they would not be like that. It would not be that same kind of outcome.

I looked at the disparities, asking, “Why does that happen? What can we then do as providers? And what can you do to train new providers — the young ones coming up — about the importance of understanding of how these disparities came to exist?” They exist because of things that were created in our country: the policies, the redlining, the type of housing and areas where they live, the access to primary care, insurance, jobs — all those things which we call the social determinants of health, which matter the most for our health outcomes.

I've tried to bring in more real-life kind of scenarios in our simulations. We want our students to learn through our simulations about how social determinants impact what they are seeing with the clinical part and how to ask the right questions.

I have a grant that's for transgender health care because the population with the greatest disparities is transgender individuals.

They are the most victimized and misunderstood. Doctors won't see them because they say, “I can't take care of you because I don't know how to do those hormones.” We had a panel of transgender individuals who told the students about how they've experienced healthcare and what would make it better for them so that this generation of doctors will have a better understanding about taking care of that population.

This is really about empathy and compassion, which I believe they all have. It is about the patient and what their needs are and putting yourself in their shoes.

How do you teach that?

We incorporate cultural competence, humility and understanding about unconscious bias. People make misconceptions about others just based on some factor like the color of your skin or your religion because they have a lens they view the world through, based on the

What kind of fieldwork are your students doing?

One of our projects is our student-run practice, which we do at Dr. Don Bouchard’s Holy Family Healthcare clinic in Hartford that does a lot of work with the migrant population. We developed a team of students to work there: First-year medical students do intake and patients’ weights, the second-years take the patients’ medical histories, and the third-years talk to the patients about the case, and then I or Dr. Bouchard will finalize the visit. So students are learning about the multiple cultures of migrant families. The clinic also has a food pantry and clothes closet, which our students have done clothing drives for.

—Interviewed by Marie Lee For more information about attending the YMCA’s Annual Community Breakfast, call Devonie Block at 345-9622, ext.122, or email Block at dblock@kzooymca.org.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 37

BACK STORY ENCORE

Dr. Cheryl Dickson

Associate Dean, Health Equity and Community Affairs, WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

C

heryl Dickson became a pediatrician because when she was 8, a doctor made her swallow a pill. “I had never swallowed a pill in my life and I was scared, but they made me do it,” she says. “And I remember, after that, saying, ‘I want to be a doctor that takes care of kids and understands kids.’”

Years later, other experiences pushed Dickson in a new direction — the promotion of health equity, a topic she will address at the YMCA’s Annual Community Breakfast on March 7 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel. Health equity means everyone has the opportunity to reach their highest level of health, no matter their race, gender, income or geographic location.

Brian Powers

(continued on page 37)

38 | ENCORE FEBRURAY 2019

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