603 Diversity Issue 10

Q1 2024

NEW NH’SHAMPSHIRE’S FIRST LATINO REAL BUBBLE ESTATE TEA AGENCY CRAZE

WINCHESTER MACDOWELLDISTILLERY LEADER THRIVES SEES BRIGHT USING FAMILY DEI FUTURE RECIPES

GUIDING NEWCOMERS TO

career success

Jean Hakuzimana, founder of NH Songa, is helping immigrants find meaningful work across the Granite State.

MURALS UNLEASH CHILDREN’S BOOK THE POWER OF VISIT ART RECALLS MLK’S

In the heart of New Hampshire’s largest city lives a group that’s making strides in embracing diversity, championing inclusivity, and igniting social change.

Founded in 2022, Queerlective saw a need in the community for consistent and engaging gatherings throughout the year for the diverse community in New Hampshire. Our team is passionate about creating a more inclusive world for the Queer, BIPOC and other marginalized communities through art, advocacy, empowerment, and education. Our unique approach harnesses the power of art to ignite change in our state. Through workshops, art exhibitions, community engagement, and grant offerings, we work to help communities in NH realize social change through the transformative force of art.

“We’re on a mission to empower marginalized communities, ensuring they not only have a voice but also a profound sense of belonging.” – Queerlective

Together, we can build a more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant New Hampshire.

As Queerlective continues to evolve, its mission remains steadfast—to empower, inspire, and create a world where everyone’s story is not only heard but celebrated. While our roots are in Manchester and Concord, our vision extends beyond these city limits. We’re working tirelessly to build a team that represents the diverse voices of New Hampshire, ensuring that every corner of the state has a seat at the table. Together, we can ensure that every person in New Hampshire, especially the youth and marginalized communities, has the opportunity to flourish, to have a voice, and to belong.

queerlectiveco@gmail.com • www.queerlective.com Facebook: @QueerlectiveInc • Instagram: @QUEER_LECTIVE The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is proud to underwrite 603 Diversity and to devote this advertising space to promote nonprofit organizations working to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in New Hampshire.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

FROM PUBLISHER

enrich

NEW AMERICANS OUR COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMY

I

mmigration is a hot-button issue in our national political dialogue.

In New Hampshire, it plays a key role in our economy. New immigrants bring skills, values and work ethics that strengthen our communities.

In November, several members of our team at Yankee Publishing NH Group attended the first-ever NH Songa conference in Concord (https://nhsonga.com).

The event, focused on immigrants in New Hampshire’s workforce, showcased powerful conversations and testimony from people who overcame tremendous odds to do great things in and for New Hampshire. Employers and policymakers spoke about how vital immigrants are to the state.

“We could not have run our businesses without new Americans,” said Steve Duprey, president of Foxfire Property Management and The Duprey Companies Phil Sletten, research director at the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, shared data during the first panel discussion that underscored this.

• There are almost four jobs for every unemployed person in New Hampshire.

• The state is not replacing its residents: More people are dying than being born.

• One in 10 businesses in New Hampshire are owned by people not born in the U.S. All of that doesn’t mean it’s an easy

road for immigrants here. The stories we heard throughout the day, both from speakers and from the audience, highlighted some of the dramatic challenges faced by newcomers in New Hampshire.

Two stories in this issue feature remarkable human beings who met those challenges and are making important contributions to our state.

Jean Hakuzimana, who founded the NH Songa conference, arrived five years ago from Rwanda with impressive academic and professional credentials, including communications work with the United Nations Development Programme. Upon presenting his resume to a local staffing agency, he was asked, “Are you able to do handiwork?” See page 16 for the rest of his story.

Ali Sekou, who also spoke at the NH Songa event, was elected in November to the Concord City Council at age 40, making him not only the youngest to sit on the council, but also its first immigrant, first Muslim and first Black member. His inspiring story is featured on page 44.

Immigration has always been a central part of the American story, helping to continuously strengthen and revitalize the country. And while we’re currently seeing a backlash in some sectors against the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, the stories shared at the NH Songa conference highlight how important immigration is to our workforce, our economy and our culture. 603

603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 1

6 0 3 D I V E R S I T Y. C O M Contributing Writers Alberto Ramos Joanna Kelley James McKim Isabelle Ortiz Will Arvelo Beth Santos Lisa Carter-Knight Suzanne Laurent Yasmin Safarzadeh Contributing Photographer Robert Ortiz Contributing Artist Richard Haynes Editor/Publisher Ernesto Burden x5117 ernestob@yankeepub.com Managing Editor Mike Cote x5141 editors@603diversity.com Managing Editor, Custom Publishing Robert Cook x5128 editors@603diversity.com Creative Services Director Jodie Hall x5122 jodieh@yankeepub.com

Speak Up for A Child Become a CASA Help us give every child who experienced abuse or neglect a voice in court. Trainings start this spring.

Senior Graphic Desinger Nancy Tichanuk x5126 nancyt@yankeepub.com Senior Production Artist Nicole Huot x5116 nicoleh@yankeepub.com Sales Executive John Ryan x5120 johnr@yankeepub.com Operations Manager Ren Chase x5114 renc@yankeepub.com Digital Operations and Marketing Manager Morgen Connor x5149 morgenc@yankeepub.com Billing Specialist/IT Coordinator Gail Bleakley x113 gailb@yankeepub.com

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100% Employee-Owned

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© 2024 Yankee Publishing, Inc. PRINTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

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Contents Features 14 New Road to Owning a Home

22 Diversity Day on the Slopes

16 Helping NH’s Immigrants

24 Partners in Business and Life

18 Strawbery Banke’s Penhallow House

27 King at ‘The Pearl’

16 24

UPFRONT & PROFILES

ESSAYS & MORE

1

From the Publisher

6

Our Contributors

30 Diversity News from the Granite State News Collaborative

8

Upfront: Meet Dr. Wayne Lesperance

10

Upfront: Family Legacy

42 Calendar: Events That Make a Difference 44 Shout Out: Ali Sekou Makes History

32 Essay: How Lack of Affordable Housing Impacts Our Communities of Color 34 Essay: NH’s ‘Divisive Concepts’ Law 36 Essay: Investing in Diverse Leaders 38 Essay: BIPOC Entrepreneurship

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A MISSION ON THE

Rise

UNDERWRITERS ROCK!

THANKS TO THE UNDERWRITERS OF THIS ISSUE FOR THEIR SUPPORT:

AY N

ES

To illustrate the mission of 603 Diversity, Seacoast artist Richard Haynes has provided one of his recent designs to accompany our motto “Live Free and Rise.”

We are selling T-shirts and other merchandise featuring Haynes’ design, or a design created by art student Chloe Paradis, to benefit the Manchester Chapter of the NAACP. Visit 603Diversity.com to buy one today.

The 603 Diversity underwriters provide a significant financial foundation for our mission, enabling us to provide representation to diverse communities and for diverse writers and photographers, ensuring the quality of journalistic storytelling and underwriting BIPOC-owned and other diverse business advertising in the publication at a fraction of the typical cost. We’re grateful for our underwriters’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in this magazine, their businesses and their communities.

A RT

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BY

RIC

HA

RD

H

Live Free and Rise

Build Your Business

with Triangle Credit Union

Offering Products & Educational Tools to help your business succeed Experience a Personalized Approach with local 1-on-1 support SBA Preferred Lending Fast decisioning to save you time and money Payroll & Merchant Services Improve your resource management & cash flow

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Compassionate, caring, and innovative employees are what this a great place to work!

At our core, we are caregivers who aspire to make our community a healthy and safe place for all who seek care from us, as well as for our staff. With our distinctive backgrounds, diverse races, ages, different sexual orientations, gender identities, and individual religious beliefs, we are dedicated to work together to care for everyone in our community. It is this mission that unites us as one.

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS Joanna Kelley Joanna Kelley is the founder of Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar in Portsmouth. Joanna is passionate about nonprofit and advocacy work in the state. She is one of the founders of the New England BIPOC cultural festival and a serving board member for many organizations including: The Seacoast African American Cultural Center, Strawbery Banke Museum, 603 Forward Foundation and The Chase Children’s Home. Joanna also serves as the assistant mayor of Portsmouth.

She is the first African American who was elected to Portsmouth City Council and the first African-American assistant mayor in the state of New Hampshire.

Beth Santos Beth Santos has a background in international development, thoughtful community building and social enterprise.

She set out to change the landscape of travel for women worldwide by creating the first iteration of Wanderful — a travel blog aimed to explore the diverse and shared experiences of women traveling the world.

Today, Wanderful has exploded to an international community and social network with the active participation of over 40,000 women and gender-diverse people of all ages and backgrounds.

Alberto Ramos Alberto Ramos heads the recently formed Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access at Plymouth State University. He serves as the chief diversity officer and affirmative action officer. He has partnered with PSU Black and Latinx student unions, PSU Pride, the Multicultural Club, faculty and staff to form a council of principal advisors and launched a Student Leadership Program.

Ramos holds an M.A. in teaching English as a second language, and a B.A. in communication studies and travel and tourism.

Wildolfo Arvelo, Ed.D. Dr. Wildolfo Arvelo is executive director of Cross Roads House, the second largest homeless shelter in New Hampshire. Prior to Cross Roads of Economic Development for New Hampshire.

From 2007-2017, he served as president of Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth.

Arvelo has a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Massachusetts/Boston.

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Isabelle Ortiz Isabelle Ortiz is a senior at Spaulding High School in Rochester who loves being involved in her community. She plans to attend college in the fall and pursue her love for creative writing and storytelling.

Courtesy photos

House, Arvelo served as director of the Division

James McKim James McKim, who was involved in the original plannng of 603 Diversity and has written essays for past issues, serves as managing partner of Organizational Ignition. He is driven by an intense need to help organizations achieve their peak performance through the alignment of people, business processes and technology. He is recognized as a thought leader in organizational performance, the uses of neuroscience and program management.

Lisa Carter-Knight

Robert Ortiz

Lisa Carter-Knight is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for building brands. As the owner and chief engagement officer of Drinkwater Marketing and Productions, she works with small businesses and large enterprises to develop brand, digital and event marketing strategies to drive revenue. Prior to launching Drinkwater, she spent more than 20 years in the corporate sector building product and brand strategies for top Fortune 500 companies such as The Limited Corporation, Timberland Footwear and Staples Inc.

Primary photographer for 603 Diversity is Robert Ortiz of Robert Ortiz Photography. Ortiz began his photographic career at 15, and has chronicled everything from local weddings and events to the lives of the native peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. He lives in Rochester with his wife and son and 15-year-old daughter, Isabella, who is currently in training as his photo assistant.

Courtesy photos

Suzanne Laurent Raised in a diverse community in Boston, Massachusetts, Suzanne Laurent worked as a registered nurse for the Boston Head Start Program. She moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1982, and unable to work as a nurse, Laurent pursued a career in photojournalism. She has been a resident of New Hampshire since 1987. She has an extensive award-winning background in journalism. She is also a juried photography member of the New Hampshire Art Association and a published poet.

Yasamin Safarzadeh Our events calendar was compiled by advocate, coordinator and educator Yasamin Safarzadeh, a native Angelino and current resident of Manchester. Safarzadeh hopes to secure a future for a more diverse young adult population in New Hampshire to ensure a more prosperous and effective future for all. DM her at phat_riot on Instagram.

603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 7

UPFRONT Dr. Wayne Lesperance, New England College’s first Hispanic president, wants to see more on-campus diversity to enrich his students’ experience.

(Photo by Robert Ortiz)

Meet Dr. Wayne Lesperance New England College’s first Hispanic President n BY BETH SANTOS

I

f you had asked Dr. Wayne Lesperance 25 years ago where he thought he would end up in his career, college president was one of the last things he would have predicted.

Instead, he might have suggested something a little more laid back: a political science professor at a school near the ocean, maybe. Working at a beach bar in his off-hours, cracking open a beer with friends, or going to a concert in the late evenings.

Yet becoming New England College’s 16th president, and first Hispanic president, has become not just a career but a mission in helping more Hispanic students find grounding, support and earn a university degree.

“I didn’t aspire to be a college president,” says Lesperance, who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Virginia.

When the university needed to temporarily fill an unexpected vacancy and

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approached him — a poly sci professor who was inspired to move to New Hampshire to get closer to the state’s first-in-the-nation political status — he expected to work in administration for two weeks.

Six years later, he has just completed his first year in as the college’s 16th president, and he is loving every minute of it.

“Being in the classroom with students is my passion,” he says. “But as a teacher, I get to affect 20 to 25 students at a time. As an administrator, I’m helping 60 to 70 faculty members who are working with 20 to 25 students at a time. So, on a macro level, it’s more impactful.”

That impact comes at a time when NEC’s own demographics are changing and becoming more diverse.

“When I first got here, NEC was a college that attracted a lot of students that had the resources to go to Ivy League institutions

but didn’t have the grades. And we were overwhelmingly white and male,” Lesperance says. “There was a lot of privilege at NEC.” Over time, he’s witnessed “a real democratization” of the student body.

“We are much more representative of everyday American kids and international students as well. So, seeing that diversity of background come in, whether it’s racial, ethnic, gender equity coming in … it’s a very rewarding and relevant change,” he says. “For no other reason, it changes what happens in a classroom. When you have people in a classroom that have different life experiences, different values, different religions, different origin stories, it’s enriching, it makes every conversation in a classroom that much better. I’m proud that this community embraces that.”

Seeing more on-campus diversity,

especially in race and socioeconomic background, is close to Lesperance’s heart.

Knowing that his own story very closely resembles that of many of his students gives him the unique opportunity to create support systems that work for them as well as their families.

“Today, about 33% of our students are students of color, and that includes an awful lot of Hispanic students. I was the first kid in my family to go to college,” Lesperance says.

“Education was incredibly important to my grandparents and parents, and sending me to college was sort of a community effort by the family.”

That family effort continued as Lesperance pursued graduate work.

“When I was encouraged by my professors to go on to get a master’s degree and eventually get a doctorate, I shared that with my family, and the family all came together and said, ‘We’re going to help you with this.’ And they did. So, my success is their success,” Lesperance says.

“There are a lot of families like mine that don’t have a lot of money or a history of educational attainment, especially at the graduate or doctoral level. And to be able to talk about that, as somebody who came from that background, I think it’s encouraging for others to pursue those opportunities.”

Knowing intimately what his students are going through makes Lesperance’s work feel all the more relevant.

“I like to talk about how hard it is, the work that’s involved in it, the importance of that commitment. But ultimately, I think what really resonates, especially with Hispanic families, is the role of family,” Lesperance says. “When I encountered a difficult moment, or I started second-guessing whether or not this was for me, there were those family members that either offered encouraging words or a kick in the butt. And I appreciated that.”

Making sure students are activating their support network and that families are understanding their role in making higher

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education an option is a key component of Lesperance’s hope to grow the university from 3,500 to 5,000 students over time.

“A lot of colleges are in survival mode,” he said. “I’d like to get to a place where we’re thriving. So, 100 years from now, we’re still here and doing really great innovative things long after I’m gone,” Lesperance says.

As new students come in from more diverse backgrounds, Lesperance has watched how much the wider community of locals has embraced them, and sees that as a template for more tolerance in a changing New Hampshire.

“The more diversity we see in New Hampshire, the better off our state is. As we talk about real issues and real concerns that we have as Americans and as members of communities, having those voices in to help us understand different perspectives, it makes us better,” he says.

“It makes us smarter. It makes us stronger. I think that we’re seeing a lot of that already. And hopefully more will follow.” 603

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UPFRONT

New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery owners Karl Lawrence, Alisa Lawrence, Nilaya Young and Kenny Young

Family Legacy

New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery creates award-winning spirits

n BY LISA CARTER-KNIGHT / PHOTOS BY ROBERT ORTIZ

W

hiskey enthusiasts may already be familiar with the renowned New England Sweetwater Distillery based in New Hampshire. What adds an inspiring dimension to this exceptional distillery is its status as an African-American, family-owned business.

In an industry where family-owned enterprises are becoming increasingly rare, particularly within the realm of premium spirits, New England Sweetwater Distillery stands out. Traditionally dominated by white

10 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024

families, the spirits industry is undergoing a transformative shift with a rising demand for diversity and transparency.

“The recent, much-needed emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion in the beverage alcohol industry is reflected by the rise of successful brands with diverse ownership,” Kyle Swartz wrote in an October 2022 article for beveragedynamics.com, a trade publication. “Gradually, industry leaders represent a broader range of cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds.”

Sweetwater Distillery’s award-winning spirits recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. Co-owner Alisa Lawrence and her husband and master distiller, Karl Lawrence, formerly worked in the music industry managing and promoting music artists. Co-owner Nilaja Young worked in the medical industry and her husband, distiller Kenny Young, formerly served with the New York Police Department.

Leaving their previous careers behind, these Brooklyn-based couples traded in the

Big Apple to make a move to Winchester.

They acquired the New Hampshire-based craft distillery business from their cousin Robert Patton-Spruill in 2020.

“When the opportunity to take over the distillery was presented to us, we quickly realized that we had a premium, quality product that people loved, so it was a no-brainer for us to honor our ancestors,” says co-owner Alisa Lawrence.

For their cousin, the journey started with frequent visits to his grandparents during his childhood. Grandpa Robert Patton-Spruill shared his passion and knowledge for distilling with the younger Robert, who later founded the New England Sweetwater Distillery in 2015.

Using his grandfather’s teachings and wisdom, Robert Patton-Spruill was the catalyst to jump-start and preserve a family legacy. In 2016, the distillery’s famed Ashuelot Gin received a Silver Medal in the American Craft Spirits Awards.

The tradition continues as New England Sweetwater Distillery remains independent and guided by the steady hands of the Lawrence and Young families. In 2022, the distillery’s Clark & Chesterfield American Single Malt Whiskey was awarded a Silver Medal Award in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The tasting notes of the single malt whiskey note a promisingly malty and straightforward delivery of grain, tasting of cereal with a touch of heat and brininess.

At 80 proof it’s an easy, if simple, unaged whiskey to sip. The whiskey is cultivated from ingredients that spur local agriculture and sustainability including their own 50acre property in Winchester.

On their farm they grow heirloom cider apples, blueberries and juniper berries for their award-winning, flavor-filled concoctions. New family recipes have emerged in recent years with local ingredients of maple, honey and chocolate for signature bourbon whiskey varieties already loaded with local raw yellow corn and rye.

“At times I feel like a mad scientist at the distillery, because I get to do whatever I

New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery’s award-winning whiskey and bourbon spirits are crafted in downtown Winchester using family recipes. Photos by Robert Ortiz dream of. I can just play around with recipe ideas,” says master distiller Karl Lawrence.

These spirits are then aged in American oak barrels in small batches to enhanced flavors of the locally grown ingredients of their signature recipes.

The family of entrepreneurs are first-generation Caribbean Americans with a commitment to passing the torch to the next generation.

“While the four of us are the co-owners, there are family members working with us in every aspect of the business from the distillery to the bottling process to the tasting room. It’s all hands on deck,” co-owner Nilaja Young says.

The family envisions to not only expand the brand but foster a heritage. As New England Sweetwater Distillery looks ahead to the future, the vision extends far beyond 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 11

UPFRONT

crafting exceptional spirits in the 100-plusyear-old historic red brick structure on the Ashuelot River.

The business aims to weave its legacy into the fabric of key metro areas across the United States.

“There’s a small growing number of Blackowned spirit brands, but we are among the select few that actually distill the spirits at our location,” Kenny Young says.

Clark & Chesterfield Honey Whiskey is made simply from blending local honey and the distillery’s bourbon whiskey.

Kingfish Gold Rum is a true New England-style Rum, distilled from American Black Strap molasses using the techniques of the Colonial American distillers. Flavor notes of citrus and sugary caramels shine

through for a pleasant rum that elevates any cocktail and smooth enough to sip.

Clark and Chesterfield Maple Whiskey is a fusion of Sweetwater’s high-rye bourbon and locally sourced maple syrup. The syrup, carefully measured, allows the robust roasted maple essence to shine through without overshadowing the bourbon or veering into excessive sweetness. This spirit is tailor-made for cozy winter evenings or a delightful addition to your morning coffee.

New England Sweetwater Distillery is located on 136 Main St. in Winchester. The Tasting Room is open on weekends from noon to 5 p.m. Tours are given every Saturday afternoon at the distiller’s discretion.

Select products are also available at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet stores. 603

The finishing still where the alcohol reaches its ultimate drinking level.

The owners are proud to carry on the legacy that their cousin, founder Robert Patton-Spruill, created in Winchester in 2015.

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POWERFUL GIRLS IN AN EQUITABLE SOCIETY.

GIRLS INC. OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

The pre-eminent girls’ leadership organization equipping girls to reach their full potential.

Girls Inc. equips girls – particularly girls from low-income communities and girls of color– to succeed and lead while advocating for an end to inequity and discrimination.

Serving girls throughout NH since 1974.

Providing after-school and summer programs at two Girls’ Centers located in Manchester & Nashua.

Dinner Club feeds over 100 girls daily.

Delivering in-school programs at dozens of schools across the state.

Educational programs on careers and leadership, health and nutrition, STEM, media and economic literacy, drug and alcohol prevention, and violence prevention.

Scan for program information, volunteer opportunities, or to donate. www.girlsincnewhampshire.org· info@girlsincnewhampshire.org 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 13

New road to owning a

home Latino-owned Coa Realty Group helps Granite Staters access bilingual resources and support on the path to home ownership n BY BETH SANTOS PHOTO BY ROBERT ORTIZ

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W

hen Moises and Jennifer Coa first moved to New Hampshire, they sought certain qualities that they knew the Granite State could offer: more space and a lower cost of living than what they had experienced in Massachusetts. Quieter neighborhoods, tighter-knit communities and less crime also had unique appeal.

But it was the ability to own property and to build generational wealth for their growing family that officially won them over. That possibility overpowered any reservations they may have had as a Hispanic family moving to New Hampshire, where the Hispanic population sits at 4%. While Moises and Jennifer wondered how their son would be accepted in school, what they found waiting for them was a fully welcoming community and an incredibly positive experience.

As more Hispanic people are moving to the Granite State, they have difficulty buying a home due to what the couple believe is a lack of generational knowledge and misinformation. The couple want to change this via the Coa Realty Group with Keller-Williams, the first Latino-owned real estate branch in New Hampshire.

“We noticed disparities in the process (of home ownership),” says Jennifer Coa, who has worked in real estate since 2005. “A lot of the Hispanic communi-

ties are represented by Realtors who don’t speak our language. And so a lot of times when we have conversations with community members, they’re like, ‘I don’t even know what I’m signing.’ Moises and I feel like we can bring our culture, our language and our experience into the New Hampshire area and give our community that opportunity to understand what they’re getting into.”

Not only have Jennifer and Moises Coa brought their culture into their work, but the work has become a true family operation. Moises Coa transitioned into real estate after catching the bug.

“I told him to get his license for 12 years, and he never listened,” Jennifer Coa jokes.

The couple, now married for 15 years, decided to go into business together.

Moises’ sister works as an administrative assistance in the office, and his niece helps as a summer intern.

For the couple, this story is about more than just real estate. It’s about giving the Hispanic community the tools to find success — and a feeling of home — in a place where that need is growing.

The Coa Group regularly hosts bilingual homebuying workshops and creates materials to help bust myths about what people should expect from buying their first house. They also teach about commercial property buying and offer relocation assistance. Most of their clients are not just first-time homebuyers but the first in their families to own property.

Jennifer and Moises see themselves in that narrative, too.

“We want to give them not only an experience but provide them with all the tools that they need and understand,” Jennifer says. “And we want them to

go back to their families and their kids, and nurture them so that they can take advantage of this generational wealth that they started to build.

“Moises and I were first-generation owners also, and now our siblings own houses because we were an example to them. We’re coming from a place of experience, but we are also coming from a place of love, because we know that this community can achieve a lot of great things.”

“We’re making a difference in people’s lives,” Moises Coa adds. “We’re making a difference in their family growth, in generational wealth and in opening doors for families.”

That difference is only just the beginning of Jennifer and Moises Coa’s hopes for Coa Realty. In the long term, they hope to influence the state of New Hampshire to create more buyer assistance programs and funding, as well as more affordable housing options for residents.

While their experience living in the Granite State has been overwhelmingly positive, they still recognize that there are misconceptions about the Hispanic community that they hope to dispel.

For now, this starts with meeting the needs of Hispanic homeowners and helping them feel safe, informed and supported.

“We grew up in a low-income community, and we have had to work our way up without the guidance and the opportunities that now exist (for aspiring homeowners),” Jennifer says. “So we’re really passionate about getting that message out that just because you know you’re coming in as a new immigrant or because you’re starting off, it doesn’t mean that the path to homeownership is impossible, or it’s this far, far away dream that you’ll never achieve.

“It is possible because, through homeownership, we can build generational wealth. We just want to just help people open the doors to those opportunities.” 603

603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 15

HELPING NEW HAMPSHIRE’S IMMIGRANTS FIND

career success

Jean Hakuzimana of NH Songa is helping immigrants find meaningful work across the Granite State n BY BETH SANTOS PHOTO BY ROBERT ORTIZ

W

hen Jean Hakuzimana moved to New Hampshire from Rwanda five years ago, he never expected an easy transition. But he did expect some things: for one, the ability to transfer his professional credentials into a career path.

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The founder of NH Songa, a company that helps New Hampshire immigrants tackle workforce challenges, has traveled the same path as many new arrivals.

Hakuzimana arrived in the Granite State with a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from the University of Rwanda, fresh off of an international assignment in Chad as a communications specialist at the United Nations Development Programme. Before that, he was an advisor to Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture.

Upon arrival in the states, he was pointed to a staffing agency to help him find a job.

“I went to the staffing agency, and the woman looked at me and she asked me, ‘Do you have a resume?’” Hakuzimana says.

“I said, ‘Yes, I do have a resume.’ Then I handed the resume to her. And the woman said, ‘Are you able to do handiwork?’”

“The beginning was tough,” he says.

“When I moved to this country, I had 10plus years of experience in my position.

When I moved here, it was like I had to start fresh. And that was very challenging for me.”

Hakuzimana’s story isn’t all that different from many New Hampshire immigrants. Arriving with a previous career in their home countries, oftentimes new arrivals are presented with work that is far outside of their fields of training.

And yet their expertise has the potential to create a stronger New Hampshire for all. A recent NH Business Review story points out that 6.4% of New Hampshire residents are foreign-born, and these residents arrive with a higher education level than the national average.

Hakuzimana eventually found a job at a precast manufacturing company that creates heavy rebars for building projects.

“They asked me if I knew how to count, if I knew how to measure,” he recalls.

For many, that moment would have been frustrating, if not humiliating. But Hakuzimana took the job anyway. He was

willing to do whatever work supported his wife and children. “I dance as the wind goes,” he says.

Eventually, Hakuzimana found his way into work as a case manager in a resettlement program for Afghan immigrants.

Enjoying the work, he enrolled at the University of New Hampshire for a master’s degree in community development, policy and practice.

“That’s when I started reflecting upon what I can do with my master’s. You can

“Not all people who are coming are coming in a bad way, as they’ve been politically named. People are coming to find safety, to find peace, to find opportunities, to survive again, to have a second chance of life.”

— Jean Hakuzimana, NH Songa

apply for jobs, but you’re not sure that you’re going to get them. As an immigrant, you’re still below the line,” Hakuzimana says. “You are still someone in the below position, even when you apply for the job.

You can’t bypass a bachelor’s degree–holder, even if you have a master’s degree, since you have that accent.”

It was in those reflections that Hakuzimana decided to start his own company — an organization that would help bridge the gaps to educate and connect stakeholders across the board, including immigrants, non-immigrants, service providers, employers and even

government representatives.

“That was the vision. I thought, ‘Oh man, maybe I can shake New Hampshire a little bit,’” Hakuzimana says.

NH Songa’s first activity, a conference called “Immigrants In New Hampshire’s Workforce,” was held Nov. 15.

“I saw huge support,” Hakuzimana says. “And I really think that there is an opportunity to make an impact with the conference within education, within letting people come together and learn together and exchange. From morning to evening, I was like flying. It was amazing.”

Just seeing how well received the conference was from stakeholders across New Hampshire gave Hakuzimana the confidence to lean into his big idea, organizing more events for 2024, including a series of mini conferences supporting immigrants’ workforce goals, as well as a second, bigger conference happening in the fall. Hakuzimana also hopes to create programming related to immigrant health, citing health as equally important for the immigrant experience.

As a proud New Hampshire resident, Hakuzimana loves his state, the kindness that has been shown to him by many fellow residents and the potential for continued growth and success.

“When it comes to migrants, we need to make an effort to learn who they are,” Hakuzimana says.

Hakuzimana understands that part of the challenge for new immigrants is overcoming misconceptions about why they left their native countries.

“Not all people who are coming are coming in a bad way, as they’ve been politically named. People are coming to find safety, to find peace, to find opportunities, to survive again, to have a second chance of life,” Hakuzimana says.

“I would love to see a New Hampshire that is open and eager to learn, to understand. Who are those people? How can I help them? How can I serve them?” 603

603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 17

Strawbery Banke MAKES AN IMPORTANT BLACK HISTORY DISCOVERY AT PENHALLOW HOUSE

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ENHALLOW HOUSE, THE ONLY “SALTBOX” HOUSE REMAINING AT STRAWBERY BANKE MUSEUM, WAS ONCE HOME TO AN EXTENDED AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY.

When last occupied just before the museum was created in 1958, Penhallow House contained three apartments.

“Washington Street in Portsmouth was home to many African-American families during the mid-20th century,” said Nancy Hammond, a historian who lives in the South End

18 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024

When last occupied, just before the museum was created in 1958, Penhallow House contained three apartments and the daily lives of an extended African-American family.

Preservation Timber ^Framing has begun work on

the exterior of the Penhallow House at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth.

From left, Dan Boye, Michael Mason and Alex Dykstra of PTF.

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Seacoast African American Cultural Center founding member Geraldine “Jeri” Palmer, lived in the Penhallow House. Her family moved there in 1937 and resided at 91 Washington St., Portsmouth, NH, for five years.

Photos by Suzanne Laurent

neighborhood of Portsmouth.

Hammond helped with the research for Valerie Cunningham who, with Mark J. Sammons, wrote the book, “Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage.”

Samuel Penhallow built this house around 1750 at the corner of Court and Pleasant streets. A highly respected local magistrate and deacon of the North Church, Penhallow lived there for more than 60 years.

Judge Penhallow would sign manumission papers for enslaved

people who were voluntarily freed from their enslavers.

Penhallow House was moved to its present site at 91-93 Washington St. in 1862. At the time, the tide still flowed into Puddle Dock, and Canoe Bridge spanned its upper end, just south of this house on Washington Street. The interior of Penhallow House still retains many original doors, sash, glass and cornices, as well as several windows with folding shutters and window seats.

Work on the exterior of the house, including 25 windows, doors, siding and the roof, was begun in June by Preservation 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 19

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A cowrie shell (Cypraea annulus) was recovered during archaeological excavations at the Sherburne House, c.1695/1703, the oldest house at the museum.

Photo courtesy of Strawbery Banke Museum

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1. Black Heritage Trail of NH office 2. Governor John Langdon House 3. William Pitt Tavern 4. Docks & view of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 5. Sherburne House 6. South Meeting House 7. NH Gazette [private] 8. Cooper House & Beauty Shop [private] 9. Stoodley’s Tavern 10. Penhallow House 11. Warner House 12. Saint John’s Church 13. Waterfront 14. Moffatt-Ladd House 15. Black Whipple House [private] 16. Meeting Rooms 17. Town Pump and Stocks 18. North Church 19. Pomp & Candace Spring House & Bakery 20. The Music Hall 21. John Paul Jones House 22. Rockingham House [private] 23. African Burying Ground 24. South Church Map courtesy of blackheritagetrailnh.org.

Please visit the website for more information.

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Timber Framing. This work is scheduled to be completed in March.

When the interior work begins, it will include three apartments and one exhibit space created from the triplex plan of the 1930s.

“We will have one apartment interpreting a Black family from either the 1930s or 1940s,” said Elizabeth Farish, Strawbery Banke Museum’s chief curator. “The other two apartments will be rented through the museum’s Heritage House Program.”

Eleanor and Kenneth Cousins moved into the house in 1937 with their daughter, Geraldine (Jeri) Cousins Palmer, who was 8 years old at the time. After five years, the family moved to Massachusetts.

After Palmer’s divorce, she and her daughter, Judith Baumann, returned to Portsmouth in 1970, where Palmer was a founding member of the Seacoast African American Cultural Center and a deacon of the Middle Street Baptist Church. She died in June 2020 at age 90.

Eleanor’s brother, Kenneth “Bunny” D. Richardson (1914-1994) moved into the same apartment in the 1940s.

Richardson worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and became the first Black supervisor.

He sat on the Equal Employment Opportunities Committee, administering and enforcing civil rights laws against workplace discrimination.

He also offered barbershop services in his home and led a brass band.

Where the museum is located in what is known as the Puddle Dock neighborhood, people from Africa and the Caribbean were enslaved by several prominent families. A cowrie shell (Cypraea annulus) was recovered during archaeological excavations at the Sherburne House, c.1695/1703, the oldest house at the museum.

“This type of shell is native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, and not present in the Atlantic,” said Strawbery Banke Museum’s archaeologist Alix Martin.

“Cowries were significant in many African cultures for various uses, including as food, currency, jewelry, and for ritual or religious significance.

“Numerous cowrie shells have been uncovered by archaeologists in the Caribbean and along the Atlantic Coast in contexts where Euro-American settlers enslaved African people, demonstrating a material link to Africa. These types of artifacts are described by archaeologists as ‘Africanisms,’ or survivals of African culture, including shells, crystals or specific

Journal entries about life in the 1930s written by Geraldine (Jeri) Palmer have been provided by her daughter, Judith Baumann. Photos by Suzanne Laurent

types of pottery.”

According to the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture, the presence of cowrie shells on colonial sites in North America may be representative of their use by enslaved Africans as protective talismans, Martin added.

“At the Sherburne House, there is documentation that the Sherburne family enslaved an African man and woman in the early 18th century,” Martin said. “Although the written record of their presence and their contributions to the success of the Sherburnes’ merchant trade is scant, an artifact like this can provide a tangible and significant connection to their African origins.”

The shell is on display in the museum’s Lawrence J. Yerdon Visitors Center.

Others were enslaved during the 18th century by the owners of the King’s Arms Tavern, the William Pitt Tavern, Marshall Pottery and the Wheelwright House, all of which is now part of the museum.

“Enslaved Africans and African Americans have played a significant role in New Hampshire history and the community at Strawbery Banke,” said Veronica Lester, Strawbery Banke Museum’s director of

marketing. “Our museum staff is committed to telling their stories as enslaved and free people before New Hampshire’s ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865, as well as throughout Puddle Dock’s post-13th Amendment history.”

Strawbery Banke is moving forward with developing the interpretation of the Penhallow House to telling the story of Black history in Portsmouth during the 1930s or 1940s. Plans are not yet finalized whether the house will tell the story of the Cousins or the Richardsons.

“In recreating, sometimes we forget the history of Black Americans,” said JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. The trail has 23 markers around Portsmouth, one at the Penhallow House.

“There was a bigger major movement, and there were many Black families in the area around Strawbery Banke,” Boggis said.

“If Portsmouth were a larger municipality, it would have been known as a Black neighborhood — an important part in the fabric

of this city. It’s amazing that Strawbery Banke Museum is telling a deeper narrative with this house. Most people think of Black people living in the South or major cities like Chicago, not in a small city like Portsmouth.

“But, for more than 300 years, the lives of African people and their descendants have been a part of New Hampshire’s history,” Boggis said. “Yet, this African-American history has long been hidden in the shadows, even though Black lives have been intertwined with white lives in highly personal ways.”

Telling the Penhallow story tells more than enslavement, she added.

“New Hampshire folks were indeed involved in the Civil Rights movement,” Boggis said.

“Here we have the markers on houses that tell about auctions of enslaved people.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Black people were still fighting for freedom. It’s an autonomous history. It didn’t begin and end with slavery." 603 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 21

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PATS PEAK CELEBRATES

MLK DAY with Diversity Day

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ON THE SLOPES

Scores of skiers, snowboarders and snow-tubers descended on Pats Peak in Henniker on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the 23rd annual Diversity Day Goes POP. The ski area holds this event to highlight the region’s growing diversity and give people of all social and ethnic backgrounds a chance to enjoy winter sports.

For one price, participants of all ages receive lift tickets, equipment rentals and lessons at the ski area. More than 130 Youth Enrichment Services kids enjoyed skiing and snowboarding during the afternoon before enjoying some evening festivities.

“Our vision for Diversity Day is to create a program that inspires others to introduce individuals to skiing, snowboarding and tubing, even if they think these sports are beyond their reach. With an all-inclusive ticket covering lift access, equipment rentals, instructional tips and snow-tubing, guests have the opportunity to experience it all,” says Kris Blomback, Pats Peak general manager.

— ROBERT COOK / PHOTOS BY ROBERT ORTIZ

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6 1. Sadric Mondestin, from Turks and Caicos, proudly stands for the first time as a skier. 2. Equipment rentals were included with the price at Diversity Day Goes POP at Pats Peak. 3. Dominican Republic residents Olgilec Francisco (left), Kylie Vargas (center) and Genelys Vargas (right) get ready to go home after spending the day skiing at Pats Peak. 4. The Lefebbre family of Windham, (leftright) Jennifer, Zack, Andrew and Luke spent the whole day at Pats Peak. 5. Diversity Day Goes POP attendees also enjoyed some night skiing at Pats Peak. 6. Nolan Zhang from Boston stands firmly on skis for the first time. 7. Another young skier balances himself for the first time. 8. Novice Randiel Diaz (left) and Deivizon Mejia (right) from the Dominican Republic are instructed

by Andrea Mejia (center). 9. Robert and Meredith Coventry of Boston introduce their daughter, Lucy, to skiing at Pats Peak.

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603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 23

Partners in Business and Life ANTIQUES DEALERS REFLECT ON THEIR LONG ROAD TO ACCEPTANCE IN NH

As happy as Lionel Loveless and Greg Pruitt are that they moved to New Hampshire, the gay, interracial couple says gaining acceptance and full inclusion continues to be a struggle.

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n BY SUZANNE LAURENT PHOTOS BY ROBERT ORTIZ

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ionel Loveless and Greg Pruitt moved from Oklahoma City seven years ago to Stratham to begin a new chapter, including buying an antique store.

The couple are interracial and gay. Pruitt, who is white, says moving to Stratham to purchase The Collector’s Eye and reside in the same town was challenging.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Loveless says. “Some of our best friends are in Stratham, but it was definitely hard to find our place there.”

As happy as they are that New Hampshire is embracing diversity, the couple say achieving complete inclusion and acceptance remains elusive.

“We’ve been seeing a large diversity of transgender customers.

We want to make sure they know they’re welcome, and we’ll be doing some staff training around that.

Other peoples’ bodies are not my business at all.”

— Greg Pruitt

They put an offer on a business that had been on the market for 10 years. Formerly known as the Lane Homestead in the Stratham traffic circle, The Collector’s Eye, built in 1741, was named to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s Seven to Save list for 2015.

They said while they feel comfortable in Hampton Falls, Loveless, who is Black, says there are businesses he still won’t patronize.

“I just know I’ll get ‘the look’,” he says.

The couple decided to move to

New Hampshire because Pruitt had spent a year at Westfield State University during an exchange program with Oklahoma State University.

“It’s very liberal and accepting in that part of Massachusetts, so I thought New Hampshire may be the same,” Pruitt says.

The couple now resides in Hampton Falls, where they own two antique establishments — Route 1 Antiques on 106 Lafayette Road and the recently purchased BrickHouse 76 Antiques & Decorative Arts on 76 Lafayette Road.

“You could say we’re the keeper of historic properties,” Pruitt says.

“Both buildings are from the mid1700s, as is the one in Stratham.”

But there is still a slight undercurrent of uneasiness.

“Also, being a gay business, some feel we’re not authentic in everything we do,” Pruitt says. “The tide has to rise to that.”

While Loveless has been active in Portsmouth’s Black community, Pruitt says he would still like to live somewhere, even abroad, where “we’d be loved and wanted.”

“The smaller-scale community we’ve been able to build around us is amazing,” Loveless says. “Still, there are no gay bars here like there were in Oklahoma. We miss that.”

Pruitt and Loveless met at a Cinco de Mayo party in Oklahoma City on May 5, 2011.

“I asked Lionel for his phone number, and he said ‘yes’,” Pruitt recalls.

He pulled out his cellphone and showed how he listed his then partner’s name as “Yes Lionel.”

Gay marriage became legal in 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 25

New Hampshire on Jan. 1, 2010. The couple recalls they were celebrating their friends’ 50th anniversary in December 2018 and decided to get married that same month.

“We went back to their apartment and planned a wedding,” Pruitt says. “It was Dec. 14, and we set the date for Dec. 28 to get married and have a party at their place. We got shrimp at Al’s Seafood, flowers at Shaw’s and Market Basket did the cake. Twenty people came to celebrate.”

Both agreed that the Seacoast is the best place in the state for them to be right now. Business is good, with Route 1 Antiques representing just over 80 Learning, Training, dealers in its 5,000-square-foot space.

Achieving... Becoming “We’ve been seeing a large diversity of transgender customers,” Pruitt says.

Your journey “We want to make sure they know they’re Your journeybegins beginshere. here. welcome, and we’ll be doing some staff LNA Health Careers is here to make your aspirations a reality.

Our programs are training around that. Other peoples’ LNA Health Careers is here flexible and our community empowers you bodies are not my business at all.” to make your aspirations a to grow, excel beyond the classroom, and Because there are no gay bars per se make a significant impact in healthcare as reality.

Our programs are you progress through your career. in the area, Pruitt says someone from flexible and our community their community of friends will pick LNA • MNA • LPN Phlebotomy Tech empowers you• to grow, ex• EKG Tech • Pharmacy Tech • IV Therapy a place and call the owner to inquire cel beyond the classroom, • CPR/BLS Course • Refresher Courses about having a large group of people for and make a significant a gathering. They’ve been to the newly Learning, Training, impact in healthcare as opened Hearth Market in Portsmouth Achieving...

Becoming you progress through your and to some places in Dover.

“We’re not going to let them take our career.

Manchester, NH | Meredith, NH Your journey begins here. fun away,” he says.

603-647-2174 | lnahealthcareers.com Learning, Training, Both are excited that Seacoast Outright LNA Careers • MNAis• here LPNto make your LNA Health hosts a large Pride parade in Portsmouth, aspirations a reality.

Our Tech programs are Achieving...

Becoming • Phelobotomy flexible and our community empowers you which has taken place annually since • EKG Pharmacy Tech and 2015. to grow,Tech excel •beyond the classroom, Your journey begins here. make a significant impact in healthcare as • IV Therapy Loveless says he’s made some great you progress through your career.

LNA Health Careers is here to make your connections with the Black Heritage • CPR/BLS Course aspirations a reality.

Our programs are LNA • MNA • LPN • Phlebotomy Tech Trail of New Hampshire, AIDS Response •Tech Refresher Course flexible our community empowers you • EKGand • Pharmacy Tech • IV Therapy Seacoast, Seacoast Outright, and enjoys • CPR/BLS Refresher Courses to grow, excel Course beyond •the classroom, and dance parties held at 3S Artspace. make a significant impact in healthcare as you progress through your career.

They would like to see a diversity business association established on the LNA • MNA • LPN • Phlebotomy Tech • EKG Tech • Pharmacy Tech • IV Therapy Seacoast like they had in Oklahoma City, Manchester, | Meredith, NH and Loveless is looking into making that • CPR/BLS Course •NH Refresher Courses A Small, Supportive, 603-647-2174 | lnahealthcareers.com happen.

Healthcare Training School In some ways, Pruitt and Loveless that's passionate in seeing our realize they are trailblazers who decided student's career success. to make New Hampshire their home and Manchester, NH | Meredith, NH operate businesses here. As New Hamp603-647-2174 | lnahealthcareers.com shire’s diversity grows and the state

See Yourself

See Yourself

See Yourself

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Lionel Loveless (top) and Greg Pruitt take great pride in their two antiques businesses they own in Stratham and Hampton Falls. As more people from the diverse community choose to make New Hampshire home, the couple hope it will be easier for them to gain acceptance. attracts more members from the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) communities, the couple hopes they will find their way and become integral parts of their cities and towns.

There is a sign in three languages at the entrance to their Route 1 Antiques shop that reads: “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor.” 603

The Rev. Lillian Buckley of New Hope Baptist Church in Portsmouth holds a painting that depicts Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit in 1952.

King at “The Pearl” CHILDREN’S BOOK BY PORTSMOUTH MINISTER AND MAINE WRITER TELLS THE STORY OF 1952 VISIT BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

n BY SUZANNE LAURENT / PHOTOS BY ROBERT ORTIZ

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all it a case of serendipity. Two local women who met in February 2015 collaborated to write and illustrate a children’s book about a very special visit to Portsmouth in 1952 by then Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Tammi J. Truax of Eliot, Maine, and Rev. Lillian Buckley of New Hope Baptist Church worked on “The Pearl of Portsmouth: A Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” during the pandemic.

The former People’s Baptist Church in Portsmouth, known as “The Pearl,” hosted many distinguished visitors. One of them was a young Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who preached at the church on Oct. 26, 1952 while a doctoral student at Boston University. He

gave a sermon titled, “Going Forward by Going Backward.”

“When I found out (King) came to Portsmouth, it bothered me,” says Truax, who wrote a children’s book about King visiting Portsmouth with his soon-to-be bride, Coretta Scott. (Scott, then a student at the New England Conservatory of Music, sang a solo in the choir during the service.)

“And it bothered me that my children never learned this history,” Truax says. “I did my own research and learned everything I could about this visit.”

“The Pearl” is located on the corner of Pearl and Hanover streets. Today it is a wooden building with stained glass windows, 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 27

“The richer we become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1964

a curved staircase and a pink steeple. Built in 1857, the building was New Hampshire’s first Black church. In 1915, the congregation of People’s Baptist Church purchased the building for $1,200.

The church dissolved in 1968 after the congregation had separated earlier into two groups. One of them, New Hope Baptist Church, acquired the title to the building and remained its owner until 1984, when it was sold to facilitate building a new church on Peverly Hill Road.

Truax has worked as a teacher in a variety of settings from preschool to prison, always with an emphasis on literacy. She completed graduate work in Italy and the United States, earning a master’s in education in library media studies.

She is also the author of “For to See the Elephant,” a novel in verse. She is Portsmouth’s 12th Poet Laureate (2019-2022) and a Maine Beat Poet Laureate (2018-2021.)

Truax said she learned of young Rev. King’s visit while reading “Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage” by Mark J. Sammons and Valerie Cunningham.

Cunningham dedicated her life’s work to researching three centuries of African-American heritage in her hometown. As a teenager growing up in Portsmouth, Cunningham was proud of her family’s African-American heritage, but she was also curious about local Black history.

While working at Portsmouth Public Library, an after-school job she held in the 1950s, she discovered Charles W. Brewster’s “Rambles About Portsmouth.” There, she found clues to a history that until then had been invisible. She began a quest that would consume the rest of her life as a researcher, historian and chronicler of “Black Portsmouth” from 1645 to present day.

Cunningham led efforts to establish the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail with the installation of 24 bronze historic site markers all around Portsmouth. One of them is located at 45 Pearl St. So, a seed was born in Truax’s mind to tell the story of King’s visit to Portsmouth, her hometown at the time.

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The Rev. Lillian Buckley of New Hope Baptist Church co-authored the children’s book, “The Pearl of Portsmouth” with Maine writer Tami Truax. They believe the book captures the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to the city in 1952 and pays homage to Portsmouth’s Black history.

“I sat on it for a while and tried to think of how to illustrate the story,” she says.

In February 2015, Truax was a columnist for the Portsmouth Herald and interviewed Buckley in Kittery, Maine.

“I honestly don’t remember how I found her for my column,” Truax says. “I used to keep my eye and ear alert for good interviews back in those days. Lillian is an artist, a musician and had a very spiritual upbringing.”

While sitting in Buckley’s living room, Truax noticed a painting on a wall that captured her attention. She doesn’t recall what the painting was, only that it was strikingly colorful.

“I told Lillian about my book and asked a few years later if she could illustrate it,” Truax says, making a choice of the best artist to illustrate her children’s book.

“I was working on some projects during the COVID lockdown, and this was also Lillian’s COVID lockdown project,” Truax says. “It made a huge difference in her life to do that during COVID, I think.”

Buckley says she began working on the artwork in January 2020. She did one illustration a month working in pencil, pen and acrylic.

“When Tammi asked me to illustrate her book, I was thrilled,” Buckley recalls. “It was a joyful venture about a family I respect who were proud to give their message.”

There is so much injustice in this country, Buckley says.

“One little stone can make a ripple and then concentric ripples,” Buckley says. “As Dr. King said, ‘We’re all in this together.’ This is a small part in getting this message out to children.”

Buckley’s family moved from Mississippi to Kittery in 1957 when her father began working at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. She was born at the shipyard a few years later, the youngest of four children.

After graduating from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, in 1981 with a major in art and a minor in English, Rev. Buckley worked for the Department of Defense at the shipyard before she was transferred to the former Pease Air Force Base. She held various positions in the U.S. Postal Service, the last being a management position in Boston in 1995.

“When I was about 20, I had a spiritual calling to become a minister,” Buckley says.

She attended the Harvard Divinity School from 1990 to 1997 and earned a master’s degree in divinity. In 2007, she

started a doctor of ministry program in homiletics from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and graduated in 2010 from the Hamilton, Mass., theology school.

Buckley was ordained in 1997 at the Middle Street Baptist Church, and served as the pastor for Bow Lake Free Will Baptist Church in Strafford for 14 years and the First Baptist Church in Exeter for four years. She also served as an interim pastor at several churches and is currently the interim minister at New Hope Baptist Church.

“Dr. King and Coretta Scott King were dynamic bridge-builders and truth-tellers,” Buckley says. “Though gone too soon, their contributions still resonate with anyone whose lives they changed.”

Truax’s story begins with the country’s segregation, and tells of Rev. King’s visit to Portsmouth, and the Kings’ life work devoted to ending the separation of the citizens of every state.

Buckley’s favorite illustration in “The Pearl” is of Dr. and Mrs. King as newlyweds that depicts a timeline of their life together spanning Boston; Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and Memphis, Tennessee.

“It shows how short their time together was while showing the great potential they had to be great world leaders,” she says. “They were the brightest and the best, but yet their lights were snuffed out early on due to simple-minded hatred embedded in our culture.”

Buckley attended People’s Baptist Church as a young child, so she says, “in many ways, this story is my story.”

(Editor’s note: “The Pearl of Portsmouth: A Story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” was published in 2022 by Piscataqua Press. It was a finalist for the Judges’ Award for Children’s Literature and won the People’s Choice Award by the New Hampshire Writers’ Project.)

603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 29

603 NEWS 603 Diversity: News Briefs A journalistic look at our state of diversity from the reporters at the Granite State News Collaborative.

Reward, yard signs, vigils on table to counter antisemitic graffiti A reward for information about the vandal or vandals creating antisemitic graffiti, as well as a continued public awareness campaign, were proposals met with enthusiasm at the Laconia Human Relations Committee meeting in December.

David Stamps, committee chair, said both items will require more planning before they can be implemented, but the energy surrounding the issue led him to believe that action is likely to soon follow.

The ideas were requested to be placed on the agenda in response to the recurring incidents of graffiti, containing antisemitic and white supremacist phrases and symbolism, discovered several times at the former Laconia State School property, most recently in September, and similar vandalism in November at the Belknap County Democratic Party office on Union Avenue.

The city has held vigils and a public forum to counter the messaging of the vandals, but the excitement at the Human Relations Committee suggested there are those who feel more action is warranted.

In addition to a reward, the committee was also asked to lead a campaign to counter the vandals’ hate with a message of love and acceptance. The campaign was suggested by the Laconia Democrats, who asked the Human Relations Committee to take the reins, as they didn’t want the issue to be seen as partisan.

— ADAM DRAPCHO, THE LACONIA DAILY SUN

Newport Police: Four men arrested in racially motivated vandalism spree Police have arrested four men in connection with a vandalism spree in Newport and neighboring communities this fall.

Newport residents Brandon Teeter, 24; Devin Croteau, 22; and Zachery Fuller, 30; along with Claremont resident Samuel Bathrick, 27, are charged with five counts of criminal mischief and five counts of conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, according to the Newport Police Department.

Four of the complaints are class B felonies, because the cost of the damage exceeded $1,500. Two of the complaints carry an extended term of imprisonment, because the defendants are alleged to have been motivated to commit the crime due to hostility toward the victim’s race or national origin.

The arrests stem from a spate of vandalism in Newport and nearby towns in recent months. Six Newport School District buses that had been parked overnight on Oct. 23 at the Newport Department of Public Works were vandalized. The damage included smashed windows and spray-painted graffiti. The cost of the damage to the six buses exceeded $100,000. Various de-

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rogatory terms also were painted on homes, fences and vehicles overnight on Oct. 30, Newport police found.

“Some of the vandalism appeared to be motivated by hostility towards the victim’s race or national origin as defined by the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act,” according to Newport Police.

Working in conjunction with the NH State Police Troop C, police identified additional “offenses” in Claremont, Croydon and Springfield.

In mid-November, more than a dozen vehicles at McGee Mazda were damaged including slashed tires. The cost of the damage to the vehicles totaled more than $20,000.

Then the vandals struck the Newport School District buses again while they were parked at the Newport Department of Public Works. The vandals again spray-painted graffiti, some of which appeared to be motivated by hostility toward a person’s race or national origin.

— NORA DOYLE-BURR, VALLEY NEWS

Racetrack-themed mural unveiled at the Mall at Rockingham Park The Mall at Rockingham Park has a new mural that honors its storied horse racing history.

Positive Street Art members Yvan Quiroz, Christian Ramirez and Munuel Phelany Ramirez created the mural for the Nashua-based group. Built in 1906 and demolished in 2017, Rockingham Park Racetrack hosted legendary racehorses like Seabiscuit and Mom’s Command.

Photo courtesy Positive Street Art

“The mission of Positive Street Art is to inspire a passion for the urban arts in a productive way and to build strong communities through educational workshops, community events and artistic services,”

The Sassy Biscuit Co. eatery closes The Sassy Biscuit Co. restaurant’s three-year run on Washington Street in Dover came to a close in mid-December.

Owner Jilan Hall Johnson confirmed Sassy Biscuit’s closure and said she would finalize the sale of its assets to an unspecified new owner.

The restaurant’s flagship sister location in Billings, Montana, remains open.

The Dover location in the Orpheum building opened in August 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as a counter service eatery. Last summer, the restaurant pivoted to a full-service, eat-in experience, and Johnson asked the community to support her business.

“We have been talking about trying to figure out how to increase sales for quite some time.

Unfortunately, since opening, we just didn’t receive the business that we needed, the support from the community,” she said.

“For a very long time, we hired experts to come in and see what we could do to change.

We revamped as many things as we could based on customer feedback. We did as much as we could over the last 3½ years. This was not a decision that came about easily, but it was a decision that had to be made, unfortunately.”

— IAN LENAHAN, FOSTER’S DAILY DEMOCRAT

according to a news release from the Southern New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce.

— CALLIN LOESCH, SALEM NH PATCH.COM

North Country business leaders urge selectmen to proclaim support for LGBTQ+ community, public art Over 1,000 people — including several prominent North Country businesses — signed onto an open letter in December criticizing the Littleton select board’s handling of recent discussions about public art by and about LGBTQ+ people.

“Why is the municipal leadership of our town pursuing a path so detrimental to business without input from the business community?” the letter reads. “While the negative impact to our local economy is a major concern, most important to us is the harmful impact the comments and actions of a few will have on the fabric of our community. Our neighbors. Our co-workers. Families. Friends.”

In recent months, Select Board Member and Republican State Sen. Carrie Gendreau has criticized murals put up by North Country Pride and a local theater troupe’s production of a show centered on LGBTQ+ characters, calling it “disgusting.” The board has since discussed potential restrictions on all public art and opted to put its longstanding contract with that theater group up to a town-wide vote.

Hundreds have shown up to protest those actions at recent public meetings.

But the open letter reflects an even broader effort to rally public support against any potential art restrictions and in solidarity with the local LGBTQ+ community.

— OLIVIA RICHARDSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.

603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 31

603 ESSAY

How lack of affordable housing impacts our communities of color

Courtesy photo

W n BY WILL ARVELO

32 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024

e know that we have a housing and homelessness problem in New Hampshire. If you didn’t know this, my questions to you is, what rock have you been hiding under? I mention the two because they are connected.

This is not a new problem. New Hampshire had significant growth in new housing creation in the 1970s through the 1990s as more people moved to the Granite State for work, less taxes and quality of life. According to New Hampshire Housing’s 2023 Statewide Housing Needs Assessment, in those 20 years, the state saw net in-migration of over 500,000.

Since 1990, there has been a long decline in population growth. Between 2010 and 2020 net in-migration was just over 60,000. This decline in population growth explains the continued decrease of housing development over time.

However, the housing picture is very complex. In recent years, in addition to the slowdown in housing creation because of demographic shifts, New Hampshire Housing reports that 8,400 potential rental units have been taken out of rental circulation and reserved for vacation/seasonal use. Another 2,000 units have simply vanished.

In addition, the pandemic saw many out-of-staters move to New Hampshire and purchase single-family units and condos at premium prices. Those who could not purchase units rented them and pushed rents beyond what many lower- and middle-class New Hampshirites could afford.

Finally, inflation has stagnated the housing market, and more people in the higher income brackets are opting to rent, putting more pressure on the rental market, which continues to drive up prices. All this pressure has caused vacancy rates to dip to 0.5% or lower statewide and caused rents to surge to $1,600, or more for a two-bedroom apartment. That means a person would have to earn minimally $30 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

All this is to say that “Houston, we have a problem.” New Hampshire Housing’s report states that it has about 2,000 multifamily units under construction

or renovation. Far short of the 23,500 rental and single-family units we need now. The nonprofit says we will need a total of 60,000 units between 20202030 and another 30,000 units between 2030-2040 to meet demographic changes.

As executive director of Cross Roads House, the second largest homeless shelter in the state, I see the impact this has on regular people every day. I hear the horror stories almost daily. People who have worked all their lives are now finding themselves homeless for the first time. We are seeing a trend in people over 50, some with underlying health issues and most on limited incomes, lose their rental units because their rents have increased beyond their ability to pay.

Younger working families and individuals are also being impacted. A number of them work, and even though they may earn enough to be classified as middle class, they still do not earn enough to afford their own place. What’s wrong with that picture? Has it really come to this, America? Maybe there was never an American dream, but it would not be a stretch to think that if you work hard, regardless of what you bring home, you should be able to afford to put a roof over your head and your family’s heads.

Folks, it is not good when we have working people that are homeless because they can’t afford to rent a place they can call home. I think we can all agree that having a place to call home provides stability and the foundation for individuals and families to thrive.

Not having a place to call home leads to instability, spiraling, mental health challenges, drug misuse, violence and challenges the ability to thrive.

According to the NH Coalition to End Homelessness 2022 Annual Report, between 2020 and 2022 homelessness in the state increased by 31%. This is an important number, because the coalition’s 2020 Annual Report states that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) individuals represent a disproportionate level of New Hampshire’s homeless.

“Multiracial and Black/African American people make up 2.7% of the general population in New Hampshire, but are almost four times more likely to

COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION be homeless, as they represent 10.2% of the homeless population,” the report says.

“Similarly, Hispanic/Latino people make up 2.8% of the general population in New Hampshire, but 10.6% of the homeless population, which is, again, almost a fourfold increase.”

What does this all mean? As BIPOC communities, we have to be aware of how the housing is impacting our communities disproportionately. This means that as we experience more homelessness, we will also experience instability and, possibly, more health and mental health disease, more drug misuse and more violence when compared to the broader white community.

Tragically, these disparities only serve to continue to threaten our ability to thrive as BIPOC individuals, families and communities in New Hampshire.

We must all educate ourselves and advocate for more affordable housing in our BIPOC communities now. This starts by engaging with your local legislators, by getting elected to town and city councils, and by getting involved at the local level with zoning and planning boards.

We have an opportunity to engage gubernatorial and presidential candidates tramping through our cities and towns.

Let’s make sure they know this is a priority for the future growth and health of our New Hampshire BIPOC communities.

New Hampshire is changing demographically. We will continue to see more in-migration to the state attracted by work, entrepreneurialism and quality of life.

Much of that change will happen within the BIPOC communities. It’s up to us to drive our own destiny to ensure all members of our BIPOC community have homes that provide stability where they can thrive. 603

A central part of McLane Middleton’s statement of core values is our commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion. It’s what we believe in.

As part of that commitment, we’re proud to be certified in the Mansfield Rule - a national initiative aimed at closing the diversity gap in the legal profession.

Learn more at McLane.com/Mansfield

CLARITY & CONTEXT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY

News from New Hampshire and

89.1 Concord/Manchester | nhpr.org 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 33

603 ESSAY

NH’s ‘Divisive Concepts’ law threatens historical truth in the classroom

Photo by Robert Ortiz

W

hose responsibility is it to tell history? I believe the answer is simple: everyone.

When sitting down to write this piece, I found myself struggling to decide what story or whose story to share with you. Who gets to tell the stories? I believe everyone should have the chance to share history. I’ve found that history as it is taught is often more biased than some would think. n Joanna Kelley Often history books are filled with stories written in single narratives that lose so many valuable moments that represent the true complexities and realities of everyday life. Challenge yourself to really think about what you learned as a child and what truths you’ve discovered as you grow.

Now as we turn on a TV, scroll on TikTok or read the newspaper we are hearing more and more stories about books being banned that change what we teach our children. Some of these books that have come under fire include historically important figures like Rosa Parks and LGBTQIA+ history lessons. (“LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and more,” according to gaycenter.org.)

Books that focus on how immigrants are treated, Black studies or books that deny the existence of slavery in America are also included in this group. There have also been instances where educators have been punished for trying to teach this history to their students. Some argue that these teachings push a more divisive narrative, but I would say that they are finally including fundamental parts of American history.

Why now? It’s a question that I find myself asking all the time and hear people asking all the time. Some claim it is the “woke” generation that is trying to change history or divide us more than we already are divided. While I do not claim to be an expert in the field of being woke, I do believe that as a society there can be no harm if we all try to be active in important societal issues and be aware of how they will impact lives around us.

Here in New Hampshire, attempts to ban books have been widely unsuccessful. But this activity has been witnessed throughout our cities and towns. In October 2023, the Dover School Board heard a request from one resident to remove “Boy Toy” by Barry Lygra. There was a strong community out-

34 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024

pouring against the removal of this book. In the end, the school staff reviewed the book and recommended keeping the book in place, as “removing this book would prevent access to ideas, viewpoints and opinions for all students based on the opinions of some.”

In 2021-22 school year, six books were challenged in the Bedford School District, but none were removed from the classroom or school library shelves. In October 2022, the Rochester School District had four books challenged focused on the LGBTQIA+ community. The challenge was brought by then-City Councilor Jim Gray and voted down by all the other councilors.

Again, as we’ve seen time and time again, the community came out in force against banning the books.

While Gray is no longer serving on Rochester City Council, he is the District 6 state senator who represents Granite Staters from Rochester to Alton. Overall, New Hampshire has not had one successful book ban in 2022, according to the PEN American Organization.

The state Legislature will most likely see bills this session that have to do with altering the history we teach our children to be less inclusive, less honest in its telling, and in some cases, just incorrect and nonfactual. Last year, I testified in Concord against the “divisive concepts” law that was passed in 2021.

House Bill 544 prohibits the teaching of racism, sexism and any materials that claim “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive.”

It’s worth noting that this bill did not stand alone. It was passed inside of the state budget. Gov. Chris Sununu signed a state budget that banned teachers from “discussing race, gender and other identity characteristics in certain ways in class.”

I am sure I will find myself in Concord again during this legislative session, and I hope that I also find you there. As we begin 2024 in New Hampshire, we must find a deeper meaning of the state’s motto, “Live Free or Die.” Although, ask anyone and they’ll tell you that I like to remind people of the rest of the quote from General John Stark. During an anniversary dinner to commemorate the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War, a letter that Stark wrote was read aloud, “Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils.”

What could be worth more than death? I would say living in a state where my story isn’t valued, and living in a place where my neighbors do not want to hear my history or learn the histories of my family and my ancestors. Or even worse, finding that it’s been entirely removed from the history books. 603

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Versatile leaders: a valuable resource PAGE 14

NH man in PPP fraud has regrets — up to a point In interview, Joshua Leavitt puts most blame on his partner

BY BOB SANDERS

‘We’re back to normal’

At midyear, NH economy is strong, but concerns persist

BY PAUL BRIAND

If economist Brian Gottlob were grading on a curve comparing New Hampshire to other states, he’d give the state’s economy at midyear a solid A. “We’ve really faced the headwinds better than most states,” he said. “We really haven’t been deterred, given all the things that are happening nationally.”

That said, when Gottlob — who’s director of the NH Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau — looks only at condi-

and manufacturing — shows general positivity, especially in how the state has rebounded from the shut-in days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But … workforce issues, housing availability and affordability, inflation and the spillover effects of national and international concerns add a chorus of caution to the songs of praise as the state’s economy moves through the second half of 2023.

“We’re back to normal,” said Tom

Before Joshua Leavitt started his 28-month sentence in federal prison in Lewisburg, Pa., for fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief funds, the self-described serial entrepreneur had a few things to say.

“I knew I inflated payroll a bit to keep the existing companies going,” he said.

“However, it feels more than a little unbalanced to make me the poster child … when the government admits on its own to hundreds of billions of dollars in known losses to China alone.”

Leavitt, of Northwood, pleaded guilty last July for fraudulently taking $873,475.50 in Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, along with his partner, Pierre Rogers, who was earlier sentenced to 41 months.

Leavitt began serving his sentence on

603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 35

603 ESSAY

Investing in development of diverse leaders pay dividends

Courtesy photo

W

e know the most effective way to develop a new generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs who represent any marginalized group in the United States is for young people to see high-profile C-suite executives, innovators, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who look like them.

Representation communicates not only what is possible, it emboldens people to dream big. Today, however, the clear majority of n BY ALBERTO RAMOS the nation’s (and New Hampshire’s) business leaders are white men.

While outcomes might depend largely on boards that appoint executives and employers who serve as gatekeepers throughout one’s career, colleges and universities have a role to play in preparing young people to build their experience, fine-tune their business acumen and ultimately develop the confidence they need to ensure employers receive a diverse selection of candidates for top roles.

Colleges and universities are well positioned to support a more diverse pipeline of future leaders by exposing students to entrepreneurs who look like them, highlighting existing success stories, by hosting guest lectures, workshops and panel discussions. Just as they must see diversity in professional leadership roles represented, students must also be exposed to the experience of leadership.

Higher education institutions can accomplish this by creating leadership development programs that are inclusive and that support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and other people of color) students and other underserved groups. These programs can teach students the skills they need to grow into leadership roles and receive adequate compensation.

This means advanced mentorship, extracurricular clubs, paid internships and non-menial jobs that set high expectations and entrust students to make executive decisions.

Oftentimes, colleges and universities create similar opportunities that are offered to all students, yet they wonder why BIPOC students and other underserved groups don’t take advantage of them. As a result, good-intentioned leadership programs often reinforce the status quo and serve students who are already well represented, rather than serving the students who could most benefit from access to additional support.

At Plymouth State University’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity,

36 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024

Equity and Access) Center, we’ve created two programs that develop underserved students into future leaders; our IDEA Ambassadors program and our Diversity Scholars program.

The IDEA Ambassadors program offers a paid fellowship to undergraduate students to gain meaningful skills for both leadership and ownership. It was designed to prepare students to become not only business managers but business owners. These students hold office hours at the IDEA Center and work on developing flagship projects like diversity education sessions, podcasts, social media and a student-led speaker series called “Empower Hour” where young people share stories about their backgrounds. This program helps students develop confidence and leadership skills by encouraging them to take initiative and personal ownerships of projects, while also earning a decent wage.

Generally speaking, on-campus student employment has been linked to higher retention and graduation rates, leading most institutions to prioritize hiring students for various roles.

While most colleges and universities offer student employment opportunities, I’ve witnessed many missed opportunities. On-campus employment options for students are often designed to lighten the load for the full-time professional staff. Students in these roles often perform simple tasks like answering phones and printing out paperwork.

While these tasks are essential to business operations, if we only hire students for menial jobs that lack opportunities to use critical thinking skills, we are doing them a disservice. PSU’s Academic and Career Advising Center has been instrumental in ensuring our on-campus employment program is meaningful for the students as well as the offices that employ them.

The other program we’ve created at PSU that has proven successful is our Diversity Scholars program. This program is designed to support underserved, first-year students academically, socially and professionally. Diversity Scholars receive an annual $1,000 scholarship to help offset the cost of living on campus, and they are offered the opportunity to move onto campus two days earlier than the rest of the firstyear students to allow them time to acclimate and connect with other Diversity Scholars.

These students receive mentorship and advising from IDEA Center staff and student leaders throughout the duration of the up-to-four-year program, and they are

encouraged to participate in monthly IDEA Center workshops and lectures (developed and coordinated by our IDEA Ambassadors) by guest speakers from within our campus and beyond. Participating students have opportunities to work with the IDEA Center to help advance inclusivity and equity across our campus community.

Internships and mentorship are other ways in which we can nurture and develop future diverse leaders, yet both opportunities are often lacking.

Internships offer students valuable “real-world” experience in their chosen fields, yet many internships are unpaid or offer minimal compensation, which presents a significant challenge for many college students, especially underserved students who do not have the option of forgoing wages.

Institutions, businesses and organizations that welcome student interns must do more to offer paid internship opportunities.

Mentorships must go beyond the remedial and “interventional” programs offered at some universities. If we only provide underserved students with basic skills and expect them to figure out the rest on their own, we make it much harder for them to succeed.

Instead, we must dare them to push the envelope and encourage them to become role models, in the highest echelons of industry, for the next generation. We can do this by being the opposite of gatekeepers — by challenging them, encouraging them and opening as many doors for them as possible.

As a Hispanic man who was raised by a single mom, I have been fortunate to have strong personal and professional role models and mentors who have helped me develop the skills, experience and confidence to achieve my career goals. Because people believed in me and helped me see that leadership could be a reality for me, I have had the confidence to pursue opportunities such as my current role at Plymouth State University.

By creating intentional and meaningful opportunities for our most underserved students to develop the skills and confidence they will need to pursue and achieve their career and life goals, we will all win. 603

What makes working at here so great?

The people. www.communitybridgesnh.org/careers 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024 37

603 ESSAY

BIPOC entrepreneurship grows in New Hampshire

Courtesy photo

N

ew Hampshire, renowned for its picturesque landscapes and tight-knit communities, is not often the first place that comes to mind when discussing the landscape of diverse entrepreneurship.

However, a closer look at the data provided by the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute reveals a nuanced and evolving narrative about business owners of color in the state.

While challenges persist, a burgeoning n BY JAMES MCKIM community of Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs is making its mark, contributing to the economic fabric of New Hampshire in unique and impactful ways.

Understanding the data A Census Bureau’s 2021 survey classifying a business as minority-owned when such an individual owns at least 51% of a business provides insights into the diversity of business ownership within the state.

However, it’s essential to acknowledge that a significant portion of businesses — 51.2% of employees and 54.4% of payroll — remains unclassifiable. This is either due to a lack of information (many are sole proprietors who do not consider themselves businesses), or because these businesses are foreign-owned entities. Despite this limitation, the data sheds light on a significant portion of the state’s economic activity.

BIPOC-owned businesses: a growing force Among classifiable businesses, those owned by individuals identifying as “non-white and non-Hispanic” reported approximately 15,700 employees and $864 million in payroll across slightly more than 1,700 businesses. This underscores the substantial economic impact of BIPOC-owned enterprises in the state. These businesses, while diverse in nature, collectively contribute to the vitality and growth of New Hampshire’s economy.

Even if not tracked accurately, minority-owned business38 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024

es are becoming more visible. Many of them are now part of the newly formed Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC) NH designed to advocate for the needs of its members. Even more are visible through the minority-owned business list on the businesses page of the Manchester NAACP’s website.

The unquantifiable impact Beyond the numbers lies the immeasurable impact of BIPOC entrepreneurship on the cultural and social fabric of New Hampshire. These businesses contribute not only to the economic bottom line but also foster a rich tapestry of diverse perspectives, ideas and experiences.

BIPOC entrepreneurs often bring unique insights and innovative approaches to the marketplace. Their businesses become hubs of cultural exchange, offering products and services that reflect the diversity of their communities.

Take, for example, Don Quijote Restaurant in Manchester.

The restaurant is a second home to many people who feel an affinity to the Latin American food and culture. This kind of cultural enrichment not only enhances the quality of life for residents but also attracts a broader range of consumers, investors and tourists — our largest revenue sector — to the state.

Types of BIPOC businesses in New Hampshire BIPOC entrepreneurs in New Hampshire have made significant strides across various sectors. From culinary ventures that celebrate cultural flavors to technology-based startups and community-focused enterprises, the diversity of businesses reflects the multifaceted talents and skills within the BIPOC community.

• Culinary ventures include restaurants, cafes and catering services that offer a rich array of international cuisines.

Food trucks and pop-up events showcasing unique and culturally diverse flavors.

• Retail and fashion include boutiques and stores specializing in traditional clothing, handmade crafts and imported goods. Online platforms that showcase and sell unique fashion items inspired by cultural heritage.

• Technology and innovation include tech startups founded

by BIPOC entrepreneurs, contributing to the state’s growing technology sector.

• Consulting firms specialize in IT services, software development and digital marketing.

• Social impact enterprises include nonprofit organizations addressing community needs, focusing on areas such as education, health care and social justice.

Initiatives promoting sustainability, environmental conservation and community well-being.

To nurture and amplify the positive trends seen in BIPOC entrepreneurship, New Hampshire should consider targeted initiatives and support mechanisms. Based on research by the Community-Driven Economic Empowerment Program, a program of the partnership between the Manchester NAACP and the NH Community Loan Fund with participation from the NH Small Business Development Center and the Center for Women & Enterprise, this support should include: 1. Access to capital: Establishing programs that facilitate easier access to capital for BIPOC entrepreneurs can empower them to scale their businesses and contribute more significantly to the

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state’s economy to combat the limited access to funding sources, such as bank loans, due to systemic barriers and historical disparities.

2. Networking opportunities: Creating platforms for networking and mentorship can connect BIPOC entrepreneurs with experienced business leaders, fostering a supportive community that shares insights and best practices to build valuable relationships reducing feelings of isolation and exclusion.

3. Education and training: Investing in educational programs and training initiatives can equip youth and BIPOC entrepreneurs with the skills needed to navigate the business landscape successfully to improve operations and make their enterprises more known.

4. Policy advocacy: Advocating for policies that promote diversity and inclusion within the business ecosystem to overcome stereotypes and biases associated with BIPOC entrepreneurs in certain

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industries and combat discrimination and bias, whether explicit or subtle, which can impact business interactions and opportunities.

New Hampshire is witnessing a transformative shift in its entrepreneurial landscape, with BIPOC-owned businesses playing a pivotal role in shaping the state’s economic future. The vibrant tapestry of BIPOC entrepreneurship in New Hampshire is a testament to the resilience, creativity and determination of individuals contributing to the state’s economic and cultural richness.

While challenges persist, the data indicates a positive trajectory, underscoring the importance of fostering an environment that supports and uplifts diverse voices. As New Hampshire embraces the economic potential of BIPOC entrepreneurship, it has the opportunity to not only strengthen its economy but also enrich the cultural and social fabric that makes the state unique. 603

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603 HAPPENINGS

Events

THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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COMPILED BY YASAMIN SAFARZADEH / COURTESY PHOTOS

ONGOING

Kimball Jenkins Photographic show by up-and-coming photographers WenDell Hoggard and Esmeldy Angeles while the Phaneron show continues to hang. Art pieces are available at a sliding scale, and payment programs are accepted. Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St., Concord. (kimballjenkins.com)

FEBRUARY 21

Positive Street Art — Nashua Monthly Art Social, Feb. 21, 6 to 8 p.m. at Positive Street Art. 48 Bridge St., #3f, Nashua. All ages of creators are invited to bring their own supplies to explore their craft and network with other local creators. Try out virtual art creation with Oculus VR. No RSVP required. (positivestreetart.org)

FEBRUARY 23

Manchester West High School Multicultural Festival at Manchester West High School, 9 Notre Dame Ave., Feb. 23, 3 to 5 p.m. Free. West High educator Richella Simard and her team strive to make their school a hub of cultural celebration and diverse learning with their continual commitment to platforming inclusive, multicultural events. Join them for yet another celebration of the rich global community in Manchester.

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MARCH 2

Hop Knot The Gender Blender Drag Show takes place on the first Saturday of every month at 10 p.m. at the Hop Knot, 1000 Elm St. in downtown Manchester. The show is hosted by ChiChi Marvel and House of Marvel Entertainment/H.O.M.E. and features special guest performers from all corners of New Hampshire. The show is 21+ and has no admission fee. (hopknotnh.com)

NEED PERMISSION TO RUN CREDIT TO DAVID J. MURRAY

MARCH 7

Greater Manchester Chamber Jane Kaufman, an artist discovering new methodology as she loses her vision, will be hanging at the Kimball Jenkins satellite gallery located in the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover St. Youth Area Month show opening at Kimball Jenkins for area-wide youth and young adults will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (kimballjenkins.org)

THROUGH MARCH 30

NH Audubon Massabesic Center Blossoming Beyond: Celebrating Queerness in Nature at the NH Audubon Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn. Exploring the connection between queerness and nature, this exhibition showcases pieces that represent the strength and beauty of nature as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Queerlective is passionate about creating a more inclusive world for the queer, BIPOC and other marginalized communities through art. Through advocacy, empowerment and education, they strive for social change and authenticity for all. Follow them at @queer_lective on Instagram and Facebook.

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603 SHOUT OUT

Ali Sekou

makes history THE NIGER NATIVE IS THE FIRST PERSON OF COLOR ON THE CONCORD CITY COUNCIL Photo by Robert Ortiz

n BY ISABELLE ORTIZ

A

t just 40 years old, Ali Sekou became the first African immigrant and the youngest councilor elected to the Concord City Council 12 years after he first emigrated from his native Niger to the Granite State.

Sekou, who took office in January, is the council’s first Muslim representative and the first Black member of the council in the city’s 289-year history, the Concord Monitor noted when he was elected in November.

“This community is for all of us; we have the power to make it a better place for all,” Sekou says. In Niger, everyone helps each other to create a strong passion for community integration and engagement. Concord shares those values, he says.

When Sekou first came to New Hampshire in 2012, he recalls how difficult it was to learn English and adapt to a new culture.

His self-determination and desire to learn helped him master English and four other languages in a short time.

Sekou earned his associate’s degree in hospitality and management from the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord before earning his bachelor’s degree in political science from Plymouth State University. He then earned a subsequent master’s degree in community development and policy from the University of New Hampshire.

Along the way, Sekou joined nonprofit organizations, boards and volunteered in schools and community groups. When Sekou decided to run for Concord City Council in 2023, he used his skills as a strong listener to understand different people’s viewpoints.

After working more than seven years for Hannaford — all 44 603Diversity.com | Spring 2024

while he was pursuing academic degrees — Ali joined New Hampshire Housing (formerly known as New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority) in Bedford as the manager of community engagement and Inclusion.

Sekou hopes his journey to elected office along with work at New Hampshire Housing to create more affordable housing will serve as an inspiration to other immigrants who make New Hampshire their home.

Sekou is also very grateful to the people of Concord for giving him an opportunity to serve them at City Hall. His family and friends continue to give him the support his needs.

Sekou and his wife, Fatimat Sekou (Fanta), have two children, Samirah, 2, and Ahmad, 1.

Sekou’s community work includes serving as president of the Islamic Society of Greater Concord, treasurer for the Organization for Immigrant and Refugee Success, and board member of the NH Community Loan Fund and the Concord Public Library Foundation.

His message to others who may want to follow in his footsteps is simple: “Work hard, be positive, give your time and give your resources.” 603