Nubian Message, Mar. 28, 2024, "Ladies First"

THIS ISSUE Letter from the editor

Hey pookies,

We are four weeks away from our beloved LDOC! For me, it’s four weeks away from the end of my undergraduate degree. I would sit here and be sentimental, but you came here for an amazing issue, not the ramblings of someone who is not ready to be an adult.

In this issue, we’re talking about NC State’s mens basketball team’s win at the ACC, GO PACK (and GTHC)! We also have an article on the Supreme Court's decision on bias response teams. Keeping on theme with collegiate news, we’re also talking about Notre Dame College and other religious institutions closing.

In our feature section, we’re covering the influential and inspiring Bisan Owda. If you want to learn about an in-state creative, we also have an interview with creative Arial Robinson. As always, if you want to have a conversation starter (and to learn something), check out our opinion section where our writers discuss third-party voting and Haiti’s humanitarian crisis.

Reading is not your thing, and you’re just here for the cover? Fear not! We have a whole gallery featuring the Divine 9 sororities in honor of Women’s History Month.

Until next time,

Milan Hall

5 TIKTOK BAN U.S. House passes legislation to ban the app

6 GALLERY Divine 9

9 AN INTERVIEW WITH SOULAR LAB CREATOR Arial Robinson Interview

10 VOTING THIRD PARTY A deep dive on third-party voting

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Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan, Dr. John Henrik Clark, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, The Black Panther Party, Mumia A. Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Tony Williamson, Dr. Lawrence Clark, Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon, Dr. Wandra P. Hill, Mr. Kyran Anderson, Dr. Lathan Turner, Dr. M. Iyailu Moses, Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are still on the journey to true consciousness.

cover photo by kaela belingon /Photo Editor

(From left to right) Jania Mackey, a second-year studying Elementary education, Lilyanna Hopkins, a second-year studying Integrative physiology and Neurobiology, and Tiani Hinnant, a fourth-year studying Fashion design, hold up the hand signs of their respective Divine 9 organizations in J.C. Raulston Arboretum on Saturday, March 25, 2024.

Up until March 12, NC State Men’s Basketball had a less than ideal season. With a total of 22 wins and 14 losses in the regular season, and only nine of those wins coming from their own conference, the team was not even close to getting a spot in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. The only way that they could secure a seat in the tournament was if they won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament. Each conference’s champion is allotted a guaranteed spot in the NCAA tournament, regardless of their regular season record. With their 10th seed ranking and ACC record of nine wins and 11 losses, the odds were stacked against them. But nevertheless, the team persisted and they headed out to Washington, D.C. to get down to business.

Round 1: Louisville

Going into this round NC State was favored to win over the No. 15 seed, Louisville. The team had played Louisville once during the regular season, at their home court, and were able to beat them 8983. Unfortunately, in the last regular season game, star player DJ Horne injured his hip flexor. Although he traveled to D.C. with the team, he was not in uniform during warm-up which meant that he was out for the game. Luckily, even without Horne, the team was able to take down Louisville with a score of 94-85. Casey Morsell held down the fort, wracking up 25 points, with Jayden Taylor and Michael O’Connell following closely behind with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

Round 2: Syracuse

Horne was back and the team was ready to take on the No. 7 seed, Syracuse. During the regular season, NC State went up against Syracuse at home and away, losing both games by a decent margin. Based on their performance during the first round, they were looking better than before, so there was still hope. With 14 rebounds and six assists, Mohamed Diarra helped the team secure an 83-65 victory. But Diarra wasn’t the only one putting up good numbers during this game. Horne, Taylor,

why not us

Championship: UNC

Nobody thought NC State would make it this far, especially not UNC's basketball team. As the number one team in the division who beat NC State twice during the regular season, UNC expected to wipe the floor with NC State. But as much as UNC hates to admit it, that was not the case. Keeping the lead for almost the entire game, the Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels 84 to 76. Horne put up 29 points before fouling out in the final minutes, Burns scored a cool 20 points and Diarra got a career high 14 rebounds.

After the championship game, the ACC released their picks for the All-Tournament Team. Burns, Horne and O’Connell made up three of the five players on the first team, with Diarra coming in on the second team.

Speaking of Diarra: he set the record for most rebounds for a single player during the ACC tournament with a whopping 60 total rebounds over the course of the five games.

O’Connell and Burns all had between 15-18 points, showing off NC State’s wellrounded team of shooters. O’Connell made all three of his three-point shots, boosting his confidence and setting him in motion for the rest of this tournament.

Round 3: Duke

This is the game is where NC State fans thought their ACC tournament journey would end, as Duke is one of the team's main rivals. NC State only played them once during the regular season; however, despite playing at home, the team still lost by 15 points. Duke entered the tournament at the number two seed and bypassed the first two rounds. Unfortunately for them, this was their first and last game of the ACC tournament. During this game, Horne, Morsell, O'Connell, Diarra and DJ Burns Jr. scored double-digit points, making them the first team of five doubledigit scorers to move on to the ACC tournament semifinals since 2014. But that wasn’t the only record NC State set with this win. This was the second time in ACC history that a double-digit seed made it to

the semifinals. Who did it the first time, you might ask? NC State did in 2007. Even still, they weren’t done setting records.

Semifinal: Virginia

During the regular season NC State went one-and-one with Virginia, beating them by a substantial margin at home and barely losing during overtime at the away game. Although the game went back and forth for a while, it didn’t look good for NC State. The team was down by seven points with four minutes left, and the difference wasn’t shrinking as the minutes ticked off the clock. But thanks to Morsell, and a Virginia foul, the team cut the margin to three points. That is where O’Connell came in. Sinking a buzzer-beater from right in front of the bench where his teammates sat, O’Connell tied up the score and sent the game into overtime. From there, Burns took over. During overtime Burns knocked down layup after layup, drawing fouls and making shots. Virginia couldn’t keep up. Finishing off overtime with a score of 73-65, NC State headed off to the championship game.

Winning any championship title is a big deal, but this was more than that for the Wolfpack. It has been 37 years since NC State last won the ACC tournament. But that isn’t even the craziest part of all of this: Winning this game made it NC State’s 11th Championship title, making them the team with the third-most ACC Championships. This was the second time, including all conferences, that a team won five straight games to win their conference title. NC State became the lowest seed to ever win the ACC Championship. Burns made his first career three-point basket. Lastly, and most importantly, winning the ACC Championship gave NC State an otherwise nonexistent spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The team came back home to Raleigh on March 17. at around three in the morning, welcomed by a huge crowd and the band playing Red and White. The players gave speeches, took photos and chatted with the fans before a well-deserved day off to prepare themselves for the NCAA Tournament. So, in the words of DJ Horne, “Why not us?”

Emma hamrick Correspondent

Hallie Walker/Nubian Message

An ACC Tournament celebration reel plays at the Selection Sunday watch party in Sports & Social on Sunday, March 17, 2024. NC State landed the No. 11 seed in the South Region in the NCAA Tournament.

Notre Dame College Closing its Doors

Rebecca HernÁndez Copy Editor

Notre Dame College (NDC) is closing its doors after 102 years as a university. Not to be confused with Notre Dame University, NDC is a small private Roman Catholic institution located in South Euclid, Ohio. NDC announced that it will be shut down at the end of the 2024 Spring semester.

Notre Dame College was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, serving as a women’s college until 2001, when they made the school co-ed. The college is located just 25 minutes outside of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio. While the majority of the student body is from Ohio, NDC represents students from 35 states and 21 other countries.

The announcement was made on Feb. 29 by the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Commissioner, Reid Amos, saying, “On behalf of the Mountain East Conference, we are deeply saddened by today's announcement that Notre Dame College will conclude in-person instruction at the end of the 2024 spring semester, bringing a more than century-old tradition of higher education to a close.”

Questions surrounding Notre Dame College’s vitality began to arise when former President J. Michael Pressimone resigned in Nov. 2023 to “pursue new opportunities.” Pressimone served as the president of the university for three years before unexpectedly resigning.

As of 2024, there are only 1,050 full-time students enrolled at Notre Dame College. Enrollment had fallen by more than half since the Fall of 2014 when the college had 2,281 students enrolled. NDC cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for the enrollment and financial issues that the university has been faced with. In a new statement, officials pointed out the affects of the pandemic and called out declining demographics and “growing costs.” Though the school had been struggling with debt for the past few years, the announcement was sudden, coming just months before the end of the college’s final semester.

According to University Business, “A small private, often religiously oriented liberal arts college struggling with a poor budget deficit can no longer rely

on a regional pool of traditional-aged college students due to demographic changes. With numbers already pointing downward, the pandemic inflamed national enrollment declines, dramatically shortening administrators’ window to react and leaving far fewer students to enroll to stop the bleeding. In dire straits, the college has no option but to negotiate a merger or acquisition. If it fails, it shuts its doors. Centuries of serving higher education erased.”

In a press conference regarding Notre Dame College’s closing, Interim President John Smetanka said, “We are all saddened by the need to make this decision, but rest assured that as we move forward, we are doing everything we can to ensure a smooth transition for our students to continue their education.”

Notre Dame College’s Board of Trustees announced a "teach-out program” with nine other partner colleges and universities to help currently enrolled students in good standing continue their education as transfer students through the program.

NDC students can finish out their degrees and have their credits accepted at these institutions.

The institutions taking part in this teach out program include Baldwin Wallace University, Cleveland State, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kent State University, Lake Erie College, Ursuline College, Walsh University and Mercyhurst University.

Students in good standing with more than 60 credits (about two years worth of classes) will be guaranteed admission to the partnered universities. All credits will transfer over and tuition costs will be comparable. Students with fewer credits can transfer to one of the colleges or universities and receive the same benefits as the teach-out program.

The closure will affect 50 full-time faculty, 150 part-time faculty, 100 full-time staff and 70 part-time staff, as well as the 900 undergraduate students enrolled in the university that are not graduating this Spring.

Notre Dame College is not the first university to announce its closing in 2024. NDC joins Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts and Cabrini College, both of which announced their closures last year and will graduate their final classes in Spring 2024.

Among the 15 non-profit institutions that announced their closures in 2023, 10 were religiously affiliated. Of these 10, four were Catholic, which is the only denomination represented multiple times in this year’s round of closures.

NDC's official website displays the statement, “Throughout this long process, we evaluated every possible option to continue the mission of Notre Dame College", said Terri Bradford Eason, Chair of the Board of Trustees. "Our primary focus has been to ensure our students can successfully continue their education, graduate, and – in the tradition of the Sisters of Notre Dame – live a life of personal, professional and global responsibility.”

More than 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States are facing the same dilemma that Notre Dame College currently faces. Like most other institutions across the country, many Catholic institutions are seeing an all-time low in student enrollment. Many believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has played a part in these low numbers, with others citing the shrinking pool of prospective students.

“ More than 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States are facing the same dilemma that Notre Dame College currently faces. ”

South Euclid Mayor, Georgine Welo, said in a statement, “The decision comes as a profound loss to our community, marking the end of an era rich in academic excellence, tradition and community engagement.”

Image from creative commons Photo of Notre Dame

TikTok's Time May Be Up in the U.S.

Shaere Delgiudice Staff Writer

On Mar. 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bill H.R. 7521, also called the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.” The bill would ban the popular social media app, TikTok, unless it is sold to a U.S.-owned company. The bill passed by a vote of 352-65, with 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans voting against it.

If the bill goes through, app stores and websites could no longer have TikTok available on their platforms.

The motivation behind the bill, according to lawmakers, is in the interest of national security. Those on Capitol Hill in favor of the bill have concerns regarding privacy, data security and election meddling due to TikTok’s ownership by Chinese company ByteDance.

The House of Representatives expressed concern that the Chinese government could demand data from TikTok leaving the owners with no choice but to comply. Lawmakers have argued that an American company owning the app would make it much safer and help protect the public's data from being stolen.

However, critics, such as Min Ye at BU Today have pointed out that lawmakers have not provided much evidence of national security concerns regarding the app.

Top employees at TikTok have said that they have not and would not ever sell or share data with the Chinese government. As the Associated Press mentions, despite some senators pushing for the declassification of more information for the public, there has been no evidence shared by the U.S. government thus far that proves TikTok has shared any data.

China’s foreign ministry has called the bill an “act of bullying” and said that they “won’t allow a forced sale of TikTok,” further complicating the issue.

Many users of the app have fought back against this bill, expressing concern about the censorship that would take place through the banning of TikTok.

Activists, educators and content creators alike all use the app to spread their messages to the public. Banning the app takes away a popular outlet for this expression.

Lawmakers, such as Adam Schiff, Elissa Slotkin and North Carolina Congressman Jeff Jackson, have faced criticism for voting in favor of banning the app, despite previously using it to grow voter support amongst young people.

Jackson, in particular, faced heavy backlash from his vote and later posted a video to TikTok saying, “Half the country is on this app. It has become a force for good in

the lives of millions of people…the reason I voted for it was because I genuinely believe the chance of a ban is practically zero for a lot of reasons.”

Spokespeople for TikTok have pointed to the economic impact of the app saying, “7 million small businesses” use their app. Additionally, a study done by Oxford Economics found, “TikTok drove $14.7 billion in revenue for smallbusiness owners last year and contributed $24.2 billion to U.S. gross domestic product.”

The backlash in regards to the bill has been so intense that Capitol Police have reported increased threats against lawmakers. This is not the first time a ban on TikTok in the U.S. has been discussed. In 2020, former President Trump signed an executive order that attempted to ban the app, but courts blocked the order from going through.

Although H.R. 7521 still has to pass in the Senate, President Biden has said he would sign the bill. If the bill does go into effect, ByteDance will have 180 days to find an American buyer.

Kaela Belingon / Photo Editor

Concept by: Jeanine Ikekhua

In honor of Women's History Month, enjoy this collective celebration of NC State's Divine 9 sororities.

Featuring: Tse'Lani Carter, Mileah Godette, Tiani Hinnant, Lilyanna Hopkins, Jania Mackey, Gabrielle Morris, Shaniya Woolridge

Bisan Owda Bias Case Thrown Out

Ross Emelle Staff Writer

The United States Supreme Court will not rule on Virginia Polytechnic University’s (Virginia Tech) former Bias Intervention and Response Team’s legal standing. On March 4, 2024, the Supreme Court said the case was no longer relevant, as the team is no longer in effect.

The case concerned the Bias Intervention and Response Team (BIRT), a Virginia Tech University panel created in 2018 that investigates anonymously reported bias incidents. These incidents were considered situations involving “expressions against a person or group” based on race, sexual orientation and/or other protected classes. The panel was accused of “chilling,” or discouraging exercising freedom of speech with vague threat of legal action.

Speech First, an organization that has filed several free speech lawsuits on behalf of conservative students, filed the lawsuit. They argued that the group “objectively chilled student speech” and opposed the First Amendment.

The BIRT panel called students who were reported for causing a bias incident to a voluntary meeting, where students met with university officials to explain their actions. Students called to meet with the BIRT couldn’t be punished, as the BIRT lacks the power to punish students.

The panel also rarely took action based on reports, with only two of 33 Spring 2021 cases leading the panel to call students to a meeting. Despite this, Speech First argued the group’s policies chilled the speech of conservative students.

Speech First first challenged the group’s legal standing in 2021, but a federal judge chose not to block the BIRT program.

Speech First challenged the ruling and brought it to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which reviews legal cases already ruled upon for the 4th Circuit, which represents Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Bias response teams have become a contentious issue in the U.S. The 4th and 7th Circuit Appeals Courts say the groups don’t chill student speech, while the 5th, 6th and 11th say they do. To this point, the Supreme Court had not taken a case addressing the teams, so there hadn’t been an established precedent.

The 4th Circuit court denied Speech First again, saying that Speech First failed

to present evidence that student speech on campus was chilled.

“Although Virginia Tech clearly would prefer that its students engage in respectful discourse, the district court found no evidence that the University sought to pursue this goal through intimidation or threats,” the 4th Circuit Court said.

The 4th Circuit also said, “The Constitution, however, does not require us to ignore that universities have not always been places where such open dialogue is accepted from everyone. With this history in mind, many universities — Virginia Tech among them — find it equally vital to communicate that their campuses are places welcoming to all students, whatever those students’ backgrounds and whatever their political, social, or religious views.”

Virginia Tech discontinued the BIRT in early 2023 after their Dean of Students, Byron Hughes, left the school.

Speech First filed a petition to the Supreme Court on Aug. 14, 2023 to challenge the ruling, and Virginia Tech responded to the petition on Oct. 18, 2023. They said that the apparent split between the courts' opinions didn't exist.

In their reply to Speech First, they discussed the apparent split, saying, “It challenges only the bias protocol, which does not prohibit anything or punish anyone.... Any perceived split between the Fourth and Fifth Circuits is illusory.”

Virginia Tech also focused on how students weren’t punished by the BIRT, saying, “Virginia Tech’s evidence was unequivocal: “If a student fails to respond to this message [inviting him/her to a meeting], or declines to meet with our Office, no further action is taken, and the student faces no consequences of any kind.”

Speech First replied to Virginia Tech on Oct. 26, 2023; however, their argument and reply didn’t convince the court. On March 4, 2024, the Supreme Court officially vacated the Appeals Court’s Ruling, declaring the case moot, meaning the case was no longer relevant.

The Supreme Court’s decision is final, and Speech First cannot appeal it. Three justices dissented in the case, with Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas saying they should have ruled on the case. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the court should have declined the case outright.

Nadia Hargett Staff Writer

In light of the current conflict in Gaza, it is important to stay informed on the horrors that the Palestinian people have endured due to Israel’s various attacks and blockades. While Israel has made it incredibly difficult for Palestinians to use their voice, an incredibly courageous Palestinian woman has been working hard to do just that, and her name is Bisan.

Bisan Owda, known as ‘Hakawatia’ (The Storyteller), is a Palestinian activist, filmmaker and journalist. Since the beginning of the conflict on Oct. 7 2023, Owda has utilized Instagram and livestreams to document the plight of Palestinians during Israel’s continuous bombardment in occupied Palestinian territory. Her videos have garnered massive amounts of attention online, making her a crucial news source during the conflict.

Owda was raised in Beit Hanoun, a Palestinian city in the northeast region of the Gaza Strip. Before she began covering the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian war, Owda told tales of her Palestinian heritage and gushed about the beauty of her culture. She worked with the United Nations on gender equality as part of the U.N. Women’s Youth Gender Innovation Agora Forum, using her storytelling abilities to bring attention to femicides and gender-based discrimination. She also did educational videos on the Palestinian Arabic dialect for the YouTube channel, Easy Languages.

Her life was upended after October of 2023 when the Israeli Defense Forces told Gaza residents to evacuate. Owda and her family were forced to leave Beit Hanoun to relocate to Al-Shifa Medical Complex. Their neighborhood was struck by Israeli airstrikes and her family’s home, as well as her office, were destroyed.

Since then, Owda posts semi-regular videos documenting her and other Palestinian lives and experiences under her Instagram handle @wizard_bisan1. She notably starts off her videos with some variation of the phrase “I’m still alive.” Through video journalism, Owda has revealed and narrated the absolute horrors of the conflict, including bombings of hospitals, limited food supply, displaced families and the tragic loss of life. She has shed light into the lives of Palestinian children as well, reporting how children have died at the hands of airstrikes, gunfire and starvation.

Throughout her reporting of the immense amount of devastation in Gaza, Owda provides glimmers of hope. Her coverage has highlighted the sense of community that Palestinians have maintained during this tragedy. Community is built even as children and adults work to restore bombed-out hospitals, or aid each other in finding food and water.

Yet, despite Owda’s efforts, the overall context is still inherently grim. She often admits that her coverage of the conflict may result in her own death, as well as her belief that she will die, on her social media posts. She’s acknowledged that without a change, many more Palestinians will die. The death toll of the genocide will only keep increasing, and Owda has said that she’s surprised she’s still living. Everyday she puts herself at risk to reveal what mainstream media will not show, whether it be the hospital sieges or street executions. Most importantly, Owda is holding the world accountable for being complicit in the ongoing genocide; while also showing gratitude for those who share her coverage.

“My message to the world: You are not innocent of what is happening to us, you as governments or peoples that support Israel’s annihilation of my people. We will not forgive you, we will not forgive you, humanity will not forgive you, we will not forget, even if we die, the history will never forget,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. “A message to friends: Thank you and the supporters around the world. You have been compassionate and very strong. We ask you not to lose hope, even if the world seems completely unfair and your efforts have not yet resulted in a ceasefire."

Despite the hope she provides for others, she has also shared how her hope for survival has diminished over time,“I no longer have any hope of survival like I had at the beginning of this genocide, and I am certain that I will die in the next few weeks or maybe days," she said. "I suffer from nightmares that ... so closely resemble reality that I no longer differentiate between reality and dream."

Though her hope diminishes, we must not give up; as she hasn’t given up either. We must echo her calls for a permanent ceasefire and fight for a free Palestine alongside her.

Creative Genius: An Arial View

Alianna KendaLl-Brooks Staff Writer

The Soular Lab is the online inventory of Arial Robinson, with a heavy emphasis on "soul" because, for Robinson, to be Black is to be soulful, soul-filled and soular.

Amidst a modern-day Black Renaissance, N.C. A&T alumna and multidisciplinary artist, Arial Robinson stands as a worldchanging, convention-bending force.

In 2020, she created thesoularlab. com: a digital artistic experiment station rooted in the principles of exploration, documentation and reflection.

For Robinson, the “Soular” in Soular Lab is a direct embodiment of her own cosmic power as an artist — the ability to channel creative forces and manipulate different mediums to construct a unified solar system of art with herself as the radiant source.

The "Laboratory" complements Robinson's celestial Soular power, representing the online space's purpose as an artistic experimentation driven by science-like intentionality behind each piece. Unbound by the constraints of a traditional canvas, the Soular Lab uses digital media to structure Robinson's unique "Arial view" of the creative process.

Since 2020, the Soular Lab has evolved into a multifaceted entity, an artistic experiment station where Robinson forges her art pieces and an art blog documenting her creative journey, while also serving as a space for Black creatives to learn, collaborate and find inspiration.

“It started off as just like this digital portfolio where I was just documenting different projects I was trying out, but since then it's developed into what I like to call a community where I share my inspirations. I talk to people about my experiences because a lot of times like creatives, they just don't know what they don't know. Like, if they don't know that this camera can achieve this quality, it's hard for them to go to get those tools and do the same thing.

So, I just wanted to kind of break that barrier in between like a finished product and an idea so that people understand that process," Robinson said.

Robinson's Soular Lab captures the fullness of Black life by blending soul, art and cosmic consciousness – making

groundbreaking artistic achievements in the process. The lab documents her trailblazing work, from creating imaginative unofficial Nike campaigns in 2020 to being selected to design an official Nike Dunk Low for her HBCU in 2022; making her the youngest of only four Black women to receive such an honor.

Long before founding the Soular Lab Robinson took inspiration from another genre-defying renaissance artist, Beyoncé.

“I always had a fascination with the arts ever since I was little, like before I can even remember. When people would ask me, what do I want to be when I grow up? I always wanted to be Beyoncé because I thought Beyoncé was a profession. One of the girls from my church would babysit and turn on Beyoncé music videos and tell me this needs to be vacuumed by the end of this music video. So, I was really exposed to music and performance at an early age. I also grew up in the church, so I would do praise, dance and be in the choir.”

Although she may not have grown up to be Queen Bey herself, Robinson embodies the artistic spirit Beyoncé expressed in 2018: "I like to be free. I'm not alive unless I am creating something."

Since childhood, Robinson's vitality has been found in her creativity. After graduating high school, she enrolled in North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where she was met with a vibrant environment of Black joy and creativity. Even as the COVID-19 Pandemic emerged, quarantining did little to extinguish her creative spirit. In fact, it gave her the space to pursue her artistry.

“I knew that going into college, I didn't want to play sports, I wanted to focus on more art, arts-related things and really tapping into my creativity. I went to North Carolina A&T and from there I really was able to connect with people who liked music, fashion and creative things. I really started to put a lot of energy into my creative bodies of work beyond just creating cool things for Instagram. In 2020, when the pandemic happened, it was the first time that I was at home and I didn't have anything to do… it was the first time where I really got to sit down with my thoughts and just create. Since then, I've been able to really show people that I have an interest in the arts in that's what I create within,” Robinson said.

In 2020, Robinson also took her first trip to New York City. The bustling energy

and artful nature of the city tapped into Robinson's cosmic consciousness, imbuing her with a new sense of creative possibility that inspired her to rebrand her creative portfolio.

“In New York, I feel like there's always a hustle and bustle that makes me want to get up and do something. So, following that trip, I knew that going into 2021 I wanted to redo my digital portfolio…In quarantine, I learned a lot about Black arts and the 70s, specifically about how that decade was so transformative for Black people. Black people were really centering themselves and their experience, and one word that continually popped up was soul. I noticed how being black and the word soul were synonymous in the 70s,” Robinson said.

Since 2020, Robinson has curated Soular World a Black-centered "everything" minimagazine, designed the NBA G League's Greensboro Swarm game jersey, and even authored and published “The Modern Day Black Alphabet.” Robinson’s artistry is boundary-breaking, avant-garde and represents a new version of what an artist can be – everything and more.

On March 28, Robinson will host a Making Space Workshop here at NC State titled, "Explore, Document, Reflect: Leveraging Experiences For The Creative Process."

When referring to the Soular Lab's community impact, Robinson said, "I feel like that's really what my talk is about, just opening up the process to people so that don't feel fear when it comes to executing their projects. I want Soular Lab to have more like in-person interactions where I get to meet people, where people can ask me questions, where there can be an open dialogue, and then also to just keep documenting the projects that I'm working on, I want to put out more physical bodies of work, things that people can interact with. So like more books and physical paintings, pins and clothing and things where people can like physically say, I was a part of this laboratory/movement, and it helped me to branch off and do my own thing.”

Contributed by Hakeem Shabazz-Norris Photo of Arial Robinson

Let Us Speak: The Third-Party Problem

It’s 2024, and we are met with yet another frustrating presidential election. This will be my second election, and for the second time, I have the “privilege” of choosing between Donald Trump and Joe Biden-thrilling.

The political landscape of the U.S. is riddled with an explosive set of considerations. Joe Biden is more than “complacent” in Israel’s affront against Gaza-he, alongside a bipartisan Congress, are active participants. The White House has approved more than 100 arms deals with Israel since Oct. 7, and the Democrat-led Senate passed a hefty 14 billion dollar aid package, which awaits approval in the House of Representatives.

The alternative: an egoistic capitalist whose rhetoric not only stoked the flames of an insurrection but has emboldened violence against marginalized groups. In the article, "Did Trump’s Presidency Reshape Americans’ Prejudices?," authors Benjamin Ruisch and Melissa Ferguson provide frightening statistics that help to contextualize the damage his words have caused. In the first quarter of Trump’s presidency alone, anti-Semitic hate crimes increased 86% compared to the same time the year before. Similarly, anti-Muslim hate crimes rose 90% in the first half of 2017.

For many voters, the choice comes down to the lesser of two evils. But, when both candidates are so overtly wicked, choosing who to bubble on the ballot is incredibly difficult. Yet again, this election will be a critical inflection point in American politics. Many young voters are participating in an election for the first time this year, and their engagement could shape the political landscape for decades to come. Young voters face the challenge of navigating an increasingly polarized political environment almost entirely devoid of viable options. But, we have the opportunity to redefine what politics means to a generation disillusioned by

previous elections. Why should we settle for a lesser evil when we have the right to demand better?

Let’s discuss third-party voting. A third party (3P) is any political entity distinct from the two major parties, such as the Green Party or the Party for Socialism and Revolution. I advocate for third parties because they offer alternative perspectives.

Neither Democrats nor Republicans represent my views, and 63% of Americans are open to the idea of third parties becoming a significant force in our political system. Third parties introduce robust competition to challenge our restrictive two-party system.

Many countries with a multiparty system have shown that this diversity encourages a democracy that is both sustainable and representative. Despite their potential to enrich American democracy, third parties face two substantial barriers: visibility and Trump.

By design, the Republican and Democratic parties completely overshadow the third party presence. Potent systemic barriers make the presidency nearly unattainable. Chief among them is the problem of visibility. For one, 3P candidates do not get enough media attention. Presidential debates are pivotal events on the campaign trail. The absence of 3P voices on debate nights significantly limits their exposure and influence in the political arena.

The Commission for Presidential Debates (CPD), a joint commission between the Republican and Democratic parties, facilitates presidential debates. It has faced numerous criticisms for requiring that nominees achieve at least a 15% polling threshold to attend debates. Consequently, third parties have been excluded from every presidential debate stage since the CPD's inception in 1987.

In every election Donald Trump ran, “throwing your vote away” has been a common concern. A Trump victory would be no good for the American people, and many voters fear that voting 3P hurts Biden. The anxiety over Trump’s presidency is a valid reason to be cautious about voting

for third parties. Many political outlets share this anxiety, but others believe a wasted vote is a myth.

According to Divided We Fall, the argument is based on a flawed assumption: “Potential third-party voters would otherwise vote for a major party candidate.” Many 3P voters may skip the election altogether, and a substantial 3P candidate could incentivize new voter turnout.

Nubian Message interviewed three students about the third-party sentiment on campus: Anya Tadisina, a fourth-year studying Psychology; Sam McDonald, a third-year studying Computer science; and a third-year Political Science student who wishes to remain anonymous. Their insights could help shape your election decision.

Nubian Message: What comes to mind when you hear “third-party candidates?” Do you feel these parties are adequately represented in our political discussions?

Anya Tadisina: I think about Dr. Cornel West. That might be because my social media feed has definitely sprinkled some of him in there. I haven’t heard anything about any other candidates other than Biden or Trump.

Anonymous: When I first think of 3P candidates, I usually think about the Green Party or the Libertarian Party. On a person-to-person basis, I don’t think we talk about third parties enough. We have only really seen third parties in media be the butt of the joke. [In academia], it’s ironic that they're overrepresented. People will look to them as this ‘end all, be all,’ as if allowing more parties would fix the system.

NM: Have you ever considered voting for a third-party candidate? If yes, what influenced your decision? If no, under what circumstances would you vote third-party?

Sam McDonald: I would say yes, especially in the earlier years of my voting. I was influenced by a sort of

general disdain for the two-party system, which I feel is very limiting to my beliefs. Circumstances allowing me to vote 3P would be that I feel the 3P candidate has a chance of winning the election. Is it viable in the sense that they will actually make progress?

AT: No, not until this election. The first, most obvious reason is if the Republican and Democratic candidates are truly horrendous enough that I must consider a third party. On top of that, if you have a good platform, I will consider you.

NM: How would you change the political system to give third parties a fairer shot at the presidency?

SM: I personally would lean towards abolishing parties as a whole. I feel like segregating political ideals into groups doesn’t represent people. Instead, when you vote, you vote for a person. You vote that I want this person to be my president.

At: Many voting systems exist that I think have the potential to work here. The way to ensure that these parties get actual, fair representation is by admitting that there are so many of them. It should be a government effort in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech and expression so that those people are given the governmental opportunity and funds to have an equal opportunity.

I do not blame anyone who chooses not to vote 3P. Our electoral system expects you to vote against the candidate you dislike, instead of voting for the candidate who best represents you. Addressing these challenges could counteract the systemic barriers to a more inclusive and representative system.

Voting is not just a right. It is a powerful tool for sculpting the world you want to live in. Regardless of who you vote for this November, make sure your choice reflects your values, hopes and vision for the future.

Isaac Davis Staff Writer

We Need To Talk About Haiti’s Crisis

Nadia Hargett Staff Writer

The Republic of Haiti, a Caribbean nation with a rich history of French, African and Caribbean cultures, is currently in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. Nearly half of the Haitian population faces food insecurity, thousands have been victimized by armed gangs and poverty is running rampant. Haiti’s people are fleeing and their government is practically nonexistent. The crisis is at an absolute tipping point, but how did it get there?

Unfortunately, it started at the beginning of Haiti’s history. Haiti, formerly known as Saint-Domingue, was under French rule for centuries. The island’s population primarily consisted of enslaved Africans. The ongoing French Revolution inspired citizens of Saint-Domingue to fight for their freedom. The Haitian Revolution began under the leadership of a formerly enslaved man Toussaint Louverture.

On Jan. 1, 1804, after continuous resilience and courage from citizens of the nation, Haiti became the first independent Black republic in history. However, with independence came an insurmountable amount of debt to France, leaving Haiti’s economy to struggle for decades.

In the mid-20th century, Haiti fell under the dictatorship of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, whose reign was defined by chaos and bloodshed. His son, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, took over after his death and continuing the bloody reign. He fled the country in 1986, and the nation was left traumatized by the authoritarian leadership of him and his father.

Political uncertainty has plagued Haiti since then, with a series of coups taking place over many decades. U.S. involvement in Haitian political affairs, combined with natural disasters such as Hurricane Matthew, a cholera outbreak and the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010, have devastated the country’s infrastructure and government, leading to internal crisis.

The 2010 earthquake is especially still having a devastating impact on the country. It killed over 220,000 people and left 1.5 million people homeless, with many remaining in shabby and exposed housing. The recovery efforts have been spearheaded by different groups around the country, but have been stifled due to continuous smaller natural disasters and issues with funding.

Beginning with protests in response to increased fuel prices, Haiti has been in yet another state of crisis. Eventually, the protests evolved into demands for the removal of the country’s then president, Jovenel Moïse. His controversial policies— dissolution of the parliament and mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic left many Haitians angered and frustrated with his leadership. His assassination in 2021, and the subsequent assumption of power by Haiti’s quite unpopular Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, has left the nation in disarray ever since.

Without clear leadership, Haiti is on the brink of collapse. The nation’s capital, Portau-Prince, has been overrun with rebel forces, who have taken over an estimated 80% of the city, according to a report from the United Nations. Gangs have victimized thousands of people, conducting a series of kidnappings, arsons, assaults, rapes and homicides. Over 8,400 people in Haiti were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2023 alone, an astounding 122% increase from the previous year. Two of Haiti’s largest prisons were stormed by armed gangs, enabling thousands of inmates to escape. The situation in Haiti has become so disjointed that Prime Minister Henry fled to Puerto

Rico in early March and hasn’t step foot on Haitian soil since. Due to pressure from the United States, as well as the gangs in Haiti, he has announced he would officially step down from power once a transitional government is established.

It is clear that Haiti is in need of help. However, foreign involvement is complicated. In fact, Henry sought out international assistance in restoring Haiti, but other nations, specifically the U.S, have been reluctant to intervene because of decades of failed foreign involvement in Haiti’s affairs.

As previously mentioned, the U.S. has occupied Haiti at least three times directly since the nation’s birth, and their occupation has had a negative impact on the people of Haiti. Every time, they’ve disrupted the nation’s sovereignty, and who’s to say that won’t happen again? It’s evident that Haiti lacks the organization to pull itself out of its current conundrum. Intervention from other countries may help to alleviate it, but, at what cost?

With U.S. citizens being stranded in Haiti and the crisis raging on, the U.S. is increasingly likely to intervene again. Now that American lives are at stake too, the U.S. is finally shedding light on the

humanitarian crisis. And much to the disappointment of Haitians, their urgency has come too little, too late.

“It’s maddening for the Haitians and it’s maddening for me, and two weeks ago, if you recall, this situation was not at all urgent to the secretary of State and the U.S. government, despite the fact that it has been urgent for 32 months,” said Dan Foote, the Biden administration’s former special envoy to Haiti who resigned back in 2021.

The U.S. government has been airlifting U.S. citizens from Haiti to Florida since early March, acknowledging the ever growing gang violence in the country is preventing Americans from taking commercial flights.

The U.S. has also pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian aid, though it’s reportedly not getting into the right hands, according to American missionary Miriam Cinotti.

“Forces need to come on the ground to help settle Haiti, these gangs are not going to stop because there’s no government, there’s nothing to make them stop,” Cinotti told NewsNation. “They’ve been doing this for three years and it’s really sad that humanitarian efforts are not getting to the right hands and to the people. It’s sad, and it’s not fair.”

The crisis in Haiti is such a deep and complex issue that words can barely convey its true direness. Citizens of Haiti are in desperate need of help, and peace needs to be restored in Haiti, not only for the sake of their safety, but for the sake of their rights. Although foreign intervention may seem like a solution, other nations have repeatedly ignored the voices of the Haitian people. For now, their future remains uncertain, but bringing this crisis to light is key to kickstarting a chance.

“ Citizens of Haiti are in desperate need of help, and peace needs to be restored in Haiti, not only for the sake of their safety, but for the sake of their rights. ”

Image From Creative commons Haitian flag tucked behind woman's ear