C E L E B R AT I N G B L AC K AC H I E V E M E N T T H RO U G H O U T F L O R I DA AHHHH! ONYX ON BAHAMASAIR’S LANDMARK TRIP BACK TO FREEPORT
VOLUME 25 ISSUE 4 JULY/AUGUST 2022
25 YEARS OF BLACK EXCELLENCE ONYX MAGAZINE HITS MILESTONE
$7.99 onyxmagazine.com
MARY MCLEOD-BETHUNE REACHES STATUARY HALL AND ONYX WAS THERE
FIRST OF FIRSTS ROLLINS COLLEGE NOTES BLACK PROFESSORS, ATHLETES
CONTENTS 6 7 8 10 12 14 18 20 21 22 24 27 28 30
From the Publisher ONYX Salutes Father Nelson Pinder Black History – ONYX Magazine: The First 25 Years ONYX Magazine Timeline Travel – Teaching abroad International – Hear yourself breathe in Freeport, Bahamas Scholarship – Scholarships awarded in physics and astronomy Awareness Months – Information about mental health and Black businesses Elevate – The Warrior Within Entertainment – Summer festivals Art & Culture – Important art around Florida ONYX Reads – Books to read this summer Legends Academy – New future for tomorrow’s leaders Education – Acknowledging its past, shaping the future at Rollins College
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32 33 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54
Smart Tips – Going back to school Sports – EWU Tigers win Black College World Series Health/Wellness – Stories about your health Opinion – Roe v. Wade overturn Workplace – Balancing act for low-wage women of color Environment – Invest in the world around you Feature – ONYX Magazine travels to D.C. for statue unveiling Money Matters – The more you know, the more you owe The Quad – Black college life SAGE – Helping your aging parents Real Estate – Home prices skyrocketing Community – The Refinery: Forum inspires change and solutions Food & Wine – A toast to ONYX on 25 years of Black Excellence
FROM THE PUBLISHER PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rich Black VICE PRESIDENT Deidre “Dee” Parker MANAGING EDITOR D. Shenell Reed, M.B.A. EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Maria Barnes ASSOCIATE EDITORS Gayle Andrews Penny Dickerson Laura Dorsey Sharon Fletcher Jones Trina Ryan Nancy Port Schwalb
RICH BLACK JULY/AUGUST 2022 Dear Family, This has been a most exciting year for ONYX Magazine--and we are only half-way through. That is the way it should be when you are celebrating 25 years of Black excellence. Our founders, Lester and Lillian Seays, set in motion a vision to redefine Florida's Black landscape in the creation of ONYX Magazine. Fifteen years later, I accepted the mantle of leadership and have, with an incredible team, led us into a place where many publications never go--a Silver Anniversary. We could not have done it without you. In this issue of ONYX Magazine, take a historical trip with us down our timeline and recall some of the remarkable strides we have made along the way. You will get a quick snapshot of all that makes ONYX Magazine so special. Then, over the next year, we will explore more in-depth looks at how these events and actions came to pass. Also in these pages, you will witness through our eyes how Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, is welcoming back guests after major devastation. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian ransacked the city leaving much damage and debris in a place that heavily relies on tourism dollars. The storm might have torn down homes, but it did not tear down the resident's spirits. They have placed the people's safety first and are rebuilding the city. They told us to tell you that you're invited to hop the first flight out of Orlando on Bahamasair and join them in paradise. They are waiting for you. Finally, ONYX Magazine witnessed a shift in our American history when a Black woman's likeness replaced that of a Confederate general in our nation's Capitol. After many years of planning, building and touring, the statue of the great Dr. Mary McLeod-Bethune made its way to Statuary Hall where she becomes the only African American in the Hall to represent a state. I, along with ONYX Magazine Vice President Dee Parker, made the trip with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. Meeting the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and many other dignitaries has been the highlight of 2022.
DESIGN DIRECTOR Jason Jones GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jon Burton BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Matt deJager
Patricia Brown Denis Penny Dickerson Laura Dorsey Valada Flewellyn Allysen Kerr
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steven King Sonali Kolhatkar Naomi MacKenzie Lydia Makondo Darko Manevski
Dejania Oliver Trina Ryan Clare Trapasso Kevin Washington, Ph.D.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kellie Boston Brion Price John Gripper D. Shenell Reed Jason Jones ONYX ADVISORY COMMITTEE Nancy Port Schwalb, Chair Deidre Parker, Immediate Past Chair Dick Batchelor Bob Berryhill Dr. Lavon Bracy Bryon Brooks Sherri Brown Marva Brown Johnson Hon. Mable Butler Yolanda Cash Jackson
Dr. Cynthia Chestnut John Crossman Quibulah Graham Gary Hartfield Barbara Hartley Ann Jenkins Eugene Jones Connie Kinnard
Larry Lee, Jr. Brenda March Gail Thomas-DeWitt Hon. Alan Williams Carla Williams Dr. Samuel Wright
FOUNDERS
As always, ONYX Magazine is here to entertain, inspire and inform you with stories that matter. We thank you for supporting us as we celebrate 25 years of Black excellence. Sincerely,
Rich Black
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Lester and Lillian Seays ONYX Magazine is published by ONYX Communications and Media Group, Inc., Address: P.O. Box 555672, Orlando, Florida 32855-5872. Phone 321-418-7216. Subscription rate is $19.95 for six issues. For subscriptions and notification of address change, contact ONYX Magazine at the above address or e-mail us at info@ onyxmagazine.com. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Copyright 2022 by ONYX Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the writer or interviewee and not necessarily those of the publisher. Manuscripts, photos and art should be submitted with a self-addressed stamped envelope. The publisher does not assume responsibility for any materials not submitted in manner advised. Unsolicited materials are not subject to payment from ONYX Magazine.
ONYX MAGAZINE SALUTES
THE REVEREND CANON NELSON WARDELL PINDER, D.D. H e is known as the "street priest," the "hoodlum's priest,” community leader, a caring person, a loving person, and your "priest and friend." Father Nelson Pinder transitioned on Sunday, July 10, 2022. He was devoted to God, his fellowmen, his wife Marian, family, his church, community, and organizations, alma maters and Orlando, Orange County, Fla. Father Pinder was born in Miami (Overtown), Fla., on July 27, 1932, and grew up in the Liberty City Housing Project, commonly called "The Government Condos." Canon Pinder enrolled in Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona, Fla. While at B-CC, he was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War. After being honorably discharged, he returned to B-CC where he became very active in student government and other campus groups. He graduated in 1956, with a degree in philosophy. Father Pinder then enrolled at Nashotah House Seminary in Nashotah, Wis., to study for priesthood in the Episcopal Church. In 1959, he was ordained into the ministry and assigned to The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Orlando and he married his college sweetheart, Marian Elizabeth Grant, on August 15. Father Pinder held a master's degree in Education and studied at Simon the Cyrenian Institute in London, England. He completed short courses in Adult Education at Purdue University and the Urban Training Center in Chicago, Illinois. He also studied under one of the world's greatest community organizers, Dr. Saul Alinsky. Father Pinder's ministry has been greatly diverse—from a poor mission congregation to the rector of a parish church and a canon in The Central Florida Episcopal Diocese, working with and for the bishop. He has also worked with the Awareness Center, a Downtown Orlando ministry, and ministered in Jamaica, West Indies, Honduras, Central America, London, England, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. He was honored to be Chaplain of the Day for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. At the national church level, he was vice chairperson of the Joint Commission on the Church in the small community, vice chairperson of the National Commission on Social and Specialized Ministries, a member of the Joint Commission on Nominations and Selections to National Officers and served on interim committees between General Conventions. He worked his way up from a member of a local chapter of The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) to the president of that chapter; he was the Southern Regional Director, Vice President of the National Board, chairperson of the Finance Committee and is a life member. In 2003, he was elected as the 15th national president of the UBE and served one term. Beginning in 2010, he served five years as Chaplain to The Order of the Daughters of the King in the Central Florida diocese. He served as The Order’s Assistant Chaplain in Province IV.
FRATERNAL Canon Pinder is a life member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In his local chapter he has served as chaplain, president, vice president, and as chairperson of many of its committees. He also has memberships in the Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Delta Kappa Fraternities.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS He has served as a director of the Pan American Bank in Orlando, Florida, The Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida, the American Red Cross, the Orlando Mayor's Biracial Commission, and was a member of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominations Commission. He has also served as president of the Orange County Community Action Program, Orlando Ministerial Alliance, vice chair of the Orange County Public Schools Superintendent's Search, chair for the Orange County Public Schools Superintendent African American Advisory Committee, Orlando Chamber of Public Affairs Committee, President of Guardian Care Nursing Home in Orlando, Florida and a member of the American Veterans Post 39.
AWARDS AND HONORS Reverend Pinder received nearly two hundred awards and honors in his lifetime. He was the recipient of several honorary titles and was an Honorary Canon for The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, an Honorary Architect, and an Honorary Deputy Sherriff in Orlando, Orange County, Florida. He was Rector Emeritus of The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Orlando’s historic Washington Shores neighborhood.
ONYX MAGAZINE 7
Lester and Lillian Seays
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BLACK HISTORY
I
ONYX MAGAZINE: THE FIRST 25 YEARS
n the 1990s, one couple had a dream—and it was given life. With breath, the dream inspires the communities it serves. It regales stories that depict Black citizens in the most positive ways. It actively tears down stereotypes and rights wrongs manipulated by society. It acknowledges the incredible impact Black residents have on communities. It proves how the business world would lack critical resources had Black leaders not been at the table. ONYX Magazine: A 25-year living legacy.
FOUNDERS Lester and Lillian Seays met while in college at South Carolina State. On January 30, 1960, they married in Bamberg, S.C., and began their respective careers—she an educator and he an NFL player (Los Angeles Rams) and other professional teams. In that time, the couple moved to Orlando. Upon the completion of his football career, Lester became the southwest area director of Recreation at the City of Orlando. Lillian continued educating students in libraries and eventually the public school system. Enterprising and entrepreneurial, Lester founded a video company, Video Memoirs, and it became a forerunner in videography for African Americans in Central Florida. And in 1993, the first publication seed was planted and “Wedding Belles” magazine was born. After they closed the doors on Wedding Belles in 1997, Lester and Lillian gave breath to ONYX Magazine. Lillian said of ONYX Magazine: “It is to empower its readers by offering educational, inspirational and entertaining stories and editorials that focus primarily on the interests and enrichment of African Americans and those of the African diaspora. Further, it is the intent of ONYX Magazine to provide a venue for positive exposure for the accomplishments of Black people, and to promote a seamless diversified connection with other cultures throughout the state of Florida.” That became the mission. The concept was well-received. With ONYX Magazine in full flow in 2003, the couple created LBS Foundation, Inc. Together, LBS and ONYX worked in collaboration to present the annual ONYX Awards, which remains the only statewide awards event that acknowledges the talent and contributions of African Americans in Florida.
PASSING THE TORCH When illness struck Lillian, the couple agreed to pass the publication on to a smart, young professional named Rich Black. Black had been pivotal in creating the ONYX Awards and worked closely with Lester and Lillian in ONYX Magazine. He purchased the magazine from the Seayses in 2012 and
began a new generation of Black Excellence as the magazine’s owner, publisher and editor-in-chief. In 2015, Black founded ONYX Speaks with the Mother of the Voting Rights Act Dr. Amelia Boynton. In 2016, Black established ONYX Magazine’s Women on the Move (WOTM). The celebration has honored 167 of Florida’s most dynamic and powerful Black women. In 2017, Black created the ONYX Foundation to enhance awareness of litRich Black eracy, Black history, the arts, and financial well-being. Scores of community youths and college students have benefited from the effort. Under his leadership, the magazine held the first ONYX Business Connect in 2018 to unite local business communities for the exchange of information, resources and prospective commerce. Inspired by WOTM, Black, along with then-ONYX Advisory Committee Chair Dee Parker, established the Black Men Honors in 2019, which lauds professional Black men for their extraordinary work. In 2021, the event name changed to Men of Honor. In 2020, while the nation was undergoing a pandemic, Black thought of his community first. He established the ONYX Magazine MaskUp! Stop the Spread campaign, which started with a billboard campaign in Orange County’s predominantly Black neighborhoods. The effort expanded to include a virtual town hall series with national expert panels. The effort was met with a series of awards. Prior to his role at ONYX Magazine, Black was the first diversity director of Rosen Hotels, working directly with Harris Rosen. A proud graduate of Bethune-Cookman University, he initiated the plan to create the Dr. Mary McLeod-Bethune Monument and Centennial Gardens. The project raised more than $800,000 and the statue was unveiled at Bethune-Cookman University during its Centennial celebration in 2004. In July of 2022, another statue of Bethune replaced that of a Confederate general in Statuary Hall in our nation’s Capitol. The campus statue project helped make the case for support for the D.C. Initiative. The ONYX Magazine legacy lives on and will continue to entertain, inspire and inform communities for years to come. In the next year, ONYX Magazine will share more in-depth stories about the founding of this American treasure: ONYX Magazine.
ONYX MAGAZINE 9
25
YEARS OF BLACK EXCELLENCE
1997 ONYX Magazine is founded by Lester and Lilian Seays. They wanted to offer educational, inspirational and entertaining stories and editorials that focus primarily on the interests and needs of African Americans and those of the African diaspora.
1997 2004 2004 ONYX Magazine hosted the first ONYX Awards to recognize the achievements of several exemplary leaders making a difference in the African American community.
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2012 Rich Black purchases ONYX Magazine and expanded the vision for the company. ONYX Magazine’s headquarters moves into the historic building: The Village Square on Goldwyn Avenue.
2012 2014
2014 ONYX Speaks is born to share the experiences of historical figures. Dr. Amelia Boynton-Robinson, the Mother of the Voting Rights Act, is the first speaker. There were 300 people in attendance at the Orlando Museum of Art and the interviewer was Carolyn Fennell.
2016 The inaugural ONYX Magazine’s Women on the Move is held at Barry University School of Law and honors Florida’s most impactful and influential Black women.
2017 ONYX Magazine attended the full conference hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C., as guests of Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D) Miami Gardens.
2016 2015 2015 After the death of Dr. Amelia Boynton-Robinson the Mother of the Voting Rights Act on August 26, 2015, ONYX Magazine was asked to produce her funeral program. The beautiful 24-page publication was circulated at her services, which included dignitaries like President Barack Obama, Congressman John Lewis, Fmr. Haitian Ambassador the Honorable Andrew Young among others. ONYX Magazine Publisher Rich Black and then managing editor, Sharon Fletcher Jones, attended the services in Selma, Ala.
2017
2017 The ONYX Foundation is established. In 2018, Orange Center Elementary School in Orlando receives the first donation of $1,000.
2020 The spread of COVID-19 was deemed a pandemic in March. Rich Black saw a desperate need to educate the Black community about it and launched the MaskUp! Stop the Spread campaign which included area-wide billboards, virtual town hall meetings and social media messaging.
2019 ONYX Communications & Media Group, Inc., is founded and incorporates the expanded brand pillars developed by Rich Black.
2017 2018 2018 The inaugural ONYX Business Connect is held at the Julian B. Lane Waterfront Park in Tampa and brings more than 200 corporations and individuals together for shared enterprise opportunities.
2021 ONYX Magazine and Rich Black are recognized with the Community Advocate of the Year Award by the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida at the Eagle Awards. Noted was the 2020 MaskUp! Stop the Spread campaign.
2019 2020
2021
2019
2021
2019 The inaugural ONYX Magazine’s Men of Honor is held at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando and honors 19 of Florida’s trailblazing Black men.
2022
2021 Rich Black is recognized with the Social Justice Game Changer Award by the Orlando Magic.
ONYX MAGAZINE 11
TR AVE L
TEACHING ABROAD ONE EDUCATOR CREATED A GUIDE TO HELP BIPOC INSTRUCTORS TEACH OVERSEAS. BY LYDIA MAKONDO
A
drienne Walker is the owner of Worldwide Educator, LLC, an education consulting company focused on empowering educators to own their instructional genius while activating students. Beyond this, Walker seeks to help Black/Indigenous/People Of Color (BIPOC) educators to begin an international teaching journey through individual coaching, resume and interview preparation, and her three-module “Take Your Talents Abroad” course. She has worked with educators across the country and the world (in July 2022, she was in the Cayman Islands as an assistant principal) in a variety of topics, including but not limited to Differentiated Instruction, Student Centered Learning, and Effective English Language Arts Instruction.
How is it different being a teacher abroad versus in the US? AW: For me, I have had so much more financial freedom, work-life balance, and career mobilization abroad than I did in the United States. Additionally, I have learned many new teaching strategies from my peers from various countries with new ways of thinking and educating children. A few other key differences have been more planning periods, a more balanced school calendar, and a plethora of resources for instruction. What has been your biggest challenge in living and teaching abroad? AW: My biggest challenge has been missing key life events of friends and family back home. Sometimes the time difference has made it difficult to keep in touch with those I love. Additionally, because my life has changed being abroad, it can be hard to relate to some people. In terms of teaching abroad, the joy that comes from learning from educators globally can also be very difficult. Attempting to establish norms with people from a host of countries with a diverse set of experiences can be tough. In addition, international education can attract some who do it as an escape and not a passion, which can make it challenging to have critical conversations about education. What is your favorite memory from living as an expat? AW: My favorite memory was being able to see my family in Australia after not seeing them for 20 years. Living in China allowed me to visit them 12 ONYX MAGAZINE
Adrienne Walker swims among fishes in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
during Chinese New Year. It was just when everyone was learning about COVID. Although I got trapped out of China and lost my job, I would not trade my experience with my family for anything. To use my job and vacation as a means to reconnect with my family is priceless. What advice do you have for someone looking to move and teach abroad? AW: I would recommend three things. First, know who you are and what you want from your experience. Use this desire to help guide you as you’re making decisions about where you go, what position you take, and how long you stay. Next, do high-quality research. This includes getting help from people who know what they’re talking about, researching the school and country you might go to, and understanding that what you read online is only a portion of the story. You should be researching potential schools and destinations equally. Lastly, be patient. Your first job may not be as easy to get. Additionally, you will have to be patient when you arrive because things will be different from what you’re used to back home.
LYDIA MOKONDO IS A FREELANCE WRITER AND THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN TRAVEL NOIR.
What inspired you to start Worldwide Educator? AW: I started Worldwide Educator to give those who are looking to go abroad the support I felt like I didn’t have when I first started my journey. What that looks like is help from the initial thinking about how to start an application all the way through to supporting somebody as they land in their new home abroad. This includes finding the right recruiter, resume support, mock interviews, and contract review. I hope, through the services I offer, to empower BIPOC educators to have the best international education experience possible. For some, I am a homegirl that you can bounce ideas off of, and for others, a formalized advisor on all things international education.
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Freeport A Hear Yourself Breathe In
ONYX MAGAZINE RELAXED IN THE GRAND BAHAMA CITY ON A TRIP PLANNED BY THE BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND BAHAMASAIR. BY LAURA DORSEY
After being on lockdown for the past two years, many of us have been bitten by the travel bug. We are taking trips to faraway corners of the world, and Instagram feeds are full of wanderlust because we all know travel is pretty magical. There is something extraordinary about visiting a place for the first time and bonding with new people, or simply seeing a familiar place with a new set of eyes. So, if you are up to it, pack your luggage, leave the baggage behind and fly off to Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas. That is exactly what part of ONYX Magazine’s team did: Publisher Rich Black, Managing Editor D. Shenell Reed, Graphic Design Director Jason Jones, and Features Writer Laura Dorsey boarded the first Bahamasair flight back to Freeport since the 2019 Hurricane Dorian devastation. The flight relaunched the airline’s nonstop service from Orlando International Airport to Freeport.
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Since June 30, Bahamasair offers flights each Thursday with return service on Monday. Once you take this service-friendly short flight, it will be the only way you want to travel to Grand Bahama. The teams at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation and Bahamasair made it a memorable juncture, starting with the smashing beats of the Junkanoo party in Orlando followed by the magnificent reception at the Grand Bahama International Airport. Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey led this amazing fanfare along with her team and a large Junkanoo reception. Upon arrival in Freeport, we experienced exemplary airport service. Our limousine driver, David Rolle, from H. Forbes Charter Service, Ltd., shared the storied history of Freeport. A native, Rolle has worked in the tourism industry for 35 years. He opines that if 100 people toured all the islands of The Bahamas, most would choose to return to Grand Bahama.
After a 30-minute ride in a cherrywood-accented limo bus with black leather seats, we pulled up to Lighthouse Point at Grand Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort. This all-inclusive hotel offered immaculate rooms with double sliding glass patio doors which opened to a view of the pool that appeared to fade into the North Atlantic Ocean. As a special touch, the hotel adorned our rooms with a plated tray of cheeses and fruits for noshing as we prepared for our welcome lunch. There are multiple restaurants, a full-service extensive spa and a fitness center onsite. This exquisite property also is within close walking distance to shops and other restaurants, such as Sabor Restaurant & Bar in Pelican Bay Hotel and the internationally known Flying Fish GastroBar & Restaurant on the Grand Lucayan Waterway with waterfront views and nightly entertainment. Camel Churchill, the marketing consultant
with Bahama Out Island Promotional Board, ensured that stimulating conversation went along with the delectable food during dinner. Freeport does not lack places to enjoy island cuisine. We experienced The Stoned Crab Restaurant for a casual lunch and enjoyed a luxurious view of swing sets overlooking the ocean. We took in the sunset ocean view of Pier One Restaurant. There, we fed sharks that rounded up in the waters below our deck at the sound of a bell then gnashed the feed. We admired the award-winning chefs of the Dolphin Cove restaurant, which was an adult-only food-centric getaway with flavorful wines and desserts—reservations required. However, we really felt ourselves breathe and experience life as islanders when we dined with Ministry of Tourism People-to-People Ambassador Collette Williams for breakfast. No regular bacon and eggs breakfast here. She and her husband, Samuel, cooked a traditional breakfast at their lovely home, where we sipped on hibiscus juice made from the flow-
ONYX Publisher Rich Black and Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey
Rich Black and Laura Dorsey with Junkanoo band
ONYX Managing Editor D. Shenell Reed ready for jeep tour
ers grown in their backyard and ate fresh fruit picked directly from their trees. Their delicious selection of stewed conch, Bahamian yellow grits, chicken souse, and boiled fish burst with island flavors. A Cast-Iron skillet of scrumptious Johnny Bread (cake) took us on a historical path of how families prepared the dish for loved ones who were taking a long journey (hence, johnny). And the sweet taste of coconut tart sent us on our way with fond memories and plans to return. Freeport’s people love showing off their city, and feeding guests is their love language. All this food is necessary because you need your energy to take in all the activities you will experience in Freeport. The best ways to tour the city is with native Bahamians as your guides or your itinerary planners. The team from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism made four days of experiencing Freeport meaningful, comfortably packing in a week’s worth of activities. As residents, they loved showing off the charming city. Our trip required the most comfortable shoes as we ventured on a city tour. We traveled to Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach. If you are looking for something off the beaten path from crowds of tourists, this is it. The beach, at low tide, spans all the way into the ocean waters. This leads to the Lucayan Caverns, the world’s longest chartered underwater cave system. There are not many amenities on this beach, but if you visit at the right time, a local vendor may pick you a fresh coconut and split it in half so you may sip refreshing coconut water right from the shell.
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We also visited The Garden of the Groves, a certified wildlife habitat. This twelve-acre garden was the personification of peace with its lush vegetation, winding trails, artificial waterfalls, and sparkling fountains. The Groves includes the most picturesque chapel, a gazebo, and the beautiful sacredness of the Labyrinth. The migratory birds, butterflies and flowers were some of the most amazing aspects of The Garden of the Groves. Who knew bird watchers would list Freeport among the top 10 places to visit? One spectacular highlight of the trip was the Grand Bahama Nature Tours. This adventure allows you to drive your own open-top 4 x 4 Jeep® Wrangler with an experienced island guide leading the convoy. Tony Neweold led us as we followed, cruising on the left side of the street just like a local driver. Island-born, Tony has worked in the industry for 12 years and started because he liked the cool hats the guides wore. So, he applied for a job, and the rest is history. The Jeep trip took us to Taino Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Freeport with gorgeous stretches of sand. The drive also showed us various areas of Freeport, such as Cooper’s Castle, an iconic site on one of the city’s highest points, to local neighborhoods such as Smith’s Point and South Shore with its white sandy beaches. Other notable stops on our tours of Freeport included Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Co., where we had a private tour to learn about the brewery and taste some of the products. Day drinking had us sampling locally produced SANDS Beer. This product was a hit with us, with its multiple flavors making
Graphic Director Jason Jones and Writer Laura Dorsey chat over drinks
Coral Vita
us forget we were drinking beer. One great stop was Paradise Cove Beach Resort—The Red Bar in Deadman’s Reef, Bahamas. Members of our team snorkeled in the crystal water, viewing such marine life as turtles, rays and coral reefs. Speaking of coral, our trip to Coral Vita was eye-opening. This high-tech coral farm incorporates scientific methods that allow scientists to grow coral 50 times faster, making a significant ecological difference. Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, is everything you can ask if you want to hear yourself breathe. There are still multiple activities and sights you may not see in four days. So, when you visit, plan on staying longer if you can. Your mind, body and soul will thank you. It is said, ‘the best things in life are free,’ but the grand memories of the grand times of the Grand Bahama city Freeport are priceless. ONYX Magazine was honored to be aboard the first Bahamasair flight to Freeport since 2019 and we look forward to working with Bahamasair and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism for years to come.
Bahamian Brewery
Woody Wilson, Clifford Adderly, Jason Jones, and Wendell Saunders prepare to snorkel with coach. Rich Black holding coral at Coral Vita
ONYX MAGAZINE 17
SCHOLARSHIP
WIDENING THE CIRCLE
A NEW SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS FUNDS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY.
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multimillion-dollar scholarship program focused on tackling the under-representation of African American students in physics and astronomy over the next five years has been unveiled. The TEAM-UP Together Scholarship Program will provide financial assistance to those students to help them achieve their bachelor’s degrees. These awards of up to $10,000 per student per school year aim to reduce the financial barriers preventing many Black students from completing their undergraduate degree programs in physics and astronomy. TEAM-UP Together is a collective impact initiative led by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), American Association of Physics Teachers, American Astronomical Society, American Physical Society, and Society of Physics Students to support the scientific community to take the next bold step in doubling the number of African American students earning physics and astronomy bachelor’s degrees annually by 2030. To learn more, check out teamuptogether.org. Michael Moloney, CEO of AIP, said: “The American Institute of Physics is partnering with the American Association of Physics Teachers, the Ameri-
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can Astronomical Society, the American Physical Society, and the Society of Physics Students to build a program of support for undergraduate physics and astronomy students and departments as part of realizing the TEAM-UP goal of doubling the number of African American bachelor’s degree graduates in these fields by 2030.” The scholarship initiative will help Black students in need with expenses that assist the students in continuing or completing their undergraduate education. The money could be used for tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at an educational institution, or for fees, books, equipment, or other related expenses required for courses or internships. “This scholarship program provides a real opportunity to support African American students in completing their degrees by easing the stresses that many have as a result of financial challenges,” said Arlene Modeste Knowles, TEAM-UP Together project manager. “It will hopefully create some mental space for them to engage more fully and thrive in their educational programs.”
DARKO MANEVSKI IS A WRITER AND THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN ZENGER NEWS.
BY DARKO MANEVSKI
“This scholarship program provides a real opportunity to support African American students in completing their degrees by easing the stresses that many have as a result of financial challenges.” –ARLENE MODESTE
During the first year of the scholarship program, students must be attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities or Predominantly Black Institutions to be eligible for the scholarship, but over time, these awards will be expanded to African American students at all institutions across the United States. The scholarships will be administered by AIP’s Society of Physics Students, on behalf of the TEAM-UP Together partner societies. The percentage of African Americans earning degrees in physics and astronomy has been persistently low for more than two decades. According to a survey from AIP’s Statistical Research Center, just 3 percent of physics bachelor’s degrees were earned by African Americans for the class of 2018. Students must complete their scholarship application by Nov. 15, 2022. Full details on what is required for application, the criteria for selection, and other information can be found at https://www.teamuptogether.org. The percentage of African Americans earning degrees in physics and astronomy has been persistently low for more than two decades. According to a survey from AIP’s Statistical Research Center, just 3 percent of physics
bachelor’s degrees were earned by African Americans for the class of 2018. For comparison, African Americans earned 10 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded for the 2017-18 school year. Personal support, including financial support, was one of the five factors identified in the TEAM-UP study as contributing to the persistence of underrepresentation. “With the completion of the two-year TEAM-UP study released in 2020, we understand better the factors that have led to the persistent and egregious underrepresentation of African Americans in these fields,” Moloney said. “We are compelled as a community to take action. Our partners at the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International have fueled the effort with a $12.5 million grant, enabling the launch of these transformational initiatives that will drive systemic change and affect students’ lived experiences.” In addition to student scholarships, TEAM-UP Together will soon offer grants to undergraduate physics and astronomy departments committed to implementing the TEAM-UP report recommendations at their institutions.
ONYX MAGAZINE 19
STRONGER TOGETHER
RESOURCES FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY JULY AND AUGUST BRING US THREE IMPORTANT TOPICS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT. RETHINKING HUNGER: SECOND HARVEST’S “SOCIAL ENTERPRISES” FEED HOPE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
What can you achieve in nearly four decades of fighting against hunger? Since 1983, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida has built a network of over 500 feeding partners and established hunger relief programs that now serve more than a quarter of a million meals every day. Earlier this year, Second Harvest welcomed a new leader to carry on that legacy: Derrick Chubbs, who formerly led the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin, stepped up as the food bank’s new president and CEO in January. With one in seven Central Floridians still impacted by food insecurity, Chubbs understands there is still work to be done. “We’re committed to fighting hunger – and feeding hope – in our community,” says Chubbs. “Our mission is not just about making sure everyone has enough to eat today; it’s about tackling the root causes of food insecurity so that no one goes hungry tomorrow.” In addition to managing Second Harvest’s extensive distribution network, he will oversee the expansion of social enterprise initiatives that provide stable revenue for the food bank’s workforce training programs – including the “Catering for Good” event team and retail product line, “A Spoon Full of Hope.” To learn more visit, www.cateringforgood.org and www.aspoonfullofhope.org.
MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Overall, mental health conditions occur in Black and African American (B/AA) people in America at about the same or less frequency than in White Americans. However, the historical Black and African American experience in America has and continues to be characterized by trauma and violence more often than for their White counterparts and impacts emotional and mental health of both youth and adults. Historical dehumanization, oppression, and violence against Black and African American people has evolved into present day racism—structural, institutional, and individual—and cultivates a uniquely mistrustful and less affluent community experience, characterized by a myriad of disparities including inadequate access to and delivery of care in the health system. Processing and dealing with layers of individual trauma on top of new mass traumas from COVID-19 (uncertainty, isolation, grief from financial or human losses), police brutality and its fetishization in news media, and divisive political rhetoric adds compounding layers of complexity for individuals to responsibly manage. Help-seeking behavior is affected by mistrust of the medical system and often begins with faith-based outreach. However, MHA screening data shows that Black and African American people who screen positive for 20 ONYX MAGAZINE
depression self-identify as planning to seek help at higher rates than the general population says they will seek help. Unfortunately, Black and African American providers, who are known to give more appropriate and effective care to Black and African American help-seekers, make up a very small portion of the behavioral health provider workforce (see treatment statistics below). Because of these factors and more, Black and African American people are more likely to experience chronic and persistent, rather than episodic, mental health conditions. Yet, hope for recovery should remain, as light is shed on these issues - and the general public holds accountable policymakers and health systems to evolve better systems which eliminate inequities in mental health services.
BLACK BUSINESS MONTH
Black Business Month is celebrated in August—it’s a time to acknowledge and appreciate Black-owned businesses across the nation and all that they represent in the country’s continual striving for diversity and equality. Denise Moore, CEO of the Black Business Alliance in Peoria, Ill., has this to say about the importance of Black Business month: “Black Business Month is exciting because it gives us an opportunity to focus on a community that is far too often underrepresented when it comes to access to capital and opportunities to build wealth.” When we celebrate the contribution of Black business owners and entrepreneurs, it pays homage to them and their legacies, especially since celebrating this month recognizes the importance of Black-owned businesses when it comes to contributing to the nation’s economy as well. Approximately 10% of all American businesses are Black-owned, and if we look at what statistics say about minority-owned businesses, about 30% of these would belong to Black business owners. The primary sectors in which Black-owned businesses operate include health care, social work, repair and maintenance, beauty salons, restaurants, and more. Black businesses across the country are booming and on the rise, with Washington D.C. having the highest ratio of black-owned businesses, a whopping 28%. These businesses also have an important role to play toward supporting student and education by giving funds toward scholarship of African American Students, here is a list of numerous scholarship provided to AfricanAmerican’s. Black Business Month started in 2004 when engineering entrepreneur Frederick E. Jordan partnered with president and executive editor of the scholarly publishing company eAccess Corp,’ John William Templeton, to “drive the policy agenda affecting the 2.6 million African-American businesses,” in order to highlight and empower Black business owners all over, especially given the unique challenges faced by minority business owners.
E LE VAT E
WARRIOR RISE THE INCREASE THAT COMES THROUGH UNDERSTANDING KEVIN WASHINGTON, PHD (MWATA KAIRI SANKARA)
L
iving life with purpose and power is facilitated by the degree to which we are connected with the Creator, community and our inner selves. The expressions of misplaced aggression, excessive alcohol and drug consumption, extreme sexual pleasure seeking, and imbalanced relationships with others are indicators of feeling powerless and being disconnected from our true purpose. When have the proper understanding of who we are and how to enhance our “beingness” within the world, then will experience unlimited peace, increased power and abundant prosperity. UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF FAMILY. Family is the basic unit of civilization and is central to our existence. Within each of us flows the blood of our mothers and fathers. We are a seed of a seed of The Seed. We are living by the power of the divine blood of our ancestors. We are here because others were here before us. These people loved us in their special way and we must give thanks for their love. We must also recognize that we are love agents for others. As we give love, we shall receive love. UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF COMMUNITY. Know the power of positive “Brothas” and “Sistas” in your life. Toxic people will poison your life just as nourishing people will fortify your life. Surround yourself with those people who are favorable to your optimal, spiritual, physical, and mental growth and development. Toxic people must be minimized in order for you to experience optimal spiritual growth. If you find that toxic people surround you then check yourself to make sure that you are not the one who is toxic. Know that you are here for a purpose. The power to be victorious in your mission has already been granted and this victory is only possible with the context of community. UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF SELF. Self is comprised of all those who have gone before us, all of those that surround us, and those who are yet to come. Self is also the vehicle that is in constant interaction with our spirit and soul. A process of Afrikan Self (Spirit) Illumination is as follows: Self-Exploration. When we engage in the process of self-exploration we
ask ourselves some critical questions. Am I being all I could be? Am I being all that my family wants me to be? Am I living up to the highest principle and values that my family and Creator have established for me? Are my thoughts, words, and action for the greater good of the community? Self-Cultivation. At this point you begin to weed out those people, thoughts, and actions that are inconsistent with your life’s purpose. This process is making the way for a new reality. Self-Development. Development occurs by bringing forth those elements that promote optimal growth and development. This process occurs by researching activities that are consistent with your spiritual journey. You can assess the benefits of engaging in mentally and spiritually stimulating activities such as: 1) reading a variety of books, papers, magazines and journals; 2) Prayer/Meditation; 3) Study groups and 4) eating healthfully and having a healthy lifestyle. Self-Government. This is when you act like you know. “You live to uphold the principles of MAAT (Righteousness) and demonstrate Iwa Pele (gentle character). You operate in a manner consistent with your higher calling. This entire process is not linear rather it is circular/spiral. As you reach the level of self-government, you go back through all of the stages again, gaining clarity and strength. This allows you to spiral down to a new foundation of self-knowledge or spiral up to new levels of self-awareness. Self-knowledge and self-awareness protect you from the negative assaults that are hurled at you from various factions within your community. Connecting with Spirit means that you will have access to be the real Afrikan Warrior. When the Afrikan Warrior is connected to the True Spirit then the entire Afrikan community is free to ascend to its highest height. Rise up, mighty Afrikan Warrior, so that you can extend and defend your Afrikan Nation. Walk and talk in your Power. Be powerful because that is how you were divinely made to be. STAND UP!
ONYX MAGAZINE 21
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
JACKSONVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL DRAWS TENS OF THOUSANDS BY PENNY DICKERSON
Songbird Patti Labelle was a encore headliner at JazzFest 2022
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Atlanta-based "Rumtastics" mini-cakes is a JazzFest vendor fave.
PATTI LABELLE PHOTO BY JOHN GRIPPER
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he hip sounds of jazz created a celebratory occasion along the St. Johns River and downtown Jacksonville in May, for the city’s signature Jacksonville Jazz Festival which drew crowds in the tens of thousands. The traditional Memorial Day weekend event kicked off Thursday with the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition presented by Yamaha and the Keyboard Connection and additional workshops including a Jazz Clinic, Jazz Jam Fest and a Jazz street parade held on various days. No ticket? No problem. This live, 40-year music event is free to the public with plenty of food and drinks for sale along with a bustling marketplace where an array of tented vendors sold everything from artwork to rum cake and gourmet candy apples. Featured headliners for this year’s event included Herbie Hancock and Ledisis on Friday night; Stepahanie Mills and Kem brought the applause on Saturday evening, but it was the effervescent Patti LaBelle whose dynamic performance shut down the stage and lights on the festival’s Sunday evening close. Two, separate stages penned the “Swingin’ Stage” and “Groovin’ Stage” offered attendees their choice to sprawl in stadium chairs, rest upon blankets, or take up a bleacher seat as they indulged in Jazz Favorites including David Sanchez Carib, Emett Cohen Trio, Akia Uwanda and Friends. The John Lumpkin Trio featuring Patrick Bartley joined an impressive host of others including military ensembles and locals to round-off three days of scat, bebop and the cool sounds jazz. For more information on the 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Festival, visit https:// jacksonvillejazzfest.com and subscribe to the digital newsletter.
MCDONALD’S PRESENTS 22 $10,000 AWARDS TO COMMUNITY LEADERS McDonald’s USA, through its Black & Positively Golden movement, surprised its Future 22 leaders with $10,000 each, totaling $220,000, during a celebratory event in their honor at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola®. These grants were awarded to help further the community-driven causes of these 22 change leaders, introduced earlier this year. Award-winning actress, singer & entertainer, Keke Palmer, took part in the surprise announcement as the Future 22 spokesperson. From a STEM educator who is leveling the playing field for Black and brown children in computer science to a financial literacy champion who is bridging the financial gap in inner cities, these visionaries are shattering ceilings and breaking barriers to create meaningful change in communities across the country. Since February, their stories have been told through an integrated marketing campaign that includes videos on Instagram at @ wearegolden and McDonald’s YouTube channel, as well as TV and radio spots voiced over by Keke, and more. “It’s an honor to join McDonald’s to recognize and celebrate these awesome leaders, while also supporting their work and mission,” said Keke. “They are creating bright futures for themselves and the next generation – and, really, all of us – and the excitement on their faces during the McDonald’s surprise gave me joy.” During the celebratory event held at Essence Fest last weekend in New Orleans, which McDonald’s sponsored for the 22nd year, Keke and Marissa Fisher, a second-generation McDonald’s Owner/Operator in New Orleans, participated in a fireside chat moderated by McDonald’s Senior Director of Cultural Engagement, Elizabeth Campbell, to inspire Future 22 leaders and provide tips on staying true to one’s mission, finding balance while changing the world and paving the way for others, among other topics. “This year’s Essence Fest theme was Black Joy, and we couldn’t wait to celebrate all 22 leaders and bring them to New Orleans, in honor of their accomplishments,” said Campbell. “We certainly could’ve surprised
them virtually but making them a part of our Essence Fest moment meant unlocking the additional community of supporters who are McDonald’s Owner/Operators and the Essence Fest family, to further celebrate them and demonstrate our belief in their work. It was more special than imagined, representing our commitment to feeding and fostering the communities we serve.” McDonald’s has sponsored Essence Fest for more than 20 years to help shine a positive light on the Black community, culture and youth. All weekend, the Golden Arches celebrated and brought to life “Black Joy.” This included impactful booth experiences like show-stopping performances from R&B singer Jacquees, and award-winning gospel artists Sir the Baptist and Jekalyn Carr who previewed the 16th annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour that kicks off (in person) this fall. Booth guests were also treated to a star-studded celebrity meet and greet lineup featuring Toya Johnson, Reginae Carter, Uptown Angela and actor and musician Jacob Latimore. McDonald’s also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Black media and communities of color by convening some of the leading voices in marketing, media, business, and tech for panels that offered tips and resources for opportunity creation and breaking barriers. McDonald’s Future 22 and the Essence Fest partnership are two of the many company initiatives that celebrate Black excellence. For more than 65 years, McDonald’s and its Owner/Operators have awarded scholarships to HBCU students, created impactful partnerships with community organizations like the National Urban League, NAACP, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and more. And this year, McDonald’s is proud to congratulate the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association for 50 years of entrepreneurial and community excellence. For more information on the McDonald’s Future 22, or to catch up on McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden activities at Essence, follow @ wearegolden on Instagram. McDonald’s News Release
Award-winning actress, singer & entertainer, Keke Palmer, partnered with McDonald's USA to surprise 22 young, Black leaders with a total of $220,000 to fund their communitydriven initiatives.
ONYX MAGAZINE 23
A R T & C U LT U R E
HISTORIC MOTIVATIONS
A ROUNDUP OF SUMMER ART HAPPENINGS IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY BY TRINA RYAN
HISTORIC LEONARD REID HOUSE RELOCATES TO NEWTOWN, SARASOTA On May 27, the City of Sarasota made its first big move toward preserving the rich history of its Black residents, by uprooting—quite literally—the historic Leonard Reid house to its new location in Newtown. Previously residing in the Rosemary District, formally known as Overtown, the 1,400-square-foot, single-story clapboard house will serve as the neighborhood’s first African American museum and cultural center, an initiative headed by the nonprofit Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC). The 2.6-mile journey of the Reid home, transported via flatbed truck, took roughly two hours, and now sits on the corner of Orange Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Built in 1926, the Reid house was the
anchor of Overtown, Sarasota’s first Black community, which Reid helped establish. An entrepreneur, trailblazer and pioneer, Reid was often referred to as “the righthand man” of John Hamilton Gillespie, Sarasota’s first mayor. Reid and his family also dedicated themselves to educating Black youth. Reid would give away books on his front porch to children as they passed by, while his daughters, who both became teachers, taught thousands of schoolchildren in the community. Now, the significance of the Reid house, as well as Overtown’s African American history, will live on. The cultural center will reside in the Reid house starting later this summer until construction of a new building on the property is complete
From left, Sarasota Vice Mayor Kyle Battie, Selby Gardens VP for Diversity and Inclusion Walter Gilbert, SAACC President and CEO Vickie Oldham, Leonard Reid Descendant Mary Mack and her son Tyrone Mack.
The Reid House took two hours to move to Newtown.
TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART WELCOMES ITS FIRST ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CULTURAL CELEBRATION
Vendors sold products at the celebration. Guests listened to live music.
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Over the past two years, the nation has witnessed the beginning of a wholesale change in recognizing a greater need for diversity, equity and inclusion. One such effort includes commemorating June 19, 1865—now designated Juneteenth—the day the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. Juneteenth became an American federal holiday in 2021, and this year, festivities abounded across the country, including in the Tampa Bay area at the Tampa Museum of Art, which held its first annual Juneteenth Cultural Celebration. The free family-friendly event featured a variety of art activities, live music, and— something no celebration would be complete without—food trucks. The celebration also welcomed programs from several community partners and free onsite health screenings by Moffitt Cancer Center and CAN Community Health, to promote social and health equity. Inside, visitors enjoyed exhibition tours of artworks by prominent Black artists, informative talks about Black art, interactive art making, family portraits, and live music. The event was held by the Museum, Moffitt Cancer Center and HORUS Construction. ONYX Magazine was a sponsor. "Today, we elevate the voices of people who maybe have been marginalized historically, in their viewpoint in their histories, and in their lives," Michael Tomor, the executive director of the Tampa Museum of Art, told 10 Tampa Bay WTSP the day of the event.
ERNIE BARNES’ MOST FAMOUS PAINTING, ‘THE SUGAR SHACK,’ SELLS FOR AN ASTOUNDING $15.3 MILLION This May, at Christie’s auction house in New York, Ernie Barnes’ 1976 iconic painting, “The Sugar Shack,” sold for a whopping $15.3 million—76 times its high estimate of $200,000. After 10 minutes of 22 bidders jockeying to claim the piece, it finally went to hedge fund manager Bill Perkins, who wrote in an Instagram post that owning the artwork was “a childhood dream come true.” Barnes, who died in 2009, is the only notable athlete turned painter, and his works—vibrant and kinetic, with figures often featuring lithe, elongated limbs—heightened attention to Black artists at a time when few were recognized, let alone celebrated. “The Sugar Shack,” which depicts an exhilarating dance hall scene, drew wide acclaim after appearing in the closing credits of the TV sitcom “Good Times,” and on the cover of Marvin Gaye’s album “I Want You.” Perkins plans to lend “The Sugar Shack” to a museum, so other people can enjoy it, before making it the pièce de resistance of his home—where, as he told The New York Times, “I can see it every day and soak up the memory dividend and the happy absurdity that I can own it.”
LaVon Van Williams in his studio in Lexington, KY.
ARTWORK COURTESY OF THE KINSEY AFRICAN AMERICAN ART & HISTORY COLLECTION
Ruby C. Williams painting and preaching
Sugar Shack
FOLK ART FROM LOCAL BLACK ARTISTS HAS A PERMANENT HOME IN SANFORD Jeanine Taylor, the eponymous owner of Jeanine Taylor Folk Art, a gallery located in the heart of downtown Sanford, has long recognized the importance of elevating Black creativity. For more than two decades, Taylor has provided a space for Black artists to express themselves through nontraditional techniques. Contemporary folk art differs from what some would call “fine art.” First, the artists are not classically trained, and second, they use whatever materials are on hand—such as mud mixed with Coca-Cola, a technique of the late folk artist Jimmy Lee Sudduth. “They created from practically nothing because they had an intrinsic desire to create,” Taylor told ONYX Magazine. More than half the artists represented throughout Taylor’s gallery are African American. A few of these include: LaVon Van Williams, Jr., a basketball star turned wood carver; Dr. Charles Smith, whose work honors African American Vietnam veterans; and Ruby C. Williams, known for her vibrant signs adorning her produce stand in Bealsville, Fla., a town her great-grandmother, a freed slave, helped found. Since the death of Trayvon Martin, which spurred the now-ubiquitous Black Lives Matter movement, the African American arts scene in Sanford “has exploded,” Taylor said. She’s glad folk art is having its well-deserved time in the spotlight, but balks at the idea of distinguishing it from fine art. “To categorize art as fine art or folk art, there’s something discriminatory about that,” she noted. “It’s all art.”
KINSEY COLLECTION LANDS IN PANAMA CITY After being delayed by COVID-19, the world renowned "Treasures from the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection," opened at Florida State University Panama City in April and will show throughout July. "The story is not a Black story; it's an American story," said Bernard Kinsey, whose collection with his wife, Shirley, spans more than 40 years. "We are really proud of our work and believe it's the kind of work America needs right now." "We are honored to have an exhibit of this caliber coming to FSU Panama City," said Dean Randy Hanna. "This collection not only documents American history but also the tremendous contribution Black artists have made to American culture."
"The Cultivators," Samuel L. Dunson, Jr.
Trina Ryan is a freelance writer in Orlando who writes Art & Culture for ONYX Magazine. ONYX MAGAZINE 25
ONYX READS
GOOD SUMMER READS BOOKS TO SLOW DOWN WITH
SELECTIONS BY PATRICIA BROWN DENIS GOOD MORNING LOVE By Ashley M. Coleman Carlisa “Carli” Henton is a musician and songwriter hoping to follow in her father’s musical footsteps. But, biding her time until she makes it big in the music industry, she works as a junior account manager at a big-name media company to cover her New York City rent. Carli meticulously balances her work with her musical endeavors as a songwriter—until a chance meeting with rising star Tau Anderson sends her calculated world into a frenzy. Their worlds collide and quickly blur the strict lines Carli has drawn between her business and her personal life, throwing Carli’s reputation—and her burgeoning songwriting career—into question. A smart, timely, energizing romance, Good Morning, Love shows us what the glamorous New York’s music scene is really like and takes us into the lives of a rising but somewhat troubled R&B star and a promising protégé who knows her job better than she knows herself.
A KNOCK AT MIDNIGHT: A STORY OF HOPE, JUSTICE AND FREEDOM By Brittany K. Barnett Brittany K. Barnett was only a law student when she came across the case that would change her life forever—that of Sharanda Jones, single mother, business owner, and, like Brittany, Black daughter of the rural South. A victim of America’s devastating war on drugs, Sharanda had been torn away from her young daughter and was serving a life sentence without parole—for a first-time drug offense. In Sharanda, Brittany saw haunting echoes of her own life, as the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother. As she studied this case, a system came into focus in which widespread racial injustice forms the core of America’s addiction to incarceration. Moved by Sharanda’s plight, Brittany set to work to gain her freedom. Brittany’s riveting memoir is at once a comingof-age story and a powerful evocation of what it takes to bring hope and justice to a system built to resist them both.
STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF RACIST IDEAS IN AMERICA By Ibram X. Kendi, Christopher Dontrell Piper, et. al. The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited. Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas—and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.
LONG WAY DOWN By Jason Reynolds An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds’s electrifying novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, “Long Way Down” is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds.
JUST ENOUGH LIGHT FOR THE STEP I'M ON By Stormie Omartian A collection of devotional readings perfect for the pressures of today’s world, put together by Stormie Omartian, bestselling author of The Power of a Praying® Wife. New Christians and those experiencing life changes will appreciate her honesty and candor.
ONYX MAGAZINE 27
SCHOOL
A NEW FUTURE FOR TOMORROW’S LEADERS Orlando Commissioner Bakari Burns, Mayor Buddy Dyer, Commissioner Regina Hill, r. Porter-Smith and others break ground on the new facility.
LEGENDS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL BREAKS GROUND ON $15 MILLION INVESTMENT AND RECEIVES NATIONAL IMPACT GRANT AWARD.
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he trend of education excellence continues to flourish in Central Florida with the $15 million investment for campus expansion at the Legends Academy, a K-8 grade Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics STEM-focused Charter school located on the Hope Center Campus in the Washington Shores community of Orlando. Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Porter-Smith is at the helm of the Orlando public-school charter organization that includes both the Legends Academy and Nap Ford Community School. The organization celebrated its 20-year legacy in 2021 and has served more than 1,000 families. Dr. Porter-Smith is a trailblazer who advocates for chil-
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dren living in underinvested neighborhoods in the urban core. Relentless in endeavor, she credits her efforts to a belief that education is a gateway toward enriched citizenship, stronger families, and empowered communities. “I am humbled by the rich history of those that created academic institutions in our state designed to address the unique needs of our community,” Porter-Smith stated in a Black Excellence in Charter Schools profile published by Building Hope, a District of Columbia-based non-profit that supports charter school infrastructure. “I stand on the shoulders of our educational legends such as Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman
University and Thomas DeSaille Tucker, Florida A&M University's first president. Their timeless stories have given me the inspiration and vigor to seek and provide a culturally affirming space of excellence for our youngest scholars to thrive and gain an appreciation for the sacrifices made on their behalf.” Dr. Porter-Smith grew up in St. Petersburg and is a neuroscientist who holds a Ph.D. in physiological psychology from the University of Florida. Affectionately referred to by students and staff as “Dr. J.”, she currently leads 1600 young scholars, 400 of which attend Legends Academy and are called, “Tomorrow’s Leaders.” Charter schools are tuition-free public schools created through an agreement or "charter" typically between the school and the local district school board. This agreement gives the charter school a measure of expanded freedom relative to traditional public schools in return for a commitment to higher standards of accountability. The 74 - America’s Education News Source, published the following Jan. 2022: “Controlling the Narrative: Parental Choice, Black Empowerment & Lessons from Florida” — a joint effort among Black Minds Matter, the American Federation for Children and Step Up for Students—analyzes the great migration of Black families to choice schools, the positive academic trend lines for Black students participating in school choice programs and the growth of Black-owned schools in Florida. We found that the Sunshine State now has more than 100,000 Black students enrolled in charter and private schools. This number is striking. That’s more Black students enrolled in choice schools in Florida than total Black students—period—in 30 states, including Arkansas, Minnesota, and Massachusetts.” Further, the Florida Dept. of Education’s 2019 Fact-sheet report stated that Black students in charter schools outperformed those in district schools in 31 of 38 categories, including proficiency, achievement gaps and learning gains. Porter-Smith is on the positive pulse of these statistics and construction began May 2022 on the vision to provide space
Dr. Jennifer Porter-Smith
for more growth. Scholars are scheduled to transition from current classroom portables into a cutting-edge, educational facility before the start of the 2023 school year. The school has a stellar reputation as a public Charter School of Choice for Orlando’s Urban Neighborhood and the academy expects the new facility will accommodate growth from 400 students to 565. Building Hope awarded The Legends academy a national, $10,000 IMPACT Awards grant in June. Upon receiving the grant, Dr. Porter-Smith said, “Thank you, Building Hope and the selection committee. At Legends Academy, we recognize that human beings were fashioned and purposed to form relationships and community. We have been strategic, purposeful, and thoughtful about creating a school community that dispels myths about what black and brown students can accomplish – one where they see themselves as intellectual human beings and feel nurtured and safe.” For further information and to make a donation toward this new vision, visit https://legendsacademy.org or contact Dr. Porter-Smith at jportersmith@napford.org. Penny Dickerson contributed to this story.
ONYX MAGAZINE 29
E D U C AT I O N
ACKNOWLEDGING ITS PAST; SHAPING THE FUTURE AT ROLLINS COLLEGE
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BY VALADA FLEWELLYN
ary McCloud Bethune was the first African American to grace the stage at Rollins College. The occasion, however, was not without controversy. Years earlier, college president Hamilton Holt had held fast to his invitation to have Bethune speak. Holt ignored the board of trustees declaration that, "A Negro has never spoken from the platform of this college and NEVER will do so.” The gracious Madame Mary McLeod Bethune responded to his courageous invitation saying, "Your college and the state of Florida need men like you. And while I appreciate the honor that you pay me, I believe far more good will be accomplished by your remaining president of the college than by anything I could possibly say in 15 or 20 minutes of speech-making. With you at the college helm, there will come a day when attitudes will be different.” Bethune was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in 1941, making Rollins College the first college in the South to bestow an honorary degree on a Black American. It has taken more than 70 years, but the tides of significant change are turning again.
Colleges and universities are where scholarship and sportsmanship are recognized, encouraged, and rewarded. However, for Black, especially female students and professors at predominantly White colleges and universities, this is not always the case. Rollins College recently closed a 137-year gap in such recognition. Last spring, the college inducted the first Black student athletes into “The Rollins College Sports Hall of Fame” and awarded tenure for the first time to two Black female professors. Established in 1977, the Rollins Sports Hall of Fame is the highest recognition for those who have contributed to the history of Rollins athletics. The 2022 Sports Hall of Fame inductees include some of the College’s first generation of Black student athletes, including two women: Eddie Campbell ‘70, (baseball) the first Black student athlete to graduate from Rollins; Larry Martinez ‘ 71 (Basketball); Chuck Morton ’72 (Basketball), Lawanna Gelzer’84 (Basketball), and Letitia Myrick ’85 (Volleyball & Softball). Recalling her days as a student on the Rollins campus, Lawanna Gelzer, the first Black student female athlete to graduate from Rollins, shared, “We were constantly reminded that we did not belong.” She remembers a professor suggesting that if Black people can’t afford to come to Rollins they should not be here. She continued, “Black students were few and always had to be prepared to show our student IDs to persons questioning why we were there. It was assumed that we were there because of affirmative action and not because we earned the grades to be there.” The Rollins Sports Hall of Fame now boasts 234 members who embody the Tar spirit of discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship that defines the 123-year history of intercollegiate sports at Rollins. 30 ONYX MAGAZINE
Professor Victoria Brown
According to the Rollins College Sports Hall of Fame news release,“ Gelzer had a legendary two-year stretch on the women’s basketball team. As a sophomore, she averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds per game, leading the team with a 53.4 shooting percentage and earning First Team All-SSC Honors. As a junior, she earned 19 points per game, which ranked her No. 29 in the country.”
TENURE Also in 2022, Professor Victoria Brown and Dr. Shan Estelle Brown became the first two Black women to receive tenure. “I remember asking, Dr. Julian Chambliss, a Black male Rollins professor at our first faculty gathering (in 2019), ‘where are the other Black female professors,’” recalls Professor Victoria Brown. “He looked at me smiling and said, ‘there are no other Black female professors.’” The two professors have become extremely close being the lone Black female professors currently at Rollins. They acknowledge they are acutely aware of the importance of their presence at the College, especially for students of color. Professor Victoria Brown is an associate professor of English, teaching fiction and creative nonfiction. Her focus is on both creative writing and transnational literature, specifically as it pertains to contemporary Caribbean writers and post-colonial theory. Brown’s nonfiction has been published in “The Guardian,” “New York Magazine,” and “The New York Times.” Brown is
PHOTO BY EYESEEIMAGES
“BRILLIANCE AND RESILIENCE” AT ROLLINS COLLEGE
the author of “Minding Ben,” a 2022 novel based on her experience working as a 16-year-old nanny in New York after moving there from Trinidad. Dr. Shan Estelle Brown is a medical anthropologist with multiple specialties: patient-provider relationship, health disparities, chronic illness, self-treatment, acceptability of treatments, global health, HIV, addiction, sickle cell disease, healthcare innovation technology, healthcare user experience (UX). When asked ‘What do you do with anthropology, she smiles saying, “Anything!” She goes on to say “as a medical anthropologist, I solve real problems, substance use, HIV, and poverty. I chose anthropology because it combines the things I do well: travel, make friends out of strangers quickly, and obtain information from the world around me. I see and teach the value of having a global perspective and sharp communication skills. My most recent work experiences have been solely academic, but I have also enjoyed working in market research in the field.” Dr. Brown recently received the Bornstein Award for Faculty Scholarship which recognizes Rollins faculty whose outstanding scholarly achievement or creative accomplishment has helped bring national prominence to Rollins College. The award also helps to encourage future scholarship among Rollins faculty. These two ladies not only enrich the academic landscape of the Rollins campus, but they provide a much-needed presence for students of color.
COMMUNITY APPLAUDS BRILLIANCE AND RESILIENCE Recognizing the “Brilliance and Resilience,” of Black female students and professors, The Hannibal Square Heritage Center in Winter Park, Florida and Bridging the Color Divide, a social justice organization, joined forces to host and to honor Rollins College pioneers: Student athlete, Lawanna Gelzer and Professor Victoria Brown, and Dr. Shan Estelle Brown. The event honoring Lawanna Gelzer, Professors Victoria Brown, and Dr. Shan-Estelle Brown for their scholarship and athletic leadership at Rollins College was hosted by The Hannibal Square Heritage Center, director, Barbara Chandler, chief historian, Fairolyn Livingston and founder of Bridging the Color Divide, Elizabeth Swart. Valada Flewellyn served as moderator. The event, “Brilliance and Resilience” was held at the historic Ward
Norma Lee Rambeau ‘72 and Dr. Shan Estelle Brown.
Lawanna Gelzer ‘84
Chapel AME church in Winter Park, Florida, Reverend Arnold A. Porter, pastor. The audience, comprised of community members, faculty and staff from the college and former students at Rollins, was excited to recognize and applaud Rollins College, and the three Black female pioneers. A critical look at Rollins College history reveals evidence that the college is moving in a positive direction. Over the years, the college has put in place policies, programs, documented statements, and documentable evidence of their efforts to work towards a more inclusive environment that is sensitive to the needs of all students. This has not happened without challenges and resistance. In what sounds like the spirit of past Rollins College President Hamilton Holt, Rollins current President Grant H. Cornwell in a speech to the student body made it quite clear: “…that whatever degree of freedom you might have, it never extends to treating another only as a means to your own ends. What does it mean to treat other persons as ends-in-themselves and never merely as means? The central idea is that every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, that in all of our interactions, even, or especially with those with whom we disagree, or who we don’t like, or even who disgust us in some way, that we must engage them in ways that recognize their humanity.” This is exactly what college presidents Mary McLeod Bethune and Hamilton Holt worked together to achieve. May their spirits live on.
Valada Flewellyn is a poet, author and moderator in Orlando.
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SMART TIPS
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL BY ANN STEINHOFF
4. MAKE THE UNKNOWN ENVIRONMENT MORE FAMILIAR If your children are worried they will start school in a new environment, such as having a new classroom or being taught by a new teacher, ask the school if you can go on a tour. Going on a tour will help the kids to become more familiar with the new place.
5. PREPARE LUNCHBOXES AND KEEP THEM EASY Studies show that pupils who have breakfast function better at school and have more energy. Ask your children about healthy food that they like to take to school. You can also have a look at the school’s cafeteria and see if it offers healthy snack options.
6. FIND A ‘GO-TO-SCHOOL FRIEND’
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oing back to school after the long summer is always a time of excitement. While your children may be overly excited or even a little bit worried about new teachers, new subjects and meeting their friends, the days before starting school again are always busy and stressful. Instead of rolling into school with no plan, check out the list below for 10 tips that will help you keep organized, create routines and support children to be their best at school.
1. USE A CALENDAR Your children will be better prepared for school when they can visually see when school will start again. A good idea is to hang a calendar in their room and let them mark off each day with a colorful pen until the new school year starts.
2. START BEDTIME ROUTINES EARLY Children will need some time to get back to the sleeping pattern they had before the summer holidays started. To make it easier for the kids to be awake early in the morning, parents can introduce the school sleep routine two weeks before school starts.
3. BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING Pick a date to go school shopping with your children. This date should be set and organized some time in advance to have a relaxed shopping experience. Choosing their own school supplies, clothes, a backpack or lunchboxes will engage children to take part in the activity and may increase their excitement about going back to school and using all the new things.
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If your child walks or takes the bus to school and there are other children in the neighborhood who go to the same school talk to the parents and ask them if the kids can walk or take the bus together. This way the kids will have more fun on their way to school and may share their worries and help each other to feel more comfortable going back to school.
7. TALK ABOUT HOMEWORK Children who understand the school subjects enjoy it more and usually have better grades. Review the environment where your child does homework: Is it quiet enough? Is there enough space, light, time? Are the TV and phone off? Are they free from distractions?
8. DEAL WITH EXPECTATIONS It is helpful to ask kids what they expect about returning to school. Find out if they have any questions or are unsure about anything. Let them know that other kids will be nervous as well and that teachers will help them to feel more comfortable.
9. SHOW THEM THAT YOU THINK ABOUT THEM When getting lunch or a snack ready for school include a little note in the lunchbox to show your kids that you care and that you think about them during the day even if they are away.
10. CHILDCARE AFTER SCHOOL A parent should be at home to help the kids to get ready for school in the morning and who supervise them when they return. If this is not possible talk to your children that it is important to follow rules and listen to the adult supervising them.
SPORTS
EWC TIGERS WIN BLACK COLLEGE WORLD SERIES BY JOSHUA C. JACKSON
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or the first time since 2011 and the second time in program history, an HBCU National Championship will reside in Jacksonville, Fla., as Edward Waters University defeated Kentucky State, 3-2 in the Championship Game of the Tyson Foods Black College World Series at Riverwalk Stadium in May. Edward Waters took a two-run lead in the top of the second inning with an RBI single from John Nobles and an RBI triple from Keilin Washington to give them a 2-0 lead. The Thorobreds cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half at 2-1. The two teams went scoreless until the top of the fourth inning, when Nelsido Nunez came through an RBI single to provide what would later turn out to be an important insurance run. An RBI bunt single from KSU in the bottom of the sixth inning would once again cut the Edward Waters lead back down to one at 3-2. The Tigers pitching a defense would carry them through, working out of several critical jams down the stretch of the game. Most notable in the bottom half of the 8th inning, when the Thorobreds had bases loaded with just one out. The threat was shut down on the strength of a 6-3 double play to preserve the EWU lead at 3-2. Freshman closer Caden Hutchinson was called upon to close things out for the Tigers and clinch the championship. Hutchinson was able to induce
three consecutive flyball outs, including the final one, which settled into the waiting glove of Washington to send the Tigers into a frenzy and solidify its claim as the best HBCU baseball team in the country. In his final appearance for his career at Edward Waters, Keilin Washington, who was named the Tyson Foods Black College World Series Most Outstanding Player, led EWU offensively, going 1-for-3 with a triple, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Nelsido Nunez, Anthony Roman, Adrian Laro, and John Nobles earned the remaining four hits for the Tigers in the contest. Sophomore pitcher Austin James earned the victory for the Tigers on the mound, going 5.0 innings, allowing just one earned run, and six strikeouts, while Caden Hutchinson earned the save for EWU. Edward Waters also clinched its first winning season in four years, wrapping up a championship year with a 28-27 overall record. The Tigers conclude their stint as members of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and will look forward to competing under the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II banner as members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SAIC). Joshua C. Jackson is the sports information director at Edward Waters University.
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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
MAKE HEALTH A PRIORITY INFORMATION THAT KEEPS YOU FEELING WELL
PROTECT YOUR EYES Too much social media can lead to computer vision syndrome. If you work on a computer, you’ve probably noticed that too much screen time can lead to something called computer vision syndrome (CVS)—that tired, strained feeling your eyes get. According to studies, CVS affects about 64 percent to 90 percent of office workers. The good news: CVS probably doesn’t cause permanent eye damage. But the syndrome can still bug the heck out of you. The most common symptoms of CVS include burning, blurry (or double) vision, dryness, eyestrain, headaches, irritation, redness, and neck and shoulder pain. If computer screens are being a pain in your eyes, here’s how to alleviate symptoms: • Blink. Or buy lubricating eye drops. • Eliminate Glare. Install anti-glare filters on the monitor and change your screen’s contrast and brightness to help reduce glare. • Reposition the Computer. The screen should be about an arm’s length away and positioned directly in front of your face. Place the monitor so its center is 4 to 8 inches below your eyes.
• Invest in Proper Lighting. Take the visor test to determine if current lighting works for you: While looking at the monitor, cup your hands over your eyes (pretend your hand is a baseball cap). If your eyes immediately feel better, change your lighting. • Clean your Monitor. A layer of dust can make your eyes work harder. Black Health Matters
POOR DENTAL HYGIENE RELATED TO ED Fellas, your teeth may be hurting your sex life without you even knowing it. What the Research Says A preliminary study from Taiwan suggests there is a link between a deflated penis and poor dental hygiene. The study found that men with erectile dysfunction (ED) were 79% more likely to also have chronic periodontal disease (CPD). If you aren’t familiar with CPD it is an infection of the gums. The gums pull away from the teeth, creating deep pockets that carry tons of bacteria, eventually spreading to the bone. Protect Your Teeth The gum disease causes chronic inflammation which can ultimately damage the endothelial cells, which form the lining on all the blood vessels, including those in the penis. Damaged endothelial cells can result in impartial blood flow, resulting in a not so satisfying night in the sack. Urologist Larry Lipshultz, M.D., said in “Men’s Health,” “Because the blood vessels to the penis are about 25 percent the size of the ones to the coronaries, ED can often serve as an early warning sign for heart problems and vascular disease.” Ask the Dentist Thankfully, if CPD is caught in its early stages, it can be addressed with a few deep cleanings from a dentist. Later discoveries may result in gum surgery, or even worse, tooth extraction. It’s very important that precautionary measures are taken ahead of time, by simply exercising good daily dental hygiene. 34 ONYX MAGAZINE
According to Sally J. Cram, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association, “Most people who have the disease don’t feel pain until it is in the advanced stages so be sure to see your dentist if you experience red swollen gums, bleeding gums when brushing, bad breath, loose teeth, and receding gums.” Naomi MacKenzie, BlackDoctor.org
DOCTORS EXPECT MONKEYPOX NUMBERS TO RISE In July, Florida had nearly 100 confirmed monkeypox cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, Florida doctors expect that number to rise. “It’s (outbreak) typically going to be located around your face, your arms, your legs, your soles of your hands and the bottom of your feet that’s typically where this monkeypox rash occurs," Dr. Chirag Patel, assistant chief medical officer with UF Health Jacksonville told FirstCoast News. The primary symptoms to check for are a fever and then a rash. Patel says monkeypox transmission requires contact and one must be face to face with an infected person breathing in some of the same air as them for hours before contracting monkey pox. Dr. Shalika Katugaha, System Medical Director of Infectious Disease at Baptist Health in Jacksonville says there are two vaccines in the U.S. that you can get to prevent Monkeypox, these vaccines were initially for smallpox. Katugaha says to avoid skin to skin contact, close contact like kissing and hugging and be very careful with touching towels or clothing of someone who has monkeypox. If you do see any Monkeypox symptoms, doctors suggest calling your doctor first and not just showing up for treatment, so you don't spread the virus. FirstCoast News
NEW COVID STRAIN DOMINANT IN FLORIDA The new highly infectious COVID-19 strain is fueling a rise in cases and hospitalizations across Florida, as it proves more effective at evading vaccines and immunity from previous infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the BA-5 subvariant of omicron is now the dominant strain in Florida. This has led the seven-day average of infections in the state to rise to about 11,500 following several weeks that saw the numbers remain steady, between 9,000 and 11,000 cases per day. Dr. Jason Salemi, a USF Health associate professor of epidemiology who has tracked COVID-19 data in Florida since the start of the pandemic, said BA-5 has shown some concerning qualities. "It's got a characteristic of being better at infecting people with prior infections and infecting people who have previously been vaccinated," Salemi said. "The numbers are increasing. We should be taking action now. We can prevent people from being hospitalized and dying." Dr. Salemi said scientists are trying to determine how much protection vaccines and prior infections might provide.
FOOD SWAP: MAKE IT HEALTHY Comfort foods, like macaroni and cheese and fried chicken are super fattening, loaded with calories and not so good for our health. Make some of your favorite meals healthier in no time! Swap: Hamburger & Fries Instead of a traditional hamburger and fries, try a turkey burger and sweet potatoes? Turkey is lower in calories and helps reduce your risk of heart disease. Sweet potatoes are less starchy and high in vitamins A and C. Bake them, drizzle a little sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and parsley and you’re good to go! Swap: Ricotta Cheese Got a recipe that calls for ricotta cheese? Your best bet would be to replace it with low-fat cottage cheese, but if you insist on using ricotta cheese, choose the low-fat option. Swap: Ground Beef Lasagna, spaghetti, meatloaf, chili can easily be replaced with ground turkey. Also, use whole-wheat pasta.
"How much does a pre-omicron infection protect you?" Salemi asked. "The answer to that is not very much at all. If you've been infected during the omicron surge, at least according to this one study, you are between 70 and 80 percent less likely to get infected with BA-5." Dr. Salemi said vaccines are still incredibly important, especially for people who are over the age of 50 or considered high-risk. He believes people who received a second booster in the last month or two will have a higher degree of protection against serious illness or hospitalization caused by BA-5. Fox-13
Swap: Sour Cream A lot of dips always seem to require sour cream. Try substituting it with low-fat plain yogurt for that same kick of flavor without extra fat and calories. Swap: Fried Chicken We love a good piece of fried chicken, but it’s much healthier sans the skin. Better yet, bake it instead—baked chicken does not have to be boring and bland. Swap: Potatoes Instead of steak and potatoes, how about steak and cauliflower? You can make all sorts of dishes using cauliflower, from macaroni and cheese to mashed potatoes to pizza! Swap: Butter or Jelly Instead of butter or jelly/jam on your toast in the morning, consider trying avocado instead. The creaminess and richness will forever change the way you think about toast—and lower your cholesterol? ONYX MAGAZINE 35
OPINION
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REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE UNDER FIRE F BY PENNY DICKERSON
or some, the Roe v. Wade overturn represents a constitutional setback for women’s health with the most punitive impact on low-income, underinsured Black women in America. In a 5-4 conservative majority ruling on June 24, the Supreme Court decision banned access to legal abortion and ushered in a haunting new era for reproductive justice. Protest and outcry were ignited at the legal reversal President Barack Obama called, “Devastating,” while the religious right claimed victory. Amplified are economic affects like health disparities as outlined by The Centers for America Progress. CAP reports that Black women experience unintended pregnancies at three times the rate of white women and are four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, such as embolism and pregnancy-related hypertension, than any other racial group. Birth rates for teenage Black women, from ages 15 to 19, also decreased by 7 percent in recent years Further, Black women have the highest rates of premature births and are more likely to have infants with low or very low birth weights. African American infants are more than 2.4 times more likely as white infants to die in their first year of life. Despite strides, those in America with the least resources are most vulnerable to the Roe decision. According to a Kaiser Health News report of legal abortions factored by race of women, 38% of those receiving abortions are Black. The compilation breakdown by state of occurrence revealed that 35% in Florida are Black. Losing the right to choose life or terminate pregnancy—regardless of economic stature—may result in Black women reverting to archaic abortion methods that result in death. ONYX Magazine held conversation June 26 with three, Jacksonville-based Black women who are education, community and political leaders. Their collective expertise embody concern for a new generation. Their perspectives, too, address spirituality and government.
DELPHIA B. SPENCER, PH.D. – NO WIRE HANGERS “In my day we didn’t use the term abortion,” shared Delphia B. Spencer. “We said somebody threw a baby away.” The 89-year-old retired professor was a Bethune-Cookman University student in 1951 when her college friend endured a self-administered abortion. “We were about 18 years old, and she tried to use a coat hanger, but called someone over to help her,” said Spencer. “She didn’t die but ended up hemorrhaging and in the hospital.” According to Spencer, who ultimately earned dual degrees in biology from Florida A&M University and a Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University, clothespins and hangers were both popular abortion tools and desperate women also drank castor oil in attempts to over stimulate their bowels with hopes of expelling an unwanted fetus. Dr. Spencer offered sage advice: “If you’re going to be sexually active, there are a whole lot of things out there to keep you from getting pregnant,” said Spencer who added, “Be careful. Use the pill, condoms, or have a uterine device inserted. The public health center can help too. I’ve been thinking a lot about this Roe v. Wade issue, and it’s hard to distinguish between what God has said and what man is saying. Follow your biblical teaching, and I’ll leave it at that.”
JUCOBY PITTMAN – “I’M ANGRY.”
“The government has gone too far,” said JuCoby Pittman, CEO of the Clara White Mission, Inc. for nearly three decades and District 8 representative for the Jacksonville City Council. “From a legislative standpoint, we need an overhaul to the constitution. New amendments would address our nation’s pace, and while things are different in 2022—I’ve never wanted the government telling me what to do with my body.” Pittman stated that North Florida women most impacted by the Roe decision have never been exposed to privatized medical care and without access to safe abortion of unintended pregnancies, they will return to unsafe measures. “We already had a health crisis, and this overturn will make it worse,” said Pittman who is 58 years old and once a single mother. She attended the Edward Waters College “Bridge” program and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Jones College to catapult herself to leadership and avoid a financially limiting future. “Listen, uninsured and impoverished young people live and play right in the district I represent. Their rights are being taken away, and as an elected official and woman, I’m angry.”
BRENDA R. SIMMONS-HUTCHINS, PH.D. – “WE MUST VOTE HARDER.” The New York Times reported June 25 that Justice Samuel Alito’s writing of the decision outlined that the ruling promptly shifted the political fight over abortion to the state level. That was, Alito wrote, one of the court’s aims: “The authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives.” “We must dig deeper into our communities and find public servants with human values,” stated Brenda R. Simmons-Hutchins, a 72-year-old community college professor and executive dean retiree. “We must vote harder to elect and keep them in office, and we must develop strategic leadership in this country!” “Women will find a way; we always do,” said the B-CU and Clark Atlanta University graduate. “While laws are being passed to re-subjugate women to second-class citizens, we are already finding ways to survive. Further, within the slow movement of justice and in another generation, we will thrive—again.
Penny Dickerson is a seasoned writer whose assignments run the gamut of investigative to entertainment to global missions in Africa.
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WORKPLACE
BALANCING ACT T
What about work-life balance for low-wage women of color? BY SONALI KOLHATKAR
he struggle that workers face in balancing job-related responsibilities with family obligations became a signature issue for former President Barack Obama, who in a 2014 speech at the White House Summit on Working Families declared, “family-friendly policies are good business practices.” Today, government officials, corporate executives, and media outlets are increasingly calling attention to the importance of alleviating workplace stresses and promoting better “work-life balance.” But most of the rhetoric is directed at higher-income professionals such as managers and executives who tend to be largely White, and not low-wage workers of color, particularly Black and Brown women. During the pandemic, low-wage workers, such as those doing janitorial, food service, nursing, and agricultural work, were deemed “essential.” Disproportionately people of color, some were rewarded for their critical work with temporary and modest raises in the form of “hero pay.” Yet today there is little focus on such workers in discussions of work-life balance.
RHETORIC PROMOTING WORK-LIFE BALANCE LEAVES OUT VULNERABLE WORKERS Overall, U.S. workers are among the most stressed in the world. According to the Gallup State of the Global Workplace report, 57% of U.S. and Canadian employees say they feel stressed daily. Studies show that economic inequality, falling along race and gender lines, is one of the most significant drivers of stress and even suicide. But few, if any, advice columns on achieving work-life balance discuss higher-pay as a solution to alleviating stress among low-wage workers. Instead, assumptions of well-paid workers being the only ones deserving of work-life balance are baked into discussions. The website Sage, which offers products for business owners, recommends that employers promote work-life balance by allowing flexible work hours, more options for remote working, and a greater focus on productivity rather than hours. Insider.com suggests “mindfulness” as a way to achieve a healthy balance between work and life. And, Forbes.com, in offering its “6 Tips For Better Work-Life Balance,” focuses on personal responsibility, offering workers advice to “unplug,” and “let go of perfectionism,” as well as to “exercise and meditate.” Such advice is ill-suited to, say, a domestic worker employed by a private family, a janitor at a cleaning service, or a cashier at Walmart whose hours are optimized to maximize company profits. “The kinds of occupations that are included in work-life balance discussions are usually those that might be called ‘careers’ as opposed to just ‘jobs,’” says Michelle Chen, labor journalist and co-host of “Dissent” magazine’s “Belabored” podcast. Exercise or mediation are unlikely to alleviate the very real financial stresses facing low-wage workers. Chen calls the term work life balance, “corporate speak for satisfaction with life,” and says that it is “not intended for the people whose value is measured in terms of how much of their lives they can dedicate to the drudgery of wage labor.”
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Referring to Black women workers in particular, Dr. Angelica Geter says, “We are aging faster than White women.” Geter is the chief strategy officer for the Black Women’s Health Imperative and explained that the reasons for such health disparities are “stress, racism, gender discrimination, and poverty.” Putting it simply, she suggests “access to equitable pay and living wages,” as a solution. Instead of promoting equitable policies to address racial and gender-based inequality, corporations are now increasingly resorting to trainings and workshops promoting “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Such efforts focus on individuals becoming aware of their behavior rather than executives instituting pay equity for example. “Awareness is good,” says Geter, but, “it does not lead to systemic change.”
WHAT ABOUT WORK-LIFE BALANCE FOR LOW-WAGE WOMEN OF COLOR?
WORK-LIFE BALANCE VIA PAY EQUITY AND WORKER-FRIENDLY POLICIES
In 2010, the Obama administration published a statement saying that “attracting and retaining employees who are more productive and engaged through flexible workplace policies is not just good for business or for our economy—it’s good for our families and our future.” Three years later, Obama acknowledged at the White House Summit on Working Families just how difficult it had become for U.S. workers to manage the demands of poorly paid and insecure jobs against the responsibilities of raising a family. He said, “Family leave, childcare, workplace flexibility, a decent wage—these are not frills. They are basic needs.” He added, “They shouldn’t be bonuses, they should be part of our bottom line as a society.” But seven years after Obama’s speech, the federal minimum wage remains at an appallingly low $7.25 an hour, and wages have not risen to keep up with the increasing cost of living. Paid parental leave is not mandated by law and childcare and health care remain prohibitively expensive. All these factors disproportionately affect low-wage women workers of color, for whom Chen asserts that, “the ‘life’ part of ‘work life’ is actually mostly just another job—involving a massive amount of unwaged labor on top of their waged labor.” Also, the labor of low-wage women workers of color has often been the edifice on which White professional women have managed to carve out their work-life balance. According to Geter, “Black women in particular account for a very high rates among those who have minimum wage jobs,” and “those are the women who may be delivering your groceries so that you can stay at home.” Arun Gupta, an independent journalist covering labor organizing, concurs, saying, “Being able to hire employees to cover your own work to achieve that work-life balance is clearly an option only for the 1 percenters.”
A decade after the Occupy Wall Street movement revived a sense of class consciousness among the U.S. public, with the richest 1% seen as pitting its wealth and power against 99% of Americans, wealth inequality has only grown and has persisted along racial and gender lines. Gupta, who was actively involved in Occupy Wall Street, says, “One of the main problems with achieving a ‘work-life balance’ is that it puts all the onus on the individual.” While that may work for well-paid professionals, “for the rest of us,” says Gupta, “options like unplugging from jobs that require being constantly on call or ordering takeout whenever we are too exhausted to cook, is more fantasy than reality.” While employer-supported exercise, meditation, and flexible hours, are attractive perks for higher-income workers, the counterpart for low-wage workers of color centers on basic needs such as higher wages, paid sick and family leave, generous paid vacation, and affordable childcare. Even Obama admitted, “Other countries know how to do this. If France can figure this out, we can figure it out.” Indeed, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Better Life Index, based in Paris, France, shows that those nations that are ranked the highest on work-life balance tend to have generous government-provided benefits. For example, workers in Netherlands, Italy, and Denmark can rely on affordable child care that is regulated and subsidized by their governments. In contrast, the U.S., which has prohibitively expensive childcare, ranks 29th out of 40 nations on the OECD’s work-life balance index. Gupta says, “If we as a society were serious about achieving a work-life balance for everyone, then we would address the underlying issues.” This means giving workers, “the collective power to address the long hours, low wages, unhealthy working conditions that is the norm.” Sonali Kolhatkar is currently the racial justice editor at “YES! Media,” where this article first appeared, and a writing fellow with Independent Media Institute.
ONYX MAGAZINE 39
ENVIRONMENT
INVEST IN THE WORLD AROUND YOU I
n a world fraught with social, political and environmental strife, a mindset that involves a more community-driven approach can make a meaningful difference. Each person’s contributions to improve the earth can send a ripple effect that ultimately transforms communities and the people who live within them. Consider these examples of actions you can take, some bigger than others, that benefit the larger community.
CREATE SHARED COMMON SPACES Nearly every community can benefit from the addition of resources that benefit multiple families. Examples include community gardens, playgrounds, parks and sites for regular farmers’ markets, to name a few. Acquiring the space is often the greatest challenge, but if you’re inspired to lead such an effort, forming a committee of like-minded peers can be an effective step toward raising the funds to create a project that benefits the community at large.
Supporting the efforts of existing organizations that help fill gaps in your community is another way you can make a difference. Offering your time as a volunteer is one option. You might provide extra hands for relatively simple jobs like sorting food or clothing donations, or if you have a particular skill, talent or training, donating your time and expertise could help offset administrative expenses and help the organization operate more efficiently. Making financial contributions also is a meaningful way to support a worthwhile cause in your community. Writing a check may not feel as personal as getting hands-on to help, but without the support of financial donors, philanthropic organizations simply couldn’t provide the community resources they do.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES AND FAMILYFEATURES
DONATE TO CHARITABLE CAUSES
SNACK SMARTER When you’re thinking in terms of how to improve your community, your eating choices may not be on your radar. However, what you eat has a major impact on the community in multiple ways. That’s why you hear a great deal of talk about sustainability directed at food production, which affects the environment in numerous ways along the food supply chain, from air pollution to waste to energy consumption. By choosing ingredients and foods that minimize the impact on the environment, you can show food manufacturers that consumers want products sourced and produced responsibly. One example is Airly Oat Cloud crackers; each box explains how many grams of carbon dioxide you are helping remove from the air by supporting an innovative farming technique, which makes agriculture a solution, not a contributor, to climate change. Sustainable can be tasty, too. Made with real, wholesome and 100% delicious ingredients, all four flavor varieties (Cheddar, Sea Salt, Chocolate and Salted Caramel) make for satisfying, convenient anytime snacks.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES Particularly over the past couple of years, local businesses have fought hard to stay open, modifying their services, adapting to the times and generally trying to keep themselves and their local employees afloat. Rewarding those efforts by shopping in their stores and hiring their services keeps your money within the local community while keeping your friends and neighbors employed. Those benefits aside, there are practical advantages to doing your shopping locally, such as lower emissions and energy consumption for transportation to and from the store or business.
CLEAN UP PUBLIC SPACES Beautification projects not only make your community a more inviting place to be, they actually can be good for the earth. Removing litter allows natural vegetation and wildlife to thrive, reduces health risks and promotes safety by sending a clear message that the community cares about its space. ONYX MAGAZINE 41
O N Y X S TA F F R E P O R T
UNVEILED DR. MARY MCLEOD-BETHUNE’S STATUE GRACES STATUARY HALL
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Black and Parker with MMB statue
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ONYX MAGAZINE
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merica’s story shifted on July 13 when members of congress unveiled a statue commemorating world-renowned Florida educator, pioneer and activist Mary McLeod Bethune at the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall. Bethune’s statue now represents Florida, making her the first Black person selected by a state for National Statuary Hall. ONYX Magazine was there to witness the significant event. “This was the most important event I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said ONYX Magazine Publisher Rich Black. “This is an opportunity that America can really celebrate our diversity and inclusion. This was a great day.” The statue of Bethune represents her passion for education and admiration for people. The sculpture depicts Bethune with a stack of books, a graduation cap and gown, a cane, a black rose, and the subtle smile she was known for. She towers above a marble slab engraved with the state of Florida, her full name, her birth and death dates and a quote of hers that captures her essence: “Invest in the human soul, who knows, it may be a diamond in the rough.” With one tug of a black sleek covering, history changed forever. When it slipped down from her 11-foot, three-ton frame, the audience marveled and exploded with applause, knowing her liking was replacing that of Edmund Kirby Smith, a Confederate general who stood there before her. The statue, created from the last piece of statuario marble taken from Michelangelo’s cave in Italy, was crafted by Nilda Comas, the first Hispanic American woman to sculpt a piece for Statuary Hall. “This was a powerful and proud moment that will never happen again,” said Dee Parker, ONYX Magazine’s vice president and events chair. A once-in-a-lifetime event, indeed. However, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, D-Miami Gardens, recalled a memory in her remarks of an earlier Bethune statue unveiling. Wilson says the experience demonstrated the true force of nature Bethune really was. “In 2004, I was so ecstatic and honored to serve as an honorary co-chair for the fundraising and unveiling of the Mary McLeod-Bethune statue on the campus of (University) with Rich Black and Harry Rosen,” she said. “What happened on that day was an out-of-body experience for me. It is a story I will tell for as long as I can.” She recalls the unveiling ceremony was running late because the day also commemorated the new president’s convocation and the university’s 100th year. She stepped outside to view engravings around the statue. As the clock struck noon, and right on schedule, the sky grew dark and a
Dee Parker, VP Kamala Harris, Rich Black Dee Parker, Rich Black, Dr. Jill Biden Dee Parker, Rich Black, Frederica Wilson, Vince Evans
First Lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, VP Kamala Harris
mighty wind rolled in snatching the burgundy velvet cloth from the immaculate towering statue of Bethune with only Wilson and Bethune’s grandson, Albert Bethune, to see it. Albert Bethune turned to Wilson and mused, “You know, Mama never liked things being late.” Just as the staff gathered the cloth, the convocation ended and the audience burst out the doors with the choir singing “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, His truth is marching on!” Bethune was an avid activist and educator who was committed to advancing civil rights for all, with a focus on Black Americans, women, people in colonized nations and children. With $1.50, she opened a school for young Black women, which is now the 117-year-old Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona, Fla. She was an advocate for women’s suffrage years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment and advocated for civil rights long before the Civil Rights Movement. Her ambition and dedication
to change landed her a role as an adviser to five U.S. presidents and a seat at the founding of the United Nations.
THE D.C. EXPERIENCE Ahead of the MMB unveiling, Rich Black and Dee Parker joined Rep. Wilson at President Joe Biden’s annual congressional picnic on the White House lawn. There, they met Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Ph.D., and a host of other important movers and shakers on the political scene. They also attended a formal reception to honor Bethune. ONYX MAGAZINE 43
M O N E Y M AT T E R S
THE MORE YOU KNOW THE MORE YOU OWE: A STORY OF STUDENT DEBT BY LAURA DORSEY
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens wrote this classic line in his acclaimed novel “A Tale of Two Cities.” We want to think college is supposed to be fun. If you open any college admission pamphlet, that is what it will claim. While this may be true, it omits one aspect of college that is pushed to the sideline or ignored until later: the price tag. Certainly, when Dickens wrote this line, he was not thinking of this column, but I maintain that Black Americans would apply this same sentiment to their student loan debt and how their money matters today. It is no secret that getting a degree has grown more expensive in recent years. You do not have to take my word for it; the facts, taken from educationdata.org, speak for themselves. • Black college graduates owe an average of $25,000 more in student loan debt than White college graduates. • Four years after graduation, 48% of Black students owe an average of 12.5% more than they borrowed. • Black student borrowers are the most likely to struggle financially due to student loan debt, with 29% making monthly payments of $350 or more. • Black student borrowers are the second-most likely to have monthly payments of $350 or more—who is the first. • Black bachelor’s degree holders have an average of $52,000 in student loan debt. • More than 50% of Black student borrowers report their net worth is less than they owe in student loan debt.
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College may have been the best of times for Black students, but this student loan crisis is most certainly the worst of times. According to multiple news outlets, President Joe Biden and the White House have been drafting the order to cancel some student loan debt for months. However, no decision has been made. Some progressive leaders are warning Black Americans that even if President Biden makes a final decision, it may be no more than the $10,000 amount that has been bandied about in the media. And what is that doing for us? According to cnn.com, 91% of students at HBCUs graduate with loans, while only 2% of Harvard students do. Worse, many people with debt never even finished enough courses to complete their degrees. That means that for Black Americans, that $10,000 will barely cover the interest for some of those loans. CNN.com reports that a White House spokesperson reiterated that Biden's extending the moratorium on payments means that for 41 million borrowers, "no one has been required to pay a single dime of student loans since the President took office," with $18.5 billion in targeted debt relief to more than 750,000 borrowers who meet the requirements of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Researchers said that a $10,000 cancellation would extinguish the debts of 11.8 million borrowers. The analysis, msn.com says, would also end the obligations for 30.5% of student loans that were delinquent or in default status ahead of the payment pause.
IMPACT OF HAVING LESS DEBT According to CNN.com, 66% of Black borrowers report regret taking out student loans to fund their education. The article further states, the loans are affecting all aspects of life. At 46%, Black student borrowers were most likely to put off buying a home. In addition, 43% of Black indebted student borrowers are also more likely to report having to work more than they would prefer. At the end of the day, 58% of Black Americans do not believe financing their higher education advanced racial equality. But all is not lost. Most research regarding student loan debt forgiveness and race focuses on the impact on Black borrowers, most likely because this demographic is the most likely among races to pay a disproportionate amount in student loan interest. While eliminating loan payments allows households to reallocate those funds to investments, lawmakers disagree on how student loan debt forgiveness might impact racial wealth gaps in the long run. Student loan debt forgiveness would immediately increase the wealth of Black Americans by up to 40%.
DEBT FREE FANTASY Love it or hate it, if any debt cancellation comes, the financial landscape for millions of people is poised to change. You may want to celebrate if $10,000 vanishes from your student debt, but not so fast. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but you must educate yourself on the solutions to the student loan issues you may face. Your money matters, and so does your daily budget, potential tax issue, and credit score also matter. Some financial planners like Ken Bradshaw, a financial planner and branch man-
ager of LPL Financial in Orlando, feel that the $10,000 forgiveness could set events and circumstances leading to high credit scores in motion. That could happen, for instance, if money otherwise intended for a student loan can now go toward high credit card balances. “Ultimately,” Bradshaw says, “that would improve debt ratio and help raise credit scores as credit card balances drop.” Be aware, though, that it is not a given that suddenly having less student loan debt would automatically lead to higher credit scores. Certain taxcode exceptions already exist for student loan forgiveness. For example, people who get their student loans wiped away through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs, such as teachers and nurses, do not face extra federal taxes for their canceled debts. However, different student loan situations spark a lot of questions. To help get the information that you need, we at ONYX suggest you consult a financial advisor. Check out their profiles, interview them on the phone or in-person and choose wisely. Remember that as important as it is, it is not only your money that matters, but how you use or misuse it that really matters.
Laura Dorsey is an associate editor of ONYX Magazine and the author of the ONYX Magazine Money Matters series.
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THE QUAD BOARD UNANIMOUSLY EXTENDS FMU PRESIDENT’S CONTRACT Florida Memorial University’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend the contract of Dr. Jaffus Hardrick for an additional five years. “I have great love for Florida Memorial University. I am a graduate, a contributor, and I am extremely pleased to see this University moving in the right direction under Dr. Hardrick’s leadership,” said William C. McCormick, Chairman of FMU’s Board of Trustees. “We will remain focused on achieving the goals that will bring FMU into the future.” Dr. Hardrick began laying a foundation to elevate South Florida’s only Historically Black College and University to a world-class institution in 2018. The key to this transformaFMU President tion was focusing on five strategic areas: student success, Dr. Jaffus Hardrick academic quality, operational excellence, financial solvency, and relationship development. Under Dr. Hardrick’s leadership, FMU’s accreditation was reinstated. On June 16, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees voted to remove the University’s sanction, Probation for Good Cause. FMU is currently experiencing a 306 percent increase in enrollment commitments for Fall 2022, compared to 2021, with degree offerings in aviation, education, computer science, healthcare, renewable energy, and innovation technology, amongst many others. In addition to academic accomplishments, Dr. Hardrick restored FMU’s football team after 62 years, implemented an award-winning marching band, introduced an Esports curriculum, and launched women’s softball, women’s flag football, women’s beach volleyball, and junior varsity basketball and baseball to uplift campus culture. During his tenure, one of the most commendable feats achieved by Dr. Hardrick has been the restoration of the University’s finances. He has secured $2.4 million for aviation and science renovations, and more than $12 million in private and government funding. Overall donor giving has increased by 30 percent year-over-year. The future is looking bright for FMU, and the latest article in Forbes magazine further validates this position by listing FMU as the most financially improved University for 2022, compared to more than 900 other institutions. The University is now financially stable, academically sound, and continues ascending to excellence. FMU has formed strong partnerships with renowned corporations and organizations such as the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Lennar Foundation, Knight Foundation, and many others which helps advance student success, academic quality, and overall operational excellence. Dr. Hardrick and his leadership team are reimagining the University’s future in a bold new way. “The vision for our University’s future is transformative and invigorating,” said Dr. Hardrick. “I look forward to continuing to work with our Board of Trustees, administration, faculty and staff, students, alumni, and partners to grow and unify our University with the greater community. I am truly thankful to everyone who believes in FMU and our mission.” FMU News
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B-CU NAMES NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT The Board of Trustees of Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) has elected Dr. Lawrence (“Larry”) M. Drake, II, as Interim President effective immediately. The election of Dr. Drake follows the University’s announcement on June 8 that outgoing Interim President Hiram C. Powell decided to retire. Dr. Drake currently serves as Dean of B-CU’s College of Business & Entrepreneurship (CBE) and has been instrumental in designing and co-sponsoring the University’s strategic review process, “Re-Imagining B-CU: Now, Next and Beyond.” Dr. Drake will continue to serve as Dean of CBE. B-CU News
B-CU Interim President Dr. Lawrence M. Drake, II
Centennial Hall on EWU’s campus
EWU RECEIVES $500,000 GRANT TO PRESERVE PRESTIGIOUS HALL
FAMU IS FIRST HBCU TO PARTNER WITH TWITTER Florida A&M University Athletics is partnering with Twitter to create a Twitter community. FAMU is the first HBCU to get this partnership. According to Twitter, these communities were created to “give people a dedicated place to connect, share, and get closer to the discussions they care about most.” Admins and moderators manage them, enforce community guidelines and keep the conversations clean and fun. FAMU has had several “firsts” in the past couple of years. The school is the first HBCU to partner with Nike, the first HBCU to have their ensemble play at Carnegie Hall and is the highest-ranked public HBCU in the nation. According to Joshua Padilla, the director of athletic communications and digital strategy for FAMU Athletics, this is why partnering with Twitter was a great opportunity. The FAMU Community will allow athletics to give information directly to students and fans, like game promotions, schedules and more. Exclusive news will also be shared here, like giveaways or important announcements. Athletics already has a Lebron James x FAMU jersey giveaway introduced exclusively to the community. The goal for the community is to have a place for Rattlers to hear about opportunities at FAMU and beyond, share information about athletics and have space to interact with each other. Padilla says the long-term plan for the community is to add more FAMU accounts to create a place exclusively for “Rattler Nation.” By Dejania Oliver, The Famuan
In its mission to continue sustaining the institution’s rich history, Edward Waters University (EWU) has been awarded $500,000 from the National Historic Society for the preservation of the Centennial Hall on Friday, July 8, 2022. Previous to this awarded grant, The National Historic Society had already bestowed EWU with $500,000 to maintain and make improvements to the Centennial Hall. This occurred last year, in 2021, making this the second time they have awarded EWU with this grant. The National Historic Society’s division, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places, was established as part of a national program to coordinate and support public as well as private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources. As such, EWU receiving additional funding to preserve the Centennial Hall marks the importance of the building as a historical site in Jacksonville. “As Florida’s ‘Destination Institution’ of Emerging Eminence, we are honored to accept this gift from The National Historic Society. This will support our perpetual ascendancy as Jacksonville’s crown jewel of education. We are ecstatic to see the progression of our historic buildings that have been seen as a staple of the EWU community,” said President and CEO of EWU, Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr. The Centennial Hall functions as the university’s main library. Originally built in 1916 to house a gymnasium and a number of classrooms, the Centennial Building, as it was originally referred to, was renamed in 1966 to commemorate the institution’s 100th anniversary and as the oldest building on campus. In 1976, it was rehabilitated for use as the college library. Today, the library contains nearly 13,000 print volumes and provides access to more than 250,000 electronic books. It’s also home to Obi-Scott-Umunna Collection of African Art The only other Florida college to receive a $500,000 grant from the National Historic Society is Florida A&M University in Tallahassee to preserve Coleman Library. EWU News
ONYX MAGAZINE 47
SAGE
HELP PARENTS AVOID FRAUD uments, either shred them yourself at home or gather boxes of material to take to a community shredding event, which occur periodically in most communities. • Check Their credit Be sure to monitor your parents’ credit reports at least once a year; this helps ensure that no one is opening any false accounts using their identities. Talk to local professionals for more information on how to assist your parents in safeguarding their finances as they age.
TIME FOR A GERIATRIC DOCTOR?
Here are several tips for protecting your parents’ finances as they age: • Talk it Over Sometimes talking about money is tricky, even with close family members. Older adults need to understand that they are at risk for fraud if they don’t have someone to help manage their money as they age. Ask about spending, saving and philanthropic habits, and know who has access to your parents’ account information. • Form a Team Enlist other family members if needed and identify other trusted contacts with whom your parents feel comfortable discussing money matters. If your parents work with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, set up a meeting to talk about fraud protection and create an elder care plan for your parents. • Make Safety Simple Set up online account information, and show your parents how they and you can monitor account activity. Set up automatic withdrawals for monthly bills. If your parents still like to review and balance their checking accounts each month, use that as an opportunity to identify anything that looks out of the ordinary. • Establish Power of Attorney As parents age, they may need someone else to communicate with financial institutions or healthcare providers. Make sure your parents have an updated power of attorney that lists you and/or any other trusted contacts. The same goes for a medical power of attorney. • Shred What You Can Many older adults have financial documents that don’t need to be kept, but because of sensitive information cannot simply be thrown out or recycled. Once you identify old financial doc-
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According to HealthInAging.org, you should consult a geriatrician when: • An older person's condition causes considerable impairment and frailty. These patients tend to be over the age of 75 and coping with many diseases and disabilities, including cognitive (mental) problems. • Family members and friends are feeling considerable stress and strain as caregivers.
When you do find a geriatrician, Home Care Assistance suggests that you ask these seven questions to get the best care. 1. What changes should I look for (physical, mental, emotional)? 2. What exercises are good for increasing balance and coordination? 3. Are there any new prescriptions being added? 4. What screening tests do I (or my parent) need? 5. What tests are being conducted on me (or my parent)? 6. Are my (or my loved one’s) health problems chronic? 7. How can I (or my loved one) stay mentally healthy
NEWS USA AND ONYX STAFF REPORT
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oday, many adults have elderly parents who live independently. As the number of digital scammers preying on the elderly increases, however, your aging parents are at higher risk of financial fraud. “You must be ready to safeguard your parents against the growing threat of digital scammers and become their trusted advocate,” says Laura J. LaTourette, CFP®.
The process of aging could be subtitled ‘things they don’t tell you.’ All of a sudden you have aches in parts of your body you never knew existed. You ask yourself, ‘now, why did I come into this room?’ You might try to pretend you forgot to do something, when, in fact, you did not hear the request to do it. If you, or your parent, are having these experiences more frequently than before, it might be time to see a geriatric doctor—a physician who focuses primarily on the needs of seniors.
R E A L E S TAT E
HOME PRICES SKYROCKETING
THE COST OF BUYING A HOME IS UP 50% FROM A YEAR AGO—BUT HERE’S WHERE YOU COULD GET A BREAK. BY CLARE TRAPASSO
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year ago, the great majority of American homebuyers despaired over the state of the housing market. Prices had hit record highs. There were so few homes for sale that lines for open houses stretched for blocks and move-in ready places in desirable areas were receiving dozens of offers—and prompting soul-crushing bidding wars. It couldn’t possibly get any worse, right? Wrong, actually! Fast-forward a year, and there are even fewer homes for sale, prices have continued their upward trajectory, and mortgage interest rates are shooting up at a breakneck pace. The result: The real costs of homeownership—the actual payments buyers need to make each month, made up primarily by mortgage and principal costs, along with property tax and insurance—are skyrocketing. And this has severely diminished the buying power of most wannabe homeowners. Someone purchasing the same home today will spend about 1.5 times more on their mortgage bills than they would have just one year earlier. To be clear, home prices alone haven’t risen anywhere near that high. And sellers generally aren’t pocketing that much extra cash through bidding wars. What’s happening is the higher home prices and rising rates have inflated monthly mortgage payments by about 50% in just one year. Take that increase, then add in the highest inflation rates in 40 years— pushing up the price of gas and just about everything else—and steep drops in the stock and cryptocurrency markets, and many homebuyers are hurting. It’s causing a paradigm shift. Most buyers have traditionally focused on the sticker price of a home (and how much extra they’ll have to offer to get it). But higher mortgage rates can significantly boost the amount homeowners will fork over to their lender. For example, nationally mortgage payments are about $1,882 a month, not including property taxes or homeowners insurance. A year ago, they were roughly $1,249.
THE EXACT AMOUNT DEPENDS ON WHERE BUYERS LIVE. That’s why Realtor.com® looked at the increase in mortgage payments in the nation’s 15 largest metropolitan areas. In the Miami metro, buyers’ mortgage payments are 83% higher than they were just one year ago. (Metros include the main city and surrounding towns, suburbs, and smaller urban areas.) On the other end of the spectrum, mortgage payments in Detroit
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were up a still bruising but far less devastating 19%. “We’re already comparing [2022] to a year that was extremely competitive,” says George Ratiu, manager of economic research at Realtor.com. “For first-time buyers, this part is challenging. First-time buyers tend to face much bigger hurdles, from coming up with down payments to being able to qualify for mortgages all the while still competing with all-cash buyers, investors, and existing homeowners who have more cash to bring to the table.”
MONTHLY HOME PAYMENTS ARE MOVING OUT OF REACH OF MORE OWNERS What’s flummoxing buyers is even in major metros where home prices have dipped—such as Los Angeles and Philadelphia—higher mortgage rates are translating into higher monthly costs. (Prices are coming down slightly in a few markets in response to the higher rates, particularly those without as many good-paying jobs to support the higher prices, as well as places where more smaller homes are going up for sale.) The numbers tell the tale. Median home list prices rose 14.2% to hit a new record high of $425,000 in April, according to the most recent Realtor. com data. Average mortgage rates rose 78%, increasing from 2.96% in the first week of May 2021 to 5.27% in the week ending May 5 of this year. (Rates were for 30-year fixed-rate loans.) “Even in markets with price declines, interest rates alone are driving payments so much higher,” says Ratiu. “What stands out is even more affordable cities, such as Atlanta, Houston, and Chicago, are seeing significant increases in the lack of affordability.”
The situation has forced many homebuyers with more modest budgets to compromise on the homes of their dreams, move to less convenient areas—or simply give up their search for the foreseeable future. Many are competing with all-cash buyers, often investors or longtime owners downsizing into smaller, less expensive homes. Cash buyers are not affected by rising mortgage rates and may even be helped by them, since they often lead to less competition in the market, and lower overall offers. How high are mortgage payments rising? In Miami, they’ve surged 83% in just one year Miami experienced the largest jump in mortgage payments of the 15 metros on our list with an 83% surge in just one year. Renters didn’t have it much easier—those prices surged 57.2% in March compared with just one year earlier, according to the most recent Realtor.com data. The demand in Miami has been fueled by outof-state buyers and investors moving in during the COVID-19 pandemic, lured by the warm weather and the absence of an income tax. The ability to work from home allowed many buyers to relocate. Others moved for work as some companies, including tech and finance organizations, relocated or opened up branches in the Sunshine State. And retirees and soon-to-be retirees continued to pour into the state. “There are many buyers who are being priced out,” says Miami-area real estate agent Daniel Maya, of Coldwell Banker Realty. “There are people who are saying to me, ‘Yes, I’m paying more in rent, but I can’t find anything [to buy].” About a third of his clients are now coming from out of town compared with about 10% before the pandemic. They’re hailing from places like New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago, he says. He’s seen homes in the $1 million to $2 million range receive cash offers of $300,000 to $400,000 over the asking price. “How can somebody who is getting a mortgage deal with that?” asks Maya. More affordably priced starter homes have dried up, even in the suburbs. “People don’t make enough to support these prices,” he continues. “Absolutely not.” Miami wasn’t the only metro to see significant increases in mortgage payments. To come up with our findings, the data team at Realtor.com
IN THE PAST YEAR, HOUSING PAYMENTS HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY FOR HOMEBUYERS WITH MORTGAGES. (JESSICA SCHILLINGER FOR REALTOR.COM) 1. NEW YORK CITY, NY Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 45% Median home list price: $712,000 Annual change in home prices: 9.6%
9. ATLANTA, GA Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 43% Median home list price: $411,000 Annual change in home prices: 8.2%
2. LOS ANGELES, CA Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 27% Median home list price: $950,000 Annual change in home prices: -3.9%
10. BOSTON, MA Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 42% Median home list price: $754,000 Annual change in home prices: 7.9%
3. CHICAGO, IL Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 32% Median home list price: $350,000 Annual change in home prices: 0%
11. SAN FRANCISCO, CA Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 38% Median home list price: $1,098,000 Annual change in home prices: 4.6%
4. DALLAS, TX Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 55% Median home list price: $438,000 Annual change in home prices: 17.1%
12. DETROIT, MI Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 19% Median home list price: $248,000 Annual change in home prices: -9.8%
5. HOUSTON, TX Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 47% Median home list price: $389,000 Annual change in home prices: 11.4%
13. PHOENIX, AZ Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 61% Median home list price: $527,000 Annual change in home prices: 22%
6. PHILADELPHIA, PA Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 26% Median home list price: $323,000 Annual change in home prices: -5%
14. SEATTLE, WA Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 58% Median home list price: $800,000 Annual change in home prices: 19.5%
7. WASHINGTON, DC Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 47% Median home list price: $562,000 Annual change in home prices: 11.3%
15. MINNEAPOLIS, MN Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 52% Median home list price: $414,000 Annual change in home prices: 15.1%
8. MIAMI, FL Increase in monthly mortgage payment: 83% Median home list price: $578,000 Annual change in home prices: 38.3%
calculated median home list prices in the 15 largest metros in April and the difference in mortgage rates from the first week of May in 2021 to the first week of May this year for 30-year fixedrate loans. The data was from Realtor.com and Freddie Mac. It’s also important to note that the mortgage rates that buyers receive depend on a variety of
factors, including their credit scores, the amount of their debt, the size of their loans, how much they’re putting down on the home, and so on. So how much more will homebuyers with mortgages have to pony up across the country? Well, that all depends on where they live. Let’s take a tour of America’s 15 largest metros to see the highs and the lows!
Clare Trapasso is the deputy news editor of Realtor.com where she writes and edits news and data stories.
ONYX MAGAZINE 51
COMMUNITY
THE REFINERY:
FORUM INSPIRES CHANGE AND SOLUTIONS BY ALLYSEN KERR
Panelists Rep. Dianne Hart, Robin Lockett, Yvette Lewis, and Bob Morrison
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n Friday, June 3, more than 200 members of the Tampa Bay community gathered for The Refinery: A Social Exchange. Attendees arrived dressed in classy urban fashion at Hotel Haya in Ybor City, ready to experience a community forum like no other. Marlon Boone, a noted local saxophonist, filled the foyer outside the Valencia Ballroom with jazzy R&B classics as guests networked and socialized before the program's start. Attendees posed for photos, exchanged warm greetings and sampled delightful Latin-inspired fare, but the main appeal was the need for change. This inaugural event, curated by serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Gary Hartfield, sought to create a space for members of the Black community to have conversations around challenging issues. Hartfield stated that the idea for The Refinery was birthed out of the pandemic and the overwhelming social injustice issues disproportionately affecting the Black community. Over the last two years, he witnessed Black Americans become stunned to silence by racial and social injustices. "I felt that it was important that we find a way to unburden our pain and find ways to collaboratively move forward and inspire change in our community with tangible solutions," Hartfield told the “Tampa Bay Times.” Locally, that meant unpacking the issues that were affecting the community right here in the region. Titled "The State of Black Tampa," the forum included 15 panelists and covered wealth and empowerment, civic engagement and leadership, and health and wellness topics. The panelists included influential Black entrepreneurs, leaders, politicians, and health professionals, including Florida Representative Dianne Hart (D-Tampa), former NFL player and pastor Jomo Cousins, Ph.D., and Kevin Sneed, Ph.D., of USF Health. NFL Superbowl champion and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Michael Clayton served as the emcee for the night. One of the takeaways was the need for social capital. In his keynote address, Roland Daniels, a retired entrepreneur and former University of Flor52 ONYX MAGAZINE
ida trustee, shared how social capital helped him to build not only a successful auto sales business but also provided influential leadership opportunities. "You can't get anything done by yourself," he stated. "You've got to have allies. You've got to have a team. You've got to have like-minded people." Cousins, who spoke on the wealth and empowerment panel, stressed the need for financial education and literacy among older and younger community members. Cousins believes normalizing conversations on the value of life insurance and establishing a savings plan is vital to the future of our community, he said. The evening also featured a fireside chat with Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith, who provided insight on the challenges within the Black LGBTQ+ community. In addition to Representative Hart, Yvette Lewis, the president of the Hillsborough NAACP, and Robin Lockett of Florida Rising participated in a civic engagement and leadership panel. The panelists emphasized the need for active participation in local matters through voting and civic leadership. The final panel featured an in-depth conversation on health and wellness within the Black community and the disparities faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The discussion, led by Tampa General Hospital VP of Nurse Administration Wendi Celerin, also highlighted stigmas surrounding mental health issues in the Black community. The group featured Sneed, founding Dean of the University of South Florida Taneja College of Pharmacy, Gwendolyn Clayton, M.D., of USF Health, and Winfred Chasten, who works with intellectually and developmentally disabled youth. The group emphasized the need for self-care and even therapy for mental wellness in Black communities. Hartfield noted that this was the first of several events and looks forward to the impact these conversations will have on the community.
Emcee Michael Clayton and Founder Gary Hartfield
Allysen Kerr is the Principal and Creative Director at Prymel Elements.
ONYX PROFILE
STEVEN KING MY 20 YEARS WITH ONYX MAGAZINE
A
llow me to introduce myself. I am Steven King with ONYX magazine. I was introduced to ONYX Magazine more than two decades ago. My mother, Dr. Valarie King, had just written an article for ONYX Magazine about diversity, equity and inclusion. My background up to that point was as a broadcast journalist and radio station program director. I was impressed by ONYX Magazine and asked my mother to introduce me to the magazine publisher, Lillian Seays. I spoke with Lillian and asked if I could submit an article about diabetes. Lillian invited me to her home where I met Lester. Together Lillian and I edited the article and the next thing I knew my words were visible in what remains to be an iconic African American publication. I must impress upon you the significance of this publication. We are one of the premier Black magazines in the United States, along with Essence and Ebony. Through ONYX Magazine, over the years I have covered the NFL, NBA, NASCAR, and Walt Disney World. I have interviewed dozens of celebrities from one of Muhammad Ali's wives to Jamie Foxx.
ONYX Magazine was a part of me as my career shifted into hospitality management. I had the privilege of being on the leadership team of the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. At Hard Rock, I was the first VIBE Manager and helped build their worldwide hotel brand. VIBE stands for Visionary Individual Behind Energy and my passion for food and wine manifested. Every Hard Rock Hotel on the planet has a VIBE Manager. I have traveled to France, Italy, Germany, and Napa, Calif. exploring some of the world's finest wine regions. ONYX Magazine has provided the platform for me to share those culinary adventures with you. Current publisher, Rich Black, was a significant participant in the overall magazine's strategic plan in the early years. I remember being present in Lillian's living room when Rich accepted the responsibility of becoming the next ONYX Magazine publisher. Shout out to the entire ONYX Magazine team! We have a lot in store for you so keep reading and viewing. Steven King is a media consultant, critic, hospitality executive and journalist. He is most proud to be Steven King with ONYX Magazine.
ONYX MAGAZINE 53
FOOD & WINE
TOAST TO 25 YEARS BY STEVEN KING
I
propose a toast to celebrate 25 years of ONYX Magazine. Pop open the Champagne! The luxury of this drink consumes the planet and France is the epicenter of classic Champagne culture. Champagne is a sparkling wine produced exclusively in the Champagne region of France. Within this region are the Moet and Dom Perignon headquarters along with dozens of other producers. To be true Champagne, the elixir must originate in the Champagne region of France. If the same type of beverage comes from anywhere else in the world it is a sparkling wine of some kind. Champagne first became world renown because of its association with the anointment of French kings. Royalty from throughout Europe spread the message of the unique carbonated wine called Champagne and fueled its association with luxury and power. Champagne runs between 8 to 14 percent alcohol on average. A champagne flute is a long slender glass. This elongated design showcases the bubbles or pearls of the Champagne for visual impact and concentrates the aroma to please the nose. Look for these elegant pearls in your next glass of bubbly! There are approximately 49 million bubbles in one bottle of Champagne. The pressure in a bottle of Champagne is 90 pounds per square inch, about three times the pressure of an automobile tire. A cork leaves the bottle at a velocity of 38-40mph but can pop out as fast as 100 mph! An extremely versatile wine, Champagne goes great with oysters, lobster, roasted chicken, sushi, smoked salmon, mushroom risotto and strawberries. Have a drink of the stars!
Steven King is a critic, hospitality executive and wine snob.
54 ONYX MAGAZINE
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