REVIVED: Tampa's Most Influential Black Owned Magazine - Winter 2019

e

tampa’s most influential black-owned magazine

year in review

revived

ISSUE 09

WINTER 2018 $4.99

contents

YEAR IN REVIEW 4 7

10

17 18

REV IVED Magazine Outstanding Articles

Marvel’s Black Panther Joe Walker - Winter 2018

First Cover Story

Long Fight for Equality Tierra White - Winter 2017

Circle of Mothers

Sky U. White - Spring 2018

The Truth and Nothing But

The Most Segregated Hour

Preacher With a Pen - Summer 2017

Most Transformative

Beyond Visibility

Monica Rochon - Summer 2017

The Truth and Nothing But

20

All of Us Always

23

Meenata’s Crown Jewels

Sheree Greer - Spring 2017

Andra Richardson - Winter 2018

Editor’s Note Two years ago, I started REVIVED Magazine to create a positive media platform for our local urban community. Mass media has always told a very bleak story about the black community, and my mission was to change that. Over the past two years, our publication has experienced exponential growth all because of your support.

Therefore, we are dedicating this to our most controversial, most talked about, and most engaging stories over the past 8 issues.

Stay tuned for many great changes we have in store for you this year!

With Love, Sky U. White Editor-In-Chief

Marvel's

BLACK PANTHER The Responsibilty of the Black Superhero Movie

BY JOE WALKER

R

esponsibility. No movie based on a comic book character should have so much. Yet that’s the burden of Marvel’s Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman in the lead role. A character created by legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966, it took the first black superhero in the history of

mainstream comics 50 years to appear in a movie. After an impressive debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War as a supporting yet integral role player, tremendous anticipation began to mount for Panther’s 2018 solo outing. With its Black History Month theatrical release (February 16, 2018) he has a great deal of opposition to contend with.

Sought after comic illustrator and writer Corey “Roc Bottom” Davis of Truthful Comics believes it’s the right time to have a proper depiction of a stout black superhero. “We live in an age where diversity is important now more than ever,” says the South Carolina native and creator of Jet Boy, another popular Black superhero. “We've seen Iron Man on the big screen, we've seen Captain America on the big screen. And with that we’ve seen the diversity. But one issue: the black men were sidekicks. We've seen Wonder Woman hold her own so far as a lead heroine, and the time for an established black male superhero in the age of diversity is long overdue.”

Onscreen Black Panther must battle fictional villains wielding high-tech weapons. He’ll also tussle with the ramifications of his decisions. Off screen he faces

"This film will be a cultural boost for our self-esteem as a people."

A BATTLE FOR POWER

Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa a.k.a Black Panther faces off with Erik Killmonger played by Michael B. Jordan.

very real social and cultural expectations. A subject already

Carolina native and creator of Jet Boy, another popular Black

being heavily discussed is the proposed impact of the film.

superhero. “We've seen Iron Man on the big screen, we've seen

Responsibility. No movie based on a comic book character should

Captain America on the big screen. And with that we’ve seen the

have so much. Yet that’s the burden of Marvel’s Black Panther

diversity. But one issue: the black men were sidekicks. We've

starring Chadwick Boseman in the lead role. A character created

seen Wonder Woman hold her own so far as a lead heroine, and

by legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966, it took the first black

the time for an established black male superhero in the age of

superhero in the history of mainstream comics 50 years to appear

diversity is long overdue.”

in a movie. After an impressive debut in 2016’s Captain America:

Onscreen Black Panther must battle fictional villains wielding

Civil War as a supporting yet integral role player, tremendous

high-tech weapons. He’ll also tussle with the ramifications of

anticipation began to mount for Panther’s 2018 solo outing. With

his decisions. Off screen he faces very real social and cultural

its Black History Month theatrical release (February 16, 2018) he

expectations. A subject already being heavily discussed is the

has a great deal of opposition to contend with.

proposed impact of the film.

Sought after comic illustrator and writer Corey “Roc Bottom”

Glyph Comics Awards-winning author Alverne Ball feels Black

Davis of Truthful Comics believes it’s the right time to have a

Panther will give other screenwriters of color the confidence to

proper depiction of a stout black superhero. “We live in an age

write more heroes of color in television and film. “It'll possibly give

where diversity is important now more than ever,” says the South

Black directors a new view into how one may be able to shoot

IMAGES VIA MARVEL STUDIOS

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and make a film about Black heroes”, he says. “And thus we

“As a king it’s even more important to see how he interacts

may see people of color - writers and directors - collaborating,

with them as a man in a position of power,” Davis says. “Seeing

producing, and making content for the underrepresented with

the relationship he has with them on both levels will be very

backing by a studio or production company. I don't think you'll

telling of T'Challa's character. Also, holding together the family

see it happen organically from those gatekeepers unless it’s

in general as the new king. He now has to protect his family on a

brought to them by the creators.”

much larger level as king and son. He has to help with the family's

Among the many relishing the prospective importance of this movie is pioneering blogger, recording artist and activist Jamal STEELE of Pensacola, FL. He says Black Panther is “needed for 2018 to give us a sense of Black excellence and prestige.”

healing process and how he interacts with his mom and sister is an important part of that process.”

With Bassett, Wright, Gurira and numerous others portraying these all-important roles, is it possible the success of Black

Wearing the animal-inspired Black Panther suit is T’Challa,

Panther will encourage other film makers and studios to cast

prince of the isolated, immensely wealthy and technologically

more Black women similarly? Ball doesn’t think so. He feels Black

advanced African nation of Wakanda. Following the death of his

women have always been at the forefront of a civil revolution yet

father, T’Challa assumes the mantel of king.

consistently secondary to men. Ball uses assassin film Proud

Tasked futuristic

with

bringing

African

this

metropolis

Mary starring Taraji P. Henson as an example.

to life is writer/director Ryan

“Might be a good action-er

Coogler (Creed and Fruitvale

in the vein of Atomic Blonde

Station), based on a screenplay

or Long Kiss Goodnight, but

written by Coogler and Joe

the fact that some advertising

Robert Cole (American Crime).

is pushing it as a black female

Assembled

Coogler’s

assassin starts the debate of why

direction is an unprecedented

can't she be a good assassin,”

cast

and

Ball says. “If we turn the question

Joining Boseman is

on its head and bring in the

Forest Whitaker as T’Challa’s

connotation on ‘Black + Woman’

mentor Zuri, Michael B. Jordan

what we're really talking about is

of

actresses.

under Black

actors

as his rival Erik Killmonger, Danai Gurira as Okoye – head of his elite all-female guards the Dora Milaje, Latitia Wright as his sister Shuri, and Angela Bassett as his mother Queen Ramonda.

the stereotyping of Black women to be bitchy, bossy, and belligerent.

“If we really want Black women to be cast in more action movies like Black Panther,” Ball continues, “then these characters

“With a predominantly Black cast it shows us in a regal light,”

need to be like [Tessa Thompson’s] character as Valkyrie [in Thor:

STEELE says. “This year will show us our worth socially, politically

Ragnarok] and own the screen; they need dedicated film or TV

and culturally. This film will be a cultural boost for our self-esteem

projects that is female-centric in its view of women and the world,

as a people.” This chiefly applies to Black men.

but also has the sensibility to entertain it's male counterparts by

Davis adds, “It’s important for our young Black males to look up

not being preachy but truthful in the story it wants to tell. Not

to a hero on the big screen that looks like them and, in this case,

formulaic in the process of the heroine being saved by a male or

remind them of the royalty they come from.”

creating a relationship for said heroine when all she needs to do

With T’Challa’s crown comes the duty of protecting his regal

is just live and be herself and fight the good fight. If we start to

people and the considerable assets of his homeland. A major

create projects like that then Black female characters will be in

source of Wakanda’s monetary wealth and social prosperity

abundance and will have a voice in this genre.”

is vibranium – a nearly indestructible metal with energy-

How often we hear the voice of T’Challa, his people and those

manipulating qualities. It’s used throughout their nation as well

like them depends on the success of his solo theatrical release.

as to create Panther’s gear. It’s also highly coveted by malicious

Black History Month is about celebrating the victories of Black

outsiders. A major source of T’Challa’s physical wealth and

heroes. No movie based on a comic book character should have

emotional prosperity is the women he surrounds himself with,

so much responsibility. Nor should the audience paying to see it.

especially Shuri and Ramonda.

Yet that’s the burden of Marvel’s Black Panther.

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Photography | Priscilla Dickson In Photo: Zelma Culpepper (left) and Deanna Joseph (right)

Infinite Support Through Endless Grief

By Sky U. White

A

s a mother, you pray for the best for your child(ren). Maybe the best is making sure your children receives the finest education, and ensure that they are safe, nurtured and loved. You give them your all; sacrificing so much so that one day, they too can reap the benefits of what you provided them when they were young. For some, those benefits might be graduating from college, starting a career, getting married, and one day having a family of their own. Many of you want the “American dream” for your child(ren), but not every mother in the United States gets the opportunity to see those dreams come to fruition.

Today’s news stories are not much different from the stories Baby Boomers heard blasting across their black and white television screens. Black children being gunned down by those who swore to protect and serve has always plagued headlines. Nearly two decades later, Columbine High School is no longer the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Children are bullying each other to the point of seeking suicide as their only means to escape.

When cops remove a teenager from a school-sanctioned event for no other viable reason than being Black and standing too close to the wrong crowd, then he later ends up being hit and killed by a car, America, we have a problem.

As a parent, a mother, how can you ever expect to cope with the tragic, unexpected loss of your child?

Andrew Joseph, III

Andrew’s battered jeans from the night of the incident

Only one of Andrew’s shoes was recovered from the scene.

Andrew Joseph III Andrew Joseph III lived with his mother, father, and little sister in Riverview, Florida, and came from a successful and loving home. The Joseph’s moved from New Orleans, Louisiana, as a result of the devastation endured from Hurricane Katrina. They soon found Riverview to be their new home. Andrew attended a private Catholic school, was captain of his youth league football team, enjoyed fashion, and one day dreamed of being a model and famous clothing designer. Deanna Joseph, Andrew’s mother, described him as humorous, kind-hearted, thoughtful, and very mature. Andrew and his parents’ dreams came to an abrupt end on the night of February 7, 2014, when he was ejected from the Florida State Fair on Student Day in Tampa, Florida.

Andrew’s parents, Deanna and Andrew Joseph II, were never told that their son had been ejected from the fair. Nor were they provided a police report or even given a valid reason as to why Andrew had been removed. “Drew,” as he is sometimes called, had just been accepted into Tampa Catholic High School and was an honor student. He had never been in trouble a day in his short life. He was racially profiled by local sheriff officers, taken into custody, treated like a common criminal, and then released in the middle of one of the nation’s busiest interstates, the I-4 intersection in Tampa. It was there that Andrew was struck and killed by an oncoming SUV as he attempted to cross the busy intersection in the middle of the night to get back to the fairgrounds.

When Andrew was not at the agreed upon location, his father went looking for him, spending several hours walking up and down the fairgrounds desperately searching for his son. It was not until he approached a state trooper (as the fair was preparing to shut down for the night) that he heard his son could be the pedestrian struck and killed in the middle of the busy I-4 intersection. Mr. Joseph was in disbelief. Andrew could not drive. Therefore, he had no way of leaving the fair. Mr. Joseph was asked to identify the items removed from Andrew’s body as identification that the young, slim Black child lying in the cold morgue was indeed his bright-eyed son.

The officer brought him a ziplock bag with Andrew’s shattered cell phone, school ID, and a friendship bracelet his little sister had made for him.

The life of Andrew Joseph II and Deanna Joseph would never be the same.

Messages from classmates and teachers in memory of Andrew.

Memorial located at Andrew Joseph, III High School

Zelmound Culpepper Zelmound Culpepper was born in Tampa and raised by his grandmother Zelma Culpepper, a local salon owner who worked to provide him and his siblings with the best.

At the age of 2 years old on an Easter Sunday, Zelmound was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident where he was ejected from his car seat. Shortly after this incident, Zelma started to notice drastic behavior changes in her grandson. “Before the accident, Zelmound was quiet. Now, it was to the point to where he would just do things…As he grew older, that change got worse.” As a first grader, Zelmound was admitted to a mental health facility for 72 hours after threatening to commit suicide. Things only escalated from there. Zelma remembers a time Zelmound was caught stealing, selling those items, and then using the money to purchase food for the homeless. She recalls the perplexity of trying to understand why Zelmound felt he needed to steal when she was able to provide him with what he needed. Despite his behavior, Zelmound was a high achieving student academically. His instructors described him as a bright student with emotional problems.

On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, Zelmound was involved in an altercation at a local park and was one of two individuals killed that day. Zelmound’s mother succumbed to breast cancer and passed away 29 days after his death.

When Zelma was asked how she mustered up the strength to plan her daughter’s funeral shortly after that of her grandson, Zelma replied, “I don’t know. My son helped me do it all.” Zelma found herself in emotional turmoil, needing support.

A young Zelmound Culpepper

Gravesite of Zelmound Culpepper

Park where Zelmound was killed following an altercation.

The Injustice Deanna Joseph, Andrew’s mother, sought support and found no one to whom she could turn.

“I felt so alone locally. There was no place to turn to. It was just an emptiness,” said Deanna. “My child is dead, and I’m supposed to just sit here and weep? I was tired of weeping.” Deanna and her husband reached out to local elected officials to no avail.

Deanna began traveling and meeting other mothers whose children had met similar fates. It was during her travels that Deanna met Jackie Johnson, the mother of Kendrick Johnson whose 17-year-old son’s body was found wrapped inside a rolled-up wrestling mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, in January 2011. She also met with the family of Emmitt Till. Understanding that the Till family had been fighting for justice for over 50 years, Deanna reached out to the foundation located in Chicago, Illinois. Through this foundation, she connected with Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old gunned down by a neighborhood thug, whose story eventually made national headlines and challenged Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law. Deanna was invited to attend the annual Circle of Mothers retreat in 2015, which was founded by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.

Shortly after the retreat, Deanna was encouraged and inspired to start a Circle of Mothers chapter in Tampa. The Circle of Mothers Tampa is a 501(c)3 and offers consistent support to promote hope, help, and healing to hurting mothers who suffer from the loss of a child. It was during

Zelma Culpepper,

Zelmound Culpepper’s Grandmother and Co-Founder of Circle of Mothers Tampa

Deanna Joseph,

Andrew’s Mother and Co-Founder of Circle of Mothers Tampa

Deanna and Zelma have been working together so support other mothers who have lost their children to gun violence and other forms of neglect.

the first meeting that Deanna Joseph and Zelma Culpepper met and soon became good friends. To date, 20 mothers are a part of the Circle of Mothers support group with plans to expand from Hillsborough County to Pinellas County. “We have group calls. We talk about it [their losses], we cry about it,” said Zelma. “It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be sad, but you got to pick yourself up and keep going.”

The Circle of Mothers Tampa chapter offers support meetings every third Sunday of the month where they focus on transforming pain into purpose.

“Collectively, we remain parents to our deceased children,” said Deanna Joseph. “Sadly, due to unforeseen

16 /

circumstances, we are now forced to parent from the grave.” Although there are thousands of mothers suffering from the loss of a child, Deanna and Zelma are encouraging all of them to attend at least one meeting and understand that there are moms who sympathize with their loss. Both women have become instrumental in the development of the organization and helping other mothers cope.

For more information on the Circle of Mothers Tampa, visit andrewjosephfoundation.org.

THE most

SEGREGATED HOUR

by A Preacher with A Pen

T

his statement, “the most segregated hour in our nation is 11am,” made by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr still holds true today. What is not readily discussed is the connection between the institution of slavery in the United States and racism to our present day racial situations. I would like to submit that the church was the genesis of slavery and therefore must be the revelation.

Can I get a witness?

Segregation in the United States began with slavery, but metastasized during the Civil War. The Southern Baptist Church was a huge supporter of slave owners and the Confederate Army. After General Lee’s secession at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia to General U.S. Grant, the Southern Baptist membership began to support the Jim Crow Laws and the promulgation of the Ku Klux Klan. These Southern Baptists and their living followers are a huge part of the racist anti-black system that is still prevalent today. In recent times, the Southern Baptist Convention has attempted to rectify its involvement in politically charged racism by forming an internal committee called the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission or ERLC. The only problem is that the head of the ERLC, Richard Land, made several racially charged statements in response to Trayvon Martin’s death and was quoted saying on his talk show, Richard Land Live, “[A Black man is] statistically more likely to do you harm than a White man.”

Though Land was fired from the ERLC and his talk show was cancelled, the sentiments of his words are evidently adopted by most white evangelical Christians today. This mentality has its foundation in the genesis of the Southern Baptist Church. In 1814, Baptist churches in the U.S. joined together to create the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination. By 1845, the churches were

divided over the issue of slavery. Southern Baptists desired to make slavery a non-issue, while abolitionist forces in the North (and among northern Baptists) desired the convention to take a moral stand against it. The following year, a group of representatives from Southern churches created a new denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, which supported slavery.

This leads to further exploration of the history of the church.

The reason 11 a.m. on Sundays is the most segregated hour is probably because while Jesus said, “…upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” the largest protestant denomination said, “Upon the negro’s back we will build our national church and the gates of heaven and the will of God will not hold priority over money and oppression.”

Fast forward to today and observe that much has not changed, as the intent is to still build the nation on the back of enslaved Blacks. The combination of imprisonment, inequality in salaries, and the ever looming 400 years of Post-Traumatic Slave Disorder have a vice grip on the progress of Blacks in our nation and world. This cancer spreads because so many false practitioners continue to misdiagnose the ills of our nation and of the world. I believe the solution must come from the source. The same vigor as the church, especially the Southern Baptist who supports slavery and oppression of Blacks, must be met with a repentant and contrite inverse action. I’m afraid if this does not occur, we will continue to witness more violence and confusion in our nation and in this world because sin has no expiration date, and God cannot be bribed to accept wrong. Our nation must repent of her sins and the church must herald this message. Can I get an Amen!? / 17

“

“

Visibility is defined as the state of being able to see or be seen. In a society where people seek to matter, I understand how being visible is desired and valuable. I offer that the use of “visibility” in our society can be convoluted and easily misunderstood because it does not equate to equity, social justice, or power.

BEYON VISIBILITY

Monica Rochon

Statements like, “it is necessary to have a seat at the table”, highlight this idea that historically marginalized populations of untapped potential are not visible enough in positions to make decisions that have an institutional impact. And while it may be assumed that historically untapped populations are itching to have a seat at the table, the reality is that some associate that type of access to upward mobility personally and professionally.

Some equate the access to privilege as survival.

While consciously and unconsciously functioning in a system of white supremacy where internalized superiority and inferiority manifest daily for identities of privilege and identities that are untapped, one must ask, “Who created this metaphoric and figurative belief that you must be sitting at the table to have a voice?” That sustained resistance can only exist when you are invited to be visible and surrender parts of your being. Investigating how visibility manifests within a system of institutional oppression is necessary because while visibility has the ability to empower, it alone is not enough for sustainable resistance and change. At the end of the day, what is visibility without equitable access to basic needs, including and not limited to food, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare and equitable protection in the justice system, etc.?

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POWER

SOCIAL JUSTICE

ND

There’s this constant dichotomy where untapped populations have this sense of hyper visibility, yet invisibility simultaneously; as if the presence “at the table” is a way to pacify the global issue while still upholding the status quo in society.

This idea is evident on a systemic level when suggestions of hiring more Black, Indian, Latino, and Asian officers have been a solution offered to lessen the likelihood of police terrorism. Leadership isn’t solely reliant on one’s authoritative position. Such suggestions exist throughout institutions like education, healthcare, religion, media, and the justice system. If institutions of higher education were to have more people of color, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer with varied nationalities, religions, and ability statues, things would be different. If true, why is there hesitation from the “perpetual majority” to give up their seats at the table? Ultimately, what is it that they feel they will lose?

“

When people fight for racial and gender justice, economic freedom, marriage equality, and women’s rights, I would argue that they are fighting to be seen. When people fight for their right to exist without being violently terrorized, I would argue that they are too fighting to be seen. The fight is greater than the individual and needs to be centered beyond visibility; it needs to be centered on justice and collective liberation. The idea of visibility without action is self-serving and does not disrupt the current system. I believe that we must grow to know and understand that our voices are valuable, and our voice partnered with political education and socially just action in our local, national, and global communities is necessary and inextricably connected to our liberation.

“

…But you see now, baby, whether you have a Ph.D., D.D., or no D, we’re in this bag together. And whether you’re from Morehouse or Nohouse, we’re still in this bag together.

-Fannie Lou Hamer, It’s In Your Hands (1971) / 19

ALL OF US ALWAYS

By: Sheree L. Greer

Gender pay gaps and fights over our reproductive rights not withstanding—women have always worked hard to fight for everyone, always.

We make it our business to work in our communities, even staking our careers on nonprofit and community service-based work. A 2015 article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review reported that the nonprofit/community service labor force is 70% women. The article’s title? “Like Vacuuming, Nonprofit Work is Women’s Work.”

This isn’t to say that men aren’t doing the work. They are. Many men in our local community work diligently 20 /

to empower our community. Yet, the disparity begs to be explored, and who better to speak with than men dedicated to community service careers.

Walter “Wally B” Jennings, a Tampa native, learned the power of community work from his parents. As the founder of Heard ‘Em Say Youth Arts Collective, Wally works directly with youth to cultivate a spirit of activism and advocacy through arts education.

H

e notes men like Uwezo Sudan, Life Malcolm, James Tokely, Myron Jackson, and Quinton Robinson as passionate activists, yet acknowledges that there does seem to be more women than men in community service circles. Some of this, Wally says, is due to his poetrybased work in particular, which sometimes has a “feminine connotation” while another factor may be the rise of women in more “visible positions of influence.”

Dennis Amadeus, who works with Food Not Bombs, Heard ‘Em Say Youth Arts Collective, and The Andrew Joseph Foundation, contends that there are more women working in the “official nonprofit world,” but on the ground, in more grassroots activities, there is more balance in gender representation.

And perhaps it is all a matter of perception, attitudes steeped in personal experiences and specific frustrations. Maybe the contrast only shows itself in “official” components of the nonprofit and community service world. At large scale events, brothers and sisters come together to support community initiatives, yet in the meeting rooms months before the event, the gender gap is more pronounced.

The general challenges to sustained, successful community work effect both men and women. Dennis says, “it’s the ego that hurts us most,” and that social media “muddies the waters of who is in this [work] for show and who is making a tangible impact.” Wally notes the tendency of people to like “the idea” of community service but not appreciate the true “cost of activism” which is “more expensive than people think” in terms of time and resources. Wally thoughtfully adds the “allure of attention and being in the public eye often makes a person oblivious to the toil and work community service requires.”

Much of the foundational work in community service goes unnoticed and underappreciated. The costs are high and the “pay-off” does not always commiserate with the energy and efforts put in. These are the working conditions women face every day of our lives, and community service obviously isn’t a break from our norm. Women are used to working behind-the-scenes, in our homes most traditionally, and even as we pushed our way forward professionally, only being allowed positions as secretaries and assistants as men took leadership roles as a matter of course. Early Civil Rights work proved to illustrate much of the same. Women like Rosa Parks and Gloria Richardson were key figures and contributors to the March on Washington in 1963, but neither were allowed to address the crowd. Richardson, at

ninety-one years old, recalled in a 2013 interview with Amy Goodman from Democracy NOW!, that the microphone had been taken from her before she could even complete her ‘hello’ to the crowd. At the historic march that galvanized the nation in a call to fight for equality, only one woman was permitted to speak, Daisy Gates, from the NAACP. Though we may see more women at the front lines in some regard—take the #BlackLivesMatter movement founded by three Black women, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors, for example—we still needed the #SayHerName initiative to encourage people to consider Black women like Miriam Carey, Rekia Boyd, and Tanisha Anderson who were murdered by police with the same fervor and recognition that we remember Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and Michael Brown.

Perhaps there is no escaping gender politics. Maybe our energies should go to developing whoever shows up to do the work, regardless of their chromosomes. Wally suggests a strategy of bringing individuals along slowly. He says, “it protects them by allocating time to see if they truly have the passion for the work,” and maybe more importantly, “protects US [those doing the community work already] by providing opportunities to adequately gauge who and what we have available before planning projects and events.”

The bottom line? The work is out there, and it will take all of us, always.

The craftsmanship of each piece is just impeccable.

THE

editor's

Pick

BY ANDRA RICHARDSON

I love how Linton stays fashion-forward while paying homage to Africa.

This is the perfect mother-daughter headband.

Leopard print is so on trend for the season.

Meenata’s Crown Jewel

Entrepreneur Danielle Linton began her loc journey in 2016. Having always been someone who was not afraid to experiment with her hair, she wanted a unique and bold look that wasn’t too drastic or harsh. As she started dressing up her locs, men and women began to approach her. “They would tell me how they love my jewels and asked where they could purchase some,” says Linton. A light bulb went off, and Meenata’s Crown Jewel was born. Today, Linton creates loc jewelry, head scarves, waist beads, and more.

“Your hair is your crown...

...so let’s dress it accordingly!”

Adorn your body with vibrant waist beads.

Linton rocks Meenata’s Crown Jewel flawlessly.

To view the full assortment, visit meenatascrownjewel.com

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