The Statesman 02-24-20 by The Statesman

Volume LXIII, Issue 20

sbstatesman.com

Monday, February 24, 2020

The Statesman's First

Black History Month Issue 2020 Stony Brook professor tackles biracialism in lecture

By Matthew Yan Staff Writer

“What is your nationality?” That’s a question many multiracial Americans hear, but as Dr. Zebulon Miletsky, an assistant professor of Africana Studies can attest — the answer isn’t always easy. Miletsky, who identifies as half-Jewish and half-black, hosted a lecture called “Interracialism: Biracials Learning About African American Culture” to tackle the storied history of what it means to be African American and biracial, Wednesday evening in the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library’s Central Reading Room. Key to his lecture was the “one-drop rule,” the idea that having even a drop of African ancestry renders someone “black.” Miletsky said that for much of American history, this rule was used to mark African Americans as a separate and “inferior

SARA RUBERG / THE STATESMAN

Cuban-born artist Carmelita Tropicana performed for students, faculty and staff on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the Staller Center Recital Hall. She combined irreverent humor, subversive fantasy and bilingual puns. species” from whites after the Civil War. Between 1850 and 1920 — with the exception of the 1900 federal census — the U.S. census listed “M” or “Mu” for “mulatto” as an ethnicity, referring to those of both European and African

descent. Prior to that, the census categorized people as free whites, all other free persons or slaves. For a time, people speculated that mulattos were a separate species that would be something greater than either their black or white parents.

But by the 1930s, the “one drop rule” was applied again, rendering every biracial of African descent, no matter the color of their skin or eyes, “black.” Forty-one states at one point banned interracial marriage. Eleven lifted the laws in 1887 or sooner and 14

repealed their laws between 1948 and 1967. Sixteen states ultimately saw their laws overturned in 1967 after the Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia that laws against interracial marriage were unconstitutional.

USG President Shaheer Khan said he believes that higher education needs more funding. “If the university gets more money from the state, then they'll be able to put it towards all these resources that are critical for student success,” he said, listing psychological counseling, infrastructure and programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, as examples. During the Feb. 3 University Senate Meeting at SBU, attendees unanimously supported a resolution calling for more funding. “SUNY UFS calls on Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature to make New York State a national leader in sustainably and equitably supporting and advancing SUNY and CUNY’s core academic missions,” the resolution read. The resolution calls for full funding for mandatory operating cost increases. According to the New Deal Resolution for SUNY and CUNY, the 2020 Executive Budget doesn’t provide money for util-

ities, building rentals, equipment and supplies. The resolution also calls to close the Tuition Assistance Program Gap (TAP Gap) — the difference between the cost of tuition and the amount of TAP funding that campuses are allowed to provide students — by fixing the maximum TAP award to SUNY tuition and creating the SUNY/CUNY Supplemental TAP Awards. “The TAP Gap and the underfunding of SUNY threaten students’ access to education and their ability to graduate,” an overview of the TAP Gap by the United University Professions said. Public colleges have lost $700 million since 2012 due to the gap and lost $139 million from 2018-19. Fixing the Excelsior Scholarship award to SUNY tuition and simplifying the award’s eligibility requirements is another called mission. As the award’s income limit is currently $125,000, additional state funding would be needed to serve the expected increase in enrollment, according to the New Deal Resolution.

“The key part is that under the resolution, we are essentially asking the governor and the legislature to meet our asks, in terms of support for higher education both CUNY and SUNY,” Nancy Tomes, University Senate president and distinguished professor of history, said at the meeting. Higher Education Action Day will begin with a group rally and a review of the priorities and concerns that students want to bring up with legislators. Afterwards, students will break off into smaller groups and meet with their representative legislators, whether the students are from Queens or Long Island. Khan explained that representation of students in specific districts is something that he wants to stress to politicians and lawmakers, to show how diverse the student population is. “This is a fantastic opportunity to amplify the student voice through the halls of the New York State Legislator and ensure that student concerns are at the forefront of advocacy this legislative season,” Khan said.

Cobo said that Stony Brook is a school with a lot of different issues that are not only vocalized in the SUNY Student Assembly but also to the governor, chancellor and the SUNY Board of Trustees. “Stony Brook has had some of the biggest breakthroughs, not only in science, but also in a lot of societal aspects that a lot of other SUNY centers want to follow the path in,” he said. “Having Stony Brook there is necessary.” Khan explained that the goal is to bring 75 students from campus to the protest. Busses will leave at 5 a.m. and students should be back on campus around 8 p.m. “New York State continues to be a national leader in higher education, and with further critical investment in SUNY, we can provide students with a high quality education at an affordable cost — and ensure our Stony Brook students and alumni have the tools and skills to achieve their goals," Rick Gatteau, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, said.

Continued on page 4

USG urges students to participate in annual Higher Education Action Day By Maya Brown

Assistant News Editor

Stony Brook University’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) is planning to cover the costs to bring 75 students to a SUNY and CUNY-wide protest in Albany on Thursday, Feb 27. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff from both the SUNY and CUNY systems are expected to meet with New York legislators to ask for more funding on Higher Education Action Day. “I know that the governor, at least I think, is making strides towards trying to accommodate students and trying to listen to what a lot of the issues have been, but there's always a lot more,” Carlos Cobo, senior political science major at SBU and USG chief of staff, said. The 2019 Executive Budget recommended $10.7 billion for SUNY and $4.6 billion for CUNY, while the 2020 Executive Budget recommends $11.1 billion for SUNY and $4.7 billion for CUNY.

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The Statesman

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The Statesman

Monday, February 24, 2020

Professor encourages audience to learn and understand black culture Continued from page 1 Because of discriminatory laws like these, many biracial Americans with paler skin tried to pass as white and suppressed their black culture to dodge hatred. Some went so far as to bleach their own skin — even now, skin-lightening is a multi-billion dollar industry. Miletsky said that to this “generation mix,” any identity was better than the “dreaded curse of blackness.” Miletsky referenced scholars like Jared Sexton, a professor of African American Studies at UC Irvine, who argues that multiracialism is a social construct that is inherently “antiblack” in all of its incarnations. For this reason, the NAACP lobbied against the addition of a “multiracial” option on the year 2000 U.S. census out of fear that the designation would be used to splinter support for African American communities. This is the reason why the 2000 and 2010 editions of the U.S. census allow Americans to check off multiple races rather than giving them a separate option for biracialism. Much of the media coverage of multiraciality since then has treated it as a recent event, but the notion of it in American culture goes all the way back to the Founding Fathers, Miletsky said. Both Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin expressed joy at the thought of “the mixing of the "lovely white and red,” referring

to the biracial children of Native Americans and Americans of European descent even as mulattos continued to be frowned upon as Negroes. This favoring of some races of others is what Miletsky referred to as “honorary whiteness.” Dreams of a “post-racial America” arose after Barack Obama, the first biracial U.S. president, was elected in 2008. But according to Miletsky, Obama “rejected” the notion of being biracial in favor of emphasizing his blackness, dashing those hopes. Even today, Dr. Miletsky notes that white culture is more favored than black culture in pop culture and mass media. “There’s nothing that speaks to me, that says blackness is valid, proud or something to behold and tell to be beautiful,” Miletsky said in outrage at the comparative lack of black representation in American standards of beauty and culture. “You heard it okay. I heard black is beautiful, but do you believe it?” The confusion regarding biraciality and the “racial denial” of blackness that often comes with it inspired Miletsky to start the Biracials Learning African-American Culture (B.L.A.A.C.) blog, which encourages biracial African Americans to embrace black culture. The blog includes examples of little-known biracial people such as Alexander Pushkin, the father of modern Russian literature. Miletsky also showcased Walter F. White, the president of the NAACP

from 1931 to 1955, who was often mistaken for a purely white man — something he used to help investigate lynchings. Miletsky hopes to start hosting workshops and launch a curriculum to promote black culture to the general public. “Give some of our experts and master teachers a chance to challenge your previously held assumptions about race and whiteness in America, and the true nature of American history,” he said. Miletsky’s lecture drew a sizable crowd, including students, staff and people outside of the university.

“I wanted to hear what he had to say,” said Hermann Mazard, the son of a Stony Brook graduate and a friend of Miletsky. According to Mazard, a Haitian American, he’s called “blan” or “white” in Haiti because he lives in America and has numerous multiracial relatives. “I want to claim the Haitian part of my heritage,” he said. “I think it’s part of my identity.” Other attendees thought about what Miletsky’s work could mean for biracial African Americans today. “What he was saying is all amazing re-

search,” said Arlene Jennings, an advancement worker at Stony Brook University who attended the lecture after reading about it in a newsletter. “It’s interesting to hear how this is impacting the younger generations. I think what he’s doing is awesome,” she said. Miletsky capped off his lecture by encouraging everyone to learn and understand black culture to end the stigmatization of African Americans. “It's kind of like learning a second language,” he said. “It's never too late to learn.”

MATTHEW YAN / THE STATESMAN

Dr. Zebulon Miletsky, an assistant professor of Africana Studies, speaking at the lecture on Wednesday in the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library.

SBU Hospital promotes Interim CEO Carol Gomes to permanent position By Alek Lewis

Assistant News Editor

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) officially appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Carol Gomes, to the permanent position of CEO, according to a press release on Feb. 4. Gomes will also retain her previous position as Chief Operations Officer, which she’s held since February 2013. She started her career in the SBUH clinical chemistry and histology laboratories and has moved up through the administrative ranks throughout her more than 35-year career, according to the press release. “In every position Carol has held at Stony Brook University

Hospital, she has led with passion for transformative healthcare and championed delivering the highest quality of care to our patients,” Michael Bernstein, interim president of Stony Brook University, wrote in the press release. Gomes is also an alumna of Stony Brook University (SBU), having received two Master's degrees in Management and Policy, and Healthcare Management and Administration. In an email to The Statesman, Gomes outlined her goals as CEO, which includes an “emphasis on communication and providing compassionate and coordinated care,” while also continuing to expand the hospital’s “multidisciplinary centers of excellence” — such as Stony Brook Cancer Center and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital — surgery programs and con-

EMMA HARRIS / THE STATESMAN FILE

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) on East Campus. SBUH appointed the permanent CEO.

tinuing the Centralized Throughput Office, which was created in 2019 to encourage smoother patient flow. “To deliver this seamless care, physicians and leaders carry out the objective to improve coordination of complex patient cases while at the same time improving efficiency and lowering the cost of care,” Gomes wrote in the email. “And SBUH is making a number of investments in our IT infrastructure to further advance our capabilities for a more integrated and comprehensive computer system for clinical care and electronic medical records.” Gomes also hopes to expand projects and efforts that improve patient care, such as with teams that incorporate real-time data “aimed at reducing hospital associated infections” and “achieving patient safety goals.” She also wrote in the email that she wants to continue to improve opportunities for students at the SBUH training schools to “explore different pathways for clinical experience and innovative research opportunities,” such as hosting a psychiatric residency program at Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital and the new Mastery in General Surgery Fellowship program. “A great effort is expended in identifying new opportunities for students to play a role in successful initiatives geared toward a healthier Long Island population and developing the knowledge and skills necessary to improve care in an ever-changing health care market,” she wrote.

Kenneth Kaushansky, dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine and vice president for health sciences at the SBUH, along with Bernstein, decided to employ Gomes in the permanent position. He was also, in addition to former SBU president, Samuel Stanley Jr., the one who promoted her to the interim position. “She did a great job as chief operating officer of University Hospital,” Kaushansky said in a phone call with The Statesman. “And so after having served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer for a while, I decided — and Michael Bernstein, our interim president concurred — that we should just take that word interim out of her title.” Kaushansky values Gomes’ leadership in the healthcare field and the hospital’s contributions to the School of Medicine’s budget, which has a major impact. “By developing quality in our hospital, Carol is sort of indirectly helping us train the next generation of physicians to be the best physician they possibly can be,” he said. “She really believes in our mission of training the next generation of healthcare professionals.” Dr. Nicos Labropoulos, a professor at the School of Medicine, believes that Gomes is the right person for the job “because she’s been here for a long time, she’s been thro-ugh the ranks, she’s had appropriate training and she understands the place pretty well.”

He also believes that Gomes’s appointment will prove beneficial for communication between the medical school and hospital. “I think the communication between the hospital and medical school will be more vibrant, there will be more interaction and I think the students because of this will be favored,” he said.

“I think the communication between the hospital and medical school will be more vibrant ... ” -Dr. Nicos Labropoulos

Professor at the School of Medicine

A Statesman reporter approached several medical students at SBUH and emailed a few others, but all declined to comment on the appointment of Gomes. Stony Brook University’s undergraduate pre-med professional fraternity,s Phi Delta Epsilon, and Stony Brook Pre-Med Society did not answer requests for comment before this article was published.

Black History Month 2020

Stony Brook graves lost to memory, buried in time Written by: Brianne Ledda Professors and historians are among the few who know about the graves. There are no clear demarcations around the African American burial site, and a neighboring yard seems to have swallowed it. Survey records from 1967 indicate that it’s on a nearly 3-acre swatch of Stony Brook University property, in walking distance from Long Island Rail Road tracks. The school hasn’t done anything with the land and doesn’t plan to any time soon. At least three people are buried there: Cane (1738-1814), Anthony Hannibal Clapp (1749-1816) and Mary Brewster (c.18151850). Clapp’s headstone, broken at the base, was taken by the Suffolk Museum, now the Long Island Museum, in 1944. It’s an unusually ornate stone, with a fiddle carved at the top and a long epitaph inscribed underneath. The footstone is still at the grave site. The museum took Cane’s headstone in 1949 as well. There were concerns that the grave would be vandalized or damaged by time, according to an unpublished manuscript written by curator Jonathan Olly. The museum left a small stone marker in its place. Brewster’s grave is in pieces, but it’s still there. According to historical writer Edward Lapham, the inscription reads: “Mrs. Mary wife of Adam Brewster died Oct. 17th 1850 aged 35 years. Prepare to meet thy God.” Shepard Alonzo Mount, who grew up on the farm that originally encompassed the grave site, immortalized the burial ground in a painting (c. 1850) now kept by the Long Island Museum. Both Clapp and Cane’s headstones stand next to each other, behind a wooden fence, bordering a green field. Lapham recorded what the site looked like a century later in his 1942 book, “Stony Brook Secrets.” The museum hadn’t touched the headstones before the book was published. “[The graves] are on the opposite side of the old stage-coach road in a patch of woods overgrown with brambles and poison-ivy,” he wrote. “Cane’s stone is still there but Tony’s had broken off, and I understand it is now in William Sidney’s studio on the top floor of the house.” Homes were being built in the area when the museum took the stones with the permission of the town and local property owners, according to Olly, and a local resident was concerned that the gravestones would be damaged or destroyed. “That was fine with the ethics of the late 40s, early 50s, but today that really isn’t something a museum would do,” he added. Both Cane and Clapp were born before the American Revolution and eventually became enslaved to the Hawkins family in Stony Brook, according to an unfinished manuscript written by Olly. Eleazer Hawkins became the first documented owner of the Hawkins-Mount house, built around 1725. His direct descendants would include local artists William and Shepard Mount. William Sidney Mount went on to become a famous American painter, renowned for works such as “Eel Spearing at Setauket” and “Bargaining for a Horse (Farmers Beginning),” and for patenting his own type of fiddle. He described the graves in an 1853 letter to a friend (included in Olly’s manuscript): “In wandering about the Hills the other day, I visited the burial ground, a place appropriated for the slaves (belonging to our family) [in] years gone by, on our farm, and was so much struck with the sublimity and originality of one of the monuments to a distinguished fiddler, and as my late Uncle Micah Hawkins wrote the Epitaph and placed the stone to the old negro’s memory, and as you are an advocate for musical genius, I felt it my duty to send you a copy. I have sat by Anthony when I was a child, to hear him play his jigs and hornpipes. He was a master in that way, and acted well his part.” Clapp is well remembered by historians as a popular fiddler player. His tombstone describes his music as a “language universal” with an effect “most irresistible.”

Such a detailed headstone was “really unusual,” Olly said, noting that it would have been “extremely expensive.” He acknowledged that it’s possible the family’s motivations were “self-serving;” the Hawkins might have wanted to demonstrate that they were “very kind and generous to their former servants” who passed away. Olly wrote in his manuscript that Clapp’s headstone was “carved and signed by noted Connecticut-born stone cutter Phineas Hill (1778-1844) of Huntington,” and though the Hawkins house stopped using enslaved labor after the 1810s, both graves are noteworthy because “the family took the unusual step of memorializing two of the people whom they once enslaved.” Almost nothing is known about Cane. He was one of the last people enslaved by the Hawkins family, and it’s unlikely he was free when he died at 77. There’s a built-in bench next to the fireplace in the Hawkins-Mount house called “Cane’s seat,” but it’s not certain why. “It’s possible that Cane built it, frequently sat there as an elderly man, or both,” Olly mused in his manuscript. Cane’s grave was marked with a large tombstone and his epitaph was written by family friend Ruth Smith of Setauket, according to Olly’s manuscript. Mary Brewster was likely not enslaved, though if her mother was it’s possible Brewster was indentured to her enslavers. It is not clear what connection she had to the Hawkins-Mount family. Census records show that Mary Brewster lived in Smithtown with her husband Adam Brewster (1816-1885) in 1850. Mary died at 35, only two months after the census was taken, and Adam remarried shortly after. Olly pointed out that since all were buried during and after the end of slavery in New York, which legally ended in 1827, Brewster’s grave shows that people of African descent were using the land as a burial ground into the mid-1800s. “I’d guess there are more graves in the vicinity that are unmarked, given William Sidney Mount’s description of the site in an 1853 letter as ‘the burial ground, a place appropriated for the slaves (belonging to our family) [in] years gone by – on our farm,’” Olly wrote in an email. Graves for people of African descent were identified in a variety of ways, often with temporary markers. If not marked with a wooden or stone slab, graves were honored with plants such as cedar trees or yuccas, wooden staffs — thought to perhaps have religious or spiritual significance — and pieces of iron pipe, railroad iron, shells or other objects. Older cemeteries with enslaved individuals were rarely documented. Construction of a federal office building in Manhattan was halted in 1991 after bones were discovered several feet down. A little more than 400 bodies were ultimately uncovered, although it’s estimated that the total number of free and enslaved African Americans buried there ranges between 10,000 and 20,000. “Among the scars left by the heritage of slavery, one of the greatest is an absence: where are the memorials, cemeteries, architectural structures or sturdy sanctuaries that typically provide the ground for a people’s memory?” journalist Edward Rothstein wrote in the New York Times. When Olly visited the Stony Brook site in April 2016, an adjacent homeowner told him that “either he or his father found the toppled headstone and footstones while clearing brush and moved them to the base of a large tree to prevent further damage.” Olly doesn’t know if the 1949 marker placed by the Long Island Museum is in the same spot where Cane’s original headstone was removed, but he thinks it’s likely. “Hopefully at some point the boundaries of the cemetery can be determined and marked,” he wrote in an email.

SBU's Center for Civic Justice destroys stigmas with interactive discussion Written by: Amaya McDonald

To celebrate Black History Month and the contributions of black people in the U.S., Stony Brook University (SBU)’s Center for Civic Justice hosted an interactive discussion called “Thinking Inside the Box: The Truth Behind the Stereotypes,” on Feb. 17. The event discussed stereotypes and how they affect the way we view ourselves as well as others. Tamera Smith, a junior economics major and an Undergraduate Coordinator for the Center for Civic Justice, hosted the program. It began with a presentation during which Smith defined stereotypes and gave examples of some that many might recognize today. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stereotypes can be defined as “a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgement.” To emphasize the fact that the black community is extremely diverse and multifaceted, Smith made it her mission to reveal and disprove some negative stereotypes associated with the group. Smith first introduced the event’s attendees to Nancy Green, a former slave born in Kentucky in 1834. Green was hired to portray a mammy caricature to promote pancake flour for the R.T. Davis Milling Company in 1890. As the company used this caricature to advertise their product, the R.T. Davis Milling Company grew more and more popular. Green’s image became what we all recognize as the famous Aunt Jemima, who Green impersonated until her death. Now an American icon, Aunt Jemima has been made over to look more like a maid than the original mammy stereotype. The original mammy caricature was created and used by white Americans to push the idea that black women were content with their lives as slaves. Mammies were desexualized by being portrayed as overweight women with very dark skin. These “undesirable” traits made it more acceptable for white slave owners to rape black women working in their homes with no consequences. Mammies were characterized as maternal figures devoted to serving white families, and their representation in media rationalized the slavery of black women in the nineteeth century and economic discrimination during the Jim Crow period. Popular stereotypes and caricatures of black Americans like mammy, Sambo and Jim Crow were used as tools to dehumanize African Americans and portray them as mindless and lazy people. Though more subtle today, we can see how these stereotypes have evolved and still depict black people in a similar light through popular media. While there is much progress to be made, representation of black people in the media has come a long way. Smith gives credit to former First Lady Michelle Obama for being

a positive role model in the black community. She says, “She made the best out of her experience [as First Lady] and never let anyone talk down on her.” Smith has also found that she could relate to Penny Proud, the main character in a 2000s Disney cartoon called “The Proud Family.” She explained that Penny “tries hard at everything she does. Whether it came to school projects or her cheer competitions, she was always competitive and she was always outgoing. She never let anyone shut her down.” The rest of the presentation, put together by Smith and other students involved in the Center for Civic Justice, acknowledged other black women such as Henrietta Lacks, actress Hattie McDaniel and the “real-life Betty Boop,” Esther Lee Jones, who were all overlooked and taken advantage of at a time when Jim Crow laws shaped society. Afterward, the attendees participated in a craft that required them to create a paper box. They labeled the boxes with negative stereotypes they have heard about themselves. They were encouraged to consider questions like, “what are some stereotypes associated with my identity?” and, “what do people assume when they first meet me?” to guide their creative process. One participant, freshman biology major Tenzin Tsetan, shared her experiences with stereotypes and how they affected her. She said that as an East Asian woman, “people just see [her] as someone like ‘a nerd.’ Like only focused on academics, no social life, no outside activities … also as [the depiction] most common in American media, someone submissive and docile.” Tsetan says she is inspired by her twin sister, an advocate for social justice and more positive Asian representation in the media, to challenge these stereotypes and “acknowledge that [she] has the power to change things” and make an impact. Once they were finished writing on their boxes, the attendees were invited to write personal affirmations on pieces on paper that could be stored inside the box, and read later for a source of motivation. Ending a refreshing night of music, learning and new relationships, Smith successfully highlighted the theme for this year’s Black History Month celebration: Sankofa. Sankofa is a word from the Twi language of Ghana which means “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” SBU’s Black History Month Committee has used “sankofa” to inspire the community to “own their own narrative” and embrace the things that make them different, rather than conform to societal expectations. Smith felt that by “redefining stereotypes” that she had been labeled with, she was doing her part to own her narrative and hosted the event in efforts to bring people together and “bring a new sense of who we are, and remind ourselves that who we are is who we are, and not what anyone else says.”

Photographed by: Sara Ruberg

All lives matter By Benjamin Owusu But They never wanna see us strive to the top of the ladder but rather, see us shot down at point black range And it's really insane if you call you self sane after shooting a guy only a meter away are you afraid? Then you have the nerve say listen up okay? “Don't worry citizens were here to make this world a better place” no you’re just here to catch another black body case don't hide your face greed don’t have no race, our skin color is something you can’t erase is that why you erased pages from the book life Because black people and God is something you couldn’t dechiper you're a liar Now If we all stand was one black body and instead of everybody worrying about everybody then maybe we can just love anybody and I know some of you don’t want to hear this and I’m really sorry But fakeness is something I just can’t carry Lets all admit it Both parties need to change and rearrange some ideals in the brain Or in times of progression we will always stay the same Lets ALL change, you chose but if you refuse remember second place is always the first to lose, but to you, in the future I know that will be nothing new

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“Waves” starts off dizzy & leaves viewers in a trance Written by: Rabia Gursoy Directed and written by Trey Edward Schults, “Waves,” starts off dizzy and leaves you in a trance with its constant shift of presentation and performance. The infamous distributor, A24 — which holds movies such as “Midsommar” and 2016 Best Picture Winner “Moonlight” under its name — brings us yet another noteworthy movie. The film stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown and Lucas Hedges. “Waves” is uncomfortable with its wild range of emotions and its way of showing us modern psychological terrors through the main characters’ perspectives. It shifts from drugs and parties to self-care and self-inflicted damage, and from relationships to loneliness. The movie circles back to prove that life is worth living. The story revolves around a disentangled black family in Florida coping with a tragic incident. The Williams family has two central characters, high school wrestler, Tyler played by Harrison Jr., and his sister, Emily played by Russell, as they navigate love and tragedy. The first half of the movie is about Tyler, as he strives to live up to the expectations of his father, played by Brown, as a wrestler. Brown gives us a remarkable performance as he portrays a black male in America who has to fight his way to the highest level just to be considered an equal in the white world. His presence triggers most of Tyler’s breakdowns throughout the movie. The second half focuses on Emily as she struggles with their mother’s death. Living in Tyler’s shadow, Emily does not have an assertive way of expressing herself. She only begins to open up after befriending Luke, played by Hedges. Their scenes are heartwarming and natural. The more Luke opens up to Emily, the more she is able to express her problems with her family.

The movie brings the two lives of these siblings together and sheds light on their differing relationships with their father. This is a story of forgiving yourself more than forgiving each other. Watching Harrison Jr. go into the depth of a character, shows how easily he pulls off the charming lead. Brown and Russell’s acting seems unrehearsed and natural, making their performances more vivid and truthful. Everything in this movie is grounded from the characters to the scenes. As the Williams goes through distressing events, they are forced to face what they fear the most — themselves. The constant rotation of the camera represents the shakiness of Tyler’s psyche. It pivots around a point in his room to the car and then back to the gym. It follows the scenes with steady shots, shaky shots and deadly still shots, making it hard for the audience to focus. Tyler starts off relaxed with a free spirit but then instantly shifts into a trapped depressive spirited teen. The film continues in this contradictory rhythm. “Waves,” as its name, has levels of emotions all throughout. Sometimes the melo-dramedy in the movie is too much, maybe because of its sudden intensity that does not build-up to the distress but rather shocks the viewer. Emotions are thrown at you. Some might be turned off by this technique but for “Waves” it seems to work. The film’s unique cinematography and rotation in emotions make this movie real. “Waves” is among the many movies screening at the Staller Center for the Arts during Black History Month. It is a true gem and is worth every second of your time.

Faith, Danger & Freedom emerge in “Harriet” Written by: Justin Mitselmakher Last friday evening, the Staller Center for the Arts presented the acclaimed film “Harriet” to a nearly full audience. Directed by Kassi Lemmons, “Harriet” follows American heroine Harriet Tubman on her journey to freedom and her work in the Underground Railroad. The film approaches the topic of slavery in a different way. Instead of displaying the physical atrocities of slavery such as beatings and rape, “Harriet” focuses on the emotional immorality of slaveowners, with Harriet’s master Gideon referring to slaves as “pigs that you can play with or eat,” using children as bait, and claiming that God does not listen to the prayers of slaves. The film begins in 1849, as Araminta “Minty” Ross — played by Cythia Erivo — escapes enslavement from a Maryland plantation, leaving behind her mother, siblings and husband after Gideon put her for sale. Viewers held their breath as Minty made her way north, relying on nature and her visions from God to lead her. Lemmons captured the excitement in Minty’s face as she reaches the Pennsylvania border with a close up. As she watches a sunrise over the vivid Pennsylvania landscape, Minty knew this was a new beginning. In Philadelphia, Minty meets abolitionist William Still, portrayed by Leslie Odom Jr., who is shocked that Minty made it 100 miles to freedom on her own. Minty takes the new name of Harriet Tubman. Harriet lives in a boarding house owned by the freeborn and fashionable Marie Buchanon, played by Janelle Monáe. The differences between the two women (one born free, the other born a slave) are highlighted when Marie is visibly appalled by seeing Harriet’s scars after years of flagellation. Although Marie teaches Harriet how to act and dress like a freewoman, Harriet feels that she can never fully adjust without her family. William refuses to help Harriet free her husband, leaving Harriet determined to get him herself. Harriet arrives in Maryland only to discover that her husband has remarried after believing she died. Distressed, Harriet then rescues her siblings, all except for her sister who refuses to leave her children. After successfully bringing the group to Philadelphia, Harriet is inducted into the Underground Railroad, working as a “conductor” making trips to bring dozens of slaves to freedom. The southerners begin calling Harriet “Moses”, thinking that Moses is a white abolitionist in black-face. Ironically, “Moses” is far from white but it adds to the fact that the white general public at the time could not fathom a black woman being in a position of leadership. The Fugitive Slave Act is passed just when Gideon discovers that “Moses” is Harriet. Gideon is furious that Harriet is the person responsible for taking

the slaves and has caused his plantation to fall into financial problems. Gideon pursues Harriet to Philadelphia along with black slave hunter Bigger Long. Marie is killed by Bigger Long after she belittles Gideon and doesn’t share information on Harriet. Marie’s death is highly emotional, her face repeatedly beaten but she Fkeeps her strong personality until the end, never letting the enemy win. Harriet flees to Canada after the death of Marie. Harriet is again doubted by William and others at a council when she insists that the Underground Railroad must continue and they must bring runaway slaves to Canada. It was surprising to see the crowd question Harriet after she proved multiple times that she can rescue slaves on her own. Harriet reminds the group of the horrors of slavery and continues her mission. In the next sequence of the film, Harriet's sister dies before she can free her. Gideon plans to use Harriet’s nieces and nephews to lure and catch Harriet but at the same time the camera pans to Harriet rescuing the children and the rest of the Gideon’s slaves, showing the audience that Harriet is one step ahead of his plan. Harriet then encounters Gideon, knocking him off his horse but sparing his life after she receives a vision of the approaching Civil War which she says will defeat his cause. Harriet then rides off into the sunset, symbolizing the end of Gideon’s control of Harriet. In the final scene, we see Harriet leading union soldiers as hundreds of freed slaves come rushing towards them as Harriet’s recurring vision finally comes true. Spirituality is a major subject throughout the film. Harriet seems to have an open dialogue with God, where he warns her of danger before it happens, through visions that she’s had since she was struck on the head by an overseer at 13-years-old. While the visions add a bit of Hollywood magic to the film, there are times where the visions solve Harriet’s problems all too easily. The film could have gone deeper into issues such as the cold, the hunger and the sacrifices that Harriet faced when operating the Underground Railroad in the wilderness. Overall, “Harriet” captured the essence of Harriet Tubman, a leader who pushed her society's standards of the capabilities of black women. Throughout the script, the frequent analogies of Harriet to Moses and Joan of Arc accurately represent Harriet as a savior that risked her life to bring her people to freedom. “Harriet” had the right amount of emotion and action to leave the audience sniffing and teary eyed, reinstating that Harriet Tubman and her achievements shall never be forgotten.

Guyanese Student Alliance brings Mashramani to SBU

Written by: Claudia Motley Photographed by: Melissa Azofeifa

Stony Brook University (SBU)’s Guyanese Student Alliance (GSA) held its first Mashramani event this weekend on Feb. 22. Mashramani, or Guyana’s Republic Day, celebrates the birth of the Republic of Guyana through dance, music and parades on Feb. 23. The GSA hopes to bring some of the culture of Guyana to Stony Brook and bring the community together. “We don’t have the resources to have a big party like they do in Guyana,” Layla Essaily, president and founder of the organization, said. “This is a little bit of what we’re trying to bring… we want to make sure people have a good time and enjoy themselves.” Located along the northern coast of South America, Guyana is home to a melting pot of ethnicities due to a long history of colonization. Originally home to the indigenous Amerindians, Guyana was colonized by the British and Dutch until their independence in 1966. A majority of the nation’s current population is mostly African and Indian as a result of the importation of slaves and indentured servants. Stony Brook’s GSA was founded only last year, making this weekend’s event the first of its kind at SBU. For students such as Paul Rambharose, a 19-year-old freshman electrical engineering and physics double major and first-generation Guyanese American, the event is held to high standards. “The food will be amazing,” Rambharose said before the event began. “Lots of intermingling, and good music.” Rambharose wasn’t disappointed. The night began with a performance from one of the GSA’s members, and featured a variety of foods ranging from curry chicken to fried plantains. Select audience

members stood in the front of the room for a whining competition

— a popular Caribbean dance style — where two competitors were crowned champions.

A night of good food and laughter was exactly what the club’s Public Relations Officer Johnathan Jailall was hoping for. “The event is a great way to reach out to the community and spread good vibes,” he said as the night ended. Many of the organization members revealed their Guyanese pride during a slideshow, where each member was given a slide where they had to express what they loved about being Guyanese. “I’m truly blessed to be able to say that my upbringing is a mixture of two beautiful cultures,” Essaily’s slide read. “I love the diversity of music and being able to wuk up my waistline,” GSA Treasurer Brandon Bamarsi’s slide added. As the night drew to a close, the lights dimmed and the audience got to their feet to dance to the up-beat rhythm of Caribbean-style tunes. Rambharose joined the excitement. “It turned out exactly as I expected,” Rambharose admitted. “Best part of it — it’s this.” The event was held in H Quad’s Center for Leadership and Service as part of Stony Brook’s Black History Month program.

Mashramani celebrates the birth of the Republic of Guyana through dance, music and parades on Feb. 23. “The event is a great way to reach out to the community and spread good vibes.” vibes. ” -Jonathan Jailall GSA Public Relations Officer

The Trump Administration’s travel ban targets Africans Written by: Maya Brown President Donald Trump has shown Americans numerous times how he prefers wealthy immigrants over those who may come from poverty and in his mind, want to take all of the American people’s jobs. Three years after his first travel ban that targeted Muslims, Trump issued another ban on Jan. 31 that targeted Africans, as four out of the six countries are located in Africa. In January of 2018, during an Oval Office meeting with U.S. senators about protecting immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Nigeria in a new immigration package, Trump showed early signs of this ban through disparaging words. Trump referred to African nations as “shithole countries” and said that the U.S. should have more people coming in from places like Norway. The Washington Post first reported on the incident citing aides briefed on the meeting. Trump’s words in no way surprised me because words of hate are the norm for him. His ill-conceived notions about these countries is reflected in racist policies like the travel ban. The way he refers to them also demonstrates the little amount of respect he has for countries that may not be as developed as America. Immigrants from Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea and Kyrgyzstan who are seeking visas to live in the U.S. will be banned from obtaining them. The ban will also prevent Sudanese and Tanzanian immigrants from moving to the U.S. through the diversity visa lottery. The lottery system grants green cards to as many as 50,000 people a year. “As President, I must continue to act to protect the security and interests of the United States and its people,” Trump wrote in the proclamation. However, he is doing the exact opposite. Closing borders to specific groups of people exemplify racism and prejudice, and shows how he believes immigrants from these countries are a threat to American security and its people. This is Trump’s way of showing that he prefers immigrants who are self-sufficient and come from an educational background. There are many developing countries around the world that do not have the same educational opportunities and access to jobs as the U.S. or many European countries do.

What the president doesn’t realize is that immigrants are not always able to fully support themselves immediately after arriving in the U.S. A major reason why immigrants come to the U.S. is for economic an political freedom. Another stated rationale for the ban is that the “restrictions are the result of these countries’ unwillingness or inability to adhere to our identity management, information sharing, national security and public safety assessment criteria,” according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. However, this is not based on facts considering Nigeria has been issuing biometric passports that conform with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s specifications for international travels for over a decade — showing their commitment to identity management. Nigeria will be greatly affected, as there were about 348,000 Nigerian immigrants living in the U.S. as of 2017. The country is also the top birthplace among African immigrants in the country. From an economic perspective, it simply doesn’t make sense because Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and its largest economy. Nigerians are also among the best educated new arrivals to the United States and have one of the lowest rates of limited English proficiency, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The travel ban is only one of the ways Trump has shown his preference for the privileged. I have one question for Trump — if you don’t give people opportunities and resources they need to mobilize further in life, then how do you expect them to get there? Taking away these people’s ability to come to the U.S. to make that life for themselves means possibly taking away their chance for full potential. The first travel ban was based on Trump’s religious bigotry and this ban is based on his racial prejudice and ignorance. Stopping people from immigrating to the U.S. goes against the ideals that this country was founded upon. This ban goes against diversity and inclusion in America because blocking the people from these African countries limits the nation when African identities cannot be embraced. Once Trump accepts who they are and the fact they want to come to America for a better life — like most immigrants — America can continue on the path to diversifying the nation.

Black/African American Enrollment has increased by 1.5% over the course of the past decade according to SBU’s 201920 fact book.

House of SHADE president reflects on his intersectionality and root of confidence Written by: Maya Brown Carine Green grew up looking at the struggles that come with his different identities — black and queer — separately. When he walked into a House of SHADE meeting, “an organization that aims to provide educational outreach and information to the black and queer community” according to SB Engaged, everything changed. The House of SHADE gave the sophomore political science and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major a supportive place to combine his identities and discuss the struggle of his intersectionality — when different identities combine and overlap to create a unique disadvantage. “I realized I never really thought of myself as a black and queer person, and I never really had a space that recognized me and my struggles as a black, queer person — instead of my struggles as a queer person and my struggles as a black person,” he said. According to Green, the organization recognized his intersectionality. Once combined, he realized his identities cause more stress, grief and oppression. Green eventually became the treasurer of the club and moved his way up to president last semester, giving credit to his “loud mouth” and hard work. “I try not to put myself in situations where I know that my voice is going to be ignored or my voice isn't going to be heard,” Green said. “And if it is, you hear me at full volume, because I think that everyone who has an opinion about something deserves to be heard.” Gabriella Santana, sophomore journalism major and secretary for House of SHADE, has known Green since her freshman year and said that his confidence is the most admirable thing about him. “From his walk to the way he speaks, I know this is a person that is secure in themselves and their role in the world around them,” she said. House of SHADE isn’t the only place where Green feels his voice is heard. He is also the culture editor for The Stony Brook Press, the campus magazine. “The Press really capitalizes on having people’s voices heard and making sure that people are recognized for their voices,” he said. Green was also featured alongside his e-board members from the House of SHADE on the front cover of the Fall 2019 issue of The Press.

Another place where Green feels he can show his confidence and express himself is on the stage participating in fashion shows on campus. Layla Essaily, senior multidisciplinary studies major and former secretary of the House of SHADE, said Green is a great listener and supporter. Green has been a part of the KiKi Ball, the Caribean Student Organization Fashion Show, the Black Womyn’s Association Fashion Show and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance (LGBTA) Drag Show — just to name a few. However, in terms of what diversity and inclusion look like at Stony Brook, Green feels that there is a lot of work to be done. Green believes there needs to be more awareness among Stony Brook students of the cultures that are on campus and prioritization of diverse narratives. “I feel like Stony Brook does a really good job for inviting us to the party, but not asking us to dance,” he said, referring to a famous Vernā Myers quote. Before arriving on campus, Green was also never “asked to dance.” He grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where he said he was surrounded by violent gang culture. He felt it was an oppressive community that didn’t accept him. “People always told me that if you stayed in Brownsville, you’re going to either end up in jail or dead,” he said. Green found his confidence after challenging the administration during his time at the George Washington Carver High School of Sciences. When he tried to create a Gay Straight Alliance, he was told the club didn’t fit the cultural dynamic at the school. His former friends said that creating the club would make things worse for the gay people at the school. “Keeping people out of the public eye doesn't change anything,” Green said. “Just because you can't hear these people's narratives or we don't see them, doesn't mean that they don't exist.” He ultimately reached out to the LGBTQ liaison of New York and successfully created the club. “I was very determined and strong, and there were a lot of times that people said and did horrifying things,” Green said. “People made me feel like my voice didn't matter and literally told me that in a couple of years what I’m saying isn't going to matter.” He feels that, after coming to Stony Brook, he’s learned that isn’t true and he has found various platforms to live and express his most authentic self.

Judith Brown Clarke hurdles her way into chief officer of diversity at SBU Written by: Maya Brown Judith Brown Clarke believes that her role as chief diversity officer is about making people feel that they belong.

She believes that Black History Month is a time to tell the truth about black history and culture.

“It's like how do you create a place where people feel like they belong here. It doesn't really matter if you're a student, faculty, staff, alumni or just a community member — it’s about creating the sense that the university is a good neighbor,” she said.

“At some point, that truth expands to a knowledge basis that people have to actually start doing something,” she said.

Clarke became the chief diversity officer at Stony Brook University on Feb. 17. She is in charge of guiding the implementation of Stony Brook University’s Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and working towards building an inclusive community on campus. She said that she will overview funding, policies, the student opportunities and leadership roles that allow them to use their voice. Clarke said she is currently completing a “listening tour” on campus, walking around to meet people and listen to different perspectives. “I definitely see a lot of pipelines and pathways for Stony Brook to tap into diversity,” she said. Clarke said that diversity is much easier than inclusion, which entails making people feel that they belong. In the first week of her listening tour, students described to her what inclusion looks like on campus and their feelings on if the university is emulating both diversity and inclusion. “I am thrilled that Judi has begun her work here at Stony Brook,” Judith Greiman, chief deputy to the president, said. “She is an engaging leader who will help to build community both on and off-campus.” Clarke said she spent her childhood learning how to acclimate and adjust to different cultures and environments. She moved from Wisconsin to Indiana to Michigan, and always tried to feel at home. She plans to do the same for students. “It’s about creating those same experiences [from back home] so even though the environment may not support that, you [students] with intentionality can create situations where it still feels like home, even though it's a new normal,” she said. Clarke, who is three generations away from slaves, said that the concept of not being considered an equal was passed down throughout her family the same way ideas of hate and fear were.

Growing up during the 60s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Clarke saw a lot of civil unrest. In Kokomo, Indiana, she even saw Ku Klux Klan marches in her hometown. “Once a month they'd have a Klan march and you didn't go out until things kind of settled down, because people would get so excited,” she said. “So my whole life I've had to navigate.” She also had to navigate difficulties at the beginning of her athletic career, which she feels was a big part of building who she is today. At the age of 11, before Title IX was enacted in 1972, Clarke ran on the boy’s track team since there was not a girls track team yet. After qualifying for regionals, she was told she couldn’t run because the team was a boy’s track team. “Even though we were the fastest, our team couldn’t compete,” Clarke said. “That was the very first time systematically I was like ‘what?’” She later went on to athletic success. She is a 5-time National Champion and Olympic silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles. Eventually, she went into higher education, hurdling into diversity initiatives and senior management teams. Clarke was the diversity director of the Bio-Computational Evolution in Action Consortium (BEACON) Science and Technology Center at Michigan State University for more than 16 years. Her role consisted of creating and operationalizing diversity, equity and inclusion, both intangible and virtual communities. Former Interim Chief Diversity Officer, Jarvis Watson, said the chief diversity officer position requires a strong relationship building skills, and strategic planning and assessment. “Most importantly, you have to care about the people you serve,” he said. “Without care and empathy, it’s just transactional.” One of Clarke’s missions on campus is to hear students' concerns and thoughts. She also wants to make conversation about diversity and inclusion a core value on campus. “If I can just change it [language of diversity and inclusion] to people understanding that this is a really high performing strategy and wrap their head around that, then the rest of it is simple,” Clarke said.

NAACP image award nominees talk nominations and Black History Month Written by: Alek Lewis

On Feb. 17, the Stony Brook University chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) released the nominees for their annual image awards. The list includes leading students of color and cultural organizations on campus. The awards, named after historically black colleges and universities, prominent black figures and black organizations, celebrate the achievements of people and organizations of color on campus. The awards ceremony is on Feb. 29 in the Student Activities Center Ballroom A at 7 p.m. The Statesman contacted some of the students and organizations nominated for the awards to ask various questions about their nominations, their campus involvement and Black History Month. Justin Burns, a junior political science major, is a nominee for the Harry Edwards Award. In addition to being a defensive back for the Seawolves football team, he is involved with the Alpha Project, a non-profit human services organization that operates on the West Coast. After graduation, Burns hopes to work for the Central Intelligence Agency or the Department of Foreign Affairs, but also has an interest in athletic training and physical therapy. Burns said his biggest influencers are his parents — who “taught him what’s wrong and what’s right” — and his peers, who “push him to become great.” He said Black History Month is a time to salute his founding fathers, who made sacrifices to give him the opportunities he has today. Rachel Miller, a sophomore psychology major, is a nominee for the Hillman Award. She said that “real people ... want to be around other real people.” Her connection with people comes from her authentic, energetic personality. After graduation, she hopes to open her own pediatric dentistry practice. She participates in the Caribana dance team and the pre-med student organization. Miller, who immigrated from Jamaica when she was young, grew up with predominantly white classmates. Black History Month for her is a way to learn about the influence of African Americans on the country. As a self-proclaimed music lover, one of Miller’s most prominent black influencers is the singer Etta James. Canayo Amasiani, a senior biology major, is a nominee for the Ms. HBCU Award. She is a community service representative for the Caribbean Students Organization, and has held officer positions in the African Students’ Union, the Student African American Sisterhood and the National Society of Leadership and Success. She hopes her legacy is “full of laughter and accessibility” and that she’ll be remembered as a reliable and cheerful community member who inspires her friends to be the best they can be. She said that every month is laced with black history, but February is a way to highlight the people who gave black Americans a path to continue to improve and celebrate their accomplishments. The Stony Brook National Society of Black Engineers is a nominee for the Howard University Award. Angelique Bryson, a senior electrical engineering major and president of the organization, said that the goal of the organization is to “increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who seek to professionally, academically and positively impact the community.” The organization hosts several workshops and attends conferences throughout the year.

Bryson said that Black History Month is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of a population that is historically underrepresented by highlighting scientists such as Garret Morgan — who created the three position traffic signal and the gas mask — and Gladys West, who helped create satellite geodesy, which is used by global positioning systems. Gabrielle Valestin, a senior biology major, is a nominee for the Ms. HBCU Award. She is the president of the Student African American Sisterhood and has studied abroad in Tanzania in east Africa. Last semester, she interned in the Undergraduate Clinical Experience Program at the Stony Brook University Hospital. After she graduates, she hopes to get her masters in biomedical sciences and then go on to medical school where she hopes to learn pediatric medicine. Valestin said that Black History Month is a “time to inspire others with an emphasis on sharing knowledge, because people need people.” Health science major, Kojo Dansoh, is a nominee for the Mr. HBCU Award. He has been on the e-board for the African Student Union, NAACP, Student African American Brotherhood and the vice president of Student Life in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). He tries to help his peers integrate into the Stony Brook community by promoting involvement. Justin "TrulyMade Jay" Otunba, a junior psychology major, is nominated for the Marching Band Award. He is a rapper who has music published on Soundcloud, including his most recent song “Racks Up.” He said his music is inspired by artists across different genres, such as John Legend, Playboi Carti and Slick Rick. Otunba said Black History Month is a time to pay attention to how African Americans and black Americans have shaped the world. He said that “every month should be Black History Month.” Paola Cardenas, a sophomore psychology and sociology double major, is a nominee for the Hillman Award. She said that the nomination came as a surprise and she “just tries to make everybody happy.” Cardenas, who comes from a mixed Latin African American household, believes that it is important to honor African Americans for a month. She lists her parents as her biggest influences, since they work hard to put her and her sister through college. The Cadence Step Team is a nominee for the Majorette Award. Genneil Martin, a junior civil engineering major, is the president of Cadence. She feels honored that her team was recognized with a nomination. Cadence performs at campus events such as China Night, Afro-Caribbean events and fashion shows. Martin said that Cadence allows a blend of different communities to come together. “When [Cadence] comes together to perform, it’s dynamic and different,” she said. It’s a home away from home for her and many other members. Grisell Ovalles, a senior history major, is a nominee for the Picture Perfect Award. She's the vice president of the NAACP Stony Brook chapter and a senator for the USG. She believes that clothes are more than just brands, “but a form of expression that everybody participates in.” She pushes her peers and underclassmen out of their comfort zones and into leadership positions.

For Ovalles, Black History Month means “highlighting the history that a foundation of white supremacy worked so hard to erase.” She aspires to get her masters degree in history or education and pursue a career teaching high school students in New York City. Her mentors on campus are Senior Academic Advisor and counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program — Dorothy Corbett — and history professor April Masten. She is motivated by her family and the sacrifices they have made to invest in her education. Yamilex Taveras, a senior political science major, is a nominee for the Black Panther Award. She is a senator in the USG; serves on the Budget/Grant Committee for clubs and organizations; and serves as a Doctorate Granting Institutions Representative on the SUNY Student Assembly. She plans to pursue a career in law. Taveras is also the president of the Latin American Student Organization, of which she has been a member since her freshman year. She said she's seen the organization’s influence on campus only grow. As president her “main goal was to exemplify fearlessness; to go ahead of the status quo and run the organization not how everyone feels a good org runs, but what feels right.” She said she sees Black History Month as “the re-energizing month,” or a time when everybody recognizes the fight against racial injustice. Terrell “TJ” Morrison, a senior business management major, is a nominee for the Harry Edwards Award. As well as being a defensive back for the Seawolves football team, he is a student ambassador and member of the Black Student Athlete Huddle. He said being nominated was “humbling but exciting as well, knowing that my involvement on campus is being recognized within both athletics and throughout campus.” He said he’s always looked up to his older brother, who taught him by example how to be optimistic and to stand up to adversity. He said that Black History Month is an important time for him to honor those who have “paved the way” for African Americans, while also working to “pay it forward and keep the ball rolling.” Benjamin Owusu, a junior health sciences major, is a nominee for the Josephine Baker Award. His spoken word discusses the Black Lives Matter Movement and police brutality against African Americans; it is meant to “change perspective in a world with a lot of people who are thinking the same.” He said he’s “here to challenge some of the practices that you think are okay … changing the community and changing perspective.” Maame Esi Otoo, a senior business major, is a nominee for the Josephine Baker Award and the Ms. HBCU Award. She is the vice president of clubs and organizations within the USG and helps organizations on campus find spaces to practice. Otoo believes that helping find creative clubs — such as non-university established dance teams — locations for meetings and practices on campus, can promote creativity in the community. She believes that having the ability to give more culturally diverse organizations a chance to establish. “I really like to make people feel welcomed and seen,” she said. “It really doesn’t matter who you are.” Brianne Ledda, Maya Brown and Samantha Robinson contributed reporting.