EGO MAGAZINE Special Issue by Southern Digest

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

Letter

From the

Editor

The Spring 2015 semester is well underway and as various clubs and organizations around Southern University acknowledge black history month, my staff and I decided to organize a black history month inspired magazine about black excellence, consciousness, and awareness. A combination of afrocentrism, colorism, conflict in the community, and overcoming to prosper are all elements used in this edition of the EGO. Some of the most talented minds on Southern University’s campus have come forward to share stories of their personal trials and experiences from their childhood, while others address the rise of the “new black.” In a society where the amount of skin you show dictates the amount of attention you get, the EGO will remind you that your sexuality shouldn’t be the only thing that you are remembered for. From how to save our young black men, to how to restore black wallstreet, this edition of the EGO covers not all, but many topics of interest. In an effort to publish the magazine during this month, we were not able to cover many Black History Month campus events, but the following events will take place to close out the month:

Meagan L. Williams EGO Editor-In-Chief

Contributing Staff Writers Ariana Triggs Travis Harris Jaleyah Davis Cassidy Patin Keyaira Franklin Willie McCorkle Diamond Bright Sharita Sims Melinda Dupas Felix Cunningham III Laquencia Parker

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Photographers Keiara N. Bailey Joshua McKnight Patrick Melon Artist Jessica Keys

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Professional Staff Director of Student Media Heather Freeman Director of Sales Camelia Jackson Publications & Graphics Manager

Jermaine Proshee

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2/25 Black out Wednesday 12 Noon-2 p.M. 21st Annual Ag Center Black History Quiz Bowl 3P.M. at the SU Agriculture center. 2/26 Black history club and Residential Life black history program 7P.M. Boley hall lobby 2/27 History in black entertainment 6P.M. Smith-Brown Memorial Student Union - Royal Cotillion Ballroom 2/28 United Voices for a better Louisiana rally downtown Baton Rouge at 10A.M. State Capitol Building 333 As we as a people conquer and address the problems within the society, it is important to remember unity; not just in this month, but in our everyday lives. Thank you.

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contents Special edition:

04 12 16 18 24 28 30 4

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Letter from the Editor, List of contributing writers, list of professional staff

WHAT IS RAP TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY? Story by: Travis Harris

Protest Photo by: Keiara N. Bailey

THE AFRO: DECADES LATER Story by: Keyaira Franklin

HYPERSEXUALITY Story by: Ariana Triggs

NEW ERA OF CIVIL RIGHTS: WHO’S ON THE FOREFRONT? Story by: Cassdy Patin

HEALTHCARE GAP Many African-Americans fall into a health ‘coverage gap’

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32 34 40 44 48 51 56 58

SAVING OUR MALE POPULATION ON CAMPUS Story by: Willie McCorkle

POEM: THE WOMAN SHE IS By: Brittany Ford

A TRUE PIONEER BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHT Remembering Rev. T.J. Jemison

ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Story by: Laquencia Parker

ANAYLIZING RAP: What Constitutes as Free Speech or a Confession? Story by: Ariana Triggs

HOW DOES BLACK HISTORY INSPIRE YOUR FASHION? Photo Spread: Keiara N. Bailey

#EXHIBITBE Photo by: Patrick Melon

SPRING 2015 ACADEMIC CALENDAR

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SElmA: REVIEW Story: MELINDA DUPAS

s one of most impeccable and outstanding family man and civil rights leader. films of 2015, “Selma” centers on the racism

Major characters featured President Lyndon B.

and oppression of African Americans in Johnson, who remained stagnant on helping Dr.

the mid 1960’s in the city of Selma, Alabama. The King and through his spitefulness resulted in Dr. film focuses on Dr. Martin Luther King and the King’s trip to Selma. Through hatred, oppression, formation of the Southern Christian Leadership and strict laws forced upon the African American Conference as they fight for blacks to have the right community, citizens joined King in several march to vote in the state. With stellar performances by attempts to Montgomery, AL. Oprah Winfrey, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint and David Oyelowo as Dr. King.

Viewers of the film may be apprehensive to watching the film, as one scene focuses heavily on

The gist of the movie is on King’s apprehensiveness the day of bloody Sunday, as thousands of King’s about going to Selma to help the local citizens and supporters marched from Selma to Montgomery their struggle to vote. The film also goes into grave only to be met by the State Troopers and be beaten detail on Coretta Scott King and Dr. King’s life as half to death, with batons, riffles and exasperated a married couple as he leads a double life as a by gas.

THE CAST:

David Oyelowo

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Spring 2015

Oprah Winfrey

Carmen Ejogo

Violence is also a huge part of the film, as many deaths occur as a result of anyone being involved with Dr. King. Memorable deaths include Jimmie Lee Jackson, and the Reverend James Reed. A history lesson is also on hand as viewers get an inside look into the government of Alabama the Governor at that time, George Wallace. Overall, viewers will feel a sense of various emotions as they watch the movie. There will be times of laughter, tears, and sighs of relief as African Americans seal their fate in Selma with a powerful speech from Dr. King and the liberation of the president. The age recommendation for this movie is 12 and up. Overall the movie rating gets four stars which also includes mild language and tone. Viewer discretion is advised.

Tim Roth

Tom Wilkinson

Common Photo: SU Media Relations

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#ExhibitBe, New Orleans #ExhibitBe, New Orleans Photo: Patrick Melon Melon Photo: Patrick

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What is rap to the Black community? Story: TRAVIS HARRIS

usic is the one and only universal language. Out of all the genres of music, Hip-Hop is the most listened to and predicated art form that is still relatively new to the world. Today when American artists travel overseas to perform, audiences sing along word for word; most of theses countries are

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not English-speaking countries. Now that’s powerful. Artists first realized this power with Run DMC’s song “My Adidas” that peaked at number 5 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles (now Hot R&B/Hip Hop) in 1986. This song helped save the shoe company who, at the time, had financial troubles. The group had the whole world rocking Adidas apparel, giving the company a level of success they never would have reached. The corporations of the world took notice of this power. This notoriety turned Hip-Hop into a big commercial venue; marketing cars and car rims, alcohol, and clothing. In fact, the majority of mainstream music videos today are just advertisements for products that rappers have no stock or invested interest in. Jay-Z, one of the most successful rappers in 2005 started wearing weird-colored, button down collared shirts because he was coming of age. This had the youth in our communities dressed like they were going to job interviews with the few nice clothes they had in their closets. Is Hip-Hop today helping to destroy the Black male? That’s a rather hard question to answer mainly because they both influence

photo art: courtesy gentside.com

each other. When you study Hip-Hop by the state, you get the feel of the people of that region; both the good and the bad. For example, in Texas there is an overindulgence of prescription cough syrup. Note that this trend started in Houston and was not nation-wide. Early New Orleans Hip-Hop gave a cold hard look at a city where Heroin is a popular drug amongst the youth. Brian Williams (who also goes by Baby or Birdman) first album was called “B 32: I need a Bag of Dope.” Memphis, TN legends 8 Ball & MJG show the reality of pimping and prostitution in their hometown. This might not be deemed positive, but it is the reality or our communities. The first platinum selling rap group was Public Enemy; a group who’s members

were active members of the Nation of Islam. With hits like “Public Enemy No. 1”, “Don’t Believe the Hype”, and “911 is a Joke,” their concerts showed the majority of their fan base, which were mainly suburban white kids; rapping every song word for word. Today, record labels don’t promote positive rap as much as they promote violence and consumerism. Much of the reason is because corporations profit more from violence and consumerism more importantly with white supremacy. But to blame our problems solely on Hip-Hop would be ignorant. When discussing our plight or disposition for equality and liberation, we must take into consideration the FBI’s role in intervening with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Black Panthers; our last true leaders other then Han Louis Farrakhan.

J Edgar Hoover Cointelpro’s main goal, as quoted was to “prevent the rise of the Black Messiah”(indeed his words). We don’t even know if Cointelpro is still actively operating in destroying our progress. Hip Hop is definitely a tool. It can be used to build or destroy. We have seen the massive influence this genre has on our community as well as the global community. Still, with all the commercialism in Hip-Hop today, it gives us a voice in the world. Also, it prevents racism. You can’t teach a white child racism when his favorite rapper is Snoop Dogg or Jay Z. Hip-Hop does wonders for race relations and it can do more for our community. If only positive rap had the same appeal as mainstream rap does.

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Bringing Back Black Wall Street Story by: TRAVIS HARRIS

lack Wall Street or “Little Africa” was a town in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was home to 15,000 AfricanAmericans. The land mass consisted of 36 severe blocks and flourished with a little more than 600 businesses. The community was filled with professionals and resources including: doctors, lawyers, churches, restaurants, a hospital, a bus system, and plenty of grocery stores; not to mention natural resources such as oil and black gold that lied beneath the land.

a black president and black attorney general, what is there to complain about? In the words of Hip Hop mogul Drake, “Nigga we made it!” On June 1, 1921 Black Wall Street was bombed from the air and burned by mobs of whites, leaving 3,000 African Americans dead. High-ranking city officials and the Ku Klux Klan orchestrated this massacre. Other than the transAtlantic voyage, Black Wall Street was a direct Holocaust of black peoples.

Unlike today, the community was completely self-sufficient. The dollar would circulate 36 to 100 times before leaving the community. Whereas today, the dollar is believed to stay in the black community for less than 10 minutes.

When the Civil Rights Movement ushered in integration, it also removed our love and pride for our black heritage. Black Wall Street is just the prime or the best example of the black community with a surplus of resources. These types of communities were scattered all around America. Sadly, integration encouraged blacks to assimilate and be more like whites. This began the degradation of our black community. Blacks decreased their support of their own businesses in favor for other non-black businesses; thus abandoning our communities.

The state of Oklahoma was set aside particularly for blacks and Native Americans. Oklahoma was the final destination of their long journeys while on the “Trail of Tears”. It was supposed to be a place of their own where they could govern themselves and live an American life. Due to the strict Jim Crow laws, blacks were forced to rely heavily on each other; therefore the philosophy of the honorable Marcus Garvey was the only way for them to live. The philosophy is “Think Black, Buy Black, Be Black, and everything else will take care if itself.” Everything except our defenses, as we can see. Today most black people have never heard of Black Wall Street. We completely disregard our fight towards liberation, especially with the illusion of freedom we have today. With

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Look at the communities in which our historically black colleges are housed. All are like a discovered fossil, which shows proof of a once thriving black community. If you go to Howard University today, you will find their collegiate community is filled with white people. Gentrification: That is when the property value of an area drops down and other people who are not from that community move in and restore the property value while moving the native residents out. Southern University has beautiful real estate, and can fall prey to this very system.

Ways to Support Black Businesses By: Diamond Bright

Professor Lauri Patterson, a fellow administrator from the Southern University College of Business, shares tips on how to support black-owned businesses.

How can we honestly say that when in America a black person’s life is not valuable enough to get justice in our judicial system, however when the crime is black-on-black we receive justice? Conversely, when the police and people who want to play police, such as George Zimmerman, have a license to kill African Americans, even under the administration of a black president. It is not far fetched to suggest gentrification can happen in Scotlandville. In order to rebuild Black Wall Street or all black streets, the first step will have to be knowledge of self. This, if applied effectively, will put a sense of love and pride back into our communities. Young black men will stop roaming the earth looking for reflections of himself to harm, and our women will start to value their minds, bodies, and souls. We have to all start loving one another again- and in the words of James Brown, “be black and proud.” Of course, this will not apply to all black people, but collectively it will start to promote change within our communities and us. Next, we need to boycott any businesses in our community that are not owned by blacks. We need to seek out black reliable business owners to support and start a business or work force for our blacks. We need to make our dollar circulate within our community. Most black people are financially illiterate. We need to study economy and finance; that way the youth would think twice before spending and we will begin to actually utilize or buying power. Of course, this is not the complete answer to rebuilding Black Wall Street, but it’s the definitely the beginning.

*Buy from African American Businesses. * Practice “Word of Mouth” so we can encourage our friends and family to go out and buy from the establishments. *The expectation of wanting a discount needs to be stopped. We expect because they are the same color (as us) that they are always supposed to discount us, but they are in business trying to make money like everyone else. The expectation of wanting a discount needs to be stopped. *We need to bring African American Businesses into the universities. This would help them advertise and talk to students and to tell their success stories. *Enter into Partnerships. Meaning that whenever there are events, businesses will be showcased in some way. They could contribute to the university and then in turn, we could contribute back to them by supporting that business. For a full list of black owned businesses in Louisiana, please visit www.louisianablackbusinessdirectory. com

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PHOTO: KEIARA N. BAILEY

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AF RO Decades Later Story: Keyaira Franklin

n Southern University’s campus, the “big chop” and “fro” are leading among campus fashion and hair styles. Both, “the big chop” and “fro” refer to an individual decision to no longer wear processed or relaxed hair. Although this is the trend in today’s black communities, the thought of beauty and royalty has taken storm. Some of the same motives occur today as they did in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80s. The trend of the Afro emerged in the late 1960s and lasted until the early 1980s. The thought of wearing self ’s natural state was breath taking and transformed the fashion world. This hairstyle swarmed the African American culture advocating power and respect. Campus life was influenced by the popularity of the afro. On Southern University’s campus, during this era, the afro dominated the scene. As seen in old yearbooks, the afro was the top trend of its era and prominent to the culture of the students. The afro was the one thing that unified students from different states, majors, and Greek organizations. The era of the afro has resurfaced and impacted the SUBR community today, the same way it did back than. On an even

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bigger platform, celebrities such as Angela Davis and Pam Grier guided the movement in the African American community showing many people of the black descent that being “self ” is beautiful, gracious, and powerful- seen in films such as Foxy Brown and Cofy. The 1960’s were heavily influenced by the Black Panthers who also sported fashion trends college campuses by wearing fros and black colored clothing in order to exemplify self-righteousness. Unfortunately after the 1980s the trend of afros died down and the era of processed and permed hair became the popular. Later in the 2000s, the afro resurfaced when black celebrities such as Solange, Erykah Badu, Elle Varner, and Marsha Ambrosius lead the music scene wearing their natural states of hair known as the “new fro.” The campus scene in the 21st century has taken old concepts such as the fro and used it to their advantages. The expression known as “Crown” has been associated with the idea of the fro. College students use many natural hair tactics such as bantu knots, flat twists, and comb twists. The thought of healthy hair and bringing back the natural “self ” is still what drives the goal behind natural hair today. Along with the fro came the fashions of the 1970s super star Pam Grier. Crop tops and high waisted pants are prominent in today’s campus life. The Afro still has the passion and fierceness that it once had in the fashion industry, music scene and campus life.

AF . RO a hairstyle in which very curly hair is shaped into a smooth round ball

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Photo: Joshua McKnight 20

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The Purpose of Greeks Post-Civil Rights Story: FELIX CUNNINGHAM III

he question ahead of us in the new-found era is do AfricanAmerican based fraternities and sororities give back to the black community? Are they allowed to give back? Are they expected to give back? Is it their duty to give back? The answer frankly is decided on the people within the organizations, not the organizations themselves. Personally being a part of an African-American based fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., we are supposed to uphold the three strict principles of brotherhood, scholarship, and service. Service is highly explicit and bountiful to the community because we are the “people’s frat”, so I know the account of community service. Other than the fraternity that I’m a member of, Greek-lettered organizations are based to pursue the efforts of love, scholarship,

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brother or sisterhood, and most of all community service. Their cause speeds forward as they innate efforts to transform the community and uplift fellow members that live there. The African-American based fraternities and sororities I speak of are considered the Divine Nine: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. These organizations were created in a time and age when racial segregation and struggle plagued the African-American communities. These included lynching, beatings, wrongful arrests, and delusion of American freedoms. The rise of these organizations and their prideful

colors that made up the National Pan Hellenic Council bore witness to the fact that despite hardships, African-Americans refused to stay at a level of inferiority. The letters stood for something and was to chastise those whom were going to take freedoms away from us. In the age of segregation, black men and women had a mission and that mission wasn’t clouded by frivolity, and social affairs because it was straight to the point; SAVE the Black Community. Whether it was voting, voicing one’s opinion, or even raising a family without police brutality. Do what was best to enact a better future for the next generation, but within that meant a core price of being lost. Since we were “delivered” from the harsh chains of segregation and given the diplomatic right to live with a keen sense of justice, it has ushered in a new era of stepping, strolling,

derogatory chants, and pride. It’s ok to have pride in your organization because who doesn’t appreciate their colors, crest, and sensibility but to blatantly dislike another fraternity or sorority is hating your own race, skin color, culture, and actuality. Keyandra Hall, member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. said, “We got lost in the popularity, we got lost in the image, and especially the strolling. It was honestly like we forgot what our

organizations stand for and that was standing up for the black community. And to be honest we do not give back enough.” It is like we are unfazed of the injustice that happens, like we are unaware of the black injustice that goes around the United States but it only takes a certain leader and a leader to care about what goes on. Now goes to the core piece of the lecture, do we give back?

Community service has been lost and let’s be honest, laziness, and human deficiency is the cause of it all. If one doesn’t feel like waking up at 8 to tutor or rake then we won’t, we will find solace elsewhere. It’s not the fact that we have too much pride in ourselves but not enough pride in anyone else. We do not give back enough, we do not stand for our right causes because we would rather fight for nothing than stand for something. EGO Magazine

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r e p

y y t i l H ua x se

Story: ARIANA TRIGGS

he thing about media, including art and music, is that it has both a positive and negative connotation. There was once a time when sexual activity wasn’t aired on television, where a married couple wasn’t able to sleep in the same bed on-camera. This was close to 60 years ago, though. Now, when the television is on, there are hypersexual images on practically every channel. Whether it’s advertisements during commercial breaks or series such as Scandal, Love & HipHop, or Being Mary Jane, viewers are exposed to some type of hyper-sexual image throughout the course of their day. However, television isn’t the only place where consumers absorb these subliminal messages are leaked; but in music and art as well. From Rap to Pop, much of music is heavily promoted through the theory that “sex sells.” What comes from this is a generational effect of hyper-sexual beings. It is important, even in this age, that black women empower themselves and each other more and more to help each other realize their worth and reach their potential without having to over sexualize themselves. “History repeats itself. Nothing is ever new. These images have always been a part of our culture, but social media have made them more prevalent. Again, it’s a form of oppression to help the majority to remain dominant. The oppression of indigenous groups

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such as Blacks, has been around for centuries,” Carey Yazeed said about the emergence of the hyper-sexualization of women in society. Carey Yazeed, LSU Ph. D candidate and local social worker, said that the images that are being portrayed on social media and on television, especially reality television are very much a distorted view of the black woman. “To be honest, it’s a one-sided perspective that represents less than 5% of the population of African-American women. Shows such as the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’, ‘Sorority Sisters’ and even ‘Scandal’ portray us as smart, collegeeducated sisters living in beautiful homes and driving expensive vehicles, yet displaying obscene and less than appropriate behaviors that don’t match the ‘lifestyles of the Black upper -middle class’ that some are living. We are portrayed as being promiscuous, home wreckers who always want someone else’s man. Now that’s television. On social media we are shown half-naked, twerking, fighting, or just making complete fools of ourselves all for the sake of a like”, said Yazeed. She continued on to say that the media is not completely responsible, that we are to blame as well. “Just as the black sororities came together and had ‘Sorority Sisters’ pulled, we also have a

say in how we are portrayed in the media. We have, instead, bought into the drama and have supported the continued the oppression of our race. At the end of the day, the exploitation and objectification of black women in the media is just that--a form of oppression and a way to keep the image that has followed us for over 400 years preserved. The media’s message is that we don’t value ourselves collectively as black women and that everything about us is sexualized from the provocative clothing, to the affairs with married men. It’s all about the numbers and seduction and sex of any kind sells.” Angela Watson, better known as radio personality “Uptown Angela” on New Orleans’ top Hip-Hop and R&B station Q93, agrees. Watson said that the message being sent isn’t one that the respectable black woman would agree with. “The type of message that are being relayed through the hyper-sexual images in the media are that women are thirsty groupies who will do anything for a touch of fame. From this, the type of behavior are we seeing as a culture today in response to these representations and the effect this have on gender role norms is that young girls are dressing more provocatively, growing up too fast and abusing social media for attention.” Yazeed said that we now live in a place in time where both young and older women are fixated on their body image instead of utilizing their

intelligence. what the educational system and the media is not going to do and that’s “We have entertainers who are having butt implants, breast implants telling our youth about where we come from and who we are. The media and even cheek implants and so we now want bigger butts, larger breasts keeps showing the same parts of history over and over again. Martin and sadly, distorted faces too, because the media tells us that this is ok. Luther King, Jr. wasn’t the only civil rights leader who had an impact These women are successful and their message is that ‘I’m independent.’ on Blacks moving forward. But if you let the media, tell it there was no As a culture, we are seeing relationships that are based on image versus Malcolm, Medgar, or Marcus. And let us not forget the powerful Black compatibility, love and respect. There is also a shift in the gender role women who are never talked about: Diane Nash—a leader & strategist norms. Women now believe that it is ok to be the man that they want so of the student wing of the civil rights movement and a member of the when they are in a relationship, they are not capable of stepping back and Freedom Riders; Septima Poinsette Clark – the grandmother of the civil allowing a man to provide and take care of them.” rights movement who played a major role in the voting rights for Blacks; Yazeed and Watson both make great cases. Let’s look into Hip-Hop for Fannie Lou Hamer – who was “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” was a second. instrumental in the civil rights movement in Mississippi; Daisy Bates – a Hip-hop is now the genre of music that sets that precedent in the black civil rights activist, publisher and writer who played a major role in the community in terms of what’s socially acceptable and what’s not. Women 1957 Little Rock integration; and Ella Baker – who mentored many of the admire female artists like Nicki Minaj, who is explicit in both her music well-known civil rights leaders including Rosa Parks.” and wardrobe. Because of her success in the industry as a strong female Although these are the problems that black women face with the presence, other female emcees are either stepping up or stepping up for influence that hyper-sexual images, women have long been empowering another go-round to make their presence known. However, in order to themselves and each other. Though, the need for more programs and do this, some of them believe that in order to be positive role models are long-overdue. It’s successful, you have to sell sex or ‘the look’ first, almost as if no one wants to be a role model. Of “The marketing of hyperthen the bars. course, being a role model is a hard job, but it is “I would like to see and hear more artists refer one of those things that comes with the package sexualism distorts the to females with more respect, especially in hip of being a public figure. It’s one of those things feminist message and hop. The marketing of hyper-sexualism distorts that just happens, and a person has absolutely the feminist message and movement because no control over it. So, the choice becomes either movement because respect and chivalry from males is not a priority; to be a positive or a negative role model and it respect and chivalry from however, artists like Janelle Monae make it a could be made subconsciously or consciously. point to display positive images of females on The same goes with ordinary women on in our males is not a priority; the industry by remaining classy.” communities. There is also a difference in the marketing. Some person, whether you know it or not, may however, artists like Janelle Watson said the difference that she notices in the be looking up to you. Everyone has the power to Monae make it a point to way these images are marketed to different races change a life or lives. It is up to women to look is that pop culture promotes cleaner cut images out for each other and keep each other on the display positive images of of female artists, who oftentimes are packaged to right path. females in the industry by look much younger to attract teens, who happen “Instead of tearing one another down,” Watson to represent a large portion of revenue. said, “there needs to be more unity and support remaining classy.” Although the black women in the mainstream for each other--sharing dreams and forming a -Uptown Angela makes awesome attempts to empower the youth strong networking system.” and women altogether, they are still selling the As black women live and exist in a time where same image. Some of the things that Watson hyper-sexual images are so heavily promoted, said she notices some flaws when celebrity women, specifically black, women provide themselves and each other with self-assurance and tries to empower women. “Some things that I notice that some female empowerment without being overly sexual by starting with yourself, entertainers do wrong when trying to empower women is continuation Yazeed said. of selling negative images, clothing, lyrical content of music,” Watson “Self-respect starts with you. We have control in what we choose to wear said. and how we behave in public. And then it takes a village. I don’t think we Yazeed said the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality is one of the things she hold each other accountable let alone uplift each other so that the focus notices that some female entertainers have misconstrued. isn’t on sex and instead on our self-esteem, self-image and intelligence. “Their image is one. How are you telling women to do X,Y, & Z, but How can you make a difference? Serve as a mentor, be an example. you’ve enlarged everything on your body, you’re dressed like a stripper While serving as a professor at Southern University in the Department and are coming across as illiterate? There is this saying “Practice what of Social Work I was very vocal with my students when it came to you preach.” You can’t empower anyone if your message says otherwise” professionalism. If they came to class dressed inappropriately, you were Yazeed said. “We see shows that discuss the repercussions that woman called on it. I began to realize that the media had raised the generation of have faced because of their skin color, but I haven’t seen any media push students that I was teaching. When it came to looking and acting like a that focuses on feminist thought and what it means to be a woman. professional woman, they didn’t have a clue. I began to incorporate into Maybe we’ll see a show here and there in March during Women’s Month.” my classes how to dress for certain events and would bring in speakers to From admired women such as Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, and Rihanna demonstrate what professionalism looked like. ‘When you know better women are also more celebrated as “bad b*****s.” It’s viewed as a positive you do better.’ I would also police my seniors’ social media pages and and rebellious title, but we also are told that we come from “kings and pull them to the side when they posted images or information that was queens.” However, the “bad bitch” image is more promoted and more sexualized and could possible prevent them from getting a job. I don’t popular than being labeled a “queen.” It is said that this is true because think people realize that employers actually go on your social media page many of our women aren’t properly educated about our culture and before making a final decision to hire a person. We can beat the media since African Americans only get one month out of the year is dedicated at their own game by educating women, holding workshops, speaking to the celebration of black history, some of us will only look at the to them in classes, writing articles, supporting indie films that promote accomplishments of our race during the month of February. positive images of Black women. We have to start with a plan. “I think it starts at home with parents being more involved with doing

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Angela Davis

American political activist, scholar, and author

n American political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as a prominent counterculture activist and radical in the 1960s as a leader of the Communist Party USA, and had close relations with the Black Panther Party through her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, although she was never a party member. Her interests included prisoner rights; she founded Critical Resistance, an organization working to abolish the prison-industrial complex. She is a retired professor with the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a former director of the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Feminist Studies department.[2] Davis was arrested, charged, tried, and acquitted of conspiracy in the 1970 armed take-over of a Marin County courtroom, in which four persons died.[3] Her research interests are feminism, African-American studies, critical theory, Marxism, popular music, social consciousness, and the philosophy and history of punishment and prisons. Her membership in the Communist Party led to Ronald Reaganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request in 1969 to have her barred from teaching at any university in the State of California. She was twice a candidate for Vice President on the Communist Party USA ticket during the 1980s.

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New Era of

Civil Rights

Who’s on the forefront fighting for the liberties of African Americans Story: CASSIDY PATIN

“A

lot of us are not scholars. We’re not trained organizers. We are not professional activist. We are just real people who identified a problem and decided to do something about it,” declared Rapper and Activist Tef Poe during an interface service in St. Louis. This new epoch of civil rights has been shown in a different light than the last civil rights movement. The civil rights movement beginning in the early 1950’s primarily focused on the freedom of oppressed African Americans and their rights as U.S. citizens. Today’s activists focus on human rights and social justice for everyone. Even though the movement stemmed from innocent, African American teenagers being killed by officers, the brutal events have brought together people from all over the world, supporting the protest for justice; and on the front lines are the new generation of civil rights.

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

Civil Rights are the rights of citizens to political and social freedom, equality, and to be free from unfair treatment or discrimination. Not many in the younger generation have taken their race and their rights into consideration when they are just living their everyday lives. An abundance of young, African American adults are not even registered to vote, not knowing how much of an impact their vote could have on the community. In addition, not realizing how many people sacrificed their lives so that we could have the right to vote. This generation could be seen as taking what they have been given for granted, but then a few attitude adjustments dropped the ball and hit the ground, running. Beginning on the night of February 26, 2012, in Stanford, Florida, the shooting of Trayvon Martin created an uproar when he, an innocent African American teenager, whose birthday

had just passed, was fatally shot down by a “neighborhood watch” officer. This event ignited the community and word started to spread about his injustice. Not to mention that the officer who shot Martin is continuing to make money from being in the public eye, speaking on the situation. As years passed, more innocent killings kept occurring. Protests such as the ones initiated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960’s and have resurfaced. Officers have retaliated with smoke bombs and tear gas, knocking some to the ground to arrest them, and even scooped down to the level of shooting protesters with rubber bullets causing horrible injuries. The sadder and more recent event involved an African American man named Eric Garner. With videos taking over the internet of Garner being put in a headlock and choking out the words “I can’t breathe” as he slowly fell to his death on the sidewalk, our generation shook with disgust and heartache. That was our attitude adjustment. Pulling the covers off our heads and stepping out of the bed, this generation finally started seeing rather than just looking. Many have realized that race, justice, and making a difference are worth our time and effort. We have learned to pay attention to the things going on around us, and being more aware of what is happening in the community. Even more, what is happening around the world. Young, African American adults are now taking a stand. Going to Ferguson to protest, risking their lives as activists once did for us. Also making an effort to go to schools, talking to the younger generation, informing them and letting them know how capable they are and how powerful they can be, keeping the ball rolling. If we can keep the ball rolling, it will never stop. The smallest of actions can have the biggest impact. We have seen it happen before so let’s embrace our power and make it happen again.

Photo: Keiara N. Bailey

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

Healthcare

Gap

Many African-Americans fall into a health “coverage gap” Story: TERESA WILTZ stateline.org

WASHINGTON _ Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of people of color who do not have health insurance is projected to fall dramatically by 2016, greatly narrowing the historic disparities in coverage between whites and nonwhites. But one minority group is likely to benefit less than others: African-Americans. Fifty-five percent of all African-Americans reside in the 23 states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility under the ACA. By comparison, 42 percent of whites, 38 percent of Latinos and 23 percent of Asians live in nonexpansion states, according to the Urban Institute. In those nonexpansion states, a disproportionate number of blacks don’t qualify for the narrower Medicaid program in place now. Medicaid typically covers pregnant women, young children, and disabled and elderly adults. Relatively few able-bodied adults with children qualify in those

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states, and only at incomes well below the federal poverty level. (Childless adults do not qualify.) Even if they meet the other eligibility requirements, many African-Americans in nonexpansion states earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to qualify for subsidized insurance on the federal health care exchanges (which exist in all states), leaving them caught in a “coverage gap.” Before a June 2012 Supreme Court ruling made Medicaid expansion optional, the ACA anticipated that all states would expand the program. Since the assumption was that people below the federal poverty level ($11,670 for an individual) would be covered by Medicaid, only people making between that amount and four times that amount qualify for federal aid to buy insurance on the exchanges. More than a quarter _ 1.4 million _ of the 4 million Americans in the coverage gap are black.

According to Jessica Stephens, a senior policy analyst with the Kaiser Family Foundation, a large number of Latinos also are caught in the coverage gap. But because they live largely in states that have expanded Medicaid, they are not represented in such disproportionate numbers. “If the other states that have so far refused Medicaid expansion expanded it, the black/ white (disparity) would drop dramatically,” said Lisa Clemans-Cope, a health economist at the Urban Institute and the author of a new report on coverage rates under the ACA. “Where you live matters.” Some Republican-dominated states have refused to expand Medicaid to express their opposition to the broader health care law, but others cite fiscal concerns. The federal government will pick up 100 percent of the costs of expansion through next year. But starting in 2017, the federal share will gradually decline until it reaches 90 percent

in 2020, where it will remain. Some states worry that the 10 percent share may be too much for them to afford, or that the federal government will scale back its contribution sometime in the future. A disproportionate percentage of blacks live in the South, and that is where resistance to expansion remains strongest. Roughly half the states that have not expanded Medicaid are located in that region. Southern states also have the strictest eligibility requirements for their current Medicaid programs. In Mississippi, for example, the parent/caretaker in a family of three would be ineligible for Medicaid if he or she earned more than $384 a month. About 86 percent of people in the coverage gap reside in the South, according to Stephens from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Under the ACA, the divide in coverage between whites and blacks dropped from a 6.5 percentage-point gap to a 5 percentage-point gap, ClemansCope said. But if all states expanded Medicaid coverage, then the divide in coverage between whites and AfricanAmericans would drop to 2.6 percentage points, she said. Expanding Medicaid would be a big help for African-Americans in the coverage gap, according to Katherine Howitt, senior policy analyst at Community Catalyst, a national nonprofit group that advocates for affordable health care. Without insurance, Howitt said, poor working people don’t have many options beyond relying on emergency rooms or the few community health care centers that offer free or discounted health services. The majority of people caught in the coverage gap are employed. They’re the working poor, paying

the bills with a part-time gig or punching the clock with an employer who doesn’t offer insurance. They may be juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet, or they may be in school full time. “Closing the coverage gap can really give them

a chance to get ahead,” Howitt said. “Right now, the coverage gap is politicized, tied in many legislators’ minds to the ACA or Obamacare. There are lots of challenges in overcoming those political hurdles.”

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

Saving our

male population

on campus

By: Willie McCorkle

he first African slave is said to had been documented landing along the coast of Jamestown, Virginia in America in the year of 1619. Nearly 400 years later, today there are over 50 million African-Americans inhabiting the United States of America. Since the first presidential election in 1789, there has only been one (1) African-American president; who is no other than President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Out of 2,364 institutions of higher education in the United States of

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America, there are less than 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. And myself, am proud to declare that I am a graduate of Southern University A&M College. There are only 2.9 million AfricanAmericans enrolled in college; with the ratio being 5 females to a deprived 1 male. Now, on the flipped side of AfricanAmericans striving to further their education, African-Americans makeup nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population. One in

six black men had been incarcerated as of 2011; and with those current trends, one in three black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during his lifetime. Identity, can be defined as the state of having unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing. Simply put, there can be only ONE you. As a man, knowing yourself and being comfortable within yourself is one of the strongest characteristics that one can attain. It is the essence of Manhood. He does not conform to any

man. He adjusts to his environment, but does not conform. Once you have achieved that, then you are able to identify what role you are to play in life. As an adult young man seeking to achieve a higher level of education, your role should be that of a college student. If you are going to assume a role, you must first know the responsibilities that come along with it. For example, the responsibilities of a college student: take care of all documentation and verification needed for enrollment, go to class, study, get involved around campus and network, etc. I am disturbed by the lack of selfidentity by college black men today, and the assuming of other roles that do not coincide with being a college student! Last I checked, selling drugs, stealing, sagging pants, or frivolous activity and promiscuity with women were not characteristics or responsibilities that college educated black men should be undertaking! If you went to the local grocery store, would the female elder be able to distinguish you from any other type of gentleman she had encountered that day? As a college educated black man, there should be a clear distinction between

himself and the rest of society. Such as, his dress presentation, his vernacular and verbiage, and a certain heir about himself that exudes confidence. No, this does not translate to being “uppity” in nature; but is the mark of a college educated black man, something that you should be proud of. Already facing two strikes of stereotypes (¹being black, ²being a male) why make it so easy to be identified, scrutinized, or even harassed by society? As college educated black men, we have to be the ones who take a stand against the plagues or pre judgmental attitudes and hidden racism. But the only way to do this, is to NOT play into the perception that already exist by the general public. If you understood your true identity there would be no room for anyone to identify you with any other stereotype or category of people. Because once again, you know your role and are handling all responsibilities that go along with it. We have to remind ourselves of the trials and tribulations that our ancestors, Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, our grandmothers, our grandfathers; the trials and tribulations that they went through and question ourselves: Is the diligent work that they put in going in

vain? Every time you think about staying home from school, or cutting class; REMIND yourselves of the people that fought just so that you could have an equal opportunity at an education, fought so that your text books can be up to date, and fought just so that you could even ride the bus to school! We have come such a long a long way, but we still have so much further to go. Traditional America doesn’t like and can’t take African-American confidence, especially that of a college educated black man. But you have to be knowledgeable of where you come from. Realize that we all are descendants of kings and queens, pharaohs, and rulers of world conquering civilizations; and be ever mindful of the fact that all of that was TAKEN from us at one point! This generation, my peers, we have the opportunity to shift the paradigm which tries to define the state of the black race, and evolve beyond any racial barriers that may have prohibited us in the past. But there first must be a knowledge of self, and beyond that, understanding your very own unique identity. God made you an original. Don’t die a copy. Be blessed.

Photo Courtesy: Garrett Edgerson

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Spring 2015

The Woman She Is Having the power to move heavy weights Or perform other physical demanding task As she cuts through the waters with her strong arms (Exerting great force she is) Able to perform a specific action While having the courage, strength, and power While breaking free from a mental suicidal soul tie (YES THE WOMAN SHE IS) Allowing her flesh to continuously drag her down Through to ongoing cycle of unhappiness He comes he goes he comes back All for just a two minute everlasting climax In his mind that’s all I’m good for I’m making my vagina so convenient as if I was a 7/11 food store Slowly my value starts to decrease based on his inability to see my worth But to his child I gave birth You know they tried to warn me That his physical attraction would destroy me Lord I need this soul tie to be set free Sinking in my actions that consume me In my mind I feel that there is no one that’s good for me So I ask the question who will embrace me Fighting the toxic sprits that are inside of me I look at my reflection and hurt is what I see I ask him why you do this shit to me Lying Ass, Cheating Ass, Disrespect Ass, Undercover Ass, Saying that you are straight but you are really Gay in the ass I’m tired of you physically abusing my ass Mentally abusing my ass And mistreating my ass I should just let go And let God deal with your ass While I seat back and cross my fine legs Sip some nice tea and wait on my Boaz Thank You Ladies & Gentleman

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Spring 2015

BY: JALEYAH DAVIS

think the documentary Dark Girls produced by Oprah Winfrey is one of that is necessary for understanding, growth, and knowledge. Although I feel as though a lot was left out, it is important to start somewhere. And to me, the documentary is a start at really looking at colorism and the way it plagues our little black girls, our black women, our black men, and our communities. The documentary starts in a powerful way addressing how a little girl perceives what people say about her beauty. The girl was asked, “How do you feel when someone goes, ‘Oh, she’s a pretty black girl?’” The girl made it clear that the interviewer understood that she didn’t like to be called black simply because she wasn’t black. Many people will view this as though

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MOVI E REVIEW the girl has formed some kind of disgust towards her skin tone and all of the beautiful aesthetic features that come with being black. I think the little girl is trying to address the negative stigmas that are attached with being called darker when in fact she’s not all that dark. Like the little girl, I’d like to believe that I am a pretty ebony skin tone. I have smooth skin and my complexion tends to stand out, which growing up my classmates loved to pick fun at. Originally, I went to elementary school at a private predominantly white school where race wasn’t a big discussion because my twin sister and I were among maybe two other black faces in the entire elementary school. Once I moved to a public predominantly black elementary school they’d pick on me day after day. At one point I stopped

feeling bad because I knew that they had nothing else to do with their time and if I had to be the butt of their jokes, so be it. My classmates went as far to call me Kunta Kinte, from Roots, cousin. I wasn’t always tolerant of their jokes and sometimes I had the energy to fight back, but what can you really say to someone who perceives you as dark black charcoal baby that was just so ugly and unkempt? I learned early on that you can’t change people and their opinions of you. I was associated with being dark-skinned and all the stigmas that comes with it. I would always look at my skin and replay the taunts of my classmates and I had no idea what they were talking about, I didn’t see what they saw. I always grew up believing that I was a pretty brown little girl, not because that’s how I was

taught to think, but because that’s how I saw myself. My mother would constantly call me black ass, cow, horse, ugly little girl, etc. and it hurt because my mom sounded just like the kids at school whom she should’ve been teaching me to not listen to. One summer an African pastor named Papa Billy came to preach at my Pappie’s (grandfather’s) church in the Virgin Islands. I always listened in church, but there was something special about Papa Billy’s sermon that excited me. He started to talk about how Americans thought he was just so dark (which to me, he was, but that wasn’t the point at the time) and how he couldn’t understand how they could view such ebony skin to be black like sin. He paused as he spoke and stated how he hated the term black because when you look at the color black it’s complete darkness and when compared to one’s skin tone there are very few similarities. He went on to proclaim that he was brown and it felt to me like a declaration because there was finally someone else in the world whom without even knowing me personally shared the same ideology as myself. Now that I am older and stand firmer in my beliefs, I do not tolerate being called: darkie, dark, dark-skinned, black, blackie, etc. Not because I am not fond of my blackness but because it reminds me of how my mean classmates perceived and how they lived in a false sense of reality of me and the reality of it all is that my skin is just as pretty as a Hershey kiss and if you don’t believe so, then I don’t need to converse with you.

we are scum, worthless, ugly, and for service use only. Once that is engrained over generations and generation of families, legal doctrine can only have but so much influence on the way Black people are treated. Which is why today we still continue to face a multitude of racial issues and colorism still thrives within our communities. Dr. Grills among other psychologists in the documentary in the film understood that it was pivotal to understand the truths of our bondage, if you can’t understand the history of something you won’t be able to understand the present of that very thing. Actress, Viola Davis, has been involved in quite a bit of controversy in the media surrounding the debut of her natural hair and her consistently wearing her natural hair on the red carpet. Davis would originally wear wigs for public events and her natural hair in her personal life, but at one point she understood that she couldn’t separate herself to make White people and other Black people comfortable. Growing up, I thought I had the worst hair in the world. Not strictly because it’s nappy and hard to manage, but because my mother didn’t know how to do hair and didn’t care to learn. So everyday, I went to school looking like a “ragamuffin” as my mother, classmates, and daycare teachers would call it. Daily I was considered unkempt because of my natural hair meanwhile my classmates were in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade with sew ins, quick weaves, braid extensions, etc. I always wondered how their parents allowed them to get hairstyles like that at such a young age. It didn’t puzzle me that I had nappy unkempt hair, I just wished I had a hard brush and some kind of hair supplies to manage my hair. I was literally the laughing stock of my school. Kids made so much fun of me they’d bring their flat irons and pressing combs to school to wave in my face and give me an example of what I should be using on my hair. After much pleading, my mom would finally get my hair braided in pretty cornrow styles but she

Movie Review

In the documentary Dr. Cheryl Grills, president of the National Association of Black Psychologists very eloquently states, “Beauty is a small piece of a much bigger animal. Until we understand that much bigger animal, we’ll never understand the issue of colorism.” This statement refers to racial issues as a whole and the understanding that we as a Black race have only been free (according to legal doctrine) for 150 years. Prior to 1865, the White race were taught that

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never maintained them with a bonnet or by greasing my scalp. A few kids in my class felt sorry for me and during recess instead of playing doubledutch I would bring a rat tail comb to school and my friend would redo as many braids as she could until recess was over so that they would look fresh and new. If she didn’t finish by the time the bell rang I knew that the next day for recess we would meet right back in the bathroom and finish the process. When I got home from school the first time we did this I was so excited because I hadn’t learned how to do cornrows and was happy that someone decided to help me. My mom didn’t really like that I was playing in my hair at school and consequently I got in trouble, but that didn’t stop me – I never stopped getting teased, but at least my hair was starting to look better to me. Needless to say I got a perm in 8th grade and I haven’t looked back since. Davis also drives home an important point within the documentary stating, “Black ugly nigga,” they’d repeat to me in my neighborhood, which was predominantly white and at the welfare building, because that’s where all the other black people were, all the lowincome families were there. So I heard it from both races alike and you wonder, where did it come from?’ emphasizing the widespread of hatred towards black women. I am half-Caribbean and halfAmerican so I’ve spent a significant amount of time in the West Indies and the States, but I also grew up in Abu Dhabi, the middle east. While I was there, I was a rare commodity. There are very few Black Americans, so at school I was perceived as a “true” black person. A lot of my high school classmates liked this idea because to them it would bump up their street cred or cool points. In Abu Dhabi, everyone loved my skin tone, I got compliments daily. Back at home where I am constantly surrounded by black people, I could barely get a compliment. Back at home, I would constantly be called you ugly black nigga, yet in Abu Dhabi I once overheard my German classmate

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Spring 2015

derogatorily call my Polish classmate a “fucking black nigger”. With experiences like this constantly occurring you have to stop and ask yourself, what is the true starting point? And we all know what that is, but how can we realistically make these occurences come to an end when not only are people from other races tarnishing the integrity of black women, our own fellow brethren are as well. This documentary makes you think long and hard about the impact words can have on us. We grow up learning that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. But, that is a lie. In this documentary there were women who were literally weeping and seemingly personally bludgeoned by some of the things they’d experienced not necessarily because their experience independently stood out to be extremely heinous, but because they can’t shake the impact that those experiences have had on them. A lot of the woman in the documentary and I have shared similar experiences, yet I’m not as bludgeoned. I almost feel as though the documentary sets the tone for a, “Woe is me,” outcry from every black woman that has been done wrong strictly because of her skintone. One woman in the documentary said, “If I had a little girl, I just, wouldn’t want her to be dark. I didn’t want her to be dark like me,” Which to me is such a crazy thought. Growing up I knew how much I was tormented and I didn’t want my kids to endure that, so I wrote down some aesthetic features that I didn’t want in a man, and one of them was that he couldn’t be darker than me. ‘Til this day, that is a characteristic that still stands. Now, not because I don’t want my kids to be darker, but because I’ve come to understand that I’m not really attracted to darker men and the personalities they tend to have. It’s astonishing to think that women wouldn’t want to breed children that were brown just like them and their ancestors. A problem I have with this documentary is that it illustrates the notion kind

of that if you aren’t a darker shade of brown then you aren’t truly black. In the documentary women talk about how excited the were to have a black president, but how they wish that he were a darker skin tone so that White America would be constantly reminded that a Black man is the leader of the Free World. Now, I start to think on how it must be hard for Black people who are tormented about not being black enough, just to hear that very thing from people of their own race. I never doubted someone’s blackness due to the lack of their skin, but when all the election propaganda was out I was in Abu Dhabi keeping up with the politics as much as I could and when I finally saw what Barack Obama the first Black President of America looked like I was instantaneously disappointed. I couldn’t believe that we worked so hard to prove that a Black man could be in office and now he could easily be mistaken for a white or Hispanic man because of his light shade of Black. Less than seconds after these thoughts I scolded myself and mentally ridiculed myself for being ignorant and thinking such thoughts. I very quickly had to remind myself that there isn’t a “level of blackness” that determines who is more Black than whom. Being black isn’t an experience or a birthright that can be rated and evaluated for the sake of living up to a stereotype of such, it’s so much more than that. In the documentary, after the women talked about how the perceived Obama they instantly stated how they just knew his wife was going to be light skinned with long hair (somehow a poor representation of blackness in their eyes) but instead, they were pleasantly delighted to see Michelle Obama on Barack’s arm. The women went on to say that they felt like a true Black woman was in the White House and she wasn’t cooking, cleaning, or serving anyone, she’s the first lady. The women felt a sense of pride and many of them talk about how they feel about the Obama’s and their perception of Black women with lighter skin tones.

Black people throughout America have a distinct variation in which we cope with our oppression. Some of us are consistently bitter towards the oppressor during our lifetime, some are passionate about building towards enlightenment and elevation as a culture, and some completely omit the truth of our struggles and decide to convert to the “new” black. My knowledge of this new way of living came to be when artist Pharrell Williams sat down in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and expressed that there is indeed a “new” black. It is blackness that “does not blame other races for our issues.” The new black is “not a pigmentation, it’s a mentality” and the “new” black people, “don’t find their confidence in a color, but in a mirror.” So because the “new” black does not blame other races for our issues, they furthermore disregard the actions of one race in particular… You know who they are. A race of people who must take ownership for dehumanizing, miseducating, and oppressing blacks in America. The ones utterly responsible for the agony black people endure in this country. We are far more advanced as a people than we were at the start of this American journey but it would be completely irrational to believe that a race of people, detached from self enlightenment for hundreds of years, could repair themselves thoroughly in the midst of endless oppression.

BY: SHARITA SIMS

THE NEW BLACK

A good leap on progression could begin with artists like Mr. Williams, privileged and amongst the selected few blacks who have platforms to use their artistry to help evolve the culture. Unfortunately, their voices do not reflect the struggles of the mass of blacks, which should be the ultimate goal. It’s inadmissible to say that there should be a new black while being a potential representation of your people when you hardly ever publically exercised being any kind of black that black people needed. Without hesitation the “new” black should be the black that blacks need, not the black that is a “mentality” and allows the choice of perhaps only being black when necessary. Black is naturally pigmentation at its relatively purest. It is something that must be embraced for the life of both you and me. It is imperative to find confidence in our color considering the extent of hate that we have been taught to feel for looking the way we look. Rising to find and embrace self-love, this new “black” trend is not the answer. Living life without reflecting and acknowledging our conditions, what and why it is, will only continue to leave us blind. It is essential that we live our lives, blackly, not by Webster’s definition, but by defining our own once we’ve been awakened entirely to the truths and not the facts of our history.

Photo: Joshua McKnight EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

A true Pioneer.

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Spring 2015

(August 1, 1918 – November 15, 2013) Source: PAUL VITELLO/NYTIMES

ev. T. J. Jemison, was a civil rights pioneer who organized a 1953 bus boycott in Baton Rouge, La., that foreshadowed the one set off by Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Ala., and also went on to lead the nation’s largest black Baptist organization into liberal political activism Mr. Jemison was one of a handful of black clergymen recognized as a leader of the first generation of the civil rights movement. He was a founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, along with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Ralph Abernathy and the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth. As president of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. from 1982 to 1994, Mr. Jemison ushered into being the World Baptist Center in Nashville, the first national headquarters of a predominantly black church in the United States. But in 1991 he lost much of his church-based support by speaking out in defense of the boxer Mike Tyson after he was charged with rape. Mr. Jemison was known for his political skills in the early days of the civil rights struggle, displaying a mix of charm and toughness that served him well in leading what historians say was apparently the movement’s first large-scale bus boycott. Appointed pastor of the Mount Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge in 1949, Mr. Jemison led voter registration efforts, beginning in 1950, that resulted in improved municipal services and the construction of a dozen new schools for black citizens. In 1953 he persuaded the Baton Rouge City Council to abolish a public transportation rule barring blacks from sitting in the first 10 rows of public buses.

When bus drivers went on strike to protest the change, Mr. Jemison led an eight-day boycott, starting on June 20. Blacks accounted for 80 percent of the city’s bus ridership, and they were tired of having to stand up while some or even all of the first 10 rows went empty, Mr. Jemison said. “We were not necessarily interested at that time in ending segregation,” he said in an interview in 1993. “We were after seats.” Source: NY TIMES

Black History Spotlight

Rev. T.J. JEMISON

The dispute ended in a compromise: Only the first two rows would be reserved for whites. Dr. King, the young pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, contacted Mr. Jemison in late 1955 for advice on managing a citywide bus boycott. “Knowing that Jemison and his associates had set up an effective private car pool, I put in a longdistance telephone call to ask him for suggestions for a similar pool in Montgomery,” Dr. King wrote in a 1958 memoir, “Stride Toward Freedom.” Mr. Jemison’s tutorial was “invaluable” in winning that fight, Dr. King added. The yearlong Montgomery bus boycott, set off by Ms. Parks’s refusal to give up her seat to a white person, was the beginning of the end of separatebut-equal accommodations in the South. Jemison was the pastor of the Mount Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge for 54 years. He retired in 2003. He passed away on November 15, 2013 at the age of 95.

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#ExhibitBe, New Orleans #ExhibitBe, New Orleans Photo: Patrick Melon Melon Photo: Patrick 42

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Adressing domestic violence Story: LAQUENCIA PARKER As Black-on-Black crime runs rampant in this day and age, it is still a reality all too calmly accepted. It is a subject portrayed on our evening news, but too taboo a topic to be discussed within our own communities. While this type of crime is widely considered too consist of young black males partaking in gang-related activities, the majority of it happens behind closed doors, where it is the hardest to monitor and prevent. Domestic violence is one of the most volatile types of crime in the United States, with 29 percent of women and 10 percent men experiencing some form of abuse, and reporting a significant impact on their functioning afterwards. However, those are just the ones who report it. Although one in three women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, the highest rate of those women will be African American. So, the question is: What is the driving force behind this epidemic? Factors that attribute to abusive relationships can include, but are not limited to: the disassembling of families,

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unemployment and underemployment, drug abuse, and mental illnesses. While the default responses to the conversation of exiting a potentially abusive relationship go along the lines of, “I wouldn’t stand for that,” “I’d call the police,” or “I’d leave in a heartbeat,” leaving isn’t as easy as it may seem. Many of those suffering in an abusive relationship believe they deserve the abuse, or would have nowhere else to turn if they did decide to leave. A majority of men who reported suffering from domestic violence in silence, said it was due to their fear of embarrassment. Many African-Americans may find it difficult to notify authorities, as there is a belief of racial injustice in law enforcement throughout the black community. Some of the abused may even resort to physical retaliation against their abuser. While the physical abuse may occur between adults, children raised around domestic violence suffer as well. Over 3 million children are witnesses to abuse every year, sometimes experiencing it themselves, whether physically or through neglect. These children are

c o e m h m t u n ity N i

Tawanna Harris, an advocate against domestic violence, speaks to students at Southern University during the “Take Back the Night Rally,” Students and community advocates marched for the cause in the fight against domestic violence. Photo/Alliyah Moore

also more likely to have health problems and become continuously lethargic, affecting both their home and educational lives. Without educating children about abuse and leading by example by reporting these cases, they become conditioned to believe the viability of these actions. Young girls who witness abuse are more vulnerable to the same fate. Boys who observe violence in the home are more inclined to become abusers of their future partners and/or children, believing their behavior is correct. Failing to inform children of domestic violence encourages the repetition of cycle for the next generation. In order for this problem to be solved, the black community must address it as a whole. Corporations, hospitals, churches and individuals have to strive to increase awareness, abolishing the idea of “it’s not my

business.” Churches should include sermons with words of encouragement for those who are suffering to come forward, keep contact information for counselors who work with victims of domestic and sexual violence, and offer shelter for victims who are looking to escape. Hospitals must also be more proactive in finding signs that may hint to domestic violence. Doctors and nurses are advised by the American Medical Association to routinely screen patients in emergency rooms for signs of domestic violence, and report their findings. Members of the black community must also look to each other for support and assistance. As neighbors, co-workers and fellow human beings, we must forget any qualms we have in regards to interfering in other people’s affairs. Abuse in any form is not acceptable; saving a life is not “snitching.”

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

Photo:

Joshua Mcknight

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

Rap A

Analyzing Rap

Story: ARIANA TRIGGS

Lil Wayne released Sorry for the Wait 2 on January 20th and gave the world that good ol’ classic Weezy after failing to secure a release date for his highly anticipated album Tha Carter 5. Exploding with lyrics about drugs, guns, prostitution, robbery, murder, and his beef with Cash Money Records, the mixtape has over 2.2 million listens and 500,000 downloads from DatPiff.com, over 1.6 million YouTube views and has proven to be an extremely successful project. Skip over to track nine—to the song “Hollyweezy”. Lil’ Wayne raps “Hollygrove ain’t far from H-town [Houston]| we used to drive back and forth with the work praying the car don’t break down | Oh, Hollygrove ain’t far from H-town | We used to drive back and forth with codeine, cocaine, the pills, and pounds | Yeah, and we got back home safe and sound | If you got pulled over you don’t give police no names or get killed and never found | Word, but I kept some money to bail out | Momma used to say if I ever get caught, they gon’ put me under the jailhouse.” How much more of an admission of guilt does a person need, right? It’s lyrics like these that gives city and state prosecutors the courage to use one’s artistic creation against them. The use of rap lyrics in criminal cases is a 20-year old trend. Courts saw the first case of this kind in 1994, in the case The People v. Olguin. Cesar Javier Olguin and Francisco Calderon Mora stood convicted of second-degree murder for the murder of John Ramirez. In their appeal to the Superior Court of Orange County, the court found that rap lyrics found were admissible against Mora because they proved he was committed enough to the gang to commit the act in question. The lyrics, which were handwritten on yellow paper and found three

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

weeks after the crime in Mora’s home, read of ties to the Hispanic gang, “Southside F Troop” in Santa Ana, CA and dj’ing. Justice William W. Bedsworth said in the court’s opinion: Regardless of whether these lyrics were written before or after the killing, they were adequately authenticated as the work of Mora. As such, they demonstrated his membership in Southside, his loyalty to it, his familiarity with gang culture, and, inferentially, his motive and intent on the day of the killing. The trial court properly admitted them, carefully limiting them to those purposes. Since then, prosecutors have become aware of guilty admissions through the use of an artist’s rap lyrics to solidify one’s street credibility. How do you legally determine an artist from civilian? Wayne Giampietro, a prominent lawyer with the First Amendment Lawyers Association, said that the difference doesn’t exist. “There should be no difference. In my view, everyone is entitled to the same rights to express themselves. There should be no differentiation in the exercise of the right to free speech,” said Giampietro. Well, if there isn’t a difference between who’s considered an artist and who’s considered a civilian, is the use of rap lyrics as admissions of guilt an attack against the first amendment, rap culture, or both? “Absolutely”, Giampietro said. Although rap isn’t the only genre of music that depicts graphic stories of violence (for instance: Avenge Sevenfold’s “A Little Piece of Heaven” depicts a graphic crime of passion), Giampietro said that he doesn’t know of any words from other genres of music being used in the way that they are used in rap. “I have no personal experience with these kinds of cases. However, it appears that in several instances, convictions at the trial level have been obtained using rap lyrics as supposed admissions by criminal defendants. My guess is that the use of rap lyrics results from, at least, a latent racial bias. In my view, they resort to the use of such “evidence” when they do not have much in the way of

Attack What constitutes as Free Speech or a Confession ? other evidence against a defendant.” Louisiana saw its share of artistic exploitation with the case of the State of Louisiana v. Torrence Hatch, more popularly known by his stage name “Boosie Badazz”. When Hatch faced first-degree murder charges in Baton Rouge’s 19th Judicial District Court, prosecutors attempted to prove that he paid then 17-year-old Michael “Marlo Mike’’ Louding (who was charged for six murders, including rising rap star Chris “Nussie” Jackson and two counts of attempted first-degree murder) to kill Terry Boyd in 2009. The Advocate’s Joe Gyan Jr. explained that a computer forensics expert told the court that the lyrics to the recording “187”, created just two hours before Terry Boyd was murdered, contained the following lyrics: “Yo Marlo. He drive a Monte Carlo. I want that nigga dead”….”John Gotti of the south side”…”I want that nigga dead today”…”Please tell him it’s from Boosie when you hit that nigga up.” The forensic expert also told the court on a separate song, recorded eight minutes after Boyd was killed, “Body Bag” was recorded which contained the lyrics “Curtain call. Put that nigga brains on the wall.” The Rolling Stone reported that a lawyer representing Hatch argued some of those lyrics were “resampled” from previous recordings and that one of the men that was murdered by Louding was a close friend of Hatch, thus, proving that Louding was his own man. Ultimately, Hatch was freed from prison in 2014 and is set to release his sixth studio album Touchdown 2 Cause Hell on July 15 this year. Most recently, the State of New Jersey’s Supreme Court recently decided that the 13 pages of rap lyrics read by an officer on the witness stand cannot be used as evidence unless they contain a “strong nexus” to a crime in question because of the case of Vonte Skinner. Skinner was convicted for the 2008-attempted murder of Lamont Peterson and

admits he was present during the shooting, but denied shooting him or knowing who did. Some of the lyrics read: “Two to your helmet and four slugs drillin’ your cheek, to blow your face off and leave your brain caved in the street.” Giampietro said that although this can set the precedent to future cases, they may not all be the same. “Rulings of this kind can differ from state to state. Each state’s constitutional protections and procedural rules are different, which often leads to inconsistent results in similar cases. Use of such lyrics against a person accused of a crime certainly can have a chilling effect upon speech, which would constitute self-censorship, resulting from a fear that an individual’s words could be used against that person in the future.” Giampietro added that there aren’t any loopholes in the first amendment that would allow lyrics to be admitted as court evidence without the “strong nexus”. As far as who these rules apply to, Giampietro said there is no one particular, that these rules can apply to anyone. “There should be no difference. In my view everyone is entitled to the same rights to express themselves. There should be no differentiation in the exercise of the right to free speech. The right to freedom of speech is constantly under attack from numerous quarters. We must all be vigilant in guarding the right of everyone to freely express their opinions. We should always remember the words of Martin Niemoller, a protestant minister, about failing to speak out against the Nazis during the 1930’s and 1940’s: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

ROSA PARKS

Illustration by: Jennifer Pritchard

By refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus in 1955, black seamstress Rosa Parks (1913—2005) helped initiate the civil rights movement in the United States. The leaders of the local black community organized a bus boycott that began the day Parks was convicted of violating the segregation laws. Led by a young Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the boycott lasted more than a year—during which Parks not coincidentally lost her job—and ended only when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. Over the next half-century, Parks became a nationally recognized symbol of dignity and strength in the struggle to end entrenched racial segregation. 50

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

FASHION SPREAD BY:

KEIARA N. BAILEY

How does Black History inspire YOUR fashion? “Black history has inspired way more than my fashion style, it has made a huge impact on my hairstyles, mostly as I’ve gotten older I have transitioned from permed to natural hair, starting over with my natural roots where I once began. As far as fashion, My style is me, something that I’ve grown comfortable with. No one can wear “me” better than I can as an African American or individual period. I guess that’s the most amazing part about it!” Latonya Nelson Freshman Lafayette, Louisiana EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

DESMOND BABIN . JUNIOR Alexandria, Louisiana

“Black History inspired me to wear and do as I feel in that moment. Any color at any given time. A reminder to stay true to myself and not confine to anyone else’s sense of “style.”

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Spring 2015

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Spring 2015

JAWARA BROWN . SENIOR New Orleans, Louisiana 54

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“Black history inspires my fashion because it promotes self-respect, the state of being proud of being you, doing you.”

Spring 2015

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Spring 2015

#ExhibitBe, New Orleans Photo: Patrick Melon

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015

EGO Magazine

Spring 2015