JULY + AUGUST 2020 VISIT TUVMAG.COM
AN EMPOWERING CONVERSATION With
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| |COMMUNITY NEWS PUBLIC HEALTH
by Renae Taylor
I
t’s been hard for me to express my feelings on being Black and being whole within Black spaces. Earlier this year, I was asked to speak at a commemoration event for the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. I was scared and anxious about what I could do to honor his memory while also furthering the relationship of Black people with different identities. I had written a speech that I shared with only a few people at the time. I have always been nervous about public speaking, and I wasn’t sure whether the audience was the right audience to receive my message on that day. The crowd was very diverse, including lots of younger Black people and school children, as well as older Black people, but was also a cisnormative space containing a small group of LGBT people. Noting that there were quite a few ministers speaking, I definitely started to doubt my message would be heard. I opted to not speak at the time because of the audience, but I feel that this is the place to share my speech: When I think of Black liberation, I think of human rights. When I think of equality, I think of equity. I think of those who should be celebrated but aren’t. I think of the openly gay Black author James Baldwin and the Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson. I think of Bayard
Rustin, the black gay man behind the March on Washington. We must remember to center those who are marginalized. We must be intentional about including those who are not like us but are Black -- and when I say that, I mean those who are Black and LGBT. I ask where is their seat at the table? And, you know, if you aren’t at the table, you are on the menu. I wondered, when I woke up this morning Black, whether I would have to compartmentalize my identities in order to stand with my people. Would I have to turn off part of my identity to be accepted? Can I be Black, and be trans or LGBT, and be accepted? We are part of this community, always have been, and always will be. We live and work in the community, and when it suffers, we all suffer! We must realize Blackness is not a monolith. Blackness is intersectional. You can be Black and have many identities. There is no wrong way to show up Black. We are diverse among ourselves. We must embrace those differences and lift up all Black people. If one of us is not free, none of us is free!
s Matter All Black Lives M Black Lives Matter All Bla 02
Yes, All Black Lives Matter! All Black Lives Matter! All Black Lives Matter!
La y Ivy
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aron Ivy African American is a Couture Fashion Designer located in Memphis, TN. Ivy launched his clothing line in September 2017, consisting of high gowns and the latest trends. His blossoming fashion line and lifestyle blog provides of-the-moment fashion tips and trendy products with a little Memphis, TN flavor mixed in. Whether it is high, low, or fast fashion “Aaron Ivy� can find a piece for everyone to enjoy. In a recent interview, Aaron Ivy was asked what art inspires his art/ fashion, he replied “The Met Gala.� The Met Gala is one of the biggest high couture fashion events in the world! Ivy explains that when he looks at the met gala or any high couture art piece that is produced in South Main Artspace Memphis he feels inspired to create. Aaron Ivy is one of Memphis’s 10 very own emerging designers. He is highly recognized for the “30-minute gown� pictured (see below).
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ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER THE TIME IS NOW CONTENTS
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Advocacy News Tori Cooper
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Cover Story
Black LIves Matter Memphis
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Community News Mia Peake
02 | Community News Renae Taylor | Transcend Memphis
03 | Fashion Larry Ivy
06 | Editor’s Letter Gwendolyn D. Clemons
07 | Editor’s Letter
Dr. Davin D. Clemons, DMin
14 | Spirituality Pastor Jim Rigby | Minister, Writer, Activist
15 | Spirituality Beth Trouy | Confessions of a White Woman
16 | One To Watch Dewitt |
Robert Roby
18 | Entertainment MISFITS
20 | White Evangelical Terrorism: The Not-So-Silent Killer Against All Black Lives
Cherisse Scott
22 | 4Leaders Collections Zee Saccoh
23 | What’s In The Mirror?
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| EDITOR’S LETTER
NO MORE CRUMBS
“If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it!” -Zora Neale Hurston
By Gwendolyn D. Clemons, Editor-in-Chief, MBA, MSM
A
s a triple minority, I feel uniquely qualified to speak on the subject matter of “All Black Lives Matter”. I am Black, a Woman, and Queer. These three inseparable identities make up the complex life that I navigate daily. As a woman who has experienced racial discrimination and homophobia, it is my duty to tell the story of the oppressed, marginalized, and ostracized; hence, “The Unleashed Voice”! Unlike President #45 would have you to believe, the chapters of “Black Lives Matter” do not make up a terrorist organization. It is my pleasure to educate you about the true meaning of the words “All Black Lives Matter”. This name was derived from three queer women and a trans woman who created a movement after the killing of Trayvon Martin, an unharmed teenager killed in FL. The name asserts that the killing of
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unarmed black men by police genocide is unacceptable and that the black community is calling out the injustices. Through this movement, many injustices have been identified and shared with mainstream people who otherwise would not have collective access to this information. What I find problematic about #45’s countless insensitive statements on this subject is that when black people refuse to align with policies and practices, they are deemed heretics or troublemakers. My ancestors built this country for FREE, and we refuse to keep being quiet about our pain: “No More Crumbs!” Saying “All Black Lives Matter” is not to negate any other race. Saying “All Black Lives Matter” is to raise awareness of the social constructs, systemic oppressions, and hundreds of years of white supremacy that have caused permanent damage to our race. It is time for the world to hear black folks’ voices as we speak about our pain. No longer can our silence be measured as a gauge of complacency or enjoyment for the systems we must navigate daily. It is
time for all of us to remove and replace the pillars of white supremacy that have created a racial deficit so large that black Americans are four generations behind white Americans in the wealth gap. In March 2020, the world came to a pause under the declaration of a global pandemic for COVID-19. I believe during this global shutdown a reformation of awakening took place. The reigniting of a 1960s-ish Civil Rights Movement was birthed after the death of George Floyd. Marches were held in every corner of the world to protest the senseless killing of black unarmed men and women. In the words of Dr. Daniel Black, “The killing of black folks started the day the ship landed on Plymouth Rock.” One could draw an undeniable conclusion that the killing of black people is akin to an American hobby. This is nothing new. But what is new in 2020 is a unified front from people of all walks of life who say, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” The “All Black Lives Matter” movement is about ordinary people finally seeing past the obvious and refusing to accept the leftover crumbs from the king’s plate: “NO MORE CRUMBS!” This issue is intentionally dedicated to raising awareness about the pillars of White Supremacy: We see you. Please know the veil has been removed from our eyes. We see the barriers and structures put in place to keep the black race inferior in this world. Before you draw any conclusion that this publication is radical or a terrorist threat, I challenge you to examine the racial makeup of the prison population of the United States. Examine the racial makeup of the lives lost due to COVID-19. Examine the poorest zip codes in your respective cities. Examine the number and manner of unarmed black men and women who have been murdered in your community. Examine the lack of access to financial wealth by people of color. Examine the school districts in your cities. Examine the gentrification in your city. Examine the structure of ownership in major sports versus the makeup of players. This movement is about people of color getting clear about who they are and declaring that fighting for your life is always worth it!
EDITOR’S LETTER |
Me Against The World By Dr. Davin D. Clemons, DMin
I
n 1995, the great prophet Tupac Shakur released a song, Me Against the World: “It’s just me against the world/Ooh ooh/ Nothin’ to lose/It’s just me against the world, baby/Oh, ah ah/I got nothin’ to lose/It’s just me against the world/Oh-hahhh/Stuck in the game. Me against the world, baby.” In this year of 2020, under the leadership of #45, Donald Trump -- White Supremacy/Racism, Racial Injustice, Police Brutality, COVID-19, Unemployment, Statue Removal, Black Transgender Women Deaths, 400 years of slavery reparation talk, etc. -- with all of these issues and more going on, it’s a damn shame that folks are still fighting for Human Rights in this country. We all have days or periods in our lives when the going gets a bit tough. One problem arises after another, leaving you feeling like, “It’s just me against the world.” Here and there, there are occasional glimmers of hope. June 15, 2020’s momentous Supreme Court decision protecting LGBTQ+ people against workplace discrimination was BIG, for example. But in the midst of all this, as I find that myself and other black LGBTQ+ folks are fighting even to be recognized by some Black Lives Matter organizations, I really can’t help but feel like, “It’s just me against the world.” What’s so ironic about this is that, during the 1960s and 1970s, Black Power was a revolutionary
movement that occurred and emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment, and creation of political and cultural institutions. In my opinion, these issues listed are the same sentiments propelling the uprising in 2020, and are issues that ALL black folks currently have! I have been uttering about black folks leaving their religion at home and coming to the table working together for a common goal of “Human Rights” for all black folks. In the words of my mother Gwendolyn Clemons, “We are not allies of this movement. We are the movement.” Now, in this time of history, we as black folks must be the change agents and make the table with the policies, laws, lawmakers, doctors, etc. that we need in the next generation. Now is the time to demand everything that we rightly deserve as black folks who have lived, been enslaved, and been cheated in America. But before we can do this, we must work out our differences amongst black folks such as our homophobia, sexism, and religious dogma. How can we stimulate our government to change in ways that we have not attempted to change in ourselves? So in the upcoming months, let’s bury our differences and figure out where we go from here. Let’s remember that black LGBTQ+ folks sexual orientation is only 3% of our make-up, if that much. Treat us like humans and not animals. This is especially important because no one wants to feel like, “It’s just me against the world.”
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all black lives matter by Ms. Tori Cooper (she, her, hers) HRC’s Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative
– - especially today 08
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s. Tori Cooper (she, her, hers) is HRC’s Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative. Tori brings many years of advocacy working on behalf of the transgender community, persons living with HIV and marginalized people across the country. She brings to the HRC team a long history of fighting for health and financial equity for those whom traditional systems have failed.
community is much smaller than the cisgender community, so the impact of four lives stolen is even more tragic to us. The senseless violence against us is also taking place during a pandemic, for heaven’s sake! The trans community wants to know where is the public outcry from our cisgender sisters and brothers? Where are the rallies from our allies and peers about the loss of lives for Black trans folks?
Tori is a proud Black, transgender woman who aims to inspire through excellence. She is dedicated to improving health outcomes and advancing policies that bring greater equity for all communities that she represents.
Here is an “I” statement. I am Black before I am anything else. My Blackness is undeniable and a part of my DNA and culture that influences the way I navigate the world. I am also a transgender woman. My gender identity is also a part of me that is so as real as the blood that flows through my veins. Even if you do not know that I am trans, you certainly will know that I am Black. I proudly own all the communities that I represent, and I know there are lots of folks who feel the same way. Should folks like me be victimized and left to fend for ourselves because we identify differently than you? Should the exact same oppressors that seek to destroy your Black bodies be allowed to consume me simply because you do not get it? That is a rhetorical statement, because the answer is HELL NO. Our mutual Blackness shows that there is some common strand of DNA that runs through all our veins. I embrace that, don’t you?
Today, more than ever, it is imperative that ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER. We need this to matter in words as well as in deeds. As citizens pour to the streets to protest the injustices affecting black and brown individuals. It is impossible to have a fully successful BLM movement that ignores the intersexual identities of all Black lives. Black transgender and Gender Nonbinary/ Nonconforming individuals are also in the streets protesting and putting their lives on the lines during a deadly COVID-19 pandemic, just like so many of our cisgender counterparts. I argue that no one’s entire existence is encompassed in merely being Black. We all are many other things as well. The systems that all Black people navigate were built by and for the benefit of white, cisgender, heterosexual men. The further one’s identity is away from this archetype of feigned superiority, the more obstacles one must face in life. So, for those of us who are Black, transgender, women identified, and maybe or maybe not heterosexual, that means a bunch more CRAP that we will have to endure in our lifetimes. We live in a patriarchal society that worships violence more than a Higher Power and values sex and money more than health and truth. When you combine misogynoir, a culture of violence and patriarchy Black women are once left behind, this is especially true for Black trans women. Since George Floyd’s murder, at least 4 Black trans women have been murdered and at least one Black trans man. The Black transgender
We cannot sit silently while our bodies are being sacrificed to police violence, toxic masculinity transphobia and Trump policies that would seek to erase our very existence. We will continue to fight, but we want to fight alongside our entire family, and not just our trans and queer family members. We are fighting the same battles but on different fronts. The very last thing we need is to fight for attention and respect from our own Black family. Let us eradicate the barriers that exist in Black communities that would seek to further separate us and fight hand in hand against the oppressor and oppression. We can win. And we must win. But we must win together. Surely, none of us are free until all of us are free as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others have said. And as Nelson Mandela said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
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| COVER FEATURE
Black Lives “what we believe� F
our years ago, what is now known as the Black Lives Matter Global Network began to organize. It started out as a chapter-based, member-led organization whose mission was to build local power and to intervene when violence was inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. In the years since, we’ve committed to struggling together and to imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive. Black Lives Matter began as a call to action in response to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. Our intention from the very beginning was to connect Black people from all over the world who have a shared desire for justice to act together in their communities. The impetus for that commitment was, and still is, the rampant and deliberate violence inflicted on us by the state. Enraged by the death of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent acquittal of his killer, George Zimmerman, and inspired by the 31-day takeover of the Florida State Capitol by POWER U and the Dream Defenders, we took to the streets. A year later, we set out together on the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride to Ferguson, in search of justice for Mike Brown and all of those who have been torn apart by state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism. Forever changed, we returned home and began building the infrastructure for the Black Lives Matter Global Network, which, even in its infancy, has become a political home for many.
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Matter
COVER FEATURE |
Ferguson helped to catalyze a movement to which we’ve all helped give life. Organizers who call this network home have ousted anti-Black politicians, won critical legislation to benefit Black lives, and changed the terms of the debate on Blackness around the world. Through movement and relationship building, we have also helped catalyze other movements and shifted culture with an eye toward the dangerous impacts of anti-Blackness. These are the results of our collective efforts. The Black Lives Matter Global Network is as powerful as it is because of our membership, our partners, our supporters, our staff, and you. Our continued commitment to liberation for all Black people means we are continuing the work of our ancestors and fighting for our collective freedom because it is our duty. Every day, we recommit to healing ourselves and each other, and to co-creating alongside comrades, allies, and family a culture where each person feels seen, heard, and supported. We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities. We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people. We intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting. We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others. We see ourselves as part of the global Black family, and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black people who exist in different parts of the world.
We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location. We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead. We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence. We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered. We practice empathy. We engage comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts. We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work. We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable. We foster a queer affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise). We cultivate an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with the capacity to lead and learn. We embody and practice justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another.
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Op-Ed
| SPIRITUALITY
BY PASTOR JIM RIGBY
B
ecause I was raised into white privilege myself, I don’t even pretend that I will ever understand what racism feels like from the inside out, but I know from personal experience how much happier a white person can be when we step out our narcissistic white narratives and join the human family. And for some reason, I am hearing more and more white people say that lately. Knock on wood, but it seems some of my white friends are beginning to talk about racial injustice differently these days. It’s possible I’m being naïve but from where I stand it sounds like more and more white people are talking about racism, not as a problem for People of Color toward which they are sympathetic, but as a cancer in the American soul in which we ourselves have been accomplices through our actions and our inactions. Maybe this is happening because the most recent murders of unarmed Black people happened during the time of COVID 19. Maybe our own brush with mortality has helped white people feel that Black Lives not only matter but are precious. Maybe as we ourselves have struggled for our own breath we could finally hear the sacred life that was snuffed out when Eric Garner couldn’t breathe. Maybe watching George Floyd slowly being suffocated while calling for his mother melted some hearts and helped us grasp that the problem isn’t just a few racist police. Maybe some people are realizing that to be born into white privilege means to be born with your knee on an innocent person’s neck. I was recently asked to give a prayer to a racially mixed group of clergies after the murder of George Floyd. A white woman quickly began to defend the police. She said her husband was a police officer who was being misunderstood and vilified. In her discomfort at the topic, the woman was trying to return to a white narrative. She called everyone present to work for peace and unity and to reject the looting. I could see the look of hurt and disappointment on the faces of some my Black colleagues and adjusted the prayer accordingly:
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“Loving Parent of us all, as much as we love this country, we confess that racism has been an original sin scarring and deforming our nation from its birth. We know our founders proclaimed the word “freedom” even as they enslaved People of Color and stole this land. And so, we don’t ask this day for superficial healing. We don’t ask for a return to a “peace” that means unfair privilege to some of us, and a torturous death to others. Help us to pray for repentance for the racism that dwells not only in our conscious minds, but also in the unremembered foundations given to us from the cradle. Help us to stop calling for a unity that will mean peace for the haves and injustice for the have nots. Help us to stop seeking a return to an order where Black children in Flint Michigan drink water laced with poison, where Black parents must teach their children the art of walking down the street without getting shot, where property is valued over people, and where police are asked to enforce laws that don’t protect people, but the murderous structures of white domination. Melt our stubborn hearts. Help us to learn that we cannot understand another’s pain, so we need to listen, not from our OWN experience, but from theirs. Help us to listen to the voiceless in this land and fill us with the love that seeks justice for all. It is time, it is past time, for this nation to become that beloved community where life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are guaranteed for us all. In all the sacred names of love we pray.” And this is the prophetic truth religious and nonreligious white people alike need to say to each other. It will not be asking too much for white people to learn to get along with people of other races. It will not be enough to learn more about other ethnicities. Eventually we must redefine the power structures of this nation that were cast in the twin furnaces of white supremacy and imperialism. It is too late for superficial healing. We must be willing to redistribute the goods of this nation fairly. We must dismantle the legal and economic structures built on property rights and build our on universal human rights. It is too late for anything less. We are three hundred years past the point of thoughts and prayers.
SPIRITUALITY | ENTERTAINMENT |
Confessions of a White Woman By Beth Trouy
I
n the musical Avenue Q, there was song called, “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist.” My ears could not believe what I was hearing but then, well the lyrics kind of rang true. The musical features Muppets living in a neighborhood with real people and the gist of the play is about life’s struggles in learning to live, work, love and accept the people around us. I’ve been thinking a lot recently again about some of those lyrics: “If we all could just admit, that we are racist a little bit, even though we all know that It’s wrong, maybe it would help us get along.” In his interview with Brene’ Brown on her podcast a few weeks ago, Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How to Be an Antiracist,” says that “at the heart of racism is denial” and the only antidote for it is confession. Until we take a cold hard look into the mirror and accept that we all have some it running in our veins, we will not have the vision to see how to move past it. This includes me. It’s human nature to put ourselves into groups and classifications. Even the animal kingdom does it as a means of survival of the fittest. We decide who’s on our team and who’s not; who’s for us and who’s against us. We know the “safe”
neighborhoods and the “bad” ones. We all know the parts of our city where “our kind of people are” and where the snobs live. The problem with this system is that we begin to label everyone in that group as having the same attributes. We make generalizations based on the actions of some. If we sympathize with one group over another, we are quick to overlook the “sins” of a few on our team but quick to condemn them in others. We use each individual misdeed as a means to further prove our justifications in condemning an entire group. Isn’t this at the core of racism? It doesn’t help that social media and the news are all too ready to feed our racist instincts and polarize us even more. In regards to politics, it’s gotten so nasty that many have just quit having the conversation and avoiding certain topics when in mixed company. I confess, in the years Black Lives Matter first appeared, I gave a half-hearted attempt to convince the All Lives Matter group to understand the difference. Then I gave up and like so many others, just decided to change the subject rather than ruin the family dinner or neighborhood gettogether. I see now that this attitude is part of the problem. Disagreeing on political issues is not even in the same category as racism.
It’s prudent not to discuss politics in mixed company. Failing to hold each other accountable when we make racist comments however is a crime against humanity. I see it now. Allowing someone to make a racist generalization about an entire group of people is perpetuating racism. That’s on me. We are still having the same conversations we had in 1968 and even though 50 years have passed, here we are. Many, like me, have been in denial that we too are part of the problem, and, the solution. It can be disheartening to think that in 50 years, nothing has changed. But that’s where the good news lies: things have changed. More white people are listening and taking action. How do I know? Just look at the diversity in the protesting crowds now as compared to those in 1968. It gives me hope to see more racially diverse people standing together. It encourages me to see more white people taking this moment to listen, learn and follow the lead of black writers and thinkers. Some white folks, me included, have taken a cold hard look in the mirror and confessed that if racially-driven violence against black people is going to stop, then everyone of every race has to have the courage to stand together and demand change; regardless of the consequences. Count me in.
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| ONE TO WATCH
DeWitt Seiferth D
eWitt Seiferth is an independent artist born and raised in Memphis, TN. He has two released projects to which he is the singer, songwriter, and producer. At an early age, Seiferth showed a natural talent for music. His talent was showcased as he sang his first solo at the age of three, plays his first piano recital at four, and sings in his home church Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. He continued to develop his passion throughout elementary and high school, and also
Robert Roby, IV R
obert Roby, IV currently resides in Memphis, TN. Rob graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in Communication and a Minors in music, dance, and theatre. He was also educated respectfully at LeMoyne-Owen College and The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. All three institutions have afforded him the opportunity to study abroad in Spain, France, and various countries. He speaks Catalan, Spanish, and conversational French. He is no stranger to any aspect of the creative and performing arts. From to playing classical piano, being a muse for many photographers, and singing baritone ranged chansons, airs,
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and spirituals to participating in pageants, and walking ballroom’s most sexy categories Robert is heavily immersed in both the artistic and business sides of performance. This includes choral conducting, acting, and dancing. Outside of the arts, and while still establishing himself, this 40 year-old December Capricorn is a gentleman, hopeless romantic, loves travel and adventure. He believes everyone has the need to feel special, and that love, communication, instruction, wisdom, and a try are the keys to self.
studied to receive a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a concentration in Music-Vocal Performance. Now, Seiferth is continuing his love for music as he ventures into the secular world. March 2020, his new single, “Feelin’ Sexy”, was released. It is a feelgood song that talks about self-acceptance, embracing yourself, and to tell everyone, “don’t need ya confirmation”. Seiferth plans to drop a new project this summer.
SOCIAL NEWS |
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| ENTERTAINMENT
C
reated in May 2020 and Based out of Boston Massachusetts , MiSFiTS Club Cypher is a platform created by rappers J.A.B.S, Medino Green & Kweeng Doll for all LGBT+ artist to showcase their skills in the form of a cypher . Breaking down boundaries and showing that there is a space for the LGBTQ+ community in the Hip Hop world. The Cypher welcomes all LGBTQ+ rappers to a safe and comfortable space and to covnnect with one another. MiSFiTS Club Cypher is for LGBTQ+ artist by LGBTQ+ artist with hopes to shine more of a light to these artists and “lyrical spitters� in our communities while simultaneously forming unity.
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COMMUNITY NEWS |
We are very interested to help educate the community about how Reproductive Justice and the BLM Movement intersects.
COMMUNITY NEWS |
Reproductive Justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. Reproductive Justice goes beyond abortion rights and even maternal health but forces us all to truly examine the environments we deem suitable to live in and dare I say it, birth in. Those who uphold various amounts of privileges might look forward to giving birth safely and raising their child with little thought on the injustices that awaits their child’s arrival and the battle it takes to keep them alive contrary to black folxs or other marginalized populations. To illustrate, we watched a 46-year-old black man call out for his mother who had been deceased for over two years plead for his life while a police officer held him down until he suffocated. We watched a man jogging get runned down by a group of white men who thought he was a threat and decided as a collective to shoot him. You can be sitting in your home watching television alone eating ice cream or laying in the bed with your lover and be murdered by the police and it be deemed as an accident with no ramifications. These are a few examples of what continues to happen to black people and despite the best efforts of black pregnant people desperately wanting to create a safe and sustainable environment, many of us still fall victim to white supremacy.
which could not only cause psychological and physical stress but could led to unnecessary medical interventions that could have potentially been avoided if the person would have had a supportive person present. For example, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amber Isaac, a 26-year-old black woman from New York tweeted about the mistreatment she experienced during labor and being forced to birth alone. Four days after giving birth to her son and raising alarm about hospital neglect, Amber dies alone due to c-section complications. Before the virus, black women were dying at an alarming rate compared to white women during birth. It is not inconceivable to think that black women will experience a higher mortality rate during a global pandemic.
How RJ and BLM Intersects
The world was forced to an abrupt stop due to the spread of a novel disease called coronavirus. To reduce the spread of this incurable disease, various curfew laws, travel restrictions, social By MIa Peake Photographer credit: Antoine Lever distancing protocols, and businesses were forced to close. These restrictions, which varied from state to state with little direction or leadership from the federal government on how to reduce the transmission of the disease, did little to reduce the spread of the disease in America. Poor leadership resulted in the United States currently leading the world with the most deaths and cases of the disease. The hardest affected by the disease continue to be marginalized populations, specifically the black community which are seeing higher numbers of deaths from the disease. Currently, pregnant people who are scheduled to give birth at many hospitals around the nation are experiencing visitor restrictions resulting in 1 person or no person being present at their birth leaving many pregnant people to birth alone
What the coronavirus pandemic has done is unveiled the many injustices such as police brutality, black maternal mortality, black trans murders, and many other health disparities and injustices experienced by all black people that have plagued the black community for centuries to the entire world. The recent events of injustices shed light on the hyper policing and violence inflicted on black bodies that we simply can’t ignore any longer but we would be remiss if we don’t see the intersection between the many infractions on reproductive rights experienced by black folxs that are currently happening and have been happening for years. White supremacy is entrenched in the fabric of everything and it rears its head way before we are all able to walk or talk- but tries to attack the wombs of black pregnant people first. 19
| COMMUNITY NEWS
WHITE EVANGELICAL TERRORISM:
Killer The Not-So-Silent
Against All Black Lives
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By Cherisse Scott
O
ver the last several weeks, Black people have taken to the street in protest over the murder of George Floyd, Dominique Rem-Mie Fells, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black people who, for Black folks, is one more name too many. These are among the newest names in the long list of senseless murders committed by police violence, with no recourse. These lives, lost and undervalued, some more than others, have driven us to the streets. We are protesting at our state capitols, through local primary races along with our allies, to raise our collective voices, leveraging our economic, cultural and social power to push back in rage and righteous resistance, until change happens. Some of the elder activists, like Angela Davis and Andrew Young, note that the energy of this global moment of protest feels different. I agree. In the 15 years since I started my work in the reproductive justice movement, and eight years since the death of Trayvon Martin, the strategy and power of protest and various frontlines of resistance, led by and for Black people, hits different. Our human rights issues seem to finally be interwoven and intersectional. Many marginalized Black voices are lifted collectively, and our intersectional injustices have formed a groundswell. We are putting our hands to the plow at our various entry points to faceoff and address the impact of structural racism, white supremacy, annihilation, and abandonment. However, among the most egregious actions of the four-headed monster of racism, white supremacy, annihilation, and abandonment, is the role white evangelicals play in all of it. Living and advocating in the Bible Belt south has been nothing short of traumatic. Our elected officials have placed personal piety over their roles of being objective for their constituents who comprise different races, classes, socioeconomic statuses and religions. Their pious politics impact Black lives at various intersections of our oppression. When I teach reproductive justice theory, I always connect my trainings to the eight declarations of human rights as understood by the United Nations. I always say if any element of a person’s humanity is impeded, they are not experiencing the breadth reproductive justice. They cannot access their human and sacred rights. White evangelicals have been at the helm of white supremacy in this country since they landed on Plymouth Rock. Protestants fled Europe to experience and express their faith without danger from theocracy. However, they did not divorce themselves from the structural violence they experienced. Instead, they inflicted and perpetuated that same violence on native and indigenous people. They used their faith to capture, enslave, oppress and harm vulnerable African peoples and brought our ancestors to this land to become their slaves and build a replica of the very structured violence they escaped. Fast forward to this moment, where Making America Great Again means making it a white, Christian extremist nation where only the one percent thrive and white Jesus is the slave master. White evangelicals have positions of power in every part of the American experience. We drink their drinks and eat their food. We work in their factories and they deliver our babies. They inform how we worship and control our housing. White supremacy is part of the culture we know as the American Dream. We benefit from it as much as we die because of it. The insidious nature of white supremacy continues to drive the culture of the American experience. But all things must come to an end, including white supremacy. Its culture has run its course and we cannot allow their terror to continue without calling out their hypocrisy. They have hijacked the loving, inclusive, woman-centering, affirming Jesus I know and worship. And instead, have replaced him with what James Baldwin called out – “their need for a nigger.” It is this need for a lower class that makes their actions antithetical to their posture of righteousness. They speak of being pro-life out of one side of their mouths, while supporting police sanctioned violence against black bodies. They use policy to control Black wombs, while building bigger jails to house those same children as
COMMUNITY NEWS |
incarcerated slaves. They are not righteous. They do not hold any moral high ground above any human being. They are imposters and their minds are reprobate. Those of us who do identify as Christians must push back with righteous fervor and indignation. We must call out their hypocrisy and racism. We must divest from the framework of respectability, judgment, and shame that has been etched in our hearts through errant theology. We must not allow them to frame Jesus as homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, racist or classist. As queer-identified people, we have a responsibility and mandate to live our various faiths boldly, authentically, and truthfully. We must vote in the upcoming primaries and presidential election. Our lives depend on it. drinks and eat their food. We work in their factories and they deliver our babies. They inform how we worship and control our housing. White supremacy is part of the culture we know as the American Dream. We benefit from it as much as we die because of it. The insidious nature of white supremacy continues to drive the culture of the American experience. But all things must come to an end, including white supremacy. Its culture has run its course and we cannot allow their terror to continue without calling out their hypocrisy. They have hijacked the loving, inclusive, woman-centering, affirming Jesus I know and worship. And instead, have replaced him with what James Baldwin called out – “their need for a nigger.” It is this need for a lower class that makes their actions antithetical to their posture of righteousness. They speak of being pro-life out of one side of their mouths, while supporting police sanctioned violence against black bodies. They use policy to control Black wombs, while they build bigger jails to house those same children as incarcerated slaves. They are not righteous. They do not hold any moral high ground above any human being. They are imposters and their minds are reprobate. Those of us who do identify as Christians must push back with righteous fervor and indignation. We must call out their hypocrisy and racism. We must divest from the framework of respectability, judgment, and shame that has been etched in our hearts through errant theology. We must not allow them to frame Jesus as homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, racist or classist. As queer-identified people, we have a responsibility and mandate to live our various faiths boldly, authentically, and truthfully. We must vote in the upcoming primaries and presidential election. Our lives depend on it.
Cherisse Scott is the founder and CEO of SisterReach, a Memphis, TN based grassroots 501c3 non-profit supporting the reproductive autonomy of women and teens of color, poor and rural women, LGBT+ and GNC folx, and their families through the framework of Reproductive Justice. Their mission is to empower their base to lead healthy lives, raise healthy families and live in healthy and sustainable communities. They work from a 4-pronged strategy of education, policy & advocacy, culture shift and harm reduction. Learn more about them at www.sisterreach. org and www.cherissescott.com
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| COMMUNITY NEWS
Leone West African heritage, Zee Saccoh was born into a family with ingenuity. Her dad an Elementary & HS Teacher & cab driver & her late mom was a photographer.
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Leaders is a purpose driven, & inclusive Creative Streetwear Brand, created in 2015, by New York’s very own Zee Saccoh. 4Leaders, is inspired by artists, creatives, and people who, already see themselves as legendary, in every sense of the word. The distinctive combinations of high-quality textiles, nostalgic trends and hues of ageless black and white, meeting with the eccentricity of the wearer. The 4L customer, aspires to inspire, while owning their own unique originality. The WorldWide 4L Movement of fashionable Leaders has already began with the likes of the 4Leaders Brand being spotted on Tristan Wilds
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(The Wire & 90210), J’Rome ( ABC’s Duets), Romeo Miller, Coco and Breezy (Fashion and Sunglass Designers/Global Ambassadors), Cykeem White (Red Model) Lex Scott Davis (Actress) Tye Hunter (Celebrity Stylist) , Bryshere Gray (Fox the Empire) Parisian Rap Star Tortoz (Coulour Miel Video) to name just a few Leaders . 4L also had the pleasure, to be featured in Nylon, Heed, and Artsy Magazines as well as many online Street Fashion Blogs & platforms. 4L has shot there latest 2020 LookBook at the Legendary/Iconic Jane Ives Studio in Soho NYC About The Creator Zee Saccoh: parents are descendants of Freetown, Sierra
Saccoh faced adversity at the tender age of 1 years old when she lost her Mom. Nonetheless, Saccoh’s father taught her his wisdom & surrounded her with inspirational figures which molded her into becoming a natural go getter. She earned an Associate Degree from New York Globe Institute of Technology. Saccoh began cultivating her vision by exploring the world of enterprise & entrepreneurship in high school & college. Saccenteroh skills in fashion design are self-taught as her 20+ years of working in the entertainment and music industry inspired her career Her pulse resonates creativity from beyond the bounds of Manhattan, Washington Heights where she started to hone into her creativity as she experienced the fast-paced streets of NYC nonstop hustle. This has molded this “Self-Made & Self-Taught Designer.” Saccoh is ready to take on the fashion world for LEADERS of the FREE world. The NY Tough state of mind has taught her most of what she knows as she lives by the mantra “Live your Life, Love & Learn” which created the acronym of 4 L’s 4Leaders. Saccoh has also given back to charity’s in places as far as Mokoko, Nigeria & Freetown Sierra Leone and has employed and aligned her 4L Brand with various people from all walks of life. Saccoh understands that even in fashion she would like to still “LEAD BY EXAMPLE” as she takes on fashion for this world next & future LEADERS!
What’s in the Mirror? T
arik Daniels, Founder and Executive Director of the mental health awareness group WhatsintheMIrror? believes art has the power to heal. WhatsintheMIrror? Addresses mental health and suicide among the queer community of color in Central Texas Through the Arts. “Life has taught me that I have to be the narrator of my story and not let stats and data dictate my own personal outcomes,” says Tarik. “As a Black queer man living with HIV, not only did I find it difficult to find a therapist who could understand my struggle, but I’ve also grown accustomed to not seeing experiences and people like me in media.” In 2015, he drew from his personal journey and founded WhatsintheMirror? The nonprofit aims to connect mental health clinicians of color with those in need of mental health services. The organization also provides arts-based events and projects that seek to address social justice issues and eliminate the stigma around living with HIV and mental health issues. “As a performing artist and writer, I saw an opportunity to merge my two passions of nonprofit work and art. It’s important to provide mental health support and advocacy, especially for people of color and those affected by socioeconomic inequalities,” he says. “I truly believe that mental health is an important topic with stigma that needs to be removed. We need to enlighten our communities about the alarming numbers of suicide rates and educate around mental health and suicide prevention.”
In early 2020, Whatsinthemirror? launched the Art Heals Project with the support of a grant from Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative. The Art Heals Project is designed to highlight the intersection of mental health and HIV prevention work. The program’s goals are to reduce stigma, affirm care and raise awareness through art. The Art Heals Project will culminate in the Art Heals Festival on Southern HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day on Aug. 20. The multi-disciplinary festival, which may be redesigned as a virtual event, will include prominent speakers, diverse panels and the use of as an educational and healing tool. The festival will also feature the premiere of the play, “SCHOOLBOY,” written and directed by Tarik Daniels. The play highlights the LGBTQ+ ballroom subculture and through fashion, dance and poetry tells a story of what it is to be a Black LGBTQ+ individual in America. Tarik continues to cultivate a meaningful discussion on mental health and the arts through the Art Heals Project. “It’s time to begin the conversation and do the work,” he says. “We need to spread love and kindness. We are the prevention.” The Art Heals Project is seeking virtual submissions from artists, singers, dancers, healing and spiritual practitioners, and clinicians. Those interested in submitting art to the festival can learn more about Whatsinthemirror? by following the nonprofit on Facebook, Twitter, & IG.
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TUV SUPPORTS
Kimberly & Bonita Washington TUV MISSION
The Unleashed Voice Magazine will cultivate the stories of LGBTQ people with engaging and empowering conversation to people of the world about the multicultural LGBTQ Community.
TUV VISION
The Unleashed Voice Magazine (TUV Magazine) will aid the LGBTQ Community and its allies in redefining how the diverse LGBTQ person wishes to be viewed or spoken about. TUV Magazine will be the optimal print and media hub for the affluent LGBTQ consumer and those who want to be included in the “Unleashing” movement.
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hat started off as a platonic friendship of support in the Summer of 2017 blossomed into a fairytale romance. Bonita also known as Bo Kennedy was an inspiration to Kimberly at a difficult period in her life. Bo was Kimberly’s encouragement to wanting a better life filled with love and happiness. After a brief period of dating and getting to know one another Bo popped the question and Kimberly said, YES! Kim and Bo decided to blend their families and become one on 06/06/20 in Bo’s hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Their message to other couples is “love each other, stay true to one another, and remain positive, because Love is Love!”
