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UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY

AME black church leaders form new organization targeting 2022 elections

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

JULY 18 - 31, 2022 • VOL. 10 NO. 27

KEN MAKIN COMMENTARY

Dan Scott wants to be the area’s natural resource supervisor

Shoutin’ In The Fire Spotlight on Edgefield County’s Pottery Exhibit

Q&A with Danté Stewart

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

MAKIN’ A DIFFERENCE COMMENTARY by Ken Makin

Uvalde puts policing in perspective T he stories coming out of Uvalde, Texas, in the aftermath of an elementary school shooting which occurred two months ago, have been nothing short of horrific. And yet, the hurt surrounding the violent incident continues to mount with new developments relating to the actions – or inaction – of on-scene police. In recently released video footage, the delayed police response to the on-site shooter was clearly shown. The edited video has only

added to the anger and frustration of those who believe the police could have done more. The events of Uvalde, Buffalo, N.Y., and countless other incidents in recent memory remind me of the collective response to the murder of George Floyd. During the summer of discontent in 2020, the rise of Black Lives Matter also came with a directive – “defund the police.” That call lost momentum, not only because of the election of a pro-po-

lice administration, but also because of a media and culture in which we excessively glorify law enforcement. This incessant “copaganda” flies in the face of the maltreatment of Black folks at the expense of police. Uvalde is a harrowing picture of what the militarization and excessive funding of police has gotten us – inaction in the most dire of moments. Governments have prioritized “public safety” over social services, education and transportation – to our detriment.

In the months and years ahead, there needs to be a reallocation of priorities – and of resources – away from policing and back to the people. Ken Makin is the host of Makin’ A Difference and a freelance writer for ESPN and The Christian Science Monitor, among other outlets. Look him up on Facebook at Makin’ A Difference, and you can also send him an email with your thoughts at makinadifferenceshow@gmail.com.

1970 Augusta Riot Exhibit to open July 29

THE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS MARCH was held downtown on Broad St. on Saturday, July 2nd. The event was organized by River Good and Elle Garcia to protest the overturning of Roe V. Wade. To keep abreast of local happenings for Reproductive Rights, contact L. Stanley at Augusta Reproductive Rights Alliance <augustareproductiverights@gmail.com. Also check the Augusta Reproductive Rights page on Instagram. This organization focuses on helping the community and raising money for abortion funding in the Southeast.

UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY

PUBLISHER Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency LLC http://www.growingaugusta.co/UPW +1 (706) 751-2537 SALES & MARKETING http://www.growingaugusta.co/UPW +1 (762) 233-5299

The Augusta Mini Theatre is preparing for the grand opening of the 1970 Augusta Riot Exhibit on Friday, July 29 at 3 p.m. According to organizers, The 1970 Augusta Riot Exhibit combines research and personal testimonies to tell the story of the 1970 Augusta Riot from the perspective of the community and from revisiting evidence. Organizers say that the exhibit includes historic photos, biographies of eye witnesses and victims families, and original art with created from oral history interviews. Nefertiti Robinson, Exhibit Manager for the 1970 Augusta Riot Exhibit, said, “It will serve to provide a space for remembrance and education for generations to come.” The Augusta Mini Theatre is located at 2548 Deans Bridge Rd. in Augusta,

CONTRIBUTORS K.L. Gordon • Ken Makin Olivia Gaines • Vincent Hobbs Menia L. Chester Frederick Benjamin Sr. Layout/Design : UrbanProMedia

FAITH WORKS • 2022

By Mark Niesse, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ATLANTA Church leaders representing over 1,000 Black congregations in Georgia created a voting rights organization Wednesday (July 13) called Faith Works, which will focus on voter turnout and education in response to the state’s voting laws. Faith Works will emphasize get-

out-the-vote efforts ahead of this November’s election, potentially reaching hundreds of thousands of parishioners. “We are rising together because our democracy has come under attack from within — and like generations before us, this moment in history and our faith are calling for us to act,” said Bishop Reginald Jackson, who leads more than 500 African Methodist Episcopal

churches in Georgia. Jackson said Faith Works will fight barriers to voting, including parts of Georgia’s voting law passed last year, Senate Bill 202. The law limited absentee ballot drop boxes, required additional ID for absentee voting, allowed state takeovers of county election boards and banned handing out food and water to voters waiting in line.

... Statement From AME Bishop Reginald Jackson on the launch of Faith Works ATLANTA The following includes excerpts from this week’s statement from Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, the Presiding Prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District: “Today, African American Faith Leaders from across the state of Georgia, representing multiple denominations and over 1000 churches totaling hundreds of thousands of parishioners, are joining together in the fight for voting rights and launching a new and greatly needed grassroots initiative called Faith Works. “We are all rising together because our democracy has come under attack from within – and like generations before us, this moment in history and our faith are calling for us to act. “It is our hope that you will support this new movement – and that these efforts will be replicated across the country. “The launch of Faith Works and the work we will implement together across the state of Georgia will be significant. I hope you can take

a moment to continue reading to fully understand its importance and the historic collaboration we have created. “For decades, the right to vote has united our country’s political parties and our diverse ideologies....until right now. “For two years, a massive, well-funded campaign of deceit and intimidation, which began in Georgia, has spread across the country. This work was designed and executed to ensure that voting rights evolve into a political issue rather than continuing to serve as the very bedrock of our democracy. “News reports have showcased planned tactics being organized to intimidate people from voting in this November’s election. “Through the tenets of the Civil Rights Movement - education, information, mobilization, confrontation, and reconciliation - Faith Works will serve as a beacon to ensure that every Georgian has the support and information they need to vote and that every Georgian can vote freely and fairly.

While voter turnout was high in Georgia’s primary in May, Jackson has said he’s worried that the voting law could discourage voters and reduce absentee voting in the general election, which features races for governor and the U.S. Senate. Faith Works plans to mobilize churchgoers for “Souls to the Polls” voting efforts on Sunday early voting days, advertise through social media and speak out about voting access.

Justice for Izzy Scott ? Because she is an amazing pillar in the community? Because she is Burke County Citizen of the year? Because money talks? Because she financially supports Burke County? Because she didn’t mean to? Because she has no idea what happened? Because he was a little black boy whose life didn’t mean as much as one of her children or grands? She gets to live her life unapologetically! She gets to continue to experience the ones she loves! She gets off free with NO ACCOUNTABILITY! Her character can’t be that great because there has been no apology! No recognition of wrongdoing? No real sympathy! Instead of reaching out to the family to show her humanness, she covers herself and refrains from giving an apology because it shows guilt! Instead 2WEEKS later you send a card saying some BS like “he’s with God and his angels” Do you understand what a trip to the hospital, a phone call, a heartfelt sorry, an I am here to support you as much as I can would have done for this grieving family???????? And you get away with not even a pat on the hand because you have no idea what happened to the little black boy found UNRESPONSIVE in the deep end of the pool while under your instruction! Might I add...he was found by the young granddaughter! WOW What a great pillar! You can remain SILENT! But WE WON’T! JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED!!!!!” — Que Butler

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

Black church leaders launch broad new Georgia voting rights initiative

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

Have A Suggestion For A Great Story? Let us know about it. Contact Us At growingaugusta.co/upw

ARTSVIEW

Edgefield’s most renowned potter, Dave Drake, aka Dave the Potter, or more commonly just Dave, began his pottery journey shortly after the turn of the 19th century. Local exhibiters recently completed a twoday tour that included the Center for African American History, Art, Culture in Aiken, the First Providence Baptist Church in North Augusta, and Springfield Baptist Church in Trenton, SC where Dave, the enslaved potter, was a member. The tour ended the evening of July 12th at the site where Dave created thousands of his masterpieces. Born about 1801, Dave created by some estimates, more than 50,000 pieces of pottery.

Edgefield pottery is focus of NYC exhibit Focusing on the work of African American potters in the 19th-century American South, the exhibition presents approximately 50 ceramic objects from Old Edgefield District, South Carolina, a center of stoneware production in the decades before the Civil War. Hear Me Now will include monumental storage jars by enslaved and literate potter and poet David Drake alongside examples of the region’s utilitarian wares, as well as enigmatic face vessels whose makers were unrecorded. These 19th-century vessels testify to the lived experiences, artistic agency, and material knowledge of enslaved peoples. Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina September 9, 2022 – February 5, 2023 at The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

African-American Pottery Exhibit visits 3 sites in two days

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

What is the Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District?

The Brier Creek Soil And Water Conservation District includes Burke, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, and Richmond counties. The district is Governed by a ten member board of supervisors. Each county is represented on the board by two supervisors, one appointed And one elected by the local citizens residing in the district. Georgia’s resource conservation program implements best management practices regarding the administration of its natural resources. Its function is to describe to each conservation district practical guidelines for land development by working with individual land owners, associated agencies and other interested parties. The work of each district is an integral part of an overall state conservation program coordinated by the State soil and water conservation commission. The district exists to serve the public and to ensure a healthy and productive environment.

Urban Farming advocate is seeking to become Augusta’s first black natural resource supervisor Dan Scott is a candidate to become Richmond County’s Supervisor of the Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District. Photo by Vincent Hobbs By Frederick Benjamin Sr Special to UrbanProWeekly AUGUSTA t is safe to say that most people have never heard of the Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District, but Richmond County is a part of that district and it has one elected and one appointed supervisor to the district. In this November’s election, the name DAN SCOTT will appear on the ballot for Brier Creek’s Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. The political office has always been on the ballot, but escapes notice because the incumbent is rarely, if ever, challenged. This will be the first time that anyone could remember that a black citizen has run for the position. Scott’s candidacy makes a lot of sense given the fact, as an urban farmer, he has a vested interest in the way the county’s water and soil conservation efforts are administered. As the urban agriculture movement gains traction in the area, we

are now getting used to hearing the terms such as “food deserts.” In the nation’s majority-Black communities, the prevalence of convenience stores means limited access to fresh, healthy food options. One out of every five Black households is situated in a food desert, with few grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers markets. “Since I was a child I’ve always related the word “Urban” to “black” or “inner city” issues. “Agriculture” was never something I ever considered would be a possible solution to those issues. But, now, I look at “Urban Agriculture” as the number 1 solution to food deserts,” Scott told UPW. He credits an Atlanta-based organization for getting him involved. “I was introduced to urban agriculture in late 2016 through a pan-african organization called HABESHA, which is an acronym for “Helping Africa by Establishing Schools at Home & Abroad”. Since that bootcamp, I’ve recently graduated from the second Habesha Agricultural Leadership Opportunity (HALO) cohort.” If Scott’s candidacy is successful,

he hopes to bring awareness of strategies and administration practices that could contribute to the success of urban agriculture initiatives as well as the well-being of under-served and under-represented communities. Scott is promoting an Urban Agriculture Initiative in which he wants to broaden the discussion about how the state’s resources are used. He calls it, One small Step for New Business and One Giant Leap for Urban Agriculture.

Scott would like to see the creation of Urban Soil & Water Conservation Standing Committees dedicated to changing the Social, Economic & Environmental climates and conditions of distressed urban areas. According to Scott, “Our greatest social disadvantage has been our inability to properly use our voices on the local political level, which ultimately results in improper planning and preparation to move Urban Agriculture Agendas efficiently.”

An overgrown lot on 15th Street near MLK Boulevard that could potentially be used as space for an urban garden to help feed the community. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

One-woman Stage Play and Companion Documentary Dive Deep into Depression SIDPo Productions and the APEX Museum TV Network in association with Blue Bistro Creative present the one-woman stage play MENTAL. The full-length show is a transparent re-telling of screenwriter Sid Powell’s lifelong struggle with depression. Actress Beliria Sims, one of Atlanta’s rising stars, brings emotional depth, veracity, and authentic vigor to the role. Under Powell’s direction, the pair debuted the work in 2016 and move into this upcoming performance with more nuance and artistic profundity. “As a filmmaker, primarily a writer, I decided to use my craft to communicate to the masses how mental illness has affected me along my life’s journey. Being in the public eye, I felt that it would be useful to share my story in the hope that someone just might see fit to seek help for similar trials and tribulations in their own life.” ~ Siddeeqah ‘Sid’ Powell The intimate performances will be held in the Museum’s main gallery with four shows over two weekends in October 2022. October 8th and 9th at 6 PM October 15th and 16th at 6 PM A gifted writer, Powell’s accolades include receiving an NAACP Image Award nomination for the TV movie, “Somebody’s Child.” Other writing credits include the TV movies The Dempsey Sisters, What Would You Do For Love?, and Love Will Find A Way. Dan Moore Jr., the Director of Operations

Operation Lifted Cloud Event August 30 and 31st 7 am - 7 pm.

Greater Young Zion Baptist Church 405 Sand Bar Ferry Road Augusta, GA 30901

for the museum stated, “We are excited to have the phenomenally creative Sid Powell be a part of this new phase of what we are doing at the Museum. We believe this presentation will support much-needed conversations in the community around depression and mental health overall.” The performances will be recorded before a live audience and will be released on the streaming platform along with a companion documentary film. The documentary will examine Sims’ and Powell’s journey toward bringing such a personal performance to audiences. In addition, the film will chronicle the professional intimacy between director and actor. Anthony R. Page, one of the program directors for the streaming platform, stated “We are curating content that aligns with the museum’s core mission and their 40-year legacy. There are a series of projects in development for the streaming platform that will be integrated with unique in-person experiences at the museum.” Page and his collaborative team at Blue Bistro Creative will produce the documentary film. To support engagements around mental health, the museum and its partners will host community conversations led by mental health professionals. The APEX Museum is located in the historic Auburn Avenue business district at: 135 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta, Ga.

Lifting State Court Misdemeanor Warrants! Come by this 2-day event where the purpose is to clear up qualifying outstanding bench warrants that may be affecting your privileges! Pre-register for this in-person event from now until July 29, 2022. If you are eligible you will get notice on August 1, 2022. Individuals who participate in this event will get 75% off of Fines!!

THE GOAL OF THIS EVENT IS NOT TO ARREST INDIVIDUALS Richmond County Sheriff’s Office • Solicitor-General’s Officer Richmond County State Court • Augusta Public Defender’s Office Richmond County Clerk of Court • CSRA Probation Event Questions (706) 261-0427 • Application Questions: (706) 821-1084 Apply: https://www.augustaga.gov/3045/Operation-Lifted-Cloud

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Sid Powell’s Mental slated for premiere on the APEX Museum’s new streaming platform

LATRELL’S RECIPES

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

Planning for your fall garden Live your best life! That is my motto. My name is Menia L. Chester, I am a chef and owner of Desserts by Latrell and Southern Jazz and Sweets. July is one of the hottest months of the year in Georgia. Although we are getting lots of rain in the evening, some of our plants start to wither. It’s the end of the growing season for many plants and now it is time to start thinking about fall gardening. Fall vegetables include pumpkins, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, spinach, and turnips. As your plants start to fade, be sure to check them for non-beneficial insects and be sure to remove them if you can. Another option is to use insecticidal soap to clear your plants of insects and their eggs. At the end of the season, you may have an abundance of tomatoes and below is a wonderful summer salad recipe that makes them the star of the show. . And as a bonus, I have added a recipe that involves peaches, another summertime favorite. LATRELL’S Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad ¼ cup of water ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar 2 tsp olive oil 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick 3 tomatoes, sliced 1 red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings cut in half black pepper to taste salt to taste

DIRECTIONS Stir water, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth; add cucumbers, parsley, tomatoes, and onion. Stir to coat. Refrigerate for two hours. Serve as a side with greens or with a meal. Enjoy! If you have questions, would like to see other recipes, or learn about events by Latrell, please visit my website or send me an email.

Website: www.southernjazzandsweets.com Email: southernjazzandsweets@gmail.com

Desserts by Latrell’s Easy Peach Crisp INGREDIENTS 8 large fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into eighths 2 tsp lemon juice ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp cinnamon Batter: 1 stick of butter (room temperature) 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 ¼ cups self-rising flour 1/2 cup oatmeal (rolled oats) 3/4 cup whole milk Glaze: ½ cup white sugar ¼ tsp nutmeg 4 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the rack under the middle rack to catch drips.

Pour in milk; stir until mixture is thick and creamy.

Generously butter a 2-inch deep (2-quart) baking dish. In a separate bowl mix together peaches, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into the baking dish.

Mix nutmeg and 1/2 cup sugar. Sprinkle on the batter. Drizzle with water until sugar is wet and the surface is shiny. Bake about 40 minutes or until crispy. Let cool 25 minutes before serving. Serve warm with ice cream.

Stir butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Mix until creamed. Add oats and flour; stir until flour and oats are incorporated into the butter-sugar mixture and mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Drop dollops of batter on top of the peaches. Spread batter evenly over the surface of the peaches.

If you have questions, would like to see other recipes, or learn about events by Latrell, please visit my website or send me an email.

Website: www.southernjazzandsweets.com • Email: southernjazzandsweets@gmail.com

TAKENOTE

HOUSING: The Augusta Housing Authority announces applications being accepted for conventional public housing for three, four, and five bedroom housing. This wait list is open indefinitely or until further notice. Apps also accepted for the Project-Base Voucher program for one and two bedrooms at The Legacy at Walton Oaks, for seniors 55 and older. This wait list is open until Dec. 30, 2022. Submit preliminary online applications for either program on www. augustapha.org or call 706-312-3173 if you need assistance.

#gardencityjazz june 27 : july 25 code: UPW text UPW to (706) 528-6855

Get UPW delivered to your inbox OR your front door. Subscribe at growingaugusta.co/upw

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

GRIEF SUPPORT: Children 6-18 years old are welcome to attend a free 8-week grief support group (not therapy) entitled “Tia’s Corner,” founded by our own Ms. Shirley Norman. The support group is for children dealing with grief or experiencing crisis from loss. Sessions are every Saturday through August 13th, 11:30AM-1PM, Friedman Branch Library, 1447 Jackson Road, Augusta. To register, call 706284-2124.

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

FORUM VOICES “ Q & A Wi t h D a n t é S t e w a r t :

Shoutin’ In The Fire: An American Epistle Danté Stewart is a minister, essayist, and cultural critic. He is author of Shoutin’ In The Fire: An American Epistle. Named by Religion News Service as one of “Ten Up-And-Coming Faith Influencers”, his work has appeared on CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN’s The Undefeated, Sojourners, and more. He has been named 2022 Georgia Author of the Year in the memoir category for Shoutin’ In The Fire. He received his B.A. in Sociology from Clemson University. He is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. The following are excerpts from an interview conducted by ReadMoreCo in October 2021. Your book, “Shoutin’ in the Fire”, evokes feelings James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time and Te-Nehisi Coates’ Between The World and Me. How have these writers inspired and influenced your work? For me, traditions of black literature are central to how I name, see, perform, and what I embody in the world. In addition to Baldwin and Coates, I am also influenced deeply by Toni Morrison, Toni Cade Bambara, Katie Cannon, James Cone, as well as contemporary black writers and thinkers like Elizabeth Alexander, Terrion Williamson, Kevin Quashie, Kiese Laymon, Deesha Philyaw, Robert Jones Jr, Jesmyn Ward, Sarah Broom, Renita Weems, M. Shawn Copeland, and more. They have influenced my writing first and foremost by teaching me how to take black life seriously. Our worlds or “worldmaking”, as Terrion Williamson writes, are as much a starting point for thinking about life as much as any other point. They have also influenced how I think about telling black stories and embody my faith with creativity, care, and complexity in a compelling way. For we are human and our stories must be told in ways that neither make us heroes nor villains, but humans who are worthy of the deepest embrace, celebration, and responsible love.

Lastly, they have influenced how I approach the craft, plot, and structure of my text. I am a writer. I work in the worlds of texts, bodies, histories, words, and dreams. I need to be a part of a noticeable tradition and people should feel these writer’s spirits move and hover in and around my text. Your book was written in the wake of last year’s police killing of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Did the events of 2020 affect your writing of this book? These events affected so much of my book. I started my book in the summer of 2020 and ended it in December. So many of the essays I wrote in the wake of the enduring and damning revelation of white supremacy were the beginnings of my reflection around the central question of my book: “how do I be Black and American and Christian?” As a writer and a minister, I felt it necessary to not just treat the events of the last year as if they had no place in my faith or my own story. So much of what happened confused and angered and made me depressed in so many ways. So I had to write. It began with the books that I was reading in my black literature class as well as the books I was reading in my theory class. Both of these classes had me wrestle deeply with

DANTÉ STEWART

Photo by Taja Ambrose - Crowned Gold Photography

what I wanted for myself, my family, black lives, the places we called home, and the world we imagined for our children. They gave me language and a way to imagine possibilities. They forced me to find a way to live and move and have my being at the critical intersection of black text, theory, theology, and the oftentimes terrible estimation of our lives that many people have in this country. They forced me to wrestle with how those beliefs bring about

pain not simply for the George Floyd’s of the world, but also the Breonna Taylor’s and Monika Diamond’s. But on the flip side, I didn’t want to do as I had done in the past — simply respond to white racism and white violence and white hatred — I had wanted to tell a story, as June Jordan writes, that “I am black alive and looking back at you.” For we do not just die and suffer but we live and are alive and find love and create beauty and build things beyond the mayhem.

How has your faith and spiritual side aided how you navigate the world as a black man? My faith has, from a child until today, been so central to what I embody in the world. Whether it was prayer meetings or church conventions or just simply the normal aspects of what it meant to live in the black rural South, faith was woven into each of those experiences. As I began to grow up, as I write about in my time at Clemson and beyond, I found myself closer to white people. Having finished college, I joined a white evangelical church and entered seminary to hopefully one day become a pastor--and not a pastor in a black church but a white one. I wrote in my New York Times piece: “In my pursuit to be a better person and a better athlete and a better Christian, I viewed Black sermons and Black songs and Black buildings and Black shouting and Black loving with skepticism and white sermons and white songs and white buildings and white clapping with sacredness.” That was the story: faith has been an often confusing and complex story in my life. It has turned me into the worst of us and it has also helped me find ways to embody the best of us. It wasn’t until I gave up the faith that I was so invested in, either from my black Pentecostal upbringings or my time in white evangelical spaces, that I found my humanity and my liberation. I am reminded of James Baldwin’s words in “Letter From A Region In My Mind.” He left the church but the church never really left him. He walked away from the pulpit but the pen became his sermon. He critiqued white traditions of Christianity for their deep and deadly relationship with colonialism, white supremacy, and their own arrogant belief in their purity and centeredness in the world. He critiqued black traditions of Christianity for our deep distrust and fear of blackness and the ways in which our passion for loving God was often-

times a measure of how committed we were to power and control — especially over those who didn’t fit the mold. How did going to school in the South, shape your view of racism in this country? I was an athlete in college and therefore, I was cut off from so much that was happening in the country, as well as, being a walk-on made me have to calculate how I moved so that I didn’t lose what was already on unstable ground. Thankfully my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, opened my eyes to an experience that was beyond being a black student athlete at Clemson. There is the black experience on a college campus and there is the black student athlete experience and then there is the black student athlete who plays football experience. These experiences, though sharing blackness, represent some of the widest possible differences in white social spaces, particularly those spaces around institutions of education and sports. So for me, I didn’t necessarily think about racism because I was so protected by my jersey, life in and around the stadium, and the world white folk built for us football players on our campus that cut us off as much as possible from the larger demographic of young black people there. Trayvon was murdered when I was in college, of which I write about in the book, and my teammates took a picture in black hoodies and in solidarity with Trayvon. I didn’t join them. I had too much to lose and I had learned well to cut off that part of myself and just learn how to show up to class, to the weightroom, to the field, to home, and back to class again. That’s the thing about so many of us black football players at white schools of which I write: “Many young Black athletes like me left home and quickly found ourselves around white Christians because they were the ones who had greatest access to us. Between Bible studies and church outings, our worlds became white, our Jesus became a blond-haired and blueeyed savior.” This was my story and this began my own callousness toward blackness and the ways in which we suffered in the world. But then on the other hand, it is a reflection of the ways so many of us from the black rural South inherit the script that we must “leave.”

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So 2020 affected me deeply in that it both shook me and shaped me and helped me do a better job at writing in ways that see us, heal us, set us free, and make us whole in ways that aren’t simply reducing our lives to a theology, construct, or that relegates what we deserve and are owed to some heavenly future where all is well.

UrbanProWeekly - JULY 18 - 31, 2022

Andreas Drizzy Smith