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CONTENTS 4 BLM CO-FOUNDER C-VILLE BLM Co-Founder Don Gathers gives account to his work and alignment to his faith. 12 ANGELIC’S KITCHEN This is our cover story about Angelic’s Kitchen who is expanding her business to open at the Dairy Market on Grady. 16 KULTURE VIBEZ Owner Ronnie Meggison gives his story of triumph through the COVID-19 epidemic and how he made his dream a reality. 28 HIDDEN IN PLAIN SITE A tem from Richmond is exploring the history of Black Richmond through Virtual Reality technology.
Vinegar Hill Magazine in partnership with Charlottesville Tomorrow and In My Humble Opinion Radio Show, has been awarded $23,000 through the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation’s Community Recovery & Catalyst Grant program. The grant will help fund the recently established Charlottesville Inclusive Media project.
Vinegar Hill Magazine is a space that is designed to support and project a more inclusive social narrative, to promote entrepreneurship, and to be a beacon for art, culture, and politics in the Central Virginia region. | Contributing Writer Sam Heath l Advertising and Sales Manager(s) Cindy Richardson and SteppeMedia Publisher Eddie Harris Layout & Design Sarad Davenport Feature Photography Derrick Waller, Locs Image, Issa Doughman © 2020 Vinegar Hill Magazine. All rights reserved. w w w. v i n e g a r h i l l m a g a z i n e . c o m | V I N E G A R H I L L M A G A Z I N E 3
Charlottesville’s Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Speaks Out Don Gathers as Activist & Witness Contributed by Sam Heath | Photos by Derrick Waller Don Gathers was on the streets of Charlottesville on August 12, 2017: That Saturday when we got called to race down to Water Street. It was like a bomb had exploded in the intersection. There were bodies literally everywhere. Just blood and broken bones just all over the place. I stood there on the corner while the EMTs and paramedics worked just feverishly trying to save Heather. And it might sound weird but I literally saw the life leave her body. I was done. I was finished. They had won. I was through. That took everything out of me. Before he told me this on my back porch, with an evening breeze blowing and cicadas sounding off for our socially-distanced conversation, I’d decided I needed to get to know Gathers deeper than what I could glean from the public square, which is really the public rectangle of my phone. I knew he was co-founder of the Charlottesville Black Lives Matter chapter and that he was a deacon at First Baptist Church on West Main, where my wife and I sat after the 2015 Charleston shootings for a memorial and mourning service. That was the first time I saw Gathers. The second time was on August 12, 2017 at the sunrise service he organized, again at First Baptist Church, where Cornel West spoke. The crowd marched from First Baptist to Market Street Park, where the Lee statue stands that the white supremacists were determined to preserve. Of that Saturday Gathers relates, “You can’t unsee the things that happened that day.”
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The third time was at the Virginia Film Festival in the late fall of 2017. He was on a panel following the screening of Charlottesville: Our Streets, a documentary by Brian Wimer about August 11-12. The moderator expressed how he was so struck with the violence in the documentary that he had to step out of the theater. I remember Gathers replying forcefully yet paternally that those who were actually there on the streets that day did not have that luxury. I wondered who this man was, this seemingly fearless truth-teller. What we cannot unsee we also cannot un-remember. And Gathers, 61, remembers much. Of his childhood he recalls growing up in Richmond as the last of six boys. He recalls segregated lunch counters, segregated schools, then desegregated schools and counters. He recalls Monument Avenue’s Confederate monuments. Presently, the only monuments remaining are that of tennis superstar Arthur Asche, a Black man, and General Robert E. Lee, a sight he calls “a true dichotomy.” Charlottesville, where he has resided for many decades and raised his three sons, the youngest of which attends and plays football for UVA, might likely be the last city to remove its Confederate
monuments, despite helping spark a national reckoning with statues to white supremacy. Commissioning Deacon Gathers Before the trauma of August 12, Gathers was already engaged in the center of the Charlottesville monuments debate. Gathers remembers that Wes Bellamy, a former church congregant, “stayed on me” to apply for the Charlottesville Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials, and Public Spaces. Reluctantly, Gathers applied for a spot and was not only appointed but made chair of the committee. Their review ended in a 6-3 vote to keep the monuments in place, with Gathers dissenting. Still, he calls the Blue Ribbon Commission “outside of family my most impressive body of work” and remains “completely overjoyed with what we put in.” Gathers’ wife, DeTeasa, was on the steering committee for the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, and Gathers believes that memorial is both important and flawed. He holds that the statue of Jefferson should come down and be placed in the Rotunda rather than remain in a geographically and potentially symbolically elevated position “looking down” on the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers. That has too much
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of an echo of Jefferson view from Monticello where he watched slaves building UVA. Like with Jefferson’s legacy, racism enters spaces and makes waves that channel themselves through history. August 12 was “beyond surreal” when “the things I saw that day you can’t get away from… things that no person should have to see or experience.” It was a crossroads for our city and “in so many ways we’re still sitting at that crossroads” where “we have to determine if we want to move forward.” Gathers loves his city but also sees the need for boldness and a willingness to fight the real enemy, “the enemy of racism, the enemy of white nationalism, the enemy of white supremacy” rather than fellow brothers and sisters in the cause. That insidious power of privilege remains even after A12.
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“That scab was pulled off that weekend…and still lays open right now.” Biden and Boldness One way the city could be bold would be to take up Gathers’ insistent and consistent demand that Joe Biden visit Charlottesville. When Biden announced his candidacy in April of 2019, he stated that his motivation to run came from hearing Trump morally equate white supremacists with counter-protestors in Charlottesville on August 12. Gathers was “very much bothered and troubled” by Biden’s use of “Charlottesville as a prop,” which is why Gathers has publicly asked that Biden visit Charlottesville so Biden can hear firsthand the story of what happened, what ended, and what parts of the story continue. “He owes us that,” Gathers admits. Biden’s presence would be dignifying and a way to
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help the city further admit that there is more work to be done. “We can’t keep putting BandAids on these artery cuts before we eventually bleed out.” Just Something That’s There “Activism, I think, you’re called to do,” Gathers says, and it is not something you wake up feeling, but rather are born with “burning inside.” It’s “just something that’s there.” Gathers is an activist. He leads protests, dedicates markers like the one to John Henry James, goes on civil rights pilgrimages, and even ran briefly for city council before death threats to him and his family ended the campaign. He distinguishes a movement from a revolution. A revolution— and he credits this moment of Black Lives Matter as a revolution—“keeps coming back around.” A revolutionary spirit is
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always willing to alter itself based on the needs of the moment, whereas a movement might be best labeled after the fact. Of Charlottesville, he notes, “We started a revolution.”
He says Black Panthers were “just a group of Black men who got together to protect their neighborhood and to provide for their neighborhood. That’s all they did.”
These efforts are exciting, necessary even, but, Gathers says with a sigh, “Yeah, you get tired.”
Like the Black Panthers, the work of BLM is in response to how people “saw a real need” and worked to meet it.
Part of that activism included starting the Charlottesville Black Lives Matter chapter with UVA professor Jalane Schmidt. It was at the end of 2016 that Gathers began to hear that white nationalists were organizing. Schmidt and Gathers wanted to bring together like-minded people around an organization Gathers likens to the Black Panther Party.
Part of BLM’s work is to ensure that the work does not stop. “It’s cyclical. It only picks back up when another incident happens.” And BLM is there to “make sure the work doesn’t stop.” That work means not just reforming but rebuilding the system, particularly the criminal justice system.
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“The system itself is not broken. It’s doing exactly as it was designed to do.” Since “you can’t reform that system,” the only option is “to throw out the baby with the bathwater and the crib and the stroller and start all over.” BLM is here to help make sure that happens. Martin, Malcolm, & Jimmy Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin all gave different answers about how to address “the system,” but Gathers works to “encompass and incorporate and even represent a little of all three.” Like Baldwin, Gathers bears witness to our city’s story. But “I
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am much more Malcolm than I am Martin,” Gathers says, and yet he concedes, “I like to think that I am the ultimate peacemaker.”
race and publicly spoke to the man from Florida, Daniel McMahon, who was sentenced to 41 months in prison:
Growing up on the east side of Richmond, an area that helped Richmond become the murder capital of the country for a season, exposed Gathers to gang wars, riots, drugs, and shootings. He grew up and left, but, he says, “I remember where I left it if anyone needs to take me back there…. I don’t like that dude a whole lot, but I know that he is still around.”
Jesus says to love the sinner but hate the sin, but I’m not there yet. I’m nowhere near there…. I realize that this is of no consequence to you, but I pray for whatever sin-sick soul is possessed inside of all the hatred that you spew; I pray that one day I might find it in my heart to forgive you, but today is not that day.
It was the combination of “that dude” and “the ultimate peacemaker” that ran for City Council in 2019, a run that ended after the FBI came to his door with a “2 ½ inch folder” of threats made against Gathers and his family. Gathers resigned from the
After telling me this Gathers pauses and breathes deeply as he recalls the threats, concluding, “I very much embrace my spirituality.” He leans forward: “I’ll pray with you, I’ll pray for you, but cross and me and you’ll find me praying over you.”
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Faith in Activism Faith is “very much woven into the fabric of one’s being.” This seems especially true for Gathers as an activist. He notes a parallel between his work as co-founder of BLM Charlottesville and being a member of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, since both groups labor in the areas of community, faith, and are “trying to help people.” But the connection of faith and activism goes back much further than these two groups:
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Jesus was very much an activist. Jesus got angry. Jesus turned over tables in the courtyard because of what people had done to his temple.
We need to look at what he’s given to us as a temple, and we need to make sure that we preserve it, that we take care of it, and that we don’t let anyone do any damage to it. Gathers sees bodies, homes, and communities as sacred spaces we should “respect and be responsible for.” These enemies— white nationalism and white supremacy—endanger our spaces. Yet no one with privilege, no one with malice, no one with threats can occupy these spaces forever. Like the temple courtyard in the New Testament book of John, Charlottesville needs a cleansing of the white supremacy that invades the sacred space of our city. Many do not want to see “parallel between activism and spirituality and religion, but it exists,” most
practically in how “we’re supposed to be responsible for and help our neighbors.” Called to Do Something Of our city, he says, “The story’s not over yet.” And that story for Gathers was deeply influenced by his experience on A12. After seeing Heather Heyer’s murder, he walked away from the scene, distraught: Buckets of tears [were] flowing. That had sapped everything I had in me…. [Then] I just felt someone, a barrel of a man, grab me and just squeeze me and hold on to me. He whispered in my ear, “Don, you can’t give up. We need you too much. You gotta keep going”.… I truly think that God sent him at that moment, because I really was done.
Gathers was present on A12 and is still present, giving strength to our city. He is resolute in his commitment to “attack the beast” prowling our city and nation’s policies and hearts. October 14 was the two-year anniversary of his heart attack, after which Gathers realized, “Nobody’s called to do everything, but everybody’s called to do something.” The something Gathers is called to is to help others recognize that “the needs, the causes, the necessities are still [here].” With one like Gathers bearing witness and working as an active presence, we are more likely to remember and to heed his call to “do something.”
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New Beginnings for Angelic’s Kitchen A CONVERSATION ANGELIC JENKINS
by Destine Wright | Photos by Locs Image Angelic is unstoppable. While many businesses struggled to survive amid the pandemic, Angelic’s Kitchen is growing. Angelic Jenkins, the owner of Angelic’s Kitchen and former HR Director for the DoubleTree Hotel, quit her role at the hotel a few weeks ago. She’s now focused on running her business full-time. Despite the challenges of navigating a global pandemic, Jenkins is overcoming hurdles to open a new location at the Dairy Market–a cafeteria-style food hall featuring other local entrepreneurs on Grady Ave in Charlottesville, Virginia. Launching the new location was no easy feat, but she says that the
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transition was smooth. “There’s a big difference from going to a food truck to a restaurant,” Jenkins says. She credits her husband, Charles Jenkins Jr., with assisting her through the transition, “I couldn’t have done all of this without his support...he’s my backbone.” Jenkins saw a decrease in sales at the beginning of the pandemic, and restrictions due to COVID-19 presented a challenge. However, Jenkins was determined to keep the company afloat. “I love a challenge, and I love a goal...I love reaching those goals so I can start the next.” Aside from increasing inventory for the restaurant, Jenkins hired a team and purchased all new equipment with loans and grant funding. She gives
a lot of credit to the Community Investment Collaborative (CIC) for extending much-needed funding to help grow the business. She collaborated with local architect Mike Stoneking on her design, “He has done an amazing job. [He] has been very patient and has been there every step of the way.” angelic2.jpg When asked about the new space, Angelic says it’s “beautiful and bright” with a counter and four chairs at her stall for customers to eat indoors if they choose to do so. There is also outdoor seating for social distance-friendly dining. “It is basically my personality with the bright colors. I kept the same theme as the food truck with the
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She started her catering business with only a tent set-up. She then purchased her trailer, which ultimately led to her food truck business, seafood breading manufacturing, and restaurant. Eventually, Jenkins wants to franchise. Jenkins’ motivation is to build a legacy for her kids and grandkids. “I want them to have something to do, fall back on, and continue growing with.” Her advice to other food entrepreneurs who may need encouragement at this time: don’t give up. “When stuff gets hard, there is always an alternative. Keep setting goals for yourself.” She believes that goal-setting is the key to her success. “Pick one goal at a time and get it accomplished, says Jenkins. “Don’t give up until you get it done.” Now, she’s working on getting her seafood breading into stores like Walmart and Sams Club. “Hopefully, in another year, I’ll say done that and did that.”
yellows and blues.” She signed the lease almost two years ago and finally has a date for her soft open in mid-December (date to be determined). Overall, Jenkins is optimistic, “I’m a little anxious about the restaurant opening; it’s right around the corner, but at the same time, I’m excited.” In the meantime, Angelic is busy making the finishing touches with her menus for the new location. Besides her soul food options and traditional fair, she’s selling her seafood breading at her stall, too. She is expanding her menu to offer fried and barbecued chicken, fried shrimp, and various sides now that she has more kitchen space. “I cannot wait to share the goodies with the public,” Jenkins says.
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Jenkins has updated her website to make ordering for delivery and pickup easy. Patrons may order online through her site angelicskitchen. com and delivery apps like Grubhub, Door Dash, and Snack Pass.
Hours for Angelic’s Kitchen at Dairy Market are: Sunday: 11 AM-4 PM Mondays: 11 AM-7 PM Tuesday-Thurs: 11 AM-9 PM Friday-Saturday: 11 AM-10 PM Learn more at angelicskitchen.com
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Vibes Don’t Lie A Conversation with King Ron of Kulture Vibez
by Sarad Davenport Photos by Doughman When the pandemic hit last spring and everything shut down, many people to include business owners were left with uncertainty. Nobody knew when it would end. Nobody knew when and if the financial pain would ever stop. But the go-getters knew that moves had to be made. Such was the case with Ronnie Meggison, also known as ‘King Ron’. You see Ronnie had an extremely successful trucking company with a small fleet that was doing import deliveries from the ports down in Hampton Roads or the ‘7-5-7’ as it is affectionately known. “COVID shook my trucking company and hauling imports from overseas came to a stop,” said Ronnie.
But this proved to be a minor setback for a major comeback. Ronnie said, “I’m self-motivated. I’m a grinder.” At age 34, Ronnie isn’t someone who has to be pushed to get going. From the looks of it, he’s always ahead of the game. When he realized that COVID was going to be a major disruption in the trucking industry, he began to be open to other possibilities. “When I got into trucking, I did it because it was good money and a stable income,” said King Ron. But the thing is, trucking was never his dream. “My dream has always been to own my own clothing store,” he said. It all started for Ronnie when he
was finishing up his senior year at Louisa County High School and taking a business class. “I was intrigued by business and how it worked. I was always interested in the concepts of supply and demand,” he emphasized. Ronnie takes me back to that year when they took a class field trip to Virginia Center Commons Mall in Richmond. There, he encountered the DTLR store and was forever changed. For those who don’t know, DTLR is one of the premier urban fashion retailers with locations up and down the interstate 95 with most of them in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. “When COVID slowed down the trucking business, I had to have a long conversation with God.”
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When the pandemic hit last spring and everything shut down, many people to include business owners were left in uncertain times. Such was the case with Ronnie Meggison, also known as ‘King Ron’. You see Ronnie had an extremely successful trucking company with a small fleet that was doing import and export deliveries from the ports down in Hampton Roads or the ‘7-5-7’ as it is affectionately known. “COVID shook my trucking company and hauling imports from overseas came to a stop,” said Ronnie.
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Throughout the interview, Ronnie comes across as deeply spiritual and unashamed to talk about things in spiritual terms. He went on, “I was walking out of my apartment one day and I looked up, and a storefront across the street had a big ‘For Rent’ sign on it.” At this moment, Ronnie not only saw a ‘For Rent’ sign, but he wondered if this was a sign from God.
and their families. The point is, he had a proven track record in business and it wasn’t really a question if he was going to get the green light on the property and inevitably open Kulture Vibez. Ron said he named the store Kulture Vibez because ‘every culture has an urban side to it.’ Injecting a cool laugh into the conversation, he said. ‘It’s a vibe. It’s a whole vibe at Kulture Vibez.’
Discerning that this might be his opportunity to walk into his dream, he called the number on the sign, just to see what would happen. “A lady answered the phone and I gave her all my business info. I told God, if this goes through, I’m going to invest everything I have into this.”
Ronnie discussed how he wants the store to be a community attraction of sorts. He is creating a
See, I said before that Ronnie had a successful trucking business. So much so, that he was able to not only hire several of his friends but also make sure that his team had healthcare benefits and those things needed to take care of themselves
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platform for hip-hop and other musical acts to have their music videos featured on the monitors in the store. He is opening his store up to local brands who want to be featured alongside the more national and international brands. “The designers put a lot into their work, and I want to put them beside Addidas and others.” He went on to share how a brand that got its start in Charlottesville, ‘Be Great’ has already sold out. “I push their stuff like the others,” said Ron. Ronnie is the second oldest of four kids originally from Louisa but raised in Charlottesville and said that he has moved around a lot growing up in the area. He said, “I’ve been to every school system in the Jefferson District and made friends everywhere.” Ronnie gives credit to his mom for his grind and let me know that she was the one that he gets his inspiration from.
though their relationship has its ups and downs, Ronnie did indicate that his father has a successful logging company and they were able to do some business together in the past. As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and success was inevitable for Ronnie and he was destined to do great things. In his own words, King Ron said, “I am a son. I am a brother, and I am a solid individual. I am a hard worker. I am a visionary.” The truth is, with Ronnie it’s about vibes and he is putting out some strong positive vibes in the Charlottesville region and showing how we all can turn a minor setback into something even greater. Go check out Ronnie and the Kulture Vibez team at 2114 Angus Road, Suite 103, Charlottesville, VA 22901.
Like many young men, black men, in particular, he has a strained relationship with his father. Even w w w. v i n e g a r h i l l m a g a z i n e . c o m | V I N E G A R H I L L M A G A Z I N E 2 1
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Keese is a recording artist who is making a name for his self slowly but surely. If you’re into lyricism placed over dope beats, than look no further. Instagram @Keese_434 Facebook Keese434 Twitter @Keese_434 SoundCloud Keese434 Photo Credit Kidd Nick Instagram @iamkiddnick
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deeper than music Dreams of Fatherhood and Fame
by Sarad Davenport | Photos provided by LeeBangah
Many people know hip-hop artist LeeBangah for his music and his social media presence, but few may know him as a person and a father. Bangah said, “I want people to know that I am a strong father first. I am a guy from Charlottesville that puts my life and passion into my music.” As we work through the awkwardness of the beginning of the interview, I couldn’t help but wonder how he came up with the name LeeBangah. Bangah broke it down by saying, “My middle name is Lee.” Makes sense I thought, but the last part of the name was more complicated and had several dimensions. “My father’s name is Punch,” said Lee. He went on later to discuss how his mother was a single
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mother and raised him and his other siblings and how tough it was growing up without a father in the home. But yet and still, in a common theme particularly in the Black community, children regardless of the circumstances have dreams of their fathers. This was so much so for Lee, that it informed his artist name choice and moniker. Bangah goes on to say, “Fatherhood means everything to me. What I am trying to do is break generational curses of father’s not being present in the lives of their children.” What comes across clearly is that Bangah’s drive and tenacity come from a place where he wants to do and be the best so that he can support his children. “My kids give me my drive. My kids make me go harder.”
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what you have. After this, Bangah became a regular at the Music Resource Center. He credits the staff and environment at MRC with helping him to “craft” his skills and help him learn to make beats.
Banger began tinkering with music back in 1999 when he was only 12 years old. “I used a boom box.” He talked about how he would play the ‘B-Side’ instrumental cassette tapes and rap over them. It was classic hip-hop—working with
This brings up another issue surrounding LeeBangah’s name. The folks at the MRC expressed some concern about the name Bangah in his name, thinking that it could be misconstrued as something related to gang activity—even though it was a homage to Bangah’s father Punch. To make sure that his name took another dimension instead of the underworld, Bangah chose an acronym. In this, another classic hip-hop move of re-branding,
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Bangah became Beyond, All, Negativity, God, Always, Heals.
the music, Bangah says that he and manager DJ Tha Kid Quest have become ‘close friends.’
When asked who he is listening to and is influenced by, Bangah has an A-list roster of artists. “I’m listening to a lot of J.Cole, Roddy Rich, and Rod Wave. As far as influences go, I was influenced by Tupac, Biggie, Nas, and Coolio.” He goes on to say that his music can be described as ‘storytelling with melodic sound.’ Bangah was sure to add, “I also put a little trap in it also. I’m versatile and slick-mouthed.”
Lee has a new song on heavy rotation on 101.3FM Jamz right now called, ‘No Favors.’ He says, “It explains the come up. Sometimes looking out for others can hold you back from your own destiny.” Through this song, Bangah says that he is inviting people to take a closer look at their relationships—business and otherwise.
Bangah talks about how life has made him dig deep. “I’ve lost a lot of loved ones in the past few years,” he said. Bangah says these losses have pushed him to work harder and to always get back up when he gets knocked down. He gives a lot of credit for his success to his manager DJ Tha Kid Quest who has been working with him for nearly 5 years. “He was the one who started taking me city to city and opened doors for me. He is a humble and godly man leading me in the right direction.” Outside of
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You can catch LeeBangah performing live for the Charlottesville Grand Illumination broadcast airing on NBC29/ CW29 on Friday, December 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Be sure to see him then and continue to stay on the lookout for his upcoming projects.
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Hidden In Plain Site Richmond Team Builds A New Black Reality by Sarad Davenport
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“Technology is the great equalizer. The old guard can’t keep up or control the narrative anymore,” said Baxton Baylor native Richmonder and cocreator of the Hidden In Plain Site —a virtual reality (VR) exploration that takes participants through the history of the Black Experience in Richmond. J. Dontrese Brown and Baxton, two career executive creatives in their own right, joined forces to become BROWNBAYLOR™, a creative strategy and marketing agency headquartered in Richmond. Among their many feats, they were the creative and strategy team around the ‘Twenty-Nineteen Arthur Ashe Boulevard Initiative’. What is consistent across the work of BROWNBAYLOR™ is an effort to present a more inclusive historical and social narrative. The Hidden In Plain Site project seeks to help Richmonders see the deep and rich history and contributions that Black Americans have made and how vestiges of that greatness is still visible
among us—only if we look a little closer. So the question inevitably becomes how do we see this story and how does it help us to learn from the past but in a future-oriented way? David Waltenbaugh is the CEO of RootVR, and like Baxton, grew up in Richmond. “I grew up here in the capital of the confederacy,” he said. David went on to say how technology has historically benefited “wealthy White Americans”, and that “It has been weighing on me to use technology to empower Black voices.” David continues to state emphatically that technology is still, “a White and maledominated field and this technology [VR] needs to be accessible and made available to all.” The VR experience takes participants back in time and shows the tragedy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and how Richmond played centerstage. But it also shows how Black Americans, despite the people and systems that sought
Circa 1956 at The HIPP on the famous 2nd Street in Richmond, Virginia
Hidden In Plain Site: Richmond is a VR exploration of distinct but easy to overlook sites around Richmond, VA, that tells the story of the Black experience throughout history. hiddeninplainsite.org The HiPS™ VR Experience is curated by: TM
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to subject them, found a way to survive and in many cases thrive. Milton Steppe of SteppeMedia was able to go to a soft release of the Hidden In Plain Site VR Experience, and he said this, “When I got to Lumpkin’s Jail, I could hear the men getting auctioned off. I felt like I was there. I legitimately almost came to tears. I really felt the fear of being auctioned off.” Dean Browell, PhD is the Executive Vice President of Feedback who is also a key partner in the project said, “The discomfort makes people feel awkward. I love that part.” Dean who grew up in Yorktown, Virginia said, “I had
Ally
resigned to the fact that those statues [confederate] would never come down. Technology gets to be our concrete. We can build them and let them stand. Technology flattens and eliminates barriers to entry.” Another dimension of accessibility is a key factor in the success of this project. Dontrese was adamant, “We want the content to be accessible to people across all platforms and for free so they can access it regardless of socio-economic status.” Dontrese uses this as a call to action for corporations and philanthropists that want to be partners in presenting a more inclusive narrative. Not
Manny
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only that, the technology will transform the way we teach and how people learn. Dontrese concludes, “Inevitably, this is something that can be used all over our country. We want people to experience this and leave a changed individual by the perception in which they commute through their communities.” For more information about the HiPS™ Team and for updates visit: https://www. hiddeninplainsite.org/
Rosy
Lynaisha
2020 Food Justice Interns
Food justice is helping our community by making it easy for everyone to access food and coming together and talking to bigger organizations to make a change Keyshanna
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opportunities to lead New research shows Black girls outperform their peers in confidence and leadership potential, yet they continue to lack opportunities to lead
(Black PR Wire) Ruling Our eXperiences, Inc. (ROX) released its latest national research report, Girls, Diversity and The Future, which reflects insights from 10,678 5th through 12th grade girls. This study by the leading national experts on programming and research for girls offers a glimpse into the world of today’s girls and their unique beliefs, behaviors and barriers across demographics. Research findings include: Despite embodying key traits of leadership, Black girls face a world that does not embrace their leadership
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in school, government or corporate America. Nationally, Black women make up just 4% of school superintendents, 8% of our country’s elected officials and there are no Black female CEOs among Fortune 500 companies. This research indicates that when compared to their peers, Black girls are the most equipped and eager to lead. They confidently embrace being in charge and are not afraid to express their opinions, yet they face barriers to leadership roles. Black girls have higher rates of confidence and belief in their academic abilities compared to their peers, yet are the most likely to experience
harsher school discipline. Black girls experience an increase in confidence from elementary school to middle school, while all other groups of girls experience a sharp decline. Similarly, Black girls are more likely to believe they are smart enough for their dream job compared to their same-age peers, and 81% report that their teachers treat them like they are smart. Despite all of this, Black girls are more likely to have negative discipline-related experiences in school. When girls of color are in the majority, they are more likely to believe they are smart and capable than if they are one
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of few people of color in a situation. While race does not exclusively predict the way girls feel about their academic abilities and opportunities, attending school and learning with others who are like them contributes to a sense of efficacy and ability. When girls of color are not learning alongside other girls of color, they feel less confident in their abilities and opportunities. “Our data reinforces that we live in a society that does not always openly embrace girls and women who share their opinions, as this can often be viewed as aggressive. Sadly, this reality is amplified for Black girls,” said Dr. Sibyl West, co-author of the study, co-director of the Frederick Douglass Institute
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for Intercultural Research and associate professor of counselor education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “When a Black girl speaks her mind, she can be labeled as hostile, disagreeable or rude. Her opinions and ideas can be dismissed or ignored more often than her peers. This data is showing us that Black girls are ready to lead and possess key traits and characteristics of leadership, but face a world that doesn’t embrace their leadership.”
Harris, little girls everywhere finally have the chance to see a woman of color in the White House. Now it’s time for each of us to identify what we should be doing individually, programmatically and systemically to address the disparities surrounding leadership opportunities for girls of color.”
ROX is looking to partner with schools, churches and organizations to share this data and discuss evidence based ways to support Black girls. Please email info@ rulingourexperiences.com to partner.
Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, founder/CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) and coauthor of this study said, “We have a responsibility to seize this critical moment in history. In Vice President-Elect Kamala w w w. v i n e g a r h i l l m a g a z i n e . c o m | V I N E G A R H I L L M A G A Z I N E 3 5
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