Interdependence Anika Friedman

Katastwóf Karavan

By Kara Walker and Jason Moran

The Katastwóf Karavan is a steam powered calliope played by Jason Moran and stored in a decorative parade wagon that was designed by Kara Walker. Calliope music is common in New Orleands, often used to signal for boat rides now but in the past was used to signal for slave trade. Moran’s music is soulful and sad. The calliope also serves as a way of demanding attention and drawing onlookers in to look at the steal design on the caravan. Like many other works by Kara Walker it explores race, gender, sexuality, and violence through the use of silhouetted figures that resemble historical artwork.

Note: the image is a link to a video of the Katastwóf Karavan playing its music.

“Interdependence”

by Anika Friedman

Thoughts of a Black woman By Dej

The silence is loud, and the phone light burns my eyes the train rumbles by and I hear footsteps shuffle from the kitchen and the toilet flushes for the third time. My soul is restless. My room is messy from my attempt to get ready on time for lunch earlier It was nice, seventy degrees on the tenth day in November is what I needed. These purple walls are starting to close in while my mind breaks me. The collection of water bottles by my bed and the pile of books stacked on the floor remind me it's been days since I've breathed. Inhale. Exhale. I try to remind myself, but the air is tainted. It brings back memories of me, much lighter, much softer, less scared. While the world sleeps, I'm awake and the only thing that helps is the darkness and rain sounds. I guess I could try to wake up earlier, control less, speak louder That won’t let me sleep though. Not sure what will. There goes the refrigerator door again... My mouth feels like a cat's tongue. If I could slip into myself just for a minute and feel her again. Walk around in her shoes, feel her love and comfort. I wouldn’t fit there anymore and it's okay At least I think it is, that keeps me up at night too. I miss the sun. Since I've been awake at night, I haven't seen it. My brother says I might be in tune with the universe. Where did all the stars go? I've been asking that all summer. I miss them. They made me feel like a kid. I remember days of playing hide and seek with the moon because it went everywhere, I went. The stars accompanied the moon too. How lonely The moon sits there in the darkness. Alone. Like me. It Shines and shows up. Isn't that kind of poetic? Story of life? Pastor James says: the meaning of life is being born on a train that's going fast and as we grow it speeds up and our parents try to make sure we don't fall off the train. We get upset because we don't understand why things won't just slow down. We decide to make our way to the front and on our way, we see destruction, war , pain and hurt. When we knock on the door, we find the man crying. He's trying his best to make sure we don't lose control of the train. He knows what's happening, but he can’t stop it. He is sorry. We make our way back to our car in the train and live our life. I guess that's what keeps me up at night.

Ways to enhance your mental health?

Taking Back my mental health It don’t matter to me if that’s sleep. I cut my hair tried to stay more woke but that wasn’t enough. I thought I wanted to be by myself until it was something else. I never could sleep so melatonin became my best-friend, I started to eat less than covid came and my anxiety never really came to an end. I panicked more, isolated in a box I started to google and from there I couldn’t stop. I watched leafs fall from the tree in front of my house and I started to think more about if each leaf was recognizing me until it spoke back stating without a doubt.

White people need to see

The Offering

Racism has hardened like a mold. We can write, compose and read Give us the opportunities the privileged have tenfold. Politics can help but truth be told.

Life isn’t always suffering and madness Our music touches the heart from the aorta to the soul. Gripping your heart strings with lightheartedness Within our lives we adore and control.

Marching through the streets for our rights. Despite The work has caused physical and emotional fatigue. With systems working against us in spite. We shouldn’t need to go down on one knee.

Locking us up and we’re back to work. No living wage to help our hurt. We have the passion and time But what’s still considered a crime.

Auctioning is gone but racism has prevailed Nor has the anger we’ve got but what can entail? Our people are ready, but uncertainty is suffering. What is the offering?

What it means to be Black in America

Being Black in America Is fearing for our lives whenever we walk out the door Always looking over our shoulder Hoping and praying Our friends and family Make it home safely Being Black in America Is having law enforcement Claim they protect all citizens When they only protect white ones While terrorizing and brutalizing Black communities Being Black in America Is constantly fighting Battles that are not our own Battles waged against the melanin in our skin Waged by those whose hearts are plagued by hate Being Black in America Is being treated like a zoo animal Reduced to a mere object People always gawking at us Touching our hair Asking if it is real Being Black in America Is seeing Black women The most beautiful beings to walk the earth Constantly bashed by the media Told they are too angry Told their hair is distracting Told they are too much Our society portraying their natural beauty Divine presence As ugly Being Black in America Is constantly carrying a heavy burden Feeling like you're going to implode

By: Omosesan Adebamgbe

Colorism

By: Esperanza

Your known or you skin bein a sweet ca e con leche, shes known or her dark chocolate complex. Yet, we’re not envied the same. the One is seen a beauty, while the other not. Startin durin slavery, but opression wasn’t enou h. Divide strati ied the man in which created it. Treatin both as animals, but one as prized cattle. Still a ectin today Society, like a pla ue. Followin in us into jobs, on our likes, in our movies When will it be ixed? Can it be ixed?

!"# $%&"' ()* '"# +%&"' ,- ,*#./0. +)1%.2). !"# (%&"' ()* '"# *%&"' %2 0 (%&"' %. '"# .%&"'3 ,4' %' %2 '"# (%&"' '"# ()* (*##/)5 '"0' 14*.2 5)2' 1*%&"'3 !"# (%&"' .)' 1#6042# )( .) 6")%6# 14' 1#6042# )( '"# *#(4207 ') 7)2# '"# 8%77 ()* 7%(#3 !"# (%&"' 1#6042# )( '"# 9.)87#/&# 0' '"# #./ )( '"# '4..#7 '"#*# %2 7%&"'3

!"# (%&"' ()* '"# *%&"' %2 "0*/ 0./ )('#. 17#09: ,4' '"# (%&"' %2 1#''#* '"0. ()*#;#* 27##<3 ="))2# ') (%&"' 0./ 7%;# ()* 7%1#*'-: 14' '*#0/ 60*#(477- 0./ ()77)8 %. '"# ())'2'#<2 )( '")2# 8") <*#06"3

!"# (%&"' ()* '"# *%&"' '09#2 0 "#0;- ')77: '"# (%&"' ()* '"# *%&"' 60. 1# 2'*#.4)42 ). ).#>2 2)473 ?) 1# 24*# ') '09# '"# '%5# ') 7%;# 7%(# ()* %'2 (477#2': 7#2' -)4 1#6)5# (%77#/ 8%'" 0 "%//#. *0&# 0' %'2 )7/#2'3

!"# (%&"' ()* '"# *%&"' %2 7).& 0./ "0*/: 2) '09# '%5#: 5- (*%#./2: ') *4. 7).& 0./ (0*3 ?## '"# #/&#2 )( 7%(# '"0' )'"#*2 /#.-: 0./ (%./ -)4*2#7( 8%'" -)4* %..#* #-#3

!"# (%&"' ()* '"# *%&"' %2 0 6).2'0.' 10''7#: ,4' 0780-2 *#5#51#* '"0' (*##/)5 %2 '"%.# 6"0''#73 =0*# ()* ).#2#7(: 14' 072) 9##< %. 5%./: 0' '"# #./ )( '"# '4..#7 %2 '"# 7%1#*'- '"0' -)4 8%2" ') (%./3

The Lie

Father, mother, now that I’m grown, and your belts hold no power over me anymore, let me ask you something and let your answer be true: why did you say “this’ll hurt me more than it’ll hurt you?”

Why did you lie over the sound of my tears as your switch blistered my skin? You say, in your youth, that you got it worse, but is this how we treat our kin? And for what? A call for silence? Some paltry sense of discipline? No, I haven’t seen the world through your eyes, but who’d think you’d be so eager to teach. Is this the Dream our ancestors died for? Are we closer to the promised land? If so, keep your slice of heaven, and I beg you: stay your heavy hand. For what I know is you raise your whip against me, and somewhere the master laughs.

Scan the QR code