YES! Weekly - July 29, 2020

KAREN ASHLEY

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SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

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STEADY HYPERACTIVE

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July 29-August 4, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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JULY 29 - AUGUST 4, 2020 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 31

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TWO WEEKS OF OCCUPATION

Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

This past weekend, through planned acts of civil disobedience, 25 protesters were arrested by the Winston-Salem Police Department on charges of “impeding traffic.” In groups of three to five people, PROTESTERS consecutively walked out and linked hands as they stood and knelt in the crosswalks waiting peacefully to be arrested by a fleet of bike patrollers. Some held up their fists, while the rest of the group held signs that read: “Answer our demands,” “Ban the hogtie,” and “Notify the public of all jail deaths.”

EDITORIAL Editor KATIE MURAWSKI katie@yesweekly.com Contributors KATEI CRANFORD MARK BURGER JIM LONGWORTH

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14 PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com ADVERTISING

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KAREN ASHLEY said she first noticed racism when she was 12 years old.

“I saw it in myself first at this age and it stuck with me to start being more aware of what I had been taught,” she said. “I started questioning my surroundings and challenging myself to grow beyond them.”

When she was in college at Appalachian State University, she said she was “knocked over” by racism.he horrors of racism and prejudice.

6 The OUT AT THE MOVIES outdoor screening of the award-winning, blockbuster 1996 comedy The Birdcage, originally scheduled for July 18, has been rescheduled for Aug. 29 in accordance with Gov. Roy Cooper’s decision that North Carolina will remain in Phase 2 until at least Aug. 7, due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited outdoor gatherings to no more than 25 people.

7 ...according to the Pew Research Center, SOCIAL MEDIA SITES “have surpassed print newspapers as a news source for Americans.” And, according to Forbes, nearly 65% of internet users receive breaking news from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram, instead of traditional media.

Aside from the declining number of newspapers and the jobs lost as a result, the thing that should concern us most is accuracy and accountability.

8 Commuters in Berlin, Germany, are required to WEAR MASKS on public transportation, and are subject to fines if they don’t. Despite that, reports Deutsche Welle, so many people wear their masks incorrectly (covering the mouth but not the nose) that Berlin’s transport company, BVG, is now suggesting that riders skip deodorant when they’re getting ready for the day, in hopes that the body odor on crowded trains will keep those masks in place.

14 STEADY HYPERACTIVE, a multimedia collective out of Winston-Salem is making a buzz in the Triad music world, and on their city streets as they expand their collective platform combining creative output and aid—for their friends and the community alike. The artists behind Steady Hyperactive (or Steady Hype) have been adding their presence to the #OccupyWSNC and Black Lives Matter movements...

Marketing TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT KYLE MUNRO CARL PEGRAM SHANE MERRIMAN JESSE GUERRA ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2020 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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hot pour PRESENTS

[BARTENDERS OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA] Check out videos on our Facebook!

BARTENDER: Stephanie Valenzuela

[SPOTLIGHT]

VIRTUAL VILLAGE’S ‘BEYOND THE MASK: RESURGENCE’ PRESS RELEASE

The Virtual Village, a group of local musicians, creatives and entrepreneurs working to support the struggling service industry, is proud to announce the release of Beyond the Mask: Resurgence, the second digital album created to showcase the talents of local musicians who are stepping up to help those who have been adversely affected by COVID-19.

“I think this pandemic has lasted longer than any of us could have predicted and has hurt a lot of our friends,” said Dale Cole, a founder of the group. “This is our way to try to support them through our shared language of music until bars and restaurants are fully reopened and we can enjoy live performances again.”

Contributors to the compilation have written and produced new songs that reflect the times we now face, and the money raised from the online sale of the album will go to Providence WinstonSalem, a social enterprise program of Second Harvest Food Bank designed to

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build lasting solutions to end hunger and poverty.

Artists appearing on the compilation include Evermore, Lindsey Ian Cole, Jason Ringenberg (formerly of Jason and the Scorchers), Envision, Scott Leftwich, Susanna MacFarlane, Steve Jones and Brooks Jones, Jesse Blair, Haymarket Riot, Eric Perrotti, Susan Terry, Cory Leutjen, Dale Cole, Joy And Tristan, Jeff Montgomery and OverReaction Jackson.

Beyond The Mask: Resurgence is currently available for purchase by going to www.thevirtualvillage.bandcamp.com.

Individual tracks can be purchased for $2 or the entire 16-song Volume Two is available for only $10. The 28-track Volume One is also available for $20.

For more information about The Virtual Village, including other ways to support their mission, please visit www.virtualvillagews.com. To find out more about Providence Winston-Salem, visit www. providencews.org !

BAR: Breathe Cocktail Lounge AGE: 30 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? King, North Carolina HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING? 9 years HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER? To be honest, it’s been so long ago I barely remember. I’ve been in the service industry since I could work. I started as a server, and as soon as I turned 21, I was asked to bartend and been doing it ever since.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING? Meeting new people—I love talking to people.

I don’t do much as far as going out is concerned, so bartending allows me to meet all different types of people and make new friendships.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE? Smoked-Old Fashioned. A Smoked-Old Fashioned is a simple yet elegant twist on a traditional Old Fashioned. The addition of orange bitters and a touch of smoke gives the classic cocktail just the right citrus note and depth of flavor!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK? Wine! Red-blends and Pino Grigio are my go-to.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK? I’d rather skip dessert and have a dessert drink!

My go-to is a Key Lime Martini!

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING? At the upscale bar where I worked, a guy approaching customers throughout the night and asking them, “Do you like dinosaurs?”

After three or four of these innocent-enough encounters, he suddenly jumps onto a table, squats down real low, puts on his “T-Rex arms,” and starts screeching like a Jurassic Park velociraptor. He’s craning his neck back and forth, jumping from table to chair, to next table, stalking the kids, and screeching at them.

It takes a good five minutes before his party is able to corral him and get the freak out of there.

Honestly, probably the funniest thing I’ve seen.

WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? Most of the biggest tips I’ve received have never been in monetary form but in life lessons and values learned from customers.

JULY 29-AUGUST 4, 2020

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SEE IT!

LYTM Photography documents the art of ‘The United States of Racism’

K

aren Ashley said she first noticed racism when she was 12 years old.

“I saw it in myself first at this age, and it stuck with me to start being more Katie Murawski aware of what I had been taught,” she said. “I started Editor questioning my surroundings and challenging myself to grow beyond them.”

When she was in college at Appalachian State University, she said she was “knocked over” by racism. Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, and author was the convocation speaker at App State, and she said after reading his book “Night,” her eyes were fully opened to the horrors of racism and prejudice.

“Racism and prejudice are the evil in this world,” Ashley said. “And when the YES! WEEKLY

JULY 29-AUGUST 4, 2020

whole thing happened with Novant, I realized how deep [racism] is in corporate America.”

In early 2018, Ashley reported a racist comment at her job, and she alleged that after she reported the racist comment, her supervisors engaged in retaliatory behavior.

“If the leader in an organization is racist or any leader in that organization, we need to understand that a racist mindset is creating and feeding a system meant to hold all of us down,” she said. “Because when one of us is damned by the systemic racism that they do not want you to see, we are all held down. Systemic racism is not meant to be seen— it is embedded—if there is one racist leader of the organization, it profoundly affects the entire organization.”

She resigned from that job this past February “after it was obvious they were going to keep trying to push me out,” and planned to jump back into her love of photography. During the #OccupyWSNC movement and those demanding justice for John Neville, an inmate who died after

being in the care of five former detention officers and one nurse at the Forsyth County Detention Center, Ashley said her passion for documenting the world around her grew into somewhat of a calling. That is when she and her partner and co-founder Robert Talley AKA Bobby Danger decided to revive a project they had started last year, called “The United States of Racism (USOR). ” “In general, this movement really solidified my commitment because it connected us with like-minded people fighting for the same things we are,” Ashley said. “The anniversary of the death of Eric Garner is the day we launched USOR initially.

The murder of George Floyd immediately following the incident with Amy Cooper weaponizing her racism in Central Park revived me more than this. And we lost our collective income because of COVID-19, so we put all our energy toward relaunching our campaign. We never stopped building it, just didn’t push as hard for funding when we were both working full time and growing it with what we had to contribute together. The murder of John Neville be-

ing so close and the educational emphasis within the #OccupyWSNC movement has re-fueled our mission and connected us to this community in a way we were not able to connect before.”

According to the flyer, “The United States of Racism” is “an exhibition of art, photography, design, and narratives meant to answer the collective call for artists to do what it takes in order to shed light on the various ‘states’ of racism in our society. We plan to shed light on the various ‘states’ of racism in our society, partnering with local, Black-owned businesses to support their funding with proceeds made at the exhibitions we hold, and ultimately, evoke lasting change in our communities and our country.”

One of those Black-owned businesses is the SHARE Co-op, which Ashley said would be the first place in Winston-Salem that they would like to display their work.

Ashley said that each piece of her partner’s powerful artwork would include a narrative (which she is in charge of writing) for historical context.

“We currently have several galleries

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already anticipating the completion of the work,” the flyer states. “We plan to eventually grow this into a comprehensive platform for artists from all walks of life, who want to use their talents for racial, social and economic justice.”

Ashley is a photographer, and she first started pursuing photography when she was 16 years old, living in Sweden.

“That exposed me to people of all different colors and cultural identities,” she said. “But, I spent my formative years in Greensboro, where I witnessed a lot of nuances, racism— things I was told were over and done.”

She has her own photography company called LYTM Photography, which is an acronym for “Love You The Most.”

“My logo comes from my grandmother’s handwriting,” Ashley continued.

Talley designed the logo digitally by scanning the last letter Ashley’s grandmother wrote her.

“I would say Robert helped me believe in myself and take my photography more seriously,” Ashley said. “The logo is really what restarted my interest in photography. Robert being the artist that he is, he saw things in my photographs that I did not see. He would see photographs hidden on my hard drive. But when he made this logo come alive, it was significant.”

“Love you the most” is something that Ashley’s grandmother would always sign her letters “LYTM.” “She would also say: Love them the most when they deserve it the least,” Ashley said. “And if we apply that to the current climate, we can see that there are many people who need help that they are not getting simply because of a lack of access to things like mental health services.

That means they need more love, not less.

A lot of people are in crisis and traumatized right now because we as a society do not know how to deal with trauma.”

Ashley said she enjoys documenting Talley’s art.

“I love taking pictures of him painting,” she said. “Part of the reason why I love photography is because I can capture people in their element—candid shots are my favorite. Any artist, or human for that matter, in their element creates a beautiful photo.”

Another part of her involvement in WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

“Our work is ultimately for him, and his generation,” Ashley said, motioning to her 10-year-old, who is half Black.

“Racist people are going extinct,” Talley said. “Right now, we are going through a growing pain. That is why things are going the way they are going now.

Many people are starting to see the humanity in other people.”

Talley and Ashley said they would be using the platform FundBlackFounders.com, which is a crowdfunding platform for other Black founders. Ashley said for folks to stay tuned via Instagram for their new video, which will be debuting soon, discussing the project more in-depth.

Ashley said to also stay tuned for the mobile art show for the inmates at the detention center. ! documenting Talley’s work is by writing the narrative and helping him tell his story.

“It is profound; he has been through way too much, which is why he is so humble,” Ashley said. “We have both been through a lot. We have had to realize the different things we have been through, but the trauma is the same, the need for healing is the same.”

Even Ashley said that her passion for activism started when she was still at App State, trying to get legislation passed in the Student Government Association to help prevent drunken driving following the death of her close friend, Katie Savino, during her freshman year. However, Talley had not been openly active in social justice before the #OccupyWSNC movement.

“He always protested through his art but never in this capacity,” Ashley noted.

“He has been energized by it and touched deeply by the John Neville murder.”

Delving into their arts have ignited that flame of activism within both of them.

“I am really proud of him getting out of his shell from here, he is not used to being in the spotlight,” Ashley said of Talley.

“When we came home from the [Raleigh] mural, I was in tears because it was so good to see him so proud and recognized.

It was his first mural commission and part of history.”

The movement has motivated them to get more involved and even put together something to give back. Ashley said the

daily marches to the detention center and protesters’ empathy to the incarcerated population inspired her and Talley to organize a mobile art show for the inmates to look out their small windows and see art.

“As long as demands continue to remain unmet, our plans to curate and coordinate a mobile art show for the inmates, and what we want it to do is give them something that may provide them with hope and make them feel less alone and scared,” she said. “The date is TBD, and we need more connections to Winston-Salem artists to help us.”

For those interested in submitting their artwork to be considered for this unique, one-of-a-kind show, contact Ashley and Talley via email at, unitedstatesifracism@ gmail.com.

“But really, what we are looking for is people that can do quick stuff, maybe come out here and paint on a bedsheet,” Ashley said. “It can really be on anything someone feels comfortable carrying but large enough to be viewed from afar.”

She said that all artists are welcome to submit, but most of the art would be centered around Black artists and their works.

“We want to keep drawing attention to the damages racism causes, we are not going to stop,” she said of the United States of Racism project. “We eventually want this to be our full-time job and take it on the road.”

KATIE MURAWSKI is the editor-in-chief of YES! Weekly. Her alter egos include The Grimberlyn Reaper, skater/public relations board chair for Greensboro Roller Derby, and Roy Fahrenheit, drag entertainer and self-proclaimed King of Glamp.

WANNA

go?

Check out “The United States of Racism” on Instagram and Facebook (@usorproject, @theunitedstatesofracism), as well as Bobby Danger’s art (@ dangerartworks) and Karen Ashley’s photography (@lytmphotography)

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JULY 29-AUGUST 4, 2020

YES! WEEKLY

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The Birdcage has not flown the coop

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For tickets and info: www.thedrivemovie.com @thedrive_winstonsalem YES! WEEKLY

JULY 29-AUGUST 4, 2020

he OUT at the Movies outdoor screening of the award-winning, blockbuster 1996 comedy The Birdcage, originally scheduled for July 18, has been rescheduled for Aug. Mark Burger 29 in accordance with Gov. Roy Cooper’s Contributor decision that North Carolina will remain in Phase 2 until at least Aug. 7, due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited outdoor gatherings to no more than 25 people.

“We are disappointed, but the health and safety of our community is of utmost importance to us,” said Rex Welton, cofounder of the OUT screening series and director of both the series and the annual OUT at the Movies festival, which is currently scheduled to take place Oct. 1-4, circumstances permitting.

The screening of The Birdcage will be held lakeside at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts (SECCA), 750 Marguerite Dr., Winston-Salem. The grounds will open at 7:30 pm, and the film will begin at dusk.

“We are selling socially distanced ground space for individual guests for $10, and spaces for groups of two or three guests for $20,” said Welton.

Thus far, tickets for the equivalent of approximately 135 guests have already been sold, and although sales are currently suspended until Gov. Cooper’s next update on Aug. 8, people can put their name on a waiting list by emailing rex@outatthemovies.org.

“If Aug. 29 is not convenient, you can keep an OUT at the Movies ‘credit’ good for a future screening or request a refund,” Welton said. “If you do not contact us and ask for a refund, you will automatically have a credit for the rescheduled screening of The Birdcage or a future event with no expiration date. We thank everyone for their support of OUT at the Movies. You and your health are important to us!”

To this end, the following safety measures will be implemented at the screening: Masks must be worn at all times, except in assigned viewing space, and masks will be made available for a nominal donation for guests who arrive without one. Each volunteer and guest will have his or her

temperature taken upon arrival, and all persons entering will be asked a standard series of health questions. Hand sanitizer will be available at several locations, but guests are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer. There will be a separate entrance and exit for the event, as well as socially distanced lines for both the bar and restrooms.

The selection of The Birdcage was an easy one, according to Welton. “The OUT at the Movies board of directors feel like it is the perfect ‘feel-good’ film, and, based on advance sales and interest, we were right.”

Released in the spring of 1986, the Rrated film marked the reunion collaboration of comedy legends Mike Nichols (producer/ director) and Elaine May (screenwriter) and boasted a star-studded cast: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Christine Baranski, Hank Azaria, Calista Flockhart, Dan Futterman, and Nathan Lane (in his breakout screen role).

Williams and Lane portray longtime partners whose son (Futterman) is engaged to marry the daughter (Flockhart) of a conservative senator (Hackman) and his wife (Wiest). In order to perpetuate what they believe is a necessary ruse, Williams and Lane (in drag) attempt to pose as a “typical” husband and wife. Needless to say, chaos and confusion reign supreme – but not at the box-office, where The Birdcage grossed over $120 million in the United States alone.

What some people may not realize is that the film is a remake of the 1978 French arthouse smash La Cage aux Folles (based on a 1973 play), which spawned two sequels, as well as the 1983 Broadway smash, which won six Tony Awards (including Best Musical), ran a mind-boggling four years, and has successfully been revived since.

Although he’s not seen the original French film, Welton loved the musical La Cage aux Folles, to say nothing of The Birdcage, particularly for its cast, comedy, and underlying message. “Nathan Lane and Robin Williams give standout performances amongst a stellar cast, and I think Hank Azaria steals the show as ‘Agador.’ The film reminds us that there are many types of loving families.”

For more information, call (336) 9180902 or visit the official OUT at the Movies website, www.outatthemovies.org/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2020, Mark Burger.

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voices

Rely on newspapers, not social media

I

n the 1984 film “Ghostbusters”, Janine, the company receptionist, said to her geeky boss Egon Spengler, “I bet you like to read a lot,” to which Egon coldly replied, “Print Jim Longworth is dead.” No doubt Mr. Spengler must have had some inside inLongworth formation or a crystal at Large ball because private connections to the internet didn’t become widespread for six more years, and the first social media site (“Six Degrees”) wouldn’t launch until 1997. By 2004, however, a number of online news sites had sprung up, leading most print edition newspapers to offer their own online content. That was followed by an explosion in social media platforms that encouraged and facilitated the sharing of information, which, at first, was fairly benign. People posted vacation photos, travel tips, and endless pet tricks.

Then a not so funny thing happened.

Sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter became repositories for misinformation.

Perhaps we didn’t really need empirical research to tell us that the rise in social media “news” has triggered a decline in the fortunes of printed newspapers.

Nevertheless, Penelope Muse Abernathy spelled it out for us anyway. Abernathy, a journalism professor at UNC Chapel Hill, released a report last month which showed that overall circulation of daily newspapers dropped by 44% between 2004 and 2019, and that over 2,000 newspapers shut down during that same period of time. Even worse, an additional 35 newspapers have ceased publication just since the COVID-19 Pandemic began

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in March. Meanwhile, Abernathy says that of the 71,640 newspaper reporters and editors working in 2008, more than half had lost their jobs by 2018.

It is no surprise, then, that, according to the Pew Research Center, social media sites “have surpassed print newspapers as a news source for Americans.” And, according to Forbes, nearly 65% of internet users receive breaking news from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram, instead of traditional media. Aside from the declining number of newspapers and the jobs lost as a result, the thing that should concern us most is accuracy and accountability.

Unlike television broadcasters who are regulated by the government, and newspapers who must adhere to strict standards of journalism, or else run afoul of libel laws, social media sites get by with publishing just about anything from anyone. No fact checking, no confirming or citing sources, and no mechanism for undoing the damage they may cause. Following the massacre of over 50 people at a Las Vegas concert, one social media site misidentified the shooter as a Democratic operative, while another reported that the gunman was working for the Russian government. If a newspaper made a mistake like that, the publisher would have to run a retraction. But in the age of Trump, it’s not only OK to post misinformation, it’s OK to re-tweet it, and re-tweet it, and re-tweet it.

Don’t get me wrong. If used responsibly, social media can bring us important information quicker than any other source, and can even save lives in times of an impending natural disaster. But when misused, social media can confuse the truth and stoke the fires of civil unrest. So what’s the solution? First we must hope that Congress will vote to regulate social media, and assign stiff penalties to those

sites and their subscribers whenever their platforms are used to disseminate false information. Second, we must encourage our friends to be more selective when it comes to online news sources. Suggest that they stick to websites owned and operated by reputable newspapers. And third, if you own or manage a local business, you should place your advertising dollars with local papers instead of on social media

sites. If you do, rest assure that your ads will be surrounded by factual news stories, written by responsible journalists who live and work in your community. Do these things, and you won’t need a crystal ball to tell you that Print is still very much alive. !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15).

WE’RE NOT CHEAP, WE’RE FREE !

LOCAL & FREE SINCE 2005

JULY 29-AUGUST 4, 2020

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[NEWS OF THE WEIRD] BRIGHT IDEAS

— Commuters in Berlin, Germany, are required to wear masks on public transportation, and are subject to fines if they don’t.

Despite that, reports Deutsche Welle, so Chuck Shepherd many people wear their masks incorrectly (covering the mouth but not the nose) that Berlin’s transport company, BVG, is now suggesting that riders skip deodorant when they’re getting ready for the day, in hopes that the body odor on crowded trains will keep those masks in place.

“Given that so many people think they can wear their masks under their noses, we’re getting tough,” read a bright yellow posting from July 1 on Twitter. “The BVG is calling for a general deodorant waiver. So now do you still want to have your nose out?”

— Farm families in Botswana living beside the Chobe River have long battled herds of elephants that often pass through their fields at night, trampling crops as they move toward the river. Barking dogs and fences have failed to stop the elephants, the BBC reported on July 7, but farmers are having remarkable success with a new weapon: disco lights. Scientists from Elephants Without Borders placed solar-powered strobe lights that flash color patterns along the sides of fields elephants are known to walk through, frightening the elephants away. One farmer reported that before he had lights, “I had more elephants raid ... but in these two seasons with lights I have harvested successfully.”

NEWS THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE

A man attempting to elude police in a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser on July 5 in Newberg, Oregon, crashed into a woman driving a Buick Regal that had been reported stolen three weeks before, giving police a two-fer. Newberg-Dundee police said they arrested the driver of the Toyota, Randy Lee Cooper, 27, and then found the driver of the Buick, Kristin Nicole Begue, 25, to be under the influence of intoxicants and arrested her, too, KOIN reported. Neither driver was injured

SUSPICIOUS

Liberty County (Georgia) sheriff’s officers who found a body lying next to a railroad track in Allenhurst on July 14 followed protocol by covering the body with a sheet and waiting for the coroner. When the coroner arrived, detectives looked for injuries and quickly discovered the body was a female sex doll. WSAV reported that the

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doll was fully clothed and was anatomically correct. Officials think they may have been victims of a prank.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL

Wendy Wein, 51, of South Rockwood, Michigan, was arrested July 17 after offering an undercover state trooper $5,000 to kill her ex-husband and giving him money for travel expenses, WXYZ reported. Wein met the trooper after allegedly visiting the fake website rentahitman.com, where she completed a form requesting a consultation and named her ex-husband as the target. The owner of the website contacted Michigan State Police, who sent the undercover officer. “I’m very surprised that someone thought this website was a true website,” said state police spokesman Lt. Brian Oleksyk. The website owner said over the last 15 years he’s been contacted a number of times by people wanting someone killed, and he turns all of those requests over to law enforcement.

WAIT, WHAT?

Iceland is offering a stressed-out world a unique way to blow off some steam, reports Sky News — scream therapy. The country’s tourist board is inviting people worldwide to record their screams to be played over loudspeakers in one of seven remote locations. “You’ve been through a lot this year,” says the project website, “and it looks like you need the perfect place to let your frustrations out. Somewhere big, vast and untouched. It looks like you need Iceland.” Psychotherapist Zoe Aston approves: “Using a scream as a way to release pent-up emotion allows you to ... reclaim the power that is inside you.”

Iceland has suffered relatively little during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1,905 cases of the disease and 10 lives lost.

COMPELLING EXPLANATION

What started as a report of a naked man running down a road hitting cars in Owensboro, Kentucky, on July 16, soon turned into a home burglary in progress, reports WFIE. Daviess County Sheriff’s deputies said they arrived at the home around 1:30 a.m. to find John Stefanopoulos, 41, standing inside, naked and covered with mud and blood. Authorities said the suspect rushed the officers while repeatedly telling them he had used “mushrooms with Jesus and that they were playing a virtual reality video game together.” Stefanopoulos was eventually tased and taken into custody. !

© 2020 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

Submissions should be sent to artdirector@yesweekly.com by Friday at 5 p.m., prior to the week’s publication.

Due to COVID-19 listings may not be accurate and be subject to frequent change | Compiled by Austin Kindley

CLEMMONS

Rizzo’s

6353 Cephis Drive | 336.893.9257 Jul 31: Spindle 45 Sep 19: Gypsy Soul

DURHAM

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Aug 27: Cody Ko & Noel Miller: Tiny Meat Gang - Global Domination Nov 12: Iliza: The Forever Tour Nov 13: Gabriel Iglesias

GREENSBORO

Rody’s Tavern

117B W, Lewis St. | 336.285.6406 rodystavern.com Aug 5: Tony & Katy

HIGH POINT

Goofy Foot Taproom

2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567 Aug 8: Elliott Humphries Aug 22: Mason Via and Hot Trail Mix Aug 29: Tyler Millard Sep 19: David Lin Sep 26: Zac Kellum Oct 3: Analog Crash Oct 17: Emma Lee Oct 24: Jim Mayberry Nov 7: Casey Noel

Arizona Pete’s

Ham’s Palladium

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2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889 arizonapetes.com Jul 29: We Came As Romans 536 Farragut St | 336.808.5837 Aug 1: ARC Aug 2: Too Much Sylvia Aug 8: Rockit Science Aug 15: Red Dirt Revival Aug 15: Lasater Union Aug 22: Ultimate Rock Machine Aug 29: Mostley Crue Sep 19: JS and the Footlights

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Foothills Brewing 638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 foothillsbrewing.com Aug 2: Sunday Jazz Aug 9: Sunday Jazz

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Two weeks of occupation: Protesters say they will continue getting in ‘good trouble’

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his past weekend, through planned acts of civil disobedience, 25 protesters were arrested by the Winston-Salem Police Department on charges of “impeding Katie Murawski traffic.” In groups of three to five people, protesters consecuEditor tively walked out and linked hands as they stood and knelt in the crosswalks waiting peacefully to be arrested by a fleet of bike patrollers. Some held up their fists, while the rest of the group held signs that read: “Answer our demands,” “Ban the hogtie,” and “Notify the public of all jail deaths.” On July 24, (Day 10), a group of at least 40 protesters walked from Bailey Park up to the corner of Fourth and Liberty Streets, where a historical marker notated North Carolina’s first sit-in victory.

The marker states: On February 8, 1960, Carl Wesley Matthews began the city’s sit-in demonstration alone at lunch counters near this site and was soon joined by students from Winston-Salem Teachers College, Atkins High School, and Wake Forest College. The nonviolent protest led to a desegregation agreement signed May 23rd by the City and

local businesses. Mr. Matthews, the leader, was the first Black served at a desegregated counter on May 25th. The protest ended in a record 107 days.

(On July 28, eight more protesters holding flowers were arrested on charges of “impeding traffic” at the same spot as the arrests on July 24.)

“I think that it is indeed ironic,” said Citlaly Mora, communications strategist from the ACLU of N.C. regarding the arrests next to the historical marker celebrating 107 days of civil disobedience. “We are seeing the hypocrisy not only in Winston-Salem but all the movements that we have going on in the United States that are really shining a light on the history and resilience of civil disobedience movement, yet how little things have changed when it comes to suppressing the right to protest.”

Mora pointed out that Winston-Salem and Greensboro both have strong roots in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

“Now, when we have movements building up with something that intersects race and how we police people, and who is a victim of police brutality. Again, we are seeing some type of suppression that really put it on its face and really shows that some of the reforms we have seen have been hollow and not an accurate representation of our appreciation of civil disobedience,” Mora said. “The John Neville case exemplifies how we report jail deaths, what counts as in-and out-ofstate custody, what authority the sheriff

has and who they report to, and their accountability. Those are still unanswered questions and concerns that need to be addressed, but it points to a larger issue that we have in N.C. with how we police, report and are transparent with the public, who essentially is funding these resources and law enforcement.”

On July 24, after marching in a square around the crosswalks for about 30 minutes, the first two demonstrators—Calvin Peña, co-founder of The Unity Coalition; and Hannah Campbell, co-founder of Triad Abolition Project—walked out into the street and wandered around peacefully while carefully dodging passing cars as the rest of their comrades chanted: “Answer our demands.” The 13 others that were arrested walked out in groups of three to five and followed Campbell and Peña’s peaceful lead.

Campbell wrote in a text message that she “sought out like-minded folks wanting to work toward abolition” because of how the prison industrial complex [PIC] and capitalism have affected her life and family. “And because I see the immediate need for abolition echoed in the gaping holes the PIC leaves in our communities here in Winston-Salem,” she wrote. “It’s personal.”

“It felt pretty surreal to be arrested for civil disobedience at such a historical marker in our city,” Campbell continued.

“Knowing and seeing so immediately that folks came before me, though, gave me the strength and wherewithal to stand in

that street. But it also illuminated for me just how long this fight has been and will continue to be.”

Campbell said that she is grateful for Rep. John Lewis and activist Yvette Boulware, “who made good trouble long before us, and who have shepherded us to continue to make good trouble to demand good change.”

Peña said that his second arrest was easier than the first time around despite him “getting the full tour” on July 24.

“The first time, it was apparent— for whatever reason—they kept me in longer (they took me in first and let me out last),” he said. “The same thing happened, but they gave me the full tour—booked me, had me pull up my bottom lip, my upper lip—the whole nine. It was an experience, but honestly, the joke is on them because I got to go in and meet some of the inmates who know about us on the outside fighting this fight.”

According to the police report, there were no subsequent violations or injuries after the 15 protesters were arrested.

“Each group of protestors standing in the middle of the intersection was notified that they were violating the law by impeding traffic and to go back to the sidewalk.

The listed protestors refused to comply.”

Rev. Chad Armstong III was the man on the microphone for most of the day on July 24 and said that it was a productive day for the movement.

“It seems to be that momentum is grow-

On July 24, #OccupyWSNC 15 protesters, in an act of civil disobedience, were arrested on charges of “impeding traffic” right beside historical marker celebrating North Carolina’s first sit-in victory

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Police escorting the first round of arrested protesters to wait for transportation to the Forsyth County Detention Center ing; community support is growing,” he said. “It seems to be that the visibility of the John Neville case is growing, which is obviously the intention and goal of what we are doing.”

Armstrong said the demonstration location was not initially planned, but rather something that one of the other group members came up with right before the march began.

“What was kind of tough was to see that there was the police and sheriff’s department there who as ironically as they did, chose to arrest peaceful protesters in the space and spot where the City of Winston-Salem has erected a historical marker to civil disobedience and peaceful protests,” Armstrong said. As a lifelong resident of the city and knowing its history, it was hard for him to see law enforcement make arrests in that spot.

“For there to be the celebratory space of historical marker in once instance, but the degradation of that in the sense of responding to peaceful protesters in that way—it is kind of tough to process,” he said. “What was interesting, for me, was to hear one of the cops ask a question as to why we were forcing them to deal with this, which actually was posed to one of our organizers—one of the cops whispered to one of our organizers,’ why are you making us deal with this?’”

Armstrong said that since the WSPD allegedly used an LRAD as an intimidation tactic on July 8, and because of their “show of force” with the 53 arrests they have made of peaceful protesters (so far) in July, they “have intertwined themselves with the sheriff’s department in this.”

“These protesters are protesting the sheriff’s department, and what happened in a building that is operated by taxpayer dollars,” Armstrong said. “The tough part about it is, Chief Catrina Thompson’s WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

statement that she made in taking back the relationship that she seemed to try to garner with peaceful protesters is very confusing. Not for just one activist group, but for, I am sure, all of the local activist groups in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community.”

Even though Armstrong said #OccupyWSNC isn’t shooting to break the 107-record set by Matthews in 1960, he said demonstrations and direct actions would continue if Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and District Attorney Jim O’Neill continue to remain silent by not answering questions or meeting the demands of the protesters.

Armstrong said he hopes the community educates themselves about the Triad Abolition Project, The Unity Coalition, and the details surrounding what O’Neill characterized as John Neville’s “avoidable death” and that the public did not know any details about it until seven months after it happened.

On July 25, in a strategic move, the occupiers took the movement to the heart of downtown—in front of numerous outdoor diners of the city’s “Streatery”— and there, 10 were arrested on charges of “impeding traffic.” After marching around the crosswalks, garnering attention from diners with a microphone, cardboard signs, and chants, a group of four walked out on a crosswalk, hands linked facing a bike patroller. Six more followed suit.

“It was a really fortunate thing to happen because the catch of all this happening during a pandemic, is that you can’t really be as disruptive or you can’t be as visible in the downtown area because businesses aren’t open right now,” Peña said. “Ideally, you have people who are out there trying to go about their day, as if we are not in the middle of the biggest Civil Rights movement in world history. Disruption, at least when it comes to protesting,

involves reminding them, very clearly, that we are in some unprecedented times right now, and it is not the time to be enjoying yourself casually.”

Multiple times during the march, Armstrong apologized to diners, gave downtown business owners a shout out and encouraged diners to leave a big tip for their servers.

Peña said that #OccupyWSNC has bail funds, community support and that the movement is happening strategically with every decision that is made.

“We even have some of the police officers individually wondering, ‘what’s the point?’ They realize that the city is letting this go on,” Peña said. “It is not checkers; it is chess.”

“It is kind of funny that [WSPD] decided to stop protecting and supporting protesters as soon as we started asking questions about our city and our community and our law enforcement,” Peña continued. “I know we have the upper hand. We inherently have the moral high ground. There is no arguing that.”

Chloe Brewer and Molly Southern were two of the demonstrators that were arrested on both Friday and Saturday.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I had my friends and comrades with me,” Brewer said. Brewer has been with the occupation since its first day, and she said she is part of the movement because she morally objects with policing.

“It is based and was started in racism, and that is not cool. I am lucky enough where I don’t go to school right now, and I have nothing else to do, and I know what my future holds for me,” she said. “I am lucky I can get arrested for this cause twice in two days. I know that my family is proud of me, and my friends are here standing with me.”

“We are getting in ‘good trouble,’ and my

family understands that this is something I believe in,” she added.

Southern said she was held longer than any other protesters with the same charges on July 25, and she alleged that she was targeted. “I think they saw me and Chloe out there, and they probably decided right then, one of you to make an example of you,” Southern said. “Which is exactly what happened, I got booked and was in there for five hours, I think. They wouldn’t tell me what was happening. My mistake, I forgot to write down anyone’s [from #OccupyWSNC] number. So, I didn’t have any contacts with anyone on the outside.”

Southern alleged that even though she made bail, they kept her inside for an additional hour without any explanation of why. She said she wasn’t scared or intimidated, though because she knew her “comrades were out there waiting for me—they are taking care of me,” she said, “I am doing this for a just cause, and I don’t regret it at all.”

Southern said that it felt good to be on “the right side of history.”

“To be able to say that what we are doing is [getting in] ‘good trouble,’ that feels really good and one of the things that make it really, really worth it.”

Santino Ortiz, a former Marine, was also arrested on July 25. He said as a veteran, he was disappointed with the WSPD. “I think it is disappointing that they want to violate our First Amendment rights—I spent five years of my life defending the constitution and defending people’s rights to do this,” Ortiz said. “This is absolutely the most American thing you can do! So, it is just disappointing that our police want to supersede our constitutional rights.” Inside the detention center, he said most of the officers were cordial, except for one, who “kept talking about JULY 29-AUGUST 4, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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how ridiculous it was and how we were wasting their resources, preventing them from ‘fighting real crime.’ When that cop said that, I spoke up and said, ‘Excuse me, I spent five years in the Marine Corps, and I don’t think our First Amendment rights are ridiculous.’ One other cop spoke up and said, ‘I agree that you for your service.’”

Ortiz said this arrest isn’t stopping him.

He said he would keep raising his fist and marching. Another person arrested on July 25 was Richard Hughes, who said that the strategy of going to the Streatery to protest was to cause a “productive disruption” and spread awareness.

“We want people to know about the similar George Floyd case that we have right here in our own backyard,” Hughes said. “I will do this as many times as I need to until we get that justice.”

Hughes feels that an explanation is owed to the public when someone dies on the taxpayer’s dime.

“Something has to be said, you can’t just cover this up and expect anyone not to ask questions; you owe us at least something tangible—something that provides substantial answers, and that is what we want,” he said. “Just do the right thing. For Bobby Kimbrough to be a Black man knowing what we face with police brutality, out of all people, he should understand.”

John Bowhers, who was also arrested on Saturday, said he saw nothing but support at the Streatery from folks dining outside. He said it was necessary to march there and be in front of people “otherwise, it is really easy to fall complacent and go about your day and not remember there are people whose lives are in danger every day right in the same city as you are.”

While he was being arrested, Bowhers was dressed in a suit and tie. “I just figured I should represent myself in the way that I feel professionally,” Bowhers said of his outfit. “And to make it clear that someone who wears a suit and tie to work is also passionate about this cause. I treat this occupation very much like a job. I think that one thing I really appreciate about this group is the professionalism that everyone has brought to the table. I think that makes an organization strong, and I wanted to reflect that.”

He has been at #OccupyWSNC since Day 1, and he feels that it is providing the right kind of visibility to sustain the movement.

“I am learning a lot about the idea of abolition, anti-racism, and admittedly, I am getting up to speed with all of that myself,” he said. “I think more people need to take more time to read something that might make them feel uncomfortable.

Actually, put some serious thought into something that doesn’t align with their YES! WEEKLY

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Winston-Salem bike patrollers arresting protester on July 24 at the corner of Fourth and Liberty Streets in downtown Winston-Salem beliefs and see if they can consider the other side of the argument.”

Bowhers described the occupiers as “a group of kind and compassionate people who are really in this to see that the world could become more of a peaceful place.”

“I believe that this group of people is leading the thought process that we can help take care of each other without this potentially violent force that is supposed to be keeping us safe.”

Desiree Dedolce was also arrested that same night, and she said she noticed that her bond was double the amount it was for others the day before. She believes this was an intimidation tactic to try and financially deter protesters from continuing these acts of civil disobedience. She said she hopes the sheriff and D.A. would come to Bailey Park to talk so that “we won’t have to do this again tomorrow.”

“I think there are a lot of people who look at us in the streets blocking traffic and that what we are doing is wrong,” Dedolce said. “I heard a lot of people say I can get behind it if you are peaceful—well, we have been peaceful, and it has obviously not worked out. And it is a shame that we have to escalate it this much just to get attention, but that is what its come to, so we won’t give up until we get some answers.”

In response to the 25 arrests this past weekend, Mora said that arresting peaceful protesters, especially during a pandemic, is “not a wise thing to do.”

“Nothing should be punitive; everything in law enforcement should be for the protection of people. Arresting people, placing them in jail, poses a risk to them as doing quite the opposite.”

Mora also commented that the use of bail is “problematic” in itself, so is raising the bail on peaceful protesters arrested on charges of “impeding traffic,” “especially when there is clearly no risk to the community.”

“They shouldn’t be making it higher

and less affordable for people, especially when they are not posing a threat to people, and they are just protesting and expressing their rights.”

Watching the arrests go down during the Streatery, one citizen said she was moved by one of the chants from the demonstration.

“It wasn’t a cliché chant,” said Capri Isles, a Winston-Salem resident of one year. “I felt the true pain from the protest, because ‘this is what democracy looks like’ says so much. This is what we stand for. This is what it looks like, yet we are not getting a fair chance—we are not getting the information that we need. That man was killed, and they tried to hide the information? I didn’t even know about it until during the protest! I was Googling and figuring out who they were talking about.”

Isles said it was sad to find out that John Neville’s death happened almost eight months ago, and that the public wasn’t notified when it happened.

“When I saw the protests, it moved me to know that there were people of all colors standing up for what is right,” she added. “I felt a pain in my heart to see people getting arrested like they were. I had to stop myself from really crying. It was sad seeing people get arrested for standing up for what is right.”

Isles said that she didn’t live in Forsyth County when Sheriff Kimbrough was elected into office. Isles said after learning about the death of John Neville, she would not be voting for Kimbrough.

Bailey Pittenger, a co-founder of TAP, said she continues to ask for transparency and accountability from the sheriff and D.A. When asked what she thought of the increase of detention center nurses, medical training for 50 detention officers on Aug. 1, the revised policy of duty to intervene that public information officer Christina Howell told YES! Weekly last week. Pittenger said she remains suspi-

cious of policy changes that aren’t announced publicly.

“We are asking for transparency and accountability in terms of all of our questions being answered. So, making policy changes away from the public eye, and not fully explaining why they would do that, or how it will impact things or even getting more details of what medical training is like for 50 detention officers and special response team members,” Pittenger said.

“This never should have happened in the first place. They should have always put priority over the health of John Neville and our other brothers, sisters, and siblings incarcerated there.”

Pittenger said she has been studying the sheriff’s use of force policy alongside the medical examiner’s report, and she noticed a couple of things that were peculiar to her.

“The use of force policy does say that IRB should have been in effect for any incarcerated members who have a serious bodily injury while in custody. I have not seen IRBs for any of the detention officers that have been involved,” she said. “The use of force policy also states that an IRB is done in addition to the SBI investigation, so I am just not seeing anything adding up still. I think going back to all those questions we very intentionally ask in terms of transparency and accountability need to be addressed, and our demands need to be addressed.”

In response to the 25 arrests this past weekend, Pittenger said that TAP and occupiers are following in the footsteps of the recently fallen freedom fighter, Rep. John Lewis. “That message, ‘good trouble’ means that we will, or we have been standing in the street as direct, nonviolent action,” she said. “It is a statement toward the five that was first arrested on July 8, who really should not have been. But that message doesn’t seem to be really getting across. Knowing that history and John Lewis is so important. He is also the one that said, ‘be on the right side of history,’ we have been using that phrase here for weeks now, and seeing him pass recently, is overwhelming.”

When asked if she was burned out from the occupation, Pittenger said not at all, in fact, she “feels an urge” to be present every day until demands are met, and questions are answered.

“I don’t have to buy groceries anymore because I just eat here, and the camaraderie is amazing,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like a drag ever. I want to be here with these people, and I want to keep pushing.

I don’t see us stopping until our demands are met, and we are all on the same page.”

Pittenger said even though she has sent countless emails, she has still not heard anything from the D.A. or sheriff’s office.

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Pittenger said she is in touch with the ACLU of N.C. every day and that for now, Triad Abolition Project is only asking the ACLU of N.C. for amplification to attract more bodies to Bailey Park and more awareness of what is happening with #OccupyWSNC. “I have personal hope that we will see policy change that involves this community, and that is not done secretly,” Pittenger said. “I think that the voices in this group will be absolutely heard.”

In regards to the significantly higher bonds set on Saturday than the day before for several protesters, Pittenger said she believes this to be an intimidation tactic.

“Forsyth County Bail Fund posted on social media that they almost spent $28,000 just this week, and that is ridiculous and that the bail system needs to go away entirely,” she said. “In terms of our specific bail bonds increasing and two of our demonstrators being held—they are definitely picking and choosing who they want to intimidate. Yet, when Molly was being held, we had the biggest show of people at the jail that night, still at Bailey Park dancing and waiting. They can intimidate, but it is really just really not doing anything but pushing us to continue the work that we need to do.”

YES! Weekly emailed Mayor Allen Joines asking if he was aware of the #OccupyWSNC demands surrounding the death of John Neville, as well as his response to the arrests on charges of “impeding traffic” this weekend, his response to those same arrests so far in July, and his response to what some demonstrators called “ironic” that protesters’ arrests happened next to the historical marker celebrating civil disobedience and North Carolina’s first sit-in victory.

Mayor Joines emailed back the following response: “We support peaceful, lawful protests.

The Police supported 35 demonstrations before announcing that they would be asking demonstrators to follow city and state ordinances. The Police are enforcing those ordinances. The issues and demands regarding Mr. Neville deal with the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney and not the City of Winston Salem.”

Numerous attempts were made to contact D.A. Jim O’Neill, but YES! Weekly has not received an email or call back.

YES! Weekly also emailed Howell to see if Sheriff Kimbrough had a response to the #OccupyWSNC movement. Howell wrote in an email that all questions regarding John Neville would need to be directed to the D.A.’s office.

“We have very simple demands, and we are not asking for much,” Brewer said when asked if she had anything to say to Sheriff Kimbrough, D.A. O’Neill, or Chief WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

#OccupyWSNC protesters holding up fists in solidarity as they await arrests by the Winston-Salem Police Department Thompson. “Very simple things like ban the hogtie because it kills people and notify your taxpayers when the death of an inmate happens at the hands of an officer.”

When asked the same questions, Dedolce said that the WSPD needs to start “practicing what they preach.”

“They made public statements saying they were on our side and would protect us, but once we turned the mirror around onto the jail here and the detention center and what happened there, they immediately decided that what we were doing was unlawful,” she said. “I would invite them to have a conversation with organizers our tax dollars are paying them, and they owe it to their community to come out and answer these questions that we have. The questions that we have are not only in regards to justice for John Neville or his family, but every single person in that detention center or will be in that detention center.”

Peña said that the sheriff and D.A. already know what they need to do.

“For anybody who thinks we are doing this willy-nilly, or that we don’t know what we are doing, who aren’t taking us seriously,” he said. “Just know that we are willingly sending our comrades and ourselves into a place where people are unjustly killed. This isn’t a game; we are not playing around; we are not joking. As much as we go in there with a plan, we go in there knowing that the man in the custody of the folks that work this building who handles us—we go in there knowing they killed him in December.”

On Day 13 of the #OccupyWSNC movement, John Neville’s children, Kris and Brienne, showed up to the occupation to pick up the painting of their father by artist Robert Talley AKA Bobby Danger.

While they were there, they offered words of encouragement to the occupiers and thanked them for all their efforts and support.

“It is very humbling, and it fills my heart to know that so many people are working for the same cause,” Kris Neville said. “I was seeing all of this and people gathering together, and I never thought anybody—all of this is happening for my family? This is for my dad up there? It didn’t seem real at first. It also didn’t seem fair. I hate that people have to do this because of what happened. I really wish things could have been different. But it is definitely another catalyst for change for the future.

It sucks, but it seems like gruesome shit has to happen for change to actually be made. It sucks for people to have to die for other people, especially locally, to wake up and realize they can’t ignore the issue anymore. As someone who has existed in white spaces for most of my life, I have been with people who have absolutely ignored the issues because they had the privilege to do so, and never had to live their lives fearing what was going to happen the next day. They can safely get in their car and drive somewhere, and not have a worry in the world. But I don’t have that same thing; I am always looking for cops—constantly checking my mirror. If anything happens, I never think of calling the cops. First, I always call my mother and friends—I am always praying that I never have to be in the situation or emergency because I don’t want to have to rely on a system that doesn’t really support me at its core. It is really great seeing everyone joined here today; I appreciate each and every one of you—even if I don’t know your names. It really means a lot, a lot more than you will ever know to both of us and the rest of my family.”

“I am not even an emotional person, but this is tearing me apart, and not in a bad way,” Brienne Neville said with tears in her eyes. “It is a level of appreciation that people don’t really understand because the truth is, we really have been alone in a way for seven months. We have been trying to cope with it; we have been trying

to get our own answers, we have been trying to go about it in a way that would honor our dad, as opposed to acting crazy and dishonoring him, and just showing everything that we are trying to build up.

As you know, it is not only you guys but the kids in Raleigh who slept in the freaking street all night to make sure that the bill did not get passed. The power of these things—don’t think that it is lost on us because we are not here with you guys every day. We watch, we just can’t be here in the way that we want to. But we appreciate that you are not only here but aren’t afraid to ask questions—that you care enough to make it about others and not yourselves.

You are not here for the glory; you are not here just to make demands or just to go to jail so you can say you got arrested for fun...No one told you that you had to do that, each of you from your own hearts said, ‘something is wrong, and we are going to make a stand for it; for us and for the men and women in there—that is powerful. Don’t ever think that what you are doing—even if others don’t say thank you, we thank you. We just may not know how to say it. We have spent months trying to edge our own grief, so to speak, trying to get to the cusp. And all of a sudden, we were thrown back into it. We are not upset about that, per se, because without this, the changes would never happen, the possibility of change would never happen. But it has been an emotional roller coaster; it has been a whirlwind for all of us.”

“We hear people who say that racism doesn’t exist; slavery doesn’t exist, but slavery still does exist because we are slaves to the system; we are the same slaves—different master,” Brienne added.

“Systemic racism is the new master—the way they don’t want you to speak out even if you are white, or Hispanic. They don’t want you to speak out because they want you to fall in line and follow an agenda that is not even for you. I applaud you for being brave enough to have your own thoughts and to speak out on your own thoughts. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are not doing the right thing, because if you believe in something firm enough getting yourselves arrested for it— that is powerful. Don’t ever stop.”

Campbell said the support of John Neville’s children is “more than enough fuel for the journey.”

“I know we’ll all hold tight to that as we continue pushing for transparency and accountability from our officials in this particular case.” !

KATIE MURAWSKI is the editor-in-chief of YES! Weekly.

Her alter egos include The Grimberlyn Reaper, skater/ public relations board chair for Greensboro Roller Derby, and Roy Fahrenheit, drag entertainer and self-proclaimed King of Glamp.

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teady Hyperactive, a multimedia collective out of WinstonSalem, is making a buzz in the Triad music world, and on their city streets as they expand their Katei Cranford collective platform combining creative output and aid—for Contributor their friends and the community alike.

The artists behind Steady Hyperactive (or Steady Hype) have been adding their presence to the #OccupyWSNC and Black Lives Matter movements through performances, bail funders and events. All while releasing videos, singles, and creating a network of support for an injured one of their own.

For Michael Cooley (aka Hollow Creeper,) the head of Steady Hype, it’s all about growth—as people, as artists and as a community. Cooley sees Steady Hype as more than just a label; it’s a lifestyle.

And within that realm, he’s been growing alongside his group of artists, cutting his teeth along with records for his core-roster, with focus on developing those other than himself.

As a performer, his latest release, “PreCalibrate,” came out in November and marked his second personal project. He doesn’t see himself as a traditional label head, nor is Steady Hype a traditional label. It’s fitting as traditional methods go out the window while the world recalibrates in the face of coronavirus and uprisings in pursuit of justice. ”I’d surely say I’m untraditional in my label techniques,” Cooley explained. “I feel as if I’m a lot less strict, but also a lot less conventional. The things I value the most aren’t those the average founder cares about.”

Steady Hype operates under a collective ideal, with decisions and artistic direction derived from a consensus approach.

“Paragon Don was really the first person to believe in the vision and lifestyle and stick around,” Cooley said of the first artist to join. Since then, the Steady Hype family has grown to also include: Afrogoat, Flower in Bloom, Devy Quills, OG Spliff, PhazeGod, and Samurai Yola.

“We just have to treat each other with care and respect,” Cooley said about the vision shared amongst Steady Hype

Hollow Creeper at Monstercade members. ”Keep in mind how you want to feel around others, and spread energy that matches and attracts.”

That vision is emblazoned by the Steady Hyperactive bee mascot. “I love bees,” Cooley explained of the character, “they’re underrated and wrongfully hated. But we need them.” The result is a “#beethechange” outlook of action.

That outlook has been tested publicly and personally as Steady Hype not only lends support to #OccupyWSNC, but also to their own PhazeGod, the hip-hop and graphic artist who put out his latest project, Onett, and released a video forthe

single “Off Planet + Give What You Got,” all in the same week he was shot in the face.

“Steady Hype really is a family, so having Phaze go through such a crazy experience has made us all appreciate each other and life that much more,“ Cooley said of injury’s impact on the group—even as PhazeGod continues with his art, seeming almost unfazed by the ordeal.

That creative dedication begot support from the artistic community, and what was supposed to be a show in support

PHOTO BY @PHANYPACCC CREDIT

S

Steady Hperactive makes a buzz of his release became a fundraiser to support his recovery. ”Crazy thing is it was originally planned as a Phaze headliner,” Cooley said of the event co-organized with Zach McCraw at Monstercade.

The show marked the second Steady Hype live appearance since the coronavirus shutdown. The first was equally altruistic: “Free the Bee,” a two-session outdoor party on July 4 to support the Forsyth County Public Bail Fund.

“We were really looking forward to a live event. It being a fundraiser made us even more excited,” Cooley explained. “It went great. People graciously donated and were very respectful of the social distancing rules.“ Though requiring more planning and new approaches in audiencesafety, Cooley sees the effort as part of their commitment to establishing a platform for growth in the city. “We may all have different views on certain topics, but we all agree on equality and what really matters,” he explained of their directive toward action. “And we know the importance of numbers, so we show up as deep as possible to support what really matters.“ Steady Hype’s strength in numbers carries both in life and online. Those numbers translate into more than 10,000 streams, per artist, on major platforms. And they’re numbers that are growing.

Beyond the new PhazeGod record, they’ve been making steady releases throughout the summer: Afrogoat just put out the “Soda Pop Princess” single, Samurai Yola dropped the “SamuraiKawaii” collaborative tape, and OG Spliff released a video for “Schnitzel.” They expect a consistent release stream, with more shows, to continue throughout the year.

In the meantime, the buzz of Steady Hype rings in action. “Every day until we get answers,” Cooley said of their presence at #OccupyWSNC demonstrations. “It’s been a true honor to be involved in these moments,” he noted. “#beethechange.” !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Tuesday Tour Report, a radio show on hiatus until tours return.

WANNA Hollow Creeper at the Free the Bee 4th of July

listen?

Visit www.steadyhyper.com for information on artists, events, and releases.

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[THE ADVICE GODDESS] love • sex • dating • marriage • questions

SITTIN’ ON THE DOCK OF THE BAE

I’m a 34-yearold woman, and I’ve been with my boyfriend for about eighteen months.

He’s a loving guy Amy Alkon but comes up a little short on romance (“butAdvice terfly moments,” Goddess I guess you’d call them, from being surprised with some big romantic gesture). While I want those, I wonder whether that’s just because society/media/culture have led me to believe they’re the norm? How can I get these “butterfly moments” without asking unreasonable things of him? —In Need Heterosexual relationships would be less upsetting if straight men paired up with each other, starting with one guy hitting on another in a bar with, “Yo, I have somebody who’d like to meet you,” and then just pointing to his crotch.

There are sentimental men out there, but men in general (and especially straight men) take a more utilitarian approach to relationships than women: “If it ain’t broke, no need to divert the car payment to the French florist.” There’s too little understanding and acceptance of this difference (ultimately in emotional mindset). Many people make a leap from the legitimate idea that women and men deserve equal rights to the illegitimate assumption that they

are psychologically the same — down to their having the exact same needs.

This fantasy is taught as fact in women’s studies departments, and it’s made the way into the population as a whole.

It’s driven by the unscientific denial of sex differences in male and female emotional makeup (some emerging as early as infancy) and the differences in behavior that come out of them.

Granted, men and women are more similar than different. (We all want love, food, shelter, and good dentistry.) But men and women are emotionally different. For example, if a woman forgets her man’s birthday or lets Valentine’s Day slip her mind, it’s the rare man who will punish her with a sex strike and/or three months of resting pout face (“every day is a funeral for me”).

Men’s and women’s differing and sometimes sharply conflicting emotional mindsets seem mysterious and even pointless until you look at them through the lens of evolutionary psychology. Evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers notes that having sex results in differing levels of obligatory “investment” for women and men: possible pregnancy plus childrearing for the ladies versus “Here’s my sperm. That was fun. Bye!” In line with this, research by evolutionary psychologists Martie Haselton and David Buss suggests that women evolved to be “commitment skeptics,” to err on the side of believing a man won’t stick around. Our emotions are our support staff for seeing we meet our evolutionary needs, and female emotions press women to seek signs that a man they have sex with is committed to them.

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 9

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When the signs are scant or absent, women feel bad, which motivates them to press for more commitment or find the undercommitted man’s replacement. In other words, “abandonment issues” seem to be baked into women’s emotional makeup. Ancestral women who vetted a man to see that he’d stick around post-sex to bring home the bison were more likely to have children who survived to pass on their genes.

This should tell you that you aren’t wrong to want some romantic extravaganzas any more than you’re wrong to want a sandwich when your stomach starts growling like a wolverine. To get what you need, avoid the thinking too many women make themselves miserable with: “If he loved me, he’d just know what to do.” Reality: If he were a woman, with evolved female emotions, he probably would.

When you two are having a sweet moment together, acknowledge that the male mindset on romance is different.

Tell him what would make you happy, and ask that he do it. Because a guy can sincerely intend to follow through and then have it slip his mind, you might

give him specific targets to hit — your birthday, your anniversary, Valentine’s Day — and suggest he get one of those reminder apps.

When he comes through, tell him how much it means to you. That said, it’s also important to be mindful of human fallibility, as in, what it means if a man forgets your birthday. If he shows his love in little daily ways, maybe tell him you’re rescheduling your birthday for the next week to give him another chance.

If money is an issue for him, let him know it’s the heartfelt effort that counts, not a reservation at Chez We’ll Need Your Pension Signed Over. Explain ways he can be romantic without going broke or more broke. When you love a man, you can have a magical time while toasting your anniversary over a romantic picnic dinner and then getting arrested together for the public consumption of alcohol: “We’ll always have Paris Bail Bonds!” !

GOT A problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol. com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2020 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com.

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