YES! Weekly - June 17, 2020

OWENS DANIELS

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June 17-23, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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JUNE 17-23, 2020 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 25

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UNITY THROUGH ART

publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor KATIE MURAWSKI katie@yesweekly.com

The “Black Lives Matter” street mural in Washington D.C., installed the morning of June 5, quickly attracted attention across the nation, prompting other cities to re-interpret the mural through the eyes of local artists.

Charlotte, Raleigh, and now, Winston-Salem are North Carolina that have adopted a STREET MURAL WITH A MESSAGE.

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Contributors IAN MCDOWELL JOHN ADAMIAN MARK BURGER TERRY RADER JIM LONGWORTH

PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com ADVERTISING Marketing TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com

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OWENS DANIELS is a seasoned professional photographer/visual artist, who has his own company called Owens Daniels Photography Art & Design, and according to his website, his photography has been in exhibitions at Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, McColl Center of Art and Innovation, New Winston and Cameron Museum, Light Factory, Allenton, Delta Fine Arts, Milton Rhodes, RedDog, Welborn, and several other galleries and museums.

6 In the spirit of unity, five artist groups in Greensboro have partnered together to form the multicultural art collective, the HAUS OF LACKS. A spokeswoman from the Haus of Lacks (who wished to remain anonymous due to safety concerns) said this artist collective is full of artists and community activists in and around Greensboro.

7 In 2002, conservative Republican Attorney General John Ashcroft ordered that nude STATUES adorning the Department of Justice be covered up, so that when he

gave impromptu TV interviews, people wouldn’t see bare breasts and genitalia over his shoulder.

8 With shows still paused for covid-19, Winston-Salem guitarist DANIEL HABIB is climbing his way to a new album, “Think of Me Hill,” by a crowdfunding campaign through Plaid Dog Records, ending June 18.

14 “Damn right, we’re inconveniencing people and businesses,” said Anthony, leader and organizer of the Greensboro protest that BLOCKED BATTLEGROUND Avenue on Saturday and marched inside Target and Harris Teeter at Lawndale Crossing shopping center. “You think Martin Luther King cared he was blocking that Selma Bridge?”

15 “Some WEAR MASKS because they’re scared of a virus,” said Sam Wilking into a personal voice amplification system as he preached at the property line of A Woman’s Choice in Greensboro last Saturday morning. “Others do it because they’re virtue-signaling.”

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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[SPOTLIGHT]

NEW DOCUMENTARY TACKLES HOMELESSNESS HEAD-ON

BY MARK BURGER

Among the many issues facing Americans today, homelessness has long been at the forefront. It’s an issue that struck home with filmmaker Stephen Newton, inspiring him to make his latest film – one that addresses the subject in a concise, forthright fashion.

The film, One Night in January: Counting the Cost of Homelessness recently premiered online and is now available for free viewing at www.thehomelesscount. org/.

The film was shot principally in Tennessee, where Newton is based, but the conditions and situations regarding the homeless are applicable to any region in the United States. The film includes interviews with historian and philosopher Noam Chomsky and Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, as well as the homeless themselves.

“I started filming One Night In January in 2016, after completing a pro-bono short film, 116 West Walnut Street, about The Manna House, which provides permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless men in Johnson City, Tennessee,” Newton recalled. “Listening to the men at The Manna House tell their stories of loneliness, despair, and hopelessness opened my eyes to our growing national homelessness epidemic. Like so many Americans, I was clueless. My films start with a question, in this case: ‘Why are millions of Americans experiencing homelessness in the richest country in the world?’”

In addition, and as a supplement, to the film, Newton has also posted a blog “Homelessness in the Age of Coronavirus” (www.thehomelesscount.org/blog), which further examines the vulnerability of the homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My goal is to make the film as available to as many people as possible,”

hot pour PRESENTS

Newton explained. “My motto is ‘Awareness precedes change.’ We have to acknowledge problems before we can fix them.”

Newton’s previous documentary, the award-winning Outcasts: Surviving the Culture of Rejection (2014), explored yet another topical problem: The mass incarceration of prison inmates in the United States. The film was screened to great acclaimed at several film festivals, aired twice in prime-time on East Tennessee PBS in Knoxville, and can also be viewed online – for free — at www.cultureofrejection.org/.

For his next project, Newton is opting for a change of pace. He’s now working on the script for the third part of a trilogy of narrative short films titled Dark as Night, filmed in Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

The first two shorts have been completed and can be viewed on YouTube. The first, Dark at Night, can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jFDzW-TA2uk. The second, A Free Man can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s3NaXkjCWo. “It was an amazing experience to do casting, location scouting, scriptwriting, filming, and editing,” he said. “Once Part III is done, I’m going to edit it all, with some changes, into one 30-minute film.

If all goes well, Part III will be released in 2021. Production on all fronts came to a halt during the current pandemic.”

Reflecting on One Night in January, Newton is satisfied that the film is being watched, and stirring debate, and drawing attention to the plight of the homeless, both here and abroad.

“My goal was to shed light on our homeless epidemic so people could have a better understanding of its causes and consequences, and from the audience reaction so far, I feel I accomplished that goal.” !

PHOTO COURTESY OF THEHOMELESSCOUNT.ORG

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

BARTENDER: Holly Johnson BAR: Kickback Jack’s AGE: 42 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Trinity, N.C. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING? I’ve been bartending at Kickbacks for three years, but I’ve actually been bartending since I was 21.

Let’s just say for quite some time!

I have also danced on cruise ships and was a flight attendant for a while.

I started in Las Vegas, then Tampa, and in my home state of North Carolina!

HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER? I was living in Las Vegas and working as a cocktail server at one of their many casinos. There was a couple that came in a few times a week, and we became close friends. One day they told me their local pub was hiring, so I went in to apply, and they loved me! I was hired that day and learned how to mix drinks the next. I worked at Philly Pub for quite a few years.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING? I love interacting with others and gaining knowledge of things that they do and have experienced.

I am in love with the laughs and stories we share.

I am grateful for all the people that I have met along the way. My bar guests aren’t just bar guests; they are friends and family.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE? A good Old Fashion. I am a big fan of a good bourbon, and then you muddle an orange and a cherry, add a little simple syrup and a few dashes of bitters—It’s so yummy!

Stephen Newton produced, wrote and directed One Night in January: Counting the Cost of Homelessness WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK? I enjoy a slightly dirty Kettle One martini with blue cheese stuffed olives.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK? Grand Mariner on the rocks.

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING? I have been a bartender in Las Vegas, Tampa, and NC. There have been many crazy moments, but the one that sticks out the most is in Las Vegas. It was a normal, slightly busy shift when out of nowhere, two guys tried to come behind my bar. I started telling them that they could not be behind my bar, and they quickly changed my mind with a gun!!! It was amazing how calm I stayed. Without any hesitation, I gave them all the cash, and they quickly left the bar.

I was able to hit the silent alarm as they were leaving, and luckily they were caught shortly after. I am not sure I ever told my mom this story, so shhh!

WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? I was working in Las Vegas at a local pub with gaming machines. An hour into my shift, a regular hit on two different machines for a total of $4000. He gave me $1,000! Needless to say, I called a coworker and asked her to pick up the rest of my shift and took off to southern Cali for a mini vacation.

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PHOTOS BY OWEN DANIELS

Winston-Salem photographer shows ‘4 Days Of Peace’ amid protests

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wens Daniels has been around the block a time or two, and not a lot gets past this former Sheriff’s? deputy of 10 years from Richmond, VirTerry Rader ginia. As an AfricanAmerican man, he is Contributor no stranger to social justice, which has recently been the subject of his most recent works since the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

Daniels is a seasoned professional photographer/visual artist, who has his own company called Owens Daniels Photography Art & Design, and according to his website, his photography has been in exhibitions at Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, McColl Center of Art and Innovation, New Winston and Cameron Museum, Light Factory, Allenton, Delta Fine Arts, Milton Rhodes, RedDog, YES! WEEKLY

JUNE 17-23, 2020

Welborn, and several other galleries and museums. His awards include, “Artist in Residence” at Sawtooth School Of Visual Arts, Z Smith Reynolds “Lead Artist Presence Absence Project”, “33rd Annual Community Service Arts Award Curator of the Arts”, “ArtPop Billboard Award”, and “Public Artwork” installation at Benton Convention Center.

When Daniels saw what was happening on the streets in downtown WinstonSalem at the end of May, he wanted to support his black brothers and sisters peacefully. Daniels, with his camera at his side, documented the four days of peaceful protesting from June 3-6 culminating into what he calls, “4 Days Of Peace, in Winston-Salem, a Retrospect” Daniels had a vision and a very small window to make it happen. From his experience working in large, moving crowds while shooting lots of social justice photos, he said, “when you look like you know what you are talking about, and you deliver it with authority, and ‘talk official,’ people listen.”

Daniels said the protestors were marching around the jail, yelling, “no justice, no

peace” and “black lives matter,” when he had an idea. He knew he had to make it up on his own, and fast, so he got inside the crowd, and respectfully asked the organizer to get everyone to lay down face-first, and place their hands behind their backs.

The organizer turned around and did just that, while Daniels sprang into action and got down on his belly, at eye-level, to capture the demonstrator’s expressions of fear, hope, and the soul of what was really happening in them, as human beings.

Daniels had been inspired years ago by another photographer who had told him, ‘when you think you are close enough, take one step closer.’ He said that advice became second nature for him to get the shot. “[My work] is always about the people,” Daniels said. “No one told me to do it.

When my senses tell me to do something, and I act upon it without question. I have learned that the world will follow.”

Daniels spent four days capturing photos of the protests to show “what democracy captured looks like,” but, he admitted that it was no fun and burned up his creative energy.

“It involved running, gunning, climbing, sweating, pushing, standing, sore feet, backaches, burnt legs, pain, and broke equipment,” he posted on his Facebook page.

Daniels said his last day of protests began on a breezeless, sweltering day with the sun bearing down, but thankfully, several folks at the protests provided food and water for everyone. He said there were people of different races, genders, and occupations, coming together for one reason— justice, and that it was such a great thing to witness.

At 11 a.m. that fourth day, the Teacher’s Union began the protest at The Hall of Justice, where the main conversation was about breaking the tunnel from schoolto-prison through education. After about an hour, Daniels said the rally joined forces with the Black Lives Matter WinstonSalem group, and they all marched to City Hall, and on to the amphitheatre at Winston Square Park across from Sawtooth Center for Visual Art. This is where Daniels said this is where he was sure people were getting “marched out and tired.”

“It was clear that everyone was suf-

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fering from the 95-degree heat, but they had such intent, and focus, even with no shade.”

It was at this point that it got real for him—seeing these people remain standing together, so he stayed with them, and kept on shooting. When he returned later that evening to the candlelight vigil, he took the final 15 photos to add to his evergrowing, family photo book of archives to tell what he refers to as “the community story,” following his recent project, “Social Distancing,” which showed photos of people wearing masks during the COVID-19 stay-at-home executive order.

Daniels said he was getting lots of calls about those photographs, and how people appreciated his unbiased view. He said he had done what he set out to do, and was extremely proud of his work in documenting what he said is going to be a “very historic time.”

When he finished his retrospective, he enjoyed a little whiskey to celebrate while listening to Miles Davis. “I’m marched out,” he admitted. “My generation laid the groundwork with the bricks we had, and the younger generation needs to know where the old bricks are, but they don’t need to use them any more. We can help them figure it out, and I know they will. It’s all up to them now.”

Daniels is concerned that people may be “darkening the moment of the world,” but he hasn’t lost faith yet, and he believes there will be a better tomorrow for everyone.

“We’ve seen worse than what our children and grandchildren will see,” he explained. “I live better than my father; my son will live better than me, and his son will live better than him.”

“I’m not asking anyone to know how I feel as a black man,” Daniels continued. “If you think you know as a white person, that is an injustice to me, but you know when you have been wronged, and you know how that feels. You’ve got to wrap yourself around a wheel to figure it out. I’ve been black 61 years of my life. I ask my America WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

if my life matters to it, as much as it matters to me. If you don’t like racism, stop being a racist, but you can’t stop it, there is no stopping it from happening again.”

To understand the plight of AfricanAmericans, Daniels thinks that the white people from his generation just need to listen and empathize.

“Have a conversation, and be genuinely interested in whom you talk to, and if you’re not interested in the individual, don’t do it as a group thing to cover your butt. One thing that is offensive to me is being patronized. Be genuinely interested in me, when talking to me. Just be people, you don’t have to be a particular race of people. A leader is not a leader until he can lead himself. If you know what you are supposed to be doing, do it. I know what I’m supposed to be doing. Don’t make it complicated. Respect yourself. Love thy neighbor. Love thyself. Do that, and you’ll be fine.”

Daniels said the first piece of art he created made his sister smile, which motivated him to keep creating. One of his former art teachers criticized his work and told

him it wasn’t art. But after studying photography at the U.S. Army Photographic School of Cartography, shooting big-name festivals, such as The John Coltrane Music Festival and multiple other high-profile sporting events, performing arts events, and now, documenting the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, Daniels is still proving that same art teacher wrong.

“I made up my mind to show her,” he said, “I’ve been showing her every day since. Now, I have become a teacher myself in my photography workshops.”

Daniels is open to gallery representation, and funding for his dream to produce large

40-foot by 48-foot prints that, he said, would take viewers into the heart of the protest. !

TERRY RADER is a freelance writer/editorial/content/ copy, creative consultant/branding strategist, communications outreach messenger, poet and emerging singer/ songwriter.

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To view Owens Daniels’s portfolio, visit his website, www.owensdaniels.com/ Owens Daniels’s next photography workshop is Aug. 2 (details TBA on website).

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Haus of Lacks to peacefully assemble, spotlight Black-owned businesses on Juneteenth In the spirit of unity, five artist groups in Greensboro have partnered together to form the multicultural artist collective, the Haus of Lacks. A spokeswoman from the Haus of Lacks (who Katie Murawski wished to remain anonymous due to safety concerns) Editor said this artist collective is full of community activists in and around Greensboro.

“We are calling on you, our fellow community members, to join us on June 19 and take action,” she said. “You can expect a series of performances from Black, local artists that embody 10 specific disparities that African-Americans

face in our inner-city communities, and equip you with real action you can take to create real change. Imagine the Olympics: each torchbearer runs their torch toward a collective flame—which would be our independent collective.

On June 19, you are the torchbearer, and each artist station will add fuel to your flame, which you’ll carry with you into the communities you go home to. This is a marathon, not a sprint—let’s work together to translate moments into a movement.”

The Haus of Lacks chose to have the demonstration on Juneteenth, because the holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved Africans in Texas were granted freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law.

“Juneteenth was the best day to pick because everyone was going to be so fluffy, with good feelings,” she said.

found: simple pleasures

Whether delicious food, art, open spaces, unique shops or coffee that’ll jolt you awake, Downtown Winston-Salem has it. Take a stroll. You’re sure to find it. On Fourth Street.

downtownws.com | find it here YES! WEEKLY

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“What is not going to happen, that has been happening—blackout our pages, do all these systematic protests and then leave feeling good and nothing being done. We have enough of that happening, and the artists’ community, not your politicians, not your business owners, your artists have had enough.”

The Haus of Lacks representative said that independently, each artist group that makes up the Haus of Lacks works with 40 to 100 community members (as not all are artists, musicians, etc.).

“What’s very important here is to highlight, essentially, the position of the artist community,” the representative said. “We are taking into consideration that not only are we in the middle of systematic oppression taking place in the community as a whole; however, we just found that artists are imperative to the consumption of the decimation of cultural knowledge. We do not function under the delusion that art itself will feed the hungry or turn back the tides of global warming because, as Ogden once wrote, poetry does nothing. Actually, what we focus on is that it’s true that words on a page or paint on canvas will not physically cure what ails the social consciousness. However, we do believe we have the luxury of meaning.”

The name “Haus of Lacks” came to be because the artists hope to highlight what is lacking from their community.

“If it were not for the art community as a whole right now, a lot of these issues would not be addressed,” the representative said. “We are addressing the dissension, specifically, built on the dissension of African-American communities as a whole.”

On Juneteenth, the Haus of Lacks will host a walking art exhibition. comprised of 10 artists, as well as a peaceful demonstration called “Dissension” taking place on “Black Elm Street.”

“We selected Elm Street as a platform for the demonstration that will take place due to the growth and lack of inclusion of Black-owned businesses on Elm Street,” the representative said. “Instead of painting it black, we are going to, in a very respectful and demonstrative way, highlight and represent vocal Black businesses in our city. The history of Black Elm Street talks about the Warnersville community.”

The representative said that the War-

nersville community was Greensboro’s “Black Wall Street,” which she said “was annexed by the City of Greensboro in the 1960s, and subsequently decimated.”

The representative said 10 businesses have volunteered to be storefronts—not only for artists to express themselves but for Black-owned businesses to reintroduce themselves to the community.

“That is why we highlight Elm Street— we know the rent is way too high for a lot of these Black businesses to come set up shop,” she said.

In addition, the collective is developing a smartphone app that would highlight historical, underutilized Black businesses, and other resources. The representative said that the collective would like to expand to other cities and that there is work being down now to get that off the ground.

“Greensboro, as a city, is facing a massive upheaval in its cultural identity, so, as students of the arts at some of the largest universities in the city, we as a collective, have faced first-hand the intentional separate side of Elm Street,” she said. “We see the new Steven Tanger Cultural Art Center as a direct affront to the local performing and visual artists that apply their trade in the larger Piedmont area. Not only is the venue consciously inaccessible to the general public, but it also stands as an emotional signifier to the white upper class to continue their gentrification of downtown Greensboro. In order to combat this, we are asking this board to invest in the well-being of its own community by funding and acquisition of a cultural arts center with a focus on bringing diversity and equity back to the Piedmont area.” !

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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For more information on the Haus of Lacks, and to see some of the involved artists, visit www. blackelmstreet.com or follow the collective on Instagram, @blackelmstreet

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Statues shouldn’t be scapegoats

n 2002, conservative Republican Attorney General John Ashcroft ordered that nude statues adorning the Department of Justice be covered up, so that when he Jim Longworth gave impromptu TV interviews, people wouldn’t see bare Longworth breasts and genitalia at Large over his shoulder.

Ashcroft became the “butt” of jokes because of his puritanical censorship of fine art. Today millions of people are demanding the removal of statues for entirely different reasons, and there’s nothing funny about their motives.

Over the past few years, our nation has been removing symbols that are perceived by some to be racist. Colleges whose buildings were named for slave owners and White supremacists have since renamed those structures. Local and State governments have taken down Confederate flags. And, statues of Confederate soldiers have been vandalized, torn down, and relocated. The controversy over offensive symbols has intensified as an increasing number of unarmed African Americans have died at the hands of white cops. Suddenly the national conversation has turned from some folks being offended by reminders of past racism, to all folks being horrified by ongoing racism.

The problem is that tearing down statues does nothing to end racism.

As I noted in a previous column, my friend Larry Womble and I talked about a lot of issues over the years, including a conversation we had regarding a Confed-

erate statue in front of the old Forsyth County courthouse. Larry remarked to me that he had driven past that statue hundreds of times and never realized that it depicted a Confederate soldier.

“It just wasn’t something that was on my radar,” he told me. The fact is, the statue hadn’t been on anybody’s radar for nearly a hundred years, but it was removed anyway because it had become a symbol of unchecked oppression to a new generation living in a time of unchecked brutality. OK, so now the statue is gone.

So is Silent Sam in Chapel Hill. So is Jeff Davis in Richmond. So is General Williams Wickham in Richmond. Meanwhile, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (who admitted to once wearing Blackface at a party) wants to get rid of all Confederate statues along Monument Avenue. And yet, in spite of flags and namesakes, and statues having been removed, racism is a bigger problem now than ever before.

People of color are still unfairly profiled and detained. Police are still using tear gas, pepper spray, and chokeholds. Peaceful protests are still hijacked by rioters and looters. White supremacists are still driving their trucks into crowds of African Americans and posting racists threats on social media. Unarmed Black men are still being murdered. So much for tearing down statues.

I have no personal stake in Confederate monuments, so I’m OK with relocating them to appropriate museums and cemeteries. Meanwhile, we need to start erecting statues to honor African American leaders. But if we really want things to change, then we must initiate substantive reforms in policing. We must establish a national registry of abusive cops so that once fired; they can never be hired by another police department or security firm. We must hope that all

cities follow the lead of Greensboro Police Chief Brian James, who has just outlawed the use of chokeholds. We must demand that local budgets be adjusted to include more social services and an emphasis on educational parity. And we must all get behind the “Justice in Policing Act,” which was introduced by House Democrats last week.

It’s easy for politicians and protestors to get rid of statues, but it’s a lot harder for them to get rid of systematic racism.

Given a choice, I’d rather them focus more on the latter and less on the former. !

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).

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Daniel Habib’s climb to ‘Think of Me Hill’

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ith shows still paused for covid-19, Winston-Salem guitarist Daniel Habib is climbing his way to a new album, “Think of Me Hill,” by a crowdfunding campaign Katei Cranford through Plaid Dog Records, ending June 18.

Contributor The five-song EP is currently in production, and sees Habib refocusing on his music career, following a stint of time occupied by stagework and study for an MBA in Music Business at Southern New Hampshire University. “I returned to school to be a part of an effective change in the industry for artist protection and advocacy, he explained. “But I realized that not having music in my life was getting me down.”

A life-long musician who learned to sing from listening to the Beatles on family trips, Habib spent his undergrad years in Asheville, holding internships at Echo Mountain Recording Studio and the Grey Eagle and engineering at Jack of the Wood. Early influences include Queens of the Stoneage (notably Josh Homme’s guitar work;) and through Homme Habib found Truckfighters, whom he credits with introduction into heavier bands like Baroness, Elder, and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats.

These days Habib’s been listening to a lot of White Denim, with “Think of Me Hill” falling in suit with the Austin rockers. Influence from his time as a mountain jamer remains likewise present, aided by Plaid Dog studio, and producer Mike Davidson (who’s client lists includes Dr. Dog and DeVotchKa).

“I’m into writing songs that speak to shared experiences,” Habib said of the material. Themes throughout the EP center around tragic love songs. “Each song has to do with break ups,” he added, ”finding self-worth, removing toxic individuals, and the frustration of being into someone who’s not into you.”

The notions are reflected in the artwork-simple doodles from which Habib channeled a John Lennon feel in the artwork.

“Though there is significance to the person’s head being a cloud,” he explained, “they’ll always be a part of the person on the hill’s past, but, in time, they’ll fade.“ YES! WEEKLY

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ADRIAN FOLTZ PHOTOGRAPHY

In the present, Habib is focused on staying on schedule. “With the interest in keeping costs low, I’m performing all the instruments except for drums,” Habib explained with an allusion to his dad and brother inheriting all the drummer genes.

Album progress has been steady, despite the coronavirus and producer Davidson catching the flu. As a result, only drums have been recorded in-studio. “The rest of the single was recorded remotely,” he noted.

It’s the way of the pandemic times, with Habib polishing the parts as the campaign runs; and performing livestreams when possible. “Video streaming is actually outperforming audio streaming,” Habib explained (with citations from a recent research paper.) Though he praises the creativity artists are employing, “as a tech, it’s disheartening to not know when we’ll be able to return to work,” he admitted.

Though crowdfunding for the album was always intended, fundraising without gigs presents its own challenges. “I think we’ve been doing pretty well regardless,” he said, “making connections with new

people remains essential.” In lieu of live performances, videos and participatory content have been central.

“Crowdfunding has been very time-consuming. But, the response has made it all worthwhile,” Habib said, crediting support from his followers, with special thanks to Nina Pelligra from Plaid Dog for the campaign. “It’s helped develop an interactive community for the album,” he added.

Within that community, Habib encourages photo shares from friends, seeks input, and is even offering his services as a “house-work foot soldier:” for $1,000, he’ll provide lawn care, housecleaning, and handyman duties--along with the album.

The deal also includes him “cooking hot wings, in-person, in a ridiculous outfit.”

Fans of spicy wings can get their own, more affordable, version of the recipe via a private youtube package--though flashy clothes remain part of the deal. “I can’t wait to find out what crazy outfits people will want me to wear when I share the recipe with them,” Habib said.

In the end, the power of friends fuels albums and maintains sanity as the coro-

navirus lingers. “This record wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support of my friends and family. I don’t think I’ll be able to thank everyone enough for their support,” Habib insisted.

“As for staying sane, it can be difficult.

The best thing I can say is to stay in contact with those who are close to you, express your feelings, and don’t lose faith in the day that we can all rock out together again,” he said, with hopes to do just that, one day, at a proper release show.

In the meantime, “Think of Me Hill” is in production, with a crowdfunding campaign through June 18. !

KATEI CRANFORD Is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Tuesday Tour Report, a radio show that runs like a mixtape of bands touring NC the following week, 5:307pm on WUAG 103.1fm.

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Visit the Plaid Dog Records crowdfunding campaign page at www.funding.plaiddogrecording. com/daniel-habibs-debut-album.

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Promoting unity while demanding change through public art

S

ince the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by those who pledge to protect and serve, the United States has faced its proverbial day of reckoning Katie Murawski coupled with complete racial upheaval in the midst of the Editor nation’s biggest unprecedented health crisis. Almost every day, and every weekend since May 29, thousands of protesters in the Triad have taken the streets—rain or shine—marching and attending rallies demanding that local officials acknowledge the reality of police brutality and enact meaningful change. Those at the forefront of the movement are local artists and activists, who have created a sense of unity amid the chaos through collaboration.

The “Black Lives Matter” street mural in Washington D.C., installed the morning of June 5, quickly attracted attention across the nation, prompting other cities to re-interpret the mural through the eyes of local artists. Charlotte, Raleigh, and now, Winston-Salem are North Carolina that have adopted a street mural with a message.

Community leader Rasheeda Shankle and Joshua Mack, an elder at Dellabrook Presbyterian, organized the WinstonSalem Community Mural Project after they helped organize the first protest in Winston-Salem on May 31. Shankle and Mack had support for this project from the City of Winston-Salem, Minister’s Conference of Winston-Salem, the WinstonSalem Arts Council, Artists Thr!ve, Triad Cultural Arts, and Honorable Youth Inc. “It was pretty much like putting a little stamp on the marches and the protesting, making a big statement on top of that,” Shankle said. “Now, we have to put this into action. We’ve marched, painted and this is cool, it makes a statement, but now it is time to keep it going.”

She said this project was put together and executed in five days, and on Saturday, June 13, 16 artists predominately made up of African-Americans gathered to paint in the letters of “End Racism Now #BLM” on North Main Street in downtown Winston-Salem across from City Hall.

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“Through the ages, black artists just haven’t really gotten a platform before— this, I think, is a great way to elevate their presence,” said Cheryl Harry, founderdirector of Triad Cultural Arts, on the importance of giving African-American artists an opportunity to express themselves freely. “The voice has really been missing, in everything.”

“For a rebirth, and for us to see the beauty and light of the situation, and how we can create something new and beautiful out of art,” said Mack, when asked what the motivating factor was for starting this project.

Shankle said she was inspired by Charlotte’s “Black Lives Matter” street mural and felt like she had to bring the project to the City of Arts and Innovation. As the executive director of Honorable Youth, Inc., Shankle anticipates the needs of communities, and “with all the violence and stuff going on, this is something that we needed.”

“Winston can be a little divided, and to see everyone come together for this purpose, it is so heart-filling—it’s beautiful to see everyone come together as one,” she said. “Just to think, if we could come together for just stuff like this for a bigger purpose, just imagine what we could do—we could literally change the world as long as we continue to work together, not against each other.”

The Winston-Salem Arts Council’s vice president of fundraising, Aliza DiggsBailey, said the council wanted to sponsor the event because “we felt like it was important to have freedom of expression, which is what the arts represent.”

“We are just happy to provide some type of assistance for artists because, with COVID-19, many of them lost their opportunities to work,” she said. “This is a win-win because it allows them freedom of expression of how they feel about ending racism as well as the Tremaine Foundation was instrumental in helping pay the artists. They came out thinking they were just going to be doing it as volunteers, but the foundation came through and is providing funding for them.”

Diggs-Bailey commends the community artists for expressing themselves and the millennial organizers for taking charge and making the street mural happen.

“A lot of our forefathers and those who risked their lives for Civil Rights have passed away or are passing away, so having the millennials and artists express

how they feel and lead the charge, I think is phenomenal,” Diggs-Bailey said. “I am the mother of a young, black male who is about to be 22, and it comes close to home when you think about young, black lives being taken in many instances, for no reason. It’s personal for me, for my children, because they are the future leaders for us.”

While artists worked on their murals, ministers, community activists, and even Mayor Allen Joines and Mayor Pro Tem D.D. Adams spoke to the crowd in front of City Hall about police brutality, racism, and art as a form of protest.

“For us, it is about galvanizing the people of influence together and staging an open discussion and brainstorming on what we want to see change,” said Pastor Tembila Covington, president of the Minister’s Conference, when asked what motivated the Minister’s Conference to be involved in this community mural project. Criminal justice reform, voting rights, equitable education, minimizing health disparities in black and brown communities, and many other causes that Covington said the Minister’s Conference hopes to have a voice in and “not to just share what we have on our hearts, but to be a part of a system change where we can actually call to our local, state, and national government to let them know what our demands are, not just locally, but statewide and nationally.”

Triad Cultural Arts bring people together to celebrate diversity by providing culturally-immersive activities such as festivals, classes, and tours for people “to learn there is so much value in our diversity, and really begin to end racism.”

“For us, it is more of looking back to make things better for the present,” Harry said. “Our mantra, of course, is the spirit of Sankofa, and we hope that we will be able to utilize the arts to really bring an initiation for different cultures, for diversity, to help people get together.”

One of the festivals that the Triad Cultural Arts organization organizes each year is a Juneteenth celebration. This year, Harry said Juneteenth would be celebrated virtually (via Facebook Live) on June 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. Harry said African cooking demonstrations, drumming, crafts, and traditions “that helped bring us this far forward.” There will also be a special tribute to Black Lives Matter and a Juke Joint Afterparty.

In addition, several speakers made calls

of action to vote, complete the Census, and get more involved with the local government.

“We can’t do projects like this within the community if we don’t have money,” Shankle said.” In order for the city to get the money, we have to fill out the Census.

The call to action is to dismantle white supremacy within the government, and we get leaders in there that are for the people. In order to do that, you have to vote; you have to let your voice be heard.

It is amazing that we are getting able to do that and make a difference; no one in the city of Winston-Salem has been able to paint on the road, sidewalks, anything.

This movement changed stipulations within the city; it’s a historical moment.”

Meet the artists Each artist and their crew were assigned one letter in “END RACISM NOW #BLM” to paint whatever theme they wanted.

Kayyum Allah, along with artist Paris Harris painted the letter “E.” “Black is essential since I am dealing with the letter’ E,’” said Allah, describing his concept. “Even as early as creation and inception, you have to have black. Can’t have nothing without it. It’s always going to be here, always was here. Even before the creation of the sun, it was black.”

Allah said he’d been a part of the Winston-Salem community for 72 years.

When asked how the city has changed over the years in terms of racial equity, he said like most things, “somethings slow, somethings OK, just typical—not fast enough, not great enough, not enough— but it is what it is.”

Allah said self-improvement is the basis of community development, which would be a good place to start to effect real change.

Coming up, Allah said he would be showing some of his work at Happy Hill, the oldest African-American community in the city of Winston-Salem, for its Anthology Art Show featuring five local professional artists from that community showing their works.

“We are displaying our work on the corner of Alder and Market Streets, Friday starting at 11 a.m.,” he said. “Near the clocktower, it’s an outside art exhibit that’s going to be up all day.”

Andrea Revelle was assigned to paint the “N,” and admitted that what she ended up painting wasn’t her original concept.

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PhoTo by AnDRew hARRISon bRown

“When I got here, absorbing all the other artists’ energy, I just painted what I felt,” she said of her Basquiat-esque masterpiece. “We have a male figure here with his fist raised high, and a female figure here—she is pregnant, but as you can see, her womb is empty. There is her unborn, still in the embryo stage, in a womb shaped like Africa.”

As a mother, Revelle said she is worried about her three Black sons’ futures.

“Every time I see anything like it, it just makes me hold on to them tight and keep them in the house,” she said. “They are so, so, so sweet but tall, and they are big. They’re my little babies, but to the world, how are they viewed? It makes me really nervous.”

Revelle said that it’s important in the current climate for African-American artists to be heard and centered, because “sometimes, words aren’t easy,” she said.

“I don’t have to say anything about how it hits here, because it shows.”

Revelle is available to take commissions, check her out on Instagram (@ mahoganyart28) to see more of her works.

Tyamica Mabry was assigned to paint the letter “D.” Since she loves to paint flowers and butterflies, she decided to make that the theme of her mural.

However, she still wanted to send a message through her art. After doing some research on symbolism, she found that the lotus flower represented awakening and rebirth.

“That is why I chose the lotus flower, and then we have caterpillars that are transforming into butterflies,” she said.

“We need to awaken and realize that racism does still exist, and then transforming is how we are going to end racism.

You have to transform yourself in order to end it.”

Check out more of Mabry’s art on her Facebook and Instagram pages(@ typesofher). Her website is not live yet but will be soon, www.typesofher.com.

Mabry said she does custom paintings, www.yesweekly.com

T-shirts, murals, earrings, and she also hosts paint parties.

“The message of my brand is to try to promote internal beauty,” she said. “A lot of times, we get caught up on superficial things, and with my brand, I try to live my purpose to show other people that they can live theirs, too. Just enjoy your gifts, find it, and embrace it.”

Terry Suave is a native WinstonSalem graphic designer, filmmaker, and visual artist who was assigned to paint the “R,” and he said he started painting at 3 a.m. Saturday morning.

“I wanted to do a real portrait, but I didn’t know the time limit, so I just did a silhouette of a person and chose to show the teeth, with a gold cap on the front and a gap,” he said describing his mural.

“Black Lives Matter is on the gold grill, and there is a Black man’s fist with a four-star on the back.”

Suave said it makes sense for AfricanAmerican artists and artists of color to be at the forefront of this project.

“It would be different if somebody who wasn’t Black was doing it,” he said, adding that the art would lose some of its meaning and power if a white artist painted the murals. “I live this every day, and it is hard for me to even get opportunities like this.”

Even though Suave has done paintings before, he said this project was his first large mural. He said, seeing his art on the street where he lives feels surreal.

Suave runs three companies: The Corner Store, where he sells one-off, screen printed shirts; Dream Studios, which is his film company; and KIDS (Kinfolk International Design Studios), which is his graphic design company. To see more of his work, follow him on Instagram (@ terrysuave), or visit his website, www.

Suave-Terrysuave.com.

April Reich is a local artist who owns the business, My Creative Designs, which has been around for 18 years. Reich said she was assigned to paint the letter “A.” “The piece that I did is bringing light to what is going on in our community,

society, and world right now,” she said.

“Our men and women are getting shot and killed by police officers that have no sentiment, and are just taking and killing us. Every life matters, everybody matters and we all bleed the same.”

In addition to her message of unity, she said that she included rainbow colors in her mural to include the LGBTQ+ community, especially since the mural was done the day after the four-year anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre.

“Everybody is equal; it doesn’t matter who you love, who you are; as I said, we all bleed the same,” she said.

Reich said this movement feels different because people are starting to see some meaningful change happening.

“Right now, it has been relevant with us artists,” she said. “We can bring awareness to a lot of things that other people don’t see. Each artist, there are 16 of us today, and every one of us has a different voice you can see in our paintings. Everything comes to light once you see it.”

But Reich said the only way things are going to change is if people vote come election day. Reich describes herself as a one-stop-shop kind of artist who does anything from designing logos to murals.

To learn more about My Creative Designs, visit Reich’s Instagram (@mycreativedesignsco).

Donald Sawyer is a 58-year-old artist in Winston-Salem who was assigned the letter “C.” “I chose the African colors because we were brought here from Africa, with one thing in mind, but when we got to America, it was not what we thought we were coming to, and wind up being enslaved,” he said describing his use of colors in his mural. “I have always had a connection with African colors because I know that is where my roots are.”

He even let his grandkids participate and make their own smaller mural while he painted the “C.” “I never imagined I would be a part of this because I thought we were working

on getting away from this, so I still see it as a growing problem,” he said. “But it just really felt good to get my grandkids and wife involved and for my grandkids to see how important art is to them as young kids.”

Also, on his mural are the words “love, peace, and soul.”

“I think about being a kid and watching Soul Train, and how Don Cornelius brought the African-American community together through dance and entertainment,” Sawyer said. “The African-American community, every Saturday at 12 noon, would be locked into Soul Train and would set the stage that Saturday. We’d all be dancing, trying to mimic what was on Soul Train, and it also encouraged us to get involved with the arts like dancing, singing, or visual art.”

Recently, Sawyer said he got his Master’s degree in fine arts, and he did his thesis on the Black Lives Matter movement, police violence, human trafficking and homelessness.

“It didn’t start with George Floyd,” he said. “We have been making a stand for this for years. Once we got some actual footage, George Floyd’s death really impacted America to see that this is greater than what they are predicting it to be.”

He said police brutality isn’t anything new either, but he thinks this time, it will be a catalyst to get more people involved to enact meaningful change.

“I never thought I’d be teaching my kids and grandkids proper car etiquette when they get pulled over by police,” he said. “Right now, kids are in fear when the police pull them over, they just automatically fear that they are going to get hurt, and it shouldn’t be that way.”

Sawyer’s work can be viewed on his Instagram page (@drsawyer2).

Ariel Carpenter is from Charlotte but just recently moved to the City of Arts and Innovation. She said this mural was her first large project as an artist. Carpenter was given the letter “I.” “This is the wall of racism, and we are June 17-23, 2020

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Kayyum Allah

Andrea Revelle

busting through it, hence the bricks coming out,” she said, describing her mural.

Carpenter said the black fist is a symbol of protesting for equal justice and Black Lives Matter, and the bricks are a symbol of the obstacles African-Americans had to overcome throughout the years.

Carpenter said Black artists should be at the front of this movement, but she also believes that “it’s important for people of other races to come together as one.” “[This mural] is a symbolism of unity and coming together,” she said. “Every artist here is a Black artist and are expressing themselves as to what they see racism is individually. That is why this project is so good if you look at each individual letter; it is like a representation of how each person sees the obstacles in front of us.”

To check out more of Carpenter’s work, visit her Instagram (@arielsharea).

Carpenter’s assisting artist, Kurante Best, has his own company called Revamp 26, where he customizes shoes, and more of his work can be found on Instagram (@ lace.lord).

Jazmine Moore is a local freelance portrait artist going by the name “Jazspire.”

She was assigned the letter “S.” “For the top part, I decided to do a black arm and the bottom part, a white arm to represent unity and us coming together as one—not just white or black,” she said, describing her art. “The whole idea is unity and oneness, so why not do all the colors of the rainbow to represent that, along with black and white? Not just saying black and white are the only races that need to come together, as one—all races need to come together as one. As well as the LGBTQ+ community.”

Moore’s assisting artist was Lauren Burch, the organizer for the Candlelight Vigil held at the Winston-Salem City Hall at the beginning of the month. Burch said she added a touch of purple to the painting, “to represent the National Black Theatre Festival, and with that, we decided to put a fist representing black power and different colors for unity because God did not make us all one color, he made a variety of us.”

Moore said that many Black artists do not always get recognition on a large YES! WEEKLY

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Tyamica Mabry

Terry Suave

platform, “and having the city doing this is major.”

“I love how we are all coming together as one, not just Black people, but whites as well. Just a few years ago, some white people didn’t even know this was going on. To see white people out here, connecting with Black people is amazing.”

Check out some of her work on Instagram, Facebook (@jazspire_), and website, www. Jazmine-moore.com. She also just released an affirmations children’s book “to help boost their confidence and self-love.” Moore said she won a grant from the Arts Council and was able to use those funds to write and publish her book.

Chloe Beatty is an engineering major and studio art minor at Wake Forest University, and she was assigned the letter “M.” She said the point of her mural is to redefine the value of Black lives.

“The backdrop of it, which is like an ombre of colors, represents Black people and people of color, or people who identify in a way that isn’t socially accepted,” she said.

“Basically, it is a barcode, and barcodes identify and give value to something. With the Black Lives Matter movement, I feel like we are devalued. We were identified as objects—we were sold, and lots of our individuality became a number. So, I want

April Reich

Ariel Carpenter

to break the bars of the barcode and liberate it into something pleasing.”

Beatty said another way to look at it is the black bars represent the disproportionate percentage of Black people incarcerated.

“Art doesn’t have to be defined as anything or conform to anything,” Beatty said. “You can speak your truth and what you see and how you want to see it in different ways, and I think it is really important. This is a different way of speaking out and fighting back.”

To check out more of Beatty’s art, visit her Instagram page (@chloeamorebeatty).

Leo Rucker is a local Winston-Salem portrait artist who has been a local artist for 25 years. Rucker said he was recruited by the Arts Council to help sketch out the letters, and he was assigned the letter “N.” “So my particular painting here is of the letter ‘N,’ and it means now,” he explained.

“Breaking down the racism that our country has experienced, and our world has experienced over the past couple of weeks, months, and generations. This is what I wanted to see now, not just a fist from the African-American community, but individuals are together breaking through and getting comfortable with the

Jazmine Moore & Lauren Burch

Chloe Beatty

differences that we have.”

Rucker said it’s important that Black artists are the ones leading this movement because “we can’t really say it verbally, we have always used our God-given talent to be able to voice how we feel about economic issues and social issues,” he said.

“I’ve had my struggles just getting involved with the arts as an AfricanAmerican artist, no matter what my skill or talent,” he said. “It took me about 20 years to really break [that barrier], especially the economic aspect of getting a part of the resources.”

To see more of Rucker’s work, visit his website, www.lruckerart1.wixsite.com/mysite, and on Instagram and Facebook.

Courtney Jones is a Winston-Salem mural artist that was assigned to the letter “O.” “I just started freestyling, but as I went on, this, ‘I can’t breathe,’ part really spoke to me because that is a big part of the movement,” Jones described of her mural.

“The fire signifies everything that we have been through as a people, the fire in her eyes to make a change.”

Jones describes her art style as abstract, with paint thrown around everywhere and a mix of colors fading into each other.

“Black people need to fight for our people, we can’t let other people do it for us,” Jones said. “It is good to show support, and honestly, I feel in the Black community we need more artists—we need more Black people to be involved in art. It isn’t taught to us growing up. A lot of us don’t have the pleasure of thinking about painting or art. People are out here trying not to get killed, and dealing without racism.”

Jones owns her own business called Wett Paint, which is an apparel customizing venture. To see more, visit her Instagram page (@wett.paint) and website.

Fredo Felix, aka Wynoserous, is a mural/graffiti artist based in Winston-Salem, and he was assigned the letter “W.” “I decided to paint the honorable Malcolm X with the quote: ‘The young people are the ones who most quickly deal with the struggle and necessity to eliminate the evil conditions that exist,’” Felix said.

“He is an inspiration to all Black lives, and I just feel like if he were here today, none

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Leo Rucker

Courtney Jones

of this would have unraveled to what it is now. I decided to paint him because we need to resurface his teachings and ideas he had with the new age we are in now.

He is a powerful person.”

Felix said he was born and raised in Winston-Salem, and in his 32 years of living, he said there hadn’t been a huge movement going on like the one that is happening now.

“I have never seen anything like this, and it is a blessing to be a part of it and help ignite the next individual, next kid or young adult. That is what I am doing it for because I have a kid myself.”

Felix is not African-American, but he is Native American, as he has roots back to the Mayans. He said that artists of color should be at the forefront of this movement because their example and representation can help change and shape the next generation.

“People of color, like myself, can help motivate the next kid,” he said. “In school, I was bullied because I was a Hispanic kid. And to have something like this, to see somebody of color paint and deliver a message like this, is going to shed light on their futures, and mold these kids into who knows, the next president.”

To see more of Felix’s work, visit his Instagram page, @Wynoceros.

Brandon Coley and Phillip Osborne collaborated on the “#.” Coley is a Winston-Salem State University alumnus and said they brainstormed on the concept and decided on “two figures spray painting on the brick wall, and one is going to be on the other’s back helping each other create,” he said. “We are helping each other create love.”

“Anybody who comes out here, I tell them it’s hashtag unity,” Osborne said.

“We are all together, working together as one.”

Osborne is local to Winston-Salem, and he describes himself as an expressionist artist.

“Art is my life, I wake up, eat, sleep and dream art,” he said. “This right here is a humbling experience.”

Coley said it is important for Black artists to have a voice in this movement because “Black people, in general, are stereotyped. And we are out here expressing our emotions and being heard. I think WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Fredo Felix

Brandon Coley

it is very important to express yourself, especially during this climate now, instead of bottling it in and harboring all these emotions.”

Coley said that this movement is bringing the whole country together, and he loves it. Check out more of his work on his website at www.brandoncoley.com and Instagram page, (@coleydidit).

Osborne said he also sells some of his pieces inside the store Blake Ryan at Hanes Mall, and to check out his art from his Instagram page, (@phil77777).

Jamilika Hodrick is an artist from Winston-Salem, and she was assigned the letter “B.” “This is a mother and her son, and he does have a target on his back,” she said, describing her mural. “As a mother trying to embrace her child growing up, she doesn’t want the world to get to him, and he is always growing up with a target directly on him.”

Hodrick said her mural’s message is to “pray for change.”

“From the time that Black people are little, it is almost like we don’t have a chance, and we want to end that generational curse, and that is what my piece is speaking to,” Hodrick said. “I pray for God to fight for us, to speak for us, to lead us and do things right, and for us to not hate—even though we have every reason to. And to not give the same thing we are given. As God’s people, we ought to be the change. It starts young, and that is why this piece is important to me. You have to teach your children that no matter what is going on, you can be different, and not just a statistic.”

Even though Hodrick is a mother to a young Black daughter, she said she is not fearful of the future.

“I don’t let fear lead me; it is faith over fear for me,” she said. “I walk in the fact that the body and blood of Jesus keep me well and my family well, and it will keep my community well. But we have to understand that we have to adapt, that we don’t fear. No surrender, no retreat.

Walk with authority.”

To view more of Hodrick’s art, visit her Instagram page (@jamilikalatalia).

Latisha Coleman is a local 3D artist and N.C. A&T alumnae, who was assigned to the letter “L.”

Phillip Osborne

Jamilika Hodrick

“I just wanted to go with something that would translate well in the sky,” Coleman said. “I didn’t want to go into too much detail. I am attracted to black and white mixed with color and how it bounces off one another. So, I just thought I’d combine everything, and to me, it just looks like unity—people coming together.”

Coleman said having Black artists painting the mural is powerful, now more than ever, and that there is more of an emotional connection, which shows through their art. “I think it is setting an example for the youth and society as a whole, that we all can come together and have a good time.”

To see more of Coleman’s 3D art, visit her Instagram page (@tish.the.brand).

Arielle Buford is a dance teacher and local artist in Winston-Salem. She had the last letter, “M.” “I chose this theme, for one—they are American colors, but also a lot of people have a hard time acknowledging who has been affected [by this movement] and we have to remember. This is called ‘Say Their Names,’ which is why I put all the names at the center, so everyone can see.”

Buford said the names of the AfricanAmericans killed by police are always with her, and she wanted to honor their names by painting them in the mural.

Latisha Coleman

Arielle Buford

“Their names are always in my head,” she said. “I feel like, if we could get [their names] on the pavement, then it will be like that for others, too. So that they can be more mindful of their actions—what they do, say, and being kind to others.”

Buford said Black artists being at the center of this movement, and this mural, makes her feel like she has a voice.

“We are important, and like they really care about who is spearheading this project,” she said. “Definitely having the funding to back it is amazing, and having people out here to support is even better.”

“Black Lives Matter is about Black lives; she continued. “And people say, all lives matter, but Black lives have to matter for all lives to matter. Black Lives Matter is an important reason to have Black artists come together and show unity as opposed to discord.”

Buford teaches dance at the Blackowned business, Positive Image Performing Arts for children ages 2 to 18. Check out more of her art on Instagram (@_4_in_ the_am). !

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 selfproclaimed King of Glamp.

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 9

[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 9

JUNE 17-23, 2020

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14

Organizer who blocked Battleground: ‘Protests don’t work by being polite’ “Damn right, we’re inconveniencing people and businesses,” said Anthony, leader and organizer of the Greensboro protest that blocked Battleground Avenue on Saturday and marched inside TarIan McDowell get and Harris Teeter at Lawndale Crossing shopping center.

Contributor “You think Martin Luther King cared he was blocking that Selma Bridge?” Did the Greensboro Four care they made it hard to shop at Woolworth’s? History has shown protests don’t work by being polite. You got to put yourself where people have to listen to and hit ‘em in the pocketbook.”

Anthony, known to his friends and social media followers as AJ and Free Dope Major, organized the first Greensboro protest over the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and 2018 fatal hogtying of Marcus Deon Smith by Greensboro police officers.

That May 30 march began downtown and temporarily closed I-40. The next weekend, he and his marchers shut down Wendover.

“Now we’re shutting down the west side, where they thought we’d never go, where nobody has protested before. And that’s just the beginning. We’re absolutely peaceful, but being peaceful doesn’t mean we care if folks get mad that we’re in their way or interrupting their shopping.”

Many of the people inside Target, where the protesters ended their five-hour march by entering the store, did not seem mad. A security guard angrily tried to keep them out, but then a store manager interceded and invited the marchers in, where cashiers applauded them. One older white woman being rung out by a cashier broke down in tears and clapped when Anthony spoke.

Many customers raised their fists in support. A store manager hugged several protesters.

The only person I witnessed expressing anger at the disruption was a gray-haired white woman at a self-checkout stand.

At first, she appeared irritated that the scanner wasn’t working, then she noticed a protester pointing his phone in her direction. “Are you videoing me?” she snapped.

He said that he was.

“Fine!” she shouted. “White lives matter!”

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JUNE 17-23, 2020

This was while marchers sat on the floor in front of the check-out lanes for eightminute and 46 seconds of silence. That’s the amount of time it took George Floyd to die with police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck.

It was the worst possible time for such an interjection, and things threatened to turn ugly. Multiple protesters denounced the woman with insults and epithets. Then a young Black woman stood up and said, “Don’t let this person give you her demon energy. Ignore her and pray with me.”

When the scowling white woman walked away from the self-checkout stand with her groceries, several protesters shouted, “Look, she’s looting!” The woman went to the customer service counter and spoke angrily to the manager, who rang her out.

“She interrupted us, she ain’t leaving till we’re done,” Anthony said.

The woman shoved her way through the outstretched arms of several standing protesters and walked out. Posts on social media have claimed she was injured, but nothing I personally saw suggested she was hurt.

After the marchers left Target and concluded their protest by dancing the Electric Slide in the parking lot, two Greensboro police officers approached Anthony and warned him to make sure future protests did not block the exits inside stores.

“You do that, people feel they’re being kidnapped,” said one police. He also said that the woman had filed a complaint.

“Y’all got my number,” Anthony said.

The officers remained cordial, and I did not hear them say anything about an alleged assault. Instead, they shook hands with Anthony and departed without detaining him or anyone else.

No police were present when the march began before 1 p.m. in the Target parking lot. At first, about 100 people were gathered, but as the march continued past the shops, it quickly grew, with many employees coming out to applaud them and some customers joining in. By the time it reached Battleground, it had more than doubled in size.

An advance guard of bicyclists rode before the march, stopping at each intersection and setting down their bikes as traffic barriers, much as Greensboro bicycle officers had done during downtown protests. Protesters in a pickup truck, an SUV, and several cars drove slowly before and behind the walkers, protecting them from traffic.

While it was hard to judge the reaction of drivers who kept their windows rolled down, I counted 11 who opened their windows to raise their fists or cheer in support.

Most of the honks also seemed supportive.

I counted three drivers who rolled down their windows to express anger.

The tensest moment was at the intersection of Battleground and Cone/Benjamin. The driver of a semi revved his engine and pulled forward, knocking over the parked bicycle of an athletic young white woman blocking the intersection. She was not hurt and later rode the bicycle, suggesting it had not been badly damaged, but she later told me she’d been terrified.

One protester said to the angry driver, who continued to rev his engine, “Would you run over your own kids if they were standing here?”

“Yes!” he shouted.

A crowd of protesters gathered, and one tall and muscular older Black man appeared ready to climb onto the cab.

Anthony sprinted forward and pulled him back, then ordered the others to standoff.

Anthony then climbed up beside the cab, where he had an intense but quiet and literally face-to-face conversation with the driver.

After a couple of minutes of this conversation, Anthony went to the other side of the truck, which the driver had pulled up on the median. He directed the driver as he pulled his truck around and departed.

Shortly afterward, the same two officers who would later confer with Anthony outside Target arrived on the scene. Anthony spoke with them in a parking lot.

The discussion remained cordial, but one officer indicted he felt a bit “blackmailed” by the fact there was no way to shut down the protest without making the situation much worse. They asked Anthony to agree to only block one side of Battleground, and to have his protesters move with traffic, not against it. Anthony agreed, and the march continued to Pisgah Church Road.

Along the way, there were several stops at intersections, where speeches were given, and eight-minute and 46 seconds moments of silence were observed.

One protester attempted to read out all the names of Black men and women killed by police, but the eight minutes and 46 seconds, which Anthony told the police was the longest he’d block an intersection, proved only time to read less than half the list.

On the way, the procession encountered

an elderly white couple who lived in the neighborhood. They both hugged Anthony and several other protesters, and the man, who said he was 65, walked with the march for a block.

As the group returned, Anthony told his followers to stop and patronize the Black owner of the slushy and funnel cake stand in an empty lot near Markland. Several protesters helped the owner serve the crowd, while others paid for slushies for people with children. The owner of the stand made a tearful speech thanking them and telling them to never stop what they were doing.

A white woman from a nearby home approached and said that anyone who needed to use a bathroom was welcome to hers. The march then returned via Markland to Lawndale Crossing, where employees of several businesses came out to applaud them as they passed. The protesters first entered Harris Teeter, then Target.

At the beginning of the march, Anthony told the crowd that this was a new movement he and his associates were calling The Three, after both the 336 area code and the Holy Trinity.

There, and in speeches at each intersection, he said The Three aims to “deprive white-owned corporations of the Black dollar because we’ve been supporting them too long.” He also that he wants free college education for all AfricanAmericans.

Locally, The Three wants citizen review boards to have subpoena power over the GPD and to get its own members and supporters running for city government.

“Mayor Nancy Vaughan got into her office with 19,000 votes. We can do better than that.”

Speakers also called for the city to allow the community to paint “End Racism Now” outside the police department on Washington Street on Juneteenth.

Anthony called for Greensboro’s Black community to boycott the Fourth of July and to turn out for Juneteenth celebrations next weekend instead.

“That’s our day of Independence, not anything that happened in 1776.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Do Black lives matter to abortion protesters?

“Some wear masks because they’re scared of a virus,” said Sam Wilking into a personal voice amplification system as he preached at the property line of A Woman’s Choice in Greensboro last Ian McDowell Saturday morning.

“Others do it because they’re virtue-signalContributor ing.”

Wilking, a selfprofessed “street preacher” from Graham, was not wearing a mask. Neither did all but two of the 40-odd protesters gathered beside Greensboro’s only remaining abortion-provider, including five from The Pregnancy Network, a faithbased anti-abortion counseling center that advertises itself as a health care provider.

“Jesus Christ said don’t fear those who can harm the body,” Wilking said. “Don’t fear the virus; don’t fear those who can beat you up, don’t fear any of those things!

Fear God, who can cast that body into Hell.”

On May 30, Wilking livestreamed a video of his fellow “street preacher” Chris Pantalone showing apparent fear at the possibility of being beaten up, after Pantalone repeatedly called a Black man accompanying a Black woman from the clinic a coward.

With Pantalone and Wilking in that video was another street preacher, Greensboro resident Gary Purgason. Six hours after the May 30 livestream, Purgason, Wilking and Pantalone addressed demonstrators protesting the murder of George Floyd via megaphone from the Greene Street parking deck, an action which resulted in Purgason’s arrest.

On June 5, Greensboro Police Department public information officer Ronald Glenn told YES! Weekly that “Mr. Purgason was charged with inciting a riot for engaging and agitating the crowd of protesters near his location.”

On June 6, I went to A Woman’s Choice of Greensboro and asked Wilking, the only “street preacher” present, about Purgason’s arrest the previous Saturday. In Wilking’s livestream of the arrest, an officer asks the three men if they threw anything at the protesters below. Wilking denied they did this, claiming the men were “just there to preach the gospel.”

He also denied they intended a counterprotest.

“It just sort of happened like that, and we didn’t mean to come off as intimidating at that moment. I guess everything is kind of WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

new right now, how we have to do things.

We probably should have waited until we were down [on Washington Street]. It’s kind of a shame they didn’t let us off with a warning.”

Pantalone never showed up on June 6, but about an hour later, Wilking was joined

by Purgason.

When I asked about his arrest, Purgason replied, “Repent and believe the Gospel is my only statement.”

Nearby, five women stood beside the ultrasound van from the Pregnancy Network on Fulton Street, offering “free ultrasound” to arriving patients. I asked one of the women why they weren’t wearing masks, as they claimed to offer a medical service.

“You’re not wearing gloves,” replied one sharply. According to a May 14 USA Today article, “Fact Check: no, you shouldn’t be wearing gloves in public,” the CDC “doesn’t recommend the general public use gloves,” as they can be a source of contamination if not properly removed.

I told the woman that I was not the one offering a medical service while asking pregnant women to step into the ultrasound van with me.

“Neither are we,” she said, and then pointed to a sixth woman standing some distance away, who was adjusting her mask. “That’s our nurse. She’s the only [one] who goes in there with them.”

The masked woman confirmed that she was a registered nurse. When I asked if she’d been tested for COVID-19, she said she had not.

Shortly after, I asked the other women from the Greensboro Pregnancy Network about masks, which they all started wearing. But the 24 “prayer walkers” from the Charlotte-based anti-abortion organization Love Life were not.

One, who had two children with her, set up a microphone above the overflow parking lot for A Woman’s Choice. She was joined there by two women from the Pregnancy Network. The three women addressed arriving patients as “momma,” the Love Life member via amplification, and the other two by shouting.

“Hey, momma, please, let us show you your baby,” said the woman with the microphone to one patient. “They won’t do that in there; they won’t let you see your baby that they’re going to kill.”

I asked if they were aware that North Carolina law requires a patient seeking an abortion be shown an ultrasound by the abortion-provider. A white-haired man with an angry expression on his face quickly walked up.

“Don’t answer that question,” he said to them. “They can find that out another

way.” The man ignored my questions about his identity, affiliation, or if he was in a position of authority over the women.

A minister from Love Life group began preaching, not to the arriving patients, but to the 23 other demonstrators wearing the organization’s teal shirts. He told them that “the two abortionists” were in the clinic with the patients, and allegedly named them.

On June 13, I returned to the clinic in a second attempt to interview Pantalone, but he was not at the June 13 protest.

Neither was Gary Purgason, leaving Sam Wilking the only “street preacher.”

Along with preaching that Jesus would protect the righteous from disease, Wilking repeatedly referred to the Black Lives Matter movement in a way that I’ve heard Pantalone do on previous visits. All of the “street preachers” are white, while most of the patients and many of A Woman’s Choice staff and volunteers are Black. On June 6, there was one Black man among the “prayer walkers” from Love Life. On June 13, those protesters included two Black women. (I have personally never seen any people of color among the staff and volunteers from The Pregnancy Network.)

On previous occasions, Pantalone called both patients and patient escorts “hypocrites” for having Black Lives Matter stickers on their car.

“You say Black lives matter, but here you are allowing your Black woman to let white doctors butcher your Black baby” was a typical exhortation. “Go get your woman out of there and save your Black baby!”

Last Saturday, Wilking continued in this vein. He also referred to the protest where he livestreamed Purgason’s arrest two weeks before, while marchers chanted “No justice, no peace!” Wilking asked arriving Black patients, “Where is the justice and peace for the innocent Black lives murdered here today?”

To one Black couple, he said, “I’m not trying to be insensitive, but all Black lives matter to God, including those in the womb, so if Black lives matter to you, you will spare your child from death!”

He also stated, “It’s not a racism issue, it’s a sin issue” and claimed that “abortion has murdered more Black people than any police department.”

The upcoming holiday was another theme of his tirades.

“It’s Father’s Day next weekend. Don’t be a cowardly father. There’s nothing more cowardly than to be a man and walk into a place and have your child killed.”

To another Black man, he said, “Don’t be a coward today, sir! Do Black lives not matter anymore?”

“Have you told him what’s happening to his brother or sister today,” he asked one woman accompanied by a teenaged boy.

“Please, do not take the pills, ma’am, please do not have your son’s brother or sister murdered today!”

To an older woman accompanying a younger one, he asked, “Is that your grandson or granddaughter you’re having murdered today?”

As previously reported, multiple volunteer patient escorts at the clinic, including Pastor Michael Usey of College Park Baptist and Reverend Mark Sandlin of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, have alleged that the “street preachers” regularly harass the female clinic escorts. In their accounts of the May 30 protest, Usey, and Sandlin described one as “preaching” directly at Sandlin from less than 6 feet away for over half an hour, refusing to comply with Sandlin’s request that he maintain social distancing.

The man both Sandlin and Usey alleged did that was not there on either June 6 or June 13, although he can be seen in Wilking’s May 30 livestream, on which he is identified as Steven Ely. After Sandlin made a post about this on his Facebook page, a comment from an account purporting to be Ely’s appeared to acknowledge “preaching the Gospel” at Sandlin.

When I messaged the commenter purporting to be Ely and asked if he had indeed directed his amplified preaching at Sandlin a close range for over 30 minutes, while ignoring Sandlin’s request for social distancing, that commenter blocked me.

So has Pantalone.

Both Usey and Sandlin describe Wilking, who has not blocked me and willingly gave me a statement as “the least aggressive” of the “street preachers” and said they’d never seen him approach either an escort or a patient to harass them. (My own observations support this claim.)

Usey, Sandlin, and other volunteer patient escorts have repeatedly described Chris Pantalone as the most aggressive and confrontational person protesting on Saturday mornings at A Woman’s Choice of Greensboro.

Several former clinic escorts, who asked not to be named due to harassment they have allegedly received, described previous occasions on which they alleged Pantalone nearly provoked men accompanying women to the clinic to violence, as seen from the May 30 livestream. !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

JUNE 17-23, 2020

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