The Rebirth of Spring

In 2018, Vice published an article interviewing Antoinette Harrell, a historian and genealogist specializing in peonage, particularly among Black people in the US south. Harrell, through 20-years of research, uncovered many stories of people who were enslaved well into the 1950’ s and 60’ s, and lived to tell the tale. Harrell’ s blog details some of her tangible findings that point to the reality of 20th-century enslavement in the United States — a reality many were not made aware of through their education of slavery. “I recall learning about the prevalence of sharecropping in the South through the New York Time's 1619 Project but I wasn't aware that there were still enslaved people in the 60s and 70s, ” says Korie. “I can't even fathom the extent to which that was able to happen and how that still affects racial dynamics in the South today. ” The story of Mae and Annie Miller, one that was uncovered by Harrell, served as the inspiration for the film when director Krystin Ver Linden came across the story of these sisters who were enslaved in Mississippi in the 1960s. Though 60 years may seem far away, Annie Miller and her brother Arthur Wall have lived long enough to tell the tale of their experience, even though Mae has not - in fact, the two siblings have been invited to the premiere of the film in Baton Rouge alongside Harrell.

Despite the seemingly widespread annoyance with the number of Black trauma productions being pushed out by Hollywood, positive sentiments surround the film on the day of its premiere. “We ’ re all too familiar with the traumatic slave film but there is a promise of something different in this story, ” says Korie.

Written by Askya Alexander

Temperate weather has settled across the district, with warm breezes making their way to the upper quadrangle of Howard University’s campus and settling in the air. The student body has emerged from their dwellings of hibernation at the first taste of spring. In a sort of frenzied motion, clothing has been shed, music has been playing, and gatherings have been taking place on Howard’s infamous Yard, transforming the open space from a barren wasteland into a populous commune. Spring comes around every year, but this year is different. After two years since the last full spring semester on campus, this was new territory for the majority of the student body. As one might recall, the student body was sent home before Spring Break of March 2020. This alien environment has pushed students to take advantage of experiences they have not had the opportunity to participate in before. With SpringFest, an annual Howard University event filled with a week's worth of activities, right around the corner, another anticipated time of the year has arrived: probate season. Probate season is a fanatical time on any college campus, but especially on that of an HBCU. A probate is a new member orientation presentation performed by Greek organizations. Shown to their families, friends, and the entirety of campus, the new inductees commit themselves to their respective sorority or fraternity for a lifetime. It is an exciting time not only for campus life but for the Greek community as well. The shows often contain greetings, strolls, history, and the reveal. Greek organizations such as Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Phi Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, and Kappa Alpha Psi have had their probates just this week alone.

On Wednesday afternoon, the fraternity Phi Beta Sigma conducted theirs. As the bright royal blue flooded the yard, the new members were unveiled through a show of fraternal history, brotherhood, dancing, and discipline. Kadin Smith, a newly-inducted Sigma, had this to say about the process. “The probate allows you to think of yourself in the context of a brotherhood. ” The brothers conducted their roll-calls, often referring to a fellow with other Divine Nine organizations in attendance. They performed elaborate dance routines surrounded by the compulsive swaying of head nods from alumni of Greek organizations and students alike. The young men recited facts about the history of the fraternity with a high level of discipline, sharp movements, and precision. To the uninitiated, the new member process go through may seem unusual but the processes are steeped in history and tradition unique to each organization. As rigorous as the experience might sound, Naheim Banks, a newly-inducted Kappa, does not view it that way, stating “I’m eternally grateful for this time in my life. It reminds me of what I have learned, what I will continue to learn, and how much I have grown both as an individual and professional. ”

CONGRATULAT 101 Magazine ES The Class of 2022