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BASIS Independent Fremont Journalism Club
TYRE NICHOLS TYRE NICHOLS
By Thanisha Thambidurai“You guys are really doing a lot right now. I’m just trying to go home.”
Moments later: “I am on the ground!”
On January 7, 2023, these words were spoken by Tyre Nichols, a Black man cruelly beaten by five Memphis police officers. Three days later, the 29-year-old passed away in the hospital from the fatal injuries he received from the officers, leaving behind his 4-year-old son.
At around 8:30 P.M. in Memphis, Tennessee, Nichols was pulled over for suspected reckless driving. After he attempted to run from the officers who had stopped him, they pepper sprayed and tased him. While restrained, he was punched, kicked, and beaten with a baton for about three minutes. Nichols was then left on the side of the road, with no immediate medical attention provided by the officers. Only after he complained of “shortness of breath” was an ambulance summoned, and it arrived about twenty-three minutes later. At this point, he was taken to the hospital in critical condition — which Nichols’ attorney Benjamin Crump described as “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating” — where he succumbed to his injuries three days later.
The five Black Memphis officers arrested for the case were Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin, and Desmond Mills Jr.; all five were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct, and one count of official oppression. The five officers were released on bond. Furthermore, it was determined that the EMTs failed to properly treat Nichols due to the lengthy delay in Nichols receiving treatment. Two Memphis Fire Department employees were also relieved of their duties.
According to their lawyers, Mills Jr. and Martin intend to plead not guilty, with Mar -
tin’s lawyer William Massey stating, “No one out there that night intended for Tyre Nichols to die.” Each officer’s bail has been set between $250,000 and $350,000. The following is the official statement released by Blake Ballin, Mills Jr.’s attorney, on Newstation:
“Mr. Mills and I will review these videos together at the appropriate time. A thorough investigation of all available angles is needed before providing context or comment. My heart goes out to the Nichols family and the entire city of Memphis and we hope all will express themselves peacefully.”
RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother, has spoken out, claiming that while the video is horrific, protestors should exercise restraint. She claimed that Nichols would not have supported violence because that’s “not what [he] stood for.” Additionally, Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told the Associated Press that he hopes the officers are charged with first-degree murder, although he is aware there are other charges and says he’s “alright with it.”
Tyre Nichols’ case draws uncanny similarities to Rodney King’s case in 1991. King was being chased by police cars for drunk driving, as his speed was ranging from 55 to 80 mph. After being pulled aside, King and the two other passengers in his car were brutally beaten. Similarly to Nichols, he was dragged to the side of the road to wait for emergency medical attention. Unlike Nichols, King survived the life-changing experience that sparked a wave of protests against police brutality. Nichols’ case garnered a large amount of media coverage and public attention, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Reverend Al Sharpton even attending his funeral on February 1, 2023.
But beyond what actually happened, what does this truly mean for America? Has the country really changed that much? It doesn’t appear so as police brutality, especially targeted toward racial minorities, remains a pressing issue. Although Congress attempted to enact reforms such as the “George Floyd
Justice in Policing Act of 2020” in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, the bill ultimately failed in the Senate after months of bipartisan negotiations. Protests against officials abusing their power continue, but how
sure can we be sure of their effectiveness? Where is the proof that America is improving and becoming a safer, more egalitarian nation, and how many more lives must be lost before we get there?
HUMANS OF BASIS: INCLUSION AND EDUCATION
HUMANS OF BASIS: INCLUSION AND EDUCATION
By Esha B., Ada C., Shirley F., Kevin W., and Alan X.From the minute she walks onto campus, Ms. Parker radiates with positivity as she wheels her cart through the hallways, greeting students and fellow teachers. Ms. Parker puts intention into everything she does, whether it be parenting, teaching, or coaching a thrown together debate team.
Being a hands-on parent and having a good relationship with her five-year-old son are of great value to Ms. Parker. “I put a lot of time and energy into how I parent and what I do with my son,” she explains. “I’ve watched a lot of parenting seminars and videos to help him be the best person he can be.” Beyond valuing her quality of parenting, Ms. Parker sees importance in self-expression, allowing her son to act independently and providing a safe space for him to talk about his feelings.
“One of my big achievements is that he’s good at talking about his feelings,” she says. “I want him to be confident in who he is and have a high sense of self-worth.”
Her own parental pressure initially pushed Ms. Parker towards being a doctor — her undergraduate major was in the biomedical field. However, this area of study wasn’t what she was truly passionate about, so after some exploring, she switched majors.
“English Communications is the thing that I love to do. And the more that I was doing that, the more I realized how much I wanted to teach about this stuff. And I was dead set on being a teacher,” she explained. Ms. Parker vividly remembers her first day of teaching — the culmination of all her effort in undergraduate and graduate education. “The first day that I was in the classroom, I hoped I would like it because I spent all this time doing it,” she explained. “The moment that class ended, I cried because I realized this is exactly where I need to be. I know that. I know that I’m meant to be a teacher.”
Despite BASIS students being predominantly surrounded by STEM, Ms. Parker wants stu -
dents to recognize the “stability, money, and happiness in humanities.” Furthermore, Ms. Parker believes that our community should be more flexible when it comes to choosing non-STEM occupations and view students as “holistic humans that are going through things and that need grace sometimes.” She wants students to understand that the content taught in school, such as “quotients or independent clauses aren’t the end all, be all of things,” and that their interests are worth pursuing.
She has established clear goals for her classroom: learning about rhetorical situations, analyzing the complex works of renowned authors, but most importantly, emphasizing that grades do not define each student’s worth and that their peers are resources, not adversaries. She knows her students cannot focus in class or build a solid foundation for learning if they don’t see their own selfworth.
Ms. Parker’s classroom serves as an environment for constructive learning. At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Parker focuses on developing a strong bond with her students to build trust and mutual respect. Because of these meaningful relationships, Ms. Parker is able to assign completion grades to difficult assignments. Despite having her teaching techniques questioned, she has never had any issues with students not putting in their best effort. Ms. Parker wants to create a space in which her students are growing, learning, and challenging themselves, even if it means failing. Ultimately, she hopes that her students will bring this mentality into their everyday lives.
Ms. Parker also hopes to influence her students with the material she chooses to teach. Her rule is: “We do not read dead white guys.” White male perspectives are saturated in most English classrooms, so Ms. Parker hopes to bring a new perspective to her pupils, who
are mostly students of color. Ms. Parker grew up in classrooms full of white male authors, and she intends to break that cycle by introducing students to books where they can identify with the characters. She hopes her students will find the value in diverse literature and seek to read more on their own.
“I’m not even planting seeds yet. I’m just making sure the soil is fertile, and then hopefully the seeds will plant and they will go out and be more diverse and not think that Hemingway or Faulkner is the end all be all of literature.”
Although she appreciates literature from a variety of literary movements, Ms. Parker particularly enjoys the uniqueness of postmodern literature. “It’s super weird,” she describes. One characteristic of postmodern literature that fascinates her is “temporal distortion,” a literary technique wherein the timeline of the story is nonlinear or “all over the place” as Ms. Parker explained. Many popular shows and books today utilize temporal distortion, such as Rick and Morty and Waiting for Godot. Narratives involving temporal distortion are hard to understand, but Ms. Parker enjoys the process of unraveling such timelines — “I like being very confused in the novel for a while and being like, I don’t understand and then later I’m like, oh, I understand. I love that.”
One of Ms. Parker’s biggest inspirations is James Baldwin, a 20th-century gay Black academic. She enjoys both his nonfiction and fiction works. “He wrote beautiful, beautiful fiction, but a really incredible elevated nonfiction, too,” she explains. According to Ms. Parker, one of his most striking skills was his ability to “stay true to himself and unapologetically Black while still taking over academia.” Not only did he “play the game” of his peers in a time of extreme prejudice, but he also managed to break barriers “in an intelligent and academic way.” His story and message inspires Ms. Parker to “stay true to what she’s about” and “to go into the world unapologetically and confident in [her] intelligence.” His tenacious struggle to maintain his self-identity is an inspiring act for
everyone undergoing similar struggles today.
Recently, Ms. Parker proposed the idea of AP African American studies to Ms. Davis. Ms. Parker is ecstatic that African American studies is now at the AP level, on par with AP Literature and AP Language and Composition. She finds hope in the education system starting to value African American studies.
Ms. Parker has also provided insight on how the BASIS community can strive for further diversity among the student body. She stresses that there are “incredibly intelligent Black people out there that deserve to be in this space of rigor and that could handle it” — however, she fears the “loneliness of nobody sharing your culture” that Black students would feel if they were to join our school. Furthermore, she worries that Black students would have “to prove that they belong in this space” and that “the spotlight is going to be on them if they mess up once.”
However, this isn’t to say that there’s no hope. Ms. Parker identifies some of our community’s first steps towards greater diversity: recognizing our own biases, not mistakenly becoming overly conscious of a person’s race, and learning to be more considerate and empathetic.
POET SPOTLIGHT: MS. MANGAL POET SPOTLIGHT: MS. MANGAL
In addition to operating as the Auxiliary Program Manager on our Upper Campus, Ms. Mangal is a published author. Her debut book, Modern Fables: The Development of Emotional Intelligence, Character and Integrity in Children Through the Presentation of Short Stories and Poetry, reached #1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers List for Children Books on Values. The poem “Hygiene Is Not Something You Wear” is featured in her book and is presented here! Another poem (not featured in her book) titled “There’s Something About Those Dreads” is presented here as well.
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE DREADS
I envision you walking, Tall, dark and handsome black thing, Not your typical black but, purple-black the epitome of black,
A black attack but, don’t misconstrue, You are my type, to be that black lies the epitome of truth,
Truth being--Black is beautiful, you know the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice, Yea beautiful, that’s you, Walking, dreads swinging, You were only walking…don’t you remember?
You glanced at me for what seemed to be a while,
We engaged in a deep gaze and both began to smile,
By the end of my vision and our telepathic conversation,
I said in my head, there’s something about those dreads---there’s something about those dreads— there’s something about those dreads that meets more than just the eye, Can it perhaps meet my vision of you and I?
Now, that’s a vision that of which I would not mind,
We could communicate and talk about things that matter like,
Love and hate my, World has never been warped by the negativity of this society,
It’s now better that I have you to help guide me,
While all of this was happening something kept repetitiously playing in my head, I believe it was there’s something about those dreads, there’s something about those dreads, there’s,
Definitely something about those dreads.
TWO VISUAL ARTISTS TWO VISUAL ARTISTS
By Aarna K. and Katherine H.ABRAHAM OGUNLENDE
Abraham Ogunlende is a Nigerian minimalist painter who has made a significant impact in the past few years, most notably with his “The Sky Is Always Blue” art series. Ogunlende paints to establish a connection between his Nigerian identity and modern society.
In one specific piece, “CircleScape III,” Ogunlende uses colorful circles to create a polka-dot background, pattern the shirt of the young main subject, and fill the rainbow-colored lollipop the main subject is holding. The main subject is painted in pitch black, in contrast to the bright white background. Through these artistic choices, Ogunlende is able to display the simplicity as well as the colorfulness of life side-by-side. Ogunlende also utilizes the repetition of circles to express the playfulness and beauty of a youthful life. Circles are an essential element to Ogenlunde’s work, and as he says in an interview with BetterShared, “I feel like I joke around so much...I guess that playfulness does seep into my work.”
Through his minimalist artwork, Ogunlende seeks to represent a new perspective of his Nigerian heritage to the world. Inspired by cultural intersections, he seeks to show
HYGIENE IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WEAR
Daddy opened the door, and Alexis thought he was preparing to greet her with a kiss, So she pretended to fall out of bed and tickled Daddy instead.
She said, “Good morning, Daddy,” and extended her arms for a hug. Daddy held her tight in such a way that she could feel the magnitude of his love.
He said, “Baby girl, you are getting swifter with your moves.”
She retorted, “Daddy, did you know I was trying to tickle you?” He said, “No, baby girl, that was quite a surprise, and you caught Daddy off guard.
Let’s have a word of prayer, and then our day—we shall start.”
After their prayer, Daddy said, “What will you wear to school today?”
She said, “Daddy, it’s cool outside, so I will wear my blue hygiene.”
“You will wear your blue what?”
Alexis responded, “My hygiene.”
Daddy chuckled and said, “Baby girl, hygiene is not something you wear, rather, it’s a litany of practices to ensure you and your environment are clean.
Washing your hands after using the restroom, sneezing, and coughing prevents the spread of germs.
People who opted not to wash their hands during those situations received a lesson they will never forget they learned.
Some germs are so tiny that a microscope is required to see them. Germs grow in the presence of bacteria, and sanitary practices help reduce them.
Always wash your hands with soap, brush your teeth, bathe your body, and keep your environment clean.
Hygienic practices require you to do those things. It’s a way of life, and they are different than your favorite pair of blue jeans.”
BLACK MUSICIANS BLACK MUSICIANS
By Heeya, Joleen, and AmandaRIHANNA
Rihanna is a global icon who has achieved great success in the music industry. With her powerful voice and alluring stage presence, she was able to quickly dazzle other wellknown musicians. She first gained worldwide recognition in the mid-2000s with her hit single “Pon de Replay” and went on to release numerous chart-topping albums. Some of her most well-known songs include “Umbrella”, “We Found Love”, “Diamonds”, and “Only Girl (In the World)”. Her songs are renowned for their distinctive melodies, catchy choruses, and powerful vocals, which have helped her win numerous Grammy awards and gain international recognition.
Rihanna is also an advocate for important social and political causes, including women’s rights, racial justice, and climate change. Rihanna’s fame and influence extend far beyond the music industry, making her a cultural icon and role model to millions of people around the world. Most recently, she performed at this year’s Super Bowl, capturing the hearts of millions of viewers and showcasing her singing and dancing talent. The performance garnered 50 million views on YouTube in just three days after the big game, testifying to Rihanna’s popularity.
WHITNEY HOUSTON
Whitney Houston (1963 - 2012) was an American singer, actress, and producer. She is widely referred to as one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she grew up in a musically-inclined family and developed her passion for singing by participating in her church choir. In 1985, Houston released her debut album, featuring top hits such as “Saving All My Love For You” and “How Will I Know.” In 1987, she released her second album named “Whitney,” and became the first female artist to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
Houston was known for her powerful and emotional performances, one of which was
her performance at the Super Bowl in 1991. The U.S. at that time was in the midst of the Gulf War, and Whitney’s legendary rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” lifted the spirits of a country that needed support and unification. Her performance is not only remembered for its emotional power but also for its influence on future versions of the National Anthem. To this day, her performance remains an iconic moment in her career and in the history of Super Bowl halftime shows.
LIZZO
Melissa Viviane Jefferson, publicly known as Lizzo, is arguably one of the world’s most influential female black pop artists. Known for her body-positivity campaign and her hip-hop tunes, Lizzo has an undeniable talent and kindness that extends to all. Lizzo’s debut album, “Lizzobangers” put her in “TIME’s 14 Music Artists to Watch in 2014” list. She continued to create two more albums until her eventual career breakthrough in 2019 when her well-known single “Juice” was released.
Classically trained as a flutist from age 10 to 18, Lizzo frequently plays flute in her hip-hop music, creating a unique blend of the two genres. After her debut, she went on to perform on tour and at Coachella while also making several appearances on SNL and joining other artists on stage, such as Harry Styles.
After struggling with her own body image throughout her childhood, Lizzo uses her platform to create an inclusive community, mainly focusing on body positivity. In an interview, she famously stated, “You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your skin is what unifies us.” Lizzo continuously focuses on diversity in her music and promotes her content as inclusive and welcoming. She’s earned support from the LGBTQ+ community, with queer fans explicitly naming themselves “Lizzibians,” as a play on words with Lizzo and lesbians. Lizzo uses her platform to consistently speak out on issues and raise money when needed.
Rihanna, Whitney Houston, and Lizzo are three of the most influential artists in the music industry who have created wonderful music that speaks to a variety of listeners.
the world that all humans are the same in one way or another and that we can collectively work towards greater understanding and acceptance. Ogunlende is an extremely influential emerging artist who is making waves in the Modern Afro-Minimalism Art community.
id in a 2019 interview. Before receiving her MA in Cultural History, Himid studied theater design in the Wimbledon College of Art. Incorporating ideas of the reclamation of identities and cultural history, Himid seeks to commemorate the forgotten histories of Black people and reflect their experiences.
“The main themes of my work center around belonging and contribution,” she expressed.
paintings with contemporary personas, the artwork presents itself as a satire, studying the position that Black people held in British society.
Born in 1954 to an English mother and Tanzanian father, artist Lubania Himid made history when she became the first Black woman to win the distinguished Turner Prize in 2017 at age 63. Himid has since been recognized for her extraordinary contributions by the British government, the Royal Academy of Arts, and numerous art magazines.
“I think of myself as a painter, but at the same time, as a cultural activist,” stated Him -
Revenge, arguably one of Himid’s most prominent and impactful series, is a truly riveting and eye-catching installation. It was described by her to be a “conversation about a conversation” in a 2018 interview with Spike Island. The various paintings are set up in a series, inviting their audience to step into the paintings and the world they create. The pieces depict images from the slave trade and women’s roles during that time. The artworks range from very simplistic to very detailed. Himid uses her distinctive technique of bright colors and expressive designs to both celebrate and mourn the sacrifice of African women. Each piece plays a significant role in the overall presentation and the whole installation comes together to tell a story.
Another one of Himid’s seminal installations, A Fashionable Marriage, uses two different ideas and brings them together to transport the viewer to the 1980s. The installation is based on Marriage A-la-Mode: 4, The Toilette, a painting by William Hogarth from the 1700s, and draws inspiration from many of the characters portrayed in the artwork. Replacing the characters of the original
Lubaina Himid’s artwork continues to influence the world of art as well as everyday viewers of her illustrations. Himid remains a pivotal figure in the British Black Arts Movement and has inspired many of the talented rising Black artists we see today.
“Between the Two My Heart is Balanced” by Lubaina Himid —a piece in the “Revenge” series
“Studies for a Fountain” by Lubaina Himid —a piece in the “Revenge” series
through art and be less combative.
GORDON PARKS’ PHOTOGRAPHIC CAREER AND LEGACY
GORDON PARKS’ PHOTOGRAPHIC CAREER AND LEGACY
By Sachit ParekhGordon Parks was born on November 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kansas. He spent most of his childhood there, facing racial segregation in schools and bigotry from his white peers. After his mother died when he was only fourteen, he moved to the Twin Cities in Minnesota, where he spent his time on the streets, homeless, doing anything he could to get even a sliver of money.
Parks bought his first camera in 1938, the twin-lens reflex Voigtländer Brilliant. After teaching himself to take photographs, he became a portrait and fashion photographer at a department store in St. Paul. Later, he moved to a fast-growing Chicago, where he started a portrait business and primarily documented the poverty of the South Side region. His work led him to join the Julius Rosenwald Fellowship, a prestigious group that further enhanced his career as a photographer.
In 1942, Parks became a photographer for the Farm Security Administration (FSA), where he worked to document social conditions in the country. There, he took what is perhaps his most famous photo, titled “American Gothic,” in reference to Grant Wood’s famous 1930 painting of a White American farmer and his daughter standing in front of their house. In this photo, he photographs Ella Watson, a janitor for the FSA building, in stark contrast to the American flag in the background. Upon personal interpretation, it tells the powerful story of how Blacks are left behind to clean up the mess of American “democracy.” After mixed reviews from his mentor, Parks continued to photograph Watson, showcasing her daily life and the poverty she faced.
Following his work at the FSA, he photographed the Tuskegee Airmen, a mostly-Black group of military pilots who fought in World War II, for a short time. From then and continuing to 1947, he was a part of the Standard Oil Photography Project, where he captured scenes of small-town and industrial life. For some time, he also was a freelance photogra -
pher for Vogue magazine. In 1948, Parks was hired as a staff photographer for Life magazine, becoming the first Black person to hold this position.
During Parks’ 20-year career at Life, he both photographed new fashion trends and documented the lives of Black families and how racial segregation had impacted them. These photographs served as catalysts for the Civil Rights Movement of the late fifties and early sixties by showing people the hardships Black families face as a result of the racism that is ingrained into American society. Parks also made portraits of many famous figures of the Civil Rights Movement, including Malcolm X and Kwame Ture.
Aside from his explorations in still photography, he made films as the first Black director in Hollywood’s film industry, directing the Shaft series as well as various biographical-style films. In addition, he also composed music and wrote many books on photography, poetry, and fiction. He also wrote two autobiographies, The Learning Tree and Voices in the Mirror.
Parks was an influential figure in the photographic community, inspiring people around the world with his moving storytelling and vibrant images. In 2002, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame, finally recognized for the trailblazing figure he was in both still photography and filmmaking. In Parks’ own words, from his autobiography Voices in the Mirror: “I have known both misery and happiness, I have lived in so many different skins it is impossible for one skin to claim me. And I have felt like a wayfarer on an alien planet at times—walking, running, wondering about what brought me to this particular place, and why. But once I was here the dreams started moving in, and I went about devouring them as they devoured me.”
BLACK IN MAYBERRY BLACK IN MAYBERRY
By Ryan L., Krish M., and Ariana Y.During Black History Month, it is crucial to reflect on the stories of people of color and how they overcame the adversities they have had to face. These adversities can manifest in various forms, such as stereotyping, prejudice, bias, and systematic racism. We sat down with Tanya Taylor, a founding member of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, Black in Mayberry. Black in Mayberry uses art and education to convey various points about social justice and human rights. From Tanya, we learned about the hardships the organization encountered and how they were able to overcome those hardships to get to where they are now. Additionally, we discussed the core values that Black in Mayberry represented, how the organization managed to maintain authenticity, and other unique attributes of Black in Mayberry.
The organization was originally formed to create a documentary that narrated and shed light on stories of hate crime victims that were lesser known. After shocking incidents like the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, the company transformed into a nonprofit organization with the primary intention of revealing racial prejudices of underrepresented individuals and combining this idea with the arts. Tanya described the organization as an intertwining of two separate parts: the arts and racial reform. She stated that compared to racial struggle, which is an issue that is so controversial and negative, the arts are a form of culture that can be appreciated by just about anyone.
Black in Mayberry’s initial documentary was really meant to “bridge the gap between communication” during racially-charged events. Tanya realized that when speaking about racism, many often feel defensive in regards to their opinions and believe that by speaking out, they are exposing their own values to be attacked. This idea is a widespread misconception that poses a roadblock to racial equality. Tanya built this organization so that people can instead communicate
Yet another problem is the lack of knowledge regarding the various hardships that African Americans have had to face. This issue likely stems from the fact that even in the United States, people from different states and cities experience different levels of education pertaining to social injustice. This makes talking about social and racial conflicts much more complicated. However, by making the organization art based, everyone can come together, no matter their beliefs, to really see the experiences of the artist themselves, visually drawn, expressed however the artist wanted. In the words of Tanya, “the organization really grew from a desire to continue to use the arts to be able to facilitate conversations on racism that would really bring together our entire community.”
“Defining ourselves, for ourselves.” This was the most notable struggle that Tanya states the nonprofit organization faced while being in the early stages of creation. Black in Mayberry was created to display stories to the people, but how were they going to stay true to who they themselves were? She noted that deciding what the organization was going to be in their own eyes was an early conflict they faced. Their solution: be clear about who the beneficiaries of the organization were. Tanya noted that they made sure to “speak forward and to the experiences of their beneficiaries, and not speak in relation to their donors.” She mentions that many organizations go adrift after being preoccupied with their donors, and end up forgetting to honor and properly represent the people who the organization was meant for in the very first place.
Black History Month means something different to each person. To Tanya, it is “a celebration of black resilience and black triumph.” It’s a month which recognizes the entire journey and progression of African Americans, despite the various inequalities and injustices that they had to face. Part of this progress is the hard work of various organizations, just like Black in Mayberry, that try to shed an inspirational light on confronting the heavy and negative topic of racial injustice.
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER: HIS LIFE’S WORK
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER: HIS LIFE’S WORK
By Sarah WuBorn into slavery, George Washington Carver went through a difficult journey to become one of history’s most respected scientists, lauded for developing revolutionary methods in agriculture and technology. This is his story.
As a young child, Carver explored so much of the nature and world around him that people commonly referred to him as the “plant doctor.” With plenty of talent and intellect, Carver began pursuing higher education. In the process, he faced racism and prejudice, forcing him to travel long distances in order to find the education he desired. Despite the challenges, however, Carver was able to earn both a Bachelors and Masters degree, a difficult accomplishment for anyone at the time. In his later years, he began working as a professor at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and was later promoted to Head of the Agriculture Department. In 1923, Carver received the Spingarn Medal, an acknowledgement of his groundbreaking accomplishments. His legacy continues to inspire many today, as he represents a symbol of strength and determination despite unjust circumstances.
Carver’s work played an important role in the development of agriculture in the South. Cotton is a delicate plant vulnerable to uncontrollable outside factors. Carver noticed that as farmers continued to grow cotton year after year, the quality only worsened, and crops grew in decreasing abundance. This loss in productivity was due to depletion of nitrogen levels in the soil, a vital nutrient required for the successful cultivation of cotton. With this observation, Carver began developing his own crop rotation method. It involved the introduction of nitrogen producing crops, such as peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans, in order to enhance the soil. Carver’s new method helped southern farmers avoid overreliance on cotton, and improve their levels of production.
Beyond crop rotation, Carver continued his
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CROSSWORD BLACK HISTORY MONTH CROSSWORD
work developing products through the use of nitrogen producing crops. Carver found more than 300 usages for the peanut, including common household items such as soap, lotions, and medicines. Furthermore, Carver helped popularize peanut butter by developing a process of extraction. During World War I, he worked with Henry Ford to use peanuts as a rubber substitute. Carver also worked with a variety of other plants, such as sweet potatoes, developing over 100 different products for it as well.
As an advocate for the conservation of the environment, Carver left behind a strong legacy. He was able to defy society’s expectations in a time where Jim Crow laws and segregation were the norm. He made speeches to predominantly white institutions, working to promote racial equality in the deep south.
Carver wished to use science to better the lives of rural southern farmers. Many of his methods were highly accessible to those with limited equipment. Carver made it his life mission to better the lives of those around him and “learn to do common things, uncommonly well.” Overall, George Washington Carver’s inventions helped revolutionize Southern agriculture and promote stable farming practices. His legacy as a pioneering scientist and advocate for environmentalism continues to be celebrated today.
ACROSS DOWN
KAH PACKING EVENT KAH PACKING EVENT
By Sheil Mody and Vincent YangOn February 4th, the Kids Against Hunger club hosted a meal-packing event here at our very own school MPR, packing over 51,000 meals for those facing food insecurity in Ukraine. Sheil and Vincent, members of The Yellow Pages, decided to interview the president of the club to find out her thoughts on this success.
Sheil & Vincent: Hey Allyson, glad you could cut some time for this interview!
Allyson: Of course, the pleasure is all mine.
Sheil & Vincent: First, a question regarding your events as a whole. For people who aren’t able to attend these in-person events, how can they contribute to your organization?
Allyson: If you can’t make it to an event, there are other ways to be involved in KAH. You could start a KAH club at your school if you don’t go to Basis Independent Fremont, or donate at one of our many fundraisers!
Sheil & Vincent: How can people get involved with Kids Against Hunger in the future?
Allyson: Join the BIF KAH club! It’s open to all high schoolers, and we plan all the fundraisers for the annual events.
Sheil & Vincent: What would be your definition of a successful event, and do you think this year’s packing event reached that level?
Allyson: There’s no such thing as an unsuccessful event because every meal packed goes toward people who need it. That said, it would be ideal to pack as many meals as possible to help more people. This event was amazing! We packed over 51,000 meals, and we set a Fremont record for the most meals packed in a single event! We couldn’t have
