Black World: Spring Issue I

WELCOME:

Dear readers, after a decade, BLACK WORLD is finally back. Since 1974, our goal has been to serve the Black and Latinx community at Stony Brook University.

This edition is very special to all members of BLACK WORLD after ten years of its reintroduction. The continuity of BLACK WORLD has rested upon the voluntarism of students and university staff members.

BLACK WORLD will continue to be an informal source for the Black and Latinx community at Stony Brook University. This publication’s reintroduction was to establish communication between the past and present. We hope to continue to be a source where you can all come and learn about your world through your people.

BLACK WORLD

“Know Thyself ”

ANTHONI HAYNES PRESIDENT

OLUWATUNMISE AKINFELEYE VICE PRESIDENT

KAFILAT ABDUL TREASURER

ISABELLA BEGAZO SECRETARY

PHILIP AUSTIN HISTORIAN

AUDREY FERNANDEZ LEAD WRITER

REHANNA BERTRAM LEAD WRITER

DAMILYS SANTANA VARGAS LEAD EDITOR

ANDREW SABINI STAFF WRITER

OLUWATOYIN KUPOLUYI WRITER

CAMERON WILLIAMS SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR

JULIO TAKU PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

Dear Black World audience and readers,

As Black World’s media program advisor for over 16 years, I want to send my congratulations to all members for their hard work, creativity and dedication in bringing this publication back to print along with an engaging multimedia presence. Great job everyone. Enjoy the publication.

- Isobel Breheny-Schafer Assistant Director for Student Media Department of Student Community Development

BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT STONY BROOK

RASHEED JOSEPH PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

CHRISTOPHER JEAN-PIERRE VIDEO/AUDIO EDITOR

MELOSERI DUMNOI VIDEO EDITOR

GISSELLE COATL PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

JEREMY KURI

PHOTOGRAPHER/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

AUDREY FERNANDEZ CREATIVE ARTS EDITOR

AUDREY FERNANDEZ

JOSH JOSEPH LAYOUT EDITORS

MARIA LOPEZ COVER ARTIST

CONTRIBUTORS:

DR. PATRICE NGANANG AFRICANA STUDIES CHAIR

DR. ZEBULON MILETSKY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

PAMELA MATZNER

EOP/AIM DIRECTOR

Garvrielle Joseph • Lucrecia Urrutia

Nayeli Lopez • Stanichar Pierrre • Andrew Candio Perpetua Uduba • Ife Atolagbe • Jazela Wright

Diana More • Marian Ubanede

Seyhandra Benjamin • Sophia Camulaire

Maria Hernandez • Celeste Parks

Danielle Ramirez

BACK TO THE BROOK

Learn about five legends who have walked through our halls

By Audrey Fernandez

Angela Davis

Activist, educator, and writer Dr. Angela Yvonne Davis was a visiting professor at Stony Brook University in 2004.

James Baldwin

Writer and activist James Aurthur Baldwin, was a guest lecturer at Stony Brook University on Thursday, February 14th, 1985.

Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison, faculty professor at SUNY Albany School of Humanities, was a guest lecturer at Stony Brook University on Monday, March 4th, 1985.

Amiri Baraka

Amiri Baraka was an author of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism. Baraka is known for his substantial contributions to the arts, social activism, and lasting impact on Stony Brook University, teaching from 1979 to 1988 in the Africana Studies department.

The Notorious B.I.G.

The voice that influenced a generation, the Notorious B.I.G., performed at Stony Brook University on May 3rd, 1996.

Black History Month and the Roots

By Rehanna Bertram, Lead Writer

Black History Month celebrates the past, present, and future. Inspired by the 50th anniversary of emancipation in 1915, Carter G. Woodson commemorated Black History Month as a celebration of African-American history. After witnessing such festivities, Woodson formed an organization that promoted the study of Black life and history, which led to “the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History” (ASNLH). In the 1920s, Woodson began to encourage his fraternity brothers, Omega Psi Phi, to continue the work he had

The Divine Nine

By Philip Austin, Historian

started, and from there, Negro Achievement week was born.

Negro Achievement Week had become a raging success and was celebrated among university and college campuses across the nation. In the 1930s, it adopted the name Negro History Week, and by the 1960s, the celebration became widely known and accepted. Black History Month began to replace Negro History Week on college campuses.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council, or “The Divine Nine,” is a coalition of the nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

Stony Brook University has been fortunate enough to have had all the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities, except for Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Each Divine Nine fraternity and sorority is committed to promoting academic excellence for its members and service to their communities.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

The oldest fraternity in the Divine Nine was founded on December 4, 1906. It is the only member of the Divine Nine to be established at an Ivy League. Our Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., charted its chapter at Stony Brook University in August 1990.

Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.

Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. was the second to be founded on January 15, 1908. AKA tops the NPHC in the number of chapters and initiates, and they are one of the largest Greek-letter organizations in the US.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Initially founded as Kappa Alpha Nu, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., was based on January 5, 1911. It is the first NPHC organization to be nationally incorporated. Our Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. chapter at Stony Brook was founded in 2009.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Howard University on November 17, 1911, becoming the first fraternity founded at an HBCU.

Our Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Founded on January 13, 1913, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is dedicated to public service, primarily serving African-American communities. Our Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

chapter was chartered at Stony Brook in May 1984.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was founded on January 9, 1914. It is constitutionally bonded to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Our Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was chartered in the Spring of 1980 and was the first NPHC fraternity at Stony Brook University.

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on November 12, 1922. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. is the only NPHC sorority that was not established at Howard University, but was based at a predominantly white institution.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. was founded on September 19, 1963. It is the last member of the NPHC to be established. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. is the only Divine Nine fraternity with no chapter at Stony Brook.

The nine Black Greek initials representing the Divine Nine. Brianna Milord / FSU News

The History of Black and Latinx Clubs on Campus

By Audrey Fernandez

1968- Establishment of Black Students United (current day Black Student Union, BSU)

1968- Establishment of the Puerto Rican Student Organization (current day Latin American Student Organization, LASO)

1969- Presence of Stony Brook Black Voice on the Statesman (current day Black World)

1974- Establishment of the Caribbean Club (current day Caribbean Student Organization, CSO)

1975- First Black World records indicating the presence of the African Student Union (ASU)

1976- First Black World records indicating the presence of the NAACP

Preserving and Documenting SBU

History: About the University Archives and SBU Libraries

The information in this timeline was gathered from Stony Brook University’s Special Collections and University Archives.

The University Archives serves as an institutional memory for Stony Brook University and has an integral role in documenting and preserving materials of enduring historical and evidential value. Archival materials in their original formats and digital collections form the collections. For more information, visit https://www.stonybrook.edu/libspecial.

1976- First Black World records indicating the presence of L’Overture (current day HSO)

1978- Establishment of the Black Womyn’s Weekend (precursor to current day Black Womyn’s Association, BWA)

Covid provided universities with a recess that, in effect is more organizational than substantial. Zoom meetings are here to stay, and distance learning has recomposed the structure of classes and pedagogy beyond the classical challenges of online teaching. For Africana, the recess is a different one, though. To understand it, it will be necessary, to listen again to Malcom X’s 1963’s ‘Message to the grassroots.’ This means: listening to listen to it, having the political landscape of the last three decades of world politics in the background. Of course, it is challenging to articulate inherently Black politics today because the multiple assaults against the concept of ‘Black’ made it practically disappear from institutional language. ‘Africana’ is also culpable here. The genuine effort to incorporate the study of cultures and languages from Africa and the Caribbean, can be read as the code word for a positive alliance of Black people across the globe. But very often, it was done at the expense of the politics of Blackness. The Obama Decade even went so far as to suggest what is a clear aporia: the study of Blackness

AFRICANA STUDIES AT STONY BROOK Black Studies After Recess

By Patrice Nganang Chair, Department of Africana Studies

against race. Doing so sidetracked the fundamental need to study and understand what it means to be Black in America today: in the belly of the Empire. It naively pushed a post-racial agenda in the name of a cosmopolitan vision at the same time as the United States, under Obama, was waging its highest number of concurrent wars since WWII, from Afghanistan to Mali and from Libya to Yemen. And yet as long as the US plays the role of the global hegemon, anti-imperialist study drawn from Malcom’s message will remain necessary, and Blackness will need to remain the world’s conscience.

The concept of “vanguard” maybe outdated, pushed in the dustbin of scholarship by promises of the post-racial, but in the pragmatics of things. The current revival of anything related to the Black Panthers is an indicator, but also the fact that, according to a New York Times recent survey, most Black people in the US still prefer to be called “Black.” Not surprisingly: The mass incarceration of Black people in the US, in the country that incarcerates the most people on the planet, is structural racism that flies un-

der the radar of all traditional anti-discrimination policies. So much so that Stony Brook University can have the necessary Diversity Offices and DEI provisions in place, but at the same time rely on CORCRAFT, the NY state company that uses inmates, the majority of whom are Black, and most certainly minorities, to provide for the furniture students use. The usual accusation of hypocrisy labeled against individual racist behavior is flatfooted in front of such institutional use of the provisions of convict labor inherited from the times of chattel slavery, mainly because it talks the talk of metrics. In underfunded state institutions that saw a drastic dip in enrollment due to Covid, and Departments of Africana studies are chronically underfunded, the need for revenue supersedes ethical considerations, one is told. Here, a pedagogy rooted in a restored alliance of BIPOC becomes vital, with the goal of articulating the voice of the unheard victims of capitalism’s masquerades. In the classroom, in enrollment, and hires.

And the landscape of capitalism’s struggles has become more visible internationally, particularly in the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Taiwan, both outgrowths of a century-old competition for which Bandung was already an answer in 1955. Malcolm spoke of Bandung as an inspiration for Black coalition politics, in the struggle against Empire, in the United States, in Algeria. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and the constitution of a unipolar world, the word ‘Empire’ and the critiques of imperialism had all. Still, they found their last niche in the Humanities – in English departments, the Departments of Cultural studies, and of course, in Departments of Africana studies. But today, his words suddenly resonate in the recent UN vote on Ukraine, and in the surprisingly unified African position, against NATO and the European Union. A year is probably not enough to see the ramifications of

this new African disposition. Still, the study of African affairs is not immune from the New World Order unfolding in front of our very eyes. What is the location of Black cultures in a BRICS-defined world in which China and India are seen as competitors inside the capitalist arena and not as cultures and countries that align themselves with anti-capitalist ideals, as was the case after the Bandung conference? What is the consequence of such a re-composition of world dominance for the planet, our standard jewel, particularly concerning global warming? What, then, is the meaning of the Global South when Brazil and South Africa appear as contenders in a world that for far too long has been shaped at the expense of their respective Black populations? What is even the meaning of Empire in a world in which the world hegemon, the United States, is losing war after war, from Libya to Syria to Afghanistan? What indeed is ‘Empire’ in a world where, after thirty years of intermission during which the United States was battling failed states, ‘enemy combatants’, ‘networks’, and even a concept, ‘terror’, Russia is back as a world host of substance?

In the new world in formation, Black studies will have to nurture research in activism.

The Importance of Black and Mass Media

By Zebulon Miletsky Associate Professor, Africana Studies

This past semester, I taught my AFS 363: Blacks and Mass Media course just like many semesters before. Arriving at class that first day in a small, dark, windowless classroom in Staller, I could do nothing but let my eyes take in what would be our new learning space. As I did, I spotted an older-looking wooden blackboard in the corner—perhaps an antique—but it had a strange appeal. To say that this classroom was different from others I have taught in was an understatement, yet there was something special about its lack of amenities.

I mentioned this to the class the first week to help them visualize the kind of educational experien-

ting and “the power of the pen”— utilizing what would become the medium to aid in the campaigns for full citizenship that lay ahead.

As we learned in class, 1827 was the same year that slavery was abolished in the state of New York. It would be no coincidence that “Freedom’s Journal” was born that same year by editors Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm.

According to Catherine R. Squires, author of the textbook of our class, African Americans & The Media, “For free Blacks to be able to speak on a range of issues regarding race and citizenship, they needed—and successfully created—a separate press. In the Black press, writers and editors could

As Cornish bravely stated in the pages of the Colored American, “We are Americans—Colored Americans .... in complexion, blood, and nativity, we are decidedly more exclusively ‘American’ than our white brethren, hence the propriety of the name of our people, Colored Americans, and of identifying the name with all our institutions, despite our enemies, who would rob us of our nationality and reproach us as exoticks [sic].”

The Black press has been a significant engine for conveying African Americans’ hopes, frustrations, culture, and political strategies. We are seeing the need for Black media perhaps more than

ge—in news broadcasts, in reality, on television, and today even through social media.

Another conclusion that our class came to was that the advent of integration in the 1960s and 1970s spelled a slow death knell for the independent Black press, which had been very strong—starting in the 19th century—and flourished in the early 20th century. Some of the most famous are the Chicago Defender, the Amsterdam News, The Omaha Star, The Boston Guardian, and the Baltimore Afro-American. Still, hundreds and hundreds of them—some ceasing publication or restarting under new names—many becoming a treasured part of the Black communities in which they reported. That independent Black media protected the Black community— reporting on lynchings and other acts of injustice against Black people based upon their race. That includes racial injustice on the part of the military, the government, the police, and White supremacy

ce we would be learning about. It reminded me of the one-room schoolhouses many African Americans had learned in the years after the Civil War. Many African Americans endured similar educational surroundings in the ongoing struggle to become educated at any cost. In that grand tradition, we would be learning about Blacks in the Mass Media. And in light of that consideration, I realized it was the perfect classroom for us.

Slowly, week after week, the lack of modern educational tools faded into the background. In similar circumstances, a group of prominent free African American citizens from states along the Eastern seaboard met in New York City to form the first Black independent newspaper, “Freedom’s Journal,” in 1827. They would liberate themselves through wri-

support abolitionism and construct arguments supporting their humanity and equality as citizens of the United States.”

Although it only lasted two years, many others would follow.

It is challenging to know the exact number of early Black newspapers, partly because many did not make it for more than a few months, and few libraries archived copies of these publications.

But we know that 17 publications emerged between 1827 and 1861, with many having been founded in the Northeast. New York State alone produced 18 Black periodicals in the same period. Some of them are The North Star (NY); Frederick Douglass’s Paper (NY); The Colored American (NY); Freedom’s Journal (NY); The Mystery (PA); The Christian Recorder (PA); and The National Era (Washington, DC).

ever. Weekly, almost daily, we see the lives of Black men and women being threatened and taken away due to violence of all kinds.

As mentioned in the class many times, much of this began in the 1990s with shows like “COPS,” which showed African Americans and often poor whites in a negative light week after week. In areas of the country with very few African Americans, it was the one (and usually only) image that many were offered. In the news industry, it is often said: “If it bleeds, it leads.” In other words, it is often the sensual or the shocking that drives media decisions—in newsrooms, in the production booth. There is nothing to prevent or stop the profit-driven mainstream media from choosing which stories it wishes to run over and over again. In many cases, it has meant the destruction of the Black ima-

itself. The Black press helped to explain the details and, therefore, to fight against it with the only power available to many—the power of information and ideas.

Today, because of the massive injustice going on with police brutality and the scores of deaths of young Black men and women at the hands of law enforcement— being pulled over for driving the wrong kind of car in the bad neighborhood at the wrong time (really being pulled over for the crime of being Black)—we see a resurgence of a new Black press being rekindled. The rise of mass incarceration—what many folks call the New Jim Crow—the rise in mortality of Black women in childbirth, the high incidence of COVID-19 in the Black community, and the lack of hospitals and health clinics that saw coronavirus numbers spike during the pandemic,

The Black press has been a major engine for conveying the hopes, frustrations, culture, and political strategies of African Americans.

and the many cases where police shoot first and ask questions later. Only this week, a high school English teacher man was tased to death after saying, “You’re trying to George Floyd me.” Most of us saw the video footage on Black media sources—on Instagram, not CNN. On Twitter, not on the Network Television news. Social media has changed everything about the way these injustices are reported, and have even played a role in getting those who commit them punished.

Indeed, we’ve the seen the resurrWe see the importance once again for Black media to return to the airwaves or to print and digital media pages. Indeed, we have witnessed the resurrection of abolition-era newspapers: The North Star under Shaun King; The Emancipator in Boston under Ibram Kendi; and other digital and new media efforts to spotlight injustice on Instagram, Twitter, and

social media. As social injustice rises, the need for independent Black media has also grown.

As the semester ended, I realized we might have had outmoded educational tools. Still, like those who came before us—lacking the funds for new or modern everything—we made the most of what we had, reasoning that if it was something that generations before us could deal with, then we could too. In that sense, the class bonded us with our forebears and their burning desire to find their way to educate and to become free. We used the tools of reading and writing that had been forbidden to them during Slavery. Like them, we used a chalkboard. We used it to describe the many examples of the ever-changing technological ways the media has grown and changed over the years.

What had not changed, we rea-

The Educational Opportunity Program

lized, was the target of blame and scapegoating in this country that has time and again been placed at the feet of African Americans and their allies—people of color, LGBTQ, and poor Americans. What is happening in Florida and other states today is a perfect example of why we need Black media. States that have banned the teaching of critical race theory now include Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. States that have bills in their state legislatures or are contemplating bills to forbid this teaching are Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

It became immediately apparent throughout this semester that what we were doing, had we been in one of those states—the teaching of African American His-

By Pamela Matzner, EOP/AIM Director

EOP stands for The Educational Opportunity Program, but it means much more to some. The official mission states, “The State University of New York’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) provides access, academic support, and financial aid to historically disadvantaged students who show promise for succeeding in college but whose academic profile falls below Stony Brook University’s regular admissions standards.” Words that come to mind for students in the program are academic enrichment, personal support, summer experience, home, and family. In short, this means EOP is a counseling and educational support program for low-income and primarily first-generation college students who have the potential to succeed at a large research university like Stony Brook despite coming from schools that may have been under-resourced. Additionally, as first-generation college students, many may not have parents or family members who are knowledgeable about college and can get the same guidance as other students.

All incoming first-time EOP students must complete a 5-week Pre-Freshman Summer Academy to gain full admission into Stony Brook University. This 5-week residential program builds on math, writing, and scientific thinking skills while covering important transitional topics to increase their college skill set. Equally important, students have an opportunity to develop lifelong friendships during this experience. Once enrolled, EOP students are given a variety of support services. These services include an assigned EOP Counselor, guiding and supporting students throughout their college tenure, one-on-one tutorial services, group, and drop-in tutoring sessions,

success coaching, workshops, a dedicated tutorial and success center, a computer lab, specialized leadership/mentorship opportunities. As a result of this specialized support, EOP students are highly successful and are put on a well-calculated path to graduation. Over half of all EOP students maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or above and graduate with honors. EOP students serve as leaders on campus with representation in over 400 clubs and organizations. They also oversee their student government with the EOP Student Association. The EOPSA’s primary focus is advocacy, social justice, and community building within the program.

The supportive and inclusive environment fostered in the EOP Summer Academy is carried into the first year and continues until graduation and beyond. The built community allows students to support and help each other reach their academic and personal goals. The added benefit for most EOP students is the SBU-EOP family you acquire. As a person who has worked for EOP for the past 22 years, I can attest that students become lifelong friends and stay in touch with EOP for decades. I am in regular contact with students who came into SBU through EOP as far back as 2000. Our alums frequently return, in groups, to reunite with counselors and each other. Seeing these students not only reach their goal of college graduation but witness them succeed far beyond what was ever thought possible is a gift as a college administrator. Once shy first-year students lacking confidence who sat across from me with dreams like buying their mom

tory—would have been deemed illegal. Who would be worried about having the newest hi-tech devices in class when the entire enterprise of what we were doing was under legal threat? It fired us up and gave us new motivation. Somehow it made me appreciate that old chalkboard and what we were doing—often in the dark of that windowless classroom. It was liberation teaching. Seeking the light of freedom in the wisdom of the words and memories of those we studied, and their eternal reminder to us of the importance of the Black word—both spoken, written, and taught—and therefore the vital importance of Black media—but also Black teaching, learning, and thinking.

a house, now confident professionals who accomplish goals like a house and much more prove college access and opportunity through EOP makes a difference. This difference is both in and out of the classroom and spreads into communities and changes the trajectory of generations after.

Students’ voices through their individual life stories are most impactful when it comes to advocating for continued funding and growth of college access programs. Every spring, SBU takes a busload of students up to the state capitol in Albany to meet with state legislators, along with EOP brothers and sisters from other SUNY campuses, to advocate for continued funding and an increase in financial support to serve more students in New York State. As a result of advocacy, EOP received a 20% increase in funding last year to expand access and resources. The April 2021 SUNY press release states, “Each year, EOP statewide receives applications from more than 12,000 eligible students for 3,000 spaces. The additional funding makes it possible to increase the program to include hundreds of eligible students with academic potential. Since its inception in 1967, the EOP has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In its 53-year history, the EOP has served more than 76,000 students.”

OUR LEGACY

MEET THE ALUMNI

By Andrew Sabini, Staff Writer

Andrew Sabini interviewed various Black and Latinx alums as they told stories about their time at Stony Brook University. The following interviewees attended Stony Brook between the 1990s and early 2000s.

LORAINE McCRAY, EdD

Though our profiles have focused on e-board leaders of Black and Brown organizations, the observations and dedication of the community cannot be ignored. Loraine McCray attended Stony Brook from 1990-1994, earning a degree in English and graduating with her teaching certificate. She further attained her Masters in Educational Computing at Stony Brook University. During this time, Loraine became very involved with the Black and Brown community on campus—he became the secretary of the Gospel Choir, recalling the exciting concerts held on the Staller main stage, a privilege only their club was afforded.

Immersed in an environment lacking diversity, organizations such as CSO, HSO, and ASU provided a sense of community for those outside the AFS department. While not a member of the Africana Studies department, the community built by these organizations made Stony Brook home. Loraine stressed the importance of community in her time, recalling the hard work of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Stony Brook’s EOP allowed Lorraine to find and participate in the organizations that shed a positive light on our culture. Helping with distributing flyers and pamphlets, Lorraine played an active role in spreading awareness on campus, helping give life, and continuing the organizations we lead today.

Ms. McCray has been a public school teacher for 25 years and is an adjunct professor in Stony Brook’s Linguistics department.

OUR LEGACY

CHRISTINA VARGAS, MS

Ms. Vargas is currently the Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at Suffolk County Community College.

Ms. Vargas told me, “My first resume was all about my student experience… any student organization can create leaders.” As a student at Stony Brook from 1986-1993, Ms. Vargas not only earned her degree in Management Policy and an MBA in Business but was deeply involved with the Black and Brown organizations on campus. She was the first person of color to be president of the Alumni Association. During her professional career, Ms. Vargas worked as head of the Office of Diversity and Equity until 2013.

Ms. Vargas worked as a part of the Minority Planning Board, an organization of students designed to represent the small Black and Brown community on campus. Working under the Student Activity Board, Ms. Vargas and her peers secured funding for Black and Brown organizations by being a united front, working together to establish a community for students of color. Due to the success of the Minority Planning Board, Black and Brown organizations were able to host their graduation event, published the Destiny Journal that highlighted minority students and organizations, and held events that often featured performers or speakers. Through this hard work, Ms. Vargas expressed a strong sense of community among students of color, who banded together to form a strong community and work together to preserve and grow the organizations that stand today.

As this generation rekindles Black World and reinvigorates the Black and Brown organizations on campus, we recognize that we stand on the shoulders of the generations of students that preceded us. Toufi mentioned that while working with the Haitian Student Organization (HSO), there was “a level of respect for those seen as ‘elders.’ They created something that touched their members and positively impacted the community.” Attending Stony Brook from 1993-1999, Toufi earned a master’s degree in English and Sociology with a teaching certificate. Working as a staff writer for Black World in 1996 and as Secretary of HSO, she helped found the HSO Alumni Association to connect present generations with the past.

Her time with HSO was distinguished by their activism, as the club helped to remove stigmas surrounding Haitian students during the AIDS epidemic. Through the efforts of the club and the arrest of two students following a protest at the Administration building, HSO helped remove the bar against Haitian students donating blood. Toufi further recalled the club building a strong sense of community as HSO hosted dances, semi-formals, and other events to expose Haitian culture to the student population. She and her peers were proud of their work, stating, “We felt an obligation to carry that torch.” HSO and other Black and Brown organizations carried the legacy of the cultures they represented and the generations that built the organizations that have created a strong community within Stony Brook.

DUANE BOURNE

During the late 90s, Stony Brook did not yet have as strong a journalism department as it does today. This did not stop students from running publications such as the Statesmen and Black World.

Duane Bourne, attending Stony Brook from 1998-2001, spent his senior year as editor of Black World. He said, “It wasn’t easy work, but it was necessary to carry that torch.”

As editor of Black World, Duane focused on being an alternative voice to the Statesmen. He defined Black World as a cultural ambassador, presenting the history and views of Black and Brown students on a campus where they were a small minority.

The paper served as a forum for the tight knit community of students of color, for not just the staff writers but students being encouraged to submit their work whether it be op-eds or poetry.

Duane was focused on his work at Black World and looking back on his time as editor, recalls the pride students took in its publication. The tight knit, dedicated community supporting Black World was devoted to spreading the views of minorities on campus and representing their respective cultures positively. Following the interview, Duane mentioned how the interview brought back memories— Memories of hanging out, working in the basement office, and being part of a community, knowing that his work would make a difference.

“Her time with HSO was distinguished by their activism as the club helped to remove stigmas surrounding Haitian students during the AIDS epidemic.”

“The tight-knit, dedicated community supporting Black World was devoted to spreading the views of minorities on campus.”

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

By Kafilat Abdul, Treasurer

Treasurer Kafilat Abdul interviewed previous editors-in-chief from Black World throughout the years. The following interviewees were members of Black World between the 1970s and 2022.

KIARA THOMAS

Kafilat Abdu (KA): When were you the President/Editor-in-Chief of Black World?

Kiara Thomas (KT): I was the President and Editor-in-Chief of Black World from 2018-2021.

KA: What motivated you to join Black World?

KT: Growing up, I was always passionate about uplifting the Black community after seeing societal injustices. I wanted to tell the stories of Black and brown people that are known within our communities but unknown to others. Our stories show systematic issues that prove that there are roadblocks in place that try to stop us. Still, there are also uplifting stories, like when I covered the Black Business Bazaar at Stony Brook, where Black entrepreneurs showcased their craft on campus. Witnessing this firsthand made me join journalism.

KA: What were your goals for Black World under your tenure?

KT: I had the goal to bring it back to what it used to be on campus. Knowing Black World was around since the 1970s, I wanted people to read and contribute to the newspaper and continue its legacy. Since I was there, Black World died out, so I and many others tried to revive it. We had to get it off the ground, which had its challenges, but it was great once it was off the ground.

KA: What was the climate like for Black and Latinx folks during your time at Stony Brook?

KT: It was very interesting. The biggest story was about what happened in Tanzania. [On a study abroad trip to Tanzania, two white students made fun of the Tanzanians’ appearance, skin color, and teeth.] There were so many social posts about it. Other instances on campus caused Black and brown students to be upset and demand justice. We’ve also shared our own stories about unfair treatment related to race/ethnicity on campus. Years later was the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, and I wanted to ensure Black and Latinx stories were at the forefront. Still, it’s not an isolated incident, as it affects everyone.

KA: How did this organization’s actions influence the environment on campus at the time?

KT: Although we’ve been on campus since the 1970s, many people I spoke to didn’t initially know about Black World, especially the incoming class, but as time went on, many people learned about us. We had people reaching out for collaborations and contributing to our mission.

KA: What impact did Black World have in your own academic career and experience on campus?

KT: Black World shaped who I am and how I go about in my journalistic career. It taught me leadership and management skills and impro-

ved my writing and editing. My favorite thing about Black World was speaking to or learning the stories of Black and Latinx students on campus through my colleagues’ articles. I met many great people through Black World, with whom I still keep in contact.

KA: What advice do you want to give future successors on what it means to be Editor-in-Chief/President?

KT: Make bold decisions. If you have an idea but are nervous, some people will be excited to see it come to fruition. Also, don’t limit yourself. There were tasks for that we needed more resources than we would’ve liked, but we still implemented them. You have a vision for a reason, so don’t be shy to go after it.

KA: What do you wish for the future of Black World?

KT: I would love for Black World to be a powerhouse on campus and continue dominating. We could do any medium, ranging from print to podcasts to videos. Black World’s history is so rich and influential, and we have the opportunity to create a community for us.

Kafilat Abdul (KA): When were you the president/Editor-in-Chief of Black World?

Patricia Lawrence (PL): I was the Editor-in-Chief of Black World in the late 70s.

KA: What motivated you to join Black World?

PL: I wanted to be a part of a Black organization on campus, but other Black organizations didn’t interest me the way Black World did because here, I was able to write about Black activities and Black students on campus. A friend of mine invited me to come one day and see what it was about because she knew I was interested

PATRICIA LAWRENCE

KA: How did this organization’s actions influence the environment on campus at the time?

PL: It made them [administration] notice the problems that arose on campus for Black students.

in journalism, and I went because I’m a good proofreader.

KA: What were your goals for Black World under your tenure?

PL: I wanted to establish unity amongst the Black students and highlight their struggles, especially those of the AIM students*.

KA: What was the climate like for Black and Latinx folks during your time at Stony Brook?

PL: It was very isolating because not even 10% of the population was Black. I remember we protested in the bursar’s office because the AIM students weren’t receiving their checks like they were supposed to.

KA: What impact did Black World have in your academic career and experience on campus?

PL: The Africana Studies Department was just developed when I was there, so I developed a relationship with the Black staff on campus. I created a close relationship with Donald Blackman, the chair of the African studies department, and he eventually became an ambassador to the United Nations representing Barbados.

KA: What advice do you want to give future successors on what it means to be Editor-in-Chief/President?

PL: I wish that you reach out to the community you’re serving. Be-

SARAH DEMEZIER

Kafilat Abdul (KA): When were you the president/Editor in Chief of Black World?

Sarah Demezier (SD): I was the Editor-inChief of Black World during the 2009-2010 academic school year.

KA: What motivated you to join Black World?

SD: I was motivated to join Black World because there were people I knew through EOP that were in it. In my first year, I was looking into being a journalism major, and I was curious about the club, so it allowed me to see if journalism was where I wanted to go.

KA: What were your goals for Black World under your tenure?

SD: My goals during my tenure were to ensure we published many issues, increase our funding, and change the public perception of Black World perceived at the time. It often felt like Black World needed to be taken more seriously than other media organizations on campus. I wanted to change the outlook of people outside of our community.

KA: What was the climate like for Black and Latinx folks during your time at Stony Brook?

SD: The Black and Latinx community on campus was very close and supported each other a lot. As far as the other community on campus, there was no animosity.

KA: How did this organization’s actions influence the environment on campus at the time?

SD: At the time, we prioritized giving exposure to the events and clubs on campus. Being the Black media on campus, we saw topics

through a Black lens and wanted to ensure that they were seen through our eyes. We wanted to support our community and further its presence on campus.

KA: What impact did Black World have on your academic career and campus experience?

SD: Honestly, Black World opened doors for me. It provided me with relationships with the campus staff and networking with other organizations. I didn’t know I could get credit for it with the AFS department, which allowed me to take courses I would have needed.

KA: What advice do you want to give future successors on what it means to be Editor-in-Chief/ President?

SD: Being Editor in Chief/President of Black World, you must learn that everything is not on you. Make sure you utilize everyone’s skills and voices about the paper and your life. Make sure you balance encouraging and listening to your members’ voices but also being a leader in pushing the staff when they need to be pushed and praising them when they do good work.

ing in Black World, you represent African-Americans, Caribbeans, Africans, and Mixed folks, so reach out to them. Also, reach out to the faculty to help us understand what it means to be a Black student on campus and let them help you create goals and aspirations for the community.

KA: What do you wish for the future of Black World?

PL: I wish we maintain Black World as a force to be reckoned with in the Stony Brook community. I want everyone to read it & share in the experiences published in Black World. Although things are being written for the Black and Latinx community, I hope that the readership expands to folks outside— Becoming a melting pot of ideas and experiences, allowing everyone to learn about the Stony Brook community.

*The AIM programs and AIM students are currently known as the EOP/ AIM program.

KA: What do you wish for the future of Black World?

SD: I wish for Black World to still be in existence. I wish that our voice and presence were known and recognized on campus. Although the Black undergraduate population accounts for 6% of Stony Brook, I hope the remaining 94% see that we are still here and our voice matters.

ESTHER ALATISHE

Kafilat Abdul (KA): What was your role in Black World, and when did you serve in this position?

Esther Alatishe (EA): I was the President and Editor-in-Chief of Black World during the 2021-2022 academic school year.

KA: What motivated you to join Black World?

EA: When I first heard about the club being a space for Black students to speak and write about our culture and issues in our communities. I loved the energy at the general body meetings (GBMs) and how welcoming everyone was. And then, when I learned about the club’s history, I knew I wanted to be a part of it even more. And back then, I loved to write, so it felt right for me.

KA: What were your goals for Black World during your tenure?

EA: My goal was to increase our engagement. Being president post-COVID, the people that were a part of Black World when I joined in 2019 were alums in 2021. With this, I had to bring awareness about the club mainly through social media, through DMs and flyers, and by connecting with other clubs. Eventually, I became focused on producing content because once enough people knew about Black World, I knew we now needed to put out content, like videos and articles, so people could see what the club was about. I also wanted to create a welcoming environment so those who were more shy and quiet would still feel comfortable being a part of the club and contributing however they wanted. Also, within the Black and Latinx communities, there are many cultural backgrounds, so welcoming those perspectives was also a goal.

KA: What was the climate like for Black and Latinx folks during your time at Stony Brook?

EA: During my time at Stony Brook, the social life on campus was ‘dry’ at times, especially after the lockdown. You could sense that people were still isolating themselves socially, which was depressing for many. So people needed reasons to get together after that, and I wanted Black World to be a positive space to do that. I also remember the sensitivity surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, when we saw many performative things everywhere, including Stony Brook. But then, in 2021, it also felt like we were supposed to return to the old “normal” way.

KA: How did this organization’s actions influence the environment on campus at the time?

EA: We were limited in what we could do, so we used social media and word of mouth, but our advisors helped. We were good at supporting other clubs and showing up for their events. After an event, we’d have reviews and pictures on Instagram or our website. We were also able to provide a space for our community to come together and discuss topics that affect us, whether in a video format like our roundtables, a written form like the poetry and articles on the website, or a podcast. We were a platform for people to have their work and art shown to an audience. We also felt it was essential to inform the campus community of our alumni and the history of Black World, especially with our archives.

KA: What impact did Black World have on your academic career and campus experience?

EA: Black World gave me many skills, especially my leadership and communication skills. Specifically, Black World gave me the founda-

tion to be a better speaker and work better with different personalities. Communication was important as a Political Science major, so it helped me academically. Our club GBMs and discussions also helped give me different perspectives on some of the social issues I’d later discuss in class.

KA: What advice do you want to give future successors on what it means to be Editor-in-Chief/President?

EA: Keep Black World welcoming and open to hearing different ideas and being collaborative. Also, I would say to understand that numbers aren’t everything. There were times when there were only three people in our GBMs, which is small but still fulfilling the club’s point: being a space for Black and Latinx Stony Brook students to do things and get together. The club is winning as long as people can have that community together.

KA: What do you wish for the future of Black World?

EA: Make it a space for all Black people and Latinx to feel welcome and safe, no matter where you grew up. I want this to be a club too where LGBTQ+ Black and Latinx folks don’t have to hide or downplay their identity, and also definitely a club where Black women and Latinas feel like they can join and take on leadership positions.

SHAILA MENTORE

Kafilat Abdul (KA): When were you the President/Editor-in-Chief of Black World?

Shaila Mentore (SM): I was the Editor-in-Chief of Black World during the 2002-2003 academic school year.

KA: What motivated you to join Black World?

SM: There were many motivators for me to join Black World. First, I wanted to make sure that everyone heard the voice of Black students. There’s nothing like the Black experience, and when I saw the content Black World was highlighting, I knew I wanted to be a part of that. The second thing was I wanted to get better at my writing. Being an English major with a minor in journalism and wanting to support the Black community on campus, Black World allowed me to grow as a writer while simultaneously supporting the Black community.

KA: What were your goals for Black World under your tenure?

SM: My goal was to ensure the paper was printed so we could keep Black World alive. I remember wanting to ensure we stayed caught up so the legacy would continue. As far as the content, I wanted to create a community. Black World was another space representing the Black voices at Stony Brook.

KA: What was the climate like for Black and Latinx folks during your time at Stony Brook?

SM: I was a student at Stony Brook from ‘99 to ‘03, and during that time, we had connections that made us constantly work together. Even though clubs were doing their things, we would still come together for major events and to support one another. Having Student Polity (student government) during that time was a big deal for the campus because it gave the students a voice. Ultimately, we tried to

stick together because we were the minority.

KA: How did this organization’s actions influence the environment on campus at the time?

SM: At the time, we didn’t realize the power and resources we had as a student newspaper. We were so focused on just printing the paper we didn’t recognize the impact we could’ve had. We decided to influence the campus via this publication by publishing what affected our community. We didn’t do much in terms of campus involvement but chose to write and how it affected the Black students.

KA: What impact did Black World have on your academic career and campus experience?

SM: Black World taught me the importance of telling our own stories. Being able to write and share from the perspective of a Black woman was empowering, and having the ability to share that with my peers was impactful. I learned while at Black World that ensuring your community has a voice is vital. In everything I’ve done post-college, I have had Black people on top of my mind, and I’m always thinking of ways to uplift my community. I currently serve as the Chair of the Women of Color Business Resource Group at the company where I work because it’s essential to create spaces where people of color and women feel safe and have a community.

KA: What advice do you want to give future successors on what it means to be Editor-in-Chief/President?

SM: To be an EIC/President of Black World is a responsibility to the Black and Brown communities at Stony Brook. It’s an opportunity to allow our voices to be heard. This space and resource support the community in ways we may not know. Understanding you are responsible for telling our story in the most authentic way possible.

KA: What do you wish for the future of Black World?

SM: I wish that Black World will continue to be a staple in the Stony Brook community and that it grows beyond anything we could’ve imagined. Our work over the years is essential to Stony Brook’s history and should be noticed. I want our stories to make history on the campus and have the name “Black World” known for a long time.

“Being able to write and share from the perspective of a Black woman was empowering, and having the ability to share that with my peers was impactful.”

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

By Audrey Fernandez

Ms. Deborah Britton-Riley

Ms. Deborah Britton-Riley is not just a faculty member at Stony Brook University but one of our very own. She was raised in Harlem, Manhattan, and is one of five siblings — Ms. Britton-Riley began her undergraduate career at Stony Brook in 1973, later graduating in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. She subsequently gained a Master of Science in Public Policy Analysis and Management in 1981.

During her time at Stony Brook University, she was very involved with the Black and Latino community throughout her undergraduate years — extending her leadership skills to establishing programs helping students with leadership development and communica-

tion skill sets. Prevalent campaigns and programs institutionalized by her included the A Smile Campaign, teaching and reinforcing unity among the very few Black and Latino students on campus at the time. Other campaigns include College 101, a program sponsoring the visits of Black and Latino high school students to Stony Brook University, experiencing a day of life on campus. Most importantly, Ms. Britton-Riley is known as one of the core women to conceive and found Black Womyn’s Weekend at Stony Brook University in 1978, which evolved into the current Black Womyn’s Association (BWA), where Ms. Britton-Riley continues to mentor.

Ms. Britton-Riley credits her mo-

tivation to her mother, who inspired her to “reflect and persevere.” She described her time at Stony Brook as a relief and escaped from what life has transformed into in her beloved Harlem. Even though she is a first-generation student, her mother instilled a strong love of academics and political participation. By exhibiting her principles, Ms. Britton-Riley has been an instrumental guiding light to numerous Black women at Stony Brook, allowing them to channel a more straightforward path, emphasizing the importance of ‘purpose’ and working against systemic subjugation.

Ms. Deborah Britton-Riley is now doing what she loves, working directly with students as the

Coordinator for the New Student and Transition Program at Stony Brook. She has just written a book about growing up in Harlem during the 1960s, with an upcoming publishing date later this year. Looking back at her journey, Ms. Britton-Riley sees how her initial thoughts and aspirations now carry on through the lives of young women she has helped. She sincerely enjoys working with students, and as she says, “There is not a day when I say, ‘Oh God, I have to go to work.’” We thank Ms. Deborah Britton-Riley for her contributions to the community and for being a guiding hand to numerous young Black women at Stony Brook University.

My Black and Queer Experience

By Celeste Parks

By being born, I’ve hit the jackpot of marginalization. Black, queer, Trans. It’s incredible how many times I’ve been told I’m “so brave” for sharing many facets of my identity. Disgusting. Exhausting. It isn’t comforting. When I share pieces about my identity and how they overlap, I make the mistake of hoping I won’t be tokenized or referenced as the “Black, queer, and trans friend.” I dare to wish I could be the friend.

People will see me and assume I’m straight if I don’t say anything. When I tell people that I’m queer, especially other queer people. It’s always such a surprise..

The face, the epitome, the embodiment of queerness is white; despite the culture, the vocabulary, and the activists, we few even know. Every time

I’ve found queer spaces in which I could be, I need to explain my presence. I must tell other queer people how I identify to prove I’m one of them. According to their standards, I don’t “look” the way I identify. I’m not androgynous enough. I don’t put enough effort into limiting femininity or increasing masculinity. I “don’t look like a gender-nonconforming person today.” I don’t emphasize “queerness” or “transness” as much as I do “Blackness.”

I’m often the darkest-skinned person in the room. I can always count the number of other non-white people in the room. I’m always consulted on my thoughts to make queer spaces more “inclusive” or for an activity for Black History Month or, on occasion, Juneteenth. I’m the expert on ensuring something

won’t be offensive to Black, Indigenous, or Latinos.

All those extra responsibilities fell upon me when all I wanted to do was exist. I didn’t seek out those queer spaces to be an encyclopedia or an editor. I didn’t show up to have my identity distrusted. I don’t exist to be a commodified spectacle or a “Buy One, Get Six Free” package of diversity.

But by being born, I am. I’m the Black, queer, trans friend.

SPRING 2023 EVENTS ON-CAMPUS NEWS

Black World Presents: Ijó, a performance competition show, welcoming solos, duets and group acts. What better way to highlight the remarkable talent at Stony Brook?!

Black World will be hosting its first annual show on Feburary 17th at the SAC auditorium, doors open at 6:30pm. See you here!

ON-CAMPUS NEWS

SPRING 2023 EVENTS

Don’t Miss Out!

The Latin American Student Organization invites you to its annual Belleza Universal on April 7 in the SAC Auditorium.

Belleza Universal is an annual beauty pageant featuring women of all races and various ethnicities, representing their cultures. External judges select who takes home the crown as well as a scholarship prize.

BWA Presents

February 24, 6:30PM-9PM at the Tabler Black Box Theatre: Charity Auction x Mingling Event

March 3, 8PM-10PM at SAC 302: Soul Sister Sanctuary

April 28, 7:30PM-9:30PM at Union Ballroom: Black Womyn’s Weekend Banquet

April 29, 7PM-11PM in SAC Auditorium: BWA Fashion Show

NAACP Image Awards

The NAACP will host their annual Image Awards, honoring Back leaders, clubs and organizations, on February 26, from 7pm-10pm.

ASU Fashion Show

Save the date! ASU’s annual Fashion Show will be on April 1.

Join LA FAMILIA at the annual banquet, Jubilé Gigante.

Join LA FAMILIA on March 3 for their annual banquet, Jubilé Gigante, bringing together the Latinx community. Jubilé Gigante is a night of celebration of the Latin American culture and the community at Stony Brook. All students are invited to join Jubilé and other performers, and food will be served.

CSO’s Fashion Show in Review

By Julio Taku, Public Relations Officer

On Friday, December 2, the Caribbean Student Organization (CSO) hosted the 36th annual Fashion Show in the SAC Auditorium. Our MCs for the night were none other than the current president of Black World/Guyanese Prince, Anthoni Haynes, and former CSO President, Annabelle Abelard. This Stony Brook staple dates back to 1986 and has served as the major campus-wide showcase of Caribbean culture for students. It brings together current students, alumni, faculty, and guests outside the university.

The chosen theme of the evening was “The Fine Isles: The Other Side of Paradise.” Guests were taken on a journey from New York to the Caribbean. Keeping the theme consistent with luggage and travel-related transitions from boarding to TSA to baggage claim ―No strangers to the stage, Annabelle (Haitian) and Anthoni (Guyanese) did an excellent job indulging fellow Caribbeans with inside jokes and cultural references. They managed to accomplish this without making the non-Caribbean students feel left out. Everyone was granted admission into Carnival!

Some performers from the evening were the premier Caribbean dance team on campus, Caribana; Stony Brook’s very own Latinx-Afro-infused dance troupe,

Jubilé Latino; and Barbadian Soca artist DJ Cheem. The music and soundtrack for the evening were curated by Taje Nelson, aka DJ Potential.

The show was well coordinated with little to no hiccups as each scene transitioned from one to the next. Models both new and veterans of the catwalk showcased choreography they practiced for months in preparation for the evening.

The boy/girl scene saw couples and a few love triangles cooing after each other and bringing a new meaning to chemistry at our STEM-focused school. The boys got a chance to flex and posture like roosters for their scene, and the girls strutted and enchanted during theirs. The E-board shone in all white as they got their flowers and rousing applause from the audience before intermission.

The show consisted of the following programming:

• Boy/Girl

• Girls

• Boys

• E-Board

• Intermission

• Swim

• Caribana

• Performer-DJ Cheem

• Carnival

• Lingerie

Anti-Haitianism

By Garvrielle Joseph, HSO President

For over a century and a half, Haiti and the Dominican Republic have shared the island of Hispaniola. However, their relationship has rarely been amicable. This antagonism in the Dominican Republic has led to anti-Haitian preconceptions called Antihaitianismo, or its most common name, anti-Haitianism. According to “A Case of Mistaken Identity: Antihaitianismo in Dominican Culture,” anti-Haitianism is the present manifestation of the long-term evolution of racial prejudice, the selective interpretation of historical facts, and the creation of a nationalist Dominican false consciousness.

It is important to note that the differences between Haitians and Dominicans can be based on colonial times from linguistic, cultural, and racial differences. For example, the Dominican Republic was governed by the Spanish and thus acquired part of its culture from the Spanish, mixed with Africans and Native Americans. On the other hand, Haiti was controlled by the French, and its culture is a mixture of French, African, and Native American. Anti-Haitianism can be traced back to a policy of racial segregation instituted by the Spaniards in Santo Domingo (modern-day Dominican Republic).

Present-day hostilities between the countries that occupy the island of Hispaniola are deeply rooted in racism and imperialism. Before the arrival of Europeans, the island was split into territories, three of which were Santo Domingo and two of Saint Domingue (modern-day Haiti). Christopher Columbus reached the island in 1492, and within a few decades, the Spanish controlled most of the island. During the 17th century, however, the French also began conspiring for control, and in 1697, the Treaty of Ryswick formalized French rule over the western third of Hispaniola. During the 1790s and early 19th century, the French and Spanish battled back and forth across the island, and by 1797, Spain ceded the entire island to France.

While under the rule of France, Haiti supplied two-thirds of France’s overseas trade and was a significant individual market for the European slave trade. It was a more substantial source of income for its owners than Great Britain’s thirteen North American colonies combined. Half-a-million enslaved people propped up in the da-

zzling luxuriousness of the French commercial bourgeoisie rebelled in August 1791– two years after the French Revolution and its ripple effects in Saint Domingue. Collective British, Spanish, and French efforts to suppress the rebellion set off a war that lasted 13 years and concluded with the defeat of imperial powers. Napoleon Bonaparte and William Pitt the Younger lost about 50,000 troops in the campaign to restore slavery and the intricate structures of exploitation. The defeat of Bonaparte’s expedition in 1803 resulted in the establishment of the state of Haiti on January 1, 1804. Frightened by Haiti’s establishment of a black republic as opposed to the crudity of European civilization, Dominican elites developed a national identity that defined Dominicans as white, Catholic, and culturally Hispanic, in contrast to Haitians, whom they characterized as Black, animist, and culturally African. “Antihaitianismo,” or anti-Haitianism, became more robust with Haiti’s occupation of the Dominican Republic, which lasted from 1822 to 1844.

Of course, you cannot talk about anti-Haitianism without mentioning Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Trujillo was appointed commander-in-chief of the National Army by the United States to lead the Dominican National Guard. After staging a coup against the then-President of the Dominican Republic, Horacio Vasquez, Truji-

llo ruled a dictatorship from 1930 to 1961. Trujillo aimed to whiten the Dominican Republic by expelling Haitians during this time. Trujillo, known to lighten his skin with makeup, ordered the deaths of those who refused his order to leave. These Haitians were recognized for their inability to pronounce “Perejil,” which is Spanish for “parsley.” Most Haitians could not make the Spanish “r” sound because Haiti’s national language is heavily based on the French language. This massacre, known as the Parsley Massacre, killed about 30,000 people and was followed by anti-Haitian propaganda.

In the late 1970s, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) came to office, bringing the first democratic government of the post-dictational era. It represented the country’s main official opposition. With the growing impact of neoliberal globalization, the progressive legacy of the struggle against Trujillo was abandoned in favor of a shift towards anti-Haitian Hispanophilic identities. In 2010, a birthright-citizenship clause was enacted to exclude the children of anyone “residing illegally in Dominican territory.” This was aimed at Haitians and served as a blueprint for the Constitutional Court’s ruling on September 23, 2013. It declared that nearly 500,000 Haitians living in the Dominican Republic were illegal and thus subject to deportation. The verdict even extended to the descendants

of Haitian immigrants who came to the Dominican Republic as early as 1929.

Systematic stigmatization has enabled the Dominican bourgeoisie to deport thousands of Haitians without a court hearing, to force Haitians into conditions of semi-slavery on sugar plantations, and to deny citizenship and access to public services to Dominican-born children of Haitian parents. During the mass removal of Haitians, some dark-skinned Dominican citizens were identified as Haitian and deported to Haiti without being given a chance to prove their citizenship. Since this apprehension was based on racial notions, on the idea that Haitians contributed to the darkening or the Africanization of the country, it is vital to recognize and acknowledge anti-Haitianism and to do our part as a community to help fix this prejudice.

2022-2023 E-Board members of HSO (Haitian Student Organization); Christy Dambleu (secretary, far left), Anaya Lauret (Vice President, center-left), Garvrielle Joseph (President, center-right), and Christopher Jean (Treasurer, far right).

A Case of Identity: The Indigenous American Student Organization at Stony Brook University

By Lucrecia Urrutia

The first time I was asked about my racial identity, I didn’t know what to answer. Growing up in Peru, I had always been told I was Mestizo —that meant some mix of European and native South American. Mestizos make up around 60.2% of the Peruvian population and identify as such. However, I didn’t see that option in standardized tests or school surveys.

I became a minority when I was part of the “mestizo” majority. When I asked my parents, they would tell me their grandparents were white. My mom also said part of our family was Black. Then again, during high school, some people would mistake my sister and me for middle eastern people. Though, once I came to the United States, I was told I was Latina. Who was I? How did I know I wasn’t appropriating culture by claiming an identity that wasn’t mine?

After the 2020 Census, Latinos’ social pressure to choose a race increased once they added the “Hispanic Origin Question,” which categorized Hispanics as an ethnic

group rather than a racial category.

“If you are not Black, then you are white,” a Navy recruiter told my sister while she filled out her training application. Her dark, thick hair and strong indigenous features were outweighed by her light skin color.

David Robichaux, an anthropologist from the Ibero-American University in Mexico, said that limiting ethnic identity to high-visibility groups leaves people of undefined identities — specifically indigenous backgrounds. Societal standards and the pressure to adapt to a racist and colorist society make the revival of an identity lost to colonization even harder. Therefore, I decided to take an ancestry test. To the surprise of my family, I turned out to be more than three-quarters indigenous. And despite the remarks colorists made, I could not blame them. They had also forgotten. For more than 500 years, Indigenous people have been stripped of their identity. Their culture has been demonized. Our ancestors were forced to

assimilate into European society, and those who refused were not considered “fit” to be part of a “civilization.” Boarding schools, forced sterilizations, territorial displacement, and discrimination are examples of rebellious individuals’ struggles. The Indigenous American Student Organization at Stony Brook University aims to help others find their place in-

side the Indigenous diaspora and spread the struggles our communities face.

Our organization was founded Fall of 2022 and comprised a small group. Anyone is welcome to join us during this spring semster! As of now, we have hosted a few events to start a conversation among the Stony Brook Caribbean, Latino, and Indigenous communities.

CREATIVE WRITING

To Be a Black Woman

By Rehanna Bertram, Lead Writer

To be a Black woman is to live a life of woe before knowing the very definition. It is to be hated by a population you’ve never met and probably never will. It is to grow up wondering why the comb glides so smoothly through your doll’s hair but gives up when it’s your turn. It is to see the mothers of fairer friends hold their children close when you walk by. It is to watch the desired princesses live in palaces and wish upon a star while the one who looks like you is always “almost there.”

To be a Black woman is to be traumatized by warnings of the enforcers whose aim is to peel your lifeless body from pothole-ridden streets. It is to be made the catalyst of slavery and prejudice in classes where your only goal is to learn. It is to feel inclined to be educated on the whitewashed version of blackness so that you can defend your existence. It is watching your counterparts revel in the latest celebrity gossip while you’ve committed names like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice to memory. It is realizing that eight years later, you’ve added Breonna, George, and Ahmaud to the list, only this time, you watched as

the enforcers and imitators chose to play God. It is to be overwhelmed by hashtags and petitions that are useless. It is to be at the forefront of the fight, knowing very well that you might be next.

To be a Black woman is to watch the white man hide behind labels and exploit your desires to embrace your crown. It is to drain your funds to support Black businesses because they aren’t supplied with the oppressor’s resources. It is to watch the men designed to protect you swap vows and rings with those who look nothing like you. It is to question your beauty and value while stereotypes of aggression and hostility are bestowed upon you with no context. It is to endure the hours of screams and hair-based trauma between your mother’s legs to watch later the media credit a family who fetishizes Black culture for the invention of styles that have been around for centuries. Not only that, but it is being labeled and forced to be strong when all you want to do is cry.

To be a Black woman is to know that you are the most disrespected person in America, but choose to live anyway.

Boston Public Library / unsplash.com

CREATIVE WRITING

Undergraduate students created the following pieces of writing and art.

When You Squeeze a Lemon, Lemon Juice Comes Out Because That’s What’s Inside

By Danielle Ramirez

“Smoke?”

“No, but thanks, but hey, you know, blue and yellow make green?”

“So?” Yuzu lit her second of the night. As she smoked, the fumes expanded its mesmerizing silver-blue wings in a swirl motion. She swayed the wings away with her hand. She didn’t like seeing the fog mar the view of the summer night Tokyo landscape. To observe the scenery, she stood from the top of the residential hill with a coworker.

“Look at you,” a woman pointed at Yuzu who leaned herself against the streetlight.

Yuzu crossed her exposed legs together. She wore a bucket jean skirt. Her folded arms suffocate her boobs together. Bra slipped in and out of the yellow spaghetti top. Gentle aquamarine light shone above her with its shape like a perfect Hershey’s Kiss. Yuzu glanced over at the woman silently before flicking the butt of the cigarette with her thumb.

“Corny,” Yuzu replied before taking a drag of the smoke.

“You’re sour, like green.”

The smoker’s posture became rigid. She didn’t look her in the eye. She stared downward, instead.

“Yuzu, right? We haven’t properly introduced ourselves, but hello–”

“Not now. Not on my smoke break.”

“I’m sorry–?”

Yuzu pushed her weight off the streetlight, dropping the stick on the ground, “You think you can come up to me when I puff–” she grinded it on the ground with her foot, “–And start talking to me? Huh? You can’t read the air?” She clicked her tongue with a snark,

“Go fuck yourself.”

Heels clack and drag across the asphalt, leaving the woman stunned. On the ground, the crushed cigarette lit up its last smoke, twirling up skywards.

• • •

Chair croaked, Yuzu sat. The table tilted, Yuzu stopped. A Seven Stars cigarette box crashed across the table, Yuzu smoked. She’s on her own veranda of her dead apartment, with the smell of rotting plants or family portraits hung up down the hall. (They all always include her relatives and a brunette man, and yet, she never appeared in any of them.) All of those things from the inside never seemed to faze her.

Instead, everything from the outside bothered her. Yuzu can’t even enjoy the pretty skyscrapers from afar. All she can see is a shitty, thin street with packs of white trash stacked in front of everybody’s homes. Nobody from engineering had ever dared to drift off the course when designing buildings. It was evident. The homes along the street weren’t appealing; they were the same. Same 13 floors with the same windows, stairs, verandas, and interior design. What’s worse was that she lived on the third floor, closest to the ground. She could hear and watch the map of flies’ flickering routes above the trash.

• •

•

The streetlights emit sour, teal lights that burned her retinas off without her consent.

“What’s everyone’s fucking problem?” An orange light glowed at the cigarette tip, “Over and over…”

She exalted the smoke through her mouth before taking another

hit. No more talking, only relaxing. Casually, in her free hand, she shone her phone screen before her face:

23:31

[ No Notifications ]

Under the large time display, there appeared the happy background of a brunette man squishing his face alongside a black-haired woman. It’s Yuzu herself, finally. They both smiled while they clinked their creamy sundae glasses together with their wedding rings. She ruminates over the photo with the same details she spotted like it’s an ‘I Spy with my Little Eye,’ for the first time.

Yuzu ripped the phone screen out of her face with an annoyed sigh. The same orange dot glowed again.

She wondered if his boss ripped him a new one for not meeting the deadline for today’s work. She wondered when her husband would ever arrive at the house. She wondered if he ever loved her.

The hazy fumes of the smoke fogged up the view of the street. Soon enough, it sent Yuzu down memory lane.

In a spring Yokohama Chinatown, lanterns danced and dazzled reds and golds like fireworks. Streets packed with people like a busy school of fish under the sea, rushing in two opposite directions; Entry and exit. Yuzu and her friend swam towards the exit.

“Yuuuuzuuu!” Lime spread a smirk, like a ripple in a pond. She pressed her arm against Yuzu’s. She held something in her hands.

“What are you trying to do?”

Lime ripped the plastic open, pu-

lling out the fortune cookie. She slipped out a snicker as they drew nearer to the exit, right onto the night navy blue street.

“This is going to be you, Yuzu,” she held up the snack, “With somebody, not your husband.” She cracked the fortune cookie like an egg. A white piece of paper slips out in between the legs of the cookie. “Take the paper.”

Yuzu didn’t appreciate the sexual innuendo, but she plucked it out anyway. “Now, what does that say?”

Psst! They’re being paid to love you.

Yuzu flipped the paper to the backside:

Learn Chinese: Disease 病 (bìng) Blinking a couple of times, Yuzu slipped out of the memory fog. Flicking the hair away from her fingers, she grabbed the cigarette box. Squinting at the flies whose motions have stopped, she pressed the lighter against the butt of a new cigarette.

Then, she lit another, then another. Soon, the table is chalked black with dead smoke sticks.

23:59

[ No Notifications ]

Yuzu wore a tilde with her lips before she felt a soft brush in her mouth as she puffed out the smoke. With her long nails, she extracted something off her face. She lifted her hand up, flashing it under the vague light. A curly blonde pubic hair.

0:00

De Vaina!

By Danielle Ramirez

I hear waves crashing in the ocean. Rolling down the window of the car, my hair danced with the blowing air. The fragrance of briny salt filled my nose from afar.

I saw this scenery;

Seagulls flocked, seaweed crawled, sea urchins buried across the sea.

Vendors walked along the beach, With thousands of colorful inflatable animal rafts in their arms. They shout, “Ey, ¿quiere una balsaaaa? Dos para veinte pesos!”

With my toes dipped in sand, I stood under the scorching sun. I watched little cousins bounce And splashing at each other with turquoise water.

They cupped their mouths and scream, “Marco!”

“Polo!”

I backed out into the shade. I leaned back on the gritty, bent palm tree. Not even a cold, juicy coconut brings my thoughts back.

Slapping my skin, hard.

Peering over my hand, Yuck.

Bugs turned into a splat.

“Tienes ese vaina?” I asked a vendor, With my slain hand raised. Bug repellent spray, I want.

“Ah, nooo pero—”

He flashed me a blue sparkly unicorn raft at me, “¿Quiere ese balsa, no?”

Clicking my tongue, I shook my head. I thanked him, though. After, cretins marked my legs as their home with red.

Before I knew, the ocean swallowed the scorching sun whole. Now, it’s dark, still hot.

No matter where I go, I hear the bachata, mosquitoes, and dominoes. They were rejoicing together.

Noticing the glow in the dark, I lifted my chin up to see.

Bathed in the sunlight, the moon graced The sky with the puffs of white magic.

I shut my eyes.

I’m at home.

Ode To the Victim

By Marian Ubanede

I never thought that I would be so scared walking through my neighborhood. That my heart would be pounding and praying to live another day. That those familiar buildings and faces would become violent. That someone reaching into their car or back pockets will make me stop, my knees quaking with fear.

That I, who casually walked those streets at night, would run in the day. That the muzzle of a gun and the sound of a bullet would be far away yet so close.

Child, teen, adult, none safe from the raging chaos

The men in blue, who are meant to protect you, see you as an oppressor

The victims who turn to them become persecuted because of the color of their skin

We fall by our hand and by the hands of those who wish to silence us

Until the days when we are seen

When the guns are put down

When the color of one’s skin doesn’t determine the measure of justice

The victim will keep living in fear

The ever-increasing cries of loved ones will never stop

The memories of one single day plaguing their life

And I would keep running from a place I once called my home

Beg Me For Forgiveness and Watch As I Spit in Your Face

By Nayeli Lopez

I am not the one responsible for the gaping hole in my chest. I did not give you the roadmap to my soul for you to crash your car into. I am not the one who handed you the whip that formed welts on my back. I did not give you the luxury of knowing me for you to use it against me.

You are the hell I know well.

Remnants of all you did come back to me in flashes.

You mutated my haven into a battlefield.

Even amidst the light of day, I fear the darkness will always find its way back to me.

But

You beg forgiveness like I cried out for mercy.

You yearn for absolution like I crave the miracle of forgetting you. You live with this guilt while I suffer with this regret.

You are the hell I know well. You want me to forgive you?

Don’t make me laugh. I gave you all my heartache. I will not give you my happiness too.

Christopher Columbus Syndrome 2020

By Danielle Ramirez

“What is this person’s race?”

“White, Black, Asian, or American Indian?” Sighing, I scrolled past the long list.

“White - German, Irish, English.”

“Black - African American, Jamaican, Haitian.” Swoosh, swoosh. I scrolled down and down.

“Other: _________” I typed, ‘Afro-Latino.’

I clicked on the next page.

The next question emerged as a magic trick That always fails to impress me over the years. “Is this person of Latino or Hispanic Descent?”

Already, there are over 60 million of us. We’re the largest minority group, now. Why are we still on the second page of the race census page?

Hovering my cursor over to Twitter,

“The Latino community is an incredibly diverse community,” “With incredibly different attitudes about different things,” Oh right, of course.

“Goya Foods is doing GREAT.”

“The Radical Left smear machine backfired, people are buying like crazy!”

Now, we’re rediscovered. You guys have swords, ships, and syphilis.

All we had was nothing.

Surely, our Santa Maria did not whisper to them, Clinging her rosary, “Amores,” “Escuchalos a Latinos, por favor.”

No, it’s their Uncle Sam, whispering to them, In a low booming voice, “Gentlemen,” “Let’s not deport their votes, yet.”

After this, Will we still be on that second page of the census?

The Best Albums of 2022

By Oluwatunmise Akinfeleye, Vice President

2022 was a historic year for music. Popular acts returned, new acts burst onto the scene, and artists continued to push sonic boundaries. Among the ambitious projects released last year, I have compiled the ten albums that provide the most fulfilling listening experiences. The albums in this list are ranked in order of my overall enjoyment of each with the others.

10. Beware of the Monkey - MIKE

The arguable forerunner of the [sLUms] movement in rap, MIKE delivers again with “Beware of the Monkey.” His poetic, spoken word-like delivery and unorthodox audio mixing may throw new listeners for a loop, but once acquainted with his style, the artistry becomes hard to ignore. MIKE’s penchant for soulful samples and melancholy subject matter make for some of his discography’s most hard-hitting yet ambient songs. Standout songs include the contemplative “WEARY LOVE” and the misleadingly upbeat “No Curse Lifted (rivers of love).”

9. SICK! - Earl Sweatshirt

Earl Sweatshirt’s “SICK!” was partially fueled by the forced introspection many underwent during the COVID-19 pandemic. With lines like “Sometimes the pain sits and festers into hate, beloved,” the album aims to bring you into Earl’s headspace during the lockdown. Listeners can expect to encounter Sweatshirt’s unique lexicon paired with alternative trap beats ranging from bouncy to somber. Standout songs include “2010” and “Lobby (int).”

8. 2 Alivë - Yeat

Yeat is truly a phenomenon. “2 Alivë” is his fourth studio album since his exponential rise to fame began in 2021, making him already more prolific than several of his peers. Throughout this project, it seems like he has his own language. Lines including words like “bopper” and “twizzy” are delivered with authority. When you listen to the tracks on this album, be prepared to hear the word “tonka” several times in several different cadences and nod your head every single time. It feels like he has found a formula for widespread appeal. Expect to hear the artist’s signature bells and outlandish adlibs throughout. Standout songs include “Poppin” and “Jus bëtter.”

7. Flawless Like Me - Lucki

The king of the underground returns with one of his best projects yet. At first, it may seem like this album has just the standard trap subject matter, but now and then, a poetically morbid line reveals something deeper beneath the flexing. Standout songs include “13” and “ARCHIVE CELINE.”

6. Hypochondriac - Brakence

The “dropout” singer has shattered expectations with his second studio album, “hypochondriac.” Seamlessly blending the pop, country, and punk genres with lyrics lamenting his failed relationships and struggles with drug abuse, Brakence is undoubtedly a generational talent. Each song fades into the next, making for a wholly different experience when the album is played

front to back. This is different from the album to play on shuffle. Seriously, trust me. Standout songs include “5g” and “argyle.”

5. Gemini Rights - Steve Lacy

With ten songs, running a total of just over 35 minutes, “Gemini Rights” proves the age-old adage “less is more.” True love continues to elude Lacy throughout the project as he lays bare his psyche over piano and guitar. Sometimes it seems he doesn’t mind this chase, like in “Buttons,” while songs like “Bad Habit” prove that there are moments when he can’t bear it. Standout songs include “Static” and “Cody Freestyle.”

4. Mr. Money With The Vibe - Asake

Afro-pop sensation Asake undoubtedly lives up to the “vibe” in the title of this album. With infectious melodies and body-shaking instrumentation, “Mr. Money With The Vibe” is a masterclass in the Afrobeats’ method. Standout songs include “Organise” and “Peace Be Unto You.”

3. Love, Damini - Burna Boy Burna Boy continues to trailblaze and push the African sound forward with “Love, Damini.” This album has pain, joy, lust, and, most importantly, love. Standout songs include “Science” and “Toni-Ann Singh (feat. Popcaan).

2. 2 Slizzy 2 Sexy (Deluxe) - Cash Cobain, Chow Lee

New York artists Cash Cobain and Chow Lee have cemented their positions as the horniest rappers on the planet. This project is the most fun lis-

ten of the year, with insanely bouncy instrumentals and classic samples. For a good reason, it is impossible to be bored while listening to this album. Most lyrics describing their relationships with women are too explicit to write here, layered over hip-shaking jersey club instrumentals. Cash Cobain shows why his production is a cut above the rest and why you must know these beats are from “Cash, not YouTube.” Chow Lee steals the show with his unreasonably catchy hooks and adlibs that are earworms in their own right. These two are currently shaping the future of music in New York. Standout songs include “JHOLIDAY2” and “HORNITOS.”

1. Mr. Morale & The Big SteppersKendrick Lamar

This placement should not come as a surprise to us all. No other album released in 2022 reached the level of musical genius that Kendrick Lamar’s fifth studio album continuously displays from track to track. This project is focused on Lamar’s emotional struggles that come with his position as the greatest rapper of our generation. Family issues, toxic masculinity, and transphobia in the Black community are a few topics tackled with immense lyrical ability and polished production. Standout tracks include “Count Me Out” and “Silent Hill.”

The Atlantic

By Oluwatoyin Kupoluyi, Writer

I don’t know my mother’s tongue I can’t swim across the Atlantic in hopes of drowning myself in my nation’s words maybe the ocean between me is too far to be translated but my mother always adds a little extra pepper in every meal and calls them all their traditional names maybe to remind us where we were born where our seeds were planted and watered before eventually being transplanted into a different country my father always tells me to wear my name with pride for it carries with it a nation that it holds the power of my real home that Naija remembers my name no matter how far I drift from her I call myself a Naija baby for I may have left home, but home never left me cause, see, Lagos still remembers me Nigeria still lives in my heart, and she calls me her daughter she lives in my coils in my thick accent when I drift from my home, she always reminds me that the dirt that I was planted in still lies here

forget Burna Boy. You are the African Gaint that I am a legacy, and I carry within myself Nigeria’s future that I am kidnapped girls never found that I am a teacher striking in universities across Nigeria that I am the uneducated girl in nations that seem to have no hope

The Word Artist

By Perpetua Uduba

People ask me who I am, And I tell them, I am a word artist. My words are my art. They paint a portrait of me, They sculpt my truest character They’ll even draw my heart’s desire… My art is my words. I am a word artist.

The Panthers

By Oluwatoyin Kupoluyi, Writer

Ode to the panther no longer caged

To the panther who was raised in chains

That knew only enslavement from birth

Hand-fed lies after lies

How did you make your key?

How did you forge freedom out of hope

How did you build a rebellion out of silence

To the panther who was raised in chains

How did you keep your midnight Black and write your freedom

To the panther who birthed a rebellion out of chains your name lives on.

that I am the child killed by Boko Haram that I am a teenager holding up endSARS signs who refused to be silenced that I am a citizen affected by corrupt politicians who take and hide money from people in need I am the burning ballots of a corrupt voting system that I am the people who have never forgotten where they are from the ones who kept their language no matter how hard they tried to burn it off their tongue that I am people who refused to be enslaved that I am nations that refused to be colonized that I am women that never take no for an answer that I am teenagers who march till the soles of my feet ache that I am young children who make something out of nothing that I am the rebelling slave, call me nat turner that I am burning slave ships that I am body buried in the ocean because death is better than enslavement that Harriet lives through me, I am unseen railroads meaning that I am freedom for my people that I am angry, and anger is corrosive that I am fire and fire burns that I am a sharpened knife, so my words WILL make you bleed that I am broken glass that will be made into a weapon that I am the ocean, so I nurture. provide a home for thousands of creatures But I am the ocean, so my anger is dangerous that I am bamboo beads on braids that don’t ever shut up Naija says tell them your name so I say in my mother’s tongue

Modern Day Mona Lisa

By Stanichar Pierre

Photos from Nigeria Photo Gallery / Oluwatunmise Akinfeleye

Blame Game

By Jazela Wright

Sitting in the dungeon, I looked at the high tower and wondered how I got here. Silver spoon in their mouths, broken one in mine, wondering how’s that fair?

Let’s play the blame game in this broken system and see who wins.

Is it the people in high places today? Or the enslavers way back then?

Blue Monday by Annie Lee reflects the image of you and me.

When you wake up in the morning, I see your fatigue, you get irritated and snap— Now the blames is on me.

We choose to sit here and let our tears define us. Let’s not play the blame game, Lord knows the finger’s going to get pointed back at us.

What it means to be a

The enslaved person goes beyond the chains, because it seems our master lives beyond the grave.

We hate the system we live in, and love to cry for the victim but posses the blood of kings and Queens are running in our system.

We glorify the struggle with no plans to move forward. A spit on our ancestors’ grave

For us to take accountability would be considered a mercy.

Weakness and strength two sides of the same coin. Let’s toss it and see what we get

Our ticket from the dungeon to the high tower.

Times Like These

By Diana Moreno

My thoughts are eating me alive

Telling me to hide

How I truly feel Inside

But

I don’t know how to get by Without you by my side

Please show me the light

Where I can see the end Of all of this

Is this truly it?

Is this where it all ends?

I don’t even know where It all began.

Do you know where we stand?

It’s starting to make sense

Since it started on a deserted Island

Where it is just my hand

In the fire

Never mind, you don’t get it

What it is to carry

Ooh, it’s getting heavy

My mind is no longer steady Sailing away

Begging me to stay

But I ran out

Of what to say.

I need you to speak up Tell me

All our highs and lows

Where it all went wrong Tell me, and I’ll go Was my love ever enough?

I’ll walk away forever

From the thought of us

If you tell me

Did I ever measure up?

Ossein Phonograph

By Christopher Jean-Pierre, Video/Audio Editor

I feel the groove

No man’s land

The side of a desert highway

Where my friends and I hang out

It’s a party

I feel the groove

Slide in another episode Of the dinner

My eyes are glued to your skull Dreams pour from my afro

I feel the groove

The sound is approaching Catastrophic the metal tears like paper Due to high velocity, 74mph Put it behind you

This poem was published in an “Expressions 2021 Poetry Collection.”

Alma Peligrosa

By Sophia Camulaire

Tu alma peligrosa se está cortando. Como caer del cielo, tu corazón se rompió por la tierra muy ajena. Y lo encuentro.

Cuando la vi, se ve enferma, oscura y peligrosa. Camino más adentro de ti buscando algo distincta, algo dorada, algo pura.

Goliath

By Seyhandra Benjamin

Times like these Is when I need you The most. my mind spirals in the midst of the rise and fall of my chest in rhythm as air fills my lungs.

thoughts heading towards a drain that flushes my system. overwhelmed by the fear of the acknowledged, my motion remains still. physically.

i feel it. it runs deep.

1 see it. it towers me.

i shall become like you then. a demanding moon and sky have shown me you are: complex, wicked like me, expected and yet hidden from

i shall become like you then. running deep. feel me. tower over you. see me.

i shall become like you.

Encontré una sonrisa, y yo le sonrei. Pero no mucho.

Y me pregunté, ¿Porqué los santos duelen demasiado? Hay mucho dolor en un alma peligrosa.

Cada noche se grita, Dios sálvame, Dios protegeme, Dios amame, nada pasa. Y nada pasará porque un alma peligrosa no grita, solo muera.

Congratulations Class of 2022!

Photos by Andrew Candio

Own It

By Stanichar Pierre

My Black illuminates any room

I don’t just glow

I bring life.

I am art without the paint bristles to show for it

No color on your palette can create me

No canvas can fit my curves

Hair so loud it breaks the glass reflecting my inner beauty.

I tell the story of a mother and a daughter

Whose relationship is intertwined like a three-strand twist done on a Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

Look into my eyes and see generations

Flip the page and see how far we’ve come.

Book thicker than the bible

Tears flood the room

My family didn’t get the chance to build an ark when violence came through holy water quenches my sweet melanin.

Yes, Black don’t crack slipped you the recipe Lock it up and put it in a safe Mr. Krabs style Cause you’ll never get a piece of This. Chocolate. Cake.

My Black is Irreplaceable Fragile

Controversial Strength

Pain

Constitutional

So put that in your campaign.

No need to recognize it in your media or song lyrics.

My Black is beautiful

My Black is youthful My Black is me

FASHION

YOUR FAVORITE BLACK-OWNED BRANDS

By Meloseri Dumnoi, Video Editor

Denim Tears is a brand that has fought for the African-American community through the art of fashion. Tremaine Emory created Denim Tears in September 2020. Emory is an Atlanta native and was raised in Jamaica, Queens. He moved to the United Kingdom in 2010 and earned his fashion qualifications at Marc Jacobs for nine years. Emory has been an advisor to personalities such as Frank Ocean, Virgil Abloh, and Tom Sachs. Tremaine Emory initially started Denim Tears to combat racism and oppression in America. Tremaine’s purpose for Denim Tears was to completely change the American perception of the cotton trade (which was rooted in slavery). The symbol of the cotton wreath has been seen repeatedly throughout Denim Tears’ collections, and it intends to symbolize the strife of Black people.

Emory found his first ounce of inspiration through American painter Kara Walker’s Instagram post of a cotton wreath. The name ‘Denim Tears’ itself started as a playful joke, but as time went on, Emory found meaning to the name, in which the word ‘tears’ means rips and symbolized (in his words) the attrition of life. The brand is known to embed its strong message into the aesthetic of other brands like Converse, Levi’s, and Dior.

Tremaine Emory believes that the African American community can control the definition of who they are. He wants everyone to take the main message when they buy one of his designs — “Keep everything in sight, not in the shadows.” Think about this the next time you order a pair of Denim Tears!

signers can give their creations. With these pieces, he started to get attention from the big names in fashion, including Virgil Abloh. Abloh invited Best to design the denim for his SS19 collection. At that stage, Best was seen as the next generation of designers, and he started to notice how much of an impact someone like him could have on the industry. Upon the birth of his son, he began to think about the mark he wanted to leave in fashion. That was when ‘Who Decides War’ was born. The name of the brand itself is rhetorical, and that’s how Best wanted it.

Everard Best shifted an entire brand to no longer be about the designer but the community and pushing the boundaries that need to be pushed down. The pieces he creates for the brand are wholly symbolic of the political awareness Best has brought to his work through this line. Best wants us to understand that everything around us and within us can’t be controlled by just one person/entity but as a community and a force bounded by unity. The next time you wear your colorful denim, remember that you can change things and strengthen your community.

achieve his goal of creating products for Black people to be seen and heard. As mentioned before, Blackwood made the ESR tote to support the Black Lives Matter protests, and a portion of the proceeds from the bag was donated to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. We love a brand that supports a good cause. However, these totes were discontinued after Blackwood wanted to focus on something other than a trend. A significant goal for Blackwood was to etch himself into fashion history, and that he did. He realizes that as a designer of color, he has to work harder and be better than his counterparts for his piece. Although this is upsetting, it is very accurate. However, Blackwood has showcased that time and time again, he has the talent, the guts, the skill, and the audacity to take on the fashion world, and we can’t wait to see what he does next!

ller through fashion. Every time you put on your Barriers hoodie, you are wearing just a piece of a very long story. Don’t hesitate to educate yourselves, so you know the story behind your clothing.

Everard Best A.K.A. Ev Bravado

A.K.A Murder Bravado released the first line of Who Decides War in 2019. Like its creator, the brand has gone through several names, and a story is told with each rebrand. Everard Best grew up in Elmont, New York, and brought a new take on fashion to the small suburban town. He was introduced to clothesmaking in his father’s tailor shop, where he played with fabrics and designs. His style was uncommon at the time, but few noticed how groundbreaking his fashion sense would be.

His denim is very intimate to him because he created every one of the sample pieces by hand. Best values his craft so much that each piece gets a portion of the love only de-

Brandon Blackwood, the brand that went viral! You might see more than a few people carrying around the well-made and high-quality mini tote, ‘End Systematic Racism,’ a message that, hopefully, we all support. Let’s dive into the brand that made waves across the internet, supporting a cause near and dear to us. Brandon Blackwood created Brandon Blackwood. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is of Jamaican and Chinese descent. Initially, in terms of schooling, Blackwood enrolled in Bard College for neuroscience. He figured out he was interested in fashion and started teaching himself fashion design. He says that being a self-taught fashion designer allowed him to learn how to work for himself and nobody else, allowing him to explore his creative ideas and push him to start his brand.

Blackwood purchased the LLC for this brand in 2013 and launched his first line of handbags in 2015. You might not have known that each bag he has created was named after really close friends, family, or townships in Jamaica. Every time you purchase a Brandon Blackwood bag, you buy a piece full of sentiment and love. Think about that the next time you create an outfit with a BB tote. This brand is focused on modernity and functionality, pushing Blackwood to

Steven Barter, a New York native but Los Angeles resident, created Barriers in 2015. The purpose of his line was to share untold Black history stories in a way that today’s youth can easily digest. Although 2015 was not too long ago, it wasn’t prevalent to have such a message in your brand. Many didn’t care but still appreciated the aesthetics. However, with his designs, Barter pushes out strong messages while maintaining a ‘cool’ or ‘swaggy’ look. Barter’s designs are created by taking specific historical topics or figures that others may be unfamiliar with and then amplifying them via bold, eye-catching collages and portraits on the clothing. He highlights the trailblazers in the Black community and passes important messages to the consumers of his products. Barter didn’t look outside but within his home and family, searching for inspiration. His most popular product so far is his well-designed and high-quality hoodies. In addition to designing, Barter regularly puts on art installations that align with the brand’s focus on storytelling. As he goes on to grow Barriers, Steven Barter not only wants to share Black history but also wants to share untold stories from around the world. I guess you can call him a storyte-

Let’s talk TELFAR. Their signature tote bags alone have taken the world by storm, selling out each time with every release. Telfar Clemens is the founder of the self-named brand TELFAR. This fashion genius was born to Liberian parents in Queens, New York. Although his entire life was not spent there, he returned years later, in 2002, to pursue a career in modeling. While studying at Pace University, Clemens founded the brand TELFAR in 2005, and well, the rest is history. Clemens found his inspiration for the brand in big-box stores and the outfits of strangers walking around New York City. What motivated him to create his line the most was the limited clothing options that represented his style, so he made his own. As the famous quote says, “If you want it done properly, do it yourself.” The renowned shopping bags we all know and love were first released in 2014 and coined the “Bushwick Birkin.”

Yes, TELFAR has been around for quite a while; the brand’s sales, however, only peaked in 2020! This is particularly interesting due to a decrease in sales because of the pandemic. However, this was not the case for TELFAR. The New York Times called 2020 “The Year of TELFAR.” Although the tote bags are the first thing we think about when it comes to the brand, TELFAR’s collection combines unisex designs with the principles of comfortable sportswear and, in Telfar’s words, “simplexity.” Telfar Clemens’ identity as a queer person of color contributes to the brand’s overall message of inclusivity. Everybody should have cute clothes to wear, and everyone should feel unique. The whole point of the brand was to create accessible and affordable luxury. And that it did!

TELFAR 5.

BLACK LIGHT

By Anthoni Haynes, President

Established in April 2022, ‘Black Light’ began as a podcast series hosted by Black World’s President, Anthoni Haynes, serving as a medium focusing on the talents and entrepreneurial pursuits of the Black and Latinx community at Stony Brook University.

Diamond Bolling is a hairdresser from Brooklyn who provides various hair services to the Stony Brook community. She started her hair business about two years ago, inspired by her passion for doing hair. Diamond credits her foundation with wanting to create space for Black women to feel comfortable and beautiful. Her future aspirations include becoming a lawyer and continuing to incorporate hair into her daily life. All bookings can be made through her Instagram account (@diamond.luxehair).

‘Brian.Cutz’ is the business name of an on-campus barber, Brian Rodriguez. Brian is a Stony Brook senior majoring in Business Management with a minor in Accounting. He offers services of all types, including trims, haircuts, and shape-ups. Samples of his work are available on his Instagram (@brian.cutz).

Brian began his business during the deep quarantine phase of the Covid-19 pandemic when his barber introduced the idea to him during an appointment, suggesting it would be a good chance for him. After investing time, money, and equipment into his craft, Brian has continued to excel at barbering for the past three years. He established his business because not only did it bring creativity and money, but it brought networking opportunities as well. Brian has enjoyed conversing with his clients, “They always say if you love what you’re doing, it would never feel like it is a job, and I can truly say that I’ve felt that way throughout the years.”

Rodriguez credits his identity as a Hispanic man “as motivation and keeps me on my toes. The fact that I come from struggle and can wake up every day and still have hope also

The Honey Studio was founded and operated by Arlins Arias. The business provides hair services to protect and style natural hair on campus. Established in February 2021, Arlins began her business as an outlet for Stony Brook students of color to have a business they can reach out to and do their hair. Arias states, “Hair being challenging to do for individuals and with little to no natural hair services in Long Island, I wanted to be that business available to students.”

Arlins, a Hispanic woman, has motivated her to perfect her craft. Arias says, “I want people to remember The Honey Studio as that great hairstylist that “finessed” their hair. The Honey Studio has progressed significantly since its establishment, and Arlins is grateful for everyone that has trusted her with their crown. Looking into the future, Arlins does not aspire to continue doing hair. Arias is confident that everything she has learned about being an entrepreneur will be beneficial to help her in her career in the future. All bookings can be made through ‘The Honey Studio’ Instagram (@thehoney.studio_).

serves as a push. I want to give all of what my parents have given me and more.” Brian’s future goals include owning a barbershop, venturing into real estate, and continuing his entrepreneurship. If you would like to contact Brian, contact him via his Instagram account (@brian. cutz), phone number (631-3985103), or email (rodriguezb565@ gmail.com). BADGUY.

Welcome to ‘BADGUY.,’ a clothing brand all about blending streetwear and pop culture to bring you the best fashion from both worlds. We specialize in streetwear and pop culture-inspired fashion. Our brand focuses on providing high-quality, trendy clothing for our customers. Patrick Abel founded our brand and Richmond Boateng, two individuals with a passion for

fashion and a vision to bring something fresh and new to the market. Our identities as first-generation children of immigrant parents have played a significant role in motivating us to succeed. Coming from backgrounds where our parents weren’t born in this country, we’ve seen firsthand the struggles and sacrifices they have made to provide for us and create a better life. We know our parents have high expectations for us, and we want to make them proud. This sense of responsibility and desire to make a difference drives us to be excellent in everything we do— Building a successful brand, excelling in school, or performing at our best on the track.

clients feel good about their appearance, saying, “I feel like the prettiest girl in the world, and I love that I can make other women feel the same way after I do their hair. Not only do women get to feel this way, but I also get men right. Looking and feeling fresh is my main goal!”

Some of her future aspirations include expanding her brand and learning more skills to offer more services. She also plans to invest in herself and take on other ventures like learning how to do makeup and learning how to install extensions like weaves and wigs. All bookings for ‘Stylezbyce’ can be made through her business page on Instagram (@stylezby_ce), business number(516-468-8753), and personal Instagram account (admiree.ce).

‘BADGUY.’ sets an example for young people from similar backgrounds, showing that achieving your dreams with hard work and determination is possible. Our identities have given us a sense of purpose and motivation that fuels our ambition and helps us work daily to reach our goals. The future is bright for ‘BADGUY.,’ and we have big plans for the brand. ‘BADGUY.’ has always been an outlet for creativity, and we want to continue exploring new avenues and pushing boundaries. Whether exploring high fashion or creating short films, we’re open to trying new things and seeing where our creativity takes us. At ‘BADGUY.,’ we believe in offering high-quality, trendy clothing that our customers will love to wear. Whether you’re a streetwear or pop culture fan, we’ve got something for you. So come check us out and see what ‘BADGUY.’ has to offer! Remember, be the ‘BADGUY.’

‘Stylezbyce’ is the business name of Cierrah Thomas. Cierrah has been an entrepreneur since July 2020, deciding to take a chance with her skills and start her own business. Stylezbyce is a hair business offering protective styles, including knotless braids, natural twists, natural braids, passion twists, and loc retwists.

She started her hair business because she always wanted something of her own. She loves to see her

Diamond.luxehair

Stylezbyce

Brian.Cutz

The Honey Studio

EN ACCIÓN

Tergiversación en la Educación:

Por Isabella Begazo

¿Especialmente en nuestra cultura, por qué es importante aprender sobre la historia y las tradiciones latinoamericanas?

Credibilidad

Experiencias

Y Comprensión.

Las culturas latinoamericanas tienen muchas diferencias. Podemos decir, que la cultura mexicana difiere de la cultura puertorriqueña, al igual que la cultura colombiana difiere de la cultura venezolana. Por esta razón, es crucial enseñar las diversidades culturales de una manera efectiva. Varias instituciones a través

de los Estados Unidos, incluyendo la nuestra, ofrecen programas enseñando estudios hispanos o latinoamericanos, pero muchas veces, la manera en la que enseñan no logran un gran impacto, debido a una ausencia en credibilidad, experiencia y comprensión.

La credibilidad es uno de los factores más fundamentales en todos los tipos de programas de educación. ¿Cómo se aprende sin saber que el profesor no sabe acerca de lo se está hablando? Pienso que este problema ocurre más de lo que se piensa. Hace un año, decidieron declarar una subespecialización en el lenguaje y literatura de español. Siempre me ha encantado leer y aprender en español, y quería poder hablarlo en contextos en la escuela como ya no estaba viviendo en mi casa. Al tomar solo una clase de literatura en español, me decepcioné casi completamente. Lo que estaba aprendiendo en clase, sentí que tergiversan culturas hispanas, en la manera que fueron explicadas, habladas y enseñadas; un ejemplo del escenario que anteriormente expliqué. De todos modos, continúe la clase para

Lo Inesperado del Huracán Fiona

Por Damilys Santana Vargas

Los huracanes se consideran tormentas tropicales que se forman sobre cuerpos de agua tropicales o subtropicales. También se conocen comúnmente como ciclones tropicales. Sus vientos pueden alcanzar velocidades de setenta y cuatro millas por hora o más, se clasifican por categorías que van del uno al cinco, siendo cinco el más fuerte. La temporada de huracanes comienza a principios de junio, hasta finales de noviembre (Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica, 2013). El huracán más fuerte que afectó a la región del Océano Atlántico en 2022 se conoce como Huracán Fiona. El Huracán Fiona se convirtió en un huracán de categoría cuatro, lo que significa que la velocidad del viento aumentó en más de cien millas por hora. Los vientos de los huracanes de categoría cuatro son de ciento treinta a ciento cincuenta y seis millas por hora. Estos huracanes tienen el poder de derribar árboles, postes de electricidad, destruir casas, haciéndolas inhabitables por mucho tiempo y más. Comenzó como depresión tropical el 14 de septiembre, convirtiéndose en huracán oficial el 18 de septiembre. Se extendía desde el Caribe hasta Canadá, causando daños masivos y víctimas (Locker, 2022). Afectó a países como Puerto Rico, República Dominicana, Islas Turcas y Caicos, Bermudas, Canadá, Trinidad y Tobago y más (ReliefWeb, 2022). La República Dominicana experimentó la pérdida de energía, inundaciones que amenazaron la vida, pérdida de recursos naturales esenciales, entre otras. En Puerto Rico los re-

sidentes se vieron obligados a abandonar sus hogares, negocios y todas sus pertenencias debido a las inundaciones y los vientos. Con gran pesar se informó que se perdieron vidas por la violencia del huracán.

La universidad de Stony Brook tiene una larga historia de iniciar campañas y afiliarse a organizaciones para ayudar a las personas desfavorecidas. A los marinos les apasionan

terminar el semestre bien.

Reflexionando sobre esto, lo primero que vino a mi mente fue este factor, perfectamente yendo de acuerdo con las experiencias de uno, y de último, la comprensión. Creo que una de las mejores maneras de efectivamente enseñar un tema cargado, como las culturas, es tener alguna experiencia de primera mano. Sin embargo, esto no es algo que se pueda reglamentar; solo algo de tener en mente. Igual que la credibilidad, solo que esto se puede ganar.

A la larga, lo que quería transmitir en esta pieza es un conocimiento más grande sobre este problema de aprendizaje que existe en nuestra universidad y seguramente también en otras, basándome en mi experiencia propia como alumna. Últimamente, es un poco difícil poder cambiar el sistema, pero es crucial mantener una mente abierta y bien informada.

las causas con las que pueden relacionarse personalmente. La mayoría de las veces, los estudiantes toman el asunto en sus propias manos al crear conciencia sobre temas desatendidos y encontrar formas de brindar apoyo. Tras la noticia del huracán Fiona, la estudiante de Stony Brook, Adriana Centeno, fundó una campaña por Puerto Rico. La Sta. Centeno es una estudiante de último año con doble especialización en Biología y Sociología con una especialización en Medicina de la Salud y Sociedad. Ella encuentra que este tema es muy importante debido a su ascendencia afro-latina proveniente de Puerto Rico y la República Dominicana. La campaña para el huracán Fiona se llevó a cabo en el residencial de Chávez, donde la Sra. Centeno es asistente residente. Se colocó un contenedor frente a la oficina de RA del salón Chávez, que aceptó donaciones como artículos de tocador, ropa y alimentos. Estos artículos fueron enviados desde la estación de policía del condado de Suffolk para luego ser enviados a Puerto Rico. En mi breve entrevista con Adriana, explicó que estaba inspirada moralmente, pero también por su origen cultural. También quiso conmemorar a su abuela que falleció durante la pandemia de COVID-19.

Su objetivo era no solo brindar apoyo a los afectados por el huracán Fiona, sino también mejorar el impulso por la diversidad en el campus. Crear conciencia sobre los problemas que experimentan los países minoritarios y ayudar a promover la inclusión social en el campus.

El Apagón

Por Maria Hernandez

El llamado político a la acción envuelto en ritmo y lenguaje, Bad Bunny es un cantante y artista de reggaetón que ha recibido atención mundial los pasados últimos años. Es nativo de Puerto Rico y siempre ha sido abierto acerca de su amor por la Isla del Encanto. Sus canciones suelen estar llenas de música pegadiza, lenguaje vulgar, inmundos sexuales, y un ritmo que se hace para bailar. La canción, ‘El Apagón’ es un poco diferente. Aunque todavía está llena de características conocidas del artista, en las palabras se encuentra un significado más profundo. Con la inclusión de su video musical, demostró efectivamente el sentimiento político y económico de los puertorriqueños. De una manera a otro, denunció la situación económica de Puerto Rico y las acciones de LUMA. Él trae a luz lo que está padeciendo hoy en la Isla del Encanto. A diferencia de todo lo que había hecho antes, Bad Bunny incluyó un documental de dieciocho minutos sobre la crisis económica y las políticas que se aplican a los puertorriqueños. Debido al horrible sistema económico en Puerto Rico ahora, muchas familias se fueron — y siguen siendo — desplazadas de sus hogares. Bad Bunny demuestra todo esto y más en su video musical, mientras mantiene su estilo.

Este ensayo puede sonar como una pieza analítica de la canción, debido a la declaración que hizo en su video musical, es más de cómo su video musical brilla una luz sobre la lucha que muchos en Puerto Rico están enfrentando debido al gobierno. Al elegir incorporar un documental en profundidad en su video musical, Bad Bunny hizo una declaración política denunciando directamente el maltrato de los puertorriqueños. Las instantáneas en el video musical durante la parte de canto muestran la belleza de Puerto Rico, una pequeña isla que alberga tantos sitios hermosos. Las casas coloridas, las banderas de Puerto Rico rasgadas que cuelgan de las casas y edificios. El barrido de las aguas cristalinas a una explosión y corte de la música en la voz del narrador de la película, mostrando imágenes de hogares sin energía, hospitales con los monitores con alarmas sonando, personas con dispositivos médicos en las calles.

El ritmo de la música es alegre y feliz, con un breve recorte hacia las marcadas diferencias entre la gente feliz, bailando a los afectados por los problemas socioeconómicos. Después de esta corta instantáneamente, las imágenes se desplazan constantemente a las playas de cristal y a las protestas. Las imágenes superpuestas en el video durante la parte de canto muestran la belleza de Puerto Rico. La canción suena como cualquier otra canción de Bad Bunny, pero si escuchas las letras, y miras más allá del lenguaje vulgar, puedes ver el mensaje llamando a la acción que está intentando dar. Puerto Rico ha sufrido apagones desde el Huracán María en 2017. ’LUMA Energy’, la red eléctrica que controla la energía de la isla, no ha hecho nada para prevenir los apagones. Ha habido exenciones fiscales perjudiciales puestas en marcha (solo para extranjeros y no

Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

puertorriqueños), obligado a muchos puertorriqueños mudarse de sus hogares e incentivado a americanos a mudarse a Puerto Rico y desplazar a los boricuas. La ley de los ‘inversores individuales’ se aprobó para ayudar a “arreglar” la economía de las islas atrayendo a inversores extranjeros para que contribuyan a la economía, pero lo único que está haciendo es expulsar a las boricuas que no tienen medios para combatir a los ricos que vienen a comprar “espacio vacacional”. Esta ley exime a los inversores de ciertos impuestos. Las marcadas diferencias que se muestran entre las personas que bailan y las personas felices y las afectadas por estos problemas socioeconómicos sacan a la luz las dificultades que enfrentan, pero la falta de voluntad para sucumbir a ellas. Bianca Graulau, la mujer que narra el documental incluido en el video musical, entra en detalle sobre el impacto que las leyes y las exenciones fiscales en los extranjeros ricos

hacen a los locales de Puerto Rico. Ella muestra entrevistas de personas afectadas por estos problemas, obligadas a mudarse de sus hogares, obligadas a abandonar sus trabajos, sin una solución disponible para ellos. Una declaración hecha por Maricusa Hernández, una mujer en el video documental/musical dice “Están desplazando a los nativos Boricuas para hacerse ricos (Él Apagón. Aquí vive gente).”

En los cuatro minutos que Bad Bunny canta su canción, estableciendo el tono para el resto del video. La gentrificación y el desplazamiento están cambiando la isla, y los ricos están tomando el control. Sin embargo, hay protestas y videos como este tratando de iluminar la situación y revelar la situación. Todos los que se muestran están orgullosos de ser Boricua y nolo abandonarán sin una pelea.

The Cold-Hearted Nightmare of Brittney Griner

By Cameron Williams, Social Media Chair

After ten months in a Russian Penal Colony known for continued human rights violations since the first World War, Brittney Griner finally saw her release on December 8th. After lengthy political negotiations Viktor Bout, an infamous Russian arms dealer, was exchanged into Russian custody.

In February of 2022, the 32-yearold WNBA superstar was detained by airport security for possessing cannabis oil and later charged with smuggling an illegal substance. Griner had played in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League for multiple seasons, which Brittney Griner headlined during her off-seasons with the WNBA, paid roughly $1 million. Since Griner’s imprisonment, protesters have advocated for better pay for WNBA players, so there is less need to play in foreign leagues.

Griner pleaded guilty with no criminal intent, as this oil was used for pain management and was not intended to be packed in her luggage but was hastily done so in packing. The Biden Administration soon declared this wrongful imprisonment, as Griner received ten years, with the judge later moving Griner to a penal colony. The history of the Russian Penal Colony, formerly known as “the gulag labor camps,” is that of forcing prisoners to perform physical labor with no compensation in the tundra of Russia. The frigid conditions fed into one noticeable difference for the superstar; Griner’s locs were cut off due to the extreme freezing temperatures. After her release, Griner stated that the cold work conditions would freeze her locs whenever she would wash her hair. Griner was also unable to do the tailoring and sewing work that other female prisoners were expected to do due to her height and larger hands. Instead, she was designated to move the fabric.

Many saw Griner’s detaining as politically motivated, as the

United States support in Ukraine has shown to weaken Russia’s attempt to siege the country. Any form of political advantage Putin’s regime could find was assured to be taken. Griner was just an unfortunate casualty at the wrong place at the wrong time.

To serve ten years for possession of cannabis oil in inhumane conditions was deemed wrong by the Biden Admin. Griner has since admitted to facing homophobia and racism in the penal colony. As such, the Biden Admin has sought to make a prisoner swap for the WNBA star and a U.S. Marine in the deal. The former U.S. Marine, Paul Whelan, was arrested in 2018 for spying, something the White House has continued to deny. Later, Russia refused to agree to a deal that included Whelan— leaving the White House with fewer options for making a deal.

Viktor Bout, known internationally as the “Merchant of Death,” has been accused of funding terrorist groups and warlords worldwide with large quantities of dangerous weapons. He has attracted such attention by inspiring a movie depicting his acts called “Lord of War.”

Griner and Bout were exchanged in the United Arab Emirates. Later that day, Griner went through a routine health evaluation at a military medical facility in Texas, mainly used for all former foreign prisoners. She was then reunited with her wife.

With the War in Ukraine heavily leaning in favor of Ukraine, this may have a longing impact on the war effort and fuel Russian allies for years to come. Since then, Brittney has stated she looks forward to playing in the upcoming WNBA season for the Phoenix Mercury.

Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

www.capitalonecareers.com/job/mclean/product-development-intern-summer-2023/31238/42529395120

Black World wanted to thank every one of our sponsors — the Department of Africana Studies, the School of Communication and Journalism, and the Office of the President — for all of the support we have received towards this publication.

Thank you!