The Brown Lady Magazine 2022

Vol. 10 • 2022

The Brown Lady

2022

Published by: Honors College Student Association Poets, Inc. Printed by the Wm. A. Krueger School of Graphic Communications

The Legend of "The Brown Lady" Any university campus that’s been around for this long—Chowan University was founded in 1848—really ought to have its own myths, and so Chowan does in the legend of “The Brown Lady.” More than a hundred years ago, she was described in the school’s yearbook as the daughter of a wealthy family from the region who honored her parents’ wishes by attending Chowan, putting off marriage to her fiancé, but tragically dying during her sophomore year. A different version of her legend has her jumping to her death from the top floor of the school’s famous Columns Building after her husband (or fiancé) dies during the Civil War. But the main detail that remains the same in every version is her preference for wearing a brown gown made of taffeta, one that would rustle as she walked that has earned her the name of “The Brown Lady.” Legend also consistently figures her as a silent ghost, only recognizable by the rustling of her dress in the hall or on the breeze. But her legend continues to speak at Chowan, now honored through an annual quiz bowl tournament pitting teams from different departments against each other (The Brown Lady Academic Bowl) and the magazine that you’re now reading.

Welcome Welcome to the historic 10th edition of The Brown Lady, a creative and academic magazine that honors some of the most impressive work created by Chowan University students during the past year! I invite you to explore and applaud the impressive variety of outstanding writing and artistic creations in this issue. We have another phenomenal issue this year!

This year’s edition begins with three short but powerful poems. First is Destiny Vaughan’s “Where I’m From,” a meditation on what can be gained from being “uncomfortable.” Alexis Williamson’s “Childlike Wonder” proudly affirms the continuation of certain childhood beliefs into adulthood. Then, in a timely piece, Otis Hunter, Jr., offers his solemn, earnest “Black Lives Matter Prayer.” Next come our first art pieces. The beauty and mystery of Kyra Cauthen’s “Broken Glass” is followed by the grandeur of James Cameron’s “Great Dismal Swamp Preserve” (also featured on our cover!). After that, we see two versions of broken relationships. Destiny Vaughan creates a unique blend of poetry and art in the dark story of “A Beloved Locket.” And Alvaro Juscamaita’s poem “Over” laments the death of a relationship with only a slight hope of its revival.

As the second half of the issue begins, the vibrant art of Otis Hunter, Jr.’s “Wrath of God” jumps off the page in our centerfold. Then, Remus Cox and Glenn Jordan play with language in their pieces. Cox imagines a famous character writing a critical letter to his creator in “Dear Writer,” and Jordan celebrates the power and flexibility of language, including those infamous “big words,” in his poem “Too Big, Too Grand.” These are followed by four more remarkable works of art. Skadi Kylander captures a moment of creation in her nature photograph “Pollinating Pollistes.” Kyra Cauthen presents two more striking images: “Fireflies” portrays a moment of great vibrancy and energy, while “Growth” suggests the power to overcome injury and move forward. And Destiny Vaughan offers up striking realism in “The Me I Don’t See.” In our final four works, we see a dramatic range of ideas. Glenn Jordan emphatically chooses a side in his poem “Animals, Flowers, and Men.” Hassan Davis explores and explains the creation of the Black Panther Party during the 1960s in his research essay. In “Not Seen,” Destiny Vaughan reemphasizes the importance and value of being uncomfortable. And Glenn Jordan’s peaceful, earnest expression of faith in “Psalm” closes out this year’s issue.

On behalf of this year’s editorial board, I invite you to take some time with each of these impressive works in the weeks, months, and years to come. I hope you are as proud of these talented students as we are. Enjoy…and, as always, be sure to congratulate this year’s contributors!

Dr. Tim Hayes Faculty Editor

Editorial Board Timothy Hayes Faculty Editor Associate Professor of English Glenn Jordan Creative Writing Olivia Wells Elementary Education Honors College Student Association Destiny Vaughan Graphic Design Honors College Student Association David Ballew Associate Professor of History

Bo Dame Professor of Biology and Physical Sciences Danny B. Moore Professor of History Jennifer Groves Newton Assistant Professor of Graphic Communications R. Lauren Rodil Assistant Director of Printing Production Catherine Vickers Instructor of English

Table of Contents Where I'm From

Destiny Vaughan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Childlike Wonder

Alexis Williamson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Black Lives Matter Prayer

Otis Hunter, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Broken Glass

Kyra Cauthen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Great Dismal Swamp Preserve

James Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

A Beloved Locket

Destiny Vaughan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Over

Alvaro Juscamaita. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Wrath of God

Otis Hunter, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Dear Writer

Remus Cox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Too Big, Too Grand

Glenn Jordan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Pollinating Pollistes

Skadi Kylander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Fire Flies

Kyra Cauthen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Growth

Kyra Cauthen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The Me I Don't See

Destiny Vaughan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Table of Contents continued Animals, Flowers, and Men

Glenn Jordan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Black Panther Party

Hassan Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Not Seen

Destiny Vaughan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Psalm

Glenn Jordan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Where I'm From Destiny Vaughan

I am from a blank canvas, from Crayola and coloring books.

I am from the dark brick house where problems exist inside, not out.

I am from the dark, bottomless pit, where secrets lie and stay hidden.

I’m from the short tempers and gossip lovers, from the parents who sought to protect me from the world.

I’m from the perfectionists where mistakes are never made; from the “I put you in this world, I’ll take you out” and the “closed mouths don’t get fed.”

I’m from the God who stays and keeps me sane, from the "you can do anything in His name."

I’m from the anxious and uncomfortable, for uncomfortable leads to stretching; and stretching leads you to the beautiful masterpiece that, deep down, even though not spoken, we all crave to be at the end.

1

Childlike Wonder

Alexis Williamson

You say I’m childish and immature, but I say you are wrong. I say that I have a childlike wonder about myself; I love looking at the trees, seeing the colors change as the seasons go by, or admiring how the leaves transform their shapes. I love looking at the butterflies as they swoop away and imagining pictures in the atmosphere while looking at the clouds. I get excited when I see a butterfly in the sky. You say that ‘it’s just a butterfly’, but I see more than that—I see this alluring creature who learned how to spread its wings and fly across the world. I love going to the park and swinging on the swings, flying into the unknown.

My imagination runs wild, bursting with crazy thoughts. Having a childlike wonder doesn’t mean that I am frivolous; it means that I see life through eyes of fascination and wonder. And that’s okay.

2

Black Lives Matter Prayer Otis Hunter, Jr.

Lord, Don’t let our collective black existence disappear, Our smiles, Our laughter, Our happily ever after.

Don’t make us memories stolen by injustice; Don’t make us headlines, Or hashtags, Or reasons to march in the streets, Or lessons to make us feel like equality is a fairy tale.

Don’t let us fade away because of a narrative, Or a statistic.

How can all lives matter but our lives scatter?

Don’t normalize our pain, Our screams for help that reach deaf ears, Our tears that fall with no one to wipe them, Our blood that spills like we're giving full body donations.

Lord, Make our lives a sacrifice, Not our deaths...

Amen.

3

Broken Glass Kyra Cauthen Digital Photography

4

Great Dismal Swamp Preserve James Cameron Photography 5

Title of Entry Artist Name Media • Date

6

I didn’t want to do it, but you left me no choice.

All I asked was for you to work with me, give me time and love.

I could have changed, been there for you, but you had to be difficult.

Well, you should have watched for danger.

The warning was there, but you couldn’t see past my exterior.

When I saw you online, I knew you were the one.

For my world slowed down, as I gazed at your face with blue eyes.

I visually caressed your brown locks.

From there, I asked you out, and it's been like a rollercoaster.

But all rides eventually end.

And that is when it all began.

“You're too clingy,” you say; “I need some space,” you say; “I don’t revolve around you,” you say.

News flash: I own you!

I made you who you are, and I will never let you go!

No, you cannot hang out with friends; No, you cannot go out in public alone, And no, you cannot see family!

What is with you?!

Am I not enough for you?!

You know I need you.

And that is why you must be punished.

But don't worry, I will be there for you.

Until death do us part. I will always love you.

A Beloved Locket Destiny Vaughan 7

To my dearly beloved husband: may you rest in peace, my darling.

We will never depart now, as I finger your ashen locket.

Over

Alvaro Juscamaita

Isn't it ironic?

We cut and kill flowers because we think they are beautiful, and we cut ourselves because we think we are not.

I thought, as I turned for the last time to look at the ruins that were left after the disaster we made of what we were: You let the routine break; you stole the hours and stopped the time.

Today, I discovered that I can perfectly live without you, that the difference between having you by my side and losing you is none.

Maybe we will meet again, when we are slightly older and our minds are less frenetic, and I will be right for you, and you will be good for me, but right now, I am a mess to your thoughts and you are poison to my heart.

8

Wrath of God Otis Hunter, Jr. Acrylic 9

10

Dear Writer Remus Cox

Dear Writer, You have drawn me, written me with all the scars you wish for me to have. Made many others just like me. Original characters that you toy with like this is a personal game. But he wasn't enough?

Why? Because he no longer fits into the story you write?

Why? Why write someone that filled my stories with laughter, happiness, and annoyance? An annoyance that I found myself yearning for on the bad days you write me in.

Why? Why give him a wife that believed he was her universe, that depended on him so deeply in her story? What will happen to her now that he has been erased?

Why create friends that talked with him on routine? That cared for him, loved him almost as much as me or his wife?

Why? Why give him a job that was needed, that was important to our story, Just to throw him out, discard, and leave his job empty?

Why? Why make me experience this friendship? Will everything I remember from him, everything his wife or his friends experience, will that be erased, too?

Why? Why must you play with our stories, play with our emotions like some type of god?

Why, I think it’s time you learn that even God himself had rebellious angels.

Sincerely your creation, Wolfrick J. Lee

11

Too Big, Too Grand Glenn Jordan

Are my words too big, too grand?

Are they too complex to understand?

Shall I make them small and minute, or is that word too, too obscure?

Is English no good? Let’s try another. Öffne die Tür.

It means “open the door,“ To which I say aye! There is so much more To the native tongue with which I speak, A boisterous language you’ve slandered, trying to make meek.

I will not stay silent to this affront I abhor.

For conversely, the veritable cacophony I adore Must not be silenced by the tempest, squall, and storm.

I’ll not let it be deformed, changed. No Reform!

I denounce your notion of difficult language.

I have many a word for every occasion.

I’ll use them all, I will. I’ll do it with aplomb!

Or did I perhaps drop too big of a bomb?

Perhaps you are correct, simple language is best: See spot run, he ran west.

No, not west, he ran left.

Why did he run? He ran from theft!

No, this will not do! I feel bereft!

For all those lines, they have no heft!

My language is beautiful, hear my vernacular!

It is grand, yes, it is spectacular!

The English language must not be chained.

That absurd idea, it is deranged.

So don’t tell me to speak soft and bite my tongue, For, to a lover of language, that order is bottom rung.

12

Pollinating Pollistes Skadi Kylander Photography

13

Fire Flies

Kyra Cauthen Digital Photography

14

Title of Entry Growth Kyra Cauthen Artist Name Media •Photography Digital Date 15

16

The Me I Don't See Destiny Vaughan Charcoal 17

Animals, Flowers, and Men Glenn Jordan

Am I part of a pack of animals?

Or am I part of a bunch of flowers?

The problem with animals—cannibals, rather—is they are desirous for powers.

Flowers only care about their beauty.

They wilt and die from the smallest discourse.

Beauty is not a thing I give fealty.

From that notion I do indeed divorce.

So, to which gang do I choose to belong?

To tulips and roses? To wolves and sheep?

I choose a different path, a different song.

I’d choose a tribe of humans in my sleep.

Humans create and destroy, this I know, But abandon man for nature? Hell no.

18

Black Panther Party Look into the Future Hassan Davis

In the mid-twentieth century, many individuals and organizations pushed for more civil liberties in the African American community. Names like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and James Farmer, and organizations like SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality), and NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) are among the more credited names during the heroic era of civil rights. Behind the curtain of such notable activism stands a swarm of lesser-known activist groups. Among those are the Black Panther Party (BPP). Founded by then-college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966, the BPP was an African American revolutionary organization started in Oakland, California. After the non-violent civil rights movement neared its end, minorities in America still faced severe social and economic inequalities. Although African Americans may have had more secured rights from the federal government, attacks on minority groups were still a problem at the local level.

Newton and Seale believed that, through political leverage, the oppressed communities could be accepted fully into “white America.” Together, these two young reformers composed the “Ten Point Program” (TPP), which was a document created to tackle all issues of persecution that confronted America’s minority communities. The TPP established principles that would help the community shield itself not only from racism and prejudice but also police brutality, which had been plaguing the streets of minority neighborhoods. With this plan, Seale and Newton produced one of the most compelling arguments for minority advancement in American history and created a starting point for tackling issues we still face today.

At the head of the BPP were two significant figures, Huey P. Newton and Robert (Bobby) George Seale. Newton was born on February 17, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana. During this time, the country was participating in World War II, and Newton's parents, Armelia Johnson and Walter Newton, soon moved to Oakland, California, in search of new economic opportunities the war created. They did not find those opportunities, however, and Newton and his family became very poor, causing them to move constantly around the San Francisco Bay area. Young Newton was quite a handful in his teenage years, getting in constant trouble with law enforcement. Nonetheless, Newton graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1959 while being unable to read. After high school, he attended Merritt College, where he ultimately taught himself how to read.1 Learning to read sparked Newton’s curiosity, and he began to ask questions. In his autobiography Revolutionary Suicide, Newton writes, "Most of all, I questioned what was happening in my own family and in the community around me."2 That questioning led him, early in his college career, to become active at his university. He joined the “Afro-American Association” (AAA), an on-campus organization that stressed black separatism and how to advance as a black individual.

Newton wanted to increase the number of African American professors at Merritt, and, with the help of the AAA, he achieved that. The AAA even helped play a role in the university adopting its first African-American studies course. It was through this organization that Newton was introduced to his eventual associate, Bobby Seale.3 Robert George Seale was born on October 22, 1936, in Liberty, Texas. Just like Newton, Seale’s family migrated to Tim Findley. Huey Newton: Twenty-Five Floors From the Street. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/huey-newton-twenty-five-floors-from-thestreet-176820/ 2 Huey Newton, J. Herman Black. Revolutionary Suicide. London: Wildwood House, 1974.

3 Bobby Seale. A Lone Rage: The Autobiography of Bobby Seale. New York: Times Books, 1978.

1

19

Black Panther Party: Look into the Future

Hassan Davis

Oakland, California, during World War II. In his early childhood, Seale experienced poverty and abuse at the hands of his father. After dropping out of Berkeley High School, Seale looked to escape the poverty and abuse of his home in Oakland and enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1955. After serving four years, Seale received a bad conduct discharge after an altercation with his superior officer. Immediately after, Seale pursued a career as an engineering draftsman, leading to his enrollment at Merritt College, where he met Newton at a rally protesting the Kennedy Administration's blockade of Cuba in 1962.

Both Newton and Seale had very defiant but ambitious spirits, which led to a very cohesive relationship. The two friends continuously met up for coffee and casually talked about books, literary geniuses, and black revolution.4 Both Newton and Seale found inspiration in Malcolm X and believed he was right that the African-American community should learn to protect themselves and demand freedom from larger oppressors. This talk soon radicalized Seale and Newton, and they ended up leaving the AAA because they believed the organization did not address the economic and political oppression faced in the African-American community. By 1966, they had established the BPP, with Seale as the chairman and Newton as the Minister of Defense.

The BPP was initially created to be the line of defense for the African-American community in Oakland. The Civil Rights movement of the early 1960s focused on a non-violent agenda in order to fight against such treachery in the south.

But, fueled by the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, Seale’s rage intensified towards white authority. This, some would say, was the ultimate turning point in his radicalization. Among that group was Howell Raines, a New York Times editor in the 1970s. In reviewing Seale’s autobiography A Lonely Rage, he wrote: “[As] Bobby Seale tells it, news of Malcolm X's assassination sent him on a brick‐throwing ‘hate rampag[e]’ through the streets of Oakland, Calif. ‘Whatever I do from now on,’ he cried as he pelted passing cars, ‘it's this racist society's fault.’”5 Along with the assassination, however, were other motives as well. Both Seale and Newton had problems with authority. They believed law enforcement abused their power and that someone had to take a stand. Raines makes this point clear as well: “No one can accuse Mr. Seale of a lack of candor in discussing the key motivations that led him and Mr. Newton to found the first Panther unit. It was hostility to the ‘swine police’; and the initial goal of the Panthers was to achieve parity of firepower with police patrols in the slums.”6 During this time period, many minority neighborhoods around the country had been suffering from police mistreatment. As explained by Leonard Moore, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, “Police brutality can be classified as the unwarranted or excessive and often illegal use of force against civilians by U.S. police officers.”7 Police brutality, in its entirety, has a range of issues starting from assault and battery to torture and even murder. “Some broader definitions of police brutality also encompass harassment, including false arrest, intimidation, and verbal abuse, among other forms of mistreatment.”8 Cases like Marquette Frye in south Los Angeles, an African American man who was severely beaten during his arrest for intoxicated driving in 1965, had led to greater discomfort between the community and law enforcement. For this reason, the party had seen it as its duty to protect its community.

4 5 6 7 8

Ibid., Seale.

Howell Raines, "Angry Panther," New York Times, March 5, 1978. https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/05/archives/angry-panther-a-lonely-rage-panther.html Ibid., Raines.

Unknown Author, Sacramento Bee 1967. https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/history/article148667224.html Ibid., Sacramento Bee.

20

Black Panther Party: Look into the Future Hassan Davis

In the chaos following Malcolm X’s assassination and the ongoing police brutality, the two men established the BPP. Their motives were widely shared among the African American population of Oakland, many of whom joined the party.

Young and radicalized, the new members were just as tired of brutality as Seale and Newton. Tension between the BPP and the police would soon begin to rise even further. But this did not stop the party from still engaging with their community.

While few members of the party served in the front lines, there were a variety of members serving behind the scenes.

Among those members emerged an idea raised by local chapters that were often led by women. The idea of “survival programs” was a way to serve the community directly other than providing a shield from police brutality. With this program, members were able to provide a free breakfast program for 20,000 children every day. They also were responsible for a free food program for families and the older citizens of the community. They also had partaken in sponsoring some schools, provided a people’s free ambulance service, well-being facilities, and sickle-cell testing centers in a few urban communities. These many opportunities gave solid aid to low-income parts of town.9 Along with the movement to help its people came a line of protection against police. With regards to this effort, the party had an official uniform of black leather jackets and a matching black beret, chosen with an eye on the traditional ghetto fashion. Nonetheless, it was the firearm power that gave the community its greatest comfort. The firearm was a rhetoric instrument but was not only used to flout authority. They used the weapons to caution cops and any outsider looking to harm any member of the community. Newton, as the head of defense, emphasized guns and patrolling the streets at all times of the day as the main ways for the party to complete its goal. With this heavy gun presence, the party had the ability to protect the community, which led to the establishment of many side projects. One was Seniors Against a Fearful Environment (SAFE), which provided protection to the elderly who wanted to cash their checks or pensions. With Newton encouraging these soldier-like activities, there came a strong advance in making the Ten Point Program known and raising the cognizance of individuals in the community who responded favorably to what the party was lecturing.

At the time of the initial creation of the party, Seale and Newton established a set of goals that clarified the motive of the group. The Ten Point Program was all of these goals put in a single document. The platform was designed so it was easy to understand, but behind the simple format were complex social and economic theories that supported the advancement of the African American community. Structured like the United States Bill of Rights, it comprised two sections: The first, titled “What We Want Now!”, described what the Black Panther Party wanted from the leaders of American society. This specific section listed the demands of the party. The second section, titled “What We Believe,” outlined the philosophical views of the party and explained why they believed they deserved what they were asking for. Among the points listed in the section “What We Want Now!” was a very specific demand at the top of the organization's priority list: “We want an immediate end to police brutality and murder of black people.”10 This, above all, was the issue that stretched across the nation.

To slow down the spread of the party’s appeal, authorities created many obstacles. One of these obstacles was the proposition of a California bill that banned carrying a firearm in public. The BPP heard of this effort and decided it was the time to make an appearance. Led by Seale, members of the party stormed into the state assembly on May 2, 1967. The BPP taught their members the right to bear arms in the second amendment and studied the state gun laws as well. Obeying 9 Bobby Seale. Seize The Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton. Black Classic Press, 1991.

10 Leornard Moore, "Police brutality in the United States," Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Jul. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Police-Brutality-in-the-UnitedStates-2064580.

21

Black Panther Party: Look into the Future

Hassan Davis

them all, thirty members of the clan entered the assembly. Since it was in session, the Speaker asked for the arrest and removal of the men. The police engaged the men and escorted them outside, where they tried to seize their weapons.

Since no laws were broken, however, the weapons were returned, and the Panthers left.

After the incident, Seale read a statement from the party to the police and the media. As the Sacramento Bee editor recalled, “Outside of the police office…one man who identified himself as Bobby Seale of Oakland read a page-long statement of the Black Panther Party. It declared: ‘The Black Panther Party for self-defense calls upon the American people in general and the black people in particular to take careful note of the racist California Legislature which is considering legislation aimed at keeping the black people disarmed and powerless at the very same time that racist police agencies throughout the country are intensifying the terror, brutality, murder and repression of black people.’”11 With the incident and the address, the party gained the national attention that it had been waiting for. With their newly awarded fame, the party had brought a light to a situation that had been going on around the entire nation.

Dating this way back, almost every type of American has been subject to police brutality. Starting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, working-class whites expressed frustration over discriminatory policing in northern cities. At about the same time, immigrants from southern and eastern Europe complained of police brutality against their communities, as did the Mexican, Italian, and Asian communities. In the summer of 1943, for instance, tensions ran high between zoot-suit wearing Mexican-Americans and the large contingent of white United States servicemen stationed around Los Angeles.

The racially charged tension in Los Angeles detonated in various full-scale riots. Local police officers often watched from the sidelines as white civilians and servicemen raided and tortured members of the Latino community and then arrested the victims of the beatings. In 1969, the Stonewall Riots started late on the morning of June 28, when New York City police struck the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City. The assault started an uproar among bar workers and neighborhood figures, as police generally pulled workers and supporters out of the bar. Police beating and harassment went on for six days. These were just some of the many early cases of police brutality that had media attention.12 Police brutality has been a plaguing issue in cities all over the world and even up to recent years. Names like Freddie Gray, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Alton Sterling are the faces and reminders of this ongoing issue in today’s America.

According to research from the Washington Post, 999 people were killed as a result of the police in America in 2020. From the early 1940s to now, one of the problems we face is the corruption and unjust acts of police brutality. Together, Seale, Newton, and the BPP introduced the “Ten Point Program”' in the 1960s. And now, almost sixty years later, we are facing a raging number of police-based assaults. The BPP are undervalued but are the true pioneers in facing police brutality by trying to tackle the situation on their own. Setting the standard on how to handle police misconduct, the BPP tackled an issue we still have in our society today.

11 Ibid., 12 In addition to the Black Panther Party, came a long line of various other organizations and groups who struggled with their own battle regarding police brutality. The Zoot Suit riots and the Stonewall riots are some examples of these.

22

Black Panther Party: Look into the Future Hassan Davis

Bibliography “Armed Black Panthers Invade Capitol.” Sacramento Bee, May 2, 1967. https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/history/article148667224.html.

Chiles, Nick. “8 Black Panther Party Programs That Were More Empowering Than Federal Government Programs.” Atlanta Black Star, March 26, 2015. https://atlantablackstar.com/2015/03/26/8-black-panther-party-programs-that-were-more-empowering-than-federalgovernment-programs/.

Findley, Tim. “Huey Newton: Twenty-Five Floors From the Street.” Rolling Stone Magazine, August 3, 1972. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/huey-newton-twenty-five-floors-from-the-street-176820/.

Moore, Leonard. “Police brutality in the United States.” Encyclopedia Britannica, July 27, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Police-Brutality-in-the-United-States-2064580.

Newton, Huey J., and Herman Blake. Revolutionary Suicide, Wildwood House, 1974.

Raines, Howell. “Angry Panther.” New York Times, March 5, 1978. https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/05/archives/angry-panther-a-lonely-rage-panther.html.

Seale, Bobby. A Lonely Rage: The Autobiography of Bobby Seale, New York: Times Books, 1978.

---. Seize The Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton, Black Classic Press, 1991.

23

Not Seen Destiny Vaughan

I hate feeling uncomfortable.

It’s weird and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It makes me want to run and hide in a dark, lonely place.

I’ve been taught since birth not to stand out.

It causes pain, whether mentally or physically.

It gives you attention and others the authority to judge; makes you seem awkward and stupid, like you’re trying too hard.

Then, you hunger and thirst for it, like a power-crazed authoritarian, and soon you become who you promised you wouldn’t be.

The person who you spent every freaking second of your life with, which drives you crazy to the point where you hope to die.

Oh, how dying seems worth it sometimes, but, if you pull the plug, you will have missed out on so much in store for you.

As a teen, I didn’t see that, or didn't want to see that.

I saw only peace and freedom I so craved.

I craved it like a starving man or a beast praying for the opportunity to get its next prey.

So he too can live another day.

I compare myself to this beast, how it fights to stay, while I wish I wouldn’t.

I want the peace that passes all understanding, but I can’t get it by quitting.

I must fight as the wild, hungry beast does.

If not, I would have let my greatest enemy of all time win.

But, Oh, Lord, how I long for you to fight this battle.

Let you take over and win for me.

Save me from these terrifying swells and feed me peace, your peace, Lord, before I am completely gone.

Oh, how I hate feeling uncomfortable, But not as much as losing.

24

Psalm Glenn Jordan

A gift of poetry you’ve given me; To not use it for your glory, foolish.

Words can’t express what’s been given by Thee, So to give you glory I write this wish: That, in time, it may be used for your wills.

That these words I write won’t be mine, but yours.

May your words infect and cure men their ills, And perhaps be read upon distant shores.

Lord God, please hear the prayers that I speak.

That sins I must amend will hurt my heart.

That I turn to you when sin makes me weak.

That, if you want me, your words give me start.

I pray this poetry will draw in men To you, Lord God, who gave all, Amen.

25

Contributors James Cameron, Exercise Science ('22): My name is James Cameron and I like long walks in the swamp. Thought I was gonna say beach, didn’t you?

Kyra Cauthen, Graphic Design (’21) Remus Cox, English, Creative Writing ('23): I’m a socially anxious turtle who’s obsessed with Marvel and anything related to creativity. I plan on pursuing a novelist career once I’m done with graduate school.

Hassan Davis, History ('23) Otis Hunter, Jr., English, Creative Writing (’22): The Black Lives Matter Prayer was a poem prompted by my girlfriend's police encounter for speeding in the style of the Lord's Prayer. Although it was meant for her safety specifically, I generalized it to all black individuals in need of protection.

Glenn Jordan, English, Creative Writing (’22) Alvaro Juscamaita, Business Administration ('24): I’m not from here, but I’m getting used to it and playing tennis definitely helps.

Skadi Kylander, Biology, Chemistry minor (’22): Hello! Outside has always been my happy place, and I will be forever grateful for everything I've learned about the natural world during my time at Chowan. When I'm not outside being distracted by birds and plants (and all of the other fantastically cool things outside), I can often be found working on a craft project, reading a book, or in the kitchen trying a new recipe.

Destiny Vaughan, Graphic Design, Studio Art minor (’23): From a young age, I have always had a passion for anything art-related, including writing. Sometimes, I would use art and writing as a way to process my thoughts and emotions. That is the case for most of my pieces in this issue of the Brown Lady. I reflect on some issues that I deal with from my father along with depression and anxiety. Even though I went through tough times, I have seen the progress I have made from my art over the years at Chowan, and I hope to continue growing for years to come.

Alexis Williamson, English, Creative Writing (’22): I have been writing poetry since 6th grade, and as I have gotten older, I knew that I wanted to create more than just poetry; I want to create stories that make a difference in a person’s life. I love baking, reading, coffee, and I am currently in the beginning stages of writing my first novel. I plan on attending graduate school to study Creative Writing with a focus on Fiction.

Chowan University

The Brown Lady Magazine

Cover: “Great Dismal Swamp” by James Cameron

Vol. 10 • 2022

See the Brown Lady online: www.chowan.edu/BrownLady