Colors Fall Edition 2022

AUg/Sept 2022 Fall Edition

COLORS

YOUNG, BLACK, AND LOUISVILLIAN

$1.50

COLORS

Aug/Sept 2022 PUBLISHER

COLORS NEWSPAPER, INC.

.

E DI T OR I N CH I E F

T. SEMAKULA

GR A P H I C DE S I GN/ L A Y OU T

MAHOGANY LIVERS

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Colors Distribution Sites West Louisville Administrative Office- 2900 West Broadway, Suite 206, Lou, KY 40211 Creative Writing and Things- 673 Lindell Ave, Lou, KY 40211 Sweet Peaches-1800 West Muhammad Ali, Lou, KY 40211 Downtown Louisville Nulu Administrative Office- 806 1/2 Market Street, Lou, KY 40206 East Louisville #BCHeadquarters- 1939 Goldsmith Lane, Suite 226, Lou,KY 40218

Advertise with us/Contact SALES/ADS REVEREND GEROME SUTTON 2900 West Broadway, Suite 206 Louisville, KY 40211 Ph. 502-712-8902 Email. colorsmediaoutlet@gmail.com http://www.colorslouisville.com

VISION To restore a healthy, vibrant and secure Louisville, full of opportunity extended from East to West.

MISSION Seeking to #RESET 5 major problems in Louisville, Colors Newspaper & The Think Tank are calling for a complete restructuring of how the city protects and provides for lower -income communities such as in the West end. COVID-19 revealed 5 major disparities in our community that need to be RESET. The flaws in themselves aren't anything that we're not already aware of, the real issue is in the fact that these issues, due to current conditions in our community, will not survive another crisis situation, without an actionable plan! We have detailed steps in which we can " RESET LOUISVILLE" starting with each one of these 5 disparities.

HEALTHCARE

FINANCIAL RECOVERY & EDUCATION

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES /OWNERSHIP

FRESH FOOD SUPPLY

ENDING GUN VIOLENCE

CONTRIBUTORS

@mindful_momentsllc/ Mahogany Livers (Graphic Designer/Photo Journalist/, cofounder of Soul Sisters, and a Health and Wellness Socialprenuer).

Dr.Mark Burns, M.D/ Mark V. Burns, M.D. is an infectious disease specialist at UofL Health and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Louisville.

@reed_my_words/ Jasemine Reed (Writer, Poet,Socialprenuer, and founder of Reedmywords, Inc and Chozen,Inc.)

@jades_arts_/ Olivia Graham,17, student, photographer, artist, and Louisville resident.

@buttafly100/Tarsha Semakula, (Writer, Poet, CEO and founder The Buttafly Group/Editor in Chief (Colors).

@teach4liberation Lailah Hampton El, MA/ Teacher, Activist, Writer, and founder of Liberated Homeschool Academy.

CONTENTS 7 While Alma's Away

15 Health and Wellness

19 Waterfront Park

Letter from the Editor: 6

Contributors: 4

Culture: While Alma's Away: 8 Restoration of A Village Vow

Power and Politics: 11 The Power of Sankofa to Combat the Moral Poverty of Generation Z Featured Book: 13 Light As A Feather Vegetable of the Month:14 The Green Machine Health and Wellness 15 Keeping Up With COVID-19 Photo Essay: 17 jades_arts_ Olivia Jade,17, .on her way to school

Photo Journalism: 24 Mindfulness Community: 26 Y.B.A.L (Young, Black,and Louisvillian)

In this edition, we will explore issues that shape and affect Louisville’s black youth; here is something to consider… Three years ago, Jefferson County had a $15 billion problem: About 17,000 young people in the city were out of school or work — essentially "disconnected." … The number of disconnected youth in the city has swelled from 16,800 in a 2019 report to 19,700 in 2022/Source-Courier Journal.

To be young, black, and Louisvillian

Keep in mind that a big percentage of disconnected youth are individuals of color.

This issue has reached crisis mode, as recently, Goodwill Kentucky had to open up a high school for adults; due to the fact that 300,000 local adults still did not possess a high school diploma.

With these dire statistics; how does possibility and progress look from a local youth’s point of view? What opportunities are they able to take advantage of?

Do they see the future as bright?

Are they being celebrated?

Colors took the time to interview Olivia Jade, a seventeen year old artist and photographer, who attends the Brown School, here in Louisville. We took the opportunity to explore how growing up in this city has affected her view on life and we also get to explore how the recent social unrest, and protests have defined her commitment to community , equality and justice.

T. Semakula LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Monthly Column

By: Jazzy da Hope Deala

While Alma’s Away

Restoration of A Village Vow There's nothing wrong with rising above your raising. The only thing to concern a young mind is where their foundation is. The best we can do for the youth is to give

Photocred:@bearykahbadu

them some basic skills for life and no I'm not talking just the jargon for survival. But we should share the stories of the people in their bloodline who exemplified excellence.

We should tell them the truth, minus the gossip full of airy opinions and immature commentary.

Looking for the Mother…

Looking for the matriarchs that cook on Sundays just to

teach their grandchildren their famous recipes or the ones that call to encourage and impart words of wisdom and accountability to their grown children living against a harsh environment. Where’s all the older women who take with nothing attached for themselves; other than the continuation of generation.

Culture

IG: REED_MY_WORDS

in younger impressionable women and give free game

While Alma’s Away

What we show youth is what they’ll mimic; so are we giving them the means to live without us or are we giving them the means to drown without us? My grandma Alma didn’t have a lot

Looking for Leadership…

of money when she was alive but believe me she was RICH. I recently ran across an old birthday card she gave me when I was in high school and with it were two items with instructions, the first was perfume to pamper myself and an owl. Her card read “ Jasemine

make good decisions,

and when you are tempted to stray look at the owl and make good decisions for me.” This was similar to what my mother used to tell me in elementary, every morning when I left for school.

She knew I’d come against some harshness and wanted me to remember what I knew best and that was to make good decisions. And, if I couldn't muster up the willpower to do it for myself, to do it for them.

Young people need an example, not a nicely dressed impression. There's too many people with their hands out looking for a return on void investments. How do you teach a child self respect? You don't, you exemplify it. Lead by example and not by error. Bring peace into your

IG: REED_MY_WORDS

home; therefore a child can let their armor down at the doorstep.

Talk, talk, talk and talk to your children even if they don't have a response because when you're gone; they will be left with the words that were spoken to them.

VillageVow ​I do ​I do ​I do.

Are you operating in love or fear? Beyond the punctuation is the answer for why you are here. Whether tumbled or tossed, move forward in the POWER of now and you will have fulfilled the village vow. Do you take your life for richer or poorer, for pride or for doubt? Right hand to thine heart do you feel that thumping loud? And that which came before you was never for nothing, See it lives in you still; that accept the glory after the fall, do you find your dream and share what you saw?…

IG: REED_MY_WORDS

rumbling rumble. Do you take this moment & promise to give it your all, do you

August is National Back to School Month. And yes, it is a real holiday with roots that date back to the 1960s. Back in the day when our beloved ancestor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered inspiring speeches that we memorized every January in elementary school.

A literary genius, Dr. King was an amazing writer whose timeless truths resonate in the hearts of readers today. In his piece, “The Purpose of Education,” he penned, “The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals...We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

Morality does not rely on religion. Morals are the standards of behavior that include proper ideas and beliefs which decide right or unethical conduct. Universally, character is described as the good qualities of a person. The Urban Dictionary defines a “superpredator” as youth who repeatedly commit violent crimes due to being raised without morals.

According to the United States Department of Justice, moral poverty is to blame for the surge in “superpredators with no conscience, no empathy” as infamously coined in 1996 by Hillary Clinton describing Black youth in a speech. Youth trends in behavior reveal the lack of self- discipline, accountability, and no fear of consequences because they do not see a future.

In this highly technological and digital age, how can we reverse the moral decay of Generation Z? One solution is harnessing the positive creative power of Sankofa – “go back in the past and bring forward that which is useful." SAN (return), KO (go), FA (look, seek, and take).

“The future of Black people is not dependent upon how white people treat Black people. The future of Black people is dependent upon how Black people treat Black people.” ~Dr. George C. Fraser~

The Power of Sankofa to Combat the Moral Poverty of Generation Z BY: LAILAH HAMPTON EL, MA

Sankofa is a word from the Twi language of the Akan people of Ghana, the Ashanti region of West Africa. The Adinkra symbol for Sankofa depicts a mythical bird flying forward with its head turned backwards. The egg in its mouth is the knowledge of the past that must never be forgotten. We must let history be our guide to planning the future.

What must urban Louisville go back and fetch?

The 42 Laws of Ma’at that governed ancient Egyptian society must be reclaimed. There are seven concepts- truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. Ma’at was embodied as a female deity with wings wearing a crown and a single, white ostrich feather that stands for truth.

Egyptians were expected to act with honor and truth. If you lived righteously, your heart was lighter than Ma’at’s feather and your soul would gain access to eternal paradise. Isfet is the enemy of Ma’at and if your heart weighed heavier, your soul was devoured.

Intelligence is never enough. Take heed to Dr. King’s wise words at your next Back-to-School Bash. The cost is nothing to stuff backpacks with examples of character and integrity. Teaching moral and ethical values are the foundation of strong and peaceful communities. Equipping schools with moral education training programs will better our children and future generations to come.

This month we also celebrate the Honorable Marcus Garvey. He was born on August 17, 1887. “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots,” declared the uncompromising leader. We can use the healing power of Sankofa to decrease moral poverty, change cultural norms, and restore families by reclaiming Ma’at. ASE’

Featured Book

The book, “Light as a Feather: The 42 Laws of Maat for Children”, authored by Kajara NiaYaa Nebthet, is an excellent resource to teach integrity and good character. Full of vibrant pictures, this educational tool was published in 2000 and shares lessons in a language children can understand.

A

GREEN

Healthy Boost

GREEN FOODS ARE BENEFICIAL FOR YOUR HEART AND BLOOD PRESSURE. SO, IF YOU WANT A HEALTHY TICKER, EAT NATURAL GREEN STUFF.

CONSIDER ADDING THESE GREENS TO YOUR NEXT MEAL

1. KALE 2. GREEN BEANS 3. SPINACH 4. GREEN PEPPERS 5. ASPARAGUS 6. AVACADO

MACHINE

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

KEEPING UP WITH COVID By dr. Mark burns, MD The last several weeks, a new variant of COVID-19 has taken dominance across the world and within our local community. Our community positivity rate has reached a level we have not seen since February 2022, when the original Omicron strain was heavily present.

Since the arrival of Omicron, COVID-19 has continued to spread and mutate at a rapid pace.

Today, subvariants of Omicron have caught the focus of scientists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These subvariants include B.1.1529, BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA, BA.4 and largely BA.5. In early July 2022, BA.4 and BA.5 made up most COVID-19 infections, consisting of 20% and 50% of infections, respectively.

As we continue to persevere through this pandemic and develop a new sense of normalcy, we must educate ourselves to best protect our health and that of our loved ones.

What Do We Know About BA.5?

TBA.5 is now deemed the most contagious strain thus far. While the original Omicron strain is considered a milder version of the virus and has higher survival rates and lower hospitalization rates than its preceding strains, it is more transmissible. With the fortunate development of at-home COVID-19 tests, there comes a challenge in knowing exactly how many cases are present at one time.

Many BA.5 patients are seeing a different set of symptoms than previously associated with other COVID-19 variants. This variant causes no loss of sense of smell and rarely presents a fever. Instead, patients are experiencing severe fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, cough, headaches and muscle pain.ffd

HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES? Vaccines against COVID-19 are readily available among many health care organizations, including UofL Health, and remain an effective and trusted way to protect yourself from infection and reduce the potential severity of illness, if infected. However, scientists have noted BA.4 and BA.5 can avoid some, but not all, of the antibodies produced after vaccinations or recent infection of COVID-19. This means extra precautions should be taken in accordance with up-to-date vaccinations and the booster shots series.

Although mask mandates and social distancing guidelines have eased, masks and distancing remain effective ways in preventing transmission and exposure of BA.5. Consider wearing your mask when in public indoors or seek to plan outdoor social gatherings while the summer weather is upon us.

As we continue to discuss and spread awareness of health care disparities in our community, it is important to recognize what the news of the latest variant means for underserved populations.

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Black people and minority groups and has emphasized the harmfulness of these disparities. Because of the presence of comorbidities, or pre-existing conditions or diseases, ultimately rooted in health care inequity, minority groups face harsher outcomes or more severe illness when infected with COVID-19. As we are approaching our third year in the COVID-19 pandemic, time has shown the importance of access to care and ensuring we and our loved ones take advantage of the tools and information available.

UofL Health’s mission speaks to transforming the health of the communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care. We strive to fulfill this mission through every interaction with every patient. As a fully integrated regional academic health system, we provide care through all stages of life, and are here for you when you need care most, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, visit our website at UofLHealth.org. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with COVID-19 or you want to take preventive measures by scheduling your vaccine shot/booster, visit one of our conveniently located UofL Health – Urgent Care Plus locations.

“Through the Eyes of Olivia” Photo Essay by : Olivia

Protests

Nature

Portraits

“Black women have not been asked how they’re taking care of themselves. I think we’re doing a better job of asking each other.”

— Nubia Bennett

Sprinkle parkle S A PODCAST

Sprinkle Sparkle celebrates Black women and people of marginalized genders prioritizing pleasure as an act of defiance. Host Nubia Bennett builds each conversation about a simple question: How did you center your own pleasure today?

This podcast is an important reminder that even a sprinkle of the sparkle that pleasure infuses into our lived experience—whether it is something big, like a vacation, the decadence of a bite of your favorite dessert, or a simple affirmation that you made the right choice—can be enough to keep going.

Nubia Bennett is a DEI and Leadership Development Manager at Leadership Louisville Center. Born and raised primarily in the West End of Louisville KY in a family of artists and educators. She moves through the world on the belief that “where there is community, there is both power, pleasure and magic,” so you will always find her where the people reside.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and at sprinklesparkle.org.

Sprinkle Sparkle is made possible with support from The Community Foundation of Louisville, and The Eyecare Institute’s Butchertown Clinical Trials.

B E I N G

M I N D F U L

O F

O U R

Y O U T H

By: Mahogany Livers By teaching children meditation and mindfulness skills; we help them increase their well-being and enable them to meet the stresses of the world with presence, self-compassion, and openness.

In order to help kids of all ages find their way into practicing mindfulness, it can be helpful to give them an easy definition they can relate to. Mindfulness meditation, at its simplest, is paying attention to what is happening in the present moment. It may be what you’re feeling, hearing, or anything else you notice. There’s no special place of calm you have to reach and it’s not about clearing your mind, it’s just an honest and kind look at what you’re experiencing in this moment. Learn some ways to practice Mindfulness with your family.

GET MOVING

Schedule time in your day to be active with your child!

Imagine you are doing Yoga on YouTube or having a dance party in the kitchen, you are creating good habits for all.

LOOKING AHEAD Make it a point to have the youth in your life, plan out their future with you. We can talk ourselves out of day to day stress and look over the horizon to better days.

Vision Boards are a really fun way to get creative.

SILENCE IS ESSENTIAL Youth need intentional time to practice being silent and present with the moment. Create a calm down corner in your home for them to use.

MEDITATION When the outer world's problems hinder you from daily success, turn to meditation or prayer.

Adding this practice to your daily routine can help regulate everyone's mood and impulses.

Kidding Around Yoga class led by Mahogany Livers

BREATHE

Breathing exercises can help children and teens by: Relaxing the body Refocusing the mind Reducing stress and anxiety Lowering heart rate Increasing the body's oxygen levels, which can have calming effects

Photos by Mahogany Livers

CREATE BALANCE

Youth blowing bubbles as breathing exercise

It all starts with an INTENTION. It is helpful to have good expectations of youth even when we know they may be ahead of their times. From phones, games to TV and music; our youth will learn behavior by what they are exposed to. It is our duty as adults to create opportunities for youth to learn to make the best decisions. What if they do not know which is the best one? We must instill values, ethics, affirmation and love into them. Even if you do not have children, your impact matters. Our youth matters.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Colors: What does it mean to be young,black, and Louisvillan… from your perspective?

Olivia: From my perspective, honestly, it means being a part of history, as I was a part of the protests that took over the city, due to the murder of Breonna Taylor, by members of the local police department.

Back in 2018, Sadiqa Reynolds, the then president and CEO of the Urban League, stated that.. Louisville's black population faces "aspiration-crushing" pressures in terms of jobs and other opportunities due to decades of policies that have denied them access to wealth.

young,black,and Louisvillian

y.b.a.l

by T. Semakula

Issue 27 | 234

How does this statement play out for Louisville’s black youth? Is there hope for the future of young BIPOCs here in Louisville? Is Louisville fertile ground for youth who have aspirations of building wealth? Is Louisville fertile ground for youth who dream of living in safe and violence free environments? Is Louisville fertile ground for youth who need to be acknowledged as major contributors to the vitality of this small metropolis?

Colors had the opportunity to talk to 17 year old Olivia Graham , a student , photographer, artist, and self proclaimed activist. Our discussion was quite enlightening, and provided some deeper insight into the current experience of black youth who reside within the city.y.

COMMUNITY

Olivia, taking pictures at a photo shoot in Louisville

Keep in mind, the murder of Breonna Taylor, was a concern of quite a few local youth, as Breonna was a black female, who was 26, which was only 1o years older than Olivia, at the time. Breonna was a young adult who was gunned down, while she slept, within the confines of her own home.

Olivia’s concern just mirrored the concerns of many local black youth who knew that their futures were defined by how they would be allowed to “grow up and survive” in Louisville.

With this concern , in tow, Olivia, along with many young people in the city, took to the streets of Louisville to protest for justice.

ii/WHAS 11 ii/ NIH

Olivia was also concerned about criminalization…, The criminalization of black youth is a pervasive issue which seems to plague each new brown generation.

Criminalization played a big role in the case of Breonna Taylor; as many tried to connect Ms. Taylor with drug dealing and blamed the young lady for contributing to her own demise.

However, due to a current DOJ investigation of the case, it was discovered, that Ms. Taylor was falsely criminalized in order to unlawfully enter her home, and gun her down… “Federal charges allege the officers falsified information on the search warrant used to enter Taylor's home, violating her fourth amendment rights, which resulted in her death."i The synonymy of Blackness with criminality is not a new phenomenon in America. Documented historical accounts have shown how myths, stereotypes, and racist ideologies led to discriminatory policies and court rulings that fueled racial violence in a post-Reconstruction era. ii

Colors: As we talk about your perspective, we have become enlightened, as we can only perceive life, as adults, living in Louisville…

What was your perspective, as it related to how youth experienced the pandemic here in Possibility City?

Olivia: Yes, it was really crazy, one moment I am out in the streets, protesting; trying to stay six feet from other individuals; while at the same time screaming through my mask about justice and police brutality, and the next day, I am up early doing school work while working from home via online distance learning… it was crazy.

OLIVIA JADE

I WAS A PART OF HISTORY, I HELPED TO CHANGE THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

Living through the pandemic...

The polarities of life witnessed by Olivia, speaks to the stresses of life at the height of the pandemic… not only was the city grappling with racial issues and injustice; there was also a major pandemic that was swiftly taking the lives of friends and loved ones.

Olivia, who is a current student at Louisville’s Brown School, managed to pull through the pandemic with decent grades and not fall behind with her schoolwork. However, for many black youth; the struggle has proven to be pervasive.

After two years of online learning, education experts believe going back to preCOVID status quo isn't going to be enough to course correct. For more than two years, students, parents and teachers have endured shutdown schools and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. …Student performance fell five points in reading — the largest drop in 30 years. A seven-point drop in math was also recorded, the first drop ever recorded by the report card.. The declines are even worse for minorities — math scores are down eight points for Hispanic students, and an average of 13 points for Black students. iii Cultivating individual creativity...

As were the beginnings of many artists, unstable social conditions and hard times, were the spark that jump started the careers for many black creatives.

In witnessing many intersecting crises in the spring of 2020, including increased isolation as a result of COVID-19 lock-downs, and calls to rise up against white supremacy and anti-Black racism both in our community and around the world, we felt the deep need to engage in creativity. iiii Olivia attributes her interest in photography as being influenced by the cell phone and social media; as she was asked by family members to snap their pictures; so that the pics could be posted online. She was also influenced to develop her art, as she caught herself doodling, during her school work breaks.

Olivia’s creative pursuits have culminated into her facilitating her own personal art shows; as well as taking professional pics and garnering a photography internship with a local well known photographer. Olivia stated that her activism was fueled and activated by the many pictures she was able to take of the protests, and is proud to say that she was able to assist in recording a pivotal moment in history.

iii/WDRB iiii/ The Making of Art In Hard Times

Olivia took hold of her calling as an artist and photographer , and used it as an outlet to process her local experiences as a youth growing up in Louisville...

LOUISVILLE

COMMUNITY Local Resources For Youth Youth Success Network / Metro United Way/Communal Resources for youth serving agencies/502-583-2821

BIPOC School Co-ops Buttafly School/ 502-509-3184 Mzizi Homeschool Co-op/ 502-396-9353 McFalls Academy/ 502-777=3365

Arts Resources PYOA/Prominent Youth of America/502-802-9224 HHN2L/Hip Hop in 2 Learning/hello@hhn2l.org Chozen, Inc./ @choz_en1s The Paint Club/ @the_paint_club17 Restorative Sounds/ @restorativesound Adah School of Art/ @jaylinmonetstewart

Vocational Resources/Entrepreneurship ETS/Emma Lees Transformation Studios/502-708-1437 The Ace Project/502-778-2565 Jadeson Foundation/Youthpreneurs/@msbrowness

Leadership/Cultural Development Tigerstrike Martial Arts Academy/502-230-9556 Highland CDC/ All About Boys/502-775-9584 Reconnecting The Diaspora/ Back To The Roots/info@rgd.org Boss Not Bangers/Who's Next? Sports and Mentorship Program/ 502-759-8806