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renew & reset LETTER FROM GUEST EDITOR: Coronavirus, the murder of George Floyd, the presidential election these are just a few of the events that contributed to the heavy weight that was felt by all in 2020. The viewpoints and beliefs that trickled down from those events made a divided country even more distant.

Lives were lost, events were cancelled, and fear is at an all-time high.

As the year comes to an end and we enter 2021, there seems to be a lighter, more hopeful presence in the air. It almost feels as if there’s a certain energy we’ve been collectively building over the past year, and now is our opportunity to cultivate that energy and create beautiful, positive vibrations for all to benefit from.

Regardless of what happens in the new year, it is imperative to understand that we are the creators of our own destiny. Whether it be practicing three good things (page 7) or seizing the day (page 12), we control our thoughts and emotions.

Try to stay flexible in your expectations, removing rigid thoughts and embracing a more adaptable role. And most importantly, remember to hold space for yourself and others.

As author Dan Marks says, “My one wish for this New Year is that we don’t live shackled lives, giving ourselves only one day and one chance each year for change. Every morning is a rebirth. Every blink of an eye.”

This fresh issue is for you, our reader. We hope you enjoy and share.

Write us an email or shoot us a comment any time online: CultureClashGalveston.com CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com

Valerie Fullen Guest Editor

ON THE COVER: “RENEW,” digital art. Culture Clash artist and designer Janese Maricelli’s take on renewing mind and spirit. *This magazine is NOT printed on recycled paper or with soy-based inks YET! But we are working on it. Help us get there, advertise or sponsor us!

Email for more details CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com.

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table of contents Vol. 4 Issue 2 (January/February 2021)

CULTURE

CL AS H magazine

DEPARTMENTS

PUBLISHER Janese Maricelli-Thomasson

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FEATURE 28 People of Galveston

LAYOUT & DESIGN JanMar Agency

Be A Better Human

EDITOR Leslie Whaylen Guest Editor - Valerie Fullen

7 3 Good Things 10 Bad Movie Night 12 Carpe Diem

Express Yourself 14 The Wizzard

CONTRIBUTORS

Kenshara Cravens • G. Geffino Juan Gonzales • Julian Jimenez Robert Kuhn Dan Marks Makayla Moore • Tanner Price Armonie Rowe • Savannah Walser

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16 LUCY in the SKY

MAKE A CONNECTION

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18 What Are You Looking Forward To 20 Hope

Coolture 25 Creative Writing 26 Positive Black Women 27 PULSE Calendar of Events

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Start the year with compassion for one another, and for yourself. Make the decision to be better.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Wiley

be a better human 6

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3 good

CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)

things

By Julian Jimenez

In 2008, scientists out of the University of Vermont’s Complex Systems Center invented the Hedonometer, a tool that aggregates word data from online tweets and blogs to determine the general mood of society as a whole. They determined the amount of happiness in the world could be quantified by examining the online dialogue, and assigning numerical values on a scale of ten to a list of 10,000 hand selected words. If we were using more positive words in our texts, like “love,” or “laugh,” the algorithm quantified an average and showed it as a positive spike on a graph over time. On the flip side, of course, if people used more quantifiably negative words, such as say… oh, I don’t know…. “coronavirus” or “quarantine” or “riot,” the happiness line moved downward (fun trivia: the most negative words? A tie between “terrorist” and “suicide”).

Photos courtesy of ING Images

Which is why it’s so damn important we figure out something to get out of this slump. I’m going to assume, like me, you’re motivated to change. I’m also going to assume, like me, you usually feel most motivated to do something right before you’re about to go to sleep, and when you do get up in the morning, you still pull out your phone and fall into the exact same routine of avoiding exercise by looking at cat pictures. Don’t worry. I get it. But Grumpy Cat can wait! Here is something you can do literally right this moment that has been scientifically proven to make people happier. Ready? Here it goes:

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Ask yourself, “What are three good things that went well today, and what was my role in making them happen?”

It’s called the “3 Good Things” method. It’s more effective if you write it down, and ideally, you want to do this before you sleep so that it “loads” your prefrontal cortex (the behavior and personality part of your brain) with a shot of positivity to be internalized. By practicing this for just two weeks, it solidifies positive thinking into your decision-making circuitry.

What are three good things that went well today, and what was my role in making them happen?

”

the morning after poor sleep is because your brain can’t remember anything else other than the crappy things that happened. Rumination and worry were powerful tools to help us avoid getting killed back in the Stone Age, but such thoughts only increase stress in our modern lives. The solution? Re-train your brain to remember more of the good, rather than the bad. That’s what this exercise does.

Photos courtesy of ING Images

Dr. Bryan Sexton, a happiness researcher out of Duke University, trains medical professionals on how to avoid burnout with this technique. He noted just one night of sleep deprivation can reduce the amount of new memories being formed by almost 40% (another gentle reminder as to why cramming the night before a test is a terrible idea!). But negative memories are more resilient to fatigue, so one of the reasons why you’re so grumpy in

“

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CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)

A 2005 randomized control study on the “3 Good Things” method showed the two weeks of nightly practice before bed has an effect on mood and wellbeing that is non-discernably different from starting a regimen of prozac, an antidepressant. Even more striking, some of this positivity carried over even six months after the test period ended. Impressive, right? It works because it tasks you with actively refocusing your attention to the positive things that happen every day we don’t normally notice, and reinforces that positivity with affirmation about your sense of self-worth and purpose in everyday life. For example, this is literally what I came up with for today: 1) I had a cheeseburger for lunch. It shows I have a job, and means I can afford eating out once in a while without worrying too much.

2) I talked to my mom on the phone. It shows I’m a loving son, and I care about those around me.

3) I chilled this evening with a video game. This shows I have the smarts to build a gaming PC and the means to do it.

“

Actively refocusing your attention to the positive things that happen every day reinforces that positivity about your sense of selfworth and purpose in everyday life.

”

Look, these aren’t really incredible, noteworthy things; just looking at these events in a vacuum would kinda seem like a regular boring old day. But reframing it as “3 good things,” makes me reevaluate how lucky I am to do these things, and shows how I have an active role in the positivity of my own life. By making you recognize your part in making these three things happen, it also pushes you to say good things about yourself. Anyone else in the “critical voice in the back of your head” club? This technique helps you through that.

The challenge, of course, is sticking with it when it feels like everything around us has gone to hell. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I’ve gotten increasingly more anxious about the future. But by giving “3 Good Things” a shot, I’m reminded of how, even in the crappiest of years, there’s actually a lot to be thankful for. We just have to try a little harder to look for the good. It’s trite but it’s true, after all: We may not be able to control the situation in the world, but we can control our attitude about it.

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forward I make in my life is going to bring me closer to starting my new family. Even if your start to 2021 isn’t as optimistic, there’s nothing set in stone saying the good can’t come for you soon after.

By Tanner Price You remember those days when you were a kid at a sleepover with your friends? You were in your pajamas, stuffing your face with pizza, snacks, and soda like nothing could go wrong. Then one of your friends pulled a DVD out of their bag for a movie you’d definitely never heard of and that probably shouldn’t exist. “This is the worst movie ever made,” they said. “And it’s gonna change your life.” 2020 was a lot like that bad movie night. We may have just endured what was undeniably the greatest disasterpiece of our lives, but at least we got to grow closer by suffering through it together.

And maybe that isn’t a universal example. I know that some of you don’t have the luxury of coming out of 2020 without experiencing tragedy you can’t make light of. There are some losses and traumas too terrible to joke about, and for those of you who aren’t able to smile, laugh, and look at the silver lining right now, we understand. We will be patient and kind and caring towards you. Just because we suffered together doesn’t mean we all suffered the same way.

But the world will get better. The wounds will close, the scars will fade, and there will be opportunities to feel true joy again. Maybe 2021 will be the year everything finally comes around. I desperately hope it will be for you. For me personally, I get to come out of 2020 being newly married to my best friend, having finally gotten a job that lets me help people, and knowing every step 10

If I may give you some food for thought, I’d like to encourage those of you still hurting to try out some advice you might not have considered. Take a break from the sources of sadness that weigh on you the heaviest.

Maybe you’re addicted to the news like I am, and something always seems to be going wrong. This next year, I’m going to try taking better care of my mental health by finding a balance between consuming endless amounts of bad news and cutting myself off from it to the point of ignorance.

Yes, bad things will always be happening, and it isn’t wrong to make yourself aware of it.

But taking a break and actively looking for the good news in the world will help you a little bit each time in starting to see the world in a positive light again.

Or maybe you’re working a dead-end job that you hate like I was, where the only reason you’re staying with it is because of the money.

Consider this a wake-up call to finally begin hunting for a new job that will help you live the life you’ve always wanted. It might not be easy, and no one’s saying you have to change C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • J A N / F E B 2 0 2 1

CULTURE CLASH (Be a Better Human)

jobs if it’s unsafe. But if you can and there’s a chance this change will be good for you, I’d strongly suggest taking that leap of faith and looking for a new career path that can meet your financial and emotional needs.

Take care of yourselves and others, my friends. Even if next year’s movie night sucks, I’ll be right there with all the snacks and drinks and blankets you need to help get you through it. Stay safe, and I’ll see you all at the sleepover.

And between you and me, I doubt this year will ever get a sequel.

Photos courtesy of ING Images

I had a mantra growing up I would recite to myself whenever things got hard. “The darkness from the experiences within you is neither good nor evil unless you choose it to be so.” And no matter how many times I repeated it to myself during tough times, I never truly understood what it meant like I do now in 2020. You will suffer, you will ache, and you will cry. These things are unavoidable and happen to everybody you’ve ever met.

But you always have a choice. Will you let the pain harden your heart, turning you callous and cold? Or will you let your suffering strengthen you, resolving you to become kinder, gentler, more caring to others and yourself? There

will always be bad things in this world, and the way I see it, the people who have gone through the greatest hardship have the greatest potential to help others. Take this opportunity as you’re healing to become the person you wish was there for you when you needed them most. If we each make that choice, a better world is truly inevitable.

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Carpe Diem

By Savannah Walser

2020 was a horrible year; a bold statement but for many people, this statement is viciously true. 2020 consisted of a war scare, hornet swarms, large-scale forest fires, and in the US alone around 14 million people were laid off and 269,000 died from COVID-19. It’s fair to say everyone is ready for this year to end. Sadly the effects of this year are more than capable of holding thousands of people back from their true potential.

In 2021 people need to get their act together.

Find the priorities of your life and commit. Stop procrastinating. You must dive headfirst into whatever assignment is nagging at your mind. An hour of sitting on your phone is not a break; it’s avoiding responsibilities. Slowly start working harder, and make it a habit.

Space out your obligations and get them done. Doing everything at once is too much stress. Why wait until the last minute to panic and finish tasks messily?

Organize your life. Get a planner, a journal, or use your notes and calendar app. Your life feels like a mess because your mind can’t remember and organize everything. Start writing things down, make a to-do list, figure out the best way to organize your thoughts, and stick to it.

Sit up straight, you know why your back hurts, you are sitting at your computer halfway off the chair with a hunchback.

Do what you love. Working and worrying have become the focal points of our lives in 2020. In this upcoming year, get back into old hobbies (or find new ones). Take a break when you get the chance and do an activity you honestly enjoy. Don’t forget the tasks you’re committed to, but don’t overwork yourself into misery.

Get started and find motivation. Watch some motivational speeches, put down your phone, and get to work. Unhelpful things and burdensome people must be forgotten and pushed aside.

Do something. You live once and you have a limited clock. Do what you love and what inspires you. Don’t go and waste your breath on things that will inevitably make you hate your own life. You will only succeed while doing the things you care for.

Nothing is ever achieved without action, and everyone has the potential to be important, so get yourself together and carpe diem.

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Photo courtesy of Scott Edwards | From the HeART Gallery

The world is your oyster and 2021 is just the beginning. What will you do with it?

Express Yourself

express

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The

Wizzard

By G. Geffino

I was alone at the end of the bar staring down one more shot of tequila when something green, shiny, and plastic caught my eye. It was wedged between two bottles of forgettable bourbon on the shelf in front of me. I wanted it like a rash wants lotion.

Glenda and Will were at the other end of the bar, deep in conversation.

Something about new shoes and leftover Thanksgiving turkey. What’s the best way to cook a steak? When is the best time to buy crabmeat? They were heavily engaged and hardly noticed me.

When the time was right I snuck around, grabbed it carefully, and sat back down. It was a pair of big goofy glasses. The kind that drunk people wear to celebrate events. Like New Year’s Eve. This one read 2020. I stared at it intently.

I offered Glenda and Will a cheer, downed the shot, and asked for another.

After a moment I raised the glasses to my head and put them on. The room was suddenly noisy and full. People in glittery clothes drank champagne and laughed.

Horrified, I took the glasses off, drank the tequila and asked – this time - for a double.

The room was empty again. Just the three of us. I put the glasses back on and it was full, back off and it was empty, back on and it was full.

I sensed a pattern.

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I put them on again and watched intently. I saw faces I recognized, familiar voices, sounds of joy and hope and longing for a bright future.

A future full of company, camaraderie, and connection, of opportunity and travel.

All for nothing. They had to be warned, but how? And what would it matter? I felt responsible for these people, my friends and acquaintances.

They had to be told to prepare.

It would be negligence and cowardice on my part if I didn’t.

I took the glasses off and thought things through. I’m a shy and reserved person at heart, but a man must do what a man must do.

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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)

“You must prepare!”

Then things got really weird.

“What’s that, honey?”

Glenda and Will were both looking at me. I had been muttering to myself.

“Nothing,” I smiled as best I could and chuckled nervously. They went back to their conversation. I kept a straight face and stayed cool on the outside, but my insides were bubbling over and I broke out in cold sweat. I threw back the double shot, put the glasses back on, and confronted the crowd.

Photos courtesy of ING Images

“Listen to me!’ I shouted, but they didn’t. “A virus is on its way! On its way from China! You have to prepare! You need masks, you need to stock up on food, you need to stock up on toilet paper! Toilet paper!!”

No one paid attention, no one batted an eye. I ran around the room grabbing people, shaking them, and screaming in their faces, but it was like I didn’t exist. They couldn’t see me.

They couldn’t hear me. They just kept drinking and dancing and laughing and carrying on as if all was well, and all would always be well. I saw some friends. James, Jenny, Cat, Reg. They looked right through me. I’d reach out for them and my hands would pass right through their bodies. I ran around frantically, opened the door to the restroom, grabbed two rolls of toilet paper, held them high, and dashed back into the room.

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I slipped on a spilled drink and tumbled over a table. I landed face first on the floor and the glasses broke in half. I picked myself up and looked around. The room was empty again, except for Glenda and Will who stared at me, not saying a word.

I brushed some dirt off my pants. I grabbed the toilet paper and put it back in the restroom. I nodded to the two and took my seat at the end of the bar.

“Sweetie, I think I’m going to have to cut you off.”

I agreed with Glenda and asked for a glass of water.

They resumed their conversation.

I heard her say, “This year has been tough on everyone.”

Then they went back to talking about what to do with leftover turkey.

Last New Year’s Eve when hopes were high, the future fresh, and possibility was still a possibility.

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The first time I did acid was with Winston in Long Beach. He assured me everything would be fine. He’d done it hundreds of times. I trusted him.

After dropping the cute little smiley faced piece of paper on our tongues, we started walking up Pine Street. What better way to experience life than among a crowd of our own kind.

By Dan Marks

Well, that was my first mistake. LSD is not a casual drug. Derived from the rye fungus Ergot, it was synthesized by Sandoz Labs just after World War II. Its dosage and effects were not initially understood and it was produced at an industrial scale.

Quite unlike THC, alcohol, or most other recreational drugs, acid alters your perception in no subtle way. Like Tyler Durden in Fight Club letting go of the wheel of his Lincoln Town Car while barreling down the road at 60 mph.

Sorting through audial and visual changes, I hid in a bush until my mind settled down. Winston was able to walk me back to the harbor without incident. No. Not without incident.

Immersed in a new experience.

We sat on the dock and watched ribbons of colored light dance across the wavelets in the marina. The colors faded into the silver glow of moonlight that shown more across the long swells from the ocean beyond the breakwater.

Illustration courtesy of Sam Chivers

A marina full of boats was suddenly rising and falling subtly, almost imperceptibly, in unison.

That’s when I saw it. The wave. The gigantic, impossibly long wave, only inches tall, lifting the weight of all those boats at once.

An image stretched out across an ocean so huge it could only be seen in the mind’s eye.

The swells generated across hundreds of miles of open ocean were expending the last of their incredible energy for my amusement.

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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)

This revelation was immediately overcome by another.

This wave. The REAL wave, was the one lunar pull that circled the globe. It was the tide. Why could I not see that before? The tide is one long unstoppable wave.

All at once I reveled in my discovery, but cowered at my ignorance. How could a sailor not have known what the tide was. It’s not just a series of numbers in a table of the list of ports around the world. That is but a glimpse at the larger picture. That is the digital clue to the great unalterable analog!

The great unalterable analog is the force that keeps the world moving. It does not await observation before becoming reality. It IS reality.

It is God. It is the cosmic dance. It is the bane of every teenage boy who wants a world defined by simple mathematical equations.

Its embrace is the joy we find in surfing, singing, skipping stones across a quiet glacier lake in Yellowstone National Park. It is the force and flow which give consequences to both indecision and overthinking. It is the rail of emotion we fear more than an old wooden roller coaster.

I saw all of that in the little waves sneaking into Rainbow Harbor Marina.

The New Year approaches. It is but a mile marker on our never ending voyage. Time flows endlessly, as far as we know. “Time and tide wait for no man.” Are they the waves that never break?

Or have we just not journeyed far enough to reach their shores?

These are the questions I have for this holiday.

Renew your efforts to see beyond your

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immediate surroundings.

Resolve your courage to see where Rimbaud’s Drunken Boat will take you. Report your findings, no matter how mundane or silly they may sound. You will always find an audience of inexperienced travelers listening at the fringe. An audience in need of your wisdom.

Celebrate the season, whether in Christian tradition or its pagan origins of death and rebirth. Celebrate New Year, Solar or Lunar, again of death and rebirth. Celebrate Hannukah, the renewal of your ancestors’ courage to stand up to their oppressors.

Celebrate in whatever joyous manner you wish, but celebrate.

My one wish for this New Year is that we don’t live shackled lives, giving ourselves only one day and one chance each year for change. Every morning is a rebirth.

Every blink of an eye.

My other wish is for all of you to come to the realization that “Harold and Maude” is the greatest movie ever made. But I’ll give you a year to think about it.

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What Are You Looking Forward To

By Robert Kuhn

Focus on New Year’s Resolutions, Renew and Reset, Revitalization What are you looking forward to in 2021?

How can we keep a positive outlook? What are you excited about?

This is what the Culture Clash Staff asked me to keep in mind when writing an article for their January issue. The article is due tonight at midnight. They’ll probably let it slide until daylight if I decide to pull an all nighter like back in the old days (last year).

Last year was pretty different. The only thing I can say I’m looking forward to in 2021 is more changes. If this year changed so much, just imagine the possibilities of next year when our centrifugal force is pulling us that much faster.

All bets are off. I can look forward, but from the shaky ground I’m standing on, the picture is blurry.

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The phone next to me just rang. I’m writing in real time. It was my brother. He tested positive for COVID. He was telling me because we’ve been hanging out together. Sharing meals. Thanksgiving.

Two kids in his 2 year-old daughter’s daycare tested positive last week, so although he was showing no symptoms, he went and got tested. He got tested twice, one was a rapid result that was 94% sure, and the other was the regular 48 hour. The rapid result came back negative so we all thought it was pretty safe to be together. His second test result just came back. It was positive so I was the third person he called. Just now. I need to go get tested. See how quickly things change? I thought I was gonna make it through this page and jam about up and downs and life and death and all the things becoming more real every day.

I was gonna tell you not to worry too much about making any resolutions right now. It’s better just to reflect on life and lay low for a few months until the sun starts coming back. Gather up your strength and take your rest because we’re gonna need it. There will be plenty of renewal in the spring. Just setting down into the winter the best you can and sleep. Breathe. Look at yourself in the darkness, naked and cold, wrapped in a blanket, standing next to the stove, quietly watching the moonlit clouds blow down from the North, waiting for something to tell you it’s alright to go back to bed. Waiting for morning. Wait for the spring.

LTURREC ECLLAASSHHGGAALV LVEESTO STONN. .CCO OMM •• JJAANN//FFEEBB 22002201 CCUULTU

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Wait for the spring.

I might come back and finish this article later, but I need to walk to CVS and get covid tested now. I need to make some phone calls to all of the people I’ve been around the last few days. I need to cancel the plans I’ve made for the next few days. This is what often happens when I start looking forward.

OK, I’m back for a minute. My deadline has passed and I’m late submitting this article. It’s just so hard to make plans or commitments these days. Can corona spread through words and thoughts? Do you need to get tested now too? It’s winter. We’ve got enough on our plate just surviving. To make resolutions or plans is silly. Don’t worry too much about that. Our calendar is all messed up and fake anyway. The winter solstice is a time of darkness and introspection. It’s a time to look at yourself and the year that’s passed us and accept it. Let go. Who are you?

What are you? What were you? Did you think you were a musician. Did you think you were an artist or a lawyer or real estate agent? Are you a surfer or a punk rocker?

Are you a monk or a yogi? A lover? A father? A brother?

A writer? Are you a millionaire or a monster? Do you think you are your purpose? Are you an occupation? Who is breathing?

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Wait until the Midsummer’s Eve Dream to make plans and resolutions. When the days start getting longer and the sun returns to her seat in the eastern sky, we will understand all of these projections are just illusions. Then write down your plans and goals and manifestations for the year ahead.

Write them down and bury them in your backyard. They’ll come true. It’s still too early for that though. Just hold on, wait and reflect for now. See who you are.

We are silence. The music can fall from you. An accident can cripple you. A change will empty and wring you out. When it finally seems to be through with you; when it finally seems to be still and quiet and safe to come out, you can look at yourself, naked and silent. You can see who you are now. You’re a breather. You are love.

You are the one who is thinking those thoughts. That’s all. You can listen with awarenes. You can resolve. You are at unity. Go fishing or something.

Photo courtesy of John Embesi

In the Spring we’ll release all this music. We’ll sing. We’ll get together and dance. We’ll all be healed. For now it’s quiet time.

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Hope

By Juan Gonzales

The election is over. Here on the Estelle Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), there is both joy and sorrow at the results. A bunch of, “I told you so’s” are going around, as well as, “I told you he would never win!” and, “I told you they would cheat and steal the election.” It’s all over for now and we can all let our collective breaths out, through a mask of course. We can look around and realize that our world has not come to an end, or that money hasn’t miraculously started raining down on us from above. For us here in this prison though, today is the same as it was yesterday, and the day, week, and month before that.

We have hope though. Every two years, the Texas Legislators (Texas House of Representatives) meet to discuss, debate, and sometimes pass or amend laws directly affecting us. Our country’s presidential leadership is important, of course, but unfortunately in my seven plus years of incarceration under two presidents of opposing parties, I have seen nothing changed for the better for people in my position. Some would say President Trump’s “First Step Act” is a change in the right direction, but as a step, it’s a very small one. It only affected federal prisoners and no state prisoners at all. The day after it passed was exactly like the day before it passed. Texas laws affect Texas prisoners, and they are only changed or amended every other year. This January, I have some high hopes for positive change for us. A few bills are being brought up that would help to reform this unjust justice system a bit. To date, it seems like every legislative session has just created more laws which made more criminals out of more poor people.

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Photos courtesy of The Blade/Andy Morrison

Probably the most important one to use is the “Earned Time Credit” bill. Presently, inmates in TDCJ do not get paid for their work in prison. There is punishment for not working, but no true incentives if you do work. In effect, TDCJ uses us as slave labor. Almost all work required in running a prison is done by inmates.

Cooking, laundry, cleaning, maintenance, growing and tending of crops, raising and butchering of livestock, etc. are all done by us. There are also many plants and factories that produce what we make, as well as products sold for profit by TDCJ to the free world.

My unit has a textile plant which produces cloth used to make our clothes, as well as to be sold. It runs 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.

Some people on my wing work there for at least 9 hours/day, 7 days/week. I have a friend who is a master carpenter who works 10 hours/day, 7 days/week. Another friend who is a master plumber works 14 hours/ day, 7 days/week. He is also on call. I have seen him come to his cell to sleep, only be woken up to go back to work 3 hours later.

The only incentive to work is what is called “work time.” In theory, “work time” and “good time” (time with no disciplinary issues) goes towards credit on your sentence. It’s supposed to count towards your parole. In actuality, it means nothing. I know people here with over 200% of their time done (flat time + good time + work time) and have clean disciplinary records who get denied parole repeatedly. If a crime is classified 3g or aggravated, eligibility for parole still means you are going nowhere. Taking classes and getting an education means nothing.

Another bill up this year is the medical copay bill. Right now, an inmate must pay up to $100/year for medical care. Many here receive very little, if any, money from their loved ones. That money allows them to purchase things such as soap, toothpaste, deodorant, over-thecounter meds, and some food like ramen noodles from the unit’s commissary. Rather than go to the infirmary and be charged, most try to get through illnesses on their own. If they are sick, they get others sick. If they have a small medical problem, it becomes a big medical problem. Things that can be easily

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treated become life threatening when left unattended. When was the last time you knew someone who lost a body part to gangrene? I know a few. Since inmates have no way of earning any type of income in here, the medical charge is really paid by their families. They already pay extra for high phone call rates and restrictive mail regulations. Some drive hundreds of miles to visit us for two hours too. $100 may not seem like much to most people out there, but to us in here, it’s a huge amount! The bill being brought up would eliminate that charge and make it a bit easier to stay healthy in this place.

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CULTURE CLASH (Express Yourself)

A bill for independent oversight is also coming up for discussion this year. Presently, an inmate’s only option for addressing a grievance is a form known as a step one, and a step two. These are received and supposedly investigated by employees of TDCJ. The watchmen watch the watchmen here in Texas.

Recently, I was spit on by an officer after I pointed out she was supposed to be wearing her mask over her mouth and nose instead of on her chin. She literally spat on me and said, “Write that up!” So I did. I filed a step one grievance, stating the time and place it happened, as well as the other inmates who witnessed it. I received a response to my grievance that stated, “This matter was investigated and no cause was found to warrant any further action as there was no proof to substantiate my claims.” Furthermore, it also stated, “False allegations against officers could and would result in disciplinary action being taken” against me. They did not talk to any of my witnesses and obviously didn’t even review the camera footage. If I would have spit on an officer, especially during this time of covid, I would have received an “assaulting a peace officer” charge and sentenced to at least ten more years to be served after my present sentence. Since officers investigate the officers in this system, it is next to impossible for an inmate to get any justice. If someone who was not employed by TDCJ investigated our grievances, things might just possibly be different. Like in the free world, officers sometimes feel it’s okay to abuse and even murder people. They know few, if any, consequences or repercussions will happen.

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“

January 2021 is a new year and era which represents a chance for a new beginning

”

January 2021 is a new year and era which represents a chance for a new beginning for many people in many ways. For some, like me, it’s a chance to live free, live healthier, and live safer. To us inmates, most days, weeks, and months tend to look pretty much the same. We think in years here, and sometimes in decades.

Nevertheless, I am excited about this first Monday of this first week in this first month of this coming year. Will good things happen? I am sure they will. Will they affect me? I hope so. For me, this year’s legislation is like starting a new sentence on a new page, and maybe the end of a sentence for this decade. For now, all I can do is what I always do and just wait.

Oh, and write.

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FEATURED ARTIST Jacob Ellis “Zen Zone” Digital Media

C00LTURE 24

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CULTURE CLASH (Coolture)

Ball High CREATIVE WRITING Tomorrow’s Sunrise

By Makayla Moore Ink-stained skies plague the world But darkness has yet to settle in For tomorrow carries a new sunrise And tomorrow I’ll lift my chin They dwell and cower in this bitter night sky But I seek comfort in the moon For tomorrow carries a new sunrise And tomorrow is sweetly soon Grief has broken brittle bones But I have faith they’ll heal stronger For tomorrow carries a new sunrise And tomorrow won’t be much longer

What we Don’t Understand

By Amonie Rowe

We have so much but are always wanting more We always want what we don’t have And never appreciate what we do.

And we try to keep living despite it all.

This place makes me exhausted Nothing to do with sleep And everything to do with The People

Snow and ice may pelt the earth But I don’t fear what the storm may bring For tomorrow carries a new sunrise And tomorrow the snow won’t cling

Around

Do you feel the warm rays of light That tear through the dreadful cotton clouds?

Do you see the sherbet ombre of colors That would make a resentful man proud?

We forget.

Thunderstorms may disease our planet But my face still holds a grin For tomorrow carries a new sunrise And today I’ll lift my chin C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • J A N / F E B 2 0 2 1

Me. We’ve been dying since we got here And sometimes To Enjoy It While It Lasts.

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CULTURE CLASH (Coolture)

BLACK WOMEN of Galveston County

e ALL WIN W , n e m o upport W

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A Jo nt ” W O e. ou H Galveston C y yet to be mad NK YOU TO MR. DARRYL S so much histor ED WINNER . THA rs he ot t lif sacrificing for, UNPICTUR up ITE to EE S S fts EB D gi N r W ei A R th E U R zing ON O LEARN MO M history by utili ESTON.CO 26

LASHGALV CULTUREC

2021 WINNERS

PICTURED ALPHABETICALY Stacey Jones Declouet, Ashley Gooden, Shanisha Greer, Tonia R. Griffin, Corlie Holloway Jackson, Lorna Hardeman Jackson, Wendy Langham, Kiki Lauderdale, Lisa Center as Lemons, Lillian McGrew, Cassandra McGee - Mkwanazi, Barbara Mcllveen, Nakisha Paul , Raushida Robinson, Denise Smart, Kendra Sowell, Tracie Steans, Shirlyn Thomas, and Roxy D. Hall Williams.

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CULTURE CLASH (Coolture)

pulse

SEE ART Jacob Ellis

GNARLY GULL

Jan.-Feb. 2021 Calendar of Events

Watercolor and ink SEE MORE on Instagram @spirit_and_bone_ original

JANUARY Going Through a Phrase Multi Artist Exhibit at Galveston Arts Center now - Jan. 3, 2021 Wed.-Sat. 12pm-5pm GALVESTON ARTS CENTER 2127 Strand St, Galveston, TX 77550 Admission: FREE Gatta Have Pig In It- Cook Off Jan. 24, 2021 -12pm-5pm Lil Smokey Magic at the Tross. $20 per team - register at The Albatross. Category is anything you wanna make as long as it has pig in it. DUH! Cooking starts at 12pm, Judging at 5p ALBATROSS GALVESTON 815 21st St, Galveston, TX 77550 Admission: FREE WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Email Us CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com C U LTU R EC L A S H G A LV E STO N . C O M • J A N / F E B 2 0 2 1

FEBRUARY Day Is Done - Steve Parker on Exhibit at Galveston Arts Center now - Feb. 28, 2021 Wed.-Sat. 12pm - 5pm GALVESTON ARTS CENTER 2127 Strand St, Galveston, TX 77550 Admission: FREE

Drink up WARM COASTAL Bourbon mixed with fresh lemon juice, real honey and hot water Coastal Grill 1827 Strand St.

Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 176th Annual Meeting themed: A 2020 Three-Ring Circus Jan. 26, 2021 - 6:30pm-10pm GALVESTON ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER AT SAN LUIS RESORT 5600 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77551 Admission: FREE

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CULTURE CLASH (FEATURE)

e l p o e p eston

v l a g of Valerie Fullen (above) I like to consider 2020 the “pupal stage”.

The whole world essentially went on pause this year. Although many traumas and challenges were created, it also forced us to slow down, allowing time for rest, reflection, and renewal. I personally took a lot of time to dig deep inside and question my true desires, asking myself along the way, “Does this decision help cultivate the life I want to create?”

Moving into the new year, I’m excited to continue this practice, feeling refreshed from the reclusive year 2020 has been.

I’m hopeful humankind will continue this metamorphosis into 2021, and we will all get an opportunity to spread our big, beautiful wings and live our most creative lives!

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What are you looking forward to in

2021?

Sam Collins III (below) The ultimate measure of success is not the accumulation of things or money, but use of time. Each of us have a limited amount of time every day. Each individual life is limited with regards to time. This year consider setting a time goal. Make sure you are spending time doing the things important to you. Yes you need to work, but don’t overwork. Yes you have financial goals, but don’t let those financial goals rob you of too much time. Spend time with family and friends creating priceless memories. Spend time doing the things you enjoy.

If you sleep 6 hours a day, you will spend 3 months of 2021 asleep.

If you work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, you will spend almost 3 months of 2021 working. If you spend 4 hours daily watching tv/ entertainment you will spend 2 months of 2021 doing that. If you drive on average 2 hours per day commuting and running errands you will spend 1 month of 2021 driving. If you are keeping track that is 9 months of 2021 accounted for already. As you can see from my calculations, we don’t have as much time as we think, so protect your time. Make 2021 the year you made the most of your time.

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CULTURE CLASH (FEATURE)

Juan Gonzales (below) When I think of the new year, I am filled with relief and gratitude. Relieved that my family and I made it through, grateful to have an opportunity to strive for better things to come. Bring it on 2021!

Sara Ramirez (above) 2020 was definitely a hard year for creatives. As a photographer, it took a big toll on my business.

In fact, I only did seven photoshoots this entire year. Covid made it unsafe for me to be around people for shoots, and to be honest I didn’t have the motivation to actually go out and take photos or put any effort into my work. This year I plan to change that. With all the bad things going on right now, we all need something that takes our minds away from it, even if it’s just for a little while. Photography is my something. My goal this year is to bring my business back to where it was before the pandemic, and then make it better than it was. I will work hard and build up my skills again and not let myself give up. This entire year I’ve just been giving up and I refuse to let it continue into 2021. I know things aren’t going to suddenly get better when 2020 ends, but I believe if I go into it with a strong, positive mindset, it will make a huge difference in the long run.

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BRINGING TOGETHER ART, AWARENESS, AND ADVOCACY! Turtles About Town is a community art project that highlights the City of Galveston and the conservation efforts of Turtle Island Restoration Network to protect endangered sea turtles on the upper Texas coast.

Turtle lovers of all ages have the opportunity to see 50 colorful Kemp’s ridley sea turtle statues that have been installed around the island since 2018. Businesses, individuals and organizations graciously sponsor the turtle statues while local artists are commissioned to give each one its own personality and meaning.

Download a FREE map and go on a tour at seaturtles.org/turtles. Be sure to tag Turtle Island Restoration Network in your images (@TIRN-Gulf on Facebook and @TIRN.Gulf on Instagram) and tag #TurtlesAboutTown!

We can ReFill, ReValve and ReTest Any of the Above Gas Cylinders

seaturtles.org

clapcupstudios.com

By Culture Clash Staff

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