Melanie Peña & Karis Dunnam // Alligator Staff
2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
Male students are outnumbered at UF. Why are Black males outnumbered most of all? Just one-third of Black UF undergraduates are male — the university’s largest gender gap by race By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer
David Canton, UF director of African American studies, calls it the “eyeball test.” “Just look in the classrooms,” he said. “I just left my colleague’s class — one black male in there. I think in my class, I have one.” In Fall 2022, about one-third of Black UF undergraduates identified as male, and just 38% of Black applicants were male. Both the enrollment and applicant gender gaps are larger for Black students than any other racial or ethnic group at UF. The gap echoes a national trend affecting not just predominantly white institutions like UF, where Black students make up 5% of undergraduates, but historically Black colleges and universities as well. At Florida A&M University, the only HBCU in the Florida state university system, 34% of students were male in Fall 2021. The percentage has steadily declined over the past 20 years. Obstacles begin in K-12 education
The Black gender gap in higher education is a systemic problem requiring systemic solutions, said Canton, who took over the university’s African American studies department in 2020. But no one wants to address the challenges facing young Black men as a whole — like higher suspension rates, low teacher expectations and mass incarceration, he said. Instead, they accuse individual students of hampering their own success by listening to hip-hop music or having tattoos, he said. “If we pull hip-hop tomorrow, the gaps are still going to be there,” he said. “If 50 Cent went off this Earth, if we pulled the whole hip-hop industry out, we’re going to
have the same conversation next year.” Finances cause some hesitations toward college, he said. Students don’t want to rack up six figures of debt for a degree when more and more careers are opening up to people, especially men, without one — like construction work or military enlistment, he said. Distaste for intellectualism also plays a role, Canton said. No one in the U.S. likes an “egghead,” and youth often view academics as pretentious, elitist and condescending, he said. But much of the problem comes not from students’ attitudes, but from their teachers’ attitudes toward them, he said. Teachers and advisors often write off hard working Black male students merely because they’re offended by the students’ sagging pants or “attitudes,” he said. Black male students can’t make autonomous career decisions when teachers assume they don’t want to go to college and “end the game” for them before it begins, he said. Teachers enforce racial stigmas by labeling Black students more “blameworthy” for misbehaving in the same ways as their white peers, said Yale Assistant Professor Jayanti Owens. Owens analyzed videos of over 1,300 middle and high school U.S. teachers for an American Sociological Association article on discipline disparity gaps published November 2022. She studied how teachers responded to videos shown of identical misbehaviors — like throwing pencils across the room or texting during class — depending on the students’ race. When teachers saw a Black student misbehave, they assumed the student wasn’t interested in school or didn’t respect authority, she said. When a white student misbehaved, the teacher more often concluded they were
Roots of Resilience: A celebration of UF, Gainesville’s Black community The Alligator Editorial Board In 2022, Black journalists composed only 6% of American journalists. Sixtythree percent of Black Americans believed news about Black people are more negative than other racial or ethnic groups. Only 9% believed coverage of Black people told “the full story.” Black History Month is a crucial reminder for journalists to honor and rededicate ourselves to recognizing these statistics as we pursue coverage year-round. This collection of stories, entitled Roots of Resilience, is not simply a recognition but a celebration of all the Black community has created and upheld on campus and in Gainesville. While it’s not nearly enough to cover the entire Black history and influence in our community, this edition focuses on Black stories, past and present. These stories, like those of Matthew Lewey, Solana Williams and Afro-Latino students, are crucial in The Alligator’s commitment to uplifting Black history. The Alligator is committed to engaging
thoughtfully and holistically with coverage of Black culture and history. Not just this month, but every month — Black influence is permanently rooted in UF, Gainesville and beyond. When asked how to improve Black coverage, 59% of Black Americans said personal journalist engagement with Black sources is crucial. We asked our reporters to describe what Gainesville’s Black community means to them; our front page is a collection of those words, aiming to uplift the voices of whose stories we tell. Rectifying the historical and present issues facing Black news coverage can’t be accomplished by a single edition of a single student newspaper. However, we hope to thoughtfully tell Black stories year-round and create a new generation of journalists dedicated to honoring those stories as they enter the workforce. The Editorial Board consists of Editor-inChief Claire Grunewald, Engagement Managing Editor Aidan Bush, Digital Managing Editor Jackson Castellano and Opinions Editor Peyton Harris.
having a bad day or acting out as a “cry for help,” Owens said. A student being Black increased the probability the teacher recommended sending them to the principal’s office. Both Black and white students were also more likely to be blamed for misbehavior if they attended predominantly minority schools, Owens said. “You could literally be the exact same student,” she said. “If you do a certain routine misbehavior in a school that’s predominantly Black and Brown students, you are more likely to be seen as blameworthy for that behavior and more likely to get referred to the principal’s office.” ‘It was one of the first things I noticed’: the on-campus perspective
Joel Ledgister, a 19-year-old UF philosophy and criminology sophomore, notices the Black gender imbalance in his classes, around campus and even in his student involvement groups, he said. Ledgister is a member of Progressive Black Men, Inc., a student group that fights racial stereotypes through academics, fellowship and service. His PBM class had 11 students, while the group’s sister organization, SISTUHS, Inc., had 33 students the same year, he said. “As Black men, we’re more prone to do other things than college — it’s not really instilled in us,” he said. “I had a sister and they would instill that in her, but not in me.” Low enrollment ties into institutional racism that affects Black male students long before they step foot on campus, said Joshua Thomas, a 20-year-old UF political science junior. Watching the HBO series “The Wire” in one of his classes taught him many Black men were taken away from their families in the late 1900s, the effects of which his generation still feels today, he said. “People make jokes about it, how there’s a lot of girls and no guys,” he said. “But I do think there’s a lot of different things, systemically, that have just been pre-conceived before I got here.” The imbalance hasn’t kept him from feeling involved at UF, Thomas said. Rather, being part of a smaller group encourages the Black community to respect what they have and stay involved with each other, he said. Jameson Jean-Charles, an 18-year-old UF health sciences freshman, notices the gap but doesn’t feel one way or another about how it’s impacted his college experience, he said. In the area he grew up in Orlando, girls were “expected” to take education more seriously than guys, he said. “It starts in the household,” he said. “How they’re raised, what perspective they see.” Male students aren’t the only ones to pick up on female enrollment dominance. The lack of Black men was “one of the first things” Jehlia Andrew-Brown, a 21-year-old UF psychology and African American studies junior, noticed after starting college, she said. Though the leadership Andrew-Brown sees among Black men at UF astounds her, she’s disheartened that there aren’t more of them, she said. Andrew-Brown chose to apply to UF because of its strong Black community after bumping into some Black students during her tour who told her about resources like the Black Student Union, she said. But the university still fails sometimes to make its Black students feel safe, she said.
“Do better,” she said. “Because we are doing our part to not only get more black students here, to have a bigger impact on campus. So we just need a little reciprocation.” Diversity outreach has positive impact but unclear future
Until his early 30s, Terrell Jenkins had no goals associated with higher education. He started skipping class in kindergarten and enrolled in the Marines immediately after high school. But when he met a man who pointed him to Santa Fe College, he decided to give school another try. Jenkins went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in public relations from UF. Now, he’s found his calling helping others reach postsecondary education through the K-12 outreach program Santa Fe Achieve, where he works as a specialist mainly at Hawthorne High School. Most students don’t come to him for financial guidance, Jenkins said. Instead, they worry about fitting in on campus or how their interests can translate to a career. About 90% of his job is to be a “motivational speaker” and open these students’ eyes to their own potential, he said. “So many people live less than, and it’s not because of themselves,” Jenkins said. “It’s the things externally that make us feel we’re not good enough, or we’re not whatever enough, and I just don’t like my brothers and sisters in the world going around feeling that way.” Financial concerns are real barriers for some high schoolers, said Program Director Quentin Eyman. But for many students, especially minority students, “perceived” barriers, like not knowing where to start or not having supportive role models, also play a part, he said. “Any group also is looking for role models. They’re looking for people that look and sound like them,” Eyman said. “You have students who may have decided that a road to college isn’t for them, being able to see people who have gone down that road.” UF political science professor and former director of African American studies Sharon Austin wants to see more outreach from the university toward predominantly Black high schools and organizations, she said. Over her 20 years at UF, she’s seen the gender gap among Black students grow. But over the past two years, she’s seen the resources to fight it, including outreach programs, threatened by Florida anti-diversity legislation. “The few diversity organizations that were there are now at risk of being eliminated because we want a ‘colorblind’ approach,” she said. “But we don’t live in a colorblind society.” Florida banned universities from spending state funding on diversity programs in a January regulation. An audit ordered by the state last year identified K-12 outreach initiatives in the UF veterinary and engineering colleges as diversity-related programs. Opportunities for Black men at UF can only expand through outreach and discussion, Austin said. But with race-based diversity initiatives an “elephant in the room” at best and facing shutdowns at worst, she’s not sure when those conversations will happen. @zoeythomas39 zthomas@alligator.org
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 22 Not officially associated with the University of Florida
Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Revisiting Porters Quarters: The ongoing challenge with gentrification LACK OF COMMUNICATION LEAVES UNCLEAR MESSAGES, RESIDENTS SAY
By Nicole Beltrán Alligator Staff Writer
In a teal house flattered with trinkets and plants resides Breanna King and her grandmother, Beverly King. In a quiet corner of Porters Quarters, the family’s tranquil life is often interrupted by frequent commotion from downtown developments. Now, a development the 25-yearold resident and her grandmother were unaware of is coming to their backyard. New construction began on Southwest Second Street and was started through a partnership between Bright Community Trust and Habitat for Humanity Jan. 25. Porters Quarters is a historically Black neighborhood in East Gainesville founded in 1884 by Canadian physician Dr. Watson Porter who only sold real estate to African Americans. As the neighborhood continues to battle gentrification among student housing and downtown expansions, the lack of communication between the city and the neighborhood worries residents. The most recent construction has left residents perplexed. Only one resident from Porters’ homeowners association was notified of the construction, and she gave permission for building to begin. No other residents were informed. Breanna King said growing up in Porters led her to see the neighborhood slowly fall victim to an overbearing expansion of student housing, but now a larger concern of the community is the
lack of communication. “You don’t let anybody know what’s going on, but you expect people to be okay with it?” she said. Lisa Jackson, who is temporarily staying with her niece's home in Porters, was also concerned to see the sudden construction taking place. The 59-year-old visitor, still from Gainesville, said residents wanted to use the land for a farmers market or a field children often used to play. “But we didn't know that it was gone until they showed up with a tractor,” she said. Faye Williams, a 74-year-old Porters resident, said she’s also concerned about the neighborhood’s vulnerability and the lack of communication with the city, especially from an inactive homeowners association. “We haven't had a meeting in eight or seven years,” she said. “That is not right.” Williams is pushing for the homeowners association to go active again; she said some agreements can be reached among the neighbors to face the city with a structured plan. Williams also said despite the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area targeting Porters as one of the communities it interacts with most, she feels she hasn't seen the direct improvements the team has made. She said she also doesn't think they keep up with communication. Janie Williams, an 89-year-old Porters resident, said she also believes the sudden development was uncalled for. Many residents, including herself, also didn't know what was being built. “It should have not been done
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
Men's Basketball Story description finish with comma, pg#
Gators honor Black History Month. Read more on pg. 16
SEE GENTRIFICATION, PAGE 6
Matthew Lewis // Alligator Staff
Faye Williams at Porters Quarters Community Farm on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024.
Gainesville community implements urban farms to fight food insecurity LOCAL FARMS OFTEN SERVE AS A HUB OF NUTRITION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY FOR RESIDENTS
By Kylie Williams Alligator Staff Writer
In downtown Gainesville, Otis Garrison walks through the Porter’s Quarters community farm identifying vegetables. Leafy kale, waxy
Matthew Lewey Day
County Commission recognizes Florida Civil Rights leader, pg. 7
cabbage and tiny broccolini are among the head farmer’s more popular vegetables — along with lots of collard and mustard greens, at the request of his neighbors. “A lot of this is like touching base with the community and getting like, ‘Hey, what would you guys eat if I grow it?’” Garrison said. The farm, located in the historically Black Porter’s Quarters neighborhood, was founded to grow food for its community and foster selfsufficiency, he said. In Alachua County, 11.1% of
the population is food insecure, according to the Florida Department of Health. In the last decade, several urban farms have sprouted in an effort to combat local food insecurity. These community gardens also tackle other issues stemming from food insecurity, including educating citizens and addressing systemic inequality. Community initiatives
When Meg Boria-Meyer founded
SEE FOOD INSECURITY, PAGE 8
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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
UF Supreme Court appoints its Today’s Weather first Black woman as chief justice
VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 22
NEWSROOM:
Britney Deas is celebrating making history By Delia Rose Sauer Alligator Staff Writer
Britney Deas couldn’t keep her smile hidden as she opened her email. An unassuming email, something she thought was about administration, was actually announcing one of the biggest achievements in her career: becoming the first Black woman to be chief justice of the UF Supreme Court. Deas is a 25-year-old Haitian UF Levin College of Law student. Florida has always been her home. She was born and raised in Miami, moved to Tampa when she attended the University of South Florida for her undergrad and now lives in Gainesville. Deas wanted to build a respectful career in Florida and make a difference, she said, and UF law was her way to do that. She received the email congratulating her on her position Jan. 31 and announced her position on Instagram on the first day of Black History Month. She said she believes there is a significance in her new position being announced so close to Black History Month. Black history needs to be celebrated every day, she said. “Black history is American history,” Deas said. “It’s important to know where you come from so you can know where you’re going.” Deas joined the UF Supreme Court in Spring 2023 as an associate justice. She was aiming to become chief justice in Fall 2024. Now, she has begun her time serving as chief justice with new responsibilities. Despite the work cut out for her, she said this is one of the most special moments in her time at UF law because she made history. But it’s not the first time she’s done it. During her time at USF, she was the first Black woman to be student body president and the first woman to hold the position in 20 years. She became involved in student government as a street teamer, a volunteer position to help get students interested in SG, her freshman year. She was then elected as a senator, where she received the Senator of the Year award. She took two other administrative positions before becoming president. “Breaking down barriers for Black women and women in general has always been profound and deeply, deeply meaningful to me,” she said. As chief justice, she wants to uphold her goal of serving people, she said. She’s in charge of overseeing hearings and acts as the point of contact for anything being submitted for review. She, alongside the four associate judges, hears appeals, ensures fairness and resolves disputes that are brought to the court. She said the most frequent work they’ve done since she’s been on the court is settling disagreements between members of SG. She had her first meeting as chief justice within a week of her appointment. Because the student senate failed to fill vacancies in the elections committee on time, the court had to
meet to appoint members to fill those spots. Deas has begun outlining her goals for her term as chief justice, including creating a law school checklist for undergrad students interested in applying, hosting a panel of constitutional lawyers professors and inviting Florida judges, attorneys and public defenders to speak about their careers. Her achievement being the first Black woman in her position means more than adding something to her resume. “The most important aspect of representation is… knocking down self doubt,” Deas said. Once she saw someone who looked like her do something, she realized she could do it too, she said. She wants to be that for other students. After she became student body president at USF, the next two people to take the position were women. “You can see the chain reaction that [representation] sets forth,” Deas said. Judelande Jeune, a 28-year-old first-year attorney, met Deas at USF. Deas had approached Jeune, who was in SG, wishing to get involved. They eventually both connected as two Haitian women passionate about their work, Jeune said. She encouraged Deas to run for senator and get experience with a campaign. “I remember when she was running for senate, she made her own T-shirts… that’s how dedicated she was,” Jeune said. She was thrilled when Deas became student body president, she said. She felt the same when Deas told her about her new role as chief justice. “It’s kind of one of those surreal moments because there wasn’t a lot of minority involvement in student government in terms of like Black women,” Jeune said. The need for women of color in positions of power is something Jeune will always see the value in, she added. “Even being an attorney now, I can see working on a case and how my perspective and background could just bring a different light and
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a different point of view,” she said. Joanna Auchettl, an adviser at Levin College of Law, first interacted with Deas at a luncheon at the law school. She was later assigned to be Deas’ adviser. “My biggest goal is to provide support for the law students and help guide them,” Auchettl wrote in an email. Her goals didn’t change when it came to Deas. “Since I began working with Britney,” Auchettl said, “I have tried to encourage and support all of her endeavors. It is exciting to learn about her accomplishments.” She believes this is a momentous accomplishment not only for Deas but also for the school. Deas is still excited about her achievement, and she carries her inspirations with her. “I was always inspired by women fighting oppression and women who are standing up for people who cannot stand up for themselves,” Deas said. “I saw it in my home with my grandmother, my great grandmother and my mother.” Britney Deas remembered her mother telling her she had three strikes against her since she was a Black woman from an immigrant family. It drove her to work harder. When she became the first Black woman to be student body president, the Tampa Bay Rays wanted to honor her during a baseball game for Jackie Robinson Day. She stood centerfield in the baseball stadium, her mother beside her. “What is baseball known for?” Deas said. “Three strikes…. My three strikes was exactly why I was being celebrated.”
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024 ALLIGATOR 5
Florida education reform initiatives limit African American studies, DEI funds K-12 SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES FACE IMPACTS OF OLD AND NEW LEGISLATION
By Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp Alligator Staff Writer
An email arrived in Kenneth Nunn’s inbox early February. Confusion creased his brow as he scanned the first line, discovering the great distance it had traveled to reach him, a newly retired UF professor of law. The message was innocent, no more than 200 words, and it eagerly awaited an answer. Its purpose wasn’t what bewildered Nunn. He had seen his share of curious students. Instead, it was where it arrived from. “Dear Kenneth,” the message read. “We’re two 16-year old guys from Denmark, diving into a school project on racism in the USA.” The boys posed three questions on the topic, and Nunn planned his response. He hadn’t the slightest idea of how they discovered him or his area of expertise during his time as a professor. However, he did have a burning question. “What kind of world do we live in where students who are [at a high school level] in a Scandinavian country can ask questions about the racial history and conditions in the United States but that students who live in the state of Florida in the midst of those conditions cannot?” he said.
Nunn, a specialist in topics including affirmative action, African studies, civil rights and race relations, still doesn’t have an answer. Various education reform bills have altered curriculum and cut funding to certain programs in public K-12 schools and universities since the beginning of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. The initiatives have targeted a wide variety of subject matter including diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as all critical theory, a blanket term that encompasses the idea of critical race theory. The passage of new legislation, both in support and opposition of past initiatives, faces the state legislature in 2024. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes critical theory as the examination of social movements and systems of oppression. However, Nunn said, no one can truly define critical race theory. “...They mean any information or teaching about Black people, Black lives, Black politics or Black history,” he said. “So, anything that would make a conservative person who believes in white superiority uncomfortable, those things can’t be taught.” Signed into law in 2023, House Bill 999 enacted sweeping changes to Florida higher education. It prohibits state or federal grant money from being allocated to DEI programs or other university organizations promoting activism, as well as those that may pose discrimination on the
basis of race, nationality, gender or religion. The measure also prohibits degree programs and course curriculum that include critical race theory. Lawmakers in support of legislation limiting what can be taught about marginalized groups are creating an environment where racial violence can once again be directed to African American communities, among others, Nunn said. “You can see the parallels between what is happening in Florida today and what happened in Florida in the years following reconstruction when there was a resurgence of white power and people were trying to oppress African Americans and keep them from exercising the rights that were won,” he said. Following the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement staged demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a data collection and crisis mapping initiative, reported that approximately 94% of all proBLM protests were peaceful. However, authorities were three times more likely to intervene in those demonstrations than others. The “Back the Blue” movement, a conservative-led initiative supporting the police, was formed in response. While over 9% of BLM protests were met with law enforcement intervention, only 2% of pro-police demonstrations were faced with similar treatment, according to ACLED. “Those who don’t know their his-
tory are doomed to repeat it,” Nunn said. HB 999 also eliminates diversity statements in not only student admissions but also faculty hires. A ‘brain drain’ has descended upon UF in response to the bill and similar legislation, Nunn said, expressing that the majority of African American faculty he knows who haven’t left already are likely looking to leave. “I think that would have a devastating effect,” he said. Following his departure from UF, Nunn is currently teaching at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where he said it encourages his research. Florida House Minority Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said the Democratic caucus will continue to advocate for an inclusive curriculum and a safe space for students moving into 2024. “It’s important to teach history accurately,” she said in a press conference. HB 899 “Academic Freedom,” a new initiative proposed by Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson, D-Gainesville, aims to reverse certain provisions of HB 999. According to the bill text, it would work to restore DEI programs and prevent “undue political influence” on academic affairs, including curriculum design, further seeking to protect education across “all academic disciplines” if enacted. However, in matters of critical race theory, Driskell said it’s important to note that the discipline has
never been a part of required curriculum in Florida K-12 schools, instead officially presented to students at the college level. UF African American Studies Program Director David Canton said HB 999 had more of an impact on general education courses than the upper level electives he teaches, which have remained largely unaffected. The controversy over the curriculum would be something he’d teach about, Canton said. “We’re going to show the debates about these issues because they’re part of the discipline,” he said. Due to stricter legislation, Florida K-12 schools have fared differently. The 2022 Individual Freedom Act, nicknamed the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” by critics, established that insinuating any race is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive could constitute discrimination. It also revised requirements for instruction on African Americans in K-12 public schools. Florida banned the newly developed Advanced Placement African American Studies soon after in 2023, prohibiting the college level course in public high schools. The Florida Department of Education wrote the course was “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value” but did not indicate which law was violated. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @rylan_digirapp rdigiacomo-rapp@alligator.org
6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
Local medical providers, residents grapple with health care gaps and food deserts Health outcomes worse in areas with low food access By Diego Perdomo Alligator Staff Writer
Two days of sleepless nights and contractions every 15 minutes are what Scott Darius and his wife experienced before they were finally inducted into UF Health Shands Hospital after she went into labor. As the executive director for Florida Voices for Health, a health care advocacy organization connecting businesses, organizations and communities with health resources, this experience caused him to reflect on the matter of access to health care, he said. After the closure of four hospitals in Suwannee, Union, Bradford and Columbia counties, Florida Voices for Health held listening sessions in affected rural counties to build relationships and understand issues outside of data. “What do you do if you're two hours away and you make this drive and they tell you ‘We can't take you in right now?’” he said. “What does that person do, and what does life look like? What I learned after the roundtables was that it wasn't a hypothetical [and] that the worst case scenarios were actually happening in these communities.” Addressing limited access to health in southeast Gainesville, community members and health care providers across Alachua County see solutions not only in improving access in policy, community engagement and education, but also in expanding food resources to the town. East Gainesville, the part of town east of Main Street, is constantly referred to as a food desert. Having one supermarket, a Walmart Supercenter off Waldo Road, parts of the town are marked in the USDA Food Access Research Atlas as being low income and low access at one mile. Conversely, health care in the county is an elaborate network of clinics and medical facilities including but not limited to: UF Health, Malcom Randall Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, Florida Department of Health in Alachua and private practices. Compared to other counties, health access in Alachua ranks high in Florida, being first in the rate of primary care physicians per person and second in physicians per county, accord-
ing to a 2023 Florida Department of Health physician workforce annual report. However, in surrounding counties, the rate of physicians per person is at most half of what it is in Alachua. Medicaid and coverage gaps
One issue Florida health care faces is that of coverage gaps. Florida has one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs in the country, Darius said. To qualify for the free and lowcost health coverage program in Florida, an individual must be either pregnant, disabled or share a household with a disabled person, responsible for a child under 18 years old or be over 65 years old. Darius, who is also the board chair for the Alachua County Organization for Rural Needs dental clinic, said even when clinics are oriented to accept Medicaid, it is still hard to cover low-income adults. “Medicaid reimbursement rates are super low, which means every person we see we lose money on,” he said. “Then you have a high number of people who are uninsured, and no one is getting reimbursed for that care whatsoever.” While there has been legislation attempting to expand Medicaid coverage like House Bill 1529, Florida remains as one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid coverage through the Affordable Care Act. This creates a dynamic, referred to as a “coverage gap,” where people exceed program eligibility limits but make under the federal poverty level for their coverage type. Social determinants
Addressing a long awaited concern within East Gainesville, UF Health plans to open the Eastside Urgent Care Center on Southeast Hawthorne Road. “This development will eliminate a health care desert,” said Brad Pollitt, UF Health Shands Vice President of facilities, in a June media release regarding the Eastside clinic’s groundbreaking ceremony. “It also has the potential to close a job desert, a housing desert and a food desert. There’s a lot of things this collective development will do as it grows out over the next decade.” In that same media release, UF Health offi-
Gainesville gentrification GENTRIFICATION, from pg. 1
without notifying the homeowners,” she said. “It’s strange.” Frank Wells, president and chief impact officer of Bright Community Trust, said it’s been about a year since the nonprofit talked with the city about what land was available to start construction. Bright Community Trust is a nonprofit organization looking to provide long-term affordable housing. The organization partnered with Habitat for Humanity to begin construction of a single-familyhome in Porters. Wells acknowledged the organization failed to notify homeowners of the construction occurring in Porters. “Community outreach is happening after the fact,” he said. “I wish that were not the case.” Wells said Gainesville is a unique place to live, as the city simultane-
ously deals with the rapid development and attraction of a college town and maintaining an affordable lifestyle for native residents. “That is putting a lot of pressure on neighborhoods in the city,” he said. “What we're trying to create are some affordable stepping stones for people who are already there.” One issue all Porters residents are familiar with is contracting companies showing up to the neighborhood eager to buy their property. James Jones, a 69-year-old resident of Porters, lives on the west side of the neighborhood with his wife. He often receives letters from contracting companies encouraging him to sell his home. “I wish they would leave our neighborhood alone,” he said. Jones said he has no intention of leaving Porters. He wants to dedicate his time to taking care of his wife in that home, which he grew up in. Initiatives meant to help East
cials answered questions and updated viewers in a panel, addressing community input calling for primary care access. Jennifer Woodard, the director of the UF Health Cancer Center Office for Community Outreach and Engagement, emphasizes the importance of understanding the social determinants of health, or the social factors that impact health. Health care availability interacts with social factors — like one’s race, economic status, community and access to nutritious food — leading to outcomes like higher cancer death rates in underserved communities. Woodard said food deserts and medical shortage areas are alike in that lack of access to transportation, insurance and having time away from work are some of their root causes. To engage communities in the 23 counties it serves, Woodard’s office partners with existing community health services to develop strategies that address needs understood by local social service providers and groups. For example, the Cancer Disparities Research Collaborative in Gainesville trains community scientists and holds events to share health information, such as events to address higher rates of prostate and breast cancer within Black people. “The best ways that I have found to be trustworthy is to ask questions first. No one likes academicians coming into your county and telling you what you need,” she said. “You respect the history that made the distrust there, and you do the best you can to show up as a good human consistently.” Kendrick Hill, a 37-year-old Gainesville local who grew up in the Sugarhill neighborhood, said he expects more from the city government when it comes to extending service into East Gainesville communities. Citing the shutdown of Peaceful Sunday, a weekly event held at T.B. McPherson Park, due to safety concerns, along with his experience with limited RTS routes and sparse engagement outside of election years, Hill feels the city government does not engage with the community past Main Street. “All I wanted to do was do something for the Eastside communities,” he said. “They have a whole bunch of promises when it’s the voter registration time or they want us to sign a petition. They’ll come out there for one day
Gainesville exist, yet they don't seem to be creating direct contact with residents or considering their input. The GCRA lists several programs on its website catering to the needs of underrepresented neighborhoods, yet according to residents like Faye Williams, these programs have not carried out their promising results. GCRA director, Rick Smith, wrote, in a statement to The Alligator, the organization has been investing in Porters since 2011. Currently, GCRA is budgeting two planned projects focused on residential development on city-owned land at the corner of Southwest Fifth Avenue and Southwest Fourth Street. Development should start in six to nine months and GCRA will be conducting engagement with the community in the next few months to discuss the proper amount of units and design, he wrote. GCRA has also budgeted $600,000 for neighborhood improvements in Porters meant to im-
and give away some food or something… but they don’t see the big picture.” Hill engages with his community by promoting events and partnering with businesses and groups like Swamp Religion, Little Caesars, Kava Bar and Hookah Lounge to sponsor food and bookbag drives for children. He hopes that people will recognize their strength in votes and collective organization. Closures
Southeast Gainesville has seen many closures and vacancies in recent years, from the closure of the only supermarket in Southeast Gainesville to numerous closed businesses along East University Avenue and Waldo Road. The effects of the 2009 closure of Alachua General Hospital, where UF’s Innovation Square now stands, are felt throughout North Central Florida. A decade later, ACORN medical clinic closed, being followed by Shands Live Oak Hospital in Suwannee County and Shands Stark. The closure and moving of stores, health care services and supermarkets contrasts the comparatively rapid growth of the area closer to UF. Octavius Vance, co-owner of Lucille’s Southern Kitchen, said relocating closer to University Avenue will help their business. Vance described moving out of their former location and into a food truck due to lease disagreements. Relocating to the lot in front of Wims Hair Studio, Vance and his sister, who is also a co-owner, anticipate that their business will grow during football season. “[My sister has] only been here since the beginning of last year,” he said. “She’s going to do [football games] this year though. During football season, moving closer to UF to see what goes on and to see how business goes.” Across the street from the UF Health’s Eastside Urgent Care construction site is the strip mall that Lucille’s Southern Kitchen used to be located in. A six-year-old sign outside the shopping center advertising a fully equipped grocery store for leasing remains, even after developers retracted plans to open a Bravo supermarket in 2022. As locals reflect on their current situations they are still grateful for what little they have. “Luckily, we got Walmart,” Kendrick Hill said. “And that took 20 years.”
prove infrastructure. Williams said she hasn't seen outreach from the team and is hoping the organization will be more responsive to face-to-face communication. Commissioner Desmon DuncanWalker said she heard about the miscommunication between the construction companies and the neighborhood and believes better communication is a good start to assessing larger issues in the community. It’s important to embrace growth in a way that caters to students and a college town but also preserves the history of Black communities in North central Florida, she said. “Most of these African American communities, all of them, have been marginalized and left behind historically,” she said. “It’s very easy to see the disparity.” Duncan-Walker said she’s pushed for a framework, coined equitable development, which ensures each community in Gainesville is receiving the attention it deserves through adding policies and pro-
@diegoperdomoaq dperdomo@alligator.org
grams encouraging affordable housing, transportation and food access. The goal is to create an equal amount of attention among all neighborhoods, she said. She also believes in analyzing both qualitative and quantitative results, discussing with community members what their individual needs are as well as gathering data on the neighborhoods. Duncan-Walker said she asked GCRA to ensure it’s collecting data to support how its programs can be improved to help East Gainesville and Porters. Faye Williams believes it’s vital to put these problems out there especially during Black History Month, when the community can highlight its enriched culture and carry on a legacy beyond a college town, she said. “Porters Quarters residents will stand up and resist,” she said. “It hurts to have to resist the city.” @nicolebeltg nbeltran@alligator.org
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024 ALLIGATOR 7
Matthew Lewey: A story left behind COUNTY COMMISSION DECLARES DEC. 18 MATTHEW LEWEY DAY FOR ALACHUA COUNTY
By Kairi Lowery Alligator Staff Writer
In Florida public schools, it is required to teach students about the Civil Rights Movement as a part of African American History. Students learn about important figures like Josiah T. Walls, an African American man who held the role of U.S. Representative, and Ida B. Wells, a Black woman known for using her voice to advocate against lynching. However, Matthew Lewey, an unknown name to most, is an important part of Florida’s history, said renowned author and historian Paul Ortiz. Ortiz discovered Lewey while looking through the Frederick Douglass Papers at The Library of Congress. “When I started reading about him, to be honest, I thought, ‘Is this guy real?’ He was just incredible,” Ortiz said. Ortiz is a part of the Alachua Subcommittee of the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project (ACCRP), where he works alongside County Commissioner Charles Chestnut, a distant relative of Matthew Lewey. Lewey served in the Civil War, graduated from Lincoln University and later attended Howard Law School. In his lifetime, Lewey served as a justice of the peace, a Florida House representative, the first African American Florida newspaper editor, the president of the National Negro Press
Association and helped The National Negro Business League forward with Booker T. Washington. During the Civil War, it was a feat for a Black man to serve, as President Abraham Lincoln feared allowing African Americans to fight in the war would cause border states to secede. Lewey served in the Civil War as a Color Guard Bearer for the 55th Regiment. Color Guard Bearers were the number one targets of enemy fighters, as they essentially directed the regiments, Ortiz said. After fighting in The Battle of Honey Hill, Lewey’s wounds were so severe he was thought to be dead. Andrew Jackson Smith, a Union soldier, received the Medal of Honor in 2001 for saving the regiment’s colors from a deceased Color Bearer in battle, according to The Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The “killed” Color Bearer was Lewey. After recovering from his wounds at De Camp General Hospital in New York, he went on to become a justice of the peace, postmaster and later Mayor of Newnansville, commonly known today as the city of Alachua. Already having enough accomplishments to fill a lifetime, Lewey continued to defy odds as an African American male in the time of prevalent slavery and founded The Gainesville Sentinel, which later became The Florida Sentinel. During his time with the newspaper, he built Black businesses, advocated for civil rights and worked with people like Ida B. Wells. “Why don’t our kids in K-12 learn about him from day one? Why don’t they learn about a person whose whole life personified service to his nation, a person who was a combat
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veteran, who sacrificed, who was literally run out of Gainesville by white people?” Paul Ortiz asked. Ortiz and Chestnut collaborated on the ACCRP to spread awareness of Lewey’s historical importance and in doing so, proclaimed Dec. 18 Matthew Lewey Day in Alachua County. In order to commemorate Lewey and his history, the city of Alachua will hold a yearly essay contest for students to know and understand the impact he had on today’s society, Chestnut said. When Alachua County went through the Truth and Reconciliation process, a project to recall and repair history of racial injustices, the county commission rediscovered Lewey. “That was unheard of in terms of the times. He had a lot of accomplishments here locally that we didn’t even know about,” Chestnut said. Chestnut, the director of the ACCRP, has a distant familial connection with Lewey. Because Gov. Ron Desantis has recently banned teaching certain aspects of African American history, knowing the history of those like Matthew Lewey is essential, Chestnut said. “The governor has banned teaching African American history in the state of Florida, so it’s very important for folks to know our history and what role we had here in America,” Chestnut said.
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8 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
UF students find community through Black organizations ON-CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE FOSTERED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BLACK STUDENTS FOR DECADES
By Sara-James Ranta Alligator Staff Writer
Asia Smith became involved with UF SISTUHS, a Black community service organization, to help her give back to her community. “A lot of times we talked about, ‘What can you do for the communities?’” she said. “Sometimes it's really just being a voice for people that don't have them.” Black UF students, like Smith, form strong bonds through diverse campus organizations at the predominantly white university. In 1971, there were only 343 Black students among the more than 20,000 white students enrolled at UF. Over 50 years later and as of Fall 2022, Black-identifying students still make up only about 5% out of just over 38,000 undergraduate, degree-seeking students on campus, according to the UF diversity database. Black enrollment has remained stagnant despite an increase in Black applicants over the past few years, The Alligator reported. The campus civil rights movement came to a head April 15, 1971, about 13 years after UF’s campus desegregated. Now known as Black Thursday, students gathered in protest and marched into then UF President Stephen O’Connell’s office with a list of six demands. More than 60 students were put on academic probation and several others were arrested. O’Connell refused to grant the arrested students amnesty, leading more than 120 Black students to leave UF. The result of these events led to the founding of the Institute of Black Culture, recently renamed Black Affairs.
The Institute of Black Culture
Ahmari Miller, an 18-year-old UF accounting freshman, is a member of the Leadership Development Institute under the Black Student Union. LDI is a freshmen-only, applicationbased program geared toward Black students that prepares future leaders for the executive board within BSU. For Miller, community relationships drew her to a future leadership position in BSU. “I know coming to a [predominately white institution] you want to find your people immediately,” she said. “I want to have some type of position helping my community out.” The passing of Florida Senate Bill 266, which defunded diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across all state universities, put many organizations within UF at risk. Miller worries the consequences of removing DEI funding will impact BSU’s success. “Black UF in itself is very small,” she said. “We always have to fundraise really hard… we all have to get together and try to support each other as much as we can.” When not in class, Miller frequently studies in the IBC. She wishes more people knew about it, she said. “The IBC is welcome to everyone,” she said. “There is a lot of history here… we’d love people outside of the Black community to come because that’s a good learning opportunity for them.” UF Black Student Union
Between 1968 and 1970, UF students organized a Black Student Union. Its main focus was to create a support system and social organization for Black students. Victoria Peters, a 20-year-old UF political science and African American studies sophomore, is the special events assistant director for BSU. For Peters, a regular day under special events is creating promotional material, events
Urban gardens FOOD DESERTS, from pg. 1
the Gainesville Giving Garden in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated food insecurity, she said. Many people lacked accessibility to fresh food, she said, creating a nutritional health gap in the community. The Giving Garden grows and donates about 3,000 pounds of produce annually, which is carefully cultivated by the nonprofit’s volunteers. The garden hosts open volunteering each week, where citizens can learn the entire process of urban farming, including how to plant and harvest different crops. “This is like another space where people are able to make friends and then also learn something along the way,” BoriaMeyer said. The Giving Garden often has more than 50 volunteers at a time, Boria-Meyer said, ranging in age from toddlers to grandparents. Some of the volunteers the Giving Garden sees have never gardened before, she added. Paige Ehrlich, 29, began volunteering at the Giving Garden in January as a requirement of her UF family, youth and community sciences major. Ehrlich already had an interest in studying food insecurity, she said, and found the garden’s hands-on approach to urban farming appealing. “It’s like a whole holistic process of food from the start of the seed all the way to when it’s on your plate,” Ehrlich said. “Which a lot of people in this day and age are removed from.” On Feb. 3, the Giving Garden partnered with other local nonprofits to host a food community tour. One of these partners, Working Food, offered a seed-saving demonstration at the local nonprofit GrowHub for the event. Working Food’s local seed bank holds hundreds of different types of seed and donates a portion to local farmers each year. Having access to seeds can allow a community to have ownership over its food, Working Food Executive Director Shelby Dixon said. Working Food is a part of a local web of nonprofits, which work together to tackle the wider issue of food insecurity across Gainesville, Dixon said. Working Food’s role, she added, is to fight food insecurity at its source. Besides its seed-saving initiatives, Working Food also offers youth culinary programs and rents out its commercial kitchen
and communications. Peters found it important to find community, she said. “As a Black student, I really wanted to find a community where I could express myself and express my experiences at UF,” she said. Peters wished more students knew about the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, a social justice research center located in Pugh Hall. The program is dedicated to transcribing historic material to preserve and promote diverse perspectives. Peters also mentioned the National PanHellenic Council garden, located on the north lawn near Marston library. The NPHC garden is a tribute to the Black Greek Letter organizations, called the Divine Nine. Independent oorganizations
Asia Smith, a 20-year-old UF information systems junior, is a member of the UF SISTUHS chapter. The independent organization — standing for strength, initiative, spirituality, tenacity, health and substance — creates initiatives for Black women in local leadership, development and community service. SISTUHS tabled in Turlington plaza Feb. 9 to raise awareness for its collaboration with Gainesville area high schools to help young students receive test-prep materials and financial aid guides for college entrance exams. The group is collecting college students’ newer, gently used textbooks to be given to local high schools. Equal access to college prep and aid is important, and the textbook drive will help alleviate some of the financial pressures on high school students, Smith said. “A lot of times, we don’t really recognize it as a privilege in a lot of places just to even be able to afford to take those tests and exams,” she said. Because the SISTUHS event is one of many over the course of this month, improving the
to small businesses. It's important that a local community is able to build its own stable food system, Dixon said, especially as grocery store prices fluctuate with inflation. “If we’re able to take care of one another, to share the bounty with one another, that makes a huge impact as well,” Dixon added. While many organizations are working to combat food insecurity in the Gainesville community, the problem is often more complex than just having food on the table. Food insecurity at UF
While food insecurity is a nationally recognized issue, experts are now shifting the focus from food insecurity to nutrition insecurity, said Catherine Campbell, a UF family, youth and community sciences professor. Food insecurity is commonly associated with a lack of income, Campbell said. However, nutrition insecurity takes other health and societal factors into account. In food deserts, or places where it’s difficult to access fresh food, the rate of dietrelated illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes is higher. Even in food pantries, Campbell said, the emphasis often lies on stocking up on shelf-stable goods. “The thinking about nutrition security is a recognition that not all calories are equal,” Campbell said. Those vulnerable to food insecurity often don’t have access to fresh produce or nutrient-dense foods, Campbell said, making them more vulnerable to diet-related illnesses. Urban farms make produce more available to those who might not be able to access it otherwise, she added. That goal was part of what inspired Alachua County Commissioner Anna Prizzia to start the Field & Fork program at UF. Many students — especially first-generation or international students — struggle to figure out how to pay for both tuition and the cost of living, Prizzia said. “Being able to have the garden and provide that fresh produce as well as the shelf-stable stuff at the pantry I think makes a really big difference,” she added. Field & Fork produces over 13,000 pounds of produce annually, most of which goes to the Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry. The pantry is free for anyone with a valid UF ID, Prizzia said. The farm itself is almost entirely managed by students, she added, and serves as a learning opportunity for many of them.
education of Black history is important to Smith, she said. Prominent figures in Black history often feel repeated over time, like Martin Luther King, Jr., or Rosa Parks, she said. Smith feels the repetitive nature diminishes the whole purpose of the Black triumphant story, she said. “We’re not just the struggle… sometimes we need to recognize Black history as being able to recognize Black people have actually won in history,” she said. Even as many more Black organizations on campus are holding celebratory events this month, Smith said there should be a shared community within the celebration. “With Black organizations on campus, we’re your friend,” she said. “When we celebrate ourselves, it’s never to diminish or downplay another culture or race… we’re really just trying to find our own voice and presence on campus.” Thierry Denis, a 20-year-old sports UF management junior, is a member of UF Progressive Black Men Incorporated, a fellowship of brothers focused on community support and academic excellence. As co-membership chair, Denis’ membership to the program has become one of his biggest passions, he said. “I had the privilege of teaching others about the organization… it makes me proud and fills me with a sense of pride,” he said. Black History Month events bring together more community involvement for Denis, and it’s important to appreciate the sense of unity, he said. “Already being a minority and then going to a PWI, it’s easy to feel marginalized,” he said. “As our community is so small, events and things that bring us together are necessary and important.” @sarajamesranta sranta@alligator.org
Racial Inequalities
During her time at UF, political science professor Sharon Austin has taught multiple students who have been food insecure. Some of those students couldn’t afford food, Austin said. Others were homeless. Food insecurity among students isn’t an issue that’s widely recognized due to UF’s reputation of having mostly middleclass students, Austin said. “A lot of people don’t want to believe that there are students who are homeless, or students who don’t have food,” Austin said. “But they do exist, because I’ve met them.” Austin, who specializes in African American politics, said food insecurity often impacts rural, poorer communities more acutely, especially when those communities are historically Black. Black households experience food insecurity at three times the rate of white households, according to the USDA. Large chains often avoid putting a supermarket in these communities, based on the perception that they won’t be successful, Austin said. This supermarket redlining often creates food deserts, she added, which adds to existing issues of systemic racism. “It continues to perpetuate inequality because food affects everything about your life,” Austin said. “It affects your health. It affects your concentration.” For Otis Garrison and the Porter’s Quarters community farm, education is empowerment. Garrison hosts workshops at the farm to teach residents about urban farming so that they can plant their own gardens at home. By teaching people about food deserts and urban farming, food insecurity can start to be lessened, Garrison said. While Garrison has only been at the farm for a year, he’s already witnessed the way it creates a connection within the community. Neighbors who were once passively curious about the farm are now regulars. Even some of the more introverted residents come out to tend the garden, Garrison said. While Garrison views the plot as something that can be used to grow food, he also sees it as a space for common ground. “Having a space like this…it changes you,” Garrison said. “You’re affected by it whether you realize it or not.” @kyliewilliams99 kyliewilliams@alligator.org
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue
LGBTQ+
Pride from past to present to future: Gainesville’s Black LGBTQ+ community GAINESVILLE’S BLACK QUEER POPULATION ADDRESSES STRUGGLES OF INTERSECTIONALITY By Molly Seghi & Bonny Matejowsky Avenue Staff Writers
To many, Black History Month is an interval of reflection to recognize the generations who spearheaded efforts toward equality. To others, it acts as a time to consider current improvements that can be made. To most, Black History Month marks a period of introspection about identity. Black LGBTQ+ individuals can face unique challenges due to their intersectional identities, leaving their experience largely unaddressed by the communities they are a part of. In Gainesville, a small — but developing — Black Queer community has emerged, generating valuable resources and kinship many individuals have never had access to. Dayanna Peek, a 22-year-old UF international studies senior, celebrates Black History Month by honoring the trailblazers who’ve allowed Black people to “break down those barriers” the community faces. “I visibly appear Black, and I visibly appear Queer,” Peek said. “My identities impact the way I navigate throughout the world, and it definitely impacts the way that individuals see me.” Peek brands themselves as a DJ, freelance photographer and model. They take artistic
inspiration and mix tracks from Black Queer artists like Steve Lacy and Victoria Monet. “Black and Queer people deserve more credit … We do a lot for the artistic community,” Peek said. “We’re very transparent about our pain and our past, and it really comes across in our music and our art.” Peek co-founded the Lavender Living Learning Community, which offers gender-inclusive housing at UF. They also run the New Day Scholarship, a $500 scholarship for Black femme Queer UF students. Jehlia Andrew is a 21-year-old UF psychology and African American studies junior, and a recipient of the Fall 2022 New Day Scholarship. From Kissimmee, they faced difficulties finding both an LGBTQ+ and Black community as they grew up. “Queerness just didn’t exist there,” Andrew said. “It was hard tackling gender identity while I was navigating through middle school and high school.” Andrew arrived at Gainesville with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the community they found. They’ve since involved themselves in a handful of student organizations for intersectional cultures, including the Black Student Union, UF Bridges Multicultural Outreach Program and the Black Queer Table at UF. Since receiving the scholarship, they have developed a tight-knit circle of other Black Queer femmes to trust and rely upon, Andrew said. One misconception they frequently encounter is the idea that one part of their identity is more important than another. “This is not a pick-and-choose type of
Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff
A local drag performer at Gainesville Pride Festival on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter. Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.
Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff
A local drag performer at Curia on the Drag on Saturday, June 24, 2023. thing,” Andrew said. “I am equally affected by all issues that affect Black people and by all issues that affect Queer people.” For many, like 22-year-old Nadia Morrow, the resources offered to the community still have a long way to go. The UF graduate student struggles to find community because she is in a different stage of life than undergraduates, she said. Morrow takes online courses to understand her Blackness and Queerness instead. “There were other people like me going through the same questions and experiences, and that helped to solidify my identity,” Morrow said. Since arriving in Gainesville from Texas last year, Morrow has begun to be more loud and proud of her intersectional identities. “It’s very important to uplift [Black Queer] voices because it allows for people to become human in other people’s eyes,” Morrow said. “What helps to lower prejudice is being able to relate and see the humanity in others, and you can only do that if you see them.” Recent Florida legislation, such as House Bill 1521, which criminalizes transgender people for using the bathroom that matches their identity, and House Bill 1069, which prohibits instruction on sexual orientation or gender from Pre-K to eighth grade, bring significant concerns to the forefront of LGBTQ+ Floridians’ minds. “It really causes a lot of fear and sadness,” Morrow said. “[It is] legislation that is going to cause isolation in the state and not in a good way.” The prejudice the Black LGBTQ+ community faces has a substantial impact on both their mental and physical health. According to a 2020 survey by the Center for American Progress, 95% of Black LG-
BTQ+ individuals reported discrimination has negatively affected their psychological well-being to a degree. Similarly, 83% of Black LGBTQ+ individuals reported an impact on their physical well-being. Shantella Floyd is a Black registered mental health counselor intern at Appendix Inc.: Counseling Services, specializing in LGBTQ+ issues among a variety of other topics. Common issues Black Queer clients face are coming out to their families and dealing with their religious backgrounds, Floyd said. The brutalization many of these individuals face on a day-to-day basis leads to trauma, which can severely affect their livelihoods. Additionally, Black individuals experience elevated rates of mistreatment by medical professionals, which is derived from a history of racist practices in the medical field. The Center for American Progress survey found that 15% of Black LGBTQ+ reportedly faced negative or discriminatory treatment from a health provider in the year prior. “One reason I became a therapist is because, at one point, I felt like I was not being heard,” Floyd said. “It’s so hard for the [Black Queer] community to find resources.” Though the intersection of their Queer and Black identities brings a collection of challenges, Black History Month is a beacon of light for members of the community. “It’s celebration, it’s reflection, it’s joy… but sometimes it can also be mourning,” Andrew said. “It’s a time to be unapologetically Black.” @molly_seghi mseghi@alligator.org @bonnymatejowsky bmatejowsky@alligator.org
Afro-Latinos at UF
Students grapple with finding their fit. Read more on pg. 11. Scan to follow the Avenue on Spotify
10 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
HAIR
Williston woman aims to revitalize Black representation in art SOLANA WILLIAMS USES UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIALS TO DEPICT HAIR IN HER WORK
By Bea Lunardini Avenue Staff Writer
Solana Williams couldn’t find any art that looked like her on the walls of the museums she explored. Her only course of action was making it. “I’ve been enamored with art since I can remember, and probably before,” she said. The 58-year-old Williston resident has been a full-time artist since 2018, specializing in portraits of Black people. She creates the intricate, varied hairstyles of each person with unconventional materials like sponges, steel wool and cord. “I think my favorite piece is one of a man with a massive afro, inspired by a man I saw at a civil rights rally in Mobile,” she said. “The best thing I found to capture the texture of his hair was steel wool that I cut up and arranged so it was emerging from the canvas.” Williams’ interest in painting Black people came from the near constant museum visits she made as a child and teen. “I went to so many museums and galleries, and the one thing they all had in common was little to no paintings of Black people,” she said. Even the museums that did feature portraits of Black people in their exhibits tended to center their curation on Black pain, Williams said. “There’s a crucial difference between representation and meaningful representation,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if every single painting in your gallery has Black people in it if they all paint pictures of Black people as victims or lesser
than others.” Williams worked as a public defender in Monroe County, Alabama, prior to pursuing a full-time career in art. “Working as a lawyer sounds like the exact opposite of being an artist, and in some ways it is,” she said. “Working in Alabama, though, I saw a lot of overlap between the lack of representation in art and lack of meaningful infrastructure supporting Black people in the justice system.” Williams continued making art throughout her time as a lawyer as refuge from the high stress and demands of her job. One of her pieces, entitled “Peace,” traveled from Alabama to the Gainesville home of Phyllis Stroud, a 79-year-old art collector, four years ago. Stroud, an avid painter, said “Peace” was her favorite item in her collection. “I spent almost eight decades looking at white people being memorialized and celebrated through art, patiently awaiting my turn,” she said. “‘Peace’ gave that to me.” She said the work meant more to her than just paint on a canvas. “I’ve seen my people shut out of schools, restaurants and pools my entire life,” she said. “I was tired of seeing us shut out of art too.” Nonetheless, Williams stressed the fact that Black people haven’t been shut out of art as a whole. “When I say that Black people don’t exist in art, I mean in the institutions like museums that get acclaim,” she said. “The truth is that Black people are the origins of some of the most beautiful kinds of art that exist outside museums and galleries.” One example where Black art is welcomed, she said, is in the art of working with hair, a sentiment echoed by DeeDee Jackson, a 26-year-old Ocala hairstylist.
Minca Davis // Alligator Staff
“Doing our hair is art, plain and simple,” Jackson said. “Not just doing hair in complicated styles, but the simple act of taking care of it is art to me.” Jackson has worked as a professional stylist for seven years, but her love for Black hairstyles started when she was just 5 years old. “My earliest memory is my mom sitting behind me on the couch and parting my hair to do my little twists,” Jackson said. “It took a few hours, but that was the best time of my week.” Jackson’s passion for her own hair was often not mirrored by oth-
ers. She remembers being teased as a young girl by classmates for the thick twists her mother put in her hair and the shiny plastic beads she added to the end. “People laughed about my hair making noise when I moved,” she said, “or they would pull on them.” Despite the comments she received about her hair, Jackson said the complexities of Black hair continued to captivate her through her teen years. “I started doing my friends’ hair in high school,” she said. “Doing hair has always been more than just the hairstyle you end up with. It’s
community.” Like Jackson, Solana Williams sought to find her community when she moved from Alabama to North Central Florida. “The first thing I did when I moved down here is find a good salon to get my hair done at,” she said. “I spent my time as a lawyer pressing my hair so I looked like the other attorneys around me, but that stopped here. I realized that I had to give myself the same attention and respect I give my paintings.” @bealunardini blunardini@alligator.org
ART
Uptown art exhibit set to debut curations of Black culture
The Black Space Art Exhibition will open Feb. 16 at the Thomas Center By Tanya Fedak Avenue Staff Writer
The Black Space Art Exhibition isn’t a typical art exhibit. Featuring a DJ and three music artists, the northeast Gainesville event illustrates the image of the local Black community. In partnership with the Moisturizer Gallery, a nonprofit art gallery in Gainesville, the Black Space Art Exhibition will open Feb. 16 at the Thomas Center and will feature printmaking, painting, oils and ceramics created by local and out-of-town Black artists. Lexus Giles, the curator of the Black Space Art Exhibition, said the exhibit is like a Black family reunion. “It is community,” she said. “It is engaging…It is solidarity, and it is a really, really good time.” The exhibition will feature around 20 artists, including three musical artists. Among
these performers is DJ Wax Atom, a Black DJ based in Gainesville. “I’m honored to be a part of [the exhibit],” Atom said. “The Black experience in America is different than any other, and in turn, Black art reflects that difference.” In her search for Black talent to feature at the exhibit, Giles said she conducted an open call for artists to audition and also sent out invitations. `` One of the invitations sent was to Antoine Williams, a multimedia artist and a UF assistant professor of drawing. The exhibition is featuring a series of his pen and ink drawings. Williams said these pieces are from his study, where he looked into archives of mid-20th century southern farm and migrant workers. “I’m sort of going into the archives and reimagining some of those moments that I’m seeing,” he said. One of his ink pieces is titled “Putting
Breath in the Body.” He said it is inspired by Christina Sharpe’s book “In the Wake: On Blackness and Being,” which explores themes of racism and white supremacy. “Living in a world that is anti-Black,” he said, “Black folks caring and showing love for one another, or, as [Sharpe] states ‘putting breath in the body,’ can be a radical act of survival.” Giles first came up with the idea for the Black Space Art Exhibition about a year ago when talking with Des Bassil, the organizer of Moisturizer Gallery. “I felt like I was the only African American female artist within my [art] program,” Giles said. “I wanted to create a space where we’re together, merging us all together and celebrating the uniqueness and the power of being Black.” To Giles, the Black Space Art Exhibition is “a place where a Black person does not feel like they need permission to participate and feel a sense of belonging. It promotes,
explores and celebrates Blackness.” She further described the year-in-themaking event as a project created in “opposition, refuge…and ultimately as a source of power” from historic oppressors of the Black community. Although she is an artist, Giles said she didn’t want any of her work to be featured in the exhibit. “I feel like this is my work,” she said. “Curating this show is my work. I wanted to showcase other artists within, but this whole big baby is mine.” Because the exhibition is showcased by the City of Gainesville, Giles said she has her fingers crossed for a big turnout in “the most humble way.” Guests can enter the Black Space Art Exhibition from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., with no entrance fee required. @ttanyafedak tfedak@alligator.org
El Caimán
LUNES, 12 DE FEBRERO DE 2024 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman
‘Se me hizo difícil identificarme con una raza’: Estudiantes Afrolatinos comparten sus experiencias con la raza en los EE.UU. MIEMBROS DE ORGANIZACIONES CON DIVERSIDAD CULTURAL AFIRMAN SU IDENTIDAD COMO AFROLATINOS Por Laura Quintana Esritora de El Caimán
Traducido por Eluney Gonzalez Esritora de El Caimán
Muchos países en Latinoamérica tienen ascendencias cruzantes. Sin embargo, los inmigrantes latinoamericanos que vienen a los Estados Unidos ven que sus mezclas de ascendencia blanca, negra, e indígena muchas veces chocan en el contexto de las dinámicas raciales de los EE.UU. Lisa de Leon, una estudiante de biología en la UF de 21 años y miembro de la Asociación de Estudiantes Dominicanos [Dominican Student Association], creció en Port St. Lucie, un pueblo el cual tiene una población con un 63% de blancos. Ella dijo que le resultaba difícil identificarse con una raza en particular. “En mi pueblo, eres o negro o blanco, no había algo entremedio”, dijo De Leon. De Leon también tuvo dificultad en encontrar una comunidad Latina en su pueblo. Ella dijo que los únicos Dominicanos que conocía en su infancia eran su familia y algunos amigos adultos de sus padres. La prueba de encontrar una comunidad no era su único problema. “Le pregunté a mi mamá de qué raza ella
creía que era y ella dijo blanca”, dijo De Leon. “Mientras que somos del mismo color de piel. En serio no fue hasta la escuela secundaria que empecé a dudar de mi propia raza”. La autoidentificación, la mayoría de las veces, proviene de la perspectiva de los padres sobre qué raza deberían considerarse. En muchos casos, no hay una jerarquía de raza en países predominantemente negros de América Latina como la República Dominicana. “En todos mis documentos federales hasta la escuela secundaria, mis padres me pusieron como blanca en mi raza”, dijo De Leon. “Una vez que empecé a llenar mis propios documentos y aplicaciones fue cuando comencé a poner negra como mi raza”. De Leon dijo que el color de su piel identifica quién es ella. “Afecta mi vida cotidiana”, dijo De Leon. “A veces cuando entro a una clase, soy parte de algunos pocos o únicas personas de color [POC] en la sala de clase y presto atencíon a eso”. La República Dominicana no es el único país de América Latina con una importante herencia negra. Mientras que Brasil es considerado un país de minoritariamente negro, sus residentes no tienen que lidiar con la raza en su vida cotidiana comparado con los EE.UU. William F. Santana, un estudiante doctoral de dirección de deportes en la UF de 28 años y miembro de la Asociación de Estudiantes Brasileños, vino a los EE.UU en agosto de 2023 y ha experimentado muchos conflictos en definirse. “Al principio, me resultaba muy difícil identificarme con cualquier cosa relacionada
con la raza y la etnia”, dijo Santana. “Más que nada porque en Brasil la demografía es de otra manera”. Las diferencias entre culturas le hizo replantear cómo se describe a sí mismo cuando su raza se convirtió en un asunto importante para completar documentos. “Una de las cosas más difíciles fue completar documentos para solicitar el número de Seguro Social [Social Security] o para solicitar una licencia de conducir y todo eso”, dijo Santana. “Descubrí que no sabía exactamente cómo llenar el formulario en cuanto a raza y etnia”. En los EE.UU., ser marcado como Latinoamericano a menudo lo confunden con sudamericanos hispanos. Mientras que comparten una proximidad geográfica, su lengua materna del portugués le hace reconsiderar qué etnia debería ser. Cuando se le preguntó con qué raza se identificaba, dijo afro-latino, pero todavía es un desafío para él encajar en una sola categoría. “Cada vez que completo un documento, pongo que me considero latino”, dijo Santana. “En cuanto a la raza, pongo que soy afroamericano, pero admito que sigue siendo bastante confuso”. Santana nunca esperaba ver un grupo tan diverso de personas al llegar a la ciudad. Se sintió más bienvenido al ver a otros que se parecían a él. “Actualmente veo a muchas personas negras en el supermercado, en la universidad, aunque no ocupen posiciones de liderazgo”, dijo Santana. “Existen aquí, lo cual al menos es muy bueno para que no me sienta solo”. Jordan Bryant, una estudiante de relaciones
públicas en la UF de veinte años y miembro de la Elite Chompette, proviene de un trasfondo diverso que describe como un crisol. “Me resultó difícil identificarme con una sola raza”, dijo Bryant. “El trasfondo cultural de mi familia proviene de Belice, India, Jamaica, y las Bahamas. Debido a que soy un crisol de esto, a menudo me confunden con otras cosas”. La gente suele confundir a Bryant como dominicana en muchos casos solo basándose en su apariencia, ella dijo. Bryant teme que elegir una raza la haga descuidar una parte de quien es, ella dijo. Encajar a una persona en una categoría, ella dijo, solo los limitará. “No entendí el concepto de la raza en América hasta que llegué a la universidad”, dijo Bryant. “Ni siquiera sabía realmente la diferencia entre raza [y] etnia, y porque tenía que forzar mi trasfondo diverso en solo una categoría”. Ella añadió que los esfuerzos estadounidenses por categorizar a todas las personas juntas basándose en la apariencia socava la rica diversidad cultural inherente en los inmigrantes latinoamericanos. “Este país fue construido en ignorancia y sigue beneficiándose de ella”, dijo Bryant. “No hay razón por la cual una persona blanca debería poder decirme que me quede en una caja. Desciendo de una rica diáspora y ningún casillero en un examen cambiará eso”. @LauraCQuintana1 lquintana@alligator.org @Eluney_G egonzalez@alligator.org
'I did find it hard to identify with one race’: UF Afro-Latino students share experiences with race in the US STUDENT MEMBERS OF CULTURALLY DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS CLAIM THEIR IDENTITY AS AFROLATINOS By Laura Quintana Alligator Staff Writer
Many countries in Latin America have intersecting heritages. For Latin American immigrants who come to the United States, however, their mixes of white, Black and indigenous heritage often conflict in the context of the U.S.' racial dynamics. Lisa De Leon, a 21-year-old UF biology student and member of the Dominican Student Association, grew up in Port St. Lucie, a 63% white town in Florida. She found it difficult to identify herself with any one race, she said. “In my town, you were either Black or white, there wasn’t much in between,” De Leon said. De Leon also had a hard time
finding a Latin American community in her town. The only Dominican people she knew while growing up were her family and a few adult friends of her parents, she said. The struggles of finding a community weren’t her only issue. “I asked my mom what race she thinks she is, and she said white,” De Leon said. “Meanwhile, we are the same skin color. Honestly, it wasn’t until high school that I started questioning what race I was.” Self-identification, most of the time, comes from the parents’ perspective of what race they should consider themselves. In many cases, there’s not a race hierarchy in predominantly Black Latin countries like the Dominican Republic. “On all my federal documents up until high school, I was put as white for my race by my parents,” De León said. “Once I started filing my own documents and applications, is when I started putting Black as my race.” De Leon said her skin color
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identifies who she is. “It affects my everyday life,” De Leon said. “Sometimes when I walk into a class, I am a part of the few or only POC in the classroom, and I notice that.” The Dominican Republic is not the only Latin American country with significant Black heritage. While Brazil is considered a minority Black country, its residents don’t have to deal with race in their everyday lives like they might in the U.S. William F. Santana, a 28-year-old UF sports management doctorate student and member of the Brazilian Student Association, came to the U.S. in August 2023 and experienced many conflicts when defining himself. “In the beginning, I found it very difficult to identify myself with anything regarding race and ethnicity,” Santana said. “Mostly because in Brazil, the demography is made differently.” The differences between cultures made him rethink how he described
Black history? Our history
himself when his race became a matter of importance to fill documents. “One of the hardest things was filling forms to apply for Social Security number or to apply for a driver's license and everything,” Santana said. “I found out that I didn't exactly know how to fill the form regarding what race and ethnicity.” In the U.S., being labeled as Latin American often conflates him with Hispanic South Americans. While they do share a geographical proximity, his mother tongue of Portuguese makes him reconsider what ethnicity he should be. When asked what race he identified with, he said Afro-Latin, but it is still a challenge for him to fit in just one box. “Every time I'm filing a document I will put that I consider myself Latino,” Santana said. “Regarding race I'll put that I'm Afro-American, but I admit it is quite confusing still.” Santana never expected to see
UF journalism dean Hub Brown writes to The Alligator. Read more on pg. 14.
such a diverse group of people when coming to the city. He felt more welcomed by seeing others who looked like him. “I actually see a lot of Black people in the supermarket, in university not occupying leadership positions,” Santana said. “They exist here, which is at least very good for me to not feel alone.” Jordan Bryant, a 20-year-old UF public relations student and member of the Elite Chompette, comes from a diverse background she describes as a melting pot. “I did find it hard to identify with one race,” Bryant said. “My family’s cultural background comes from Belize, India, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Because I’m a melting pot of this, I am often mistaken for other things.” Read the rest onlline at alligator.org/section/elcaiman
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/opinions
Column
Black history? Our history
N
early all I know about the value of diversity I learned in Nebraska. Yes, like our university president, I am a son of the “Cornhusker State.” But I was born and raised in a very different part of Nebraska than he was. I grew up in inner-city Omaha, the state’s largest city, my family having arrived there as part of the Great Migration. Don’t Hub Brown know what the Great Migration was? That’s why we need opinions@alligator.org Black history. The Great Migration was one of the largest movements of people in the history of the United States. Between 1910 and 1970, six million African Americans moved out of the South and to the Northeast, Midwest and West. They moved to find opportunity, like my family did, and they moved to escape the violence of Jim Crow and the segregated South. My father landed a job in one of the meat-packing factories in Omaha, and our family story began. My journey took me through school to begin a career as a television news reporter who covered stories all over the state. When I left Lincoln, where I was based, and went into rural Nebraska, rarely did the people I encounter, and whose stories I told, look like me. But as a journalist, that mattered little to me. Their stories were the ones I was putting on the air. Here’s what I learned there, and what I taught for years: Every human has a story, and every story has value. I heard and told stories from one end of the state to the other in those days. From families struggling to keep their farms through the foreclosure crisis of the 1980s, to ranchers raising cattle in the west, worried about the depletion of the groundwater beneath their feet. How they came to be where they were was vitally important. Their history provided context that helped me understand the present. I learned that facts plus context equals truth. That equation holds no matter where you come from, and it helps you realize the value of every human story. And that’s important to remember in an era when some are willing to adopt the deeply insulting notion that Black history is somehow of lesser value. Black history classes are nothing new. I’m pretty old, and I took one in high school, in the ’70s. Here’s what it taught me: I am descended from a people who never gave up the struggle to survive, from the moment they were kidnapped and brought to this continent in chains. They never gave up the fight to keep their families together, to build connection and community, and most importantly, to make a life in a country that started by considering them three-fifths of a person. Their story is a story of a people who put epic amounts of blood and sweat equity into the U.S., and never gave up the struggle to get this country to live up to the promise of its founding documents. And they did it out of love — for each other, for the homeland they lost, and yes, for the land to which they had contributed so much. It says something about the promise of America that so many of those who are descended from Africa, through generations of slavery, Jim Crow, terrorism and discrimination, still believe in it. It’s a part of the story of this country, one of the many ways we understand what it is to be an American. It is why Black history is American history — it’s part of the context that helps get us to the truth of who we all are now. Hub Brown is the UF College of Journalism and Communications dean.
Column
In defense of diversity: Affirmative inaction Is not an option
E
mbedded in America’s history and tradition is that diversity has always been our strength. Appearing on the Great Seal of the United States is the Latin phrase: “E pluribus unum” meaning “Out of many, one.” The idea is that our country, unlike any other country in the world, benefits from the rich diversity of its people. Former President Ronald Reagan once said: “We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength — from every country and every corner of the world.” Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said, “Diversity is about recognizing that every human is a gift to a community … diversity is strength.” America has benefited immensely through diverse peoples from diverse backgrounds contributing to a single national tapestry. Sadly, in many corners of our state and nation, we no longer acknowledge the strength that comes from diversity. Diversity is now subject to statutory prohibitions and judicial directives in the state of Florida. Instead of a laudable goal of a nation birthed and nursed from its springs, diversity has, in certain circles, become synonymous with discrimination. Diversity may be seen in such a cynical lens if one views every gain for Blacks as loss for whites, or every ceiling broken by women as the destruction of an entitlement for men, or every door open to the Cuban immigrant as the shuttering of opportunity for the native born. However, diversity is not zero-sum. To the contrary, each viewpoint from our diverse citizenry enhances the whole. Out of many, one. It could be argued that not all methods of achieving diversity have struck the right balance. And fair and reasonable minds may dispute the utility or degree of affirmative action. On one hand, those who support affir-
mative action said it was a policy that attempted to enhance the diversity in the classroom, boardroom and the newsroom. On the other hand, affirmative action engendered visceral objections to so-called racial preferences for Blacks all the while white women have been the overwhelming benefactor of affirmative action, according to multiple studies. The touchstone of diversity, however, is not affirmative action; diversity instead calls its adherents to reject affirmative inaction. When disparities exist — whether by chance or by choice or by combination thereof — diversity’s goal is to proactively ensure the nation’s opportunities and promise are open to all. Diversity may mean ceasing practices that ignore or exclude recruitment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities or advertising in predominantly Black media markets. Diversity may countenance mentoring programs so that minorities who traditionally have been barred from the upper echelons of society have guidance and networks previously unavailable to them. Diversity may feature organizations whose purpose is to ensure that qualified entrants feel welcomed and a part of institutions that historically shunned or were apathetic to their existence. There is nothing inherently discriminatory in any of the foregoing. America has made monumental strides towards inclusion and equality for all. But the work is not done. Disparities exist in almost every facet of society, including wealth, health, income, housing, employment and the like. Champions of diversity do not, as a general proposition, lay these ills at the feet of the majority. Instead, they reject affirmative inaction — doing nothing to remedy the racial disparities in society. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to this issue. In an interview months before his assassination, King said, “And when white
Americans tell the negro to lift himself by his bootstraps, they don’t Robinson look over Dwyane opinions@alligator.org the legacy of slavery and segregation. Now I believe we ought to do all we can and seek to lift ourselves by our own bootstraps. But it is a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” Diversity initiatives seek to ensure that everyone has boots and the straps that go with them. When our leaders say the time for diversity is over, they signal, perhaps unconsciously, that enough progress has been made or that our institutions of government are indifferent to the inclusion of all. I sincerely doubt that is the intended design. But suspicions are often fostered in the absence of dialogue or discernment, especially as the prelude to decision-making. Good citizens should, however, seek and, if necessary, initiate that dialogue. As King said, “a time comes when silence is betrayal.” Good people should not sit silently by as a feature of American life that has enriched us greatly is being so sorely sullied. And if we are silenced, we should speak out all the louder or where our voices cannot be suppressed. And there are few places where those diverse voices are needed than our newsrooms, which are essential to an educated and informed electorate. Dwyane Robinson was the Spring 2005 editor-in-chief of The Alligator and is currently a partner at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, and the presidentelect of the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association, Miami’s historic Black bar association.
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator. The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257. Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/sports
GYMNASTICS
Florida gymnasts embrace Black identity through aspects of the sport
Black gymnasts use floor routine, hair as an opportunity to infuse their identity into the sport By Krisha Sanghavi Sports Writer
When Anya Pilgrim grazed the walls of her house, her eyes spotted a framed photo of her grandfather playing basketball. He stood in celebration after breaking a scoring record in a single game representing Barbados. In that moment, a spark ignited within Pilgrim. Inspired by her grandfather's legacy, she wanted to follow in his footsteps and be her own remarkable athlete for their country. However, the journey wasn't easy. Gymnastics wasn’t a widely practiced sport in Barbados. “Gymnastics is a sport where there is not a lot of diversity,” she said. “Sometimes it felt like maybe this wasn’t an inclusive sport; maybe I didn’t belong in it.” But Pilgrim remained resolute to honoring her family's legacy and proudly representing her country on the international stage. Today, Pilgrim has proudly represented Barbados at the 2023 FIG World Championship and at the 2023 Pan American Championships. As a Florida freshman, Pilgrim continues to embrace her identity through the sport, using it as a canvas to express her Black identity and country. Pilgrim's journey in gymnastics began when she was 18 months old. Despite her early start and years of dedication to the sport, she struggled to find a role model who resonated with her own identity. But that didn’t hinder Pilgrim’s motivation in the sport. In fact, it drove it further. “It made me want to do even better so that I could prove to people that anyone can do the sport,” she said. Barbados holds a special place in Pilgrim's heart: it’s her family’s home and a place where her roots run deep. When it came time to decide for college, Pilgrim considered how close each school was to her family back in Barbados. In the end, the accessibility to her homeland tipped the scales in favor of UF. Now, she takes every opportunity to express her love for the country through the sport. For Pilgrim, the floor routine is
more than a performance. It’s an opportunity to represent Barbados. Pilgrim deliberately selected musical artist Rihanna as the backdrop to her routine, not only because she’s a fan but also to showcase her identity. "She's from Barbados, so I have to represent," Pilgrim said. “Why not Rihanna?” Pilgrim’s last season floor routine was from “Black Panther.” She and her mother worked together to select tracks. “I knew some songs that I liked from Rihanna, but I also know that when I'm out on the floor, I like to be a little mysterious,” Pilgrim said. “I had to find songs from a certain album, so I could decide how to embody that.” Other gymnasts on the team followed Pilgrim’s approach to their floor routine choices. They chose artists who represented them and infused their own identity and heritage in the performance. Junior Bri Edwards chose to go with a hip-hop routine in her freshman year to embrace her Black identity. This year, she opted for Spanish hit “Ella Me Levantó" by Daddy Yankee to tap into her Hispanic side. “I think floor music is a super big way for you to express yourself,” Edwards said. “And show that it’s okay to be you, and be confident and ‘I’m gonna rock it.’” The quest for expression and representation in the sport extends beyond performances. For Black gymnasts, hair poses another insecurity. As the only Black gymnast in her gym, Edwards never quite figured out how to wear her hair. Her mom hesitated to do braids for Edwards because she said she never saw any other girls wearing their hair like that. Part of the reason Edwards chose Florida was to feel a stronger sense of belonging within a more diverse roster. “I didn’t want to be the only Black gymnast on the team,” she said. “There's a certain level of comfortability you get when there's other people around you that look like you.” Part of that diversity traced back to something as simple as her hair. Before UF, if Edwards forgot her hairbrush, she couldn’t just borrow one from a friend because she need-
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ed one suited to her. At Florida, she could do that. “All I had to do was say, ‘Hey Trinity, did you bring a brush?’” Edwards said. “And she said yes ... stuff as simple as that, it really makes you feel supported as a team.” Former Gator gymnast and current student assistant coach Trinity Thomas faced similar struggles with her natural curls. In her younger years, she straightened her hair because she wanted to fit in. The lack of diversity was glaring, but as a 7-year-old, she didn’t understand that. “When I was little, I honestly didn’t notice as much,” Thomas said. “But now that I’m older, I look back, and I’m like ‘Wow, I just didn’t even know.’” At UF, Thomas discovered a community of other Black gymnasts who embraced and celebrated their natural hair. “Being around other Black women, Black female athletes, Black gymnasts helped a lot,” Thomas said. “I was like, ‘They do that, why do I feel like I can’t do that?’” Encouraged by the diversity around her, Thomas felt empowered to fully embrace her natural hair, recognizing it as a beautiful and integral part of her identity. “I've gotten so comfortable with tight curls that I started doing them blue for my meets at Florida,” she said. In hindsight, Thomas recognizes the importance of affirmation in shaping one's self-confidence, particularly for young Black gymnasts grappling with similar insecurities. Reflecting on her own journey, Thomas now dedicates herself to uplifting and empowering the next generation of Black gymnasts. She goes out of her way to assure them of the value of their natural hair, knowing firsthand the impact such encouragement can have on a young, impressionable mind. “I make it a point to tell little girls that look like me how beautiful their hair is because I know I was so insecure and unsure about it when I was young,” Thomas said. “To do things like that, to make sure they feel seen… is super important to me.” Thomas' aspiration to be a Black role model stems from the influence of her own Black role model, former
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Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff
Freshman Anya Pilgrim performs her floor routine in the Gators' annual Link to Pink meet on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Gator gymnast Kytra Hunter, who graced the team from 2012 to 2015. People recognized how similar Thomas and Hunter’s tumbling was, and she took it to heart. When watching Florida gymnastics, she focused her attention on Hunter, inspired by her accomplishments. Meeting Hunter in person further solidified Thomas' sense of belonging in the gymnastics community. “[I’m] just super thankful for relationships like that,” Thomas said. “People like that have helped pave the way and helped me grow in my confidence in myself.” Hunter, in turn, has served as a beacon of inspiration as a Black role model for both Pilgrim and Thomas in gymnastics. Before her tenure at UF, Hunter briefly coached Pilgrim at Hill's Gymnastics Training Center when Pilgrim was at level five. Witnessing Pilgrim's talent and growth firsthand, Hunter was impressed by her potential and drive, both at the club level and now as a Gator. “I just saw a lot of talent out of her,” Hunter said. “Just being able to see a lot of growth, especially for her to compete very high at the club level, and now being able to com-
pete for the University of Florida has been awesome to see.” Trinity Thomas' evolution from Gator gymnast to student assistant coach has left a profound impact on Hunter. As the only Black member of Florida's current gymnastics coaching staff, Thomas embodies the spirit of mentorship and leadership, inspiring Hunter to embrace her own passion for coaching one day. “She’s definitely inspired me to know that not only am I an inspiration and an idol,” Hunter said. “I feel I have the passion to be able to mentor and lead other gymnasts and other athletes… I definitely look up to her in a lot of ways as well.” Hunter is proud of the work she’s done at UF as a Black gymnast, inspiring other Black gymnasts to be confident in their skin while teaching them to be Black role models for other young girls behind them. “[I’m] definitely proud of myself in being able to lay a foundation for not only other Black gymnasts coming after me but the girls,” Hunter said.
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@krishasang ksanghavi@alligator.org
16 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Florida men’s basketball honors Black History Month JUNIOR GUARDS WALTER CLAYTON JR., WILL RICHARD AND SOPHOMORE GUARD RILEY KUGEL EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR THEIR HISTORY AND CULTURE
By Max Tucker Sports Writer
Florida has a rich history of elite athletic programs. Although there are more than 500 student athletes at UF, only 133 of them identify as Black or African American. This Black History Month, the Florida Gators men’s basketball program is bringing awareness to the sacrifices and contributions Black athletes have endured in historically adverse situations. “Black History Month is definitely important,” junior guard Will Richard said. “I feel like it’s something that should be celebrated every month, but for us, it’s just showing ways to go just get back to the history of Black history.” Having a strong work ethic and being dedicated to living out his dream is something Richard strives for every day, he said. He chose a quote by Harriet Tubman that was posted on the team’s X account for Black History Month acknowledging that every great dream begins with a dreamer. “I feel like it relates to me just having a dream and just knowing that you can accomplish it with a passion and just a drive and [you can] work hard to accomplish
anything,” Richard said. Gator sophomore guard Riley Kugel was raised by an African American dad and a white mom. He said both of his parents have played a vital role in his life and have allowed him to experience both sides of the ethnicities. “Me being half Black, it definitely plays a big role in my life just because I get to experience both sides,” Kugel said. “Black History Month is just a great month to celebrate and just be around my fellow brothers.” Having a role model to look up to can pave the way for dreams to come to fruition. Kugel grew up emulating the legendary Michael Jordan from a young age. Looking up to prominent Black athletes like Jordan inspired Kugel to reach the status of a high-level Division I basketball player at a prestigious university. “I look up to obviously the greats like Michael Jordan,” he said. “They all played big pieces in my life just being a basketball player as it is so I can definitely say that.” Junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. has also looked up to African American basketball players throughout his upbringing. Black athletes have been prominent at the sport’s highest level, which has allowed Clayton Jr. to idolize some of basketball’s all-time great players. “Our race is just progressing continually, you know being recognized as a great month,” he said. “Who I look up to is LeBron [James], Michael Jordan and people of
Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff
Sophomore guard Riley Kugel celebrates the Gators’ win against Mississippi State on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. that stature.” Clayton Jr. is a half-white half-Black basketball player. Growing up a mixed racial player, he has first-handedly seen the progression of diversity in the world of sports, he said. “I think in the world, there’s always
gonna be racism,” he said. “I think we’re just kind of getting to a better place [in the world]. People of color are coming into more positions of power.” @MaxTuckerUF25 mtucker@alligator.org