Hyyer Magazine

4. GENERATION HUSTLE

36. 5 STEPS TOWARDS SELF-DISCOVERY

28. A RUSH FOR LOVE

52. HOW TO BECOME THE MIRACLE

32. ASTONISHING TASTE

68. THE CLOSE UP

86. OVER THE SLOPES

102. GAMING

98. FILM REVIEW

112. COLD HARD FACTS

100. MUSIC REVIEW

124. MEET THE TEAM

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New York City is the best place in the world if you are a hustler. If you aren’t; it’s the worst place you could ever be. - KR Jones New York City was built on the backs of hustlers. From Wall Street to entertainment and everything in between, the go-getter attitude is a part of what makes New York City. GENERATION HU$TLE is a documentation of the lives of 6 creatives living in NYC. Through photos and interviews, this project gives a behind-the-scenes look into the creative lifestyle, the effects that the Covid-19 Pandemic has had on independent creatives, as well as the day-to-day hustle needed to stay above it all.

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By: Jori Halpern

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LUCIFER:

@luciferafter12 RECORDING ARTIST, CRYPTO, NFT, BLOCKCHAIN

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orn Lucie Bessette to a Haitian family in Albany, NY, 'Lucifer' was influenced by her musically inclined family, including her Stellar Award Nominated mother. From youth, she used the church pulpit as her first stage. Throughout her early adolescence into adulthood, Lucifer played piano for churches all over the country, . She attended the Juilliard school of music in 2015 and graduated with high honors in 2019. Her goal is to spread awareness in her music. Her début studio project ‘To Whom It May Concern’, set to be released in May of 2022, will be a 7 track album that highlights and debunks dogmas and stigmas set up by the modern world, from love and connection to knowledge and revolution.

INTERVIEW: Q: 2022 is already off to a good start!

Do you have any projects you are working on right now? What are some goals you have for this year?

A:Yes! I just released a cryptocoin on January 2nd. And I have an app in development, currently. It is a play to earn NFT game. Players can acquire sick, unique NFTs, while passively mining coin for themselves.

Q:Where do you see the future of your genre going?

A:To the moon. Literally. Web3 is the future. So it’s only a matter of time before things move into a more AR/ VR centered online experience. Crypto gaming is already on the rise.

Q: Who are some of your influences right now?

A: Musically, I can definitely say I’m influenced heavily by Artists like Stromae, Lauryn Hill, and Erykah Badu. Trailblazers in their own right. And they never had to keep up with the times, their work is about raw emotion; that’s what inspires me. And from a developing perspective, Elon Musk. As he is seemingly a genuine person and still a billionaire. I can resonate with the idea of having or wanting to create something from nothing. And that’s something he’s managed to do his entire career, so he’s definitely someone I look up to, in that regard. The goal is to be an ethical millionaire.

Q: Who do you think are some of the top artist to watch as we move through 2022?

A:As everything moves into a way more digital space, it’s honestly up for grabs by anyone.

Q: What places in the city inspire you the most?

A:The piers. Firstly, I love the water. It helps me release and center. Secondly, because the nyc piers have history! It’s changed so much over the years, from a place where LGBT youth went after being outcast from family to a place where it’s okay to be yourself. If you’re ever feeling like things aren’t changing, go to the piers. Remember the history there and know, change will come.

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eavily influenced by Shawny Binladen, Pop Smoke, and Keep Shawny, Brooklyn native Shawn Grey is currently working on his second studio album titled “Bronze Medel” slated to release in Spring 2022. His first studio album “Honorable Mention” and recent EP “Pret” feature funky sounds and clean vocals, putting him on the map as a crossgenre artist.

Q: 2022 is already off to a good start! Do you have any projects you are working on right now?

What are some goals you have for this year?

A: I’m currently working on my second album “Bronze Medal”. I’m aiming for a March Release (subject to change).

So my goals for 2022 are to continue to be one of the best genre-bending up and coming artist in the world, go to a different vineyard every month, start my journey on creating my own wine, get my self into the modeling scene and continue to show the world why I’m the next big thing.

Q: Where do you see the future of your genre going?

Q: What places in the city inspire you the most?

A: Manhattan, Hudson Yards, Westside Highway and Hoboken (even though that’s not the city). I go these places to party, eat, mostly to just sightsee and take in the moment. Being in those places is where I find the most inspiration to create for sure.

Q: What is your creative process? (process for writing music, creating art, designing, so on.)

A: It usually starts with the music I recently been listening to, no matter the genre. I find a beat that best fits the the mode i’m in and the rhythm I need, get a glass of wine and tap in. mode i’m in and the rhythm I need, get a glass of wine and tap in.

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A: I see the future of my genre not being labeled a genre if you know what I mean. Like obviously music has to be labeled someway, somehow but when people listen to my music, I just want them to enjoy it. I want them to be happy listening and not worried about the specifics.

Q: Who are some of your influences right now?

A: As far as the OG’s go my influences are JAY-Z, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj And Benny The Butcher. My influences right now/ younger generation are Pop Smoke (R.I.P), Shawny Binladen, And Tems.

Q: Who do you think are some of the top artist to watch as we move through 2022?

A: SHAWN GREY and my Brother Menace M.

SHAWN GRAY: @shawngreyx RECORDING ARTIST

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LORD SCORPIO: @theelordscorpio

RECORDING ARTIST, GHOSTWRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER

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fter releasing her first single “Got Me Trippin’” in March 2019, Lord Scorpio quickly became ‘oneto-watch as she captivated audiences across New York City stages. By the end of 2019, Lord had found herself on the pink carpet of the 2019 Billboard Women In Music Award and two features in Billboard Magazine. With authenticity at the tip of her tongue, Lord Scorpio is redefining the idea of what music should be. Living unapologetically and daring others to be bold is at the crux of this rising star's message. Through music, Lord Scorpio aspires to become the new face of art and expression.

Q: 2022 is already off to a good start!

Do you have any projects you are working on right now? What are some goals you have for this year?

A: Currently I'm producing my next single!

Adding the finishing touches to the song before i send it out to the engineer to master. I've got some shoots coming up to promo too.

I'm really excited for this one, first drop of 2022!! I'm also working with a friend on sync placement and sync representation. We've got a stack of music to work on for that as well as pitching to bigger artists. Most recently I got an opportunity to write original music to a short film! This collective of Black woman are working on a fashion film for Valentines Day!

Q: Where do you see the future of your genre going?

A: I think sooner or later we will crave the authenticity that RnB/Soul music once had. I believe in real stories and eccentricity. I hope to bring a bit of that back myself. As I release more music I think others will be inspired to do the same and challenge themselves.

Q: Who are some of your influences right now?

A: Lucky Daye, Stevie Wonder, BROCKHAMPTON, BAYLI, Jeff Buckley Q: What places in the city inspire you the most?

A: Brooklyn Bridge Piers, Prospect Park, Time Square Q: Who do you think are some of the top artist to watch as we move through 2022 A: BAYLI, J.I.D, Lucky Daye

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orn from the rubble and ash of a radiant queer-coded dance floor, Boy Venus is paving his own pathway as one of the most promising artists of the New York art-pop scene. Infusing techno, dance, pop music, fashion, with accents of glittered grit and heartbreak, Boy Venus is a tour-de-force in a field of all their own. Their untitled Leather project is underway for 2022, which will mark the debut of Boy Venus’s sound, fashion, and performance.

Q: 2022 is already off to a good start!

Do you have any projects you are working on right now? What are some goals you have for this year?

A:I have a tendency to work on projects conceptually, creating little worlds combined with themes, symbolism, and cohesion. I’ve been writing songs like this for quite some time, but 2022 is the year where my newest concept is no concept at all. I want to take myself out of boxes that I, and the public, put myself in as an artist, and create music with no boundaries, barriers, or concept. Just music that makes me feel, which in return, will make you feel.

Q: Where do you see the future of your genre going?

my lack of formal training, where all of my pop music turns into something really left field. I hope that I can bring pop sensibilities to an experiential approach of songwriting to make something interesting, complex, emotional, but always rhythmic Q: What places in the city inspire you the most?

A: I romanticize everything from the mundane, the macabre, and the beautiful. Any place that gives me an opportunity to wander and sing to myself is inspiring.

Q: What is your creative process? (process for writing music, creating art, designing, so on.)

A:It’s better to not make expectations, especially as I navigate the production field. I sought out to make a pop song, and the pop song turns into something completely bonkers.

I think I owe that to

inspiring.

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A: I get the most out of melody and writing when I’m standing or walking around. Something about movement gears my brain and allows a flow of consciousness to pour out of me and sing really what I feel which is usually pretty indecipherable. Then I start laying little golden eggs of lyrics and poetry that I can finally sit down and use. .

Any place that gives me an opportunity to wander and sing to myself is

BOY VENUS:

@timsgreatesthits SONGWRITER, RECORDING ARTIST

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NEWYORK RED: @newyorkredx

RECORDING ARTIST, DESIGNER 14

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ewYork Red was born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, NewYork Red has since moved back to Brooklyn to pursue music. In 2017, he released a project titled ”Xfiles: The Appointment” which combined his passion for music and fashion all into one.

After releasing the merch for the project, he started to see interest peaking around his brand.

Now renamed @xfilesnewyork, Red has grown the brand from tee-shirts to jackets, pants, bags, and everything in between. Red has always been community-focused, which lead to the development of the Studio/Showroom. Studio/ Showroom is a space curated for artists to be able to grow their careers in music and fashion/design fields. XfilesNewYork is a growing entity for Red. He is now producing music and clothing projects simultaneously. Red is gearing up for one of his most important years for the brand as well as his music, making him one of New York’s up-and-coming influences.

Q: 2022 is already off to a good start! Do you have any projects you are working on right now? What are some goals you have for this year?

A:Releasing a new music project and clothing collection. My goals are to continue to polish my craft. Release 3 collections at 3 different boutiques in NYC. 5 pop up events/ parties. To have the best year of XNY’s existence! Atleast 3 music projects. Also help more friends grow with their crafts.

Q: Where do you see the future of your genre going?

A: Forever evolving but the future is XNY. The future is now.

Q: What places in the city inspire you the most?

A: Brooklyn, it’s where I was born so it’s spiritual.

Q: What is your creative process? (process for writing music, creating art, designing, so on.)

A: No creative process honestly, my creations come from me being in the studio everyday, being hands on with my work.

My ideas are based off of current, past and future experiences and singing to myself is inspiring.

Q: Who are some of your influences right now?

A:Vivianne Westwood, Virgil Abloh, CPFM, APC Q: Who do you think are some of the top artist to watch as we move through 2022?

A: Eli Heartfire, Newyork Red, Stronghold, Tejleebaby, 009fly, XfilesNewYork, Sprty K, Lastexitdeath, Alex universe, Tay. Masterpiece, T Mastermind, 30 Rock, Aggy Dave The whole gang sorry I know I missed some names.

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orn and raised in Queens, NY, LAYNEVERDIES began making music in his parents’ basement shortly after high school. He spent days locked in his home studio honing his craft as a producer. He would later make the shift from the man behind the scenes to the man in front of the mic. Coming from an urban area, survival can be tough for an aspiring artist. He often found himself in a tug of war between making money & making music. Like most inner cities, it’s not hard to find yourself in a life you didn’t exactly plan for yourself. Lay eventually had to make a choice & his passion for music prevailed.

Q: 2022 is already off to a good start!

Do you have any projects you are working on right now? What are some goals you have for this year?

Q: What places in the city inspire you the most?

A: Right now I’m just locked in, building up the catalog. Since the year has started I’ve been recording 12 songs a week. The plan is to complete 100+ songs, then I’ll start choosing records for the main project. My main goal for this year is to put out quality music and bring more awareness to my brand.

Q: What is your creative process? (process for writing music, creating art, designing, so on)

Q: Where do you see the future of your genre going?

A: There are no limits to where Hip-hop can go. The sound has constantly evolved over the years. My goal is to be at the forefront of that evolution. That’s what I’m locked in working on; a new sound.

Q: Who are some of your influences right now?

A: Kanye, he’s my number one musical influence. You can’t put him in a box and that’s what I like most about him. Also, Frank Ocean. I’ve been going back to “Blonde” lately. That album is really innovative.

Other than that, I go back to a lot of indie artists/ bands that I used to listen to, mainly for sampling purposes & nostalgia lol.

Q: Who do you think are some of the top artist to watch as we move through 2022?

A: Baby Keem, Kendrick, Kodak, Kanye, FKA Twigs just to name a few.

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A:The studio.

A: It depends on how I’m feeling. I don’t have one style of creating. If I’m producing & I feel like sampling, I might just listen to music for a couple of hours. That could mean spinning vinyl or going down a YouTube rabbit hole. If I’m starting from scratch I usually start with sounds before I add any drums, but not always. When it comes to writing lyrics/melodies, I’ll either just get in the booth & freestyle or I’ll sit down & play the beat until I come up with something. It’s more like tapping into a feeling and it telling me what to do.

LAYNEVERDIES: @layneverdies

RECORDING ARTIST

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ROSE MODELS MORE THAN MODELS

MERCH COMING SOON 19

Cold nights lead to warm whispers As we held each other near My fingers traced your thighs Sending shivers down your spine

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Your salacious glances is how it all began The depth of your eyes lead me to a place like no other.

Every piece of your intimate apparel was gratifying, Food for the soul

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Now here we are A chemical and spiritual exchange

The curve of your breasts sit ever so firmly within my grasp As I ever so gently engrave my initials along your walls 22

A scent of lavender brushed ever so gently against my nostrils with each crashing wave The tide grew wild as we now embarked on a new adventure

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I felt your soul You felt mine

This was our story As it drew near the climax I never felt more alive Unable to avoid your glance From within erupted your most femanine roar

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I felt your soul You felt mine

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I felt your soul You felt mine

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Come inside, come inside And close the door behind you

Come inside, come inside And close the door behind you

By: Raheem Lawrence 27

In today’s world of dating apps...

Click Video Link Here

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By: Molly Legrow

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...it’s easy to forget that folks once dated through a multitude of mediums: VHS tapes, singles’ mixers, and also speed dating among many others.

While the apps have opened up the dating pool for those who may need the comfort of their home or phone screen to meet someone before going out, many crave a change of pace in their dating life (considering the pandemic has kept us in our homes for too long!).

That is why we attended a speed dating event! A casual, no-pressure way to meet other singles and only talk to them for a few minutes until you’re on to the next!

With every participant there for the same purpose coupled with the caveat of only needing to speak to a person for a short amount of time, the speed daters were able to experience a similar feeling of swiping through potential dates as if they were looking on their dating apps.

Click Link Here

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owever, meeting online means being able to learn a lot of information about a person before even meeting them, one of the participants, Shay, said, “I actually was just talking to my friend about the fact that I feel like right now, dating on apps is more common. So I did think it was cool [at this event] to come out and meet people in person first before exchanging any information.” The approach to the speed dates varied from going with the flow all the way to asking questions that highlight potential red flags in the future. Each table came equipped with conversation-starting cards just in case participants needed a boost in conversation. One of our Great House Vision participants, Serge, said, “I definitely was like, alright let me use the cards - I thought there was some good stuff on there. I also asked other questions too though, just to see where their heads were at. Like, how do they feel about dating in the real world right now?”

Considering the last two years have made in-person dating incredibly difficult, it was not so surprising to learn that many of the participants were motivated to meet in person. Where the advent of dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, etc. quickly taking hold of the dating world since 2013, one would think its users might have happily sunk more into the online world in response to the pandemic.

Another participant, Donneisha, had a more specific game plan for her dates. “I was listening to the way they had responded to the questions. And the questions that were presented honestly opened my eyes–I self-reflected on why things have failed in online dating. The simple fact is that I’ve never had questions [from the cards] presented to see their perspective right away on different things, aside from the physical attraction. I haven’t been out on a date in so long it was so nice to have all these options at one time! Now I’m seeing how they’re thinking, and does their thinking align with mine? So it was very great for me to realize I need to date more.”

Unfortunately, no dates were planned from this event, but everyone was just happy to be in one another’s company in person. Whether or not a lasting relationship comes out of the experience, someone to go on a few dates with, or even a friend, the consensus seems to be that dating practices should be varied because you never know where, when, or how you might meet someone special!

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By: Arianna Juliano

Late Night/Open 24 Hours Forest Hills Bagels Location: 104-41 Queens Blvd New York, NY Rating 4/5, $ $

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Forest Hills Bagels is my favorite go-to spot, and at any time of the day since they never close! (Aside from holidays and severe weather conditions). Don’t attempt to hit up this spot-on New Year’s Eve, you’ll be disappointed and end up at 7/11. Never fear, when they are open, they will serve you just about any sandwich combination you desire. There are endless toppings, breads, and proteins to choose from. Want some chips but maybe you’d need a drink to ease the salt? You’ll find anything from Vitamin Water to fresh watermelon when you enter the store.

Vegan Red Bamboo Location: 140th West 4th Street, New York, NY Rating 5/5, $$

Finding great vegan food without all the extra substitution charge and high prices is nearly impossible in the city, but not when you stumble upon Red Bamboo.

After walking a few steps down into this quiet restaurant, I was greeted and seated immediately. The service was fast, and my waitress was more than happy to assist me. My friend and I settled on chicken nuggets, French fries, crab rangoons, and a slice of carrot cake for dessert accompanied with a glass of wine for each of us. Of course, all Vegan. The food was served quickly, and I had nothing bad to say once I was finished. If I could suggest one thing it would be the chicken nuggets, they tasted exactly like the fast-food nuggets Americans are used to.

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Budget Friendly Dō Location: 550 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY Rating 2.5/5, $

After waiting all 4 years I’ve lived in New York, I finally tried Dō. It was horrible. I opted for the vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, excited I took a giant spoonful. I instantly regretted all $5 that I had spent, but my friend and I had to try and see if they had more to offer. The second flavor we tried was the snickerdoodle cookie dough, and the only thing it seemed to be missing was the crunch I enjoyed from the chocolate chip flavor. I won’t be going back to Dō nor recommending it, but if you must try it for yourself make sure you don’t opt vegan. The best part of my visit was the neon pink hat detailed with a chocolate chip cookie on the rim that I purchased for myself in store.

Black-Owned Greedi Kitchen Location: 180 Ralph Ave Brooklyn, NY Rating 4.5/5, $$

After tasting a lineup of mini sliders, I can see why the owner has titled it Greedi Kitchen. You really can’t get enough once you start! I took my cousin along with me, since she had been visiting the city, and she was convinced vegan food would not fill her up. Upon realizing Greedi Kitchen was vegan, I kept my mouth closed and had her check the menu before letting her decide we would eat there.

After we ate a round of buffalo cauliflower and ordered our meals, I told her. She kept an open mind and even mentioned that the food did not taste “vegan”. All in all, a nice dining experience with ambient seating and excellent food.

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The Food Truck If you’re lucky, you will leave off of Flushing station in Brooklyn and find this food truck waiting for you downstairs. Usually, occupied by a short line and the smell of pollo and carne, make sure you stop by and try something! My go-to here is always their empanadas.

For a shell bigger than the palm of my hand and only at $2 – I’ll take it. Not only do they have empanadas, but also signature dishes where you can mix and match sides with a choice of protein – beef, chicken, and shrimp.

Whatever you choose from this truck, make sure you don’t leave without grabbing extra green sauce because trust me, you want it!

Cesar‘s Empanadas Location: Outside of starbucks located at 774 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY Rating 5/5, $

Ari is a Boston native who’s been plant-based for 3 years.

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BY NATALIE RENE & SHAYLA MONAÉ RUSSELL

Step 1 Reflection

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elf-reflection is a tool that aims to bring clarity to the areas of our lives that seem to be clouded with confusion, fear and doubt. It’s a means to forming a deeper connection to who we are. It allows us to become more honest about our needs; emotionally and physically by acknowledging our past.

“What did I learn from this experience?”

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n today’s society, via the heavy influence of social media, it’s easy to think that we want what someone else has. It’s easy to believe what brings them happiness will also work for us, but we have to do the inner work to discover that for ourselves.

Reflective Questions to Ask Yourself >>> 36

What morals do I want to live by?

What are 3 things I love about myself?

When was the last time I pushed past my comfort zone?

Am I quick or delayed when taking accountability or apologizing when I’m wrong?

Do my actions align with my end goal?

Am I open-minded? Do I say no without giving it true thought?

“Admire yourself through the eyes of someone who admires you” - Natalie Rene’ Step 2 Find the Outlet

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t’s important to find some non-stressful outlets that bring us peace of mind. Making tangible changes to your everyday life can cut down on negative emotions. The best thing we can do for ourselves, is make the best of what’s available to us. So find some outlets. You’ll feel less overwhelmed when negative emotions do arise. Here’s a few to try:

Exercise the stress away Relax in nature or take a scenic hike

Take a walk while listenGet creative! Sign up for a class

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Step 3 Drown yourself in affirmations

t’s so important to pay attention to how we speak to ourselves. The words we choose should be words of love. Our words expose how we feel and think about ourselves. In “The Toxic Effects of Negative Self-Talk” by Elizabeth Scott, she speaks about how “focusing on negative thoughts may lead to decreased motivation as well as greater feelings of helplessness.

This critical inner dialogue has even been linked to depression, so it’s something to fix. “We can all attest to the fact that hearing ourselves talk negatively out loud does keep us feeling low and unmotivated. Well in the spirit of optimism, this is an opportunity to replace the bad with some good” or as Scott mentions later in the article “something better”. She advises us to “take that negative thought and change it into something encouraging”. Repeat this until you find yourself needing to do it less and less. It’s a great way to send more positive messages to the mind. Start to develop a more encouraging inner dialogue.

One way to start the conversation is by meditating - taking mindful breaths and speaking to your future healed self as if you are so.

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STEP 4 Learning your love language

et’s be honest – human beings all have similar desires. One of which is to be loved.

These five love languages describe how we accept love and appreciation from others.

Understanding and decoding the different love languages will help us better communicate our needs and wants to those around us.

Words of af firmation These people value the expression of love through words. Verbal compliments and motivating words go a long way with this person while, hostile or insulting comments hurt more than “normal” and will make this person feel unloved.

Gif t Giving This language symbolizes love with tangible items.

It’s the meaningful gift that makes you feel loved and appreciated. You value that someone paid attention to your material needs.

P h y s i c a l To u c h This language can often be confused for purely being sexual. But in fact, it’s more about intimacy. To the people with this love language, nothing is more affectionate than physical contact. It isn’t necessarily about the over the top PDA, but the feeling of being more connected and safe by touch.

Quality Time This language is all about needing undivided attention. This can be anything from watching a movie together to working from home together and being in each other’s presence. You value that someone took the time to involve you in their everyday life.

Acts of Service This love language focuses on specific actions that show we are cared for. Cooking a meal, setting the table, doing the laundry, walking the dog – small but necessary jobs to help make our lives easier is your form of love. These people fully embody the phrase “actions speak louder than words.”

Step 5 3 Drown yourself Setting boundaries in affirmations

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o set ’s so important healthy boundaries, to pay attention we need to how to find we speakworks what to ourselves. for us and Thewhat words doesn’t. we choose If we shouldclear, aren’t be words we won’t of love. be Our ablewords to communiexpose how we cate ourfeel expectations and think about with other ourselves. people.

In “Theequally It’s Toxic Effects important of Negative to stay Self-Talk” away from byflimsy Elizabeth Scott, -she boundaries thespeaks ones that about we tend how to “focusing break ouron negative selves and thoughts allow others may lead to step to decreased over. So…how motido vation we putas our well foot asdown? greater feelings of helplessness.

This critical inner dialogue has even been linked to depression, The kindest andsomost it’s something successful to approach fix. “We iscan to all attest be direct to about the what fact that we will hearing and won’t ourselves tolerate. talk negatively Say what you outmean loud and doesmean keepwhat us feeling you say. lowDon’t and unmotivated. apologize or give Welllong in the explanations spirit of optimism, because this is an of kind opportunity behavior can to replace undermine the bad yourwith authority. some good” We need or to asown Scott ourmentions power and later speak in the with article con“something better”. She advises us to “take that fidence. negative thought and change it into something encouraging”.

Boundaries areRepeat to protect this until us and you find anyone yourself who needing cares fortousdo will it less respect and that. less. Just It’s a remember great way to send more refrain frompositive setting messages boundaries tointhe themind. middle Start of toheated a develop argument. a more encouraging We want our inner message dialogue. to be One way heard and to understood, start the conversation yelling or using is by ameditatcondeing - taking scending tone mindful will offend breathsothers; and speaking and divert to your the future healed away conversation self as from if you theare real so.message.

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MODEL: @YANABERRY PHOTOGRAPHER: ISAIAH S. WRIGHT @GREATHOUSEVISION EDITOR: JORDAN CANTY @VIEWMYVIZION CREATIVE DIRECTIOR: SHAYLA-MONAE RUSSELL @THESHAYMONAE MAKEUP ARTIST: AMIRAH M. STONE @ITSSTONEFORMEE

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Ice-Queen (n.)

In folklore, fairytales, and the like; a female spirit or supernatural being who rules over a land of ice and snow. a cold-hearted and emotionless woman; specifically a beautiful or alluring one.

Origin: Early 19th century

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If you look in the Oxford dictionary for the word model there are several definitions that help explain the role of a model in regards to fashion and product selling. Definition No. 4 states, a person employed to display clothes by wearing them. Simple enough. But, selection No. 2 states, a system or thing used as an example to follow or imitate. It further provides two examples, but let’s focus on this one. “A person or thing regarded as an excellent example of a specified quality.” Why does my focus land there? Well, our cover model Yana is all that and more. She is a consummate professional.

She arrives early to her shoots. She asks the appropriate questions to see how she best fits within the concept of the shoot. On top of that, her personality will warm you and make your day a lot better as you work with her. She has been selected to be featured as our cover model because she is a model of what a model should be.

Her gaze is perfect for capturing the “Breaking The Ice” Issue. Taking the essence of getting to know us through cracks of ice symbolizing our anonymity fading. Though she is the Queen of the metaphorical tundra for this concpet, Yana is no where near cold hearted. To us, she couldn't have been anymore affable. Her statuesque figure allows for our Ice Queen concept to pierce through the page, and her eyes allow for love to be felt through this frigid persona. This is why she is a perfect representation of what a model is; and what Hyyer is. She inspires and motivates. She lifts and enlightens. Lastly, she supplies volume to an idea. Creativity requires a soul and hers was just what we needed to make an Ice Queen melt hearts.

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“You must have your heart on fire and your brain on ice.”

- Vladimir Lenin.

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can count on three fingers the number of people I know who’ve actually caught a Hockey game. From afar, it seems like an aggressive sport where ice-skating men and women throw each other around until one can successfully get the puck in the other team’s goal.

know (allegedly) - but in ways that can make you a more resilient human being when trying to achieve … well… anything - especially when trying to achieve a career as a Creative.

Being an athlete teaches teamwork, builds tough skin, and shows you how to practice and apply Though I’ve never truly immersed lessons almost immediately. Had a myself into Hockey, being a former bad game? There’s always another Lacrosse player, I can easily grasp one - another opportunity to prep the concept. Ones on ice, ones yourself and try again. on grass, different sticks, varying levels of… “violence”. Still, no matter You not only walk away from team the game, I encourage every persports with life-long memories, son I know to engage in sports as but also with this idea of perseveroften as they can. ance imbedded in your psyche.

You know how to accept loss. You Why? Because being an athlete know how to think on the fly and can literally alter your DNA - not in be adaptable. You know what it’s the Bill Gates ways we’ve come to like to motivate and inspire your

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teammates because essentially, you want the team to win.

The point is - the lasting effects of team sports aide so much in an individual’s life.

“From launching a business, to just surviving each day - there’s a certain grit you need to be successful”.

So, let’s dig deeper, because this isn’t an after-school recruitment special for the JV Basketball team, this is a chance to learn about how a specific team of collegiate athletes accompanied by their coach, played a Hockey game that drastically changed the course of US history and why this particular game should matter to YOU.

Let me start with issuing you a challenge: Be better than you are. Set a goal that seems unattainable, & when you reach that goal, set another one even higher.” Coach Herb Brooks.

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IN TYPICAL “REMEMBER THE TITANS, MIGHTY DUCK” FASHION...

‘Miracle’ is an ultra-inspiring sports movie filled with passion, hardship, and resilience. The story delves into one of the greatest sports events of all time and the sheer timing of this specific game may just be the most important part. It was played following the Cold War - a period of global tension between the United States and The Soviet Union. American morale was at an all-time low.

Our citizens were hostages in other countries with no chance of release. We were not taken seriously on a global scale. Quite frankly, America was a joke. No actual fighting occurred between the two power houses during this “war”, which is how it got its name, similar to the phrase

“Giving someone the Cold Shoulder”.

The two countries were at odds for years fighting to gain global dominance and become more powerful than the other. Now, imagine an entire nation’s pride resting on the shoulders of one coach and a few unexperienced kids. Talk about pressure! It was the rivalry of all rivalries and is still known today as being one of the greatest upsets in sports history.

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Success is won by those who believe in winning and then prepare for that moment”.

- Coach Herb Brooks.

While watching this movie I tapped into something familiar. The practice, the heart, the impossible goal with no end in sight, even the naysayers; sports reminds me so much of what it’s like to be a professional “Creative”.

As an artist and former collegiate athlete, I’ve always recognized the many similarities between sports and art. Success in both require you to be very well-practiced.

They both push you to your mental and physical limit. Most of all, both are meaningless without passion.

What I’m seeing a lot of today, are Creatives who are no longer accepting the stigma of being the “starving artist”. Rather they are using their talents to build businesses, expand minds, and forge new paths for generations to come.

From Creative to creative, it’s easy to spot fortitude and courage in each other, but I feel that it’s time society as a whole “puts some respect on our names.” – so to speak.

A Creative, by definition, is an individual who tends to find abstract ways to solve real-world problems.

Creatives dream and imagine the many possibilities of this mundane world. They reinvent ideas and push the culture forward with their unique ways of thought. At the very least, being a creative means doing something different …for the sake of doing something different. They are willing to take risks and face challenges despite the fear that things won’t work out.

This does not mean fears don’t arise. They just choose to act in spite of them.

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THE

ODDS When I say, “the highly favored Soviet Union”, that’s no exaggeration. They. Were. Unbeatable. And everyone knew it. So naturally, everyone expected them to win the gold metal that year as they’ve done consecutively for the last 6 years prior. With tremendously trained players and a record no one could match, teams were terrified to face the Soviets. They were professional, older, stronger, and overall better athletes. Some even referred to them as “government sponsored magicians on ice” who’ve been dominating Hockey since the darkest days of the Cold War. They played Hockey the way our Dream Team played Basketball. Yeah, THAT dream team - completely demoralizing every opponent who dared step on the ice with them.

When I left my 5-year corporate job to paint and do graphic design, I understood I was about to face a host of challenges. Though my savings were good, I didn’t know how long I would last being my own boss nor did I know which direction to take but I had to at least try.

So where to begin? On Instagram?

At pop-ups? Business cards? All I knew for sure was that I believed I was talented enough to make a few bucks. Still, belief in our own talents isn’t enough. You need support. Many artists fail before they start because they lacked the support to pursue their dreams.

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HERB BROOKS VS. THE WORLD

Going into the Olympics that year, support for the US team was scarce. Same went for their Coach.

Before he became a coach, Herb Brooks was almost an Olympian himself. He thought he had made the US Hockey team in 1960. He was even in the team picture (above), but at the last-minute Coach Jack Riley added a new player to the roaster and Herb was cut, just one day before the team left for the games.

To make matters worse, that team went on to win the games that year – without him. That blow left unfinished business in his life. He had something to prove and years later - given a team of cocky combative Hockey players who didn’t like each other, and a world who greatly underestimated him and his players - his greatest test was yet to come.

PREPERATION This leads me to my first Herbism*

(Herbism = A series of quotes Herb tormented his players with.)

“You don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone!”

- Coach Herb Brooks 57

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is team was undoubtably talented, still they weren’t nearly talented enough to beat the Soviets. Therefore, they had to do what we all have to do when faced with an impossible task –Prepare like hell.

THE NORWEGIAN GAME

So first, he gathered the best combination of players with the highest possible chance of success.

The power of having a forcefully brilliant team behind you is underrated. Individuals that are talented, encouraging, supportive, and genuinely respect you and your passions are key to keeping the Creative juices alive. And just as you would keep the good apples, you must throw away the bad. That’s not to say disregard an entire human being but sometimes – yes. We can be hesitant to cut people out of our teams and collectives at times, but if those individuals aren’t aiding towards the overall goal, you must let them go because their impotence will ultimately cause you to lose.

Herb trimmed the roster from 80 to 26 players. They all fiercely competed against each other within the United States but each player that was chosen was the best at their respective position, which is all Herb needed. Bonding would come later.

With the team chosen, and ample practices underway, they went on to win a number of games until one particular game that bonded them for life.

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The Norwegian game ended in a 3-3 tie. Good enough for some but completely unacceptable to Coach Brooks. It wasn’t the tie that bothered him, it was the fact that his team didn’t try. They appeared completely satisfied with doing the bare minimum. With the Soviet battle approaching, Herb was frustrated with their carefree demeanor.

So in a pure rage, in front of the other team, the coaches, and the people in the stands exiting the game, Brooks demanded his players get right back on the ice. He ran them for what some say was about 45 minutes to an hour. And if any of you have ever been unfortunate enough to be on the bad side of a fuming Coach – imagine ‘suicides’, but on ice. They ran so much after that game, the rink attendant turned the arena lights off.

Relieved, the team started to head to the locker-room when suddenly, he whistle blew.

“AGAIN!” was all they heard bellowed from their enraged Coach.

They continued to run in that dark rink for what seemed like forever.

To the players and even the assistant coaches – it was torture. To Herb, it was all a part of his grand plan. See, in order to bond this team, he had to give them a common enemy – Him. That moment was a turning point in team morale for the players.

They skated out of there, exhausted and weak, yet collectively knowing “He can do anything he wants to us, but he’s not gonna break us.”

After that day, they went on a run, winning 30 of their 41 games in ‘79.

I was raised in a household that constantly whispered the phrase “Artists don’t get paid until their dead”, referring to the works of Basquiat, Van Gogh, and countless other painters whose artwork sored in price after they were deceased. Creativity was encouraged as a child but not so much as an adult. I still get asked for family discounts and my prices are questioned by family the most who ask, “Why can’t you do this for free?”

I do know a few creatives whose parents fully support their endeavors and that’s wonderful - but most aren’t so lucky. Those dreams are usually reserved for well-off families whose children have the freedom to explore their gifts and make mistakes without judgement, but not so much in my Bi-religious, Finance mom, Librarian dad, African American household. To them, like most parents, success is getting a job with benefits, finding a husband, having children and retiring. They mean no harm and want the best stable future for me - as do I. But something about that specific future seems like I’m settling. Especially when I know I can do all of that and then some. So, are Artists really setting themselves up for failure monetarily? Not at all.

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“Great moments are born from great opportunities.” Coach Herb Brooks.

“Risk something or forever sit with your dreams.”.

- Coach Herb Brooks.

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#1 ART DIRECTOR MEDIAN SALARY: $94,220 EXPERIENCE: 5 OR MORE YEARS

In cyber world, the creative is valued for their eye-catching original content. So much so that brands have been sued for copying the works of local artists time and time again. Those same brands also pay good money just for social media influencers to be seen with their product. They understand the power of influence. Once an online personality endorses a product, their followers follow suit.

Off screen, we pass art every single day! Product packaging, street signs, murals, park designs, sculptures, television shows, movies, building architecture, posters in the train station, the music we listen to in our cars, the car itself!

– an artist did that. Without Art, without creators, the world would be devoid of what keeps joy and color in our everyday lives.

Older generations can be a tad stubborn in their support of these creative dreams because of the shortage of prior success stories in these areas. Nevertheless, if you have parents like mine, you may need to put their worries at ease by introducing them to these top stable paying jobs for Artists in 2020 (in salary order). Many with no experience required.

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#2 MULTIMEDIA ARTIST MEDIAN SALARY: $75,270 EDUCATION: BACHELOR’S TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE: NONE

#3 PRODUCER & DIRECTOR MEDIAN SALARY: $74,420 EXPERIENCE: LESS THAN 5 YEARS

#4 FASHION DESIGNER MEDIAN SALARY: $73,790 EDUCATION: BACHELOR’S TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE: NONE

#5 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT MEDIAN SALARY: $69,360 EXPERIENCE: NONE

#6 INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER MEDIAN SALARY: $68,890 EDUCATION: BACHELOR’S TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE: NONE

#7 VIDEO EDITOR MEDIAN SALARY: $63,780 EXPERIENCE: NONE

#8 GRAPHIC DESIGNER MEDIAN SALARY: $52,110 EXPERIENCE: NONE

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hat list is nothing compared to the amount of money a content creator can make on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Most emerging artists struggle to get their work seen however, with consistency and the free marketing program that IS social media – Creators often find themselves making far more money than what’s listed above because they’re reaching a much wider audience. So yes kids, stay on that phone! It’s free advertising for you and your gifts.

Jimmy Donaldson, the 23-year-old American better known as MrBeast, was YouTube’s highest-earning content creator in 2021, according to Forbes. His elaborate stunts have generated more than 10 billion views on the platform and earned him $54m. He’s known for reading every word in the dictionary, turning a backyard into a ballpit, buying everything in a store, and giving away a million dollars but only giving people one minute to spend it. His ambitious challenges and money-giveaways have helped him grow his channel to roughly 53 million subscribers.

Dancers, musicians, comedians, and talent of all forms have made record breaking wages due to social media.

Influencers using the Creator Fund report a rate of $0.02 to $0.04 per 1,000 views. This means that a relatively successful video of 500,000 views would earn you roughly twenty dollars. Prolific creators with tens of millions of followers can earn in the range of $100,000 to $200,000 annually. Although African American content creators have yet to receive half the recognition as their White counterparts, even that has the potential to change as more Black content

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nor support you, truly learn the skills needed. Understand the market you’re trying to enter and acknowledge if you have the necessary tools to compete. It’s one thing to believe you can do something, but a dream without a plan is just an idea.

By the time of the 1980 games in Lake Placid, New York, the Americans were confident and ready.

Under the gaze of their relentless coach, this rowdy group of kids, were more together than ever before. They practiced tirelessly and even with injuries they became a decent group of Hockey players.

creators remain vocal about the obvious pay disparities. Don’t get me wrong dozens of talent goes unseen on social media, but the opportunity to freely market yourself is unmatched.

So yes, it is possible but be REAL with yourself. Are you willing to put in the work and plan for your creative dreams to manifest? If you aren’t the best painter, are you willing to take classes until you are? If you aren’t the best photographer, are you saving for better equipment and learning your camera? If you’re a choreographer, are you willing to study dance moves day in and day out?

It takes preparation and work to be your best most Creative self on a professional level.

This leads me to Herbism #2

“There’s a fine line between guts and brains”.

Once you’ve blocked out the nay-sayers who don’t understand

Then came the showcase game against the Soviets. Not the game they ultimately prepared for but every year at the Olympics, teams go head to head for charity. During that charity game, the Americans were able to catch a glimpse at how prepared they actually were.

Long story short, the Soviets embarrassed them. So much so, that some US players admit to catching themselves starring during the game - in awe at how pristine and gracefully they played. Sadly, that great run and boost of confidence, was brought right back to reality.

Proving that even the best prepared can be defeated.

Everyone who left Madison Square Garden that day was sure the Soviets would win every game in the Olympics, take home the goal medal, and never be challenged.

The Americans were just a bunch of kids. Not feared nor respected.

The US vs. Soviet game was even set to broadcast in the United States at 5pm, (not exactly primetime) because no one expected this match against international superpowers to be a moment of escalating tension.

HERBISM # 3 “Play YOUR Game” “You were born to be a player.

You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.” These were last words the American’s heard from their coach before the long awaited game. The Americans were very strong in the first period.

They played fast and emotionally.

But it made no difference, the Soviets scored first. The teams scored back and forth until the Soviets made a vast mental error. They stopped playing with 3 seconds left in the half while one US player continued to play and scored to tie the game.

The atmosphere changed; everyone got the sense that they could actually win. With tensions high, and 8 minutes left in the game, Herb kept reminding them to stay with your game as they tried the run the clock down.

Today the market is saturated with artists of all forms posting daily, sometimes 4-5 times a day. Honestly, it can be a little overwhelming.

I often wonder if I’m putting out enough content in a timely fashion to keep people engaged. When I’m scrolling and see an idea that I was literally just thinking about – it stops me from developing that idea because its already out there.

This mindset is destructive … and kind of idiotic when you think about it.

How many cereal brands can you name? Do you think the creators of those companies thought “There’s too many cereals out there, they don’t need ours”. But they do! There’s an audience for everyone and no one will be able to see your specific brand of artistry until you display it. Never allow the number of people in your field cause you to discontinue your passion. By continuing, you, like the Americans will eventually triumph.

They’d won. The Americans fought their way into a victory over the all mighty Soviets. In doing so, they’d

single-handedly restored a sense of pride back into themselves and a nation whose soul was depleting.

Funnily enough, that was not the end. The US team had just one more opponent to face before being named the champions. Finland.

Let’s be honest, if the Americans, the newly proclaimed victors of the Soviets did all that …and then lost to Finland, we wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t be writing about them. To do all that hard work and toss it away to something minor – unthinkable. Before the Finland game, Coach Herb encouraged his players with the most fitting statement ever “If you lose this game, you’ll take it to your fucking grave…your fucking grave.” So, the Americans took the Gold, by force.

They steamrolled them from the time they opened the door to the time they got on the ice. Finland didn’t have a chance. Thus, the impossible dream of being the 1980’s US Hockey Olympic Champions came true.

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STAY THE COURSE As we get better, our tests get stronger. However, perseverance– steadfastness in doing something despite difficultly or delay – keeps us ready for whatever throws us off course. This magazine for example – in full transparency as to what it takes to watch a goal manifest, this magazine is the epitome of art and chaos. During this long stressful process of putting the pages together, hiring writers, organizing shoots, and selecting the appropriate subject matter – there was literally a challenge at every step.

We are a volunteer-based company which means people can quit anytime they choose and unfortunately, they have. The reasons vary, but one thing remained constant, when one person quit, more

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work is placed on the shoulders of the few. Now repeat that all the way down until we reach a handful of individuals undertaking an entirely new endeavor by themselves. Investing time, money, and resources for an end goal that is absolutely not guaranteed. So why proceed? Because we believe our future is brighter than our past.

The act of celebrating and highlighting the talented yet unrecognized artists of our community is so important to us therefore we pressed on. We’ve “persevered”.

We’ve created a project despite multiple difficulties and made our overall deadline because something was important to us. So, what’s important to you?

After years of working with creative people I’ve found that it’s more

than just the money, it’s the stamp; the mark our creations will leave on the world. We are all selected to be here at this moment in time and we all have a passion for making that moment count. Putting our stamps on the world so it remembers us long after we’re gone That’s the miracle.

The US team transformed “from demoralized, very terrified, very nervous, very much in awe of the Soviet team. To not in awe of anyone.” Deciding to pursue your artistic dream, is not for the weak nor the fickle. It is without question one of the riskiest alleyways to success. But if you have a why, a plan, and the passion to back it, there’s no way you can’t shock the world just as well.

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WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO MODEL?

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I kind of just fell into it honestly. After high school people were hitting me up to do shoots. I graduated in 2016, so Instagram was the new thing at the time and people were starting to go viral off of it. So I started to get asked to collab like “Oh lets shoot together” and I was like “Okay!” It’s been fun. I did a campaign for Apple in March 2021. They gave me a billboard and everything.

I SAW THAT ON YOUR PAGE! WHERE WAS THAT BILLBOARD In Philly, where I’m from.

WHAT GOALS HAVE YOU SET IN YOUR CAREER? I want to walk for a big show but I’m still trying to figure this industry out. I know there’s other things I can do than just model, other things I can do and still be in the fashion industry. I want to gravitate more towards creative directing, maybe even casting as well. I’m pretty interested in that. I want to branch off and give girls inspiration because you don’t have to just model. You can do other things.

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DO YOU THINK THAT BLACK MODELS, GET PUT INTO A BOX? 72

Absolutely. You know, there’s a specific type of Black model that they look for. You gotta be like super dark skinned from like Senegal somewhere. Or you gotta be like very fair-skinned, freckles, orange hair or something.

Stuff like that. It’s very specific but they need room for the girls in the middle.

HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN CHANGE THAT? Short

answer

representation.

Casting directors and agents have to give these girls a chance. I don’t know what I can do from a models standpoint unless I start casting.

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SO, DO YOU THINK BLACK AND BROWN MODELS HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES AS WHITE MODELS? “Absolutely not”, As Saysha laughs she continues. “It’s very blatant, like they don’t even hide it. They don’t even make an attempt to disguise it. Casting directors will tell you you’re too big, like “Oh your hips are too wide.”

THEY TELL YOU THAT!?

THEY HAVE! AND I’M LIKE WHAT ARE TALKING ABOUT. * POINTS TO HIPS AND LAUGHS * I’M LIKE ..ME?? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT.

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DO YOU THINK PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MODELS?

Sometimes they do. You know people may not want to speak up about it but it happens. For example, when I first started modelling, I was like 18, 19 living in Philly, so the scene out there was a whole lot different than it is here. You set up shoots on Instagram and you link up with people, you just collaborate. You get your pictures. They get their work, and like, it’s cool! So, there was one time I was hit up by a photographer to shoot. I didn’t think anything different about it. Usually I’d bring a friend but the friend couldn’t come that day so I’m like “Okay whatever so I’ll just go by myself”. I ended up going and it was really weird. Basically, he was trying to take advantage of me and things like that so I like dipped out real quick.

Luckily, nothing happened to me and I got out of the situation safely. But later down the line, I was on Instagram and I saw that a lot of girls were coming out saying that he did this, that, and the third, and I was like “Wow, okay! So I’m not the only one!” I felt weird speaking up about it at the time. Like maybe I was in the wrong because you know, you kinda have those doubts in your mind.

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WAS HE TRYING TO PUT THEM IN AWKWARD POSITIONS OR …

AND IT WASN’T A NUDE SHOOT? NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST

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“NEVER DULL YOUR SHINE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.” Tyra Banks

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HOW OFTEN DO YOU FEEL RESPECTED OR HEARD ON SET? When I first started, what a model was was, you show up on set and do what they tell you to do. People were yelling at you and stuff like that. I wanna say as of recently, I’m moreso heard, especially when it comes to hair. Because that’s a big thing– black hair.

I can tell them like no, let’s do something else --- or sometimes they already have a hair stylist that’s well-versed and stuff like that that happens where I feel heard. Something as simple as food! Like girls were not getting fed! And even then, they were like “no what are you doing, stop eating in the corner” or some bullshit like that.

They (now) cater to people who are vegan, or vegetarian, or people with allergies. They hit you up beforehand to accommodate for your food preferences. So yeah, I think people are being more accommodating. I mean It’s baby steps obviously.

There are other things that need to be spoken up about but I think we’re getting into a time now where – we’re listening to each other and making sure everybody’s good.

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AND YOUR LIFE?

HOW HAS MODELLING CHANGED YOU

ITS HELPED ME BECOME A BUSINESS WOMAN. I HAVE TO PROMOTE MYSELF. MY FACE, MY BODY, THAT’S MY BRAND. I HAVE TO GO TO MEETINGS AND MAKE SURE I’M GETTING PAID, MAKE SURE I’M GETTING BOOKED AND GOING TO CASTINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT I’M GOOD, AND I’M TAKEN CARE OF.

SAYSHA CAN BE FOUND ON IG @SENSAYSHA

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by Raheem Lawrence

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The air was oddly still on that morning. The temperature at dawn had been unbearably cold, but as the sun began to appear over the horizon, it was as if a warm comforting blanket had been spread over it all. The trees formed a spiraling path from the top to the very bottom of the mountain. The very top was completely covered in clouds. Their color was a pure white. In the far off distance the clouds were much darker, sinister even. The place in the sky where the two colors collided created an oddly satisfying glow. There should have been more than enough time before the storm arrived.

The park would be fully open soon. The patrons were slowly arriving in a mix of small and larger groups. The snow filled surroundings made it difficult to see things far off in the distance.

For miles all the eye could see were the trees sprouting from the ground and the occasional birds flying by. The slopes in this park were sought after by many all throughout the state. It had become quite popular over the last few years. Many would come for the cabins, the luxury suites with the hot tubs, but the slopes were the main attraction.

The ski lifts were already in motion. They slowly made their way to the top, then down again. The slow and steady motion was relaxing to watch. From the very top there seemed to be tiny specs making their way onto the lift as they arrived at the bottom.

There was a line of little dots at the bottom now, waiting for lifts to make their way back around. It was going to be a good day, or so it seemed.

I remember the sharp sensation vividly. As I opened my eyes it felt as though a knife had been thrust through my skull. I placed my hand gently against my temple. My hand was met with a warm sticky substance. I was bleeding. My vision was slightly blurred. I attempted to shift my weight around and realized that I had been propped up against what felt like a bunch of boxes.

“He’s awake” muttered a soft gentle voice. I looked to my left and noticed a young woman seated next to me. She had gentle brown eyes. She wore a maroon colored winter coat with the snow pants to match. She placed her hand against mine and smiled. “Glad to see you are okay, what is your name?” I looked at her for a moment. I hadn’t realized before just how beautiful she was. My vision had stabilized and the pain I felt had drastically reduced.

“My name is Andrew. Where exactly are we?” I stared at her for a moment longer. I was still a bit confused, but then I slowly began to remember. I had been making my final run down the slopes when I heard a loud cracking sound from the mountain behind me. The last thing I remembered after that was seeing a brightly lit cabin in the distance with what looked like three waving tube men beckoning me in their direction.

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“You hit your head pretty hard man. There’s a bit of blood but you should be okay. I’m Paul. I’m not sure how long we are going to be here, but things are still pretty bad outside”. Confused by what this meant, I continued to look around the room. In the far-off corner was another person. She was much smaller than the rest of us. She was staring out the window. The events taking place in the room appeared to be the least of her concern. “This is a cabin located about half way down the slope for skiers and snowboarders to use in case of an emergency.

Thankfully we were all able to get here just in time. I’m Anna”.

Avalanches in this specific location were pretty rare, but over the last twenty years or so there had been a few instances that were recorded.

The snapping sound I heard was the initial break of the ice further up the mountain. According to what they told me shortly after, I had made my way towards the cabin and fell over at the last minute, colliding with a nearby stump. I was rushed into the cabin before the wave of snow came rushing by. We were trapped inside. For how long, was uncertain.

The cabin was pretty sturdy and hadn’t sustained much damage from the impact, but from the inside it was impossible to open the doors.

It was at that moment I realized that the person sitting by the window was staring at the blocks of snow and ice that prevented us from going home.

I looked around the room once more. On the far side was a fireplace.

It appeared that the fire had been burning for some time, because next to it there were only about ten small logs left. Anna must have noticed the concern on my face, because she held my hand even tighter, yet still so gently. “We just have to do our best to stay warm and make sure that it lasts”. There was a small kitchen with several bottles of water on the counter. Next to the bottles was a medium sized duffle bag labeled “emergency food supply”. There couldn’t have been much inside, but I knew that we would have no choice but to make it last. The wind was howling. To make our problems even worse, there was a storm coming.

It would seem as though we had all had the same thing in mind. Enjoy as much of the slopes as we could before it would be closed for the rest of the week.

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After a few moments, I was finally able to stand. I slowly made my way around the room. There were old paintings and animal heads plastered along the walls. My least favorite of them all was the black wolf. It had sharp teeth, and its golden almond shaped eyes seemed to follow me around the room. As creepy as It was, I was glad to know that we would never have to meet face to face under different circumstances.

The cabin was equipped with a full bathroom, a kitchen, and two bedrooms. There was also a pullout sofa, conveniently placed right next to my golden eyed friend. The fireplace did well to keep the main area warm, but the heat didn’t travel so well to the other rooms. I knew that more than likely there would have to be some thought put into our sleeping arrangement for the night. With all this in mind, I couldn’t help but wonder about the silent figure in the corner. I was hesitant at first, but then I slowly made my way in her direction. “Excuse me, is— everything okay?” There was no response at first. A few moments passed then she slightly turned her head in my direction. I could tell that she had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were a bright red. I had never really been good at these things, so at the moment I wasn’t sure of what to say, but I couldn’t just continue staring at her with a blank expression on my face. “I’m sure we won’t be held up here long”.

I began thinking of what Paul had said previously and it made sense. The park had to take account of how many guests had checked in for the day, and I am sure they would notice when all of their gear had not been returned to the main check-in point. There was certainly some sort of procedure in place for these special circumstances.

“I’m Andrew”. I was again met with silence. I somehow felt obligated to make sure that this woman was okay. As I eventually mustered the courage to speak again, she fully turned her body towards me. She was very simple looking, yet there seemed to be something interesting about her. She attempted to fake a smile as she extended her hand in my direction. She was trying her hardest not to cry. “My name is Izo. I was separated from my family earlier. I am sorry that I have been so disconnected, but there is a lot on my mind”. I looked down as I shook her hand and noticed the wedding band on her other finger.

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“My husband wanted to take the kids to the bunny slope. The one time I decide to be adventurous and this is the result. I just pray that they are okay”.

This had all happened so suddenly. One moment I was on my way down the hill, and the next moment I’m waking up and realizing just how lucky I am to still be alive. “Is there a phone that we could possibly use?”

I asked. There was a sigh in the distance. I turned and saw the grim look on both Paul and Anna’s face. “We placed all of our belongings in the lockers at the main check-in point. We’ve tried the landline, but nothing.

The storm appears to have taken out the power lines in the city. It was only a matter of time before it reached us. It seems for the moment all we have is each other”, Said Paul. I could see a bit of worry on his face, but I knew he wanted to be strong. It hadn’t dawned on me until then.

We were pretty far up the mountain, and it had already been pretty close to sunset. The situation was surely far worse than I had initially thought.

With this much snow it would be pretty difficult for help to reach us. We had to think fast if we were to survive the night, and potentially longer if need be’.

I made my way to the stack of boxes where I sat initially and stood next to Anna and Paul. “I think we need to come up with a plan of how we will ration our supplies as well as the firewood. In the case that we are to be here for more than one night, we need to make sure that we are very careful in the decisions that we make moving forward”. I knew it would be difficult, but someone had to take charge, and in that moment, I decided that person was me.

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For a moment we all remained silent. I could tell that everyone else had also been deep in thought. There was a lot to think about, but surely not much time to waste. I looked down at my wrist and noticed that my watch had remained intact. We had about an hour left of sunlight. This meant that there was not much time left before there would be a drastic change in temperature. We had to think fast.

“Judging from our current situation I think it would be best if we all remained in the common room which holds the most heat. The only major issue with this is that there aren’t many logs left to use”, I said. I knew that it would be a challenge, but our options were slim. “What if we were to only burn one log at a time, the fire would be much smaller, but at least we would have a consistent fire.

there had been an aggressive tapping sound for the past two hours. Everyone had been a bit nervous at first, but then realized it couldn’t have been anything that would bring harm to us.

The two mattresses had been brought out of the rooms and placed side by side on the floor. I decided to take a look around the empty rooms.

They were very simple. There weren’t as many paintings or decorations along the walls. The lamps were old fashioned. There were small rugs at the edge of both of the bed frames, and for some reason each of the rooms seemed to have a very distinct odor. It was—interesting to say the least. There was something in particular that stood out to me the most in one of the rooms.

There was a slight crackling sound coming from the window over the empty bed frame. I moved

Another thing we could possibly try is maybe see how long we can go without the fire before lighting it up again. We obviously don’t want to freeze to death, but we also don’t want to use up all of our wood right away”.

They all looked at me in silence. The idea had sounded so much better in my head. Being a leader will always be a challenge. You were not only responsible for yourself, but also everyone that followed you. At this moment—I wasn’t so sure I had a following at all. “I think that at the very least we should give it a try”, said Anna with a smile. That left me with a little bit of relief.

The sleeping situation was simpler to figure out. It had been decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest to remain in the common area. It was much warmer, and it would be easier to keep an eye on one another as the temperature dropped throughout the night. The sound of the wind had gotten pretty intense. There must have been a tree or something at the back of the cabin, because

closer for a better look. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I took a look at the window itself. It seemed as though this entire side of the house had been enveloped in snow and ice. I could see nothing but white with bits of dirt and branches in the mix.

There was a long thin crack straight down the center of the window. The glass was slowly breaking. The pressure from the ice would soon be too much for it to bear. It must have been far worse outside than we had imagined. Judging from how far up the mountain we were, the cabin must have been almost covered. With the winds and the imminent snow storm, it was bound to get worse.

I slowly made my way back into the common area. I was deep in thought. There must have been something off about my expression,

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The storm advisory had mentioned that there would be several feet of snow. Coming up the mountain was a tradition that I had not been willing to break. I realized at that moment that maybe I had just been better off going to dinner with my parents. I was certain that there would be far more snow than expected this far up. In that moment I felt stuck, frozen like the ice shoved against the only place that was keeping us alive.

“We should attempt to barricade the window. Maybe we can push a few things against it for support. It may not last forever, but at least it can buy us some time. If it gets worse, we may eventually have to barricade this room in order to keep the rest of the cabin safe” Said Anna, in a surprisingly bold voice. That was pretty much the only option we had. Going outside was absolutely out of the question and at the moment, impossible.

A bit more time had passed, and the temperature had fallen drastically. Rationing the firewood turned out to be the better idea.

The room was colder than it had been before, but keeping the fire alive, as small as it was, was saving our lives. Being able to fall asleep would be a challenge. We were all nervous of any potential mishaps that would occur overnight. Keeping the beds close together would probably make the most sense in order for us to preserve as much body heat as possible.

The crackling sound could now be heard from the common area.

We had done the best that we could to slow down the process, but it was only a matter of time before the glass shattered. The wind outside was howling and the heavy snow could be heard colliding with the outside of the cabin. Our situation had gone from bad to worse. It was well after sundown at this point, but neither of us was tired. A good night’s rest was the furthest thing from our mind.

The atmosphere was thick with worry. What were we supposed to do next? We were all surely having the same, if not very similar thoughts. Talking about the situation felt as though it would only make things more daunting—but, what else could we do? “It’s only a matter of time before that window shatters. We should try our best to make sure that the snow doesn’t make its way into this room. The air from the outside will be a lot to bear, and we are running pretty low on firewood. Our best bet would be to make sure that the door is as secure as possible”. It would be our final line of defense.

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With no sign of help on the way, I was certain that we wouldn’t last more than an hour without fire in this cold while being exposed to the elements. For the next few minutes we grabbed whatever towels, tablecloths, and any other items that could be used to block the bottom of the door. The next step was barricading the door itself to make sure that it would be able to withstand pressure as the snow and ice pushed up against it. There weren’t many loose items left, we had used the majority of what we could find to help barricade the window.

The moment of truth was drawing near. “I really hope that my family is doing okay, I know the kids must be worried sick”, Izo muttered in a soft voice. I could tell that speaking about her family was what was helping her keep it together. Anna turned to her and smiled.

“I’m sure that they were able to make it to a safe location. The bunny slopes are much further down the mountain. There would have been more than enough time for them to react.” At least one would hope—right? I avoided mentioning this part and nodded in agreement.

Another two hours passed by. We were down to our final few pieces of wood. The crackling of the fire reminded me of the old-fashioned TV guide channels that played the same old boring music over and over again. The four of us sat huddled up.

Four bodies, pressed ever so tightly against one another. It was truly an intimate moment. It was a beautiful moment. Not like a mother nursing a child, or a moment shared between two lovers. It was an intimate moment shared by four strangers for one sole purpose; survival. The temperature had dropped so much that we had been forced to toss all of the wood on the fire at once. It helped a little, but we knew that once the fire went out, all hope would be lost.

We knew this, yet we huddled. We knew of the risks when we climbed the mountain, yet we climbed. We were human, nothing more. It is in our nature to be curious, to be defiant, to take risks, to want to survive.

This is what made us what we are. It felt as though death was near, but at this very moment I had never felt so alive.

“You know, I am thankful to have been here with all of you. I was panicking out of my mind earlier, but I am grateful to you all for helping me to maintain a

calmness”. Izo said with a smile. She was far more outspoken than I had remembered. Then again, what did I really know about this woman? “It’s all really weird isn’t it? I’m absolutely terrified out of my mind, but you know what? At the same time, I feel—calm.

It’s all really strange”. Said Paul, making his way into the conversation.

Anna laid her head against my shoulder. She breathed slowly and deeply. This brought me a slight sense of comfort. I reached down and held her hand. My grip was firm, yet gentle. I wanted to comfort her in the way that she had done for me. The rhythm of her breathing changed. I could tell that her heart was now racing. She was crying. “I never thought that it would end this way, I mean whoever really does right? I thought that I would have my whole life ahead of me, I mean didn’t we all? I took so many things for granted. I just wish I could make this all go away. I wanted to be strong. I tried so very hard to be strong but I just ca---.” She could no longer keep it together.

I wrapped my arm around her and held her tightly.

Our group huddle slowly turned into a warm embrace. We wrapped our arms around each other.

In that moment, we were able to display the true essence of what it meant to be a human. They say we strive for connection. I never truly understood what that meant, at least not to the fullest extent. It was indeed a shitty situation, but one thing that I have always learned was that the greatest teacher in life, has and will always be experience. Anna’s crying had become uncontrollable. She was hyperventilating.

There was a loud crack from behind us. A dramatic climax to a story drawing near its end. The window had finally cracked. The door, our final line of defense, burst open shortly. Everything that we had built up to avoid the inevitable - shattered. There was an even louder crack off in the distance. The thunderous roar that followed sent a shiver down my spine. I wanted so badly to say something. To be the leader that the group needed. I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I was overcome with fear. The wave of ice and debris would soon knock on the cabin’s door.

We all knew what the sound meant.

I was overcome by a warm sensation. The sound was much closer now.

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I closed my eyes and thought of my parents. I thought of all the moments we had shared. The things that they taught me. The things that I had yet to learn. My parents were always very kind. Stern at times, but overall, they were sincerely good people. We all say these things about our parents, but Jannete and Clyve were different. I didn’t dare open my eyes. I wanted so badly to open them, to see the bright light that everyone spoke of. To experience that awakening, but all I was faced with was darkness.

Everything around me was still. I attempted to move but I couldn’t. It was like a perilous game of freeze tag I’d rather not be a part of. My breathing was slow. There was a tightness in my chest. With each breath I took, it felt as though there were small sharp objects scraping against my lungs. I was sure it would all be over. The peace I was filled with before turned to panic. I tried to scream. Silence. With every fiber of my being I attempted to move. A sharp pain ran through every inch of my body. It felt as though I was being torn to shreds from the inside. At the very least I wanted to be able to look around and see how bad it was. My eyelids were frozen shut—at least that’s how it felt.

I wanted to run, to run as far as away from this place as I could, but I couldn’t move. I wanted to scream, but I could barely breathe. My lips felt frozen in place.

I was startled by a sudden tremor above me. Something was scraping against the ice. The tremors grew louder. I began to hear voices. At first, it was like a whisper, and then little by little, they became clearer.

“Just a bit more, keep at it”. The voice was strange. How had they gotten to me so quickly? What about the others? There were so many questions running through my mind. Whatever it was being used to break through the ice must have been huge. The sound was intense.

My ears couldn’t take much more of it. The final collision caused the ice to break. I was free. Cold air flooded into my lungs. I was sure I was going to pass out shortly after. How would I possibly make it out of here alive?

I was suddenly able to open my eyes. There was a bright light shining directly into them. “He’s awake honey!” This was a familiar voice. I looked around. I was lying in bed. The room was cold and my body was stiff. My muscles clearly hadn’t been used in quite some time.

“Where am I?” I asked.

I looked around me, my eyes finally adjusted to the light, and saw a man in a white coat making his way over to where I lay. “I’m Dr. Echendu, how are you feeling?” I wasn’t sure how to respond. “You’ve been out for quite some time now, you will need a bit of time to readjust”.

I continued to look around the room. I finally noticed where the familiar voice had come from. My mother was standing at the edge of my bed. Her face was flushed. Tears endlessly flowed from her eyes.

My father stood next to her. A skeleton of the man I knew. From the look on his face, I could tell he had been dreadfully afraid. “My boy...

My boy.” I could tell he wanted to say more, but it was evident that he couldn’t find the words. That was the first time I ever saw my father break down. My mother walked him over to the chair placed neatly in the far corner. He sat there sobbing for quite some time. I turned to look at the doctor once again.

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“Where’s...?” I attempted to ask. The doctor smiled. I’m sure you have plenty of questions, but we will need to run a few quick tests on you first to make sure that everything is okay. Everything else that took place within the next few hours had been a blur. My mind had been too focused on the Cabin.

Where were we? How had I gotten to this hospital room?

How long had I been out for? These were some of the questions that I would need answers to. I had been left alone for a few moments, and the doctor had finally made his way back into the room.

There was a clipboard in his hand with what appeared to be noted.

“So, we have some good news. We will have to keep you for a few more days to keep an eye on you, but you seem to have recovered well. There doesn’t seem to be any major lingering issue, but we will continue to monitor you for any complications that may arise.

You’ve been in a coma for quite some time.” I wanted to speak but struggled to put the words together. Things were still a bit fuzzy. The doctor handed me the clipboard and I read through the notes. *** A year had passed since the day I woke up in that hospital bed. I had so many questions. The answers I received caused more confusion than anything. I always think back to the doctor’s notes, to the emotions I felt, to the cabin. The doctor mentioned that on rare occasions a person could have a level of brain functionality that allows them to dream. There was not much information on this it seems.

It had all felt so real. Life for me had never been the same.

The story I experienced versus the story I was told was so drastically different. I had collided with a fellow patron that day at the slopes. My helmet became undone at the last moment and my head collided with the side of a sled as my body flipped over. My memory of this was gone.

The only thing I could remember was waking up in this cabin. I could remember the feeling of the blood on the side of my head. I remember the almond-shaped eyes of the wolf’s head on the wall. I remember the crackling of the fire, the thoughts that went through my mind. My parents had encouraged me to seek counseling.

Nothing helped. No matter how hard I tried, my story always begins with waking up in that cabin.

The world is a cold place, that’s for sure, but the connections I made that day in that cabin would always keep me warm. There were kind people in the world, people that were willing to show compassion to one another in the darkest of times. Whether they lived in my mind, I knew they existed.

I believe strongly that we are all

connected in some way. We are but small pieces of a vast universe that we have barely begun to understand.

I made a connection that day. I connected with something, something that may not ever make sense, but that connection was real. I was willing to carry that connection with me until I took my last breath. Even today, I still am.

I long to know the rest of their story.

To find out who they truly were. You can only ever know so much about a person no matter how long you’ve known them. Despite knowing this I wanted to know more. I wanted to return to that day, in the cabin. I wanted to get to know every one of their stories. They’ve inspired me to become a better person. I’ve been spending a lot more time with my parents these days. I’ve begun to reach out to friends that I haven’t spoken to in quite some time. Establishing and maintaining these connections was more important to me now than it ever was.

Although some time had passed, I would have regular check-ins with Doctor Echendu just to make sure that things were going well. After the coma, my memory hadn’t been the best. I had become prone to blood clots and my mobility was inconsistent.

Some days were better than others.

Dr. Echendu told me that nightmares and hallucinations were quite common after an experience like this. I hadn’t had one, not a nightmare at least. I had been able to sleep peacefully for the most part. What scared me the most was being awake. *** I was on my way home from the doctor’s office. It had been a fairly sunny winter day. I’d usually take the bus, but it had been quite some time since I’d taken a stroll so I decided to walk. There was still a bit of snow on the ground from last week’s storm. The scent of cinnamon filled my nostrils.

Clara’s cafe was one of my favorites. I took a glance inside as I passed by. My favorite cashier was nowhere in sight.

As I turned to walk away something caught my eye. There was a woman

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seated in the back corner. She wore a light green vest over a long sleeve denim shirt. From a distance, it was hard to tell, but those kind brown eyes felt all too familiar.

I made my way into the bakery. I had been so focused on her that I hadn’t noticed the waitress passing by. By the time I realized what was happening, there was iced coffee all over the front of my jacket. Back to reality, I anxiously made my way to the counter to grab some napkins. I felt safe.

“I’m so sorry, I blanked out for a second”. I said as I began wiping away. She replied with a simple “It’s okay”, and went on about her business. Embarrassed beyond belief, I turned my attention back to the woman in the corner. She was looking in my direction. We looked directly at each other and she smiled. At that moment a sense of warmth fell over me. The knots in my stomach, formed by embarrassment, became untied. I made my way in her direction. I wanted to speak to her, to know who this woman was. Unable to muster the courage, I sat two tables away. She must have noticed because shortly after her soft soothing voice graced my ears. “It’s a good thing that it was iced coffee huh? That could have been pretty bad”. That was my way in. We both introduced ourselves and spoke to one another for quite some time. Interestingly enough, we had quite a few things in common. She had family that lived in the area and had been visiting for the holidays. It had been a while since I had a good conversation.

She was beautiful beyond belief. Her curly brown hair rested ever so gently on her shoulders. It was like looking at a picture in a magazine.

Anna, that’s all I could think about each time I looked into this woman’s eyes. I knew It was her, it had to be, but this woman showed no sign of knowing who I was.

I wanted so badly to tell her my story, but I decided against it. Although we introduced ourselves, I could never actually recall her name. That day was one of many. I continued to meet this woman in different places, each time with a different name.

Her hair was typically always the same. Sometimes it would be straight, but most of the time she wore her brown curls. The colors she wore were always bright. It was always Anna—I’m sure of it.

I hadn’t spoken to my counselor about it. It was something I felt she wouldn’t understand. I had to understand it all on my own. Each time we met I would learn something new. One day I would have the courage to ask her about that day. To find out what else happened in that Cabin. To understand the true story of how we survived. I hadn’t seen the others since that day. I thought I had caught a glance of Paul once in a supermarket but had only been a local with similar features. I had been quite disappointed. But Anna, she would always come back. I knew it would all make sense eventually.

Whether here or “there” - I made a connection. And that- to me at least- has always been real. it would all make sense eventually. Whether here or there, I made a connection. And that—to me at least has

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always been real.

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The

LUCIF Long &FLUCIFECRE:F Short of itEE The

A LONG DANCE WITH DUNE

BY SERGE DONAT

"

Dune is as much an experience as it is a movie - an orgy of immersive visuals, music, and sound that pull you into its enthralling world." - Rotten Tomatoes

T

he word orgy caught my attention. If one was to just think sexually, you would miss how spot on this review is. The film is an over indulgence in visual beauty.

The craft of cinematography was elevated by this entry into the sci-fi genre. Dune is often considered the “Godfather” of science fiction for it has a series of novels that came out in the 1960s by Frank Herbert. This film took that comparison and ran with it. As Godfather, the movie is a pinnacle of cinematic splendor. Dune, in the lineage of movies that wow an audience with captivating images, far exceeds expected standards. In the 1960s Sci-Fi wasn’t the mega genre it is today and the Dune series was much different from what is considered a generic scifi yet and still it paved the way for many of the tropes used in all our favorites. The 1984 Dune was completely ahead of its time and had a massive budget of $40 million. It turned into a box office bomb (only made 30 million) and received many negative reviews from critics often touted as one of the worst films of the year.

“This movie is a real mess, an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion into the murkier realms of one of the most confusing screenplays of all time” – Roger Ebert on his 1 star out of 4 takes. David Lynch, director of the 1984 film, cited pressure from both producers and financiers whom restrained his artistic control, his final cut and removed his name in response. No one knows the truth of what happened but Dune did not get the proper love it needed back then to jumpstart it into being one of the greatest epics of all time. But, that time is now.

Fading into obscurity for 32 years Dune finally got picked up

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up in 2016 with Villeneuve as the projects director, producer and co-writer. It has been a long standing dream of Villeneuve’s to adapt Dune to cinema and that love is shown in every frame and shot taken. Villeneuve put together an absolute all-star production team to help make the film. Greig Fraser (cinematographer), Joe Walker (editor), (Patrice Vermette) production designer, and Hans Zimmer (film composer) are all highly accredited technicians who worked with Villeneuve on previous films Arrival and BladeRunner 2049.

The level of talent in the cast deserves exemplary praise. Each actor and actress felt like they were made for their roles. ‘Call Me By Your Name’s Oscar nominee, Timothee Chalamet, Mission Impossible actress Rebecca Ferguson, Star Wars and X-men Apocalypse actor Oscar Isaac, and Euphoria’s Zendaya who has also brought love interests to life in MCU’s Spider-man and Malcolm and Marie, all played their roles seamlessly. Not to mention, Jason Momoa, whose one of the best in the game at bringing warrior characters to another level and finally one of my all-time favorites Stellan Skarsgard whose range is legendary in his decades worth of experience. These actors took Dune to a place not normally seen in Epic films. Watching in IMAX, I was absolutely blown away not only by the visuals of Arrakis, but by the unshakable believability in its own world building - from a drop of sweat trickling down the ear of a desert rodent to the massive shimmering tsunamis of sand, the scope and ambition of Dune was majestic and enveloping. Though the action was phenomenal, the focus was almost always on the characters.

I haven’t been wowed by a film like this since Lord of The Rings.

It has truly reinvigorated my love of cinema seeing arthouse and fantasy epic blended together so effortlessly. I hope to speak about this film in length in an upcoming episode of Lights Camera Drink.

"

Dune is exactly the kind of lush, lofty filmmaking wide screens were made for; a sensory experience so opulent and overwhelming it begs to be seen big, or not at all.

The sheer awesomeness of Villeneuve’s execution ... often obscures the fact that the plot is mostly prologue: a sprawling origin story with no fixed beginning or end”.

–Entertainment Weekly

A SHORT TAKE ON KING RICHARD

BY OLIVER PIERRE

W

ith outstanding performance, Will Smith, Jon Bernthal, & Saniyya Sidney felt as if they were born for the roles they played in “King Richard”. Richard Williams, husband and father of five, was filled with the belief that two of his youngest daughters would grow to become the next Michael Jordan’s of Tennis. The film is a biography that touched on two things that bring people from all over the world together - sports and family.

It is a perfect display of self-belief and a lesson in never allowing anyone to stop your dreams. The Warner Bros. film that was realesed on HBO Max due to the panademic, takes places in Compton, California in the 90’s. Over a seven year period Richard’s mission was to get his daughters noticed by elite coaches in the world of Tennis.

He is tenacious in his efforts and it’s clear that he’ll do anything for his children, from long hours of training, to defending them from the harsh streets of Compton. He was extremely passionate and all his efforts successfully made the names Venus and Serena Williams well-known today - simply by pushing them to be the best in the sport he loved so much.

Will Smith’s portrayal of fatherhood, perseverance and determination illuminated in the film when he constantly refused rejection. While trying to get his daughters to play for these elite coaches, ‘King Richard’ went to extreme measures such as firing Venus’s first coach- Rick Macci, played by Jon Bernthal, and replacing him with Paul Cohen played by Tony Goodwin - because Paul Cohen appeared to have better opportunities for Venus in the long term.

Without question, the film is very family friendly. I cried, laughed and admittedly got upset but for all the right reasons. It was a true rollercoaster of emotions watching this legendary Black family be represented on screen. Above all else, it reminded me that with hard work and dedication you can make anything possible in a world that may make you feel that things are impossible.

There’s a scene right before Venus Williams, played by Saniyya Sidney, goes into her first U.S Open Championship match, where King Richard is able to hush her fear and doubt. Those moments between father and daughter highlight the importance of a parents impact on their children’s success.

For me, it emphasized how influential a parent can be, and how far their child can go if that child feels guided and loved along the way.

The audience was able to get a detailed glimpse into the upbringing of two of, if not THE , best Tennis players in the world. Aside from their obvious talent, we truly got to see where Venus and Serena Williams got their heart and grit from – King Richard, a man of passion, bravery, and spirit. I can’t wait to show this movie to my future children.

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THE MUSIC T

hriller released Nov. 30th, 1982, is the album that catapulted Michael Jackson into another level of fame. The way Jackson and producer Quincy Jones turned the singer’s obsessions into intricate, stunningly sung pop-funk musical pieces changed the direction of pop culture tremendously and made way for so many artists today. The 42 minute, 9-track masterpiece features notable songs like Thriller, P.Y.T, Billie Jean and Beat it.

The album doesn’t really follow a storyline or an idea but operates more like an E.P. (Extended Play) which usually consists of 9 songs or less.

T h e song that feels like a deep cut for me personally, would be his track with Paul McCartney, “The Girl Is Mine.” The two are musical royalty serving a collaboration of smooth Jazz, R&B, and Pop Music. The song explores the feeling of being in love with a girl. MJ says “I’m a Lover, not a Fighter” - a lyric in the song that also defines me as a person. The Thriller album is such a soulful, electrifying, energetic album from start to finish. After listening it’s hard to question why Michael Jackson is so undeniable aside from his elite performances. MJ’s hard work and dedication gave the world a magical experience of imagination and creativity that still lives on. Kids of all ages moonwalk all over the dance floor in remembrance of the stamp he’s imbedded for generations. We can all say that “Thriller” is A “Thriller” of music that will always be remembered and felt through the melodies and dance moves of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

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C REVIEW

By Michael Neil Morris & Prince Smith

C

ertified Lover Boy by October’s Very Own, Drake released September 3rd, 2021. This is the Canadian Rapper’s 6th Studio album release by OVO SOUND and REPUBLIC RECORDS. The production of this album was handled by 40, Nineteen85, PartyNextDoor, OZ, and Vinylz, among others. In typical Drake fashion, the album is well-rounded with features from the soulful likes of Giveon, Yebba, and Tems, to the club banging rappers like Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, and Future. Drake, who seems to always lead the wave by being a part of it, leaves us with a relatable album cover that makes every iPhone user intrigued. The meme-able rapper follows that up with singles such as “Way Too Sexy” featuring Future, which gives more of a comedic internetworthy stamp to be kept in all conversations.

As far as the album as a whole, Drake presents different dimensions of himself; from bar heavy songs to more commercial sounding, to confessing emotions on topics of encounters he’s had with woman as a Certified Lover Boy. He also shares his feelings about the rivalry between Kanye “Ye” West and himself. The monotone rapper never breaks from his traditional style of flows yet still adds volume and variety with his way of words and beat selections. The album is a very easy listen if you’re looking for a “BOP” “Bar Heavy” “Meme-able” experience.

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Go Get That Doba!

By: Izy McCoy

W

ith the meta-verse trending and artificial Intelligence on the rise, there are many questions that we need to ask these new and scary technologies. Does artificial intelligence benefit or irreversibly harm humanity?

Will crypto currency lead to new found wealth, or will it allow big brother to have a tighter grip on our lives? And the age old question, will flying cars ever happen?

No matter how intriguing I find that last one. There’s still one question that burns through my frontal lobe. What the hell is a Doba?

On March 10th, 2020 the good folks at Activision (and I say that sarcastically) developed their own version of a Fortnite-like gameplay in the form of Call of Duty: Warzone. The games development was and still is handled by Infinity ward, and Raven Software. This was a huge move in my opinion away from the traditional set up found in Call of Duty’s online play. Nor-

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mally to engage in combat with or against your friends online, you would have to play a six vs six game mode. This could come in the form of a team deathmatch, which is won by racking up kills, or more objective based games like domination, capture the flag, or search and destroy. None of these modes were replaced by the creation of warzone, but in my mind they were.

I haven’t even touched a multiplayer match in about two years because my version of Call of Duty is outdated and also because in order to play multiplayer you must actually own the game. What do I mean by this? Warzone is in its own category. It sits independently nestled between all the purchasable titles such as, Modern Warfare (which I own), Black Ops, and Cold War. It is the only way to get a call of duty experience for the total amount of free99.

Yes, that is right. For those unfamiliar with Call of Duty, Warzone costs nothing for you to get your feet wet.

Well, not nothing. It will cost you the time of its enormous download, but once you boot that bad boy up, you’re dropped, literally, into a world of frags, proximity mines, campers who hide in the shadows, and the occasional outburst of frustration by a twelve year old white kid calling you the ‘N word’. What a paradise.

Warzone is amazing though, despite the overwhelming amount of issues (which I’ll speak about later). I used to hate that you had to wait in a pre-match game mode.

Just racking up meaningless kills as you kill time, ironic. Although it started off as something boring to me, it actually developed into a time to get to know my friends better. For instance, I’m the owner of Great House Vision, the brother company that created this magazine. The Lead designer of the magazine plays with me. Many ideas were discussed while also screaming at the fact that we were assassinated by a go hard in a pre match. I also play with my head of Film operations, and three members of our music department. The sometimes super long wait time has created a perfect opportunity to discuss topics we may have missed in our weekly meetings.

Because Call of Duty is so team oriented, it allows us to create understandings in the way we communicate with each other.

We take that, and apply it to our business life. When the game finally starts, you’re transported to your mode of choice. It’s up to you and your team to navigate through landscapes and eliminate the other teams.

My choice of weapon is the Kar98 and I have it tricked out and configured to my specific needs. I then like to find a great sniper location and provide support to

my teammates on the ground. Rebirth, the mode I play the most, isn’t all about getting kills. It’s about not dying and leaving your team a man down. So personal accountability is a trait that must be developed.

Running and gunning is fun, but if you get yourself killed just to pat your stats, that leaves your team with a 3 to 4 disadvantage. Not to mention the fact some one will third party you. Third party refers to when you are fighting a team and third team sees you fighting each other, then decides to kill you both while you’re preoccupied with each other. Third partying is so trash.

Speaking of trash, the game still has technical flaws that should have been taken care of. When you go to the buy station to get new equipment, you can be transported back to the home loading screen. One time I got kicked out of the entire game.

There’s a feeling amongst players of the game that the game developers really don’t care about us. When they switched over to the new season of Warzone I was unable to play for two months, until they fixed that issue. However, when I came back there were horror stories of them introducing a shotgun that was so overpowered that when it shot you, you felt it in real life.

I’m glad I missed that. Despite its faults, I still play because of the aforementioned bond that it’s created with my friends. I’ve also been fortunate enough to meet new friends. So, Call of Duty Warzone is indeed the game first-person shooter fanatics have been waiting for. Even though, they completely shit the bed, I’ll continue to get the Doba. Which is actually just the character saying “get the armor” in a weird accent. I prefer it, as Doba.

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There you were, the most pleasant shade of brown, Dressed in all black With a single glance we both knew.

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Carnal instincts rose Bodies overlapped Our eyes locked as the world trembled around us.

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A sudden shower burst from the skies, Yet we held each other close Drenched in each other’s souls 107

If only I had noticed....

The clouds that brought the rain also blinded the sun.

If only I knew.

You were my peace, 108

And I... I was yours

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Yet in those final moments as we laid side by side Although you were there, You were already gone

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Silent Night On TheMilkyWay

By Raheem Lawrence 111

BLACK BODIES Our notions and convictions so limit our perceptions. And so we wait for snow to fall ‘For times of insurrection.

So limit our perceptions. Perhaps now is the time to question, ‘for times of insurrection, without moral objection.

Perhaps now is the time to question, if injustice be the fruit of colonial quest and without moral objection.

The fruit’s rotted, in need of contraception If injustice be the fruit of colonial quest and, southern trees indeed bear these strange fruits. The fruit’s rotten, in need of contraception. Nothing rectifies a sin like reparation.

Southern trees indeed bear these strange fruits. Cut them down, and burn the plantation.

Nothing rectifies a sin like reparation.

Stomachs swollen with malnutrition.

Cut them down, and burn the plantation. America is an insidious nation.

Stomachs swollen with malnutrition, and white pockets full of stolen ambition.

America is an insidious nation, whether you’re African, Hindu or Haitian, and white pockets full of stolen ambition Who cries for the black bodies at the bottom of the ocean?

Whether you’re African, Hindu or Haitian, our notions and convictions.

Who cries for the black bodies at the bottom of the ocean?

And so we wait for snow to fall.

JOY SAVOY

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By Shayla Monae Russell 113

#1 Seneca Village was destroyed to build Central Park.

Seneca Village is one of the many hidden gems of New York City’s rich history. Founded in 1825 by emancipated African Americans, this community spanned from 82nd street to 89th street along what is now known as the Western edge of our beloved Central Park. By the 1850’s, it had become a refuge for newly freed African Americans to live, build, and sustain themselves. These freed Blacks hoped to create a future in a city that saw their freedom as merely a “nuisance incomparably greater than a million slaves.” So with such pushback, it’s easy to wonder “how’d they acquire this land?”.

Well, as most landowners at the time refused to sell to African Americans, one White couple living close by was

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the exception. They sold to Epiphany Davis and Andrew Williams, while other members of the African society and AME Church followed suit. Slowly houses were developed, from two-story homes with barns and stables to modest shacks. The area eventually housed 3 churches and a school.

As an African American, owning land in Seneca village meant more than finding a safe haven for you and your family - it meant voting rights (for men) because NY law required all voters to own at least $250 worth of real estate. It meant safety for runaway slaves of whom hid in its basements. It was also a stop on the

Underground railroad and housed some of its conductors. Half of the Americans who lived there owned land, a rate five times higher than the cities average at the time. And while the village remained mostly Black, white immigrants were welcomed into the community as well.

But in 1857, it was all torn down when support for Central Park grew. As New York became heavily populated, real estate developers anticipated a demand for exclusive neighborhoods bordering the parks. Despite its short history of only 32 years, Seneca Village is established in history as a “tight-knit community that served as a stabilizing and empowering force in uncertain racial times”.

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#2 Watermelon does not equal Blackness The associations of Blacks with watermelons, is at its root, nothing more than an attempt to insult and mock African Americans for gaining their freedom after the Civil War. Interestingly enough, African Americans are underrepresented Watermelon eaters compared to the rest of the US population - making up about 13% of the US population yet only accounting for 11% of all watermelon consumption.

So when did it become so degrading? The Jim Crow Era. With its “coon cards” and minstrel shows, this era was bursting with negative visual representations of African Americans. In the media, they were regularly displayed with very dark skin, bright red smiling lips, and disheveled clothing - eating watermelons. But how did this specific summer fruit get such a racist connection to

Black people specifically? One word, hate.

Following the victory of the Civil War, free African Americans grew, ate, and sold watermelons to make a living and feed their families. In doing so, they made this fruit an emblem of their freedom. In retaliation, Southern whites, threatened by their newly found freedom, retorted by using propaganda to make Watermelon a symbol of African Americans already perceived “uncleanliness, laziness, and childness”. However, the stigma of watermelon being unclean and messy didn’t begin there, nor did it begin in America for that matter. Watermelon was known in Italian and Arab cultures as the food of the “peasant”; a poor man’s replacement for a proper meal. There, the fruit symbolized many of the same qualities as it would in post-emancipationn America: uncleanliness, be-

America: uncleanliness, because eating watermelon is messy. Laziness, because growing watermelons is easy. Childishness, because watermelons are colorful and lacking in much nutritional value. These stereotypes made their way to America and settled in our society simply because these were the exact racial tropes portrayed in America about Blacks.To whites, it seemed that African Americans were flaunting their new freedom a bit too much for their liking. So, the demoralization began.

Truth is - it is silly to attribute so much meaning to a fruit. There is nothing inherently racist about watermelons and African Americans should be very proud of their resourcefulness in such trying times. Yet as we all know, cultural opinions and propaganda are powerful forces ; so much so that the stereotype still exists today.

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#3 Stan Lee’s Black superheroes endured pushback by the comic industry The late Stan Lee, the master behind Marvel’s biggest superheroes, made countless contributions to pop culture.

It’s been said that the Marvel genius felt that “with great comic books came great responsibility”.

While Black people were risking their lives in the 1960s to protest discrimination in their neighborhoods, Lee utilized his pen to combat segregation by creating the first mainstream Black superhero. Black Panther, the X-Men, and Luke Cage, are major onscreen heroes today. But back then, they were soliders in the army of Leewhose brown skin repels bullets and the X-Men, a group of heroes whose superpowers were as diverse as their

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as he battled the real-world foes of racism and xenophobia.

Under Lee’s leadership, Marvel Comics introduced a generation of comic book readers to an African prince who rules a mythical kingdom of advanced technology, a black excon whose brown skin repels bullets and the X-Men, a group of heroes whose superpowers were as diverse as their cultural backgrounds. Still, there was some pushback by white comic distributors when it came to black heroes and characters. Some bundles of Marvel Comics were sent back because distributors weren’t prepared for the Black Panther and the kingdomgdom of Wakanda de-

of Wakanda developed by artist and co-creator Jack Kirby.

Unknown to them, in the years to come, the Marvel Cinematic Universe films have netted more than $17.6 billion in worldwide grosses.

The “Black Panther” movie pulled in more than $200 million in its debut weekend. Actress Brie Larson served excellently as “Captain Marvel.” An animated movie centered on Miles Morales, a half-black and half-Puerto Rican teen, inherited the Spider-Man suit. And there continues to be interest around Kamala Khan a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim superhero.

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#4 Henrietta Lacks’ cancer cells led to major discoveries in medical research while her family lived in poverty Henrietta Lacks, born in 1920 in Virginia, died of cervical cancer in 1951. Cells taken from her body without her knowledge were used to form the HeLa cell line, which has been applied extensively in medical research since that time. Lacks’ case raised legal and ethical debates over an individual’s rights to his or her genetic material and tissue.

On January 29, 1951, Lacks went to Johns Hopkins Hospital to examine abnormal pain and bleeding in her abdomen. Physician Howard Jones quickly diagnosed her with cervical cancer. During her radiation treat-

ments, doctors removed two cervical samples from Lacks without her knowledge. She died at Johns Hopkins on October 4, 1951, at the age of 31. The cells from Lacks’ tumor made their way to the lab of researcher Dr. George Otto Gey, who noticed an unusual quality in the cells. Unlike most cells, which survived only a few days, Lacks’s cells were far more durable.

Gey isolated and multiplied a specific cell, creating a cell line. He called the resulting sample HeLa, derived from the late Henrietta Lacks. The HeLa strain revolutionized medical research. Jonas Salk used the HeLa

strain to develop the polio vaccine, sparking mass interest in the cells.

As demand grew, scientists cloned them in 1955. Since that time, over ten thousand patents involving HeLa cells have been registered. Researchers have used the cells to study disease and test human sensitivity to new products and substances. Neither Lacks nor her family granted permission to harvest her cells, which were cloned and sold globally. Nor was the family financially compensated for Lacks groundbreaking cells.

The Lacks family has had limited success in gaining control of the HeLa strain.

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#5 The first person on top of the world was a Black man named Henson a B On April 6th, 1909 an American flag was planted on the North Pole. When Commander Robert Edwin Peary set out to explore the treacherous terrains of the North Pole, Matthew Alexander Henson accompanied him. They set out an expedition to the North Pole with a company of 24 men, 19 sledges, and 133 dogs. After months of travel across an immense field of ice, one by one members of the party began turning back. So, there were only a handful of men who could confirm the truth. When the first human footprints were pressed into the snow at the most northern point on the planet all that remained of the original group were Peary, 40 dogs, four native Inuit hunters and an African American man who would be forgotten by history for almost half a century. Although Peary was the public face of their partnership, Henson

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was the front man in the field. With his skills as a carpenter and craftsman, Henson personally built and maintained all of the sledges used on their expeditions. He was fluent in the Inuit language and established a rapport with the native people. He was known by all he encountered as “Matthew the Kind One.” Henson learned the methods the Inuit used to survive and travel through the incredibly hostile landscape of the Arctic. “He was more of an Eskimo than some of them.” Peary once said.

With a difference of a few hours, it would be reasonable to give Peary and Henson equal credit for having reached the North Pole together as a team. However, the racially divisive climate of time would not give an African-American man the same standing in the public eye for such a monumentusl

human achievement. Peary was the recognized discoverer of the Pole while Henson was relegated to the role of trusty companion. Despite Henson’s indispensable contributions to their efforts for almost 20 years he received very little acknowledgment.

He would spend the next 30 years leading a quiet life of seclusion until much later. But in 1937, The Explorers Club of New York made him an honorary member. A few years later in 1946 Henson was awarded a medal, identical to the one given to Peary, by the U.S. Navy. And in 1954 he was invited to the White House by President Dwight Eisenhower to receive a special commendation for his early work as an explorer on the behalf of the United States of America.

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CREATIVE TEAM

Isaiah Stapleton Wright aka Izy McCoy Head Photographer, Photo Editor, Graphic Designer, Assistant Magazine Editor CEO and President of Great House Vision IG @greathousevision

Jordan Canty Photographer, Photo Editor, Graphic Designer CCO and Director of Still Images of Great House Vision IG @viewmyvizion

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EDITOR’S NOTE

@theshaymonae

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