Words of Wisdom
Lyllye Reynolds-Parker’s legacy page 6
Picture Perfect Polly Irungu unites Black women photographers page 12
Voice of a Generation Activist Tyshawn Ford page 18
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Bi-Mart’s employee-owners are proud to support JLI’s work to aid academic achievement for African American students in Lane County.
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There are 80 Bi-Mart locations serving communities across Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
UNTIL THE CURTAIN GOES UP, LET’S PROTECT OREGON CULTURE TOGETHER. If you donate to any arts and culture organization in Oregon, you have a secret weapon for protecting the groups hit so hard by the pandemic: Oregon’s cultural tax credit. Started nearly 20 years ago, the cultural tax credit gives Oregonians the opportunity to direct a greater portion of their tax dollars to fund arts and culture. The funds have never been more needed. Learn more at CulturalTrust.org, by calling the Oregon Cultural Trust at (503) 986-0088 or by consulting your tax preparer.
Oregon Cultural Trust | 775 Summer Street NE, Suite 200 | Salem, OR 97301 (503) 986-0088 | CulturalTrust.org
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CONTENTS 06 10 12 18 22 24
An Iconic Role Model
Leadership in Many Forms
Capturing Confidence
Voice of a Generation
Q&A with Joshua Stroud
COVID-19 and the Eugene Dance Community
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Reporters Bailey Myles Ben Myles MaeAni Dotts Marley Dotts Anna Johnson Sarah Dione
Editor Jassy McKinley
Copy Editor Ryan Nguyen
Designer Nicole Williams
Advisers Billy Fields Holli Johnson Jason Floyd Lela Ross Niles Mittasch
Editor-in-Chief Jordan Tichenor
Special thanks to JLI’s Board John Griffith, Interim President Esther Wojcicki, Secretary Lori Shontz, Treasurer Susan Castillo, member Berk Nelson, member Cover photo by Vonecia Carswell, a photographer in Polly Irungu’s network of Black women photographers. Read more on page 12.
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he Journalistic Learning Initiative is proud to release this inaugural edition of Black Student Magazine: Lane County. It fulfills our organization’s commitment to amplifying young people’s voices in our community who are often not heard. Amid a global pandemic, a diligent team of middle and high school students met weekly this fall via Zoom to develop stories, conduct interviews, and edit their work. February traditionally marks Black History Month. However, the entire past year brought unprecedented attention and international solidarity around bringing change to social justice concerns that plague communities of color. Black Student Magazine is for audiences of all ages, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. It is a reflection of the vibrant tapestry of individuality that makes our community one. This publication serves both an academic and cultural purpose. Research confirms that students (and specifically those of color) who participate in media-related project-based learning academically outperform their peers who do not. They generate and direct fulfillment of their assignments, resulting in work that expresses their day-to-day experiences. Therefore, projects are relevant and are completed with care. There’s also the extra benefit of sharing it with you––an authentic audience. Additionally, exploring one’s culture supports positive self-reflection, validates self-worth, and fosters pride. Thanks to JLI’s leadership team for its exceptional guidance of this project, including Jordan Tichenor, our program manager; Glenda Gordon, director of philanthropy and partnerships; and Sydney Clevenger, who handles our social media and grant management. Also, Jassy McKinley and Nicole Williams, undergraduates at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, respectively, provided mentoring and art direction. Also, to the interview subjects who contributed their time and wisdom. Special thanks to our partners Carlos Sequeira, Sue Wilson, Holli Johnson at the Lane Education Service District (Lane ESD) and their navigator team, including Lela Ross, Jason Floyd, Niles Mittasch, and Billy Fields.
Letter from the
This project was made possible by funding from the Oregon African American/Black Student Success Plan (HB 2016) and grants from the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Autzen Foundation. We also acknowledge Nancy and Dave Petrone, JLI’s distinguished benefactors, as well as the many businesses, community groups, and other allies represented in these pages. We also acknowledge our partnership with the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication and College of Education and their respective Deans’ Juan Carlos Molleda and Randy Kamphaus. Enjoy these pages and support our ongoing effort to inspire learning across our community.
sincerely,
Ed Madison Executive Director ed@journalisticlearning.com
Executive Director 2852 Willamette Street #241 Eugene, OR 97405
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role m
an iconic
Photos by Charlie Litchfield 6 Black Student Magazine
by an n
a joh
nson
model Trailblazer Lyllye Reynolds-Parker talks about perseverance
O
ne way to search family lineage and ancestry is by interviewing grandparents, and relatives. Anna Johnson, a student at Willamette High School has an icon in her family and within the Eugene, Oregon,
community. “Not only is she a great friend and a good mentor but to me, she is my grandma Lyllye.” Lyllye B. Reynolds-Parker knows about the history of Black lives in this community, she was born into one of the first black families along W. 11th Ave. in Eugene, Oregon. This community was known as Ferry Street Village, which was recently acknowledged by Lane County as an important part of the city’s history. “ Everybody looked out for everybody else,” Reynolds-Parker says. “We didn’t have much. Our community was poor. But we had a lot of love.” Throughout Reynolds-Parker’s life, her parents always advocated for education, and that is where she found her will to empower others. When she was in eighth grade she was told by an advisor she would never become an attorney. Reynolds-Parker’s mother had an eighthgrade education, and her father did not attend school, and Reynolds-Parker herself was a high school graduate. At 40 years old when Reynolds-Parker’s daughter graduated high school, it motivated her to become a role model to her children. “I wanted to be their hero. I’d always wanted to go into college, the opportunity just never presented itself for me,” She attended college at the University of Oregon and although the goals of becoming an attorney changed, Reynolds-Parker says “I’m glad they did because I ended up at the University of Oregon being an academic adviser for young students of color and I was able to attend
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so many lives and to empower so many students and to see so many success stories that I’m glad God made me who I am, and then empowered me to do what I did.” A former employee at UO, Reynolds-Parker enjoys helping young Black students achieve their academic goals. “I’m an advocate of education, and I have been trying to encourage Black people to go to school for almost all my life,” she says. Reynolds-Parker’s reminder for young Black students is: “The only person who limits your opportunities are you. So remember that no matter what the world says, it’s OK for you to be black. You’re going to always be black. When you go to school and you earn your Ph.D., you’re still going to be black. You don’t have to you don’t have to mimic the majority in order to be successful. What you want to do is bring success to your people. And when you make it. When you have gotten past that glass ceiling kicking in so that other people can follow, you provide opportunity.” Now retired, Ms. Reynolds-Parker enjoys her free time, but she continues to share her knowledge with other people, including her granddaughter Anna. “Ms. Parker has told me things that I will never forget. The things that she says make me feel stronger and make me want to achieve my goals. One of the most inspiring things that Lyllye has told me was, ‘Don’t let anybody tell you what you can’t do,’” Johnson says.
“
We didn’t have much. Our community was poor. But we had a lot of love.
“
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Photos courtesy of Andiel Brown
LEADERSHIP
IN MANY
FORMS Andiel Brown reflects on the game of life by ben myles and jassy mckinley
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ndiel Brown has a busy life, and it’s constantly changing. Brown is a former redshirt athlete at the University of Oregon, where he currently works as a choir instructor. Brown is very proud of his football career. On the field, he was a leader in punt returns in the Pac-10. But off the field, he found plenty of other ways to lead. Brown conducted Bible studies in the dorms. “I think that those were my biggest contributions; that energy, a positive attitude, and spiritual leadership,” he says. Originally a psychology major, Brown switched to studying music to develop something he knew could never be taken away from him: his creativity. “I knew that at some point, being a psychologist or psychiatrist could be taken away from me. And I didn’t like that because I was feeling how, even (while) playing football, my time was taken away from me; it was dictated by somebody else,” Brown says. For Brown, his musical creativity was a way for him to take back control in his life and find his unspoken passion for teaching. Two weeks before he graduated, he was offered a professorship. “It was just the right place, the right time. I think God ordained that the person who was in the position before me had retired the year prior, and they were searching for someone to replace him,” Brown says.
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Since COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Brown’s entire work has changed to teaching online. While he still has plenty to do at his now-virtual teaching job, the change brought time he previously did not have. With that time, he has explored many new paths, including starting five businesses since May 2020. “I didn’t know what to do with myself...It changed basically my attention and my focus from just school to now figuring out what I could do if COVID were a permanent thing,” he says. This also gave Brown a lot of time to focus on activism and social justice, although he does not align with larger organizations like Black Lives Matter. “I think I have an unpopular opinion on the Black Lives Matter organization. I have issues with the organization and the leadership. But the statement ‘Black lives matter’ is so true, and it’s not one you can get away from,” he says. “The work that the local chapters do and the goals that they’re trying to achieve, I am in favor of that,” he says. “I definitely see how it has kind of furthered a movement of awareness,” Brown says. Overall, he stresses the importance of doing your research and having a wealth of knowledge regardless of race, orientation, and age. “Find information from many different sources and gain wisdom from people who have proven themselves to be wise and learn how to formulate your own opinions based on logic,” Brown says.
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Photo by Polly Irungu
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Capturing Confidence by maeani dotts and marley dotts
Polly Irungu created a community of Black women photographers
Photo caption
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Photo by Jennelle Gordon
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P
olly Irungu’s roots originated in Nairobi, Kenya, and sprouted in America. When Irungu arrived in the United States at the age of 4, she overcame communication struggles. She intertwined three different languages—Swahili, English, and her native language Kikuyu (kuh-koo-yoo). “I actually had to have a tutor when I first got here because I was mixing Kikuyu, Swahili, and English into one language, and only my mom and my sister could understand me,” Irungu says. During her formative years as a teenager, Irungu went to three different high schools in two states. Irungu moved from Kansas to Portland, Oregon, after her freshman year. Soon, Irungu’s family moved again, this time to Eugene, Oregon. The jump from Kansas to
Oregon was a “total culture shock.” “It felt like a foreign country,” she says. “I didn’t know how white Oregon was. I didn’t know that Oregon rains like nine months of the year.” She also felt isolated as she did not know anyone in Oregon besides her family. A suggestion from her high school guidance adviser to get more involved landed her in yearbook class. The recommendation led her down a path to photography. Irungu worked as a cashier at McDonald’s and saved her paychecks to buy her first camera and laptop. From there, Irungu practiced taking pictures of family and friends. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the University of Oregon on a scholarship. Irungu’s photography progressed to photographing club activities and multicultural student unions.
Polly Irungu
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“[I realized] I’m kind of good at this, and I want to do this some more, and I enjoyed talking to people and getting to know their story,” Irungu says. She decided to choose journalism as a major and to pursue photography as a career. Photography made her like the state more because she met many new people and started making more friends. Eventually, she got involved with the National Association of Black Journalists, which inspired her to pursue journalism as a career. “That really gave me the positive affirmation and representation that I needed,” she says. Her experience with NABJ made Irungu want something more for herself and for Black women photographers in general who may be struggling to find their sense of community like she was. It inspired her to turn her Twitter connections into a database for a massive community of Black women photographers worldwide. “I started BlackWomenPhotographers.com a couple of months ago, and it’s quickly growing and becoming
Photo by Hanna Wondmagegn
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really big. I have over 400 women on my spreadsheet. I’m trying to send it to editors and people in positions... to hire these great photographers who are Black women, who have been doing the work, who have been doing so great, but just need that visibility,” Irungu says. She is currently working at NPR and hopes the database will grow in the future. Irungu sees her work as essential to building confidence, both for the photographers she works with and supports and for herself. “I think now you know, as you get older, you grow into your voice more. You build more confidence to advocate for yourself and to speak up,” Irungu says. As she seeks to give others a voice, Irungu credits her mom for giving her a strong example to follow. “My mom’s an immigrant. She had to start all over, and so for her, you know, all she had to do was speak up and advocate for herself. And so for me, I’m just trying to channel that energy and do the same,” Irungu says.
— Jassy McKinley contributed to this story.
Photo by Chynna Keys
“
As you get older, you grow into your voice more. You build more confidence to advocate for yourself and to speak up.
“
Photo by Polly Irungu
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Photo by Austin Johnson
VOICE OF A
Generation Student advocate Tyshawn Ford by bailey myles and jassy mckinley
N
ationally, the Black Lives Matter movement has been visibly fighting for the liberation of Black people. But local groups and people who have been advocating for reform often have more specific goals. Activist and Lane Community College student Tyshawn Ford wants to make people understand what’s been happening and bring people together. Ford says Black Unity, a Eugene-based activist group, rejects violence and property destruction. “We need the community together. If we want change, it’s going to take people,” Ford says. Throughout the last year, Ford has been part of the Black Unity leadership, which organized marches and protests across Oregon. Ford says they were motivated by being around people with the same goals and wanted to see real change. During the Black Unity marches, some passing cars would honk in solidarity, and others would park
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and march with them. Some would also be upset. One way or another, Ford feels the protests have had a positive effect. “I feel like being in the streets every day really woke a lot of people up to real change. And now there are conversations circling with multiple different people who have the power to make changes,” he says. The passion Ford has for protesting and highlighting these issues stems from his personal experience as a Black teen targeted by the police. At 18 years old, he was surrounded by 12 white cops for refusing to show identification. “I fought that case, and I beat it, and it got dropped for prejudice. And ever since then, I just always hated the police and I’ve always known that we didn’t need them to function in society,” he says. Ford believes the budget for police is too big, and even with all the expenses they have, they are still not receiving the proper training. He gets frustrated
Photo by Jeremy Williams
About 100 Black Unity protesters marched through the south part of the university area in a rally organized by Tyshawn Ford. Photo by Austin Johnson.
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by people opposed to ideas such as defunding the police before even knowing what that would mean. “If people just actually listen to what ‘defund the police’ means, nine times out of ten, they agree with it. Literally, it’s rare that I meet people who don’t agree with it,” says Ford. However, Ford knows that policing will not change overnight. “True abolitionists know that that is not realistic for the people, and we are in the best interest of the people. We’re not going to abolish the police overnight. It would be stupid of us to do that. This process is something that goes on,” Ford says. Overall, Ford knows the protesting will not last forever. He thinks there will be other ways to keep the movement alive while educating and building community. “It’s going to become more like an underground movement. I see this movement being something that is not only fighting for the end of police brutality and Black liberation but something that continues to bring that community together,” Ford says. Black Unity currently hosts various events, such as sit-ins, educational presentations, and movie nights. Ford recognizes how difficult it is to keep going after such a long period. “There’s a lot of times where it feels like you’re gonna get burned out because you’ve been going so hard for so many days and haven’t had a break,” Ford says. “I mean, Black people don’t get to have a break. So, we just gotta keep fighting,” he says. Overall, Ford believes young Black people need to be true to their culture and their communities. “If you have to change yourself for the people that you’re around to accept you, then you shouldn’t be around those people...you can be in Black culture and be your full Black self, wear your full Black natural hair and be you. Be yourself,” Ford says.
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Photo by Jeremy Williams Black Student Magazine 21
Q&A with Joshua Stroud
Workplace Retirement Plan Consultant, Former Oregon State University Football Player by ben myles
My proudest moment was quitting the team. I wasn’t going to let them continue to use me, and I was very proud to be able to say that I quit them. Then they came back to me on several occasions throughout the years in various advocacy ways. I advocated in a lot of different ways for athletes. I advocated to make sure that there was a substantial program, which focused on athletes not going pro. Because, by-and-large, the majority of athletes don’t go pro. I felt like if they were going to really provide value to athletes, then we needed some type of vocational program to make sure that we just weren’t used up and then tossed. So, I played a good part in making sure that we had a program at Oregon State, and I’m proud of our program.
why did you pick your career?
I needed to make some money. I had a wife and a baby on the way. Honestly, I never imagined being in the financial services industry, that I was going to be a teacher or an engineer or mathematician, something like that. An actuary, something like that. But I just ran into a guy who said that there’s an opportunity to work with money, and you know, that’s something I’ve always been interested in: making money, managing money, etc. So it just fit. I did not graduate college. I have seven classes left. But I started taking care of my family, and we started having more children. And I kind of just stuck with what I was doing. I have many friends and family that tell me I have to go back and finish [college], and I may. But I started working in the financial service industry. The reason why I’m here is because I get to prioritize my life, my family and hopefully leave a legacy that lasts beyond a couple of generations.
how has covid changed your lifestyle?
It’s made me more appreciative. I think it’s humbled me. I’ve had a couple of people that I care about lose family members. My 86-year-old grandfather lived with us, and so I need to be cautious. It’s made me have to consider people outside of myself. I’m not afraid if I get it and it’s my time. I mean, that’s just the way I feel about it. But that doesn’t mean that everybody feels the same way I feel about it. So I
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need to consider other people. And I think COVID has helped me through humbling me and making me more considerate of other people.
what does the black lives matter movement mean to you?
I appreciate the thoughtfulness of the statement. I mean, what a simple yet meaningful statement. Unfortunately, Black lives have not mattered in our country. I thank God for the opportunity to be living in a time where we get to make that claim and do everything that we can to hopefully see Black lives matter. And I appreciate the various approaches and various groups. I don’t think there’s anyone prevailing approach. I think Black Lives Matters means that all Black lives matter. And together with our own agenda and our own approach, hopefully, we can make this country specifically recognize that not only do we matter, but we matter a lot.
if you could give any piece of advice to any young person, what would it be?
When people feel the need to share information with you, consider their motives. Some of them might be positive, some of them might be negative, some of them might be ignorant, but don’t be afraid to ask questions and read books. You’re in an age where there’s no reason for you not to get to the heart of the matter because you have technology and all these resources. Make sure that you do your research and research things for yourself.
Photo courtesy of Joshua Stroud
what was your proudest moment when playing football?
School Improvement Programs and Staff Instruc�on| Equity | Partnerships The Lane ESD’s School Improvement Team is commi�ed to suppor�ng component districts in providing professional learning opportuni�es to enhance content-specific, culturally sustaining, and equitable instruc�onal prac�ces as well as suppor�ng and facilita�ng districts’ con�nuous improvement planning process. Instruc�onal Areas — Career Technical Educa�on; Data Supports; Professional Learning Opportuni�es: Lane County Teaching and Learning Academy; Math; STEM; Library Services; STEM/CTE Kits; Science, Connected Lane County. Professional Development in Core Content Areas — Science (Pa�erns, NGSS): Heidi Rebar; Math (Math Pathways, Number Talks, Math Standards): Erica Pifer, Maddy Ahearn; Social Studies/Language Arts: Cassadie Ross, Leah Dunbar; Instruc�onal Technology STEM: Dus�n Dawson. Connected Lane County — Lane Stem – Elevate Lane County — Staff: Heidi Larwick, Director; Lizzie Gray, STEM Coordinator; Maddy Ahearn, Math Specialist; Ma� Hayes, Data/Evalua�on Coordinator; Chris�an Chase, Communica�ons Coordinator; Michelle Mar�n, Program Assistant; Olivia Goodheart, Youth Transi�on Facilitator; Briana Vincent, Projects Coordinator; Jus�n Thibedeau; Jenna Ely, Youth Transi�on Facilitator. Career Technical Educa�on – New Teacher Network — Staff: Shareen Vogel, Regional Coordinator; CTE Outreach Coordinator; Janet Golden, CTE Program of Study Tracking Coordinator; Cassadie Ross, New CTE Teacher Support; Kathy Mayer, CTE Program Assistant. Youth Transi�on Program — YTP – Staff: Shareen Vogel, Regional Coordinator; Angie Roser, YTP Specialist; Kathy Mayer, CTE Program Assistant; Sharon England, Program Assistant. Lane African American Black Student Success — Staff: Holli Johnson, Program Specialist/Coordinator; Student Navigators: Jason Floyd, Lela Ross, Niles Mi�asch, and Billy Fields. Lane Regional Promise — Staff: Cassadie Ross, Regional Promise Specialist; Student Success Act (SSA) – Social Emo�onal Learning Systems Supports – Staff: Sue Wilson, Administrator; Jalen Barne�, Data Coordinator; SEL Educa�on, Angela Healow, Daniel Gallo Western Regional Educator Network (WREN) – Staff: Tracy Conaghan, Specialist; Ofuma Eze-Echesi, Con�nuous Improvement Specialists, Erin Ellis, Alyssa Nestler; Miranda Rice, Project Assistant. Lane County Teaching and Learning Academy – Staff: Erica Pifer
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Photo by Jay Eads
COVID-19 and the
eugene dance community by sarah dione
S
ince COVID-19 and quarantine forced them to close their studio doors closed, local dance companies have been working on a system to keep their students connected and engaged. Whether that meant classes via Zoom, taking necessary sanitizing precautions during in-person classes, or giving dancers access to digital workshops, Eugene’s dance community is doing it all. Being separated from the community has been devastating for dancers. “We as dancers have an intense connection to the art and the people we do it with,” Hanna Paulvens Sherwood said. Some students have appreciated the efforts of studios and teachers. “It’s getting better,” EBA and Flex studio student Taima Taylor said. At the same time, the shift from “normal” has actually created an opportunity, both private and public, for reflection in Eugene’s local dance companies. Leaders in the community have had time to put pre-COVID distractions aside and to consider where in Eugene’s dance education community social justice movements like Black Lives Matter fit in with the performing art’s history, traditions, and current practices. Teachers and students alike are making connections, from the most mundane daily routines on up. “Regulations on not being allowed to wear the accurate [skin-] colored tights have just recently been lifted at some studios, along with strict and unman-
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ageable hair constraints,” Taylor said. But those are the smallest concerns, making it difficult to know if the community is actually evolving or if companies are simply getting swept up in the energy of local social justice protests and movements. “Long outdated techniques have continued to enable a privilege of whiteness within the dance communities,” Flex Studios co-owner and director Lindsey Shields said. “In the current climate, it is imperative that the hard work be done and not just spoken.” Companies who don’t continue to evolve are subject to call-out culture. The heightened awareness around issues of racism, inequity, and privilege has shone a bright light on the racist foundation of dance as a performing art. In addition to discriminatory uniform and hair rules for BIPOC dancers, they have additionally often been denied lead roles because of the stereotypes – stereotypes that, in art forms such as ballet, go back to 17th century Europe – around who is “right” for those roles. How these philosophical shifts will impact Eugene’s local dance education community long-term remains to be seen.
— Sarah Dione is a junior at South Eugene High School. She enjoys writing about the dance community she grew up in. This article originally appeared in The Axe, an SEHS publication, advised by Bobbie Willis.
Advocating to support the promise of future generations
Academic and Social Excellence Programming! The Eugene/SpringÞeld chapter of the NAACP supports Black youth through numerous programs. • February 19th Freedom Fund Virtual Banquet • Tutoring MWF 12-4 at the Science Center Visit: naacplanecounty.org
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EUGENE | BEND | COOS BAY ROSEBURG | NEWPORT
www.district5110.org
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You’re invited to participate in this free, inclusive, family-friendly program that will guide you to various landmarks for a view into local Black history and the powerful influence of Black residents within our community. Strides for Social Justice will educate, engage and encourage physical activity for people of all abilities, while generating financial resources in support of the NAACP and other organizations.
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