Nubian Message, Feb. 13, 2020 — Black love: a timeless beauty

NUBIANMESSAGE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | THURSDAY, february 13, 2020

black love: a timeless beauty

THURSDAY, february 13, 2020 | 2

Letter from the editor Hi everyone, Valentine’s Day is almost here! A day that is equally toxic and joyous. Whether you’re celebrating the day with your romantic partner or your best friend, be sure to also show yourself some love.

Self-love can come in multiple forms: listen to your favorite album, go get a facial, get your nails done or a new haircut.

There are a plethora of things that you can do in order to show yourself some love!

It is also important to show love to people who are important to you or have had an impact on your life. In this issue, that is exactly what we did. While flipping through the pages you will find a love letter to the Queen B almighty, Beyoncé.

You will also find a love letter to Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. And a love letter to Nigerian activist and singer, Fela.

THISISSUE 4 5

NAVIGATING THE DEFINITION OF BLACK

Archived Response

THE SECURITY OF LOVE

A Poem on Love

6

KOBE BRYANT

7

CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE

A Love Letter to Kobe Bryant A Love Letter to Chimamanda Adichie

cover photo BY Tearra Bell

Marcus Tisdale, a fourth year in mechanical engineering, and Grace Dodoo, a fourth year in biology, a longtime couple exemplify Black love.

Even though Valentine’s Day is approaching, we cannot forget the even more important celebration of Black history that is occurring this month. In this issue, you will find an overview of all of the Black History Month events, an opinion on Black beauty, an article on what it means to be Black and a poem that describes the feelings of Black love.

The Sentinel of the African-American Community at N.C. State Since 1992.

314 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695

We hope you enjoy this issue and we appreciate your support. Happy Valentine’s Day and even more importantly, Happy Black History Month.

office 919-515-1468 advertising 919-515-2411 online thenubianmessage.com

In solidarity, Yesenia Jones

Yesenia Jones

Editor-in-Chief

nubian-editor@ncsu.edu Jalen Rose

Managing editor

nubian-managingeditor@ncsu.edu Elikem Dodor Ugonna Ezuma-Igwe Layout designers

Elikem Dodor

Social Media Manager

Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of Nubian Message: Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan, Dr. John Henrik Clark, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, The Black Panther Party, Mumia A. Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Tony Williamson, Dr. Lawrence Clark, Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon, Dr. Wandra P. Hill, Mr. Kyran Anderson, Dr. Lathan Turner, Dr. M. Iyailu Moses, Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are still on the journey to true consciousness.

news

Kickoff Date: Monday, Feb. 3 Time: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Location: Talley Lobby Description: The Multicultural Student Affairs and the Black History Month Planning Committee host an introductory event that highlights offices, organizations, and student artists that use Black identity in their work

Afrofunk: Culture in Motion Date: Thursday, Feb. 13 Time: 5:30p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Location: Third Floor of Talley Description: Multicultural Student Affairs hosts a pop-up museum highlighting AfroFunk.

The event has art, food, and music.

There will be performances and visual art showcased by local Black artists.

African American Quiz Bowl

THURSDAY, february 13, 2020 | 3

Black History Month Overview This February, NC State will celebrate Black History Month with the theme “Our Wings Still Fly: The beauty and Burden of Blackness” According to the website the theme will be expressed through art, speakers, discussion, film screenings, and educational events.

Taste of East Africa Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19 Time: 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Location: Fountain Dining Hall Description: University Dining and Multicultural Student Affairs celebrates Black History Month with East African Cuisine in Fountain Dining Hall.

Chat and Chew: Tokenism

Keynote: Brittney Cooper Author of “Eloquent Rage” Date: Thursday, Feb. 20 Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Location: Nelson 3400 Description: The Office of Interdisciplinary Studies will partner with Multicultural Student Affairs and other organizations to host the author of “Eloquent Rage,” Brittney Cooper. Cooper will deliver an address on Black feminism and its importance in the world today.

ThingZ Erased In History Part 2

Date: Saturday, Feb. 22

Date: Monday, Feb. 24

Date: Thursday, Feb. 27

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Location: Broughton Hall Description: The Society of Multicultural Scientists will be hosting a jeopardy-style trivia competition that tests your knowledge on local and national African-American history.

Location: MSA Suite (Talley 4261)

Location: Talley Student Union (Lobby)

Description: Have you ever been used as a representation for an entire group? Have you ever felt like the “only one”? If so, join us at our workshop about tokenism. During this workshop, we’ll talk about how tokenism relates to discrimination and strategies to combat it.

Snacks will be provided.

Description: Come join the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated as they continue to explore the inventions and creations of Black figures that have been forgotten throughout history. The event will focus on black inventors and explore how their creations have an impact on the modern world.

THURSDAY, february 13, 2020 | 4

features

what does it mean to be black?

Black History Month is a time to celebrate our ancestors and their progress as well as a time for internal reflection.

Personally, this year’s Black History Month has been filled with the quest to find out what “being Elikem Dodor Black” means. While I Staff Writer am well aware that the path to “Blackness” is unique for every single Black person, I was interested in digging deeper into individual stories.

In my search, I stumbled across a Nubian Article from Sept. 26, 2002. In this article, former staff writer, Crystal Stallings, writes about what it means to be Black. She starts off the article saying “to be black means simply a distinct culture, a people, a nation with heritage so rich and ever-changing, a proud legacy and a place in the kingdom of life . . . our aura, our cadence, our souls, our flair

for life, our sheer presence still mystifies this old, old world.”

In other words, to be Black is to be a part of a larger greatness, a legacy. Stallings then continues to say “perhaps you didn’t know that being black is a mindset. Being black is being comfortable in unusual situations.”

As you can see, the concept and idea of Blackness has been discussed in Nubian Message longer than some of us students have been alive. Next, I talked to Peter Kamara, a third-year in the College of Sciences. When I asked him what being Black means to him, his definition somewhat aligned with Stallings’ idea of Blackness being something greater than the individual.

“I don’t know how to explain but when you see other black people in the room, some way somehow you start gravitating towards them. It feels inviting. Like when you are walking past another black man and you give them the nod. The “tryna get like you” battle or black women hyping each other up. It’s family. Coming together through our

trials and tribulation, togetherness. When I picture black, I picture togetherness.”

I truly believe that Blackness is about the collective, about the community. Lastly, I talked to Christian Wade, a second-year in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“To me, being Black is both a blessing and a curse, it is a way of life,” Wade said. “Being black means being versatile, always having to maneuver through oppression, depression and sacrifice. And even though the journey isn’t understood for most, through it all, the small moments make the journey worthwhile.” While each person had their own definition and path to define their blackness, there are similarities throughout it all.

Now you may be asking, “Elikem, what does being Black mean to you?” Well, being Black means love. Learning to love myself in my Blackness, with all my Black features and tendencies, has been quite an experience.

Being Black means resilience, persistence and walking in my own truth. Being Black

exemplifies the essence of the city of Kumasi and the Whuti Village, in the beautiful land of milk and honey, Ghana. Being Black means beauty or as the great philosopher Flo Mili once said, “I like cash and my hair to my a**.”

So now I ask, what does being Black mean to you? I hope that you all take the time this Black History Month to look inward and appreciate your own path to Blackness.

Blackness is a very fluid, free-flowing thing.

Please know that your experience is valid and you are allowed to grow and adapt. As always, walk in your truth and never be afraid to be your beautiful Black self.

“To be Black is to be a part of a larger greatness, a legacy.”

pack the vote: How to make your vote count It’s time to vote again!

Early voting for the primary election begins Feb. 13 and ends on Feb. 29. The statewide Election Day is being held on March 3, also known as, Super Tuesday. Here is a brief guide on how to prepare yourself to vote:

must provide proof of residence and proof of voter eligibility. For same-day registration, voting sites will accept a valid driver’s license, government-issued photo identification, a copy of a recent bill or a current student ID. Voters who are actively registered from previous elections will not need photo identification to vote Register: due to a recent court ruling. HowMake sure that you are registered! ever, voters should confirm the spelling of their name and address The deadline to register to vote prior to visiting the poll. This can for the primary election was Feb. be done by visiting the North 7. Citizens who missed the deadCarolina State Board of Elections line can still register to vote by website. Early voting will begin on utilizing same-day registration.

Feb. 13 and will end on Feb. 29.

According to the North Carolina Election Day will be held on March State Board of Elections, those who wish to register the same-day 3.

Yesenia Jones Editor in Chief

Review Candidate Platforms: Each candidate has a platform on their website that includes their views and goals. Prior to voting it is important to do your research on all candidates, for both local and federal offices.

Vote: Once everything is taken care of, go out and vote! Students and local community members can vote in Talley Student Union. Every vote matters, make sure that your voice is heard.

THURSDAY, february 13, 2020 | 5

opinion

black beauty Black History Month is a time to celebrate our ancestors and their progress as well as a time for internal reflection.

Personally, this year’s Black History Month has been filled with the quest to find out what “being Black” means. While I Shawn am well aware that the Fredricks path to “Blackness” is Staff Writer unique for every single Black person, I was interested in digging deeper into individual stories.

In my search, I stumbled across a Nubian Article from Sept. 26, 2002. In this article, former staff writer, Crystal Stallings, writes about what it means to be Black. She starts off the article saying “to be black means simply a distinct culture, a people, a nation with heritage so rich and ever-changing, a proud legacy and a place in the kingdom of life . . . our aura, our cadence, our souls, our flair for life, our sheer presence still mystifies this old, old world.”

In other words, to be Black is to be a part of a larger greatness, a legacy. Stallings then continues to say “perhaps you didn’t know that being black is a mindset. Being black is being comfortable in unusual situations.”

As you can see, the concept and idea of Blackness has been discussed in Nubian Message longer than some of us students have been alive. Next, I talked to Peter Kamara, a third-year in the College of Sciences. When I asked her what being Black means to him, his definition somewhat aligned with Stallings’ idea of Blackness being a mindset.

“Being Black to me is being aware of my African history and taking efforts to embrace and understand how complex I am while being proud of what makes me complex,” said Kamara. “It’s more of a mental thing, not a physical thing.”

I truly believe that being aware of your heritage and country of origin can greatly impact your path to Blackness. Lastly, I talked to Christian Wade, a second-year in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“To me, being Black is both a blessing and a curse, it is a way of life,” Wade said.

“Being black means being versatile, always having to maneuver through oppression, depression and sacrifice. And even though the journey isn’t understood for most, through it all, the small moments make the journey worthwhile.” While each person

had their own definition and path to define their blackness, there are similarities throughout it all.

Now you may be asking, “Elikem, what does being Black mean to you?” Well, being Black means love. Learning to love myself in my Blackness, with all my Black features and tendencies, has been quite an experience. Being Black means resilience, persistence and walking in my own truth.

Being Black exemplifies the essence of the city of Kumasi and the Whuti Village, in the beautiful land of milk and honey, Ghana.

Being Black means beauty or as the great philosopher Flo Mili once said, “I like cash and my hair to my a**.”

So now I ask, what does being Black mean to you? I hope that you all take the time this Black History Month to look inward and appreciate your own path to Blackness. Blackness is a very fluid, free-flowing thing. Please know that your experience is valid and you are allowed to grow and adapt. As always, walk in your truth and never be afraid to be your beautiful Black self.

Sarah Cochrah/ Staff Photographer

A model looks down at the end of the runway as a part of designer Payton Reed’s collection at the 21st annual Fashion Expose in Talley Student Union on Thursday, April 12, 2018. The event was hosted by the African-American Textile Society and takes place each year during Pan-Afrikan Week.

Home Home Smells sweet like vanilla Occasionally a whiff of cigarette smoke Sometimes a vape Sometimes it’s just weed

Home Tickles me until I can’t breathe Tears streaming from my eyes Has the most contagious laugh Home is Spreading like wildfire About 200 pounds throughout my bones Thick arms and thick thighs Keeping me warm throughThe deepest belly button out the long nights I’ve ever poked With a minion blanket as And the most beautiful eyes bright as the sun And unkempt hair And a crooked smile Home is A constant reminder to do Home is my best The only place I feel safe.

And to eat at least two Filled with endless naps meals a day And nose kisses My personal doctor and The only place I’m allowed wannabe parent to be a turtle.

Often scolding me for living If only my shell could be as too freely thick as your skull Sometimes my only source The safest place on the of motivation planet Is in the deep crevic- And the only one in my es of your neck corner Where I often bury my face Never folding When the world is falling apart Home is...

With you The place that catches all my tears

- Elikem thee Poet

THURSDAY, february 13, 2020 | 6

opinion

Love letter to kobe Dear Kobe Bryant, You are one of the greatest of all time; you are the definition of legendary. I’ll admit I reluctantly wanted to acknowledge how great you were, and it was because you kept beating Shawn every team I was rooting Fredericks for. You were such a Staff Writer winner that I had to find something to be mad about, but before I knew it, you were onto retirement. And seeing your retirement tour showed me how much I admired the standard of excellence you chased.

To you, basketball was everything, so to follow your game, in essence, I was following you. Seeing you chase rings and accepting nothing less but your best was inspiring.

It inspires me now. When you passed all I wanted to do was to ball like Kobe, to ball like you.

And I don’t mean on the court because I would get my ankles broke and I have no shame about that. But to ball like you is to chase perfection. It is to be focused on a goal and using the force of will to accomplish it. It’s not just about working hard; to you, Mamba Mentality means more.

“Mamba mentality is a constant quest to find answers,” Kobe Bryant said. “It’s that infinite curiosity to want to be better, to figure things out. Mamba mentality is you’re going; you’re competing, you’re not worried about the result.”

For me, this means loving a craft. Whether it is basketball, football, painting, chess, or even writing, having a Mamba Mentality means having a love for the work that surpasses the want for a specific outcome.

For me, I found that in writing.

When I write, I am not looking for anyone’s praise or approval besides my editor; I love the process of writing so much.

I am infinitely curious about the power of my words and how far I can go in an article, not in terms of content but excellence.

I love taking my article or essays into Grammarly, and editing until the score goes up to at least 93; I am such a perfectionist just like you, and you taught me it is more than okay to chase excellence and expect great things out of myself.

That is why for me, you playing basketball wasn’t just watching a game. It was about life. Watching you genuinely live with your profession, you taught me to not only play the game but showed me how to live with the game.

I believe it is no disrespect to call you Michael Jordan of my generation because of how much you modeled your game after him. But you also took his drive for the game further. Your commitment to the game never faltered or waned. You were the Mamba; the embodiment of how sheer force of will can guide you in the game of basketball.

With your passing being so sudden, I didn’t have time to prepare for the shock of losing a big brother. I am combing back the layers of the life you lead to see all of the lessons I can learn and how I cannot just apply them but take them further.

It hurts that you’re gone. I always thought you were invincible. Nothing could stop you when you were playing. Your death was another reminder of the mortality of life and that it can truly end in a blink, so I want to follow your example. I want to live vivaciously to a craft but also live for the people around me like friends, families, lovers and really anyone.

My heart goes out to your family, I just recently lost my father in November so while I don’t know what it means to lose you, I have an idea of the type of hurt that it can carry. You will be missed. Screaming out “Kobe” when taking a shot at the trashcan will never feel the same.

Thank you for playing basketball, thank you for being a symbol for dedication to a craft, but most importantly, thank you for creating and embodying Mamba Mentality.

Graphic created by Menaka Kumar

Love Letter to Beyoncé Dear Blue Ivy’s Mom, It would be naive of me to think that I would be able to capture my love and admiration for you within the confines of a simple letter. But that doesn’t mean I’m jalen rose not willing to try.

Managing Beyoncé of House Editor Knowles-Carter, First of Her Name, The Unphased, Queen of Performance and Vocal Runs, Protector of Culture, Breaker of Records, Mother of the Honorable BlueIvy… Thank you.

From a young age, you’ve always taught me the importance of a strong work ethic.

Your career has never been at a standstill.

You work to be the best and always find room for improvement. This inspires me every day. I start each day excited to do better than the one before. Waking up with the mentality to give it my all is thanks to you.

Along with your work ethic, you have also emphasized the importance of taking pride in your craft. Paying attention to every detail. Treating the little things with the same seriousness as the big ones.

In order to do this properly, one must have a lot of patience. You taught me the importance of patience. Anyone can practice something a couple of times and feel comfortable in it, it takes a lot more willpower to practice until something is perfect, and then practice some more.

Even though there are times where you were robbed of the professional recognition you deserve, (i.e. the Grammys) you’ve shown the world that there is a strength in shortcomings. In 2017, you weren’t awarded the Grammy for album of the year with Lemonade. One year later, you gave the best Coachella performance to date.

At every step of the way, you make sure to highlight Black people and the culture that surrounds us. You’ve used your platform to give countless Black artists and performers a voice. You’ve spent your entire career uplifting Black people. From production credits, to clothing lines, to stage performers, you make sure to create a space where Black folks feel represented and seen.

Not only do you emphasize the inclusion

of Black people, but you make an effort to represent the differences within the community. On the performance stage and behind the scenes.

Your discography speaks for itself.

Dangerously In Love? 4? Self-titled?

Lemonade?? There isn’t a single artist who has outperformed the competition while simultaneously releasing such top tier records. There’s nothing you can’t do. You even released the best country song of all time (Daddy Lessons is the best country song of all time and we can chop it out.)

Personally, the most impressive thing to me is the fact that you’ve been able to do this all while raising a family. Giving birth to an icon who has arguably made this all possible, Blue Ivy. We cannot thank you enough for giving such a gift to the world.

Birthing twins and then rehearsing daily for Beychella is something many performers wouldn’t be able to do.

You even married a man who has no business being in the same room as you.

A generous queen. There’s no doubt in my mind that Jay-Z wakes up every morning and says “I don’t know what you see in me, but thank you for not leaving.”

One distinct difference between you and other artists in this current era is that you inspire your fans to do better, yet; it never feels like you’re talking down to them. You encourage us to grow with you. Out of the hundreds of artists that have made a name for themselves in the past few decades, there’s only one who has consistently been at the top. You claim the throne gracefully and I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done.

Top two and you ain’t number two.

“From a young age, you’ve always taught me the importance of a strong work ethic. Your career has never been at a standstill. You work to be the best and always find room for improvement. This inspires me every day.”

opinion

THURSDAY, february 13, 2020 | 7

Afrobeat love

Love Letter to Chimamanda Adichie First, I would love to say thank you for owning your craft. As a fellow Nigerian, it was hard for me to own my dream to be a writer because, in my family, any other profession besides medicine, engineering or Oluwajoba law were not accepted.

Ogun I continued to question Staff Writer myself asking, ‘maybe becoming a doctor wouldn’t be that bad. I know the money wouldn’t be a problem.’

But then I realized that the love I had for writing was too strong for me not to pursue.

And when I heard your speeches, it gave me more confidence to push on ahead toward my dream because I finally found someone who has marched those steps before.

When I saw your TED Talk, “The Danger Of A Single Story”, and how you discussed your life in Nigeria, reading and writing books of Caucasian blue-eyed kids that you did not relate to because it was the only acknowledged view of children in books. It reminded me of my childhood and how I found it difficult to identify with many story characters because it only showed one aspect of living-— an aspect that doesn’t represent the entire human race.

I remember you saying that people like you, especially girls with kinky hair and

brown skin, could also exist in literature.

That is what stemmed from your writing, writing from things you recognized.

Secondly, I want to thank you for speaking your mind, specifically on cultural issues.

Up until now, in the United States, Africa was not appreciated. As you know, people were shown only one aspect, and attributed it to the whole continent, as if Africa was a country. Along with that, it created the mentality that Africa was inferior and lacking in comparison to the US and that there was only one way to be successful.

When I was growing up, kids my age were constantly making fun of my name because they had a mentality that names that weren’t familiar were either unpronounceable or unacceptable. They clicked their tongues, asking if I knew what that meant, and other absurd racist remarks. Because I was so sick of the name-calling, I had my name shortened, assimilating to the main culture, instead of having the boldness to correct the ignorance.

I never really gained that confidence until I got to college.

My experience at NC State forced me to really embrace my culture. Though the majority of the population is caucasian, there are many other students that come from different backgrounds that stand their ground on campus, proudly. I see students wearing traditional attire and holding events that help educate outsiders as well as people

Love letter to Fela Kuti Dear Fela Kuti, Thank you for being a force of nature that used your voice and talent to fight for the poor, the forgotten and the wanted.

Your music started a movement that shook Africa’s core beliefs. Your Ugonna resilience forced Africans Ezuma-Igwe to evaluate themselves and Correspondent their actions and choices they made.

You showed me what a true Nigerian was. A true Nigerian fights for their people regardless of the consequences. You showed this strength when you released “Zombie” in 1976 knowing that you and career would be in danger. You called the Nigerian military zombies as a metaphor for the way they blindly followed the government’s instructions despite whether or not it was for the betterment of the Nigerian people.

In a time of fear and terror, you used

your talents to fight for a cause greater than yourself. Very few people would have continued to fight after the government viciously attacks their home, kills their mother, destroys all of their master tapes and severely injures them. In a time where most would give up, you persisted.

You taught me that every talent is useful in a battle. You used your musical genius to be outspoken about your beliefs. Your music was an act of defiance and opposition. Your song “Teacher No Teach Me Nonsense”, talked about how everything we know is taught and at each stage of life we have different teachers.

When we are children, our teachers are our mothers and fathers. When we go to school, our teacher is a school-teacher. After school when we start working, our teacher is the government. The government’s teacher is culture and tradition. You raised the question, why is there a historical trend in Africa of utilizing the culture and traditions of others and abandoning the practices

among the culture. That inspired me to own my individuality and help rewrite the narrative of my culture that has been so mistreated and misconstrued.

In the TED Talk, you also discussed being aware of your prejudgements, and how you can easily fall into the trap of defining another culture as a single story.

You told a story where you visited Mexico and, at the time, the talk of immigration in the US was the main subject. The US had painted the single concept that Mexicans were people that sneaked across the border, fled from the healthcare system, and depicted them as irresponsible humans.

You talked about your first day in Guadalajara and observing Mexicans living naturally; people working, preparing food, conversing with one another and you were immediately shocked because that story didn’t align with yours. You talked about how shameful you felt about being so involved in what the media had to say, instead of educating yourself on the truth.

“I bought into the single story of Mexicans and I could not have been more ashamed of myself,” You said. So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.“ Ms. Adichie, thank you for being a part of changing the narrative when it comes to representation, teaching me to read the entire book, not just the title.

playlist by Ugonna Ezuma-Igwe & elikem Dodor

This playlist exemplifies the essense of African love.

Aye Davido Power Rangers Teni Adanma DNA Ft. Mayorkun Golibe Flavour I Love You P-square Mbangu Te Ya levis Ife Wa gbona Tiwa Savage Ft. Leo Wonder Pain Killer Sarkodie Ft. Runtown NNekata Flavour My sweety My sugar Bunny Mack All I Want Is You Banky W & Chidinma

that we have used to govern our people for hundreds of years? An example of this is during the reign of the white man in Nigeria there was constant electricity and once our leaders took over they struggled to provide light.

You said this was a failed attempt to enforce European ideology. The reason we failed is because as Africans we aren’t meant to prosper using the ideology of our oppressors and if we would have kept our own practices we would have succeeded.

You stood in your beliefs despite how controversial they were and taught me to do the same.

Fela Kuti, your persistence and dedication to the betterment of Nigeria makes me proud to be a fellow Nigerian. As you said, “If it is not fit to live in, then it is our job to make it fit.” So I will continue to stand confidently in who I am and fight the societal standard. While making sure the world knows us, Africans, are here to stay.

Katchua Ya Levis Agbomma kcee Love Don’t Care Simi Forever P-Square Still I love you daasebre Surrender Mr Eazi Ft. Simi Jane Daddy Lumba One Naira M.I. Abaga Ft. Waje Romantic Korede Bello Ft. Tiwa Savage