Vol. 127, Special Issue | Athens, Georgia
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020
redandblack.com
A MOVEMENT, NOT A MOMENT Athens & UGA communities demand accountability
A2 THE RED & BLACK
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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020
Protesters run from College Square after being tear gassed by police the night of May 31. P H O T O / T A Y L O R G E R L A C H
CLICK TO WAT CH A VID E O OF TH E FIRS T WEEK O F PROTES T S IN ATHEN S,
Movement Timeline Compiled by Mikaela Cohen Assistant News Editor Feb. 23 Ahmaud Arbery is shot and killed by two white men in Brunswick, Georgia, while on a run. March 13 Breonna Taylor is shot and killed in a no-knock police warrant of her home. May 5 A video of Arbery’s death surfaces, bringing national attention and statewide protests. May 7 The father and son who killed Arbery are arrested, nearly three months after his death. May 25 George Floyd dies in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneels on his neck for over eight minutes. May 26 Protests in Minneapolis begin. Police use tear gas on protesters. May 27 Protests erupt across the United States, demanding justice for Floyd, Taylor, Arbery and other victims of police violence. May 29 Protests in Atlanta start off peaceful and turn violent into the night. A curfew is issued and police use tear gas on protesters. Derek Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck, is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. May 31 About 2,000 protesters march through downtown Athens to protest police violence. Athens-Clarke County police use tear gas on protesters around midnight. University of Georgia President Jere Morehead issues a statement about racial injustices without addressing the Black Lives Matter movement or naming victims of police violence. June 1 Morehead issues a revised statement on the nationwide protests after receiving criticism from faculty and students.
Police use tear gas on peaceful protesters at the Arch on May 31 Hunter Riggall and Megan Mittelhammer Senior Editor and Editor in Chief What began as a peaceful protest for racial justice in downtown Athens on May 31 turned violent when police used tear gas to disperse the remaining protesters. An estimated 2,000 protesters marched through downtown in the afternoon, calling for racial justice and an end to police violence after the killing of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in Minneapolis. The protest, one of many occurring nationwide, lasted for two hours. Athens-Clarke County District 2 Commissioner Mariah Parker and a small group of activists led protesters in a calland-response chant at the Athens courthouse on Washington Street before leading them to the University of Georgia Arch. At the Arch, protesters blocked off the road, prompting police to set up roadblocks on North Lumpkin Street and North Thomas Street. Before the protest, Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz said in an interview with The Red & Black he understood people’s desire to make their voices heard. “I understand that everyone is understandably outraged and appreciate people expressing that outrage on the street, and being willing to work to change systemic tools of oppression,” Girtz said. Parker and other activists demanded Girtz work with the commission to reduce policing in Athens. She called for 50% of Athens-Clarke County Police Department officer positions to be eliminated, and for that money to be used to hire social workers and mental health professionals. Speakers touched on familiar topics regarding racial issues in Athens, including the high poverty rate and the tense relationship with UGA, where Black students are underrepresented compared to Georgia’s demographics. One speaker criticized UGA President Jere Morehead’s statement issued on May 31 about the national protests, which did not explicitly mention Black people or those who had been killed by police. “How does [the pillars of the arch] represent us? Everyone is ... fucking tired of it,” one speaker said. In his first statement, Morehead called for the UGA community to “recommit” to the three pillars of the Arch: wisdom, justice and moderation. Speaker Rachelle Berry criticized the ACCPD officers for shooting people who were experiencing “moments of
Largest protest in Athens since the day of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January 2017. crisis.” ACCPD officers shot six people last year, several of whom appeared to be struggling with their mental health and charged at police. Protest marshals handed out water bottles and offered squirts of hand sanitizer to protesters. While most protesters wore masks in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for COVID-19 precautions, the size of the crowd was not conducive to social distancing. The protest was the largest in Athens since the demonstration on the day of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January 2017. Most protesters left around 7 p.m., but about 150 lingered at the intersection of Broad Street and College Avenue. Roadblocks on Clayton, Lumpkin and Thomas Streets remained from earlier in the day, and police dressed in riot gear blocked off the entrances to North Campus. Around midnight, an ACCPD drone hovered over the protesters and ordered them to disperse, citing a 9 p.m. curfew that was instituted around 9:45 p.m. “You may be arrested and criminally charged. There is potential that force may be used against you during arrest,” the prerecorded message announced. At midnight, police advanced down Clayton Street and fired tear gas canisters at the protesters. On scene were ACC police, National Guard troops and state police armed with riot gear and armored vehicles. At least six people were arrested after refusing to leave the scene. The protesters were peaceful and did not damage any property except for spray painting graffiti on the Confederate monument that stands in the middle of Broad Street. “There’s no reason for them to remove us. They blocked off the street, there’s no cars coming,” Berry said. “They’re only trying to remove us because they want order, not peace. They don’t want the end of violence, they just want an ordered city.”
A memo reveals a total of 19 arrests were made on May 31 and that ACCPD Chief Cleveland Spruill ordered tear gas on protesters
One week after police tear gassed peaceful protesters at the Arch, thousands gathered in downtown Athens for a peaceful rally.
Trump threatens to deploy the military to states where mayors are deemed to not have protests and looting under control. June 2 Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz orders the county to look into removal procedures of the Confederate Soldiers’ Monument in downtown Athens. June 3 The three officers who did not intervene in Floyd’s death are charged in Minneapolis.
PHOTO/ TAY L O R
Chauvin’s charge is changed from third-degree to second-degree murder.
GERLACH
June 4 Girtz and Spruill confirm the use of tear gas and deny the use of rubber bullets at the May 31 protest. June 6 The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement hosts a peaceful rally of about 1,500 people for police reform and racial justice. Gov. Brian Kemp is present in Athens to “ensure peaceful protests” during the rally.
‘We came back stronger’
June 11 Non violent protests continue in downtown Athens for a second week. June 12 Rayshard Brooks is shot and killed by police at a Wendy’s in Atlanta, prompting more protests in the city. June 13 Protesters loot and set fire to the Wendy’s where Brooks was killed. The police officer who shot Brooks is fired and Atlanta’s police chief resigns. A protest caravan drives through Athens. June 14 Athens families attend a Kids 4 Black Lives sidewalk rally. June 16 Protesters for police reform outside of Athens City Hall are met by opposing protesters. The protest remains peaceful but there is a brief altercation. The ACC Mayor and Commission hears over 100 public comments on the fiscal year 2021 budget, many calling for rerouting of police funds to social services. Georgia NAACP leads protests against racism and election issues at the state capitol. June 17 The University System of Georgia creates an advisory board to review all college and building names in the university system after public outcry that buildings are named for slave owners and segregationists. June 19 Athens and Atlanta residents celebrate Juneteenth, the anniversary of when the last slaves in the U.S. were told of their freedom in 1865. June 25 Two groups of protesters gather outside Athens City Hall. One group supported ACCPD and the other protested against the new budget. ACC Mayor and Commission approves the removal of the Confederate monument on Broad Street. July 7 AADM hosts a protest downtown listing demands for Athens law enforcement and discussing what should replace the Confederate monument. ACC Mayor and Commission passes a Black Lives Matter resolution. The resolution declares Juneteenth a local holiday and is meant to show the commission’s support for Black Athenians.
Thousands gather peacefully one week after police fired tear gas Sherry Liang and Jacqueline GaNun Digital Managing Editor and News Editor One week after police tear gassed peaceful protesters at the Arch, about 1,500 people gathered in downtown Athens in a peaceful rally. The tension hung heavy in the air following the previous week’s protest’s dramatic end. By the end of the night, though, protesters breathed a sigh of relief as the rally ended peacefully with singing and dancing. Local politicians, musicians, students and Athenians in face masks assembled at the intersection of East Washington Street and College Avenue and listened to speakers on the stage the afternoon of June 6. This rally was a culmination of weeklong protests at College Square. “They attacked peaceful protesters in my town one week ago. We came back stronger. We will not stop until we have justice,” Mokah Jasmine Johnson said. Johnson, a co-founder of the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement and candidate for the Georgia House of Representatives, led the rally. As activists called for police reform, police were present throughout the rally. The University of Georgia campus was barricaded, the National Guard congregated at East Campus, helicopters and police drones circled above the rally and police were positioned on the roof of a nearby building. The threat of COVID-19 was also present. Rally organizers required masks and provided hand sanitizer during the event. The rally remained stagnant at City Hall to facilitate social distancing. Circles drawn in chalk marked places for people to stand while social distancing, although they eventually stood shoulder-to-shoulder. The event started with an eight minute moment of silence to honor George Floyd, who was killed after a police officer kneeled on his neck for over eight minutes. Ahead of the June 9 primary elections, Johnson called for attendees to vote. Her daughter, Daelynn White, is 18 and eligible to vote for the first time this year. This rally was the first that White asked to speak at, Johnson said. “We are one of the most diverse nations, and our government does not look that way,” White said. “Educate yourself … If y’all aren’t voting, how is there going to be any change?” Musicians and poets in the community also spoke at the rally. Some performed their work while others gave speeches pleading for attendees to take action. “If we have not turned this gathering into a movement, then it was a party,” said local rapper Ishmael Cuthbertson,
who performs under the name Ishues da Artist. “And you wasted your time.” As the official AADM event ended, people moved to the Arch. The afternoon rally carried on into the evening as a peaceful protest. Police stood around the edges of the protest, but there was no curfew for them to enforce. The helicopters, drones and rooftop police from earlier in the day departed from downtown, relieving the stress of a possible confrontation. Playlists of Black artists circulated through speakers, and organizers reflected on the rally, evening protest and dancing. “We’ve been in nighttime — we ain’t see morning yet. I ain’t ever see morning a day in my life, but I know it’s coming,” said Chris Xavier, one of the evening protest organizers. “Everything has been sided against me, and yet, I know my joy’s in the morning. I know my freedom’s coming.” Joshua Royalty, who grew up in Athens, attended the May 31 protest, but left only 30 minutes before police fired tear gas on the protesters. Compared to the previous week, Royalty said the atmosphere Saturday night had a stronger sense of “familiarity.” The Athens that Royalty grew up in is a “peaceful town [with] a sense of community that’s unmatched,” he said. That was the city he saw on June 6. “This right here, I hope that we can keep up this kind of unity,” Royalty said. “Well, not hope — I know that Athens pulls it off. Athens does it.”
I hope that we can keep up this kind of unity … Athens pulls it off. Athens does it.
J O S H U A R O Y A LT Y, G R E W U P I N AT H E N S
A day that started with the National Guard, state troopers, helicopter and drone presence ended with an impromptu dance performance to Cardi B’s “I Like It,” people offering each other rides home and volunteer medics and marshals clearing up trash. “This is not just today. It’s not just this week, it’s not just this weekend, it’s not just next weekend,” Xavier said. “This has got to be the new normal. This community — us coming together to talk, we can make that happen every weekend.”
redandblack.com
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020
THE RED & BLACK A3
Is social media activism performative?
CLAIRE BUCHANAN/CONTRIBUTOR
Erin Kenney Contributor Activism on social media has been subject to criticism and controversy, leaving some people wondering what they should and shouldn’t post on their pages. Even when knowing what to post, some may question how tweets and Instagram posts can create lasting change.
The good Angel Brooks, a University of Georgia sophomore biological sciences major, said she’s been using Twitter and Instagram to share her opinions and information relevant to the Black Lives Matter movement. While she thinks educating people is an important part of online activism, Brooks said non-Black people should share the resources created by Black people, as well as links to charities and petitions. Joseph Watson Jr., director of UGA’s Public Affairs Communications program, said social media plays a crucial role in public advocacy and activism. He said social media serves as a giant GroupMe, with the ability to organize protests and call people to action. Samantha Hamilton is a legal fellow with the UGA School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic. She said a good practice regarding social media is to be careful about sharing articles and potential misinformation. “If people you follow are posting a link to a news article and all they show you is a pull quote and it matches your preconceived biases, I encourage people to still read the entire article,” she said.
The bad
Creating change
The hashtag, #blackouttuesday was born out of a movement started by Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang calling for the music industry to halt work for a day to reflect on how systemic racism impacts the music industry. However, when people started posting black squares with #blacklivesmatter, people at protests were unable to access vital information to stay safe because the hashtag had been “clogged up,” Watson said. Brooks said Instagram trends, such as #blackouttuesday, are performative when there’s no additional context provided with the posts. When posting on social media, it’s important to listen to criticism from people — especially Black people — explaining what posts are helpful and
While posting on social media can be a way to show support and share resources, some have questioned how social media activism can lead to concrete change. One of the reasons legislation isn’t always drafted in response to social media posts is because sometimes contemporary social movements don’t have a “specific ask,” Watson said. The civil rights movement in the 1960s, he explained, advocated specifically for federal laws to end desegregation and disenfranchisement. While the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole calls for an end to police violence, the differing proposals of achieving that goal, such as police reform versus defunding the police, prevent there from being a “specific ask.” Online proposals for police reform are challenging because it is a localized issue. An important part of public advocacy is knowing if your municipality or county has jurisdiction to create certain policies, or if it’s something which has to be handled at the state level, Watson said. The principles are the same whether you’re trying to enact change at a local, state or federal level, he said. Despite criticism of social media activism and the obstacles facing the Black Lives Matter movement, Watson said he’s hopeful change can, and will, happen. Watson pointed to the Ahmaud Arbery case as an example where online activism was successful. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation got involved in the case as a result of online demands for the state to get involved, he said. “I think it’s important to let people know that there’s hope out there. There’s a way to do this and we can get good outcomes” Watson said.
I think it’s important to let
people know that there’s hope out there. There’s a way to do this and we can get good outcomes. J O S E P H W AT S O N J R . , D I R E C T O R O F U G A’ S P U B L I C A F FA I R S C O M M U N I C AT I O N S P R O G R A M
Georgia athletics vocal about social change amid turbulent summer William Newlin Sports Editor The Georgia sports community, still almost universally shuttered by COVID-19, joined millions of Americans speaking out on Twitter after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd on May 25. As protests against police violence and demands for racial justice spread across the U.S., the chorus of Georgia coaches and athletes, past and present, grew louder. “I firmly stand against racism of all kinds,” football head coach Kirby Smart tweeted on May 30. “I realize that I feel this differently, but I am hurting for the young black men on my team, I am hurting for the black men on our staff. I cannot imagine the agony, grief and fear that our black communities feel today and every other day.” Athletes’ messages ranged from empathy to anger. Former wide receiver from 2016-2018 Mecole Hardman questioned the efficacy of peaceful protests when police violence against unarmed Black Americans seemed so rampant. “Without violence, they use violence,” Hardman tweeted on May 30. “So what you want us to do?” Multiple football players empathized with George Floyd, including former offensive tackle from 2017-2019 Isaiah Wilson and linebacker from 2014-2017 Davin
Bellamy. Wilson tweeted on May 31 that he wasn’t trying to be political, rather that he’s “for humans. A balanced equilibrium where we are all the same.” “I wanna make it home just like you. Just let us be.” Bellamy wrote on May 31.
Coaches denounce violence Athletes weren’t the only ones to speak out. Coaches across Georgia athletics used their platforms to advocate racial and social justice. Smart and men’s basketball head coach Tom Crean led the charge on May 30. Crean’s message offered a similar sentiment to Smart’s. He expressed the anger he felt toward the “senseless killing” of George Floyd and said he hoped to see communities take actions that extend freedom and safety to everyone. In a statement posted on May 31, women’s basketball head coach Joni Taylor identified the need to both listen to and educate her young athletes. She said the time for silence had passed, and that change could only result from togetherness. “As a black woman with a husband, father and brother who are black, I have an obligation to speak my truth and tell you I live in fear knowing they are not immune to what is happening,” Taylor wrote. “It is only by God’s grace someone I love has not lost their life in this same violent way.”
Redcoats commit to new tradition Redcoat Band director Brett Bawcum saved his words for later. In an effort to avoid what he called “joining the parade” of university leaders releasing statements, Bawcum didn’t speak on the issues acknowledged by Georgia athletes and coaches until June 17. Along with his call for inclusivity within the predominantly white ranks of his band, Bawcum made a tangible change to back it up. In a message on the Redocat Band Twitter, Bawcum made national headlines when he announced the band would replace “Tara’s Theme,” a song from the 1939 film “Gone with the Wind,” with “Georgia on My Mind,” in its football postgame concert. Bawcum said while he respected tradition, and he didn’t presume to speak on
As a black woman with a husband, father and brother who are black ... I live in fear knowing they are not immune to what is happening.
behalf of every band member, he couldn’t “allow consensus to limit sentiment.” Redcoat trumpeter Myles Jones appreciated the decision. He said his experience in the band has been almost entirely loving and supportive, but he feels isolated at times as one of its few Black members. “It sometimes can be intimidating when there is very few people who look like me,” Jones said. The substitution replaces a song that reminds audiences of the nostalgic picture of slavery and Reconstruction painted by “Gone With the Wind” with a tune popularized by Albany native Ray Charles. “Our past is very unfortunate with our ties to racism and slavery,” Jones said. “So, I think making the switch will definitely show that we’re willing and able to move forward into a better time for the state and the school, especially by [using] our official state song, which is from an African American artist.” As Bawcum said, the song change is a first step to building a new, shared culture not limited by the exclusivity of some traditions. It’s up to leaders to act on their words and make it happen.
J O N I TAY L O R , W O M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L HEAD COACH
Kirby Smart 2016-present PHOTO/ JULIAN ALEXANDER
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Tom Crean 2018-present PHOTO/ K AT H R Y N SKEEAN
Joni Taylor 2015-present PHOTO/ JULIAN ALEXANDER
A4 THE RED & BLACK
Opinion
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020
ALEX ALDANA/CONTRIBUTOR
Black people shouldn’t have to educate white people on racism
There is hope beneath the pain The protests show a desire for a better tomorrow Jeremy Person Contributor During the June protests, I saw more quotes by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. than I have in the last three Black History Months, from people on both sides of the issue. Black people are taught to keep in mind one important fact about Rev. King that is often overlooked: He was the leader of a peaceful movement in the fight for our civil rights, he never acted in violence — yet he was still assassinated. This is the cornerstone of “the talk” given to us by our parents. It starts when we first hear someone say “nigger” and watch our parents wince, or when we meet our first police officer and our parents squeeze our shoulders. They sit us down, and this is what they tell us. You can’t be too Black. Your existence can’t make white people feel threatened. They can storm capitol buildings and walk into places of business armed to the teeth, but you can’t gather peacefully. The president will advocate peace for them, violence for you. How we live and breathe is dictated by how comfortable other people feel. That is the lesson behind the message of Rev. King; even when we act peacefully, some people will only see a threat. The very reason our parents sit us down as children is the same reason our grandparents sat them down as children. We must keep our kids alive, so
one day things will change. But more than half a century of Rev. King quotes have yet to end the killing and the hate. Even when supported by friends and family of other races, we still live trapped by the perceptions of people who do not recognize our humanity. It doesn’t have to be this way. When we protest for the safety of Black lives, we are not protesting against the average white citizen or against white lives. We protest white supremacy, which is “a system of structural advantage [that] favors white people in social, political, and economic arenas,” according to Black writer and producer Baratunde Thurston. There are white people who have learned how to help those oppressed by this system, and many more can make that same choice. To ignore another person’s suffering because you are not directly affected is the easy choice. It’s the choice that so many people before us have made. It’s what brought us here now. The pain doesn’t go away just because you don’t choose to acknowledge its existence. Some ask the question: “Why should I care?” The state of our country right now is exactly why caring about other people and taking action to prevent more suffering is important. Empathy matters because our world is on fire. It’s the hard choice, but every day after it gets easier to make. The best way to start is simple: ask why we protest, because these issues are not just political topics for intellectual discussion. These are horrors that impact our everyday lives. Hear the pain in our voices, and know there is hope beneath it.
Melissa Wright Opinion Assistant George Floyd’s death brought the Black Lives Matter movement back into the media spotlight, causing a sudden influx of Black allies advocating for racial justice. Many Black people on social media shared ways that allies can create change through petitions, donations and protests. It’s good that Black people are educating new allies, but it’s not an entire race’s job to teach others how to have empathy for the Black experience. Some individuals are still asking Black people to teach them how to empathize and understand white privilege and racism. The information about these issues isn’t new. Black people have lived so long in this oppressive, violent system that having other people ask how they can care now is almost offensive. Black people have protested against racist laws and institutions for centuries, but many people are just now opening their eyes because of Floyd’s brutal killing. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Elijah McClain all died violent and unnecessary deaths. Why did it take a man dying with a police officer kneeling on the back of his neck for you to think that this needs to stop?
Jeremy Person is a junior journalism major.
Systemic racism and police brutality aren’t trends, they are everyday experiences for Black people.
UGA must do more to address its racist history
MELISSA WRIGHT
Systemic racism and police violence aren’t trends. They are everyday experiences for Black people that have persisted for centuries. Black Lives Matter began in 2013 after the fatal shooting of the unarmed 17-yearold Trayvon Martin and the subsequent acquittal of his killer, George Zimmerman. Michael Brown was killed in 2014 by Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Willson, sparking outrage and demonstrations. The police response to the protests was extremely aggressive, which stunned activists. Asking “How can I care about the Black experience?” or “How can I understand Black people?” makes it seem as if you are having difficulty viewing Black people as human or equal to yourself. Because someone has brown skin does not make them less than. These questions also make it seem as if you don’t really understand the magnitude of racism in America or its lasting impact on Black people. The question “how can I care?” displays white privilege and supremacy. If you can finally see the injustice, then live your life as a Black ally. Speak out when you see something wrong, even if it feels uncomfortable, because Black people have been uncomfortable their entire lives. Being anti-racist is lifelong work. It’s not about a social media campaign or donating to prove you’re a good person. It’s about your actions. It needs to become a part of you. Acknowledge your privileges. Look at your life and think about how the color of your skin opens so many doors for you. Use the privilege and power that comes with the color of your skin to advocate for the rights and lives of Black people. This can be monumental to changing the system. Being a true Black ally is understanding the plight of Black people, scrutinizing how white privilege and supremacy affect Black lives daily and advocating for equality in whatever way you can, even when it makes you uneasy.
A sign hangs from UGA’s Arch referencing the three pillars of the Arch. P H O T O / TAY L O R GERLACH
Mallory Payne and Joshua Dillard Guest Columnists The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have sparked outrage over the current policing practices used by the American criminal justice system. In response, University of Georgia President Jere Morehead released a statement that “condemn[s] racism in all forms.” However, students need to know the steps UGA is willing to take to dismantle its racist legacy, which is visible throughout campus. Much of the campus continues to uphold the legacies of white supremacists by memorializing their names on buildings, such as Baldwin Hall, Leconte Hall, the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Library, the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Mell Hall and others. An advisory committee has been put together by the University System of Georgia to review the names of buildings and colleges at its 26 universities, including UGA. While the committee to rename buildings is a step in the right direction, Black students are currently not included on this committee. UGA must take steps separate from the USG to ensure its transparency and accountability in the process of renaming buildings and being actively anti-racist. In November of 2015, grave sites believed to be those of enslaved people were found beneath Baldwin Hall. The discovery led to the erection of a memorial in memory of those buried under the building. The university’s secretive and blundered mishandeling of their legacies has led to concern over the administration’s role in facilitating a campus conversation on slavery. The university refuses to acknowledge its history with slavery despite being “built and sustained by enslaved residents of Athens,” according to eHistory, an organization founded by two UGA history professors. Along Baxter Street, the city of Athens and the UGA Extension Urban Renewal Project bought out the Linnentown neighborhood through eminent domain to build the Creswell, Brumby and Russell Hall dormitories. The university refuses to accept that it is responsible for the displacement of a majority-Black neighborhood, claiming that over 40%
of the families affected by the project were white. UGA and Morehead cannot continue to avoid acknowledging the university’s history of racism and white supremacy while it boasts of its diversity. Shortly after the announcement of the USG renaming task force, the Athens-Clarke County mayor and commission approved the movement of the Confederate memorial on East Broad Street to the site of the Battle of Barber Creek. While the state of Georgia prohibits the outright removal of Confederate monuments under state law, this is an active step in the right direction. UGA and ACC must continue removing the names and symbols of white supremacists from our city and our campus in order to dismantle the legacy of racism in our community. The Dawgs Demand Better racial justice campaign was started by former UGA employee Jay Mathias. The campaign reacted to Morehead’s statement with a Change.org petition that calls for the university to transparently develop and implement specific measures to combat racism. The Melissa Wright is a senior journalism major. petition calls for UGA to educate all faculty, staff and students on the histories and experiences of people of color and protect and serve the Black community at UGA. In addition to this, other students suggested the university provide reparations for Black students and the Black community in Athens. Some of the suggestions include making a formal denouncement of UGA’s ties to slavery and white supremacy, creating a fund to help offset tuition for descendants of slaves and students of color and making more M A L L O RY PAY N E A N D J O S H U A D I L L A R D, U G A S T U D E N T S concentrated efforts to hire more Black and brown professors. UGA must listen to students and create a cohesive plan of action to combat racism on campus.
Much of the campus continues to uphold the legacies of white supremacists.
Mallory Payne is a sophomore political science and English double major. Joshua Dillard is a senior political science major.
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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020
Summer of reckoning
FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF
Uncharted territory
ranks on the editorial staff. The racial reckoning in the U.S. is also making me acutely aware of my privileges growing up in the suburbs of metro-Atlanta. Asian Red & Americans continue to reap the Black edioutcomes of the racial justice torial staff movements of Black people. meets Over the last few weeks, I have for the been talking to past and present first time Black editors and writers on our during staff about their experiences at The training on Red & Black. Current board memMay 16. ber and former editor Jamar Laster PHOTO/ said he was the only Black person REBECCA in The Red & Black’s newsroom in BURNS the early 2000s. Nearly 20 years later, the lack of F R O M T H E M A N A G I N G E D I T O R diversity remains nearly the same. Opinion Assistant Melissa Wright discussed the pressures of being one of the only Black people in the newsroom amid this summer’s proAs racial injustices and police tests. This pressure stemmed from violence against Black people having a personal stake in the news provoked national protests and and ensuring sensitive and comconversations this summer, our plete coverage in our publication. publication confronted an obvious 127 years in the making truth: We have a diversity problem at The Red & Black. The first step in addressing our There are three Black people in 127-year long struggle with diversiThe Red & Black’s newsroom this ty begins with transparency about summer — only one of whom is on the problem. Before we move forpayroll. There are no Black people ward, we need to ask: What are the on the news, sports, photo or de- systems and practices in place that sign desks. This summer is my sixth have isolated people of marginalsemester at The Red & Black — the ized identities from our newsroom? editorial boards, the student ediThe next step is an active effort tors and managers at the helm of across the entirety of The Red & the newsroom, of the previous five Black to shift the culture around semesters have been entirely white. diversity. BIPOC need to receive If we are releasing a special print recognition for the disproportionissue about the Black Lives Matter ate efforts they are putting into protests, we have to examine our these initiatives to make themrole in the systemic issues first. selves feel more welcomed. The Where does the solution begin? majority-white newsroom has to The conversation about diversi- acknowledge the ubiquity of race ty did not start with the protests. and identity across all beats and It’s a conversation I have been editorial decisions. having with Black, Indigenous Then, we can talk about tangible and people of color (BIPOC) at efforts — diversifying our editorial The Red & Black since I started in staff, establishing a diversity and 2018. However, as this summer has inclusion task force and incorpodemonstrated, issues of identity are rating diversity training into the ubiquitous across all articles and all curriculum. But without recognewsrooms. To commit to inclusive nizing the issue and shifting the coverage, we first have to commit culture, we cannot expect BIPOC to an inclusive newsroom. and people of other marginalized Our delayed responses, gaps in identities to join a newspaper that coverage and, at times, insensitive does not make intentional efforts to mistakes on covering basic issues welcome them. have affected our relationship with Diversity does not stop there — marginalized communities. Though gender, sexual orientation, socioconversations were happening be- economics, religion and more are all hind the scenes in the last two identities that news organizations years that I’ve been at The Red & should include in their coverage Black, most of which were initiated and in their own ranks. by BIPOC, we have a long way to go The Red & Black has a two-part as a publication. mission: to inform the communities we cover and to train the next generation of journalists. Without diverse voices on our staff, we fail in both missions. We fail to inform the marginalized communities underrepresented on our staff, and we fail to train underrepresented identities in the next generation of journalists. My time at The Red & Black will end in the next few semesters. Gabriela Miranda and Anila Yoganathan, my friends and colleagues who have driven many of the initiatives and conversations this summer, will graduate in the next year. The few BIPOC on editorial rotate out within a few years, leaving us right where we began. But these initiatives are not SHERRY LIANG about us anymore. This is about integrating a narrative of inclusion Work in progress and acceptance into our culture I am learning as much as the next and practices. For the students person — from Twitter threads de- already underrepresented by the tailing horror stories about micro- media, The Red & Black needs to aggressions and blatant racism in challenge that narrative, and so far, the industry to tangible initiatives it hasn’t. facilitated by student, local and naThis summer has been as much tional publications. of a wake-up call in our newsroom Growing up in a majority-minori- as it has been nationwide. Every ty community, addressing the lack story in this issue — every choice of diversity in my surroundings is in wording, and every intention in new to me as well. The first time sourcing — has been a product of I was an “only” was walking into these long-overdue conversations. one of my classes on the first day of Amid COVID-19 and the nationschool at the University of Georgia. wide protests, we are emerging into The second time was walking into a new reality as a community and as my first Red & Black news meeting. a publication — beyond this special Since then I’ve lost track, but in the issue, this summer and this year. newsroom, I found myself increasWe’re listening, and we’re learningly aware as I rose through the ing.
A wake-up call
Last year, our staff was out in the Classic City covering music festivals and the dog days of summer while working on a back-to-school issue from The Red & Black office. Now we’re juggling a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, protests for racial justice and UGA’s unpredictable reopening plans — and working from locked down apartments or our high school bedrooms back home. It’s no secret that the summer of 2020 has been unlike any other. I’ve heard the words “unprecedented” and “uncertain” so often in the past four months that I can’t imagine going back to what life was like before COVID-19. Despite this, The Red & Black began the summer in uncharted territory and dove headfirst into history’s newest chapter. We were forced to work remotely, scraping any plans we had to gather and get to know one another. We trained a new editorial staff by video conference and Slack messages and quickly adapted to online-only content. The editorial staff and contributors are reporting from all over the state, from Savannah and Johns Creek to Valdosta and Athens. As the office remained closed while receiving a deep-clean and fresh coat of paint, we virtually met three times a week to discuss our content and our expectations for the summer, which revolved around covering COVID-19 and its impact on campus and the city. What expectations we had left quickly shifted when a video of George Floyd’s death surfaced at the end of May. The nationwide protests over Floyd’s death and the systemic racial injustices that it exemplified made their way to Athens, and our dedicated photographers and reporters were there for it all. Throughout the next few weeks, our coverage spanned all desks and earned the most pageviews in recent years. Our photographers wore bulletproof vests in the afternoon Georgia heat and experienced firsthand how tear gas feels when it enters your eyes. They also went behind-the-scenes to cover livestream readings and concerts. They’re currently capturing the reopening of Athens businesses. The sports desk completely shifted focus during a summer of no sports, focusing on Georgia’s 1990 College World Series team, yoga and the rise of esports leagues. They were able to talk with prominent players and coaches for Q&A pieces. Right now, they’re waiting with the rest of the South for the final decision about fall football. The culture desk normally thrives on summer festivals and concerts, but they adjusted to their new situation to produce pieces about intersectionality during Pride Month, ways to support Black Lives Matter and UGA alumni in action. Our special publications took a hit, but they were reimagined to serve the community. The Eat & Drink restaurant guide became a must-use digital resource for Athens foodies wanting to pick up a curbside meal or cocktail. The UGA 101 guide for incoming freshmen was delivered by mail to hundreds of homes across the country instead of being handed out at summer orientation, and we recently launched an online version. The news desk has been there every step of the way. We were fortunate to have a robust group of contributors available to cover the mayor and commission, Clarke County school board and UGA. We reported on the racist building names at UGA, city and USG mask mandates, preparations for the return to campus and how to get a COVID-19 test in Athens. Our entire newsroom adjusted to include more diverse voices, but none as much as our opinion desk. We compiled stories from students directly affected by racism, those advocating to be more inclusive during Pride Month and graduate students who didn’t want to return to campus in the fall. We heard from a man who stopped receiving unemployment payments and a former UGA employee who admitted the “I Am Grady” slogan was a mistake. We started a weekly coronavirus column that tracks case numbers in the city and state and what it means for the future. As the newsroom of record for the University of Georgia, we strive to chronicle the evolution of life on campus and in the city. This edition of The Red & Black serves to document another chapter of the community’s rich and varied history. — MEGAN MITTELHAMMER
Every story in this issue — every choice in wording, and every intention in sourcing — has been a product of these long-overdue conversations.
— SHERRY LIANG
Spring 2020 Staff EDITORIAL
706-433-3027 EDITOR IN CHIEF Megan Mittelhammer MANAGING EDITOR Sherry Liang NEWS EDITOR Jacqueline GaNun ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Mikaela Cohen NEWS ASSISTANTS Denali Lerch, Gabriela
Miranda SPORTS EDITOR William Newlin
The Red & Black has covered the University of Georgia and Athens communities since 1893. Independent of the university since 1980, The Red & Black is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit company with the dual missions of providing excellent news coverage and journalism training for students. We receive no funding from the university and are self-supporting through advertising and donations. Opinions expressed are those of contributors and not necessarily those of The Red & Black Publishing Company Inc. 540 Baxter Street, Athens GA 30605 706-433-3000, redandblack.com
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Adrian Godoy CULTURE EDITOR Anna Thomas ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR Katie Fugett CULTURE ASSISTANT Emma Robinson OPINION EDITOR Stroud Payne
Melissa Wright ENTERPRISE EDITOR Anila Yoganathan OPINION ASSISTANT
Sophie Yaeger
STAFF DESIGNER PHOTO & VIDEO
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Kathryn Skeean
“This summer, I realized that as a person of color working in media I have a platform that can amplify my voice in order to bring change and diversity. By speaking up and continuing to discuss topics that I care about, I can actually make change in my community and that is something that I didn’t realize until recently.”
Stroud Payne Opinion Editor “This summer, I learned that it is not enough to support a diverse media by simply accepting those around you. To foster diversity in the media, you need to actively go out, find and elevate a diverse range of voices.”
Mikaela Cohen Assistant News Editor “Jumping into an editorial position right after being a contributor has been a roller coaster, though it has been the most rewarding roller coaster I’ve been on in awhile. I’ve experienced new things while serving as the assistant news editor, such as covering a protest in Valdosta and fact-checking and editing more articles than I ever thought I would. I’m also glad to have learned so much from my fellow editors and writers at The Red & Black this summer.”
Gabriela Miranda News Assistant “This summer, I started a series highlighting underrepresented voices on campus in light of recent events that affect them. Their voices, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, etc.—diverse sources are important, no story should be published without them. No excuses. That’s what I hope to see in my own and all Red & Black reporters’ stories to come.”
ASSISTANT EDITORS Olyn Gee, Rachel Larson CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Caroline Barnes
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This summer, I learned how to truly do community journalism. Sitting downtown at protests day after day, I learned how to build and sustain professional relationships with the people central to the issues we covered. I learned how to address concerns and feedback from readers and explain editorial decisions. I realized the tangible impact of our reporting. I learned what it looks like to be a part of the wide community we’re reporting on and expand our horizons past the obvious news stories.
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“I’ve learned that when it comes to change, even within my own organization of The Red & Black, talk is cheap. Taking the initiative to make change within my publication and the news I cover are only small steps to a larger goal of much needed change, but the talk will be cheap if the change never actually occurs.”
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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020
THE RED & BLACK A7
‘We started the movement’
Sports
Black women activists talk leadership, identity and justice
C LI C K TO REA D A N EX TENDED VERS I ON OF THI S A RTI C LE
Activists Imani Scott-Blackwell, Mariah Parker and Mokah Jasmine Johnson (from left to right) are leading the Athens movement for racial justice. D E L A N E Y W I L L I A M S / S TA F F
Anila Yoganathan Enterprise Editor It was 2015 when Mokah Jasmine Johnson decided to enter the world of activism. The use of a racial slur in a drink name from a downtown Athens bar was the last straw. She had enough of the racism in her town, and she took a stand. Today, the Athens movement against racial injustices is led by many Black women like Johnson. It’s a continuation of history in the U.S., where Black women have put themselves on the line to lead a movement for change. From the color of their skin to their gender and sexuality, Black women hold multiple identities which lead to multiple layers of discrimination. They may be discriminated for being Black, a woman, queer or for all of those identities and more. This culmination of experiences gives a unique perspective on the movement and what groups may be alienated in the fight for justice. “I would say that Black men have a harder time being more vocal or being able to stand up, and it’s less risky for us [Black women] to stand up than it is for them,” said
We founded the movement,
we started the movement, we grew the movement. MOKAH JASMINE JOHNSON, LOCAL ACTIVIST
Johnson, an activist and candidate for state House District 117. Johnson’s words are echoed by Tifara Brown, a University of Georgia alumna and speaker at Johnson’s rallies. Brown said the people left behind when Black men are killed are the women — wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and friends. Though the movement calls for justice in the names of all Black people who are victims of police violence and white supremacy, many forget the murders of Black women. When the men in the community are killed and the women are victimized due to multiple layers of discrimination, Black women activists in Athens grapple with how to present themselves to the community while fighting for Black lives and the exhaustion they endure from seeing minimal change.
Layers of identities The identities these women hold are a key factor in their leadership in these movements. “Black women are the only people that can be trusted to do the work for Black women because other people are going to not show up and are going to forget Black women, so Black women have to show up to do the work because if not, they’re going to be left out,” Ashley Crooks-Allen said. Crooks-Allen is a sociology doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia and social media activist. They identify as Afro-Latinx, Black and genderqueer. The concept of multifacted discrimination is seen with the discrimination of Black women in the LGBTQ+ community. Imani Scott-Blackwell, a local activist, pointed out that while some people support Black Lives Matter, they do not always apply it to lesbian and queer Black women.
Scott-Blackwell identifies as queer. Black women also have to navigate how they present themselves to the community, from daily activities to standing up on stage and leading a rally. The women described it as wearing multiple hats or showing different parts of their identities. “It’s a constant thing to where you know that you can offend somebody by being yourself by speaking your truth and by being yourself, you might end up arguing with somebody because they don’t understand your perspective and they don’t live it,” Johnson said. For Mariah Parker, identity navigation is prevalent in her roles as activist and politician. Parker, an Athens-Clarke County commissioner and hip-hop artist, has juggled her energy in social movements such as Black Lives Matter while campaigning to defund the police. Over time, Parker has found the intersectionality between her commission work, activism and identity. She said each role helps enhance the others. Parker said she has also adapted to being the “first” or “only” in the room. She recognizes what her background brings to the table of mostly white men in her career. “As a politician, even as a hip-hop artist, I’m either the only Black woman or only queer Black woman in the room,” Parker said. “I’ve adapted, and I’ve embraced it.” In order to make sure that their stories are told, Black women face the task of leading the movement. “One thing I do understand about this work — it’s never ending, it never stops, it is not going to stop,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to eliminate these problems where we never have to address some kind of injustice.” Gabriela Miranda contributed to this article.
M A R Y M C K E A N / S TA F F
UGA Black student organizations form union to strengthen voices
‘Unity over conformity’ Gabriela Miranda and Spencer Donovan News Assistant and Staff Writer During the University of Georgia’s Freshman College Summer Experience, Hayliegh Rose was one of eight Black students in a group of about 300. She felt concerned about finding a community on the predominately white campus. Her Freshman College experience was even less diverse than UGA’s student body, which is about 8% Black and 67% white, according to fall 2019 enrollment statistics. By comparison, Georgia’s population is 33% Black, according to 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. “I felt like I didn’t belong, like there weren’t others like me,” Rose said. “If not for the Black organizations I found, I’d still feel like that.” As part of UGA’s Student Government Association, Rose met Joshua Patton. They realized Black clubs on campus lacked cohesion and often planned events or meetings on the same days. With the vision of unifying Black organizations and forming a bridge between administration and Black students, the Black Student Union was formed in June. Rose emphasized that the role of BSU is not to override Black organizations but to assist them in unifying their goals and voices. Patton said BSU will host monthly meetings about initiatives and what they’d like to see from UGA’s administration. BSU plans to reach the student body through town halls where students can speak on their concerns and needs. “The town halls are for us to understand what Black students need, but non-Black students can also attend for them to learn about Black experiences and how to be allies,” Patton said. Rose said when members of the Black community suffer, she’d like to see more unity so the community can work to heal together. “I want to see unity over conformity. You don’t have to fit a mold,” Patton said. “We’re related by skin color and want to be unified in that manner.”
8% of students at UGA are Black; 33% of Georgia is Black UGA Fall 2019 Fact Book, U.S. Census Bureau
Shared goals Georgia Daze President Camille Jones said she hopes to find collaboration from BSU because they can get more done if they work together. Her organization aims to recruit underrepresented students to the university. The new union can help spread messages easier than individual organizations can, Jones said. The UGA chapter of NAACP started Arch Accountability, its first initiative in collaboration with BSU. It focuses on the university’s relationship with Black students. Jones said without BSU, only UGA NAACP would have shared the initiative and fewer people would’ve seen it. Arch Accountability challenges the UGA community to uphold the values represented by the three pillars of the Arch: wisdom, justice and moderation. The initiative demands the addition of students, especially Black students, to the University System of Georgia committee reviewing the names of buildings named after racist figures. It also demands the university recruit Athens high school students to UGA “with scholarships for the descendants of the enslaved Black Americans who built the school,” according to the Arch Accountability statement. The effort also calls for a mandatory UGA course about the history of systemic racism. The statement demands that UGA must create a special committee to acknowledge its current and previous history with slavery. As UGA NAACP works with BSU, so do other Black organizations. Abeneefoo Kuo Honor Society President Adanze Nnyagu said now if there is an issue or justice needed for Black students, organizations can join together and reach a solution — no one has to handle it alone anymore. Abeneefoo Kuo, which means “circle of honor” in Swahili, focuses on providing leadership and academic support for Black students and the Athens community. “Now we can recognize things in a system that targets races [and] ethnicities and work to change that,” Nnyagu said. “Black and minority groups can better coordinate different programs, grow together and properly address issues.” Another Black organization under BSU is the Black Theatrical Ensemble, which focuses on Black representation in theater. BTE’s president Nala McCamy said both unity and BSU are needed this fall semester. “Black students are speaking out and healing from racism,” McCamy said. “ Now more than ever, we need to be there for each other.”
A8 THE RED & BLACK
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020
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