The Quarantine Issue

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The Quarantine Issue

18 22 31

"SURVIVING 2020" K I T C H E N E T T E

BLACK LOVE DURING QUARANTINE A R T

QUARANTINE MUSIC A C T I V I S M

BEING BLACK DURING CORONAVIRUS T H E

P E N

CONTENT

13

E D I T O R

E L B A T

5 8

F R O M

F O

3

L E T T E R

H O U S E

QUARANTINE PROJECTS T R I B U T E S

BLACK ICONS WE LOST D E - C L A S S I F I E D S

BLACK BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT

The Quarantine Issue from the desk of our rwebel in chief

So we survived 2020. as a society, we had a pandemic and a racial justice reckoning. personally, i had a mental health reckoning. in this issue, we will talk through those things: mental health during the pandemic; the distrust about the vaccine; the looming housing crisis. yet, we will also talk about the light stuff: Black love during these unprecedented times; black art; black business. finally, we will say a final goodbye to angels we lost like chadwick boseman, cicely tyson, and kobe bryant. dearest reader, i present to you: the quarantine issue. enjoy.

ℝ ~

Javanna Plummer

RWEBEL IN CHIEF

CREDITS

CONTRIBUTORS Rwebel's staff

JAVANNA PLUMMER, EDITOR IN CHIEF DAMILOLA OLADIMEJI, WRITER

BUSINESSES ROOTED IN SELF RASHEDA BECKLES

TAHLOR RIVERIA, EDITOR DIANA RANGAVES, SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR JOSIAH PLUMMER, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

GUESTS

with gratitude

A SHOT OF FACTS PODCAST DAJA RENAE

CHERELLA COX, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR CLIFFORD VARNADO, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

PRINCE AYINDE, MUSIC ARTIST SPEEDY, MUSIC ARTIST TEO THE ARTIST, MUSIC ARTIST

XCLIPSE, POET CIERRA LEAKE, POET

LAVANGELIST SMITH, VISUAL ARTIST EVIAN BELSER, VISUAL ARTIST ERIC NYAMOR, VISUAL ARTIST RAYMONE THORNTON, VISUAL ARTIST

JUST US SWEETS JUSTICE PLUMMER

The Kitchenette

What's been cooking in Quarantine

THE STORY OF...

Javanna &

Cliff

Pet Peeves.. . ou meet? y id d e r e h W

Dirty nails

city year

City Year

st started When we fir . dating..

r e b m e c e d / r e b m e v o n we started dating in december

Our biggest struggle has been....

connection issues on facetime quarantine and not being able to do a real date

Dirty nails

read boondocks

talk about everything; looking at books; goal planning Our favorite thing to do together is...

maintaining our friendship

spending time together to learn more about each other Our biggest success has been....

last a long time continue to build our relationship I hope that we...

PRINCE AYINDE

MUSIC OF QUARANTINE

TEO THE ARTIST

SPEEDY

JAY. THA POET.

SINGLES Big Vanna Thangs A.I.

About the artist:

.

.

-

Jay Tha Poet is a Chicago based storyteller who expresses her

SDE

UPCOMING

creative thoughts through prose

,

,

poetry journalism and rap

,

.

,

Last year she released two

:" ."

singles during Quarantine Vanna Thangs

,"

"

and SDE

Big

She

later decided to adopt these into

,

.

her upcoming project SMD Listen

Some Mars Dumpings

to her music here

.

MUSIC

RIOT (2020) The 19th

About the artist:

,

Born and raised in Rochester NY

,

Prince Ayinde grew up with the mindset of never being afraid to

:

speak two things his mind and the

BOOKS

"Unwarranted Approval" (2019)

.

-

truth With Hip Hop and R

&

B

constantly playing in the house

,

growing up he has had a deep connection with Arts and Culture

.

since he was little With every

,

creative endeavor he strives to push that envelope while still speaking from a place of truth and growth

.

OPEN MIND

The Big Picture No Worries Family Matters World Yams Marley You Smiley Crazy Care/Feel Soul All Love/Peace Eulogy

About the artist

,

:

Teo The Artist off stage known as Tim

,

,

,

Jones is a rapper musician and producer based and raised in Chicago

,

,

.

He founded his rap collective Brand and

,

stage band called ADHD which stands for Always Driven Having Determination

.

His music reflects his passion for the city and his drive to make a better world

.

through his music Teo often reveals his life experiences through his lyrics and his background as a gospel and jazz musician are brought to life through colorful chords and upbeat vibes

.

APEUP

Born Real Indecisive Handsome OT The Church of LOS Spin Again Sleep Walking Norbit (Lame) Loss it Game changer Monopoly

About the artist

,

:

,

Speedy born Keyshawn Fields is a rap artist

,

.

from Chicago Illinois His colorful rhymes paint a picture of his life experiences and musical

,

,

influences he grew up on like Akon Michael

. ,

Jackson and Sisqo His personal style

,

emanates passion pain and aggression

-

expressing the cultural aspects of growing up

’

.

in Chicago s South Side Receiving a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from The Chicago State

,

University Speedy hopes to impact as many

.

’

people as he can Speedy s current musical

:

, ,

influences include Childish Gambino Megan

,

,

Thee Stallion Jaden Smith Da Baby Lil Wayne

.

’

and Chance The Rapper Speedy s motto is

“

;

Life is time and moments we just created a

,

moment thank you for your time

”.

,

20 21

ACTIVISM COVID

COVERAGE

DAMILOLA

BY:

OLADIMEJI

HOUSING

JUSTICE

BY:

JAVANNA

PLUMMER

BEING BLACK DURING

9 1 d i cov

Data from the Center for Disease Control shows that African American communities are

.

,

one of the the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic In this article writer Damilola Oladimeji looks into those numbers and offers his analysis on how medical racism affects

'

.

,

some people s perception of the COVID vaccine To learn more about the coronavirus

.

.

visit cdc gov

O

n

11 2020,

March

Health

the

Organization

coronavirus

Before

the

,

then

declared

21., 2020

health

14

from

to February

in

60%

January

of COVID

make up

but

Americans has

.

, 30%

For example

African

of

deaths

23, 2020.

,

30%

the population but

cases

According to Vox

1 1000

make up

pandemic

American

coronavirus

Black Chicagoans

.

a

agencies had detected

of

World

60%

Black Chicagoans

of the population

,

Video posted to Dr

'

of COVID deaths

.

Susan

Moore s Facebook page

.

according to The Guardian

died from the

.

coronavirus

The fifty two year old Related to this issue of Black medical doctor worked

, 1 1000

According to Vox

people being more likely to

in

African Americans has died from

.

the coronavirus

Analyzing this

,

.

there is a disparity

,

Of all races in America

Black

people are the objects of the

’

.

pandemic s blow

They have

.

suffered the worse

19,

all her life to save other

’

,

people s lives The New York Times

.

interviewed Dr

data side by side with White Americans

-

contract and die from COVID

,

Susan Moore

a

Black doctor who complained of

but died by

the negligence of a White

.

doctor

racism in treatment before she

died of coronavirus

complications two weeks after

.

she was discharged

Continue Reading

One of the psychological effects of

,

They forgot their

Sadly

this was not the

pledge to heal and

only time Black people

such treatment is mistrust of the

.

health community and consequently a

repair

were subjected to

ridiculously low number of vaccinated

.

Bill Clinton on researchers from

African Americans

,

scientific racism

the experiment

although this is

,

practice due to a combination of mistrust and

,

low access

.

said KHN

which has roots

,

in slavery

,

Moreover

,"

Britannica wrote

Even as some

The

has lent itself

to many documented

there are campaigns to convince

,

accounts of malpractice

men went blind and insane from

,

Black people that the vaccine is safe

advanced

.

(

)

tertiary

,

syphilis

spanning from

the

according to The Hill

2021.

government doctors withheld

,

treatment

remaining committed

1932

to

From Henrietta

'

Lacks cells being taken

One important consideration is that

.

,

’

Black women being used

through to the study s

In the Tuskegee Syphillis experiment

600

without permission to

to observing their subjects

this paranoia is historically justifiable

'

'—

as guinea pigs for modern

predetermined end point Black men from Tuskegee

,

Institute

.

autopsy

“

partake in an experiment to

families would agree to this final

observe

,

procedure

,”

,

McGill

—

offered them burial insurance Ada Mcvean wrote for

.

at

, $50—

most

to cover the cost of a

a science publication

."

casket and grave

,

However

,

the men

who had never

,

been to a doctor before

As a result of the public outrage were told

,

about the experiment

former

they were receiving treatment for President Bill Clinton issued an bad blood but actually received no

.

treatment at all

,

In it

he acknowledged the

The author further wrongdoing on part of the

,"

wrote

.

apology

Even after penicillin was government and created a

discovered as a safe and reliable cure

,

for syphilis

the majority of men did

.

not receive it

$200,000

fund for research at

.

Tuskegee University

/

medical scientific racism

has harmed the

the government

the natural history of untreated

syphilis

,

gynecology

To ensure that the

AL were recruited to

.

community at large

~ℝ

HOUSING JUSTICE

c i m e d n a p a in

America is on the verge of a housing crisis. Despite eviction moratoriums, some families are still left houseless amid a pandemic. In Chicago, this is exarcerbated by a history of racist housing policies that affect Black people tremendously. In this article, Editor in Chief Javanna Plummer gives a brief overview of the housing crisis while outlining some initiatives to circumvent it.

T

he coronavirus itself is not the

In response to this looming housing

,

crisis organizers in Chicago have

only

pandemic

Americans

,

anything

affecting

harshly the

aggravated

right

.

now

pandemic

other

.

mobilized

If

has

longstanding

,

.

epidemics such as houselessness

She is not the only one taking

The United States

.

,

initiative GoodKidsMadCity

may be facing the

a youth led group fighting

most severe housing

.

,

(

)

/

,

for justice in Chicago

Jasmine Barber Curator Founder

crisis in its history

, "

started a housing justice

of the Brown Skin Lady Show LLC

Source

"

.

initiative last December On

started the We Deserve a Home

,

their flyer they noted that

initiative to raise funds for

they would be distributing

,

houseless youth on the Southside

In August researchers published a study noting that

30-40

.

Million Americans could

,“

Center for Youth

be at risk for eviction as some eviction

.

up to

1.6

temporary housing to million

.”

year old BIPOC

youth experience homelessness

moratoriums expired For communities of

,

“

micro grants to provide

of Chicago According to the

.

”

each year

color the impact is disproportionate The

.”

“80%

40

.

They added

-

-

LGBTQIA identified

,

Barber started a GoFundMe to

people facing eviction

build a safe house for youth in Chicago

.

youth would be prioritized

identified youth Because of this of

,

that for these grants percent of this

population being LGBTQIA

same study noted that Black and Latinx communities constituted

with

18-24

Continue Reading

In a tweet promoting the housing

,

initiative

the

group

TO

expiring

would

in

leave

.

vulnerable

,

December

many

extended

the

the

EACH

CDC

IT

eviction

moratorium to March

2021,

this

has not stopped landlords from finding

other

ways

to

evict

.

tenants

Experts say an eviction

.

avalanche is coming

But

thousands of Chicago renters have already been pushed to the brink

.

of the housing cliff

(

)

City Bureau

,

City Bureau a nonprofit newsroom in

,

Chicago did an investigation with

.

seven tenants who were facing eviction This piece detailed subpar housing conditions and backdoor eviction

,

methods including threats of violence

.

and shutting off water supplies

,

Overall the pandemic has reignited conversations on justice in varying

:

,

aspects of society including education

,

,

.

policing healthcare and now housing

,

~ℝ

For some this is just one pandemic

.

inside of another

READ

.

ABOUT

HOUSING THESE

BY

RESEARCHERS

communities

Although

,

REPORTS

which

MORE

LOOMING

CRISIS

that eviction moratoriums would be

LEARN

THE

mentioned

REPORT

.

CLICK TO

ON

OPEN

THE PEN HOUSE

ART MADE DURING

quarantine

Lavangelist Smith I am

About the Artist:

a self taught artist from the south side of Chicago. I am Senior Visual Arts student at Tuskegee University. My main art medium is 3d illustration.

Before that it was 2D digital illustration. I’m hoping to get a job as a 3d character artist at any major studio.

Instagram: lavangelist

Xavier Richardson About the Artist:

Xklipse finds poetry not just about art, but an extension of his soul. He found poetry to be his voice and biggest weapon. For the last five years, poetry was a way to express his feelings on several topics along with his views on life.

Instagram: xklipse

Cierra Leake (Poetic Soul) About the Artist:

Poetic soul has one mission and that's to be a voice for the voiceless.

She has performed both virtually and in person with this very motto in mind.

She is an entrepreneur, an author, and advocate for children.

Her goal is to inspire the next small town girl who has big dreams

Instagram: poeticsoul_98

Tributes

in loving memory (PHOTO: CANVA)

Cicely Tyson (1924-2021)

ABOUT THE ACTRESS

MULTI-AWARD WINNING ACTRESS CICELY TYSON DEVOTED HER LIFE TO PORTRAYING STRONG BLACK WOMEN ON STAGE AND SCREEN. THE ESTEEMED ACTRESS BEGAN HER CAREER AS A MODEL INEBONY MAGAZINE AND BECAME A FIRST-TIME AUTHOR IN 2021. TYSON’S MEMOIR, “JUST AS I AM”, WAS PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 26, JUST DAYS BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 28, 2021. OF CARIBBEAN DECENT, TYSON WAS BORN IN HARLEM, N.Y. ON DECEMBER 19, 1924 AND DIED AT THE AGE OF 96.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

CICELY TYSON, BY RAYMONE THORNTON MY NAME IS RAYMONE THORNTON, I'M A SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST FROM LAGRANGE, GEORGIA NOW BASED IN ATLANTA. I'M 40 YEARS OLD NOW, AND I'VE BEEN CREATING SINCE THE AGE OF FIVE. I FIRST LEARNED THAT I HAVE AN EYE FOR ART WAS IN THE 3RD GRADE, WHEN MY HOMEROOM TEACHER, MS. TUCKER, MADE A "BIG" DEAL ABOUT A DRAWING I DID AT THE TIME IN A CONTEST FOR A FIELD DAY LOGO/DESIGN FOR OUR CLASS TO BE PRINTED ON T-SHIRTS. LET'S JUST SAY, I BLEW IT OUT THE WATER TO SAVE TIME!!! I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED DRAWING AND CREATING, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT DRAWING FULL TIME AND GETTING BETTER AT IT, BECAUSE I WAS JUST A KID LIVING LIFE. HOWEVER, THAT MOMENT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER. I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT AT THE TIME, BUT, NOW I'M HERE, TELLING YOU GUYS MY STORY!!! IF I CAN SAY ONE LAST THING. . . THAT WOULD BE, "ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOURSELF".

Eric Jerome Dickey (1961 - 2021)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ERIC JEROME DICKEY, AUTHOR OF BELOVED URBAN LITERATURE, RECENTLY MADE HIS TRANSITION AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH ILLNESS. ACCORDING TO NPR, "DICKEY'S 29 NOVELS CONNECTED WITH AUDIENCES WITH HIS CONVERSATIONAL WRITING STYLE, WHICH TRANSLATED INTO MORE THAN 7 MILLION COPIES OF HIS BOOKS BEING SOLD WORLDWIDE."

Chadwick Boseman (1976 - 2020)

ABOUT THE ACTOR

CHADWICK BOSEMAN, WHO STARRED IN FILMS INCLUDING BLACK PANTHER, DA FIVE BLOODS, 42, AND MORE, RECENTLY LOST HIS BATTLE WITH CANCER. BORN IN ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, BOSEMAN STUDIED DIRECTING AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND EARNED A BFA IN THE FIELD. ALTHOUGH BOSEMAN TOOK ON MANY PROMINENT ROLES, HE IS MOST WIDELY KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE AS T'CHALLA IN MARVEL'S BLACK PANTHER SERIES.

Kobe Bryant (1978 -2020) Gianna Bryant (2006-2020)

ABOUT THE BRYANTS

KOBE BRYANT, BELOVED BASKETBALL STAR, ENTREPRENEUR AND SELF-PROCLAIMED "GIRL DAD," WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN JANUARY 2020. WHILE ON HIS WAY TO HIS DAUGHTER'S BASKETBALL GAME, THE HELICOPTER CRASHED AND BURNED, KILLING BRYANT, HIS 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER GIANNA, AND THE OTHER SEVEN PASSENGERS ABOARD THE HELICOPTER. A STAR IN HER OWN RIGHT AS WELL, GIANNA WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THE IMPACT SHE WAS BEGINNING TO MAKE FOR YOUNG WOMEN IN BASKETBALL.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

CHADWICK BOSEMAN, KOBE AND GIANNA BRYANT BY ERIC NYAMOR ERIC NYAMOR IS ORIGINALLY FROM GRAND RAPIDS, WHERE HE HAS BEEN DRAWING SINCE HE WAS A CHILD. HE RECEIVED A B.A.A AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY. INSPIRED BY CARTOONS AND COMICS, HE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW HIS DREAM TO BECOME AN ILLUSTRATOR. HE HAS DESIGNED ILLUSTRATIONS FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, ALBUM COVERS, COMIC STRIPS AND MORE. ERIC IS THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR FOR THE CHILDREN INSPIRATION BOOK “ I CAN DRAW. “ TODAY, ERIC RESIDES IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE WHERE HE STILL CREATES FUN ILLUSTRATIONS.YOU CAN FIND ERIC AT VARIOUS COMIC CONS THAT INCLUDE WIZARDS WORLD, ATLANTA COMIC CON, MEMPHIS COMIC EXPO, HEROES CON, NASHVILLE COMIC CON, FAN BOY, DRAGON CON, AND MUCH MORE!

Naya Rivera (1987 - 2020)

ABOUT THE ACTRESS

NAYA RIVERA, BEST KNOWN FOR HER ROLE AS "SANTANA LOPEZ" ON THE HIT SERIES GLEE, WAS INVOLVED IN A BOATING ACCIDENT IN AUGUST 2020. AFTER BEING DECLARED A MISSING PERSON WHEN HER FOUR YEAR OLD SON WAS FOUND ALONE, A SEARCH PARTY WAS FORMED TO LOOK FOR RIVERA. DAYS LATER, RIVERA'S BODY WAS FOUND, AND AUTOPSY REPORTS SAID THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS AN ACCIDENTAL DROWNING. RIVERA WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HER ACTING AND SINGING ON THE FOX HIT SHOW, GLEE.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

NAYA RIVERA BY EVIAN BELSER MY NAME IS EVIAN BELSER I AM A SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST BORN IN ATLANTA GEORGIA NOW BASED IN BIRMINGHAM. I AM 23 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE BEEN DRAWING SINCE I WAS A TODDLER. I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED WATCHING CARTOONS, ANIME/MANGA AND READING COMIC BOOKS. I HOPE TO ONE DAY MAKE AND PUBLISH MY OWN COMIC SERIES. I WORK IN ALL MEDIUMS HOWEVER I’VE RECENTLY MADE DIGITAL ART AS MY MAIN FOCUS NOW

DeClassifieds

BLACK BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT DURING THESE CHAOTIC TIMES

Rasheda is a recent Tuskegee graduate that got tired of skincare products failing her, and decided to make her own. Eventually, she expanded from making it for herself and some friends to a full business. She has always wanted a business that would help uplift the black community. While getting her agricultural economics degree, she realized the disconnection between Black people and access to a healthier lifestyles. Her vision expanded to not only selling skin care products, but to eventually grow into a holistic healing shop where customers can heal their body, mind, and soul. For a while, after graduation, balancing adulting, finding a job, and moving, cause her to pause on her small business plans. Having to quarantine gave Rasheda a chance to revamp her business with a new name, logo, and drive to succeed.

Rooted in Self currently sells body butters, scrubs, soap, and oils, but it is only the beginning of an

www.rootedinself.com

amazing empire.

Daja Renae is a graphic designer, podcast host, and radio personality in the DMV region. Her podcast, A Shot of Facts, is a weekly commentary show about all things pertaining black culture enrichment.

She provides weekly tips and thinkpieces on entrepreneurship, mental health, relationships, and much more.

She is also the host of the Millennial’s Edge segment on WOLB 1010 Baltimore’s It’s Janice! Show airing every Wednesday from 4:305:00 EST. The It’s Janice! Show provides weekly conversations about entrepreneurship and showcases minority businesses to an audience of over 30,000 monthly listeners. The Millennial’s Edge segment highlights young entrepreneurs and innovators alike. For more information about Daja Renae and her endeavors, check out her website at www.shotoffactspodcast.com and follow her on Instagram @DajaRenae and @shotoffactspod.

www.shotoffactspodcast.com

Just Us Sweets is a dessert shop located in Chicago , Illinois specializing in various chocolate confectionaries .

Our most popular item is our chocolate turtles , which come from a passed down family recipe . We strive to empower people ' s lives through food ; for not only the betterment of themselves , but also for society as a whole - with a

www.justussweets.com

culinary business rooted in love .

Thanks for reading. To continue your support, visit www. rwebelmedia.com/donate.