VOL. 2, NO. 4
MAY 2016
GRADUATION SEASON
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CONTENTS Teaching for the Diaspora 3 College Graduates Reflect on Triumphs, Journey Ahead 4-5 Building a Bridge Between D.C. and Flint 6 Black Millennials Redefine Positivity in Hip Hop 7
ON THE COVER
EDITOR’S LETTER
PUBLISHER
Peace and blessings committed WI Bridge reader,
Denise Rolark Barnes
We’re in the midst of graduation season, a time of triumph and reflection for an untold number of people across the area, young and old, who’ve completed an arduous academic journey. Whether you’re attaining a high school diploma, college degree or any other marker of education, the months of May and June should be a time of well-deserved celebration. At the WI Bridge, we applaud the efforts of Black Millennials to advance academically and grow as global citizens. The articles in this edition speak to that, each showcasing perspectives of young people who recently graduated as well as those who completed their studies a long time ago and teenagers who have a ways to go before crossing the stage. Determination, discipline, and emotional intelligence serve as common themes in these stories, showing readers that education should be lifelong experience, not one only confined to the classroom. As always, we appreciate your support and welcome any opportunities for collaboration, however that looks to you. Remember, WI Bridge’s mission just doesn’t stop at journalism. We’re a community institution committed to uplifting the Black race by any means necessary. Enjoy a great read and come back next month as we engage in a debate about Black political participation.
Alston Olds, a 21-yr-old Washingtonian, recently walked across the stage at University of Maryland College Park. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus on social influence and a minor in leadership studies. Future plans include an internship at the Children’s National Foundation and graduate school./ Courtesy photo of Julia Keane
MISSION STATEMENT The WI Bridge sets out to highlight contemporary issues through the experiences of youth and capture the progressive, entrepreneurial spirit of the Millennial generation other publications gloss over. Writers will take to streets and feature people, programs, initiatives, and movements that uniquely address prominent youth issues. This hard-hitting coverage will lay to rest misconceptions of Generation Y and bring all to an understanding of diverse youth experiences.
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VOL 2, NO. 4
Yours in the struggle, Sam P.K. Collins Editor-in-Chief WI Bridge
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sam P.K. Collins
PHOTOGRAPHER Dejah Greene
LAYOUT Kelcey Abney
CONTRIBUTERS Adolf Alzuphar Austin Weatherington Briana Rhodes Jamisha Brown Talaiha Wiggins
TEACHING FOR THE DIASPORA By Austin Weatherington
media outlet, in a Black city. What more did I want? After all I enjoyed my job. I quickly went into deep thought about the difference between wanting more, and wanting too much. I began reflecting on the psychology of genuine hunger versus actual greed.
WI Bridge Contributing Writer @a4aus On the path to achieving your goals, there are some things so central to your journey and consuming of your energy that they redefine and aggrandize your original intention. Better understanding the politics of “us” has been that invaluable pillar in my pursuit of diasporic purpose.
But if a man were to be greedy, I couldn’t think of a more honorable cause to want to devour. In fact, as I looked around our community, it occurred to me that many of us could stand to be greedier. Not stopping at one serving but going back for seconds and thirds. Despite the comforts and conveniences, the truth was I went from the guy who was reporting the issues, to the guy who wanted to do something about them.
The noisy, confusing intersections of passion and humility, ego and hardship; that’s where my story begins. I was a pleasant, yet hard-headed 20-something who believed in his dreams enough to persevere through a few bad jobs, professional incompetence, and my first (of many) major breakup(s). After the young adult dust settled, I found myself etched firmly in a place where ambition, nepotism, nor any amount of good luck could have placed me.
It was Malcolm X who stated “Without education, you’re not going anywhere in this world.” From a man with life experience as storied as his, this remark is particularly important. The statement shows that education is not something simply reserved for hallways, classrooms, and control bait for outside opportunists and exploiters.
The year was 2010 and I was two years removed from undergrad. I was a journalism major from a small predominately white institution, who possessed a growing appetite for Blackness and community; yet stood challenged by the lack of professional opportunities in both areas. I remember how palpable my feelings were: inspired, self-aware, broke, and painfully responsible… at the same damn time. However, the stars somehow aligned and I was cast as a radio producer at WHUR 96.3 FM, one of Chocolate City’s most popular stations. Long known for their contribution to the community, as much as they were for making your toe tap on Sunday afternoon. And to put cheese atop the grits, I was assigned to community organizations and local news. At this time I was about 50 pages through W.E.B. DuBois’ Souls of Black Folk, and had already finished Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery. I was enamored and intoxicated with the prose and purpose of both, and needless to say was clamoring for the opportunity to do something righteous for my community. As producer, I instantaneously began rummaging through local issues. From food deserts in Anacostia to back-toschool drives in Kenilworth, I packaged and presented grassroots organizations and organizers for spots on the radio. My once cultural/communal void now
The process of education happens whenever someone is willing to teach, and another is willing to learn. This process has been, and continues to be used by the most self-determining, freedom-fighting people amongst us.
Austin Weatherington gives a young student a pound as a sign of solidarity./ Courtesy photo
satisfied, as I felt like I was doing something that “mattered.” However, as time passed and my experience grew, I began to feel a bit of an itch. In fact it was more than that. Throughout my three years of producing, there was always one topic that struck an extremely distinct chord with me. It continued to make news, stirring up the pride and passion of so many. A fundamental thorn, no matter the amount of success, this issue sat idly, pestering the flesh of the community. So much a problem, the topic became less of an issue and more of a question: What could be done about the state of education in the Black community? There I sat, on a cozy rolling chair, at a fine Washington, D.C. establishment arrogantly debating coworkers about
terms such as “the minority achievement gap” and “the school-to-prison pipeline.” However, when the conversations were over, and the people left my office, I felt guilty and unfavorably stuck between the comforts of where I was, and the convictions of where I should be. With the words and work of people like H. Rap Brown, Shirley Chisolm, James F. Farmer, Maulana Ron Karenga, Kenneth Clark, and Dr. Jawanzaa Kunjufu to name a few, I would often daydream about leaving my job, and starting a program to combat some of these educational issues.
As I now fully transition from one career path, and close in on the most powerful position I’ve ever held, this is the type of education which will rule my classroom. My quest for diasporic purpose will now continue, however it will no longer be ruled by merely culture, or color. My understanding of the diaspora now extends to a place of purpose. A purpose I intend on sharing with you. Austin Weatherington runs an afterschool program for boys named C.O.O.L. Club which promotes the values of Character, Organization, being On time, Leadership. This fall, he’ll start his first full year teaching with a D.C. public charter school.
But what about my job? What about the Black communications position that I once clamored for? Not only did I have the shiny new title like “producer”, but my work couldn’t get any Blacker. I was covering Black issues, for a Black VOL 2, NO. 4 WI BRIDGE | 3
COLLEGE GRADUATES REFLECT ON TRIUMPHS, JOURNEY AHEAD By Brianna Rhodes
WI Bridge Contributing Writer @Bri_Rhodes24 College graduation can be a monumental stepping stone for many people, marking the completion of what they consider the best four years of their life and the start of the next chapter in their journey. For Rome “Rox” Miller, getting a degree from Howard University in Northwest signified the continuation of a family legacy. After finishing his coursework last spring, the 24-year-old worked to pay bills so that he could walk across the stage. “My mom went to Howard and the majority of my family lives in D.C. so it would be the perfect school for me to continue the legacy that my mom started. [It was also about] the many African Americans before me who attended Howard University,” Miller, who hails from the D.C. metropolitan area, said. Miller received a bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies during a ceremony where he saw U.S. President Barack H. Obama publicly speak for the second time in his life. This fall, Miller plans to start graduate school in California while producing music and a film through Raise the Stakes Entertainment, a company he and other Howard students started. “In 2013, I was at Prince George’s Community College and President Obama came there to speak,” Miller said. “Of course that was earlier in second his term. Now I’m finishing school and just seeing him speak again, it was just a full circle to see him going out pretty much the same time as me.” “I appreciate the fact that he spoke for a good period of time,” he added. “It was probably an hour and some change for the speech. With him being the president of the United States, I thought he was only going to talk for 30 or 40 minutes, but he did a pretty timely speech and it was in depth. He talked about some important things.” Kevin Davenport, Jr., another member of Howard’s class of 2016, called Obama’s commencement address the “perfect ending” to his college career, saying it will remain etched in his mind for the rest of his life. “It was like being in a dream, especially because the entire week leading up to graduation and commencement was 4 | WI BRIDGE VOL 2, NO. 4
Rome “Rox” Miller/ Courtesy Photo
hectic,” said Davenport, a first generation college graduate from Oakland. “[Class of 2016] came in during his second inauguration so it was something we talked about for years. His speech was amazing, off the cuff, and [applicable] to Howard and our entire experience and the importance of getting a degree from our institution just made us all so proud.” For Davenport, leaving the west coast
and attending Howard four years ago was a decision in exercising manhood and independence as a Black man in a majority-Black academic institution. “I wanted to go off to college and kind of leave my little bubble back at home. It was very important for me to expand my worldview and learn some new stuff, meet some new people and kind of force myself out my comfort zone,”
Davenport said. “I applied to 22 schools and I went on an HBCU college tour my senior year. That was really the first time I learned about a lot of Black colleges. On the west coast, we don’t have any. So we don’t really grow up with the same kind of idea of Black fraternities, and Black colleges. It was foreign to me.” Miller and Davenport counted among thousands of young men and women in the D.C metropolitan area who graduated
Brianna Williams/ Courtesy Photo
from a local university earlier this month. Legions of family and friends converged at convention centers, auditoriums, schoolyards, and other meeting points to celebrate graduates’ milestones and hear a slew of commencement speakers. U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D- N.J.) wowed a large audience on the National Mall during The George Washington University’s commencement exercises. Civil Rights icon Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) spoke about the “beloved society” during his address before graduates of Bowie State University. At American University, Latina journalist Maria Elena Salinas addressed the School of Communication graduates. Her words resonated with Brianna Williams, a native of Newark, Delaware who attained her bachelor’s degree in Journalism that day. For four years, Williams soaked in a lot of knowledge about what it takes to write the best stories. “If you really want your story to be
amazing and stand out, you have to go after the best sources for whatever you think will make your story, or project stand out. So if you want it, go after it,” said Williams, 21. In July, Williams will attend Syracuse University in upstate New York where she’ll pursue a master’s in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism. “I would have to say just to have fun,” Williams added. “College was a lot of hard work. It was very challenging and stressful, but you just have to have fun and don’t forget that in the midst of everything that’s going on because you can get caught up in that,” Williams said. Williams also reflected on commencement and how it felt to have her family in attendance. “It was great that they were there and to have their support, because I know some people’s family could not be there so that was just really great for them to come, especially my mom because she’s
been my support throughout everything. It was just great to see the people who motivated me or who believed in me to even get to this point.” She also mentioned the lasting impression that American University had on her. “I would definitely say American University is not the easiest school to get through in any sense of the matter whether it’s academic or socially but the experience is what you make it,” Williams said. “So if you don’t have the best outlook, you won’t enjoy your time and you’re not going to see what’s happening presently. So make the best of what you’re given to make it into an amazing four years or three years or however long your in college and just make the most of your time,” she added.
For instance, Davenport didn’t have long to celebrate the occasion. Instead, he jumped right into the next chapter of his professional journey, working in the office of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). He said such an opportunity allows him to put his Political Science and Psychology studies to good use. “I always wanted to make a difference and learned [that] a Political Science degree is really what you want to make it,” Davenport said. “I always wanted to touch on community development and build up my community [via] finance, education, or policy. You can do all of that with a political science degree. So I decided it was a degree that really gave me the wiggle room to you know still dream.”
Many students won’t have much time to reflect on the past, in part because they will start new jobs and internships this summer.
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BUILDING A BRIDGE BETWEEN D.C. AND FLINT
(L-R) Talaiha Wiggins and Jamisha Brown, sophomores at Anacostia High School /Photo courtesy of Maurice Bland
By Jamisha Brown and Talaiha Wiggins
WI Bridge Contributing Writers On the weekend of April 29th, we counted among 20 youth leaders and young professionals from Black Swan Academy, Black Millennials for Flint and Rising Sons, who traveled to Flint,Michigan to distribute more than 400 cases of water to residents most affected by the Flint water crisis. It was our first time flying and we found it hard to sleep the night before because we were so afraid. When we got to the airport, we started doubting ourselves and felt like we couldn’t fly. However, this trip was not about us. Once the plane got into the air, we looked out of the window and loved the beautiful view. By the time we landed, we knew we were doing the right thing. We had numerous questions about who deserved blame for the crisis. The water started becoming a problem in 2010 and had only worsened by 2014. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R) switched water sources to save money at the expense of low-income residents of color. This action will end up costing the local and state government much more by the time they replace the pipes and deal with all of the other issues it caused for the city and residents. 6 | WI BRIDGE VOL 2, NO. 4
This lack of accountability at the local level made us think about the District of Columbia public schools that have been exposed to lead water. How can officials meant to serve the people allow this tragedy to happen?
miscarry. She told us losing her twins almost killed her. The lead also affected her young son who had been suspended 57 times from school, due to the lead’s impact on his behavior and ability to focus.
On Friday, we went to a town hall at the Boys & Girls Club and met with a variety of people from Flint, D.C., and across the country who wanted their voices to be heard. One question that came up was if this would happen in a rich, white community. Many of us felt that the public pays more attention to them than us, something we felt really needs to change.
Desiree mentioned that her 10-year-old son had been exposed to lead when they lived in Baltimore. They moved to Flint to get away from those poor conditions, but couldn’t escape it after all. Desiree said she worries that people don’t take the situation seriously, telling us about a young girl who attempted suicide because she couldn’t get the help she needed for her lead poisoning.
That day, a woman said, “we are not the future, we are the present.” We are here now so we need to make a change now, and for us, it starts with raising awareness about what is happening in Flint.
Nakiya and Desiree encouraged us to tackle D.C.-based issues. Their advice included organizing high school students and talking about similar problems we face.
On Saturday, we volunteered with an activist group named Flint Rising, giving out cases of water, wipes, and hand sanitizer to families. Before canvassing, we spent time interviewing residents and attending a training. That’s when we met Desiree and Nakiya, two mothers/activists who live in Flint. Nakiya, who had been drinking the water since 2014, said that exposure to the high levels of lead caused her to
After the interview, we walked door to door to pass out water and it was amazing. The look on people’s faces made our hearts melt. When we asked a mother and son if they needed water, the young man looked up and said “yes”. He then turned to his mom and said “Mommy, we got clean water now!” During another moment, we pulled into an apartment complex and opened the trunk. The kids playing nearby ran up to the car happily screaming “free
water!” Some of these residents went days without taking showers, eating, or brushing their teeth. Giving them some clean water felt like we lifted some of the weight off of their shoulders. While canvassing, we learned water wasn’t the only problem. More than 40 percent of Flint residents live below the poverty level and it’s getting worse. Some people could barely move due to health problems created by lead exposure. Some of the older adults who lived alone weren’t able to get to locations with water, let alone lift up the bottles. That’s the reason why one older man went eight weeks without any clean water. We also met a woman who, along with others, had to close her business because of the water crisis. Traveling to Flint was a good opportunity to help people and put a smile on their faces, just by dropping off water at their homes. You never know how much even the smallest thing might mean to someone. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing to help the people of Flint and the families here in D.C. To the Flint residents, thank you. No one can go through something like this alone; they need someone who can help them. There’s always something each of us can offer.
BLACK MILLENNIALS REDEFINE POSITIVITY IN HIP HOP
Photo credit: Diane Shabazz Varnie
By Adolf Alzuphar
WI Bridge Contributing Writer Like those before them, the Black millennial generation has made very particular choices in terms of what music it likes most. They have set the tone not only in their own lives but also that of non-Black millennials who surround them. Their choices have shaped American culture by contributing to the zeitgeist of this era. When it comes to positive Hip-Hop music, less prevalent on the radio these days, Black millennials adore and idealize it as much as past generations. Positive rappers are very wealthy individuals and all of the most well-known ones’ albums and singles are distributed by major labels. An example of popular positive Hip Hop loved by Black millennials contributing to the zeit-geist of this era is the fact that Christian Hip Hop is now very commercially successful. Artists such as Lacrea are now seen as the Christian evangelist counterparts of secular positive Hip-Hop artists and as thus some of the most trusted voices in “the struggle.” This has come about because of Black millennials’ choice of Hip Hop as the best method to vehicle “the struggle” and for their self progression. What seems to interest Blacks millennials the most are themes such as “compassion,” “recti-tude,” but also “self-affirmation” that has to do with voicing the tribulations and concerns in black coming of age. Gone are the days of browsing through underground music for positive Hip
Hop and the individualism that came with it; millennials only really focus on commercial posi-tivity that they can sing and dance to as a community especially linked by friendship and social media. For some, positive Hip Hop is a secular advocate of positive struggle as Black churches tradi-tionally explore the theme. For others, positive Hip Hop is “real Hip Hop” that caters to the black community. In his book, To The Break of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic, historian and social critic Jelani Cobb, without using the word, roughly defines positivity in Hip Hop as music respectful of the long history of Black aesthetics all the while being at a very high level of artist-ry. He defined positivity as the very thing that many people initially fell for in Hip Hop. He points at aesthetic honesty and pushing the genre forward as being what is positive about Hip Hop; that Hip Hop is an expression of one’s humanity and that what can be positive about it is honest complexity. To Cobb, a positive MC’s rapping is art rooted in oratory and storytelling and majestic MCing has everything to do with the long history of Black oratory, from the enslaved aspiring to being great orators to the preaching styles for which many Black preachers are now infamous. Some millennials do believe that positive Hip Hop is real music that caters to the black com-munity but the same believed
that it’s moral Hip Hop regardless of the complexity or honesty of its aesthetics. Positive Hip-Hop artists that most Black millennials consume regularly (according to an in-formal survey I conducted) are the run of the mill names who dominate the Billboard charts: Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Wale and Jidenna, known for his hit song “Classic Man.” Wale is less known though all agree on his positivity. No women seem to make the list. It seems to be that very little Black millennials go out of their way to find positivity, and con-sume it when it is easily accessible. In terms of women not making positive Hip Hop, Black women seem to be much more interested in producing positive R&B, Pop, Soul, and Indie mu-sic. Black women produce more positive music than men do and its much easier to produce positive commercial music in the before mentioned genres. One male interviewee added Drake to the list and said that he was moving the culture forward and was very important to women, though none added Drake to a Positive Hip Hop list. When asked about his positivity, most women responded that they were unsure if Drake was “Hip Hop.” No one seemed to consume older positive music and names like Tupac and Biggie got a “Yea, they’re good” but nothing more. Millennials consume albums of positive Hip Hop that is both art and in their eyes moral but knew nothing specific about Hip Hop’s roots, unlike Jelani
Cobb’s ideas about Hip Hop. Finally, what’s important to millennials is that they participate with others in Hip Hop positivity as one community as opposed to individually. The themes of the positive Hip Hop songs that are most loved are struggle, survival, presenta-tion, rhythmic affirmation, and in general coming of age - all presented as day to day domestic living issues. None of these themes were presented in a scientific way or in order to point fingers at any race or social class. Millennials do not seem to care for political music as past generations have and most of the songs do not detail societal ills like Tupac’s songs “Brenda’s Got A Baby” did in the past. It’s important to note that very few millennials get to produce commercial Hip Hop music and that giv-en the fact that most are not interested in underground music, they have much less options than past generations. According to my study, it seems to be that millennials chose to listen to positive Hip Hop for self progression while not turning away from commercial culture. Positivity seems to be pop positivity and not underground positivity. It points to one thing - millennials want to progression to be loud and fun. Gone are the days of coping with invisibility. Will millennials, given their spending power, being this receptive to commercial positive Hip Hop bring about a new direc-tion for black music? I sincerely hope that it does. VOL 2, NO. 4 WI BRIDGE | 7
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