26 Jun
Posted June 26, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Last modified on August 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am
“By talking about the past, I think we can play a positive role in our future.” said Ernest G. Green, of the Little Rock Nine in a lecture sponsored last Monday by the Society of African American Culture (SAAC) in conjunction with Pan-Afrikan Festival this year.
Green, 66, is one of the nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas on September 25, 1957. He and the eight other students: Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Patillo entered the high school despite efforts by angry white mobs, Jim Crow laws and Arkansas’ own governor at the time, Orval Faubus. Green was the first black student to graduate from Little Rock Central High School, on May 27, 1958.
The program began with an introduction of Green by Christina Cox, senior in biological sciences and president of SAAC, followed by a brief film outlining the experiences of the Little Rock Nine and a ceremony held for them during the Clinton Administration in 1997, commemorating the 40th anniversary of that day. When the lights came back on, Green delivered a message to inspire, uplift and remind students, faculty and staff of the past, its implications for the future and how it applies to them now.
Green immediately discussed the importance of exercising our right to vote as citizens mentioning the trials and the dangers many people faced in the 1950’s and before then in attempting to do so. “In those days, going to vote meant risking your life” Green said.
Green described a few of his experiences with racism, including being turned away from a concert in a public park with his family, being prevented from drinking out of a white’s only water fountain and denied suitable textbooks. “We knew that to keep black people separate was to mean we’d never be equal” Green said regarding segregation.
Daisy Bates, the president of the NAACP in Arkansas asked Green if he wanted to be one of the students to transfer to Little Rock Central High School. He described how troops were sent to protect them from the angry white crowds that stood outside the school, and how they received bomb, lynch threats and phone calls long after they entered the school. He revealed that he and his eight schoolmates
were frightened. Nevertheless, they persevered. “More than afraid we were determined. We were determined to break the barriers, not just for us, but for future people” Green said.
Green explained that most of the people against the integration didn’t want to harm them. They just wanted to see the students fail; proving that they couldn’t do the work and it was too much for black students to handle.
In order to succeed, he mentioned how the students studied tirelessly to keep these people and the Jim Crow laws from holding them back.
“To me, what we must do is rooted in what we have done” said Green, advising the audience to concentrate on three areas, education, economic development, and politics. He encouraged
students to take their education seriously since they were the next generation to pass it along. “There’s nothing your generation can’t do” he said.
Concerning economic development, Green advised to focus on the creation of capital and opportunities so that the wealth can be passed on to our children and flourish in our community so they can succeed. He discussed how the Civil Rights Movement brought about economic growth and opportunities to the South. Discussing his last point of politics, Green returned to the issue of voting stating “African Americans, in fact, all Americans don”t vote enough. We don’t have enough power” encouraging students to remain politically active.
He expressed that students need to do all they can to level the playing field. “Equality is not a fight for African Americans; it’s a fight for all
Americans” he said.
Green wanted make sure people knew the purpose of his speech. He asked only that students “Remember what we [The Little Rock Nine] were; just nine scared kids no better than anyone else who didn’t know what lie ahead, who were willing to trust those who had a vision of how things could be, who were willing to follow a path, remember others too, remember all the people who helped us.”
26 Jun
Posted June 26, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Last modified on August 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Trend savvy, vivacious, and coordinated were just a few thoughts that came to mind at the opening of the Black Finesse Modeling Troupe’s (BFMT) annual spring showcase last Monday evening in Stewart Theater. The crowd was excited to see what new talent and choreography would grace the stage as the music played by Evan Halley amplified the speakers of Stewart Theater. The theme of the showcase was loosely based off of legendary super model Tyra Banks’s hit reality television show “America’s Next Top Model” (ANTM). The show opened up with the hosts for the evening, Candace Lee, junior in business management, and Charles Jones, a senior in industrial and systems engineering with ice breakers coupled with “old school” song and dance.
The First stop on the BFMT tour throughout several genres of the latest fashion trends was a boot-camp inspired scene. A short clip from the 1995 film “Major Payne” was shown to open up this scene. The troupe used this as a platform to show their dedication to the organization, display new growth in membership as well as to recite their motto, “We were designed with one purpose in mind… to be the best!” Acting co-president Sherena Thurman and vice president Shauna Guyton begin a step in stilettos as they marched in place and completed several aerobic activities successfully without a flint or missing a beat. Chuxi is a Chinese term that indicates a new year marks a new experience and new beginning.
One by one the young men and women sashayed onto the stage wearing colorful kimonos and Asian inspired regalia just after showing a brief clip from America’s Next Top Model when the contestants participated in a runway show in China.
Vibrant makeup, accessories coupled with the synchronized movements choreographed by Michael Mills, a senior in pre-medical, pre-dental, left the crowd wanting more. Especially after noticing that after each scene a member of the troupe was removed from the portrait, which signified their dismissal from the “show” as compared to ANTM, when at the beginning of the season the women take a group photo and each time one of the contestants are voted off, their image is removed from the photo.
Next was a dramatic scene that called all the models to the runway for a “challenge.” This portion of the show was inspired by a scene from Queen of the Damned as the vampires begin to prey on their victims but brutally killing them one by one. The “American Gothic” scene was disturbing but visually attractive with the different styles of vampire attire with each couple entering the stage you didn’t quite expect for them to be slayed at the end of the runway. Robert Green, of Enloe High School, stole the show with his solo violin performance. That scene not only showed the creativity of the troupe and their ability to grasp various concepts but their ability to be versatile and use several elements to create an overall image and style.
During a brief intermission a gentleman from Shaw University sang an original song about his experience with love. Also, a group of four dancers graced the stage to complete a salsa performance. It wasn’t too much longer until wardrobe changes were made, and the troupe was back on stage “riding in the fast lane” in their next scene that was fun and used an upbeat pop song to grab the attention of the crowd. This was yet another performance that was a great surprise. The bright colors and playful costumes served as an enticing ploy to draw them into the “race of their life.” When asked about the inspiration for the overall show, copresident Brian Riddick answered, “There was no real inspiration for the show, we just wanted to live up to our fall show performance where nearly 700 people were in attendance.” Spring has just begun, and to help welcome the season in with full blast, the “Heaven on Earth” scene displayed some great swimwear to compliment each member differently. The women started on the stage floor, some wore wings to complete their outfit. The music started and so did the fun, they all rose from their positions for some light movements in position before coming down the runway.
Commercial Break then took over the stage with a rhythmic rendition to a Missy Elliot mixed tape and performed an upbeat, urban dance routine as a tribute. The five young women showed their overall talent by remaining in planned formations, coordinating wardrobe and won the attention of the crowd with their smiles and stage presence. The final runway showdown then began with only two images left in the once filled group shot; Marissa Morgan an Enloe High School student and Camia McCorkle a freshman at N.C. State were left to battle it out one last time. The final scene, at the Asylum, was pleasantly disturbing and original to BFMT. Sherena Thurman was a nurse with a purpose in mind, to dose all the psychiatric patients in her ward of the hospital. She chased patients on stage and crawling models represented demons that protected the psychotic patients from the nurses. The scene proved to be a crowd favorite-it was choreographed by presidents Brian Riddick and Sherena Thurman.
The entire program was choreographed, designed and lined up successfully and had one of the biggest turn-outs for Pan-Afrikan week.
26 Jun
Posted June 26, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Last modified on August 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Friday, April 4th, at Stewart Theatre around 8 o’clock, students started piling in with the hopes of viewing a hilarious comedy show. What better way to start off a Friday night than going out with your friends for a good laugh! I would say this show was a hit, people were laughing almost to the point of pain all through out the show. The crowd was live, hype, and very interactive with the comedians.
The lineup consisted of Lavar Walker, who was the host for the evening, Double D, the feature act, and the headliner, CoCoa Brown. Lavar Walker is quite the character, his jokes were fresh and they kept the crowd rolling for the most part, however some of his jokes didn’t receive much laughter. Walker always managed to get back on his feet with lines like, “If y’all don’t laugh, I don’t care, I’ve already got MY check!” I love the way Walker made it a point to involve the audience members at any given moment. If your baby started crying, you best believe you were going to get called out. If you made a sarcastic remark about something he said, then it was likely you would get cracked on for at least a good five minutes.
The best thing that Walker did was his T.I. (the rap star) imitation. If you are a rap fan, you know T.I has a very distinctive way that he performs, basically just using his right hand. Well… Walker has this man’s moves down-packed, and when he did this the crowd went absolutely nuts. He also addressed serious issues such as STD’s, and made something so devastating absolutely hilarious.
Double D was too funny quite simply put. Everyone laughed nearly the whole entire time he was on stage. He never had any gaps in his performance where you weren’t laughing. He kept people interested by switching his topics abruptly, and referring to things we talk about everyday with our friends. Things such as, how tired we are of hearing the same Soulja Boy (rapper) songs over and over, or how Lil’ Wayne is talking about absolutely nothing in his verse in Mario’s song “Crying Out for Me.” He has no boundaries; he says whatever comes to his mind, when it comes to his mind. That’s what people loved about him; he said some of our thoughts we were afraid to say. He even pointed out less attractive celebrities, and elaborately joked on their unfortunate images. When his time was up, we weren’t ready for him to leave. I overheard comments in the crowd such as “He was soooo funny, wish his time wasn’t up,” or “Already!!!… he was good!” He was an overall crowd pleaser who gave us, the audience, what we came for and left us wanting more.
CoCoa Brown brought us home with her crowd pleasing performance. Some people probably know her from BET’s ComicView. When she performs, she exudes confidence and star quality. As soon as you hear her high pitch voice it is hard not to giggle, because you know that voice is going to bring out the truth about situations we all go through in a comedic way. Her personality does most of the work and her overall comfortableness in front of sometimes critical young adults. To be a comedian, it takes a lot of courage, and I applaud these three comedians for a job well done. If you weren’t there, you missed out on a great experience full of laughter.
26 Jun
Posted June 26, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Last modified on August 10th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
When it comes to chocolate, I think it would be a little difficult to find someone who doesn’t like this scrumptious treat. Chocolate has been enjoyed in a variety of public ceremonies and events, and even in private occasions for centuries.
Chocolate consists of a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. The cacao tree is a Native to lowland, tropical South America, and it has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC.
The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor. (Fermentation in food processing typically involves chemical conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids.)
After fermentation, the beans are then dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is taken off to produce what are known as cacao nibs. The nibs are then grounded and liquefied, resulting in pure chocolate in a fluid form. This form is called chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, derived from tryptophan that is involved in sleep, depression, memory, and other neurological processes. Scientists claim that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure.
As it relates to health issues, the consumption of chocolate has been connected to obesity, acne, and mild lead poisoning, and acid reflux. On the positive side, chocolate has also been tied to what are known as circulatory benefits, aphrodisia, and other health benefits.
The major concern that nutritionists have is that even though eating dark chocolate may favorably affect certain of, the amount needed to have this effect would provide a relatively large quantity of which, if unused, would promote weight gain. Obesity is a significant risk factor for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease.
There is a popular belief that the consumption of chocolate can cause acne. Various studies seem to show that this is the case for high gycemic index foods in general, though the question is still being studied. Milk is known to cause acne, including any which is mixed with chocolate.
Chocolate has one of the higher concentrations of lead among products that constitute a typical Westerner’s diet, with a potential to cause mild lead poisoning. Recent studies have shown that although the beans themselves absorb little lead, it tends to bind to cocoa shells and contamination may occur during the manufacturing process.
Theobromine in chocolate is also a contributing factor in acid reflux due to its relaxing effects on the esophageal sphincter muscle.
Now on to the benefits: Some studies have also observed a modest reduction in blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation after consuming approximately 100g of dark chocolate daily. There has even been a fad diet, named “Chocolate diet,” which emphasizes eating chocolate and cocoa powder in capsules. However, consuming milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking fat-containing milk with dark chocolate, appears largely to negate the health benefit.
Romantic lore commonly identifies chocolate as an aphrodisiac. The reputed aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate are most often associated with the simple sensual pleasure of its consumption.
More recently, it has been suggested that theobromine and other chemicals found in chocolate, most notably phenethylamine, can act as mild sexual stimulants. While there is no firm proof that chocolate is indeed an aphrodisiac, a gift of chocolate is a familiar courtship ritual.
Evidence from laboratory studies suggests that cocoa flavonoids may possess anticarcinogenic mechanisms, but it seems that more research is needed to prove this idea.
So we see that eating chocolate has its pros and cons. Depending on where you stand, you can decied whether the pros outweigh the cons or not. It is up to you. <i>Bon appetit!</i>
26 Jun
Posted June 26, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Last modified on August 10th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
So what do black men really have to say?
Monday’s program, “What Black Men Think” was sponsored by 100 Collegiate of NCSU, 100 Black Men of America, Inc. this presentation was centered around director Janks Morton’s short film, “What Black Men Think.” Several clips of the documentary were shown to illustrate some of the most common misperceptions of black men and women in the 21st century. Morton said, “What they see is what they will be commenting on the average black person witnesses on a day to day basis.”
The first portion of the program focused on the question, “Are there more black men in jail or in college?” This question puzzled the audience and forced them to create an informed decision as to what the real outcome to the question could be.
After viewing a short clip from the video, people sat startled at what the people surveyed had to say. The majority thought more blacks were in jail compared to being enrolled in college while a startling few opposed.
After a breakdown was done of the number and age group of the black men in jail and college were calculated it was proven that between the ages of 18-24 most black men are enrolled in college. Janks Morton, director and host, responded on the unsettling comments saying, “Real abomination is not so much self hate, but self doubt.” In 2005, the film reported that more black males were in college by 50,000 people and a 4:1 ratio between the ages of 18-24.
Warren Rhem II, program host, a junior in Agricultural Business Management, redirected the comments to a new thought, the entertainment industry and how it affects the black perception and the mindset of others outside of the black community.
Lonnie Bodiford a senior in Music Industry at North Carolina Central University stated, “Most role models are entertainment figures versus positive ones.” The next clip showed Dr. Kellina Craig-Henderson a professor at Howard University brought up the issue of interracial marriage. She said that “numbers have doubled since 1980 from about 3 percent to 5 percent.” According to Caleb Bell, senior in Computer Science, “Black people fall into their own stereotypes.” Meshawn Chalmers, a junior in Psychology and Africana Studies then followed up by stating that, “love doesn’t have a color… black always see the bad and not the good” referring to the stereotype that on average more than 20 percent of black men marry white women. The tone of the discussion changed as several opinions of the topic were voiced. Candace Lee, a junior in Business Management, said “understanding is love… people can sometimes feel sympathy for their companion rather than understand their frustrations” as it relates to interracial couples and their difference in childhood experience and understanding of the black culture.
The next major topic of the program was the actual percentage of women who die from AIDS. contracted through black men on the “down low.” The “down low” is an expression or term for black men who engage in monogamous, heterosexual relationships in a public or social setting but in their private life have sexual relations with men, commonly perceived as unprotected activity. According to the film, the Miller-Malebranche study in 2004 found that men who engage in sexual behavior with men and women tend to use contraception more than heterosexual couples. 36 percent of AIDS cases in Black women come from poor injection or use of drugs. 13 percent actually come from high risk sexual activity according to the 2004 statistic of the Centers for Disease Control for Female AIDS cases.
Lastly, the program covered a short portion of the film about incarceration rates or black males and the government’s way of “incapacitating through incarceration” stated by Morton. He went on to say that institutions such as the Justice Policy Institute was created as a means to keep black males out of jail but is actually a way to endorse money for the government. He even accused the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, of partaking in the governments “feeding frenzy” and stated that “it’s not about the cause anymore.” This documentary has been listed as a best-seller on amazon.com and had continued to spark the interest of people all over the nation. The film suggests the next time you hear a new statistic, program, or stereotype of the black community that we should research for ourselves before we fall victim to the myths of black people.
26 Jun
Posted June 26, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Last modified on August 10th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
On Tuesday March 25th, the Eta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated held part one of a two part series program called “Dismantling White Privilege.” Through this program, the members sought to bring attention to and inspire discussion about the concept of white privilege to students. A combination of an informational power point presentation, a discussion and an interactive demonstration, helped to supplement the learning experience.
One definition of white privilege is “a right, advantage or immunity granted to or enjoyed by white persons beyond the common advantage of all others; an exemption in many particular cases from burdens or liabilities” according to Kendall Clark, founder of white privilege.com, a website dedicated to antiracism education and activism. The concept of white privilege is highlighted in the written piece “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” a popular point of reference on the subject by Peggy McIntosh, associate director of the Wesley College Center for Research on Women who through recognizing male privilege for the benefit of women, also unveiled race privilege and sought out to educate herself and others about the concept.
To introduce to students who attended the program the existence of white privilege and what it looks like, the members of Alpha Phi Alpha, asked seven volunteers to stand in a straight horizontal line and use movement to respond to statements derived from McIntosh’s list of daily effects of white privilege. Students took one step forward if the statement applied and one step back if it did not. Statements included “I am never asked to speak for all the people in my racial group” and “I can worry about racism without being seen as self interested or self seeking” among many others.
In the end, the only white student in attendance and a student of Middle Eastern descent were in front while black students were further back.
“I didn’t know some of these things could be considered white privilege” said Byron Green, a sophomore in biological sciences.
The rest of the students in attendance were given the opportunity to share their views on a few of the statements after a brief outlining of the history of white privilege and a few of its definitions were provided. In response to the statement, “When I am told about national heritage or civilization, I am shown that people of my color made it what it is,” said Baria Adams, a senior in math education responded “It depends on what you’re exposed to.” Stressing the notion that it depends on the person’s environment and upbringing whether or not they are aware or told their race played an essential part in the development of the U.S.
Another issue raised was a study done by the Department of Justice in 2002 showing that black or Latino drivers are three times more likely to be searched than white drivers. In addition, it was also presented that young white offenders are likely to receive lighter punishments than minorities in America. There was much debate among attendants about the implication of these statistics, “We have to make sure in our community that even though this [white privilege] does exist, that we don’t use it as a crutch.” noted Mark Dennison, an NC State and Eta Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha alumnus.
Also discussed was the affect of white privilege in the education system. “White teachers tend to think that black students do not have the same intellectual competency as white students” said Dawn Henderson, a graduate student in psychology.
One criticism of the concept white privilege is that the idea is created by African Americans to blame for hardships of the black community.
The program closed with a clip from ABC news showing how a group of elementary school aged children reacted to photographs of different races of people.
When asked who was friendlier, the students picked the man with lighter skin each time. The first time, the children picked an Asian man over a Middle Eastern man and the second time a white man over a black man. “This is something bigger than just the home.” Dennison added. We have the responsibility to “show them [children] more than just what the world gave them.”
Steps to break apart or “dismantle” white privilege will be discussed in Part two of “Dismantling White Privilege” at a date and time to be announced.
26 Jun
Posted June 26, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Last modified on August 10th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
If you ask anyone how they feel about their identity, he or she will most likely say that it is quite important to them. It is important to them because their identity arises from how people view them in daily life. Now there are some people who do not care about what people think of them and their personality reflects that.
But what happens when there is a crisis concerning the process of one defining his or her identity? When someone is labeled as something with which he or she personally does not identify, how does the person successfully show people that they are more than what people have labeled them?
Looking more deeply, even if someone is able to show people that they are not like what he or she has been labeled by acting out in different ways, how does the person convince his or herself that they really are better than some negative label?
Sociologically speaking, identity formation is the process of the development of the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity (known as personal continuity) in a particular stage of life in which individual characteristics are possessed by which a person is recognized or known (such as the establishment of a reputation).
This process defines an individual to others and his- or herself. Pieces of the entity’s actual identity include a sense of continuity, a sense of uniqueness from others, and a sense of affiliation.
Identity formation leads to a number of issues of personal identity and an identity where the individual has some sort of comprehension of him or herself as a discrete, separate entity.
This may be through what is known as individuation, whereby the undifferentiated individual tends to become unique, or undergoes stages through which differentiated facets of a person’s life tend toward becoming a more indivisible whole.
Some common areas of concern with identity include self-concept, cultural identity, religious identity, professional identity, gender identity. Self-concept or self-identity is the sum total of a being’s knowledge and understanding of his or her self. The self-concept is different from self-consciousness, which is a basic awareness of one’s self.
Components of the self-concept include physical, psychological, and social attributes, which can be influenced by the individual’s attitudes, habits, beliefs and ideas. These components and attributes cannot be condensed to the general concepts of self-image and the self-esteem, as the information about attitudes, habits, beliefs, and ideas is too extensive.
Cultural identity is the (feeling of) identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as she/he is influenced by her/his belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics. Cultural identity remarks upon: place, gender, race, history, nationality, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and ethnicity.
The term “religious identity” refers to the personal practices related to communal faith and to rituals and communication stemming from such conviction. What is considered to be strong conviction in some religions is up for debate, since it is such a subjective topic of discussion.
In business, one can adopt a certain professional identity by adhering to at least most, if not all, of the proper business practices for a given site. For example, one would do what is best for the company for which he or she works, even if they have a personal objection to some work policies or rules, to help develop a professional identity.
In sociology, gender identity describes the gender with which a person identifies (i.e, whether one perceives oneself to be a man, a woman, or describes oneself in some less conventional way), but can also be used to refer to the gender that other people attribute to the individual on the basis of what they know from gender role indications (social behavior, clothing, hair style, etc.). Gender identity may be affected by a variety of social structures, including the person’s ethnic group, employment status, religion or irreligion, and family.
Now when developing an identity, one is often careful about what they do personally and how they associate with others since their personal choices and how they associate with different types of people can affect their life chances, which refers to the types of things they will get to experience as their lives progress on. So an identity crisis can be dealt with positively; you just have to be true to yourself, as a modern Shakespeare would have stated it.
