Monthly Archives: February 2021

Author Talitha Vickers wrote the children's book on the struggles her nephew faced while his father was deployed.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Theyre some of our favorite videos in the Bay area military members reuniting with their families. Author Talitha Vickers says its one of her favorite things to see on the news.

You see the happy reunions. You start crying and saying Oh my goodness, the dad showed up at the baseball game! Vickers said.

But what about the moments when a child's classmates ask hard questions?

People would say Well, wheres your dad? Hes not showing up at school. I dont see him at the football games,' Vickers explained.

Her childrens book, Why My Hero Had To Go, offers some answers.

This book allows children of all backgrounds to understand, you know, why one of their friends may not have a mom or a dad with them all the time," she said. "It also gives other children an opportunity to see a dynamic different than their own.

Vickers family in Port St. Lucie, Florida, is the story behind the story.

My brother served in the Army, Vickers said. It was so difficult, really, for my nephew to wrap his head around this big word deployment at 1 year old and, you know, 2 years old.

And since she couldnt find a book that showed the parallels of life at home and while serving, she decided to write her own.

Inside the book, youll find things like how they can stay connected through things like their daily environment and their daily routines: going out to school, even the way they wake up -- Attention!' is what I hear. While a soft whisper says wake up, dear in your ear, Vickers said.

Of course, military families arent the only ones dealing with being separated from their loved ones at the moment.

Were in the middle of a pandemic right now so were not able to see a lot of our loved ones so the book really resonates two-fold with military families and non-military families, as well, Vickers said.

When it came time to publish her story, Vickers hit some roadblocks.

Some publishing houses and even agents were asking me to tweak and change things I wasnt comfortable with and that was primarily my nephews skin, the color of his skin, Vickers said. The feedback that I got was how about we lighten his skin. That will have bigger mass appeal. We dont have a big, broad appeal or a big market for minority books. I was like what?! I mean, I was just astounded by that. It really stung.

So she took matters into her own hands, saving up for eight years and working with illustrator Keith Hobgood to self-publish Why My Hero Had To Go.

I wanted to be intentional about the people who were inside of this book, to be reflective of our community, Vickers said. I wanted the book to really resonate with people of all backgrounds. Not just say theres a Black child on the book, so its a Black story.

"No, its not, its story that resonates, a universal story with a child who just so happens to have my complexion.

Vickers says more versions of the book are in the works, including one from a mother-daughter perspective, a version for each branch of the military and a Spanish translation. You can read more about the story behind Why My Hero Had To Go on her website talithavickers.com.

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'Why My Hero Had To Go': A conversation about representing our diverse military communities - WTSP.com

Safety looks different for everyone. And in communities of color, theres often a mistrust of the health care system.

We dont really trust. Weve been used as guinea pigs for a really long time, Rose Marie Allen said.

With so much concern about COVID-19, theres now a stronger effort to make sure everyone has equal access to vaccinations, especially in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

To have this in Five Points, where a lot of the African American community is, is huge, Jessica Newsome said.

This vaccination event is part of the Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force, which exists to ensure all groups are informed about their options and have the opportunity to get vaccination shots for free.

This is what success looks like, said Maisha Fields, Advisor to Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

Fields is also a registered nurse and says getting people of color vaccinated is all about location and trust.

If were going to be intentional about making sure that everyone has equal access to the vaccine, were going to have to go to those communities and were going to have to go to places that are trusted in those communities to make sure that they are vaccinated, she said.

Places like Brother Jeffs Cultural Center.

This is about, if you want the vaccine, you should have access to it, JeFF Fard said.

Fard runs the center and says hes allowing it to be used as a vaccination site so citizens who are often overlooked or underserved have access.

You see the demand. You see folks taking advantage of the opportunity and it makes all the difference in the world, he said. And a matter of fact, it could mean the difference between life and death.

There are statistics that show African Americans are being disproportionately affected by COVID-19, so vaccination clinics held at places like cultural centers could save even more lives.

Many of the people who showed up at Brother Jeffs Cultural Center say theyre much more comfortable getting vaccinated by someone who looks like them.

They appointed me to a Black nurse, and I felt comfortable immediately because I know that she understands me and my body, Allen said. And more than anything she understood my fears.

Fears that could be eased, one shot at a time.

Read more:

Vaccination clinics being held in communities that are often overlooked - The Denver Channel

President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial symbolized the illusion of change. His acquittal, however, simply represents yet another example of superficial progress. Thinking about trivial advancement in a smaller administration, we see these same themes arising in Dukes new housing policies for the upcoming school year. Although it may seem a bit bold to compare Dukes Next Gen 2.0 Housing Committee to the inner workings of the United States government, the two are similar in that Dukes new housing policy is riddled with conflicting interests, vague policies, and an unclear motive to explain why these specific changes are being implemented.

In November 2020, the Duke administration released a new residential structure aimed at deepen[ing] connections across class year, with faculty, and with alumni and fostering dynamic opportunities for faculty engagement and co-curricular learning. Two essential points of this new plan include organizing houses on West Campus into diverse residential communities that link to East Campus residence halls and postponing rush processes until students sophomore year. The Next Gen 2.0 website claims that the goal of these housing changes is to build a joyful and intentional 4-year residential experience that promotes growth, meaningful inclusion, and health that is distinctly Duke. However, the major flaw in this new structure is one many of us have called out for too long: Dukes administration lacking transparency in their purpose for these changes.

Perhaps selective living is the system that these new changes aim to dismantle. Discussing selective living systems is inevitable in the conversation about housing at Duke. Although the Next Gen 2.0 statement does not explicitly reference Greek life and Selective Living Groups (SLGs) on Dukes campus, it does emphasize the concept of inclusion. Historically, Dukes residential system has consisted of Greek organizations, SLGs, Living Learning communities (LLCs), and independent housing. Fraternities and sororities have existed on campus since the time of Trinity College, founded in 1859, which was the precursor to the modern Duke University.

Despite their historical legacies, these systems might be outdatedthe Abolish Greek Life movement has gained traction at universities across the country, including on Dukes campus. Some of the most pressing complaints related to Greek Life include its role in creating a toxic social hierarchy among student bodies, perpetuating cycles of wealth and class, and discriminating against students of color. In response, Duke has taken certain measures that resultantly have weakened the presence of these organizations such as its abolishment of Central Campus, where the majority of sororities and fraternities had housing. More recently, on October 8, 2020, Duke asked fraternities, sororities, and non-Greek selective living groups to indefinitely postpone their recruitment processes. Perhaps, then, these new housing measures are simply an extension of a long-term attempt to weaken the dominance of Greek life in campus culture.

That being said, it is worth examining the extent to which, if at all, the power dynamic of these selective organizations have evolved on campus. While Central campus no longer exists, even now, Greek letters printed on the neo-gothic architecture just outside of Abele Quad emphasize the bold presence of these organizations in student life. Furthermore, the recent decision to delay selective housing rush processes has backfired: numerous Greek organizations have decided that they would rather disassociate from Duke and recruit first-years on their own than delay rush. Now, at least eight fraternities are headquartered off-campus, meaning that these fraternities will no longer be held accountable to Dukes standards and regulations. As such, they now have the ability to hold rush at their own discretion despite the change in Dukes policies and ignore the changes that Duke students have demanded amidst the Black Lives Matter Protests. As for these new housing changes, the policy specifies that it will not undermine the existence of selective housing; instead, all such sections will be housed in Edens, a dorm on the outskirts of West Campus.

The Duke administration seems to be taking the same exact approach as it did in abolishing Central Campus. Instead of taking a hard stance that could give rise to tangible, more inclusive change, Duke is simply relocating these selective organizations. Each group will still recruit an incoming class, albeit a few months later, and the organizations will continue to perpetuate social and class divisions between students. In essence, Duke is changing nothing; under this leadership, Greek life and SLGs will continue to dominate Dukes social culture for decades to come. In this way, Dukes superficial housing policy modifications constitute yet another example of the universitys complicit stance in fostering an exclusive environment for its student body.

Finally, we must consider what it really means to have an environment that is distinctly Duke. For many of us, the ideal Duke residential system should not isolate selective housing organizations by pushing them to the edge of campus and prompting them to disaffiliate from the university. Rather, the university should work to better integrate these organizations into Dukes social culture by creating a residential system that builds more inclusive, sustainable communities. If the Next Gen 2.0 task force is any indication, though, it seems that the term distinctly Duke simply conveys that Duke will find a way to preserve its historically exclusive housing policies under the guise of an inclusive and communal residential experience. Superficial change strikes again.

The Community Editorial Board is independent from the editorial staff of the Chronicle. Their column runs on alternate Mondays.

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Next gen or more of the same? - Duke Chronicle

Hicks said the Center grew out of a conversation between him and Wake Forest President Nathan O. Hatch.

Derek Hicks

President Hatch said initiatives like the Slavery, Race and Memory Project and the Presidents Commission on Race, Equity and Community are demonstrative of the Universitys commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Hicks said. The Center arises from a simultaneous reckoning of the Universitys history and a commitment to create a way for Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem community to engage in critical dialogue.

Interdisciplinary in scope, the Center will offer events on and off campus. For example, Hicks has begun conversations with Goldie Smith Byrd, director of Wake Forest School of Medicines Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, and with pastors, community leaders and local organizers about future events and ways the University can partner with them.

I intend for the Center to buttress those opportunities for cooperative engagement and programming, he said. It should not be just a reactive set of research initiatives and programming because another atrocity has been experienced by Black people, but rather, it should be a proactive, ongoing, progressive engagement.

The Center, in conjunction with The Wake Forest University Humanities Institute, is sponsoring a lecture by Gaye Theresa Johnson, from 5-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 titled Worlds of Interconnection: Freedom-Making in the New Security Establishment. Johnson is an associate professor, Department of African American Studies and Department of Chicana/o Studies at UCLA.

Public Health and Black Communities will be the Centers theme for the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year. An anticipated fall conference will focus on pre-existing health issues and the effects of COVID-19 on Black communities. Also planned are symposiums focusing on food access and culture, mass incarceration and redlining, Hicks said. The Center will also sponsor essay contests for high school students, based upon the current years theme.

We will be intentional about learning from our neighbors as we work collaboratively with them to create relevant, mutually beneficial programming, Hicks said.

Corey D.B. Walker, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities and inaugural director of the Universitys African American Studies Program, which launches this fall, said the Center and his program will complement each other.

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Wake Forest creates new center to study the African American experience, engage the community | Wake Forest News - Wake Forest University News Center