(This post is one in a series on race titled “But Some of Us Are Brave.” The series includes posts from a diverse group of writers from our community. It takes a considerable amount of transparency and vulnerability for the contributors to this series to pen these posts and voice their experiences. We appreciate their courage, and we hope their willingness to be brave will spark some authentic community conversation on this sensitive and important topic. We hope you will read these posts thoughtfully and join the conversation by responding honestly and respectfully, and by sharing them with your friends and acquaintances. — ABT )
A Bad Day – By Shamethia Webb
She was having a bad day.
And what exacerbated it was the fact that it wasn’t unusual.
She awoke on time (which meant early for her). Showered. Brushed her teeth. Scowled at herself in the mirror. And went to work.
All of her co-workers were talking about the black boy who was murdered while walking from a convenience store. They’d been talking about it for days. Talking about it and doing nothing. The same words again and again as if the incessant movement of their mouths negated a seventeen year old corpse.
She hated them.
During her break she washed and rewashed her hands in the restroom. She abhorred being in the ladies room for longer than a few minutes. It smelled like women. Which meant it smelled like pain and fatigue.
She wrenched a paper towel out of the dispenser and cast a frown at the vacant stalls that seemed to mock her loneliness.
She was tired.
She didn’t speak during staff meeting. Didn’t see the point in disturbing her tongue. They always smiled over her suggestions. Or tasted her words with their mouths before spitting them out. It infuriated her. Mostly it hollowed her. Cleaved into her like a perforated knife and emptied her out.
She’d spilled so much of herself over these hallways during her tenure here. Specks of herself all over the walls. Now a permanent grimace clung to her face like love.
The smell of coffee hung in the air. Stale. A room full of spit and disdain. She inhaled. Yes, disdain. She could smell it on them like second skin.
They were talking about him again. Her boss didn’t use the word murder. But defense. And mistake. And misunderstanding.
She hated him.
Her co-worker, the one with a frown for a smile, giggled at her boss’s comment that the black boy should have ducked the bullets.
I thought black boys were fast, he joked. A room full of laughter.
She died a little bit.
But not enough. She still had to clock out. And smile at the receptionist who always mispronounced her name. She still had to leave the building—and them, and them—with as much of herself intact as possible.
She stumbled to her car, trembling in her black woman fury.
She was tired.
In the checkout line at the supermarket, she watched as her few items moved lazily up the conveyor belt. The cashier chatted animatedly with the customer in front of her.
Don’t let this cashier cut her eyes at me, she thought to herself. Not today.
Don’t let her reach for my money with two fingers as if she’s afraid of skin contact. Don’t let her suddenly become mute and unresponsive to my presence, to my human being-ness. Don’t let her. Not today.
She realized with some panic that it wasn’t anger that fueled her thoughts but despair. She recognized that if the cashier did de-humanize her today she wouldn’t respond with fury but with resignation.
The passivity worried her.
I’m dying too fast, she thought.
She tensed as her items moved closer to the cashier, and she couldn’t help but notice that the murdered boy’s eyes stared back from every magazine in the aisle.
The repetition overwhelmed her. She shook.
Pieces of herself broke off. Landed dully on the laminate floor.
She tried to remember her breath. And forget her boss and the restroom stalls and the hundreds of cashiers who’d humiliated her and the tiptoeing gunman and the black corpse and the black corpses theblackcorpsestheblackcorpsestheblackcorpsetheblacktheblacktheblackblackblack
She tried to catch herself but her hands were already gone. Dead.
. . .
I hate soap operas.
A voice behind her.
She opened her eyes. When had she closed them?
A white man behind her scowled at a TV guide featuring frozen celebrities. He turned a full smile on her. The white of his teeth blinding for a moment.
Don’t you just hate soap operas?
She managed a nod.
She did hate them. This aisle was full of things she hated. This city. This world. Full of things she hated. Or perhaps just full of things (No. People, she amended. She liked being correct). Full of people who hated her.
I’d rather read the back of a cereal box than watch TV, the man said.
He picked up one of his boxes of cereal and waved it at her.
This isn’t food but entertainment.
She smiled. Not a full one (she was incapable of that at this point) but a slash of the mouth that surprised her with its suddenness.
. . .
And there was a pocket of time when he wasn’t who he was or had to be and she wasn’t who she was or had to be. They just were.
And there was a glimmer inside of her. Something not quite dead, that stirred.
The cashier was aloof but polite. And that was enough.
She walked to her car without the usual trembling.
The white man (No, man, she corrected) was parked beside her. They chatted as they loaded their items into their cars.
Well, he chatted. She managed to listen without the usual weariness and rage.
Perhaps she would sleep in tomorrow.
Yes.
Perhaps she would grow again.
And as she slid into her driver’s seat, a murmur of a smile across her face, the man waved a crumbled bill in her face and propositioned her for sex.
Shamethia Webb (on the right in the picture) is the Regional Director of the Texas Hunger Initiative Waco Regional Office. She grew up in Waco and spends her free time writing, dreaming, and trying to protect her reign as Connect Four Champion from her nephews. Hip hop music, sour candy, and Toni Morrison novels are a few of her favorite things.
by Andy Hogue and Ross Tarpley
In October 2013, I (Andy) sat outside Common Grounds one splendid fall morning with Lauren Wolter, the director of a new program called The Philanthropy Lab. Based in Fort Worth, The Philanthropy Lab was working with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and a few other elite universities to do something innovative: to help students learn about philanthropy while they do philanthropy, to enable students to understand the social sector even as they contribute to it. Ms. Wolter met me in Waco to ask if Baylor might wish to apply to partner with them.
As she explained the program over coffee, I was spellbound; it was a fascinating concept. The idea belonged to Geoffrey Raynor, the founding partner of Fort Worth-based Q Investments, who ventured, as those in his profession are wont to do, on something promising but risky. A thoughtful and seasoned giver himself, Mr. Raynor wondered if our culture might bend toward generosity if the country’s brightest young minds were afforded the chance to learn the skills of thoughtful giving—to research and understand public concerns, to assess the organizations daring to address those concerns, and to project the potential impact of philanthropic gifts, monetary and otherwise. All of this might be especially meaningful, Mr. Raynor ventured, if students could work with real money. And so, guided by his visionary leadership and innovative generosity, The Philanthropy Lab launched at the country’s top schools.
Ms. Wolter explained in our meeting that the program looked different at every university. Some housed it in economics, some in education or public policy. Some closely scripted the giving process, while others left it wide open for the students to shape. Most gave globally; some gave locally. To apply, we at Baylor were to propose in detail our own philanthropy course and our own process for giving. What would we aim to do, and how? In partnership with my colleague, Dr. Wes Null, we began to sketch it out.
The Idea
Our choices, technically, were unlimited, though one thing felt clear: Baylor and Waco both depend on one another to flourish, and our philanthropy program ought to reflect that. What about a unique process forged with that in mind: one that was purely local, built on durable, lasting, meaningful partnerships with the city’s nonprofit organizations; one that presented shared value to our students and our community, with local civic and nonprofit leaders giving knowledge and imagination and inspiration to our students, and our students in turn giving imagination, inspiration, and financial gifts back to our nonprofits; one that could afford collaboration between our best young minds and our best less-young minds to enrich life in our fair city? These were our hopes. This was our proposal. And lo and behold, they accepted it, granting us $100,000 to use in the first semester of the course (with more semesters still to come).
Buoyed by The Philanthropy Lab’s approval, we recruited thirty of Baylor’s best students from across disciplines and entered into a hopeful partnership with about 70 local nonprofit organizations. The terms were simply that these diverse organizations would open their doors, pitch ideas, lend expertise, and inspire imagination in our students about how, effectively, they might enrich the community with dollars and skills. In return, they became eligible for grant funding dependent upon the students’ selection at the end of a lengthy due diligence process.
The Process
On the first day of class it became clear to me that I (Ross) was surrounded by other students with different majors, different backgrounds and experiences, different passions and desires, but who were all interested in working toward good. As Baylor students driven by strivings for Christ in us and around us, this became an opportunity not only to understand philanthropy but also to practice it intentionally, a chance to serve and love our neighbors in Waco while experiencing the transformative power of giving.
Five teams of six members were assigned a specific “subsector” of Waco nonprofits, from Health & Human Wellness; to Education & Mentoring; to Culture, Arts, & the Environment, among others. We quickly learned the participating organizations were only a small fraction of Waco’s several hundred local nonprofits—an encouraging realization that while our town does have a lot of need, there are lots of hearts and hands at work to alleviate it. The remainder of our process involved weeks of research, interviews, guidance from executive directors of local Waco foundations, and the painstaking selection of the final recipients of our grants—a task that was unsurprisingly difficult when there are so many good things aimed at enriching our community and meeting its needs.
The (Transferable) Lessons
Our work and our learning over the course of the semester presented us with a startling realization: higher education is full of opportunities to learn about how to make money, how to handle it, how to get ahead and make one’s way in the world. But there is surprisingly little about how to give—not just of one’s money or in one’s profession, which are important, but also of one’s very self, which is more important.
Giving is complex, and there are many ways to do it. But as Richard Gunderman describes it, “the ultimate goal of philanthropy is not to reduce, prevent, or eliminate need. The ultimate goal of philanthropy is to promote sharing.” And this is an important takeaway—that one of the greatest gifts any human being could ever share with us, or any of us could share with another, is assistance in becoming the best persons, families, institutions, and communities we are capable of being.
Our financial gifts did not eliminate need or “fix” our community’s biggest concerns. They couldn’t, and no amount of financial giving could. The profound lesson is that we all can share of ourselves toward those ends, and when we share of ourselves, at least two things happen: 1) we express our belief in someone else, which promotes hope; 2) we can invite someone to share back with us, which promotes community. Any place marked by hope and community is a place, we’re convinced, with great potential for human flourishing. –– AH/RT
Whether you’re new to this journey or far on down the way, here are a few very quick aids to challenge your thinking and enhance your giving.
Web tools:
- Bridgespan’s guide to getting started
- What Are We Talking About When We Talk About Impact? (from UPenn’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy)
Books:
- Richard Gunderman, We Make a Life By What We Give
- Robert Payton & Michael Moody, Understanding Philanthropy: Its Meaning and Mission
A good Ted Talk:
- Kat Rosqueta, “Amplify the Money You Give”
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Andy Hogue and Ross Tarpley. Andy has lived with his family in North Waco (with a brief excursion to the Pacific Northwest) since 2003. He is married to Tiffany, an attorney and Baylor administrator, and they have two girls, Anna (8) and Caroline (4). At Baylor Andy teaches courses on philanthropy, civic engagement, and a range of topics in American politics, particularly its intersections with religion and race. Ross, originally from Marshall, TX, is a senior Baylor Business Fellows major, studying Entrepreneurship and Religion. He loves singing, being at church, and healthy theological discussions. Upon graduation, Ross has no idea what he will do with his life, but options range from seminary, to teaching, to auditioning for a professional singing group.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
(This post is one in a series on race titled “But Some of Us Are Brave.” The series includes posts from a diverse group of writers from our community. It takes a considerable amount of transparency and vulnerability for the contributors to this series to pen these posts and voice their experiences. We appreciate their courage, and we hope their willingness to be brave will spark some authentic community conversation on this sensitive and important topic. We hope you will read these posts thoughtfully and join the conversation by responding honestly and respectfully, and by sharing them with your friends and acquaintances. — ABT )
I just want to say one thing. It’s very simple and I’m not supposed to say it. I am racist. Most of the time I don’t know I’m racist and I don’t mean to be racist, but I am. I wouldn’t know much about my own racism if it weren’t for friends of color leading me and teaching me. Friends like Pastor Delvin Atchison of Antioch Baptist Church in Waco. Like my friend Luis and like my friend DeShauna.
You see, White people, like myself, need our brothers and sisters of color to teach us about racism. We are blinded to so many things by our power and our privilege. We don’t think about race every day because we don’t have to, but our brothers and sisters don’t have a choice. They understand race and racism in a way that I never can, because for them it is a lived experience, a daily struggle.
If we hope to overcome our racism and find peace and justice in cities like Ferguson, then White people must begin by confessing. We are racist. I am racist. Racism is real.
In the civil rights movement, people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Septima Clark and many more brave, unnamed souls stood up against the racist laws and treatment they received in the South. They stood together, but they were in one sense alone. They stood up without the support of their White brothers and sisters, without those who held the seats of power. They stood on their own to demand their rights and demand justice. However, it wasn’t until White people stood in solidarity with African-Americans that the nation took notice. The images of firehoses and dogs being turned on peaceful protestors galvanized White Americans to go to the South and stand with their brothers and sisters for their rights and for justice. Then when a White minister from the north was killed there was a national outcry that helped pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It’s not right that the death of one White man mattered more than all the deaths of Black people that came before it, but it was a reality of life in those times that the solidarity of White people with the civil rights movement helped changes to the system come about more quickly.
The hashtag and slogan #blacklivesmatter that has emerged from the experience and protests in Ferguson and elsewhere reflects the fact that the reality of life during the civil rights era continues today. We have come so far and yet still have so far to go. I do think passing laws and regulations for police officers related to racial profiling, excessive force and other issues can have a huge impact on the treatment of people of color. It is an important step, like the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Yet no law or regulation will remove racism and prejudice from the hearts of human beings.
This is why the movement needs the confession of White people willing to stand with African-Americans and acknowledge our own complicity in the racism and systems that continue the legacies of slavery, colonization and White oppression. Without that solidarity those in power will continue to enforce the status quo and ignore the destructiveness of the systems that perpetuate racism. The hashtag reminds us that we White people must confess that White lives still matter more than Black lives.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the Black community needs a White savior to ride in and solve its problems. That “White savior” complex has caused more harm than good since the Voting Rights Act was passed. As people of privilege and power from the dominant culture, we White people must be careful that our solidarity and activism begins with confession and a lot of listening. When we speak truth to power it must come from an intimate understanding and relationship with those who face the struggle against racism and oppression every day. So please stand with our brothers and sisters of color by admitting and confessing that we are racist, that we don’t know or understand our own racism and that we need our brothers and sisters of color to teach us and lead us forward if we hope to find any peace and justice.
Lucas Land is an eco-theologian, urban farmer, writer and activist. He is avoiding growing up by constantly learning and trying new things. He is currently working toward a certificate in permaculture design. He was Urban Gardening Intern at World Hunger Relief, Inc. He worked on water and agriculture issues in Bolivia with Mennonite Central Committee. He also founded the sustainable landscaping business Edible Lawns here in Waco. He lives with his wife, three children and flock of chickens in the Sanger Heights Neighborhood in North Waco.
This article was originally published on Lucas’ blog, What Would Jesus Eat?, http://www.lucasmland.com/2014/12/01/solidarity-with-ferguson-i-am-racist/
By Phil York
Happy New Year!
The holiday leftovers are long-gone; decorations are starting to find their way back to storage reluctantly and the sound of holiday music is replaced with the resounding resolutions for the New Year.
This week, President Obama addressed Central High School in Phoenix, Arizona. He asked the audience to remain resolved about the continued American economic recovery. The President cited the housing market crash, especially the market of Arizona, as the source for economic decline. Now, in 2015, that same market is the engine for the Arizonan and American economic recovery.
A cut in mortgage insurance premiums on Federal Housing Administration loans was at the center of President Obama’s policy announcement this past week. Starting this month, mortgage premiums will drop from 1.35 percent to .85 for responsible and eligible applicants. According to the President’s remarks, the cut would attract 250,000 more people to buy homes over the next three years and allow for the typical homebuyer to save $900 a year.
Of course, any proposal by the White House is potentially subject to mixed reviews. Sen. Bob Corker, for example, responded to President Obama’s address by saying: “[this is] bad news for tax payers and is yet another irresponsible, head-scratching decision from the administration in regards to our nation’s housing finance system.”
Sadly, policy issues such as this one are often divisive at the national level. Fortunately, here in Waco, we are united as a community that embraces collaboration and collective impact. This new policy idea provides a good opening to discuss the importance of affordable housing for our community and to think about ways we can work together on this issue here at home.
Affordable Housing in Texas – Opportunities for Growth
“Affordable housing” is defined as that which does not require a household to spend more than 30% of gross annual income on housing. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports in 2013 that the fair market rent for a two bedroom apartment in Texas is $867. In order to afford this level of rent without paying 30% of income, a household needs to make $34,671 annually. The median income in the Waco area is $32,239 compared to $51,900 state-wide. In short: affordable housing is a need in our community.
Homeownership and affordable housing are points of possible improvement for our local economy. Waco’s homeownership rate is around 47 percent compared to 63 percent in Texas and 65 percent nationally.
The statistics help us define the problem; they do not define Waco or the promise we have for growth in the near future.
Housing impacts all aspects of the American Dream.
At many points in his address, President Obama pointed to themes that we all associate with the American dream:
Education and the Hope of our Children: As we have discussed in previous posts, children who experience homelessness or unstable housing are sick four times more often than other children; go hungry at twice the rate of other children; and are twice as likely to have learning disabilities as non-homeless children. Our whole community benefits for generations when children (our future tax-payers, professionals, and civic leaders) grow up in a stable home.
Work Force and Tax base: The National Association of Home Builders reports that “home building generates substantial local economic activity, including new income and jobs for residents, and additional revenue for local governments.” The report wisely differentiates between the immediate impact felt directly thanks to construction efforts and the long term impact felt long after the dust settles and families close on homes. The annually recurring impact of building 100 single-family homes in a typical metro area includes 3.1 million in local income, 743,000 in taxes and other revenue for local government and 53 jobs. Housing makes a difference for our work force tax base.
Heroes and Service Members: The President reported that “since 2010 we helped bring 1/3 of our veterans who are homeless off the streets”. The White House and previous administrations identified veterans as a key demographic to prioritize in budget decisions. The housing first model implemented in some communities allows veterans to receive care they need while under a stable roof and to continue to have a stable future. Housing makes a difference for our Heroes.
How will You be Resolved in 2015?
President Obama connected to the audience by sharing his own path to homeownership. He said “buying a home is about investing; planting roots in a community…it is a sense of accomplishment that you are building something for your family and for the future”.
The President’s remarks echo the speech we hear from Habitat homeowners as they close on their homes. This sense of accomplishment is what makes it worth it to invest 300 hours of sweat equity; attend 12 “Homeownership College” courses; save $1,000 for an escrow payment, and commit to a 25-30 year zero-interest mortgage. Waco Habitat allows future Partner Families to realize their own dream of homeownership and along with it a brighter future for themselves and their children.
This year, you can be resolved and help Waco build affordable housing. Here are a few ways you can help:
Let your voice be heard:
Sign the petition Habitat for Humanity International generated. The purpose of the petition is to make affordable housing a Global priority: Click here for the Petition.
Contact your U.S. House representative and your U.S. Senators. If your Representative is Mr. Bill Flores, you have the convenience to contact Rep Bill Flores directly via email. The U.S. Senators from Texas are John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, click on their names to find out how to contact each of them. Ask that housing remains on their agenda in the New Year.
Get Involved:
Give of your time, talent and treasure to nonprofits that build a stronger McLennan County, here are three organizations that work directly on the issue of affordable housing:
One Last Note
This quote from John Wood, Professor Emeritus of Religion at Baylor, appeared in the Waco Trib the other day, “Business is not just a way to make money; it is primarily a way to serve others and to contribute to the common good.” Although nonprofits and government agencies are at the forefront of this discussion, the words of Professor Wood remind us of the calling we all have as Wacoans to make it our business to be resolved to contribute towards the constant care and improvement of our beloved community.
I hope you will join me in your unique way towards our shared efforts to build a stronger Waco in 2015.
Phil York, Director of Development at Waco Habitat for Humanity, is a self-described “policy nerd;” he is also the Act Locally Waco housing and homelessness policy blogger. You can direct questions to Phil to pyork.law@gmail.com. Would you be interested in blogging for Act Locally Waco? If so please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org.
by Jenuine Poetess
One Friday evening late in May 2009, I ventured to a place I had never been before, yet a place I had known for years: Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural. This independent bookstore and non-profit community center for arts and culture is nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in California. Intentionally planted in the heart of an area known for steel mills, gang violence, and the pornography industry, Tia Chucha’s is a catalyst for revolutionary healing and urban transformation, “where art and minds meet, for a change.”
Performing at Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural Friday Open Mic (photo credit: Patricia Paz Moya)
I came for open mic and found limitless wealth of community, creativity, and inspiration. I also began to notice the imbalance of voices. While there were many womyn in attendance each week, not very many of them stepped up to the mic. I was curious. Many womyn shared with me about how they wrote, yet, they never read aloud. Ever.
Some told me they were shy. Others anxious. Some confided that they didn’t feel welcome at the mic. We talked about what it might be like to have a gathering of womyn writers, to build courage and confidence together.
In the fall of 2009, I offered the suggestion to several of the Centro staff, Stacy, Karina, and Luz as well as the Director of Operations and co-founder, Trini. They loved the idea and asked when I would like to start it. I laughed, clarifying that I did not want to lead it, I just wanted to attend. I thought someone else should lead it. Someone legit. I mean, I wasn’t even published. I had never taken a class on writing. I didn’t know anything. I just rambled on the page and sometimes it came out as poetry. I didn’t even call myself a writer or poet then. No. No way. I was definitely not qualified. With a gentle guiding hand on my shoulder, Trini said, “we have a belief here at the centro, that if someone comes to us with a vision for something, then it is intended for them to accomplish. Take your time, and when you are ready, we are here and will support you all the way.” This was one of the top three transformative moments of my life.
Trini Rodriguez and Jenuine Poetess outside Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural, Sylmar, CA
I pondered the weight and wisdom of Trini’s words all the way home. I wrestled with doubt, insecurities, and fears over the next four weeks until I came to a liberating and joyful conclusion: none of us need someone to tell us how or what to write. What we need is space held for our becoming. We needed to gather in a circle to teach and learn from each other. We didn’t need red pen massacres on our pages. We didn’t need others’ authority over our work, our words. We needed the chance to claim authority over our own truths. We needed to, “give sound to our story and volume to our voice.”
So I created a proposal. Settled on a name. Bought a domain name (then learned how to build a website). I went back to Trini and with a quiver in my voice I said, “I’m in!” On January 15, 2010 In the Words of Womyn writing circle met for the very first time. Strategically scheduled right before open mic on Fridays, my hope was that as we wrote and shared and grew in our identities as writers, we would also show up en masse to read, perform, and cheer one another on at open mic. And that is exactly what happened!
ITWOW poets gather to perform at the Annual Celebrating Words Festival at LA Mission College, May 2012
I haven’t quite found the words to articulate the singular joy that is witnessing a woman finding her voice, standing up, and speaking her truth for the very first time. All these years later, many of the womyn who began in ITWOW with shaking voices and trembling hearts are now hosting their own open mic venues and writing circles. They are celebrating publications, compiling and editing anthologies, and featuring at venues far and wide. I look on in awe and wonder, overflowing with pride and joy and profound respect for each of my sisters.
HOT~ITWOW meeting at Barnes & Noble Waco, fall 2014 (photo credit: Jenuine Poetess)
When I moved from Los Angeles to Texas in 2012, it was my deepest hope that ITWOW would continue at Tia Chucha’s and that I would have an opportunity to gather a circle of womyn in Waco. To my eternal joy, Alex Hohmann stepped up to carry on the vision of ITWOW~San Fernando Valley. In 2013, In the Words of Womyn~Heart of Texas launched. We met weekly on Mondays first at Croft Art Gallery, then at Barnes & Noble. In 2015 the circle will begin on Monday, February 2, at the Art Forum of Waco.
In the Words of Womyn~Lebanon 2014 (photo credit: Nagham Wehbe)
Earlier in 2014 Nagham Wehbe, a writer, activist, and film-maker from the ITWOW~SFV circle approached me with a proposal about beginning a circle chapter overseas in her home place of Lebanon. I was elated! From the beginning, my dream was that ITWOW would become a global project with organic circles popping up everywhere womyn gather from schools to prisons, community centers to front porches, book stores to employee break rooms. In the summer of 2014 a staggering 70 womyn of all ages attended the kick-off of ITWOW-Lebanon!
This year ITWOW celebrates its fifth birthday. What these five years have taught me is that when I go boldly into that which overwhelms or intimidates me, I find extraordinary treasure in my own becoming. It is my utmost joy to do this work.
Come celebrate with us January 17, 2015. Attend the “She did it anyway” Womyn’s Writing Retreat from 10a-5pm. The retreat will be followed by evening events open to the public. (Full schedule available online). We all have a story to tell, and when we are given permission to take up space, to turn up our volume, we find immeasurable beauty in the reflection shining back at us from our pages.
Jenuine Poetess is an artist, visionary, and community organizer. In 2010, she founded In the Words of Womyn (ITWOW), an international, grass-roots, written and spoken-word arts project with chapters throughout Los Angeles; Waco, TX; and Lebanon. ITWOW empowers womyn of all ages to give sound to our story and volume to our voice. HOT~ITWOW writing circle meets Mondays from 6-7:45pm at the Art Forum of Waco beginning February 2, 2015. Jenuine also founded Waco Poets Society which sponsors a local open mic venue in Sanger Heights. Meeting every 2nd & 4th Saturday at the Art Forum of Waco Nuestra Voz Open Mic invites community to share poems, songs, stories, spoken-word, and other creative expressions! You can contact her at: jenuinepoetess@gmail.com.
(This post is one in a series on race titled “But Some of Us Are Brave.” The series includes posts from a diverse group of writers from our community. It takes a considerable amount of transparency and vulnerability for the contributors to this series to pen these posts and voice their experiences. We appreciate their courage, and we hope their willingness to be brave will spark some authentic community conversation on this sensitive and important topic. We hope you will read these posts thoughtfully and join the conversation by responding honestly and respectfully, and by sharing them with your friends and acquaintances. — ABT )
By DeShauna Hollie
As I sat down to write about this theme of “But Some of Us Are Brave”, I thought of my favorite “super hero” Septima Poinsette Clark. Septima lived from 1898 to 1987. She was born in Charleston, South Carolina and lived much of her life there. Although Septima lived until she was 89, and is considered by many as the grandmother of the civil rights movement, her story isn’t as widely known as those of other civil rights leaders.
As a teacher and avid civil rights activist, Septima helped pioneer some important aspects of the civil rights movement. She helped to create Citizenship Schools that addressed the barriers and unjust laws that African Americans faced when it came to registering to vote in the South. These laws varied by county and state, but many required African-American voters to be able to pass a literacy test in order to vote unless their grandfather had voted in a previous election. This disqualified most Blacks in the South, because their grandfathers had been slaves and barred from voting. Activists like Septima found ways to address these laws while at the same time protesting them.
(Clark, pg 33)
Septima also worked with Myles Horton of the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, TN to train other civil rights leaders and activists in non-violent civil disobedience. Rosa Parks attended one of those trainings and gatherings. Rosa went on to help lead the Montgomery bus boycott a few months later.
Septima used her training and passion as an educator to fight against systemic racism in the South. She consistently spoke up for the rights of marginalized people and continued to speak out even when her life was threatened, even when she was fired from her job as teacher for being a member of the NAACP, even when she was thrown in jail for holding integrated meetings with Whites and Blacks, and even when she was ostracized by many members in her community for using her voice to help others. She is indeed a super hero. In her later years, when asked about her work and contribution to the civil rights movement, she replied, “I don’t expect to see a utopia. No, I think there will always be something that you’re going to work on always. That’s why when we have chaos and people say, ‘I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m concerned,’ I say, ‘Out of that will come something good.’ It will too. They can be afraid of what is going to happen. Things will happen and things will change. The only thing that is really worthwhile is change. It’s coming.” (Clark, pg126)
(Charron, pg 359)
Septima chose to continue working towards change her entire life, despite the consequences. Another quote of hers that I love goes: “It’s not that you grow old, but it is how you have grown old. I feel that I have grown old with dreams that I want to come true, and that I have grown old believing there is always a beautiful lining to that cloud that overshadows things. I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift, and this has come during my old age.” (Clark pg124)
Septima Clark is an inspiration to me and what I want my life to be like. I want to work for what I believe in my entire life. I want to work towards a more accepting society, a society that acknowledges that we are not a utopia. We have come pretty far since the days of slavery and segregation but the journey continues.
There is an elephant in the room that we are so afraid to mention. We are afraid and concerned that we may say something offensive, that we may hurt each other. The protests sparked by the shooting of Michael Brown on August 9th in Ferguson, MO, prompted questions in my mind about what I could do to stand in solidarity with that community and with others in my own community of Waco, TX, as we all grieved over the loss of a life. I’m not sure why this particular event spoke to me in a way that other shootings had not, but it made me want to take to the streets and scream “Black Lives Matter” and “Enough is Enough” along with other protesters. I love a good protest. They are invigorating and a great way to let off steam so that I can get down to the business of figuring out how to bring about the change that I am screaming about. Septima’s model of continual work and non-violence remind me that there is always a positive way to go about change.
The anger is real. The despair is real. The hurt is real. I believe it is time we made the conversation real. Although we are not Ferguson, MO,and are in Waco, TX, we have our own history of racism, prejudice and discrimination that is very real. I want Waco to prosper and I want to continue to work towards positive change in Waco. Will you join me in the conversation?
I know that conversations about change, about injustice, about past hurts and about how we move forward can sometimes be scary and hard. But dialogue with each other is the first action that we can take in being allies to each other.
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by DeShauna Hollie. Deshauna grew up in Waco and is infant/toddler teacher at The Talitha Koum Institute Therapeutic Nursery. The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
Resources:
Charon, Katherine Mellen. Freedom’s Teacher: The Life of Septima Clark. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel 2009.
Clark, Septima Poinsette and Cynthia Stokes Brown. Ready from Within: Septima Clark and the Civil Rights Movement. Wild Trees Press, Navarro, California:1986.
By Stephanie Korteweg
Do you remember your childhood the way I remember mine?
Water gun fights, hot summer days, swimming pools, imagining that you somehow, by some miraculous event, can run faster than the day before. Clenched teeth, you muster up every ounce of your energy to run with this newfound supernatural strength. You run so hard that your body feels like at any moment you could come teetering down, but in sheer delight you are convinced that the next time you can run a little faster still.
I remember as a child I wanted to be a super hero. At the ripe age of three I was convinced that I could fly. Why not? I had seen plenty of super hero with capes flying on TV. They looked just like me, sans the fact that they were another gender or at least 20 years my elder- duh, they were human, and as luck would have it so was I!
So one day in my Wonder Woman PJ’s I decided to put my flying skills to the test. I climbed up on the couch, and with a half-hearted jump I landed on the ground – unhurt and undeterred. I needed to go all out if I was going to put my super powers to the test. Hands out- just like in the movies. It needed to be done. I needed to show the world human flight was possible. So this time, I decided I needed to get on the highest point of the couch, the arm rest, and jump from there.
I didn’t need to be a wimp about it anymore, it was all or nothing, baby. I was in! I was airborne- for a millisecond. The next second, is when my face made contact with the coffee table. It was then I decided to put my flying ventures to rest, at least for a while. My mom said, “Steph, you can’t fly-even though you saw it on TV, that’s make believe. You can do other things, but flying is not something you can do.” Feeling a bit disappointed, and a little silly, I had to make an early visit to the dentist.
Fast Forward ten years and my dad had several rental properties that he would rent out to older widows. Every weekend we would load up the lawnmower and head out to these properties. I coveted the time with my dad, working together on the yard. It was hot, dusty and dirty, and I didn’t really like cutting lawns, but I do love time with my dad! Every time we would finish, my dad would MAKE us go and talk to the older ladies. We would always bring them lunch, and sit and talk to them. This was NOT my favorite part. I would ask my dad, “Why do I have to sit and talk with them? I don’t even know them. And why do we always bring them a meal?”
My dad, explained that these women don’t have any family nearby and they enjoyed talking to me. It was the least I could do – no excuses. I needed to sit with them, even if it was just enjoyable to them, because they had no one else.
Looking back on my life lived – having traveled to over 15 countries I see the same wonderment, joy and vitality in the children around the world. That thirst for what is possible. The question of what can I do? The need for guidance and safety in the boundaries, “no you can’t fly, but you can do other things.”
At the bottom of every basic human need is the need for connection. Taking time to sit and talk with someone else. Someone you wouldn’t normally talk to. Not for their good, but for yours. You see I learned something, when you take time to talk to someone, you place value on them. I am marked. I am convinced. People are worth it. Little or big, everyone needs someone.
January is National Mentoring Month. There are about 15,000 students in WISD, and most of them need a champion. Someone who will sit and talk to them. There are lots of ways to get involved. Do it! If you have 30 minutes once a week- there is a place for you!
The beneficial effects of mentoring are well documented. The mentoring organizations in Waco have gathered together because we see the need for connection, guidance, and mentoring. Want to get involved? I’d love to hear from you! Go place value on a kid! You might just even find yourself enjoying it.
Resources for learning about mentoring in Waco:
Contact info for Stephanie: stephanie-korteweg@aminternational.org
Stephanie Korteweg is the Director of the STARS Mentoring Project at Antioch Community Church. She is happily married to Jeremy Korteweg. She graduated Baylor and taught in WISD for 12 years before becoming the Director of STARS. She and her husband love to travel and do anything outdoors. Their love for God is what compels them to serve others. She is committed to placing value on children and contributing to the betterment of the city.
by Ashley Bean Thornton
These are exciting times in Waco! Let’s keep that ball rolling with some community-centric resolutions for 2015. Here are a few ideas to get us started. I’m sure you can think of many others…
Spend more time downtown – So much great stuff is happening downtown! The more we take advantage of the opportunities, the better they will become. If you haven’t been downtown lately, “First Friday Waco” (find it on Facebook) is a good way to stick a toe in – lots of downtown shops and other places stay open late the First Friday of each month. Or check out the scene at the Waco Downtown Farmer’s market. I don’t even like vegetables (maybe a resolution for next year!), but I love going to the farmer’s market and watching the parade of dogs and babies. If you don’t want to spend much (or any) money, there are lots of free activities downtown throughout the year: Brazos Nights Concert Series, Fourth of July Fireworks, Waco Cultural Arts Fest, Waco Wonderland, Baylor Gameday, and the biggest free gift of all – Cameron Park. Check out www.chisholmcrossing.com to get the details about downtown happenings.
Spread good news about Waco ISD – Whether we have school age children or not, every single one of us has a stake in Waco ISD. A thriving public school system is a “must have” for Waco to achieve its potential as a terrific community. Resolve to be a cheerleader for our school system. Google “Waco ISD enews” to find the website where you can sign up for the Waco ISD “In the Know” newsletter. It comes out a couple of times a month and is full of examples of great things happening in our local schools. It will make you proud of what our students and educators are doing, and it will give you plenty of good news to spread. If you want to get even more involved, google “WISD Community Partnerships” to find information about volunteering, or participating in the Adopt-A-School program. You can also find wish lists from various schools in the district on that same site .
Use social media as a force for good – I love Facebook. I love seeing pictures of my friends’ at play. I’ll even admit to enjoying the occasional cat video or “dog shaming” slideshow. Our devotion to Facebook, Twitter and other social media can be a boon for our local non-profits. These media provide an inexpensive way to get the word out about events and services. They can be extremely effective channels of communication especially if we will all help by sharing and retweeting. Most of the non-profits in town have Facebook pages and/or Twitter accounts. “Like” or “follow” your favorite organization. When you see something intriguing from them in your newsfeed, resolve to share it. Of course I have to mention the Act Locally Waco Facebook account/Twitter feed. It’s a great way to keep up to date on all kinds of neat things going on that make our community a great place to live. When you see something you like, share it!
Reach across a line that divides us – Waco is a beautifully diverse community. There are lots of opportunities for us to work together, play together, worship together, and get to know each other. Make a special effort this year to learn more about what it’s like to be a part of a race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or income level different from your own. Go to a meeting of the Community Race Relations Coalition, the Waco Interfaith Conference , or Waco Interweave. Worship at Church Under the Bridge or visit another place of worship that is very different from your own. Read something or watch a documentary about people who have a different point of view from your own. I’ll go out on a limb here and say this is especially important if, like me, you identify as a member of the White, straight, Christian, middle-class. It is the path of least resistance for those of us in the majority to stay cocooned in our own majority culture. Resolve this year to make the effort to at least begin to break out of the cocoon. We don’t have to agree with or like everything we see in the world outside of our comfort zone, but we will all be richer for the increased understanding.
Advocate for Arts in Waco – I’ve never thought of myself as a particularly “artsy” person. I used to think of the arts as a “frill,” something to give us a little break from wrestling with the “important” issues of jobs, health, and education. Now I understand more clearly that the arts are how we nurture the hope, strength, understanding, honesty and wisdom to be able to work together to chip away at these complicated challenges. Participation in the arts builds passion, compassion, insight, creativity, confidence and discipline. Arts programs in our schools, The Waco Arts Initiative , The Waco Cultural Arts Festival, Mission Waco’s Jubilee Theatre and Urban Expressions program, Nuestra Voz at the Art Forum of Waco, Art on Elm, Miriam’s Army Girl’s Dance Troop at Restoration Haven, The Word Gallery, Teen Speak Out… these are just a few examples of arts initiatives that are strengthening the roots of our community. So, make your own art. Support a program that makes the space for others to participate in the arts. Or, resolve to enjoy seeing more art. Make this the year you get involved with the arts in Waco.
I have learned through the years that if I set too many goals, the chance that I will do ANY of them decreases dramatically. I’ll be keeping my list short this year, maybe even just one or two resolutions. We don’t all have to do everything. Even if each of us just makes one “Waco-centric” resolution, and sticks with it, we will be a stronger community a year from now. What will yours be? Happy New Year, Waco! Here we go!
This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton, the Manager of the www.www.actlocallywaco.org website and the editor of the Friday Update newsletter. The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike” –Maya Angelou
by Amber Jekot
In a city of residents dedicated to addressing poverty and hunger, in a city with nonprofits aplenty, in a city where zeal for addressing these concerns is even a part of our city’s governance, we find ourselves proud of this strange gem of a place – Waco, Texas. While our pride is justified, we must also admit the broken reality that dividing lines between neighborhoods, races, and socioeconomic classes linger despite our well-intentioned attempts to address them.
Perhaps part of the reason these divisions persist is the language we use and the story we tell about our community.
The language we use forms our reality. A recent study by Feeding Wisconsin found that the way we speak about hunger dictates how people respond – or do not respond – to this challenge. The study suggests that by utilizing shocking statistics, by telling the most devastating story we can conjure about those in poverty, and by neglecting to tell the success stories of our community, anti-hunger advocates actually do more harm than good for the cause of change – by unintentionally making hungry people seem “different.”
A distance between people is created when the pitiable reality of hunger conflicts with the universally held value that no human should have to experience hunger. This value is especially strong in America, the wealthiest country in the world, where, though the reality of hunger “should” no longer exist, 1 in 5 Americans are food insecure. The Feeding Wisconsin study found that when one’s values conflict strongly with reality, blame surfaces. In this case it is blame of the hungry people: “there must be something wrong with them for hunger to occur here.” With this in mind, maybe the story we tell about our community needs to be reoriented. Perhaps linguistic alterations can help break down barriers between “us” and “them.”
John Steinbeck, author of the classic The Grapes of Wrath, shows us the faces of hunger in a way that breaks down the barriers between seemingly disparate groups of people. The reader is drawn into the epic journey of a struggling, yet inspiringly resilient family who experiences hunger as a result of the 1930’s dust bowl. The reader is invited into a distinctively unfamiliar reality, yet becomes an ally of the protagonist, the Joad family unit, by developing a deep knowing and understanding. The storyteller invites us into an authentic relationship that bridges the distance between “them” and “us.”
Steinbeck’s mantra throughout the book cautions the reader to be wary of confusing effects with causes: “These things are results, not causes. Results; not causes; results, not causes” (Steinbeck, p. 152). The hungry in Steinbeck’s novel and the hungry in the Feeding Wisconsin study are subject to the same common mis-assignment of cause. We don’t believe people should be hungry, yet people are hungry. This harsh reality rubs painfully against the grain of our values. So, to reduce the pain we come to believe that hungry people must be different from us. They must be the cause of their own plight. We need to question this assumption about cause with more depth.
For example, individuals who are having a difficult time paying for food are often blamed for making unwise financial decisions. They are criticized, for example, for purchasing simple pleasures when they could be saving up for rent. If we consider this criticism through the lens of the idea that we are all more alike than we are different, we can begin to recognize that spending beyond our means is an American problem, not just a problem for the poor. As a graduate student, I can attest to this. My fellow students and I sip our overpriced caffeine fixes while at the same time complaining about loans we’ll be paying back for the next fifteen years. The mortgage crisis that played a fundamental role in our country’s economic downturn was partially caused by middle class individuals spending beyond their means. Banks even participated in this irresponsible spending behavior by offering subprime loans.
College students, bankers, homeowners, and those who are struggling to buy the healthy food they need are far more alike than we are different. The difference between these groups of people is not just that one group is financially responsible while the other is irresponsible. We all make financially irresponsible decisions. At least part of the difference is that systems in place make it easier for some groups to recover from their irresponsibility while making it likely that others will fall farther behind. Paying back a payday loan, paying back credit card debt, and having the government help out a financial institution, are very different support systems with very different consequences.
The Feeding Wisconsin study found that for folks to recognize and acknowledge the whole range of causes of hunger, we must tell the story in a way that acknowledges that we’re all really more alike than we are different. The desire for financial security and breathing room within one’s budget, the need for someone to help us out every once in awhile, and the goal of striving towards a better life are universal values and needs, not just values and needs of a particular group of people. Narratives like Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath help to give faces of strength to those who need a little help and those who, in actuality, are much more like us than they are different. Just as Steinbeck narrates a story that bridges the gap between the “us” and “them,” so can we.
Stories of strength and resiliency of those who experience hunger are widespread in our city: the single mom who, never having maintained a living wage, is now taking night classes because she wants her children to have more opportunities than she ever had; the man who works 70 hour weeks just to give away his money to those in need because “he knows what the struggle is like;” the woman who skips a day of work to advocate for her child’s education and makes concessions to her own health on behalf of her family. These stories represent individuals who — not too unlike those who are well fed — have hopes and dreams for themselves and their families. They just need some support as they move towards their respective goals.
Our city exudes resiliency, strength, and potential. Let us breathe life into our community narrative and believe the best about our neighbors. Waco, join me in working to engage more with people who upon first glance seem different. Let’s tell a better story.
Today’s Act Locally Waco blog post is by Amber Jekot. Amber is an 8-year Waco resident who works as a graduate assistant at the Texas Hunger Initiative. She is finishing a masters of social work at Baylor University and a masters of divinity at Truett Seminary. She is passionate about the intersection between food, justice, and community and has been known to take trains without knowing her destination. You may contact her via email at amber_jekot@baylor.edu.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
Sources used in this post
Feeding Wisconsin (2014). Reframing hunger in America. Research presented at the Texas Hunger Initiative Together at the Table Hunger Summit.
For access to the presentation: https://baylor.app.box.com/s/xykec2gcq9s5m70i0obi/1/2601980659/22198738747/1
RTI Intl, Center for Health & Environ Modeling (Jul 2014). Current and prospective scope of hunger and food security in America: A review of current research. Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI International.
For the full report visit: http://www.rti.org/publications/abstract.cfm?pubid=22989
Steinbeck, J. (2006, 1939). The Grapes of Wrath. Penguin classics. New York: Penguin Books.
by Stephanie Drum
The winter season is often a time of celebration and frequent get-togethers with friends, family, and coworkers. Unfortunately, according to the Council on Drug Abuse, the holiday season also sees a significant and reoccurring spike in depression, suicide, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse – often intertwined. Especially for those who struggle with substance use and abuse, the holidays can be a time where they seek to cope with stress and may even relapse.
Self-awareness is important during a season often marked by liberal amounts of alcohol. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report that 2-3 times more people die in alcohol-related crashes during Christmas and New Year’s than at other times of the year. They also report that 40% of drivers involved in traffic accidents during the holidays are impaired by alcohol. Adults should remember to drink moderately and responsibly if they do choose to partake, not only for their own well-being but also for others.
This is especially true where children are present. As coordinator for the VASA (Voices Against Substance Abuse) Community Coalition Partnership, I have found that of those surveyed in McLennan County, underage youth most often get alcohol from older adults or social venues such as house parties. Many adults believe there is no danger in underage consumption of alcohol with the proper supervision. However, in addition to the severe legal consequences of providing alcohol to minors ($4000 fine and up to a year in jail), youth who consume alcohol are far more likely to frequently binge drink (defined as 5+ drinks for males and 4+ drinks for females in one sitting) as well as get into traffic crashes (NHTSA).
Furthermore, while underage youth are out of school for the winter, temptation is strong for participating in recreational alcohol or drug use, sometimes simply out of boredom. The VASA Community Coalition encourages you to remember how influential you are in the lives of youth and that you can positively affect the decisions youth make.
You can make your voice known in the following ways:
- Speak with your child about alcohol and drugs, and make sure they know you do not approve.
- Do not provide alcohol or drugs to minors, or have them easily accessible.
- Be well-informed about parties or other events your child attends.
- Be conscious and careful if you choose to partake as an adult.
The holiday season should be full of joy and celebration. Let’s all work together to make this one safe, fun, and joyful! To receive more information please visit our Facebook/Twitter pages, or email me at sdrum@voiceinc.org.
Stephanie Drum is the VASA Community Coalition Coordinator and works at VOICE. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and a MDiv/MSW from Truett Seminary and Baylor University. She loves baking, the country and all kinds of art. Please contact her at sdrum@voiceinc.org or (254) 741-9222 – she would love to share more about VASA Community Coalition!
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.