activism

Activism At 16: Stephanie Younger Shows The Way

Brianna Scott | November 8, 2018

Topics: activism, angela davis, black lives matter, BLM, Girls for A Change, police violence, politics, RISE for Youth, stephanie younger

When people look at iconic activists like Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, Huey P. Newton or Malcolm X, they must remember that they, at one point, were inexperienced, young, starry-eyed and hungry for change. Many don’t get to see the birth of an activist, but I’ve had the pleasure of watching one blossom into their own.

Most 16-year-olds aren’t writing articles for the ACLU of Virginia, planning to help lead a parade centered around juvenile justice, or interviewing Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors. 16-year-old Stephanie Younger is: and this is only the beginning.

Originally from New York, Younger defines herself as a womanist, youth-prison abolitionist, and a girl who loves to code. Younger first got involved in activism when she saw news coverage of unarmed black men experiencing police brutality. She wanted to speak out about issues like this, and other forms of violence that affect the black community at disproportionate rates.

“I became involved in the Richmond Peace Education Center [RPEC] and I help other young people apply non-violent conflict resolution to reduce gun violence in Central Virginia,” said Younger.

It is difficult to be outspoken about controversial topics during this political climate, and especially so at a young age. Protecting youth and combating racism are important issues to Younger, who has encountered racism herself in school.

“I’ve been called the N-word and a monkey. My peers would touch my hair without my permission, and exclaim how gross and ugly it was,” Younger told me. “In the fourth grade, three teachers accused me of threatening a white girl simply because we didn’t get along. On that school’s robotics team, I would obtain negative attention — or no attention at all — from my coaches. When I shared these experiences with other people, I was told that they’re no longer valid because ‘it was in the past,’ even though those experiences influenced my identity and my advocacy for black folks.”

Despite these painful experiences, Younger has channeled her energy into positive means to uplift her community.

Younger created a project, Angela Davis’ Black Girl Coalition, inspired by Davis’ advocacy for prison abolition. The coalition is based at Girls For A Change, a non-profit organization whose mission statement is “to empower black girls and other girls of color visualize their bright futures and potential through discovery, development, and social change innovation in their communities.”

Younger’s project aims to work with school districts in Virginia to provide alternatives to the school push-out and school-to-prison-pipeline, such as mindfulness and conflict resolution.

The Civil Rights Data Collection showed black students are four times as likely as their white classmates to be suspended from school. In a report done by the Urban Institute in 2017, black youth make up less than 20 percent of Virginia’s youth population but account for 43 percent of juvenile intakes, 56 percent of detainments and 71 percent of admissions to direct care.

Through her project, Younger connected with RISE For Youth which is a nonpartisan campaign in support of community alternatives to youth incarceration.

Younger believes that youth incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline must be taken seriously since at one point Virginia led the nation in referring students to the police.

“America was built on the foundation of the enslavement of youth, specifically black youth. We are often taught that slavery against black youth ended after the Civil War, when it actually evolved into youth incarceration,” Younger said.

Younger has created her own blog, called the Black Feminist Collective, inspired by Kimberle Crenshaw’s Theory of Intersectionality and Alice Walker’s Definition of Womanism. Younger has written many articles on her own website, has an article published on Afropunk, and has been interviewed by NBC12 and Community Idea Stations.

After speaking at a March For Our Lives demonstration in Richmond, and writing an essay on black girls’ voices in the fight against gun violence, the ACLU of Virginia invited Younger to the ACLU National Membership Conference. It was there that Younger had the opportunity to interview one of the founders of BLM, Patrisse Khan-Cullors.

For Younger, the passion for being an activist is rooted in making the world a better place: by challenging racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression.

Although high-school graduation and college are a few years away for the teen, she has specific goals in mind. Younger wants to become a software engineer, involve more young black girls in STEM, and eventually write for a publication like Teen Vogue.

The state of America’s political climate seems bleak at times but there are beacons of light like Younger who are striving to push back against the oppression in this world.

“Even though we can’t vote, young people — especially young black people — have been leading the fight to end gun violence, LGBTQ+ liberation, voters’ rights, and feminism. Black youth are the catalysts of social and political change.” To keep up with Younger visit her websites, The Black Girl Coalition and Black Feminist Collective.

‘Say Her Name’: The Sandra Bland Documentary and the Power of Speaking Out

Sarah Kerndt | July 19, 2018

Topics: activism, documentary, film, ICA, police brutality, racism, Sandra Bland, vcu

Anger, frustration, sadness, heartbreak. The air in the theater felt heavy. It was as if you could feel the emotions of the audience dance around you from one side of the room to the other.

These were the powerful reactions from the crowd following the Institute for Contemporary Art’s recent screening of Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland. The second installment in their new Cinema Series, the documentary explores the mysterious death of the political activist, a 28-year-old African American woman who, after being arrested for a traffic violation in a small town in Texas in July 2015, was found hanging in her jail cell at the Waller County Jail just three days later.

The screening was organized by Enjoli Moon, the Adjunct Assistant Curator of Film at the ICA, and was accompanied by a panel discussion with members of Sandra Bland’s family, the family’s lawyer, Cannon Lambert, and one of the film’s directors, David Heilbroner.

Bland’s death was ruled a suicide, but made national news and sparked protests and outrage from the public, disputing the cause of her death and alleged police brutality. Ten days after Sandra’s death, Heilbroner, along with fellow filmmaker Kate Davis, started working with the family’s legal team, following the two-year battle between Sandra’s family and Texas authorities. With permission from HBO, the event was one of few, if not the only, premature showings of the film, which won’t be released on HBO networks until the winter.

At the film’s conclusion, we needed a moment to take it all in, and thankfully we were given one. Following the end of the film, Moon asked everyone to take a moment to themselves. Amidst the silence, you could hear the deep sighs, the shuffling of tissues, and noses sniffling, but the silence did not last long. Over my left shoulder came the voice of a woman who requested we all say Sandra Bland’s name. Her voice was commanding, but the pain she was feeling was not lost in her words. Moon led us as a group to say Sandra’s name together…”Sandra Bland.”

“’Say Her Name’, in it of itself is a declaration to make sure that women, especially women of color, who are victims of police brutality that their voices and their memories are not forgotten,” Moon told RVA Mag in an interview ahead of the film on why she choose to screen the documentary.

After playing the wallflower journalist, quietly observing the activity during this screening, I can confidently say this film is going to shake the very foundation of how people respond to stories such as Sandra’s. To hear audience reactions in real time with the film, to bear witness the standing ovation Sandra’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal received upon her entry to the theater, and to be entangled in the call and response nature between the words Reed-Veal preached and the audience was both prevailing and agonizing.

This film cuts deep. In fact, the pain is so excruciating, Moon informed audience members at the start that several of the family members could not bear to watch the film. It was understandable. Sandra Bland’s self-titled internet series “Sandy Speaks,” where she provides personal anecdotes and opinions related to issues of injustice against black people, helped to guide us and unfold her story through her voice. Imagine witnessing a film containing such videos knowing the light and passion within your daughter or sister’s eyes was gone forever.

The Q&A following the film proved to be the key that fit the lock, allowing people to air out the emotions building up inside of them. The tension in the room began to disintegrate as the family spoke and conveyed how they navigate their suffering. Reed-Veal’s attitude felt most contagious, the fire in her heart fueled by her continued search for justice burned bright, but paired nicely with her southern decorum and charming sense of humor. She was intent on making her points but was sure not to leave us without some good laughs.

Of the messages communicated to the audience during the Q&A following the film, the point driven home was, ‘Find your voice and then use it,’ in the words of Reed-Veal. If one message is clear throughout this film, it is the power of the individual voice. It was the power of Sandra Bland’s voice to speak out against injustice via social media, it is the power of her family’s voice to speak out against the injustice done to her, and it is the power of our voices to spread the word regarding this tragedy and encourage everyone to Say Her Name.

This film came to Richmond at an important time, when asked about the film’s relevance to our city, Moon had this to say: “When you look at the Sandra Bland Bill, and that having to do with mental health issues and how the police engage, when we look at Marcus Peters’ death that just happened, I think it makes it even more relevant in the Richmond story,” Moon said. “I think as Richmond continues to change as a city, we are becoming a more gentrified city and so with that we need to make sure that police value all lives and realize that all communities and people within those communities matter and all lives carry the same weight, and I think that in Richmond we have done a good job of that, and I hope that we continue to do so.”

The screening took place exactly three years after the initial arrest of Sandra Bland and will continue to tour until HBO’s release.

Activism Through Stickers, Sequins, and Old Shoes

Saffeya Ahmed | July 13, 2018

Topics: activism, art activism, black lives matter, Martin Luther King Jr., muralist, noah scalin, street art, Wall Murals

From pennies to stickers to donated clothing, Richmond artist and activist Noah Scalin uses the most unexpected materials to highlight important figures in today’s political world.

“I want to shine a light on activists, historical figures, women, people of color,” Scalin said. “The people that we should be paying attention to.”

Scalin has created portraits of people he believes deserve recognition – including Ruby Bridges, Maggie Walker, and Martin Luther King. Some of his most popular pieces are made from stickers, where he uses colors and shapes strategically to create faces and scenes.

“These stickers, for me, are my stand-in for American culture,” he said. “Here’s this noise, here [are] these messages, here’s this constant barrage: what signal can we find in this noise and what should we be focusing on?”

Scalin has also created pieces from sequins, black pepper, buttons, and donated shoes.

Scalin’s work focuses on incorporating positive political imagery in a society with ever increasing contentious, defeatist politics. After the 2016 presidential election, Scalin said he wanted to create images that inspire and give people something to look towards. Since President Trump took office in 2016, hate crimes have risen across the nation. With a president whose campaign was rooted in xenophobia and racism–calling Mexicans rapists and proclaiming “Islam hates us” –Scalin’s artwork fights against an administration which has implemented a Muslim ban and condoned the separation of immigrant families at the border.

“We can show the people we dislike and the people that are trying to tear people apart, but they’re narcissists and it won’t affect them. I’d rather not show their faces, speak their names or even talk about them,” Scalin said. “I want to diminish them by saying you’re irrelevant. We know what’s important and that’s why we’re going to win.”

One of Scalin’s current works-in-progress features Ieshia Evans, who became an icon of the Black Lives Matter movement after her arrest by police officers was captured in a momentous photograph called “Taking a Stand in Baton Rouge.”

Seeing a strong, powerful activist in Evans, Scalin said he had wanted to create artwork based on this photograph for some time.

“I want [my artwork] to spend more time looking at something else,” he said. “That something else should be the people who are marginalized, the people who have amazing things to say but have been ignored, the people who have been crushed by the system we have developed. The least I can do with my work is say, ‘look over here instead.’”

The least I can do with my work is say, ‘look over here instead.’

One of Scalin’s most recent installations was a mural for the 2018 Green Gate Festival – where he painted a portrait of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. A queer, black singer/songwriter of the mid-20th century, Tharpe had been hailed the “godmother of rock & roll,” yet receives little acknowledgement today for being a driving force in the birth of rock & roll. Tharpe lived in Richmond for ten years, but Scalin said most of the city’s residents have no idea who she is. He used his mural for the festival as a chance to highlight her story.

“We are overwhelmed with pictures of white men, and we don’t need anymore,” Scalin said. “So even though I have white skin and happen to be a cis-gendered male, I know that I have privilege and I try to use that privilege as much as I can to point the light somewhere else.”

Growing up the son of two artists, Scalin said he always knew he was meant to be an artist, too. As an author, activist, and dedicated member of his performance arts band, League of Space Pirates, Scalin has juggled it all. But it wasn’t until his “Skull-a-Day” project in 2007, in which he made a different skull-themed art piece every day for an entire year, that art really became his focus.

After “Skull-a-Day,” Scalin found the creative energy to start making portraits out of very unconventional materials–everything from CDs to feathers–to make permanent pieces and temporary installations, depending on the materials. Scalin wants his artwork to be as accessible as the items he uses to make them.

“When you use everyday materials (in art), there’s a way in because of familiarity. That gives you a chance to reach people,” Scalin said. “But I use familiar materials in an unfamiliar way. So if you can take the familiar world and change it, then people have to think differently about everything in their world, potentially.”

Scalin said in addition to highlighting positive imagery, he uses unconventional materials to get people to see the world through a different lens.

“It’s a way to get people to stop thinking about the thing they consume as fixed,” Scalin said. “I want people to see that the world is malleable, that they’re able to change things. And once they do, that means they’re no longer just consumers, now they’re participants. That’s a really big, important shift. We are trained and encouraged to be passive but we have to teach people how to be active.”

Scalin’s unconventional materials have crossed borders as well, as some of his pieces have ended up in Bali and Indonesia. Despite never traveling there, Scalin collaborated with an organization called Micro Galleries, which transforms unused spaces around the world into pop-up, street art installations. The installations and free and accessible to the community, and typically get set up in areas that don’t have much access to artwork otherwise.

Through collaborating with Micro Galleries, Scalin received a few pictures of neighborhood children who interacted with the pop-up galleries frequently, and decided to make their portraits. With the help of Micro Galleries organizers, hi-res photographs of the finished portraits were posted up in the children’s hometowns of Denpasar, Bali and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Through his work with Micro Galleries, Scalin saw families and children interact with his artwork from thousands of miles away. His interwoven activism and artistry transcends physical borders, creating cross-cultural connections.

“It’s so cool because here I am, over there. So even though I can’t go [to Denpasar or Jakarta], I can still be a part of that [community], in a way,” Scalin said. “It becomes this amazing connection and collaboration across borders using these materials.”

Photos provided by Noah Scalin.

Protests Against Trump’s “Zero Tolerance” Immigration Policy Being Planned All Over Virginia

RVA Staff | June 20, 2018

Topics: activism, Dave Brat, ICE, immigration policy, Inhumanity, President Trump, protest, Scott Taylor, Zero Tolerance

As outrage continues to mount over President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policies, protests are planned for all over Virginia. For those who have been living under a proverbial rock and have not been following the news, Trump’s newly implemented policy removes children from their parents when they are caught crossing the border illegally. Since the policy has been implemented, it has been reported by the executive that 2,342 children have been separated from their parents at the border between May 5 and June 9 – amounting to about 65 children a day.

Once taken from their parents, these children are put in detention centers in places like McAllen, Texas, where they have been photographed sleeping on the floor with mylar blankets and imprisoned in chain-link cages. Children as young as four-months-old have been reportedly separated from their parents and ProPublica has recently released audio from inside a detention center where one ICE agent can be heard saying “we have an orchestra here” in reference to all the screaming children. Sexual assaults against mothers of separated children have also now been reported by guards and staff at one of the detention centers in Texas in a recent complaint filed against Department of Homeland Security.

NBC reported on this yesterday saying, “Women at the 500-plus bed center, which opened in August, told attorneys that staff have been removing mothers from their cells at night to engage in sexual acts, promising immigration help in exchange for sexual favors, and groping women in front of children, according to the complaint.”

Due to the inhumanity of this policy and the way in which it is being implemented, there will be a series of protests taking place in the next week all throughout the Commonwealth. Dates, times, and locations can be found below:

Virginia Beach:

June 21 at Congressman Scott Taylor’s office in Virginia Beach Town Center, sponsored by Indivisible 757.

Richmond:

June 22 at Congressman Dave Brat’s Office, meeting at the CVS on 10901 W Broad St, Glen Allen, sponsored by Together We Will – Henrico.

Washington DC:

June 30, in front of the White House, sponsored by the Women’s March, along with seven other activist organizations and networks.

Norfolk:

June 30, Disrupt Baby Snatching at the US Customs and Border Patrol Offices in Norfolk at 101 E. Main Street, hosted by Disrupt the Elite.

Farmville:

July 1, Weekend of Action at the ICE Detention Center, meeting up at the Farmville Train Station, 510 West Third Street, sponsored by a coalition of grassroots organizers.

RVA Mag First Look: March For Our Lives in Washington DC

Samantha Rinchetti | March 24, 2018

Topics: activism, gun control, gun violence, March For Our Lives, Parkland, School Shootings

Over 500,000 people braved the crowds in Washington DC today to attend the March for Our Lives rally planned by student survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on February 14. The shooting, which left 17 of their classmates dead, has promoted student activists like Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg to national prominence as leaders of the Never Again and Enough is Enough movements.

The rally today, five weeks after the shooting in Parkland, was organized chaos of the best kind. People from all over the nation flooded the streets, holding signs, chanting, and listening to the stories of survivors of gun violence. Tension mounted throughout the tragic stories until the first Parkland survivor took the stage. “If you think today is good just wait for tomorrow — the future looks very bright,” Cameron Kasky said to a transfixed audience.

Parkland Student Survivor, Cameron Kasky

Not long after, a hush fell over the crowd as a video of the harrowing news reporting from February 14 was played for the crowd. After Kasky spoke, the rapper Common came out and performed a song for the audience. While there was a celebrity contingent in attendance, including Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, and others, one of the speakers was quick to remind the crowd that this was “not Coachella”.

A group of students who had travelled from Miami spoke to RVA Mag. Among them was 18-year-old Alice Roayer, who said, “People like me and people my age are being killed and injured and I feel that’s not right.” She continue, “…the march here today is going to bring awareness to how angry we are. We need to make a change and this is just one step towards it.” Roayer also commented on how it was important for people of color to be represented at the rally, reflecting criticism by rally organizer David Hogg who recently said , “The media’s biggest mistake while covering the shooting was not giving black survivors a prominent voice.”

Another student in Roayer’s group, Trey Burrows, said he came out for representation. “I think it’s important to march here today to clarify that when we say ‘march for our lives’, okay, well whose lives are we marching for,” said Burrow. He told RVA Mag that in his community gun violence is a daily occurrence, saying, “In 2016, 255 kids died from gun violence, yet I did not hear a story about that, I didn’t hear media coverage about that. My community is crying out, we need help.”

The speakers at the rally were diverse and not limited to the student survivors from Parkland. Survivors of gun violence from Sandy Hook, Columbine, and Chicago were also on stage, providing an inclusive environment that focused on more than just white victims of gun violence. D’angelo McDade, a speaker representing young people from Chicago, spoke to the crowd about the everyday problem of gun violence in his community, “Shootings are an everyday problem. I am here to speak on behalf of everyone who’s been shot and killed.”

Registering voters also played a critical role in the rally today with volunteers swarming the streets and metro stations encouraging people to “vote them out” in the upcoming midterm elections. Peninsula Voices for Change (PVC), a Hampton Roads non-profit traveled via bus with members, allies, and affiliates to show support, not only for the victims of gun violence, but to raise awareness.

Children Victims of the Sandy Hook Shooting

Their director and founder, Cassie DeSena-Jacobs, spoke with RVA Mag about their organization and why they traveled to participate in the rally. “I think that in the last 14 months there have been so many explicit things for PVC to get involved with, but this feels like a no-brainer,” said DeSena-Jacobs. “Registering to vote and attending elections is what’s going to bring change. But, having massive numbers attend marches is what’s going to make us feel hope right now.”

While there were many intersections present at the rally, there was an admirable presence at the event different from the other massive demonstrations since November 2016: Young people. They are who will be voting for the next generation of lawmakers and having current lawmakers see the vast numbers of people who came out today has the ability to directly affect policy.

Students from all over the US in Attendance

Two women aged 20 and 22 who attended the rally from Maryland spoke to RVA Mag, choosing to give only their first names. “Someone has to stand up. I’m glad there’s a lot of us here today,” Hannah said. “Change doesn’t happen without the people.” Her friend Samantha echoed the sentiment, urging all young people to get involved. “You can sit at home and do nothing or you can actually make a change,” she said. “The government needs to understand how much this matters to the people.”

As the event winded down the overall atmosphere was somber but optimistic, with people vowing to fight for awareness and change. One of the speakers towards the end summed up the spirit of the young people advocating for the change needed to end the epidemic of gun violence throughout the US. Yolanda King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr, paraphrasing her famous grandfather, said, “I have a dream. That enough is enough.”

*Photos by Landon Shroder

“Bad Boss Tipline” Launches in Richmond

David Streever | January 19, 2018

Topics: activism, industrial workers worldwide, IWW, IWW Richmond Branch, sam west, social movements, Unions

How carefully do you read your pay stubs? If you’re like millions of workers in America, the answer is not carefully enough. An estimate from the Economic Policy Institute found that companies steal up to $50 billion per year from their employees.

The Richmond branch of the Industrial Workers of the World is addressing the problem locally, both through organizing as workers and with their flagship program, the Bad Boss Tipline. The hotline, announced in December on Facebook and Craigslist, lets employees report anything from workplace abuse to wage theft.

“We wanted to set up a safe space, no strings attached, for workers to get support,” IWW Delegate Sam West said. Some callers leave their names and numbers; others just seem to need a sympathetic person to share their story with. “I grew up on construction sites,” West said, discussing his blue-collar background. The first-generation college student and IWW member recently moved to Richmond to do his graduate degree in social psychology, and has helped revitalize the moribund local branch of the IWW in early 2017.

The tip line is necessary, West said, especially because state laws are weak when it comes to workers’ rights and government support systems are only available during office hours. “It makes them not accessible to people working 40 hour weeks,” West said. “We don’t have office hours. We work with people on their schedule.”

Most of their calls are about wage theft, which takes many forms. West listed examples including salaried employees working unpaid overtime, confusing or even doctored pay stubs, sub-minimum wage pay, and cases where workers aren’t trained but are docked for mistakes they made that training would have prevented. Many of the calls have been from people in food service and delivery.

“For someone living paycheck to paycheck, these practices are incredibly hurtful,” he said about the threat to low-wage workers. In some cases, he said that workers were looking for help after being fired for bringing wage theft up in the workplace.

“Retribution is illegal, but it’s difficult to prove,” West said, pointing to “Right To Work” laws that insulate employers against their workers. “Right To Work creates fear for bosses instead of respect. It’s not a good policy.”

The group hasn’t received any calls from undocumented workers that they know of, but offer confidentiality and support to any worker, regardless of citizenship or residency status. Some calls have been totally anonymous. West said the group files those and keeps a log, but won’t take any action without clear directions from the complainant.

“We’re not interested in just going after a business, we really want to help people,” he said. If someone wants to go forward with them, “filing a grievance is our first step. We would mediate a dispute if asked, but we never want to push anyone to do anything they aren’t comfortable with.”

West detailed the scope of the IWW and the tip line as “sounding board to union organizing.” Regardless of industry or type of work, the IWW is a solidarity organization that has the stated aim of forming one big union, a phrase that originated with a coal miner union (Western Federation of Miners) whose members formed the basis of the IWW in Chicago in 1905.

West pointed to the founding motto, “An injury to one is an injury to all,” as a guiding principle at the basis of the modern movement. “It’s unique to the structure of the IWW. We organize across all types of work.”

He pointed to the NRVStrike at a Target in Christiansburg, Virginia, where workers and IWW members came together as an example of a success story. “Their main ask was for a manager who was sexually harassing and making various inappropriate comments to be addressed,” he said. “[The manager] was fired promptly.”

“It’s a really interesting example of how even just a few workers can make a huge impact on their work environment if they stand by each other,” West said about the protests, which various outlets reported as consisting of around 10 people. “Of course, they had more demands than this that have not yet been met, but their primary goal was achieved.”

This is the first major project organized by the Richmond branch, but they’ve been supporting other groups this winter, including the River City Medic Collective and Leaders of the New South, to help people struggling with homelessness or public housing issues.

The local branch consists of some 25 members who pay modest monthly dues on a sliding scale, from $11 at the lowest end to $33 at the highest. Most of the money raised by an estimated 3,742 IWW members worldwide is spent on direct action following democratic votes. Unlike other unions, the IWW doesn’t have salaried staff, but pays a few people for administrative tasks, and members can vote to reimburse organizers for out of pocket expenses. West said the tip line isn’t about recruitment.

“If you want to join that’s great, but no requirements at all. We’re not trying to collect dues,” he said. “We just want to help people however we can.”

Photos by IWW Richmond Branch