Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 1 No. 3 Dress to Express

NOVEMBER 2020 

DRESS TO 

EXPRESS

1

You do matter. The numerous achievements 

and talents of Black students deserve to 

be recognized. As of Fall 2019, 10.50% of 

students on campus identified as Black 

or African American. Black students are 

disproportionately underrepresented in 

various areas on campus. Nineteen Fifty- 

Six is a Black student-led magazine that 

amplifies the voices within the University 

of Alabama’s Black community. It also 

seeks to educate students from all 

backgrounds on culturally-important 

issues and topics in an effort to produce 

socially-conscious, ethical and wellrounded 

citizens. 

2

EDITORIAL STAFF 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

MANAGING EDITOR 

VISUALS EDITOR 

ASSISTANT VISUALS EDITOR 

PHOTO EDITOR 

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR 

CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR 

ASSISTANT CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR 

FEATURES AND EXPERIENCES EDITOR 

ASSISTANT FEATURES AND EXPERIENCES EDITOR 

ENGAGEMENT EDITOR 

ASSISTANT ENGAGEMENT EDITOR 

FACULTY ADVISOR 

ASSISTANT ADVERTISING DIRECTOR 

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER 

TIONNA TAITE 

BHAVANA RHAVALA 

A’NESHIA TURNER 

ASHTON JAH 

ZAHREA SMALL 

ALEXIS BLUE 

FARRAH SANDERS 

REENA MILLER 

HALEY WILSON 

SALA BANDELE-JACKSON 

NICKELL GRANT 

TAYLOR GARNER 

MONIQUE FIELDS 

JULIE SALTER 

TERRY SIGGERS 

CONTRIBUTORS 

KAYLA BRYAN, JAVON WILLIAMS, ASHLEE WOODS, 

JEFFREY KELLY, KENYA HARRIS, RACHEL PARKER 

WRITERS 

DONOVAN HARRIS, AMANDA PORTER 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

ARMYLL SMITH, ASIA ANDERSON, BREONA WINN, 

CASSIDY BURRELL, GABBY ADAMS, KARRIS HARMON, 

KENDE’LYN THOMPSON, MADISON DAVIS, 

MALLORY WESTRY, MA’KIA MOULTON, NIA ANDERSON, 

TYALA BONNER, JOLENCIA JONES, 

KAELA ROBINSON, KIERRA THOMAS 

ENGAGEMENT 

MARKETERS AND 

STRATEGISTS 

ADDITIONAL INFO 

3 

Nineteen Fifty-Six is published by 

the Office of Student Media at The 

University of Alabama. All content 

and design are produced by students 

in consultation with professional 

staff advisers. All material contained 

herein, except advertising or where 

indicated otherwise, is copyrighted © 

2020 by Nineteen Fifty-Six magazine. 

Material herein may not 

be reprinted without 

the expressed, written 

permission of Nineteen 

Fifty-Six magazine. 

Editorial and Advertising 

offices for Nineteen Fifty- 

Six Magazine are located 

at 414 Campus Drive East, 

Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. The 

mailing address is P.O. 

Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, 

AL 35487. Phone: (205) 

348-7257.

LETTER FROM 

THE EDITOR 

“ 

My cover shattered that 

notion forever… Women 

of color could boldly say 

to the world, ‘Hey, look at 

me! I’m here and I have 

value and I am beautiful. 

- Beverly Johnson 

Fashion firsts accomplished by 

women of color, such as Beverly 

Johnson, have helped change 

the fashion industry and push 

for more diversity. Beverly 

Johnson became the first African 

American model on the cover of 

Vogue in 1974. Johnson served as 

a role model to Black women of 

all ages that they indeed are the 

face of beauty despite the lack 

of representation in mainstream 

media. 

Even in the early 2000s, 

I remember the lack of 

representation in dolls, especially 

Barbie dolls. As a young girl, I used 

to feel discouraged because kids’ 

shows, commercials and movies 

typically did not show girls that 

looked like me. However, models 

such as Naomi Campbell, Tyra 

Banks, Kimora Lee Simmons and 

” 

Beverly Peele helped me recognize 

truly just how unique and beautiful 

our culture is. 

Fashion is more than just appearance. 

It is a form of expression that can 

also be used as a tool for activism. 

Slogans on our clothes such as ‘Black 

Lives Matter’ exemplify our values 

while also bringing attention to the 

movement. Fashion also inspires the 

younger generation in many ways 

than one. Children, teens and young 

adults express themselves and gain 

confidence through their clothes. All 

of these reasons and more are why I 

felt it was important to have a fashion 

edition magazine issue. 

I am ecstatic to present the third 

issue of Nineteen Fifty-Six to you all. 

I look forward to this magazine issue 

instilling you with the desire to dress 

to express. 

X 

TIONNA TAITE 

4

ASK ABOUT OUR 

BOGO 

FOR SPRING! 

SPRING REGISTRATION 

REGISTER NOW! 

Classes begin January 13. Learn more at 

sheltonstate.edu/register. 

5 

It is the policy of the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees and Shelton State Community College, a postsecondary institution under its control, 

that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, marital status, disability, gender, age, or any other protected class as defined by federal 

and state law, be excluded from participation, denied benefits, or subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or employment.

CONTENTS 

8 

The Hippocratic 

Obstacle 

1 0 

Breaking the 

Chains 

1 1 

Dating in College 

14 

Melanin 

Marketplace 

1 6 

Equity on a 

Spectrum 

1 9 

The Black 

Bookshelf 

22 

An Open Discussion 

2 3 

Calling for Collective 

Responsibility 

2 6 

Remembering 

History to Rewrite 

the Future 

6

7

RACHEL PARKER 

THE HIPPOCRATIC 

OBSTACLE 

The relationship between African 

Americans and the medical 

community is one filled with highs 

and lows. Throughout history, African 

American women and men have been 

subject to horrible treatment and 

involuntary consent, to be used for the 

benefit of others with no concern for 

their own well-being. Studies such as 

the Tuskegee Experiment, the story 

of Henrietta Lacks and the “father 

of modern gynecology,” J. Marion 

Sims, who made advancements for 

gynecological medicine, thanks to 

his heinous experimentation on 

Black enslaved women display the 

horrendous treatment of Black 

people throughout American history. 

Treatment like this towards the Black 

community has not stopped, only 

manifested in different ways such 

as the disproportionate effects of 

COVID-19 on minority communities 

and higher maternal mortality rate 

for Black mothers. With factors such 

as these, it is easy to understand the 

apprehension communities of color 

feel when going to the doctor. Being 

overlooked or used without consent 

are the biggest factors contributing 

to this tense relationship. Just as 

there have been blows dealt in 

weakening this relationship, there is 

one actively working to strengthen 

the relationship between the medical 

field and people of color. 

This strengthening is being done 

through the work of the All of Us 

Research Program. A part of the 

National Institute of Health, All of 

Us was formed in 2015 under the 

Obama administration, known then 

as the Precision Medicine Initiative 

Cohort Program, to tailor medical 

care to individuals. As of now, the 

All of Us Research Program works 

to fulfill the needs of communities 

usually underrepresented in medical 

research. The All of Us Research 

Program accomplishes this with 

thorough research to address and 

correct disparities through steps 

such as: 1. increasing wellness and 

resilience, and promote healthy 

living 

2. reduce health disparities and 

improve health equity in populations 

that are historically underrepresented 

in biomedical research (UBR) 

3. develop improved risk assessment 

and prevention strategies to preempt 

disease 

4. provide earlier and more accurate 

diagnosis to decrease illness burden 

5. improve health outcomes and 

reduce disease impact through 

improved treatment and development 

of precision interventions 

Focusing on the specific needs of 

demographics plays an essential 

role in researching and potentially 

finding cures for an array of diseases 

and ailments. A diverse participant 

pool is another contributing factor, as 

reported from the All of Us website in 

the data snapshots. Within the region 

of Southern states, Alabama has the 

highest number of participants at 

18, 160. The participants themselves 

vary in ethnicity with the highest 

8

9 

percentage at 45.9% being white 

participants and 22.4% being Black 

participants. The trends continue 

with gender and age as women 

represent the larger number of 

participants at 59.3%. 

Diverse participants are crucial to 

the research of diseases, as evidenced 

from a 2018 ProPublica analysis, “Black 

Patients Miss Out On Promising 

Cancer Drug.” A retired business 

analyst, 72-year-old Pat Conley, who 

suffered from the rare blood cancer, 

multiple myeloma, expressed her 

thoughts about the importance of 

research and clinical trials. “If they 

don’t have African Americans to test 

it on, how will they know it’s going to 

work?” she asked. “If it doesn’t help 

me, it’ll help my children, it’ll help 

somebody else.” 

Sentiments of helping others echoes 

strongly within the Black community. 

Other diseases, such as diabetes, 

heart disease and breast cancer 

also have a stronger probability of 

diagnosis for Black people and less 

outcomes of treatment because of 

the lack of research data. 

The FDA does not require a diverse 

pool of participants and experimental 

drugs manufacturers fail to include 

minority participants. This allows 

for perpetuating false beliefs and 

the misunderstanding of the effects 

or workings of diseases affecting 

minority communities. Along with the 

lack of inclusion there are additional 

hurdles minority communities face, 

as explained by Dr. Kashif Ali, from 

the 2018 ProPublica analysis. Dr. 

Ali, head of research at Maryland 

Oncology Hematology, explained that 

he’s often “seen minorities, including 

African Americans, miss out on trials 

because of financial hurdles, logistical 

challenges and their lingering 

distrust of the medical community 

due to a history of being victimized 

by medical experimentation.” 

In addition to the varying hurdles 

and challenges, environments also 

play a role in health disparities 

as evidenced by observations 

from Elizabeth D. Carlson from 

a 2005 WebMD study. Carlson, a 

postdoctoral fellow in the division 

of cancer prevention and education 

at the University of Texas, explains, 

“It is not just formal education, but 

everyday things. It’s being afraid to 

go out and exercise because you live 

in a high-crime neighborhood. It’s 

not having transportation to your 

health care provider. It’s not having 

decent fresh fruits and vegetables in 

the local grocery.” 

Mounting health concerns coupled 

with distrust and the lack of research 

has resulted in the difficulty of 

acknowledging the very differences 

that are vital to understanding 

our unique health concerns. All 

of Us has a satellite location at 

the University of Alabama and is 

accepting participants from the West 

Alabama area. Along with the work of 

research programs such as All of Us 

and systemic changes, socioeconomic 

and environmental issues need to be 

addressed and analyzed for a lasting 

change to heal the wounds of the 

past. 

ASHLEE WOODS 

BREAKING 

THE CHAINS: 

MOVING 

P A S T 

STORIES OF 

SLAVERY

For several years, stories of Black people have centered 

around the struggles and trauma we have endured by 

the hands of white people and slavery. Films, television 

shows, and other forms of media constantly remind 

Black people of the pain and suffering their ancestors 

went through. While the telling of these stories 

are necessary, a shift of focus is needed. Through 

different film genres, commentary is now being made 

on the Black experience and its importance to film. 

Slave narratives--- the stories of enslaved Africans in the 

Americas--- tell the trauma enslaved people endured 

in great detail. The authenticity of the accounts allow 

people to understand the dehumanizing effects of 

slavery. For instance, in Solomon Northup’s, 12 Years A 

Slave, Northup describes the violence he had to suffer 

at the hands of his owners. One account includes 

where he was whipped and forced to accept his new 

identity as an enslaved man. 

“As soon as these formidable whips appeared, I was 

seized by both of them, and roughly divested of my 

clothing. My feet, as has been stated, were fastened 

to the floor […]. With the paddle, Burch commenced 

beating me. Blow after blow was inflicted on my 

naked body. When his unrelenting arm grew tired, 

he stopped and asked if I still insisted I was a free 

man. I did insist upon it, and then the blows were 

renewed, faster and more energetically, if possible, 

than before,” Northup said. 

Northup uses his story to show the unrelenting 

violence enslaved people went through. The pain and 

suffering he felt is viewed as seemingly unbearable to 

many. Yet, Black people are asked to repeatedly play in 

these types of roles. One of the effects slave narratives 

have on the readers or viewers is the authenticity of 

the accounts. In order to capture that properly, actors 

must be willing to bear that pain. In an interview for 

the Black Girl Nerds blog, Michelle Jackson, writer 

and director of Another Slave Narrative, discusses the 

trouble Black actors go through when depicting these 

characters. 

“One of the reasons why I wanted to use non-Black 

actors which I’ve gotten some criticism about from 

viewers who don’t appreciate that, which I respect, but 

one of the reasons why I did use non-Black actors was 

because there are some Black actors that I approached 

to do this project, who expressed real fatigue at doing 

slave narratives as an actor,” Jackson said. 

Jackson would continue to say that Latarsha Rose, one 

of the actors considered, said that for a period of time, 

a great deal of her auditions were for slave narratives. 

For so long, just Black actors were expected to carry 

the weight and pain of their enslaved ancestors and 

to only depict these events. The limited amount of 

diverse roles takes a true toll on actors asked to play 

them. The stories of Black people are not limited to 

the enslavement of Africans, but rather stem from the 

pain and sorrow the enslaved felt. The desire to create 

new stories has pushed creatives into other film 

genres and has now allowed the complexity of Black 

stories in this society to shine through a different 

lens. 

The rise of the Black horror genre has been a slow 

journey that took off with Jordan Peele’s box office 

hit, Get Out. The premise of the plot is that Chris 

Washington, played by Daniel Kaluuya, is meeting 

his girlfriend’s family for the first time. As the 

story develops, viewers learn that the Armitage’s 

are seeking Black men and women to use them for 

exploitation. The genius behind Peele’s Get Out is how 

he used different horror tropes--- more specifically 

voyeurism and surveillance--- to create a commentary 

on the racism that still exists today. Across the horror 

genre, the idea of being watched is something the 

protagonist struggles with throughout the movie. 

In reference to Get Out, Chris uses his camera to 

help viewers visualize what it is like to be ogled at 

and judged because of the color of your skin. Beyond 

the racial and political metaphors, Get Out gave the 

genre of Black horror a newfound rise. In an article 

entitled “Re-centering the Black experience in the 

horror genre, from ‘Beloved’ to ‘Get Out’,” writer 

Noah Berlatsky discusses why Get Out is so important 

to the horror genre. 

“Get Out is important because it turned Black horror 

from an underground niche into a commercially viable 

genre. But more than that, its genius was in showing 

that the Black experience had always been central to 

the horror genre,” Berlatsky said. 

In order to break the cycle of only slave narrative 

pieces, the film industry must see how important 

Black people’s stories are to other genres. The 

misrepresentation of Black people and their 

experiences in film allowed for a gross and false 

characterization of who Black people are. Peele’s Get 

Out is a clever and authentic movie discussing the 

struggles Black people go through, but in a lens that 

does not cause trauma to the actor nor the viewer. 

Removing the need to constantly depict traumatizing 

Black experiences allows Black actors to tell all kinds 

of stories, not just ones of oppression. 

Slavery is an important topic for people to be 

educated about. However, it is not the only story Black 

people have to share. With movies like Get Out and 

Marvel’s Black Panther, Black culture is now becoming 

centralized to other literary and film genres. Diversity 

in the film industry will not only help actors remove 

the pain and fatigue of playing enslaved people, but 

also create avenues to tell the stories of Black people 

today. 

10

11 

KAYLA BRYAN 

DATING IN COLLEGE

Is dating in college a good idea? 

For some, dating in college is the 

best decision they have ever made. 

While others regret every moment 

they spent “dating” someone. The 

term can have multiple meanings 

but, the two mainstream terms of 

dating would be casual dating or 

in a relationship. Casual dating are 

attachments you pursue for fun, not 

for commitment. Then relationship 

dating is when individuals in a 

committed relationship tend to be 

monogamous. In other words, you do 

not “date” other people. 

College is a place filled 

with new adventures, friendships, 

opportunities, and so much more. 

Before coming to college many 

students had the idea that college 

would be like the 2000s movies we 

all learned to love. The perfect boy 

would come in out of nowhere and 

swoop the pretty girl up off her feet 

and they lived happily ever after. 

However, for many, that was not 

the case. Some students have never 

experienced any sort of dating prior 

to college and that is the milliondollar 

catch right there. 

Oftentimes when it comes to a first 

relationship there is always one 

person who becomes a bit more 

involved than the other. This leads 

to distraction, unnecessary stress, 

or changes your overall college 

experience in a negative light. On 

the flip side, many students have 

experienced dating prior to college. 

They head into college with a 

perspective of what dating is really 

like. Even though one may already 

have a perspective on what dating in 

college looks like this can still lead to 

a negative college dating experience. 

A poll of ten college students 

at the University of Alabama was 

conducted on whether or not dating 

in college is a good idea. The poll 

was split right down the middle. 

What was interesting to see was 

that the ones who thought dating in 

college was a bad idea had no prior 

dating experience. Three out of the 

five mentioned how they or their 

significant other was entirely too 

much involved in a relationship. In 

the process of dating in college, they 

lost valued friendships, grades, and 

half of their college experience. Just 

because someone seems perfect be 

sure to remember that everyone is not 

always who they portray themselves 

to be. 

“Oh, it is not fun dating in college. 

I really wish I had spent more time 

with my friends doing spontaneous 

things rather than sitting in a room 

with someone who was just on their 

phone. I wish I was able to do more,” 

said Kennedy Chase, a senior at the 

University of Alabama. 

One thing about college is 

that the friends you make can follow 

you for the rest of your life. Take it 

from people who have graduated 

and are in the real world. One thing 

they will always speak about when it 

comes to college is the friendships 

they made. However, the friendships 

you make could also be the person 

you are dating. 

“My boyfriend is my best 

friend. I am so happy to have met 

him. We really do enjoy each other’s 

company. Definitely one of the best 

decisions I have made so far in college. 

We support each other a lot,” said 

Jamie Jones, a junior at the University 

of Alabama. 

There are a few important things to 

remember when it comes to dating 

in college. Date who you want to 

regardless of what others have to 

say. People can be friends without 

having to date. It can be hard dating, 

especially when being a minority at 

a PWI. The most important thing to 

remember when it comes to dating 

in college is to remember you are in 

college. While it is okay to have fun, 

do not let twelve years of school, 

countless tests, scholarships, and 

loan applications go to waste over 

someone else. This goes for anyone 

who is madly in love or just casually 

hanging out. Always remember that 

college is the place to find the you 

that you want to be. 

It is clear that dating in college can go 

one of two ways. You can either love 

it or hate it. Whether one loved 

dating in college or hated it, you 

learn a life lesson either way. 

It really is true that people 

are in your life for a lesson 

or a blessing. As a college 

student, make your 

decision about dating 

carefully. 

12

13

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LABAMA. THE MELANIN MARKETPLACE: LOCAL BLACK BUSINESSES RUN BY STUDENTS AT THE 16 



The Melanin 

Marketplace 

Simone-alexander

JEFFREY KELLEY 

EQUITY ON A SPECTRUM 

With kindness and light in her 

heart Marsha P. Johnson, a Black 

trans woman, and gay liberation 

activist helped march the gay rights 

movement forward during the 1960s. 

Yet, though she was a pivotal figure 

in history, it seems that her story has 

been swept under the rug and known 

only by those who seek it out. 

She said it was a fight that had seeped 

into many facets of her life. While 

at work, she experiences occasional 

hostility when customers made 

the wrong assumption about her 

sexuality. And though her immediate 

family was welcoming to her, she 

also faced some opposition from her 

relatives while coming out. 

studies major at the University of 

Alabama, recognized. 

Shol said as a biracial person who can 

sometimes be “white-passing,” he had 

to realize that he had some privileges 

that weren’t afforded to Black people, 

and because of that, speaking out was 

necessary. 

17 

That sentiment of 

underrepresentation is something 

the 39% of LGBTQIA people who 

identify as people of color grapple 

with every day. 

According to a study by the UCLA 

Williams Institute, LGBTQIA people 

were nearly four times more likely to 

experience violent victimization. In 

addition, according to the Southern 

Poverty Law Center, the number of 

anti-LGBTQ hate groups rose from 

49 to 70 in 2019. 

Also, in 2020, according to the Human 

Rights Campaign, 30+ transgender or 

gender-nonconforming people were 

murdered, with the majority of them 

being Black and Latinx transgender 

women. 

These statistics, along with constant 

bigotry online or in real life, made it 

apparent to most LGBTQIA people of 

color that the fight for equity was not 

over. “Being of LGBTQ and a person 

of color right now in this moment, we 

are very underrated,” said Jay Love, 

a Black gender-nonconforming UA 

senior majoring in African American 

studies. 

Love said they felt like it’s a constant 

fight to “prove a point” that LGBTQIA 

people of color deserve the same 

privileges and acceptance that the 

majority take for granted. 

This fight for acceptance is 

something Faith Wamble, a Black 

bisexual junior at the University of 

Alabama majoring in environmental 

engineering and specialist in the 

army, understood immensely. 

Wamble said she even experienced 

these moments of opposition in the 

military. “I’m already looked down 

upon, so to speak, because I’m female, 

and on top of that, I’m Black,” Wamble 

said. “And on top of that if I’m like I’m 

gay; they’re like ‘oh no she can’t do 

this,’ and it’s like there’s no reason 

that it should be held against me in 

a sense.” 

She said moments like that made her 

feel like she had to validate herself to 

other people continually. 

“I try not to because I am who I am. 

I don’t really have to explain myself 

to you, but sometimes I find myself 

in a position where they aren’t 

trying to be bigoted. They just don’t 

understand,” Wamble said. “And 

there’s only so much I can do to help 

them understand. Like look, just 

because I’m this way doesn’t mean it 

changes how I can be with you.” 

In the search for acceptance and 

equity, these educational moments 

are essential because ignorance and 

fear are breeding grounds for hatred 

and stigma. 

Yet while trying to educate others, 

people of color and Black people in 

particular are sometimes met with 

even more hatred and stigma. 

Love said when Black people speak 

out about an issue, they are painted 

as “an angry Black [person],” making 

it hard to truly educate and even 

harder for Black people to reach 

toward equity. 

That’s something Stephen Shol, a 

gay biracial junior communications 

“I have to use my privilege to talk 

about what’s going on for other 

people, specifically for Black people 

in America,” Shol said. “We know that 

there is a problem, and there’s been 

a problem for a long time, and I feel 

like especially now it is so important 

for everybody to use their voice.” 

Pedro Reyes, a gay Latinx sophomore 

majoring in political science and 

criminal justice, also recognized that 

his experience as a person of color 

and LGBTQIA member was different 

and at times more privileged than 

others. Yet, with that privilege, he 

works to dismantle these stigmas and 

educate others on them. 

However as those who identified with 

the two marginalized groups fought 

against stigmas, they acknowledged 

that the fight was happening inside 

the communities too. 

Tyler Samples, a Black gay senior 

majoring in political science and 

public relations at The University 

of Alabama, said he has seen 

discrimination against LGBTQIA 

people within the Black community, 

and it confuses him. 

“We’ll march, and we’ll protest, and 

we’ll say Black Lives Matter, which 

obviously Black Lives Matter but 

some people don’t account that all 

Black Lives Matter. It doesn’t just 

stop at Black straight [cisgendered] 

men,” Samples said. 

He said he found it a “very interesting 

situation” that people tend to 

separate Black LGBTQIA lives from 

the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I think it is very hypocritical to try 

to demand justice, but within your 

own community, you’re still blatantly 

discriminating against people,” 

Samples said. 

He said it was counterproductive to 

fight for equity and inclusion but be 

exclusionary within the community. 

Reyes agreed with this sentiment 

relating it to his experience within 

the Latinx community. 

“Historically, the Latin community 

is very rooted in homophobic values 

and ideals, so whenever it’s this Latin 

pride, it’s not the same when we’re 

talking about [Latinx LGBTQIA 

members],” Reyes said. “It’s very 

saddening, but I also think it reflects 

the hardships that the African 

American and Latin community have 

had to go through. They’ve always had 

to mold themselves to be so perfect 

to be accepted by white people.” 

These stigmas weren’t limited to 

racial identities either; within the 

LGBTQIA, there lies prejudice 

disguised as “preference.” 

“There is so much discrimination 

within the LGBTQ community,” 

Samples said. He discussed how 

some gay men within the community 

discriminated against “feminine” 

men and transgender women and men 

due to internalized homophobia. He 

said they disguised their prejudices 

behind preferences, specifically on 

dating apps. 

“People will say ‘Oh, it’s just a 

preference,’ when I feel like they’re 

being discriminatory, but they’re 

using [preference] to justify it, and 

that’s still not correct,” Samples said. 

“It’s an ongoing issue.” 

Shol said he’s seen many gay 

men “go unchecked” for harmful, 

misogynistic, or racist behaviors 

just because they are gay. He said it 

happened, especially on social media 

and dating sites. 

Reyes furthered the discussion 

by saying that these weren’t just 

preferences. 

“It’s not a preference because if it 

happened in the real world outside of 

hook-up culture, it would be seen as 

something completely different,” he 

said. 

He said regardless of what minority 

group someone is a part of, they 

should be held accountable for their 

harmful actions. 

“There’s a lot of problems within 

the LGBTQ+ community, and white 

supremacists still exist in the 

LGBTQ+ community,” Reyes said. 

“You don’t just get an excuse just 

because you’re already in a minority 

group. There are racist people in the 

LGBTQ+ community.” 

Shol recalled times in high school, 

where he saw his Black LGBTQIA 

friends going through different 

experiences because of prejudices. 

“I would have friends who I felt like 

would have to work harder to be 

accepted by both their family but 

also by their romantic partners, and 

that’s not okay,” he said. 

For Love, as someone who identifies 

as gender nonconforming, they 

said they felt like there wasn’t any 

acceptance for a person like them in 

the LGBTQIA community because of 

a lack of understanding. 

And in moments like that where 

a person doesn’t feel like they 

belong, it becomes easy to try to 

conform instead of continually 

fighting against so many stigmas and 

stereotypes. Yet, in those instances, 

Samples encourages others to take 

back their narrative and be whoever 

they want to be. 

“If you like something, you should do 

that and do it to its fullest extent,” 

he said. “As long as it’s bringing you 

comfort or bringing you joy, I don’t 

think you should question that.” 

That sentiment was something Love 

learned as they came into their own. 

“I wasn’t made to fit in,” they said. “I 

was made to be myself. I was made 

to find out who I was as a person 

and grow and build and inspire as 

that person and become something 

greater than what others feel like I 

should be.” 

Wamble said she never understood 

why people placed such a stigma 

around someone else’s selfexpression. 

“They can do what they want to do 

and be just as powerful, but [then] 

they’re comfortable,” she said. 

Yet, in the end, Love said regardless 

of who someone is, all they wanted 

anyone to do was spread love and 

have respect for one another. 

“Don’t try to beat someone down 

because you’re not as comfortable 

in your skin,” they said. “There’s too 

much hate in the world.” 

Reyes said the prejudices and 

moments of opposition reminded 

him of how important it is to always 

“stand out and bring new perspectives 

and ideas to the table when you’re 

struggling.” 

Yet new perspectives and ideas are 

hard to have without compassion, 

which Samples encouraged students 

to have. He said UA students should 

try to be open, patient, kind and 

loving with one another. 

Though in the end, it comes down to 

the individual to accept themselves 

and live freely. “The most important 

person in your narrative is yourself,” 

Shol said. “So once you realize that 

you don’t really owe anybody else an 

explanation because you have to live 

your life in the way you want to, we’re 

only here for a short amount of time, 

honestly.” 

18

THE BLACK BOOKSHELF 

19 

During these times it can be hard to take your eyes off of your screens. 

Whether it be a laptop, tablet or more commonly your phone, turn it 

off and open a book! It may seem hard to do, but after you read this list 

of astounding books you’ll want to read every single one! When that 

Zoom call ends and you have a little bit of free time, crack open one of 

these books! When supporting Black authors you’ll be doing yourself a 

favor by broadening your imagination and gaining confidence! Maybe 

one of these books will inspire you to write a book of your own!

SCI-FI / FANTASY: 

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff 

Premise: This novel follows Atticus 

Turner, his uncle George and his 

childhood friend Letitia during 

Jim Crow. In the midst of trying to 

find Atticus’ father, the group runs 

into all kinds of supernatural and 

literally out-of-this-world activities. 

While traveling, the supernatural 

encounters aren’t the only things 

that push off their search. On their 

journey, they still have to deal with 

the wrath of white Americans in a 

stiffly divided United States. The 

novel inspired the hit HBO Show, 

“Lovecraft Country”. 

Dawn by Octavia Walker 

Premise: Dawn is the first book of the 

Xenogenesis series. It follows Lilith 

Iyapo who lost her husband and son 

due to an atomic fire that depletes 

the whole Earth. A century later, 

Lilith wakes up on an extraterrestrial 

spaceship with many others who have 

also been ‘saved’ from the end of the 

world. Lilith and the others are taken 

to another planet where the owners of 

the spacecraft, named Oankali, plan 

to establish a new world. While Lilith 

tries to help the aliens get back to 

their normal civilization, the proper 

re-establishment is questioned. 

ROMANCE: 

The Wedding Date by Jasmine 

Guillory 

Premise: In this romance novel, Alexa 

and Drew start off as two strangers 

stuck in an elevator together. They 

then become each other’s fake date 

at a wedding. The two start to enjoy 

each other’s temporary company 

until it is time for them to go back 

to their home states. Alexa goes back 

to Berkeley, California to continue as 

the mayor’s Chief of Staff while Drew 

heads back to Los Angeles where 

he is a pediatric surgeon. Will long 

distance prevail or can love conquer 

all? 

The Left of Love by Love Belvin 

Premise: In this three book series, 

two young adults, Kennedi and Issak, 

struggle to find themselves and each 

other. From two different walks of 

life, the couple create a strong bond 

with one another but seem to find it 

hard to overcome their differences. 

While Kennedi tries to find herself 

as a young college student and Isaak 

tries to find himself as an entertainer, 

the two are willing to make sacrifices 

to be successful. But where do the 

sacrifices stop? At love? 

SOCIAL/POLITICAL 

COMMENTARY: 

From the War on Poverty to the War 

on Crime by Elizabeth Hinton 

Premise: History and African 

American Studies Associate 

Professor and Professor of Law at 

Yale University, Elizabeth Hinton, 

writes about incarceration and 

poverty in the African American 

community. Hinton highlights the 

changes and challenges of the prison 

system and policies targeting lowincome 

communities. To support 

her argument, she mentions policies 

and acts created for equality and 

mass incarceration. Hinton also 

speaks of previous presidents such as 

Ronald Reagan, Lyndon B. Johnson, 

and Richard Nixon that created and 

advocated for such changes. 

The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who 

Shouldn’t, and Why by Jabari Asim 

Premise: Need he say more? In this 

book Jabari Asim uses his historical 

research of the derogatory term 

which was first used by the third 

President of the United States, 

Thomas Jefferson. Asim also writes 

about how the revised term can 

also be a harm towards the African 

American community within itself 

as it “helps keep blacks at the bottom 

of America’s socioeconomic ladder”. 

The book mentions many names and 

their role on how the word is grasped 

by audiences. 

20

21

Kenya Harris 

An Open Discussion 

“It’s called an open discussion for a reason” She, co-founder 

of This Is Black Focus says about the organization’s recent 

podcast launch. The recently developed community 

engagement organization, This Is Black Focus is 

launching a brand new project through the medium of 

podcasting. The entity is co-founded by She and Kenya 

Harris. She is a recent graduate receiving their Bachelor’s 

in Public Health with an emphasis on Health Education. 

They recently published a research study on increasing 

engagement across college campuses with regular STD 

screenings by making resources easily accessible while 

simultaneously addressing testing stigma. The study 

will be published in The Journal of American College 

Health. She plans on pursuing their Master’s focusing on 

community engagement, a passion that both of the cofounders 

share a knack for. Kenya Harris is a fledgling 

Political Scientist and African American scholar receiving 

her degree this Fall. Harris plans to pursue a career as a 

legal advocate. 

Because of the current political climate and increasing 

polarization in tandem with surface level understandings 

of issues, She and Kenya have decided to bridge the 

informational gap by offering casual banter on a wide 

variety of conceptually challenging topics. Both cofounders 

agree that the show serves as a platform 

where the hosts can grow and help others grow in their 

intellectual capacities. This project is rooted in the belief 

that pushing conversation to frequently address the 

complexities of American society should be normalized. 

This Is Black Focus as an entity, is centered on maintaining 

stamina and continuing to push the Black Lives Matter 

movement onward. This same sentiment is echoed 

through the podcast which aims to provide relevant 

information regarding social justice issues through the 

lens of race, gender, and identity. This framing allows for 

experts doing this social justice work to weigh in on the 

show and answer important questions that break down the 

understanding of selected topics. Guest speakers include 

a number of forward thinking UA faculty who offer their 

opinion on academic scholarship along with local activists 

who are the face of their advocacy movements. 

Recently, reproductive justice activist Helmi Henkin 

participated in a discussion about Amy Coney Barrett and 

the fight for reproductive rights. Henkin is a longtime 

activist who has participated in direct practice and 

advocacy surrounding mental health, healthcare access, 

and reproductive justice. She was the cofounder of 

Yellowhammer Fund, Alabama’s statewide reproductive 

justice fund, and was the Chair of the West Alabama 

Clinic Defenders for three years. Henkin addresses her 

appearance and involvement with great regard saying 

that the podcast “provides a great learning opportunity 

for listeners. Kenya and She try their best to ensure that 

the discussions are fruitful for their guests and for their 

intended audience.” Henkin accurately emcompasses the 

goals of the podcast for all people “interested in politics 

and civic engagement who may not be familiar with the 

intricacies of current events and key issues and would like 

to learn more about the issues and how to take action.” 

As the new podcast debuts, the co-founders of This Is 

Black Focus hope to invigorate engagement by giving 

listeners an easy start to productive dialogue between 

peers. “We don’t want it to be one sided at all,” cofounder 

She regards of the future reception of the new project. 

The podcast structuring provides for more effective 

engagement where listeners are picking some of the 

talking points as well. “We want our listeners to feel 

invested in the discussion, we want people to listen while 

they’re cooking for their families, while they’re driving on 

trips with friends… We want the podcasts to be listened 

to in the most casual of settings because then we’re 

normalizing having difficult conversations which tend to 

be the most productive conversations.” We believe that if 

we continue to keep discussions centering racial justice, 

LGBTQ rights, women’s rights and issues that have 

been othered, then we will aid the shift in conversation 

towards a more inclusive future that is representative of 

all people, and not the popularized opinions of the few. 

22

23 

Kenya Harris 

CALLING FOR 

Collective 

RESPONSIBILITY 

The retired President of Spelman 

College, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, 

often characterized as a leader 

in higher education, recently sat 

down with UAB’s Department 

of Psychology and D.E.I. Office 

to have a dialogue centering on 

racial justice especially within 

the education institution. Dr. 

Tatum’s Why are all the Black Kids 

Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? 

published in 1997, gave her the 

academic experience necessary to 

be labeled as one of the ‘foremost 

authorities’ in the conversation of 

demystifying patterns of systemic 

racism. Her book recently enjoyed 

its 23rd anniversary on the New 

York’s Best Sellers list during the 

Black Publishing Power Movement 

in June. It served as the perfect 

introductory topic to a conversation 

full of intellectual guidance as 

it pertains to fighting systemic 

racism. 

When asked about why she 

wrote the book, Dr. Tatum responds 

with a memory. She sets the scene 

in 1995-- she was working as a 

psychology professor and taught 

courses on the psychology of racism. 

Her students, who were nearing 

the end of their college careers, 

were conceding to her that this 

was their first experience having 

an intellectual discussion that 

centered around race. Naturally, 

this led to Dr. Tatum asking 

teachers in her area why they were 

not teaching about social issues and 

race. The teachers largely admitted 

that they had no clue where to start 

and had no knowledge of how to 

disseminate effective practices that 

ate away at patterns of systemic 

racism in education. 

Being the proactive woman 

she is, Dr. Tatum took on the 

responsibility of conducting a 

workshop for these teachers to 

become more proficient in diversity 

methods. The teachers commended 

her for her work, but believed she 

should propose her methods to 

their bosses, who wielded more 

power than the teachers did. She 

took their advice and organized a 

workshop with the principles. Yet, 

the principles also said she should 

take it to their supervisors. She 

kept climbing up the ladder until 

she reached the superintendents. 

The superintendents praised Dr. 

Tatum’s work and proceeded to 

direct her to the school board. The 

school board supported her strides 

towards instruction that included 

race. Once that happened, she finally 

had the momentum to effectively 

change policy. Dr. Tatum focused on 

helping teachers create classrooms 

where students are encouraged to 

make connections across lines of 

difference. Methodical engagement 

paired with diversifying curriculum 

in all aspects was how she integrated 

the conversation of race. 

Racial justice work can be highly 

rewarding, but it can also be 

exhausting with the changes often 

being small and incremental. To 

amplify the revelation Dr. Tatum had 

with the educational institution, 

she thought it was best to spread 

her ideas and allow others to act in 

their own communities. From this 

came her book. 

As the conversation shifts to 

allyship, the definition of what 

makes an ally is considered. With 

the current political climate, many 

believe an Instagram story post 

is meeting the bar for allyship, 

which is already pretty low. The 

opinion has been popularized that 

actions similar to this are just 

virtue signaling content that is 

performative if not opportunistic. 

This begs the question of what does 

ally behavior look like? 

Dr. Tatum states,“We need people 

who would be allies to realize 

action is required.” Those who 

acknowledge the wrongdoing and 

still do not act, are just as much 

to blame for the perpetuation of 

racism as any other factor assuring 

its continuance. The same notion 

of action is carried into Dr. Tatum’s 

next statement where she identifies 

where the real social justice work is 

being done. She makes a powerful 

analogous relationship between 

racism and an airport walkway: 

“You step on the walkway to carry 

you from point A to Point B. Think 

about the walkway being all of the 

systems and structures that keep 

the system of racism running in our 

society. You could stand completely 

motionless and still be carried 

along in the direction where 

those systems, policies, practices 

are taking you. Some people will 

be energetically moving fast. 

You could think of these people 

as those actively embracing and 

perpetuating racist ideology. There 

are others who may not embrace 

those ideas, but are unmoving and 

still being carried along. There are 

some people who will say ‘I don’t 

want to go where this is headed,’ 

but they do not move, they just 

turn around. It’s only when you 

turn around and walk quickly in 

the opposite direction that you can 

interrupt this process. Allies are 

those who are willing to turn around 

and take action to quickly move in 

the opposite direction [away from 

oppressive doctrine]. That is where 

you see social change.” 

Dr. Tatum is unapologetic in her 

approach to defining allyship and 

African American scholars champion 

her logic. These same scholars 

would also corroborate that anti- 

Blackness requires a multifaceted 

approach to interrupting its process

of operating the institutions that 

guide American society. Allyship was 

already a required facet, especially 

in instances where resources given 

to advantage people are severed. 

The bigger question was asked of 

Dr. Tatum regarding what those 

actions would look like. “Some 

people will speak up when you’re 

in the room. But if you’re not in the 

room the person who says, ‘Let’s 

look at our policies and practices 

and ask ourselves who is being 

overrepresented? Who is being 

underrepresented? What can we do 

to bring more voices to the table?’ 

The person who is consistently doing 

that work, is the real interrupter 

[and ally].” She continues to praise 

those who uphold this rationale, 

and argues the importance of this 

role in what journalists dubbed the 

year of ‘racial reckoning.’ In this 

moment of retribution, citizens 

have flooded the streets across the 

country demanding the government 

confront systemic racism. 

This interrupting process always 

attracted an audience of skeptics. 

Dr. Tatum manages resistance 

to her practices by explaining, 

“There’s a tendency sometimes 

to see individual instances as just 

that and not seeing it as part of a 

systemic pattern.” This discussion 

of systemic issues boggles the 

mind of those privileged because 

many people are brought up in the 

disillusioned idea that we live in a 

meritocracy, and that people get 

what they deserve and if they work 

hard their efforts will be rewarded 

in abundance. This is simply not the 

case. 

Discrimination largely undercuts 

minority populations from having 

equal opportunity and access to 

better resources. Understanding 

how institutions work to 

disproportionately harm the Black 

community and other minority 

communities, can lead to the blame 

game of who is at fault. This is when 

the integrity of the conversation 

must be challenged. Dr. Tatum 

would argue that conversation 

is decentralized from the real 

question: “What are we going to do 

differently?” 

Dr. Tatum closes by addressing 

this with her thematic language 

regarding collective responsibility: 

“None of us alive today are to blame 

for its creation but we all have a 

responsibility to interrupt the 

process so that it doesn’t continue. 

Stereotypes, racism, prejudices are 

like smog in the air like air pollution. 

No one person is responsible for air 

pollution but we all can contribute 

to it in some ways. And we all have 

a responsibility to take action to 

clean it up if indeed, we want clean 

air. If we want to interrupt the 

cycle of racism we all have to take 

responsibility for interrupting it.” 

24

25

RACHEL PARKER 

REMEMBERING 

HISTORY 

TO REWRITE THE 

FUTURE 

Fresh off the heels of a long presidential election 

week, the events of this past summer that led to 

such a large voter turnout and historical firsts, are 

also the same kind of events that led to America’s 

societal landscape today. Going beyond the history 

books and classroom approved discussion, the work 

and research of these events were brought into the 

forefront with the presentation, “From Enslavement 

to Mass Incarceration: Confronting the Legacy of 

Racial Terror” presented on October 28th, by the 

College of Human Environmental Sciences and 

Capstone College of Nursing. This event featured 

the guest speaker, Elliot Spillers, Equal Justice 

Initiative Project Manager and an UA alum. 

Spillers created his own history while at the 

University by becoming the second person of color 

to be elected president of the School Government 

Association along with establishing the position of 

vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Acknowledging Spillers history is easy enough to 

research and read about, but the deeply entrenched 

racial history of the abuses and practices towards 

Black people in America, is not as easily noticeable 

and blends into the fabric of our society. So much so, 

that it has become accepted and normalized. 

Reasoning such as this aligns with the thoughts 

of event host, Dr. Wanda Burton. Dr. Burton, 

an assistant professor in the College of Human 

Environmental Sciences, began the presentation 

focusing on current events. She stated how because 

of the events of this past summer, involving police 

brutality, many individuals do not understand the 

history of America’s racial past. Unveiling this racial 

past was demonstrated through the discussion of 

the legal decisions and practices that contribute to 

the systemic problem of racism today. 

The Equal Justice Initiative was founded in 1989 in 

direct response to the lynchings of Black people 

in Alabama; these murders were met with no 

consequences or legal actions. Furthermore, these 

lynchings played an integral role in the societal 

makeup and behavior of the Black community. 

With the fear of violent action being enacted towards 

them because of the color of their skin, lynchings 

acted as the invisible, ever prominent, barrier 

that “created a fearful environment where racial 

subordination and segregation was maintained 

with limited resistance for decades,” as stated from 

a report from the Equal Justice Initiative. Delving 

further into the definition of a lynching, Spillers 

explained how a lynching could be defined as more 

than the hangings most widely discussed and/or 

seen through media portrayals. Spillers stated that 

lynchings included hanging, burning, drowning 

and mutilation. These varying methods, used as a 

form of punishment for a perceived wrongdoing or 

for no reason at all, worked to continuously instill 

fear in the Black community along with shaping 

the societal and judicial mindset of Southern and 

Northern states. 

Acts of racial violence and lynchings grew the 

most during the “Era of Racial Terror,” occurring 

between 1877-1950 primarily in twelve Southern 

states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, 

Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Research 

from these states discovered an additional 4,084 

lynchings than initially reported from these twelve 

states. Lynchings included Black men, women, and 

children with no investigations or accountability. 

The research not only found undocumented 

information about lynchings in the South, but also 

debunked myths that lynchings only occurred in 

the South, with findings in Northern states such as: 

Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, 

Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Even outside of these 

26

states, there were documented cases of over 

400 lynchings in Omaha, Nebraska and New 

York alone. 

These horrendous acts expanded 

beyond the streets and neighborhoods 

and moved into the courtrooms. In 

efforts to satisfy the lynching mob, 

the judicial system used trials 

and legal punishment to act 

as placeholders. An Equal 

Justice Initiative report 

states, “The decline of 

lynching in the studied 

states relied heavily on the 

increased use of capital 

punishment imposed by 

court order following an 

often accelerated trial.” An 

accelerated trial would be 

only the beginning of the 

imposing of Jim Crow laws 

since the phrase, “a jury of 

one’s peers” was no longer 

acknowledged for a trial if 

the defendant was Black. Issues of 

racial bias in jury selection were done 

through the act of striking off Black 

jurors for no other reason than their 

race. 

In addition to the lack of Black 

jurors, the legal representation 

was inadequate. There was no 

standard for lawyers to be skilled 

in capital defense for the sake 

of their client and along with 

a compensation cap, a lack of 

funds contributed to a lack of 

motivation. Furthermore, the 

states with the highest rates 

of the death penalty would be 

the same states with the highest 

number of lynchings. 

“Race and class, more than any 

other factor, determine our client’s 

sentences,” states Spillers. These 

factors continue to act as markers of 

treatment for the Black community, 

from the past to the present. 

Throughout Spillers’ presentation, the 

historical facts and work of the Equal 

Justice Initiative was an eye-opening, 

learning experience for students. 

Alana Parsons, a senior majoring in Public Health 

with a minor in Biology, recalls how hearing this 

information initially made her feel “A ton of things, 

kind of made [her] just speechless.” Not 

being familiar with the Equal Justice 

Initiative beforehand, Parsons 

was inspired by the work the 

Equal Justice Initiative 

does within the criminal 

justice system in helping 

individuals regain the time 

lost to prison through reentry 

programs along with 

advocating for systemic 

reform. 

Just as the markers of 

violence and suppression 

hold a societal presence, 

the work of the Equal Justice 

Initiative is taking steps to rectify 

this with their own markers and 

acknowledgement of the Black 

community’s pain. Spillers spoke 

of these projects as “communal 

moments of reckoning.” For 

example, the Community Soil 

Collection Project, where soil is 

collected from lynching sites and 

the victim’s name is displayed on 

the collection jars, serves as an act of 

remembrance for victims of lynchings. 

Work like this actively addresses past 

iniquities and gives acknowledgement 

to those who previously disregarded. 

Following the discussion of this project, 

Parsons gave a thought provoking response 

about her next steps going forward in this 

current climate, 

“This election brings up a lot of issues that our 

country is facing and then with the combination 

of that presentation that Elliot gave, it kind of just 

resonated with me that I need to do better, I need 

to give back, I need to aim to fight for those people 

that don’t have a voice. I am a white privileged 

woman and I think I have the opportunity to do that. 

Some people don’t and I think that I need to take 

that advantage that I have and use it and try to help 

out those people.” 

The work of the Equal Justice Initiative in these 

“moments of reckoning,” along with personal 

reflections are steps in addressing the harrowing 

past of racial violence and mistreatment. 

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29

University of Alabama Alumnae 

of 

Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Alpha 

congratulates the staff of 1956 Magazine on your 

trailblazing endeavor. 

30

Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 1 No. 3 Dress to Express

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