Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol.4 Issue 2

SPRING 2024
ROOTED

Dear Black Students,
You do matter. The numerous achievements and talents of
Black students deserve to be recognized. As of Fall 2023,
11% 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 well-rounded citizens.

Contributors
WRITERS
Angelina Bearden, Jordan Huggins, Kristen Taylor,
Kamari McIver, Jazmyne Isaac,
Kay Maxwell, Angel Scales, Kendal Wright,
Jermaine Ball, Carrigan Collins,
Sidney Todd
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS
Autumn Darah Williams, Dani Brown, Jermaya
Martin, Lauren B. Williams, Lyric Wisdom, Macki’
Wilkerson, Nnenna Nwannunu, Samantha White,
Skyla Pearson, Toni Glover, Raven Johnson,
Arianna Pope, Jazmyne Isaac, Sidney Todd
DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
Cheryl Harden, Isabella Mastandrea, Kayla Duncan,
Kahyah Shabazz, Benjo Verde, Savannah Coley,
Dani Brown, Ta’Kyla Bates
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Jai Ivy Raines, Victoria Campbell,
Jada Spears, Katy Mahand
ENGAGEMENT
Trinity Adams, Eddie Hernandez, Ryan
Williams, D.J. Goodman, Zandra Barnes,
Jeremiah Wright, Jordan Huggins
C O P Y R I G H T
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 ©
2024 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 forNineteen
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.

Editorial Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Ta’Kyla Bates
Creative Director
Lyric Wisdom
Writing Editor
Jeffrey Kelly
Managing Editor
Dani Brown
Design Editor
Camille Sealey
Photography Editor
Sidney Todd

Engagement Editor
Jordan Strawter
Deja Evans
PR Manager
Assistant Writing Editor
Kay Maxwell
Assistant Photography Editor
Dakarii Williams
Assistant Writing Editor
Jordan Huggins
Assistant PR Editor
Kennedy Odgen
PR Srtategist
Jojo Jones

Letter from the Editor
I’m often struck by the dynamism of families
— how their experiences, conversations and
traditions weave together to create something
wholly unique. At times, the experiences may feel
like a whirlwind, filled with so many emotions.
But it is within these moments that some of life’s
most poignant lessons are learned, and in the case
of my family, they have been an endless source
of inspiration, laughter and even occasional
frustration.
Growing up in a Black family, we’ve learned to
navigate a world filled with both overt and subtle
biases. We’ve discovered the strength that comes
from standing tall in the face of adversity and the
deep roots of resilience that anchor us through
life’s storms. We’ve experienced the beauty of
our shared heritage and the joy of embracing our
culture through food, music and celebrations.
It’s through our stories that we not only preserve
our history, but also celebrate our achievements,
learn from our challenges and find inspiration in
our shared experiences. Celebrating all the unique
tapestries of love, struggle and joy that make each
family so special.
I believe in the power of these stories to connect
us and remind us of the importance of cherishing
our loved ones while they’re still here.
With Rooted we’ve emphasized the importance of
intergenerational relationships. Understanding
that one day, we will become the storytellers, the
historians of our family’s journey. So, I urge you
to make it a point to listen to the stories of your
elders and pass on your own experiences to the
next generation.
We must recognize the importance of community
among Black people and being able to create
a family and a sense of solidarity that has
historically been a source of strength and
resilience in the face of adversity. However, I
also understand that this sense of community is
something that has been eroded over time, due
in part to the individualistic nature of modern
society. But I believe that by sharing our stories,
and coming together to celebrate our shared
history we can begin to rebuild the bonds that
once held us together.
Family dynamics are complex and multifaceted,
and every family looks different. But at the end
of the day, what matters most is the love that
binds us together — the laughter, the tears, the
struggles and the triumphs that we share. So, I
want to take a moment to thank the mothers, the
women who keep our families going, who uphold
our communities, and who inspire us with their
strength, their resilience, and their unwavering
love.
I want to dedicate this issue to all the families
I’ve built in this journey I like to call life. Thank
you to my Nineteen Fifty-Six family for creating
something so special to share with the community.
Thank you to friends who have become my chosen
family, you know who you are. Lastly, thank you to
my own family for believing in me, supporting me
and loving me the way y’all do. I love you all to the
moon and back.

C
U
L
T
U
R
E
Table of
Contents
Strengthening Connections 14
Redefining Family 16
What Was Said? 18
Letting Black Kids Be Kids 20
28
10
12
Hand Me That Remote 26
30 What’s Cookin’?
34 Press Play
36 Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
40 Faith and Freedom
L
I
F
E
S
T
Y
L
E

42
FEATURES
Movers and Shakers in the Community 44
In Conversation with Curtis Davis 46
Healing Through Helping Hands 50
In Conversation with Andrea Early 54
EXPERIENCES
56
Family is ... 58
Family is an indescribable force that affects an individual immensely. Many of us spend our lives
learning from or unlearning what our families have taught us. They mold us for better or worse
while we grow into ourselves.
With this issue, as we’ve discussed grieving the loss of family, how family is being redefined, the
way it can affect a community and more, Nineteen Fifty-Six wanted to make sure we showcased
family’s intricacies, the way each one is unique yet similar in some traditions, the way it has such
a specific meaning to everyone.
So, we’ve given 14 contributing columnists the chance to tell what exactly “family is” to them.

STRENGTHENING
CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN PAST
AND PRESENT
KENDAL WRIGHT
14

I
ntergenerational relationships are one of the many
treasures of the lived Black experience because they
preserve the traditions of the Black family.
About 76% of Black Americans reported they have spoken
with their relatives to learn about their family history,
according to a 2022 Pew Research Center study. However,
Black Americans between the ages of 18-29 spoke to their
family members less than other age groups.
“I would encourage [young Black people] to talk with their
parents and talk with all of their older relatives and find
out about their life experiences,” said Bernard Powers,
the director of The Center for the Study of Slavery at the
College of Charleston.
Through the discussion of different topics, the bonds
between the current generation and its predecessors can
not only be strengthened, but lessons and wisdom can be
shared.
Starting intergenerational bonds, however, is not a simple
feat. Oral histories are one of the most high-risk histories
to lose because of not having concrete materials to trace.
Dating back to slavery, oral history made recordkeeping
for the Black population extremely difficult.
Powers said most African Americans were illiterate
during this time, so they were unable to keep diaries,
making it difficult to capture the experiences of people
living during that period.
Authors like Zora Neale Hurston wrote novels
chronicling the lives of African Americans in the South
and the hardships they faced with historical accuracy. Her
expertise in anthropology, which aided her in her writing,
still gives Black people a glimpse into their past. Now, as
technology evolves, Black people can hold on to history.
“Using technology, there are ways to create podcasts or
video interviews to maintain stories from different family
members for longer periods of time,” said Matthew
Kaplan, an intergenerational program and aging professor
at Pennsylvania State University.
Moving into the future, the current generation must
maintain familial histories so that the next generation
has access to their history.
“In terms of helping young people understand that what
they do today is not only just what they do today, but it’s
an extension of their lineage and the sacrifices that their
ancestors made,” Kaplan said.
Familial histories can be documented through written
words, a collection of printed photographs and drawings.
Modern technology also allows it to be recorded through
video and audio to be kept in the cloud or published
publicly on social media platforms.
Powers said it was important to preserve family bibles,
diaries, collections of letters and books.
Yet, for many of the current generation looking back to its
predecessors, many factors contribute to the relationships
they have and why some are stronger than others.
“Dynamics are different in every family, but I do think
regardless of what your situation with your family is, it
is important to know their history,” said Micah Burrow, a
junior majoring in mechanical engineering.
Bonding with past generations can be done by finding
common ground. While age may be a barrier, similar
interests can help bridge those gaps.
Burrow bonded with his late grandmother, Willie
Mae Burrow, during his visits to her home through
conversation and her love of cooking.
He said he felt love whenever he came into her house.
“I think strong connections between those closest to us
right now — the people you have around— can really
strengthen the bond or strengthen the connection you
have to those people,” Burrow said.
15

Redefining
Family
Jermaine Ball
Since the 1960s, the nuclear family structure
has been viewed as a mother, a father and their
children living under one roof.
However, as this structure declined because of marriage
and economic stability, there has been a growing
recognition of alternative familial structures, single
parent/guardian households or chosen families within
the LGBTQ+ community.
About 80% of single parents experienced discrimination
and certain groups, including Black single parents and
single parents of color, face additional layers of stigma
and discrimination, according to a single parent rights
2020 survey.
Often, the nuclear family structure has been used to make
single-parent households, especially people of color, feel
inadequate. Contrary to that narrative, they are resilient
examples of adaptability and strength.
These households often emerge from various
circumstances, including divorce, separation, or just
personal choice, and should be celebrated for the unique
strengths they bring to family dynamics.
Christopher McIver, a single father of four, said that the
challenge of being a single father is when you see your
child’s development.
“When it comes to my 4-year-old, his mom not being
there, what that has caused me to have to be is softer, as
they describe it,” McIver said. “I can’t just rule with this
iron fist, so to speak, all the time. It has to be, you know,
a little more cushion.”
McIver encouraged single parents to be willing to have
tough conversations with their children, as it is a pivotal
part of all healthy parent-child relationships.
“Don’t shy away from those conversations because those
are the conversations that will actually make or break a
bond between the parent and child,” McIver said. “Not
just talking in those conversations, but listening to your
child, hearing what they have to say.”
Members of the LGBTQ+ community often must define
what family means to them when they are ousted from
their family.
Even when traditional families are accepting and
understanding, the unique challenges faced by individuals
within the LGBTQ+ community force them to form their
own families.
These spaces can look like support groups, adopted family,
friends, or even organizations like True Colors United,
which helps to combat homelessness among LGBTQ+
youth.
LGBTQ+ youth are at a 120% higher risk of experiencing
some form of homelessness, according to a 2023 study
from the National Network for Youth.
“There are a lot of queer and [transgender] youth
especially that maybe have experienced rejection from
their families,” said Kahlib Barton, the Chief Program
Officer of True Colors United. “So, they’re looking for
those systems of social support.”
LGBTQ+ spaces serve as more than just a support
network; they become much-needed sources of guidance,
empathy, and shared understanding in a world that may
not always recognize or validate the diverse experiences
of their community.
“I think it’s very important to be just mindful that everyone
needs somebody,” Barton said. “Whether you define that
16

as a parent relationship or if it’s just a friend supporting
a friend, it’s the way that especially Black queer and trans
folks have worked to address the challenges that we face.”
Recognizing and embracing the need for these families
and safe spaces is not a rejection of traditional family
structures, but an acknowledgment of the unique
challenges and experiences that unite individuals within
the LGBTQ+ community.
“What do we mean by community?” said Greg Austin, an
assistant professor within the Gender and Race Studies
Department. “We mean the intimacy of family.”
Often, the communities fostered within these spaces
will evolve into the closest thing to a familial space they
have. People within these communities can understand
one another’s plight, and it causes a strong bond to form
over time.
young Black man named Chiron as he grapples with his
identity, sexuality and sense of belonging.
One of the film’s most profound themes is its portrayal of
alternative familial bonds. Chiron’s experience involves
mentors, chosen family members and community figures
who play pivotal roles in shaping his identity.
By depicting the importance of non-biological
connections, “Moonlight” challenges the narrow confines
of what constitutes a family.
Embracing these spaces helps to promote a more inclusive
and empathetic society, dismantling outdated ideals and
creating space for the multiple ways that individuals
form connections and find comfort within their families,
whether biological or chosen.
A popular film that plays upon these exact values and
themes is Barry Jenkins’ 2016 film “Moonlight.” The
critically acclaimed film centers around the journey of a
Learn more at graduate.ua.edu.

WHAT WAS SAID?
1956 Staff
There are always a few phrases that every family member seems to keep in their arsenal.
Here are a few to see if you can solve these.
Something someone
might say when they’re
telling a story?
MY...
Something someone might
say to you when you’ve
spent the whole day playing
outside with friends?
YSLO
Something someone might
say when they can tell you’re
not being honest?
BFR
Something someone might
say to you when you ask
them to do something?
IFDI
Something someone might
say to you when you’re
moving slow?
CON
Something someone might
say when you stand in the
way?
YNMOG
Something someone might
say when you ask them to
come somewhere?
WAOT?
Something someone might
say when you’re young
and running in and out of
the house?
SIOO
Something someone might
say when you want to go
grab something to eat?
YGSMM?
Something someone might
say when you’re talking
sideways?
IAOOYLF
Something someone might
say to you when you’re
young and a little nosey?
SOOGFB
Something someone might
say when you’re hurt?
BDYD?
18
Answers: mind you, you smell like outside, be forreal, i’m finna do it, come on now, you not made of glass, who all over there?,
stay in or out, you got some McDonald’s money?, I ain’t one of yo lil friends, stay out of grown folks business, but did you die?

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

20

Letting
Black
Kids
Be
Kids
Kay Maxwell
KAY MAXWELL
21

The oversexualization and fetishization of Black
children is not a new phenomenon but one that
has begun to interest scholars in recent years.
Current scholarship has shown that Black children are
often hypersexualized more than children of other
races. An article published in The Observer detailed the
discourse on the topic, stating that “The treatment and
imposed expectation of how Black children should act is
a loss of their innocence.”
This unconsciously manifests in Black communities in
many ways. Makayla McLaughlin, a sophomore majoring
in history, said the oversexualization of young Black girls
needs to be discussed more.
“Every Black girl I know has a story about an uncle they
can’t go around, or how they have to cover up around
family, or can’t dance in a certain way,” McLaughlin said.
“It’s so normalized that people don’t see that it’s weird.
There’s no reason to police what a 5-year-old girl is doing
like that, but it happens all the time.”
K.T. Ewing, an associate professor in the department of
gender and race studies, said the sexualization of Black
children is rooted in slavery and the dehumanization of
Black bodies.
“As people who were brought to this country to be
laborers, Black women, and therefore Black children
and Black men, of course, are immediately denied
personhood,” Ewing said.
The oversexualization of Black children may, also, be
connected to the high rates of sexual violence they face.
According to the National Center on Violence Against
Women in the Black Community, the rates of sexual
violence towards young Black women are higher than the
national average. 1 in 4 Black girls under 18 will likely be
sexually abused, and 40-60% of Black girls under 18 have
reportedly been coerced into sexual contact.
However, there is little acknowledgment of Black boys in
statistics concerning sexual violence, but that should not
be an indicator that it is uncommon.
“Sexual violence against Black men and boys has remained
a routine, and historically denied, aspect of anti-Black
racism,” wrote Tommy Curry, a Black male studies
professor at Texas A&M University in his 2017 book “The
Man-Not: Race, Class, Genre, and the Dilemma of Black
Manhood.” “Despite the violence that defines their lives
under racism, their stories and these public displays of
racism’s sexual components remain an unapproachable
area of study under our current disciplinary arrangement
of knowledge - specifically, the gender category itself.”
Stacey Patton, a research associate at Morgan State
University, said that sexual violence towards young boys
has become normalized and examines a few celebrity
examples.
“In more recent times, Black male artists will talk about
having their first early sexual experiences as little boys,”
Patton said. “Lil Wayne is someone who’s talked about it
a lot.”
Patton said the issue has been reframed as a rite of passage
into masculinity that some male adults encourage or even
initiate for their young sons.
“Then you have, more recently, these artists who rap
about exposing their sons to having sex with strippers
and prostitutes as a way to introduce them into masculine
sexuality early on for fears that their boys may be gay,”
she said.
22

23

An example of this is when rapper Blueface, in July 2023,
brought strippers into his home while his 6-year-old son
was present. In several videos posted online, the rapper
encouraged his son to look at the women and questioned
if he was gay after he seemed uninterested.
Patton said that the differences between the ways Black
boys and girls are sexualized boils down to gender roles.
“Boys get to be more ‘free’ and exploratory in ways that
[girls] aren’t because if you do, then you’re all kinds of
things, you’re a h--,” she said.
In a 2009 NPR interview on the taboo of sexual abuse for
Black boys, Talib Darryl, a Black man who was sexually
abused as a boy, shed light on the lack of concern Black
boys face when this occurs.
“A lot of us, I know at least for myself, it was sort of viewed
as a rites of passage,” Darryl said.
Darryl recalled his experience from when he was
around 10 years old, and how an older girl touched him
inappropriately while playing house. He said he believed
“probably the same thing had happened to her.”
To Ewing, the policing of young Black children within the
Black community may not be as judgement-based as many
may think it is.
“A part of that is class-based,” Ewing said. “But a lot of
that for Black people is still rooted in the fact that we
come from communities that have continually had to
worry about respectability and a white gaze.”
Patton also addressed how adults tend to oversexualize
children to stop others from doing it first.
“This notion of ‘fast’ is definitely fear based, it’s
internalized racism, it’s also projection,” Patton said.
“It’s ‘I want to keep you innocent and ignorant about all
things sexual for as long as I can because I don’t want
24

other people to do this to you ... if I could erase all signs
that you’re going through this normal developmental
milestone, that somehow protects you from something.’”
Ewing said it’s important to recognize that within the
Black community, the constant policing of children can
come from a place of genuine concern.
“There’s a fear, like how do we prevent our Black children
from being preyed upon?” she said. “And historically, Black
communities, not entirely, but many people within Black
communities believe that your appearance can protect
you from certain things.”
Ewing said that one of the best ways to dismantle this
system is to address it.
“We can think about how we are now and try to build
something better for the future, and presumably the
future is about children,” she said. “I think it’s really
important for us to have these conversations. I think that
it allows us to create the kind of world that’s safer for
kids.”
Ewing’s thoughts reflect those of the many scholars
who have written extensively on respectability politics,
a political strategy where members of a marginalized
community will consciously attempt to assimilate into
the dominant culture, abandoning less favorable aspects
of their community.
25

Hand Me
that
Remote
Jeffrey Kelly and Ta’Kyla Bates
26

In this updated musical remake of
the classic Alice Walker novel of
the same name, viewers follow our
heroine, Celie, through the trials and
tribulations of being a Black woman
in the early 20th century while
searching for her sister, Nettie.
A biographical drama following
author of “Caste: The Origins of Our
Discontents,” Isabel Wilkerson’s
journey of writing the book.
The film showcases Wilkerson’s
resilience while grappling with
personal loss and tragedy.
Playing on contemporary issues of
gentrification, colorism, poverty
and a lack of Restorative Justice in
our legal system, this film follows
a Harlem native, Inez and her son
Terry’s journey of finding a home
within each other.
In her debut film, Savanah Leaf
artfully grapples with what it means
to be a Black woman and mother
dealing with the racial disparities
within the child welfare system as
the titular character Gia, a Bay Area
native, fights to reclaim her family.
In filmmaker, photographer
and poet Raven Jackson’s debut
feature film, she explores family,
Blackness and the South through
her character Mack’s memory of
Mississippi and all its sounds.
27

32

What’s Cookin’
Kamari McIver
Black culture is a collection of many unique customs and traditions, like singing, dancing
and cooking.
“Cooking plays an important role in the Black community. It brings us all together,” said chef
Pleshette Bevelle, a Shelton State Community College culinary instructor. “It is one of the ways we
show that we love each other. It’s our escape.”
Though preparing a meal is a custom performed by many families worldwide, for Black people,
cooking is more than simply preparing a meal.
”The heritage of many recipes considered today to be soul food were founded in the crops and
techniques first developed by enslaved communities,” according to an article by GBH.
Enslaved Black people were only given the slave owners’ leftovers. With this, slaves found a sense
of camaraderie in turning those leftovers into a meal they could enjoy.
For example, hushpuppies are extremely popular in Southern culture. When fishermen would take
a piece of lightly fried dough and feed it to their dogs, so they’d remain quiet during hours of
the night, according to an article from Serious Eats, a website notable for culinary history. Few
acknowledge that this was a tactic implemented by slaves who would use the same method when
trying to escape.
Another dish made popular by Black people is okra. Okra was originally planted because it was
believed to have nutrients that helped pregnant women have easier deliveries. However, slaves
found a way to transform this vegetable into a savory dish enjoyed by many people to this day.
Moving forward to the 1950s, during the Civil Rights Movement, cooking raised money that helped
further the movement and served as a constant reminder of the soul of Black culture and traditions,
hence the term “soul food,” according to a YouTube video from One Mic History.
“As Black people, we’ve been deprived of so many things throughout history,” Bevelle said. “So, we
did with food as we did with most of our culture. We used what we had and made it our own.”
Cooking allows us to create new memories together while embracing old ones. Because of the
history that developed these culinary customs, the Black community will always have meals that
keep the sense of culture alive.
Here are a few recipes from the Nineteen Fifty-Six’s Cookbook that you and your family will love.
Full recipes and instructions for each food can be found on the Nineteen Fifty-Six’s website.
30

31

Bates’ Fried Chicken
This household staple takes on some new life.
These flaky, crispy wings come with flavors that
pack a punch. You’re sure to be satisfied with
classic Southern-style seasonings and spices.
Nita’s Red Velvet Cake
This cake is as velvety as it
looks. This fan favorite cake
comes rich and smooth. Topped
with luscious vanilla icing, you’ll
be savoring every bite.
Debbie G’s Sweet Potato Pie
After dinner, there’s nothing better than a warm
slice of sweet potato pie. With its smooth, never
stringy, cinnamon and nutmeg filling, this classic
pie will surely wow your dinner mates.
Shomari’s Crab Cakes
These pan-fried crab cakes are the perfect appetizer
for seafood lovers. With an easy assembly
that will leave you feeling like a culinary savant,
these golden-brown delicacies will shake up any
dinner party.
Granny’s Collard Greens
No Southern meal will ever be complete without
this dish. This generational recipe calls for tender,
smoked turkey wings that perfectly complement
the hearty greens. The process is easy; the
outcome is exceptional.
32

Dani’s Frappe
Chill out with this simple and
refreshing drink. This recipe
comes with only two ingredients:
Lime Sherbert and ginger ale.
Customize it to suit your taste
buds.
Lyric’s Broccoli, Rice
and Cheese Casserole
This take on the American classic
casserole is sure to leave you
wanting more. A smooth, savory
and delicious recipe that couldn’t
be easier to make.
Mother’s Mac &
Cheese
Mother’s mac and cheese
marries the signature flavors
you’ve come to love. A combination
of mild, sharp cheddar
and cream cheeses and seasonings
come together to
create a rich, classic taste
that will bring back fond
memories.
Kay’s Grandmothers
Curry Chicken
Add some spice to your pallet with this
intercultural dish. Blends of garlic, curry, cumin
and green seasoning will leave your taste buds
fiery with flavor. The tender chicken and soft
potatoes make for an instant hit.
33

Press Play
34
Return of the Mack (C&J
Street Remix)- Mark
Morrison
Computer Love- Zapp &
Roger
Can't Get Over You-Maze
(feat. Frankie Beverly
Before I Let Go- Maze,
Frankie Beverly
Juicy- The Notorious B.I.G
Can We Talk- Tevin Campbell
Nite and Day- Al B. Sure
I Wanna Sex You Up (Single
Mix)- Color Me Badd
Written All Over Your Face-
Rude Boys
What Cha' Gonna Do for Me-
Chaka Khan
Don't Stop Your Love- Keith
Sweat
September- Earth, Wind &
Fire
Tootsee Roll- 69 Boyz
Get Low (feat.Ying Yang Twins)
-Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Hey Ya!- Outkast
Where the Party At (feat.
Nelly) [LP Version]- Jagged
Edge
Love In This Club (feat. Young
Jeezy)- USHER
Frontin’ (feat. JAY Z) [Radio Mix/
Club Mix]- Pharrell Williams E
E
Yeah! (feat. Lil Jon &
Ludacris)- USHER
Yo (Excuse Me Miss)- Chris
Brown
Like You (feat. Ciara)- Bow
Wow
Run It! (feat. Juelz Santana)-
Chris Brown
I’m Sprung- T-Pain
We Belong Together- Mariah
Carey
One, Two Step (feat. Missy
Elliott)- Ciara
My Boo (Hitman’s Club Mix)-
Ghost Town DJs
My Boo-Alicia Keys,USHER
Int’l Players Anthem (I
Choose You) [feat. Outkast]-
UGK
E
Love and Happiness- Al
Green
Family Affair- Mary J. Blige
Just Fine- Mary J. Blige
Can’t Get Enough- Tamia
Flex- Cupid
Bikers Shuffle- Big Mucci
Swerve- Boosie Badazz,
Webbie E
Candy- Cameo
The K-Wang (feat. DSD)-
Khia
E
Summertime- DJ Jazzy Jeff
& The Fresh Prince
Swing My Way (Main)- Kp &
Envyi
Groove Me- Guy
Freak Like Me- Adina
Howard
Back That Azz Up (feat.
Mannie Fresh, Lil Wayne)
Dey Know- Shawty Lo
Pass the Courvoisier Part
II (feat. P. Diddy, Pharrell
Williams)
Welcome to Atlanta (feat.
Ludacris)
Shawty (feat. T-Pain)- Plies
Crank That (Soulja Boy)-
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em
Party (feat. André 3000)-
Beyoncé
Sir Duke- Stevie Wonder
Da’ Butt- E.U
Turn My Swag On- Soulja
Boy Tell ‘Em
Outstanding (Original 12” Mix)-
The Gap Band
Got to Give It Up- Marvin
Gaye
Apache- The Sugar Hill
Gang
Bunny Hop (Radio Edit)- Da
Entourage

SICK AND TIRED
OF BEING
SICK AND TIRED
Jordan Huggins and Kristen Taylor
36

Health is a topic that many Black families find hard to talk about. To keep the Black family strong and together,
the Black community must make more strides in having open dialogues about health, mental and physical.
PHYSICAL
Healthcare is often dubious for Black patients due to both
a lack of access to healthcare and a lack of awareness of
physical health issues. With no reliable place to go, Black
people are forced to suffer in silence.
Black people have a higher risk for COVID-19, heart
diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia,
diabetes, HIV/AIDS and homicide, according to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of
Minority Health.
“One possible contributing factor: The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) says African Americans are
more likely to die at early ages for all causes, as young
African Americans are living with diseases that are
typically more common at older ages for other races,”
wrote Pfizer in an article.
While these statistics point out a need for health
awareness, discussions of health within the Black
community are still lacking.
One major factor that bars Black people from seeking
medical help is the price. Many cannot afford insurance
and must pay out-of-pocket. In addition, society has
created an environment that shames Black people,
especially Black men, for vocalizing their pain. The urge
to present as strong overpowers their need for medical
attention.
A doctor’s office can elicit anxiety for anyone, but many
members of the Black community harbor a mistrust in
medical professionals. At face value, it is just paranoia,
but it is the effects of generations of medical trauma.
The Henrietta Lacks story, the Tuskegee experiment
and the forced sterilization of Black women through
the eugenics movement are just a few cases in which
healthcare providers actively abused and mistreated
Black patients. This, coupled with present-day cases of
doctors dismissing Black patients’ pain and misdiagnoses,
the Black community is validated in their fears.
“A lot of people in the Black community feel as if the health
care system doesn’t have their best interest at heart,” said
Sydney Lowe, a sophomore majoring in nursing. “A lot of
Black people, Black women specifically, go unheard and
kind of overlooked in the healthcare setting.”
Lowe said the issue of medical mistrust is one of the
reasons she decided to become a nurse, so she could “be
more of an advocate for Black and brown bodies.”
Studies have shown that Black women have the highest
maternal mortality rates in the United States. Black
mothers’ pains go ignored and untreated on the operating
table.
Serena Williams, a world-renowned athlete, is one
Black woman who almost died while giving birth to her
daughter, Olympia.
In an essay written for Elle magazine, Williams recounts
how she couldn’t feel or move her legs and back and was
experiencing extreme pain. The physicians with her
ignored her cries.
“Being heard and appropriately treated was the difference
between life and death for me,” she wrote. “I know those
statistics would be different if the medical establishment
listened to every Black woman’s experience.”
JoAnn Oliver, a professor at the Capstone College of
Nursing, has worked in the medical field for over 20
years and is familiar with the negligence Black women
experience in medical care.
“It’s a big issue, almost an epidemic related to Black
women,” Oliver said. “Many times, as Blacks, we may not
present with the same type of symptoms, or we may not
outwardly present, we may be in pain, but we’re not, you
know, not screaming to the top of our lungs.”
A common myth within the healthcare industry is
that Black people can tolerate pain more than other
ethnicities. A 2016 study suggested half of white medical
trainees believe that Black people have thicker skin and
less sensitive nerve endings, which leads to better pain
tolerance. Pain assessment is challenged by the subjective
nature of pain and the cultural and social influences on
37

the pain experience.
Oliver advised the Black community to find a healthcare
provider that they can trust and go to regularly.
“It’s really important that you trust your provider,
whoever you go with,” Oliver said. “It’s important that
you have a relationship with that person that is a trusting
relationship, that not only will they listen to you, but that
you’re able to talk comfortably with them.”
Oliver said it’s important to talk with your family to
discuss preventative care.
“Make sure that our family members know the importance
of having a primary care provider,” Oliver said. “No
matter how old or young you are, everyone needs to have
a primary health care provider so that we can do things to
look at preventive care.”
MENTAL
Mental health is a taboo subject in Black households
where words like “depression” and “anxiety” are likened
to curse words. Many members of the Black community
simply don’t believe in therapy.
At face value, this is the status quo and is often blamed
on Black people themselves. However, the healthcare
system has failed the Black community on multiple
fronts by making it difficult for them to both access and
trust therapy.
Society does not make room for Black vulnerability.
The “strong Black man” and “strong Black woman”
stereotypes are killing Black people. Societal pressures
keep the Black community from managing mental
health issues healthily.
“Anecdotal and qualitative evidence suggests that
SBW endorsement limits Black women’s ability to cope
healthily which exacerbates the negative mental health
outcomes of stress,” states an American Psychological
Network article about how this stereotype acutely
impacts Black women.
Fayth Hope, a staff therapist and coordinator for the
University of Alabama Counseling Center, has made it
her mission to combat this.
“Because we carry with us generational trauma stemming
from slavery, it is imperative that we have spaces and
places where we can unpack issues that may otherwise
be swept under the rug in our community,” she said.
“We also need room to be ourselves and speak of our
experiences navigating society and the wider world as a
marginalized population.”
38

Black people are also largely underrepresented in the
mental health field.
The Association of Black Psychologists reports that
Black people represent 4% of psychologists and 2% of
psychiatrists in America.
This dichotomy has grave implications for Black patients.
“People of color are often misread, misunderstood, and
misdiagnosed as a result of a lack of awareness,” she said.
“Certain aspects of Black culture, such as one’s traditions,
customs, values, and way of living, should be taken into
account in the counseling relationship.”
Anthony Bellman, a junior majoring in marketing, found
it difficult to start therapy because he was worried he
wouldn’t find someone who could fully trust to understand
him.
households are managed by single mothers.
Generations of denying and ignoring mental health issues
have created conditions that make it hard for Black people
to talk to their families about these topics, especially with
their parents.
“Back then, if you had depression, you just had to suck it up.
You had no other choice,” Bellman said. “That’s what our
parents want us to do, but it’s deeper than that.”
Hope is creating these spaces with True Colors, a UA
Counseling Center support group for Black students to help
navigate their way through college life and connect with
other students with similar experiences. The meetings are
held at Zoom every first Monday of the month at 4 p.m. Visit
the Counseling Center website for more information.
“I’m talking to a random stranger,” he said. “You want me
to tell you all this deep, emotional stuff that I don’t even
tell my mom.”
Therapy is seen as a luxury. Mental healthcare is
unaffordable and, for many Americans, takes away vital
time and money from their households.
Mental Health America reports that nearly 1 in 5 Black
Americans live in poverty, and around 30% of Black
39

Faith and Freedom:
Black Youth Rethink Religion
Angelina Bearden
While the church has served as a space of history
and tradition for many Black families in the
United States, younger generations are paving
their own path toward religious freedom.
“Religion has long figured prominently in the lives of
Black Americans,” stated a research article from the Pew
Research Center faith among Black Americans. “When
segregation was the law of the land, Black churches –
and later, mosques – served as important spaces for racial
solidarity and civic activity, and faith more broadly was a
source of hope and inspiration.”
Now, some Black youth have reported that balancing
church life and school/work, witnessing or receiving
hurt from fellow churchgoers, and hypocrisy within the
church all attribute to their religious decline, according
to The Hilltop.
Jhamal Mathis, a UA alum and InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship campus staff minister, has seen family
members impacted by the hurt they experienced within
their congregation.
“They found themselves, a lot of times, in literal seasons
of bickering and arguing with what we would call
‘prominent’ figures within the church. The people who
tithed the most, the people are over the finances and over
those things,” he said.
These experiences almost made a family member leave
the church due to the pain and hurt they were receiving
from those in powerful positions and other members.
Mathis said that Black families would benefit from creating
open spaces for religious talks and allow family members
to choose how to pursue their faith, not ordering them.
44
40

Makiyah Jones, a freshman majoring in psychology, said
religion wasn’t an option growing up.
“In the Black community, everybody’s a Christian, so it
was kind of like we were forced to go to church, forced
to read the bible, and my mother was very strict on it,”
Jones said. “She would play sermons in the morning when
we wake up, and I would be so irritated, but it was forced
upon you, like you had to do it no matter what.”
Arianna Pope, a freshman majoring in human development
and family studies, was raised within the church and
identifies as a member of the queer community, but fear
of rejection due to her identity kept her from coming out
to her immediate or church family.
“The first thing they would do is probably ask me to repent
and tell me a bunch of scriptures,” Pope said. “Basically,
tell me what I’m doing is wrong, and a couple people may
tell me to go to hell. Yeah, I might be shunned because
they are very judgy people. Even if you repent, they’ll still
hold it against you.”
Since leaving for college, Pope identifies as “spiritual”
rather than “religious” and said there is something out
there protecting her and her family.
Like Pope, Jones has also found her relationship with
religion. She identifies as a Christian and participates in a
student ministry organization on campus.
“I’m finding God on my own,” Jones said. “I feel like when I
was forced to do it, I didn’t want to do it, but when I found
it on my own, I actually love it.”
Arianna Pope is also a contributing columnist in Nineteen Fifty-
Six’s experience section.
“I’M FINDING GOD
ON MY OWN.”
-MAKIYAH JONES
45
41

MO VE
SH
and
AK
ER
in the community
Jazmyne Isaac
RS
S
Black women have long been pioneers in their communities, whether that’s
meant being the foundation of social movements, advocating for the
underserved or simply nurturing those who are overlooked; many of them
have been “mothers” to their communities.
Women like civil rights activist Ella Baker exemplified the dedication to community
as she played a pivotal part in many civil rights organizations such as the NAACP,
the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, as well as Martin Luther King’s
Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
However, when bestowing the title “mother of the community” onto Black women,
some have been apprehensive about bearing the title because of the weight
that comes with the name, questioning if they’ve done enough or are old
enough to take on the role.
Yet, while these questions persist, these women have nurtured and
cared for others for quite some time.
Catherine Doughty-Walker, an executive secretary in the UA
graduate school, and her mother, Patricia Doughty, a pastor at
the Church of Movement Towards Freedom, are among the few
doing just that.
For 27 years, Doughty-Walker’s parents, Patricia and Larry
Doughty have run the Jesus Way Homeless Shelter in Tuscaloosa,
which offers not only emergency housing for the homeless but
44

a food pantry, clothing back and basketball court where
they host community activities.
There’s also a community garden where they harvest and
give away food, even allowing people to have their own
plots, though it is currently closed due to construction.
Doughty-Walker said as long as she could remember
her family has had a “servant’s heart” and a passion for
the Tuscaloosa community, specifically those who were
underserved. She said they would use what they had as
a resource before they could carry out their ministry
through the shelter.
She said before they created the shelter, there would be
nights when her dad would open their house for people to
sleep overnight when it was too cold outside.
“So, it’s kind of evolved from helping people at home into
this massive ministry of God is doing through us for the
community,” Doughty-Walker said.
Sheyann Webb-Christburg is also no stranger to serving
her community and being a mother to many. From Selma,
she is now primarily based in Montgomery, Alabama, and
is known as Martin Luther King Jr.’s “smallest freedom
fighter.”
While describing her proximity to the Civil Rights
movement, Webb-Christburg emphasized the need for
courage and how our Civil Rights leaders sacrificed so
much during the movement.
“You have to have courage, and they had to not only have
courage but they made a lot of sacrifices,” she said. “People
left their homes; they left their children.”
She understood the need to do what was right even if it
was something she did not like. She said it took “a great
deal of determination and commitment.”
Still determined and committed, Webb-Christburg
started a youth program called KEEP Productions in 1980,
which still exists today, making it 42 years old.
“I started my own youth development program to help
young people to build self-esteem, to inspire and motivate
them, and to really impress upon them based on my
experiences that they did matter,” she said.
Christburg said she considers herself a mother of the
community— a mother of change, who has been able to
help create a ripple effect of change through her program.
“I have seen the reality of it in many ways when over
thousands of young little girls and little boys and they’ve
moved on to do positive things to become educated,”
she said. “And I still see them as adults now, and they are
change agents in their own rightful age wherever they
are.”
Yet, in the conversation about “mothers of the
community,” some people are overlooked and left out
of the conversation, specifically those in the LGBTQ+
community.
Lauren Jacobs, a UA alum and assistant director of Magic
City Acceptance Center, said she doesn’t think LGBTQ+
people are uplifted when they should be, in general, let
alone in conversations of community engagement and
even within the LGBTQ+ community, there are “mothers
of the community” who have had significant impacts on
history who are at times ignored from the conversation
like Martha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two trans women
of color who were pivotal figures in the Stonewall Riots.
“If we’re making a really inclusive understanding of
what [mothers of the community] means, does it include
trans women? Does it uplift BIPOC trans women? Does
it celebrate— not just like, accept, but actually celebrate
Black and brown, queer, and trans folks? Not enough, no,”
she said.
Nabila Lovelace, a writer, poet and instructor
in the University’s gender and race studies
department, challenged the title of “mothers of
the community” and instead offered “caretakers
of the community” because a crux of community
work is not done by a singular group of people
but by the intergenerational connection of elders,
queer spaces and children.
45

46
Curtis Davis, a social work assistant professor, stays true to himself and pushes against the status quo.

In Conversation
With Curtis Davis
Angel Scales
Since starting at the University in 2021, Curtis
Davis, an assistant professor of social work, has
been dedicated to educating and mentoring his
students. This goal has garnered him several awards,
such as the 2024 Group for the Advancement of Doctoral
Education faculty award for early career achievement, the
Dean’s Faculty Award for Research, Teaching, or Service
and the 2023 Social Work Educator of the Year.
Davis said that a large part of his role is educating and
mentoring students, and he takes pride in helping
students fulfill their dreams.
“Dr. Davis is a talented educator who can present complex
concepts to students in ways they find accessible and
applicable to their social work practice,” wrote Niccola
Ruggiano, professor and associate dean for research,
in a statement. “Students find him to be approachable,
empathetic, and have rated his performance as an
instructor as being higher than average for the School of
Social Work and University overall.”
Davis served on 32 doctoral project committees and was
on the chair for 27, according to the School of Social
Work’s Impact Magazine.
However, while he’s nurturing the minds of his students,
he said his first job is being a father to his two children.
“My identity at this point is really shaped around being a
father,” Davis said.
He said the Black family is integral to communities and
growth, and he enjoys being a part of that because being
in a Black family is one of the best journeys and gifts in
his life.
“It really is like one of my wildest dreams fulfilled, to be
honest,” he said.
Davis said his father was in the Marines when he was
young, so he was raised by his mother and grandmother
in Mississippi. Growing up he was surrounded by service
and public workers because his mom worked in a social
service agency.
Davis knew he wanted to do something that would help
people, but he initially was studying to be a psychologist
because he didn’t know social work was a viable path.
However, once he found out, he dedicated himself to
the profession, working in Mississippi until moving to
Alabama. Once he married his wife, an attorney from
Mobile, he started to work at the University in 2020.
47

Davis said juggling the responsibilities of being a father,
husband and educator is hard sometimes, but he’s always
willing to explain his situation when needed.
Davis’ work at the University focuses on examining
racism-based trauma, which was a part of his dissertation.
Through this work, he’s explored how someone can be
traumatized by racism.
“Race and racism can be incredibly complex, and I always
focus on the covert parts of racism as much as we focus
on the overt parts of racism,” Davis said. “In that, my work
is about having discussions about race and racism, having
discussions about trauma, and figuring out how social
workers as clinicians and mental health practitioners
can assess for it and treat it and just begin to have some
conversations about it.”
There is an undeniable sense of racism-based trauma in
social work that has troubling effects on Black families.
The Black family’s connection to social work has always
been unique, and Davis said the Black family “molds”
social work into what’s needed to serve the community.
To Davis, being a father of young children has influenced
how attentive he’s become as a teacher and the
“heartbreaking” conditions he’s seen while practicing
social work.
“I would see [children in abusive situations] often, and it
would be traumatic, heartbreaking, and what I do now in
my research is really geared towards thinking about some
things that I didn’t see in my work,” Davis said. “If I saw
that there were practice approaches or interventions that
really weren’t geared towards the culture for black people
in Black families, I keep that in mind.”
Davis acknowledged the history of social work and
the current movement within the field to rectify past
mistakes.
“There was abolition in social work, anti-racism, social
work, and anti-oppressive social work. If you peel back
those layers, historically, social workers always focused
on this white savior complex,” he said. “Now the approach
is more so focused on having honest conversations about
racism and figuring out where we as social workers stand
in this anti-oppressive circle. Part of it is lifting the veil
and figuring out what the field has done and what we as
practitioners have done to be oppressive, particularly
focused on race and racism.”
Davis said there’s a long way to go to rid social work of
racism and oppressive practices.
“I practice and do social work in Mississippi, and to be
quite candid, I think that there are still some gaps there
as it relates to race and racism,” he said. “I think social
work still leans on ‘Hey, I don’t see color,’ and my response
48

to that is, if you don’t see color, then you’re ignoring
somebody’s lived experiences.”
Davis expressed that most people are unaware that social
work is dynamic.
“It’s shifted from this assumption that all this person
does is take kids away; the field is incredibly diverse with
practitioners; it’s very broad,” Davis said. “Social workers
are sort of jack of all trades, and the same social worker
can kind of shift and blend into different areas and serve
as that sounding board. For a lot of people, I think social
workers serve as a mediator between different groups.”
Davis said social work, though incredibly difficult, is a
rewarding job.
“My favorite part is holding bits and pieces of power and
privilege and access and using that to help other people,”
he said. “Growing up and using the skills and some of the
things that I have to help other people has been that has
always been my favorite part.”
Despite the importance of social work, it is often
represented poorly in the media. Social workers are often
depicted as villains, becoming intrusive and a nuisance to
families.
“I think that the assumption is, all this person is coming
to take my kids away,” Davis said. “I think that we can
shift and move away from that by teaching some different
things in curriculum and by having some discussions
with folks in the field about how you should go into
communities.”
Davis said the future of social work sees a more nurturing
approach to social workers of “different identities.” He said
young and aspiring social workers should consider the
profession as a “marathon” and not a sprint, emphasizing
the importance of taking care of yourself.
As far as being an educator, Davis pushes the idea of
changing as the world changes around you.
“I think a good educator looks like someone who is always
willing to listen and be flexible and fluid. As the world
changes, and as ideas change, we have the opportunity to
nurture students,” Davis said.
Social Work is a vigorous job that takes considerable
mental strength, but Davis still finds things to enjoy in
the profession.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with over 30 doctoral
students serving as their advisor,” Davis said. “That
means that there are at least 30 doctoral students with
different identities who’ve become doctors and who’ve
gone on to serve their community. In essence, my favorite
part is growing up and using the skills and some of the
things that I have to help other people.”
49

Carrigan Collins
Healing Through Helping Hands
50

The Black community has constantly been exposed
to loss and mourning from years of oppression,
racism and the fight for civil rights. However,
knowing loss doesn’t make confronting grief any easier.
Jennifer Turner, assistant director of the UA Counseling
Center, said within the Black community people often
take adversity in stride and move on. However, with grief,
there’s a space for emotion to be more fully expressed
because doing so helps people work through it.
Turner said that though grief is natural, it is complicated,
and people may avoid talking about it for fear of becoming
a burden to others or neglecting their responsibilities.
“Everyone has a different process of grieving,” said
DeCarlos Caple, Jr., a junior majoring in computer
engineering and the treasurer of My Mind Matters, a
student organization for addressing mental health for
minority students.
Grief often consists of physiological distress, confusion,
anxiety about the future, and general separation anxiety,
according to the American Psychology Association. At its
worst, grief can even bring about further mental distress
and become life threatening.
Yet, with the responsibilities and expectations of college
students, sometimes it seems like grieving properly is a
luxury.
“Students always have tests. They have papers,
assignments, scholarships to maintain and to really be able
to allow someone to fully process something as traumatic
as grief or loss, we should be able to provide them that
space,” said Caitlin Geary, a staff psychologist at the UA
Counseling Center. “The reality is, with COVID, that with
just living life, with the way that our world is, students
are experiencing grief almost all the time, in one way or
another, and we don’t talk about it enough.”
Geary said it’s also an issue when many students don’t
have access to resources that would let them take time off
to address their concerns and receive support.
The University offers several ways for students to seek
mental health services, such as The Counseling Center,
which offers individual therapy to same-day appointments,
as well as an on-call counselor for crises and mental health
emergencies outside of operation hours.
The Counseling Center also provides support groups
for various distinctions depending on one’s identity, like
“True Colors: A Support Group for African American
Identified Students and Blacks in the Diaspora as they
Cope with a Time of Growth and Change,” according to
its website.
However, with a fast pace and buzzing campus, it becomes
easy to lose oneself in the routine and neglect the need
to assess mental health. When grief is in the picture, you
end up with many students who hurt themselves in the
long run to prioritize their academic success.
51

Accessibility isn’t the only part of the problem for Black
students at the University. Black adults are less likely to
seek help for their mental health problems than white
adults, according to a 2019 Columbia University study.
Turner said this inconsistency exists because of the Black
community’s tendency to self-manage their hardships.
About 75% of Black students are more likely to keep their
feelings about the difficulties of college to themselves, a
study by the Jed Foundation reported.
When combined with the fact that Black students are
already at a higher risk of suffering from mental health
problems, it becomes clear that something must be done
to reach these students who fall between the cracks.
Grief and Blackness have found familiarity within each
other, but Blackness has always found comfort within the
community.
“Community is big within the African American
community; that is all we had,” said Shemaiah Kenon, the
assistant director of the Intercultural Diversity Center.
“When you look back to slavery and the civil rights
movement, community is what got us through.”
Through family gatherings or neighborhood functions,
for example, there was a sense of safety and comfort.
Those spaces become places Black students can return
to in moments of mourning, but when your hometown is
several miles away, it can feel overwhelming.
As the advisor for My Mind Matters, Kenon said students
don’t have to look far to find community.
“My Mind Matters is a small community at the Capstone
that we’re hoping to expand but still properly addresses
mental health issues for our students of color,” Kenon
said. “It is all about focusing on your mental health and
your wellness.”
For Caple, who’s participated in the program, My Mind
Matters has served as a safe place to connect.
Despite students having their own ways of grieving, he
said the organization works to find a middle ground to
help students feel more comfortable to share how they
feel and, in turn, help them find the resources to best suit
their needs.
Turner said it is common for people not to know how to
respond to someone expressing grief, but what matters is
that they are trying to listen.
“A lot of times, you don’t have to say anything,” Turner
said. “You just have to sit with the person and let them
express themselves when they are going through the
grieving process.”
52

In Conversation
with
Andrea Early
Sidney Todd
Black Americans are less likely than their white counterparts to pursue mental health assistance, according to
Mental Health America. This disparity influenced a general mistrust of the medical system, and often results
in individuals turning to faith-based outreach for support first.
Nineteen Fifty-Six magazine sat down with Andrea Early, a staff therapist at the Women and Gender Resource Center
and University of Alabama alumna, to explore the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community and
how to find help.
Q: How do we navigate the conversation of therapy in
the black community with family members who might
buy into the stigma?
Early: One of the things that I definitely tell students
who come to me, that are like, “my family doesn’t know
I’m here; I’m just wanting to work on these things.” If
we think about our mental health the same way we think
about our medical health, we are our own doctors. Doctors
can’t doctor themselves.
There is religion, there is faith, there is prayer, but also
God made therapists. I think he also would like you to
take care of your physical health and mental health and
take care of it as a whole, because people don’t realize
how much your mental health can impact so many other
things. Your stress levels, your anxiety, your depression,
that impacts whether you eat, whether you sleep, and
when you’re not eating and sleeping, that impacts your
ability to do schoolwork, to focus, to have social interactions.
All this stuff is interconnected.
It’s almost like, “hey, I might just be getting a checkup.”
I’m getting a checkup on all things, making sure my
head is where it needs to be and things as well my health
is where it needs to be in things. I would tell them to
approach it from a place of “I’m doing like a whole life
check. This is part of that whole life check. I’m just
checking in to see if there’s anything that I need to work
on that maybe I don’t see myself. And because you’re my
family member, you’re too close to me, you’re too biased
to see it for me too.” So, it’s one of those things where
it’s like, I’m just doing what I call just a checkup.
Q: What do you think people should prepare for, or do
you have any advice before going into therapy?
Early: It’s about having an honest conversation, I think a
lot of times, people come to therapy, and they minimize.
They’re scared of what people might think or what people
might say or being perceived as “crazy.” There’s no
such thing. There’s no judgement here. We are here to
help you work on whatever you want to work on.
I think the thing is, come being willing to fully be honest.
You know how when you go to the doctor’s office,
and you go, “Oh, I mean, nothing’s really wrong,” but
you’re in there for a stomachache. You know what I’m
54

saying? It doesn’t make sense, how am I going to get you
what you need to fix that stomachache if you’re going to
be in here like “no, I’m good.” I can see you holding your
stomach and I can see you struggling. Talk to me.
I’ve been in many sessions where we spent session after
session talking about one thing, but that wasn’t what
they were really there for. So, the goal is to know a little
bit about what you want to work on. I think sometimes
childhood trauma is such that we don’t know, that’s what
the thing is, but we know in our adult life, we’re feeling
very anxious and we’re feeling very depressed. Our
goal is to help us get down to the root of where did this
start? Where did it begin? So maybe even think a little
bit about like, what are some things that happened along
the way that made me be like, “this was not okay and
ever since then, this bothers me.”
I think it’s just courage, sometimes that first step of
making a phone call or doing the walk in or making
the appointment. It’s the courage, but also the follow
through. I think a lot of times people come to therapy
they do their intake and they’re like, “oh, I got that off
me I’m done.” Okay, you’ve told somebody, now let’s walk
the walk. Let’s take the journey. Let’s work through it.
Right? I would say come with your courage, come with
your honesty and be ready to be consistent.
Q: For students who don’t attend therapy, do you have
any ideas or coping mechanisms for people that are
scared to go to therapy or want to find something to give
them a little push?
Early: There’s podcasts, you can always find a really
good podcast. I listen to like Black girls therapy
podcast different things like that. Obviously, there’s
a ton of self-help books out there. I mean, you can
Google self-help books and there’ll be thousand out
there, millions out there. But if you Google like even
self-help books for Black women, or for Black men,
you will start finding things. If you Google “self-help”
for a podcast for Black men, there’s actually several
really great podcasts out there for Black men.
There’s a host of things out there. There’s YouTube
channels, there’s always the blessing of social media,
there’s a great deal of things out there. I get a
feeling that social media also can sometimes be a
slippery slope, because this is not tailored to you,
especially if you’re still trying to figure out like, “I
don’t know why I feel this way, but I want to go listen
to some stuff.” It’s not tailored to you, that’s why
therapy is very much tailored to what you’re trying
to work on.
Of course, there’s plenty of self-help out there and I
encourage people to practice some deep breathing,
practice finding things that really help you release
stress, like working out, or art, or anything that
you’re passionate about, generally, is something
that’s going to uplift your spirit, but also, therapy
helps. Those will supplement and those will be a
great Band-Aid but until you kind of get to the core
of what’s in that wound, you’re just kind of putting a
little ointment on it for the time being.
55

FAMILY
58
My grandmother, Earlean
Isaac, was born in 1950 to
Mary V. Williams and Robert
Percy Williams. She had 14 siblings.
In all, there were 15 of them, with
her being the 2nd oldest. For a
long time, the 1st born, my Auntie
Minnie, took care of her younger
brothers and sisters but when my
grandmother came of age to work,
she took responsibility for the family
and her parents after she graduated
high school to help financially.
It has always been hard to rely
on history books for accurate
storytelling, African American
households use oral history, art,
music, cuisine, and language,
along with photographs to tell the
history of our people. In this small
town in rural Alabama, most of its
inhabitants are older. Once they pass
on, so do their memories and their
stories. We owe it to those who come
after them to document as much
history and information as possible.
So, I took the initiative and decided
to focus on my Nana, for my senior
capstone project. Not only because
she’s someone very close to me, but
also to inspire small-town people to
tell their stories their way.
My Nana worked at Vanity Fair, then
HISTORY
JAZMYNE ISSAC
as an office clerk in the courthouse
for 18 years before she was elected
as the first Black woman to be
elected Probate Judge in the state
of Alabama, spending almost 46
years in the courthouse until her
retirement. The road there was
not easy nor was it during. My
grandmother sacrificed much of her
childhood, even missing school, to
work in the fields supporting her
family. She and her family worked
this land during the Civil Rights
Movement much to the dismay of
the white man, whose land they
were on, but this did not stop her.
She still found a way to attend the
Mass Meetings, traveling from state
to state, and even shook Dr. Martin
Luther King’s hand at the meeting
in Montgomery, Alabama.
This is why it is important to
continue having these conversations
and why it is important to document
and record this history. If there
is anything to know about our
Black elders, then indulging in
information of the past is not
something they always do. It comes
in spurts and most times not all at
once. Some stories I did not know
about until I interviewed her. I have
reported on my grandmother so
much throughout the years and

IS...
never
knew some of the things I shared
in the presentation about her. Remain
persistent and diligent throughout the
years to collect, record, and document
what came before you.
Had I not documented this history and
had oral accounts to go along with it, I
probably would have never known that
some events that fueled the movement
in Greene County were my Nana getting
hit during the demonstration by a white
deputy in downtown Eutaw and my
Papa’s brother being shot and killed by a
white man. And so, as my grandmother
is telling me this story, she says, “You
won’t find a lot of this in the newspaper.
It wasn’t newsworthy.” It was not
documented and the Black folks during
that time did not have many cameras or
phones to do their own documentation.
It is sad that people can walk this Earth,
live a life, and some folks don’t even have
a record of their existence. People need
to be affirmed that they were here and
that they took up space!
History is also a gift to anyone who is
reading. My grandmother’s story is a
gift to me. My passion for mutual aid,
community involvement, social justice,
and even radical space were already
things that my grandmother was doing.
Imagine if I did not know these things.
It is from this history that allows me
to imagine big possibilities, ones that I
don’t believe my Nana has ever imagined,
but she started and here I am picking up
the torch doing some of the exact same
things just in a different way.
59

60
FAMILY IS...
THE
DINING
TABLE
JERMAYA MARTIN
At the dinner table,
We are cosmic,
We are love,
We are kindred,
We are unfiltered,
And proud to be black.
I want to be like my mama, I’m pretty
just like my mama.
I grab my mirror just like mama,
I grab my lipstick just like mama,
I dab, not rub,
Just a little, not too much,
Because that’s how mama does it,
I turn my head to the side,
Slightly, just like mama, Open my
mouth slightly,
Putting on lipstick with one hand,
Only one hand,
Because that’s how mama does it.
Red wine to take stress of the day,
A smoke to take the stress of the day,
Nobody understands like mama.
As we talk about the disparities of
life,
As she brushes and gels my hair,
I put money on the table, even
though, She’s too stubborn to take
it.
I can feel some of the tension release
I almost feel like a little girl again,
As she brushes and gels my hair.
At the dinner table, we are cosmic,
We are the beauty of vulnerability.
We are the transformation of love.
Generation after generation,
Mother to daughter,
Mother to daughter.
At this table, always at this table.
MEMORY
SIDNEY TODD
WHEN THINKING about
family often laughter, love
and comfort come to mind
but not often death and lose are
thought of.
As a child I would find ways to
justify or try to understand losing
my loved one but now as an adult
who still doesn’t quite know
how to feel instead of trying to
understand I listen to one of my
grandfather’s favorite artist Luther
Vandross songs, my uncle O’s
wisdom, and remember my uncle
P.T.’s encouragement. As much as I
miss my family l have material and
memories that carry me through
my life. Family is being able to apply
the special talk I had with uncle O
during my sophomore year of high
school about life and career to my
college mindset.
Family is listening to “Bad Boys /
Having a Party” by Luther Vandross
repeatedly while painting with skills
that have been passed down in my
family for generations. Family is
remembering every “I love you” till
the last one.
Memories are the closest thing to
speaking with them again; every
video and photo holds a lesson that
has strengthened me as a person.

HOME
Ta’KYLA BATES
Home has never been a house for me,
but rather a merging of indelible memories.
The floors remember the babies’ first steps,
little feet that would one day veer far from their
mothers.
The walls remember the touch of the children’s
dirty little fingertips, after playing outside in mushy
brown dirt.
The backyards remember the family gatherings.
Laughter and conversation don’t last through the
night, where arguments tell us it’s time to retreat.
These houses were never home to me.
In the kitchen, aromas become reminders of love
shared through generations.
Spices dance to the humming of my granny’s song, a
sweet melody that would soon disappear.
The living room, holds unframed moments, Capturing
the laughter of family tales.
Couch cushions bear the struggles of disappointment,
yet the embrace of hope still lies.
Bedrooms that were never unshared,
echo the whisperings of secrets and dreams.
Pillows become forts and sheets become shields to
bonds that will never be broken.
Houses may change,
but the essence of home remains the same.
Family has always been home for me.
61

FAMILY IS...
SLIPS,
TIGHTS, &
RUFFLED
SOCKS
AUTUMN WILLIAMS
I
had to guarantee to remember them
when visiting my grandparents in
Columbus, Georgia. If I neglected to
pack them, I would be dragged to the
store when I got there.
“You must look like a
presentable young woman and be
modest,” my grandmother always told
me. I never found that considerable as
an 8-year-old, but I assumed it was in
my best interest.
Sunday mornings were filled
with gospel music that cascaded
through the house from televisions
and stereos. The hymns welcomed me
when Grandaddy would wake me up
and joke that I had been sleep-talking
all night, screaming through the
house. Of course, it was never true.
After waking up, I would
promptly make my bed, shower and
adorn myself with my Sunday best.
I’d pull up my translucent
white tights, drape my flesh-colored
slip over my head, straighten
everything out and put on my
dress. Flats or sandals were the only
acceptable shoes. And as an accessory,
I usually had a cute little purse to go
with my outfit filled with goodies
Grandma would say, “A lady always
needs,” like soft peppermint puffs, a
notepad and pen for doodling, and a
couple dollars for the donation.
The rides to church were
always serene. I loved the slippery
feeling of my tights against the
leather seats of the car, it made me
feel like a princess. I’d sit in the back
62

and watch the old brick buildings
blur by as Grandma pointed out the
humungous library. The hymns and
local services we listened to on the
ride would fade into the background
as Grandaddy turned around in
his seat to talk to me as we drove
through Columbus.
I never quite remembered
the service itself. I enjoyed standing
up and singing that was the best
time to people watch and see who
had the best church hat or who was
the token white person that Sunday
— because there was always one.
When things got boring, I would
eat my soft peppermints. I always
loved the dichotomy of their texture,
crunchy yet easily melting in my
mouth if I did not bite them.
Then I’d usually draw
butterflies, animals, or anything
my imagination could foster on the
notepad and laugh at Grandaddy
falling asleep. He’d always doze
off and eventually Grandma
would nudge me to wake him up.
OUR FAMILY
is like
a three
-strand rope,
which cannot be
easily torn.
Cord one is you
our matriarch,
cord two is
God, and cord
three is your
children and
their children,
Holding this
rope together
was your prayers
and God’s
answers.
Your sacrifice
and strength
tightened
our rope each
time distress
threatened our
family. Cord
three is the frame
bound to weaken
as generations
progress.
We tend to forget
what holds us
together and
never waivers.
You see as
cord one you
introduced us to
cord two, what
centers us and
binds us together.
Cord two is our
Sometimes when my dad would come,
we would meet eyes and giggle at
Grandaddy’s snoring.
My grandparents would always
give me a dollar for the offering
before the service to put in my little
purse. Walking up to give my offering
was a memorable experience, pew by
pew we we’re called up, I was excited
to drop my dollar in the bag.
The ushers would walk down
the aisles and line up at the front in
their full white outfit’s. The women
would wear white shoes, opaque white
tights and a mid-length white dress
with a blazer on top, while the men
were adorned in their white suits and
shoes. Both wearing their white gloves
to handle the two-handled offering
bags. They were almost angelic to
me. After that it was a blur until the
ending prayer. After the service was
over, it was social hour. Grandma
would parade me around to everyone,
including people I would only see
every few months. They would
complement me and gush over how
WOVEN CORD
faith which
establishes the
patent of love
and honor —,
our foundation.
You implemented
this patent as a
rule of life.
Cord one is
our structure.
Without you we
wouldn’t know
how to stand
firm in our
foundation.
Our rope is
formed by the
foundation of
God’s perfect
DANI BROWN
peace, the
structure of you
our matriarchs
unwavering faith,
and your children
as the framing to
extend this rope
for generations.
Our cords are
woven together
by love, honor,
strength and
perfect peace
creating our rope.
Our rope will not
be easily torn
in the name of
our foundation
implemented by
you.
big I had gotten since the last time
they saw me.
“How long are you staying?”
they consistently asked always
followed by “Oh, that’s wonderful! You
have great grandparents, spend as
much time as you can with them.”
Grandaddy did not enjoy the social
hour, he would sit on the porch of the
church, and he’d always ask me to tell
Grandma to hurry up when I would
meet him outside. When I would run
outside to meet Granddaddy, I would
always pass the pastor at the door. He
was the person I enjoyed talking to
the most, he had a strong handshake
and gave me encouraging words to
live by — even if I didn’t like some of
his sermons.
Sundays in Georgia were
always an event, and for that I am
grateful. After all these years I still
appreciate my slips, tights and ruffled
socks.
63

FAMILY IS...
DYNAMIC
TONI GLOVER
FAMILY DOESN’T FIT A MOLD.
It can be the people you grew up
with or the ones who choose to
grow with you. It can be the people
who’ve held you when you were born
or those who’ve held you at your
lowest. It can be the people who’ve
given you your last name or the
person whose name you take on your
wedding day.
RELIGIOUS AUTONOMY
LYRIC WISDOM
In the Black community,
there are so many
of us who have been
damaged by religion
or hyper-religious
culture. So, my parents
did everything in their
power to shelter me and
my brother from that.
Growing up, we were
never forced to go to
church every Sunday,
and the only times
I remember going
were for holidays like
Easter, or other special
family events. This
was probably because
the major megachurch
culture in Atlanta really
left a sour taste in my
parents’ mouths.
That’s not to say religion
was something my
family strayed away
from, however. Gospel
was always playing in the
house along with other
music all day, every day.
Growing up my mom
always told me and my
brother about God, and
that we should follow
Him, but there was
never any pressure, or
anything forced upon us.
I loved that.
She always says when
asked why she decided
not to raise her kids
close in a church that she
wanted her kids to have
their own relationship
with God when they
were ready. I am so
appreciative for my
mom’s sensitivity with
the matter, and allowing
us to make that decision
for ourselves.
When I have kids, I want
to do the exact same
thing. I want my kids
to have the freedom
to find themselves as
individuals and find
their relationship with
God on their own, and
if they decide they want
to practice another
religion, they have my
full support.
I think religion is a very
personal matter that
should be taken up by
the individual, and while
yes it can be a binding
mechanism, so often it
causes more division.
I just want my kids to
feel comfortable with
whatever motivates
them and gives them the
motivation to keep going
in this crazy world we
live in.
For me, family is home, but not
just the place I grew up, where the
foundation sits atop soil trodden by
generations of kin. It is the places
where I’ve found comfort. The places
where I’ve felt shielded from the rest
of the world the moment the doors
shut behind me. Where I can take my
shoes off at the door and hang my
coat up in the hallway. Where I can
take my baggage and pack it away in
the drawers.
My family is a mix of fate and choice,
all melted together. My weighted
blanket that makes me feel grounded
and safe, while also being the helium
that helps me float high enough to
reach places I couldn’t go on my own.
MY BEST FRIEND IS MY FAMILY.
Our parents were neighbors and
friends, and we went to daycare
together. We were friends before
we even knew what friendship was.
We’ve grown up together, grown
apart and grown even closer over the
years. We went from being across
the street from each other to being
hours away in our respective college
towns living our own lives. Our
blood isn’t the same nor is it the
color of our skin, but she is still my
64

family, as she will always be.
Family is looking back on a time
when you were younger and realizing
everything has changed.
MY GIRLFRIEND IS MY FAMILY.
Without her, there are so many
versions of myself that would never
exist. Without her, I would still
be afraid. Afraid to show my body.
Afraid to put myself out there.
Afraid to take a risk. Afraid to be
afraid. I thought I knew everything
about myself until she started
making me answer questions I never
thought to ask. She is my home away
from home. She gives me a place to
stay each time she opens her arms.
FAMILY IS LOOKING BACK ON A
TIME WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER
AND REALIZING EVERYTHING
HAS CHANGED. I don’t see my
parents and bother the way I did
when I was younger, because I am
not the same person that I was when
I was younger. Sometimes ignorance
is bliss, but it is still ignorance. It
was always “you’ll understand when
you’re older,” until one day I became
old enough. When I became an adult,
I started to think about how my
parents used to be children. They
messed up, but so do I. None of us
have been on this earth twice. And
sometimes, for some reason, it feels
like they have.
As I got older, my brother and I
stopped fighting and began having
conversations. I stopped telling
on him to our parents and started
telling him things I don’t even tell
them. And no matter how we are or
how we used to be, they have always
wanted nothing but the best for me.
While I continue to grow up, I hope,
now that my parents don’t have to
raise their children anymore, that
they are able to revisit the children
they used to be. I want them to never
forget how it feels to wonder and
dream. To my family, to all the ups
and downs, the good and the bad,
to everyone who has shaped me into
who I am and who I will become, I
thank you.
A LOSS OF INNOCENCE
NNENNA NWANNUNU
Slowly gaining awareness that the calls for her father have now ceased
The blessed blissful ignorance of childhood is ... fleeting — to say the least
Becoming agitated with aging as the dreams cease, you are now aware of the
beast.
The blindfold and earplugs you were graciously given have now disappeared
And the once silent arguments and fights are now feared.
Becoming aware of the horrors you were oblivious to
You wonder “Why does he hold the role that he can’t even do?”
Negation of the experience through statements of at least he was there, at
least he was present
Unaware of the prayers for a different reality that were sent.
To the mother, to the Lord up above, to the one who holds the title father,
Why is gratitude expected despite the laments of the poor daughter?
A CHILD.
What better word to invalidate how she feels
Happiness found within a false reality is how adults maintain their ideals.
Bite your tongue, swallow your pride, allow the lies to become louder
Maybe then, she’ll be able to relive those ignorant dreams they once allowed
her.
65

FAMILY IS...
FOUND
ARIANNA POPE
When I was younger, I
thought my family were
saints. They all went
to church, prayed, and were very
selfless people.
My earliest memories are of being
constantly surrounded by my family.
My auntie Tricia and my grandma
would watch me and my brother all
the time. My auntie Charlotte would
give me and my brother hand-medowns
from our cousins, and she
would drop in frequently to check in
on how my mom was doing.
I genuinely believed that I had the
best family ever. Anytime we were
all together, laughter would fill the
entire house. I remember spending
all day playing with my cousins, or
overhearing stories from my aunts’
and uncles’ childhoods. I loved being
around all of them. Sadly, there was
more to my family than I knew.
Growing up, I watched my mom
struggle to provide for me and my
brother, and I always wondered why
she never reached out to get help
from my family. I always assumed
that she had too much pride to
let them know how bad she was
struggling. I never really pushed for
answers until me and my brother
started staying home alone. I faintly
remember asking my mom why all of
a sudden she trusted us to stay home
alone, and she said “It saves me a lot
of money and trouble, if you guys
watch yourselves.”
It never dawned on me that my own
family members would make my
mom pay them to watch their niece
and nephew. From then on I became
hyperaware of how my family acted
and talked about one another. I
came to a realization that all the
laughing, and “love” they seemed
to have for me and one another was
fake and phony.
As the years went on my family
continued to show their true colors,
and I started to look for that familial
love in other places.
Dealing with a toxic family, and
living in a single parent household
definitely made me think vepoorly
of myself, I felt as if I wasn’t
wanted. I yearned to have deep and
meaningful connections with others,
which led me to people who weren’t
supportive of me and brought a lot
of stress and drama into my life.
For the first two years of highschool,
I isolated myself from others. I never
let people get too close to me in
fear that they wouldn’t like what
they saw. Also during this time I
was struggling with my sexuality,
so my self-esteem and my mental
health was at an all time low. I never
told my family about what was
going on because I knew their love
wasn’t unconditional. They were
homophobic so I couldn’t come out,
and they didn’t believe in mental
health so I was alone.
I didn’t start opening up to people
until I got close with my best friend
Amya. I met Amya in ninth grade,
but we didn’t become friends until
we started working together at Red
Lobster. Amya was the first person
to accept all parts of me with no
judgment. She made me realize what
real love and support looked like and
I am forever thankful for that.
Ever since me and Amya got close
we have been attached at the hip,
but we still allow each other to grow
individually.
Once I started opening up to Amya I
decided to open myself up to all my
peers at school, and I met some of
the greatest people. By the time my
senior year started, I had a group of
friends that loved and cared for me
in ways that I couldn’t imagine. I had
finally found the family I had always
wanted.
Even though the family I was born
into didn’t appreciate me for who
I am, I am forever grateful that I
was able to find a support system
that loves me unconditionally and
hopefully someday in the future I
will be able to reconnect with my
family and repair our relationship.
66

ESTRANGED
RAVEN JOHNSON
IT IS TRULY A BLESSING TO
GROW UP BLACK.
The vivid core memories constantly
play in my head like a short film. The
time I fell off my very first bike and
scratched my knee to the white meat,
or the time I had the best sleepover
with my cousins at our grandparents’
house. I could never forget the time
my grandfather passed, and I felt as
if my world had fallen apart, or when
I met my first set of friends.
These are the big moments in my
life, but the one that means the most
to me — the one that encapsulates
my family the most is very small.
It was Sunday afternoon; my mom
was cooking a dinner big enough to
feed her side of the family and my
dad’s. I was about seven years old
when I was getting my hair touched
up in the famous two-strand twists
and hair bows at the end.
One by one, the family started
trickling in and fed themselves.
Before I knew it, everyone down to
my third cousins and great aunts and
uncles were in my house eating and
reminiscing about what happened in
church earlier that morning and the
funny moments that they shared as
a family.
Later that day, my cousins and I
found ourselves riding bikes and
playing with our dolls until the
streetlights came on. We didn’t want
to leave each other and decided to
convince our parents to let us spend
the night even though we knew they
would say no because it was a school
night.
Still to this day, my family will have
the biggest gatherings and bond
over a meal. I cherish those moments
most because they don’t last forever.
Loved ones pass away and the
cousins that were my best play mates
are now grown adults that choose
not to come around the family as
much.
When you are far from family at
home, you eventually find your new
family away from home and make
new traditions, new love and new
friends wherever you find yourself.
Change isn’t always bad, I learned
that sometimes it is for the best.
67

FAMILY IS...
Infinite
MACKI’ WILKERSON
Infinity is the ties of the roots
underground
Woven into a knot that can only be
untangled by the blades of division. Bound
by the strength of love and DNA precision.
A singular sprout begins it all.
68
Withstands the tough heat from the years
before.
Wretches and claws its way through the
mud, so it can leave behind so much more
Within years, the sprout is a tree with
branches spreading to the sky begging to
dream. Care for the tree, keep the roots
and branches strong while at ease.
Affection and love give the tree warmth
beyond belief.
Tears garden the roots that hold the
worries that never cease.
Roots blacken from the lack of oxygen
because they dared to say a little more.
Roots stuck in their place dig deep into
the soil and shout “don’t slam that door.”
A wind breeze can shake the foundation
set before.
Leaving a root exposed to the sun that
distresses the mind like a storm at shore.
It withers away to the great sky above but
leaves behind remnants of love.
Infinity is the ties of the roots
underground
Some may leave without a sound; some
may be cut away
But they are forever here by the memories
made.
UNEXPECTED
SAMANTHA WHITE
My parents met in swampy Louisiana.
A night club, where sultry music set the mood of love,
and the lights encompassed hues of romance and passion.
My mom and father are how, but not why, I am here.
This was their unexpected story.
Dolls made my imagination run wild.
I let them live in the happy home that I could not,
at least not until my father was forced to leave.
The police came for him more times than I can count on my
fingers.
This was my unexpected story.
My father would sing to me,
“Just the two of us / We can make it if we try.
Just the two of us / Building castles in the sky.
Just the two of us / You and I.”
This was our unexpected story.
Dreams of a happy family,
prayers that my father would change,
and never put his hands on me again.
This was the unexpected story.
Timing was never right.
My mom got remarried to my loving stepdad,
and writing and painting healed my broken pieces.
This is the unexpected story.

Thanksgiving at Mom’s
SKYLA PEARSON
STARTERS
DEVILED ANXIETY
Start the morning off with our most
popular appetizer, loaded with a
tightened chest and racing heart,
emotions are stirred into a field of guilt,
and garnished with the decision to attend
Thanksgiving dinner at your childhood
home.
*GRIEF BALLS
Tossed with the unforeseen loss of a
parent and smothered in warm, cheesy
memories, guests will dine with an open
wound, rolling fresh anguish onto the
floor for the family dog to lick up.
REGRET DIP
Guests will enjoy coming to their senses
and prioritizing their mental health over
the home-grown tendency to sweep s---
under the rug. This dish is an acquired
taste, served with either: go where the
love is or stay and deal with bulls---.
MENU
MAIN COURSES
SUPPRESSION STUFFING
Our signature combination of all three
appetizers, deep dish stuffed both
consciously and unconsciously into
a shell of pretending to be okay and
paired exquisitely with maternal toxicity;
marinated over a lifetime of suffering
and served with Mama’s World Famous
passive aggressive, verbal abuse.
*DRAMA (BEEF)
A selection of opportunities taken
by Mama’s World Famous: Lack of
Accountability; delicately placed beside
an inability to consider others and paired
with years of unhealed generational
trauma. This dish feels similar to
chewing on a brick, and guests seem to
order it less and less over time.
DESSERTS
KARAOKE WITH COUSINS
CAKE
A perfect slice of what the
holidays should feel like!
Enjoy classic jokes and
passionate laughs coated
with sheer entertainment.
This sweet treat is
sweetest when served with
new boundaries made
fresh each day.
MEETING NEWBORN COUSINS
SOFT SERVE
Our best-selling dessert!
Able to delay anyone’s
trip home for a moment
to savor! Guests will feast
their eyes on our cutest
new additions and enjoy
a one-of-a-kind memory;
icing on any cake!
DRINKS
EMOTION ESPRESSO
Just about the only way to survive a night at Mom’s. Made with strong
intentions. Order a double to ensure survivability.
F--- THIS S--- MARGARITA
The perfect attitude to indulge in while at Mom’s. This is our least
popular cocktail as it affects innocent family members.
LEMON DROP LEAVE SHOT
One shot of this, and you will be at peace: our strongest craft selection.
Designed with our guests in mind. Goes down smooth.
69

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