Hardly home, but always reppin: San Antonio

Pastel by me; theme Heritage symbolism

The Sound Sizzler

This video was shot and edited, by me, in order to enhance the presence of sound.

IllTribe flyer and visual for the flyer design

“25 Years of Being a Beautiful Mess” shot by me.

Op-Ed: The Impact of Roots Reimagined on an Afro-Latina

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots,” said the revolutionary Marcus Garvey. History is fundamental to every individual’s development of self; it can be that missing piece of the puzzle needed in order to authenticate a part of his or her identity. The word history in itself can already be broken down into: his-story, indicating that it’s the telling of somebody’s story. As an Afro-Latina, my identity has always been a question mark, a question even for myself. From an early age, I noticed that people appeared to gawk when I walked alongside my mother or my grandmother. Only noticing the difference in the color of our melanin, as though it was ludicrous for us to be of the same kin. The “Afro” in Afro-Latina was lost on me. It has been through readings and films like Roots, that I have come to identify with the origin of my roots and bequeathed me with great dignity in the conquests of my ancestors.

It was always evident to me how much of the cultural outcast I was in a vast majority of social settings. I was looked upon as a rare entity on the playground, surrounded by namely Hispanics and white people. Year after year, I was forced to pick who I identified myself as racially on standardized tests or registration. With my mother, I was Hispanic like her, but with my father I was African-American, period. As I grew older, I was dumbfounded as to which option to pick out of: Hispanic or Latino, White (but not Hispanic or Latino), Black or African-American (but not Hispanic or Latino), Asian (but not Hispanic or Latino), Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (but not Hispanic or Latino), American Indian or Alaska Native (but not Hispanic or Latino, or Two or More Races (but not Hispanic or Latino). At the crossroads, I normally chose not to identify; it felt as though I would have solidified my identity as one or the other and resulted in leaving a piece of my heritage in the dark.

As I got into my adolescent years, I began to be surrounded by more representation of African-Americans and emerged into the culture. My complexion may have reflected African-American, but I became faced with something new. “What are you mixed with?” began to be the question I was asked in mere seconds, during introductions. I am the “mixed girl,” sought for my good hair and exotic background, but not for my charming personality or comical banter. It’s presumed that because of my race, that I am put on a pedestal, that I consider myself better than the average black girl. It wasn’t until I started surrounding myself with friends that were of many different nationalities, that I grew to get a greater sense of pride in my African roots. Unlike in the movie Roots, where it was adamant to reiterate who his or her ancestors were, even though they might not ever come face to face. I observed the dynamics within my friend’s families. Just like in Roots, they still kept true to their rituals from home and took great pride in their homage. Seeing all this, encouraged and inspired me to seek out who my people were and what they had done for me to form my own dignity upon.

Although the deeds of Hispanics have been present in a majority of my history books, I had only surface value of what African-Americans had contributed to America. I nose-dived into time periods like the slave age and the civil rights movement, but I was always drawn to the livelihoods of slaves. Roots provides a realistic example of the day and age of a slave. Slaves were dehumanized and forced to give up their self-identity just to stay alive. Many slaves, like The Fiddler and Thomas Jr., maintained the ideology that freedom was merely an idea, a goal even, but not attainable. Occasionally, the slaves would come into contact with a free African-American, a reminder of a life without “Massah.” For some that was enough, for others it emblazoned a fire within to actively seek freedom. This fire is what propelled people, like Harriet Tubman and Robert Smalls, to overcome their fears and ferociously seek his or her own freedom. How could I merely just go through life and not attain any accomplishments with ancestors who fought so hard for me to have these opportunities? Roots undeniably shows the struggles of the heroines that laid the foundation for me to prosper from. Storytellings like Roots, are able to inform and remind everyone that America hasn’t always been the land of the free.

Without examples like Roots, I would never have been able to develop the connection that I feel with my ancestors for sacrificing and persevering for their freedom. As a child, I was in the dark about the self-worth that I should have held when identifying as part African-American. It was normal for people to see skin color first when my mother and I appeared before them. During my developmental years, I had no idea what the true meaning of being an “Afro-Latina” was. History is ultimately the mixture of each one of our ancestor’s stories compiled together. Without knowing your history, can you truly say that you know yourself?

The Amazing Nina Simone: Synopsis/Opinion

By Jazmyn Proctor

There I was sitting in my seat, expecting to learn about how she got started and her developing as a musician, and just her trial and tribulations as an artist during the times of segregation and the Civil War. Nina Simone, that is. And yes, there was definitely some problems she faced due to the color of her skin and the era in which she was coming up, but there was so much more to her that I discovered from that movie. The Amazing Nina Simone, directed by Jeff L. Lieberman is absolutely invigorating, to sum it up all in word, and even that is not fully capacitating the awe and wonder of the woman that I found Nina Simone to be.

She started off as Eunice Waymon, a very young pianist that took lessons most of her childhood and teenage years, singing in the church her mother preached at, and even spent a summer at Juilliard after graduating high school. All of this led her to pursue attending Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she applied but was denied acceptance, seemingly due to the color of her skin. Upon her un-acceptance, she decided to take lessons from a professor from the institute, but she was lacking in one area, funds. She decided to perform at a night club in Atlantic City, but fearing her mother’s discovery and disapproval, she decided to perform under a different name: Nina Simone. Nina, translating in Spanish to girl, a nickname from an old boyfriend and Simone after the French actress Simone Signoret, known for her role in Casque d’or.

Nina wanted to just play the piano, but the the owner heard her voice, he insisted that she sing as well. Although most pianists, in those days, didn’t get much recognition from the crowd, when Nina sat at her piano bench, she demanded and commanded the attention of every single member of the audience. From there she acquired a small fan base stemming from her covers of top hits incorporating her own untraditional approach.

The first record label Simone signed to was Bethlehem records, where she released her debut album, Little Girl Blue. Gus Wildi, who was known for his shady deals and under-the-table maneuvers with his signed artists, orchestrated the contract that bamboozled Nina Simone into signing away her rights to her first album.

She moved on to Coolpix Records, where she was able to have a lot more freedom with the content and production of her albums. It was during this time that she divorced the husband that she had, Don Ross, and fell in love with a NYPD detective, Andrew Stroud, who was actually married at the beginning of their courting. Her friends said there was always something a little slimy about his behavior.  And a few years into their marriage and on a night Stroud had a little too much to drink, he laid hands on Nina for appearing to flirt a little too much with a fellow at the bar they were at. Although Simone, spent her time healing in private and refused to go to the hospital, she went back to Stroud and they went on to have a daughter, Lisa, and he her manager.

As the civil rights movement began to take off and get national recognition, Nina feeling close to the issue from her incident with the Curtis Institute and other instances, was eager to be involved. She was friends with Dr. King and Malcolm X, she believed in parts from both sets of values, but she couldn’t quite get with all the radical beliefs of Malcolm X. She used her fan base and the platform that the stage gave her to voice her opinion and support marches by putting on performances for protesters and so much more. It was with tracks like Mississippi Goddam, which she performed at every performance she had following the initial creation of the song that she showed how heftily she felt about segregation.

Another thing that really intrigued me was they really got into the depths of Nina Simone’s mental health. And that in the times that she was living in, there weren’t as much knowledge of mental illness and especially the one that Nina Simone was suffering from. She suffered from a pretty severe case of bipolar disease, going in between bouts of intense depression to fits of anger to elevated happiness. Many days were like a battle for her. It wasn’t for many years until about her 30s or 40’s that a diagnosis came, that they started treating her with medicine, and trying to find the right balance for her. And ultimately it was the illness that took over in Simone’s life that prevented her from being the full superstar that she was.

All in all, Nina Simone was a phenomenal the woman, an activist,  had one of the most unique voices of all time, and played the piano like no one else. She took a stand for what she believed, even if that cost her airtime and some popularity with supporters of segregation. Although she was not always in the best of mental health, she was still a functioning and contributing artist. Through this film one can see the many contributions that Nina had on and off the stage to society and culture.

Try Something New: Green Seed Vegan

Attracting countless new customers and developing a growing following, local eatery Green Seed Vegan has become a top-ranked and nationally recognized restaurant in the short four years that it has been open.

“I found out about this place over a year ago from the news,” said Aisha Morrison, “The founder was talking about the way a Dirty Burque was made and I knew I just had to try it.”

Green Seed Vegan began as a food truck in March 2011 with Matti Merrell and her husband Rodney Perry just dreaming of having a full restaurant one day in the future. They were finally able to achieve their dreams and opened their location at 4320 Almeda Road in 2012.

Immediately stepping into Green Seed Vegan, customers are transported into another world. A place that is full of natural and local products that all around empower Mother Earth.

Morrison said “The atmosphere here is just cool, laid back, it matches the food. I love it and wish I time to come more often.”

“Today I’m here enjoying a great tasting and healthy meal after my workout,” said Bryan Griggs, a regular at Green Seed, “This place is pretty relaxing and I love sitting here winding down after I put all that work into my workouts.”

The menu has a plethora of options from panini’s and wraps to smoothies and ice cream shakes that are sure to heighten the euphoria of any person once it touches the palette.

“I consider this to be one of the best places to eat in town,” said Riley, “The food is so good more than half the time I don’t even remember I’m at a vegan place.”

Green Seed is known for their vegan burgers, which instead of using regular beef or even turkey patties they have opted to uses buckwheat as the source. Not only is loved by the customers but it helped Green Seed acquire Best Vegan Burger in 2012 by the Houston Press.

Katherine Shilcutt ,of the Houston Press and that conducted the review, said “The Dirty Burque was as good as ever, it’s patty never mimicking meat but instead encouraging you to appreciate the savory buckwheat on its own merits.”

Featured on the walls of Green Seed is a chart that breakdowns of vegan friendly nutrients; it contains the beneficial contents, how it helps you, and uses. There was also a poster for a local farm market from which Green Seed gets its local produce from.

With the passing of Green Seed’s four year anniversary passing by just this last March 3^rd, the future of Green Seed Vegan is hopeful to continue soaring high and bringing deliciously fulfilling food to the community for years to come.

Surveying the Future Longevity of Relationships

According to the American Psychological Association, 90% of people before the age of 50 will venture into marriage with 40% to 50% of those ending in divorce. With these kinds of statistics, the portrayal of everlasting relationships has evolved among the youth into being short-lived, but still viewed as attainable.

It will be the youth of today that will be the future. If they don’t receive the proper examples and attain what a healthy and long-lasting relationship is, then the future of family and marriage is in jeopardy.

“I define a relationship as a connection and bond with someone as well as with family and friends,” said Xavier McKinnies, 18, a junior at Wagner High School.

Today there is such a hefty influence of what a relationship is from the media, real life, and movies/books, that the youth is left to piece together what they model their own relationships after. And time has proven that not just a connection whether it be emotional, physical, or both is necessary for a relationship to be sustained.

“I honestly don’t know the future of any relationship,” said Damion Tolliver, 21, broadcast journalism major at Texas Southern University, “It just depends on yourself and your partner. If you’re willing to make a future out of your relationship than you guys will have a future together.”

Most of the youth are hopeful that they will find a lifelong partner and be married, but some currently choose not to be consumed with the pressure of marriage.

“I’m currently in the right now stage,” said Tolliver “Everyone that I choose to build something with or have some type of relationship will not be my husband. Only because most people don’t know exactly what they want out of a relationship and it takes a couple of people in life to help them figure that out.”

However, there are some young people that are more focused, in terms of dating, to only seeking long-term partners.

Elizabeth Page, 20, communications major at University of Houston Downtown, said “I don’t have time the time nor patience for a ‘just for now’ boyfriend. With enough dedication two people can stay together.”

“If I was looking for someone temporary then I wouldn’t be in a relationship because that means there’s nothing really there,” said McKinnies.

Even what is portrayed in the media from celebrity relationships, show that love can be quite a finicky thing, yet there is some profound notion that keeps propelling even them to continue seeking love.

In the song Blank Space by Taylor Swift, 25, known for her songs about relationships she wrote “So it’s gonna be forever/ Or it’s gonna go down in flames,” and “We’ll take this way too far/ It’ll leave you breathless/ Or with a nasty scar/ Got a long list of ex-lovers.”

Although the statistics and the examples laid out through social media could be potentially harmful to the image of relationships and ultimately marriage therein creating a new definition of family, it doesn’t seem to be evolving the youth’s hope to one day have a lifelong partner.

What’s In Store For Graduating Senior of Fall 2014: Eugene McKenzie

He flashed the smile he was famously known for, a smile that was warmer than any hug from a teddy bear, a smile that reached down and touched the very core of the soul, to a young woman passing by. She smiled back immediately recognizing that smile, followed by a nod of approval of his long green trench coat, purple argyle sweater down to his orange-red colored jeans.

He glided across the pavement with such purpose and drive; one could see how close to his goal he was.  And literally, he could finally count on two hands for a day he had been anxiously anticipating for some time now: graduation day. He had finally reached a milestone many aspire to reach, with only some making it all the way to the end.

Eugene McKenzie, 23, current senior at Texas Southern University will be graduating Saturday December 13, 2014 at the Sawyer Auditorium with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Starting off modestly hosting a radio show in the suburbs of Detroit, McKenzie was able to gather quite the audience and recognition which immediately lit a fire under his belly and ultimately led to his pursuit of a career in journalism.

And now with just 9 nine days until he officially graduates from TSU, McKenzie couldn’t be more enthused.

“I’m excited about the actual event, but I think I’m really excited about December 14” said McKenzie, “To wake up and be a black man in America with a degree, I think it’s gonna be just a really great feeling.”

Although it may appear that McKenzie breezed through his undergraduate career, it has been nothing short of absolute dedication and sheer will power that he is graduating this semester.

“It’s taken me 5 [years] which has been nothing short of a miracle, because I’ve moved to New York twice,” said McKenzie “But I was very determined and started taking 18 hours a semester.”

“The reality is you do what you hate now to do what you love later,” said McKenzie “It’s not always gonna be like this;  I’m not always gonna be working a little side job and go to school. No I’m doing this so that I can have a career, and I can make salary, and I can be off on weekends, and I can have a 401K and a pension plan.”

McKenzie thanks his mother for being pivotal to his graduation as well; she supported him and pushed him to get through the years.

“It’s been really great to be able to give that kind of gift to my family and especially my mom… I keep telling her ‘This isn’t just my degree, it’s your degree too!’”

Post-graduation, McKenzie plans to move back to New York and proceed in using fashion connections previously made and hopes to attain a position in relation to social media coordinating for a major label and also continue his education with a graduate program.

“As a future alum, I plan on giving back quite a bit,” said McKenzie “Because Texas Southern University has given quite a bit to me. Being able to open doors, opportunities, and scholarships to the school of communications.”

Plenty are watching and waiting to see just exactly what will be the success of the enthralling Eugene McKenzie.

“I’m looking forward to the climax of the Eugene McKenzie story,” said McKenzie.

How the Civil Rights Has Impacted My Life:

As a child I was taught of my colors all as equal; none better than the other, none were more special or frowned upon, they were just that: colors. As seen defined by dictionary.reference.com, black was defined as “gloomy; pessimistic; dismal,” “deliberately; harmful; inexcusable,” and “boding ill; sullen or hostile; threatening.” And on the contrary white, as defined by dictionary.reference.com, was noted as being of “the highest value possible.” A negative connotation is put upon black and a positive one is put on white, which is a clear reflection of our history. There was a time when people of color and whites were separated by means of the law and were given treatment that was referred to as separate, but equal. Due to the persistent acts of a previous generation, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed which enabled me to be able to  live my lifestyle, to be able to make my future goals plausible, and for my actual creation to be accepted.
On a day to day basis I can do at least 50 things that people over 50 years ago didn’t even dare to do occasionally. A few of things that I enjoy partaking in regularly are shopping, dining out, and going to the movie theatre. I love being able to go into whatever shop or store I choose and browse, try on, and/or purchase whatever clothing appeals to me. The appreciation of such simple advances as these is important for me to acknowledge because I realize how privileged I am to live in this era. An era where it is common for people of all colors, side by side, to be a part of the same communities, engaging in the same activities, and receiving the same treatment.

From a young age I have aspired to be a leader in whatever field I chose to go in. The first profession that I ever wanted to have was to be a doctor, in search of cures to various diseases. Before the Civil Rights Act, there were no leading doctors of color; a person of color could not even study at top schools for that field, in order to reach his/her full potential. Currently, one of my short-term goals as a line cook is to become a culinary professional, which is a master of all the stations on the line, a leader, and a liaison in between the line and everybody else. It’s because of those actions taken by my ancestors and countless others, that I know I can advance and will not be discriminated against based on the color of my skin by management or fellow staff members.

My mother is a mixture of Mexican and Italian and my father is African-American, even in their days there were some small adversities they faced as a couple, but at least they could openly be together. Today multi-racial couples are all over and not even secondly glanced at by others around them. You even see people advertising that that’s the kind of relationship he/she would prefer to be in and start a family with. In the past, people weren’t even trying to date outside of their ethnicity, nor where they allowed to as deemed by society. It’s because of the changes put in motion by the Civil Rights Act, that I was able to be created.

Black and white should be seemingly just that, colors. Why is there such a controversy over color when it comes to us, as people? People have somehow been able to put an ugly light on black and an irreplaceable light on white. It used to be that individuals were forcibly separated by ways of the law and also had separate ways of doing things that were still supposed to be equivalent to one another. Thanks to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, I’m able to have a certain standard of living, have strong career and other dreams, and also my actual being here.