Journalist Soledad O'Brien visits Ohio University

Soledad O'Brien speaking to the crowd
Photo by Yi-Ke Peng for Ohio University

Arielle J. Patterson

Hundreds of students, alumni, faculty and eager listeners filled Baker Center Ballroom on Thursday, Feb. 20. It was not orientation nor was it a concert. Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien was in Athens, Ohio as part of her Black in America tour.

The first part of the event was a lecture from O’Brien. O’Brien showed clips from her talked-about series “Black in America” and discussed some of the challenges she faced while doing the series.

O’Brien took the audience on a journey discussing race in America starting from the election of then senator Barack Obama. O’Brien touched on recent events such as the shooting and death of Trayvon Martin and NFL player Richard Sherman’s rant after the NFC Championship. When discussing Sherman, O’Brien showed screen shots that people had tweeted calling Sherman racist phrases such as “porch monkey” and even the N-word.

“When it comes to equality and acceptance, it’s all about opening up a conversation and keeping it open,” said O’Brien. There was a diverse crowd last night. Not just race/ethnicity but age and gender as well. O’Brien’s words resonated to everyone in the audience and reminded people that ignorance is not dead and something has to be done about that.

The discussion panel
Photo by Yi-Ke Peng for Ohio University

The second half of the event was a discussion panel led by O’Brien. The panel was comprised of Arthur Cromwell, associate professor in the School of Media Arts & Studies, and two Ohio University students Seaira Christian-Daniels and Tessa Scott.

O’Brien asked questions about the issue of race on campus. “There’s a discussion (about race), but it’s not happening as often as it needs to in the context that it needs to,” Christian-Daniels said.

The group later took questions from the audience. One audience member raised his hand and asked O’Brien, a biracial American, what she puts her race as on the census. That question struck a chord with the audience and got a vocal reaction. O’Brien’s mother is a black Cuban and her father is white and from Australia. O’Brien proudly said that she has never identified herself as just white.

“My mother used to tell me ‘don’t ever forget that you are black and you are Latina,’” O’Brien said.

After the event, people walked out with a different idea of what race in America is and how acceptance needs to be achieved.

Scripps College of Communication Dean Scott Titsworth was more than pleased with the turnout. “We can’t move forward unless we help each other,” Titsworth said.

Ethel L. Payne

Tiffany Bey

Ethel Lois Payne was a female African-American journalist during the Civil Rights Movement. She was born in Chicago, Ill. and later moved to achieve a successful career in journalism. She became the first African-American female to be hired at the TV network CBS in 1972. She was well known for reporting domestic politics and international stories. She was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. Today there is an award called the Ethel Payne Fellowship, given by the National Association for Black Journalists, that gives journalists who are interested in going over seas to achieve a career in journalism such an opportunity. Not only did Payne make history, she is also an inspiration to many African-American women like myself that want to have a career in the journalism field.

John Newton Templeton

Kentisha Dinham

John Newton Templeton

In approximately 1805, John Newton Templeton was born on a cotton plantation in rural South Carolina. At the age of eight years old, Templeton along with his family were freed by the will of his owner in 1813. At this time he, along with his family, moved to the state of Ohio, eventually taking residence in Adams County. Ohio University, opposed to any other institution, allowed qualified men of color to seek admittance without any confining provisions.

With the assistance of the president of Ohio University at that time, Reverend Robert G. Wilson, Templeton applied and became enrolled in 1824. Four years later, John Newton Templeton earned his bachelor’s degree becoming the first African-American to graduate from Ohio University and the fourth African-American to graduate from a university in the United States. Throughout his college career, Templeton sustained a remarkable academic rank and was actively involved in the Athenian Literacy Society.

After completing his time at Ohio University, Templeton went on to become one of the officers of the Chillicothe Colored Anti-Slavery Society. He became co-editor of a local African-American newspaper formerly known as The Mystery. He was also the first teacher and principal of the first and only school designated for black children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It is very apparent that Templeton’s legacy still lives on at Ohio University. Along with a scholarship fund for multicultural students in his honor, John Newton Templeton has also had the acclaimed Alumni Gate constructed to represent the impact of his presence here at Ohio University.

Alvin C. Adams

Daijah Abram

Photo from http://shaclackclack.tumblr.com/

Alvin Clay Adams Jr. was born on State Route 377 between Chesterhill and Sharpsburg, Ohio on April 30, 1937. After graduating from Coolville High School, Adams enrolled himself into Ohio University and in 1959 he became the first African-American journalism graduate from the university. After graduating, Adams married his college sweetheart Ada Woodson.

He then went on to work for the Chicago Defender. Adams spent most of his time writing about the black civil rights movement and covered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.

After leaving the Defender, Adams went to work for Jet magazine in 1965 where he covered the assassination of human rights activist Malcom X and interviewed many African-American icons such as Elijah Muhammad and Muhammad Ali.

Adams and his wife have two children, Amelia Adams and Alvin C. Adams III. After retiring as a full-time reporter and spending some time working in public relations, Adams moved back to the Athens area in 1998. In the following year, Adams and his wife co-founded the Multicultural Genealogical Center in Chesterhill, Ohio—along with Richard Wetzel, Stephen Smith, and Gracie Hill.

In 2002, Adams was the inspiration behind the African-American Research and Service Institute at Ohio University and he continued to work on and organize many other community projects until his unfortunate death in 2004.

In 2007, Ohio University honored its graduate by naming a newly built South Green residence hall in his name. In 2007, Ohio University posted an article with a quote from Ada Adams. "I'm so excited about the dedication ceremony--I can barely speak," she said. "Alvin would not believe it himself, and he would be so proud and thankful to Ohio University for this honor. Our entire family is just in awe!"​​

Black Girls Rock

Taijuan Moorman

The Black Student Union hosted Black Girls Rock Sunday, Feb. 16, an award show honoring black women all over campus.

Categories included Miss Congeniality, Campus Involvement and Leadership, Performing Arts, Academics, Community Service, as well as categories for faculty and graduate student awards.

OUABJ’s very own Aunjanna’ Million performed a monologue on the black woman, along with other musical and poetic performances by Jeffrey Billingslea, Kaitlyn Wilson, and Alexis Apparicio.

 These performances highlighted the importance the black woman has on not just African American culture, but American culture in general. These students spoke (and sang) about strength, individuality and beauty, and all were uplifting in their own way.

Winners included Nichole Lowe for Academics, Professor Stephanie Sanders for Outstanding Faculty Member, Lauren Price for Community Service, LaDonya Jackson for Outstanding Graduate Student, Tsaisa Mercado for Performing Arts, Lauren Holland for Leadership, and Zainab Kandeh for Miss Congeniality.

Throughout the presenting of awards, a video presentation was shown of students and community members being asked, “Why do Black Girls Rock?” Interesting yet positive and encouraging answers were given for such a large question, from people of different ages and ethnicities.

Later in the program, guest speaker Faith Redd-Walker came to the podium and gave encouraging words to the students and faculty in attendance.  Redd-Walker is a professional makeup artist, and discussed why she enjoys her profession. She said that the opportunity to help women become confident and bring out their inner beauty was a joy to her. She also referenced the theme of the night, saying that the “Black Diamond” was tougher but more rare than the more common colorless diamond, and beautiful all the same.

The night ended with closing remarks and refreshments being served, but the importance of the second annual event is still enduring. With as many negative images portrayed in the media on black girls, and women in general, it’s great to have an event that tries to combat these images, and uplift at the same time.

Gordon Parks

Taijuan Moorman

Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

Gordon Parks, best known as the director of “Shaft” as well as work on Life magazine, possessed many talents including photography, music, writing, and directing. Cultural anthropologist and author Lee D. Baker described him as, “one of the most provocative and celebrated photojournalists in the U.S.”

Born in 1912, as you would imagine, Parks didn’t have the best childhood. He went to a segregated elementary and high school, where teachers insisted pursuing higher education would be a “waste of money.” He experienced hate crimes, including one instance when three white boys threw him into a river, already knowing he couldn’t swim. Also during this time, Parks' mother died, eventually leaving him to fend for himself on the streets.

In his mid-twenties Parks was struck by the photography bug. He first started photographing for a women’s clothing store, and later would move from job to job. He specialized in subjects like women’s fashion and Chicago’s black ghettos. 

The racism he encountered in the 1940s, inspired photographic works such as the famous “American Gothic, Washington, D.C.” and other photographs with it's subject. Racism also inspired Parks’ to change jobs when faced with prejudice and discrimination. Despite these attitudes, Parks was hired as a freelance fashion photographer for Vogue, working for them for a few years. He published two books during this time: “Flash Photography” and “Camera Portraits: Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture.”

American Gothic, Washington D.C. Photo from Wikipedia

During the next 20 years, Parks would work for Life magazine, covering everything from fashion to sports, poverty and portraits of important figures of the time, such as Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. In the 1960s Parks used his own photographs to illustrate his books of poetry and memoirs. He would also write “The Learning Tree” in 1963, “Shannon” in 1981, and various other novels, poetry, autobiographies, filmmaking books, and photographic instruction manuals.

As a director and musician, his various accomplishments include the films: “The Learning Tree,” “Shaft” and its sequel “Shaft’s Big Score,” “The Super Cops” and “Leadbelly” as well as the musical works: “No Love,” “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra,” “Tree Symphony” and “Martin.”

Gordon Parks married and divorced three times, and had four children, and was the godfather to one of Malcolm X’s daughters. He received many awards and honors throughout his career, including “Magazine Photographer of the Year” by the American Society of Magazine Photos in 1941, the NAACP Spingarn Medal in 1972, and the Library of Congress selected “Shaft” for the National Film Registry in 2000.

SIBS Weekend In Photos

Jasmine Lambert

Photo Credit: Ayo Awojinrin

Friday: Night at the Apollo

College students, and visiting high school students, watch the night's performances.

OU student and singer, Stephanie Allaire, performing her original song while playing the piano. Her performance landed her in the final two.

While waiting for the judges to decide the finalists, students came onto the stage for a friendly dance competition.

A group of college students participated in the impromptu rap battle while the judges deliberated.

All of the finalists gathered on stage with co-hosts, Brittany "TaTa"Artino and Kellee Perez.

The night's winners, Tanner Cameron and Michael Mathews (not pictured), performed a beautiful duet.

Saturday: FACES Fashion Show

The men of FACES performed their own scene, complete with passing out flowers and choreography.

The ladies embrace their natural looks in this portion of the show lead by executive board members, Jordyn Tramble and Tiarra Comer.

President of FACES, Shambrion Treadwell, works the runway.

During the 1984 scene, two models look like they are enjoying themselves as they pass each other on the stage.

Marcus Cole performed his original poem, "Styleationship," which garnered a huge positive reaction from the audience.

FACES ended their #30yearsontherunway show with "Dark Couture" and left the audience wanting more.