Women around the country decided that this election year, they would get in the game instead of standing on the sideline. From Julia Stratton of Illinois, who was elected Lieutenant Governor, to Krystal Simmons to was elected to the House of Representatives for South Carolina, women around the country have been responsible for flipping their districts from Red to Blue. Check out a few of these trailblazing women below.
Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion
Meet Jordan Jackson, the 19-yr-old who recently made history as the youngest shop owner in Northwoods Mall, in North Charleston, S.C. Jordan has been making waves since the grand opening of Birch & Pen last week, and he allowed us to stop through and check out what this out-of-the-box, young, hip, boutique has to offer. You can head over to Birch & Pen, located at Northwoods Mall in the Dillards wing, North Charleston, South Carolina.
Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion
For those of us living in Charleston, S.C., June 17, 2015 is a day branded on our hearts, minds and souls. For the majority of us, we remember what were doing, where we were, and how we felt as we slowly began to hear about what had taken place at Emanuel A.M.E. Church that evening. This day took Charleston, S.C. from being the number 1 place for southern hospitality and tourism, and catapulted us into martyrdom; a catastrophic example of what happens when racism and hatred is allowed to breed from one generation to the next.
Now, the story of Emanuel and the beautiful people who were murdered in this historically black church, will take center stage once again. Actress Viola Davis, who was born in St. Matthews, South Carolina and Golden State Warrior’s Point Guard, Stephen Curry partnered together to tell the story on what happened that fatal night.
The story “Emanuel”, directed by Brian Ivie, will narrate the events that led Dylann Roof to walk into a Wednesday night bible study and murder nine African American church members during their closing prayer. Along with the expertise of Ivie, Curry is bringing on his production company, Unanimous Media, and Davis is also using her production company, JuVee Productions; both are named as executive producers.
What can we expect in this documentary? Probably much of what many of us locals have already seen: in depth interviews with family and survivors. Many people outside of Charleston have never heard from the survivors who made it out of the room that night; now their stories will once again be placed on an international platform. Right now, many are curious if the production duo will delve into the history, family background, and environmental aspect of Dylann Roof, his family and his influences? And if so, how deep will they go to get Roof’s perspective and/or discuss the how racism, culture, and rhetoric influenced this massacre?
Emanuel 9 – Charleston Will Never Forget
What many of us hope, especially many of us in the African American community, is that they don’t make this documentary some sort of Kum Ba Yah version of how black people came together with white people after a tragedy – that would be a catastrophe! However, based on these statements, its starting to sound like that’s where we’re headed.
In a statement, Steph Curry went on to talk about his roll as a producer for “Emanuel”:
“Emanuel is an incredibly powerful film and we’re honored to come on board as executive producers. The documentary highlights how a horrible tragedy can bring a community together, and spreads an important message about the power of forgiveness. Stories like this are the reason we created Unanimous and entered the entertainment space. I hope the film inspires others like it does me.”
Viola Davis also made a statement, that also sounds very Kum Ba Yah-ish
“June 17, 2015 served as a stark reminder of the power of racism. That evening, a routine bible study at Emanuel Church was a soft target based solely on the racial profile of the congregation. We, along with the country, grieved each family’s loss. Yet, miraculously, from this devastation we witnessed tremendous benchmarks of humanity. The survivors found courage to love in the face of hate. JuVee is proud to be a part of this healing and truth telling along with Unanimous Media, Brian Ivie and John Shepherd.”
These powerhouse forces in the entertainment industry are sure you create a beautiful documentary on Emanuel and the lives of each person in church on that fatal night. They have the money, influence, and resources to create a powerful film. However, there is a deeper story that needs to be told; as important as the aspect of forgiveness may be, and yes, it is highly important; there is the elephant in the room. Black people continue to deal with a vitriolic hatred that is ingrained in southern culture. The story of Emanuel isn’t all about holding hands and giving hugs; many of those people who held hands on the Ravenel Bridge, also wanted to continue flying their confederate flags AND voted for the most racist president our generation has ever seen. So please, Steph and Viola, make us proud, but please, miss us with the Kum Ba Ya.
Source: The Wrap
Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion
So, do you have your voting squad? Michelle Obama, despite her family being threatened with pipe bombs, have been working nonstop to get voters to the polls, especially during these midterm elections. Her latest campaign is called #VotingSquad
“You are the best messengers to get out the vote. You know who’s too busy or too forgetful or who might flake out on Election Day. I want you to reach out to five people in your life, in your family, at your school, your congregation, wherever. Just pick at least five people for your Voting Squad. Then do whatever it takes to get them to vote. Tag each other on Instagram and Facebook. Post group photos. Put everybody on a text chain. And then get to the polls on or before November 6th. Because when we all vote, we all do better.”
The instructions are easy :
Remember, we are only 11 days away, so make your voice heard.
Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion
Across the country we are seeing women and more people of color who are taking the leap, and jumping into the political deep sea. Most recently, Lucy McBath has decided to get her feet wet, and is running for U.S. Congress for the state of Georgia’s 6th Congressional district. McBath’s mission is to fight for the legacy of her son, Jordan Davis, and fight for national gun reform.
McBath is a national spokesperson for Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense for America. Most importantly, she’s a mother and a two-time breast cancer survivor – so if anyone is a fighter, it’s definitely Lucy McBath. However, she is best known as the mother of Jordan Davis.
She described Jordan and fun, active and a kid who wanted to know about everything. If you remember, 17 year-old Jordan was murdered by a white man, because he refused to turn down the music in a vehicle.
In an interview with Now This Politics, McBath says she was advised by another woman to wait and not run for Congress. McBath responded, “Ithink you just get to a point where you stop waiting for someone else to do it, and say ‘why not me?“
As the daughter of two civil rights era activists who marched alongside her parents during this era, McBath says she was living a somewhat normal life, until the senseless murder of her son. She says the murder of Jordan sparked something that was always there, but had not been sparked in some time.
McBath was considered the dark horse, she came into the race last, didn’t have all of the resources in comparison to the other candidates, and was the only minority female running. Despite it all, she was able to clench the nomination and is now in the running to take her seat on the House floor. In the Now This interview, McBath says that black woman have been the backbone of this country and “our experiences give great credibility to what’s possible for young women and little girls.”
“You feel for her as a mother,” said Cheryl Brown, 60, in a New York Times interview. “Years before meeting Ms. McBath, Brown kept a Jet Magazine cover featuring Jordan Davis at her Atlanta-area home. The cover read, “Is Your Child Next?,” and it resonated with Ms. Brown because she, too, fears her black son could fall victim to racist violence.“
Lucy McBath’s heart is definitely in her campaign, and in her purpose. Let’s hope she wins in the upcoming Georgia election, and we pray that through her, Jordan Davis’ legacy will continue.
Source: NowThis and NY Times
Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion
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