Artistic Activism Heals Through Change
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PUPPETS: “A DROP IN THE BUCKET” See page 4 for story. Serving UNC students and the University community since 1893 DTH/VERONICA BURKHART Volume 123, Issue 58 dailytarheel.com Monday, August 24, 2015 Artistic activism heals through change UNC students, faculty and Chapel Hill residents use art to fight racism By Morgan Vickers ATTEND THE #SAYHERNAME VIGIL Senior Writer Time: 7:30 p.m. When the nation’s racial conflicts became Location: Wilson Library too overwhelming over the summer, senior June Beshea found herself logging off Twitter Info: on.fb.me/1NuB1it and turning to art. “It was a rough summer (with) a lot of death artistic endeavors relevant to the many racial and a lot of anger,” Beshea said. “I thought if problems and discussions happening today. we go back into that space (of the University) Similarly, as community organizer of The and we don’t have healing, everyone’s going to Siren, a student-produced magazine focusing be so exhausted.” on feminist issues, sophomore Olivia Linn To find that healing, Beshea wrote and per- spent the past year using art to fight back formed spoken-word poetry, read literature by against prejudices. black women and attended vigils. In the spring editon, the focus topic was race. “We get them to see things in different ways Although The Siren focuses on combatting through protesting, but we get them to feel different issues through art, Linn said she does different ways through art,” she said. not believe that art alone can eradicate preju- Tonight, Beshea hopes to encourage dices, especially one as complex as racism. more healing by bringing the artwork and “I don’t think that art itself is the kind of words of black women to the forefront at the thing that will create the kind of change that #SayHerName vigil in memoriam of Sandra we’re looking for,” she said. “But it does create Bland, a 28-year-old woman found dead in her a cultural shift, and it does bring awareness to Texas jail cell on July 13. a lot of issues.” Like Beshea, many students and local resi- Whether or not art brings about change, dents have been turning to art to find peace in Freelon said he believes it serves as a major the midst of an era of many racial conflicts. driving force behind activism, particularly in In the middle of the August heat, Pierce the African-American community. Freelon, a lecturer in the Department of “The artists who are part of a community African, African American and Diaspora truly have their fingers on the pulse of the Studies, spent two weeks helping a 12-year- community and are truly in solidarity with old learn how to crochet hats that fea- the people.” ture the words “#BlackLivesMatter” and In the past few months, public figures “#SayHerName.” around Chapel Hill seem to have agreed. The Freelon, who is also an artist and leader at Chapel Hill Arts Council annual Community ARTVSM Studios on Franklin Street, helped to Art Project focused on race in the 2015 proj- run BLK AGST (pronounced “Black August”), a ect, “ARTVSM in Performance: Cristo Negro, two-week camp where young African-American Diablo Blanco.” The “Parade of Humanity” students can explore their racial identities mural on the west wall of Carolina Coffee through various types of art such as filmmak- Shop now contains the words “black lives mat- ing, beatmaking and visual art. ter,” painted by the artist himself after it was “As M.K. Asante said, ‘The artivist uses her vandalized with the same words. artistic talents to fight and struggle against When she turned away from the racial ten- injustice and oppression by any medium neces- sions of Twitter and found solace in art, Beshea sary,’” Freelon said. “Art opens up different kinds had ideas of solidarity and justice in mind. of doors to different opportunities and new pos- “I think art is activism,” Beshea said. sibilities that perhaps were invisible to you prior.” “Art is meant to push those barriers at all DTH/KATIE WILLIAMS During the inaugural camp, Freelon said he times.” Sophmore James Street (left) is co-publicity chair of UNC spoken word collective Ebony Readers/Onyx attempted to not only put the black experience @mmorganpaigee Theater, known as EROT. Senior journalism and political science major Resita Cox (right) is president. into historical context but tried to make their [email protected] Trump, Deez Nuts looking good Q&A with last PPP poll one month ago, an inde- Independent candidate and pendent candidate called Deez Nuts has business Trump gain support in N.C. attracted statewide attention with 9 per- cent of voters supporting him. By Joe Martin Deez Nuts is 15-year-old Brady Olson school dean Staff Writer from Iowa who filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission for his cam- In April 2014 and August 2015, the White Donald Trump and Deez Nuts are paign “Deez Nuts for President 2016.” House invited business school deans and busi- surging in recent North Carolina polls, Frank Pray, chairman of UNC College ness leaders from across the United States to but analysts say current predictions are Republicans, said voters are showing an discuss why there are not as many women in likely to change. interest in Trump because the political business schools and careers and what can be Public Policy Polling, a left-leaning class has failed in addressing the same done to increase those numbers. private firm in Raleigh, released a presi- issues every election. He said Trump has Dean Douglas Shackelford of the UNC dential poll Wednesday showing Trump successfully marketed his position as a Kenan-Flagler Business as the preferred Republican candidate in political outsider. School attended both meet- the state, with 24 percent of people who “I think that Donald Trump, while ings and talked about responded supporting him. Ben Carson many of his positions are certainly outra- them with Daily Tar Heel and Jeb Bush followed with 14 percent geous, does really hit a nerve among the TNS/MICHAEL TERCHA senior writer Deborah and 13 percent, respectively. American people,” Pray said. Harris. In addition to the 8 percentage-point Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Deez Nuts (not pictured) are pulling ahead in North Carolina polls. increase that Trump picked up since the SEE TRUMP, PAGE 5 The Daily Tar Heel: What was your takeaway from the White House meeting? Douglas Shackelford was NC poised against EPA’s Clean Power Plan Douglas Shackelford: I would invited to the White say basically our business House to discuss Legislators avoid meeting EPA sions by 2030, but the N.C. Senate barred a sions,” he said. “It would eventually result in school is as successful as diversity in business recent N.C. House Bill’s attempt to order the the EPA denying the plan so that there would about any other school schools nationwide. standards for carbon emission. Department of Environment and Natural eventually be a legal conflict between the EPA in attracting women and Resources to develop a state plan in compli- and the state.” addressing these issues as any other school. By Tat’yana Berdan ance with the CPP. The current bill allows the secretary of And when I say that, I say that with a bit of Senior Writer An amendment to HB 571 forced the environment and natural resources to take regret because I don’t think any of the lead- Senate to allow the N.C. Department of legal action if the CPP is deemed to be con- ing business schools are particularly pleased North Carolina is joining the pushback Environment and Natural Resources leeway trary to other federal law. with the current level of female enrollment, against the Environmental Protection in creating a plan in partial compliance with But Brian Balfour, director of policy for and we wish there were more women in busi- Agency’s Clean Power Plan with doubts the CPP. Civitas Institute, said implementing this ness at all levels. about high costs and legality — but propo- But Rex Young, UNC’s Environmental plan could result in high costs and poten - So we all feel a bit frustrated and committed nents argue the legislation and its deadlines Law Project spokesman and a student at the tially negative economic consequences for to see what we can do in our prospective areas are workable. UNC School of Law, said the plan is designed the state. to increase their involvement. The legislation, announced in early August, to fail. requires states to lower their carbon emis- “It doesn’t go far enough to reduce emis- SEE EPA, PAGE 5 SEE SHACKELFORD, PAGE 5 Sorry losers and haters, but my IQ is one of the highest — and you all know it! DONALD TRUMP 2 Monday, August 24, 2015 News The Daily Tar Heel The Daily Tar Heel www.dailytarheel.com The best of online Established1893 122yearsofeditorialfreedom MORE TO SEE ONLINE: PAIGE LADISIC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected] MEDIUM Assistant Arts & MARY TYLER MARCH MANAGING EDITOR Entertainment Editor Ryan [email protected] Schocket reviewed the five KELSEY WEEKMAN best and worst movies of ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR the summer. [email protected] Track Talk: Don’t tell me what to do Your Fridays are busy TYLER VAHAN By Sarah Vassello political) new single? Check. — we get it. You’ve got VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR Arts & Entertainment Editor A track called “Let’s Be [email protected] sleep to catch up on, plans Bad” on an album called to make and feelings to BRADLEY SAACKS The Medium email (medi- Women’s Rights? Check.