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CULTURE CLASH

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TOP 5 REASONS WHY!

Closes the Racial Wealth Gap

Strengthens Local Economies Fosters Job Creation Celebrates Black Culture and Serves Communities Holds other Companies Accountable

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black lives matter

A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Three years ago Culture Clash distributed its first issue. On page 21 under an article I wrote titled, “Clashed Your Culture Lately?”, I added, “Every contributor in this magazine’s first issue is white. Come change that….” Beginning our fourth year now and for this issue centered on Black Lives Matter, most of the artwork and articles were written by authors with black and brown skin tones.

Two years ago Culture Clash distributed its sixth issue (Education) and on page 14 in my article titled, “Keep Austin White”, I wrote, “While many of us Galvestonians are familiar with living on streets of mixed race and income, our schools tell a different story.” The Galveston Independent School District’s Board of Trustees convened on October 15, 2020. Board members discussed the “lack of equity” between the three middle schools on our island, and the potential options to address it. I don’t know the solution, but I do know other alternatives exist and merit consideration, beyond the two proposals discussed by the GISD Board members. Get involved!

Today and now in our fourth year, we highlight Black-owned business on our island, we highlight the Black-Galvestonian experience, and we offer insight into a beautiful culture with amazing perspectives. Although there are many magazines in Galveston, we are honored to be the first magazine to focus soley on such an obvious and heavy topic as Black Lives Matter. The conversation has been started. Let’s not let it end here.

Write us an email or shoot us a comment any time online: CultureClashGalveston.com CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com

Leslie Whaylen Editor

ON THE COVER: Untitled by Amari Rowe. Charcoal Pencils on Paper “This is the face of a good friend of mine. I had made it in a time when we were apart and I thought of him often.” - See more of her work on pg. 26

be a better human

Protest. Get up. Stand up. Speak Up. Be a better human. We all have it within us.

103 Years of Protesting Who Does it Matter To?

By Lawanda Hardeman Ward

ON JULY 28, 1917, A GROUP OF BETWEEN 8,000 AND 10,000 AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN BEGAN MARCHING THROUGH THE STREETS OF MIDTOWN MANHATTAN IN WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE FIRST CIVIL RIGHTS PROTEST IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

On June 6, 2020, an estimated half million people of all races formed protest in 550 places across the country, due to the murder of George Floyd. Since Mr. Floyd’s murder, many others, AfricanAmericans and Latinos, have suffered or been killed due to police brutality or racial profiling. On August 28th, 2020, I was blessed to attend the #NAN Organization (founded by Al Sharpton) “Get Your Knee Off Our Neck” - March On Washington. Being at this march touched my spirit in a profound way. The night after the march was over, in my hotel room, I reflected on the injustices of AfricanAmericans and Latinos across the United States and even in Galveston County. I thought about people who practice White Supremacy. I thought about the tactics of the Trump Administration to suppress voting throughout the U.S. I thought about the corruption on our local Galveston City Council that’s been ongoing for years, yet has been swept under the rug.

In that hotel room in Washington, within my spirit I felt Elohim (GOD Mighty & Strong) say, “You’ve got an assignment Lawanda.” I actually said, “Lord you’re kidding, right? (Knowing of course God is not a kidder.) I believe and know that when God brings me an assignment, I pray and ask that my steps be ordered only by His Divine Spirit to accomplish it.

On October 3rd 2020, the March on Galveston was held. I stepped out on Faith and obeyed my Creator Elohim. Citizens came together in SOLIDARITY FOR JUSTICE. & POSITIVE CHANGE. About 75 to 85 citizens came together in unity, of diverse races. Men,

3rdMarchonGalveston

women, and children lined up with me and other community workers and campaign candidates, and we marched, rode bicycles, and skated down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd (29th Street) to the Kermit Courville Stadium (The Platform Program Site), where approximately 80 to 90 or more people were awaiting our arrival.

God had put the right people in place including: the keynote speaker Dr. Robin Twymon; a variety of guest speakers; and candidates on the local and state level. World-wide known African Americans Blues Artist entertainers, Trudy Lynn and Diunna Greenleaf supported my efforts and kicked-off the Peaceful Rally for Justice & Positive Change. The event had a wide range of outstanding African American & Latino vendors promoting their entrepreneurships, as well as food vendors. Numerous voter registration & census booths were set up as well.

The time is right for citizens who believe in equality and justice for all to Get Up, Stand Up, and Speak Up. I’m not a member of BLM, however I believe in their mission and purpose.

Here we are 103 years after the first African American protest held in 1917, still fighting against racism. We cannot get away from the color question. The question is, who does it matter to?

It’s time for peace, it’s time for African Americans and others shades of Brown all over this world to be treated fairly. Those who practice hate, don’t realize God does not slumber.

Photos courtesy of author

Galveston Monument Project

By JP Temperilli

ON MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2020, ISAAC FANUIEL IV STOOD AND SPOKE IN FRONT OF A COMMISSIONERS COURT OF GALVESTON COUNTY. He was slotted in between a number of speakers fighting for the removal of the confederate statue from the entry of the Galveston County Courthouse. This statue had bothered him since adolescence, and he was now speaking in front of the five men who could vote to remove it.

After a Juneteenth march, numerous protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, and appearances to speak at four separate Galveston County Commissioners Court meetings by a dozen different people, the Commissioners Court failed to hear the voices of those asking for dialogue and action. At a little after 10 AM on August 24th, the lone person of color on the Commissioners Court, the Honorable Stephen D. Holmes, made the motion to approve the “Consideration of removal of Dignified Resignation Statue from the Galveston County Courthouse Grounds.” The response from the four old white men assuming the other four seats on the court? Crickets [silence]. At that, by the rules of the Commissioners Court, the motion died.

Commissioners Clark, Appfel, Giusti, and the presiding County Judge Mark Henry never offered reason nor argument against it. They did not even vote against it. They simply sat quiet. Like elected officials scared to take a stance.

Most people don’t understand the importance of these Commissioners or a Commissioners Court. Like most bodies in government, they are supposed to hear the people and work on the people’s behalf. A Commissioners Court is the governing body of a county in Texas. Consisting of four precinct Commissioners and a County Judge, the Commissioners

The Blackbird Project is focused on economic livelihoods in subSaharan Africa and equality through the freedom of economic empowerment.

Court decides on budgets, salaries, bonds, infrastructure, appointments, and services within the county. In this case, the Commissioners Court serves as the gateway to removing a confederate monument from in front of a public space. Under Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s Commissioners Court has started to play the part and work for the people, but Galveston County’s clearly lags far behind. There was no dialogue, no consideration of the merits or consequences. Simply silence.

Issac Fanuiel IV’s words were unheard by the four privileged white men on the court. However, for a generation ready for change no matter their race, this is inertia, and it is only a matter of time until these divisive monuments are brought down.

The argument against removal is just as trite as you would assume.

“I would not support removing it,” Judge Henry said in 2017. “Where does this end? Today they’re offended by these statues. Tomorrow they’re offended by something else. Where’s the end of this?”

Equality, respect, and decency is where it ends, Mr. Henry. Symbols of oppression erected during the Jim Crow era have no place in modern society. Furthermore, do the monuments of a society not display a society’s values?

WHAT’S NEXT?

At what point do people become tired of being stonewalled and pull the monument down themselves and throw the thing into the bay? It’s a shame this is the response that comes to mind. Of the five elected officials on the Commissioners Court, only one had the gumption to take a stance. Four of five men elected to contemplate the issues facing their communities simply chose not to respond. No stance taken, nothing verbalized. Old white men, sitting comfortably in elected positions funded by taxpayers, many of them Black, chose not to acknowledge the issue. What kind of courage is that? Silence is compliance.

Currently there is a petition on change.org as Isaac Fanuiel IV continues his grassroots movements toward equality for the Black community in Galveston County. Patrick Temperilli, who helped kickstart the recent efforts to remove the monument, is currently pursuing graduate studies in Scotland. At some point, re-organization and another focused push will occur, and the leader will be, as it has always been, Isaac Fanuiel IV.

courtesy of author

For a couple of White brothers from the suburbs of Houston, my brother Patrick and I, the lightbulb moment came when we realized that racism is not a Black problem, it is a White problem inflicted upon our brothers and sisters of color. White people have created the systems which perpetuate racism. We are the ones infected with the disease of racism, and it’s up to White people to take a stand, call out all instances of racism or inequality, and take action in support of communities of color.

express Yourself

You are vibrant and and bright. Your words can move mountains and right wrongs. Express yourself, tell your island all about it. We are listening.

BLACK IN THE CHURCH

EVER SINCE I BECAME A CHRISTIAN IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS ALWAYS ONE OF THE FEW BLACK KIDS IN PRIMARILY WHITE CONGREGATIONS. Though outside of the church I faced overt racism, inside the church I always found love and acceptance. Growing up there was always this unspoken rule that church and politics were to remain separated, but in my eyes that rule seemed to be arbitrarily applied. If the subject was something like abortion then we should hold prayer protests and vote for the pro-life candidates. But if the subject was immigration or racial justice then those topics were deemed too political, divisive, and not a priority.

My mother recounted to me showing up for church one Sunday after the death of an unarmed Black man and how the church proudly displayed a large printed banner that read “We Support Our Police’’, with no mention from the pulpit or anyone else mourning his death. Now I proudly support our officers, many of them friends and co-laborers, but at a time when the Black community was hurting, the message to my mother from her church was simple: “You don’t matter”.

In her article, “Dear Evangelicals, I’m Tired of Sitting in the Balcony”, Mary Butler Coleman (in far more eloquent terms) outlines the engrained “indifference” of the White Evangelical church to the issues of Black Christendom. She likens it back to the era of slavery where slave masters would have their slaves sit in the balcony so they could hear the sermon without being a distraction; seen but not heard. Slave owners could pat themselves on the back for allowing their slaves to hear the gospel while denying them the opportunity to engage in worship, much less have a voice.

I know this seems harsh but this is what it feels like for many Black Evangelicals; we can show up for church and sing the songs, but we can’t bring up any issues that matter to us without being dismissed.

While it’s been beautiful to watch White pastors using their platform to amplify Black voices and call out racial injustice, the truth is they are few and far between. Instead, we Evangelicals

By Brandon Williams

demonize groups like BLM without being willing to do the hard work of racial reconciliation, and shame women who have abortions rather than using our voice to advocate for compassion and comprehensive healthcare.

But Jesus has called us to more!

I know we can be a voice of peace and unity but if we continue to relegate our marginalized neighbors to the balcony, not only will our worship ring hollow to a hurting world but we will miss out on a divine opportunity to show the world the breadth, depth, and richness of God’s love.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression... and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness...”

Isaiah 58:10

Why BLM Is So Important

By Kenshara Cravens

AS A YOUNG CHILD, IT DID NOT TAKE LONG TO UNDERSTAND I WAS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE AROUND ME.

I remember being at Mall Of The Mainland, waiting for my mom to get her nails done, and she gave me money to play in the play area there. There was another girl of the Caucasian race with whom I tried to play. Her response was, “No, she is Black.” As a six-year-old, that was my first experience with understanding Black might not equal positivity for others.

As a Black female, Black Lives Matter (BLM) is important to me because I could be the next Breonna Taylor, a person who went from being in her home in which she thought she was safe, to being murdered accidentally. This creates a sense of anxiety for me. For years even before I was alive, African Americans have had it harder than others. From slavery to police brutality, African Americans appear to be the main victims of unjust circumstances.

The BLM movement began in 2013, following the unfortunate death of Trayvon Martin. Since then, BLM has not let up on its priority to show how Black Lives DO Matter. Often, people think that by supporting BLM, you are saying others do not matter. This is completely untrue. By embracing others who have been through traumatic experiences within our nation, it shows how much you care about others.

Black Lives Matter has been more than a movement; it has become a way of life for some people. After many unfortunate Black deaths, people are beginning to join this movement because they believe in what BLM stands for, which is equality. People are spending their days focused on this movement and are making a difference in the world around them.

What Black Lives Matter means for Texas is that we need to step it up. Texas, as a state,

has a responsibility to continue to improve the quality of life for those who live here. In many research studies, Texas is a top state for police brutality in the United States of America. Black Lives Matter means to Texas we are not doing something right. Black Lives Matter means to Texas we need to do something different.

As a Galveston County born and raised resident, this moves me because this means to me that we also have a lot of work to do here locally. Outside of police brutality, there have been a lot of violent Black deaths here within the last year. A week does not go by that I don’t see either someone who I know from somewhere, or who is connected to someone I know, who has passed away here locally. What this movement means to me, being a person from this area, is that we have to come together to make a difference.

Black Lives Matter affects this area positively. It provides a safe, positive space for people who have felt wronged in the African American culture, and connects them to others who can stand next to them to advocate with and for them. More people can get involved by going to the Black Lives Matter website, Facebook page, and/or Instagram. BLM posts rallies and events, including zoom calls since COVID. There is no cost besides time to get involved. Like many nonprofits, those who do not have the time can also donate monetary gifts. All businesses have a responsibility to ensure they are advocating as well. This is something that I am trying to do with my nonprofit CRAVING FOR CHANGE FOUNDATION, where we offer career exploration, scholarship assistance, and college transition assistance to teenagers. We also have a mentorship program in which students in need are matched with someone positive who they can look to for support.

Galveston from the outside

By Honi Alexander

I MOVED TO GALVESTON KICKING AND SCREAMING FROM COLORADO.

I came here, not out of choice but out of obligation. My parents, specifically, my mother needed me as she was becoming more and more ill.

I did make the choice to fulfil my obligation and moved here. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t appreciate the beach. Yet. I couldn’t get used to the heat. Still. I couldn’t see the hidden charm in being a local and I couldn’t yet understand the simultaneous love and loathing for visitors to the island.

No, I simply didn’t want to be here. But I was needed, so I made the choice to stop seeing the reasons why I didn’t want to be here, and look for reasons I could love it.

I began to dabble in things I found interesting. I became a voter registrar and enjoyed registering voters at Galveston’s Own Farmers Market and other locations around the city. I met many people and

eventually got involved in gardening, politics, and real estate. I am, what I like to call, an outgoing introvert, so when I first attend meetings or gatherings, I stand back to watch and listen.

I hang in the periphery.

Viewing life from the edges allows for a perspective that is unique in that I see what those deeply involved may no longer see or have never seen.

What I noticed is most gatherings, meetings, and groups are generally either predominantly attended by White people or Black people. I rarely see large numbers of Whites at Black-hosted events and vice versa. I have always wondered why. I learned this is generally a topic of discussion within the groups.

At one meeting, I was the only Black woman in attendance. After brief introductions, the other women began asking me questions.

One asked:

“Is it African-American or Black?”

Another:

“Why aren’t more of you involved in politics here?”

“Why don’t more of you come to our meetings?”

I felt like I was supposed to answer for all Black women. I felt like I was being scrutinized and “othered”. Instead of being introduced and asked the general questions about my family, career, etc., I was asked about my race, place of origin, and to answer for all who looked like me. It was uncomfortable.

I told them I don’t know and would never speak for all Black women as we don’t all think the same. One said, “You’ll have to forgive us. You can’t grow up here and not get a little on you.”

Racism. You cannot grow up in and around racism and not get some on you. It’s on you, even if you are unaware you are exhibiting behaviors that are offensive and rooted in generations of racism. That one statement summed up the divide. PEOPLE HAVE NOT QUITE GOTTEN IT ALL OFF THEMSELVES AND NEITHER HAS THE CITY.

As I explore Galveston and stop in local shops, I wonder if the owners where I have chosen to spend my hardearned money see me. Will they engage with me? Will I be ignored? Will I be helped? Will they take my money, while still believing in and voting for policies and people who are obviously and actionably against the progression of marginalized groups?

In one local shop while we casually chatted, the owner tells me that he is going to vote for Trump because his finances are doing great. He says, “He is like that mean boss. You don’t like him, but the company is doing well so you tolerate him.” Does he know? Does he care this “mean boss” says the land where my ancestors are from is a “shithole country”? Does he care children are still locked in cages and women are being sterilized without consent? Does he care this “mean boss” refuses to denounce White Supremacists? Does he remember he said he grabs women by the pu***? I guess none of that matters when your money is good. I chose to keep my money.

I worked with a client and while waiting to complete his transaction, we began discussing the history of Galveston and Hurricane Ike in particular. He, my older, White, male client, made a sweeping motion with his arm and said, “It should have wiped out the entire area,” referring to the lower income, mostly Black and Brown neighborhoods. I paused, tilted my head to the side, and asked “What about the people?

You’ll have to forgive us. You can’t grow up here and not get a little on you. RACISM. “ ”

Where would they go?” It was his turn to pause. He looked blank, then he turned a light shade of red as he realized his mistake. The room was silent.

Many here are still fighting for inclusion, equality, and diversity, while others are so used to the way things have always been that they don’t even see the separatism sewn into the fabric of the city and therefore see no reason to change much.

Galveston has a long and deep history stemming back to the ships that traded humans as merchandise.

The racial tension is generational, and the post-Ike housing concerns have created deep and wide chasms in this city that people see and experience, but have yet to figure out how to repair.

Despite the needed changes, I have learned to love Galveston. I exercise on the beach most mornings, I teach gardening to children, enjoy the restaurants, and have made some great new friends from all walks of life.

I still wonder if people see a vibrant woman when they see me or if they see a stereotype first. I may never know. What I do know is that I see things on the edge of change. I am listening, I am watching, and I am staying involved. I am moving from the periphery to the inner workings and adding my voice to the future of Galveston.

Opening Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020

#TBMG

Artist Diana Ejaita renvisions how we see Juneteenth in relation to BLM .

“Much like June 1865, this moment, the one we live in now, this is a big moment of reckoning,”

Absolute equality?

By Samuel Collins III

ON JUNE 19, 1865, UNION GENERAL GORDAN GRANGER ISSUED FIVE GENERAL ORDERS ON GALVESTON ISLAND. ONE OF THOSE GENERAL ORDERS WAS GENERAL ORDER NUMBER THREE THAT FREED THE ENSLAVED PEOPLE OF TEXAS.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862 to go into effect January 1, 1863, but southern states did not recognize President Lincoln as their President and ignored the proclamation.

American slavery would not officially end until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865. The first official end of slavery celebration in Galveston was held on January 1, 1866. The former enslaved people of Galveston and Texas began having annual freedom celebrations on June 19th, later known as Juneteenth.

The former enslaved people of Texas chose for themselves to celebrate Juneteenth as their Independence Day long before it became an official state holiday. The former enslaved

Gen. Gordan Granger

people heard the words “absolute equality” in General Order Number Three and believed them.

Unfortunately, the former enslaved people did not realize the future would not bring absolute equality. Throughout the Reconstruction period of 1865 to 1877, former enslaved people and free Black citizens had to fight for equal rights. The Compromise of 1877 erased years of progress and still today many Black citizens do not have absolute equality.

Wanting absolute equality is not a desire for equal results. Wanting absolute equality is about creating a society that supports all to become his or her very best self for the benefit of the collective community. Black citizens are still waiting for absolute equality to be a reality in America.

The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were all passed over 150 years ago, but absolute equality was not possible because of convict leasing, Black Codes, and Jim Crow laws. Separate, but equal laws made it impossible to have absolute equality.

During the early 1900’s, the Lost Cause message

exaggerated stories of heritage that was accepted as history. Dr. David Lowenthal said, “Heritage should not be confused with history. History seeks to convince by truth … Heritage exaggerates and omits, candidly admits and frankly forgets, and thrives on ignorance and error.”

Our society still suffers today from this ignorance. Many cling to false narrative of the heritage they were taught and are unable to accept the true history that America has never achieved the goal of absolute equality.

The Civil Rights movement was needed because there was not absolute equality for all citizens. American laws should have been enforced to provide equal protection for all, but they were not.

We are a little over 50 years removed from the Civil Rights movement of the late 1960’s. Many citizens all over the country and world are fighting for a world that will have absolute equality. A difference in this current movement from the 1960’s is there now seems to be more non-Black citizens joining the effort to fight for absolute equality.

Unfortunately the Black Lives Matter movement message is being interpreted as a Black only movement by some non-supporters of BLM. It has also been assumed that BLM supporters are anti-police. BLM supporters are anti-bad police. There is a big difference.

We should all support the rights of individuals to peacefully protest. We should all condemn acts of violence against innocent people. If individuals want to understand why people loot, I suggest reviewing a 1968 interview of James Baldwin titled, “How to cool it.”

It has also been assumed that BLM supporters are anti-police. BLM supporters are anti-bad police. There is a big difference.

It is our turn to fight for absolute equality in hopes this time the victory will achieve the goal of a true free society.

In the interview Baldwin said, “On television, you always see Black hands reaching in, you know. And so the American public concludes that these savages are trying to steal everything from us. And no one has seriously tried to get where the trouble is. After all, you’re accusing a captive population, who has been robbed of everything, of looting. I think it’s obscene.”

Where is the trouble? The trouble is in the cracked foundation of America because “we” the people didn’t include all people. That is the problem. For too long, “we” and “all” didn’t mean everyone.

One hundred fifty-five years after General Granger penned the words “absolute equality” in General Order Number Three, people are still protesting and fighting to achieve that goal of absolute equality.

Union soldiers won the fight in 1865 for freedom because they did not stop fighting. The Civil War was over, but the job was incomplete. It is our turn to fight for absolute equality in hopes this time the victory will achieve the goal of a true free society.

FEATURED ARTIST

Christian Perkins

“I’m Not Done”

12 in. x12 in. - Mixed Media

C00LTURE

NEED TO KNOW

Nonprofit You Should Know

STOP THE VIOLENCE 409

A nonprofit organization established in La Marque, Texas, Stop the Violence 409 is known for job fairs, street ministry, helping the homeless, criminal reform, business training, and the go-to for many resources. The sole purpose is to help restore youth and young adults who have lost hope. They partner with the following organizations: WorkSource, the U.S. military, Flour Career, Barber College, Voter Registration, and citizen police academy. The ultimate goal is to save our community from becoming a victim to the streets. Stop the Violence can be reached online on Facebook at Stop The Violence 409. Contact Tracie Steans 409-655-9261.

nominate a queen

POSITIVE BLACK WOMEN ROCK

Presented by the About Face & Fashion Co.

Twelve African American women will be highlighted and presented to the community via a full-color, glossy calendar to be distributed throughout the county.

Women ages 25 to 80 who reside within Galveston County can be nominated via email: aboutfacefashionco.6@gmail.com Deadline November 30th, 2020.

Winners receive a free photo shoot with a professional photographer and make-up session with a professional make-up artist. Fashions will be provided by various local, Black-owned fashion vendors.

The announcement of the winners is set for mid-December. Email questions to aboutfacefashionco.6@gmail.com

cover artist Amari rowe

young artists

Amari Rowe is a young Black Galveston artist. Her skill and vision are beyond her years. Learn more about her on Instagram @AMARISART_03

Below “Dream Lady”

Below “Patient”

pulse

Nov. - Dec. 2020 Calendar of Events

NOVEMBER

E Sport Summit

Nov 6 – Nov 8

9 AM - 4 PM CST

GALVESTON ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER AT SAN LUIS RESORT

Admission: $50 per day or $125 for 3-day pass

CULTURE CLASH EPIC BASH 3

Nov 14 - Sunset - East Beach

DECEMBER

Dickens on The Squares

Dec 5 – Dec 6 10 AM - 6 PM CST

DOWNTOWN GAVLESTON

Admission: Purchase Tickets Online ONLY!

2nd Annual Bolivar Christmas Festival

Saturday, Nov 28

10 AM - 6 PM CST

Check the Facebook Event for more Christmas Dec 25

2275 STATE HIGHWAY 87 SUITE 10 #2621, CRYSTAL BEACH, TX 77650

Admission: FREE

WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED?

Email Us CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com

Ticketing blocks are available for 10 AM - 2 PM or 2 PM - 6 PM timeframes Sat. and Sun., DickensOnTheSquares.org

Kwanzaa Dec 26

Chocolate Lovers Unite

Stoli vanilla vodka, Godiva white chocolate and Irish Creme come together in sweet harmony, poured over a chocolate coated martini glass and garnished with shaved local rocky mountain chocolate!

Market Station - 2310 Market St

people of galveston

Jimmy Dillard and family (right)

For me, the BLM Movement has done and is doing exactly what it was created to do. The movement has brought awareness to a humanity issue that has been plaguing America for over 200 years. If you’re able to take an honest look at what’s been going on in America, you’ll see that some White Americans, specifically those who hold positions of authority, don’t treat some Black Americans with the same respect they would if the American looked like them.

Do you think that’ll ever change? I believe it will. Change starts at home though. I remember praying for change and the first change I was able to witness was a change in myself. I was in a really dark place after Alton Sterling was killed in Baton Rouge. I was angry. So angry that I went to a life insurance agency to take out a life insurance policy on myself worth $500K.

I was hopeless, trying to prove a point and was ready to put my life on the line for the cause. I was out looking for trouble, ready to be destructive, and wasn’t afraid of the consequences. I didn’t get the life insurance policy due to a technicality but looking back,

How has the BLM movement impacted you personally?

by

Culture Clash Staff

I realized that God blocked it. After I got the news about being denied for the life insurance policy, I took a long look at myself in the mirror. I looked into my own eyes and knew God did not want this for my life. I thought about my wife and children, my dreams and aspirations. Then I said to myself, “You’re no better than those who hate you if you hate them.” I desired change and God changed me. If God can change me, He can change anybody.

Your life matters to me. I don’t care if you’re a part of the solution or if you’re a part of the problem, I’m going to love you anyway. I can’t speak for all Black people, but as for me and my family, we won’t be a part of the problem.

I’ve had the pleasure of owning a restaurant in Galveston for about a year now. In the past year, we’ve gotten support from hundreds of people from almost every racial and ethnic background. All of their lives and all of the people who look like them matter to me.

Humanity matters- the human race. A collection of all races. Humanity matters to me because it matters to God. You are a liar if you say that you love, respect, and revere God but then turn around and hate his people. Humanity matters to God.

Johnny Lee (right)

As a young black male in todays’s climate it has sadly become the new norm to wake up hearing news of another brother or sister being wrongfully killed by police and accepting that justice will never come. The BLM movement, to me, is a way to remove that hopelessness and replace it with a feeling of dignity. Imagine not being a criminal, not having any warrants, not in the wrong whatsoever, but still being afraid to pull up next to an officer at a red light. BLM has personally made it a tad bit easier for me to cope with these anxieties.

Romell Thomas and husband (right)

My father is from Birmingham, Alabama. My grandparents marched with Dr. King in the 60s. My father was part of the first group of kids to integrate their schools. I think a lot about my grandparents and what they did since I feel that we are in a similar place today. They worked hard to be sure that my father had more opportunities so I could have more opportunities. While we are in a better place than in the 1960s, we are not in a place where we are all treated equal. Blacks, gays, women, and non-Christians are all treated inferior by some unfortunately. Each of us must continue to take a stand and fight for equality for all. Fighting doesn’t mean violence, however it does mean doing what we can within our power to be an ally to all at all times.

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