Author: CHRISTI THOMAS

For my video story I’d like to do a “Day in the Life” type of video with my cousin who is a football player for Rutgers University. Like everyone else, the pandemic changed his life. It would be interesting to hear him talk about his workout schedule, academic life, and home life back in Brooklyn after 2 years away. Since he was a little scared to go in the first place, I think he’d have a lot to say about his experience as a student athlete going to another state and a D1 school. I’d also like him to discuss the #ShowMeYouCare movement that he and other Black student athletes started in sync with the outrage against police brutality that this year started.

TRACK: The recent presidential debates have proved that the election this year is very different. Besides the candidates, this race is unique because it’s Gen Z’s first opportunity to vote, which means that they were a huge target for politicians. Christi Thomas spoke with some members of the generation in New York about their opinions and concerns.

AMBI: Trevor Noah Reaction to debate. 

TRACK:  On Twitter and other social media sites Gen Z was buzzing with reactions like Trevor Noah’s after the final presidential debate on October 22nd. With over 8 million subscribers on YouTube and hundreds of thousands of views, Noah is increasingly popular with Gen Z and Millenials. His open mindedness and quick wits are definitely helping his case. One of the people I spoke to was Julia Varrichio, a member of Noah’s audience. She expressed that the debates didn’t really ease her anxieties about the upcoming election.

ACT: JULIA: I’m feeling uneasy about the election. Personally I don’t think either candidate is a worthy presidential choice, so I’m voting for the person that aligns more with my political stances. This has made it a little rough not with choosing who I’m voting for but more like my anxiety about what will come after the election.

TRACK: I also spoke with Jordan Eugene, who said that this country needs a leader, and that  the pandemic hasn’t really affected his decision.

ACT: JORDAN E: This country is in need of a leader in these times especially in this coronavirus pandemic. This being my first time voting has not affected my decision. I felt the same way for the past four years about who is in office. The pandemic has also opened my eyes to see what people’s

priorities are and what they want for this country and how we treat other Americans.

TRACK: Michelle Zinger, who voted previously in local elections, said that even though social media didn’t impact her decision, it still played an important role during the presidential race.

ACT: MICHELLE: For the country I feel like social media is really important when it comes to elections, because most people tend to rely on social media to make their minds up. That’s how my mom does it, she’s not registered, she’s not gonna vote but she’ll go off of what people tell her to do so I feel like that’s the case with most people.

TRACK: Julia, on the other hand mentioned that she was using social media to keep up with the debates and said that it helped bring attention to a lot of important issues.

ACT: JULIA: I think social media played a huge role in the election as well as see a lot of social injustice and the parts of the presidential debate on my social media feed. I think it has caused a lot of tension between the two parties and politicized things that shouldn’t be politicized, like human rights. But it also sparked some change that needed to happen. 

TRACK: Despite the rising concerns that social media may be a hotbed for misinformation, Jordan Brammer has accepted it for its importance and convenience.

 ACT: JORDAN B: Social media is kind of my main news source, which is scary but also I’ve got to acknowledge that I’m a full-time college student. I intern part-time. I just don’t have time to fit news into my schedule when I can just catch it on Twitter. 

TRACK: While voter suppression was another national concern online Jordan Brammer, Jordan Eugene and Julia Varrichio managed to vote in their own way without any issues.

ACT: JORDAN E: I voted actually two days ago in person and I do not know anyone who has faced any difficulties voting.

TRACK: Because of the pandemic, getting people their absentee ballots turned out to be a challenge for crowded places like New York City. Michelle Zinger in Brooklyn was of the many folks who dealt with such inconveniences.

ACT: Michelle: I’m voting by dropping off my absentee ballot on November 3 at my election day site. I didn’t really have difficulties well I haven’t voted yet but I did get sent the wrong ballot at first but that was when like half of Brooklyn got sent the wrong ballots. Because it was such a big mistake I didn’t have to do anything; they just re-sent it to me. None of my friends really had trouble, they just had to wait a really long time on the line which isn’t like a bad thing necessarily because that means more people are going out to vote. Those are really the only difficulties I’ve had. 

TRACK: The members of Gen Z that  I interviewed prioritized voting, in safe and legitimate ways. In the middle of a high-stakes election and a pandemic it’s important for the government to make that possible for its citizens. Hopefully next election season, ballots will be more efficient and early voting sites will be more accessible. For Baruch College, this is Christi Thomas in New York City.

 

For my radio story, I’d like to cover how people my age are feeling about the upcoming election. It’s Gen Z’s first opportunity to vote so I think people would have interesting things to say. I’d ask people how they’ve been keeping up with the race,  get general opinions on the country’s current state, and find out if they really believe that voting is important. I’d also ask them about their opinions about talking politics on social media, and the stunts celebrities have been pulling to encourage people to vote because social media has been influential to a majority of us. I’d try to have a group discussion on Zoom, but that I might have difficulty finding conservative people and preventing the conversation from turning into a debate.

On a block surrounded by Black-owned businesses people gathered to celebrate the Black community as advertised on @buildingblackbedstuy.

Kai Avent-deLeon, Rajini Jacques, Nana Yaa, and Sonia Yolanda formed the organization just this year. These four women have worked towards improving their neighborhood despite the pandemic, police brutality, and other hardships that this year has brought. While none of them responded to questions, their Instagram bio describes their dedication to “protect and preserve the Black community”. So far they’ve already fundraised to support The Watoto Free School, a pre-school that’s challenging educational norms with a Black-centered curriculum. The second fundraiser, is currently underway and will support two community businesses that their followers nominate.

Building Black Bedstuy’s block party showcased a variety of vendors, and non-profit organizations that serve the Black community. Most of the representatives were Black, or people of color, but Carbon and Gil were the only two that were white. Both of them are members the Uhurua Solidarity Movement, a white solidarity group. The members focus on finding ways to use their white privilege to benefit Black people, like by using their platform to educate. Before the pandemic, the group hosted raves or parties and all of the money earned was used to provide welfare to members of the Black community, regardless of their status. Carbon emphasized that “It’s not charity work, it’s reparations.”

There were a lot items up for sale at the block party. The selection ranged from clothes, to tarot readings, to cookies and other desserts. A vendor named Jasmine, was there selling clothes that she personally hand-dyed. She explained that dying clothes was a creative experience for her, that allowed her to captured and express her experiences as a Black woman. “Clothes are like armor to me” she said, “And it’s powerful to wear your emotions as armor.” Jasmine records her process and sells her clothes on her Instagram, @amp.wata.

Another vendor named K Denai was there, but her main goal wasn’t really to sell her book. “I’m here to give my book the time and promotion it deserves,” she said “I’m here for me”. Her book, Letters I Wrote But Never Sent, is a bunch of notes that she wrote for herself or loved ones that she collected over 5 years. During those 5 years Denai was getting used to life in New York City, which was a lot to get used to since she was from Michigan. She explained that putting the book together was a reflective experience, and it opened doors for her. “I learned a lot about myself, and realized I wasn’t alone.” K Denai described that her corporate job has prevented her from focusing on selling her book, and was grateful for the opportunity to represent herself at the block party.

A floral designer named Karla was also in attendance making floral arrangements for the people there. She runs her own floral design studio, called Olivee Floral. Karla also manages to make weekly deliveries, installations, attend events and have pop up shops. Despite the fact that she’s moved from Toronto to Crown Heights, she was at the block party to give Bed-Stuy’s community its flowers.

One of the vendors that stood out was Five Star Pharmacy, a Black-owned business run by a family of pharmacists. Richard explained that finishing pharmacy school made him realize the importance of a part of his family’s business. In addition to being an uncommon Black-owned business, the members of the Five Star Pharmacy family  prides themselves with being what Stephanie described as “patient advocates”, which other pharmacies aren’t. She explained that this means that they are fixated on giving their customers what was best for them regardless of it’s prescriptions or CBD products.

While the vendors of Building Black Bed-Stuy’s block party were important, the volunteers that kept it running were crucial too. People like Dominic and Franis spent the day making sure that things were running smoothly and safely for the attendees and the hosts. They made sure that everyone was wearing masks and as socially distant as possible. Both found out about the opportunity because they follow the organizers on Instagram. Francis looked forward to be empowered by the other Black women around her and  Dominic was enthusiastic about being around Black positivity.

Darren and Imani were two of the many people that went to the block party. They, like many of the other participants, were there to support their friends that were selling products. Imani mentioned that one was selling incense while the other was selling bags. With flourish she showed off her outfit and beamed about spending her last bits of NYC summer at the block party. “I’m here to see Black folks be happy” Imani said as Darren nodded in agreement.

Building Black Bed-Stuy’s first block party succeeded in gathering a bunch of different people to celebrate Black people and support their businesses. On September 19th, the group took a huge step towards their goals of generating Black wealth and liberating the community.

This workshop was held by Aundre Larrow, a Brooklyn-based photographer. During the workshop Larrow discussed the various aspects that make up a portrait, and gave the audience tips for taking good pictures.

The first thing Larrow went over was lighting. He explained that lighting was important because “photography is painting with light”. Larrow described different types of lights, and the role they play in photography.  He advised his listeners to ask themselves “where is the light coming from?” This would be helpful for the photographer to position themself to find the best way to capture their subject, and when studying other photographers.

The second thing Larrow spoke about what background, which he deemed a valuable tool when taking portraits. He suggested that we use the background to help the portrait, instead of drawing the attention away from the subject.

The third thing Larrow addressed was posing. He explained that peoples eyes tend to go to the brightest part of the image and encouraged us to use that to our advantage with posing. Larrow also emphasized the importance of eye contact and capturing the subject’s best angles.

Before finishing up Larrow gave the audience some pointers for taking portraits. He insisted that it was important to for photographers to take their time, in order to explore as many options as possible and to ensure that they got the shot. Larrow also told listeners to try their best to be authentic; whether that was through making the subject comfortable or by using their surroundings to enhance the picture.

Right before wrapping up Larrow did a quick demo of the Adobe Lightroom app, which he thought was the best photo app for iPhones. He showcased the app’s various features and demonstrated how helpful it was. Overall, the workshop was very informative and interesting.

For my photo essay, I’d like to do a story on a Black-owned bar my friend told me about called Bunton’s World Famous. It opened up just last year and is already kind of popular in Bushwick. I’d ask the owner about what it’s like to run such an establishment in this social climate, and during a pandemic. I’d also like to talk to the employees and the locals about their experiences and relationships to the bar.

My other ideas include talking to my younger brother, and his friends who are going through their first year of college online. I can also talk to other people I know that are first generation college students and talk about how they’re dealing with the pandemic transforming their education experience.