Black History Month February 2022: Ava DuVernay

November 22, 2022

We are highlighting examples of Black excellence every day this February….and beyond! Feel free to send us suggestions!

Ava Marie DuVernay (/ˌdjuːvərˈneɪ/;[1] born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker. She won the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere,[2] becoming the first black woman to win the award.[3] For her work on Selma (2014), DuVernay became the first black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and also the first black female director to have her film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.[4][5] In 2017, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for her film 13th (2016).

DuVernay’s 2018 Disney children’s fantasy film A Wrinkle in Time made her the first black woman to direct a live-action film earning $100 million at U.S. box office but had losses of up to $131 million.[6][7][8] The film received mixed reviews, with critics taking issue with the film’s heavy use of CGI.[9] The following year, she created, co-wrote, produced and directed the Netflix drama limited series When They See Us, based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, which has earned critical acclaim.[10][11][12][13][14] The series was nominated for 16 Emmy Awards including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series and won the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Limited Series. In 2021, she co-created an autobiographical miniseries with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick titled Colin in Black & White.

In 2017, DuVernay was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[15]

In 2020, DuVernay was elected to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences board of governors as part of the directors branch.[16][17] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava_DuVernay)

Black History Month February 2022: Simone Wildes

June 2, 2022

We are highlighting examples of Black excellence every day this February….and beyond! Feel free to send us suggestions!

An infectious disease physician with a strong commitment to racial equity in medicine, Simone Wildes, MD, has been much in demand in recent months, including appointments to two high-profile state committees: Governor Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 Health Equity Advisory Group.

These volunteer commitments are in addition to her duties as an infectious disease physician at South Shore Hospital in South Weymouth and clinical assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Wildes was one of the panelists on our Racial Justice Workgroup’s COVID 19 Vaccine Community Conversation for Black, Indigenous, and person of color communities in April 2021.

Photo credit: https://commonwealthinstitute.org/dr-simone-wildes/

Black History Month February 2022: Ronn Johnson

June 2, 2022

We are highlighting examples of Black excellence every day this February….and beyond! Feel free to send us suggestions!

Ronn Johnson (1959-2022) was a pillar of the Springfield, MA community. He was born in Hartford, CT on January 7, 1959, to Clara Johnson (nee Brown) and Fletcher Johnson, originally of Lumpkin and Cuthbert, Georgia, respectively. The Johnsons came to Springfield, MA shortly following Ronn’s birth and settled in their family home on Willard Avenue.

Ronn attended Homer Street School, White Street Elementary School, M. Marcus Kiley Jr. High, and graduated from Classical High School in 1977. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Western New England University (then Western New England College) and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Cambridge College.

Ronn would spend the next 40-plus years working to make the city of Springfield, especially the community surrounding Mason Square, a better place. He worked at W. W. Johnson Life Center and Dunbar Community Center before working for the Center for Human Development for 13 years. While he was working at CHD, Ronn founded the City-wide Violence Prevention Task Force, aimed at reducing gun violence and making the streets of Springfield a safer place for youth. Following his tenure at CHD, Ronn was named Director for Community Responsibility at MassMutual where he worked to bring resources into the Springfield community.

In 2012, after years of service as a member of the board and later as a consultant, Ronn became President/CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services. During his tenure, Ronn led the organization to raise millions of dollars in funding and expanded programming for school-age children, college-bound youth, and adult learners. There was a special place in his heart for the work of MLK’s food pantry, which provides a selection of safe and healthy food choices for over 300 families per week.
In 1998, Ronn, along with his wife Donna and friends founded The Brianna Fund for Children with Physical Disabilities – named after their daughter Brianna who was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. When an outpouring of support from the community resulted in an overflow of donations, Ronn made it his mission to continue the work of the fund to address the mobility and access needs of other families with children with disabilities in Western Massachusetts. In the last 24 years, The Brianna Fund has received over $750,000 in donations and provided assistance to 50 families.

Ronn was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He was a member of St. John’s Congregational Church, including previously having served as church Moderator. Ronn served on countless boards including Community Music School of Springfield, MassHire Springfield (formerly FutureWorks Career Center), Providers’ Council, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield’s Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse.

Ronn leaves to cherish his legacy: the great love of his life, his wife Donna, son Ronald, and daughter Brianna; along with his “daughter-in-love” Clinesha and his grandchildren Jade and Jonas. His mother, Clara Johnson-Bunn, sisters Jo-Ann Miller, Regina Jackson, and Charlotte Payne, and brothers-in-law Marvin Miller, Philip Jackson, and Todd Payne. He also leaves his deeply loved aunt, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is predeceased by his father, Fletcher L. Johnson, and stepfather Billy E. Bunn. Ronn also leaves countless friends, colleagues, fraternity brothers, and mentees throughout the country and in Springfield MA, which he referred to as his “Beloved Community”.

Photo credit: https://www.stcc.edu/about-stcc/news/stcc-remembers-community-leader-ronn-johnson-on-mlk-jr-day.html

Black History Month February 2022: Kent Alexander

June 2, 2022

We are highlighting examples of Black excellence every day this February….and beyond! Feel free to send us suggestions!

Kent Alexander is a anti-racism & workplace culture co-consultant as well as a poet, playwright, actor, and teacher, based in Western MA. His work integrates somatic practices while utilizing practical tools to investigate and navigate the history of racism, challenge stereotypes, explore otherness, as well as how to cultivate the skills needed to move beyond our biases and toward collective healing.

Kent worked with CTC for several years as well as Elms College, Mount Grace Land Trust, United Way of Hampshire County, UMASS Amherst Theater Dept., Center for Community Resilience after Trauma, TerraCorps, the Western Massachusetts Training Consortium, and the ValleyCreates initiative of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

Photo credit: https://www.mainspringchangeconsultants.com/

Black History Month February 2022: André Leon Talley

June 2, 2022

We are highlighting examples of Black excellence every day this February….and beyond! Feel free to send us suggestions!

André Leon Talley was an American fashion journalist, stylist, creative director, and editor-at-large of Vogue magazine. He was the magazine’s fashion news director from 1983 to 1987, its first African-American male creative director from 1988 to 1995, and then its editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013.

Photo credit: https://www.vogue.com/article/andre-leon-talley-interview-vogue-may-2018

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday January 17, 2022

June 8, 2022

Monday, January 17, 2022 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring one of the most important leaders and thinkers in American history.  Dr. King was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in the American civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a great opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s work, increase our understanding of his legacy, and take action to ensure freedom and justice for all people. Celebrating and building on Dr. King’s legacy is not limited to one day a year! May the momentum from the January holiday carry us into February’s Black History Month celebrations and beyond: into a daily practice of working towards collective liberation.

Here are some resources to explore and share and to inspire ongoing action:

A photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr sitting outside, looking toward the camera

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute supports a broad range of educational activities illuminating Dr. King’s life and the movements he inspired.  The Institute website includes links to documents, other sites, curriculum, and opportunities for further connections.

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, GA includes the places where Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and is buried. Come hear his story, visit the home of his birth, and where he played as a child.  Walk in his footsteps, and hear his voice in the church where he moved hearts and minds.  Marvel at how he was an instrument for social change. Even if you cannot get to Atlanta, the website includes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy of Racial and Social Justice: A Curriculum for Empowerment

Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) also has some great resources for educators/mentors.  Its collection of lessons, teachable texts and further reading helps educators bring the work of Dr. King to life in any learning setting.

Civil Rights Teaching is another source for educational resources for Teaching about Martin Luther King Jr. and beyond.

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”

Dr. King is known for his speeches and writings.  Here is a link to some of his memorable quotations.  Make sure to research the source of the quotation to gain an understanding of the context in which Dr. King said or wrote it.

The Arts provide an embodied connection with Dr. King’s legacy.

Colorlines has a playlist of songs that sample MLK speeches or reference his legacy.

Ultimate Classic Rock has 12 Classic Songs Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.

Stone Soup Café in Greenfield is hosting its second annual MLK Day Pick-Your-Own Film Festival! Choose from six incredible films.  Register at https://bit.ly/3G5Fmri

Check out the movie Selma, a 2014 historical drama film directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb. It is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches initiated and directed by James Bevel and led by Martin Luther King Jr., Hosea Williams, and John Lewis.

Many artists have been inspired by Dr. King’s work, including Faith Ringgold, an Artist-activist who illustrated King’s Letter from Birmingham City Jail in eight serigraphs.

Other ways to take action throughout the year:

Support organizations working on voting rights.

Support Black-owned businesses:

– Black-owned restaurants, grocers in Springfield and across Western Massachusetts you can support

– Amherst Area Minority / BIPOC-Owned Businesses

– Support BIPOC-, Veteran-, Woman-, LGBTQ-, Disabled-Owned Businesses

New data shows the impacts of quarantine on local teen mental health

June 8, 2022

For nearly two decades, the Communities that Care Coalition has coordinated an annual survey of Franklin County and North Quabbin’s 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. Each year, The Coalition works with local schools to collect and provide valuable data on teen’s relationship with their school, their families, and substance use. With the tremendous changes of the past year, the 2021 survey was adapted to better reflect the questions raised about the impacts of COVID and quarantine on our youth.

The Coalition has just publicly released the first pass at the 2021 data, focused largely on mental health, the fastest growing problem identified in the survey.

A screenshot of some of the people who virtually attended the coalition meeting via zoom. There's a 4x5 grid that showcases several Franklin County community members.
A screenshot of some of the people who virtually attended the coalition meeting via zoom.

Accelerated Release Plan

“Our data is always helpful, but this year’s data feels particularly actionable and time sensitive. We have school counselors with more and more students seeking help for mental health struggles. This data highlights the full scope of this crisis, confirming the toll COVID has taken on our youth,” said Sage Shea, who is one of the data analysts processing the results. “While results are anonymous, each school district receives a report on identified trends. In the past, we’ve sent survey results in the summer. This year, we’re releasing data in phases so the schools can act on it more quickly before students leave school for the summer.”

“The pandemic has amplified trends that we’ve been seeing for the past several years as young people have been spending more and more time online and alone and less and less time with peers,” said Kat Allen, the Coalition Coordinator. “This year of quarantine has taken that to an extreme.”

Student reports of symptoms of depression (measured by students answering that they were so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing some of their usual activities) have been on the rise over the last decade. Teen mental health was already alarmingly high in 2019 when 32% of students reported symptoms of depression. This number took an unprecedented jump to 42% of students in 2021. Similar increases were seen in reported symptoms of anxiety with rates jumping from 33% in 2019 to a previously unimaginable 43% in 2021.

A still from the slideshow that highlights a spike in mental health. Symptoms of depression have gone up tremendously while suicidal ideation haven't risen between 2019 and 2021.
A still from the slideshow that highlights a spike in mental health. Symptoms of depression have gone up tremendously while suicidal ideation haven’t risen between 2019 and 2021.

Longitudinal data trends for teen mental health.

When asked what they feel most worried about, students’ top three concerns were (1) climate change, (2) social justice issues, and (3) their appearance. Fears of personally getting sick from COVID ranked lower than the majority of other concerns.

In addition to high rates of loneliness and isolation, the survey examined poor mental health contributors like inadequate sleep (nearly half of students are sleeping 6 or fewer hours per night). Other contributors included tremendous screen time (more than half of students reported spending four or more hours per day in addition to the hours they already spend on their screen for school and school work), and school stress (not surprisingly, the vast majority of students found school to be more stressful and less enjoyable than it was before COVID).

All groups appear to be struggling, but who’s hurting the most?

Girls and Trans Students

Girls reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than boys (51% compared to 28%). Similar disparities were seen in rates of anxiety (56% and 26% respectively). Transgender and gender nonconforming students (who make up 4% of those surveyed) had even more alarming rates of mental health symptoms with 77% reporting symptoms of depression and 75% reporting symptoms of anxiety.

Queer and Questioning Students

Queer and questioning students (27% of the total sample) reported double the rates of symptoms of depression and anxiety than their straight peers (66% of queer and questioning students reported depression and 68% reported anxiety, compared to 33% of straight students).

Students of Color

Rates of depression and anxiety were also slightly elevated for students of color and for students from families with lower socio-economic status compared to their white and higher SES peers. When comparing mental health outcomes for specific racial and ethnic groups, Native American students (1.3% of the total sample) and multi-racial students (6.6% of the total sample) had particularly elevated rates of symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to their peers (50% of Native American students and 47% of multi-racial students reported symptoms of depression compared to 42% of white students; 50% of Native American students and 55% of multi-racial students reported symptoms of anxiety compared to 43% of white students).

“We know that even relatively small differences in mental health challenges between groups in adolescence can become exacerbated over time due to the unequal access to resources in our society. We also know those with more intersecting marginalization can be even more vulnerable,” said Shea.

One piece of surprising and somewhat positive news is that the survey did NOT show any change in the percentage of students who reported seriously considered suicide in the last year. That number remained constant at 17%. There remains, nonetheless, significant disparities between different identity groups – girls’ rates of suicidal ideation is twice that of boys (20% compared to 10%), and transgender or gender nonconforming students’ face higher rates still (46%). Queer and questioning students have more than triple the rate of suicidal ideation than their straight peers (33% vs. 10%). Students of color and students from families with lower SES have higher rates of suicidal ideation than their white and higher SES peers (20% vs. 15% in both cases). Again, Native American students were at the highest risk of any racial or ethnic group, with 35% of Native American students reporting suicidal ideation (compared to 16% of white students). Multiracial students also were at elevated risk (22%).

“The data really show how much our students are struggling, and how much we need to increase the mental health supports we have in place for students as we continue to transition to a new normal,” says Allen. “It is more important than ever to support our community counseling programs, to teach social and emotional skills to students of all ages, to help students build connections to their schools, their communities, and their families, and to work to dismantle the system of white supremacy which is at the root of these disparities.”

Press Features

Teen survey: Substance use down, mental health concerns continue, The Greenfield Reminder, Zack DeLuca, May 16, 2021

*Note, the press feature is different than the press release, pulling in more stats that directly mirror the flow of conversation from the Coalition meeting.

See Our Presentation

2021-Data-Release_Communities-that-Care-CoalitionDownload

Virtually Free Movie Screening

June 8, 2022

Among increasing calls for racial equity, Franklin County has joined those striving for change. In the fall, the Communities that Care Coalition (CTC) partnered with GCC, GCTV, Greenfield Savings Bank, and local schools for a virtual showing of “I’m not Racist, am I?” which broke Coalition records with over 700 devices and an estimated 1,200 viewers. 

This January, the Coalition collaborated with local organizations to start dialogues around the mass incarceration of youth. Every year about 300,000 kids are confined in juvenile detention in the US. 70-80% percent of those detained will be re-arrested within 3 years. Director André Robert Lee’s documentary “Virtually Free” follows the lives of three boys in Richmond, Virginia as they work with unlikely allies who partner to transform the juvenile justice system and stop mass incarceration. 

The film’s director, Lee, sat down with CTC’s Community Engagement Coordinator, Keyedrya Jacobs, and Greenfield’s Chief of Police, Robert Haigh, to have a dialogue after the screening.

“We’re used to seeing the blue line represent a brotherhood that always stands in certainty, unwaveringly backing each other and their way of doing things. But Haigh says when he doesn’t know something. He shows up and listens,” one event attendee remarked.

Jacobs, a strong local advocate for racial justice, first spoke with Haigh nearly 5 years ago in a community forum. Since then, she’s featured him on her podcast, “Let’s Be Honest” and has continued to talk with him through events like this.

“Haigh’s willingness to listen and show up has allowed our conversations to evolve and as we try to figure out how to change this system and make Franklin County safer,” said Jacobs.

Sage Shea, a program evaluator who works alongside Jacobs, added, “I’m an abolitionist, but I stil think harm reduction is vital even if it’s not as large as the end goal. The people working on all the incremental shifts that come with reform make police systems more receptive to radical change. At the end of the day, policing systems have disproportionately harm communities of color. I want that harm to be gone, but lessening that harm is still a win.”

“There’s been a clear hunger for learning and action within the community,” Shea added. The day of the screening, an estimated 300 people (150 devices) logged on to watch, and many more watched in the one-week following the live screening.

What’s more, is in a time of economic hardship when the country seems more and more divided, local businesses and organizations contributed to raise the money needed to pay for licencing and host the screening. From The Brick House to Greenfield Community College, Salasin Project to the Interfaith Council, and countless others, local collaborators contributed over four thousand dollars to bring this conversation forward and make the community a more just place for all its residents. 

“I’ve known the Chief for years, and he knows he needs to listen to Black women. We’ve been mutually available to each other. My approach to justice always starts from a place of, ‘I love you, and you can do better,’” Jacobs said. But their relationship isn’t always effortless. There were months when she needed space from him because she couldn’t emotionally separate him from the system he works within. 

“And he’s had to sit with that discomfort,” Jacobs added, pausing. “Haigh is a humble man, one of the youngest ever in this position. He knows he will forever be learning and that’s important. The biggest takeaway from the event was that even if you don’t have faith in the police system, we’re really fortunate that we can trust our Chief of Police here.” 

Haigh has encouraged his staff to watch the documentary. Still, the continued documentary screenings are just one of many tools. Haigh will be connecting with the Racial Justice Community Engagement Leader at the Franklin County Community Development Corporation, Traci Talbert, to build on this momentum. 

“I love that I know that my brothers and sons can be safe here and that the police are building these relationships in the community.  To me this is a win,” Jacobs ended with, smiling.