LDL Magazine - June 2023, Volume 2 Issue 6

LDL Magazine

Sujets

• Education
• Narratives
• History
• Entrepreneurship
• Art
• Revista
• HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
• Community service
• Narrative
• Scholarship
• Juneteenth
• Magazine

Informations

• Publié par: LDL Magazine
• Date de parution: 16 juin 2023
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 114 Mo

Extrait

LDL MAGAZINE Volume 2 Issue ” INSIDE LOOK: AMOR SWIM KING PROLIFIK TOBI NANCY KESHINRO

JAY WILLIAMS

JUNETEENTH SPECIAL EDITION

C

O

N

T

E

N

L e t t e r f r o m t h e E d i t o r 5

T

E d u c a t o r , S p e a k e r , & C o n s u l t a n t J a y W i l l i a m s ”

U D a z z l e F a s h i o n S e w i n g R u l e r  R h o n a E a s t m a n J a c k 1 5

D D a s c e n s i o n T h e W a l k e r B r o t h e r s 2 5

T o b i N a n c y K e s h i n r o  F o u n d e r o f N K A r t S p a c e , a V i s u a l A r t i s t & A r t c u r a t o r . 3 2

2

C

O

N

T

E

N

E x q u i s i t e t h e B a r b e r Q u e n t i n 3 8

T

F e a r l e s s F a c e s C o s m e t i c s A s i a o n n a E l e y 4 4

V i s u a l A r t i s t o f I n f i n i t e M e d i u m s B r y a n " K i n g P r o l i f i k " H i c k m a n 5 4

B i s F o r B r i d e B e b e B e a u ” 4

3

C

O

N

T

E

N

A m o r S w i m K e l i s h a L o p e z - S h e a l e y 7 1

T

F a s h i o n & W a r d r o b e S t y l i s t S y e i d a h M c B r i d e 8 0

A n c e s t r a l M a n i f e s t a t i o n s 9 0

F o l l o w L D L M a g a z i n e 9 8

4

LDLMagazine

L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R

June's issue of LDL Magazine is all about honoring the

African Diaspora culture, history, art, narratives, community service, entrepreneurship, and more. Grab your favorite drink and enjoy the Juneteenth Special Edition! With Love, Le'Marqunita De'sharay Lowe (LDL)

Blackness A noun. A pronoun. An adjective. A verb. A proverb. Poem by: Le'Marqunita Lowe

5

W

i

J a y l l i a

m

s

Educator, Speaker & Consultant

J

a

y

W

i

l

l

Hello Jay Williams! What inspired you to become a coach?

i

a

m

s

My decision to become a learning coach was sparked by a few things! I was a middle school

classroom teacher for about 12 years, and although I loved working with my students, I started

craving new challenges. As a Black male educator, unfortunately, I experienced many incidents of

inequity and racism, specifically microaggressions, stereotypes and anti-Black racism towards me

personally, as well as my students. These first hand experiences really drove the inspiration to impact

change on a wider scale. I knew for a fact that I couldn̕

t be the only teacher experiencing these

issues, and that there were many students, who look like me, also held hostage to these societal

stereotypes. With the portfolios I carry, becoming a coach has since allowed me to effectively and

directly aid in creating system wide change.

You are a Learning Coach at the Toronto District School Board. What does this role look like for you

on a weekly basis?

Part of the beauty of my role is that no two days are the same - on a weekly basis there can be

similarities from time to time, but the role is unique and forever changing! Generally, I liaise with

superintendents, administrators, and teachers on issues and incidents of inequity. Sometimes this

translates into me presenting ways/methods to help to build their capacity and knowledge on issues of

equity, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and other times it could be me first-hand responding to more

specific, pressing incidents based around hate and racism. Oftentimes, these interventions open up

new doors into schools and communities across the entire district.

My additional portofolio is the Black Student Success and Excellence program. Through this initiative, I̕ m able to connect with specific schools to co-create opportunities of academic excellence, high expectations, Black joy, and Black excellence for Black students. Traditionally, academic spaces and institutions have never highlighted the need for a safe learning and affirming space for Black students, so it is very rewarding to be able to provide this for our youth.

As an educational speaker, you talk about crucial topics. Some of these topics include race and Black

masculinity. Why do you think the discussion of race is important?

Race is one of those taboo subjects that we̕ ve been taught to not discuss, at least not in public; however, it is very important that we engage in these conversations. We have to talk about race because it̕ s so intricately tied to how we live and engage with the systems that govern us. Race permeates all the systems and clearly speaks to the inequities that have always existed. What I speak about is how as a Black man in education, I am navigating that system for myself and others. I recognize the perspective and voice I bring to the conversation for those that don̕ t share the same lens. Audiences range from students, to parents, families and community members, to educators and

all have varying understandings and experiences. One of the staples of my engagements is creating a

foundation of common understandings, dispelling myths, and naming misconceptions. This work

cannot be effective if these steps are taken.

7

J

a

y

W

i

l

l

i

a

m

s

How would you define Black masculinity? Why is the discussion of Black masculinity important?

In my opinion, there is no clear definition of Black masculinity; how I define it may differ

from how another Black man defines it. However, the common ground, and what one would

hope we can all agree on, is that the idea of Black masculinity was formed over 400 years ago

in North America and is historically based on (often false) narratives and perceptions of Black

men. Looking at current day understandings of Black masculinity, I believe it is an alternative

form of masculinity. Mediums in pop culture continue to uphold the structures that paint

Black masculinity as less than, while upholding and uplifting white masculinity as being ideal.

Based on my experiences, by the time a young Black man reaches adolescent years, they have

been inundated with messages of pro-masculinity, relationships with women, financial

expectations, etc. There is a very clear message that is relayed to Black boys, which is a very

different message that non-Black boys receive about what it means to be a man.

Unfortunately, there are systems in play that reinforce these messages. Black boys are often adultified way before their non-Black peers. A story I often share that speaks to my own experiences of adultification as a young Black boy took place around 11 years of age. As a student, taking the public transit and paying the child fare, I was constantly accosted about my age, and even asked to ̘ prove it̙ due to my ̘ abnormal size̙ and look for a 7th grader, while my non-Black peers of the same age were not treated in the same manner. It̕ s messages like these that continue to perpetuate the Black male gaze and false narratives of Black masculinity.

What are some other topics you discuss as an educational speaker?

As an educational speaker, I discuss all things education, but if I had to narrow it down to my areas of focus, the main topics would be: race, Black masculinity, what it means to be a man, HipHop as critical relevant pedagogy, culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy and critical race theory in education. My aim is to connect with people to facilitate the process of informing and re-educating in all environments, not just educational settings. I̕ ve been blessed to connect locally with schools, parent/caregiver associations, young men̕ s groups, school boards, universities, municipal and provincial organizations, and governmental sectors. I believe in the importance of being a role model to engage, empower, motivate, and inspire not only students and educators, but society as a whole. I am cognizant of the way I deliver

my message and how my intersectionalities and experiences allow the impact to resonate

distinctly from others who may have similar messages/lessons.

9