Me
Features
The Struggle for Black History Visibility
Within the Ann Arbor Bubble
10-year-old Nita Franklin coaches the "Junior French Dukes" squad in 1964 on N. Fourth Ave. and Beakes St. Her squad, from left to right, consists of Jeffreey Pee, 7; Steven Hinton, 5; Benton Thomas, 3; Michael Pee, 5 and Gregory Pee, 4.
May 3, 2019: When I got the opportunity to sit down with Shirley Beckley, a local activist and member of Ann Arbor's black community, I knew our interview was going to be special. I met with her one Saturday afternoon at a small Coney Island diner, and before I knew it, two and a half hours had gone by.
She told me about her experiences with race in Ann Arbor, starting from growing up in Ann Arbor's West Side –– the predominately black neighborhood that formed as a result of redlining and steering and quickly succumbed to gentrification –– to the public school system's integration and other racial injustices she experienced as an adult. My conversation with her led to a fascinating article about the visibility of the Ann Arbor's black history: Why don't people know about the death of a local black woman at the hands of a police officer? Why don't people know about the racism that came with integration? "The Struggle for Black History Visibility Within the Ann Arbor Bubble" is a feature that highlight's a small part of Ann Arbor's black history through Beckley's perspective.
For this article, I won an Honorable Mention in the 2019 National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) conference in the Digital Story of the Year: Multimedia Feature Story Package category.
This is a great place to tell your story and give people more insight into who you are, what you do, and why it’s all about you.
West Side Not Water Hill
Feb. 8, 2019: "West Side Not Water Hill" is the article I wrote that sparked my passion for journalism. This article is about Ann Arbor's West Side neighborhood, or more commonly known as "Water Hill." Because of redlining and racist housing tactics, the West Side was the city's predominately black neighborhood. Now, it has undergone rampant gentrification since the 1990s, and the neighborhood is predominately white. This history of the neighborhood and its black residents are vastly forgotten, like the fire where one of the parks is now, the practices held by the French Dukes Precision Drill Team and the racial tensions brought about by gentrification.
I interviewed Marlys Dean and David Malcolm for this article –– two black residents that grew up in the West Side. They have a deep history in the neighborhood, as their friends and family members went to the two predominantly black elementary schools, attended the local churches and shopped in the black business district. They both reflected on their lives before and after the neighborhood's gentrification.
For this article, I won second place in the 2019 Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) conference in the Diversity Coverage category.
March 6, 2019: Leah Dewey, a student in my grade at CHS, has a rare bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's Disease. Along with anemia, she has had to navigate her life with these added obstacles. She has had to try out different medications and their side effects throughout her upbringing. Dewey has struggled with her bleeding disorder, but she has managed to overcome the hardships that accompany it.
Note: In this article, there is mention of self harm and depression. If you or someone you know deals with these topics, contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or if you are a CHS student, reach out to one of the Depression Awareness facilitators.
Skate Like a Girl
In our media, skateboarding is continuously focused on men, and the women skateboarders that are paving the way for younger girls often go unnoticed. Lindsay Falbo, one of my peers, started longboarding in the summer of 2018. Now, it is unlikely to see her in the halls without her board, as it is her main mode of transportation.
My inspiration for this article was the movie "Skate Kitchen," a film focused on a girl-gang of skaters in New York City. The interviews with the skaters were inspiring, and it piqued my curiosity in Ann Arbor's female skaters. I was able to interview Kristen Theos, the instructor of the Ann Arbor Skate Park's All Girls Skate, as well as Amelia Brodka, a professional skater that has initiated empowering opportunities elsewhere in the country.
For this article, I won an honorable mention in the 2019 MIPA conference in the Sports Feature Story category.
A Taste of France in Le Bon Macaron
Sept. 25, 2018: This article is about a local restaurant that is most known for its macarons. The French ambiance of the restaurant transports guests from Ann Arbor. After graduating from Albion College, owner Kelly Toland opened a bakery specializing in cakes. After her first business became successful, Toland decided to start selling macarons in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Two Ann Arbors
Feb. 10, 2020: "Two Ann Arbors" is the story of a incident of police brutality at the transit center in downtown Ann Arbor, Mich. The story focuses on Ciaeem Slaton, a black teenager who, at the time, attended Pathways High School. After the initial incident, a few protests were staged in town on his behalf. But "Two Ann Arbors" is from the prospective of two years after the incident. Lori Roddy, the director of the local teen center, and Shirley Beckley, a black activist, reflect the restorative justice process. Most importantly, the article discusses the discrepancies between black and white teens in Ann Arbor, thus creating what feels like two separate cities.
For this article, I won first place in the 2020 MIPA conference in the In-Depth Feature category.
Black Youth Experience
March 8, 2020: The "Black Youth Experience" feature story stemmed from some of the discrepancies I heard of when interviewing people for "Two Ann Arbors." Lori Roddy, the director of the teen center, helped lead a survey in which black teens repeatedly stated they felt less comfortable downtown Ann Arbor than their white counterparts. My intention for "Black Youth Experience" was to interview different black teens to see how their experiences differed from their white peers. Many black teens mentioned that they have to wake up incredibly early to catch the bus from Ypsilanti, Mich. to attend Ann Arbor Public Schools, feel tokenization in the classroom and face micro-aggressions from peers and teachers.
The design of this article, which appeared in the third edition of The Communicator Magazine in the 2019-2020 school year, won third place in the 2020 Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) conference in the Typography category.
COVID Cases in Washtenaw County by Zip Code
April 22, 2020: Consistent with the national trend, black Americans in Washtenaw County, Mich. experienced higher rates of COVID cases and deaths. This map is a deeper look into the disparities by zip code in Washtenaw County. For each zip code in the county, the map lists population data by race and COVID cases, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau and Washtenaw County Health Department, respectively. The general trend of the map shows the highest number of COVID cases in the zip codes with the highest population of African American residents.
Krystle DuPree on Local Politics, Her Son and Relatable Perspectives
Feb. 10, 2021: The second edition of The Communicator Magazine for the 2020-2021 school year was centered around the theme of politics. But more specifically, politics from the perspective of teens. In our magazine, we featured local politicians and how the local youth have supported or inspired their campaigns.
I had the honor of interviewing Krystle DuPree. As a recent elect into Ann Arbor's Board of Education, she had led a largely youth-driven campaign over the summer. I sat down to interview her over Zoom in November, and I got to hear story. She once considered herself to be apolitical, but after having to advocate for her son in an educational setting, she was encouraged to run for a position on the Board.