Journalism.
FORTY ACRES
A Man and His Land
By: T. Patrick
Kenny Camp was born and raised in Alachua County and is working to keep his family's farm alive — for now. Camp has worked on his family's farm since graduating high school but worries that the farm will die with him.
Black farmers made up 14% of all farmers in America in the 1920s, and they owned 16 million acres of farmland. Today, black farmers account for less than 1% of all farmers in the United States according to an NPR article written by John Ficara and Juan Williams titled “Black Farmers in America.”
A third-generation farmer, Camp considers the future of his land and the farming industry.
“I don’t know what’s going to become of the farm. I guess it’s something that I can’t really worry about, because I don’t have control over that.”
Camp’s daughters have no desire to take over the land once he passes away, and that makes him nervous. He knows this means his family will be losing the last of the land they gained decades ago and fought so hard to keep after being forced to sell a few acres for financial relief.
Many black farmers have lost the land they’ve inherited due to discrimination by the Department of Agriculture and some of the policies put into place during the 20th century.
Like many Black Americans, even black farmers that have managed to keep their land struggle to make a livable wage.
Camp is no different. After losing $3,000 worth of cold crops, he understands the importance of having the proper resources put in place for successful farming but also understands the obstacles he will face—both now and later in the future—are beyond his control.
YOUTH SAVED BY YOGA
A DIFFERENT WAY
By: T. Patrick
When people hear the word “Yoga,” they may think of a room full of middle-aged moms and wives trying to find calm before entering back into their routine chaos. Others may even think of stone-carved figures in India circa 3000 B.C. that depicted some of the first recordings of various yoga postures.
One demographic you may not immediately associate yoga with is black inner-city kids who deal with the daily stressors of living in systematic poverty and unstable environments.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Black Americans are at a greater risk of being brought up in unhealthy environments and unfair societal systems. The violence and uncertainty associated with growing up in these poor environments also play a significant role in why black Americans are 20% more likely than the general population to develop serious mental health issues during their lifetime.
“It’s like an angry ocean, but after yoga class, it’s like a smooth, nice lake and peace and harmony.”
A charming third-grader recounts as she talks about what she learns and how she benefits from At the Wellness Network’s after-school “Yoga is 4ME2” sessions.
At the Wellness Network is a not-for-profit organization located in Gainesville, Florida, that focuses on the health and wellness of underprivileged families. This organization, as well as the “Yoga is 4ME2” project, was created by Pamela Koons, a journalist for the Gainesville Sun and yoga expert.
Koons likes to use her yoga experience to reach children before the strain and harsh realities of their own worlds take over, whether big or small.
Some of her newcomers have never seen a yoga mat before or performed deep breathing exercises in a yoga pose. The anxiety of the unknown is met with the calm of the new practice and postures.
But Koons isn’t the only one trying to make a difference through meditation for children.
In Baltimore, at the Robert W. Coleman School, mediation and mindfulness are the new practices replacing detention and other shameful punishments for children.
The school partnered with the Holistic Life Foundation and together created a system that focuses on disciplining a problem child’s mental thoughts and easing stress and anxiety from both the known and the unknown through mindful mediation.
As a result, school officials noticed a significant decrease in suspension rates. But the children also noticed a change within themselves.
Students use the techniques learned in these mind-discipline sessions throughout the rest of their school day. In a Truth Theory article titled "School Replaced Detention with Meditation and It Created Incredible Results," written by Mayukh Saha, students reported that taking deep breaths in the midst of tough exams and noisy classrooms helped to ease their anxiety and re-center their minds so their work could be finished.
It is no secret that yoga and mindful meditation work, which is why they’ve been around for so long. Using those old practices to help bring some calm to kids living in troubling homes and social environments can be beneficial to not just the child but also the parents and teachers that deal with that child.
The best part about yoga is that you don’t need anything except your body and mind, and it can be done anywhere without struggle once you learn to tap into yourself.
FADES AND GROWS
more than a barber
By: T. Patrick
Many people can relate to going to sit in their favorite barber or beautician’s chair to rejuvenate their hair and sometimes even their lives. The relationship a hairstylist has with their client can sometimes be seen as a sacred relationship, especially in the black community.
Cameron Howard is a barber new to the Gainesville, Florida area trying to learn his way around the community while working as a rookie at one of the most prominent black barbershops in town, Fades & Fros.
“I feel like it’s a role I play with being a barber and being a counselor.”
Howard talks about how he uses his barbering platform to get to know the community and provide his clients with more than just a haircut.
He takes the short time he has with each of his clients and plays the role of a supportive figure who can provide much-needed advice alongside crispy lineups. Taking this holistic approach to each haircut gives Howard both a deeper understanding of his clients and his own personal gratification.
