Rutgers Students Stand thier Ground Against Social Injustice

Christopher Ettienne

It was the words "No justice, No peace" that echoed from protesting students in unison outside of the Rutgers University Student Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey early March 7, 2014. 

Influenced by the outcomes of recent "Stand your Ground" cases involving Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, students gathered together in protest for what they believed to be a large injustice taking place within America's judicial system.

Trayvon Martin, who was infamously shot and killed by George Zimmerman walking home on the evening of February 26th 2012 in Sanford, Florida, sparked the large amount of controversy and publicity surrounding the "Stand Your Ground" laws which Zimmerman used to justify his actions.  

Jordan Davis on the other hand, was a 17 year old African American male who was shot dead in his car by Michael Dunn after a Verbal confrontation about loud music.  Dunn was eventually convicted of three accounts of attempted second-degree murder.

Christopher Bradshaw, Treasurer of the Rutgers University Black Student Union (B.S.U.) helped orchestrate the event.

B.S.U., in correlation with other student organizations such as: Douglass Black Students' Congress (D.B.S.C.), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and Students for Justice in Palestine (S.J.P.).

Bradshaw stated the event reflects "social injustices in our criminal justice system... and how it disproportionately affects black and brown [individuals]". 

       
           

Jaimese Morris, representing the Douglass Black Students' Congress, attended the event for personal support and interest.  She said "As students and  minorities, we have to address these issues... This is happening to our young folk, it's happening to people around our age... When you look like the people that are being harmed it's up to you to make a difference."



          

Morris also plans to take strides in the future evoke positive change. She said, "I'm going into criminal justice and I'm going into law enforcement, I feel as though I should be the person who is going to be on the right side of justice."

Bradshaw offered similar sentiments, saying that students play an essential role in bringing about this change. He said "We are the next step in that leap, we are the people who are going to be educators and lawyers. So it's up to us to have a positive influence on social justice, social awareness and equality." 

Bradshaw concluded with the following: 

"We are all united in a struggle, it takes responsibility to accept that my problem is your problem, and even if it's not right now, it will be in the future".

  Special Thanks To Larry Hamm

Christopher Bradshaw also wanted to give a special thanks to Larry Hamm for helping him organize the event. Mr. Hamm is the Chairman of the "People’s Organization of Progress." 

Hamm has been a life time advocate for social justice. 

According to NJ.com he was state director for the million man march, and has helped lead demonstrations in Newark high schools, Princeton University, and is a well known activist against urban violence, and police brutality. 

Hamm was scheduled to attend the event, but suffered injuries from a recent car accident. 

According to the "People’s Organization for Progress" he is now successfully en route to recovery. 

The N.A.B.J. Rutgers Chapter staff wishes Mr. Hamm the best, and we look forward to meeting him in the future. 

23rd Annual TWESE Fashion Show: "Black Excellence"

By: LaToya Dove

The 23^rd Annual “Twese Fashion Show” held Saturday March 8, 2014 at Rutgers University’s Student Center attracted large crowds as students modeled lines from professional designers and showed off their modeling skills.

Twese, the Rutgers University student organization that represents itself as “the organization for African students and friends of Africa,” titled this year’s show “Black Excellence.”

Attendees came dressed to impress following the all black theme, as the lit runway lined the middle of the multi-purpose room and VIP members took their seats along the perimeter of the catwalk.

Up-and-coming host and entrepreneur Rodney Rikai Thomas hosted the show alongside Rutgers University alum Sasha Starr.  

“I love the fact that you guys have real fashion at your fashion shows….real couture pieces,” said Thomas. “It’s very similar to a New York fashion show in terms of the layout and where the VIP seating is.”

The show featured a dozen designers with styles ranging from casual to formal wear for both male and female models.

However, it was not just the layout and designer’s styles that proved to be authentic and diverse.

The fierce energy of the models immediately set a high bar for the show and continued throughout the night.

Although some of the models had years of experience, for others it was only their first or second time.

Thus, to prepare for the show, the models rehearsed several times a week.

“It was hectic at times but it turned out smooth,” said model, Ovie Enaohwo.

Lisa Green, also a model, found the rehearsal process to be “intense.” “We make it look good out there but behind the scenes it’s a lot of running around, pulling clothes off, and craziness… but it’s all about what we look like on stage.”

Of the 12 designers in the show, the crowd favorite was Marco Hall.

“I love him, I follow him on Instagram,” said audience member Tiyana Prince. “I really enjoy all of his work.”

Hall, based out of New York and New Jersey, has been a designer for over 20 years. “Being able to create and show people my growth,” is the favorite aspect of his profession.

His self-entitled line of elegant dresses and gowns visually challenged the audience yet remained crisp and classy.

Other highlights from the show included a performance by the Twese Dance Troupe, and a modeling competition for audience members. 

An overall success, Twese extends their tradition of “Black Excellence” in extraordinary fashion. (literally)

Stand Your Ground Rally At Rutgers University Coverage: Ijoema Unachukwu

Writer: Ijeoma Unachukwu
Publisher: BVCL: (Black Voice Carta Latina)
Editor: Raymond Cheley  

In the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin case, the Rutgers University Black Student Union (BSU), Delta Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, NAACP, Liberty Gospel Choir, Latin American Women’s Organization, and Students For Justice in Palestine hosted  the "Stand Your Ground Rally" this Friday, March 7th, 2014.

Aimed to raise awareness regarding "Stand Your Ground" laws, BSU treasurer Christopher Bradsaw and public relations chair, Fawzan Lari took initiative in planning the event and taking action. 

Starting at 1:00 p.m., the Liberated Gospel Choir kicked off the protest singing the “Black National Anthem” and “There’s No Way." 

"These selections (were chosen) because they  were specifically applicable to the purpose of the rally." stated choir director Lashanda Coq. 

Passionate protesters made signs with messages such as: 

“NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE” 

“HONK IF YOU HATE SOCIAL INJUSTICE". 

Informational pamphlets regarding the policy were also dispersed. 

Bradshaw, pictured above stated, “students are on the pipeline to becoming the elite." 

Overall, the group wanted to illustrate that this is not about black VS white, it is an issue of forgiveness leading to change; which can only be achieved through the mutual pursuit for social justice between all races, genders, and classes . 

LisaMarie Segarra : Muckgers.com Coverage!!! Check it out!

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS MAKES ITS RETURN TO RUTGERS

February 26, 2014 By LisaMarie Segarra

The beginning of the spring semester saw the return of the Rutgers chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, a campus organization that folded in 2009 after suffering from a lack of involvement.

The Rutgers University Student Assembly approved the NABJ chapter as an official organization in January. Since that point, the organization has been focused on achieving the prolonged success that the previous chapters lacked.

“They were going for a good year or two, and they’ve had spurts where they’ll go for a couple years,” said Justin Hockaday, Vice-President of the new chapter of NABJ. “What happens is they have all older kids that start it, and it’s going strong, but then when they graduated, they didn’t have enough younger kids, enough freshmen, enough sophomores to keep it going.”

Hockaday himself is a sophomore majoring in Journalism and Media Studies and Spanish. As a major member of the editorial board, he hopes to continue the group after other founding members have graduated.

Christopher Etienne, a junior majoring in Journalism and Media Studies and Africana Studies, has taken on the role of revitalizing the organization as its new president after Kevin Ewell, assistant dean for student services at the School of Communication and Information, approached him with the idea.

Some of the goals Etienne has set include marketing the organization through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and helping the group’s members build journalism portfolios.

“The goal of our organization is just to give aspiring journalists somewhat of a field experience before they actually make that transition into their profession. The organization provides various different scholarships. There are a lot of networking opportunities,” Etienne said.

NABJ is offering the Allison E. Fisher Scholarship, the Carol Simpson Scholarship, a Visual Task Force Scholarship, and an NABJ Scholarship. They have also made deals with magazine like Hycide and Nexup Magazine, which are based out of Newark, New Jersey. The magazines will pass along assignments to the NABJ chapter and the group will select students based on merit to complete the task.

This fulfills one Etienne’s main goals for the organization: allowing students to gain work they can present to potential internships and employers.

Etienne has already published an article after working with Hycide Magazine.

“I want to show people the fun side of journalism. How going out and doing interviews can be fun and to get out there,” Etienne said.

With a Rutgers chapter of NABJ forming once again, the organization hopes to enable potential journalists of color to gain the experience needed to branch out into the field and help fill a minority gap in the newsroom.

A 2013 census conducted by the American Society of News Editors and the Center for Advanced Social Research looked at hiring practices at nearly 1,000 daily American newspapers in the U.S. The study found that about 4,700, or 12.37 percent, of 38,000 employees surveyed identify as racial minorities.

This number has remained stagnant in recent years, and a continuation of this trend would mean the ASNE would fall short of its projected 2025 goal to have the percentage of minorities working in newsrooms nationwide to reflect the percentage of minorities in the nation’s population. Minorities also make up just 20% of supervisors in the newsroom, according to the study.

The ASNE has also reported a steady decline in minorities at internships. At 26% in 2013, the statistic has dropped significantly from the nearly 40% level reached in the 1990s.

“I feel like there’s not another organization like this on campus which reaches out to journalists of color,” Hockaday said.

The group held its first official meeting Tuesday night in the Douglass Campus.

http://www.muckgers.com/2014/02/national-association-of-black-journalists-makes-its-return-to-rutgers/ Center.

The NABJ Promo Post!

Welcome to the News Room!

Come to our fist Official Meeting

Tuesday February, 25 9:00 PM!!!

DCC Meeting Room B
^^^Click Here^^^

Come to our fist Official Meeting

Tuesday February, 25 9:00 PM!!!

DCC Meeting Room B
^^^Click Here^^^

The NABJ , Rutgers Chapter is officially live on blogger and covering events outside of Rutgers University. This Student Organization that has been abandoned for years was recently brought back into fruition by a collective of Rutgers University Students. Welcome to the NABJ news feed here on blogger.com where our team will cover events, and publish articles for the NABJ Rutgers Chapter.

The 2014 Harlem Arts Expo 

 In Correlation with NXUP Magazine, one of our primary contacts for press coverage, 

we were invited to the Harlem Arts Expo in New York City. We were able to shoot 

interviews with several up and coming artists at the show, some of which are given highlights in our 

2014 promotional video. The Harlem Arts Expo is only one of the many Venues NABJ will be invited to in the future. If you are a Journalism Major at Rutgers University, or if you are just interested in covering 

fine arts expos, please contact us. We look forward to the interaction. 

Hycide Magazine Golden Triangle Celebration

February 15, 2012

Writer: Christopher Etienne

Crowds and cameras spread throughout the Ajirah art center, in Newark NJ for Hycide Magazine's Second Annual Golden Triangle Celebration commemorating the magazine's second year anniversary.

Akintola Hanif, Editor in Chief of Hycide Magazine, was one of the honorary guests present for the occasion.

Hanif claims that the goal of his urban photography magazine is to show the broader aspects of his community while promoting the observation of urban lifestyles through a less biased, and stereotypical lens.

“I’m just trying to paint a well rounded picture that reflects the dichotomy and duality that exist within all people…I'm trying to hold up a mirror and get people to see the things that they ignore”

The white setup accompanied alongside captivating photography and artwork represented the urban style of Hycide Magazine.

Hanif also said, “I think that people need to look past stigmas and statistics... the only way we can see this is if you get to know people. You can't see that by...hearing it off the news stories... I just want people to see the similarities in strangers that they see in themselves"

Raymond Cheley, a fellow journalist and attendee at the art show stated, “When an event like this happens every one should be posting pictures on Instagram and Facebook, sharing and talking about it… if people know that this exists, they could generate some positive interest despite all of the negative connotations attached to inner-city areas like Newark.”

Mr. Cheley continued, signifying the importance of this event and magazine, “this is a magazine geared toward what people in society consider negative. A magazine that goes into the "slums," the "hoods," goes into the negative areas, and finds beauty there. The spirit of that message is at this show".

As the show came to a close Akintola Hanif and members of his team, The Golden Triangle, represented themselves as a refreshing group of photographers with a clear focus; to properly represent the misrepresented in today's society from areas such as India, Philadelphia, Newark, New York, etc. and to tell their stories through a professional artistic lens.