Month: March 2021

Categories
News

Shot out

More than 83,000 residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle County have been vaccinated, while in Pittsylvania County, where Danville is located, 23,554 vaccines have been administered. The health department reports that 27.4 percent of Virginians have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

By Emily Hamilton

Early last week, UVA first-year Reese Alpher heard she could get a coronavirus vaccine if she drove two hours south to a community vaccination center in Danville—so she jumped at the chance. 

“When I went, the word was that [the shots] were getting thrown out and that there were too many vaccines just for Danville, and it was for surrounding areas,” Alpher says. “When I got there, there was no one in line.”

Alpher says she walked up without an appointment and got a shot in less than 20 minutes.

Word of vaccine availability in Danville soon spread like wildfire through the UVA student body. Alpher was one of more than 700 students added to a GroupMe chat called Get Vaccinated UVA, where students were sharing information about how to get a shot in Danville. In the early part of last week, dozens if not hundreds of students caravaned south to get their shots.  

Shortly after, however, the Virginia Department of Health issued guidance urging residents not to travel to community vaccination centers without an appointment or invitation, and the Danville center stopped accepting walk-ups. 

The Danville center initially opened on March 15 at the former JCPenney store in the Danville Mall, with a goal of administering 3,000 vaccine doses per day. The center was started with FEMA funding that allowed for three community vaccination centers to open across the state. Danville, a smaller and more rural town than Charlottesville, was selected as a location due to its relatively high proportion of vulnerable residents.

An announcement about the opening of the Danville Community Vaccination Center originally stated that vaccines would be administered only to those with an appointment, and that walk-ins would not be accepted. But word spread quickly among UVA students that traveling to Danville without an appointment would still get them a vaccine.

After state health officials became aware that many UVA students, who reside in the Blue Ridge Health District, were going to Danville’s health district to receive their vaccines, VDH and The Virginia Department of Emergency Management issued a press release urging people not to travel to community vaccination centers without an appointment, and effectively ending walk-in vaccinations. 

“Fluctuating registration numbers in the initial stages of site operations have allowed for walk-ins in some isolated instances, but this is no longer the case,” the press release read.

Dena Potter, director of communications at the Virginia Department of General Services, leads vaccine communications for the state, and clarified the miscommunication surrounding unused vaccines at the Danville site. “When we opened the Danville CVC, it was the first in the state, and we allocated 3,000 doses per day for that site,” Potter says. “We went into this knowing we needed to be flexible and learn from each location, and we built in the capacity to scale up or down, as needed. We learned that 3,000 doses per day outpaces the current demand in Danville.”

“As we were working through that strategy, the clinic opened temporarily to walk-ins so that we could continue to vaccinate people,” Potter says. “We now have stopped that, and we urge people not to travel to Danville to get a vaccine.”  

According to the Virginia Department of Health, 27.4 percent of Virginians have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 14.7 percent of Virginians are fully vaccinated. In Charlottesville and Albemarle, 83,187 total vaccine doses have been administered, while in Pittsylvania County, where Danville is located, 23,554 vaccine doses have been administered. Charlottesville is currently in Phase 1B of vaccination rollout, and the Danville area is in Phase 1C. 

After guidance was issued urging others not to travel to Danville to get the vaccine, some Charlottesville residents who had already done so reached out to the Blue Ridge Health District to see if they could receive their second dose here in Charlottesville. 

At a BRHD press conference on March 25, local officials said they are unable to give second doses to those who received their first dose in a different locality.

“We’ve heard of a lot of different community members and students driving down to Danville to get their first dose of the vaccine, and we’ve also heard from folks who are requesting that they can get their second dose here in Charlottesville,” said Kathryn Goodman, the Blue Ridge Health District public relations and communications manager.

“We want people to be vaccinated, and we understand that it’s hard to be patient and wait for the vaccine supply to increase in the health district,” Goodman said. “But given the limited vaccine supply, we are unable to provide second doses for individuals who are going to these larger vaccination centers.” 

Categories
Arts Culture

PICK: Brighter Together

Courtesy of Jeff Dobrow

Light at the end: While a virtual Lighting of the Lawn was the safest option this academic year, we still missed being there when UVA turned the Rotunda’s holiday lights on in December. Brighter Together offers another chance to see the historic landmark dancing with color, as one of five pop-up art events tying together themes of spring and renewal, alluding to the brighter future ahead after a tough year. Students and community members are encouraged to stop by to enjoy Jeff Dobrow‘s stunning light projections, along with student-created videos, art, and music. Attendees are encouraged to wear masks, gather in groups of 10 people or fewer, and remain at least six feet apart while on the Lawn.

Friday 4/2 & Saturday 4/3, Free, 8pm. The Rotunda, UVA. arts.virginia.edu/brightertogether.

Categories
Arts Culture

PICK: Saw Black

Photo by Sanjay Suchak

Seeing Saw: Saw Black has that rare musical talent that makes listeners want more. With his lyrical delivery and production technique, Black seduces with soulful country-folk that is sometimes plaintive, sometimes weird and whispery. Many of the Richmond singer-songwriter’s tracks can be found on Warhen Records, including the sold-out 2020 cassette Horsin’ ‘Round. Black performs as part of the Save the Music series, in a livestream to benefit Foothills Child Advocacy Center.

Wednesday 3/31, Donations accepted, 8pm. facebook.com/frontporchcville.

Categories
Culture Living

PICK:Comedy Open Mic Night

It’s a laugh: As any comedian knows, there’s no rush like standing in front of a roomful of strangers and making them laugh. At the weekly Comedy Open Mic Night, hosted by local comedians Heather Kilburn and John Rad, you can work out all the material you perfected at home during the pandemic. Preregister, and try your monologues and one-liners on an outdoor, socially distanced audience.

Wednesday 3/31, Free, 8:30pm. IX Art Park, 522 Second St. SE, 207-2355.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink Living

Farm fresh

photo by Eze Amos

By Paul Ting

Spring is springing, in its Virginia way, with perfect breezy days becoming more frequent every week. For many locals, the annual return of chirping birds means rolling out of bed early on Saturday and heading downtown, to the City Market. The beloved market has been in action since 1973, providing an opportunity to shop for fresh produce and farm-raised meats, but also a chance to “see and be seen” as much of the community shops, eats, and mingles.

However, much like the rest of us, the City Market has been forced to adapt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now, as vaccinations and decreasing case numbers give the public reason to look forward with hope, City Market is not sure when it will return to “business as usual.” It is clear that the ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions in the community and frequently adjusted guidance from local government is a key strategy at this point in time.

Once the market returns to in-person shopping, it will be welcome news indeed. Since April 2020, when it was announced that the market would be switching to a drive-through model, shoppers have been required to preorder their produce online and then drive up in their vehicles on Saturday mornings for contact­less pick up. This new model is open to any vendor registered with the city, providing a wide array of options as well as allowing shoppers to continue to do business with preferred vendors. Of course, while the ability to buy from local farms is greatly welcomed, the change meant a temporary end to browsing in person, picking up a freshly cooked breakfast or coffee on Saturday morning, and the social aspects of attending the market.

The pivot has not been without challenges. The market has had to shift locations multiple times in response to fluid govern­ment regulations and local closures—it started at Pen Park before moving to Darden Towe Park and then to Charlottesville High School.

According to City Market Manager Justin McKenzie, “The biggest challenge was migrating vendors and customers online. The shift from an in person…to an online system, where products have to be created/posted and customers have to register and purchase time slots, was difficult at the beginning.”

Although the Charlottesville City Market certainly deserves kudos for its work these past few months, it actually wasn’t the first to establish the online ordering, drive-through market model. That distinction goes to the Local Food Hub, a nonprofit founded in 2009 with the goal of connecting area independent farms directly with consumers and increasing access to fresh, local food for food-insecure communities. Quickly recognizing the needs and challenges that COVID-19 presented, the Local Food Hub announced the establishment of its contactless pick-up market on April 1, 2020, “due to small farms and food businesses challenged by stay-at-home executive orders.”

The Local Food Hub market and the City Market operate similarly, and both of them currently utilize the same online platform for ordering. Pick up for the Local Food Hub market occurs twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays at the old Kmart parking lot off Hydraulic Road (with some small adjustments made recently to allow the Blue Ridge Health Department to set up a large tent in order to distribute COVID-19 vaccines). While the Local Food Hub features a smaller number of vendors, the organization notes that vendors are specifically chosen for quality and to provide a good assortment of products, but also to minimize overlap that could decrease individual vendor profits.

It’s worth highlighting that Local Food Hub vendors receive 100 percent of their sales without any fees taken out. In fact, the online ordering platform allows shoppers to also pay fees incurred by the vendors for credit card processing and the online platform. This highlights the nonprofit mission behind the market, but many may be unaware that it means the organization operates the market at a loss. For those who wish to support these efforts, donations to the Local Food Hub are always welcome, and you can “buy” market support while you are doing your weekly shopping.

Take a walk
If you’re hankering for the in-person market experience right away, the IX Art Park Farmers Market still allows customers to wander the premises, letting everyone check out what’s fresh, what looks good, and what might inspire the perfect menu. Held on Saturday mornings, the focus is on a more traditional outdoor market experience that doesn’t require advance ordering (although online ordering for pick up is available). In addition, there are fresh prepared food options available from food trucks and some of the vendors.

The IX Park market was founded in 2018, previously existing as a way of bridging the winter months when the City Market was closed. However, due to its popularity during the pandemic, the market was continued past March last year, and ran through the rest of 2020. In January 2021, the market resumed for its fourth season, and quickly announced that it will again continue through the year.

The organization behind this market is Market Central, a nonprofit that “advocates for local food, farmers’ markets, and strong connections between the producers and community.” While it does charge vendors fees to rent space, it relies on donations for much of the work at the market and in the broader community. In addition, Market Central is able to provide SNAP and SNAP Match incentive coupons through a partnership with the Virginia Fresh Match program.

Cecile Gorham, co-founder and chair of Market Central, observes, “Both customers and vendors have appreciated and favorably responded to the opportunity to safely walk through our outdoor space for essential and nutritious food. Families seem to enjoy the opportunity to safely get outside.”

A recent visit to the IX market showed many precautions being taken: posted signs, hand sanitizer stations, widespread mask wearing, strict social distancing, and touch-free transactions. Perhaps more importantly, it revealed fresh produce and meats, a bevy of favorite food trucks, and many neighbors supporting local farms and businesses. Not only do these markets keep dollars in the local economy and promote community, but, through the inspired work of the city and nonprofits, they also help bring food to many who truly need it. As Gorham is proud to point out, during the pandemic “it has been important for vendors and customers to have options to connect for local food. Local producers have filled in food shortages with fresh, high-quality products.”

Vendor spotlight

Good eats
In addition to fresh eggs and produce, Sussex Farm is known for freshly prepared Korean food and a wide variety of kimchi. Jennifer Naylor, affectionately known as “Mama Bird” to those who frequent her stall, says it’s been challenging to provide fresh food and an alternative to grocery stores. “I think it’s an absolute necessity for people to consume what’s local and fresh to boost their immune system during times like this,” she explains, “Now, the market has become a place to go for safe, healthy, local food and fresh air.”

No more feeling crabby
Sweet Jane’s Kitchen offers Maryland-style jumbo lump crab cakes, both ready to eat and to take away and cook at home. Owner Alyce Johnson says they experienced an overall decrease in engagement this past year, but they’re “grateful to still be operational and hopeful for the upcoming season. The local community’s commitment to supporting local businesses has been really encouraging.”

Sharing is caring
Offering a wide variety of organic produce, fresh eggs, and meats each week at the IX market and the Local Food Hub market, Bellair Farm has become well known in Charlottesville largely as a result of its community-supported agriculture program. “Business has changed a lot,” says Michelle McKenzie, who credits the quick pivots by the markets for being instrumental in helping get through 2020, “We saw record sales…from farmers’ markets, which helped offset reduced income from events on the farm.”

Whisper Hill Farm offers many items that are popular among shoppers, including fresh garlic and a wide variety of peppers. Prior to 2020, most of the farm’s business was at farmer’ markets, but one result of this past year was an increase in its CSA, from 30 members in 2019 to 250 members in 2020. The farm has just opened up an additional 200 members shares for 2021.

Perfect pear
Myo Quinn found her way to Charlottesville from New York City when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Shortly after, Quinn met Holly Hammond of Whisper Hill during a visit to the IX market. The duo became fast friends and fast business partners. Their joint venture, the recently launched Pear, offers sweet and savory baked goods at the IX.

Still truckin’
Opened in the midst of the pandemic, Basan food truck is a staple presence at IX market, which is the only market that currently features food trucks. The menu offers an interesting mix of ramen, Korean fried chicken, and some amazing and ever-changing specials, based on Asian street food. Co-owner Anna Gardner explains, “Market Central has been absolutely wonderful trying to work with vendors and adapt safety protocols to all of the changes.” Co-owner Kelsey Naylor adds, “the farmers’ market scene has been incredibly helpful for us. It allows us to serve people in a setting where they can really spread out, or take food home, which helps minimize risk for all involved.”

Categories
Arts Culture

Poets know it

Award-winning poets Valencia Robin and Irène Mathieu teamed up with New City Arts for Poetry of Power, a workshop that encourages teens from marginalized backgrounds to express themselves through writing.

By Alana Bittner

When expressing the value of writing poetry, Valencia Robin references a quote by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo: “You begin to learn to listen to the soul, the soul of yourself in here, which is also the soul of everyone else.”

Robin says that, when she was young, no one told her poetry could work this way. In high school, the poets she learned about felt “archaic” and intimidating, with little connection to her own life. The urge to write poetry didn’t arise until years later, when she discovered contemporary poets she could identify with. Today, Robin is an award-winning poet whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Virginia Quarterly Review, and Black Renaissance Noire, to name a few.

With support from New City Arts, Robin has paired up with poet and pediatrician Irène Mathieu to help Charlottesville teens find the connection to writing that she feels she missed out on as a young person.

“It’s empowering when a person can take control over their own narrative and say what they need to say, exactly how it needs to be said,” says Mathieu.

In February, the pair put out a call for writers that expressly welcomes high school students of color, queer and nonbinary students, low-income students, immigrants, and differently abled students to participate in Poetry of Power, a virtual workshop for young people from marginalized backgrounds. (Scroll down for samples of submitted poems.)

Robin and Mathieu hope to dispel the misconception that poetry is grim or somber. Instead, Robin says they’ll introduce students to “poetry that privileges joy.” This joy can be a form of empowerment, she says, pointing out that “what has sustained communities of color and other marginalized groups is our creative spirit, our songs and poems and other forms of art.” Robin says the idea of “joy and poetry as tools for survival” inspired the name of the workshop.

She cautions, however, that poetry is not a magic wand that will solve all problems. It is a tool that allows “all poets, whether young or old, to make sense of what’s going on in their lives, to unpack what’s confusing, joyful, or painful, and figure out how they feel about it.”

Adolescence brings confusion, joy, pain, and other intense emotions. Through writing, young poets can wrap their minds around whatever they may be struggling with, emerging with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. “To capture your particular way of walking in the world is incredibly empowering,” says Robin.

The workshop addresses the logistical aspects of writing poetry as well. Students get career advice, free author headshots, and the chance to perform their work at a virtual public reading. Organizers have also invited a guest speaker, local student activist and writer Zyahna Bryant, who organized her first demonstration against police injustice at age 12 and published her first book of poems, Reclaim, as a high school senior.

“She’s living proof that age is just a number, that if you feel called to speak and serve, you’re never too young,” says Robin.

Reese Bryan, Nhandi Hoge, Zoe Shelley, Violet Tillman, Autumn King, and Madeline Caduff present original poetry during a virtual reading on April 1. For more information, go to newcityarts.org.

SAD
By Violet Tillman

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder,
And perhaps that is true
I missed the rain during that ice and snow,
and then,
After a long winter of stark forests,
As wisps of life sprouted up from grey soil
My love for the earth flared bright and bold
I’d clawed at each scrap, clinging to any warmth and calling it
spring

Here I am now, April
standing in the forest, putting blackberries in my basket
Tasting a few, seeds stuck in indigo teeth
That soft and whimsical voice calling to me—
Frogs in the creek at dusk, flowers shifting in the breeze, drizzle on the tin roof—
Ushering me out to the cliff by the swollen river that overlooks the hills
Where I end my day to the sun setting low,
Warm

And so, it’s like this:
Stars peek out from clouds
That lingering scent of rain
Wafts up near the trees at the edge of the yard
Where I am lying and thinking quietly that
Absence made my heart grow desperate
While presence, this presence
Was what made my heart grow fond

Girl Team
By Zoë K Shelley

You know what’s sad?
I get told my stomach
Is scandalous
My breasts are bad
Something to be saved for a
Supposed husband?
I don’t agree

You know what’s sad?
Some boy barely older than me
Brings out a phone
And tries to stealthily snap
Several shots
Of me in my swimsuit
But I see him
I don’t know him
He’s sitting all the way over there
What can I do for myself?
How do I save my dignity?

You know what’s sad?
I get told that I shouldn’t wear a bikini
But my brother doesn’t have to wear a shirt
Society, what have you done to me?
I need a support team

You know what’s sad?
When I ask my girl friends
If this happens to them too
Each one has a similar story

But something makes me happy
I have a girl team
Always supporting me
All my stories
And my stress
They listen
When I’m with them
I feel free of
Societies grip on me
I’m grateful
For my girl team

Categories
Culture Food & Drink Living

Take us out

Our sources say Guajiros Miami Eatery serves the best Cuban sandwich in town. staff photo

In an ongoing effort to support local dining establishments during the pandemic, our writers have been enjoying a variety of takeout meals from some of their favorite restaurants. Contribute to this ongoing series by sending your own delicious experiences to living@c-ville.com.

Tonic
One of my favorite pre-COVID pastimes was seeking out the latest in local cuisine. While I’ve made an effort to support a variety of area businesses and eateries during the past several months, I’ve primarily frequented my favorite spots.

Enter Tonic, a new-to-me restaurant that has reinstated the thrill of discovery into my quarantine routine. Opened in August, Tonic has pandemic dining down pat. It offers socially distanced dining in a spacious outdoor seating area complete with a full bar and a seamless takeout option. The staff is helpful and friendly, and the hand-written specials menu adds a personal touch. The catfish features lightly battered filets paired with a unique huckleberry aioli—it’s easily one of the best dishes I’ve had in Charlottesville (so good, I ordered it twice!). Another highlight is the pickled shrimp Johnny cake, which is a Southern food trifecta of cornbread cake, tangy shrimp, and aioli. A trip to Tonic is not complete without the restaurant’s namesake: Try the signature house cocktail composed of Vitae Spirits’ gin and housemade tonic. —Desiré Moses

Guajiros Miami Eatery
I once lived in Miami, and for years I’ve missed the Cuban food and coffee that was woven into the culture. Guajiros is here to fill that void. Definitely the best Cuban sandwich in town, but don’t stop there. Owned by brothers from Miami, Guajiros’ menu has all of the things I miss: café con leche (dark-roasted sweet coffee), pastelitos (pastries with guava paste), ham croquetas, plantain chips, and a full range of sandwiches. Delicioso! —Paul Ting

Otto Turkish Street Food
If you’re craving fast casual but want to eat local, then Otto Turkish Street Food is the place to hit. Think Cava/Chipotle style, but with kebab. You’ll find bowls, wraps, and sandwiches, along with excellent sides. I opted for a bowl with chicken doner, and they did not skimp on the protein—my eyes widened at the plentiful scoops that went into my bowl. The doner kebab is cooked on a vertical rotisserie, then sliced into flavorful thin shavings. (Vegetarians will be pleased to know there’s also falafel.) Toppings include Mediterranean standards like hummus, cabbage, cucumbers, and greens, and more unusual options such as fried eggplant, beet salad, and celery labneh dip. I highly recommend the fried eggplant, and I was impressed with the celery dip, and wish I had asked for a second scoop. I found the tzatziki and arabesk hot sauce to be an ideal combination of mild and spicy.

I also enjoyed a side of the rosemary fries, which complemented the unique Turkish flavors of my bowl. The plentiful toppings and protein make this a new favorite in my rotation of fast-casual weeknight dinners. —Madison McNamee

Café Frank
Will Richey and Jose De Brito have teamed up again at Café Frank. Chef De Brito earned a James Beard award nomination during the pair’s previous partnership at The Alley Light, so expectations are high.

Prior to a full opening, the focus was on to-go entrées of classic, time-consuming French recipes such as choucroute, paella, and cassoulet. The paella was a perfectly executed dish of chicken, shrimp, mussels, and well-spiced rice. It has me eager to try the other options. —Paul Ting

Vision BBQ
There’s certainly no shortage of barbecue joints in the Charlottesville area, but Vision proves there’s still something to be said for doing things the good ol’ fashioned way—no chemical starters, no gas, no electric.

I sampled Vision’s specialty sandwich, The Hot Mess, as well as the standard for any quality BBQ spot, the pulled-pork platter. The pulled pork was slightly fatty, but overall not too dry, and it was complemented by tangy North Carolina vinegar sauce. The Hot Mess was a truly glorious experience. Though the spongy sub roll left something to be desired, the flavorful pimento, the light heat of the peppers, and the fall-apart brisket were a combination perfect enough to warrant a return visit. —Will Ham

Categories
News

Speaking up

Seven UVA students who produce the Still We Rise podcast in a group photo
A group of UVA students has been working together on a podcast exploring the university’s history of racial discrimination. PC: Supplied photo

In 1990, 12 percent of UVA’s students were Black. In the three decades since, that number has fallen, and now hovers around 6 percent. (The school doesn’t represent the state—19 percent of Virginia residents are Black.)   

How did the university lose so many Black students? How can it increase Black enrollment? And how can it make sure Black students feel safe and included on Grounds?

These are just a few of the tough questions tackled in a new podcast, “Still We Rise,” created by a handful of UVA students as part of a larger oral history project called Reflections: Oral Histories. “Still We Rise”—a nod to Maya Angelou’s acclaimed poem—explores the legacy of racial injustice at UVA through thoughtful and provocative conversations with Black students, staff, faculty, alumni, and members of the Charlottesville community.

“We’re not looking so much at the era of slavery and segregation,” explains third-year Logan Botts, creator and manager of the podcast. “A place where we have a lot of ground to make up is what happened after Black students came to UVA. What has happened since integration? What is that culture and environment like? What can we do and what conversations do we need to have to make that better?”

Last year’s uprisings against police violence and systemic racism inspired Botts to start the podcast. She worked with her team at Reflections to secure financial support from UVA’s Democracy Initiative, allowing her to hire five students—almost all of color—to write, produce, and host each episode.

After a semester of research, interviews, and production, the students launched the podcast in early January, kicking it off with a two-episode discussion on the history of race in athletics and the role student-athletes play in social justice. The second pair of episodes, released in late February, examines UVA’s struggles to recruit and enroll more Black students, as well as the lack of safe, inclusive spaces for Black students on Grounds.

“There is a large percentage of the student body, faculty, and administrators who don’t know where to begin.” 


Logan Botts, creator of “Still We Rise” podcast

“We pick topics that are at the forefront of the dialogue about UVA,” says Botts. “When you think about [UVA], athletics and academic rigor are some of the first things that come to mind. But we never talk about the racial history and context of those.”

The podcast’s next episodes will discuss student activism on Grounds, as well as the fraught relationship between UVA and the Charlottesville community. 

“Student self governance is everything that they talk about here at UVA, but the notion of [it] lends itself to perpetuating some inequities, with students of color bearing the burden of doing a lot of activism work and advancing equity,” explains graduate student Victoria Nelson, one of the podcast’s hosts. 

“We want to pay tribute to the work that’s being done [at UVA] and may not be recognized, particularly by racially marginalized students,” adds third year and co-host Pinay Jones.

Hard conversations about racial injustice are especially important at a place like UVA, founded by enslaver and rapist Thomas Jefferson, and built by an estimated 4,000 enslaved laborers. UVA did not admit a Black student until 1950 and did not fully integrate until well into the 1960s.

“There’s a rich, rich history of segregation and discrimination specifically against Black students and faculty,” says Nelson, who is Black. “We want to shed light on that, and want to situate ourselves in the present moment, paying tribute to what has happened in the past and how that has affected us today.”

In addition to highlighting the injustices endured by Black students, the podcast celebrates their many strides and accomplishments at UVA.

“[The Black experience] is very much a struggle and rooted in oppression…but there’s also this sense of community,” says Jones, who is Black. “We try to strike that balance between highlighting very real injustice…and the beauty that people have been able to construct out of their experience.”

While the team hopes the podcast attracts a variety of listeners, they especially want current UVA students to tune in, think critically, and take action.

“The people who care about the racial legacy are already talking about it. But there is a large percentage of the student body, faculty, and administrators who don’t know where to begin,” says Botts. “I want to create a place where you can come knowing nothing and leave knowing something—and potentially start a deeper journey into making UVA a better place.”

Students of color are strongly encouraged to submit their own stories through the Reflections website.

“[For] a lot of marginalized groups, especially Black people, our stories are told by other people,” says Jones. “So it feels good to be a part of a project where we are marginalized students, many of us Black, we’re telling the story, and drawing on other Black people who can tell their story in the moment.”

“Still We Rise” is free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.

Categories
News

Guns down

B.U.C.K. Squad members smiling siting on the grass
Last Friday afternoon, the B.U.C.K. Squad hosted a field day at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church for the kids of South First Street. PC: Zack Wajsgras

Joy and laughter filled the summery Friday afternoon air, as dozens of children danced in a church parking lot across from the South First Street public housing neighborhood. People later left the dance floor to tour the inside of a rescue truck and pick out new reads from the Free Book Bus, while others waited their turn for a haircut. Kids and grown-ups alike ended the afternoon of fun with pizza, popsicles, and ice cream sandwiches.

“Our focus is on the babies out there. We are trying to change the whole perpetual cycle of ignorance,” says Pertelle Gilmore, executive director of the B.U.C.K. Squad, which sponsored the community field day. “We can put them in a position where they can be prosperous and healthy, and be the rightful rulers of their circumstance and condition.”

Investing in Charlottesville’s Black youth is one of the many ways the squad is working to put an end to gun violence, which has significantly increased in the city’s predominantly Black neighborhoods since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, Charlottesville police responded to 122 reports of shots fired and four gun-related homicides—including the December 27 murder of Gilmore’s close friend, 32-year-old Jamarcus “Buck” Washington, who was heavily involved in gun violence prevention.

Devastated by Washington’s death, Gilmore contacted his mentor Herb Dickerson the next day. Together, they put together a list of people in the Black community who they could ask and trust to take action. Within a week, the B.U.C.K.—Brothers United to Cease the Killing—Squad was out on the streets, intervening in conflicts before they turned into deadly shootings.

So far the group has been wildly successful. Out of the 40 conflicts B.U.C.K. has intervened in, only one resulted in a shooting.

“We all have a past—that’s what gives us our credibility doing the job that we do,” says Gilmore of the group. “A lot of us were birthed into environments of violence. We all had traumatic situations and have dealt with life-controlling issues, [like] addiction and substance abuse.”

“We all got to the point of maturity and understanding of our life that the way we were living was not conducive to health or wealth, but destruction,” he adds. “We have a vision together to heal the community that we once destroyed.”

Gilmore mans the squad’s crisis hotline (284-3111), which is available 24 hours a day. After he receives a call about a potentially violent conflict in a Black neighborhood, he, along with associate executive director Dickerson and supervisor Dean Smith, picks out two violence interrupters and one outreach worker to send to the scene. The mediators sit down with each party separately, and “try to get them to think rationally,” explains Gilmore. 

“First thing we tell them is we love you. And it’s the truth—we want to be the embodiment and personification of love,” says Gilmore. 

“A lot of people in the community, the only thing they’ve ever seen is negativity and abuse,” adds violence interrupter Shawn Harris. “We want to show them there is another way and better way. You can still achieve your goals without all the extra violence and hate.”

Once the parties agree to stand down, the mediators ask them to participate in a roundtable talk and sign a commitment contract. The parties then have to perform community service together several times a week, which could mean picking up trash or making meals for elderly residents. Meanwhile, the squad connects them with the resources they need, such as mental health care and job opportunities.

Their community service time requirement “depends on the level of the beef and [their] personalities,” explains Gilmore. “Two guys have been doing it for 45 days now because that’s how deep they were in the street.” After they complete their service, both parties are invited to get involved in the B.U.C.K Squad, and learn how they can help stop gun violence too.

“We don’t deal with no police at all. We try to get on the front end before the police have to get involved,” says Dickerson, referencing the city’s long history of police violence against Black residents. (Just this month, Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney announced that two white officers had been fired for injuring two Black men during separate incidents.)

However, the B.U.C.K. Squad is just one part of the fight to end gun violence in Charlottesville. As executive director of the Virginia chapter of New York-based Guns Down Inc., of which the squad is a part of, Gilmore and his team plan to tackle the root causes of violence through a variety of new programs, including mental health services, career development, financial planning, grief counseling, vocational training, gun buybacks, and community events.

“A lot of violence comes from mental [trauma]. It’s a disease,” says Shelly Martin, event coordinator and outreach specialist for Guns Down Virginia. “How do you stop an epidemic or pandemic? You cut the transmission,” Gilmore says.

With these much-needed services comes a hefty price tag. Gilmore says Guns Down Virginia requires $540,000 per year to run its programs. He also hopes to hire the squad’s 10 part-time violence interrupters and outreach workers as full-time employees. 

“The only unsuccessful resolution that we had, it was only unsuccessful because I couldn’t get my team there because they were at work. I had to go by myself, and that was very dangerous,” says Gilmore. “We’re fighting for funding.”

In February, City Council donated about $20,000 to the B.U.C.K. Squad for conflict resolution training, but it has not offered financial support since then, says Gilmore. The group has relied on community donations, which has barely kept it afloat. 

Though Gilmore does not agree with calls to take away all police funding, he believes that a portion of the city police department’s nearly $19 million budget should go toward violence interruption.

“It don’t cost much to fund what we do. It’s no price on life,” he says.

The nonprofit also needs office space and mediation centers, as well as physical locations for wraparound services across the community.

As members of City Council continue to fight amongst each other, Gilmore hopes they can get along long enough to listen to his plea for help.

“City Council needs us to do a conflict resolution and de-escalation on them,” he says. “There’s no way there’s supposed to be that much division when you got lives at stake.”

Categories
News

In brief

Side profile of Mayor Nikuyah Walker sitting on the dais during a city council meeting
A poem published last week by Mayor Nikuyah Walker was applauded by some, while others said she’d gone too far. PC: Eze Amos

Mayor’s poem sparks conversation 

Last Wednesday morning, Mayor Nikuyah Walker posted a poem on her Facebook and Twitter pages. “Charlottesville: The beautiful-ugly it is. It rapes you, comforts you in its cum stained sheets and tells you to keep its secrets,” the mayor wrote.  

The poem grabbed the attention of people in and outside town, with some applauding the mayor’s candor and others arguing that her choice of words represented a bridge too far. Within hours, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, Fox News, and others had written about Walker’s poem. 

In a Thursday evening Facebook Live video with former vice-mayor Wes Bellamy, she elaborated on her post. 

“When I wrote that poem, it did exactly what I was hoping it would do—besides the ‘everybody across the country talking about it’ part,” Walker said. “But I wanted to hit a nerve.”

She also said she feels she was elected to speak freely, and that she has consistently offered sharp critiques of the city. “This community said you wanted something different,” she said. “And you all said that you were open to being challenged.”

Bellamy supported Walker. “A lot of us throughout our community, we like comfortable activism,” he said during the stream. “We like calling these things out in a way that makes you feel good. But not in a way that’s true, that’s going to get to the root of the issue.”

Bellamy also shared experiences from his own four-year stint on council. “Being a Black elected official is one of the most challenging things you’ll ever have to do,” he said. “We have to navigate things people have no idea about. So when we share our art, it’s easily misconstrued, because people are looking at it from their vantage point.”

Two of Walker’s colleagues, Councilors Heather Hill and Lloyd Snook, released a joint statement on the poem on Friday.

“As White individuals, we can only dimly understand the present-day impact of America’s history of slavery, lynching and sexualized violence toward Black people in general, and toward Black women in particular,” the councilors wrote. “We do not—because we cannot—share her pain; no one can judge someone else’s pain.”

They continued, “But it can never be appropriate for our Mayor—as our leader and as our representative—to use terms of sexual violence to characterize the City of Charlottesville. The ‘rape’ metaphor was salacious, but it was also jarring and hurtful to victims of sexual assault and rape.”

The councilors wrote that they wished Charlottesville was receiving national attention for the positive steps the city has taken in recent years, specifically citing increased investment in affordable housing. “Our future success depends on the good will and the desire for unity of people of all backgrounds,” they concluded. “This poem did not help build that unity.”

City Council’s next meeting is Monday, April 5. 

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Quote of the week

“I personally don’t think we should be arresting or penalizing
somebody for something we’re getting ready to legalize.”

—Governor Ralph Northam, talking about potentially moving up the date marijuana will become legal in Virginia 

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Council competition 

The Charlottesville Democratic Party will hold competitive primaries for two local elections in June. Four Democrats qualified for the City Council ballot before last week’s filing deadline. School board member Juandiego Wade, UVA planner Brian Pinkston, social entrepreneur Carl Brown, and software engineer Josh Carp—who declared his candidacy 48 hours before the deadline—will compete for two party nominations this summer. In the fall, the two winners will face off against two independent candidates, entrepreneur Yas Washington and sitting Mayor Nikuyah Walker, for a pair of council seats. Washington initially declared her candidacy as a Democrat but did not manage to qualify for the party’s official ballot and has decided to continue her campaign independently. Current City Councilor Heather Hill is not seeking re-election.

Anything in common?

The Democratic primary will also see Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania attempt to fend off a challenge from former public defender Ray Szwabowski. Both consider themselves progressives. Platania was elected in 2016. Szwabowski is running under the slogan “Time for change.”

Atkins moves up

Earlier this month, Charlottesville City Schools’ longtime superintendent Dr. Rosa Atkins announced her retirement, effective May 31, sharing that she would like to spend more time with her grandkids. However, it seems she is not quite ready to be a full-time grandma—in July, she will be joining the Virginia Department of Education as the assistant superintendent for talent acquisition and development. Meanwhile, the school board has appointed former teacher and principal James Henderson as Atkins’ temporary replacement. A new permanent superintendent will be selected by October.