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Guest Post: Racism is a Public Health Crisis

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This morning Selena Burks Rentschler went to the OH Statehouse to testify in favor of the resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis. Over 200 people submitted written statements for today’s hearing.  She didn’t get the chance to read her  statement. They were running behind and she was way way way down on the list. But next week she’s planning to attend the second hearing for this resolution and hopefully she’ll have the opportunity to read it then.

Written Testimony for Resolution: Racism as a Public Health Crisis and to ask for a working group to promote racial equity in Ohio.

Today, I come here to express my solidarity as a citizen with Sen. Hearcel Craig, Sen, Sandra Williams, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and other Legislators who support the passage of this historical resolution to declare racism as a public health crisis statewide.

I have been an Ohioan all of my life. I was born and raised in Cleveland, attended college and earned my BFA from Wright State University in Dayton, became a wife and mother in Cincinnati and I sit here today as a new resident of Columbus.

I am here to testify and bear witness to the racism I have experienced on an interpersonal, social, institutional and structural level which has directly impacted my physical, psychological and emotional health. Among those health impacts are physician diagnosed Hypertension, PTSD, Depression and Anxiety.

For those of you who doubt that racism is a public health crisis, hear me out. Racism is a plague that has followed me everywhere I go, in all stages of my life. I have been confronted with racism from educators, medical professionals, neighbors, and law enforcement. Constantly being told that my voice had no power, and that I had no place in any of these spaces, has been a major hazard to my health and the health of millions of Black Americans in this state and the US as a whole.

I know what it feels like to be treated with less respect than a dog by a White kindergarten teacher in a predominately white suburban school. At the age of 5, she treated me like a burden and bullied me into silence.

I know what it feels like to be a child and afraid to go outside and play because white neighbors are calling my sister and me animals and niggers and yelling at us to go back to Africa.

I know what it’s like to experience extreme poverty, homelessness and food insecurity. Because my mother didn’t have access to the mental health resources she needed to help her navigate her trauma, she self-medicated through drug abuse. My mother’s trauma became my trauma.

I know what it’s like to be a foster youth, trapped in an overstretched system that’s unable to give foster youth the tools they desperately need to establish a successful start to adulthood. If it wasn’t for my foster mother cultivating in me a love of education and showing me how to grow into womanhood, I would have been lost.

As a Black woman, the shadow of racism still follows me. I’ve had college professors declare that because I’m Black, I’m less intelligent and am incapable of writing at a university level. I’ve walked into breakrooms at places of employment and felt the unspoken threat that as a Black woman I needed to shrink who I am because I wasn’t welcomed there.

I’ve been harassed by local law enforcement because I’m a Black woman – pulled over without probable cause, ticketed in accidents I didn’t cause, followed by cruisers to the driveway of a home I own, without any explanation why.

I have endured White doctors refusing to take my health concerns seriously when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had to go through five doctors in five months and lose over 20 pounds to eventually be put on bed rest with home IVs before I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. I have repeatedly had doctors dismiss my health concerns since. The sting of not being heard, of not having my pain taken seriously never fades.

Neither does the memory of my Mother’s final days. I was 23, it was right before Christmas, and I took my mother to the hospital because she was having complications caused by her Multiple Sclerosis. This was in Cleveland and I lived in Dayton, so my mother encouraged me to go back home after she was admitted. She was under the impression that she would receive some fluids and be discharged in a day or so. I left my contact information with the staff at the hospital, planning to return in a week.

When days passed and I hadn’t heard from my mom or the hospital, I returned to Cleveland sooner than planned. I walked into my mother’s hospital room and saw the awful shape she was in. Her legs and arms were covered with large blood clots and she was jaundiced. Not one doctor had thought to call me to tell me about my mother’s condition and by the time I had any chance to advocate for my mother’s health and treatment it was too late. She died two days later.

As a mother of a Black daughter I have already begun a lifelong conversation about how her brown skin and curly hair will have a direct impact on her life. To explain to her how an educated, accomplished Black woman can still, in the year 2020, be treated as a second-class citizen in this country. I can’t go for a jog without feeling anxious. My heart jumps when I see a police cruiser drive right behind me. I can’t even feel safe getting pizza from a local restaurant without feeling the threat of white supremacy. And some say, with a straight face, that racism isn’t a public health crisis? Would those of you who disagree ever trade places with me and live the life I have lived and still live?

So I implore you to ask yourselves what side of history do you want to be on when our children’s children look back and judge us? The whole country is watching this moment. Now is the time to take Black suffering seriously. To defund police departments who over police Black communities and invest those funds in mental health resources for children of color who are experiencing adult trauma. To combat glaring disparities in health outcomes for Black Americans. The list is expansive, the road is long and there’s a lot to do, but the first step is to acknowledge the pain and destruction that racism has caused to Black lives in Ohio. Take this first step and pass this resolution into law. It is the humane thing to do.

I’d like to thank the members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus for introducing this resolution to declare racism as a public health crisis on a statewide level. And thank you to Rep. Stephanie Howse for posting information about this hearing on social media. It’s because of her post that I am here and able to share my support of this resolution. Thank you.

Selena Burks-Rentschler is an award-winning filmmaker, foster-youth advocate, professional public speaker, film accountant, and now, screenwriter. Her stories reflect her harrowing childhood in and out of foster care and feature strong, self-reliant and creative female characters. Continuing to defy the odds, Selena earned her M.F.A. in screenwriting from David Lynch Cinematic Arts graduate program at the Maharishi University of Management.

Journalist Ron Rollins-Now Retired!

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Ron’s last photo from the Dayton Daily News.

Ron Rollins didn’t go to work today. And he won’t be going tomorrow either,  but we couldn’t let the newly retired journalist off the hook before we gave him one last assignment. We asked him to write about himself:

 

What brought you to Dayton?

I arrived at the Dayton Daily News in December 1986 as an assistant metro editor, working nights handling editing and rewrites on breaking and local news, part of a very talented team of about 6 other editors. Worked from 1 to 10 p.m. on the third floor of our old building at Fourth and Ludlow downtown (now gone; sigh), and it was a great way to learn the city, its stories and people. I worked very closely with my friend Vince McKelvey, who was the other nightside editor with me and who was an amazing mentor and teacher, a fabulous word editor and really taught me all about Dayton, its history and how it worked. He retired years ago, and I attribute a good deal of my success at the DDN to him.

I’ve been fortunate all my life to have great mentors at the times I’ve needed them. At the DDN, I’ve also been able to work with a long line of incredible and fabulously talented, creative journalists, some of the best in the nation. It’s been a gift and I treasure it.

 

Ron many moons ago!

What have your job titles over the years been:

Gosh, a lot. Rather than just dump a resume or CV, I went from assistant metro editor to some other local news editing after a few years, then became the Arts & Entertainment editor, a job I had for a long time and which I truly loved. We had much fun covering the local arts scene, from clubs to the DPO. I wrote a lot, learned a ton (Jazz! Hip-hop! Opera! Impressionism!) and did a weekly arts column that ran on Sundays. Eventually I also become the editor of the Life daily features section, and eventually an assistant managing editor, then one of 3 managing editors who ran the paper. I was usually in charge of features, arts, the photo desk, sports – all the fun stuff, basically. Eventually I helped run our company’s operations in Butler and Warren counties, which then consisted of two daily and six weekly papers, and was editor there. I came back to the Dayton Daily News about 12 years ago to run the opinion section, which we reframed as the Ideas & Voices community and opinion pages that we have today. I’ve had a variety of senior-editor type titles over the last few years; I use old business cards as book marks. During the recent decade when the DDN was aligned with WHIO TV and radio, I had the good luck to be able to do a weekly radio interview show, “Miami Valley Voices,” which I greatly enjoyed – so, add “radio host,” which I never thought I’d get to call myself.

 

 

Tell us about some of the changes you’ve seen in newspapers over the years?

Well, the big obvious one everyone knows about is the advent of and the move to online and digital journalism, which has been a massive change in every aspect of the business. In terms of content, reporting and getting information to readers, it’s been an amazing and wonderful boon, and a lot of fun. In terms of advertising, it’s been a catastrophic hit to the original business model of how newspapers made money, and you’ve seen the results – local news everywhere is on the ropes, trying its best to stay afloat. Here in Dayton, we have done a better job than in many markets of holding our ground, keeping up quality and managing our resources in a way that works best for our company, our staff and our customers. This community is very, very lucky to have Cox and the Dayton Daily News, and I hope and pray it will continue to support the newspaper as it has.

 

Is there a story you’ve felt particularly proud of putting out there? 

That’s a toughie. So many. The biggest stories I was part of were our coverage of the two-week prison riot in Lucasville, about 25 years ago, which I managed on site, and I was lucky enough to be near Centennial Park in Atlanta the night the terrorist bomb went off, and me and two friends got the big national story on that, back in 1996 – an actual “stop the presses” moment. It was scary, and sad, but also, I must admit, thrilling.

I’d say the stuff I enjoyed covering the most in general would be all the arts stories over the 10 years or so I was a part of that. I wrote a lot about the Dayton Art Institute and the local visual arts and music scenes, and really learned a lot and liked it.

Also, I had the chance with the DDN to produce and edit several books about Dayton history – “For the Love of Dayton,” “Dayton Ink,” and “Gentlemen Amateurs,” plus some others, and I still see them around town on shelves. That’s kinda cool. Few papers would have given me a chance like that.

 

Tell us about someone you met through your DDNews work that has become a friend?

All of you! Honestly, journalism is a business that gives you daily, endless opportunities to meet and get to know many, many fascinating and wonderful people – it’s the nature of the biz. A lot of journos say they got into the business because they love to write; I got into it because I enjoyed meeting new people and talking to them. I love interviewing people and getting to know how and why they tick. I’ve made many friends here over the years, and many other close acquaintances that I enjoy keeping in touch with – through the paper and also through the various boards and community organizations I’ve been part of as well over the years. That’s a long list of organizations, by the way, which is probably another story.

 

Ron painting with his grandson Duffy.

What do you envision your perfect day in retirement to look like?

Hmm, looking forward to finding out. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do more hikes in the woods, read even more books, write more poetry, have lunch with folks I’ve been meaning to catch up with, make dinner for my lovely wife a bit earlier in the day, and spend time in my Kettering studio making more art than I’ve had a chance to recently. Oh, and naps.

 

Fighting for charity in KnockOut

What advice you’d give others about getting along in Dayton?

Well, it’s been said a million times before by smarter people that Dayton is a semi-big small town (I like to call it a small town with two tall buildings that aren’t very tall), and that makes it a place where you can get things done quickly and well because it’s easy to connect with a lot of people in a meaningful way. Everyone knows everyone, and is happy to take their call, and say “yes,” if they can. It’s a place, too, where if you want to try something creative or a bit odd, folks will give you a shot and generally be encouraging. It’s meant a lot to me, for instance, that when I tentatively toe-dipped into the local arts community as a painter after years of having covered it, and was fairly shy about doing so, I found a lot of positive encouragement that was quite wonderful, and kept me going. People here are so nice. These things are of course true for lots of other communities, too, but I like the way it works here – our brand and flavor of it. It’s what I know. It’s one of the reasons we stayed.

 

Anything else you’d like to share….

My wife, Amy, also works at the paper and isn’t ready to retire yet; she and I raised two wonderful kids here (both grown now) and have loved our time in Dayton and Kettering (where we live and our kids went to school) and the whole area, and have never regretted that we chose this as a place to live and stay. It’s a great place to be and to make a home, and we consider ourselves lucky.

One of my favorite pictures of Ron, when he ran the Clothes That Work Hunks in Heels evetns!

 

We wish you all the best as you create new adventures Ron!

Having A Bucket List Could Increase Your Productivity

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How often do you spend a little time thinking about (or pursuing) items on your bucket list? Do you even have one? Most of us have some things we’d like to do or accomplish in life, and some actually write a formal list on paper. Others have a list in their head. Often, the bucket list resides in our personal lives, but having one in our professional lives can make us better leaders.

But before we explore that, do you realize that, by definition and logic, if you have a bucket list, you’re thinking about dying? That may seem morbid. But in fact, it’s a good thing to think about what you want to do before you die.

In their 2016 “Book of Joy,” the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu instruct us to consider our own mortality. They rightly contend that this will bring a sense of urgency, perspective and gratitude. Author and pastor Andy Stanley (2014a) similarly tells us that “priority determines capacity.” He points to an ancient Jewish text (Psalm 90) that says, “teach us to number our days” in order to achieve wisdom. “Numbering your days” is thinking about how long you have to live — just as the bucket list has us thinking about specific things that we want to do while we’re still alive. This can be powerful in helping us focus attention both at home and work.

Stanley also challenges us to “compound our minutes” (2014b), noting:

  1. There is a cumulative value to investing small amounts of time in certain activities over a long period. (e.g., exercise; spending time with family; mentoring a new coworker or student)
  2. Neglect is cumulative as well. (e.g., exercise; personal finances; not spending time with family; not sharing your life experiences; not fulfilling leadership opportunities when they arise)
  3. There is no cumulative value to the random things we opt for over the important things. (e.g., surfing the internet; micromanaging instead of delegating)

But if we’re attentive to the limited time we have, we can use it more effectively, and we can accomplish things that really matter. And as leaders, we simultaneously model this approach and behavior for others.

So how does all this come together?

A bucket list reminds us that we have only a limited amount of time here on this earth. Again, that’s not morbid. It’s simply a fact of life. So by holding that in mind, or even occasionally giving it serious thought, we can begin to be more deliberate about prioritizing the most important things in life. That prioritization allows us to say “no” to items of less importance, allowing us to free up time for what really matters. As noted, this increases focus both at home and the office. Prioritization increases capacity.

So do you want to get more done? Do you want to increase your capacity? Make a bucket list. Try having one for home (personal life) and one for work (professional life). Write down those items that are most important — ones you really want to accomplish. Then, start numbering your days. Follow the advice of the Dalai Lama, Bishop Tutu and Andy Stanley. Consider your mortality. I think you’ll be glad you did. If you’re mentoring someone, teaching a class, or leading a team, challenge them with this idea as well.

I might add: There’s a potential added bonus: you just might have some fun (and have time for) checking off one or two of those bucket-list items as well.

WRITTEN BY

Brian Raison Brian Raison, PhD

As first appeared on the Lead Read Today Blog

For additional reference / reading:

Dalai Lama XIV, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Carlton Abrams. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World. New York: Avery, 2016.

Stanley, Andy (Nov. 15, 2014). Time Of Your Life 2 – At Capacity. Available at: https://youtu.be/mIsnLZqmk_4

Stanley, Andy (Nov. 15, 2014). Time Of Your Life 3 – Compounding Minutes. Available at: https://youtu.be/YomJ6TUXChM

A day in the life of The Winds Chef Roland Eliason

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It’s 9:30. I set the alarm on the back door and take one last look around a dark kitchen that just faintly glimmers with all the stainless I know is there. No worries. Come morning time she will hum again as MK starts the bread baking and prep for the sweets that adorn our ever changing menu. There will be no moss on the rolling stone that is The Winds.

Essential employees they called us. Granted we had the option to work or not. How could we not work. Kitchens are all we know. We cook for people. Sharing all the good things we come across is why we work tirelessly and tediously day in and day out. Lettuce is finally back. Asparagus season is here! 5 weeks. Thats it.

Unfortunately it seems not a single stalk will likely be served in the dining room. The same dining room that now has a fine layer of dust on it from being idle for so long. The last two butts to warm chairs there were an impromptu dinner for my daughters 2 days after everything came to a halt. They had quiche.
The thing that gnaws at me the most is how do we use this absurdly disruptive event to catapult us onto the way we want to live. I for one am quite enjoying the longer hours with my girls in the morning and better connections with my guests. It sucks not having access to all the usual products from my purveyors but we are cooking even more with what we get from farmers than before. The menus change every two or three days. It is really quite fun. I do miss putting food on plates. The togo boxes just dont complete the aesthetic.


Can we not shed the trappings we have shown we do not need. Everyone that wants to work should have the opportunity. I will never deny that to anyone. We could do with a few more ranchers and farmers in my opinion. I would love to have a good butcher around. Or a cheese monger.


Tipping should die with this pandemic. I hate the practice all together. Hospitality is a profession. Professionals shouldn’t have to work for tips. You may see a slight raise in menu prices. I would rather that than continue to have my guests feel obligated to give my staff monetary compensation after paying for my product. I hope we can find a way to make this reality.


3 guidelines:

Take care of each other
Aint nothin that damn serious
There is always time for a beer

The Winds Café

215 Xenia Ave
Yellow Springs, Ohio
(937) 767-1144
Updated dinner menu
www.windscafe.com/dinner

New Website Providing FREE E-Commerce Storefronts to Local Artists

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Times of crisis can act as a stimulus for the creative spirit. COVID-19 is no exception.

Art by Amy Kollar Anderson

Spending more time in his home office, Mile Two VP of Engineering and Code for Dayton co-Captain Dave Best really began to notice his bare walls. Our #DaytonStrong resilience has been demonstrated by our giving to the COVID-19 fund at The Dayton Foundation to our support for our essential workers, from healthcare to those working in grocery and drug stores to those delivering our mail and packages. Many Daytonians have made an extra effort to support our local restaurants by ordering carry-out or delivery, or purchasing growlers of locally-brewed craft beer. Musicians, on their own or through venues like The Old Yellow Cab, have set up virtual concerts where the audience can donate online.


TwinEbonyUrns by Katie Clark Gabbard



After staring at the walls, the obvious question was “What about our visual artists”? Aren’t they essential to helping bring beauty and meaning to our lives? How can the community help support them at a time when the studios, galleries, coffee shops and restaurants where they typically show their work are closed?

Drying by Eva Lewis

I have known Dave 5+ years. He reached out to me last Friday because on my connections in the art community and because The Collaboratory’s reputation for incubating projects from ideas to action. He  wanted to know if I thought it was feasible. I said hell yes and jumped right in. 

The idea behind Essential Artists Dayton is to offer a FREE (at least through May 30) platform for Dayton visual artists to set up an online storefront. And by FREE, we mean 100% of sales, less any processing charges, goes to the artists. In addition to putting this out to my artists friends and the major artist organization, I specifically reached out to artist Megan Fiely. We met when she came back to town, but really connect when she started raising Tornado Relief funds from the local community of artists. She have been helpful in the co-creation process, beta testing the storefront set-up and getting the word out.

Dayton Arcade by Matt Blair



All art purchased through Essential Artists Dayton will be available for pick-up at The Collaboratory, Monday – Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM or by appointment. The exchange will be made while practicing appropriate social distancing. The Collaboratory is located at 114 West First Street, Suite B, in Talbott Tower.

 
Currently eight storefronts are live and 10 sales have already been completed.
This guest post contributed by Peter Benkendorf, Founder & Catalyst of The Collaboratory

Own A Piece of Dayton History!

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On social media, we are seeing daily examples of small local business reaching out to their peers. We see it in innovative partnerships and heartfelt pivots to keep our local restaurants intact. It is the embodiment of #DaytonStrong.

As for the Century—our help has come from the Windsor Companies, other Fire Blocks District businesses, our dear friends at The Idea Collective, and all of you who have so generously ordered from our website.

Months ago we struggled with the hard decision to part with our original neon sign. But as we made way for the future and updated our brand, it just didn’t fit who we are today. Our dear friends at The Idea Collective(TenderMercy//Sueno) originally purchased it with the promise of trying to keep it in Dayton.

Then the world turned upside down. As most of you know we were closed for 32 days for construction and only allowed to remain open for six weeks before we had to shut down again because of the Coronavirus. We want to thank Dayton for the tremendous support you gave us in those few short weeks.

Much to our surprise, we received a call from The IdeaCollective saying that they wanted to help another small business. To aid in keeping the Century’s lights on, they are graciously giving us back the sign so we can raise funds with it.

We are grateful and proud to auction the Century Bar sign on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/383506677744

This sale will help us ensure that we can continue to serve you for the rest of the 21st Century. It is our sincerest hope that the sign remains in Dayton or perhaps gets donated to the American sign museum in Cincinnati.

The above post was written by Diane Spitzig, bar c0-owner.

The Century Bar

10 S Jefferson St
Dayton, Ohio 45402

You can also support The Century by buying a t-shirt, gift card or just making a donation online.

 

Solution for Paycheck-To-Paycheck Peeps vs The Virus

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Do you live paycheck-to-paycheck? Has this virus cut your hours partly or completely? Is your cash flow running low? Are you concerned about making rent? Here are a few suggestions as to how to weather this financial storm:

  1. Make sure you file for unemployment in your state. Your employers have paid into the system through payroll taxes. The states issue the checks. Don’t think of it as charity. Think of it as compensation from your employers for rainy days like this. If it still doesn’t sit well, you can always use it now and donate back to the state’s treasury when we get back to normal.
  2. Ask if your employer or union has a disaster relief fund to which you can apply. For example, my union has the SAGAFTRA Foundation COVID-19 Disaster Fund. The Fund covers “members who are in an emergency financial crisis related to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) to cover basic expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, medical bills and other essential needs.”
  3. You know if there is a way to work a credit card to my benefit, I will! Get yourself a credit card that charges 0% interest on new purchases for up to 21 months. We’ll be out of the woods way before then! All you have to do is pay the minimum amount due to keep the 0% rate.

Get ahead of this financial problem – NOW. I know a lot of people do not have a cushion. Use the 0% card as a safety net – in case. Use the card to pay for everything you buy. When the credit card bill comes in a month, all you have to pay to keep the 0% interest is the minimum payment. This will give you the flexibility to use what cash you have to pay your rent / mortgage and taxes. I use a credit card to pay for everything possible in my daily life. Mortgage and taxes are the only things that would charge me a fee if I used a credit card.

How much is the minimum payment on a 0% card?

You will see the minimum payment in the terms and conditions of the card during the application process. The industry standard is now to calculate the minimum as all fees and interest due that month plus one percent of the principal amount owed. Since you would not owe any interest because you paid the minimum every month, and you would not use the card for a cash advance, you should not have any interest or fees. Therefore, for example, 1% of $1,000 is $10. YOU must confirm the minimum payment in the Terms and Conditions when you apply.

I heard I can’t get evicted because of COVID-19

That’s true in many cities. Remember, that does not mean you get to live rent-free. It also means you may get hit with late fees. In Los Angeles, where I live,  you have to get caught up on the rent you owe in six months.

Is it possible to pay your rent with a credit card?

Yes, but there is a fee. Use Plastiq to pay your rent/mortgage. Here’s my referral code: 1501567

Plastiq.com says they “enable payments to the 90% of businesses that don’t accept credit cards.”. Plastiq charges you 2.5%. That’s a $25 fee per $1,000, but that is probably cheaper than late fees. Signup and use my referral code 1501567 and you will get 500 FFDs off fees.

Find yourself one of the cards I mentioned here:

Apply Now 0% APR Credit Cards – By CreditCards.com

  • Reduce the amount of interest you pay with a 0% introductory rate interest card.
  • 0% introductory rates are available for up to 21 months on purchases and balance transfers.
  • Make your card work twice as hard — 0% introductory rates are available on reward earning products.
  • Save even more by looking for a card with no annual fee!
  • Terms vary by partner offer. Please see each bank’s application for terms and conditions.
  • Clicking Apply Now will take you to CreditCards.com to compare 0% APR cards from participating partners.

» Apply Now

 

This guest post from:

Chip Chinery is a skin-flint from way back. He started ChipsMoneyTips.com to give “Money tips in a candy-coated shell” through humorous, entertaining and informative videos and posts. Most people are clueless about money. Not you – them. Other people.

Read more: http://www.chipsmoneytips.com/2020/03/solution-for-paycheck-to-paycheck-peeps-vs-the-virus/#ixzz6HEYm9jco

Randy Phillips, Greater Dayton LGBT Center Executive Director Reflects on 2019

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As this year quickly comes to a close we are ever mindful of what this year has wrought.  We began 2019 with hopeful hearts ushering in all the hopes and dreams for a better time as we do with each New Year.  We did see and experience some wonderful things in 2019.  We saw the most diverse class of lawmakers ever elected and sworn in to the 116th congress.  This includes the most women ever, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who came out swinging right out of the gate.  We saw great strides in movies and music in 2019 with director Spike Lee finally winning his first Oscar after years of nominations.  Remember when a 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thurnberg and the rest of the youths around the world who walked out of school in May in protest of climate change?  Whitney Houston was right on the money when she sang “I believe the children are our future.”  Or when billionaire Robert F. Smith announced he would pay off every Morehouse student’s debt in his touching commencement speech?  So 2019 has had it positive notes!

2019 also had it challenges.  Early on we learned of an affiliated KKK group that wanted to come to Dayton.  As true believers in free speech, Dayton allowed them to come.  Yet, we saw a whole town rally together in meeting after meeting to show just how much our city exemplifies our acceptance of diversity and our non-tolerance of hate filled speech.  Thirteen KKK members came to Dayton, and thousands showed up to protest their hate filled speech.

Just days later on Memorial Day, fifteen tornados came through our area leaving behind a huge path of destruction.  Thousands of people would be impacted by this storm.  Many without electric and utilities for days and weeks, other homes were wiped out completely and lives forever changed.

In this dark time, Dayton’s humanity and compassion shown bright as the whole community rallied together to aid those affected by the storm.  With this massive destruction the re-building will be slow, but the re-building has begun as we continue to rally together, Dayton Strong.

The following week we celebrated Gay PRIDE in the city, with “50 years since Stonewall.”  And a true celebration it was with a record number of people participating in the parade and over 70 information booth at Courthouse Square.  Almost 5,000 people crowded onto the square as we celebrated PRIDE in how far our LGBTQ community has come since Stonewall, and pride in who we are.  Our Washington elected officials may continue to attack our LGBTQ community, especially our transgender brothers and sisters, but we are resilient and strong and we will not be erased nor will we go quietly into the night.  Dayton PRIDE was certainly a high point of the year for our LGBTQ+ community.  We are out, we are proud, we are Dayton Strong and we are Dayton PROUD!

Of course just after “PRIDE” in the morning hours of August 4th a gunman killed 9 victims and injured many others in the Historic Oregon District.  Not only was our community in shock and grief for the loss, but the ever presents of menace held on in the minds of many for such an extended period of time. But again Dayton is strong, Dayton is proud and the whole city rallied around our own to hold our community together.  Many celebrities offered their support and even the orange baby man came to Toledo, and mean came to Dayton to extend his support.  Springfield’s John Legend and Dayton’s Dave Chappelle led in the healing by doing free concerts for the city headlined by the great Stevie Wonder.

It has taken some time for the healing.  Many of our bars and establishments are still feeling the effect as people are not going out as they once did, choosing to stay in the safety of their own homes.  Our confidence has been shaken, but it is time to step out and enjoy the city again.

This year is coming to a close and while we have indeed been challenged this year, we will forever step out and embrace the joys this wonderful city has to offer.  Happy Holidays!  Let’s ring in the New Year with Style!!!

Randy Phillips is the Executive Director of the Greater Dayton LGBT Center

24 N. Jefferson ST, STE 200 Dayton, OH 45402

937-274-1776

“Our mission is to enhance lives and empower members of the diverse sexual and gender communities throughout the Miami Valley”

It Was a Busy 2019 For Dayton’s Smug Brothers!

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As we near the close of 2019 there are certain to be a plethora of “best of” and “hottest new” lists to commemorate the past year.  From a rock and roll perspective 2019 was a fine year, especially here in our own little Miami Valley.  Over the last few years there has been a uptick in the number of local artists publishing and producing excellent music, as well as a few reunions. 

Left to right: Kyle Melton, Kyle Sowash, Don Thrasher and Scott Tribble

The sheer quantity of releases this year has been staggering for a city this size, and the bands and artists represented in this year’s class is impressive in both number and diversity.  Within this veritable cornucopia of music, our own little embarrassment of riches, are a number of standouts.  Several new Miami Valley artists and bands released debut albums this year, with even more offering up sophomore efforts, which universally have been excellent.  A few veteran groups released full albums as well as a few releasing projects for local music day.  The tally is still climbing, but it is safe to say nobody is going to release more records in 2019 here in Dayton than the fellows in Smug Brothers.  Last month Smug Brothers released their third album of 2019.  You read that correctly, their THIRD album of 2019.  These are not singles or 3 song EPs.  Smug Brothers released three full-length albums this year, and they are ready to talk about it.

Kyle and Don with the vinyl version of “Attic Harvest”

Artistic process is part of the reason why Smug Brothers has been able to produce so much music this year.  Drummer Don Thrasher explains, “We have the choice of recording songs that are fun, and they sound like us, and they capture this idea.  We can spend a month on them or we can get that moment before it’s gone, and that’s what we did.  We are going to go that way every time.”  Don goes on to describe a bit of their methods for song writing.  “Kyle is so prolific, he will have dozens of ideas he will send us, and then we see what sticks.  He sent us 110 song ideas in one big drop.”  He expands on their process further stating that they absolutely love to record.  Kyle Melton, who is the principal songwriter and vocalist, did a lot of the recording himself this year which was a deviation from their previous work..  The pressures of recording three albums this quickly can add up and so can the financial impact of that much recording.  Recording technique wasn’t the only change for Smug Brothers in 2019 though.

Since their last release in 2017 the lineup has also changed with Scott Tribble and Kyle Sowash joining on lead guitar and bass respectively. The new members had no obvious difficulty finding their places, as the albums this year are cohesive and well voiced.  Perhaps the most impressive thing was that the Smug Brothers releases were only a part of the total output for the band members as they are very involved and active in their other projects as well.  Smug Brothers as of November actually has upwards of 30 more songs tracked and show no signs of slowing down.  Thrasher admits that it can get hard to mentally catalogue all that material, but they will keep producing records as long as the ideas are coming and fast is good.  Pedal to the floor, Gas-Daddy-Go as they say.  Or so I have been told.

“Attic Harvest“ was the first of their records this year and released in the late winter.  The record was a beautiful vinyl LP with abstract light-emanating Mickey Mouse head meets virus particles under a scanning electron microscope cover art  (you’ll get it once you see it) and punchy 2-minute hook and run songs typical of their craft. Their second album of 2019 was a surprise release in July, “All Blur and Spark.”  It was a short collection of odds and ends that the band decided to release and for most bands would have been a great addition to a big studio release.  Not to be outdone however, they marched onward. 

Their latest release “Serve a Thirst Moon” is a bit more evolved than the others, and that is no small feat when the average song is under 2 minutes.  The song order flows naturally, and the tones are less stark and more reminiscent of psychedelic and seventies rock while still frenetically introducing, expanding and then resolving the brief compositions.  For anyone new to the band’s work, this is a great album to whet your appetite.  For any music fans, it would make a great holiday gift.  For Smug Brothers it is a fine feather in their cap for a prolific and transformative 2019.  With over 30 songs ready who knows what 2020 looks like. 

 

Paul Levy submitted this guest post on the Smug Brothers

Louis CK Plays Dayton Funny Bone

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It’s been two years since comedian Louis CK admitted in the New York Times that the allegations of lewd behavior made about him by several women were true. He said in the statement that he planned to “step back and take a long time to listen,” but the Times reported on November 2 that the comedian is embarking on a world tour.

The tour started in Richmond, Va. and will see the comedian perform in such far-flung locations as Israel, Slovakia, and Hungary, as well as all over the United States.  He’ll be at the Dayton Funny Bone for five shows December 27-29.  Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online.

These are not his first performances since running afoul of the #MeToo movement. He took the stage in August 2018 at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar and has made other appearances since then. However, the current world tour is his most ambitious attempt yet to put his career back on track.

When he admitted to the allegations against him, Louis CK became one of the most visible symbols of “cancel culture,” in which celebrities are boycotted and lose professional opportunities in response to allegations against them. In his case, his film “I Love You, Daddy” was dropped from distribution and he lost his lead role in “The Secret Life of Pets 2.”

Now that he’s returning to the stage, it raises questions about the effectiveness of “cancel culture.” After all, is it accurate to say that he’s been “canceled” when he can wait a few months for the uproar to blow over and then go right back to performing?

https://youtu.be/tWhuUI9MdDM

According to culture critic and writer SJ Palm, host of the Popculty Podcast, the answer is yes, although it has more to do with information overload than anything else.

“In this day of the 24-hour news cycle, stories that would have dominated a year’s worth of media coverage a decade ago are breezed past within a day,” Palm said. “People lose track of time, and they forget how bad the crimes were, so they figure it’s probably been long enough… we should just be honest and call it ‘time-out culture.’”

Comedian, writer, and actor Kevin Allison said that if Louis CK wanted to return to the spotlight, there’s a historical precedent for the way he should have handled it.

“When the story about Louis broke in the Times a couple of years ago, I figured he’d lay low for two or three years, then come back with an hour-long show that was more soul-searching than dismissive, a show that dared to get serious,” he said. “There’s plenty of great moments in stand-up where someone like Richard Pryor came out and basically said something like, ‘Look, I regret something. There’s a solid reason for me to get real up here now and attempt to repair some damage.’”

He added that while Louis CK acknowledged that the stories his accusers told were true, the comedian could have done more to recognize the damage he did.

“Louis’s case is not on the level of, say, Bill Cosby’s,” Allison said. “But several women have said that this whole thing with Louis has had a negative effect on their lives. I don’t know what he’ll ultimately do on stage, but I’d respect him more if he didn’t act like those women were making much ado about nothing.”

https://youtu.be/08ITsgiL6v8

Louis Carter, author and CEO of the Best Practice Institute think tank, said that if Louis CK’s “cancellation” seemed to end quickly, there’s a reason for that. He said that it’s in human nature to forgive, primarily because it feels good, and also because it’s easy to forgive when you’re not the victim.

“There are numerous studies on how forgiveness positively affects mood,” Carter said. “When the transgression is hypothetical to others, or others are far removed from the effects of the transgression, it is far easier to forgive.”

The real barometer of how welcome Louis CK’s return is will be the success or failure of his tour. If it sells out, then one can likely assume that he’s back in the public’s good graces. If he tells his jokes to the empty rooms of the world, then it probably means the opposite.

Whatever it means, author Collette McLafferty said that apart from choosing not to see the comedian perform, people who are still upset by his actions can take positive steps to offset that feeling.

“For anyone who is against Louis CK going on the road, I recommend taking that energy to actively seek out and support the projects of the women who told their stories instead – Dana Min Goodman, Julia Wolov, Rebecca Corey, and Abby Schachner,” she said. “They paved the way for women and men to come forward sooner than later.”

Written by Daniel Bukszpan and originally published on , NOV 10 2019 on CNBC