Latest Articles (49 total)

Formative Experiences: Reflections From Alumni: In Conversation with Rosalin Walcott

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Kobena Amoah

As a young girl growing up in the projects of the South Bronx, Rosalin Walcott embraced lessons from her grandfather and older sister about the importance of knowledge and community. Little did she know, she was being

prepared for what would be her life’s journey: one dedicated to improving the lives of others and learning.

Formative Experiences: Reflections from Students: Are the New Activist Movements Political or Cultural?

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Kelechi Taye

At about 3:15pm local time on April 29, 1992, the jury deliberating the Rodney King Incident released its verdict. It had acquitted the four accused Los Angeles Police Department officers involved in the violent beating. Within a half hour of the announced verdict, a small crowd of a little over 300 people had gathered at the LA County Courthouse to protest it.

Sensitive Souls

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Denzel Marufu

I know not what is wrong, I know not what is right, therefore, I know not who I am. In my bouts of arrogance, I can barely look another being in the eye - such is my disgust at mankind. In my bouts of despair, I long for solace in that which disgusts me more than anything. 

Freedom as Political Representation

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Kelechi Taye

“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”

Toni Morrison, Beloved

On April 22, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States in the Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action upheld Michigan’s Proposal 2, an amendment prohibiting the state’s public colleges and universities use of “preferential treatment” on the basis of race in its admissions process.

An Unfortunate Occurrence

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Denzel Marufu

Is it not the most depressing thing imaginable that the truest sentiments can never be shared? Let us simply admire their tragic beauty in silence. The silence  in question was deafening as it filled the room surrounded by four aged walls, smeared by cracks stemming from the rotting ceiling that gave off a putrid smell, often deterring visitors - but these are the kind of details that make a home  special.

Structures of Modern Society: Identity, Difference, and Toleration

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Kelechi Taye

“ …. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as  one people.  Let's  resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and

immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share…” Barack Obama - Acceptance Speech 2008

On the Determinants of Passion

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Kobena Amoah

“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” T.D. Jakes

The above quote from popular preacher, T.D Jakes underscores one major point: to be successful in life, you must be passionate. In some ordinary sense, there is an element of truth to the statement that passion is a precursor to success.

Motivating Collective action

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Kobena Amoah

At noon on Friday, January 20, 2017, it was official that America had a new president. Donald J. Trump had been inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. In hindsight, it was obvious President Trump’s tenure was marked with a background of contentious divide within the nation. Yet, the development of growing discontent could not be limited to developments immediate to the election. Discontent had always been a general theme of American politics. However, the fact is there was a change in American politics that year. It was not that more people suddenly became aggrieved. It was that more aggrieved people started to express their grievances. And so a question naturally arises, why did social movements become commonplace?

Backdrop: Reflections From Faculty In Conversation with Dr. DeJuran Richardson

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Kobena Amoah

The tale of teacher motivation is often told as a single consistent story.

Nevertheless, there are two components to it. The first concerns the teacher’s own motivation. The second concerns the teacher’s interactions with their students. This second part from the story of Dr. Richardson is one marked by supportiveness, a view shared by many of his students.

Editor's Comments, February 2021

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Editor's Comments

Kobena Amoah

The idea of restoring the publication became reality in the 2019-20 academic calendar year, under the initiative of Ellen Kazembe (Former Editor-In-Chief) and has ever since been successful. While I had not been involved in the first publication, my encounter with the chief editor at the time, Ellen Kazembe, inspired my association with the publication.

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief, Volume 1, Issue 1

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THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, THE GAME CHANGER.
A WORD FROM
THE EDITOR
ELLEN KAZEMBE '20
Sawubona. Bonjour. ¿Cómo estás hoy?
I was motivated by a vision to create a captivating issue that simultaneously embraces diversity, celebrates cultural differences, welcomes unconventional opinions and shows that YOU, YES, YOU CAN achieve anything that you set your mind to. This vision was made possible by an Editorial team inclusive of like-minded game changers from Chicago to Zimbabwe to Canada to Nigeria and all the way to Haiti.

Historical Timeline: Lake Forest College Student Equity Movement

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HISTORICAL TIMELINE: LFC STUDENT EQUITY MOVEMENT

By ALICIA MAYNARD ’20 

EDITOR 

Editor’s Note: This is a snapshot of the student activism during the 2019 Spring semester. Some names have been redacted to protect the privacy of students and Staff members who actively engaged in incidences related bias that have not yet been made public

70's Art

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Editor’s note: In this issue of Black Rap, the Editorial Team has reprinted selected political artwork from the 70’s by the Black Students for Black Action (BSBA) group and Afrikan Students for Afrikan Liberation (ASAL).

Poetry: The Beauty of Intricacy

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THE BEAUTY OF INTRICACY

By TEBATSO DUBA ’22

CONTRIBUTOR

 

Poetry: I Am Who I Am

I AM WHO I AM 

By KWASI AKOWUAH’20

CONTRIBUTOR 

Poetry: MI BELLA CULTURA

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MI BELLA CULTURA

By YESSENIA ALVARADO VASQUEZ’20

CONTRIBUTOR

Poetry: I Am

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I AM

By TARIK HALL’22

CONTRIBUTOR

Poetry: Blanco Y Negro

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BLANCO Y NEGRO 

By JENNIFER MORALES’22

CONTRIBUTOR, Volume 1, Issue 1

Features: Faculty Letter to Trustees

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Editor’s Note: The email below was written by President Schutt on January 21st, 2020. This letter was signed by Faculty in support of diversifying the faculty body. 

Political Youth: What does politics have to do with it anyway?

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What does politics have to do with it anyway? 

By ELLEN KAZEMBE’20

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jacob Lollis is a student at Furman University in South Carolina. He is currently engaging in Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign in Iowa. During his internship in Washington D.C., he worked with, Jim Clyburn, who is the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Kazembe interviewed him to learn more about his interests, motivations and to find out his thoughts about youth involvement in politics.

Political Youth: Is it time for youth to talk more about political engagement?

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Is it time for youth to talk more about political engagement? 

By ELLEN KAZEMBE ’20 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Daniel Di Martino recently graduated from Indiana University in the 2019 fall semester. He has been featured on various TV networks and radio stations including but not limited to; Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and i24 News English. According to FOX59, he met with President Trump in 2019 to discuss political issues pertaining to Venezuela. He has used the media as a platform to raise more awareness about political issues that matter to him. Kazembe interviewed him to learn more about his interests and his political involvement.

Study Abroad

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Have you Heard? Studying Abroad Is Your Best Bet To Grow

By NOMBUSO DLAMINI’20

CONTRIBUTOR

Before I embarked on my journey, people used to ask me where I was going to study abroad. And I would respond, “The United Arab Emirates (UAE).” Most times I would get the same puzzled response, “Where is that?” And I would give one of two responses, “You know Dubai?” And then a light bulb would go off - “Oh! That sounds awesome.”
Or I’d say, “In the Middle East” and most often I’d sense the puzzlement in people’s response - Why would I want to go to a region that’s a big, dry desert where women wear hijabs?

Opinions: Recalling the Pan-African Ideology

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Recalling the Pan-Africanism ideology 

 By DENZEL MARUFU’23

CONTRIBUTOR

One Africa is often the slogan used to embody the togetherness that African nations aspire to reach, and it provides a simplified understanding of what Pan Africanism entails. Pan Africanism is the idea that those of African diaspora should unite and form a single African nation in which the inhabitants of this nation should develop in accordance with African values as opposed to Western ideals of development. 

Kulture: 你好! 

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你好! 

By Nathalie Mintjens’21

CONTRIBUTOR

The question ‘Where are you from?’ should be fairly easy to answer. However personally, it has always been a very conflicting question; are they asking for my race, my ethnicity, my nationality, where I was born, or where I grew up? For me, the answer to all these questions are different.

Alumni Spotlight: Barbara J. Holden-Smith

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What Everyone Ought to Know About Barbara J.Holden-Smith ‘73

By ELLEN KAZEMBE’20

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Barbara J. Holden-Smith is a Professor of Law at Cornell Law School in Ithaca, New York. She graduated from Lake Forest College in 1973, and she is well-renowned for her groundbreaking work in Supreme Court history and practice. According to her former Cornell Law School student, Alec D.Smith’16, “Professor Barbara Holden-Smith is one of the sharpest and smartest people” he has “ever had the pleasure to learn from. During class she makes it obvious that she cares about her students’ development not because she cuts them slack, but because she pushes them to and beyond their limits unlike any other professor can.” 

Alumni Spotlight: Bill Lowry

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The pathway to success: Bill Lowry ’84

By ELLEN KAZEMBE’20

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bill Lowry ’84 is the Cook County Board Commissioner for the 3rd district in Illinois. He is a member of many Cook County Board Committees that include: Contract Compliance, Criminal Justice, Business and Economic Development,Environment and Sustainability, among others. He is also the President and Managing Shareholder at Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry P.C. and a Lake Forest College Trustee. In 2009, he won the Lake Forest College Outstanding Alumni Leadership Award. 

Editorial Team Note, Volume 1, Issue 1

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We, the Black Rap Editorial Team, dedicate our efforts to embrace and celebrate the diversity of students, faculty, and alumni of African descendent.

Photography Gallery

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Editor’s Note: In this issue of Black Rap, the Editorial Team has reprinted selected photographs of different Black student organizations at Lake Forest College from the 60s to the 90s. The featured student organizations include: Sisterhood, Afrikan Students for Afrikan Liberation (ASAL), House of Soul, Black Ensemble, Black United and Concerned Students (BUCS) and United Black Association (UBA). This issue also features some of the events that were hosted by Black Student Leaders including Soul Week. It also features the Lake Forest College Tutorial Project which began in 1963 after the, “Crisis in Race Relations” conference.

Health: TACKLING INFECTIOUS DISEASES WITH DR. MAKADZANGE

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TACKLING INFECTIOUS DISEASES WITH DR. MAKADZANGE

By ELLEN KAZEMBE ‘20 and RENEE GORDON ‘22

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF and EDITOR

Dr. Tariro Makadzange is a Physician from Zimbabwe. She is also the Director of Biology and Clinical Research at Gilead’s Discovery Virology department. She got her PhD in Immunology from the University of Oxford. Afterwards, she earned her M.D. at Harvard Medical School. She is also an Associate Member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard. According to Gilead Sciences, “Tariro and her colleagues are focused on understanding T-cell biology and researching potential ways to harness a patient’s immune system to cure or control HIV.”

Global Perspectives: Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic Together

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COPING WITH tHE COVID-19 PANDEMIC TOGETHER

By ELLEN KAZEMBE ‘20 and ESTHER KIM ‘22

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF and CONTRIBUTOR

COVID-19 has affected us all. With schools and businesses shutting down, the virus has significantly changed our lives. The narratives we had planned for our lives were cancelled. Not only have people lost their jobs, many have lost their loved ones. All of a sudden, our daily routines shifted. Graduation ceremonies were cancelled. Health care and grocery store workers were recognized as being essential. Yet, in a new era of social distancing, people are connecting over social media, singing on balconies, and figuring out innovative ways to make masks. Here are 17 different experiences that were shared by global citizens from across the world:

Activism: Empowerment One Word at a Time

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EMPOWERMENT ONE WORD AT A TIME

By DENZEL MARUFU ‘23

EDITOR

In an age where “making a change” seems to be an obligation rather than a dream, many wonder how they can make that change in their immediate communities and, possibly, in the wider world. It can be discouraging to think about how much effort is needed to achieve this change but one will never know what it takes until they try to do so first hand. Zimbabwean writer and activist; Isabella Matambanadzo embodies this through her work advocating for gender and women’s rights in her native country, Zimbabwe, and by promoting economic investment in the country. She has worked in over 36 African countries in various capacities for agencies such as The Southern African Economist, Radio One and the Inter Press Service, just to name a few.

Activism Timeline Fall 2019

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FALL 2019 ACTIVISM AND EVENT TIMELINE

By ALICIA MAYNARD ‘20

EDITOR

Editor’s note: This is a snapshot of the student activism that took place on campus during the Fall 2019 semester.

Features: United Black Association Timeline

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UNITED BLACK ASSOCIATION'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2020
By DEJA MCCLELLAN ‘20
EDITOR

Timeline

Features: I Choose the Ladder

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I CHOOSE THE LADDER

By ELLEN KAZEMBE ‘20 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Watchen Nyanue is a business strategy leader from Liberia. Not only is she the founder of I Choose the Ladder, but she is also the Vice President of Marketing Partnership for the WNBA Chicago Sky. Additionally, she is the co-founder of Little Doebahyou, a monthly subscription box, which teaches children between the ages of 6-11 to embrace and understand the history and culture of the African Diaspora. Nyanue has been endowed with many accolades. She is a 2018 Chicago Business Journal Woman of Influence Honoree, a Chicago Scholars 35 Under 35 Honoree, and a Biz Women 2018 Headliner. She has also been featured on Windy City Live, WGN-TV and Chi at a Glance. 

Ask Feyi

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DEAR FEYI 

By OLUWAFEYISAYO ADEYINKA ‘22 

CONTRIBUTOR

Volume 1, Issue 2

Editor’s note: These are some of the questions that were submitted to the Black Rap Editorial Team by Lake Forest College students that want to learn more about African and African American cultures. The students’ identities have been withheld.

Opinions: Role of Jewish Rabbis During Dr. Martin Luther King's Movement

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THE ROLE OF JEWISH RABBIS DURING DR.MARTIN LUTHER KING’S MOVEMENT

By DENZEL MARUFU ‘23

EDITOR

Much has been said about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s industriousness and charismatic pursuit of racial equality in the mid 20th century. The focus has often been on his stance against the discriminatory policies that were in place so as to inhibit the African American community, at the time, from obtaining adequate opportunities to advance in the society.

Opinions: Segregated Thoughts

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SEGREGATED THOUGHTS: A BLACK PERCEPTION OF WHITENESS 

By KOBENA AMOAH ‘23

CONTRIBUTOR

The popularization of Black History Month among colleges adds to a heightened black consciousness within modern America. Of course this can be attributed to the growing black presence and group solidarity on college campuses. The acknowledgement of a black presence on campus with the celebration of Black History Month not only shows the ethnic pluralism of American diversity but also brings into light the dark and somber chapters of American history.

What is Science Without Diversity and Inclusion?

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WHAT IS SCIENCE WITHOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION? 

By ELLEN KAZEMBE ‘20

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matt Wallaert is a Scientist who has applied Behavioral Science to start-up companies, including some that are listed among the Fortune 500 companies, as well as tackled multifaceted social issues to make an impact. He is the first Chief Behavioral Officer at Clover Health where he leads one of the world’s largest behavioral science teams which includes: qualitative researchers, project managers and quantitative researchers. Prior to his role at Clover Health, he worked as Microsoft’s behavioral scientist and he was also a director at Microsoft Ventures.

Diversity and Inclusion: 9 Students Share the Importance of Allyship

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9 STUDENTS SHARE THE IMPORTANCE OF ALLYSHIP

By ELLEN KAZEMBE ‘20 and ESTHER KIM ‘22

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND CONTRIBUTOR 

What is an ally? According to Merriam Webster dictionary, being an ally is defined as, "supportive association with another person or group. Such association with the members of a marginalized or mistreated group to which one does not belong".