CLC Black History Month highlights

Black Authors

On February 4, CLC hosted the Black Authors Book Fair, a free event bringing together book enthusiasts and highlighting Black voices in literature. The fair was not only an opportunity for authors to come showcase their work, but also to emphasize that everyone has a story.

Throughout the day, readers joined live panels to chat with Black authors. Among these authors included Dr. Charmika McCoy, author of “He’s Only Eight” and owner of Fyt Admyn Lyfe, a support network for educational leaders and administrators.

McCoy described the context of the Black Author Book Fair’s launch, happening months after her book published.

“I wanted a space for myself and other authors to come together and be able to share with other people about our books,” McCoy said. “Where people can come, get exposure to becoming an author, but also meet people who are doing the thing from all different walks of life.

The Chronicle got the opportunity to peruse the books during the fare, even speaking to some of the other authors. One notable figure was Lesley Bracero, author of “Love is a Sacrifice” and owner of Melanated Authors.

“I am passionate about working with children,” she said. “In particular, melanated children, and I work tirelessly to instill in them a love of reading.”

Another was Dr. Michael Allan, a former principal who became a coach, mentor and author. Allan and his brother, Gilbert Allan, published the middle-grade book “Brotherly Love,” in which they shared their story of navigating poverty, racism, and personal struggles with the help of love and mentorship.

“I’ve always been searching for how to empower humanity in unique ways,” Allan said. “I’m passionate about it, and it’s natural for me.”

Of Sound Mind

On February 5, the Chronicle had the chance to visit the workshop ‘Our Sound, Our Sanity: Where Music Meets Mental Health.’

Entering the presentation room, we were introduced to presenter Ashley Cullen-Williams, licensed counselor, educator, mental health advocate and social-emotional learning expert, as well as the senior program director of Brushwood Center. Working at CLC, she was the TRIO Educational Talent Search scholar’s specialist and manager for over 10 years. Opening the presentation, Cullen-Williams highlighted how black music is used as a mental health journal.

“Not everyone has a mental health diagnosis or a mental illness. But oftentimes in the black and brown community, we use those words interchangeably, and that increases or heightens the stigma around it,” Cullen-Williams said. “It’s also important that we recognize and validate that before therapy had language, we had music.”

Further delving into this odyssey where melody and mind meld, Cullen-Williams discussed particular artists.

“We’re going to explore the music as the emotional survival drive,” Cullen-Williams stated. “Kanye is a great example of musical genius, black manhood from Chicago, and mental health and mental illness.”

She then shifted the discussion toward how music affects listeners on a psychological level, explaining that rhythm can help regulate the nervous system while melody assists with emotional processing.

“Listen to the words, listen to where they’re at in the stanzas, That impacts your abilities to listen and hear and take in the music.” Cullen-Williams stated. “It’s a practice of staying in the moment, and that’s why music is so important.”

As the presentation moved through musical history, she described how different genres reflect changing socio-emotional realities. She explained that blues music emerged from suffering and resilience during enslavement, while soul music centered more on relationships, longing and connection. The evolution continued into hip-hop, which she described as a response to social pressures and injustice.

“We’re resisting the police. We’re saying, my identity is not what you placed on me. I’m going to create my own identity. It’s just born out of resistance,” Cullen-Williams said, moving on to mention neo-soul as a representation of a more reflective phase. “We’re practicing healing, and we’re setting boundaries. This is the Mental Health Journal.”

We look for hope in Etta James’ rendition “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and wade through time and genres of music. Each brings a feeling of yearning, connection, lowliness or defiance. All were made to give a voice or a rhythm, a sort of heartbeat that was not there before.

Cullen-Williams emphasized creativity as a path toward healing and understanding.

“The goal is for us all to embrace the artists that we are, and realize where we come from,” Cullen-Williams said.

She added that reducing stigma around mental health requires greater emotional literacy and recognition of creative expression as a valid form of both care and reflection.

“Hopefully ‘Our Sound, Our Music’ just opened the door for some people to say, oh, I could be an artist, or I’m not alone, and I deserve to heal.”

Cuzzin Panel

On February 9, the Grayslake African American Student Outreach and Programs Coordinator brought in panelists to talk about being a part of the LGBTQ+ Community and the black diaspora. Kristal Larson, Executive Director of the LGBTQ center of Lake County, introduced the speakers.

The first introduced was Reg, a local artist and illustrator born and raised in Chicago. Larson described Reg as having a unique body of work highlighting identity, documenting different ones into a “poetic and revealing source of storytelling.” They involve the tragedy of daily life, and how it “forces people to use self-exploration to help find their true path.”

Reg has been showing their art since 2012 in Chicago and now does artist residencies. These include Lure at the Local in Mundelein, the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago, and a feature here at CLC.

“I am married to a woman. I have such a strong connection to being queer that it’s now just a part of my work,” Reg said. “So it’s been very important in my life to show and advocate for everybody who’s in this community.”

Larson also introduced Khyla Tatak, a health care professional with over 20 years of experience serving patients and leading teams in a variety of roles. Holding both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in health care management, she is passionate about creating “inclusive, equitable health care spaces.”

Tatak, who resides in Grayslake with her family and three cats, is an active member with the LGBTQ Center Lake County and PFLAG, working towards “representation, belonging, and culturally competent care for all.” Her work emphasizes the importance of compassion, visibility and system change within health care.

“Queer identity to me is being able to utilize, just be in spaces as my true authentic self,” Tatak said, going on to describe her desire to use her authenticity to assist others who may not have spaces for such. “Just let them know that it can happen. We can get you there. You’re not alone. There’s help.”

The panel was created for conversations deeply addressing the everyday issues of the queer community, such as struggles in coming out.

“I think for me, some of the barriers were not only finding safe spaces to talk about who I am authentically, but just having a place to speak.” Tatak said.

The conversation turned to difficulties navigating coming out as queer within the black community. When asked why someone may not be supportive, and why instances like this may be encountered, Reg described a negative encounter they had.

“I knew that he was questioning my intelligence by saying that he thought I was dumb, and not knowing why I’m with the person that I’m with, and telling everybody about it,” Reg said. “I said, I know what I was doing. I’m with this person for a reason. This person makes me feel like a person. I’m happy, I’m great. That’s the most happy I’ve ever been.”

Everyone wants to be heard. All desire to tell their story, setting their heart on his, her, and their point of view being heeded and seen.

“Surround yourself with the people who care and the people who will be around you,” Larson said in closing. “Know that there are a lot of lights out there. It is not as dark as it might seem that we hear from the national narrative.”

1619: The Journey of a People

Welcome to the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts. “1619: The Journey of a People” — a show that feels perfectly suitable for Black History Month and beyond.

On February 13, “1619” presented a musical journey through 400 years of American history. The show followed characters through the transatlantic slave trade period, Reconstruction era, and the Harlem Renaissance into the the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Movement, and modern protests.

Creator Dr. Ted Williams III describes the ambiance of the individuals he gets to work with, such as artist, actor, and dancer Marchello Lee, and actor and musician Ozivell Ecford. The Chronicle got to sit down with this myriad of unique individuals to talk about their time together.

“We’ve traveled with the show over the years, and we just have enjoyed each other’s company,” Williams said. “I think about what I want to be doing with my life and time. I can’t think of what else I want to do, you know?”

Williams also discussed his proclivity to “work with people with a good spirit” who are “excellent at what they do.” 

“Each one of us has something to do to make the vision of equality and justice attainable for all people,” Williams said. “The show is hopefully a point of education and inspiration around that.”