Tech athletics last week reopened their on-campus athletic activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, which went into effect on June 15, allowed student-athletes to make use of certain athletic facilities on campus, subject to several limitations. This decision comes as the school prepares for the potential return of sporting events to the campus in the fall semester.

As part of the plan, student-athletes are required to schedule a time to use specific facilities. This includes weight rooms but not locker room spaces, which will be off-limits to athletes and personnel. Students also have to fill out a health questionnaire prior to the appointment and have their temperature taken upon arrival. No more than 10 student-athletes and two staff members are allowed in a facility at a given time, and a six feet distance is required between individuals at all times. In addition to this, all equipment and machines must be sanitized between uses. While these procedures are being implemented, all staff members and other employees of the athletic department who are able to work remotely will continue to do so. 

All these measures come as schools around the country look ahead to what sports may look like in the coming months. While there is still uncertainty surrounding the return of the NCAA in the fall, many schools have expressed optimism that a resumption of in-person classes will also allow sports to return in some capacity. Tech is among many institutions who have announced tentative plans to bring students back to campus in August. The fact that college-age athletes are one of the lowest risk demographics for the coronavirus, together with the reality that cases are decreasing in many states across the county, provide some level of hope that sports will be possible in the fall semester. 

It remains to be seen how many people will be allowed to enter stadiums and arenas, and what limits may be placed on interactions between players, coaches, media members and fans. Probably the most important date on Tech’s athletic calendar right now is September 3^rd — the football season opener at home against Clemson. Playing such a game in an empty stadium would certainly be a blow to the program, both from a financial and a recruiting perspective. However, such considerations must necessarily take a backseat to public health and safety concerns during times like these. At this point, the only thing to be done is wait and hope that things will be somewhat close to normal when sports do return. These initiatives are hopefully the first steps towards making that a reality.

The Technique sat down for a virtual interview with Lea Harris, incoming president of the Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA), to learn about her plans for the upcoming year and what the takeover experience has been like for her during COVID-19.

Harris came to Tech in 2016 for a doctorate in aerospace engineering after attending the University of Colorado, Boulder for her undergraduate degree, where she was heavily involved in athletics. At the time, she didn’t expect to join the student government, but she had always veered towards leadership and development and found herself wishing there was something she could do about graduate student stipends.

With encouragement from a friend, she became a GSGA senator. Fast-forward to today, and she is now excited to leverage her experiences to lead the intersection of policy and government. This year, Harris and Vice President Jay McKinney hope to focus on helping graduate students feel more welcome on campus. 

Their initial plans involved many avenues for grad students to meet each other and get involved in campus traditions; however, with COVID, they are working on creative ways to achieve these goals. A pressing question for Lea is: “How do we get people to respond, so that we know what they need?” The answer will help her lead grad GSGA towards sustainable, long-term connections with the student body.

In order to build a more connected grad student network, she draws inspiration from Biomedical Engineering (BME), an inter-departmental program with a tight-knit social framework and strong professor-student relationships. According to Harris, “BME organizes events for every personality type.” Whether it’s a football tailgate or a laidback social event, no student is forced out of their comfort zone to connect with other grads. 

Another initiative she and McKinney would like to work on is involving more grad students in student government. She ran uncontested for President and says that of the 60 available seats in the senate, GSGA occupies only 50%. She muses that graduate students often assume they are too busy to get involved or, reminiscent of her first year at Tech, don’t know where to get started. 

Harris hopes to expand grad SGA membership and partner with undergraduate SGA for welcome week. She raises questions on inclusivity within SGA: “What can we do to make [welcome events] more inclusive to both parties? To make [them] more inclusive to an extremely wide and diverse campus?” 

When it comes to taking over student government during the current pandemic, Lea is very grateful for the support from the outgoing officers. After an exhausting day of 35 virtual interviews for her cabinet, she is extremely excited to get her boots on the ground, organize lunches, town halls and engagement events, meet a ton of new people and hopefully inspire others to get involved. When she started, graduate government seemed like “this thing over there,” but today, she is proud to take their positive impact on campus even further.

With the quick turnover from in-person to online classes in mid-March, many students have faced numerous additional changes, including shifting course policies. For students confused and uncertain about whether these changes followed institute policy, the newly created student resource Ask Burdell offers guidance.  

Ask Burdell was founded by a group of students and is based on their common experiences seeing a lack of academic student support. Fifth-year AE Emily Hale is one of the founders and offered additional insight to the Technique. 

“It really started because me and a couple of friends were … really frustrated about the fact that students quite often don’t have anyone to help [them] when they have an issue with a class,” said Hale. 

Hale explained how many of her friends would turn to her for advice, signaling the growing need for the wider community.

“When I had another friend in AE being like ‘Hey, I’m struggling in this class, I want to try and go through the academic grievance process, but I don’t know how,’ I was able to help her go through that and explain what the next step would be,” said Hale. 

In Fall 2019, Hale and a group of friends agreed that it was time to form a group to solve this issue. “The idea is that Ask Burdell is this group of students,” said Hale. “There’s currently only seven us, from a bunch of different majors, who are there to be that informed friend for someone who might not have the informed friend.”

The name of the group itself reflects their goals. “George P. Burdell has supposedly taken every class at Tech,” said Hale. “He’s graduated with every degree. Everyone knows who he is. If you needed someone to give you advice on how to cope with an issue in a class, George P. Burdell would be the perfect guy.”

Ask Burdell hopes to target any student who feels like they are not getting the information or support they need.

The group decided to begin operations when classes moved online.

“We were like, ‘Okay, we all want to do this, we have enough of an idea of what we want it to look like,’” said Hale. “We’re sitting around with possibly slightly more free time than we had before, and there’s definitely a clear need now.’”

In terms of how exactly Ask Burdell plans to assist students, the group is focusing on three core tasks.

“Part one is just sharing information with everyone, like sharing information about policy, sharing information about resources just through social media and going forward, hopefully some other means too,” said Hale. 

The second resource Ask Burdell will provide is redirecting students to the correct people to solve an issue, such as contacting Dr. Kyla Ross, the Assistant Vice Provost for Advocacy and Conflict Resolution, to fill out an academic grievance form.  

“The third thing is, if a student reaches out and has an issue that they want to go through and try and get resolved, we want to be able to be peer support,” said Hale. “That’s part of the reason for assigning a case to one of our students.”

Hale emphasized that the academic grievance process can be intimidating for students. 

“You are a student who’s going to go and meet with a bunch of faculty and administrators, and explain why you don’t think you were quite often given the grades you deserve,” said Hale. “It’s really difficult to go and turn to faculty and be like, ‘Hey, this professor you’ve been working with for 10 years, I don’t think is doing a good job.’”

Oftentimes, Hale pointed out, if policy has been broken, it is easy to flag that and get fixed, but most issues she has seen have been harder to pinpoint. 

“It revolves a lot around unclear syllabi and unclear grading policies, and a lot of things that fall in this gray area where they’re not technically an academic grievance where policy has been broken,” said Hale. “They’re just not necessarily what should have been done.”

So far, Ask Burdell has been pleased with its engagement with the student body.

“I think in terms of engagement with people seeing the information, we’re really happy,” said Hale. “A lot of people have seen the posts [on Facebook] about information on … what’s changing and reached out to us and been like, ‘Oh, we love that this exists.’”

In the future, once in-person classes resume, Ask Burdell plans to focus on expanding their existing structure and perhaps even implementing in-person meetings between students and Ask Burdell members. 

“Our dream goal for the future is that we would have someone on Ask Burdell who was in every major, so that when you email us and you’re having an issue with a class, we’ll know someone who might know that professor already or we’ll definitely know the school chair, which is so helpful in terms of navigating the academic grievance process,” said Hale.

Because several of Ask Burdell’s current members will be graduating in the spring, there will eventually be a need for new students to fill positions. 

“With the way the semester turned and everything, it wasn’t something where we were easily able to recruit people we didn’t know,” said Hale. “But the goal … would be something where anyone could sign up and we would have training, some kind of application process so that if you’re someone in your major who wants to help students and has a base-level of knowledge about this, that we can utilize that.”Although Ask Burdell is not actively recruiting, students who are interested in helping out in the future and have experience dealing with faculty and administration in their school, as well as CPR and Safe Space Training, can email askburdell@gmail.

The recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks have been a crude reminder of the systemic issues continually oppressing Black Americans: institutional racism, police brutality and white ignorance. Black lives matter, and it is downright unacceptable that Black Americans still have to fight oppression and for the right to live in the year 2020. 

Talking about entertainment and popular culture seems so trivial at a time like this, but Black Americans have always contributed greatly to American society. From Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois to James Baldwin and Maya Angelou, they have been at the forefront of intellectual culture. Nearly every genre of music originated in the African American community — blues, rock-and-roll, R&B, jazz and hip-hop. And acclaimed Hollywood figures like Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have paved the way for a new generation of talent in cinema.

In recognition of how essential Black lives have been to popular culture, the Technique staff highlighted some of their favorite artists for a multi-part segment celebrating them.

Stevie Wonder 

Journey Sherman, Opinions Editor 

Stevie Wonder is known as one of the most influential musicians and songwriters of all time. After losing his sight as a child, he quickly mastered instruments like the piano and harmonica. His soulful and polished sound led him to sign with Motown records at just 11-years-old. Two years later, Wonder would become the youngest artist to ever top the Billboard charts with his single “Fingertips.” He would later again skyrocket to success with hits like “Superstition,” “Higher Ground” and “Signed, Sealed Delivered I’m Yours.” His most essential album “Songs in the Key of Life” was released in 1976 and is a cover-to-cover masterpiece. Stevie Wonder is seen as a musical pioneer that paved the way for many other R&B, soul and funk artists. 

Roxane Gay

Taylor Gray, Editor-in-Chief

Roxane Gay, a regular contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, is most notably known for authoring “Bad Feminist,” “An Untamed State” and “Hunger,” along with many other literary expeditions. As an openly bisexual Black woman, Gay explores themes of gender, weight, sexuality, feminism and racial issues.

One of her most impactful works, “Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body” is probably one of the best modern novels that clearly explains the feelings and emotions around living big in a world that does not know what to do with fat bodies. Gay, who gained weight after experiencing trauma, utilizes her own vulnerability throughout the memoir to accurately depict how fat people are consistently mistreated and disrespected in the different realms of society. 

“Hunger” serves as an important representation within the fat community, and specifically for those who have gained significant weight while living with binge eating disorder. Gay’s journey through her relationship to food and her own weight is one that is often not told. And through the novel, she clearly explains how fat bodies, and especially Black fat bodies, deserve to be treated with dignity. 

JID

Sophia Tone, News Editor

Destin Choice Route, better known as JID or J.I.D, is relatively new to the scene but has already been described as a leader of the “new school” of rap. JID was raised in East Atlanta and is the youngest of seven siblings, all of whom he looked to for musical inspiration growing up. He has said that his style is heavily influenced by the eclectic tastes of both his family and Atlanta itself. In 2010, he collaborated with EarthGang to found Spillage Village, a collective ensemble of Southern rappers. In 2012, after being kicked off Hampton University’s football team, he dropped out of college to pursue music full-time.

JID is a fresh face in the music business but has been praised by everyone from Method Man to J. Cole, who signed him to his Dreamville label in 2017. His lyrics are incredibly rich, deeply meaningful and a refreshing sound in a musical domain saturated with clout-chasing mumble rap. Songs that best exhibit this lyrical mastery are “M.O.M.,” “BEARS LIKE THIS TOO MUCH,” “151 RUM” and “DICAPRIO 2.”

Tyler Perry

Jannat Batra, Managing Editor

Born in 1969, Emmitt Perry Jr. never thought he would live long enough to see adulthood, let alone be named entertainment’s top earner by Forbes in 2011. Emmitt Perry, who later changed his name to Tyler Perry, did not have an easy childhood. He faced constant abuse at the hands of his father, but he turned to TV and film to find solace and was drawn to writing for its therapeutic effects. What began as him simply writing letters to himself evolved into the musical “I Know I’ve Been Changed” in 1998, and since then Perry’s career as an actor, writer, producer, comedian and director has climbed the ladders of success tenfold.

Perry is popularly known for his portrayal of the caricature Mabel “Madea” Simmons in many of his films and plays, inspired by Perry’s mother and aunt. Madea is an elderly Black woman best known for her no-nonsense attitude, intimidating demeanor and comically-violent overreactions. But at her core, she is a matriarch who cares deeply for the people around her and is not afraid to call out those in the wrong, working to resolve the central conflicts in all of Perry’s plots. More than his role as Madea, Perry’s success revolves around his effort to highlight Black talent while portraying Black stories. However, Perry has also faced criticism for stereotyping Black communities in America through his works and especially the portrayal of Black women. Nonetheless, Perry’s overall success is undeniable, allowing his independent, Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios to thrive outside of Hollywood.

Scary Spice

Uchenna Godwin-Offor, Contributing Writer

Melanie Janine Brown, better known by her stage name Scary Spice, is an English songwriter, singer, actor and author who was part of the best-selling female group of all time, the “Spice Girls.” A jack of all trades, she has dabbled a bit in almost every entertainment medium you could think of: movies, animations, plays, music, concerts, books and even reality television. Mel B is a spicy flavor in someone’s day. Having a “zig-ah-zig-ah” with her friends and eventually shining in the limelight of her own “Hot” album that lived up to its namesake, Scary Spice paved the way for many female pop singers, especially singers of color. Being the only Black member of the Spice Girls did lead her to stand out in the team but in a way that let people know that anyone can move and groove to a spicy tune, regardless of background, upbringing or appearance.

Mel B is special because she felt like a familiar face whenever people watched television. Starring in the movie “Spice World” as herself, people were given a comedy where the spirit of the Spice Girls was portrayed to them in an entertaining form. Also, Mel B was a longtime judge on the American reality television show “America’s Got Talent.” Scary Spice was on the show for six years interacting with contestants and having a great time. She played a huge hand in giving the show life with her energizing Leeds accent and her flamboyant style of dressing. The British pop icon has inspired many around the world to express themselves and find many ways to spice up their lives.

Frank Ocean

Zyra Shahbazi, Contributing Writer

“Dreaming a thought that could dream about a thought/ that could think of the dreamer that thought/ that could think of dreaming and getting a glimmer of God.” 

The dreamer in these visceral lyrics from “Seigfried” was born Christopher Edwin Cooksey but is now known as Frank Ocean. A hip-hop vocalist influenced by Celine Dion and Anita Baker, Ocean was declared the artist of the 2010s decade by several publications, including the Wall Street Journal. This is with good reason: Frank Ocean is an inspiration to Black and queer people everywhere, and his R&B-jazz-soul style is truly one of a kind. 

He dreamed bigger than most, but Ocean was not without challenges in his pursuit to become hip hop royalty. He worked no less than 11 fast-food jobs during his early career in Los Angeles. Within a few years, however, he was writing songs for huge artists such as John Legend and Justin Bieber. His 2011 mixtape “Nostalgia, Ultra” received much critical acclaim, and he was rising to the top without delay. In a courageous move, Ocean came out as queer on his Tumblr blog in 2012. He received a great deal of backlash from homophobes online, along with the admiration of the LGBTQ+ community and its Black members. By living boldly and freely, Ocean has transcended the title of artist. He is an American ideal. Frank Ocean has shown those living in Black and queer skin they are capable of achieving their dreams.

During this trying time, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with the state of the world, unsure of how best to respond. Not everyone is capable of taking to the streets to protest during the pandemic, but fortunately there are other ways to be an activist for local communities: donations.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on May 1 that pandemic-related budget cuts could amount in a $1.6 billion reduction in education funding. For many public schools, unequal resource allocation already exacerbates school achievement gaps and social inequalities, so these new cuts could prove costly to the students and educators who need funds the most.

Likewise, COVID-19 has hurt so many people beyond the health risk. As is well documented, millions of Americans have become jobless or filed for unemployment benefits, making it difficult for their needs to be met.

Lastly but certainly not of any less importance, protests have risen both nationwide and in the Atlanta area over the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor — not to mention the countless others whose lives have been irreparably altered by police brutality, institutional racism and an unfair criminal justice system.

Between the pandemic and the unending injustice on black lives, it can be hard to know how to participate in change and make voices heard, because not all are able to protest. Thus, the Technique has put together a list of local and national organizations that can accept donations or petitions for anyone looking to get involved from afar.

Schools

The Fulton Education Foundation and the Atlanta Partners for Education both accept donations for their respective districts: Fulton County and Atlanta Public Schools.

Food Services

Serving the homeless and impoverished, the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Food For Lives each provide essential needs for vulnerable members of the local community.

Civic Action

Numerous organizations have been taking action in supporting the protests around the country, as well as in Atlanta. The American Civil Liberties Union and Black Lives Matter each have petitions on their websites in addition to donation funds to support communities and protestors; Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp does the same. Likewise, The Action Network has created a fund specifically for Atlanta protestors. And the New York City-based Paper Magazine recently published an article with a list of ways to support and care for the black transgender community.

Nonprofits
If nothing else, donating to local nonprofit organizations can go a long way. Places like the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and the Georgia Center for Nonprofits have partnered with local agencies and each other to raise funds and financial support for the services Atlanta needs.

On Friday, June 12, Rayshard Brooks was killed by two Atlanta Police Department officers. The officers came to the Wendy’s drive-thru, located on University Avenue, at around 10:30 p.m because Brooks had fallen asleep in his car. Police say he failed the sobriety test administered to him and struggled with them during his attempted arrest. Brooks got ahold of their taser, ran away and fired once. Officer Garrett Rolfe chased him and shot at Brooks three times, fatally wounding him. Brooks died at a hospital a few hours later. After finding two gunshot wounds to his back, the medical examiner performing the autopsy ruled his death a homicide.

On Saturday, in response to this killing, which is yet another in the long series of deaths at the hands of police, Atlanta civilians demonstrated in the downtown area. Peaceful protesting turned to rioting when civilians set fire to the Wendy’s where Brooks was shot. The Atlanta Fire Department stated that it was too dangerous for them to intervene. Protestors also blocked part of the nearby I-75 Interstate, at which point there was a standoff between police and the crowd. 

Brooks, the 27 year-old father of four, is remembered by his niece as a caring “girl dad,” a loving husband, a caring brother and as an uncle she could depend on. He was planning on going to his daughter’s birthday party the next day. 

Brooks’s widow Tomika Miller told CBS News that the two officers involved should be put behind bars. “It was murder. That was not justified.”

An investigation into the altercation is underway. Meanwhile, Rolfe has been fired and Atlanta’s police chief Erika Shields has resigned. Fulton County prosecutors say that more charges against Rolfe could come by Wednesday.

On Monday, June 1, Tech’s Student Government Association (SGA) issued a formal statement concerning the protests in Atlanta over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery and others. In their email to the Tech community, they wrote that they “join in solidarity with those calling for justice.” They elaborated on the pain felt this week by Tech students and emphasized that to remain silent would make them complicit in the systematic oppression of black communities in America. 

SGA recognized that many students would have preferred a quicker response but wrote that their delayed answer was an effort to draw solutions “not just for the short term but for the incoming generations of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.” They proposed meetings with the Georgia Tech Police Department to review department policies and to make space for more student discourse on the topics of police force and implicit bias. They also organized meetings with Tech’s Black Student Organizations to discuss future initiatives. In addition, the SGA cabinets have planned to meet with the Office of Minority Educational Development to consolidate resources for Tech students.

Tech students were quick to point out areas of concern with SGA’s statement. One student posted on Tech’s subreddit: “Many other university student governments have actually been making demands, as they should, to reevaluate police collaboration and militarization of on-campus police. Get some guts, SGA.” Another commented “Their statement was feckless and unacceptable. Zero mention of the racist policing and police brutality that black people face. Failing to accurately name the problem while being entirely performative does nothing but harm.”

In an email to the Technique about these issues, SGA said that “Understandably, the concern that meetings do not lead to action will arise. This is extremely important to the USGA/GSGA and can only convey that we are all invested in continued accountability from these meetings, and ask for trust and respect we are doing our best to uphold our goals. As we mentioned, until we have these meetings and begin getting feedback from our students and staff our action plan will not be finalized. We recognize that this is not something that will be fixed overnight but something that our administration is committed to championing throughout this entire next year.”

Attached to the original statement from SGA to students is a guidebook containing resources for students, including advice on how to safely protest, help for students struggling with mental health and places to donate to bail funds and black organizations.

On Friday, May 29, thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of downtown Atlanta in a protest against racial injustice in America, marching from Centennial Olympic Park to the Georgia State Capitol building over the course of the afternoon.

The protest was organized by community members just days before the event. Organizers met and collaborated through social media as they vented their frustrations with racial inequality on platforms like Twitter. From its inception, the protest was presented as a peaceful demonstration. 

Earl D. Hamilton was one of five organizers of the protest; he and his colleagues began a social media campaign to raise awareness of the demonstration they were planning for this past Friday afternoon. 

According to Hamilton, organizers also reached out to the city government, securing a permit for a demonstration and getting information on the regulations about protesting in the city. These rules were presented alongside a digital flyer that supporters used to spread word of the rally throughout various social media platforms.

The flyers provided scheduling information. They also emphasized the peaceful intent of the organizers: “REMINDER THIS IS A PEACEFUL PROTEST” was written in large bold font in the center of the image.

Organizers had low expectations for turnout on the afternoon of May 29. The march was scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m., but protesters arrived as early as 3:00 p.m. at the Centennial Olympic Park amphitheater. 

Organizers made sure that the protest had plenty of supplies for the afternoon. Piles of water bottles were stationed around the amphitheater, along with boxes of granola bars and other portable snacks. First aid kits, masks and hand sanitizer were among the medical supplies brought for protesters. Also available were pre-made signs and sign-making materials for protesters without their own signs. Organizers also brought milk as a precaution against tear gas and pepper spray. 

When Hamilton and his colleagues saw that the crowd was growing, they decided to merge their event with another previously-scheduled event that was organized by the NAACP. Hamilton noted that “[protest organizers] were way over our head,” and that the “NAACP made it a lot better.” The addition of NAACP leaders brought the leadership of the protest to around 10 people, according to organizers.

At 3:45 p.m., the crowd began to march southwest down Centennial Olympic Park Drive., turning onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive towards the capitol building. Hamilton described his reaction as the crowd, which had swollen to an enormous size, crossed the bridge: “When we were on the bridge … we saw how many people there were behind us … when we saw thousands of people behind us … it was jaw-dropping and breathtaking … there were tears in all of our eyes.” 

Describing the atmosphere during the march, Hamilton noted, “lots of people that were sad and grieving … but the general atmosphere was very hopeful … people were coming together and showing a sense of community that I feel has been lost in recent times … people would cry, and absolute strangers came up and comforted them.”

Tolga Ustuner, third-year EE and Speaker of the SGA Undergraduate House of Representatives, was among the group of protesters. His assessment of the crowd’s atmosphere echoed Hamilton’s. “There was an air of both anger and joy: anger at the fact that we had to be there because this horrible injustice took place … people were frustrated … At the same time … there was some joy at the fact that this protest was taking place … it was a hopeful environment.“ When asked about his personal reason for participating in the demonstration, Ustuner replied, “It’s sad to see [systemic racism] persist … that’s what frustrates me … I wanted to stop being a neutral observant and actively take part … I decided to become an active ally.”

Protesters held signs aloft, marching to the chants: “No justice, no peace” and “I can’t breathe.” These chants echoed loudly as the group passed under overpasses in the Georgia State area of downtown.

Upon arrival at the Capitol building, three state representatives addressed the crowd. They emphasized the power of voting to the protesters gathered around the steps of the capitol. The organizers also gave members of the crowd “space to speak.” Several protesters shared stories of racial injustice, including one woman who shared the story of her 13-year-old brother who was killed by police. 

After these addresses, the crowd turned around and made its way back to Centennial Olympic Park. The crowd was met with supportive honks from MARTA buses and other vehicles going the opposite way on Marietta Street. 

Some protesters climbed up on the statue of Henry W. Grady and displayed signs as the crowd walked by. Chants of “F*** Donald Trump” and “F*** Brian Kemp” as well as “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” rang out as the group made its way back to the park. 

Upon arrival at the amphitheater, organizers and leaders addressed the crowd. Speakers included  Hamilton as well as Gerald Griggs, a local lawyer, activist and member of NAACP. Griggs motivated the group to maintain their energy after the protest was over and to direct it to advocating for police reform legislation. He also asked demonstrators to put pressure on city council members and the mayor to bring real change to the city’s police force. 

The protest concluded with a prayer offered up at the amphitheater at around 6:30 p.m.

Under normal circumstances, summer break can be an excellent time to dive into television binges, but a global pandemic might make this an even better time. While states and cities begin to reopen, some might prefer to stay home and catch up on some content.

The modern TV landscape has inundated the American public with an ever-constant barrage of new releases. Where breaks can certainly be a good time to watch greats like “The Wire” or “Breaking Bad,” there are many other great shows a little further off the beaten path. Here are some of streaming services’ best offerings that are slightly outside the mainstream.

“Fleabag”

Perhaps the single best piece of content in all of 2019, “Fleabag” is a black comedy from Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Killing Eve”) — its creator, writer and star. The show originally appeared as Waller-Bridge’s one-woman play before being adapted to screen for the BBC. Season one debuted in 2016 to mostly positive reviews, but the British series took off in 2019 with a transcendent season two. All in all, it offers 12 digestible episodes at about a half-hour length for each.

“Fleabag” depicts a young, sexually-active woman in London, struggling to find her footing following a pair of devastating tragedies. The unnamed protagonist, referred to only as Fleabag (Waller-Bridge), constantly breaks the fourth wall, rapid firing biting quips and commentary toward the audience in the middle of conversations. While this trope brings amusement and laughter, it also excels artistically as a deflection for a woman demanding attention and afraid of true intimacy. Her life bottoms-out with a tragic revelation at the end of season one, which coincides with her difficult family life — a family that features remarkable performances from Olivia Coleman (“The Crown”) and Sian Clifford (“Vanity Fair”).

The second season introduces a perfect foil into the mix with Andrew Scott (“Sherlock”), who plays the now memefied Hot Priest figure. This unlikely pairing launches the show into new territory through daring creative choices and an arc that captures human needs for belonging, purpose and intimacy. In just 12 short episodes, “Fleabag” takes viewers to the depths and highs of modern human life.

“Dark”

Streaming on Netflix, “Dark” is a supernatural mystery thriller, popularly dubbed as a German version of “Stranger Things.” However, this epithet undersells the show for just how spectacularly wild it actually is. In reality, it is a gripping cross between “True Detective,” “Game of Thrones” and the aforementioned Netflix series.

The German-language series from “Who Am I’s” Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese details the fallout and response in a small town following the disappearance of some children. Initially, the mystery presents itself as a classical “whodunnit” before later growing into an exceptionally confusing, complex web of family trees and timelines. Although it is certainly bizarre and full of ominous overtones, “Dark” is endlessly compelling and impossible to stop watching.

“Insecure”

Although she has only just gotten to the big screen, Issa Rae (“The Photograph”) is most known for her work on TV. The comedian first rose to fame through “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl” — a YouTube series that served as her launching pad to HBO celebrity. 

Co-created with Larry Wilmore (“The Bernie Mac Show”), “Insecure” stars Rae as one of two female black leads in their late 20s, trying to find fulfillment in their careers and personal lives. The show boasts a stellar and diverse cast and crew, including the co-star Yvonne Orji (“Night School”), Jay Ellis (“Escape Room”) and director Melina Matsoukas (“Queen & Slim”).

Primarily billed as a comedy, the HBO series in its fourth season is constantly charming and amusing, but its humor matches more of the dramedy ilk than mainstream sitcoms. “Insecure” grounds itself in a realness that makes the humor relatable and the drama resonant. From heartbreaks to friendship disputes, Rae’s product gives viewers a case of the feels during this watch.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender”

When the world is in shambles, sometimes people just need something lighthearted and escapist to pass the time. Few shows are better for such a time than “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Originally airing on Nickelodeon in the mid-to-late 2000s, the animated series recently was just added to Netflix’s catalogue.

Kids of a certain generation will remember the iconic intro to the show: “… everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.” The premise, as explained at the start of each episode, takes place in a magical Asiatic world where humans have powers of one of the four elements: fire, water, earth and air. Only one person at a time, the titular character, could master all four, but the Avatar vanished. The new Avatar, a kid named Aang, comes through a hundred years later to find war and devastation in his absence. Aang, along with his new friends, must journey the world to train and grow so they can put an end to the suffering.

“The Last Airbender” is certainly childish as it was intended for youth audiences, but its narratives are mature and thoughtful. The series explores topics ranging from young emotions to death and genocide. Perhaps the coolest bragging point, though, is the show’s remarkable worldbuilding. In a very short span of time, it illustrates various cultures, creatures, deities and a long historical lineage. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” excels as the kind of original, escapist fantasy for which popular culture is starved.

“Nathan For You”

Everyone needs a little dose of stupid comedy from time to time, but “Nathan For You” is no traditional TV show. Streaming on Hulu, the documentary series follows comedian Nathan Fielder as he approaches struggling businesses and gives them out-of-the-box solutions to their real-world problems. Fielder’s recommendations range from childish to dumb and downright absurd. The first episode, for example, features a poop flavor of yogurt in one storyline and a loophole miniscule pizza in the other. Sometimes the show even catches the eye of news outlets and goes viral, such as the iconic “Dumb Starbucks” episode from season two.

Essential to the wacko premise, though, is Fielder’s awkward, deadpan sensibilities. He embraces the cringe humor fully, putting everyone in increasingly uncomfortable circumstances — business owners, viewers and himself. At times, it can be hard to watch. And yet, “Nathan For You” manages to make audiences laugh differently and harder than they ever have before.

I am exhausted. I am disgusted. I, along with every other black person in America, am waiting to exhale. I am tired of writing about black people’s public executions and hoping it will be the last, but knowing it will not be. To those that are just now joining the movement, welcome and thank you, but also — where have you been? It is a privilege to get to choose to take part in this fight.  This movement is not just a hashtag or the trending topic of the week — it is our lives. Nevertheless, I am beyond grateful to see the support. If someone had told me in 2012, when Trayvon Martin was killed, that eight years later non-people of color (POC) would be fighting to legalize blackness alongside me,  I would have never believed them. 

I want to be clear when I say that the recent slaying of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor was a tipping point, not a starting point. Racism has not suddenly gotten worse; technology has just made it more accessible. Social media has created a catalyst for non-POC to gain insight into what it is like to be a black person in America. The sharing of George Floyd’s death via social media is a double-edged sword in that it is triggering to black people in a different way than if a white person were to view it. We see our dad, brother and son under the knee of centuries-old systemic racism. We see another officer being acquitted and given a slap on the wrist. As painful as watching the video is, the sharing of the brutal recording was the only way we could be heard. Ask yourself why you have never seen a video of a white person being publicly executed. Ask yourself why you need a video to feel outraged, to speak out or even to believe it. 

George Floyd was killed like an animal. In his final moments, he called out for his mother. He urinated himself. His nose bled, but he did not resist arrest. One of the most infuriating outcomes of this event was the initial autopsy report released, which claimed that a major factor leading to his death was Floyd’s “preexisting health conditions.” So are we supposed to believe that it was not a man kneeling on his neck for nearly ten minutes that killed him, but rather heart disease? Did the man with a noose around his neck die of a stomach ache? I don’t buy it! To me, it seems like being Black in America is a preexisting condition. 

The protests and subsequent looting that occurred after Floyd’s death can only be described as a symptom of police brutality. You tell us to peacefully protest, but we have been trying that for over half of a century. Peaceful figures are still verbally lynched by the media if they aren’t assassinated in real life.  We have tried every way under the sun to get the attention of non-POC and yet we are still here. Instead of sharing your White commentary on Black bodies, denounce racism. You may not think you need to share your opinion on social media, but it isn’t for you, it is to create an educated dialogue with other White followers. The only way progress will ever be made is for everyone to see this as an “us vs. racism” issue and not a Black vs. White issue. This can be a thin line to walk on social media, but the first step is knowing your place. Check your privilege and provide safety and support.  No more “Whitesplaining” MLK Jr. quotes in an effort to stop the violent protests and looting. Do not say he wouldn’t want all this violence and destruction. He was killed and it only further proves our point.  

Black lives cannot be commodified. I do not care about your Target or any other large corporations getting looted. These actions cannot bring back those that we have lost, but they sure as hell make a point. Your anger over the destruction of multi-million dollar chain stores should not match your anger for the loss of life. Let’s not forget that this country was built on our backs. This is stolen land and we are stolen people. We are begging for the open season on us to end. Period. 

For every one person that’s protesting for the wrong reason, there are 1,000 people protesting for the right reasons. I cannot speak to the composition of every crowd protesting, but I know a large majority of those there would like the protest to remain peaceful.  This is the beginning of a revolution. The world is beginning to take notice that the Black Lives Matter movement is here to stay. Say George Floyd’s name, but also remember: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown and so many others.