Heritage & Health Series Program

 Photographic images played an integral role in the creation of false narratives about people of color for the benefit of racial scientists of the 19th century. Frederick Douglass and other abolitionists recognized the power of the camera and used it as a weapon to challenge America's racism by creating images that countered the false scientific claims and racist caricatures that proliferated in the penny press. By claiming ownership of how they, as black subjects, would be represented in a photograph, their portraits and words sent a message to the world that they had as much claim to citizenship and equal rights before the law as any whites. These early social reformers laid the foundation for future human rights movements, such as Black Lives Matter, and contemporary artists exploring black exclusion to employ photography as a weapon to fight America's racism and seek representational justice through photography.

Ron Herman is an award-winning educator who empowers students through visual storytelling. He has photographed for Polo Ralph Lauren and Spiegel, and his work is included in such collections as the Fototeca de Cuba, Kinsey Institute, Snite Museum, and the South Bend Regional Museum of Art. He received his MFA from the University of Notre Dame, and has lectured on his work and digital imaging technologies at Cornell, Stanford, and Yale Universities. In 2016 he was awarded a Fulbright for research on religious diversity in Senegal, and he is currently a Fellow in Stanford University’s Global Studies (EPIC) Fellowship Program for the 2020-21 academic year.

Each participant begins each line of the poem with "I am" and then begins to describe their characteristics, identity, or anything else they'd like to share. 

KAREGA BAILEY, a native of Sacramento, California is a successful product of collective contributions from the Sacramento community. Mentoring services of The 100 Black Men of America, Inc (Sacramento) and the family services offered by the Center for Fathers & Families provided Mr. Bailey with the support and direction needed to succeed amidst the socioeconomic stressors. Never forgetting the message of his community, Mr. Bailey has chosen to make education his career. Mr. Bailey is a graduate of Hampton University and also acquired his Master of Education (M.Ed.) - Special Education at George Mason University. He now teaches 9th Grade Special Education in Washington D.C, with Teach for America. As an educator, Mr. Bailey emphasizes the importance of quality parenting and mentoring as it relates to reinforcing a positive self-image for students and academic achievement. While at Hampton University, Mr. Bailey served as Mr. Hampton University, and has established relationships with the Hampton Roads community to create opportunities for his peers to become involved in mentoring and improving the life chances of the at-risk youth. Additionally, Mr. Bailey is a firm supporter of enhancing the quality of education for inner city youth, particularly students in Special Education identified as Emotionally Disturbed. With an understanding that he did not achieve such success all on his own but rather, with the collective help of his community, Mr. Bailey is committed to increasing the resources available to the youth. In past summers he has led youth groups on Black College Tours and New Orleans, Louisiana Hurricane Katrina post relief efforts. Beyond the classroom and his graduate studies, Mr. Bailey offers a significant amount of experience as a motivational speaker, workshop facilitator, and as a Poet. Recognized by the Sacramento Observer as one of Sacramento’s top thirty professionals under the age of thirty (30 Under 30 Award). At age 24, Karega Bailey is an outstanding emerging scholar and will continue to have a tremendous impact on motivating today’s youth. 

When Felicia Gangloff-Bailey and Karega Bailey's newborn daughter, Kamaiu, passed away last year, the couple says they became "angel parents." It's a term that exemplifies their seemingly ever-present optimism and uplifting approach to dealing with grief. This mindset is something the duo brings to their professional life as well, working as educators and restorative justice practitioners. They're also musicians, making up half of the band, Sol Development, along with Brittany Tanner and Lauren Adams. 

Recently, Felicia and Karega worked to publish a book full of affirmations that can be used as a toolkit, of sorts, to give guidance to other people who are dealing with grief. The book is called Sol Affirmations.

Cynthia Brannvall is an art historian and a multimedia artist who teaches art history as a full time faculty member of Foothill Community College. She is a California native of African American and Swedish descent. Cynthia has undergraduate degrees in Art Practice and Art History from UC Berkeley where she was a Phi Beta Kappa and a Ronald E. McNair scholar and was awarded the Departmental Citation for her research in Art History. She has an MA in Art History from San Francisco State University with an emphasis on Modern and Contemporary art. An advocate and ally for social justice and equity, Cynthia’s artwork explores identity formation envisioned in an imagined deep time terrain of memory, reclamation, and the geographies of forced and voluntary migrations. Her artwork has been selected for juried group exhibitions in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Washington DC. She has affiliation with SF Moma Artists Gallery and Chandra Cerrito Gallery.

Professor Cynthia Brannvall Bio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5uBnbIGwNU&t=13s

BRIAN HEAT is a dynamic inspirational speaker, educator, producer, director, publisher, and Amazon Best Selling Author with his latest book release Get Ignited: Your Blueprint for Discovering Purpose and Manifesting Dreams, who transforms audiences by infusing high-octane motivational and cinematic themes, making his presentations trajectory changing and unforgettable! 

Brian’s God-given gifts to positively impact the lives of others can be experienced through his provocative keynotes, books, online content creation and ground-breaking stage performances. A phenomenal talent, Brian has shared speaking stages with former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Steve Harvey, Halle Berry, Jalen Rose, Hill Harper, and Stedman Graham just to name a few. 

As an educational leader his Maryland based Diverse Male Student Initiatives program has transformed the lives of over 1,000 collegiate males in the areas of academic excellence, manhood development, and career/entrepreneurship readiness. This work can be found captured in the award winning documentary he co-produced titled “Striving for the Extraordinary,” a journey though hope and transformation. 

With his profound ability to push the boundaries of inspiration, Brian continues to touch thousands of people across the country through a wide array of colleges, universities, corporate clients, non-profit organizations and sports teams. 

With an uncanny Rockstar persona who maintains a finger on the pulse of pop culture, hip hop, education reform, activism, entrepreneurship and the epic journey of dreamers no matter their race, creed or background, audiences are never the same after witnessing him in action.

Cleve Freeman is Transfer Center Director and a Counselor at Foothill College.  He has worked as a counselor for over 12 years and teaches college success courses preparing students to become competitive transfer applicants. Cleve is multicultural/bilingual (English/Spanish) and committed to helping all students meet their educational aspirations.

Jack has been involved in activism and organizing for many years, working primarily within LGBTQ and people of color organizations and communities. They serve on the board of Aspiration and the Backdrop Project Management Committee. Jack is also a writer, leftist gadfly, and casual musician.

Background information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds6bFTPE78k&list=PLBJy03_IbzP-OnnHV77phjjL0AQyLkYdq

Merritt College: Home of the Black Panthers (New Trailer) - YouTube

Merritt College: Home of the Black Panthers Trailer A Peralta TV Production Directed by Jeffrey Heyman Written By James Calhoun & Paul Gordon.

Welcome to Black Minds Matter! Be a part of a discussion led by African American scholars who will discuss how they have overcome their struggles of racial bias and mental health. Each panelist will share effective ways to deal with mental health and tips for creating a more inclusive community at Foothill. The purpose of this event is to help push for the initiative of hiring an African American therapist on campus and to help reduce the mental health stigma in the black community.