Linking the Malawian Diaspora to the Development of Malawi”
Malawi
Malawi (/məˈlɔːwi,məˈlɑːwi/; Chichewa pronunciation:[maláβi]; Tumbuka: Malaŵi), officially the Republic of Malawi and formerly known as Nyasaland, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 19,431,566 (as of January 2021). Malawi’s capital and largest city is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu and its fourth-largest is its former capital, Zomba.
We’ll have the Last Quarter Moon in 6 days on Tuesday the 21st of January of 2025 at 12:31 pm
Today is…
On Broadway and national tours, the performers who substitute for various chorus members at the drop of a hat are known as “swings.” Wednesday, today, is designated “National Swing Day” in their honor.
1922 – Thelma Carpenter, American radio and jazz band singer (Coleman Hawkins; Count Basie), and stage and screen actress (Hello Dolly! ; Barefoot In The Park (TV); The Wiz (film)), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1997)
1951 – Charo (74th Birthday) Spanish-American actress, comedienne (Chico and the Man; The Love Boat), and flamenco guitarist, born in Murcia, Spain [year disputed]
America’s Coming Oligarchic Criminal Kleptocracy Necessitates a Turn Away From Government-Only Solutions
The Wake-Up Call
The American political landscape is undergoing a transformation that will soon result in a federal government that is far less supportive and potentially more antagonistic toward its citizens. Based on what incoming administration officials have said, specific segments of the executive branch might do more harm to certain population sectors and whole people groups, even beyond US borders.
This shifting dynamic emphasizes why voters who don’t align with the emerging political ideology must seek alternative, non-governmental channels for organizing, safeguarding, and advancing the common good. Most consequentially, those abandoned and marginalized by an increasingly profit-focused Republican majority will need to depend on private benevolent institutions for their well-being.
It’s time for people of conscience to turn their focus from government entities to non-governmental organizations. Doing so will not only benefit the most vulnerable among us immediately but could also subvert the malicious intentions of the oligarchic autocracy.
The Importance of Nonprofits
I deeply value nonprofit organizations, charitable foundations, associations, guilds, societies, and religious institutions. In essence, wherever people unite freely and voluntarily to pursue a cause greater than themselves, I see democracy at its finest.
The recent passing of our 39th president, Jimmy Carter, highlighted the importance of nonprofit organizations through his exemplary post-presidential humanitarian work—constructing homes for those in need, safeguarding the integrity of elections worldwide, and nearly eradicating Guinea worm disease. His achievements through The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, demonstrate how vital non-governmental agencies are in ameliorating human suffering.
My Life in the Nonprofit Sphere
The civil rights movement of the 1960s profoundly shaped my early years. When governmental bodies were either indifferent or openly opposed to African American rights, it was the collective effort of churches, educational institutions, and organizations like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee that created and sustained meaningful change. The importance of non-government actors became evident through my parents’ admiration for Martin Luther King, Jr. I can also remember my father’s stories of his teenage fundraising efforts for the NAACP in the 1940s. These stories were a constant presence in my childhood. By twelve, I was well-versed in organizations like MLK’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the ACLU, and, through the Jewish side of my family, B’nai B’rith and the Anti-Defamation League. I understood these as citizen-led initiatives working independently of government to create a fairer society.
My father was also devoted to his Lions Club, an international service organization supporting visually impaired individuals and children with disabilities. As their local chapter president for multiple terms, Dad exemplified how individuals can band together to help those political actors might ignore, vilify, or even injure. Every July, my siblings and I participated in the club’s “Annual Picnic for the Blind and Handicapped,” where the importance of volunteers in nonprofit organizations became evident through our hands-on service – piloting wheelchairs, coordinating games, and distributing refreshments. Though we initially resisted this interruption to our summer fun, the experience invariably left us with a profound sense of fulfillment.
During my teenage years, I developed a belief that the private sector was more effective than government agencies in meeting community needs, given their closer connection to the populations they served. While my views have evolved with time, both sectors must work robustly together to effectively address the scale of societal needs. Nonprofits’ relative independence from political fluctuations enables them to pursue their missions consistently, regardless of the prevailing political climate, a real asset.
The Urgency of Supporting Nonprofits
As a new administration prepares to take office in Washington, there are growing concerns that the disparity between government support for vulnerable populations and society’s need for equitable policies and practices will expand dramatically. The traditional balance between large-scale government assistance and more targeted, passionate private aid may need to be inverted.
The incoming leadership and their congressional supporters advocate for substantial reductions in social programs, believing current government assistance levels are excessive. These cuts threaten to create significant gaps in both domestic and international social safety nets. Beyond the immediate increase in human suffering, these changes pose potential national security risks.
Humanitarian crises often create environments where extremist elements can flourish, potentially destabilizing societies and governments. Such destabilization can escalate into various forms of conflict, from cold wars to active hostilities, each bringing its own devastating consequences. The nonprofit sector is a crucial buffer, capable of mitigating these adverse developments through sustained community engagement.
Defining Nonprofits, Charities, and NGOs
Before delving into my vision for this new philanthropic paradigm, it’s essential to establish clear definitions for “nonprofit,” “charity,” and “non-governmental organization.” While some aspects of these terms may seem self-evident, there are nuanced distinctions that warrant examination:
Nonprofit organizations operate on a unique model where any surplus funds get channeled back into their mission rather than distributed to shareholders. Unlike traditional businesses, nonprofits don’t have owners or shareholders but are stewarded by elected or appointed officers who serve in trust.
This fundamental difference sets them apart from profit-driven enterprises. As a subset, charities concentrate on philanthropic objectives and receive specific tax advantages extending to their donors. NGOs encompass a broader spectrum, addressing various social issues, and may generate profits, though they do not inure to the financial benefit of any one individual or group.
In the American context, most tax-exempt organizations that offer tax deductibility to donors face restrictions on political engagement. While this doesn’t completely bar political activity, it must remain secondary to their primary mission. Organizations focused primarily on political work can maintain tax-exempt status, though contributions to them aren’t tax-deductible.
Further Distinctions Between Nonprofits, For-profit Businesses, and Governmental Entities
The fundamental difference between nonprofits and government bodies lies in their governance structure. Unlike government agencies, nonprofits typically operate under volunteer boards of directors or trustees, underscoring the importance of volunteers in nonprofit organizations. These boards guide the organization’s direction while governed by constitutions, bylaws, or similar frameworks established by their members.
Members are responsible for the entity and its resources, though the benefits extend to the entire community rather than select individuals. For incorporated nonprofits, dissolution requires transferring assets to another nonprofit entity.
Regarding financial sustainability, nonprofits blend various funding sources, including donations, grants, and earned income, to support their missions. This revenue structure requires a careful balance between idealistic goals and practical considerations, with every resource dedicated to creating positive change. While bound by applicable laws, nonprofits maintain significant autonomy in establishing internal procedures, resolving conflicts, and defining relationships with constituents. This independence enables them to remain focused on their core mission while adapting to changing community needs.
Nonprofits must adhere to regulatory requirements, including filing reports with the IRS, state agencies, and local authorities. Credible allegations of misconduct can result in sanctions or closure. However, when operating ethically, nonprofits generally maintain their autonomy, protected by constitutional rights, particularly First Amendment provisions. Religious nonprofits usually enjoy enhanced protection against external interference.
How Nonprofits Meet Needs and Fill Voids
Nonprofits especially shine within the humanitarian aid sector. Groups like Doctors Without Borders (MSF), World Central Kitchen, the Red Cross, and the International Rescue Committee often venture into conflicts and disasters ahead of military or government interventions. Habitat for Humanity’s response to Indonesia’s devastating 2018 earthquake and tsunami demonstrates this impact. The catastrophe claimed over 2,000 lives, injured countless others, and displaced entire communities. Habitat’s comprehensive, community-centered approach included several crucial components:
Emergency shelters: They provided immediate temporary housing to more than 5,000 families.
Water and Sanitation: Clean water systems were established, benefiting over 10,000 individuals.
Permanent Housing: Their primary focus involved rapidly constructing disaster-resistant homes.
Within the first year, Habitat achieved significant milestones:
1,500 disaster-resistant houses were constructed
7,000 families received comprehensive support, from housing to livelihood assistance
This Indonesian case study represents just one nonprofit’s impact. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, functioning as a quasi-nonprofit NGO itself, coordinates thousands of global charitable organizations that extend beyond essential infrastructure development, addressing various community needs, from distributing personal hygiene products to deploying trauma counselors.
The NGO Long Game
Global NGOs demonstrate the importance of nonprofit organizations through their long-term strategic initiatives addressing humanity’s most pressing challenges. At the Skoll Foundation‘s 2017 World Forum at Oxford University’s Said Business School, over 2000 social innovators gathered to share successful strategies for tackling issues from rural healthcare in Africa to sustainable housing solutions in India and youth agricultural employment in Nigeria. Founded in 1999 by eBay’s founding president, Jeff Skoll, the Foundation catalyzes transformative social change through strategic investments, networking, and championing social entrepreneurs who develop innovative solutions to global challenges.
Room to Read illustrates another remarkable example of sustained impact, particularly in regions previously plagued by illiteracy. Their literacy program has achieved an impressive 82% increase in reading fluency and comprehension. The organization’s reach extends to 23 million children across 20 countries in Asia and Africa, demonstrating again the importance of volunteers who help implement these programs.
Similarly, news commentator Lawrence O’Donnell‘s K.I.N.D (Kids in Need of Desks) Fund showcases how focused initiatives can create substantial change. Through viewer support on MSNBC, the fund has raised over $17 million, providing desks to more than 500,000 students and scholarships to over 3,000 young women in Malawi and other sub-Saharan nations.
Supporting these organizations through donations and volunteering creates a multiplier effect, as their services benefit numerous nonprofits simultaneously.
The principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) face increasing challenges under the new executive administration and its congressional supporters, who sophomorically label these efforts as the “woke agenda.” The latter three consultative organizations mentioned above actively work to strengthen these values, both through their direct programming and indirect support to beneficiary organizations.
Healthcare Access
Healthcare provides compelling examples of the importance of nonprofits. St. Jude’s Hospital for Children is a beacon of innovation in pediatric cancer treatment. Through dedicated research, they’ve achieved remarkable success in treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia, raising survival rates from a stark 4% to an impressive 94%. Their commitment extends beyond treatment to pioneering research that has transformed approaches to malignant diseases, making treatments gentler and more effective. Their unwavering promise that no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food – regardless of their place of origin – exemplifies their ethic. Similarly, Philadelphia’s Shriners Children’s Hospital operates as an independent, charitable research and teaching institution, ensuring quality care regardless of patients’ ability to pay.
These organizations represent just a fraction of the over 2 million nonprofits in the United States. The National Philanthropic Trust reports that NGOs receive approximately $500 billion annually, with individuals contributing $340 billion of that sum. The sector continues to grow, with state corporation regulations facilitating the relatively easy establishment of new nonprofits across jurisdictions. As you read this article, hundreds of new organizations addressing various worthy causes will be born.
The following organizations exemplify the diverse range of needs, causes, and populations served by nonprofits:
Social Justice and Equality
The Trevor Project – This national organization provides crucial suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for LGBTQ+ youth, offering essential support during vulnerable periods of self-discovery.
SAGE – Focusing on the other end of the age spectrum, this organization champions LGBTQ+ elders through comprehensive advocacy and housing initiatives, ensuring dignity and support for those who faced historical discrimination.
The Coalition for the Homeless—As the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization for homeless individuals and families, it fights for fundamental rights, including affordable housing, adequate food, and living wages.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty for Low-Income Individuals and Households
National Immigration Law Center (NILC)—According to its mission statement, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is a pioneering advocacy organization that champions the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families.
National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC): This coalition champions the fundamental human right to housing, striving to ensure America’s lowest-income residents have access to safe, affordable, and dignified homes.
Feeding America: As the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, Feeding America coordinates a vast network of food banks. Its dual approach addresses immediate hunger needs while advocating for systemic changes to eliminate food insecurity.
Reclaiming Heritage and Rights for Indigenous Americans
Native American Rights Fund (NARF): Through strategic legal advocacy, NARF is a powerful defender of tribal sovereignty and Native rights, working to reverse centuries of systemic injustice. Their comprehensive efforts range from protecting sacred lands to ensuring equal voting access for Native communities.
American Indian College Fund: This organization recognizes education as a catalyst for change. It creates opportunities for Native students through comprehensive scholarship programs and support services. Its work exemplifies how education can preserve cultural heritage and build sustainable futures.
Wings of America: This organization holistically strengthens Native communities by nurturing mind, body, and spirit while honoring ancestral traditions. Their programs encompass running training, youth mentorship, educational advancement, and cultural identity reinforcement.
Strengthening Vulnerable Women of Color
Black and Missing Foundation: Addressing a critical gap in media coverage and law enforcement attention, this Foundation advocates for missing persons of color, particularly women and girls. They provide essential resources to families while educating minority communities about personal safety.
Women of Color Foundation: Operating as a 501c3 tax-exempt organization, Women of Color creates powerful networking opportunities while delivering comprehensive personal and professional development programs for Women of Color.
Ujima (The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community): Established to combat domestic, sexual, and community violence in the Black community, this organization takes a proactive approach to creating lasting change.
Justice for Sexual Assault Victims
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): The nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, RAINN, provides invaluable support to survivors through their 24/7 National Sexual Assault Hotline while advocating for stronger policies to prevent sexual violence and support survivors.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): A division of Respect Together, this organization pursues an unwavering commitment to ending sexual violence and supporting survivors nationwide. Their comprehensive programs transform societal understanding and responses to sexual harassment, abuse, and assault, creating lasting change.
Stop It Now! takes a proactive approach to preventing child sexual abuse. They empower adults, families, and communities with crucial resources and support systems to protect children before harm occurs, creating a safer environment for future generations.
Forgotten People
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)is a vital advocate for those affected by rare diseases, highlighting the importance of volunteers in nonprofit organizations. Their patient advocacy initiatives, research support programs, and educational outreach bring essential attention and resources to often-overlooked conditions.
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Established by the renowned late actor Christopher Reeve and his wife Dana following his spinal cord injury, this Foundation serves as a comprehensive national resource for those affected by paralysis. Through its National Paralysis Resource Center, it provides crucial support for independent living and quality of life enhancement, emphasizing the daily challenges and triumphs of the paralysis community.
The Arc – Champions the universal human rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, actively promoting their complete inclusion and participation in society.
Preserving, Defending, and Advancing a Free and Democratic Society
Common Cause works tirelessly to fortify American democracy against contemporary challenges. Their initiatives span all government levels, focusing on protecting voting rights, regulating campaign finance, ensuring public official accountability, and strengthening democratic institutions.
The Center for Election Innovation and Research dedicates its efforts to rebuilding trust in America’s electoral system, promoting inclusive participation while ensuring robust election security and integrity measures.
The National League of Cities (NLC) unites leaders from cities, towns, and villages in their mission to enhance the quality of life for current and future constituents through strengthened local governance structures.
In Summary
Nonprofit organizations are potent catalysts for positive change, demonstrating that every action contributes to broader movements for justice and equality. These organizations challenge society to expand perspectives, acknowledge others’ struggles, and take meaningful action. Whether through board service, financial support, volunteer work, social media advocacy, professional engagement, or establishing new organizations with like-minded individuals, everyone can contribute to these vital missions for social change.
Nonprofit organizations are pillars of civil society, fostering community connections, facilitating accurate information dissemination, and mobilizing citizens to support vulnerable populations. These organizations demonstrate their importance through their ability to influence elected officials, shape public policy, and ensure governmental accountability. The importance of leadership in nonprofit organizations is evident as their leaders unite diverse communities and exemplify ethical, compassionate, and moral guidance. Many of these leaders later transition into public service roles.
The United States itself operates as an extensive nonprofit entity. This fact underscores why nonprofit sector experience is invaluable for future government personnel across all departments. Government operations align more closely with nonprofit principles than business practices. Furthermore, nonprofits are crucial in organizing resistance against unresponsive governance, public corruption, and state-sponsored misconduct.
Regardless of their specific focus, these organizations contribute to global betterment, enhance human welfare, and reinforce freedom, democracy, and social justice. They maintain collaborative efforts for the common good while standing firm against misinformation, indignity, violence, hatred, and malevolence.
This moment presents an opportunity to evaluate our engagement with nonprofit organizations. Their need for support will only increase over the next 48 months. For those not currently involved with non-governmental benevolence organizations, affinity groups, or community initiatives, consider investing your time, skills, and resources in these worthy causes. For those connected to non-profit work, consider doing even more in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. Your contribution can make a significant difference in strengthening these vital institutions. Do it for your own sake, the sake of others, and the world’s sake.
• YS Schools students created and released a short film, “OTIS” — described as a meta meditation on the unpredictable nature of art, among other themes — on the “MLQ Productions” YouTube channel.
April
• Yellow Springs Film Festival, which debuted in fall 2023, presented a Mini-Fest at the Little Art Theatre. The event was a prelude to the main festival held in October.
Actor Chris Young, center, and crew prepare to roll camera for a scene in the horror-comedy short film “…And Then She Laughed.” The film, written and directed by Amy Taylor and produced by local resident Ben Guenther, was shot at a village home on Orton Road. (Photo by Lauren “Chuck” Shows)
May
• Honoring the legacy of the late Julia Reichert, the Yellow Springs Film Festival and PNC Bank announced the creation of the Julia Reichert Award, a $3,000 short film prize to be given to an emerging female documentarian.
• A five-day shoot for a short horror-comedy film was held at a home on the south end of town. “…And Then She Laughed” was written and directed by Virginia-based filmmaker Amy Taylor and is currently in post-production.
October
• The annual YS Film Festival returned for the second year, featuring a lineup of screenings of narrative and documentary films, several of which premiered or received awards this year at the prestigious Sundance, Tribeca and Cannes film festivals — as well as guest performances and Q&A sessions.
December
• The Little Art Theatre announced the launch of a new website and a new way for movie-lovers to have some say in what they see on screen on the eve of its95th anniversary next year.
Feufollet of Louisiana blends traditional Cajun sounds with country, rock and swamp pop. The band played at Antioch College’s Foundry Theater on Wednesday, Feb. 21. (Submitted photo)
February
• The Foundry Theater continued its 2023–24 live performance series by welcoming the Southwest Louisiana band Feufollet.
• The theater also brought famed singer-songwriter and cult icon Jonathan Richman to the stage for a bare-bones, acoustic set, which was a departure from the high-voltage sounds of Richman’s early musical career.
March
• The World House Choir joined forces with MUSE: Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir for the locally based community choir’s second annual “BREAD & ROSES: A Celebration of International Women’s Day” concert atthe Foundry Theater.
Yellow Springs resident Kylle Harewood, otherwise known as X the Detective, launched a hip-hop night at the Gulch Saloon — a community-oriented night of beats and wordsmithery for listeners and lyricists alike. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)
• Bringing people together through the power of Hip-Hop, Kylle Harewood, whose musical moniker is “X the Detective,” transformed a simple beat machine into a community-building force by hosting Wednesday night beats and rhyme sessions for freestylers and hip-hop enthusiasts at the Gulch Saloon.
• The News featured local resident and music producer Justin “UnJust” Herman, for his efforts to expand the local hip-hop scene through the OPEN Project, where beats flow freely and artists find solace in shared expression.
• The Yellow Springs Hardware Store began hosting musical performances, benefits and comedic improv shows and workshops throughout the year as part of its Hardware Store Sessions.
April
• The World House Choir returned to its home stage in the Foundry Theater to perform a program of music that included the 20-minute choral piece “Weather: Stand the Storm,” written by composer Rollo Dilworth, a music professor at Temple University, setting music to the Claudia Rankine poem “Weather.”
• The Yellow Springs Community Band performed Songs of the Sea, which included everything from traditional sailing songs to the theme for Pirates of the Caribbean.
May
• The Foundry Theater presented a performance by musicians Marisa Anderson and Jim White, with former Yellow Springs resident Porter Fitch opening; welcomed string duo Larry & Joe. Both based in North Carolina; and held the final performance of its inaugural programming season with folk duo Kristin Andreassen and Chris “Critter” Eldridge.
• Yellow Springs Community Music: the Yellow Springs Chamber Orchestra performed the program “Spaces and Textures,” which included pieces by Aaron Copland, Alexander Borodin and Franz Schubert. The Yellow Springs Community Chorus presented “Songs of Spring,” which featured songs and choral pieces by Franz Schubert, Charles Ives, Antonin Dvorak and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
June
“The Outside Presents,” an experimental music performance series had its final show of the first season on Monday, June 10, at the Antioch College Foundry Theater. The series is hosted by Evan Miller, shown here at a performance from earlier this year. (Photo courtesy of Ruthie Herman)
• Experimental music performance series “The Outside Presents” wrapped up its the seasonin the Foundry Theater’s black box space. The series — a kind of off-shoot of WYSO 91.3’s late-Sunday-night show “The Outside” aims to expose audiences to experimental music acts from both the Southwest Ohio region and beyond.
• Twenty-seven incarcerated men, members of the NIA Men’s Chorus at Chillicothe Correctional Institution under the direction of local resident Catherine Roma, performed “Les Mis Inside,” a pared-down version of the popular musical with choral arrangements before an audience of invited guests, including a large contingent of Yellow Springers.
July
• Crowds gathered at Tuck-N-Reds Spirits & Wine to benefit Charles “Chuck” Arthur Williams, a local musician fighting cancer. Organized by local musician Danny Sauers, the event, “A Bad Day for Cancer,” featured a host of local acts and raised $1,876 toward Williams’ medical expenses.
August
• Local musicians and educators Cammy Dell Grote, Caryn Diamond, Barbara Leeds and Nancy Lineburgh, revived a local piano ensemble with a history stretching back decades, performing as an eight-hands ensemble as part of the Dayton Music Club’s season-opening September Musicale at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Dayton.
November
• The Yellow Springs Youth Orchestra Association held a benefit for its summer camp that featured performances by young band, orchestra and chorus members.
• Yellow Springs Community Music: the Yellow Springs Chorus and Chamber Orchestra presented W. A. Mozart’s dramatic Requiem (K 626), his final — and uncompleted work — in the newly reopened First Presbyterian Church’s sanctuary, which had been cleared of birds and bats. The Yellow Springs Community Band presented “Forgotten Gems from the Library,” a collection of pieces not often performed anymore.
December
The Yellow Springs Community Band, McKinney Middle School and YSHS choirs, as well as some members of the World House Choir performed a holiday concert to a capacity crowd in the First Presbyterian Church’s Westminster Hall.
A holiday concert played to a capacity crowd Monday evening, Dec. 16, in Westminster Hall at the First Presbyterian Church. It was a collaboration between the Yellow Springs Community Band, the McKinney Middle School and YSHS choirs, and several members of the World House Choir. (Photo by Matt Minde)
Yellow Springs Community Music: The Yellow Springs Community Orchestra presented a Winter Solstice concert, featuring works by nordic composers Jean Sibelius, Edvard Grieg and a commissioned piece by Oliver Kentish, featuring David Coleman, trumpet soloist.
January
In January, a new play by Mad River Theater Works, “Keep Marching: The Road to the March on Washington,” delved deeper into the grassroots history of the historic event, particularly what it was like for the thousands who marched, demanding fair wages, voting rights and civil rights protection and an end to segregation for Black Americans. The play — aimed at young audiences, but appropriate for all ages — debuted in the Foundry Theater at Antioch College.
Diana Slickman, left, as Ludwig van Beethoven and Colm O’Reilly as Quasimodo in “The Hunchback Variations,” which the two actors performed March 15–17 in the Foundry Theater at Antioch College. (Submitted photo)
March
• After an eight-year absence, Women’s Voices Out Loud, a long-loved staple of local women’s art and expression, returned to the village at the Herndon Gallery on Antioch’s campus, with an accompanying art installation.
• The Foundry Theater welcomed Chicago-based theater collective Theater Oobleck to its experimental black box theater stage for three performances of “The Hunchback Variations.”
“Roof Man,” Yellow Springs Theater Company’s comedy was performed at First Presbyterian Church earlier this year. The play, written by Yellow Springs local Robb Willoughby, starred Thor Sage, center, as the titular character who refuses to get down from his roof. “Roof Man” also featured, clockwise from bottom left, actors Ellen Ballerene, Seth Ratliff, Saul Caplan, Libby Holley Scancarello and Kayla Graham. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)
April
• The Yellow Springs Theater Company presented the “Roof Man,” a story of world-weary, blue-collar Charlie who refuses to come down from his suburban roof after mounting middle-class problems become too much.
• Young thespians of YS High and McKinney Middle schools presented four performances of “The Addams Family” at the John Legend Theater in Springfield.
May
• The annual 10-Minute Play Festival, sponsored by the YS Theater Company, was staged on the grounds of Yellow Springs High School.
June
• The Mad River Theater Works summer youth theater residency kicked off its second year at the Foundry Theater. Young thespians ranging in age from 8 to 17 were introduced to the ideas and methods of devised theater, or theater created collaboratively without a script from a unifying theme. The residency focused on the theme of “Mystery.”
Local thespians and funny guys Charlie Cromer, Adam Zaremsky and Elliot Cromer took the Foundry Theater stage, Thursday–Saturday, July 18–20, to perform a characteristically over-the-top sketch comedy show, titled “Bigger and Better.” (Photo by Lauren “Chuck” Shows)
• “Bigger and Better,” the third sketch comedy show produced by local duo Elliot Cromer and Adam Zaremsky, and the second accompanied by band The Boogie Bros, elicited laughs from audiences with the staging of three shows at the Foundry Theater.
July
• GravityWorks Circus took to the air for the first time in their home venue, the Foundry Theater, with three performances of “She Grows Wings.” GravityWorks opened in March 2023 as the brainchild of two local residents, Maya Trujillo and Kayla Graham.
October
• Friendship, love, betrayal, reconciliation and a band of forest marauders were enacted when YS High School theater department staged Shakespeare’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” at the Turner Studio Theater in Springfield.
Local resident Louise Smith, left, and New York residents Lizzie Olesker, center, and Peggy Pettitt presented “The Language of Dolls” — a play they wrote collaboratively and which centered questions of racial and cultural identity — at the Foundry Theater. The artists are pictured holding handmade dolls they created for the show. (Photo by Lauren “Chuck” Shows)
• Local resident Louise Smith and New York residents Lizzie Olesker and Peggy Pettitt starred in “The Language of Dolls” — a play they wrote collaboratively and which centers questions of racial and cultural identity — at the Foundry Theater.
December
• All 209 of the fairy tales collected by The Brothers Grimm were presented in a little over an hour through the production “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.” The winter play, presented by the young thespians of McKinney Middle and YS High schools, was a one-act play performed at the Clifton Opera House.
Visual Arts
January
• The News interviewed participants in an Art Book Circle about their months-long artistic collaboration. Ten artists and/or creatives spent the better part of 2023 making 10 books with original art, a page at a time. A new cohort of 30 participants repeated the project over 10 months in 2024. The results were displayed at the library in November and December.
March
• “My Name is Iden” News columnist Iden Crockett,explored her “dual selves” in the “4 a.m. Girl” exhibition at the Yellow Springs Arts Council Gallery.
The late artist and Yellow Springs resident Raymond P. Harris amid some of his work, in a photo from a 1953 LIFE magazine profile about a group of American artists working in Paris, of which Harris was a part. “Artistry Re-Kindled: The Raymond P. Harris Retrospective Exhibit,” a retrospective exhibition of the work of Harris — who lived in the village from the 1950s until his death in the 1980s — opened April 6 in the Herndon Gallery at Antioch College. (Submitted photo, originally published in ‘LIFE’ magazine)
April
• The artistic legacy of mid-century artist and former Yellow Springs resident Raymond Perret Harris was celebrated through the exhibition “Artistry Re-Kindled: The Raymond P. Harris Retrospective Exhibit,” curated by local resident Ena Nearon, of Ten Talents Network.
June
• The themes of community, nature, connection, heart, people, memory, energy and healing were explored in a News feature about local artist Chris Glaser, who 25 years ago started painting more seriously after a back injury.
• The exhibition “Simple Steps” opened to the public. Curated by Dayton-based mixed-media collage artist and creator Carly Evans, it featured the curator’s work, as well as that of four other creators: Tink, a.k.a. Ashlyn Zerangue, Teri Campell, Becky Potts and Bartek Karas.
Sumayah Chappelle (right) was artist-in-residence at Crome Architecture, where “Renaissance,” an exhibition of ceramic relief works was on display earlier this year. (Photo by Truth Garrett)
July
• “Renaissance,” an exhibition by artist and local resident Sumayah Chappelle, opened at Crome YS. The exhibition both reflected her journeys with her Islamic faith and personal growth.
October
YellowSprings hosted two exhibits for the fall 2024 FotoFocus event, “backstories”: photographers Shem Schutte, whose work, “Thinking Positive, Capturing Negatives,” was displayed at Crome YS; and Juan-Sí González, whose exhibition, “Looking for Cuba Inside,” was featured at Antioch College’s Herndon Gallery.
January
• Jane Blakelock, a retired senior lecturer emerita of Wright State University and a 38-year resident of Yellow Springs reviewed local author Jo Ann Kiser’s new novel, “A Young Woman from the Provinces,” which according to Blakelock, “unspools a journey to the self, the only reliable home that is everyone’s birthright.”
April
• The News interviewed author and Yellow Springs residentLucrecia Guerrero about her new novel, “On the Mad River,” about life in a fictional 1980s Ohio town and its inhabitants as they confront a changing world and their own changing desires.
Antioch professor of writing and aesthetics Brooke Bryan began the work of reviving some much beloved literary institutions: the Antioch Review as well as the Writers’ Workshop. The first, re-inaugural workshop was held at Antioch’s campus July 8–12. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)
May
• After a four-year hiatus, Antioch College announced that the Antioch Review — the college’s independent literary magazine founded in 1941 —had re-emerged with a new editorial vision and business model, which included the revival of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop. The workshop, held in July, offered morning seminars, afternoon author meetings, writing practices and other literary events. Featured writers included Kashmiri novelist Feroz Rather and Yellow Springs-based authors Rebecca Kuder and Robin Littell.
August
• The News interviewed Brooklyn-based author and illustrator Nina Crews about her newly published children’s biography, “Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton.” In her lyrical picture book biography, Crews utilized poetry to tell the story of Hamilton’s life.
September
• The News interviewed local resident and writer Cyndi Pauwels — known to readers by her nom de plume, C.L. Pauwels — about her novel “Fatal Errors.” Fatal Errors is Pauwels’ fourth novel, a crime thriller and mystery, published in August by Crossroad Press.
October
• The Senior Center held a Local Writer’s Series in September and October that brought together established and emerging literary voices.
December
• The News interviewed Dr. John E. Fleming about his memoir, “Mission to Malawi,” which was published in spring. The book details Fleming’s service in the early years of the Peace Corps— during which he was the only Black American in his cohort — against the backdrop of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.
The Solstice Poetry Reading, presented by Tecumseh Land Trust and Glen Helen, was held Friday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m., at the Glen’s Vernet Ecology Center. (Photo by Audrey Hackett)
• The 13th Annual Winter Solstice Poetry Reading was held at Glen Helen’s Vernet Ecological Center with the theme “Stillness.” The event featured 10 poets, an open mic, wine reception and the opportunity to purchase publications from the featured poets.
• Local human rights organization H.U.M.A.N., or Help Us Make a Nation, gave the community a way to process post-election worry and rage and ask the question “What now?” through a coffeehouse event co-sponsored by Mad River Theater Works at the Foundry Theater. During the event, villagers were given the opportunity to express themselves through poetry and music, or to say what was on their hearts and minds in conversation.
It would be disrespectful to a year of 365 days to discount them all over a batch of chaotic and devastating events. And in fact, at least in our little neck of the woods, there were both great and not-so-great stories this past year about people, places and things both to celebrate and shake our fists about.
So let’s take a stroll through 2024, Boise Weekly-style, and see if we can look at the good and the bad it gave us and move forward with the courage we will no doubt need to buckle up for whatever the future brings — all while living the best we can in the present.
Local resident Dr. John E. Fleming has spent much of his life working to bring visibility to American history — in particular, African American history — via his five decades as a historian who has helped establish museums throughout the U.S.
Now, after retiring from his most recent position as director of the National Museum of African American Music, Fleming’s focus has turned inward to his own personal history; his memoir,“Mission to Malawi,” was published this spring.
The book details Fleming’s service in the early years of the Peace Corps— during which he was the only Black American in his cohort — against the backdrop of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. It also provides a snapshot of Malawi, an African nation that, at the time of Fleming’s service there, was newly independent, but still influenced heavily by colonial rule and racism.
Weaving together those two concurrent histories from Fleming’s point of view, “Mission to Malawi” serves as the remembrance of a young man’s deepening understanding of the need for social change through a global lens, and how it ultimately affected the course of his life.
Fleming spoke with the News recently about writing the memoir, which spans the years 1967 to 1969. With the events depicted in “Mission to Malawi” having taken place nearly 60 years ago, Fleming acknowledged that the book’s completion would have been more difficult had he not been a prolific letter-writer during those years. As he explains in the book’s preface: “I was a voracious writer because I wanted my family and friends to write to me, as it was my only form of communication.”
Likewise, he said he was lucky that those to whom he wrote then — including his mother, and future wife, Barbara Fleming —were diligent at saving his letters.
“It’s really sort of funny; as a historian, you’d think you’d remember historical facts as they happened — and it turned out that wasn’t exactly true,” he said.
Fleming wrote the first draft of the memoir without the aid of letters, and later, organized the letters chronologically and read them. The letters allowed him to revise his first draft and improve upon his memory.
“I was very fortunate to be able to find those letters. … The first draft is quite different from what the final manuscript turned out to be,” he said.
Though he said the letters he’d written in his youth didn’t deviate wildly from his own memory, they did contain vital insight into what he felt from day to day, as well as his perspective on his experiences then compared to his perspective now.
In particular, he pointed to his time at Berea College in Kentucky, where he studied before joining the Peace Corps. As Fleming’s book describes, Berea had initially been an integrated college, but was segregated in 1904 by state law until 1954. Fleming came to the college as one of only a few Black students in 1962; by the time he graduated, Berea was still struggling to “find its place in this new desegregated society,” he wrote.
“My experience [at Berea] was, at best, neutral, and at worst, negative,” Fleming told the News. “But I’ve been on the board at Berea now for almost 18 years, and my perspective has changed dramatically. I think that influenced the way I wrote about being a student at Berea, and it turned out a lot more positive than I would have anticipated.”
In the same vein, Fleming’s memoir goes on to detail his Peace Corps training in Alabama and in England as an agricultural volunteer to Malawi. Fleming writes that he learned he was nearly “de-selected” for Peace Corps service — that is, he almost didn’t “make the cut.” He writes that his close call came because his experiences with racist white people caused him to have “strong feelings against those who wanted to keep Black people in their place.”
“It never occurred to me that my attitude and behavior toward whites would reflect on the assessment of my fitness to be a Peace Corps volunteer who represented this country,” he writes early in the book. In a later chapter, he adds: “The Peace Corps blamed me rather than the society that had permanently injured me.”
The bulk of “Mission to Malawi” is dedicated to Fleming’s time in the country in which he served, as well as his visits to other African countries. Hepresents his memoir chronologically in four chapters, each of which is broken into smaller, subtitled sections, giving the work an episodic rhythm.
Humor, heartbreak and the humdrum of daily life come to the page as Fleming describes his first grudging taste of pan-fried grasshoppers; his disappointment that his then-girlfriend, Barbara, would not join him in Malawi; and the “culture shock” of learning how to keep a schedule in a country where work was traditionally not dictated by the hands of a clock.
Winding through these episodes, Fleming writes about how his perspective on the foundational racism of the United States was deepened by both his experiences in Malawi and news of the ongoing fight for civil rights at home. After learning of the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, he writes that he turned the lens of his grief toward his own work with the Peace Corps. At the time, he believed he had been “too silent and had acquiesced too often” when he encountered racism in Malawi, where Black people constituted the majority, but whites were “in control.”
“If I said that I loved Malawians, then I had to prove it by words and deeds,” he writes. “I knew that the changes I experienced with the death of Dr. King would be reflected in my relationships with white folks in Malawi.”
As readers of “Mission to Malawi” will discover, Fleming held true to that revelation, forming close relationships with Malawians and advocating for their agency in their own society and government. Before leaving Malawi, he made sure that his own post was not filled by another Peace Corps volunteer or European expatriate, but by an African diploma student.
He returned to the U.S. galvanized to continue working for social change. He soon took a job with Pride Inc., a Washington D.C.-based organization that, as Fleming writes, was “dedicated to working with the hardcore unemployed and unemployable, especially Black men.” He later earned his Ph.D. at Howard University, and went on to serve as director of many museums, including the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in nearby Wilberforce.
Fleming said his time in the Peace Corps heavily shaped his life; much of his work in Malawi required him to learn through experience or teach himself new skills, and to build relationships across cultural divides.
“I’ve encouraged people who know me to read the book, and said, ‘This will give you a perspective on who I am, and how I developed over the years,’” Fleming said.
Despite his experiences with systemic racism and prejudice in the Peace Corps, as outlined in the book, Fleming said he believes his two years in Malawi were some of the most important in his life.
“I ran into some negative experiences, but by the time my term in the Peace Corps was up, the negative had turned into positive,” Fleming said. “What I truly believe about the Peace Corps experience is that it is beneficial to our life today.”
Ever the museum expert, Fleming mentioned the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience, which is currently being developed in Washington D.C.
“When we talk about why we should have a Museum of the Peace Corps Experience, it’s not just to recount the stories that volunteers had,” he said. “It is to show the impact of individuals on foreign communities, and that we can learn from our experiences, bring those experiences back to the U.S. and bring about social change in this country.”
“Mission to Malawi” is available for purchase via Amazon, and to borrow from the YS Community Library.
Christy Davis Jackson transitioned over the Thanksgiving Holiday after facing a series of medical-related ailments.
Ms. JAckson was the beloved wife of AME Bishop Reginald T. Jackson; mother to Seth Joshua; step mother to Regina Victoria; former Supervisor of the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME); a dear friend to so many across the states of Georgia, New Jersey, and Ohio; and a national figure in the fight for equity, civil rights, and equal rights.
Ms. Jackson worked tirelessly to forge partnerships among the public, private and faith sectors, and to help government reach its potential as a force for policies that improve people’s lives.
In her early professional career, she served as the legal counsel and Chief of Staff for State Senator Wynona M. Lipman, who was the first African American woman elected to the state Senate in New Jersey. She went on to serve various organizations and institutions throughout the Garden State, including as Senator Frank Lautenberg’s State Director and Chair of Jon Corzine’s senatorial campaign. She continued her professional career developing education, workforce and economic development, and health polices as the Founder of City Strategy Group and a Principal at BusDev Solutions.
From 2012 to 2016, she served with her husband in the AME’s 20th Episcopal District, which includes Malawi, Zimbabwe, the northern portion of Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda.
In 2016, Ms. Jackson relocated to Georgia to once again work alongside her husband as Supervisor for the Sixth Episcopal District (AME). In that role, she led the statewide organizational and operational activities for the AMEs and its 534 churches across the state, directed the Women’s Missionary Society in the state of Georgia, fought to strengthen the voice of women within the Church, and served as advisor and strategist to her husband.
This August, Bishop Jackson and Supervisor Jackson were chosen to lead the Second Episcopal District, which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Bishop Jackson, Regina, and Seth would like to thank the outpouring of love, prayers, and support shared over the last few hours. At this time, funeral arrangements have not been finalized. Thank you.
Likewise, he said he was lucky that those to whom he wrote then — including his mother, and future wife, Barbara Fleming —were diligent at saving his letters.
