Turning Teens’ Adventures into Books and More with Author and Journalist Robin Farmer
Award-winning author and journalist Robin Farmer will lead a creative writing workshop and discussion for middle and high school youth at 11 a.m. on November 6, 2021. The program will be based on her 2020 novel, “Malcolm and Me,” ” which explores themes of faith, racism and coming of age in the 1970s that are partly autobiographical. Farmer, who originally is from Philadelphia and now lives in Richmond, Virginia, has written articles for the Washington Post, Richmond Magazine, Hartford Courant and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. During her presentation, she will show middle and high school students how they, too, can take real-life incidents and turn them into essays, books and even movie or television scripts! Attendees may sign on to Zoom by using this link.
To enter the BND Institute of Media and Culture’s Essay/Poetry Contest, please visit this link. For questions, please contact bonnienewmandavis2@gmail.com.
The BND Buzz features highlights from the BND Summer Media Camp 2021, which focused on food deserts and food insecurity in the Richmond, Virginia area. Please enjoy a glimpse of what our students learned and documented during the camp’s two weeks from July 12-July 23, 2021. And stay tuned for details about the virtual BND Fall Media and Creative Writing Academy that will take place each Saturday from 10 am to 12 Noon October 16 -November 20, 2021. Click here for the full BND Buzz media camp newsletter.
It’s a wrap. The BND Summer Media Camp 2021 has ended. I can’t express my joy at seeing the growth in our eight campers in two short weeks. Their future success is ensured, thanks to our extraordinary guest presenters throughout the program. We kicked off our second week on Tuesday (July 20) with a session on drone reporting, led by the Richmond Mercury’s award-winning Ned Oliver. Prolific author, journalist and professor Wayne Dawkins joined us on Wednesday (July 21) to discuss journalism ethics, before we headed to the Virginia Museum to take in “The Dirty South” exhibit. The students loved it.
Today’s (July 22) session featured a powerhouse of media experts: Dr. Linnie S. Carter, Vice President of College Advancement, HAAC; Jeff Wilson, Vice President and Chief of Staff at Padilla; Santia Nance, Vice President and Associate Director at The Martin Agency; Leha Byrd, an amazing PR specialist, educator and entrepreneur; and Heidi Wilson, chairwoman, Department of Journalism at Virginia Union University. These experts schooled our students on how to prepare for college, job interviewing skills, positioning themselves for promotions, continuing education, salary negotiation, investing and savings, and entrepreneurship. (Important stuff that I didn’t learn until adulthood.)
As if that weren’t enough, several of my former VCU and NCA&T college students shared their journeys, too. I was blown away by the realization that these three young women, Myja Gary (Zoom), Mariya Moseley (ABC World News Tonight) and Chandelis Duster (CNN), now help deliver the news to audiences GLOBALLY.
Finally, a visit from Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Michael Paul Williams, recipient of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, further made our day! Mike shared with our campers several tips for becoming better writers, and encouraged them to read and practice their craft until it “becomes a concerto.”
A special thanks to Dr. Gary Banks of Ephesus SDA Church and Academy, Mrs. Saundra Rollins and all of our special guests, sponsors, volunteers and former BND campers Ellis Henderson II, Emani Henderson, Johari Edwards, Mikayla Compere and Dedrick Shorter. Mariya Moseley and Kimberly Fields, I could NOT have conducted this program without your dedicated, consistent and loyal assistance. Work produced by our students will soon be posted on this website, along with information about upcoming youth-centered programming!
“Food deserts are a chronic problem in the Richmond (Va.) region, one that threatens the overall well-being of its residents and can cause a slew of ill effects,” states a 2019 Richmond Times-Dispatch editorial. “According to the USDA, 60,545 Richmond residents lived in a food desert in 2015.”
Students participating in the BND Summer Media Camp 2020 will report, write, photograph and video stories that illustrate how the city’s lack of access to fresh food leads to poor emotional, physical and mental health. Such conditions often result in poor performance in school, poor social skills and, often, crime. While learning about initiatives to stem the tide of food insecurity, BND Media Camp students will present stories for digital audiences that will show how Richmond-area food banks, food kitchens, grocers and urban gardeners are working to curtail food deserts so that more children and adults can enjoy healthier lives and lifestyles. Students will meet each weekday from 9 am – 3 pm at Ephesus SDA Church, Richmond, Virginia. Snacks and beverages are included in this free program. Students participating in the program are required to be current on all vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccination.For more information please visit: bndimc.org orclick this link to complete an application.
Sponsors: Dominion Energy, NBC 12 News, MLH Assets Management, Bank of America, Johnson Inc., John Rich, Maxamus Insurance LLC, S.H. Adams, Sarah Brown, Debbie Burns, Nikki Nicholau, Dr. Linnie Carter and Charles Taylor.
A COMPILATION of VIRTUAL EVENTS & PROGRAMS IN JUNE 2021
Clint Smith, How the World Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
Clint Smith
Beginning in his hometown of New Orleans, 2020 Emerson Fellow Clint Smith leads the reader on an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks—those that are honest about the past and those that are not—that offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation’s collective history, and ourselves.
A deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history, How the Word Is Passed illustrates how some of our country’s most essential stories are hidden in plain view—whether in places we might drive by on our way to work, holidays such as Juneteenth, or entire neighborhoods like downtown Manhattan, where the brutal history of the trade in enslaved men, women, and children has been deeply imprinted.
On June 22, 2021 at 12 noon, join the New America Fellows Program, Clint Smith, and Adam Harris, Class of 2021, for a conversation about the role memory and history can play in making sense of our country and how it has come to be. Register Here.
High on the Hog with Steve Satterfield and Jamila Robinson
Stephen Satterfield
Netflix’s new limited series, High on the Hog, follows food writer Stephen Satterfield as he explores how African Americans in Philadelphia and other parts of the country transformed American cuisine.
On the next Inquirer LIVE – Thursday, June 10, at 5 p.m. – join Satterfield and Inquirer food editor Jamila Robinson for a conversation about High on the Hog, Philly’s robust food scene and culinary history, Juneteenth, and African American contributions to America’s kitchens. Register Here.
Rick Rojas, a reporter for The New York Times and alum of the Free Spirit and Chips Quinn Scholars programs, moderates a conversation with Freedom Rider Dr. Ernest “Rip” Patton and activist DeRay Mckesson sharing their life experiences and discussing the role of the media in civil rights movements. Donors are invited to watch this Free Spirit scholars program. Join here.
BND Institute of Media & Culture 