Despite menu items listed in both English and curly Thai script, Hanloh chef and creator Lalita Kaewsawang isn’t necessarily trying to make authentic Thai food. While her menu of Thai street food and home cooking pays homage to the flavors she fell in love with while growing up in a small city outside of Bangkok, a closer look reveals other experiences and influences layered like the flavors in a curry—attending high school in Alice Waters-ruled Berkeley, college at an East Coast liberal arts school, and post-grad kitchen stints in culinary meccas New Orleans and Chicago before returning to California to cook at Michelin-starred Manresa.
“It was never about being super authentic,” explains Kaewsawang. “It also has to taste good, to taste clean, while using what’s in season and local products as much as possible.” So whether or not it’s Thai, “If it’s good, it’s good.”
And wow, is it good. Whether her ever-changing menu offers eggrolls that crackle and shatter under tooth; yolk-colored Vietnamese crepes stuffed with sausage and decorated with shredded carrot, mint and cilantro; fried curried catfish with crispy basil and cucumber quick pickles; or a comforting bowl of Panang curry, her lineup is nearly always infallible.
Kaewsawang’s recipes evolve with the season and location, which means Hanloh’s menu, like most pop-ups, changes all the time. Thankfully, my favorite dish, Thai fried chicken or gai tod, seems to be a mainstay. Using the whole wing from shoulder to tip, Kaewsawang marinates them overnight in “an overwhelming amount of lemongrass. I feel like it needs quite a bit for the flavors to get through the skin,” she says. Plus cilantro, garlic, coriander, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Right before frying, she dredges the wing in a thin gluten-free rice flour batter so that the skin, rather than the batter, touches the oil and gets super crispy.
It’s hard to overstate how heavenly the bright lemongrass steam that fills your nostrils is as you crunch through crispy skin to juicy chicken, and the accompanying sauce made from fish sauce, tamarind and caramelized palm sugar is the perfect balance of tangy, sweet and sour. Some may wonder, is it Thai? To which I would retort, as I grab a second wing, who cares?
Hanloh’s next pop-up is at the monthly Night Market at the Food Lounge on Friday, Jan. 12 from 4-9 p.m. Pop-up calendar at hanloh.com.
She was famous for all of the wrong reasons. Figure skater Tonya Harding was a child prodigy on the ice who battled her way up the competition circuit to spots on the 1992 and 1994 American Olympic teams. But it all came crashing down after a bizarre knee-bashing attack on her rival teammate, Nancy Kerrigan, in which Harding’s husband and bodyguard were implicated. As Tonya (skillfully played by Margot Robbie) tells us in the faux-documentary, I Tonya, “I was loved. Then I was hated. Then I was a punchline.”
Written by Steve Rogers and directed by Craig Gillespie, I, Tonya is an often raucously entertaining fact-based fiction film that purports to be a documentary detailing the tragi-comic incidents of Harding’s early life and public career, punctuated by interviews with the key players after the fact. This enables the filmmakers to tell the story from a variety of perspectives as the plucky competitor, who was the first American woman ever to stick a triple axel in competition, evolves into the most reviled woman in the world. Along the way, they generate a surprising amount of sympathy for the human being at the center of all that notoriety.
The movie’s chief antagonist is Tonya’s mother, LaVona, played with icy waspishness by an unrecognizable Allison Janney. An embittered, hard-drinking, chain-smoking diner waitress with a violent temper and a vulgar mouth, LaVona bullies skating coach Diane Rawlinson (Julianne Nicholson) into letting Tonya train with her at a Portland, Oregon ice rink. Rawlinson agrees when she sees how naturally little Tonya (Mckenna Grace, who played the pint-sized math genius in Gifted) handles herself on the ice.
After the father she adores is driven off by her mom, Tonya becomes the only target for LaVona’s often physical rage against the world. (Mom says she “skates better when she’s afraid.”) Pulled out of school at 15 to practice full-time, Tonya (now played by Robbie), starts to make an impact on the national circuit—just when she meets Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), who’s as inexperienced as she is. (Mom goes along on their first date.) Soon, Tonya flees her mom to move in with and finally marry Jeff, only to find herself in another volatile, abusive relationship.
Despite scoring some firsts in national and international competitions, the odds are stacked against her. She’s asthmatic, her home life is chaotic, and without deep-pocket sponsors to provide glamorous outfits, she has to hand-sew her own. Worse, she rarely earns the scores her skating deserves. When she desperately confronts a judge to ask why, he bluntly tells her she’s “not the image we want to portray.” She falls a little short in the “wholesome American family” department.
To level the field, Jeff consults his delusional pal, Shawn Eckardt (Paul Walter Hauser), who still lives in his parents’ basement, yet styles himself an “international counterterrorist operative.” Jeff envisions threatening letters to psych out Tonya’s rival, but Shawn hires a pair of idiot bunglers to “break” Kerrigan’s knees. The result is only a bruise—along with a floodtide of pro-Kerrigan, anti-Tonya public sympathy.
Robbie is terrific. (And the tech effects by which her face is morphed on to her skating body double are amazing.) Plausibly vulnerable and determinedly gutsy in the early going, Robbie’s Tonya is full of tart, edgy insights looking back on it all. (The script was partially concocted from real-life taped interviews.) Her danse macabre with the fearsome Janney is spine-chilling. And while she often claims that many things she was accused of were not her fault, she never tries to justify herself as a victim. Not even when the perpetrators are given 18-month jail sentences, while Tonya—at age 24—is banned from competitive skating for life.
As wacky as the movie’s tone often is, I Tonya delivers a scathing look at gender and class politics, and the hypocritical fantasyland of professional sports.
I, TONYA
*** (out of four)
With Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, and Allison Janney. Written by Steve Rogers. Directed by Craig Gillespie. A 30 West/Neon release. Rated R. 120 minutes.
Most drop-in yoga classes are around $15, which is pretty much the same as two burritos. Burritos … yoga … burritos … decisions, decisions. Next week, you don’t have to pick—have your yoga and eat burritos, too. All DiviniTree classes are free, every day of the week. Now is your chance to try out different types of yoga—maybe you are a Kundalini person or a sweaty Power Vinyasa junkie.
“The idea is to provide yoga to people who wouldn’t normally have yoga,” says Mark Abadi, who became DiviniTree’s manager in October. The Water Street studio is also celebrating its seventh birthday and working its way through the process of becoming a nonprofit. Up until now, owners Carlen Young and Ann Averbach have poured their own money into the effort, without taking any donations, Abadi says. DiviniTree currently offers about three free yoga weeks a year, and, with the help of sponsorships, Abadi hopes to start doing many more. He also wants to share lessons with a wider cross section of Californians—school children, underserved communities, people in jail.
In the meantime, this upcoming free week runs Monday, Jan. 15 through Sunday, the 21st. Sign up in advance, as classes can get packed.
Sheriff Jim Hart never asked to be seen as an immigration ally. But in some people’s eyes, that became part of his reputation—especially after his office passed on an opportunity to participate in last February’s now-infamous Department of Homeland Security raids that wound up embarrassing both Santa Cruz and Watsonville’s police departments.
In the months that followed, however, civil rights advocates were disappointed when they learned that Hart and his deputies had been cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the county jails, as GT reported at the time (“Hart Feelings,” 7/11).
Hart explained that, under federal law, he felt compelled to do three things with ICE. The first was to let ICE officials into the jail. The second was to provide release dates of inmates to immigration officials upon their request, so they could pick them up from the facility, and the third was to allow ICE investigators to interview an inmate, as long as they got permission from both the inmate and their defense attorney. We should add that no investigator ever did get permission to do such an interrogation, Hart says.
And that’s all history, anyway, as Jim Weller, convener of Sanctuary Santa Cruz, announced last week in a celebratory group email that Hart has revisited his policy and changed it, after a couple more recent meetings with activists.
Hart had first met with Weller, ACLU Chair Peter Gelblum and others a couple of times way back in the spring about the immigration policies at Santa Cruz Main Jail and the Rountree Medium Facility. Although civil rights attorneys voiced frustration at what they saw as the sheriff sidestepping an important issue, Weller says he felt that Hart was doing what he could. With the encouragement of immigration advocates, Hart agreed to support SB 54, the so-called “Sanctuary State” bill, becoming the first law enforcement chief to do so. Hart felt that if SB 54 passed, which it ultimately did, that might provide him the opportunity to give his practices another look.
And sure enough, Hart set up a couple more meetings to discuss possible changes, shortly before the newly signed law went into effect at the beginning of 2018. With input from Gelblum, Hart realized that the new law specifically defers to local government, and that a 2017 resolution from the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors forbids employees from spending any resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement. He told them he would stop cooperating with ICE altogether. His decision was met with sighs of relief.
“We were very pleased that he was as good as his word,” Weller says of Hart, “saying that he needed SB 54 to go further, and then when it passed, he said, ‘OK, how do we implement this?’”
Hart has no problem with serious criminals getting deported for major crimes, but says that locals who get deported are almost always low-level offenders. If someone does commit a violent offense, Hart says, the criminal can still get picked up by the feds after serving time in state prison, where such convicts get sent.
When state senators wrote SB 54, part of the idea was about making California safer.
The data has shown that sanctuary cities are, in fact, safer than non-sanctuary cities, and that immigrants commit less crimes than other groups.
Well, data, shmata … says the Donald Trump administration.
At the Santa Cruz Main Jail, at promptly 8 a.m., five inmates file into a program room for their twice-weekly English as Second Language (ESL) class, led by a volunteer tutor from the Literacy Program. It’s one of many programs under the umbrella of the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County.
“When I get out of here,” inmate Alvaro Perez says with a heavy Mexican accent, “I want to be able to speak English with my daughter, and maybe help her with her homework someday.” A few of his classmates nod in agreement.
“It is very important to know some English out there,” says another student, Salvador Serna, “especially to find work, but also if you want to talk with your kids, who are learning English, not Spanish.”
The Literacy Program stepped up to the challenge of providing ESL and GED prep courses at the county jail and Rountree Minimum Security facility beginning in 2012, under the leadership of Genie Dee, the former Literacy Program coordinator, as part of state-funded reforms. Dee passed away on Aug. 18 after a short but ravaging bout with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Dee led the Literacy Program with unflagging dedication for six years, and built up several features—including the jail component—making it a vital, volunteer-driven, no-cost English-language tutoring service for adults throughout the county. The program now has 250 volunteer tutors, many of them retired teachers, for about 300 student learners, not including the approximately 30 students in jail.
More than half of the student learners are between 30 and 44 years old, 78 percent of them women, of which the majority have children. The tutoring is done mostly one-on-one, and focuses on learning functional, day-to-day English, as well as financial literacy, life skills and emergency responses that require English. There are also tutors specializing in math and other subjects required to pass the GED. There are currently 60 people on a waiting list for a tutor.
Dhara Damania, the new Literacy Program Coordinator, says she’s felt inspired by Dee’s dedication to the program. Following her hire, Damania only had two days of training with Dee before her predecessor passed away suddenly.
The Literacy Program is preparing to kick off a fundraiser through the Human Race, and it’s considering adding other programs to local jails.
Originally from India, Damania, 31, says her background as an immigrant and non-native speaker of English gives her insight into the challenges adult immigrants face as they try to master American English and assimilate into the culture. Damania left a career as a market data analyst for Merrill Lynch in Singapore when she came to California in 2015. After her professional experience with American corporate culture overseas, Damania, who learned more about her path through a stint with AmeriCorps, says she was delighted to get involved with nonprofit volunteerism and literacy when she came to America.
Damania says one of the most pleasant surprises of her own immigrant experience was discovering a “real, down-home culture of giving and volunteerism in America.” The American traditions of “giving and looking out for your neighbor,” she says, “doesn’t really get out there much in what most of us learn about America.”
Local singer-songwriter Courtney Nicole started playing open mics in San Francisco almost a decade ago. Just before moving to Santa Cruz four years ago, she changed her name to Pieces, a nickname friends called her after she wrote a song called “Pieces,” and that’s when her music started to evolve.
Since relocating, Pieces went from being a solo project to a five-piece band, and then a trio. At the upcoming Crepe Place show on Jan. 13 she’ll have a new drummer, Andrew Guterman, who she says gives the music a more jazzy, bluesy feel. Her bass player Devon Brockopp-Hammer has played with her for years.
At the end of 2017, she was playing solo shows and preparing new material for her lineup change. There will be old songs in the mix, but also some new stuff.
“I had a chance to craft on my own again and take a step back, just really focus on writing, and actually have something to bring to the next project that’s new,” Nicole says. “Not try and recreate what we’ve done before. Just get to start fresh again to the music.”
She sees the connective thread of her music as the lyrics and the vocal melodies, which is partially why she scaled the group down to a trio in the first place—to bring the songs back to their basic elements. So far, Nicole has one EP released under the Pieces moniker, and she’s hoping to do a new recording that shows off this current version of the band soon.
“The most fun part for me is to continually try to craft and create and make new music and explore different songs so we don’t get tired of doing the same thing,” Nicole says. “At the end of the day, the heart of the songs are still intact. They all stem from my experiences and my songwriting.”
The professional name White Buffalo suits singer-songwriter Jake Smith perfectly. A big guy with a big voice and a lumberjack-like appearance, Smith emanates a feeling of Old West authenticity and a working person perspective. Born in Oregon and raised in California, Smith balances underground folk traditions with a punk rock vibe and rock ’n’ roll delivery. On his latest album, 2017’s Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights, he blends alternative rock, blues, country and folk in his most electrified release yet. Also on the bill: the Roadkill Ghost Choir.
INFO: 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $18/adv, $20/door. 423-1338. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16 to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the show.
Our picks for the best live music for the week of January 10, 2018.
WEDNESDAY 1/10
POST-PUNK
SO STRESSED
For years, So Stressed was the kind of super DIY band that would avoid clubs with actual sound systems. Then somewhere along the way, they became a buzz band, getting coverage from Noisey and NPR, among other national outlets. As they’ve blossomed into a touring band that produces records on more than just burrito money, they’ve fine-tuned their highly cathartic post-punk sound. Their latest, Please Let Me Know, is an unflinching document of the breakup of a relationship. The album is aggressive, but always feels aimed inward and full of anxiety. AC
Muriel Anderson is one of the finest guitarists you’ll ever see. A technical master, she was the first woman to win the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship and she plays with a flair and feel that leaves you shaking your head in amazement. In addition to playing six-string guitars, Anderson also plays a wild-looking harp-guitar that has an unexpected elegance. If you’re new to Anderson’s music, do a YouTube search for her lovely version of Don McLean’s “Vincent” and keep a handkerchief handy—you may need it. CJ
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michaels on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $17/adv, $20/door. 479-9777.
FRIDAY 1/12
JAZZ
SPEAKEASY 3
It’s not hard to understand why people these days are obsessed with speakeasies. There’s no fun like the uninhibited type that comes from pure defiance of social norms. Prohibition may be over, but the upbeat jazz that populated these underground clubs lives on. In Santa Cruz, Speakeasy 3 brings the lively, snappy prohibition-era sound, which is, on one hand, the mindless pop tunes of its era, perfect for dancing your cares away. But it’s not hard to miss the rebellion immersed in the music. Don’t drink, don’t dance, don’t hang out in filthy nightclubs. Speakeasy 3’s music suggests otherwise. AC
Whether you know him as one half of the Atlanta duo Outkast, as Sir Lucious Left Foot, or by his primary stage name, Big Boi’s music has dominated the hip-hop scene for more than two decades. This week the ATLien returns to the Catalyst with his Daddy Fat Saxxx Tour that is guaranteed to be the most talked-about hip-hop tour in town. The “Renaissance Man of Rap” is touring off his wildly anticipated third solo LP, Boomiverse, released last June. MW
Johnny Cash called John McCutcheon “the most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard.” And that guy had been everywhere! He’d been to Reno, Chicago, Fargo—oh, never mind, you know the song. The point is, you’ve never really heard the hammer dulcimer until you’ve heard McCutcheon play it. After more than 30 records, several Grammy nods, and a lifetime devoted to America’s folk traditions, this guy is quickly heading for national treasure status. Part of the proceeds will go to benefit the Resource Center for Nonviolence. SP
INFO: 9 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $29/door. 479-9421; snazzyproductions.com.
SUNDAY 1/14
INTERNATIONAL
OZOMATLI
In 1998, Ozomatli dropped its self-titled debut album. The band broke new musical ground, blending reggae, hip-hop, Latin and rock, and the pop world liked it immediately. The band became a festival favorite and a model of what social activism around farm workers’ rights and immigration reform can look like when melded with dance-inducing grooves and a global perspective. That debut remains a classic ‘90s-era album. The band’s latest release, 2017’s Nonstop Mexico to Jamaica, is a reggae-infused collection of cover tunes of celebrated Latin artists, including Selena, Cafe Tacuba and Mana. CJ
Lew Tabackin, 77, is a jazz master who thrives on contrasts. On tenor saxophone, he’s a freight train, a fierce full-throttle improviser whose thick, muscular sound sometimes calls to mind tenor patriarch Coleman Hawkins. On flute, he’s a sinuous sketch artist who can render a curvaceous melody with a delicate, sinewy line. On either instrument, he’s a riveting performer who never wastes a note, distilling more than five decades of experience in jazz’s top ranks. ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 427-2227.
TUESDAY 1/16
POP
SASHA DOBSON
Renowned vocalist Norah Jones caught the music world’s attention in 2002 with her stunning debut, Come Away with Me. Jones has since revealed herself to be a multi-faceted artist with a wide musical range and a handful of diverse music projects. One of those projects, an all-female trio called Puss n Boots, is a collaboration with Santa Cruz native Sasha Dobson. The daughter of local jazz legends Smith and Gail Dobson, the Brooklyn-based Sasha returns to town on Tuesday with a collection of new original tunes and an emerging sound that layers electronic pop and her remarkable voice. CJ
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michaels on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $12/adv, $15/door. 479-9777.
IN THE QUEUE
JUNE CORE
Renowned Bay Area drummer. Friday at Kuumbwa
MUSTACHE HARBOR
Soft-rock tribute band. Friday at Catalyst
BEGGAR KINGS
Tribute to the Rolling Stones and the Allman Brothers. Saturday at Don Quixote’s
KEITH GREENINGER & DAYAN KAI
Standout singer-songwriters with Santa Cruz roots. Sunday at Michael’s on Main
XAVIER WULF
Underground rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. Tuesday at Catalyst
The rain has begun, and that means it’s time for rain chains. These decorative water features carry rainwater from the gutter downward to a drain or a storage container. They are a great alternative to traditional, closed gutter downspouts, and a serene treat to listen to. But rain chains can be expensive, and making your own is not only more gratifying, but won’t break the bank. Plus, they make fantastic DIY gifts for anyone. The workshop is lead by Dream Maker Creative’s Sara Smith and all materials will be provided to make an eight-foot chain.
INFO: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11. Dream Maker Creative. 1001 Center St. Suite 2, Santa Cruz. dreammakercreative.com. $40.
The MAH’s new Tom Killion exhibit features woodblock prints of images across the California coast, including familiar areas like Natural Bridges and Wilder Ranch. UCSC grad and former Santa Cruz local, Killion specializes in landscape prints. He draws inspiration from Japanese printmaking, and incorporates delicate, crisp lines and colors into his work. The show also features poems selected by Gary Snyder, pages of Tom’s nature journals, and information about events that dig deeper into nature —like biking tours and hikes that inspire journaling. Image: Monterey Bay from Santa Cruz Pogonip, Tom Killion, 2002.
INFO: Opens Friday, Jan. 12 and runs through Sunday, April 22. Museum of Art and History. 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 429-1964. santacruzmah.org. $10 General Admission, $8 Students, free on First Fridays.
Friday 1/5-Tuesday 1/30
‘Beach Industry’
How do you incorporate Santa Cruz’s natural beauty into art? Literally, of course. After crushing local sandstone and Monterey Bay sea salt and mixing the two together, Tim Ward blended oil paint, salt and stone, and painted a stunning image of West Cliff beach. His work, along with that of 16 other local surfer/artists, is on display at the R. Blitzer Gallery. The new “Beach Industry” exhibition centers around surfing and the ocean, and is a stunningly unique exhibit featuring Vince Broglio’s resin paintings and r.r. jones photographs, as well as work from Connor O’Neill, grandson of Jack O’Neill. Fittingly, 10 percent of sales during January go to O’Neill Sea Odyssey, and donations are gladly accepted. Photo by Stan Walsh.
INFO: Noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. R. Blitzer Gallery, 2801 Mission St., Santa Cruz. 458-1217. rblitzergallery.com. Free.
Monday 1/15- Sunday 1/21
Free Yoga Week
Time to get down, dog. Most drop-in yoga classes are around $15, which is pretty much the same as two burritos. Burritos … yoga … burritos … decisions, decisions. This week, you don’t have to pick—have your yoga and eat burritos, too. All DiviniTree classes are free, everyday. Now is your chance to try out the different types of yoga—maybe you are a Kundalini person or a sweaty Power Vinyasa junkie. Once your mind is nice and relaxed, may we recommend you hop nextdoor for a Tacos Moreno burrito or two? Sign up in advance if you can, classes can get packed.
INFO: DiviniTree Yoga and Art Studio. 1043 Water St., Santa Cruz. 421-0518. sc.divinitree.com. Free.
With all of this rain we have been getting, there are sure to be some fantastic fungi friends sprouting. You know what they say: when it rains, it spores. The annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair boasts speakers and specialists, cooking workshops and of course hundreds of prime fungus specimens for your viewing pleasure. Don’t go eating any old side-of-the-road mushroom, the fair’s taxonomy panel will help you classify different types of fungi and pick the prime specimens. The festival is perfect for the whole family, and has plenty of kids activities like fungus exploration tables, clay mushroom building, and face painting.
INFO: 1-5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Louden Nelson Community Center. 301 Center St, Santa Cruz. ffsc.us/fair. Friday admission $5, Saturday/Sunday admission $10. Students & Seniors $5. Kids 12 and under free.
[Editor’s note: Though the terms ‘Black’ and ‘African American’ are sometimes considered interchangeable as racial identifiers, we are using Black, as it is more inclusive. While some people identify as African American, many don’t identify as American, or do not identify with where their ancestors came from. Black is capitalized to bring it in line with AP style that capitalizes nationalities, peoples, races, tribes, and most racial and ethnic identification terms.]
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]renda Griffin was seated at the back of a restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz when there were plenty of open tables near the front. Morgan Pedford often has her bag checked at a local movie theater, despite the fact that she is a regular whom the staff know by name. Laura Turner-Essel notices others looking at her son differently when he joins the other kids running around the playground.
For Black people in Santa Cruz, these microaggressions are part of everyday life. Nuances like seating and security can be irritating to anyone, but the difference is that many don’t inherently think their race has anything to do with it. They don’t have to. There is a name for this: white privilege.
NAACP President Brenda Griffin (left) and project creator Allison Garcia at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, where Gospel Night and Youth Day will be held. PHOTO: KEANA PARKER
“No matter what color you are,” says Santa Cruz resident Laura Turner-Essel, “white supremacy leads you to being afraid when you see a Black man walking, being irritated when you hear a Black woman’s voice, confused when you see a Black family doing well, or nervous when you see a Black child running wild in ways that society tells you only white children are allowed to do.”
It’s not the small acts themselves that are heinously unjust, it’s the disconcerting fact that if you are a person of color, racial bias extends into every aspect of your life. This is what it is like to be Black in Santa Cruz.
“I meet people who express that they don’t see racism in Santa Cruz,” says National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Santa Cruz County President Brenda Griffin. “But if you think about it, why would they see it? It’s not directed at them. What they need to do is to consciously think about what they are being told and not look at it as ‘there’s gotta be more to the story’ or ‘it’s an isolated incident.’ Racism exists everywhere, and Santa Cruz is no exception.”
It wasn’t until recently that greeting cards with Black figures started showing up in stores, and hair products for Black hair appeared on the shelves, Griffin says. It’s the little things, likely not considered by most, that accumulate and contribute to a lack of Black visibility in Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz is liberal, but that doesn’t mean it’s diverse—1.4 percent of Santa Cruz County identifies as Black, compared to 59 percent white and 32 percent Latino. Photographs and stories about Black people rarely appear in media and newspapers, so Black visibility is limited. Picture this: you are the single Black person in a 100-person pool. How loudly would you have to shout for your voice to be heard?
“As African Americans, we have to do this just about every day of our lives—educate people. We have to teach people to be conscious, and it’s exhausting,” Griffin says. “We shouldn’t have to do it. But on the other hand, if an opportunity presents itself, then take that opportunity to teach others. But it’s a double-edged sword.”
“It’s a strange and mind-boggling experience of being culturally isolated and socially marginal in a beautiful place that pretends to welcome everyone and everything. It’s crazy-making. It’s being highly visible, yet never really seen or heard.”- Laura Turner-Essel, Ph.D., UCSC CASFS Director of Residential & Community Life.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]llison Garcia says she was particularly moved by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement, and wanted to bring more Black visibility and voice to Santa Cruz in the wake of many incidents of violence and mistreatment against Black people. Though Garcia identifies as white, she says that after attendingseveral NAACP meetings and becoming a member over a year ago, she decided to create a photo project on Black lives and what matters to Black people in Santa Cruz.
An avid local photographer, she drew inspiration for this project from Black photographers like Zun Lee’s project on Black fatherhood and UCSC professor Lewis Watts’ work on African-American cultural landscapes. Garcia’s project, titled “Black Lives in Santa Cruz: What Matters,” spotlights the experiences and perspectives of Black people in Santa Cruz.
Local pharmacist Eboni and her daughter Deshaun are participants of ‘Black Lives in Santa Cruz: What Matters.’ PHOTO: ALLISON GARCIA
“I asked some members from the NAACP ‘what do you think of the project? Can I even do this as a white person? Is that okay?’” she recalls. “The NAACP has been very supportive, though I do feel like I am on the outside looking in, and that’s part of why I am doing this.”
Last fall, she began interviewing and photographing Black-identifying Santa Cruz community members. She says that her intent was to be removed from the project, given that she doesn’t share the same experiences and cultural background, and have the participants’ images and stories be the focal point.
“I had some curiosity about the fact that she was white when she first approached me, because I wondered what her intention was since she is not a person of African descent,” says project participant Laura Turner-Essel. “It could have been potentially different if it was done by someone who shares the experience of being a Black person in Santa Cruz, but I found Allison to be open and willing to listen to what I had to say, and I trusted that she would do a good job of reflecting what we shared.”
Photos in Garcia’s project show families embracing their children, a homeless Liberian Civil War refugee resting on a redwood trunk, a high school football coach running drills, and a chef smiling behind the scenes. These are the faces of the Black Santa Cruz community and what they care about most.
The 10 participants in the project vary in age, income, gender and sexual identity. They were asked what it’s like to be Black in Santa Cruz and what the Black Lives Matter movement means to them. But Garcia discovered that a white woman asking ‘what is it like to be Black in Santa Cruz?’ was at times problematic in itself.
“Although I’m sure you are trying to do a positive thing … this is also part of the problem,” one of the participants, Anita Marie, wrote Garcia in an email. “We are Black, yes … but we are people trying to survive this fucked up world like everyone else. We just have to try harder. One, to succeed and two, to educate those who are too lazy to inform themselves about other cultures.”
Marie still participated in the project, though she expressed her frustration with Santa Cruz and its liberal guise.
“It is impossible for us to simply assimilate,” she wrote. “Our skin is too dark and our upbringing is too proud, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“America has simply not lived up to its promises in regards to the rights of Black and brown people. Dr. Martin Luther King reminded us of that fact in 1963 and here we are 54 years later struggling with the same issues of race, class, education, health care and war.” -Gary Cocroft, former lifeguard and firefighter, surfboard shaper
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Santa Cruz branch of the NAACP, born from inequality in the housing market (specifically housing rentals), has been around for nearly 70 years. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which falls on Jan. 15 this year, is one of the largest annual events for the NAACP. This year, the organization partnered with the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) in a co-sponsored Martin Luther King Jr. Day March on Monday, Jan 15. While the NAACP has hosted marches before, this co-sponsorship is a first.
“My heart is still heavy from all of these police-involved shootings that have happened. We are all outraged and angry, but those shootings and those types of incidents are exactly why we should be at the table with the SCPD,” NAACP says Griffin. “That’s why we should be trying to develop a community police relationship.”
Just two months ago, SCPD hired Officer Henry Muse, the only Black officer in SCPD since 2013. SCPD Chief Andrew Mills says he hopes to have more diverse recruitment in the future.
“We need to look at what we are doing that eliminates people of color. Our hiring practices are implicitly biased, and eliminating good, capable candidates,” Mills says. “For example, we have a requirement of good credit, and when you are a person who has operated on cash, or grew up in a poor home, that’s not always possible, and may very well be eliminating good candidates.”
Along with the march, the NAACP and the Resource Center for Nonviolence will also host an annual youth day on Jan. 13, featuring live music, food and tabling from local youth activist groups. Also on Jan. 13, Gospel Night will celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, his love of gospel music, and its role in the civil rights movement. Gospel night will feature Tammi Brown, Inner Light Gospel Choir, Monterey Peninsula Community Gospel Choir, Progressive Missionary Baptist Church Men’s Choir and more. Both events will be held at the Resource Center for Nonviolence.
“It’s easy to be liberal. They never really have to define a side. They can just play in the middle and take the drugs [but with] stuff that’s going on right now, they need to take a hard stance because it’s getting bad.” -Morgan Pedford, professional chef
“My challenge to you is to educate yourself. Be mindful and interact with more people of color.” -Anita Marie, professional hair stylist and Morgan Pedford’s sister
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Black community in Santa Cruz is not invisible, says Griffin, but it can sometimes feel that way. Visibility is difficult when there is a lack of representation and inclusion everywhere from the media to data studies, she says.
For example, the recent Santa Cruz County Community Assessment Project’s (CAP) final comprehensive report outlines the Education, Health and Health Care and Economic Stability of Santa Cruz County in 2017. Though the study does list white and Latino representation, there is little to no mention of Black or African-American people in Santa Cruz anywhere, except under demographic breakdowns, incarceration and crime, and violence.
“Do we not have health needs, too?” Griffin says. “Why are we not represented anywhere but crime and violence areas?”
Susan Brutschy, president and co-founder of Applied Survey Research programs, which conducts the CAP report, says that though the report aims to cover and represent data from various backgrounds, overrepresentation from certain backgrounds leads to a lack of representation of already underrepresented groups.
Longtime local resident and avid surfer Gary Cocroft discusses war and the Black Lives Matter movement: ‘But what of America’s next war of convenience? How many Black bodies will the next one consume?’ PHOTO: ALLISON GARCIA
“That should not be the story of African Americans, it shouldn’t be a story of incarceration,” Brutschy says. “We absolutely would consider bumping it up and oversampling certain population groups, and we have done so in the past. For example, we have looked at the South County before and looked at under- and over-representation of the Latino community. We were able to over-sample certain population groups so that we could talk to and represent them.”
Griffin says the lack of representation in these types of studies is likely what leads to a lack of resources and conversation around Black people, and it likewise perpetuates stereotypes of Black communities.
“As African Americans we cannot be racist, to be racist you have to have power over someone else, and we don’t have that power. What everyone does have is racial biases, and the first step to dismantling those biases is inner reflection,” Griffin says. “Beyond that, there are several ways that people can educate themselves about this very complex issue.”
Showing up for Racial Justice and Santa Cruz County Community Coalition to Overcome Racism are two organizations that aim to create more dialogue around racial justice issues, dismantle racial biases and address white privilege.
Maybe the flatline in the Black population in Santa Cruz is due to disinterest in relocating to a place without any ties to Black culture. Or maybe, it’s because the cost of living is twice as high as the national average.
“Racism exists here, whether you believe it or not,” says Griffin. “But now that we have this knowledge, what are we going to do? What are we going to do together to resist these unjust laws and policies coming out of Washington, and how are we going to do this together?”
The NAACP meets on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Progressive Missionary Baptist Church Hall, 517 Center St., Santa Cruz. For more information on the Santa Cruz branch of the NAACP, visit naacpsantacruz.com.
‘Black Lives in Santa Cruz: What Matters’ runs Jan. 13-Feb. 26 with a First Friday reception Feb. 2 from 5-9 p.m. Resource Center for Nonviolence.612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. allisongarciaphotography.com. Free.
The rain has begun, and that means it’s time for rain chains. These decorative water features carry rainwater from the gutter downward to a drain or a storage container. They are a great alternative to traditional, closed gutter downspouts, and a serene treat to listen to. But rain chains can be expensive, and making your own is not only more gratifying, but won’t break the bank. Plus, they make fantastic DIY gifts for anyone. The workshop is lead by Dream Maker Creative’s Sara Smith and all materials will be provided to make an eight-foot chain. 
The MAH’s new Tom Killion exhibit features woodblock prints of images across the California coast, including familiar areas like Natural Bridges and Wilder Ranch. UCSC grad and former Santa Cruz local, Killion specializes in landscape prints. He draws inspiration from Japanese printmaking, and incorporates delicate, crisp lines and colors into his work. The show also features poems selected by Gary Snyder, pages of Tom’s nature journals, and information about events that dig deeper into nature —like biking tours and hikes that inspire journaling. Image: Monterey Bay from Santa Cruz Pogonip, Tom Killion, 2002. 
How do you incorporate Santa Cruz’s natural beauty into art? Literally, of course. After crushing local sandstone and Monterey Bay sea salt and mixing the two together, Tim Ward blended oil paint, salt and stone, and painted a stunning image of West Cliff beach. His work, along with that of 16 other local surfer/artists, is on display at the R. Blitzer Gallery. The new “Beach Industry” exhibition centers around surfing and the ocean, and is a stunningly unique exhibit featuring Vince Broglio’s resin paintings and r.r. jones photographs, as well as work from Connor O’Neill, grandson of Jack O’Neill. Fittingly, 10 percent of sales during January go to O’Neill Sea Odyssey, and donations are gladly accepted. Photo by Stan Walsh. 
Time to get down, dog. Most drop-in yoga classes are around $15, which is pretty much the same as two burritos. Burritos … yoga … burritos … decisions, decisions. This week, you don’t have to pick—have your yoga and eat burritos, too. All DiviniTree classes are free, everyday. Now is your chance to try out the different types of yoga—maybe you are a Kundalini person or a sweaty Power Vinyasa junkie. Once your mind is nice and relaxed, may we recommend you hop nextdoor for a Tacos Moreno burrito or two? Sign up in advance if you can, classes can get packed. 
