Under the baobab: Happy Valley arts, activism and community updates
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” — U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment
My great-great grandfather, Curtis McKenzie, first heard these words in 1868. He had just mustered out of the Union Army where he and 200,000 other African — and now finally Americans — had saved the Union and freed his people from slavery. He could not read the text. It had been illegal to teach enslaved people to read. After the passage of the Civil Rights Amendments, he learned and taught his children. In fact, his youngest daughter published several books of poetry. In the family tradition, his great-grandson joined the Army in 1942 and fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam to save democracy.
Now in this year of the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence, 150 years after the passage of Civil War Amendments, a wanna-be-tyrant, using an executive order, is attempting to erase that history. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments over whether the Trump administration can limit birthright citizenship for some children born in the U.S. Congress continues to sit on its collective hands. It is up to us, we the people, to stand up for democracy. Eight million people around the country, larger and any previous one-day protest, marched at the No Kings III.
No Kings IV will be at the ballot box.
Around town
Congrats to Penn State wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink, winner of the 2026 Dan Hodge Trophy for best college wrestler in the country. He will be presented the prestigious award at the Penn State wrestling banquet on Sunday, April 12.
Federal Judge Adam Panopoulos ruled to vacate the deportation order for Subramanyam Vedam and cleared the way for his release from ICE detention. Subu will be coming home soon.
Kelly Mazzante, Penn State women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer, will be too. She signed on as assistant coach with the Lady Lions. Also returning “home” was internationally renowned sculptor, Sharif Bey, who presented a retrospective at the Palmer Museum of Art. Bey’s works investigate symbolic and formal properties of archetypal motifs, while questioning how the meaning of icons and function transform across cultures and time. He earned his Ph.D. in art education at Penn State. The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh announced “Sharif Bey: Homecoming,” an exhibit that also includes works by Warhol and Basquiat. Exhibit opens on June 26 and runs through Oct. 12.
An overflow and diverse crowd filled the HUB’s Alumni Hall for “Krazy About Korea,” presented by the Korean International Student Organization. The festival included Korean food, calligraphy, interactive games, traditional attire and performances by the Taekwondo Team, KBA band and several KPop dance teams: KPMD, BOUNCE, and Zent Cover Crew.
The first ever celebration of Arab American Heritage Month will be held at the Woskob Family Gallery on Thursday, April 9 from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, April 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include guest speakers: Samar Farage, Ghassan Abou-Zeineddine, Manal Elfakhani, and Laila Halaby, live Dabke performance, films on Arab culture basketball star Chamique Holdsclaw and a reception featuring Arabic small bites.
The Osaze Osagie Memorial Lecture on “Global Black Communities and Mental Health” was presented by former basketball star Chamique Holdsclaw at the Hintz Alumni Center. Holdsclaw shared her personal experience with bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety and focused on mental health, stigma, and authentic self-expression.
The Africana Research Center (ARC) under director, Dr. Sherita L. Johnson commemorated the 25th anniversary of its founding with a panel of student activists from The Village: LaKeisha Wolf, Assata-Nicole Richards, Chenits Pettigrew, Robin Hoeker, Takkeem Morgan, and William Sturkey. State College Poet Laurette Carmin Wong read an original celebratory poem.
Sisters and brothers. We are in this together. We are the people.
Charles Dumas is a lifelong political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is a Lions Paw honoree. He lives in State College with his wife and partner of over 50 years.