When he first arrived in New York, he had no job and slept on a broken couch in the middle of a blizzard. Eventually, he found a job selling Broadway tickets on the street. Despite struggling and hustling, he was grateful to be able to pursue his dreams. It wasn’t long before doors began to open, and he knew that directing was his calling. In his words, to be someone who makes spaces happen and not just occupies the spaces themselves. His campaign, Words on White, began as a way to contribute to the conversation of race in America after the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. This guerilla-style theatre that he did in the streets, in the parks, outside of churches, and at schools became his backdoor into the industry. Words on White provided space for all types of individuals to have uncomfortable conversations and allowed him to meet other directors, actors, and writers whom Levingston held in high regard. 

Levingston’s extensive portfolio is incredibly impressive. He made his directorial debut on Broadway in 2021 as the resident director of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. That same year, he made history as the youngest Black director on Broadway as the director of Chicken and Biscuits. His other credits include The Exonerated at Columbia Law School, Mother of Pearl at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, and Hadestown in South Korea. Levingston is also a board member and co-creator of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition at Columbia and has worked with Idina Menzel’s A Broader Way Foundation. The first weekend in January 2023, he helped bring The Color Purple to life at Shreveport’s Marjorie Lyons Playhouse. For him, creating something for the community that molded him was a different type of gratitude and felt more personal than his Broadway debut. Levingston will be back in Shreveport in December to act in the production Top Dog, Underdog with Shreveport actor Michael Thomas. The production will open the first weekend of 2024 at the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse. For all the aspiring creatives, Zahilon’s advises, “It will always be hard. You’re always going to be learning. It’s always going to feel overwhelming, but if you’re supposed to do this, then this is what you have to do”.

 Jascha, who wrote his experiences down on butcher’s paper, became a world-renowned author and speaker after the publication of his memoir The Way Down. After 40 years, Jascha received a letter asking him to return to his homeland to give a reading to current residents. During their trip back to Poland, Jascha and Lilka find that nothing is the same. They also discover that after all these years there are still many things they’ve never shared with one another. 

The graceful composition of Edelman’s soul piercing accounts allows the reader to feel merely a mustard seed of the anguish and grief that these individuals endured and continue to endure decades after liberation. Her picturesque imagery of pre-war Warsaw, wartime Warsaw, and Post-war Warsaw display the drastic abduction of vitality from an entire country and its inhabitants. Edelman’s novel explores how the effects of trauma truly last a lifetime. Though liberation gave survivors freedom, it didn’t bring the nightmares to an end. The journey back to Poland gave them time to reflect on what was, what is, and grants them the opportunity to speak freely on moments they’ve never dared to be vocal about. Regardless of how some may think or feel, there’s no denying that the Holocaust took a toll on generations. Its survivors and their descendants are a testament to the Nazis failed attempt to eradicate an entire race of innocents and the resilience of those still standing. 

By Ursula Brantley

Mardi Gras celebrations in Northwest Louisiana began in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s, Matthew Linn, a resident of Shreveport’s Highland neighborhood and Krewe of Highland’s Chairman of the Board, moved back home and had a vision of starting a neighborhood Mardi Gras parade. Linn stated that the idea seemed fun and easy to assemble, so he presented his idea to the Highland Area Partnership who were eager to be part of the movement. Soon after, the Highland Restoration Association along with others joined in. Says Linn, “The Reid, Bonvillian, and Linn families along with a few board members from HRA (Highland Restoration Association) and HAP (Highland Area Partnership) were in the first parade. The Reid family has been and is currently a pillar in our organization. Without Cyndie and Chuck Reid, The Krewe of Highland would not exist”. Over the years, the parade route has changed and expanded due to need. According to Linn, their current route is in support of the Krewe’s dear friend Robert Baucum of Marilynn’s Place, a staple in SBC history. Robert’s brother, Trey, has been the Krewe’s Master of Ceremony for many years. The route may have been modified over the years and other krewes have developed within the Krewe of Highland, but the Highland parade always rolls the Sunday before Fat Tuesday at 2pm.

Paradegoers can expect to see everything from packs of Ramen Noodles to tasty MoonPies. If you’re lucky, you just might catch a neatly wrapped, warm hotdog. Linn states, “Unique throws started with the infamous Jeff Clark, David Clark, and John Head aka Johnny Hot Dog with the “Eat Me” float. The “Eat Me” float, which developed into the Krewe of Bar-B-Que, throws 5,000 hot dogs. Our most special and unique throws are reserved for north of Kings Highway.”

Not long after the Krewe of Highland’s birth, board members Marsha and Terry Millican had the idea of incorporating the Krewe as a non-profit focused on uplifting the Highland area. After running the idea past Linn and other board members, they decided to begin work on developing the non-profit portion of the Krewe of Highland. SBC residents may not realize that Mardi Gras season is only part of what Krewes are all about. There’s more community involvement than one might think. “The Mardi Gras Krewes do more for our city and community to foster friendship and tourism than any other function of the 318. We the Krewes are not a one-hit, one-night wonder”, says Linn. When the board sees a need in the Highland/South Highland/Madison Park community that aligns with their bylaws, they do their best to rectify that situation. They’ve been known to buy trumpets for C.E. Byrd’s band as well as conduct park renovations. For example, the Krewe is responsible for the rewiring of Columbia Park so that The Highland Jazz and Blues Festival doesn’t have to use generators to power the bands. They also placed security lights around the park for nighttime security. Linn explained that they are currently embarking on a quarter-million-dollar Highland Park renovation, a planting project, and sprucing up all neutral grounds in Highland, South Highland, and Madison Park. With Mardi Gras season not far away, they’ll soon be gearing up for the 2024 Coronation where they’ll announce their King, Queen, Captain, and Theme. Anyone who’s interested in being part of this great organization or would like to roll out in the 2024 parade is encouraged to visit their website. Says Linn, “We welcome everyone who loves thy neighbor. Just sign up at KreweOfHighland.org.”

By Ursula Brantley

Illiteracy among adults in America is a tragic reality that affects thousands of individuals and families. Studies done by the National Literacy Institute show that around 54% of adults in the United States read below a 6th-grade level and around 21% are illiterate. In Northwest Louisiana, around 1 in every 4 people are functionally illiterate. Since the mid-1980s, Literacy Volunteers at Centenary College have been dedicated to fighting the battle against functional illiteracy in northwest Louisiana. LVCC Executive Director Patrick Quick began volunteering with LVCC in 2021 and officially accepted the Executive Director offer from the board of directors in July 2023. “The idea of tutoring may sound a little daunting, but it’s not. My first student was a Basic Literacy learner. With online tools, student workbooks, a little bravery, and a strong sense of humor, my students and I have had wonderful times together.  It’s rewarding for teachers and students,” says Quick.

Although COVID was a cause for adjustment, there was some light that came from the darkness. Zoom classes were offered to students during the pandemic and continued even after the world began to open back up. “If necessity is the mother of invention, then adversity must surely be the father of reinvention. (Johnny Flora) held true for both LVCC and ProLiteracy America, of whom we are an affiliate,” says Quick. He went on to say, “Our LVCC tutors decided out of necessity that they would not abandon their students to the COVID unpleasantness. Several of our long-time loyal tutors reinvented their tutoring style to accommodate their students with Zoom learning. As a result, they can successfully tutor anyone, anywhere, even in other nations. We can do so locally, as well”. 

LVCC has begun to partner with various organizations, such as Providence House and Heart of Hope, to assist more adults that need their services. LVCC shares its ProLiteracy print and digital curriculum in exchange for teaching knowledge and potential tutoring opportunities to further its reach. LVCC also works with BPCC College Transition Program by providing access to their Basic Literacy programs in exchange for access to state-approved literacy skills assessments and admission to their Transition Program for LVCC students.  LVCC is currently recruiting tutors and volunteer mentors/cheerleaders in anticipation of student demand in September, especially for their new online Pre-HiSET (GED) students. Those who are interested in experiencing the fun and gratification of tutoring and volunteering are encouraged to contact LVCC offices by email, literacyvolunteers837@gmail.com, or by phone, 318-869-2411.

The Fuller Center has 61 established properties in the SBC area and 3 currently under construction in the Stoner Hill neighborhood. Their goal is to build 2-4 homes per year. Each client must complete first time homebuyers’ classes, credit/financial counseling, a certain number of sweat equity hours, and save 1/3 of their closing cost before they can move into their new home. Following that, all homeowners are required to do 52 hours of sweat equity a year. Most Fuller Center homes are in the Allendale and Stoner Hill neighborhoods though they would like to reach as many neighborhoods in the SBC as they can. Jeter explains, “We don’t spend money buying land so wherever we can get property donated is where we will build. We don’t want just one or two lots. We want 10-20 lots. We want to lift up the entire community and it’s difficult to do that with only one or two houses. Our vision in the Cedar Grove area was to build 20 houses in that community, but we’ve only been able to build two on the properties that were donated to us by the Catholic Diocese and Catholic Charities. The vision is to build in Cedar Grove, Queensborough, and the Martin Luther King area in a similar way to what we’ve done in the Allendale and Stoner Hill communities, and what we’re trying to do in Bossier”. The Stoner Hill area is currently where most of the homes for veterans are located. In 2013, Grammy-winner John Mayer contributed his time to help build a veteran’s home in Stoner Hill. The funds for that home were donated by Pink Floyd member Roger Waters.

To help fill that gap The Fuller Center operates their Surplus Store. Materials are donated by individuals and businesses and the Surplus Store sells those gently used and sometimes new construction items at a significantly lower price than you’d find in a typical hardware store. All proceeds from the Surplus Store go towards filling the administrative cost gap. When asked about the surplus store, Jeter replied, “If it’s brand new, then we will take it and use it in the construction of a new home. We’re never going to put anything used in a new home. If it’s something that’s been slightly used, we’re going to sell it to individuals that are trying to fix up their property. These are individuals that may own rental properties or individuals that may own an older home and they’re on a limited income, so they don’t have the financial resources to fix their home. They know they can come here and buy stuff at a price that’s affordable for them. That’s going to help them maintain their current home, but also is going to help us build future homes. It saves those items from going to the landfill and it reduces landfill waste. We like to look at it as we’re recycling, reducing, and reusing”. To become a Fuller Center client, an individual can go online and print an application or stop by their offices on Linwood Avenue and pick up an application. Churches, individuals, and organizations are always encouraged to volunteer their time or make monetary contributions of any amount to help uplift those in our area that so desperately need it.

The Bridge’s services are free of charge and available to Northwest Louisiana residents affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia and their families and caregivers. Two of the most meaningful services that The Bridge offers are support groups for caregivers and families, and one-on-one coaching sessions. Support groups are a wonderful way for loved ones to see that they aren’t alone. “It provides much-needed social support because group members validate each other’s experiences. It’s a way to connect with people who have similar experiences that they may not find in their friends or even family. Our support groups are led by trained facilitators and are held throughout the community at various locations, days, and times,” says Freeman. The one-on-one confidential counseling and coaching sessions are led by licensed professionals to assist individuals and family members with the realities of their newfound journey. 

The organization is also heavily involved with outreach in the community. They have a speaker’s bureau that covers topics such as Normal Aging vs. Dementia and Dementia Myth Busters. The Bridge can plan an Alzheimer’s Forum with groups, churches, and other organizations throughout Northwest Louisiana. They also offer in-person educational workshops every month for caregivers (later available on YouTube), and each November in recognition of National Alzheimer’s Month they offer an Education Conference for the public providing the latest information, care, and research. “Everybody knows somebody with dementia which is why outreach is important to us. Community awareness of dementia is a huge part of our mission,” says Freeman.

She explains, “It’s a true collaborative partnership with school districts. Once we are in partnership with that school district, from there we usually have some type of administrative leadership team meeting. At those meetings, the district leaders make all school site principals aware of Miles for Smiles services. After that, I go in. I’m kind of like an outreach coordinator. I meet with each school leader individually, and each campus is just like each child. I tell people, just like no child is alike, no school campus is alike. So, we plug in, we feel the climate and the culture of the campus, and we literally become an additional resource to what that campus already has.” 

She partners with the school principal to determine an initial start date, and then Miles for Smiles works on a four-week or six-month basis to make sure students have access to services.

In August 2022, MFS opened dedicated office building on Mackey Lane. Being that the mobile unit is already visiting the schools throughout the school year, the location near the corner of Mackey Lane and Walker Road will be for summer breaks and other school breaks. Summer 2023 will be its first summer servicing out of the office. This year, MFS will be partnering with SRAC to present two awards, literary and visual, at Artbreak. The yearly award will revolve around art that represents smiles or teeth and will be open to all grade levels. 

Dr. Simms Alexander, who was named a DentaQuest Health Equity Hero in 2021, always knew that he wanted to do something impactful that would change people’s lives. He and his wife, Anneka, together believe their calling is oral health and education. They are dedicated to this mission and vision of continuing to provide quality oral health outcomes to students. Their devotion to these kids just makes you want to…smile!