Mixed Roots Pres* Kit Image
Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival founders Fanshen
Cox and Heidi Durrow.
Bi-racial
from page A I
course.
According to Battle
Cochrane. the client eyed a
collection of glamorous pho
tographs Battle-Cochrane had
of her mother on display, and
asked a stylist why the salon
had pictures of "that white
bitch." After that, Battle
Cochrane says she "came
out" as a biracial person.
The reaction' amongst her
associates was mixed, she
said.
"Some of them ... -were
very uncomfortable," she
noted. "One friend asked me,
'Why do you need to do this?
Just be black.""
But Battle-Cochrane. who
has authored two memoirs to
date, says denying half her
heritage was no longer an
option for her. As a woman in
her 30s, Battle-Cochrane says
embracing her whole self for
the first time in her life was
an empowering and life
changing experience.
"I'm more confident than
I've ever been because I'm
clear about who I am," said
Battle-Cochrane. who began
shooting the documentary
five years ago as a way of
coping with her own emo
tions. "You can't shake me
(now)."
The series has taken on a
life of its own, as Battle
Cochrane uncovered more
and more elements in the
biracial story. Despite hailing
from diverse backgrounds
and different countries,
Battle-Cochrane says the hun
dreds of biracial people she
encountered shared many of
the same challenges.
"It was almost like listen
ing to the same story over and
over again," she said.
Making the film has
required many sacrifices.
Battle-Cochrane says she
spent time living with friends
because she could no longer
afford the cost of both her
home and the film. She even
hawked much of the designer
clothing, jewelry and bags
she had amassed over the
years to keep the project
afloat.
"1 would like to have
stopped. This has drained me
financially," she admitted.
"But ... when I started inter
viewing younger generations
and seeing that this (discrimi
nation) was still going on, it
was like I didn't have the
option of stopping."
Contrary to the beliefs of
some in the black community,
who say she is trying to run
from her African-American
heritage, Battle-Cochrane
says that her video is about
being proud of one's back
ground - all of it.
"(This) is a huge collec
tive of people that just want to
be okay about who they are,"
she asserted. "How does that
hurt anybody else?"
Battle-Cochrane hopes
her film will help to create an
honest and healing dialogue
around race for all people.
"The only time we are
even discussing race is when
there's ,a catastrophe," she
commented. "That's not giv
ing healing or understanding
to anybody."
Los Angeles residents
Fanshen Cox and Heidi
Durrow screened a portion of
Battle-Cochrane 's film earlier
this year at the Mixed Roots
Film and Literary Festival,
which they co-founded in
2008. The women, both of
whom are biracial, started the
festival to make the voices of
mixed race people heard.
"This is really about shar
ing stories that we know have
been lacking in literature and
film," said Cox, an actress
and community college
instructor, "...we just feel
like the more we talk about it,
the more people are opening
up."
For more information
about "Bi-Racial ... Not
Black, Damnit," visit
http:/ /battlecatt .com or
www.voutube .com/battlecatt I
7.
Banks
from I'uxe A4
Minorities more likely to
be unbanked include blacks
(21.7 percent of
black households),
Hispanics (19.3
?percent), and
American
Indian/Alaskans
(15.6 percent).
Racial groups less
likely to be
unbanked are
Asians (3.5 per
cent) and whites
(3.3 percent).
Black are also most like
ly to be underbanked (an
estimated 31.6 percent), fol
lowed by American
Indian/Alaskans (28.9 per
cent), and Hispanics (24.0
percent).
Hair
Households with income
under $30,000 account for at
least 7 1 percent of unbanked
households. As income
increases, the share of
households that are
unbanked declines
considerably.
NationifTTy, nearly
20 percent of
lower-income U.S.
households -
almost 7 million
households earn
ing below $30,000
per year - do not
currently have a
bank account. In
contrast, only 4.2
percent of households with
annual income between
$30,000 and $50,000 and
less than 1 percent of house
holds with yearly income of
$75,000 or higher are
unbanked.
Help Stop Infant Mortality
Your Hold Your Baby's Future in Your Hands |
A Healthy Baby Begins with You
Office of Minority Health
U S Department ot ? arid tfcjnvin Uervt r.ot.
wwwonttw. yov 1 -800-444-6472
rotwa iws .00
Wnr? r ori?i Pro
Forsyth Tech students get path to
four-year degree via new WSSU deal
SPK IAI IX) I HI CHRONK l.h
Forsyth Technical Community
College and Winston-Salem State
University (WSSU) have entered into an
agreement that will allow students to be
simultaneously granted admission to both
colleges.
The Dual Admissions Program (DAP)
partnership, which will begin in fall 2010,
is designed to provide support and
resources to students who may not be
ready to succeed in a bachelor's degree
program.
"We have some students come to
Winston-Salem State without the depth of
preparation needed to be successful in a
university setting," said WSSU
Chancellor Donald J. Reaves. "This part
nership with Forsyth Tech will provide
those students with such important sup
ports as smaller classes and lower tuition.
By using dual admission, we also will be
taking the steps necessary to help students
feel a part of our campus so that the tran
sition to a four-year institution will be eas
ier for them."
Under the DAP agreement, students
will have a seamless application process
that includes admission to both institu
tions. There will also be shared responsi
bility for student advising, access to
resources at both campuses, and opportu
nities to participate in university activities.
While students who graduate with
Associate Degrees in arts or science from
Forsyth Tech are already able to transfer
WSSU Photo by Garrett Gpms
WSSU Chancellor Donald Reaves and FTCC President Gary Green shake hands
during last week's announcement.
their credits to University of North
Carolina schools, this new partnership
provides additional advantages.
"Students will have the same benefits
as in our regular program, and will have
the additional benefits of an established
relationship with Winston-Salem State,"
said Dr. Gary M. Green, president of
Forsyth Tech. "They will have access to
academic advisers, student activities and
facilities at both schools.
Students who apply and do not meet
the admission standards at WSSU will
receive information on the Dual
Admissions Program. 'Students, who sign
the contract to join the program and are
accepted, receive a letter of deferment for
admission to WSSU. Once they com
plete their requirements at Forsyth Tech.
the students are guaranteed admission into
a related baccalaureate degree program at
WSSU.
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