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BEAK THE HEAT
SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
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MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017 | VOLUME 134 ISSUE 04
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
Self says Kings 'a great place' for Frank Mason III
WESLEY DOTSON
@WesDotsonUDK
Self said he thinks Mason's mentality will
ARTS & CULTURE
KANSAN.COM
Rocket Grant recipient's documentary to focus on conflict between black communities and black law enforcement
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Contributed Photo Solomon Bass' film 'Black and Blue" about will be released in June 2018.
Poster for Solomon Bass' upcoming documentary "Black and Blue." The documentary is set to be released in June 2018.
Contributed Photo
▶ BRIANNA CHILDERS @breeanuhh3
Solomon Bass has experienced both sides of the social coin as a back man who worked as a security guard.
As a recipient of the Rocket Grant Award, which is partially funded by the Spencer Museum of Art, Bass will use the $6,000 to create a documentary titled "Black and Blue,"which will focus on bridging the gap between black communities and black police officers.
Julia Cole, program coordinator for the Rocket Grant program with the Kansas City-based Charlotte Street Foundation, said that the grant comes from money received from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
The program puts out a yearly application for artists who work in non-traditional spaces, from which 10 recipients are selected. Cole said a jury of four professional artists choose the winners. The program awards up to $6,000 for each project.
Cole said there were many reasons as to why Bass was chosen as one of the recipients of the grant. She said he has very strong skill sets, experience, and the capacity to do what he wants to do.
"His story is very compelling," she said. "He wants to do a project about a topic that is really important and timely, and it will have a big impact in the community, because not only does he want to make this documentary, but he also wants to have
a community dialogue."
Cole said that she hopes the program will help artists grow, challenge themselves and stretch in their practice.
Bass said the documentary will feature stories and personal experiences from black communities and black police officers.
"I'm from the black community and I went to Ferguson and got a lot of footage, and it kind of made my heart hard towards police — until I got a new job as a security officer," Bass said. "And that is what woke me up."
Before getting his job as a security officer, Bass had never worn a badge. During his first week, he would walk into the waiting room and receive dirty looks from black customers in the waiting room. He wondered what kind of pushback
real police officers were getting if he was receiving negative looks and comments from the black community as only a security guard.
I'm from the black community and I went to Ferguson and got a lot of footage, and it kind of made my heart hard towards police until I got a new job as a security officer,and that is what woke me up."
Soloman Bass Recipient of Rocket Grant Award
Bass said he thinks a documentary like "Black and Blue" plays a big role right now because black communities have no trust in law enforcement, no matter what color they are.
"I understand it, but at the same time it hurts because the police department is going to win every time, and it's setting us up for failure," he said. "Someone has to do something, and someone has to build a bridge."
The film will premiere in June of 2018 at the Southeast Community Center in Kansas City followed by a discussion about how to bridge the gap.
Bass said he hopes his documentary can shed some light on both sides of the issue and that he wants to spark a change by creating new ideas and
opening people's minds on both sides. He hopes that when people watch the documentary, they understand black officers go through a lot on top of facing hatred from their own community.
"They face a lot and maybe we can be more understanding," he said. "But then I want the police department to understand the black community is really hurt and it's hard for them to trust."
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Robertson said, shows the need for a community like this one.
"We've talked about it over the years but never had a sense that there was a particular interest or need yet. When it began to percolate from the students, before it was mostly our staff wondering if we should do it," Robertson said. "Finally it was our students saying, 'Hello, we want this,' and that's when we're going to act on it."
The work group, spear-
"Having a single room was cool, but it did suck that I missed the opportunity to live with a roommate all because I couldn't find someone who was open-minded," Wantling said. "Especially because once I got to KU I met a lot of open-minded people that said, 'Oh, I would have lived with you had I
year, waiting 5 year in Student Housing was a good one spent in a single room at GSP, she said, but getting there wasn't easy.
tance.
"I had a lot of people turn me down just because of my sexuality," Wantling said. "I had one girl who said, 'My mom doesn't want me to live with anyone that's gay,' and another one that was like, 'Well, my boyfriend might have a problem with that.'"
The creation of the GIH wing, Robertson said, is one step toward removing hurdles like those faced by students
SEEDORM PAGE 2
MCKENNA HARFORD
@McKennaHartford
Editor's Note: This story is the third in a series of stories looking at the way concealed carry on campus will look once it goes into effect July 1.
Each new semester brings a new round of syllabuses,but this semester professors will include a new added section of information that addresses concealed
carry on campus. As the University prepares to shift to an environment where students are legally allowed to bring concealed handguns to class, this will be just one of many preparations.
In response to the arrival of concealed weapons on July 1 as a result of a 2013 state law, professors are taking steps to adjust their teaching style, class content, office hours or even seeking employment elsewhere.
Aerospace engineering professor Ron Barrett Gonzalez, president of the Kansas chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said this is because many faculty members are concerned that concealed carry will have a chilling effect in classrooms.
"I know a nontrivial number of faculty members who are changing their syllabus.
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