Politically Speaking: What role does politics play?
Politically Speaking: Episode 3
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Transcript
Richard Lovette
Welcome to Politically Speaking, an ETSU podcast about freedom and citizenship. Hosted by Dr. Daryl Carter, a professor and scholar of political history.
Each week, we dive into the essential topics of personal freedom and engaged citizenship, exploring what it means to be an active and responsible citizen in today's world.
Join us as we talk politics with members of the ETSU community, asking important questions and seeking meaningful answers.
Dr. Carter
I'm here today with Adam Dickson, who is supervisor of the Langston Centre. He is
also the vice chair and member of the board of Mayor and Alderman for the City of
Jonesborough in the town of Jonesborough. And I'm also here with Jake Berens, who
is a medical student here at East Tennessee State University.Welcome, gentlemen.
Dickson
Thank you so much for having us.
Dr. Carter
Adam, I like to talk to you, just for a few minutes. It's my understanding you've
you've taught at ETSU in the past. Can you tell us a little bit about your work here?
Dickson
So for 20 years, I've taught a class on black American political thought. And it has
been a great joy where we look at the intersection of race and politics, and we will
study a number of political ideologies from black nationalism, black feminism, black
liberalism, and dissect those, compare those to, more Western, political ideology.
And it's just a really great experience to interact with the students.
years I've been teaching that class was wonderful.
Dr. Carter
And how did the students respond to the material?
Dickson
So it has evolved over the years. So when we first started, teaching the class, sometimes 6 to 8 students and, favorably, receptive and then by the election of 2008, we saw our numbers double. And for the next eight years, I had close to 20 students in class. And people were very hungry to learn about, political ideology and, and political thought. And so, we've seen numbers slightly decrease, but we have seen, folks again, very interested, very intrigued, here most recently, people are auditing the course. And so, a lot of individuals wanting to learn more about, the racial contours of, of American politics.
Dr. Carter
Well, as an American historian who studies U.S political history, I will tell you,
it's been a fascinating time over the period of the last 15, 20 years to really try
to make sense of, and get your mind around, certain issues around race and power and
public policy and the Constitution, at a time where so much of the country's in flux.
So it's wonderful that you're teaching that, and we certainly appreciate all the hard
work that you, that you put into that course.
Dickson
Thank you.
Dr. Carter
Thank you. Jake, I'd like to turn to you. You know, students come to ETSU for a variety
of reasons. Could you tell us what led you to ETSU? Yeah.
Berens
So, I got out of the military in 2021. And I had my sights set on medical school,
and I knew that I needed to get some some prerequisites and some science courses under
my belt, before I could be a competitive applicant. And, with my in-laws living in
Johnson City here, I figured ETSU was a great spot to get those prerequisites, and
I couldn't have been more right.
Dr. Carter
So it sounds to me like you went through the crucible of, organic chemistry and and
macro, molecular biology and all that good stuff.
Yeah, I definitely had some healthy challenges here at ETSU. You, you just mentioned
you, were, a member of the the military What branch did you serve in?
Berens
Yeah. So I was in the Marine Corps active duty for about 11.5 years, and then, just
finished my 15th year in, or 15th total year.
in the Reserves.
Dr. Carter
Well, thank you for your service. We appreciate it. And, did you always know that
you wanted to be in the military?
Berens
Yeah. I mean, pretty early on, my family's big in the military, history, I guess. My grandfathers both served in World War II. Both of my parents served in the National Guard. And then, so, when it came time to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up, it was, pretty easy decision when, the nation was in active armed conflict, to join the Marine Corps and serve.
Dr. Carter
Okay, well, you said the Marine Corps, why the Marine Corps? That's always that's always an interesting, I think, the Marines just put a special emphasis on the individuals.
Berens
They seek excellence in all that they do. They have a certain aggressiveness that's not really found in other services. And that just really drew me as, as a 19 year old signing up for the military service.
Dr. Carter
Well, thank you. And as you know, some of our listeners may not know, we are a veteran friendly campus here. And we have, faculty, staff, students, retirees that have served in all branches of the United States Armed forces. And, we're very proud of that. And we thank you all for your service.
Adam, you know, as I mentioned at the beginning, you're an alderman. You're the vice
chair, the town of Jonesborough.
Can you talk just a little bit about what that means to you? A and then B, what does
government mean to you? What is the best form of government to you as somebody who
is in elected office and, and has a constituency that you are obligated to represent?
Dickson
Well, first off, Jake, thank you again for your service. Appreciate it very much. Best kind of government I think is a small d democratic government. Best kind of government is a government that is of the people, for the people, by the people. This kind of government is a government where folks are heard and received and listened to and that, even those at the top tier of government realize that they are servants. It is, it's a flow. I would say more it looks to me to be more of like a circle in a sense, where, every piece is connected. There is no one head, that everybody is really talking and answering and responding to everybody. So, I always try to remind myself. Yes, I'm elected. Yes, I may sit, on the, the dais with, in this case four other individuals, on the board of mayor and aldermen in Jonesborough. But, I'm accountable to the people. And so I am a public servant.
And so at the end of the day, you can never get too high minded to because, again,
you do answer to the people. So I think a democratic government is the best kind of
government. And, for me, government is about utilizing these resources for the mainly
tax revenue for the greater good of the people.
And so how we do that is we invest in essential services: fire, water, ambulance,
or police. How do we invest in essential services, but also how do we look at quality
of life services and try to improve, the standard of living for people in the community?
And I think there's a way we balance that.
So that's what government essentially means to me.
Dr. Carter
Well, I think that's an important point because we're at a point in time in the in
the calendar year where everything is focused on the general election in November,
things are focused on on the two presidential candidates.
But the fact of the matter is, is that local government, whether it's the county or
our towns or the cities, they're often disproportion certainly, in the lives of their
citizens and their residents.
And so it sounds to me like what you're saying is that you have an obligation to look
at key issues that impact the daily life.
It could be the roads that were going through Jonesborough.
It could be issues regarding schools, or it could be issues regarding, you know, how
do we make sure that somebody's house doesn't burn down if it catches on fire? That's
a pretty important place to be.
So do you have constituents that reach out to you, with with their own concerns, or
did they show up in a more formal setting, or do they do both?
Dickson
They do both. They do both. And so, yes, when when you agree to sign on in this case, local elected office, you can rest assured you will get phone calls and you can rest assured you will get emails. And, I'm one that tries not to take them lightly. You know, as soon as you get an email, if I, if I feel extremely confident, I might respond.
If there is an issue, then we get in contact with the town administrator in Jonesborough
and will you please respond and, or help me with the answer to respond. So, you don't
take it for granted. But, yes, people do contact you. I would want to say also to
Dr. Carter, you might remember, Dr.
Charlton, Dr. Charlton was vice mayor here in Jonesborough, and excuse me, in Johnson
City. And, I would have argued that, for a period of time would have been kind of
the dean of black elected politics in the region. Second African-American elected
to the Johnson City Board of commission. And, he made a statement to me one time that,
pretty much in line with your remarks a few seconds ago.
Many times people talk about the National, but it is the local politics that has the
most bearing on the daily lives of individuals. And so he would, he really reinforced
that to me as, of some 20 years ago, as, he was, kind of a dominant figure here in
local politics.
Dr. Carter
Thank you. And, you know, Jake, you know, we're a public institution here at East Tennessee State. We're not private. We're supported by the taxpayers as well as the students. And, you mentioned medicine and, just curious what what attracted you to the field of medicine? And secondly, what of what were your thoughts about James H. Quillen College of Medicine being and why was it attractive to you?
Berens
Yeah. So, when I, when I was in the service, I was exposed to a lot of, they call battlefield medicine, that pre-hospital type of medicine first on scene after casualty occurs and, my medical personnel that I was serving with on my unit, tried to train me up as best they could in order to serve as a bit of an in between, between an untrained person and the medics and paramedics that we had and went to, a couple of informal schools. And I just kind of caught a bug of inspiration to, to continue learning as much as I could about medicine and, and helping people.
That was the, the environment that I was originally, introduced that or introduced
to in medicine. And then beyond that, as I was exploring more, I just found more and
more interest in helping people through things that weren't necessarily as kinetic
as, a battlefield environment or a combat environment. And so I found myself trying
to pursue medicine. Know what was interesting about James H. Quillen College of Medicine
was the fact that there on a VA campus, part of the the reason that they were created
was because of their relationship with veterans and how they serve veterans.
additionally, this area serves Appalachia, and this area of Appalachia has a significantly
higher percentage of veterans.
So both my interests in rural and austere health, as well as veteran health, just
kind of found that my mission aligned directly with Quillen's mission, and I made
it an active effort to to get over there and to get studying under those professors.
Dr. Carter
Wonderful.And, you know, for our listeners, I would say that there's a great article
in the ETSU Today magazine, presently, that talks about the 50th anniversary of the,
Quill and College of Medicine, how it was created, and the legendary political fight,
in Nashville to create the, the school.
And so over 2,000 doctors have, received their medical degrees from, the James H.
Quillen, College or, Quillen edition or as it was originally known.
And, we continue today to be, a leading force in health care in the region and, beyond.
But I think it's also a perfect example of how public investment and, critical areas
like medicine can help entire regions and, and shows that an appropriate use of government
power, because most of the people around here did not have as much access to health
care before the college was created as they do now. So that sounds terrific. And do
you have any idea about what the, field in medicine that you may study or the, did
you may practice in the years to come?
Berens
I always joke, when somebody asked me what kind of doctor I want to be, I come back and I say, a good one. But that also kind of is a way that I've dodged that question because I don't necessarily know exactly what type of medicine. or what specialty I want to have. Like I said, I've kind of narrowed it down to rural health. Me and my family are going to be living in Appalachia for the foreseeable future. And then also veteran health.
Dr. Carter
Thank you. And, Adam, I want to go back to you because, we talked about your ETSU
employment. but you have a, real day job off off campus.
You are the, the supervisor for, the Langston Centre, which during the years of segregation
between the mid 1890s and the mid 1960s in Johnson City was a school that housed black
schoolchildren. Can you tell us a little bit about your work there? Has the Langston
Centre always been there since the closure or was it reopen? Tell us a little bit
about what you do.
Dickson
Okay, so at the Langston Centre, we are the region's only multicultural center. We
are focused on community engagement through arts, education, leadership and the approach
to our work is threefold. We try to respect the past, recognize the present, and realize
the future. And so through respecting the past, we're telling the story of the black
experience in Johnson City and the black experience in Appalachia. A lot of folks
don't realize that, the black experience goes as far back as Hernando de Soto in the
1500s. He had Africans with him as they were traversing the region. And so we try
to we try to tell the story that, the that, this accent of mine that you didn't get
just yesterday. And so it is part and parcel of the region. And so it's our way of
respecting the past and, trying to uncover stories that really showcase the richness
of the region.
respecting, the, or recognizing, excuse me, the present.
We, the center is located in the poor census tract, and Johnson City, and it's marked
with heavy disparities. For example, child poverty in Johnson City is about 20%, 18%
in Washington County, 54% in the census tract where the Langston centers are located.
And so we're looking at positive and proactive ways of addressing those disparities.
And so we have a health equity task force. And we're also trying to figure out ways
of building healthy partnerships in the community. So, so everything we do in our
afterschool programing and our programs for youth and adults, it may be multicultural,
but it's also community building.
And then lastly, we want to realize the future and so we think about what is inclusive community. And so we have, English, a second language classes, at the Langston Centre. And we've made healthy inroads into the Latino community and, the Chinese community. And we're trying to figure out, the, the fact of how do we welcome people from, global, global perspectives, how do we welcome them into our community, but also encourage them to be a part of the community? And so we've been a variety of, activities that we've held. last year we have held a Festival of Nations and, we had about 12 countries represented, had food from all the respective countries, had about 150 people show up. And, and so it's our way of, again, trying to, respect individuality, but also build community.
So that's the that's the Langston Centre, as you say it, about fall 1965, Langston
High School closed as a result of desegregation.
For a few years, it was a vocational school. And, then it became a storage facility
for Johnson City schools. And by 2015, many would probably say that, if you were traveling
I-26, you probably saw an eyesore, next to the interstate. The place had fallen into
disrepair, asbestos, a lot of water damage. And, there was a contention that we ought
to just tear the place down and form a park. The there were alumni of the school who
felt quite strongly that, that place should be saved. They grew up at a time where
legal segregation existed and, there would be, a formal black community as well as
white community. And there were institutions that shaped the black community, the
church and the school. And so for them, it was a safe space.
It was a sanctuary. It was, it was a landmark. It was an anchor institution. And so,
they, they articulated the fact that the space must be saved.
Thus the, 2015, began a four year, journey, to save the space. And, November 2019,
we moved into the Langston Centre. Parts of links in high school had to be torn down,
but we were able to save the gym and the basement, and, we've, tried now for the past
five years to give it some life.
Dr. Carter
Well, that sounds fantastic. And for our listeners, Mr. Dickson and and my office
have partnered on a number of events, and we continue to, to this to this day and
the Black American Studies program, as well as the office of, Community Relations
and Outreach for the College of Arts and Sciences.
So we we thank you for that, that partnership. Jake, when we we think about these
public issues, you know, you have, a status which is less than 2% of the country has,
which is that you have direct military experience and, and service.
And while veterans are not monolithic, there are some common, trends that we do see, whether they're around issues regarding, employment or health or, you know, something else, you know, housing, without overgeneralize. And can you tell us about how you feel about the, you know, veterans services today, particularly on this campus and some of the things that you've been involved in, regarding, advocacy and in that space.
Berens
Yeah, sure. And I'm not going to throw a statistic at you. I don't know, but I do
know a significant number of veterans after they leave active service, find themselves
on a campus, which kind of puts universities as a whole across the nation in an interesting
position to receive those individuals after their service. And that transition period
for those individuals can be extremely isolating, extremely volatile. And I mean,
for lack of a better word, scary.
So the federal government providing those funds for those individuals to, to seek
an education, is an incredible opportunity for them, but it also puts them in an environment
that they're far from accustomed to the rank and file in the military, the structure
of it. You don't necessarily find that those same structures on a university campus
and, that's where I found myself in the first, realistically, four weeks after I got
out of military service.
And it was, it was a scary time. It was one of the most volatile times that I experienced
in my life. But ETSU, I think, does a great job with the Office of Military and Veteran
Services.
Dan Bishop and his staff over there do an excellent job of taking care of the military
members that come to this campus as they would military members when those individuals
in that office were in the military, because as of right now, each individual that
that works in that office is a military member or a former military member themselves.
So the the issues facing veterans include deaths of despair, suicide, homelessness,
joblessness, substance use disorder, and just an incredible amount of difficult things
to traverse. There are systems in place, there are organizations in place, but navigating
those systems can be extremely difficult. And far from perfect. And, I think that
was one of the things that, I found myself wanting to get involved in on this university
is, is helping people navigate those, those unclear services that are available, those
unclear opportunities that are available for them.
Dr. Carter
Well, that sounds fantastic. You know, we do have students who are totally unaware of all the resources that the university has to offer. And so I, I'm just tickled to hear, about your advocacy and your work and your concern in that area, because it is vitally important, to those veterans who are on our campus. So thank you so much.
And, you know, as a follow up to that, just briefly, what are your thoughts in terms
of those services overall as it relates to, government? Just your thoughts on that,
because, we can offer services, the state offer services, the federal government can
offer services, or there's this GI Bill.
What to your experience, for example, what was most effective for you?
Berens
Yeah, I think I think the, the, the VA as a whole, worked for me. I found myself in a fortunate position that I filed paperwork. It was received in a timely manner. The day that I received my paperwork to get out of the military, the day after that was my first VA health care appointment. But that is an incredible anomaly.
I have friends that didn't receive their first healthcare appointment until seven months after they exited military service. And these are individuals that served four combat tours, six combat tours, and they're not exactly the same person that they were when they they entered into military service, as they are when they exited the VA and the the policies that surround veterans health and well-being. They're created to help veterans. However, they can be slower than the veterans needs, and they can be, more confusing and more difficult to navigate than maybe the veteran has the capacity to navigate at that time.
There are veteran services organizations like the American Legion, the VFW, Tennessee
Department of Health has a, a veterans service organization out there to help, help
veterans that are trying to get connected to care and trying to file paperwork with
the federal government. But it can be a slow process. It can be a lonely process.
There's predatory individuals and attorneys out there that are taking veterans money.
So it can be extremely difficult. And like I said, it's part of the reason why I wanted
to get involved is because it was smooth for me. But I recognize that it's far from
smooth for other individuals. And you still have time with all your vets, the, med
school work to contribute and continue in that in that space. So that's something
that I'll make time for.
Dr. Carter
Okay. Thank you. You know, it's fascinating to me. We have just a few minutes left, and, both of you, in your own ways, have mentioned, you know, community, isolation. The surgeon general has talked about this epidemic of of loneliness in the country. And, the scholar, Robert Putnam, almost 25 years ago, wrote a book called "Bowling Alone," and about the social isolation that we find across the country today.
So my final question to both of you is, just can you talk a little bit about how your
respective life different, you know, experiences and differences have informed you
overall on the need to engage one another? Because when we think about politics, it's
a big scary word. It denotes nastiness and stuff like that. But when we talk about
politics in the classical sense, it's about people. It's about fellow human beings
and how we influence one another.
especially in the public square.
So can you speak briefly in, about your thoughts about how we can do better, or opportunities
the to your mind that we can improve, in that space?
Berens
I mean, ETSU works pretty hard. We got more than 250 student organizations. We have more than 800 faculty, so on and so forth. But we can always do better in this space. Yeah, I think, I think just volunteering to be involved is the most difficult thing to do.
I'm not comfortable in the seat that I'm in right now talking about political situations
because it is a foreign, a foreign place to be for me. And it is. It is uncomfortable.
But the discomfort that I feel is far less than the rewards that may come from some
advocacy that I may have for the veteran community in this area. So I would just say,
to individuals that want to see change in their policies, in their their politics,
in their area, just be a little uncomfortable and get involved. Because I think the
reward is, is far greater than the discomfort.
Dr. Carter
Thank you. Adam?
Dickson
For me, when I think about community and I guess what has impacted me related to community, I think about growing up in Jonesborough and interacting with the black community. As a youngster, seeing individuals, went to Bethel Church and that were engaged in the community. And these were folks that lived during legal segregation. Now we're seeing a period of opportunity and, really wanting to maximize that opportunity.
And so, I jokingly say, old folks raised me. I was, around a lot of individuals that were probably twice, if not three times, my age. And so, they, that community really, showed me and impacted upon me what it meant to, interact, engage, and deal with each other since I've gotten older and interacted in the public sphere. The life lesson that I've learned in the public square is that somebody has to listen. Somebody has to have the fortitude, the backbone, the equilibrium to listen. And so, in today's tense environment, that sometimes gets challenging. And I know a lot of folks like, like to, maybe, they, they earnestly contend with that notion, but somebody has to listen. And I think that there I think there's a, a strong, a strong life lesson for us to learn.
I'll end with this. My mother every morning, going to school as a youngster, she would
say, son, you know what to do. And I would respond, yes, ma'am.
Listen. And she'd say, now, you know, I, I don't know this math that, that they're
bringing home. And she said, so you're going to have to listen in order to, to make
sure that you know how to do it. And so, from that was like second grade, second grade
up till when I graduated high school. You know what to do. Yes, ma'am. Listen. And
so, someone has to humble themselves, even in the public sphere, to listen to each
other and what you might find out is, is that, not, everything that the other person
is saying is wrong.
Like Howard Baker said it. You know, they might be right. So, I think it's important for us to listen.
Dr. Carter
I thank both of you, for taking time out of your busy, schedules to to meet today and, you know, I was just saying, in closing, we've just learned a tremendous amount today. And, you know, at a time where the country's, bitterly divided, where we're seeing the steps, the positive steps taken are locally, around the country, especially on, on college campuses, ETSU especially. And so, to our listeners, we would just say, you know, as Jake said, getting involved, the discomfort is outweighed by the benefit to you and to society. So we thank you.
Gentlemen, thank you for speaking politically.
Thank you for joining us on this episode of "Politically Speaking" an ETSU podcast about freedom and citizenship. We hope you enjoyed our discussion and found it thought provoking.
Before we wrap up, we want to remind you about ETSU Votes, an initiative led by the office of Leadership and Civic Engagement at ETSU. ETSU Votes is dedicated to fostering active citizenship by providing resources and support for voter registration, engagement and education.
Last year, ETSU was honored by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett for our outstanding efforts to promote voter registration. Remember, your voice matters, and participating in the electoral process is a powerful way to make it heard.
To learn more about ETSU Votes and how you can get involved, visit etsu.edu/votes. Thank you for listening.
Be sure to tune in to our next episode as we continue to explore the crucial concepts and topics of personal freedom and engage citizenship. Until then, stay informed, stay engaged, and keep speaking politically.
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East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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