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ARTheat
BOOKS .
Author offers hope for horrors of child abuse
By Rhonda Jones
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Whatbecomesofachildraised
in a whirlwind of alcoholism
and family violence, living her
life day-to-day, night-to-night
as the object of her mentally ill
brother’s sexual attentions?
Thisone grew uptobecomea
play therapist, on a quest to
find ways of reaching disturbed
children before they, like her
brother, become unreachable.
Theresultingbook, This Child
of Mine: A Therapist’sdourney,
is part collection of case stud
ies, part memoir.
And it 'lB Martha
Wakenshaw’s attempt to put a
face to the endless piles of sta
tistics of child abuse and ne
glect. “ThesearethedJacksons,
the Julians...real people with
real needs,” shesaidin arecent
telephone interview with the
Focus. “Ididn’t want tomakea
sensationalisticaccount, but the
point is, they are often viewed
as objects by our society in
stead of as people.”
“Jackson” and “Julian”
aren’t their real names, of
course. Wakenshaw changed
names, gendersandracesinthe
interest of keeping her tiny cli
ents’ privacy intact. At age 4,
the child who became “Jack
son” witnessed the attempted
murder of his mother and lived
in fear of the day when the
perpetrator would be released
from prison. In play therapy, he
re-experienced that night,
gradually changing the story
until he had “saved” his
“mother.”
“Julian” mystifies
Augusta State University hosts
month of Black History events
Americans have recognized black his
tory annually since 1926, when it began as
a week-long observance. February 1976
marked the first month-long celebration,
as the nation took the time to reflect on
the varied contributions African Ameri
cans have made.
From the famed Tuskegee Airmen to
the civil rights movement, from George
Washington Carver’s ground-breaking
work in agriculture, to Dr. Charles Drew,
the physician and medical scientist who
pioneered the research on the preserva
tion of blood, African Americans have had
a monumental impact on society.
In recognition of February as Black
History Month, Augusta State University
offers the following events.
- “A Soldier’s Play,” Jan. 31, Feb. 1 and
2 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 3 at 3 p.m., Maxwell
Performing Arts Theatre. Written by
Charles Fuller, it is the story of a segre
gated Army camp in Louisiana during
1944. Presented in conjunction with Paine
College. Tickets: $lO adults, $7 seniors,
$5 students, free with valid ASU or Paine
College ID. Call 737-1500.
- Role Models as Mentors, Feb. 5 at 1
p.m., in Washington Hall Towers, free.
Dr. Roscoe Williams, State Board of Edu
cation representative for the 10th Con
gressional District and executive assis
tanttothe president at Paine College, will
speak on mentoring. Sponsored by the
Minority Advising Program. For info, call
729-2078.
- Phi Kappa Phi Forum, Wednesday,
Feb. 6 at 1 p.m., in Washington Hall
Towers, free. ASU faculty members dis
Watch for First Friday
activities at Artisty Row
studios, goalleries
and shobs ow Fridavy,
Fel- 1, 2002, from
5009 p.m.
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MARTHA WAKENSHAW
Wakenshaw with hisrecurring
drawings. Each weekin therapy
he makes two orange smudges
bisected by black lines. “I draw
me,” he says. “Now I draw a
salmon.” The mystery is not
solved until Wakenshaw, dur
ing the very last of their 10-
session allotment, asks him
point-blank about the meaning
cuss African American. Michael Searles,
history and anthropology, will discuss
black cowboys, and Dr. Charles Case, so
ciology, will speak on civil rights.
- Dress for Success, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m.,
Washington Hall topicroom 2, free. Lesley
Riley, associate director/career employ
ment manager at ASU Career Center,
speaks on business etiquette and resume
building. Hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha.
For info, call 737-1472.
- Augustans Together, Feb. 15 at noon,
New Science Building room WIOOB, free.
An open forum on racism. For info, call
737-1411.
- Gospel Expo, Feb. 17 from 3 to 5:30
p.m., Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre,
free. Featuring performances by local
church choirs; presented by the ASU Black
Student Union, call 737-1492.
- Buffalo Soldiers, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m.,
Galloway Hallroom 101 A, free. Featuring
a video, lecture and riding performances
by the Buffalo Soldiers. Call 737-1709.
- Art Expo, Feb. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to
1:30 p.m., Washington Hall lobby and
cafeteria, free. Music and spoken word
performances, original art exhibits, and
the return of the five dollar book sale;
presented by the ASU Black Student
Union. For info, call 737-1492.
-Open Forum on Traditional Black Fra
ternities and Sororities, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m.,
Washington Hall topic room 2, free. For
additional info, call 729-2078.
- High School Student Recognition, Feb.
28 at 7 p.m., Maxwell Performing Arts
Theatre. Top two African-American schol
ars from each area high school will be
recognized. For more info, call 737-1444.
oftheimages, and discoversthe
heartbreakingevent that turned
the salmon into a potent sym
bol for the small child.
Wakenshaw said at first that
she had no intention of includ
ipg a memoir element in her
book, because she wanted it to
be about the kids, not about
her. But shechanged her mind.
way that was palatable, that
wouldn’tbowl people over with
kids gettingburned,” she said.
The Focus asked Wakenshaw
to describe the experience of
writing such a book. “The first
word that comes to mind is
‘cathartic,’” she said. “It wasa
way of working through and
getting things off my chest.
Anger at the system. ... It was
painful, in that we do have the
resources, in fact, but we’renot
using them. As a society, we’re
not putting enough value on
children.” In spite of that, she
said, theexperienceleft her with
hope. “It was a joy in some
ways.”
Eveninthebook Wakenshaw
expresses the deep frustration
shefeelsatbeingallotted onlya
small number of sessions with
each child, and having to let
them go before they are “fin
ished.” Julian wasoneof those.
“Many times you don’t get
finished, but that’show lifeis,”
she said. “Life is a work in
progress.”
Sometimes, however, thereis
resolution. Such was the case
with Jackson, she said, the one
whose mother was attacked.
Hereplayed the scene over and
over in therapy, with subtle
changes. Heevolved from play
ingthe part of the attacker and
“killing” Wakenshaw to play
ing himself saving his mother
by calling 911.
Buthopeexistseven for those
who don’t experience such ob
vious progress in her care, for
sometimes the children return
to her years later, and with “a
new spin” on the experience.
They’ve figured out how to in
tegrateitintotheir world. They
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They help community groups - like the PTA*, your church, clubs, even your employer
! organize resources and focus them where they're needed most. Especially fighting
to keep kids away from drugs. If you're in a community group, ask if you can do
group
more by teaming up with a community coalition. It's really simple. Just go to
www.helpyourcommunity.org or call 1-877-KIDS-313 to contact a community
i coalition in your area. They'll tell you exactly how your group can help. You'll be
. surprised at what you have to offer. And how much you can accomplish
vVou Geyw MORE WHEN YOU GET TOGETHEHR
"!a‘
Office of National Drug Control Policy (?)Lfl('l
can move on.
“I think there’s a lot of hope
for them because children are
resilient,” she said. But they
need to experience at least one
caring adult. “If they can form
atrustingrelationship with an
adult, that carries over into
their life,” she said. “It’s so
basic; it’s so human; it’s so
healing. It’s so lacking.”
Asked if she has a hard time
letting them go, she said, “Yes.
I'used to cry and now I don’t. I
try not to. That’s one of the
paradoxesoftherapy. It'savery
human relationship,” she said,
even though many others in
volved in child social welfare
choose to remain detached.
Perhaps the most surprising
Morris Museum open free
to the public on First Friday!
Celebrate First Friday! at
the Morris Museum of Art and
enjoy an evening of art, rang
ing from antebellum to con
temporary, liveentertainment
and light refreshments. The
museum will remain open on
February 1 until 8 p.m. Ad
mission will be freefromsto 8
p.m. Vocalist Kari Gaffney
with guitarist Jeff Williams
will perform jazz selections
featuring works by Duke
Ellington, Billie Holiday,
Stanley Turentineand George
and Ira Gershwin from 6 to 8
p.m. Refreshments will be
provided courtesy of
Poppy Seeds.
Recentlyawarded “Best New
Female Vocalist of the Year”
1B
January 31, 2002
nugget gained from Wakenshaw
is her attitude toward the par
entsthemselves. “Idon’t blaine
the parents;lreallydon’t,” she
said. “They are the victims of
generations of this.”
Wakenshaw is currently at
work on another book, which
shecalls Caring for Your Griev
ing Child: The Healing Power
of Play.
This Child of Mine can be
obtained through Barnes and
Noble, shesaid, though itisnot
always actually on the shelf,
and also through the
bookstore’sonlineincarnation,
and at Amazon.com. Or you
can visit the book’s websit
www.thischildofmine.com.
by California Radio, Kari |
Gaffney’svoiceandstage pres- |
ence have been compared to |
EllaFitzgeraldand Billie Holi- |
day. Her musical group, The |
KariGaffney Ensemble, which |
includes double bass and gui- !
tarist Jeff Williams, has per- |
formed at many top venues |
nationwide including The |
Houseof Blues, Billboard Live, |
Lincoln Center and the |
Pocono Blues Festival. :
View the current installa- !
tion “African American Works |
onPaper” fromthemuseum’s |
permanent collection on dis- |
play through February 24. |
Please call 724-7503" for
moreinformation i