Arts Today 4.1 by Arts Today Ezine

Vol 4.1

MARCH 26, 2017

Dance St. Louis

View this and past issues from our website.

The Stunning Beauty

Bollywood hits St. Louis in "Taj Express" Musical Review pg #12

...NEW AUDIENCE

THE REAL...

WE SPEAK...

pg. #34

pg. #44

pg.#68

OPERA THEATRE STL

DR. TRACY MCCARTHY

COWRY COLLECTIVE

Program Features BENEFITS OF ABSTINENCE PREGNANCY PREVENTION HIV &STd PREVENTION REFUSAl & NEGOTIATION SKILLS YOUTH & PARENT COMMUNICATION WORKSHOPS AGES 12-17

Free

FREE HIV & STD TESTING

FREE COUNSELING SERVICES

SESSION DATES *participants must attend all 4 sessions

Abstinence education Program for african american youTh!

SESSION 1: MARCH 4

SESSION 2: MARCH 11

SESSION 3: march 18

session 4: MARCH 25

11:oo Am 2:45 PM

9:oo Am 4:00 PM

9:oo Am 1:00 PM

www.CURVETHEURGE.org

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

(314) 516-8487 OR (314) 516-8481

Location: Umsl | MIMH, 4633 World parkway Circle, St. louis, mo 63134 Follow Us

HollaBack St. Louis @Curvetheurge

@HOLLABACKSTL @HOLLABACKSTL

An artist's duty, as far as I am concerned, is to reflect the times. (Nina Simone)

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SPONSORS

BLACK COMIX RETURNS - African American Comic Art & Culture

A hardcover collection of art and essays showcasing the best African American artists in today's vibrant comic book culture.

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

IN THIS

ISSUE: Moline Acres Police Department College Scholarship Program in partnership with Infinite Scholars Program

IN THE NEWS POLITICAL HISTORY...

The Moline Acres Police Department College Scholarship Program wishes to acknowledge some of the students in our city that have accepted the promise of a college scholarship for accomplishing the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4.

95 percent school attendance 3.3 or better cumulative grade average 22 or better composite ACT score No major discipline problems

INFINITE SCHOLARS

Through our mentorship program with Infinite Scholars, the Moline Acres Police Department wishes t OP/ED help fulfill the hopes and dreams of families in our community wishing to send their children to colleg The Infinite Scholars program uses it extensive nationwide network of 500+ colleges and universities t find a college scholarship for students who achieve the criteria above. The Moline Acres Police Department is committed to helping our students accomplish these criteria. The motto for this progra is “Our Badges Create Scholars.”

Moline Acres is located in North St. Louis County, Missouri. To learn more, contact the Moline Acres Police Department at 314-868-2433 or Infinite Scholars at 314-499-6997.

OPERA THEATRE BUILDS NEW AUDIENCE OPERA THEATRE STL

THE REAL MISEDUCATION... DR. TRACY MCCARTHY

104

Pictured are Moline Acres Chief of Police Colonel Ware, Police Officer Donaldson, and students Charmaine and Charles.

A NOTE TO CONGRESS DR. JERRY WARD

FEATURED ARTIST NII T. MILLS

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LIVE / WORK / PLAY NATE JOHNSON

THE "TAJ EXPERIENCE" DANCE ST. LOUIS

60 AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

SAY IT PROUD... BERNIE HAYES A writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway.

Junot Diaz, Professor of Writing,

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 2008

Established 2014 Volume 4.1 St. Louis, MO www.the-arts-today.com/ Layout/Design www.bdesignme.com

NOTE:

As the publishers of The Arts Today Ezine we take care in the production of each issue. We are however, not liable for any editorial error, omission, mistake or typographical error. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of their respective companies or the publisher.

This Ezine and the content published within are subject to copyright held by the publisher, with individual articles remaining property of the named contributor. Express written permission of the publisher and contributors must be acquired for reproduction.

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IN THE NEWS

Your Source for Art Appreciation

Volume 2.1 March 4, 2015

St. Louis

Please support our sponsors, many of-

fer events or programs with an emphasis on the arts and creativity.

#ArtsTodayEZ

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Volume 4.14.1 Volume March 26, 2017 March 26, 2017

DuEwa Frazier features at the 2017 All Write Festival Wednesday, March 1, 2017 @ 12:30pm

DuEwa gives a talk and reading for students and staff at Webster Groves High School, Webster Groves, MO.

DuEwa connects with more young readers this week! Nerdy Girlz Book Club Saturday, March 4, 2017 3:305pm Lewis and Clark Library Florissant, MO

DuEwa facilitates a book talk + workshop and signing for the Nerdy Girlz!

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

OP / ED SECTION

Moline Acres Police Department College Scholarship Program in partnership with Infinite Scholars Program

95 percent school attendance 3.3 or better cumulative grade average 22 or better composite ACT score No major discipline problems

Through our mentorship program with Infinite Scholars, the Moline Acres Police Department wishes to help fulfill the hopes and dreams of families in our community wishing to send their children to college. The Infinite Scholars program uses it extensive nationwide network of 500+ colleges and universities to find a college scholarship for students who achieve the criteria above. The Moline Acres Police Department is committed to helping our students accomplish these criteria. The motto for this program is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Badges Create Scholars.â&#x20AC;? Moline Acres is located in North St. Louis County, Missouri. To learn more, contact the Moline Acres Police Department at 314-868-2433 or Infinite Scholars at 314-499-6997.

Pictured are Moline Acres Chief of Police Colonel Ware, Police Officer Donaldson, and students Charmaine and Charles.

pg.

Editorial Rebeccah Bennett TRUTH: This is not the first time that this country has been run by a bigot. It is not the first time that we have experienced political isolation and social rejection. Founder and principal of Emerging Wisdom LLC.

nd it is not the first time that we have had to figure out how to metabolize our grief and fear in ways that did not immobilize us, but caused us to actualize our power to change the world.

PERSPECTIVE:

Right

and forefathers lived through horrors that were generational in scope and scale. They persisted through times when there was little chance of a better tomorrow, much less a better life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not even for their kids. Yet they responded to their lot in life by creating resistance movements, aid societies, educational and religious institutions, banks and co-ops, art forms, innovations and spiritual practices that continue to make our lives

better today. Remember that their blood is our blood. Their strength is our strength. They are the ROOTS and we are their FRUITS.

PRAYER:

We call upon our ancestors, those upon whom the sky fell. We call upon our ancestors who experienced all manner of degradation, humiliation, violation and death. We call upon our ancestors, people who swung from trees and were forced to live on their knees. We call upon our ancestors, many of whom persisted, survived and endured without destroying themselves or others. May whatever it is that nourished and sustained them come more fully alive in us. Ashe.

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

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The Stunning Beauty of Bollywood hits St. Louis Direct from Bollywood, Dance St. Louis presents "Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue” at the Touhill on March 31 - April 1

calls it “a personification of the Indian film industry in the best of its manifestation.” “A rainbow of colors, costumes and gestures that thrills the viewer and makes him want to go exploring these exotic lands,” said critic Hechmi Khalladi. “Taj Express” Director of Choreography Vaibhavi Merchant has choreographed more than 75 Bollywood films in her career, and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious National Award for Choreography, IIFA, and the American Choreography Award.

ance St. Louis continues its 2016-17 season with the presentation of "Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue" for three performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on March 31 - April 1. Direct from Mumbai, starring Bollywood’s finest, "Taj Express" explodes with the sounds and movements of the world of Bollywood, capturing its vibrant, expressive spirit. Through a fusion of film, dance, and music, this dazzling international sensation takes audiences on a live cinematic journey through modern Indian culture and society while showcasing dance forms like Bollywood, Bharatnatyam, Parkour, hip-hop, ballet, Indian folk,

Described as a "live movie" starring India’s finest Bollywood ensemble, the big, bold production is a high-energy celebration of Bollywood culture, new India’s pop music, and deep traditions, featuring 2,000 colorful costumes, joyful dance, and thrilling live music. It’s all the wonders of Bollywood in one show! Indian classical, and Latin American.

“Riotous, exotic, graceful,” describes The Times of India. “This is Bollywood at its best, only brighter, better yet, even closer,” said RedKassa. Critic Samantha Ben-Rehouma calls it “A real mix of Broadway spiced to perfection, kitsch and exoticism” while another critic

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

THE STUNNING BEAUTY... cont.

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Dance St. Louis presents

"Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue”

Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m. & Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Touhill Performing Arts Center

$40-60

http://dancestlouis.org

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

THE STUNNING BEAUTY... cont.

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

Would you like a printed copy(s) of an issue mailed to your home? Send your request to us by email **Remember to include the volume/issue** Cost may vary per issue.

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SLPL @ Your Fingertip!

Download the new SLPL App. Gain easy access to your account, our catalog, locations and hours, events, Library news, reserve a computer, Ask a Librarian, digital content and much more! Find the SLPL App in the Apple App or Google Play stores.

Don't miss it! The Blues exhibit ends March 4

St. Louis Public Library celebrates hockey in St. Louis with the Library’s exhibit, “50 Years of Blood, Sweat and Cheers—A Tribute to the St. Louis Blues and their Fans” at Central Library, 1301 Olive Street. The exhibit is free and open to the public and runs through March 4.

March 1: Meet Read It Forward Author: Lamar Giles

Lamar Giles, author of "Fake ID," will discuss his inspirations, struggles and how he overcame years of rejection to achieve his goal of scoring a major publishing deal. Book signing to follow.

March 16: Meet Reading Pays Author Tricia Springstubb

Author Tricia Springstubb will discuss her life and book “Cody and the Fountain of Happiness.” Book signing to follow.

March 16: Not So Quiet! Welcomes Pierce Pettis

Pierce Pettis began his long career as a writer and artist at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama and later as a staff songwriter for Polygram/Universal Music in Nashville. His songs have been covered by a number of amazing artist including Garth Brooks, Dion, Joan Baez and Art Garfunkel.

Check out SLPL News on our homepage at slpl.org for more information about this month’s events. Visit our events calendar for a complete list of SLPL programs. SLPL on Twitter| SLPL on Facebook | SLPL on Instagram St. Louis Public Library 1301 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63103 314-241-2288

slpl.org

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

IVE WORK PLAY

Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017 St. Louis

e certainly did enjoy some warm weather last month, and I hope the trend continues in March! I have enjoyed winter and am looking forward to springtime. It will be great to get out and take part in some fun events under way in St. Louis. This month there are a variety of activities scheduled for St. Patrick's Day, along with other interesting things to do around town as we get ready for spring. Join me at some events highlighted below and make plans for a marvelous March.!

MARCH

thru

MARCH

If you are looking for something to do Tonight, a group of panelists will discuss "Workplace Diversity: What Does It Really Look Like? " at the Thomas Dunn Learning Center. Topics include mentoring relationships, gender bias, fostering diverse leadership, and more. Thursday is the last day to see Off Modern: In What Time Do We Live? at The Luminary. This is an innovative series of interconnected exhibitions that join together different images of historical changes to make sense of cultural evolution. The exhibition features work from Elizabeth Atterbury, Bruce Burton, Laura Ann Davis, Vaughn Davis, Jeff Eaton, and others. Hailing from Broadway and London's West End -- now direct to St. Louis -- Let It Be will enthrall audiences at Peabody Opera House on Thursday. The show celebrates The Beatles with top hits like Hard Day's Night, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Twist and Shout, I Wanna Hold Your Hand... This will be a night like no other! On Friday and Saturday, PNC Arts Alive presents New Dance Horizons V: Women Who Inspire at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The performance celebrates women of all periods and backgrounds who make a positive influence on our world. Three acclaimed choreographers will set original dance pieces with three local companies -- Wendy Rein (San Francisco) sets work on MADCO; Amy Siewert (San Francisco) pairs with Saint Louis Ballet; and Stephanie Martinez (Chicago) collaborates with The Big Muddy Dance Company.

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Local Events MARCH

Also on Friday, you can head over to Blue Ultra Lounge for a nice relaxing drink and a bite at the 640th installment of Stress Free Fridays. Blood, Sweat, and Cheers: A Tribute to the St. Louis Blues and their Fans will be on view for the last day on Saturday at the Saint Louis Public Library. Hockey fans will not want to miss the exhibit, which explores the history of the Blues franchise and features a variety of memorabilia from the past and present, including an ice rink floor, original dasher boards from the Arena, 30 player jerseys, 60 gameused sticks, and more hockey history. On the first Sunday of each month the St. Louis Running Tour hosts a 4.5 mile route through Forest Park's paths and trails starting at 9:00am. The run (and fun) begins at the Visitors Center. The Philip Slein Gallery presents Edge, an exhibition of paintings that employs the line in myriad yet consistent ways to collectively interpret human emotions and reveal how the social and political times in which we live directly affect our feelings. Artists include, Ann Pibal, Cary Smith, Li Trincere, Eric Brown, among other creative talents. Another eye-pleasing exhibit in the CWE is at the Atrium Gallery, where Abstraction celebrates the appeal of abstract art through the modern day. Go on a visual adventure of changing form, color, shape, and line with works by Kirk Pedersen, Michael Marshall, and Annette Morriss, and others.

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On Monday Prince Daddy & The Hyena performs at the Kismet Creative Center. Folk School of St. Louis builds community by providing educational programs that foster appreciation for traditional music and folk arts. Classes, jam sessions, and master workshops give students the opportunity to learn from established musicians. Get your foot tapping to music by up-and-coming talent on Tuesday at the Folk School Student Showcase. Location: The Stage at KDHX . Also on Tuesday, the Women's Hope Chorale, in partnership with the Cortango Orquesta, will perform soul-stirring tango music in "Canciones con Cortango" at the The Sheldon. On Wednesday the Sheldon also hosts an evening of acoustic guitar music with Shut the Folk Up and Listen with Keller Williams and Leo Kottke. On the second Wednesday of each month, The Focal Point in Maplewood hosts Cajun dancing. This week, dancers move to the music of Southside Creole Playboys.

MARCH

thru

MARCH

The Jeff Hamilton Trio performs at Jazz at the Bistro Thursday night. Thursday through Sunday marks the 40th Anniversary Builders Home and Garden Show-- Missouri's largest home product marketplace! For nearly 40 years this has been the place to find everything you might need to improve your house, yard, and garden. With nearly 400 exhibitors, including local vendors, there will be new products and information, interesting attractions, and family fun areas. The whole family will enjoy this event. On Friday, tables are set at Schlafly Bottleworks for their biggest food and beer festival of the year--the Stout & Oyster Festival 2017. For this event, Schlafly will fly in fresh oysters and teams of shuckers from both coasts. Pair the oysters with a variety of suds, including Schlafly Stout, Oatmeal Stout, and Coffee Stout. Of course, Friday is also St. Patrick's Day! You can join my friends over in Dogtown for the Ancient Order of Hibernians Parade. On Saturday, you can head to the ever-popular St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown St. Louis. Noted as one of the top in the country, our parade travels over five miles with marching bands, ingenious floats, huge balloons, over five thousand marchers, clowns, and green, green, everywhere. Capturing the City: Photographs from the Streets of St. Louis, 1900-1930 is on view for the last day on Sunday at the Missouri History Museum. See how St. Louis grew beyond its frontier borders to become a burgeoning metropolis in the early twentieth century. Our city was once a place so different from today. Check out the Wallace Smith: Paintings and Drawings exhibit in the Bellwether Gallery of St. Louis Artists at the Sheldon Art Gallery in Grand Center. Smith was born in St. Louis in 1901 and was inspired by the works of Henri Matisse and Edward Hopper.

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This week, the 9th Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival, presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series, celebrates the cinematic legacy of France. The films span the 1920s through the mid-1990s. See the full schedule at Webster University Film Series. On Monday there's lunch and a networking session with Veterans in Business at American Legion Post 397 in Creve Coeur. Community members who support veterans (don't we all?) are welcome to participate in topics concerning veterans, such as jobs, housing, community projects, and more. All are invited. On Tuesday Ruth's Chris Steak House in Clayton offers a special pairing of Filet and Cabernet at its Clayton and downtown restaurants. The flavors of plums, combined with hints of licorice, make Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon a perfect complement to Ruth's Chris signature steak. Dinner is ready!

MARCH

13 thru

MARCH

Another option for delicious dining on Tuesday, is "St. Patrick's Kamayan" at Hiro Asian Kitchen on Washington Avenue. Kamayan is a unique, Filipino way of eating with the hands (NO forks, knives, or spoons!)--a tradition of Philippine culture "handed" down for generations. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets. Attend the 8th Annual Cyber Security Symposium at Saint Louis University, sponsored by SLU's School for Professional Studies, on Wednesday at Busch Student Center. Learn about the increasing threat of cyber-attacks around the world and hear a panel discuss the future of hacking tactics and techniques. From Friday through Sunday the musical score from the iconic movie Raider's of the Lost Ark will be performed at the St. Louis Symphony. Check out the symphony's website for additional shows at www.stlsymphony.org. The St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dogtown happens on Friday. The main route will be along Tamm Avenue. It's a wonderful neighborhood and family-oriented tradition! On Saturday, have your fill of sweets at the Dessert Showdown at SqWires in support of the Furry Friends 4th Annual Benefit. The event includes a dessert competition, appetizers, cash bar, silent auction, and a short program highlighting Kirkwood High School. Ending on Saturday is "The Object as Mirror", an exhibition at projects+galleryin the Central West End featuring a dozen artists and designers including, Anne Deniau, Fantich & Young, and Gucci. Make your weekend complete at the Soul Fool Sunday Poetry & Comedy Open Mic at Gourmet Soul, from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm on Delmar. This event takes place every third Sunday of the month. All poets and comedians are welcome to participate! "(Re)Presenting Heroes, Defining Virtue" is on view for the last day on Sunday at the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum. See how the visual arts--from Greek coins and pottery to 19th-century paintings and prints--play a role in identifying the concept of the hero in different cultures. #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis is on view at the Missouri History Museum. The topic looks at the local civil rights movement and examines how St. Louis became a torch bearer for racial justice.

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IVE WORK PLAY

Are you an accomplished musician? Showcase your talents on Monday at the Compton Heights Concert Band audition for its 37th annual summer concert series. The band has openings in all sections, particularly trombone, tuba, French Horn, euphonium, and percussion. The band is committed to excellence in the John Philip Sousa tradition. Ain't Nothing Like Real Thing! For most of this week, from Tuesday through Sunday, Motown The Musical will hit the stage with top hits at The Fabulous Fox. Gain insight into the story of Motown founder Berry Gordy, who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, and other talented artists. They changed America for the better -- one song at a time. This month, we celebrate the life of St. Patrick, and on Wednesday Irish Step Dancing at the Missouri History Museum continues to make merry, combining Irish dance, music, and storytelling in a program that will delight audiences.

MARCH

20 thru

MARCH

Thursday is the perfect evening for Jazz at the Holmes in Ridgley Hall at Washington University. The event is a free weekly concert series featuring top regional and national jazz talent. Enjoy complimentary coffee and tea. Fish Frys are popular on Fridays, and today is no different. Our Lady of Guadalupe in Ferguson is hosting the Latin Flavor Fish Fry with Entertainment. The menu includes shrimp, cod fish, tostadas and tacos, chile rellenos...and yes... french fries! Saturday morning head over to Sugar Creek Garden's Best Spring Gardening Tips for ideas and inspiration to start your loveliest garden yet. Tracing COCA continues through Sunday. In honor of their 30th Anniversary, COCA takes a look back to recognize the key individuals and moments that have helped the organization achieve its mission to enrich lives and build community through the arts. Check out Varsity Art XXI, a stunning invitational exhibition at Art St. Louis featuring 40 undergraduate and graduate art students representing 20 universities and colleges from Missouri and Illinois. This multi-media exhibit includes ceramics, digital imaging, drawings, graphic design, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, video, and more. Meet the artists through interview videos. Which artist/work will win the Award of Excellence? Also through Sunday, the Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden provides some much-needed color during these late winter days. March 27 - 31

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Spectacle and Leisure in Paris: Degas to Mucha is on view at the Mildred Land Kemper Museum. View the prints, posters, photographs, and films that highlight, through the art of Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso, and other artists, the cultural excitement of France in the late nineteenth century. On Monday there is a Call for Artists: Confluence of Expression Floral and Botanical Art at Confluence Art Gallery. For this online juried exhibition, winners will exhibit their entries at Green Door Art Gallery. Artists are encouraged to share their interpretation of flowers, gardens, botanicals, and related floral subjects. Make something beautiful at the 3D Upcycled Stained Glass event at Perennial on Tuesday. While there, be inspired by all the other crafts waiting to be discovered with recycled materials. Wednesday presents a performance by Scott Laythan & Karl "Trickie" Holmes at Donatelli's Bistro in Lake St. Louis. The music continues on Thursday when The Green McDonough Blues Band performs at Hammerstone's in Soulard.

MARCH

27 thru

MARCH

From Friday through the weekend of April 2, the 12th Annual African Film Festival at Washington University showcases an excursion into different African countries, highlighting a variety of genres and themes. Free and open to the public. Morpho Mardi Gras will be on display at the Missouri Botanical Garden'sButterfly House. With more than 1,000 Blue Morpho butterflies floating through the air, you'll participate in some Mardi Gras-related activities, including creating your own masquerade mask. Take the kids! Friday is the last chance to see the traveling exhibition Women of the Blues: A Coast-to-Coast Collection at theNational Blues Museum, featuring over 60 photographs of 'Women of the Blues', in performance and in portrait, representing soul blues to Chicago blues to rock blues. The images include Mavis Staples, Susan Tedeschi (Grammy-winning rock blues icon), Chicago's soul blues diva, Nellie 'Tiger' Travis, among others. Yes, we have another great month ahead of us! Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you.

All the best. -Nate P.S. The latest Housing Report is available to view. You'll see that the median home listing price is up 10% from last year. Let me know what questions I can answer for you. We would love to help you achieve your real estate goals! Nate K. Johnson ABR,CRS,GRI Broker/Owner Real Estate Solutions 314-575-7352 Direct | 314-558-6025 Fax | 314-514-9600 x 102 nate@livingstl.com | www.livingstl.com

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Opening Saturday, March 11 at the Missouri History Museum

#1 in Civil Rights examines St. Louis's civil rights movement and its leading role in advancing the cause of racial justice. From groundlevel activism to groundbreaking court rulings, our city has been front and center in contesting racial inequities. Click here to learn more and mark your calendar for March 11! PS: We're hosting a special MembersOnly Night at the Museum on March 13! Already a member? RSVP here. Not a member but want a chance to experience the exhibit after normal hours? Become a member today! Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Joe Gfaller, Director of Marketing and Public Relations (314) 963-4293, jgfaller@opera-stl.org Kelsey Nickerson, Public Relations Coordinator (314) 963-4296, knickerson@opera-stl.org Sarah Thompson, PR | Communications (314) 884-8306, sthompson@opera-stl.org OTSL website: www.ExperienceOpera.org

Opera Theatre Builds New Audiences with New Events During the 2017 Festival Season St. Louis, MO – Opera Theatre of Saint Louis further expands its offerings during the 2017 season through a series of programs designed to include St. Louis audiences of all generations. These programs continue OTSL’s mission to shape the future of opera and to connect diverse audiences through its power and beauty. During the 2016 season, OTSL previously reported growth of 11% among Millennial audiences, 24% among Gen X audiences, and 28% among ethnically diverse audiences. Through growth in pre-season events such as Opera Tastings and Meet the Makers, and additional in-season opportunities such as Kids’ Club, Young Friends matinees, TGIF Opera, and College Flex Passes, Opera Theatre strives to continue this growth during 2017, building an audience for opera in St. Louis that reflects the greater St. Louis community. “Along with nurturing the next generation of opera artists, Opera Theatre is committed to building the diverse opera audience of the future,” said OTSL General Director Timothy O’Leary. “I am thankful for our great team -- from our staff, our Young Friends Steering Committee, our Engagement and Inclusion Task Force, our Board of Directors, and our Guild Board. They have all made these new events possible. We are thrilled that our recent success in building audiences helps make it possible to create even more new points of entry into opera.” The 2017 Festival Season begins on Saturday, May 20 with the opening of Puccini’s iconic Madame Butterfly at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves. Before the season begins, Opera Theatre offers the following events to connect members of the community with the art form of opera and the artists who make it possible at OTSL: •

The Grapes of Wrath Meet the Makers Community Tour | March 16-24 and May 1-3 Since 2012, Opera Theatre has engaged main season artists to participate in special events in support of unique productions in the season. Past tours have featured composers Terence Blanchard, Jack Perla, and Ricky Ian Gordon, librettists Rajiv Joseph and Royce Vavrek, director and designer Isaac Mizrahi, and singers Kendall Gladen and Aubrey Allicock. In 2017, Opera Theatre expands this series to include two separate tours, one in March and one in May, including

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OTSL 2017 FESTIVAL... cont.

the creators of The Grapes of Wrath, Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie. More details on each event can be found at ExperienceOpera.org/Creators: o o o o o o o

March 16 at 7:30 p.m. – A film screening of John Ford’s 1940 adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath as part of the Webster University Film Series March 22 at 6 p.m. - The Music of Ricky Ian Gordon at the St. Louis Jewish Community Center, featuring a string quartet from the Gesher Music Festival March 23 at 7 p.m. – The Grapes of Wrath and the American Dream at the Missouri History Museum, featuring a panel of experts who will look at the adaptation of Steinbeck’s classic American novel for both the stage and screen March 24 at 5:30 p.m. – A Young Professionals Cocktail Hour at the St. Louis Fashion Fund Incubator featuring remarks from the composer May 1 at 7:30 p.m. – Spotlight on Opera at the Ethical Society, featuring a panel discussion and excerpts of music from The Grapes of Wrath May 2 at 2 p.m. – A film screening of John Ford’s 1940 adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath at the Missouri History Museum May 3 at 7 p.m. – Creators in Conversation at the St. Louis Public Library Central Library featuring a dialogue between Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie

•

Illuminating Opera | April 6 – 29 This lecture series is offered on Thursday and Saturday mornings at 9:45 a.m. and offers a deep analysis of the music in each opera, plus background on its composition. Amy Kaiser, the Director of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, leads each 90-minute talk. Tickets are $20 per session. A subscription to all four Thursday or Saturday sessions can be purchased for $72. More details are available at ExperienceOpera.org/Illuminating.

•

Opera Tastings presented by PNC Arts Alive | April 18 – 23 Participation in this “culinary concert” series, developed in partnership with chefs and sommeliers across the St. Louis region, has doubled each year since it was inaugurated in 2015. At a 90-minute event, audiences are led through music from across the history of opera through live performances from current and recent OTSL young artists. With each aria, duet, or trio, a food or beverage pairing designed to enhance the flavors of the music is presented. OTSL’s January installment of this popular program sold at 98% capacity, with most events sold out. Spring venues and dates are as follows: o o o o o

April 18, 7 p.m. – Balaban’s in Chesterfield, Missouri April 19, 7 p.m. – Cleveland-Heath in Edwardsville, Illinois April 21, 7 p.m. – SqWires in Lafayette Square, St. Louis April 22, 7 p.m. – Omega Center in North City, St. Louis April 23, 3 p.m. – Catering by Vicia at @4240 in the Cortex District, St. Louis

During the season, Opera Theatre has also expanded its offerings to create a more welcoming environment in the Opera Theatre gardens for audiences of all ages, while breaking down practical barriers of price and (in the case of young parents) childcare. Details on these programs are below: •

Kids’ Club | June 3, 10, 17, 24 Through support from OPERA America’s Building Opera Audiences grant program, Opera Theatre launches this new initiative during the 2017 Festival Season, providing an afternoon of opera-themed games and activities for children ages 3-12 at every Saturday matinee performance. The program, available to any patron who has purchased tickets to the matinee performance, is led by licensed child care professionals from Webster Child Care and OTSL teaching artists from

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Opera Camp. Patrons can add Kids’ Club for $20 per child. Learn more at ExperienceOpera.org/KidsClub. •

Young Friends Matinees | June 3, 24 Opera Theatre’s Young Friends program now welcomes over 600 young professionals to the opera each year. In response to high demand, for the 2017 Festival Season, Opera Theatre is expanding from offering one Young Friends event for each of its four main season productions and the annual Center Stage concert to offering two additional Saturday matinee events, at Madame Butterfly and Titus (La clemenza di Tito). $49 all-inclusive tickets are available for these events, which include a seat at the opera and a pre-show reception in a reserved tent with an open bar. Evening events include a dinner buffet; the new matinee events will include a brunch buffet with a Bloody Mary bar. “Pick Two…Or More” Passes are available for Young Friends who want to see multiple productions for even deeper savings. Young professionals with children can utilize the Kids’ Club program so that their children can participate in an opera experience while parents enjoy the party and the matinee. (Evening Young Friends events are offered during the 2017 Festival Season on May 20, 31, June 8, 18, and 20.)

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Teen Matinee | June 17 In the spirit of Young Friends, Opera Theatre’s Opera Teens group now offers a pre-show party in the gardens in conjunction with one performance during the 2017 Festival Season – the Saturday matinee of The Grapes of Wrath. A $25 all-inclusive ticket includes a lunch buffet and pre-show remarks from other teens about the opera. Members of the cast visit the teens after the performance for an informal Q&A.

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TGIF Opera | May 26, June 9, 16, 23 At every Friday evening performance during the 2017 Festival Season, the OTSL gardens will light up with a special party to kick off the weekend, featuring live music, bonus food and drink service, and fun photo opportunities. Musicians from St. Louis Osuwa Taiko join the gardens for Japanese drumming after Madame Butterfly (May 26), the folk band The Moore Brothers play after The Grapes of Wrath (June 9), the Cardinal Quartet string quartet appears after Titus (June 16), and pianist Lachlan Glen plays works by Philip Glass after The Trial (June 23).

•

College Flex Passes This new program makes it even easier for college students to discover great opera, with a $50 flex pass that can be redeemed for four tickets in any combination during the 2017 Festival Season. Passes can be redeemed at all performances but Saturday and Sunday evenings. Valid student ID is required to pick up the pass and to redeem the pass towards main season tickets.

Opera Theatre’s 2017 Festival Season runs from May 20 – June 25, and features Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, the American premiere of Philip Glass and Christopher Hampton’s The Trial, the premiere of a new performing version of Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie’s The Grapes of Wrath, Mozart’s Titus (La clemenza di Tito), and the annual Center Stage showcase concert by Gerdine Young Artists. Subscriptions for the 2017 Festival Season are now available, with single tickets going on sale February 27, 2017. For more information, visit ExperienceOpera.org or call the box office at (314) 961-0644.

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OTSL 2017 FESTIVAL... cont.

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions, sung in English, featuring the finest American singers and accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony. As of its 2016 Festival Season, Opera Theatre has presented 25 world premieres and 26 American premieres — which may be the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any U.S. company. Described by the Sunday Times of London as “one of the few American companies worth the transatlantic fare,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis annually welcomes visitors from nearly every state and close to a dozen foreign countries. Although the size of the theater typically limits box office income to less than a quarter of the budget, the company has consistently produced work of the highest quality while never accumulating a deficit. Opera Theatre also has a long tradition of discovering and promoting the careers of the finest operatic artists of the current generation. Among the artists who had important early opportunities at Opera Theatre are Christine Brewer, Susan Graham, Nathan Gunn, Patricia Racette, Thomas Hampson, Jerry Hadley, Dawn Upshaw, Matthew Polenzani, Sylvia McNair, Erie Mills, Dwayne Croft, Kelly Kaduce, and Lawrence Brownlee. Opera Theatre has always been known for distinguished leadership: founding general director Richard Gaddes was succeeded in 1985 by general director Charles MacKay, with famed British stage director Colin Graham as artistic director and Stephen Lord (1992 – present) as music director. Timothy O’Leary was named general director in October 2008 with acclaimed stage director James Robinson succeeding the late Colin Graham. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is funded in part by the Regional Arts Commission, Arts and Education Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Missouri Arts Council, with audience building programs supported by The Wallace Foundation. Generous leadership support for the services of the St. Louis Symphony is provided by Jack C. Taylor and the Taylor family. ###

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The REAL

Miseducation of the Negro & Real STRATEGIES for Re-Education

Dr. Tracey McCarthy pg.

The Real Miseducation of the Negro & Real Strategies for Re-Education Dr. Tracey McCarthy, Psy.D., DCFC, J.D., M.A. Psychologist/Attorney/Professor www.drtraceymccarthy.com

Education Gone Wrong

“History shows that it does not matter who is in power or what revolutionary forces take over the government, those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they had in the beginning.” ― Carter G. Woodson In 1933, Dr. Carter G. Woodson proclaimed that African

Americans of the time were being mis-educated. His theory was that, instead of being authentically educated, African Americans were being indoctrinated to be servile and dependent. Woodson, as with Booker T. Washington, insisted that African Americans needed to seek to become educated to “do for themselves” in order to ascend from the lowly station prepared for them. Well, after almost a century, the miseducation persists and African Americans are being systematically cast as a perpetual underclass. The

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THE REAL MISEDUCATION... cont.

chronic miseducation has set children and whole communities up for an existence of never ending dependency and failure to thrive. This miseducation has taken two principal forms. One form is the educational system’s refusal to teach African American children basic human survival skills needed to sustain oneself. The second form of

miseducation involves schools failing to facilitate the development and manifestation of the natural gifts and talents inherent to many African American children. Such miseducation of African American children has meant that while some other cultural groups have been flourishing and moving in the

direction of collective progress, African Americans have been distracted and derailed on the road to personal, economic, social, and political selfsufficiency and success. Because of this, African American children have been increasingly written off as America’s perpetual underclass, with new ethnic minorities being written in as model minority replacements. Using education as

suppression for African American children has assisted in bringing this to pass. Education as Subjugation It is no secret that education for African American children has been little more than subjugation for many. This has been largely due to

the educational system’s refusal to create educational experiences for all children conducive to the individual and cultural needs of the children. Up to this point, African American children, in particular, have been largely indoctrinated into a workhorse and slave mentally in the current

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educational systems. Those who are perceived as making the most malleable “slaves” are directed into the “cradle to campus” pipeline, while those viewed as difficult “slaves” are ushered into the “school to prison” pipeline. Children slated to perform the role of perpetual “slave” victim in a

permanent underclass are directed into the revolving door welfare systems, where such are taught that all of life is external control, dependency, hopelessness, and helplessness. They are also led to revere father

absence in an otherwise patriarchal society. (Regardless of what some crypto racist progressives and some feminists try to push, African American children need present fathers and heterosexual African American women tend to benefit from dedicated and holistically

competent male husbands in a European American and male dominated societal structure.) Undoubtedly, education has served as little more than an intellectual and social plantation for the bulk of African American children, even those in suburban enclaves. The shackles on their minds are far more deleterious than the restraints on the ankles of their ancestors. Education, however, should spell liberation and not just serve as another form of subjection. Education should put children in direct touch

with their personal mastery and giftedness, as well as their weaknesses and liabilities. Education should not simply focus on what to know but on how to know and how to think for oneself. Most importantly, education should

serve as a tool for how to do for oneself.

We Are Missing the Mark

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THE REAL MISEDUCATION... cont.

Everyone learns differently. This includes African American children. African American children are not cookies. Hence, cookie cutter educational processes do not serve them well or at all. African American children arrive in academic spaces equipped with a plethora of potential and a surplus of skills that largely go untapped.

By simply looking at the poetic genius and cognitive dexterity of

spoken word artists, writers, and orators in the African American

community, it is clear that verbal skills among African Americans are high. While many African American children are extremely gifted in verbal and linguistic skills, many are exceedingly talented in the area of perceptual reasoning. Perceptual reasoning involves solving abstract problems, seeing inherent connections, using spatial acuity and reasoning, and recognizing and organizing abstract stimuli. This translates into a likely natural ability related to strategic planning, creative design, counseling and consulting acumen, engineering, and construction. African American children are also often kinesthetically adept. Kinesthetic intelligence involves bodily giftedness. Children with bodily or kinesthetic intelligence are gifted at using their physical bodies to

communicate feelings and thoughts. Such are unusually adept in terms of visual spatial functioning and they have advanced abilities related to fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This results in unique

abilities in areas such as visual and performance art, surgery, landscaping, building, and athletics.

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Interestingly, the high stakes, group-based, standardized tests, to which children are subjected, year after year, fail to even remotely look at the kinds of intelligence for which African American children tend to

naturally exhibit. When children are tested individually, such is generally focused on special education, deficiencies, and remediation of problems versus identifying the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gifts and talents. This negative focus is by design.

A better use of government funded testing would be identification

of learning styles, strengths, gifts, and challenges. From such assessments, individualized plans could be readily developed to make manifest each childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inner brilliance. Such could also be utilized to help place African American children on the pathway to individual success and life efficacy. Real Education for a Real World Not only do African American children require a new paradigm of assessment, they need a completely new model of education to unleash their inner potential and to prepare them for basic surviving and thriving in life.

What kind of society have we created that does not even remotely prepare people to do that which is essential for basic survival? What kind of society sees dependency as a desirable state of human functioning? Four year colleges, masters programs, and doctoral programs all

have a purpose and the access to employment opportunities is one such purpose. What happens, however, if the entire social structure and economy that we know today are not the economy and social structure that create our tomorrow?

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THE REAL MISEDUCATION... cont.

Dependency is dangerous. What does one do if no grocery stores exist? How does one create and sustain a food source? What does one do if no move-in ready housing exists on every corner? How does one create shelter when none is already there? What does one do to selfsurvive when one has only been educated to depend on everything external to self in order to subsist? With all of the talk of environmental sustainability, all children need to be taught individual and communal sustainability in the event that all else around them collapses.

African Americans and African American children, in particular,

need real concrete plans of action for self-growth, self-direction, and selfactualization. Real education should serve as the pathway for such self evolution. As asserted by Booker T. Washington, no African American child (who is physically, mentally, and emotionally able) should start or leave any formal educational system without a concrete life and career plan that is directly tied to economic self-sufficiency. No African American child

should leave a formal education system without solid life and community

building skills in tow. In fact, no child of any race or ethnicity should leave school without such.

In addition to the proverbial three Rs, every African American child (male or female) who is able should leave a formal educational system

knowing how to survive and thrive. This includes, but is not limited to, knowing how to build a house (yes, a whole house), plant and harvest crops, build HVAC systems, draft, build furniture, cook, sew, sanitize a home, preserve food, fish, hunt, cut trees, build motors, weld, paint, make

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fabric, make and sail a boat, dream, rock climb, organize and grow a business, calculate, crochet, birth children, care for the deceased, invest,

care for children, cultivate close and extended families, engage in personal self-defense, purify water, develop communal justice processes, nourish the body, cultivate communal peace, make fire, play chess, assert themselves, acquire knowledge, create knowledge, make shoes, document knowledge, create and use herbal and nutritional remedies, provide

emergency healthcare, document history, build machines, teach, make glass, bind books, read and make maps, cut and groom hair, counsel, read the weather signs in the sky and air, ride horses, make bricks, harvest

natural resources, shepherd and herd cattle, and make a multiplicity of household and communal crafts. All children should learn these

proficiencies, at the very least.

Such basic life skill education develops a truly educated and

empowered child. This develops an efficacious child. This develops an independent adult. This develops a confident child. This develops a

productive adult. This develops the self-actualized human being. This develops a child who has likely overcome a multitude of so-called learning disabilities and disruptive social and emotional disorders. This develops a child who can walk away from an impoverished, abusive, or neglectful home and into a healed destiny. Education Gone Right Re-education for real life requires a reformulation of â&#x20AC;&#x153;schoolâ&#x20AC;? as we

know it. We already have an abundance of school structures (many of

which are empty and abandoned). What needs to be reformulated most is what is going on inside of such buildings.

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THE REAL MISEDUCATION... cont.

Real education means that we need more creative use of the school buildings already in existence, the communities, and the overall land in both urban and rural spaces.

Whether it is by small community schools, legitimate charter schools, vouchers, homeschooling, church basement schools, overhauled public schools, private schooling, or some other process, African American children, particularly in urban and rural areas, deserve educational opportunities that bring out their best and facilitate their abilities to do and be what they came to this earth to be.

Real education also means there is a need for a different class of

educators. Real education means that children need to learn from those who are already skilled in what children need to know and do in terms of gifting and survival. Children need to come out of these deadening classrooms and into nature and into the real world habitat. The churches and community buildings which are largely unused during the day need to consider serving as partnering fertile fields of life

development for children in the communities. Additionally, artisans in every arena (e.g. from carpentry to healthcare to homebuilding to plumbing to martial arts to finance to music to forestry) need to be enlisted and hired as educators to pass on their life skills to the next generation. Cooperative education paradigms have the potential to help children unleash their potential, as children work side by side with master craftsmen and craftswomen in apprenticeships structured to cultivate expert competence at an early age.

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“If you teach the Negro that he has accomplished as much good as any other race he will aspire to equality and justice without regard to race. Such an effort would upset the program of the oppressor in Africa and America.” ― Carter G. Woodson Real education also means that African American children need to learn that African American history did not begin with slavery, regardless of the standard history class narratives to the contrary. Prior to slavery and ethnic cleansing, African Americans were living everywhere from Europe (yes, Europe) to Africa to the so-called New World and many were noble, highly learned, and skilled.

Current and past teachers of African American children, however, have not even found it in their passion or purpose to perform due diligence in understanding the oft ignored histories of African American children. Teaching more accurate historical narratives, alone, would do much for assisting African American children in understanding themselves as

profoundly proficient and more than human trafficking victim descendants. True educational overhaul, hence, requires an overturning of the historical myths which have fostered much of the stagnation characteristic of many African Americans and many African American communities. The National Social Contract Of course, some will complain that there are insufficient resources for educational choice overhaul for African American children. What has

been the price, however, of our chronic national educational failure?

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THE REAL MISEDUCATION... cont.

As a nation, it has been shown that there exists abundant resources to meet the needs of many throughout the world. Why, then, has there

been so little allocated in terms of authentic educational resources and opportunities for African American children? An even better question is why Americans have come to expect so little from their governmental resource stewards. Instead of begging the new American president for equality, peace, and justice, the HBCU presidents should have been requesting

residential, business, farming, and education land grants and assistance

with overhauling the totality of the educational landscape for African

American children, youth, and adults.

All nations have social contracts with their inhabitants. America is no exception. Hence, African American children, in contrast to the

nationals of countless other global sovereigns, have every right to be

treated as a priority in the nation’s resource allocation and facilitation of the child “American Dream” realization. Such an assertion will tend to meet with manipulative progressive and liberal fascist cries of nationalism or populism and such manipulative calls would be right. If nationalism or populism means that you demand your nation

prioritize and fulfill its health, education, and welfare “American Dream” social contracts to its slave-descended African American children…then,

Nationalism it is!

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SAVE THE DATE Gateway to Justice: Out of the Fire and Into the Future 29th Annual Conference of the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts

May 15-17, 2017 Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel | St. Louis, Missouri Hosted by the Supreme Court of Missouri Registration now open at www.national-consortium.org/Conference/2017-Conference.aspx

Featured Sessions: • • • • • • •

Voices of Ferguson Fees, Fines & Bail Practices: What Changes are Needed in Our Courts? Hot Topics: Race & Juvenile Justice Bias, Cultural Competence and the Court Process Courts and the Media: The New News Cycle Lights, Camera, Cops and Courts: Living in the Age of Body Cameras Measuring Progress to Move Forward Towards Equality

Plus: • “Taste of St. Louis” event at the Missouri Court of Appeals (Old Post Office) • “Blues, Brews & BBQ” event at Thompson Coburn headquarters in downtown St. Louis

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Baba Askia Toure' I am an innovative, epic poet, who created two major books, "From the Pyramids to the Projects" (Africa World Press, 1990), and "Dawnsong!," Third World Press, 2000). "Pyramids" won an American Book Award in 1989. And in 2003, "Dawn-song!" won the 2003 Stephen Henderson Poetry Award, presented by the African-American Literature & Culture Society, an assoc. of the American Literature Assoc. Since then, I've done other books, of which I'm truly thankful. However, what I desire to bring before the Facebook reading body, is the fact that I've innovated the Nile Valley epic, in the volume, "DawnSong!," which was critiqued by Dr. James E. Smethurst, and also a young, Black female Ph.d graduate candidate...otherwise there was complete "silence" from the Black Literature Community, about the first Nile Valley epics written in the English language!

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Friday, March 31st - Sunday, April 2nd

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Experience the Best and Latest in

African Cinema

he 12th annual Washington University African Film Festival will run from Friday, March 31- Sunday, April 2 . Showtimes are at 7pm with an additional matinee on Saturday, April 1 at 3:00pm. Screenings are free and open to the public. This year's festival films have won awards in many international festivals and we welcome two filmmakers for this year's edition of the festival. This year's youth matinee will feature three short films. Immediately following the screening of shorts, Abdul Ndadi's (“Orisha’s Journey), a comic book writer, artist, storyboard editor and animator, will lead the audience in an interactive workshop “From Idea to Life.” The workshop is ideal for youth age 9 and up as well as artists and storytellers. For more information, including parking, descriptions, artist biographies, and directions, please visit our website: africanfilm.wustl.edu. For more information, you can contact toliver-diallo@wustl.edu, or call (314) 9357879. Become a fan of the Washington University African Film Festival on Facebook to see movie trailers and reviews. Sponsored by African & African American Studies and Film & Media Studies in Arts & Sciences, African Students Association and Brown School African Students Association. Financial assistance for this project is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Humanities Council, and a grant from the Women's Society of Washington University. See you at the festival! Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

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The Soul of Harmony: Book One: The Promise written and illustrated by Craig Rex Perry

About the Book The Soul of Harmony is a music driven, action adventure that follows the near capture of young Harmony Walker and her famous dad, blues and jazz musician John "Eazy" Walker. Seduced by promises of fame and fortune, Harmony enters into a pact with a mysterious woman and accepts possession of a Magical Mouthpiece, with the promise to return it in one year. Unbeknownst to the Walkers, the Mouthpiece was stolen from the Horn of Gabriel by the woman who is actually an evil demon in disguise named Demonica Shadows. After one year of fame, fortune and travels, Harmony refuses to return the ancient artifact thinking the woman has forgotten about it, but the evil woman finds them and uses her demonic powers to change Eazy into an old man and sets about claiming Harmony's soul! Narrowly escaping with their lives and finally understanding the power of the Mouthpiece, the Walkers run from the forces of evil that are waiting and watching for their chance to regain possession of the magical artifact!

“

Review:

The Soul of Harmony is a real treat, Perry's illustrations are simply stunning! This gorgeous art, combined with the mysterious adventure of a young girl named Harmony Walker, makes for a truly captivating read. Harmony is a story about family, music, and a girl's love for her father. Will Harmony be able to correct her mistake? I can't wait to read more.

”

- Rebecca Sims-Nichols

The book can be ordered from Amazon at: http://amzn.to/2kgUgoo or Barnes and Noble.com at http://bit.ly/2l8aXla

About the Author: Craig Rex Perry has been an illustrator and designer for over 30 years. With his signature style, he has worked for Global brands including Disney, Warner Brothers, Dreamworks, Hasbro, Gianni Versace, NIKE Addidas. His comics, illustrations, apparel design and graphics have adorned the pages of magazines, newspapers and consumer products. Perry is a graduate of the School of the Arts in Chicago and Otis Parsons in Los Angeles. He has a long history of book illustration with Empak Publishing, Hyperion, Jump for the Sun, Disney, Warners and Dreamworks. The Soul of Harmony is first in a three book series. Visit Rex online at www.rexstudios.net For more information, contact Rochon Perry at rperry@cedargrovebooks.com

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Say it Proud…… I’m Black and I’m Loud!

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According to the ‘Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence’, 17,383 American children and teens are shot each year in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, or by police intervention. 2,647 kids die from gun violence. Chicago, Memphis, Jacksonville, Houston, New York and in virtually every major urban city in the country, are experiencing the same. Many sources blame the decline in parenting and family values. Today’s children are more prone to violence due to rap music, video games and the violent movies, but then that leads back to the way they were raised.

for a chance to be with a young man with money and a flashy car and jewels? We believe C. Dolores Tucker, who passed away October 12, 2005, had the right idea when she picketed the record stores, but I think she did not go far enough. She should have targeted the radio stations that spew the filthiness. And Mrs. Tucker should have begun a selective buying campaign targeting the recording artist and their labels. During the civil rights years, African Americans used buying power as political leverage in the struggle for equality.

When measured against entire populations of other developed countries, Black American males have the second highest homicide rate in the world. Confucius once said “If one should desire to know if a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer”.

Rap music has been at the center of the controversy, and while some argue First Amendment rights, artistic license and music reflecting the reality of life, others argue crass commercialism by “artists” and the music industry, and a total disregard for social responsibility.

Currently the radio air waves are filled with DJ comments and song lyrics that urge Black youth to become Scammers, Rapist, Killers, Harlots and Thieves.

At a Senate hearing on “The Social Impact of Music Violence” Tucker, stated “No corporation should be allowed to exist if engaged in activities that contaminates, poisons and infects the minds of children”.

It is time to protest and take back the airwaves.

March is ‘Women’s History Month’, and for years the late C. Delores Tucker, founder and chair of the National Political Congress of Black Women, waged a passionate national campaign against obscenities in rap music. The political and social activist focused a spotlight on rap music in 1993, calling it “pornographic filth” and saying it was demeaning and offensive to black women, but she was mainly left out in the wilderness. Tucker passed out leaflets with lyrics from ‘gangsta’ rap CD’s and urged people to read them aloud, and picketed stores that sold the music, handed out petitions and demanded congressional hearings. Where was her support? Why did it take so long for women to recognize the obvious hatred of their sex expressed in rap videos? Why haven’t more women become furious at being continually depicted as sluts willing to do anything

We are currently in the grip of a fearsome and shadowy network of a genre that portrays and romanticizes images of gangs, guns, violence, and sexism, and is well received and very popular. We must use different tactics to confront thugs and killers in our war-ravaged communities by a stronger commitment and an action plan to work for reconciliation. Some adults complain about youngsters ‘twerking’ or ‘booty shaking’, but most of the same guardians danced and partied, using these same moves to Rufus Thomas’ ‘The Dog’ and “Walking the Dog.” How hypocritical we are. We should get our parents, civic leaders, religious communities, and pastors, rabbis, priests and all ministries involved. We have the power to make change. Let us do it. Bernie Hayes

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We Speak In Gifts I'm listening to the score of the film Moonlight on repeat as I hone in on my thoughts on the precious way that timebankers communicate. The music is a sonic reminder of the expression of a gift through an art form. A reminder that we each possess an innate way of being that no one can mimic or take away and that we can honor ourselves, our community and this expression through the sharing of it. We are composers. We are actors. We are audience. We give and receive.

We speak in gifts. Recently, a new member of our leadership team and I have been talking about juicing and food preservation and she mentioned a system she was looking into that was costly for one household but that would be useful in preserving fresh juices that she makes regularly. She was excited about offering juicing classes through the time bank. I was excited for her enthusiasm to share one of her gifts and the alignment with our Time For Food project. I purchased the food saver system and dropped it off to her house one evening last week. We excitedly talked about her being the first to test it out. She handed me a small container as I was leaving and said it was her attempt at a Moroccan kale salad. When I returned home, quite hungry from eating a small dinner hours earlier and then being out at an event, I opened the container to find a colorful salad with baby tomatoes, almonds and blood oranges! A unique mix of flavors that I would have not thought of trying on my own. Kale is a favorite of mine and these days food preparation is not. The care she took in making and sharing the salad with me was that much more meaningful. As I was driving home I had thought about the exchange and was grateful to be in community again after a lull in timebank-wide events during the winter months. That I arrived at her door with something useful to her and other households in our timebank reminded me that through Cowry Collective we are modeling mindful consumption - that each household need not make large purchases on their own. That I left with something handcrafted and delicious reminded me of her gift of cooking and the care that is inherently demonstrated in food preparation. That money was not involved reminded me that I Am My Own Currency. When is the last time you thought of yourself as the actual conduit to getting what you need and want in your life? We need not always exchange through a founding father middle man on paper and coins or time-clocked-at-work-turned-paycheck. As we more frequently speak in gifts we become more fluent in the language of community trust. You and your gifts are the currency. Our continued exchanges are the fluency.

We Speak In Gifts. -Chinyere Esther Oteh

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AFRICAN AFRICAN FILM FILM FESTIVAL

FREE EVENT

MARCH 31 – APRIL 2 BROWN HALL | RM 100

FRIDAY, MARCH 31 | 7 pm Children of the Mountain Priscilla Anany, Ghana/USA, 2016, 101 minutes (Akan and Ewe with English subtitles)

Maman (s) Maïmouna Doucouré, France, 2015, 20 minutes (In French and Wolof with English subtitles) The 8-year-old Aida lives in an apartment in a Parisian suburb. The daily life of Aida and the whole family is overwhelmed when her father comes back from Senegal, their country of origin, with the young Senegalese Rama whom he introduced as his second wife. Aida is very sensitive to her mother’s distress. She decides then to get rid of the new visitor. Short Film, Sundance Film Festival (2016) Short Cuts Award, Toronto International Film Festival (2015) Jury Award, Leuven International Short Film Festival (2015)

76 Izu Ojukwu, Nigeria, 2016, 118 minutes (Igbo and English with English subtitles) Featuring Nollywood’s biggest stars, the film is a Nigerian historical fiction drama told from two points of view: that of a young pregnant woman and that of her husband, a soldier accused of being involved in the 1976 military coup and assassination of General Murtala Mohammed, the Nigerian head-of-state.

A woman gives birth to a child with cleft lip and other health complications. Her life becomes a nightmare as she is blamed for her child’s illnesses. She goes on a lonely journey to find a cure for him. Best New Narrative Director, Tribeca Film Festival (2016) Best Film Directed by a Woman, Las Vegas Film Festival (2016) Best Film, Harlem Film Festival (2016) Best Film, International Images Film Festival for Women (2016) Audience Award, Film Africa (2016)

Film introduction and Q & A with the filmmaker.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2 | 7 pm The Return / Le Retour Yohann Kouam, France, 2013, 22 minutes (French with English subtitles) It has been a year since his big brother left, and Willy, 15, cannot wait for him to return. Willy thought he knew everything about Theo, but when he arrives back on the block, Willy discovers a secret about him. Winner, World Competition, Zubroffka International Short Film Festival (2014) Best Youth Film, Kuku Interfilm Festival (2014) Alternative Spirit Award, Rhode Island International Film Festival (2014)

Best Feature Film, Africa International Film Festival (2016) Best Director, Africa International Film Festival (2016) Best Actor in a Lead Role, Africa International Film Festival (2016)

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 | 7 pm Akounak Tedalat Tah Tazoughai / Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red in It Christopher Kirkley in collaboration with Mdou Moctar and Jerome Fino, Niger/USA, 2015, 75 minutes (Tamashek with English subtitles)

Destino Zangro, France, 2015, 26 minutes (French with English subtitles)

An homage to the international recording artist Prince, the first narrative feature in the Tuareg language is the universal story of one musician’s struggle to make it against all odds, set in the winner-takes-all Tuareg guitar scene in Agadez, Niger. The film stars real life musician, Mdou Moctar. Prix du Jury at F.A.M.E (2015)

Prix Claude Pinoteau, Festival National de Hyeres les Palmiers (2015) Best Script, Tangiers International Film Festival (2014)

The film festival is sponsored by the Department in African & AfricanAmerican Studies, the Program in Film & Media Studies, and the African Students Association of Washington University. It is funded in part by a grant from the Women’s Society of Washington University. Financial assistance for this project also has been provided by the Missouri Humanities Council as well as the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The event is also supported by the Saint Louis Art Museum. Saturday’s films are co-presented with the St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1| 3 pm Stick Man

Daniel Snaddon and Jeroen Jasport, South Africa, 2015, 22 minutes (In English) This animated short tells the tale of a happy-go-lucky father’s epic journey to make it home in time for Christmas. Join Stick Man on an incredible adventure across the seasons as he runs from a playful dog, gets thrown in a river, escapes from a swan’s nest, and even ends up on top of a fire. Will he get back to his family in time for Christmas?

Orisha’s Journey

Abdul Ndadi, Ghana/USA, 2014, 6 minutes (In English) This animated film is a fantasy tale of a girl’s journey through the spirit world (“Orisha” denotes a spirit in Nigerian Yoruba cosmology) and the importance of remembering one’s roots. The film, set in a mysterious walking forest, explores the power of a child’s imagination and the deep meanings and manifestations of Africa.

Hair that Moves

Loïc and Mehdi have set up a little business filming local wedding celebrations and editing them in their minivan, aka their “audiovisual laboratory.” But when Mehdi starts to film the wedding of Leila, his pretty ex-girlfriend, destiny happens.

Sponsored By

EYE ON YOUTH

Maman(s) was provided by Bien ou Bien Productions. The remaining evening shorts and Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red in It are part of the African Film Festival, Inc. Traveling Series. Children of the Mountain, Orisha’s Journey, and Hair that Moves were provided by the filmmakers. Stick Man was provided courtesy of Triggerfish Animation Studios and 76 was provided by Shoreline Films.

Seating is first come, first serve. No tickets needed. FOR MORE INFORMATION

(314) 935-7879 or toliver-diallo@wustl.edu africanfilm.wustl.edu

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Yolanda Keabetswe Mogatusi, South Africa, 2014, 19 minutes (In English) What if one thing could transform your entire world? How far would you go to reach your dreams? Buhle, a young township girl attending a prestigious English school in the North, gets tired of being late all the time and thus being excluded. So she sets out to enter a singing competition where she could possibly win a car and solve all her problems. But in order to even have a chance at winning with her favorite pop-star’s song, she needs one key element...hair that moves! Following the screening, Q & A with animator, storyboarder, and illustrator Abdul Nadi, including a workshop on cartooning and animation.

STAY IN TOUCH

6662 Olive Blvd, St. Louis MO, 63130 315 534‐3807

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

Featured

Artist

Submission

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Nii T.

Mills

Nii T Mills

Born 28th August, 1963 Ghanaian from Jamestown, Accra. College of Art, University of Science and Technology. EXHIBITIONS · Tropical Spectrum...Accra 1988 · NIGERIANA.....A collaboration with 7 Nigerian artists in Accra, 1991. · INCEPTION....With Danny Manford and Ben Agbe at the Golden Tulip, Accra.....1992. · Toured almost the entire southern Ghana with exhibitions and workshops with Kofi Nduro, Danny Manford, Victor Odoi and other artists under the auspices of the Studio Club, an artist movement which sought to do new things with contemporary Ghanaian art.....1993 - 1998. · Formed Practicing Artists International (PAInt), another artist movement which bright together Seth Clottey, Kofi Nduro, Hector Ofori, Robert Aryeete, Gabriel Eklou and other artists. The aim was to promote the practice of fine art nationally and internationally through exhibition, workshops, philanthropy and other ways.....2002. Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

· Between 2002 and now I have exhibited annually in various places including St. Petersburg, London and Accra. The Call, an exhibition in London, organized and funded by Zetha Annan, is most notable. · Homefront, an exhibition which I held in my home in November, 2016, was my most recent show. I have had the honour of working with other Ghanaian artists like Sami Bentil, Wiz Kudowor, Danny Manford, Kofi Setorji, Kofi Nduro, Seth Clottey, Gabriel Eklou, Rikki Wemega Kwahu and Mike Amon Kwafo. Contact: lanteim@gmail.com

www.hourglassgallery.com/artist-category/nii-t-mills/

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2017 ST. LOUIS VISIONARY AWARDS F P

Featuring: Alison

erring

and Emily itts as Co-Hosts Monday,

April 24th

6:00 PM at the Sun Theater

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Des Lee Professor Urban Education Speaker Series on Race, Class and Community Presents:

AN EVENING WITH

Elaine Brown

Activist, Author, and former Black Panther Party Leader

“Education for Liberation” for All People

March 14, 2017 | 7pm J.C. Penney Auditorium

The University of Missouri-St. Louis

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Co-sponsored by: Associated Black Collegians, Educators for Social Justice, College of Education Dean's Committee on Social Justice, Liberated Genius, and TEACH Society (Teaching, Educating, Advancing, Counseling, and Healing)

For more information contact: Dr. Jerome E. Morris, morrisjer@umsl.edu, 314-516-5927 or Melissa Garcia, garciamj@umsl.edu

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

The Black Rep | 6662 Olive Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130

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For African American Youth & Young Adults Ages 13 – 24 Living in St. Louis City and County

FREE 6-WEEK EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES

   

Get Educated About Substance Use, HIV/AIDS, & Hepatitis Design Community Prevention Social Marketing Campaigns Create Bonds as a Big Brother/Sister or Little Brother/Sister Receive Free Health Counseling, Substance Use Screenings, and HIV, STD, & Hepatitis Testing

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! SPEAK PREVENTION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA! FEMALE ONLY SESSION! FEMALES

DATES

Workshop Dates

Oct. 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 Nov. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 **REGISTER BY OCT. 4TH**

Orientation

October 8, 2016

MALE ONLY SESSION! MALES

DATES

Workshop Dates

Jan. 18, 19, 25, 26 Feb. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23 **REGISTER BY DEC. 31ST **

Orientation

January 14, 2017

TIMES

LOCATION

TIMES

LOCATION

11:30am – 2:30pm 5:30pm – 8:30pm (each day)

UMSL ITE Building 4633 World Parkway Circle, St. Louis, MO 63134

For Additional Program Information call 314-516-8491

Sponsors & Partners

www.ProjectY-ChatNow.org

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

What do I do? I help the college bound teens of busy parents write extraordinary college entrance essays. And, I provide perceptive leaders with trustworthy diversity & inclusion facilitation. My book, Chop: A Collection of Kwansabas for Fannie Lou Hamer, is available at www.femininepronoun.com

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Learn More

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A NOTE TO CONGRESS Dear Congresspersons: Either indirectly or directly, all of you are responsible for creating the political climate that encouraged American citizens, with the help of the Electoral College, to elect President Trump. In the spirit of trying to perpetuate a liberal democracy , citizens voted. A number of feel cheated. We have been cheated as the MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN mantra resounds throughout the United States. In this Republic , which can be little more than a metaphor for democracy, we are dismayed that the number of popular votes for a candidate counts for naught. We shall continue to vote, especially in local and state elections. Mark my words. Some of you may wish to apply for one of the jobs your President has vowed to bring back to America. The grapes of wrath shall bloom. Some of you shall lose your seats. Those of you survive ought to attend to the work of restoring a modicum of confidence in the political process. American citizens are not ancient Romans in need of a circus. “The virtues of our system of federated governments, “ Carl L. Becker wrote in Freedom and Responsibility in the American Way of Life (1945), are indeed very great” (93). Noble words. Becker was aware, however, that “the most striking defect of our system of government is that it divides political power and thereby conceals political responsibility. The business of governing is entrusted to the President and the Congress, but it too often happens that no body of elected representatives can be held responsible or called to account for the formulation of policies or the enactment of measures to carry them through” (95). The defects you have been complicit in sustaining since 2000 have encouraged the slipping of democracy into fascism. In his first address to Congress, Trump made it clear, even unto the deaf, the dumb, and the blind, that such slipping is at the core of his political ideology. Weight his propositions. Do not pretend that you have not been warned. The minority of Congresspersons who refuse to dirty their minds and hands with bad faith can profit from reading Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century (2011) by Dorothy Roberts. She has made a principled, comprehensive analysis of how President Trump’s dedicated racialization of our nation is a choice that, with your help, can destroy democracy. In her conclusion, Roberts provides a logical warning:

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Will Americans continue to believe the myth that human beings are naturally divided into races and look to genomic science and technology to deal with persistent social inequities? Or will they affirm our shared humanity by working to end the social injustices preserved by the political system of race? This is the most pivotal question facing this nation in the twenty-first century because the answer will determine the basic nature of the relationship between citizens and the government and with each other. One path is already leading to aggressive state surveillance, extreme human deprivation, and unspeakable brutality against whole populations on the basis of race. By obscuring this coercive control over poor communities of color, the new racial biopolitics permits the growth of a state authoritarianism and a corporatized definition of citizenship that endangers the democratic freedoms of all Americans. We must chose the other path of common humanity and social change if we are to have any hope for a more free and just nation.” (312) Heed her warning. Either weed the garden or allow it to grow into a negative Eden of implacable dread. Sincerely, Jerry W. Ward, Jr.

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Scott Joplin House State Historic Site

Scott Joplin: A Centennial Reflection

April 1, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of his death 2017

1917

Join us for an afternoon of music and historical interpretation as we commemorate the life and legacy of composer

Scott Joplin Saturday, April 1, 2017 3:00â&#x20AC;&#x201D;5:00 p.m. The rosebud Cafe 2658 Delmar boulevard St. louis, Missouri 63103 Rsvp (314)340-5790

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Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals (2017 Cardinals Magnet Schedule Giveaway), Metallica and New York Islanders at St. Louis Blues lead this week's rankings in St. Louis

Unsubscribe

Top St. Louis Events For the week of March 8, 2017 # Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals (2017 1 Cardinals Magnet Schedule Giveaway) Busch Stadium April 2 (view tickets) # Metallica 2 Busch Stadium June 4 (view tickets) # New York Islanders at St. Louis Blues 3 Scottrade Center March 11 (view tickets) # Anaheim Ducks at St. Louis Blues 4 Scottrade Center March 10 (view tickets) # Monster Energy AMA Supercross 5 The Dome at America's Center April 1 (view tickets) # Modest Mouse (21+ Event) 6 The Pageant June 9 (view tickets) # Billy Joel 7 Busch Stadium September 21 (view tickets) 8 Scottrade Center # March Calgary Flamestickets) at St. Louis Blues 25 (view

# Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers 9 Scottrade Center May 12 (view tickets) # Lady Gaga 1 Scottrade Center 0 November 16 (view tickets)

Coming This Week

Thursday, March 9 Billy Currington Peabody Opera House Shotspeare The Playhouse at Westport Plaza Friday, March 10 Anaheim Ducks at St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center John Prine Peabody Opera House Saturday, March 11 Cabaret Fabulous Fox Theatre - St. Louis New York Islanders at St. Louis Blues ScottradeMarch Center14 Tuesday, Rain - A Tribute to The Beatles Jesse Auditorium Hey Violet Delmar Hall

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We Are Over the Presidential Election By Pierre Blaine

The great stoic philosopher Epictetus said: Man is not disturbed by events, but by the view he takes of them. The worst thing that can happen to the far right and conservatives is that we the people are over the election of 2016 and now is the time to get busy. The transformation of the American psyche has begun as it comes to terms with itself. We shall expose the historical behavior within the Veil and speak truth to power because truth crushed to the earth shall rise again. We need to financially support the HBCU’s of this country because education is the civil rights issue of this century as it always has been. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos called historically black institutions “real pioneers when it comes to school choice.” There is no alternative truth as it relates to the reason why historically black institutions came into existence. HBCU’s came into existence as a response to racist Jim Crow laws that enforced segregation in America. We do not have to guess what the administration is going to do to support HBCU’s or what is happening at the state level of support for higher education. Historically black schools educated 300,000 according to the latest figure available from the National Center for Education Statistics. In addition, Education Department data shows that three-quarters of all doctorates awarded to African-Americans and about 80 percent of black federal judges earned an undergraduate degree at historically black schools. So, at every level from pre-school to higher education we must support academic excellence and demand that the federal government and state government support education. If that is not happening, then you know what to do. We are now officially at war at every level in America, choose your issue, suit up and broaden the coalition of progressive thought and action.

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Study the budget proposal coming out of Washington, it will help you understand what – ‘We are going to make America great again’ means. For those of you who thought you could sit this election out, you are in for a very rude awakening. What we have here is the replay of the Ronald Reagan playbook. The first thing Reagan did when he came into office was to increase military spending. The new budget under this administration will increase military spending by $54 billion. However, in 2017 the United States remains the most formidable military power in the world. The trajectory of military spending increased by 2.1 percent or $608 billion under President Obama similarly the military budget had been increased under President Carter when Reagan came into office. Historically, the United States has spent a larger percentage of its economy to defense spending than any of its allies. Meanwhile spending cuts in domestic spending are cut from medical research to arts, scientific research, investment in infrastructure, education, the EPA, the Agriculture Department and the State Department, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, legal aid to the poor etc. The republicans always run on a populist message but never have any intentions of governing on behalf of ordinary Americans. Why would a voter be shocked who voted for making America great again that in the first budget – “Meals on Wheels” would be cut. This service provides meals to millions of people who are disabled and the elderly many of them receiving only this one meal a day. Yet, many of these same individuals voted for making America great again. Going forward the Progressive movement must challenge where this administration is going even though it will be an uphill battle. The saving grace of America is that it is wired to challenge the status quo and in fact when you look at movements historically, it has always been an uphill battle. Dr. Martin Luther King asked the question, where do we go from here, chaos or community?

We cannot go wrong if we concentrate on community and expose the warts of hatred, bigotry, racism, and tearing down walls instead of building them. In my book: Movement: Race, Power and Culture in America I quote Thomas Jefferson who said: ‘Do not be too severe on the people’s errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I and Congress and Assemblies, judges, and governors shall all become wolves. Well, the wolves are in the white house, the Congress, state legislatures and governor mansions but we the people can fix it. Henry T. Ford said, ‘Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success. Let’s begin the – work. Pierre Blaine is author of Movement: Race, Power and Culture in America available on Amazon.com His next book signing will be April 12, 2017 at Harris-Stowe State University Library 6:00p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

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You’re Invited to Audition!

Be part of the re-enactments at

Buffalo Soldiers & Bicycles: Their Spectacular Journey! 15th Annual Mary Meachum Celebration Saturday, May 6th www.marymeachum.org

Auditions: March 28th & 29th 6-8pm Urban League’s Vaughn Cultural Center, 3701 Grandel Square Vendors: If you have crafts or artisan goods to sell, come on out – tent provided! To audition, perform or be a vendor Contact Angela: meachum@grgstl.org 314-865-0708

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

THE MOVEMENT !

12 2017

Signing Book

Power is the capacity to reach or realize goals and influence policy which develops into laws which shape the social, political, and economic environment. Race Matters, History Matters, Blacks Matters and Truth Matters and truth crushed to the earth shall rise again. Inherent in the culture of opposition in America is the notion that each and every individual has certain inalienable rights that among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happinessâ&#x20AC;Ś

Harris Stowe State University

Library 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Purchase NOW on Amazon!

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Apr

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Greetings everyone! I hope you are well. Just a personal note from me to say I would love to speak at your college, university, high school, corporation or company, or community. As some of you know I am the author of 12 books, including The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journey into Manhood; I do work like this across America and globally, as both a speaker and change agent bringing all kinds of people and communities together for real and honest dialogue, for practical solutions and action steps; and I am a co-founder of BK Nation, our non-profit that focuses on civil rights and human rights for all people. Here is a link for my full BIO: http://www.kevinpowell. net/about.php And attached are details about some of my topics. I would love to work with you. I thank you all, Kevin Powell

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Black Archaeologist in

Nubian Gladiatress A new episode of Black Archaeologist (Nubian Gladiatress) is up on our fan page called, I LOVE BLACK ARCHAEOLOGIST, other episodes, and seasons are available on our website BlackArchaeologist.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQoEUaA0I

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PLAY CHANNEL PHOTOGRAPHY Let us show your smile to the world

Connect with me on Social Media

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News, Podcasts and More!

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Destined For The Dreamer

An Easter Basket of Messages & Memories

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CAM City Wide “Open Studios

10.09.16

10th Annual Open Studios STL This year marks the tenth anniversary of Open Studios STL, featuring over 200 St. Louisbased artists and art spaces; sponsored by the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. The Jewelry, Poetry, Art, Carvings, project sketches and ideas of artisan David A. N. Jackson will be on display in The 2nd Floor Boutique 5555-5557 Etzel Avenue 63112 and in workshop display areas of the location. “This marks my first year of participating in OPEN STUDIOS (2016) so I hope to make it exciting, thought-full, thought provoking, & on point. Portions, illustrations, and considerations of continued dialog are being created in reflection, response, and interreaction to what the world

and current climate environs asks, expects, and demands of Black/ African-n-America artists and persons of color. There are and will be some extra arts & music expression for you to InJoy by members, musicians and friends of PEPAA –(the Progressive Experimental Positive Arts Association).

Stop on by. Shop and buy. Sit, Look, Listen, and Chill Out.

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

“Acting White”

Share your Story Dear friends: I have been asked to write a chapter in a book that will address colorism in education. My chapter will focus on “acting white.” Specifically, when I was growing up, I was a “smart” student. My top performance in school, doing homework, raising my hand to answer questions, etc. often drew the accusation from my African American classmates and friends that I was “acting white.” Now, I know there are psychologists out there who say this is not true and does not exist. But alas, it was absolutely true for me. I have written about this in past works. I will do so again for this new book. I do know that many young folks today who continue to have such allegations hurled at them so feel free to share this email with whoever and have folks email me directly. I did a survey on this very question about 7 years ago and the results were consistent with my experiences decades ago. I’d like to update my earlier survey. I would love to hear from anyone out there who has a similar/related story either involving yourself or someone you know. I would like to include your story in the chapter. I will conceal your identity if you request. Do you have a story to share? If so, please email to me at: norwood@wulaw.wustl.edu. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Kimberly Norwood , Professor of Law | Washington University School of Law pg.

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Business Edge

workshops for individual artists

OTHER PEOPLE’S FOOTAGE: FAIR USE FOR FILMMAKERS Monday, March 27, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. We’ll screen Other People’s Footage, a 70minute documentary that explains fair use through on camera interviews with noted documentarians and legal experts (including Michael Donaldson, the industry’s goto attorney for clearance and rights issues), illustrative clips and summaries of relevant court cases. A panel discussion with codirectors Diane Carson (professor emerita at St. Louis Community College at Meramec and longtime St. Louis film critic) and Robert Johnson Jr. (professor of Communication Arts at Framingham State University), Erika Cohn (St. Louis University School of Law), and documentary filmmaker Dan Parris (Speak Up Productions) will follow the screening.

Workshops are held at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. Free parking is available behind the Pageant or in the MetroLink lot. Tuition is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Can’t afford to pay? Please contact us to request a scholarship.

Artists, need artsrelated legal or accounting assistance? Apply here.

www.vlaa.org

314/863-6930

vlaa@stlrac.org

6128 Delmar, St. Louis, MO 63112

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BSAM STL 2017: Unified Resistance Sponsored by The HSSU Department of Humanities C.A.B. B.M.I. HSSU-N.A.A.C.P.

Friday, March 17 ECDC

Saturday, March 18 ECDC

10 a.m. Tim Fielder (Youth Comic workshop) Rm. 211

11 a.m. Afrikan Economics and The Deep State (Andrew Rollins and Johnson Lancaster) Rm. 211

10 a.m. Innergy (Black Thought Poetry workshop) Rm. 212 11 a.m. Social Justice (Amber Johnson & Attorney Amy Breihan) Rm. 211 11 a.m. Creative Writing Workshop (Greg Carr & Jason Vassar) Rm. 212 11 a.m. Comics and Literacy (Sharnez Givens) Rm. 213 Lunch and Networking at Noon 1 p.m. The Art Entrepreneur: Starting your own Biz (Saint Louis Volunteer lawyers and Accts. For the Arts) Rm. 211 1 p.m. Sarah Kendzior, Nyota Uhura, Reynaldo Anderson, Andrew Rollins, (Survival in the Age of Surveillance and Uncertainty) moderated by Sudarsen Kant Emerson Theatre 3 p.m. MECCA-con Film Festival Rm. 211 3 p.m. Arts Grant Workshop (Jason Vasser) Rm. 212

11 a.m. Youth poetry Writing Workshop (Dr. Joy Davis and Bryce Davis) Rm. 212 11 a.m. Crypto defense workshop (Invitation only) Rm. 215 Lunch and Networking at Noon-1pm 1 p.m. Imagineering Space for the Black Future (Quentin Vercetty) Rm. 211 1 p.m. Digital Humanities: Forgiveness Isn’t A Gift: Tweeting For Radical Forgiveness or Tracing Public Theology through the #CharlestonMassacre” (Toneisha Taylor) Rm. 212 1 p.m. African Drumming Class (Ngoma) Rm. 218 2 p.m. Back 2 Black Comic Panel (Damian Duffy, Stacey Robinson, Sharnez Givens, Maia Williams) R.m. 215 3 p.m. Drawing My African Voice (Sarah Blair) Rm. 212

3 p.m. SUBVERSIVE ACTS: FREEDOM & RESISTANCE w/ Sheree Renée Thomas, Stacey Robinson, Stanford W. Carpenter Rm. 213

3 p.m. Afrofuturism the 2nd Wave: The Black Speculative Arts Movement (Reynaldo Anderson (Moderator), Sheree Renee Thomas (Obsidian), Amber Johnson, Toneisha Taylor, Rebecca Wanzo)

6 p.m. Conscious Conversation Emerson Theatre (Gabby Burks)

6:30 p.m. Play &Performance: The Liberation of Aunt Jo Mama (Greg Carr) W/ Word Up, Androbeat Emerson Theatre

Live Art Exhibition (Innergy) ECDC Foyer

10 p.m. Glow Party @ The Lux

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Aliyah ~LotusMoon~ NOW on SoundCloud

Listen!

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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 NIV

We seek to impact the world with the love of Christ one life at a time! Hopelessness and desperation are on the rise in a world where the greatest segment of the population possesses the least amount of resources. We need your help! Please help us fight this epidemic by sending your tax deductible donations/contributions to: For His Glory Ministries of St. Louis P.O. Box 1942 Maryland Heights, MO. 63043 http://calvarychapelslc.com/homeless-ministry/ For other ways in which you can help please contact Pamela Ford at pamelaford98@gmail.com or 314-216-0744. pg.

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t e e w T t e e w T t e Twe t e e w T t e e w T t e e Tw t e e w T t e e w T t e e Tw t e e w T t e e w T t e e Tw t e e w T t e e w T t e e Tw Follow us Tweet t e e w T t Twee t e e w T t e e w T t e e Tw t e e w T t e e w T t e e Tw @ArtsTodayez

#artstodayEZ

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

Portfolio Fundraiser Moves to Artist's Studio Janet Riehl's "Women & Wardrobe: The Riehl Collection" exhibit has finished it's successful run at The Portfolio Gallery and Education Center. It brought in $2,000 to help with much-needed building repairs. Many people went home with framed ($150) and unframed ($50) prints they love, and a good time was had by all. Folks have said they would have loved to have seen the show, and were sorry they missed it. Janet has decided to host At Home evenings on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. so you can! Come visit, enjoy the work, and of course buy whatever calls to you. Any profit realized will continue to benefit Portfolio Gallery. If you'd like to come, please contact her at janet.riehl@gmail.com. Janet and Robert Powell, director of Portfolio Gallery and Education Center appeared on Fox 2 news. http://fox2now.com/2014/07/29/women-wardrobe-and-art-on-a-cell-phone-atportfolio/# Janet and her art was featured in the Alton Telegraph. http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/home_top-lifestyle-news/50095336/Artists-workmakes-Riehl-results#.U-Tbf1Ao7qC

Come on out! Meet some new people and enjoy some playful, colorful, and sensuous art inspired by African Women.

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OLIVE BAR ROOFTOP O P E N TO N I G H T Click to RSVP COMPLIMENTARY ENTRY 10PM-11:30PM(ladies) and 11:00 (Men)

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John Jennings Associate Professor Visual Studies SUNY Buffalo tumblr: http://jijennin70. tumblr.com/

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ART OF FOOD

Jerk

Salmon

Egg Rolls ~Léna O. A. Jackson Culinary Arts To contact me, get more recipes, find out about events I’m apart of, or to even order some of my food: www.facebook.com/gspDore www.instagram.com/gspDore gspDoreinfo@gmail.com

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

Jerk Salmon Egg Rolls with Mango Chili Dipping Sauce

Before you start anything, the first thing you should do is taste the jerk marinade. If it is just right you can leave it alone. If it is too spicy, gradually add fresh orange juice until the heat is no longer a problem. Once your marinade is just right, add the salmon & toss it in the marinade. Set aside and let sit for 30 minutes or overnight for a stronger flavor.

Ingredients: Egg Roll Wrappers 1 1/2 C Broccoli Slaw 8oz Salmon, skinned & sliced (or kept whole) 4 Tbsp Jerk Marinade 2-4 Tbsp Fresh Orange Juice, optional 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin 1 Tbsp Ground Ginger 2 tsp Ground Cardamom

In a small-medium sauce pot, add frozen mango chunks, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom & water. (Add just enough water so that it is covering a little more than half of the mango chunks.) Let the mixture simmer wow you're cooking the other ingredients. Cook until the mango is very soft and set aside. Once it has cooled off, transfer to a blender. Puree until mixture is smooth. (At this point you can add the chili flakes if you choose to use them.)

Dipping Sauce: 2-3 C Frozen Mango Chunks 1 1/2-2 C Water 1 C Granulated or Brown Sugar 3 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, optional 2 tsp Ground Ginger

In a medium sautĂŠ pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil until hot. Next add marinated salmon and cook approximately 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set

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aside and let cool. If there is no more oil left in the pan, add a few more tablespoons. Now add & sauté the broccoli slaw and seasonings, cook until slightly tender. Lay out an egg roll wrapper with a corner pointed towards you. Place less than 1/4 cup of the broccoli slaw and a slice of the salmon into the center of the wrapper. Brush the corner farthest from you with water or egg wash. Fold the corner closest to you up over the mixture. Fold the left and right corners in towards the center, then tightly roll. You can either bake the rolls at 375 degrees F or fry the egg rolls in batches in vegetable/canola oil, until they are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with the Mango Chili Dipping Sauce. *Substitute the salmon with chicken or even tofu. You can use the same techniques to cook them. **Agave or Honey can also be used as a substitute for the sugar used in the dipping sauce.

Doré

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

A CHILDREN'S BOOK FROM THE CREATORS OF THE BLACK ARCHAEOLOGIST WEB SERIES RAY AND MICHAEL LAMBERT

BLACK HISTORY BOY WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK On Amazon.com

A new and informative children’s book based on the childhood of the black history explorer, and hero of the Black Archaeologist animated series. The book deals with how and why as a young boy Black Archaeologist got interested in, and the reasons he made the teaching of the history of black people all over the world his life’s mission.

BlackArchaeologist.com

I choose to reflect the times and the situations in which I find myself. How can you be an artist and not reflect the times? (Nina Simone)

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

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MAKE ME AN OFFER. www.Allstarmotorsinc.com pg.

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Rickkita Edwards teaches Core:Cardio & More @ North Co.Rec Center

every Mon-Wed- Fri.

5:30 PM-6:30 PM

She also teaches "WaistNWeights" every Mon

@ Faith Miracle Temple

7:15 PM-8 PM

Contact me today for personal training sessions!

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

ART OF HEALING

Your Ad or Article could be here!

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RICKKITA EDWARDS

CARDIO-CORE & MORE AT NORTH COUNTY REC. CENTER

TIMES: MON WEDS FRI 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

She teaches a class 2 Mondays a month at Faith Miracle Temple 7:15 pm - 8:00 pm. (ALL CLASSES ARE FREE)

COMING SOON! WAIST-NOT FITNESS PERSONAL TRAINING #GETWAISTEDBYRICKKITA

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

Ajuma Muhammad Author of 101 Proven and Effective Strategies for Empowering Black Boys

WATCH NOW!

1 0 Strategies

f o r E m p o w e r i n g B l a c k B oy s 1. Black boys should maintain a healthy relationship with God. 2. Black boys should honor and always respect their parents. 3. Black boys should embody greatness in everything they do. 4. Black boys should take pride in their history and culture. 5. Black boys should empower their community through leadership and service. 6. Black boys should be role models in their communities. 7. Black boys should honor, respect and protect the black woman. 8. Black boys should work to establish an economic foundation in their communities. 9. Black boys should travel internationally to better understand their place in the world. 10. Black boys should love themselves!

www.ajuma.org

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Book of Poetry by

Lenard D. Moore

th on 30 iti d Ed ite ry Lim ersa niv

http://www.mountainsandriverspress.org/Home.aspx

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In Memorium

“

Remembering those brilliant creators whose works will continue to inspire

”

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

Derek Walcott January 23, 1930 - March 17, 2017

Poet, Playwright and Professor Sir Derek Alton Walcott, KCSL, OBE, OCC (23 January 1930 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature.[1] He was Professor of Poetry at the University of Essex from 2010 to 2013. His works include the Homeric epic poem Omeros (1990), which many critics view "as Walcott's major achievement."[2] In addition to winning the Nobel Prize, Walcott received many literary awards over the course of his career, including an Obie Award in 1971 for his play Dream on Monkey Mountain, a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award, a Royal Society of Literature Award, the Queen's Medal for Poetry, the inaugural OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature,[3] the 2011 T. S. Eliot Prize for his book of poetry White Egrets[4] and the Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry Lifetime Recognition Award in 2015.

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Mari Evans July 16, 1919 - March 10, 2017

writer, poet and teacher Born in Toledo, Ohio, Evans was 10 years old when her mother died,[4] and she was subsequently encouraged in her writing by her father, as she recalls in her essay "My Father's Passage" (1984).[5] She attended local public schools before going on to the University of Toledo, where she majored in fashion design in 1939, though left without a degree.[4] She began a series of teaching appointments in American universities in 1969. During 1969–70, she served as writer in residence at Indiana University-Purdue, where she taught courses in African-American Literature. The next year, she accepted a position as writer in residence at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. From 1968 to 1973, she produced, wrote and directed the television program The Black Experience for WTTV in Indianapolis.[6] She received an honorary degree from Marian College in 1975. Evans continued her teaching career at Purdue (1978–80), at Washington University in Saint Louis (1980), at Cornell University (1981–85), and the State University of New York at Albany (1985–86).

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

Dr. Frances Cress Welsing Mkarch 18, 1935- January 2, 2016

afrocentrist, psychiatrist, author Frances Cress Welsing (born Frances Luella Cress; March 18, 1935 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 2, 2016) was an American Afrocentrist[1] psychiatrist. Her 1970 essay, The Cress Theory of Color-Confrontation and Racism (White Supremacy)[2], offered her interpretation on the origins of what she described as white supremacy culture. She was the author of The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors (1991).[3] Welsing caused controversy after she said that homosexuality among African-Americans was a ploy by white males to decrease the black population.

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

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Walking the Blue Line: A Police Officer Turned Community Activist Provides Solutions for the Racial Divide By Terrell Carter Bettie Youngs Book Publishers

$15.00 paperback

“As I recall my experiences, I find it incredulous that people in law enforcement honestly believe and say that a racial divide and racial profiling don’t exist. An officer’s mind is divided: first, between the police and the general public and second, between the police and minorities.”~ Terrell Carter Walking the Blue Line follows the author’s experiences growing up as a black child in St. Louis, MO, a racially charged city still trying to overcome its divided past, and his five year journey as a law enforcement officer which led him to reevaluate his views on citizens and police alike. Readers are taken on a compelling journey as he details personal stories of the challenges of navigating this new world, including how he had to testify against a former partner for falsifying a major drug arrest. Terrell details the thoughts and tactics of police officers based on their training in the police academy and lessons they learn on the streets and how this information can help citizens better understand why officers do what they do while still holding them accountable for protecting and serving their communities. Walking the Blue Line can be ordered from www.terrellcarter.net, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and traditional booksellers.

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Sycorax's Daughters

~ Edited by Kinitra Brooks, PhD, Linda D. Addison, Susana Morris, PhD. Forward by: Walidah Imarisha

A powerful, revealing anthology of dark fiction and poetry by Black women writers. The tales of what scares, threatens and shocks them will enlighten and entertain you. Sycorax’s Daughters’ stories and poems delve into demons and shape shifters from Carole McDonnell’s “How to Speak to the Bogeyman” and Sheree Renée Thomas’ “Tree of the Forest Seven Bells Turns the World Round Midnight” to far future offerings from Kiini Ibura Salaam’s “The Malady of Need”, Valjeanne Jeffers’ steampunk female detective in “Mona Livelong: Paranormal Detective II” and others. These thought-provoking twenty-eight stories and fourteen poems cover creatures imagined— vampires, ghosts, and mermaids, as well as the unexpected price paid by women struggling for freedom and validation in the past—slavery to science-fiction futures with transhumans and alternate realities. Leave the lights on and join these amazing authors as they share their unique vision of fear. Tiffany Austin - Tracey Baptiste - Regina N. Bradley - Patricia E. Canterbury - Crystal Connor - Joy M. Copeland - Amber Doe - Tish Jackson - Valjeanne Jeffers - Tenea D. Johnson - R. J. Joseph - A. D. Koboah Nicole Givens Kurtz - Kai Leakes - A. J. Locke - Carole McDonnell - Dana T. McKnight - LH Moore - L. Penelope - Zin E. Rocklyn - Eden Royce - Kiini Ibura Salaam - Andrea Vocab Sanderson - Nicole D. Sconiers - Cherene Sherrard - RaShell R. Smith-Spears - Sheree Renée Thomas - Lori Titus - Tanesha Nicole Tyler - Deborah Elizabeth Whaley - L. Marie Wood - K. Ceres Wright - Deana Zhollis

Review:

“

Sycorax's Daughters introduces us to a whole new legion of gothic writers. Their stories drip with history and blood leaving us with searing images and a chill emanating from shadows gathered in the corner. This anthology is historic in its recognition of women of color writers in a genre that usually doesn't know what to do with us.

”

- Jewelle Gomez, author The Gilda Stories

About the Editors: Kinitra D. Brooks, Ph.D. is an associate professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research interests include contemporary African American and Afro-Caribbean, black feminism, and horror studies. Linda D. Addison grew up in Philadelphia and received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Carnegie-Mellon University. She is the award-winning author of four collections including How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend. She is the first African-American recipient of the HWA Bram Stoker Award® and has published over 300 poems, stories and articles. SUSANA M. MORRIS, PhD. is an associate professor of African American literature at Auburn University and co-founder of the popular feminist blog, The Crunk Feminist Collective. Sycorax's Daughters is available for Preorder on Amazon until March 10. Follow this link. http://amzn.to/2lsxgz3 ~~ Rochon Perry Publisher, Cedar Grove Publishing website: www.cedargrovebooks.com twitter.com/cedargrovebooks facebook.com/cedargrovepublishing

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Volume 4.1 March 26, 2017

OPPORTUNITIES

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW AD

The Bernie Hayes Show Talk and interviews about affairs of the day with a St. Louis slant. The Bernie Hayes Show can be seen: Friday’s at 9 A.M. Saturday’s at 10:00 P.M. Sunday’s at 5:30 P.M.

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Closing in on my goal for “Fire this Time” - if everyone would do two things 1) support the making of this film with just a $20.00 donation and 2) encourage 2 of your friends to do the same - it will allow me to license some additional footage and photos - you can donate now by going here: http://www.cmt-tv.org/#!join-the-team/c1195 CMT-TV.org is a 501c3 non-profit organizations thus your donations are tax deductible - thank you - the making of this film will help me attract more resources which will allow real community filmmaking in STL -Phillip W. Johnson Producer of the #Ferguson Film Fire this Time

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CAREERS

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A big Thank You to our CONTRIBUTERS