Arts Today 4.5 early edition

Vol 4.5

JULY 2, 2017

|

TA-NEHISI

COATES Between the World pg #32 by: Dr. Jerry Ward

DR. MALAIKA

Horne

African American History... pg #46

ELAINE

Young

Featured Artist pg #60

View this and past issues from our website.

ALL COLORS

RODNEY KING...

MEDIA...

pg. #8

pg. #29

pg.#38

CALL FOR ART

MARIAH RICHARDSON

BERNIE HAYES

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)

pg.

2

Coco Soul

1

at Judy's Velvet Lounge in River City Casino

30

Coco jammin' with The Band, Vote4Pedro at Bottleneck Blues Bar at Ameristar Casino, 1 Ameristar Blvd., Saint Charles, MO 63301

Coco Soul at Judy's Velvet Lounge 7/1 in River City Casino, 777 River City Casino Blvd. | St. Louis, MO 63125.

Coco jammin' with The Band 6/30 Vote4Pedro at Bottleneck Blues Bar at Ameristar Casino, 1 Ameristar Blvd. | Saint Charles, MO 63301 Copyright Š 2017 - All rights reserved.

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

IN THIS

ISSUE:

6

8

IN THE NEWS POLITICAL HISTORY...

CALL FOR ART ALL COLORS

32

28 RODNEY KING - MOVIE REVIEW MARIAH L. RICHARDSON

BETWEEN THE WORLD AND TA-NEHISI DR. JERRY WARD

90

82

ART OF FOOD LENA O.A. JACKSON

KEVIN POWELL ON TUPAC OLIVIA JORDAN

pg.

4

LIVE / WORK / PLAY NATE JOHNSON

15

16

POLICING THEIR OWN VICKIE NEWTON

60

38 MEDIA BERNIE HAYES

FEATURED ARTIST ELAINE YOUNG 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 4.5 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.

Copyright Š 2017 - All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT:

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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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

IN THE NEWS

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS for the Annual Fellowship Programme for people of African descent

GENEVA (21 March 2017) – The United Nations Human Rights Office today announced the opening of the application period for its annual Fellowship Program for People of African Descent.

The Fellowship Program is one of the key activities taking place during the UN International Decade for People of African Descent, which was launched to effectively improve the human rights situation of Afro-descendants worldwide.

Every year, the Program offers an intensive learning opportunity to people of African descent on human rights issues of particular importance to Afro-descendants globally. Topics include: human rights law, forms of racial discrimination, access to justice, and racial profiling, among others. Fellows learn about a wide range of UN anti-racism legal instruments and mechanisms, which can help them in combating racism and racial discrimination and in the overall protection and promotion of human rights.

Application Process:

“Through our Fellowship Program, we want to empower a new generation of advocates to combat racism everywhere, and to advance the human rights of Afro-descendants. While the abolition of slavery brought freedom, many of the deeply discriminatory social structures were never torn down and remain to this day. Our past Fellows are using their human rights knowledge to open new avenues for recognition, justice and development for Afro-descendants in their countries,” said Yury Boychenko, Chief of the Anti-Racial Discrimination Section at the UN Human Rights Office.

Following the completion of the three-week long programme, past Fellows have carried out human rights awareness and capacity building initiatives for civil society working to promote the rights of Afro-descendants in their respective countries. They have also supported civil society engagement with UN during fact-finding missions to their countries. A number of Fellows have successfully received grants for local projects; contributed to discussions about national plans of action on combatting racism; and lobbied for new anti-racism legislation.

pg.

6

Applications and additional information are available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ Issues/Racism/WGAfricanDescent/Pages/ FellowshipProgramme.aspx). The Fellowship Program application period begins on March 21, 2017 and runs until May 31, 2017.

Applicants must be fluent in English, should have a minimum of 4 years of work experience related to promoting Afro-descendant rights and must be currently employed by an organization working on issues related to People of African Descent or minority rights. They must submit their CV and a letter from their organization, certifying their status.

Selected Fellows must be available to attend the full duration of the Program, which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 13 November to 1 December 2017.

Additional resources: Video of past Fellows: https://youtu.be/BSiCHpZ_6PA UN Decade for People of African Descent: http://www.un.org/ en/events/africandescentdecade/

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Volume 4.54.5 Volume July 2, 2017 July 2, 2017

"Quiet Time" by: Lonnie Powell

"Cuban Dancer" by: Ed Johnetta Miller pg.

8

June 26, 2017 PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Contact: Robert A. Powell 314-265-0432 Portfoliogallery@att.net,

Portfolio Gallery today issues its call for art, and invites visual artist of all disciplines to enter at:www.portfoliogallerystl.org The “All Colors” Fine Art Show will feature 100 artist and 200 pieces of art, both local and nationally known artists, collectors and educators to the St. Louis Region.

The “All Colors” exhibition will feature the art of invited artist Dean Mitchell, Charles Bibbs, Manuelita Brown, Ed Johnetta Miller, Lonnie Powell, Robert Hale, Sandra Smith, Cbabi Bayoc, Thomas Sleet, Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, Ronald Johnson and others.

Our goal is to create an exciting art event that attracts a national audience. Sells income will support general operations of Portfolio, Inc. a not-for-profit 501C3 arts organization and further be used to provide grants to St. Louis artists, small notfor-profits and community based organizations.

Please join the award winning Portfolio Gallery as it presents its 1st Annual “All Colors” Visual Arts Invitational & Juried Exhibition to be held January 13th through February 28, 2018, at the St. Louis Artist Guild, 12 Jackson Avenue, Clayton, Missouri 63105.

Portfolio Gallery is a member of The Alliance of Black Galleries

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

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)

pg.

10

July 2, 3 & 4th Copyright Š 2017 - All rights reserved.

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

OP / ED SECTION

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

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

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 “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.

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

pg.

12

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.

A

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 – 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

now it might do us some good to call upon our ancestors for wisdom, strength and guidance. Our foremothers Copyright Š 2017 - All rights reserved.

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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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.

pg.

14

POLICING Their Own It’s become more and more challenging for Black police officers to remain silent when their White counterparts kill men and women of color. One of the most important voices in the national conversation about police brutality is Reddit Hudson, a former police officer. Hudson recently spoke with TheVillageCelebration’s Vickie Newton about the need for Black officers and others to speak out.

READ MORE Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

IVE WORK PLAY

Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017 St. Louis

I

hope that you are doing well. Last month was certainly magical in St. Louis, and there is certainly more to come! I have a few event suggestions for you to help make it a great month. Hopefully I'll see you at some of them!

JULY

7

thru

JULY

9

Tonight, First Fridays begins at the St. Louis Science Center. This is a free event aimed towards guest 16 and older. The event includes sci fi trivia, presentations and a 10 p.m. viewing of Beetlejuice.

Running most of July is The Discovery of King Tut at the Saint Louis Science Center. The exhibit features a replica of King Tut's Tomb and over 1,000 objects. In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the untouched tomb and now you can view it just as he did!

Garden of Glass is on display until August 13th at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. This delicate display is composed of 30 unique pieces created just for this exhibit. The artist, Craig Mitchell Smith, has had his work displayed in Walt Disney's Epcot Center, HGTV, and various botanical gardens.

Grammy Award Winner Jill Scott will be gracing the stage at the Fabulous Fox on July 8th.

Come out and enjoy her soulful voice while relishing the beautiful Fox theater!

The Antiques Roadshow will also be in town on the 8th at the America's Center. Come out and see what your treasures are really worth, all for free!

pg.

16

Local Events JULY

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

IVE WORK PLAY

If you're looking for some Monday night fun catch singer songwriter Michelle Branch at Delmar Hall.

July 10th - July 16th Clayton is having their annual restaurant week. Fifteen of Clayton's best fine dining restaurants will offer guests a 3 course meal for either $25 or $35 per person plus tax and tip. No coupons required, but reservations are encouraged!

Whitaker Music Festival takes place every Wednesday night at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. On July 12th pack a picnic and enjoying the sounds of one of my favorites, and one of the best jazz pianists around, Ptah Williams!

Running July 13th - July 19th is a spin-off of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, All Shook Up. The Muny at Forest Park hosts this musical based in the 1950s featuring all of your favorite Elvis tunes.

The Art Hill Film Series begins July 14th, and runs for the next three Fridays.

Bring the family out for a showing of the Titanic!

JULY

10 thru

Also on Friday, Historic Downtown Maplewood is hosting their annual event, Let Them Eat Art. This event starts with a parade at 6:30 p.m. Live music and art will continue throughout the evening. Local vendors will also showcase the best Maplewood has to offer!

Kirkwood Peach Festival kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning with a Best Tasting Peach Contest. Local farmers will offer samples of their produce as well as seasonal treats. The shops of Kirkwood will also be holding a sidewalk sale!

On July 16th take a loved one to the Sunday Brunch Cruise at the Arch. Unwind aboard a delightful riverboat while riding along the Mississippi River and admiring the breathtaking St. Louis City skyline. Enjoy a catered brunch while listening to the uplifting sounds of a live band.

JULY

16

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

IVE WORK PLAY

Act your pants off is hosting a comedy night Tuesday. Showcase your acting and improv talents on stage at St. Lou Fringe. Bring the entire family and come watch or participate in a night filled with laughter.

Join in the exercise at Yoga in Ballpark Village. The free Yoga classes start on Wednesday at 6 p.m. All ages, levels, and abilities welcome.

On Thursday make sure to catch the legendary Steve Martin and Martin Short at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Their show will contain stand up comedy, musical numbers, and stories about Hollywood.

Make it out to Busch Stadium this weekend to watch the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Chicago Cubs. Take in the sounds of the ballpark while watching your favorite baseball team play the current World Champions. The Cardinals will play the Cubs at home on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Make sure to get out and enjoy the world's greatest game, baseball!

JULY

17 thru

JULY

22

Step outside Friday evening, relax and listen to music from Vince Martin and Dawn Turlington from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the beautiful Villa Antonio Wineryin Hillsboro, MO. Enjoy food and wine tastings while sitting outside listening to great music!

Grab your blankets and picnic baskets to join in for a free movie showing on Art Hill. The Saint Louis Art Museum is hosting a summer movie series on Friday nights throughout the summer. It is a great outing with the family! Free festivities and food trucks begin at 6 p.m. and Dream Girls, the movie, starts at 9 p.m.

Join the fun this weekend while watching a live performance of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and the Beast will be performed at the COCA Theatre in the Delmar Loop. The show will be playing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Make sure to make it out for a great dinner in the Loop and then catch a performance of the live action play!

When you get hungry Saturday make sure to stop by the Greek Kitchen in Ellisville, MO. The Greek Kitchen is hosting A Taste Of Greece with authentic, made from scratch Greek food and belly dancers. There will be a drawing for a free meal for two including a bottle of wine. The Greek Kitchen will host this event Saturday from 11 a.m.- 4p.m.

Take a step outside with a guided tour of St. Louis architecture. The tour will split between three starting points. For the East walking tour you will meet at the Old Courthouse adjacent to the newly remodeled Kiener Plaza. The Central walking tour will start at Tigin Irish Pub. The West walking tour will start at Union Station.

The tours will be held on Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

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20

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

IVE WORK PLAY

St. Charles County Fair is starting this Tuesday and running through Saturday.

Pack up the family and head out to Rotary Park in Foristell, MO. Nickelback is playing at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater on Tuesday night!

Do you have something from your attic that may be worth thousands? Bring it down to Selkirk Auctioneers and Appraisers, Walk in Appraisal Day. You may bring up to six items in to have a free appraisal done. Selkirk works with everything from pictures to pottery. Stop by anytime Tuesday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and find out how much your harbored items are worth.

Seniors, on Thursday The City of Florissant is hosting a Senior Party and Bingo event. There will be live shows and a lunch BBQ is included. Don't miss the opportunity to gather with friends and play some BINGO! Grab your blankets and picnic baskets and join us for another free movie showing on Art Hill. Free festivities and food trucks begin at 6 p.m. and To Catch A Thief starts at 9 p.m.

JULY

24 thru

JULY

30

Gather the kids and head out to Chesterfield on Saturday. Nestle will be hosting a 3 vs 3 basketball tournament at Chesterfield Valley Sports Complex. Ages 10 and up, all playing abilities welcome!

Pick up your fresh fruits and vegetables at the Ferguson Farmers Market.

Fruits and vegetables are not the only thing you will find at the Market.

There is always a live band, fresh cooked breakfast options, and vendors selling one of a kind crafts. The Ferguson Farmers Market is every Saturday from 8 a.m. - Noon until mid-October.

Yes, we have a great month ahead of us! Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

All the best. -Nate 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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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

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.

pg.

26

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

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Rodney King Reviewed by Mariah L. Richardson.

Roger Guenveur Smith gives voice to the man at the center of the brutal police beating that helped fuel the 1992 LA riots. Spike Lee directs.

?

Can't We Get Along Before Micheal Brown and Ferguson. Before Trayvon Martin, Before Philando Castile there was the granddaddy of them all, Rodney King.

T

he beating of Rodney King on March 3, 1991 was the first time the nation saw real life police brutality against black men broadcast into their living rooms.

Though racism is a hallmark of the United States and police violence against black people is not a new phenomenon, the beating of Rodney King, caught on video by bystander George Holiday, showed the world the viciousness of the Los Angeles police department. Roger Guenveur Smith, prolific actor, writer, and director recounts the story in a solo performance piece now airing on Netflix. Though written by Smith it is directed by Spike Lee. I first saw Smith in 1989 in Lee’s film about Black and Italian relationships, Do the Right Thing. Smith plays the part of Smiley. Smith has done over 50 films and has created other solo shows such as, A Huey P. Newton Story, Frederick Douglass Now, and Who Killed Bob Marley.

Lee begins Rodney King with the voice over of the 911 call that reports the drowning of Rodney King in his backyard swimming pool. Then the camera fades in onto Smith, alone on a bare stage. A black box with nothing but Smith and a microphone. As the beating unfolds Smith uses his voice and whole body to accentuate the sounds of each blow. I could hear, in my imagination, what the beating, outside a Lake View Terrace apartment building, must have sounded like. In the original footage of the beating there was no audio. The beating just goes on and on and on until you want to yell for Smith to stop. For the officers to stop.

This is so painful to watch. Smith goes on to tell the story of the trial set in the police bedroom community of Simi Valley.

One by one the four officers are acquitted. Los Angeles erupts. Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, blackowned businesses, all go up in smoke. Korean shop owners armed on rooftops in Koreatown. The National guard called in to protect Beverly Hills. I was returned to that day and the memories began to flood back to me. After hearing the verdict I left my job at the The American Film Institute and made my way through Laurel Canyon back to my small apartment in Studio City. I stopped at Lucky’s supermarket to pick up something for dinner. The store was filled with white shoppers making a run on staple items; milk, bread, water. I became uneasy as they stared at me; suspicious, nervous. The lid had been blown off of the myth of police

brutality and that verdict forced nice white people to face the ugly truth about those who wear the badge. Apparently, they have been slow to learn.

Through Smith’s eloquent storytelling we find that this piece is not just about Rodney King but includes events that happened during the three days of unrest and subsequent days that follow. This story could go on until the present to include beating after beating, killing after killing of black and brown and red and yellow folk in this country. Smith takes on a journey though the stories of some of the other people that were seriously impacted by police brutality and a prejudiced judicial system. He tells us about Reginald Denny, the white truck driver beaten by rioters that had taken to the streets after the acquittal. Smith humanizes Denny and speaks as if, maybe, at another time King could have met him, they could have been friendly towards one another. King pleaded for peace but Denny would suffer for being white in the wrong place at the right time. He was dragged from his truck and hit in the head with a cinder block as one of the attackers danced a victory dance. Smith goes on to speak of 15 year old Latasha Harlins, who thirteen days after the beating of Rodney King was shot and killed by Korean convenience store owner, Soon Ja Du, over a $1.79 bottle of orange juice. Soon received only 500 hours of community service. Another death illustrating how America devalues Black lives. Roger Guenveur Smith pours all his sweat and his unique perspective on this historical event and he does it through the lens of humanism. These are not just names but real people, with real families, and as we learn about Rodney King, real personal problems. Roger Guenveur Smith shines a light on how those infected with the disease of white supremacy in the position of power use violence to deal with their insecurity of the “other”. This performance is well done and the 52 minutes is packed with raw emotion and factual information that makes this show a must see.

Mariah is an adjunct professor and playwright. Her last play was, Idris Elba is James Bond.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zjauUcjAXh0

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

Hello, I would love it if you took a moment to check out my GoFundMe campaign: CLICK GOFUNDME LINK BELOW TO DONATE https://www.gofundme.com/black-archaeologist-season-4

Your support would mean a lot to me.

Thank you so much!

- Michael Lambert

Black Archaeologist. pg.

30

Ticket $40

"ARMED WITH MY HORN, I WILL CONTINUE TO KNOCK DOWN BARRIERS; AWAKEN THE SPIRIT AND SERENADE THE HEART." - YANCYY

Special Guest Detroit Native

Yancyy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm8uZzR-4bY

Montez Coleman Drums

Tony Suggs, Piano

Jeffrey Anderson, Bass

Sunday July 23, 2017 The Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz 3536 Washington Ave. St. Louis, MO. 63103

Anita Jackson, Vocalist

All tickets available via the Jazz St. Louis Box Office 3536 Washington, St. Louis, MO 63103 – (314) 571-6000 Mon. – Fri., 10am – 5pm and Saturdays, 2pm – 10pm Or online by visiting: www.jazzstl.org $1.50 fee added to purchases by phone or online Checks can also be written to Jazz St. Louis

6:00pm – Doors open at 5:00pm (Performance by CWAH Music Students) *All Proceeds Benefit Modern American Music Program for Beginners and Immediate students

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

Between the World and Ta-Nehisi Coates

During the final session of the "Generations of Struggle" series at the New Orleans Public Library on June 15, 2017, we arrived at diverging opinions about two four-letter words ---hope and love. The catalyst was Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me. As overlapping abstractions, hope and love may inspire some African American readers to think of universal virtues, to dwell ---however momentarily ---in a realm of ideals. These readers are optimists. They believe we can hear the harmony of liberty above the cacophony of the United States of America. We can hear the harmony if we are true to our God and to our native land. The song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," co-authored by the brothers James Weldon and Rosamond Johnson, is an anthem, a hymn of faith. The same readers faithfully embrace Arna Bontemps's admonition to hold fast to dreams. Their thinking habits as dreamers align them oddly with the Dreamers, who Coates describes at one point, as people who "plunder not just the bodies of humans but the body of the Earth itself" (150).

When African spirituality is integrated with New World religiosity, these Christ-haunted readers thrive. They are romantics.

assertion that "The Dreamers will have to learn to struggle themselves, to understand that the field for their Dream, the stage where they have painted themselves white, is the deathbed of us all" (151). They will neither pit Coates against Wright nor Baldwin against Coates in the discourse on systemic racism. They are aware that systemic racism is blind and deaf and dumb in its rejection of civility, in its embrace of barbarity. They know that the words guilt, hope, love, innocence are unstable signifiers in a human being's descriptions of existence and choices of identity.

At the end of the reader's rainbow that is remote from those who pursue either neutrality or romance are the strong readers who contend that discussions of hope and love are compulsively fractal. They are relentlessly critical of how Baldwin and Coates wrote jeremiads for the unregenerate.

They do respect how Coates and Baldwin, in greater and lesser degrees, championed the need for love of Self prior to love for the Others, but they do not believe that faith transcends Darwinian action or deep knowledge about the eternal struggle to combat the corrosive properties of all that dehumanizes. They inhabit the region between the world and Coates and fill the void that plagues and limits Coates's book as equipment for living. Those readers are my comrades.

Jerry W. Ward, Jr. June 18, 2017

Among the readers in our group who occupy the middle of a spectrum, love and hope are philosophical possibilities not eschatological, historical givens. The readers are as judicial as Jesuits. They are tolerant. They have compassion both for readers who are locked in bubbles of faith and routine and for readers who are bubble-busters, who reject rosecolored visions of what is actual. They hear in Coates's appropriation of Richard Wright's superb lynching poem a warning against uncritical, unconditional embracing of hope and love. They are aware of how Coates borrowed and modified the form and content of James Baldwin's "My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" and "Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind" (The Fire Next Time. New York: The Dial Press, 1963). They do not worry that Coates is more "commercial" than Baldwin was (and continues to be). They give passionate attention to Baldwin's claim that "it is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime" (19-20). They weigh that claim against Coates's

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CALL FOR ART “All Colors” OVERVIEW: “All Colors” is an invitational and juried arts exhibit featuring the art of approximately 100 artists and 200 pieces of art. The show takes place January 13 through February 28, 2018 at the St. Louis Artist Guild, 12 Jackson Avenue, Clayton, Missouri 63105. We expect strong attendance, as the “All Colors” exhibit is a fund raiser with art and related funds to benefit artist of all disciplines, small not for profit 501C3 organizations and community/neighborhood organizations. Clayton, and the surrounding region have long been supporters of the arts and Portfolio Gallery and the “All Colors” sponsors are committed to make this exhibit a successful fund raiser and to introduce the St. Louis Metropolitan region to artist that mainstream publications have overlooked.

HOW TO APPLY: Online applications may be completed though Portfolio’s website at www.portfoliogallerystl.org Click the Call for Art link that will take you to the sign-up, upload and payment. Each application must include the requested uploaded images and an artist’s statement of 100 words or less explaining the artist’s creative process including specific information about technique and materials.

Submit your art now!

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

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

(Nina Simone)

pg.

36

#BlackDollsMatter

Buy Now!!!

Bring a sense of pride and strength to the extraordinary girl in your life.

Madeline Delilah Doll and chapter book www.stagemotherproductions.com Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

It is a well-known fact that African-Americans are trailing whites in the areas of business, education and housing. The most evident

admission is that the unemployment rate for blacks is twice that of whites.

There have been proposals and plans to help solve these problems, but what are the real reasons behind the inequalities and inequities?

I have some personal observations and opinions. I understand racism is widespread in the region and blacks are still the last hired and first fired.

But I also ask why?

I believe that it is hard for young black men and women to get a job wearing a bandanna or stocking cap on their head, and speaking in the language of gangsta rappers and hip-hop disc jockeys. I assume to look for a job with gold teeth, baggy pants or mini-skirts might be a turn-off to some employers.

I also presume that using videos and movies actors for role models will not get you in Black Enterprise.

I used to disagree with persons who said the music of today reflects the lifestyle of the artists when they rap about gang violence, drugs and pg.

murder. I have changed my mind. I am now convinced that these young thugs and want-to-be gangsters are duplicating what they see on the video channels and in the movies designed to attract young African-American males and females. I am certain the writers and producers of the films and videotapes that are directed to this population are made without regard to consequences in the African-American community. They are not targeting their community.

How heartbreaking, depressing and disappointing it is to see and read news reports of African-American men killing each other day-to-day, over drugs or territory. How horrible it is to hear of people killed while attending a funeral, or a person ambushed while doing laundry. How frightening it is to hear of couples killed while sitting in their automobile. How can you kill children?

These are just a few of the many examples I could give relating to the carnage on our streets. And people wonder why the elders are afraid of the persons who are supposed to protect them.

I have been writing about the influence of negative and destructive images in our community for years but no one is listening. I have been asking the St. Louis Clergy Coalition and the St, Louis Ministerial Alliance to develop a

38

campaign against the steady schedule of lewdness and filth that is broadcast to the public. Does anyone care?

I applaud the activists who are campaigning to stop the killing and the violence.

Wouldn’t it be great if we planned to have 30 nasty videos and 30 filthy compact discs removed from television and radio stations every 30 days?

Don’t the people realize the influence these images have on young minds?

What will it take to move the village to action?

The Federal Communications Commission has finally come into the argument. The FCC once fined a radio station $7000 for playing a record the agency considered ‘indecent.’ The FCC acted in response to a complaint by a listener. Just One Listener! The agency’s indecency policy provides clear guidelines about what language the First Amendment protects and what language the FCC must ban from the airways.

You, the Clergy Coalition and anyone who wants to get involved can start a campaign to clean up some of the immorality, denigrating lyrics and lewdness and vulgarity that invade the African-American community. If your leaders won’t do it, do it yourself.

You can you know. Perhaps if young people saw positive role models and heard lyrics reflecting true AfricanAmerican culture, they would have a better chance for a rewarding future and a better quality of life.

Bob Law, Ira Jones and I, and a dedicated group of broadcasters, journalists and activists are crusading to make positive, lifesaving changes to and for our community. Won’t you help? Please! ~Bernie Hayes

The goal is to protect young listeners because the courts have highlighted that there is something invasive about broadcasting because it comes into your home. So you see, you can make a change.

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Celebrate our 40th anniversary with a gift to

The Black Rep. Your Impact can be felt onstage

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Entertaining Diverse Audiences

In the classroom

Educating Promising Youth In our community

Enriching Our Community Your gift will help us advance our mission of providing platforms for theatre, dance and other creative expressions from an African American perspective that heighten the social and cultural awareness of its audiences.

We could not do what we do without you.

Thank you for a wonderful 40th anniversary season MAKE YOUR GIFT BY FRIDAY, JUNE 30TH

DONATE

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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

website: www.cedargrovebooks.com | twitter.com/cedargrovebooks | facebook.com/cedargrovepublishing pg.

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AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IS

AMERICAN HISTORY

A FRICAN A MERICAN H ISTORY IS A MERICAN H ISTORY Exhibit Chronicles the Struggle for Social Justice in St Louis Malaika Horne interviews Gwen Moore, curator, Missouri History Museum You serve as curator at the Missouri History Museum for the exhibit #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis. I know you had been working on it for a few years now and your hard work has really paid off.

What were the reasons for originating this project? And how did you come up with such a provocative title?

The History Museum

wanted to tell a story that we felt has often been overlooked, the long struggle for racial equality in the City of St. Louis. We knew that it was an intriguing story that appeared to be largely unknown. Generally, local history is not emphasized in our region’s schools and people’s view of civil rights is a movement that occurred in the Deep South in a specific period of time, usually from 1954 to 1968 or so. We wanted to focus attention on the rich history of the African American freedom struggle in St. Louis and the contributions our struggle made to the larger national story.

Gwen Moore, curator, Urban Landscape and Community Identity, Missouri History Museum, Forest Park, at the museum’s Library and Research Center on Skinker Blvd.

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The provocative title of the exhibit came from the writings of Judge Nathan B. Young, who was one of the founders of the St. Louis American Newspaper in 1928 and its editorial writer for over forty years. Judge Young had a deep interest in local African American history and did pioneering research. He often published that research in the St. Louis American. He made the claim repeatedly that St. Louis occupied a critical role in the African American freedom struggle.

He made his position

crystal clear in the Bicentennial issue of the paper published September 22, 1964 when he wrote a long article charting the City’s history of racial protest dating to 1819, on the cusp of Missouri’s entrance into the union.

The banner headline read, “Number One City in Civil Rights History.”

Reportedly it's a big hit with record attendance. Why do you think it's so popular?

The attendance has been strong, but record attendance is not a claim that I’m willing to make. Most people do like the exhibition. I think that it’s because it’s telling their story. And by that I mean the story of St. Louisans across racial lines. I often voice that this is an American story because African American history is American history.

Are there any themes that run through it?

There are several themes. First, that St. Louis civil rights history is different from the history of the Deep South movement because St. Louis was and is different from the Deep South. Missouri was a border state, a slave state that remained in the Union during the Civil War. It was a blend of North and South. After the Civil War, St. Louis as a rule imposed no Jim Crow law although segregation was largely a way of life here. The only racially restrictive laws were state laws that mandated segregated schools and made interracial marriage illegal. St. Louis was a mixed bag. Certain

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AFRICAN AMERICAN... cont.

institutions didn’t ban Blacks, like the public library, public transportation, the zoo and museums located in Forest Park. At the same time, although

A History Museum exhibit banner facing Lindell Blvd.

not legally barred from eating facilities, theaters, hotels and recreational facilities, Blacks knew that these were places that they dare not enter.

The other crucial factor that distinguished St. Louis and Missouri from the Deep South is that after the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1865 that gave Black men the vote, there were no barriers erected to the franchise.

In other words, there was no attempt to impose a grandfather clause, poll

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taxes, property or literacy requirements, or White primaries. Voting gave Blacks a measure of political clout, albeit limited, but just the same it had important consequences for the civil rights movement locally. Fighting for the vote is one fight that Blacks in St. Louis didn’t have.

What do you think stands out the most?

As far as what stands out the most is hard to say. Different visitors are impacted by different sections of the exhibition. Many are struck by the section on the East St. Louis Race Riot of 1917; others are surprised to learn of the early sit-in movement of the 1940’s and 1950’s, decades before the more well known sit-ins that began in Greensboro, N.C. in 1960. There are so many surprises about the depth of the movement here.

Yes, it’s indeed full of surprises. Most like me have to go back numerous times to get the real breadth and depth of it. Any other comments from museumgoers that stand out for you?

We do have a comment section where we ask visitors to ponder certain questions related to the local struggle.

I find them to be optimistic.

People appreciate the work that has been done by people in the past and even though they see racism and discrimination as lingering problems in American life, still believe that we can move forward (but maybe that movement forward is entirely too slow).

These are not exactly rhetorical questions, but why is it important to know your history? And why do you think the civil rights struggle in St. Louis has been overlooked?

It’s often said that before we can move forward toward a more just society, the United States must come to terms with its past. But before we can come to terms with its past, we must understand our past. And the first step in understanding our past is knowing that past. That is the power and the purpose of history.

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AFRICAN AMERICAN... cont.

You mentioned earlier that African American history is American history. Could you elaborate?

In some quarters, the American part of African American can be misunderstood.

The African American story is a distinctly, uniquely,

quintessential an American story. It’s about people who had (and have) an abiding faith in the American ideals and democratic principles of equality, justice, fairness and tolerance, even as they were being excluded. But even in exclusion their faith in these principles was unshaken and so strong that they felt empowered to demand inclusion. Protest and dissent against an unjust system is patriotic. And those who protest injustice are the ultimate patriots. With this exhibit we’re celebrating activists and all the sacrifices they’ve made to insure that the country lives up to its ideals and in effect safeguard democracy that is the hallmark of American society.

Protest and dissent against an unjust system is patriotic.

And those who protest injustice are the ultimate patriots.

The exhibit recognizes many of these stalwart supporters of the cause, those in the distant past like Dred and Harriet Scott, Annie Malone and Homer G. Phillips as well as contemporaries including Congressman William L. Clay, Sr., Attorney Frankie Muse Freeman, activists Percy Green, Jamala Rogers, Bonnie Rosen and Pam Talley to former head of the Urban League, James Buford, music leader and activist Prince Wells, III and many, many more. So, what kind of an impact do you think the exhibit is having?

Impact is hard to measure. The Museum’s goal is to get the history “out there.” The impact is yet to be determined.

Did anything surprise you? This includes while collecting objects, conducting interviews or just the exhibit itself?

The most surprising finds were items in the Catholic archives. They were letters and documents written by Charles Anderson, an African American teacher at Sumner High School and a life-long Catholic who challenged

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discrimination in the Catholic Church and protested St. Louis University’s ban on the admission of Blacks. Because of his battle, and those of two outspoken priests, St. Louis University desegregated in 1944. One of those items was a document that Anderson distributed to passersby as he protested in front of St. Francis Xavier College Church on the corner of Grand and Lindell. In it, Anderson lays out his case as to why he should be admitted while refuting the university’s rationale as to why it cannot admit African Americans. Quite a document!

The Ferguson upheaval is included. This is when protesters demonstrated against the police murder of Michael Brown, August 9, 2014. While historians, like yourself, prefer to give such recent events more time before they weigh in, tell us about this part of the exhibit and why it was included?

We considered the Ferguson unrest as part of the narrative arc of the local civil rights story. The struggle continues as unfolding events in Ferguson so pointedly demonstrate. Out of that struggle emerged many young activists; we feature many of them as well.

The exhibit opened March 11 this year and ends April 15, 2018. What's next for you?

I’d like to do research on Mill Creek, the African American community that was destroyed beginning in 1959. I also have a strong interest in African American commercial activity before the advent of desegregation, particularly Black women’s businesses.

Ms. Moore, I want to thank you and the museum staff for putting together an outstanding representation of an often-overlooked part of St. Louis history. I know you recently said you couldn’t include everything, but you included quite a lot. I’m sure most if not all St. Louisans feel very proud. The courage, sacrifice and tenacity of these activists to bring about social change are remarkable and it’s about time to bring this history to light.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Malaika Horne, PhD, is an academic writer and journalist.

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A CALL TO CONSCIENCE PRESENTS

THE PRICE OF THE TICKET FILM SCREENING/PANEL DISCUSSION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 @ 7 P.M. SCHLAFLY BRANCH LIBRARY 225 N. EUCLID 63108

James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, activist and social critic. Click this link for more information on this presentation and on A CALL TO CONSCIENCE

Link: http://www.acalltoconscience.org/ pg.

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HOT GLASS BLOOMS TO LIFE AT THIRD FRIDAY!

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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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Interview with Veronica Newton Runaway enslaved patrol...

Listen as Sociologist Veronica Newton explains how runaway slave patrols served as the foundation for today’s police departments.

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After three days of deliberating, the jury in the Philando Castile trial acquitted the police officer who shot and killed the Minnesota man during a traffic stop last summer.

It was yet another disappointment for a Black family robbed of a loved one by a police officer who claimed he “didn’t have a choice” but to shoot. The verdict sent shockwaves throughout the country, prompting Chelsea Clinton to offer her condolences.

Philando’s uncle spoke with TheVillageClebration last year about his nephew.

Click here to listen

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Featured

Artist

Submission

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Elaine

ARTIST BIO:

Edited by Margie P. Hollins, President, Dance For Cassandra, Inc.

Artist Elaine Young was born displaying her passion for art. As a child she spent her most of her time drawing, and in high school the native St. Louisan hand painted tee-shirts and designed hats for the Black Power Movement, while juxtaposing abstracts and still life images in her school art classes.

Her works created in high school awarded her a full academic and art scholarship to a premier art school, Washington University’s School of Fine Arts, in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Elaine’s father was an Artist, and had attended the same school in the early 1950s. He shared a portfolio of his paintings and drawings when she announced her college major was art. “I never had knowledge of my Father’s fine art background. He never talked about it, and his career in art was painting large banners for neighborhood grocery stores for many years.”

Elaine later trained with her Father and learned well the art of lettering for sign making.

After receiving a B.F.A. from Washington University’s School of Fine Arts in 1977, Elaine began her first job as a graphic designer, working for the Federal Government. That is where she met another Fine Artist named O.T. (Oliver Tice), who introduced her to “Creative Company”, an African American artist group in Saint Louis, Missouri. Her involvement in this group would lead to her participating in exhibitions throughout the Saint Louis metro area for the next 15 years.

Elaine grew professionally working various positions as a graphic designer while still exhibiting fine art. She became an Art Director at Maritz Inc. in the early 80s, and in the 1990s established a freelance firm called Hopscotch Communications.

This freelance firm later became her full time job when she was downsized out of corporate America in 2004.

Young Elaine was one of the first Artists to live in the St. Louis Grand Center Art District, and exhibits monthly. Her works include African American abstract paintings and collages. These pieces are expressions of her connection between her African heritage and present experience as a Black woman living in America. Her stylized paintings of women or abstract, faceless images are powerful statements inspired by many role models, and powerful women of color who have had a social impact.

“My latest works include African Fabric, and intricate Collages which make my works a personal statement as to what I believe, and live to be true. In fact, it actually symbolizes my experience as an African American woman. My goal is to continue to grow, and increase my knowledge of my heritage by embracing African Genealogy, and how it links to my present life.”

Elaine has always given back to her community. In 1988, she and the late Charles Walker, another Saint Louis Artist; established AADIS (African American Designers in Saint Louis).

Elaine now serves as President of this long running 501 (c) 3 organization whose goals are to mentor students in the arts. ADDIS has mentored many under-served youth instilling knowledge, and training from graphic technology to fine art. The organization has also offered free computer classes to youth and young adults, provided training to students and young adults in art and hosted exhibitions. They have also provided art contests for up and coming artists. As an art Educator, since 2008, Elaine has worked at Florissant Valley Community College training the student staff of the school newspaper.

While sharing her creativity, Elaine says she was highly inspired by 3 young men: Ryan, her oldest son who is a retired NFL player, motivational /spiritual speaker, mentor, Character Coach (an initiative of Fellowship of Christian Athletes) in Dallas, Texas; Avery, who is the youngest and works in film and production in Los Angeles, currently working with a production team for a major TV show with Steve Harvey; and Lamont, her nephew, who lived with her from his early teen years until adulthood; who is an area manager for a major job placement firm in Palm Beach County, Florida area.

As a graphic/web developer Elaine has continued to expand her knowledge in the design technology industry by taking additional classes in web design and animation. Today, the majority of the projects she works on as the Creative visionary of Hopscotch Communications are for corporations, small businesses, Non-for-Profits, and individuals having clients based in Saint Louis. Her work also extends her client base to major locations such as Dallas, TX, Norfolk, VA, Atlanta, GA, Royal Palm Beach, and Chicago, IL. Las Vegas, NV and other cities.

“Fine art is my main career focus as I progress into my later years of life. It offers me moments of tranquility where my soul is at much peace. My creative life is very spiritual, and using my many gifts brings me much joy!”

Her Fine Art pieces are inclusive in her design business.

Annually, several of her clients commission her works to be used for corporate and community award designs, and related projects. Many of her work pieces can be found in the offices of dignitaries.

Metropolitan Artist Lofts, 500 North Grand Blvd. - Loft #210, St. Louis, MO 63103.

Email: hopdezin@swbell.net,

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Elaine Young can be contacted at: 314.535.5663 Landline, 817-627-7068 Mobile,

Website: www.hopscotchcommunications.com

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

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EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Powell discusses his Tupac Shakur biopic lawsuit with MEDIUM: by: Olivia Jordan

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Twenty years after his unsolved death, Tupac Shakur remains one of the most engrossing figures for fans of hip-hop. A talented young performer with a dynamic character, Tupac has proven to be an enduring figure in music history, with generations old and new showing interest in his music and complex life-story. ALL EYEZ ON ME, a new Tupac Shakur biopic, has come under fire since its mid-June premiere, receiving overwhelmingly unfavorable reviews and facing criticism from high-profile figures such as Jada Pinkett Smith, 50 Cent, and John Singleton. The most serious action taken against the film, however, came this week from Kevin Powell, an author of 12 books and an activist who worked as a senior writer at Vibe magazine. Powell has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the writers and producers of the biopic, asserting that elements of his exclusive Vibe articles were lifted without credit, permission, or compensation. In this exclusive interview, Powell speaks for the first and only time about his reaction to the film, his journalistic integrity, and his motivation to file the lawsuit.

QUESTION: You’ve been best-known as an activist and author

for at least the last decade; and you ran for Congress in New York City in 2008 and 2010. Has it been odd to find yourself pulled back into the center of the hip-hop universe again?

KEVIN: I’ve actually been a writer and an activist for 30 longs

years, since I was a teenager and a college student at Rutgers University. My awakening came during the anti-apartheid era on college campuses in the 1980s, and because of Jesse Jackson’s runs for President. Those things, and reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X as an 18-year-old, and learning Black history, learning American history holistically, changed my life forever. I was very clear from that point forward that my life would be one dedicated to writing, to telling the truth, and to fighting for justice in every way possible. And like anyone who has been touched by hip-hop culture, I literally grew up in it. As a youth I did graffiti, tagged my nickname, “kepo1,” on walls, and I danced, hard, popping, locking, breaking, all the dances of my youth, as many of us did. So, I have always been a hip-hop head, and I am a hip-hop head for life.

You never leave the culture that has molded and shaped you in every way possible. Working as a senior writer at Vibe magazine and curating the very first exhibit on the history of hip-hop for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were just extensions of my life and work as a writer, activist, and hip-hop head. It is all connected. I do not separate these things, never put these things in individual boxes, and all have been consistently there for much of my life, and will continue to be.

QUESTION:

When did you first get wind that there was a Tupac film in the works?

KEVIN: I will say this: I saw the film two days before it came out

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and then again on opening night. I have always had a relationship with Tupac’s family, his late mother Afeni, and his sister Sekyiwa.

In fact, Afeni paid me as a consultant on the very first Tupac film she was involved in, the MTV documentary movie RESURRECTION that was nominated for an Oscar in the early 2000s. She said she respected how I had covered her son’s life, that they were using images from some of my Vibe articles in RESURRECTION, and that it was the right thing to make sure I was compensated and credited properly.

QUESTION: How close were you with his mother Afeni Shak-

ur in the years since Pac’s passing? Had she ever asked you to be involved in the film?

KEVIN: Afeni Shakur and I talked on various occasions through

the years, very openly, very honestly, about her, about Tupac, about what I meant to her and Tupac, to her family. Two particular encounters with Afeni stand out to me now, more than ever, since her death last year. First, I was in North Carolina for a speech and had no idea I was very close to the huge organic farm where she and her new husband were living. This was after the RESSURRECTION documentary film. Her husband either called or emailed me, and said that she wanted to talk with me. We did, and Afeni invited me to spend the night in their guest house, which just happened to be right next to the crypt with much of Tupac’s ashes. It was a profound night for me, as I did not sleep. I could feel Tupac’s presence all about the space. The other meet-up with Afeni I think of more than ever is the very last time I saw her, a few years before she died. It was on her boathouse in Northern California. Ms. Shakur always made it a point to let me know, over and over, that she appreciated me, who I was, what I was doing for her son’s legacy, and that she duly noted that I was not one of those folks trying to profit from him. She gave me her blessing to do a book on Tupac, because I asked her for that. It is the book I am finally doing now. This was around the time I was running for Congress in 2008, and eventually again in 2010, here in New York City, so that is part of the reason why the project got delayed on my end. Plus I wound up writing my own autobiography, first, The Education of Kevin Powell, which includes a chapter about Tupac and my Vibe years in it.

QUESTION: Did you have any contact with past directors attached to the project, like John Singleton?

KEVIN: John Singleton reached out to me. I appreciated John

greatly for that, I admire his work for so many obvious reasons. I think we know from films like BOYZ N THE HOOD and BABY BOY that Singleton takes the exploration of Black manhood very seriously, and that is exactly what led me to writing about Tupac for Vibe. Because, to me, Tupac Shakur represented all the layers of complexities of what it is to be a Black man in America.

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KEVIN POWELL DISCUSSES... cont.

QUESTION: How many times did you see the film?

KEVIN: I have seen the film twice, first alone, the second time

with my lawyers to take very detailed notes on the many places where there is copyright infringement of my work. The great irony of all of this is that Datwon Thomas, the current editor-in-chief of Vibe, asked me to write a cover story on Demetrius Shipp, Jr., the young man who plays Tupac in ALL EYEZ ON ME. At first I declined. But then I agreed to do it, one, because I respect Datwon, and second because I was hearing great things about Demetrius as a human being. In my interview with him the actor was great, very real, very forthcoming, and I wish nothing but amazing things for him going forward. He, Demetrius, deserves that. But I found it curious, very curious, that every single time we asked the studio or the movie’s publicity and marketing team for me to see a screening of ALL EYEZ ON ME we kept getting rebuffed, that the film “was not ready.” Meanwhile, other people were saying to me, all through this “Hey Kev, I just saw ALL EYEZ ON ME. Did you see it?” That is when it really hit me that something very strange was happening with this film.

QUESTION: What was going through your mind as you sat in the theater watching it on the big screen?

KEVIN: I thought, first, that ALL EYEZ ON ME is not a good

film, that it is very clear it is not on the level of other biopics, like the Johnny Cash one, or the Ray Charles one, or the N.W.A one, not even close. It was very clear to me that it was rushed at the last minute to beat a deadline, in late 2015, before the full rights reverted back to Afeni Shakur. I found that offensive, because we all know Tupac Shakur is one of the major global icons at this point, as big as Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Frida Kahlo. He represents so many things to so many different people. I know this from my travels around America and internationally, and from all the mail and emails and various kinds of messages I get from folks who love Pac still, to this day. So to see a film put together in that haphazard sort of way felt like a money grab to me, like folks were just trying to profit from his fame, and were also banking on the movie doing as well as N.W.A.’s STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON. The huge difference, of course, is that COMPTON is a very wellmade film. ALL EYEZ ON ME is not, not even close. The second thing for me is how uncomfortable I was as things from my Vibe articles were literally lifted into the movie. No consultation with me, no credit for me, no compensation for me. Like it was no big deal, like I was never going to say anything. That hurt, as a writer who put in the work, the sweat, the time, the energy to document Tupac’s life, including when many did not want to do so, to just sit there and watch the makers of this film just lift my work in that way. It was a private screening with other media folks, just two days before the film opened, finally, when I got to see ALL EYEZ

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ON ME. I was so upset that I literally walked forty New York City blocks from Midtown Manhattan down to SOHO, to clear my head of what I was feeling. And what I was feeling, and what I still feel, is incredibly violated and disrespected as a writer, as a documentarian of Tupac Shakur’s life and times. Finally, because I knew Tupac Shakur very well, I recall very vividly in one of our early conversations, as I have written, him saying to me “I want you to be Alex Haley to my Malcolm X.” Because Tupac respected me as much as I respected him. In fact, we met in the Spring of 1993 at an Atlanta music conference called Jack The Rapper. He was riding the wave of the great success of his first film, JUICE, and also the popularity of his music, and was surrounded by male and female fans. I was standing there sheepishly with Karla Radford, my co-worker at Vibe. She knew I was pushing Vibe hard to let me write about Tupac. They had sent me instead to Atlanta to cover Snoop Dogg. I was good with that, because Snoop was major, too, but Tupac Shakur was who I felt represented all that being a Black male was in America at that time, and as we have come to see, across generations. Karla pushed her way through that crowd and boldly told Tupac that he needed to meet me. Pac looked my way with that toothy grin of us and his big eyes widened even more. He recognized me from being a cast member on the first season of MTV’s “The Real World,” and said he was a great admirer of mine for how I represented myself, that he had my back on that show. That is how it all started, why he trusted me from the beginning, to tell his story, to protect him. Little did I know that that journey with Tupac would take me from Atlanta to Los Angeles to New York City to a prison interview to even being there in Vegas when his death was announced. I simply had planned on doing the one cover story on him, but there was no way not to follow Tupac beyond that, because with all the legal and criminal cases, the East Coast-West Coast beef, his move to Deathrow Records upon his release from jail, it was clear that he had become a larger-than-life figure, and I felt a great obligation, and responsibility, to report on Tupac Shakur as fairly and honestly and carefully as possible, given how volatile he and his life were.

And that is what I did. This is why I do not really like ALL EYEZ ON ME. I know who Tupac was, what he represented, the ins and outs of his life as well as anyone. I lived through it, I recorded it, I wrote about it. The biopic does not even begin to scratch the surface of Tupac Shakur’s immense complexities. It plays more like a made-for-tv movie than anything. And Tupac and his life and legacy, as does Afeni Shakur’s, deserves so much better than that.

QUESTION: What finally motivated you to file the lawsuit and how tough was it to come to that decision?

KEVIN: I decided to file this lawsuit because it borrows from my work, period, without any permission whatsoever. It is very obvious to me, to many people. I also am doing this for other writers, other journalists, other artists, who have had their work used without consultation, credit, or any compensation whatsoever. It

is a great injustice to do that to someone, to anyone. My whole life has been about fighting injustice in any form, be it racism, or sexism, or homophobia and transphobia, or police brutality, and on and on. So I am certainly going to stand up for myself when I feel I have been grossly violated and disrespected and infringed upon, and that is certainly the case with ALL EYEZ ON ME.

QUESTION: You own the rights to the Vibe cover stories, other articles, all of it, including your Tupac work. When and how did that come about?

KEVIN: When I was taping the first season of MTV’s “The Real World,” it was not lost on me that myself and the other young people in the cast essentially signed away all of our rights to the producers of that show, forever, in perpetuity as the contract read, and throughout the universe. So I learned a lesson very young and very quickly in ownership of my work, my everything. When the original editor-in-chief of Vibe, Jonathan Van Meter, formally asked me to come aboard as one of the three staff writers, I brought my then-literary agent to the table, Marie Brown, and we negotiated, in writing, that I own my Vibe writings, all of it. Again, as writers, as journalists, we often think we cannot do things like this, or are told that we cannot. Well, I did, and always have negotiated in that way from publication to publication. Given how grossly underpaid most writers, most journalists are, in print form, the least we should have, is ownership of our work.

QUESTION: Were you at all worried that filing such a suit, in which you admit to fictionalizing aspects of a character, would call your journalistic reputation into question?

KEVIN: No, not at all, because many writers have had to fic-

tionalize characters, change names, change other identifying details, to protect subject matters, to protect their publications, to protect themselves. You have to also understand Vibe was originally owned by Time Inc. and the legendary Quincy Jones. So fact-checking teams and lawyers were there to vet everything we were doing, especially since, at the time, Vibe was the fastest growing pop culture magazine in American history. So anything that I wrote or took creative license with in my Tupac articles, specifically the prison interview, was after long consultation with the folks who ran Vibe. Think about Tupac Shakur’s life, all the violence swirling around him, all the legal troubles, all the threats on his life. I took very seriously not only being a documentarian of his life, but over time also a protector of his life. People who do not understand writing, journalism, things like libel, are speaking out of ignorance, sadly, including some media outlets questioning my journalistic reputation and integrity. As will be revealed through the journey of this lawsuit, I have an impeccable reputation as a journalist covering 30 long years. There is no way I would have been able to do all I have done, for a wide range of publications,

including Vibe, The Washington Post, Esquire, ESPN, CNN, The New York Times Style Magazine (my recent cover story on Dave Chappelle), and so many other places, if that were not the case.

The journalism community is very small, many of us are separated by just a few degrees. But what is happening is that some media is just looking for angles to sensationalize, so there you have it. These very journalists doing that do not even get that this case is for them, too, is about protecting their freedom and their work, too. So people can say whatever they want about me. I have survived poverty, the ghetto, no father, all kinds of violence and abuse in my life, and have been mocked and attacked in past chapters of my life, including my MTV and Vibe years, when I ran for Congress, and for all the work I do as an activist. It is par for the course when you stand up for justice, when you stand up for what is right. And because I travel America extensively, I know that many of us have been socialized to only respond to headlines, to tweets, to buzzwords and phrases, that few of us even bother to read and think for ourselves, so we become like sheep, following and repeating what we’ve heard in other places, from other people.

This is sad, but true, and that certainly includes some of us in the media. But people who really know me, my life work, as a writer, as an activist, as a speaker, know that I am brutally honest about everything, have always been, and that I do not do anything without thinking it through fully. If I have filed a lawsuit, something I have never before done in my life as a writer, as a journalist, then it must be for very serious reasons, even if it means I am going to get attacked from various angles in the process. I accept that, and I know that I am on the side of truth and justice. This is not about fame, for me, it is not about money, for me, it is about people doing what is right and not taking advantage of the work of others. I survived a year of doing Hurricane Katrina relief work, as an activist, and working with people who lost everything. So I am good with going through this lawsuit for the greater good that it will serve, not just for me, but for any journalist, any writer, any artist, who feels their work is not valued or protected properly, when it is their copyrighted material, as mine is. And if I was doing this for money only, I could have sold my Tupac interview audiotapes a long time ago, for a ton of money, because so many have asked to buy them. Do I want to be compensated for what was used in ALL EYEZ ON ME? Absolutely, without question. But equally important to me, always, forever, is justice, and creators of movies, television shows, etc., knowing that they cannot just do something like this, and get away with it without any resistance whatsoever.

Olivia Jordan is a writer living in New York City https://medium.com/@Olivia.Jordan/exclusive-kevin-powell-discusses-his-tupac-shakur-biopic-lawsuit-be75c95041be

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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.

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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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BLACK Archaeologist

We ask the question in this episode , “if superior black beings from another world landed here on Earth, and learned the true history of black people in America, how might they react.”

Watch our other episodes on YouTube, TechNubian1, and don't forget to donate $5.00 to our upcoming fourth season, our Gofundme link on Facebook, I Love Black Archaeologist.

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ART OF FOOD

Chef

INSPIREDII Peanut Butter Parfait Perfection Traveling has become research for me, at least that's the excuse I'm using from here on out. At the end of May I was able to go with my family to Denver, Colorado to watch my little cousin graduate from high school. After the graduation my uncle packed us all into his 15 passenger van and gave us a memorable mountain tour as we drove from Broomfield into Boulder. Of course touring and driving through the mountains after an hour or so, makes you work up an appetite.

We ended up stopping at a vegan café called Native Foods. The food was good, but the dessert was AMAZING! So amazing that I was sitting there at the table trying to figure out what ingredients they put in it to recreate it when I got back home to St. Louis. The peanut butter was soooo smooth, the banana bread & chocolate chips complimented it perfectly. But the coconut flakes were the best surprise adding a nice little unexpected flair to the flavors.

As usual, make this recipe your own. Plate it however you want. Put in a mason jar, a martini glass, Tupperware container so you can take it to go, etc. If you're vegan, I suggest using coconut yogurt as a substitute to the plain yogurt.

You can also opt to use your favorite banana bread recipe or take the faster route and buy your favorite banana muffin from the store. Whichever way you choose, it's a quick and easy dessert that is sure to please. h to put together.

You'll even be impressed with yourself when you're done. ~Léna O. A. Jackson 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

Peanut Butter Parfait 2/3 C Peanut Butter, pref. whipped 1/3 C Yogurt, Plain or sub Coconut Yogurt 2-4 Tb Powdered Sugar 1-2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 piece Banana Bread or Banana Nut Muffin 1/8 C Mini Chocolate Chips 4 Tb Sweetened Coconut Flakes, optional

Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

In a medium sized bowl combine peanut butter, yogurt, powdered sugar & vanilla extract. By hand with a spatula or with a hand mixer, whip the ingredients until well blended.

In a mason jar, clear tumblr cup or whatever you desire, it's time to start layering the parfait.

Starting with the coconut flakes, chocolate chips, crumbled banana bread/muffin and then the peanut butter mixture. Make as many layers as you want and top it off with the chocolate chips & breadcrumbs.

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Doré

Bon Appétit, pg.

92

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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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!

314-566-9125 I.G WaistNotFitness | FB WaistNotFitness | Email:WaistnotFitness1@yahoo.com Copyright Š 2017 - All rights reserved.

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“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.

96

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ART OF HEALING

Your Ad or Article could be here!

Contact us if you have a contribution to the ART OF HEALING.

pg.

98

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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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

pg.

100

Copyright Š 2014 by Ajuma Muhammad

Book of Poetry by

Lenard D. Moore

th on 30 iti d Ed ite ry Lim ersa niv

An

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

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Health Insurance Coverage

by Members of Congress

By Pierre Blaine

Health Insurance Coverage All Members of Congress, including representatives of the U.S. Territories, and their designated staff must purchase health plans offered by an appropriate SHOP in order to receive an employer contribution toward coverage. Members and staff must use the District of Columbia’s SHOP exchange, known as DC Health Link.

House and Senate members, and their staffs, can only obtain employersubsidized, private coverage through the exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act. House and Senate members (but not their families) also are eligible to receive care at military hospitals.

For outpatient care, there is no charge at the Washington, D.C., area hospitals (Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center). Inpatient care is billed at rates set by the Department of Defense.

The members of Congress and their staffs choose from among 57 gold plans from four insurers sold on the DC Health Link’s small business marketplace. The government pays about three-quarters of the cost of the premium, and employees pay the rest. They are not eligible for federal tax credits that reduce the size of insurance premiums.

Some members of Congress declined exchange coverage because of their opposition to the Affordable Care Act even though it was a republican idea used by former Governor Mitt Romney in the state of Massachusetts.

According to a new national survey by Pew Research Center, 60% say the federal government is responsible for ensuring health care coverage for all Americans, while 39% say this is not the government’s responsibility. These views are unchanged from January, but the share saying health coverage is a government responsibility remains at its highest level. Therefore, you may ask, why is the Congress on this repeal mission for the past 8 years? Mitch McConnell’s legislative agenda is to make President Barack Obama a one term president. If you think that is funny, don’t because he and the republican Congress are trying to erase the accomplishments of the former president by making America great again. Among the public, 33% say that health care coverage is not the government’s responsibility, but that programs like Medicare and Medicaid should be continued; 5% of Americans say the government should not be involved at all in providing health insurance and they are the Congress and the President and the Republican Party. Even Republicans (57%) say the government should continue programs like Medicare and Medicaid for seniors and the very poor.

What this means is that we the people must be more dramatic and vocal in our opposition to what the Congress is marching toward in light speed fashion. The Republican controlled Congress could not get Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

anything done during the 8 years of the Obama presidency and now they cannot move fast enough.

The Congressional Budget Office scored the Senate health care bill saying that 22 million people would lose health coverage in the next 10 years under the Senate’s plan. Of those, 15 million would lose Medicaid coverage. The CBO projected the bill to lower the deficit by billions over 10 years, and also cut taxes on corporations and the wealthy.

Medicaid covers low-income people including children, pregnant women, older people in nursing homes and the disabled. Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government offered subsidies to help states to cover more people, though 19 states chose not to accept the federal money. This Republican Congress and Executive Branch could not even make it to the 4th of July celebration before showing the American people what “Make America Great Again”, actually means.

It means repeal ACA taxes on corporations and the wealthy that pay for insurance subsidies. That would add up to about $563 billion in tax cuts over 10 years, according to the CBO. It means Federal funding for Medicaid expansion phases out between 2021 and 2023. The services covered by Medicaid could be cut. The CBO report suggests that by 2026, Medicaid enrollment would fall by more than 15 million people. Medicaid coverage for nursing home services could be cut as federal payments to states decline. People between the ages of 50-64 will be disproportionally impacted. The oldest people under 65 would pay five times more than younger people on the exchanges.

It means subsidies to help pay for insurance would be less and end at incomes of 350 percent of poverty level. Federal contributions to Medicaid will start to decline in fiscal year 2020.

If this sounds like a reality show, it is not. I know, a reality show is not real, but that was before the election of 2016, it is real now and we better get serious real fast. Tell your Congressman that wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act to stop and if they cannot do it, give up their gold plans of healthcare coverage for themselves.

Pierre Blaine is the author of: Movement: Race, Power and Culture in America Available on Amazon.com

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Neighborhood Streets should reflect its people!

F

or years I have been appealing to area residents to request the city’s Board of Aldermen, and other community lawmakers, to rename streets in predominantly African-American neighborhoods for persons who have contributed to our uplifting. Every city should have a Barack Obama and Michele Obama and each municipality in America should have such a vision.

Freeman Bosley, Jr, William L Clay, Sr. and hundreds more.

Seventh Street in downtown St. Louis is named Jack Buck Place. It is a fitting tribute to a person who was so well liked and respected in the community.

Webster Groves should have streets honoring Henry Givens, Walter and Henrietta Ambrose, Dr. Eric C. Donnelly, Harvey J. Simms, J. C. Lewis, A.D. Pierson, Frank Stone, Annie Polk, Emanuel Cartwright and other pioneers of this community who contributed so much to the development of Webster Groves, Kirkwood and the entire county.

In the city of St. Louis we have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Dick Gregory Place, Redd Foxx Lane, Annie Malone Drive, and streets honoring Dr. Sam Sheppard, Kenneth Billups, Leroy Tyus, Robert Hayes, Bishop P. L. Scott, T. E. Huntley Drive and James ‘Cool Papa’ Bell.

There is a portion of a highway honoring Rosa Parks, which was achieved with the purpose of offsetting a promotion by the KKK; and there is the Martin Luther King Bridge, (opposite the Stan Musial Bridge). In St. Louis County there is a thoroughfare named for Rev. Jesse Jackson. I am sure I have missed a few, but there are certainly not nearly enough.

I am not suggesting that every street be renamed, although most of the streets and highways are named for white people. There is the Daniel Boone Expressway, the Mark Twain Expressway and Mark McGuire Expressway. I am proposing that an adequate amount be renamed, acknowledged and identified as appreciation for the contributions of African-Americans.

In East St. Louis we should have streets and thoroughfares named for Miles Davis, Rufus McCollum, Gordon Bush, Richard Mark, Kenneth Hall, James Williams, Carl Officer, William Mason, Richard Reynolds, Yvetter Younge, Dr. Katie Wright, Peggy LeCompte and others.

I understand it takes a lot of examination, discussion and exertion to name and rename city and county streets, but with the effortlessness 7th street was renamed, and the way Highway 70 was specified Mark McGuire Expressway, I am almost certain changes can be made when the legislators consider it is necessary and merit a change.

Wouldn’t it be nice while walking on Jack Buck Place, you would cross Lou Brock Lane and Bob Gibson Avenue, which is located next to Ozzie Smith Terrace? It should be adjacent to Satchel Paige Drive and Josh Gibson Circle.

I realize that I have omitted thousands of names I should have included locally and nationally, but I do not have the space. I hope you will forgive me. ~Bernie Hayes

The city, state and federal government destroyed Mill Creek Valley, but in the Ville, there is a street honoring Homer G. Phillips, and Annie Malone, but what about Dr. Julia Davis?

There are other areas that should reflect the community as well. I think we should pay homage to Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Paul Robeson, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Marcus Garvey, Booker T. Washington, W.E. B. Dubois, Martin Delany, Nat Turner, Shirley Chisom and Ralph Bunche.

Locally streets should have the names of Ernest and Daverne Calloway, Marion Oldham, Morris Henderson, Katherine Dunham, Judge Nathan Young, Judge Clyde Cahill, Nathaniel Sweets, Percy Green, Norman Seay,

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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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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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Volume 4.5 July 2, 2017

Over 30 Issues Published

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