Arts Today Ezine vol 6.4 by Arts Today Ezine

BRANDON

Rice

FEAT. PHOTOGRAPHER pg #48

Vol 6.4

DECEMBER 31 , 2021

LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET... METRO THEATER pg #10

View this and past issues from our website.

MILTON JOHNSON... REFLECTING ON...

HIV/AIDS...

pg. #127

pg.#152

FEATURED ARTIST

DR. MALAIKA HORNE pg. #140

AT EZINE

pg.

Covid 19 Memo The Arts Today Ezine team would like to Thank You for your continued support, even now as many of us are being affected by the Covid 19 pandemic. Our hearts go out to those who have lost friends, family, jobs and other opportunities since the beginning. It is a situation none of us could have predicted or expected. But being a resilient peoole we believe that this too will pass. Until that time, we encourage you to continue being vigilant in your hand washing, maintaining safe distance and wearing face coverings. Remember to check out the local mandates for your area. We will do our best to keep you up-to-date on this and other situations that affect our community. With that in mind, we at Arts Today, attempt to provide information on resources and access to events that can be appreciated in a safe manner. Our magazine is offered online for virtual viewing, with the option to order paperback copies if you choose. Please note, if you order physical copies of our magazine, there might be a delay in receipt due to Covid 19. We thank you in advance for you patience and understanding as we all navigate these new ways of living. Take Care of Yourselves and Those You Love,

Arts Today Ezine

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

IN THIS

ISSUE:

...Listen people... Life is a giant, invisible scale with two sides; Good and bad You and your beliefs Are the weights The things you do each day Determine the balance Your conscience is a flawless Judge and jury; It only questions you when you're wrong...

The Temptations,

"You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth" (Regarding the last line of this quote from "You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth": "It only questions you when you're wrong" Sang by The Temptations on the recording. "The only question is what you want" Written by: BARRETT STRONG, NORMAN WHITFIELD, NORMAN J. WHITFIELD)

Established 2014 Volume 6.4 St. Louis, MO www.artstodaye.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.

pg.

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.

6 IN THE NEWS

INT. TRADE

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 OTHER NEWS following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4.

NEWS LINKS

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.”

LAST STOP ON MARKET...

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

16 INFINITE SCHOLARS...

OP/ED

22 LIVE/WORK/PLAY

CALENDAR

36 TRANSFORMING...

DR. JERRY WARD

48 FEAT. PHOTOG.

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

122 128

BENEFITS FEAT. ARTIST. OF EXFOLIATING... MILTON JOHNSON, III

A.T. EZINE

COVER PHOTO: Photographer: Brandon Rice breevisuals.com

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

IN THE NEWS

Export Opportunities in the Americas: Brazil, Canada & Mexico TIME | DATE | PLACE 8:00 am registration 8:30-10:00 am program Thursday, December 7, 2017 Please note NEW ADDRESS: World Trade Center St. Louis 120 South Central Ave. Suite 1200 St. Louis, MO 63105 REGISTRATION $20 REGISTRATION One-on-one appointments available following the program.

Learn about export opportunities in three major markets in the Americas region. Brazil is recovering from recent political and economic upheaval and reforms have seen growth in the energy and agricultural sectors in particular. Canada's economy has enjoyed greater than expected growth, outpacing all other members of the G7. Mexico continues to offer a wide range of opportunities for US exporters from industrial equipment and inputs to agricultural products. Speakers: Mr. Fabio Yukio Yamada Director, Missouri International Trade & Investment Office - Brazil Mr. Ludovic Ortuno Director, Missouri International Trade & Investment Office - Canada Ms. Gloria Garcia Director, Missouri International Trade & Investment Office - Mexico Click here to view speaker bios and learn more.

Contact John Hensley to schedule.

Otis BOYKIN - Inventor of the Pacemaker and Variable Resistor

pg.

Your Source for Art Appreciation

Volume 2.1 March 4, 2015

St. Louis Major Sponsor:

Proud to support the Arts & Cultural Scene in St. Louis. Click Here

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

DIGGING UP DESSA | MARIAH L. RICHARDSON........................ pg. 102 ART OF FOOD | TAKE IT HOME ......................................................... pg. 154

Please support our sponsors,

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

ART OF HEALING | WORLD AIDS/HIV .............................................. pg. 166 OPPORTUNITIES | A.T.E.Z. ................................................................ pg. 176 CAREERS | A.T.E.Z. ................................................................................ pg. 178

#ArtsTodayEZ

Volume 6.46.4 Volume DECEMBER 31, 2021 www.the-arts-today.com December 31, 2021

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OTHER

NEWS:

"HOUSE OF GUCCI"...

'BLACK FRIDAY' DRAGS...

59 ITEMS TO BUY...

W.H.O. WARNES...

TUSKEEGEE AIRMAN...

AFTER 40 YEARS...

THE NEW YORKER

CNN

WKRC LOCAL 12

REUTERS

MARKET WATCH

WHAS11

RITTENHOUSE VERDICT SHOWS HOW THE SECOND AMENDMENT THREATENS THE FIRST MSNBC

STL CITY & COUNTY... NPR- ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO

METHOD MAN & STARS... CNN

NFL STAR JJ WATT... NEW YORK POST

US LABOR SHORTAGE... YAHOO NEWS

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COURT ORDER... YAHOO NEWS

FROM TONY BENNET TO KANYE AND JON BATISTE...

GMA C0-ANCHOR STRAHAN... YAHOO NEWS

REUTERS

WENDY WILLIAMS... YAHOO NEWS

RITTENHOUSE... YAHOO NEWS

RAPE CONVICTION ... YAHOO NEWS

GHOSTBUSTERS ... CNN

"THERE WAS NO TRAINING" TWO INJURED ASTROWORLD SECURITY... ROLLING STONE

SPACEX SENDS NASA... MSN

THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY SUPPLY CHAIN

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE... MACYS

THE MEN WHO HUNTED...

SUPPLYCHAINGAMECHANGER

MSNBC

MALIKAH SHABAZZ... YAHOO NEWS

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Denise THIMES

pg.

Cameron Tyler

HOP ON BOARD FOR A HEART-THUMPIN’, TOE-TAPPIN’ JOY RIDE

Jazz Legend Denise Thimes Stars in Metro Theater Company’s Motown-Meets-Hip Hop Musical LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET, February 6-27 at the Grandel

WHO:

Metro Theater Company

WHAT: Last Stop on Market Street Metro Theater Company (MTC), St. Louis’ premier professional theater for youth and families and St. Louis’ third-oldest theater company, is thrilled to announce jazz legend Denise Thimes will star as Nana in the MTC’s next 2021/22 Season production, the musical Last Stop on Market Street. Thimes, who began her career as a stage actress before launching her international career as a jazz sensation, marks her return to the theatrical stage with this production. The Motown-meets-hip hop production runs live on stage February 6-27 at the Grandel Theatre, with socially distant seating. A virtual streaming option is also available February 11-27 at metroplays.org. Tickets are $20-$36 and available through MetroTix.

Last Stop on Market Street is a vibrant story about connecting to your community. It’s also a joy ride that leaves the audience dancing in their seats. CJ is reluctantly staying with his Nana, a veritable force of nature who lives in a world considerably different than his own. Knowing CJ is used to being plugged in to his phone and tablet all the time, Nana takes him on a bus ride that’s loud, gritty and offbeat – guiding her grandson to travel a little close to his roots and see that things are not always what they seem. “Like Hamilton for kids,” hails the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Chicago Sun Times says, “Last Stop on Market Street is what children’s

Last Stop on Market Street is adapted for the stage by veteran playwright Cheryl L. West from the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning picture book by Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson. The musical features a spectacular, spirited score by Motown legend Lamont Dozier and his son Paris Ray Dozier.

Robert Crenshaw

Tyler White

Daniel McRath theater should be. It does not talk down to its audience. It is burgeoning with wonder. If you are a kid, you’ll giggle yourself

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

HOP ON BOARD... cont.

silly. If you were once a kid, you just might remember what that felt like.”

Saturday at 4 p.m.: Feb. 19

Metro Theater Company’s production of Last Stop on Market Street is directed by St. Louis director, actor, theater professor at UMSL, and MTC Associate Artist Jacqueline Thompson, who previously directed MTC’s presentation of Idris Goodwin’s Ghost at the Grandel Theatre and COCA’s presentation of Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963. In addition to Denise Thimes as Nana, the 6-member cast of performers includes Daniel McRath as CJ, and Robert Crenshaw, Valentina Silva, Cameron Tyler, and Tyler White in the ensemble with portrayals of multiple characters. Philip A. Woodmore, Ph.D., a longtime active member of the St. Louis music community and executive director of P. Woodmore Music, LLC, is the musical director for Last Stop on Market Street. Christopher Page-Sanders, former dancer with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and current founding co-artistic director of Denver’s NU-World Contemporary Danse Theatre, is the choreographer.

2-Show Saturday at 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.: Feb. 26

Last Stop on Market Street was originally commissioned and produced by Chicago Children’s Theatre and the Children’s Theatre Company. The production is 70 minutes with no intermission and recommended for ages 5 and up. Musical themes of the production include hip hop, soul, gospel, and rap. Other themes include humor, thankfulness, inspirational, appreciation of differences, giving back, empathy, and digital divide.

WHEN: February 6 – 27, 2022

Please check the MTC website for additional weekend performances and details on 10 a.m. in-person school-day shows.

WHERE: The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63103

TICKETS: Tickets are $20-$36 and are available now through MetroTix at 314-534-1111 or https://www.metroplays.org/ marketstreet. Online virtual streaming begins at $20 and available February 11-27 through the MTC website https://www.metroplays.org/ marketstreet. (The video for the virtual streaming is from an early-February filmed performance.) School groups can enjoy live performances or virtual field trips at heavily discounted rates, with streaming tickets available for $5 or less and in-person tickets available for $10 per student. PAY-WHAT-YOU-WISH TICKETS: Metro Theater Company is committed to ensure that economic barriers do not prevent families from experiencing its programs. MTC is offering pay-what-you-wish tickets for live performances and virtual streaming on February 10-12. More information at https://www.metroplays.org/marketstreet.

Sundays at 2 p.m.: Feb. 6 & 27

PRESS IMAGES: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ y93hzxubd11m6v7/AAAcch6Sqa0rGWuJyR8X4g70a?dl=0

2-Show Sundays at 2 p.m. & 5 p.m.: Feb. 13 & 20 Fridays at 7 p.m.: Feb. 11 & 18

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COVID-19 SAFETY: Metro Theater Company has been approved as Missouri ArtSafe Certified. MTC continues to update its policies to protect all patrons from COVID-19 exposure risks. For Last Stop on Market Street, the following safety measures apply: • Mask wearing is required for ages 2+ • Guests ages 12+ must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will be asked to show proof of vaccination upon arrival at The Grandel • Unvaccinated patrons ages 12+ with documented medical conditions must be able to provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance or a negative antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance • A minimum of one empty row will separate all parties from one another in the theater For more detailed information on Metro Theater Company's COVID health policies, please visit metroplays. org/covid. SUPPORT: Last Stop on Market Street is supported in part by Berges Family Foundation, Regional Arts Commission, Emerson, Crawford Taylor Foundation, PNC Arts Alive, The Shubert Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Centene Charitable Trust, and Missouri Arts Council. Streaming of Last Stop on Market Street is part of MTC Remote, a new virtual initiative supported by PNC Arts Alive. About Denise Thimes Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning just a little under three decades, Denise Thimes is no stranger to the music world, growing up in a home surrounded by all types of music from her father and radio icon, the late Lou “Fatha” Thimes. Thimes has performed with such jazz notables as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (St. Louis), the late Clark Terry (The Blue Note), Dr. Billy Taylor, Earl May, Benny Powell (Flushing Town Hall) and James Moody (Blue Note). She has also graced the stage with the likes of Houston Person, Jimmy & Tootie Heath, Bobby McFerrin, and Bucky Pizzarelli.

(Mandarin Oriental Hotel), Queen Elizabeth II (British Embassy-Washington D.C. during her 2009 visit to the United States), President George W. Bush (White House, 2007), and was handpicked by the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin to perform for her 72nd birthday celebration (Ritz Carlton, NYC). Most say that her acting is just as great as her singing and The Black Rep founding director Ron Himes would agree. Thimes has received eight Woodie Awards (named after Freedom Theatre Founder-Woody King-NY) for her roles as lead and supporting for acting, and musical performances. Although a native of St. Louis, Thimes recently became a resident of Chicago, where she can be seen at Winter’s Jazz Club in downtown Chicago. When not performing, Thimes wears another hat and is equally passionate as founder and executive director of the Mildred Thimes Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which is named after her mother. Thimes continues to appeal for more education and awareness for this fatal disease that struck her mother in 1997. Whether headlining at Dizzy’s Coca Cola Room in New York, or conquering the national jazz festival scene, or sharing the stage with the legendary Tony Bennett, Denise Thimes has an unmistakable tendency to steal the show and astonish crowds of every size and background. As jazz aficionado Phoebe Jacobs stated following another famed New York show, “Denise Thimes is like Ella and Sarah born all over again.” About Metro Theater Company Since 1973, Metro Theater Company has been creating productions that respect young people’s intelligence, tell compelling stories, stimulate curiosity and provoke thoughtful reflection. The Company has reached a total audience of more than two million and has a national reputation for excellence in the field of professional theater for young audiences. Metro Theater Company has received major honors and awards, both locally and nationally. The company is led by Artistic Director Julia Flood and Managing Director Joe Gfaller. For more

information, visit http://metroplays.org.

For media inquiries, interviews, press images and/or video, please contact Sarah Thompson at sarah@metroplays.org or 314.884

In recent years she has appeared and toured in Paris, France with David Sanborn, sung for the Queen of Thailand

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

Dec. 5 2021

@ 7:30 pm

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

OP / ED SECTION

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

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

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

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Editorial

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

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

PERSPECTIVE:

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 better today.

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

PRAYER:

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

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

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“Our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

“ “

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

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

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

LIVE WORK PLAY

Volume 6.4 December 31, 2021 St. Louis Major Sponsor:

Proud to support the Arts & Cultural Scene in St. Louis. Click Here Good Afternoon,

I hope that you are doing well.

We made it to December! It's time to celebrate the positive outcomes and learn from the challenges that we have faced this year. It's been said that we can't change the past, but we can create the future. Hopefully, this time of reflection will result in all of us working to create a future that makes us proud. Speaking of positive outcomes, my beloved St. Louis has done a great job of delivering another great month for us to enjoy. All the best. –Nate

Local Events December

It’s First Friday again! The Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles is opening a new exhibit, 8x8x8 on first Friday this month and also kicking off their Merry Makers Market. This is a great chance to support local businesses and artists.

DECEMBER

First Friday is also a great time to head to Maplewood for their annual Christmas Tree Walk. They will have carriage rides, hot cocoa and local merchant open houses.

thru

DECEMBER

The US Air Force Band of Mid America will be performing Spirit of the Season tonight at Touhill Performing Arts Center. Or we might decide to laugh a little and enjoy of night of improv fun with COCA’s Improv Troupe Winter Performance! Get ready for a little bit of the unexpected as these improv artists weave comedy and sketch together. Saturday is the annual Print Bazaar on Cherokee Street. More than 100 artists fill Cherokee Street’s

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storefronts, bars and venues each year selling unique posters, prints, cards and calendars for everyone on your list.

great photo opportunities. St. Louis Holiday Traditions and Events

I may head over to the South Grand neighborhood on Saturday for Grinchmas. They have a Grinch coming for photo opportunities and are raising funds for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Saturday is also the Holiday Market on the Plaza in Lafayette Square. There are all kinds of events starting at noon including a walking parade and the annual tree lighting in Fountain Plaza. If you are looking for a little music this weekend James Taylor is coming to The Enterprise Center on Saturday with special guest Jackson Browne.

Winterfest is in full swing this month downtown at Kiener Plaza. They feature ice skating, igloos, light displays, music, night markets, and more! We will definitely make plans to check that out this month. One new event to check out this year is Joy Winter Wonderland at Union Station. There will be games, markets and an opportunity for photos with Santa. Another great annual event at Union Station is the Polar Express Train Ride. Santa and his elves are full steam ahead for a trip to the North Pole. If you have little ones this is a great event for the whole family.

Beloved St. Louis band Brothers Lazaroff and friends return Saturday for the 11th Annual Brothers Lazaroff Hanukkah Hullabaloo, a favorite St. Louis’ holiday tradition, at The Big Top in the Grand Center Arts District. Joining Brothers Lazaroff once again will be Rabbi James Stone Goodman and The Eight Nights Orchestra, St. Louis jazz vocalist Anita Jackson, David Grelle, DJ Boogieman, and the Latke Ladies frying latkes live on stage. Garden Glow is going on over at the Missouri Botanical Garden and they have over one million dazzling light displays this year! There are also smores, festive drinks and

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

LIVE WORK PLAY

Step up St. Louis is hosting a Holiday Toy Drive through December 20th. This is a great opportunity to help local children have a happy holiday. Tuesday night Grammy Award winning artists Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith will be performing their Christmas tour at the Fabulous Fox Theater. On Wednesday Das Bevo is screening A Christmas Story. It›s a great night to head to the Biergarten for a cold brew and a favorite holiday movie. Wednesday also happens to be National Brownie Day! I love a good brownie and might head over to Ted Drews on Chippewa for their Christy. It›s an iced brownie topped with their famous custard, caramel and hot fudge. This is really close to Candy Cane Lane where the neighbors of St. Louis Hills deck out their houses with festive lights.

DECEMBER

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12 DECEMBER

On Thursday the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will be performing A Gospel Christmas with Oleta Adams. What a great way to ring in the holidays with gospel renditions of your holiday favorites. A Magical Cirque Christmas is also taking place on Thursday over at the Fox Theater. Magical Hostess Lucy Darling will take you through an evening of dazzling cirque performers and your favorite holiday music. Saturday and Sunday Better Family Life once again brings us the Kwanzaa Holiday Expo. This is a 37-year old, regionally known event that draws families and shoppers from the entire St. Louis metropolitan area for food, fun, education, and entertainment. Market on McPherson continues this weekend so I might check that out on Saturday. This event showcases over 40 local and regional makers, artists, and vintage dealers. Another chance to shop local on Saturday is over at Laumeier Sculpture Park where they›ll hold the Holiday Pop Up Shop. If you don’t feel like cooking on Saturday night try the Welcome Neighbor STL’s Syrian Drive-Thru Supper Club. These meals present an opportunity for immigrant families to share knowledge and skills unique to them. These fundraising efforts can set them on a path of greater independence and confidence in their lives here in in the USA.

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

LIVE WORK PLAY

On Tuesday I might head to The Pagent to see Khruangbin. Interesting name, unique sounding music. They have always been multilingual, weaving far-flung musical languages like East Asian surf-rock, Persian funk, and Jamaican dub into mellifluous harmony. But on its third album, it’s finally speaking out loud. Thursday night is the opening of Embrace: Paintings and Poetry by Angela L. Chostner over at Longview Farm Park in Town and Country. Her ethereal works invite the viewer to reflect on our individual and collective journeys, divine purpose, and connection with each other. Thursday night is a great night to go to the Museum History Museum for their Thursday Night’s at the Museum. This Thursday they are screening the beloved musical movie, Meet Me in St. Louis.

13 DECEMBER

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19 DECEMBER

Ballpark Village wraps up their tribute series this weekend with Somebody to Love, a Tribute to Queen. Anytime I’m downtown I can’t resist stopping in at the Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar. wUNDERland returns to the COCA this weekend! Back by popular demand, this re-imagining of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland puts a hip-hop spin on this fantasy classic. I can›t wait to see this upside-down tale through a completely new lens with dazzling costumes, visual effects, contemporary music, and cutting-edge hip-hop choreography. If I’m not out showing homes Saturday afternoon I definitely want to make it over to Central West End for their annual Window Walk. It’s a great time to see the local shop windows decked out for the holidays and a chance to support the shops and restaurants of the CWE. Laumeier Sculpture Park is hosting a family workshop on Saturday, Trim the Trees. You’ll learn about our native birds and make a birdfeeder ornament to keep. This family friendly event will wrap up with hot cocoa and a winter story. This weekend you have the opportunity to see The Nutcracker performed by the St. Louis Ballet. Gen Horiuchi’s “The Nutcracker” is a large-scale production with glorious sets and lighting, hundreds of colorful costumes, rousing music and the talents of Saint Louis Ballet’s professional dancers alongside students of the Saint Louis Ballet School. It’s that time of year to bundle up and head out for some holiday light displays and St. Louis has plenty to offer! Some of our favorites are Way of Lights at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, which is a safe drive through experience. Also a drive through option are the Holiday Lights at Grant’s Farm. Brewery Lights is going on over at Anheuser Busch and they have a kid zone for fun for all ages. If you want to talk a walk on the wild side head over to the St. Louis Zoo for Wild Lights. Whether you decide to walk or drive a night out with the family to see lights is a favorite wintertime tradition.

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

LIVE WORK PLAY

Jazz St. Louis is presenting Ellington’s Nutcracker this week Monday through Wednesday. Celebrate the Holidays with a special showcase of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite performed by the Jazz St. Louis Big Band. The evening will also include Ellington classics like “Take the A Train” and “Cottontail.” On Tuesday the famous musical, Cats, comes to the Fabulous Fox Theater through January 2nd. Wednesday is the Winter Solstice which marks the day with the shortest amount of daylight and longest night of the year. I think a trip to the Planetarium or a night out to see some of our beautiful light displays is a great way to spend this day.

20 DECEMBER

I might head over to Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House on Wednesday night to check out the Music from A Charlie Brown Christmas Special performed by the Jazz Troubadours. The Bach Society of St. Louis is holding their Christmas Candlelight Concert at Powell Hall on Thursday. You›ll be entertained by Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” with Grammy award-winning baritone, Nathan Gunn, and a world premiere by Mack Wilberg in celebration of Maestro Sparger’s 35th season. The festive evening will also feature the Bach Society of Saint Louis Chorus and Orchestra performing many of your favorite carols.

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

LIVE WORK PLAY

On Tuesday the Missouri Historical Society kicks off their Winter Getaway events culminating with Noon Year›s Eve on Friday. This is a great family-friendly event celebrating the New Year with a ball drop at noon for those that won›t last until midnight. There are plenty of places to ring in 2022 in St. Louis this year. The Voodoo Players are having a Phil Collins vs Peter Gabriel dance party at Off-Broadway. NYE Live! 2022 is happening over at Ballpark Village. Gateway Arch Riverboats has a NYE Dinner Cruise and then a late-night party cruise both with a roaring 20›s theme. If you are looking for a virtual event why not have a Zoom party with friends from across the country? Everyone can dress up, prepare some delicious treats, and play some games together from the comforts of home. The ball drop will be back in New York this year so that is a great event to watch safely at home with family and friends as well.

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Whatever you decide to do it’s going to be a great New Year’s Eve!

Let’s all stay safe & support local! I look forward to seeing you soon. All the best. -Nate P.S. Here is the latest housing report for your review. Let me know if there is anything that I can do for you. -Nate

Nate K. Johnson ABR,AHWD,CIPS,CRS,GRI,SRES Real Estate Solutions Group Redkey Realty Leaders 314-575-7352 Direct 314-514-9600 Office nate@livingstl.com www.livingstl.com

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

DISPLACED

&ERASED

The history of Clayton, Missouri's uprooted black community. emmakriley.com

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Socks that heal broken a he a rts DONATE Socks for Courtney is a fund-raiser/Sock Drive in memory of Courtney Adavia Kemp

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

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Volume 6.4 DECEMBER 31, 2021

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Transforming N at i ve

SON

In literary work, transformation or translation is more than a simple change from one form or language to another; the activity can involve betrayal of authorial intention, a matter of heated debate among scholars and general readers. Debates

and betrayals have become very intense during the current pandemic. Consider the transformations of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son (1940) and the intentions which seem to be represented in his essay “How ‘Bigger’ Was Born” (1940). Wright intended to provoke thinking about social factors in the shaping of black male personalities in his novel, sharply delineating five types of Bigger Thomas that his creative imagination blended into a single instance That instance can be taken as imperfect synecdoche (a part representing a whole), because Bigger represents the pre-ordained American criminal who is misread as the black outlaw. When such an instance is transformed from prose narrative into a play or a film, the nature of interpretation allows much troubling betrayal, much rampant misreading of Bigger, the novel’s protagonist, and Bigger, the subject of conversations in American cultural literacy. Native Son (1940)-- This now classic novel was and still is an exceptional analysis and indictment of the range of American criminality. Wright so blended five types of the outlaw in the character of Bigger Thomas that Bigger’s tragedy has an indelible impact on a reader’s awareness of social ills and what is death-bound; it forces a reader to make tough moral decisions. In African American communities of all kinds, making moral decisions has declined since 1940. When I discussed the novel in 1987with some brilliant inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution (Talladega, AL), they “schooled” me far more about the book than I could “teach” them about its qualities. This experience hardened my commitment to respect Wright’s intentions. I do not countenance twisting those intentions out of shape. Wright expressed his intentions in the closing sentences of “How ‘Bigger’ Was Born”---“We have only a money-grubbing, industrial civilization. But we do have in the Negro the embodiment of a past tragic enough to appease the spiritual hunger of even a [Henry] James; and we have in the oppression of the Negro a shadow athwart our national life dense and

heavy enough to satisfy even the gloomy brooding of a Hawthorne. And if Poe were alive, he would not have to invent horror; horror would invent him.” Richard Wright, New York, March 7, 1940. These intentions are still important in our daily lives. Native Son the play--1941--The challenging “story” of Books I and II of the novel and the “polemics” of Book III are reduced to scene and dialogue in the play created by Wright and Paul Green, and the audience (spectators) was smaller than the initial readership for the novel. The play is a prelude for films. It is the first transformation. The 1951 film of Native Son is the second transformation. -Wright’s playing the role of Bigger Thomas increased the distance between the verbal and the visual, because the 43 year-old author frustrated the expectations of anyone familiar with novel or play. Moreover, Wright in collaboration with the director/filmmaker Pierre Chenal disrupts the power of critique by introducing comedy accidental and deliberate, Ernie’s chicken shack is changed into a nightclub; this change elevates Bessie from the low status of a domestic in the more glamorous status of a diva, a nightclub singer ; there is climate change from winter to spring with the beach scene of Bessie taking a dip in Lake Michigan. The beach is in Argentina not Illinois. The devastating psychological jolt in the film is the insertion of a dream sequence that has everything to do with Bigger’s guilt in murdering Mary Dalton and Bessie. Bessie’s “ghost” directs Bigger to bury Mary’s head in a cotton field; this induces a shift from adulthood to childhood as the young Bigger rushes through the cotton to great his sharecropper father, only to discover in the moment of embrace that “father” has morphed into a stereotyped Southern officer of the law holding Mary Dalton’s head in his hands. In this scene, Richard Wright introduced something that is quite psychologically disturbing, a forecast of the aberration of primary intention (the 1940 novel) we find in the 2018 film. Commercial interests of film deform the persuasive potential of the novel. Capitalism and its technologies distort our thinking about the tragedy that prevails in the United States of America.

Paul Green wrote a revision of the play in 1968, but he failed to bring Native Son into the then current orbit of Black Power. This transformation did not go very far, because Green’s white gaze was alien to what young black men recognized when they read Native Son. Please read the testimony in Nathan McCall’s Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America ( New York: Random House, 1994), pages 157-158. The second film version (1985/86) is a back formation, a restoration of cinema narrative for the purpose of highlighting original intention. We are indebted to Richard Wesley’s screenplay for a return to what Richard Wright

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TRANSFORMING NATIVE SON... cont.

originally had in mind. As a medium, film cuts both ways. It restores faith. It promotes doubt. The 2018/2019 film, the third iteration, proves that in many instances transformation is actually transmogrification. The green-haired, black finger-nailed Bigger Thomas is a parody, a hip-hop rebirth of the Bigger we know from the novel. One of my young colleagues warned me that the new Bigger is more punk than hip hop. The opening words of the new Bigger who is transformed to accommodate the aesthetic expectation of young 21st-century Americans are instructive: “Early morning. I got the whole world to myself. I don’t need no alarm clock to wake me up.” The new Bigger’s bold certitude of being in full possession of oneself is in tension with the dismal feelings of being powerless expressed by the Bigger of 1940. To some extent, this film castrates Bigger Thomas in much the way Silas from “Long Black Song” was castrated in the television version of that short story. Whether they admit it or not, Black males in the USA are permanent targets for lynching, random murder, and symbolic castration. I have a penchant for what in law is called “strict construction,” I recognize the alternative legitimacy of Suzanne Lori-Parks transforming/translating Wright’s original intention into her own image of intention, or perhaps her brand of feminist revenge. I imagine that her rejection of what the young might call “stereotypical Negro shit” enables the transformation of Native Son into contemporary crap, Edgar Allan Poe crap. The most recent transformation exposes the range of critical disagreement about whose intentions should prevail. I remain very partisan and very loyal to Richard Wright’s intentions. ~Jerry W. Ward, Jr.

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WE CAN NEVER WALK IN OUR OWN GREATNESS. IF WE KEEP SKIPPING BEHIND OTHER'S MEDIOCRITY! Mark A. Howard

”

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Black Archaeologis

Video Short pg.

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A Date To Note:

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Featured

Photography Submission

pg.

Brandon

Rice

Visual Storyteller | FAA Certified Drone Pilot

[ BIO

I grew up in a home that was, disappointing at best, demoralizing at worst. We struggled with poverty, mental illness, and constant conflict. I often felt depressed and struggled with the often impulsive need to interact with the world outside of my home. I sold candy to make friends and had parties to make more. The moment I realized it was all rooted in a deeper aspiration to connect with an audience, I was 15. I was performing standup comedy at Jukebox Comedy Club in Peoria, IL. It only took 5 minutes on stage for me to realize how much I love seeing people really experience a moment. It was personal and intimate and meaningful. I went on to create a comedy news program at my high school that still exists today, 10 years later. As I matured and my forms of expression evolved from comedy to music I started hosting and promoting concerts. Two years after graduating high school, I hosted the first-ever Sold Out Hip-Hop Concert at the EXPO GARDENS Opera House. My passion for creating and capturing moments continued to expand to weddings, advertising, corporate, and Television. Ultimately, I've realized that if I can inspire people to feel something in their hearts and minds simultaneously, I can make a difference in the world. Today I'm the Founder and Head of Storytelling at BREE Visuals: a coast to coast visual media production company, Media Production Specialist on an award-winning team of creatives at Daugherty Business Solutions, and mentor of entrepreneurs at the business accelerator program, E for All. I believe that through connecting with one another, we become all become closer to our highest potential as human beings. To me, that's one of the most impactful things one could do with their life. Portfolio: www.breevisuals.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bree.visuals/

www.breevisuals.com

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

$15.00 paperback

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

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AVAILABLE ONLINE: ONLINE:

2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King death. Here is my new book "My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man," honest look at America 50 years later on race, sexual violence, guns, more.

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THE TEARS OF MOTHER EMANUEL

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

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ART OF BEAUTY

Benefits of

Exfoliating E

xfoliate: verb – to cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters. To remove (a layer of bark or skin). Essentially, the process of exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin in order to improve its appearance. When dead cells are removed, new skin cells are generated giving an instant glow and healthier appearance. If dead skin cells are not removed, skin looks dull, rough, dry, and spotty, which increases the appearance of lines, wrinkles and uneven pigmentation. When you exfoliate, your skin:

n n

Minimal Pimples/blackheads/ whiteheads

Has less clogged pores (result is less

pimples and/or ingrown hairs)

Exfoliation can be done on your whole body on a routine you choose. We are now in winter where central heat and harsh outdoor cold can be drying to our bodies, and many times it shows on our skin. Add exfoliation to your self-care routine using home made mixtures that contain cornmeal, grits, and other abrasive food items. Or purchase any of these over-thecounter products the next time you go shopping •

Salt or sugar scrubs

•

Loufa or Sponge

•

Scrunchies

•

Exfoliating gloves

•

Exfoliating pads

•

Dry Brush

•

Exfoliating Shampoos

How to Exfoliate: Before exfoliating, consider any medications or skin conditions that you may have that cause skin irritation. Finer grit is ideal for those with sensitive skin or other skin issues. These finer grit products are normally created for your face. Body grit is normally if bit larger and more abrasive. Choose products that allows your skin to feel comfortable during the process. Exfoliate before and/or after shaving (head, under arms, legs, and other areas) to prevent ingrown hairs by applying a generous amount of scrub product to skin and rubbing. If using gloves, apply body wash to gloves and rub over skin. Shower or rinse off product.

n n

Is visibly smoother

Is brighter (lighter dark spots)

For dry brushes, brush skin upward or in a cricular motion and follow up with a bath or shower. Remember you do not have to scrub so hard that the skin breaks or becomes inflamed. Always follow up with a good moisturizer, drinking plenty of water and eat healthy. ~Shontel

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Keyon Harrold December 1 – December 5 Jazz St. Louis 3536 Washington Ave, St. Louis

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Dec. 9, 2021 at 7:30 pm

The Fabulous Fox 527 NORTH GRAND BLVD. ST. LOUIS MO 63103

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My main point here is that if you are the child of God and God is a part of you, then in your imagination God suppose to look like you, And when you accept a picture of the deity assigned to you by another people, you become the spiritual prisoners of that other people.

John Henrik Clarke

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Featured

Artist

Submission

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Milton

Johnson, III

[ BIO

Milton, born in Champagne, IL, moved to St. Louis with his family at around 8 years old. He developed a love for cartoons and comic books during this time which resulted in the development of drawing and painting skills. He has been hired to paint banners, portraits and other drawings for individuals in Missouri and Illinois. . He is an experienced Welder with a demonstrated history of working in the retail industry. He is skilled in Power Tools, ISO Standards, Ethical Hacking, Management, Oil Painting and Acrylic Painting, His education is in Recording Engineering/Producing with Management Associates of Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) focused in Audio Engineering (Vatterott Extreme Institute by Nelly). DeviantArt: kn0saint79 Instagram: mnj3art

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#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 pg.

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2021 Reflecting on

Protecting a Fragile Democracy Reflecting on 2021 Protecting a Fragile Democracy 2020 was annus horribilis; what was it in 2021? The 2020 U.S. echo chamber was that the year could not end fast enough. But that was misguided thinking as a calendar year is simply a man-made timetable. A new year doesn’t mean anything if people don’t change for the better. As the saying goes: “The present is a product of the past and a seed for the future.” ~~Sathya Sai Baba The pandemic blind-sided the world and virtually no one was prepared for what was in store. Addressing the virus in this country by “Number 45” was a spectacular failure. Despite losing the presidential election, the “other guy” perpetuated a big lie that the election was stolen. The Democrats won the White House by substantial margins and a peaceful transfer of power was in the works. Even so, there was a deep sigh of relief when 2020 was over, the pandemic, civil unrest and economic uncertainty to name a few were dogging the nation at virtually every turn. But before anybody could finish exhaling, a mere six days into 2021, “All hell broke loose.” Now looking back on 2021, there is a realization that the past is indeed prologue and there is much more work to be done. Fissures and seismic shifts aggravated discord between conservatives and liberals, the battle between two worldviews, as it were. Concomitantly, pundits are worrying that the nation’s cherished democracy might be on a respirator, like the sickest of the sick Covid patients. Words were quickly coined such as anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers, people who made a bad situation worse with millions falling ill to Covid-19 and more than 800 thousand Americans dead, five million dead worldwide as 2021 comes to an end.

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REFLECTING ON 2021... cont.

Besides Covid, what else jumped out as the most notable events of 2021?

January 6 Insurrection

Stunned, shocked then outraged as the failed coup was televised for all to see. Its aftermath has continued to reverberate with African American Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) presiding over the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol. The committee is investigating the armed and violent insurrection by mostly White males including former and current military and law enforcement personnel, chanting “hang Vice President Mike Pence” -- erecting gallows near the Capitol -- for not certifying the election for Donald Trump. Mortified, men and women of Congress hid in undisclosed locations of the Capitol as domestic terrorists desecrated the hallowed halls resulting in several deaths. Insurrectionists were also searching for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to “put a bullet into her noggin.” Republicans are now attempting to trivialize this national disgrace, saying we should move on, including Condoleezza Rice, a Black Republican.

The Conviction of Derek Chavin for the Murder of George Floyd

2020 was a year of racial reckoning. It was a shock to the conscience of the entire world when Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, brutally murdered George Floyd; his knee on his neck for 9 minutes. Luckily it was caught on tape by a courageous 17-year-old African American female, Darnella Frazier, which went viral, as the police report of Floyd’s death had been falsified. On June 11, 2021, Frazier was awarded a Pulitzer Special citation. Since police have something called qualified immunity, rarely are they prosecuted and convicted for murder, particularly for killing an African American. Since the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, the group Black Lives Matter has been agitating for defunding the police, calling for serious reforms. In 2014, the police murders of Eric Garner and Michael Brown put the BLM movement at center stage. Yet the racial reckoning phrase was fleeting as reality began to set in. A growing number began to realize that the entrenched and implacable police violence against Black citizens requires coming to grips with a nation wracked by racial hatred from its onset. Still, the June 25, 2021, Chauvin verdict was a victory but not considered justice as Floyd lost his life over an alleged fake

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$20 bill. It’s uncertain whether it was ever determined if it were a phony bill or not, but still not justification for taking his life, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice Policing Act of 2021 but has yet to be taken up by the U.S. Senate. “The bill addresses policing practices and law enforcement accountability including misconduct, enhances transparency and data collection and establishes best practices and training requirements.”

Critical Race Theory

An academic endeavor, called Critical Race Theory, developed in the 1980s, became extremely divisive. The American public viewed bizarre antics among dissenters of this innocuous theory; perhaps the most used phrase for 2021. White Americans vigorously and angrily protested, mistakenly thinking the theory was being taught to children, although most can’t tell you what it means. Disrupting boards of education meetings, challenging curriculums, banning books and threatening teachers have dominated the news. While the term means the examination of laws that perpetuates inequality, protesters claim teachers are dividing the country by race, undermining patriotism and making White children feel guilty about their racist fore parents. Never mind that racism is very much prevalent today, causing undue pain and suffering. In actuality, CRT is neither taught in grade schools nor high schools. It’s mostly the domain of college graduate schools and law schools.

The 1619 Project

Nikole Hannah-Jones, African American, created and led The 1619 Project which places slavery and the contributions of African Americans at the center of the historical narrative of what became the United States. That fateful year marked the first Africans human trafficked to the English colony of Virginia and forced into bondage. It should be noted that Africans were here way before 1619. The project was first published in the New York Times magazine in 2019 to mark its 400th anniversary, the magazine flew off the shelves and was widely and warmly received. But like a New York minute, it quickly became embroiled in a heated controversy among historians and political commentators claiming it put ideology over historical understanding.

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On May 4, 2020, the Pulitzer Prize board announced that they were awarding the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary to project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones for her introductory essay. In 2021, Hannah-Jones was denied a tenure track position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in which tenure usually comes with the position. It should be noted that she is a UNC alumnus. The decision was eventually reversed after much rancor among the university’s Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, but she declined the offer and took a position at Howard University, a historically Black institution. She will also establish a new Center for Journalism and Democracy, taking $20 million with her to Howard, donated by philanthropists. On November 16, 2021, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story and Born on the Water (by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renéé Watson) were published simultaneously by Penguin Random House.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021

The right to vote and having fair and free elections are essential to a democracy. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act passed in the U.S. House August 24, 2021. It establishes new standards for “determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.” As with the policing bill, it’s been stalled in the U.S. Senate. Congressman Lewis passed July 17, 2020. A protégé of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, the 25-year-old Lewis along with others protested the right to vote on Bloody Sunday in 1965 on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama and beaten within an inch of his life by state troopers. Considered the “conscience of the Congress,” his signature legislative agenda was voting rights. Kamala Harris First Woman President for 90 Minutes While President Joe Biden underwent a colonoscopy November 19, 2021, as part of his annual physical at Walter Reade Medical Center, Vice President Kamala Harris assumed the reins of power for 90 minutes, the first woman to do so.

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Most African Americans and others were ecstatic when Harris became the first woman U.S. vice president who is of African and South Asian descent. Yet similar to the election of the nation’s first Black president, Barack Obama, they were also braced for the backlash, that is strong adverse reactions from racists and this time with misogynistic elements. African American voters were big supporters of the Democratic Biden/Harris ticket and played a pivotal role in ushering them into office. With the acrimonious racial climate and the powerful currents of emotions, it’s believed that it’s more important than ever to have a strong solid front including increasing the building of coalitions. The aforementioned list is not exhaustive. Moral turpitude and panic have led to fear among some Whites that they could be losing power due to the society becoming increasingly multi-cultural with a non-white emerging majority. Right wing media, politicians and the dark web have radicalized even more Whites, engulfing large parts of the country with disinformation campaigns -- and not just in the red states. Hence, the cultural war, racial animus and White grievance continue unabated. Whether this nation will ever honestly address its “original sin” of racism is uncertain. Suffice it to say, 2021 was better than 2020 as President Biden has pointed out. For example, the advent of vaccines to tackle the virus, an infusion of government stimulus money and Zoom made a big difference. Yet 2021 will most likely be a prologue of 2022 as the struggle to save our democracy and the “soul of the nation” continues. That is to say, remaining silent and doing nothing are not viable options. Sherrilynn Ifill, head of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, is stepping down in April 2022. A formidable leader, she said: “This is not a healthy democracy,” lamenting that “There is no guarantee we make it out of this period as a democracy.” Malaika Horne, PhD, is author of Mother Wit: Honoring a Great Mother.

Exalting Motherhood while

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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.

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“

”

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. -- Charles Mingus

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The Never Ending Story

Mural Defacement

Donate Now!

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BLACK COMIX RETURNS - African American Comic Art & Culture

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

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ART OF FOOD

TAKE

Home it

I’ve learned a lot as a school chef. I know all the little tricks to get kids to eat their vegetables (which most of us know is a feat in itself). But the biggest challenge is having to look up, modify, create and spruce up countless recipes so our food isn’t wasted at the end of the day. I’ve done just that with my twist on a quesadilla sauce which tastes similar to the one at Taco Bell. It can be used on tacos, burritos, nachos, etc. and your dish doesn’t taste dry and has an added kick. Our school menu challenges me at times to be creative and flexible. Take for instance, The Southwest Chicken Wrap that appeared on the menu without a recipe, so I had to create one. Which, according to the students, turned out pretty tasty and seemingly was enjoyed by my coworkers. I shared what little leftovers we had with one of my best friends and her son and they devoured it. She even called me a few days later requesting the recipe. As a kid, I remember strongly disliking Shepherd’s Pie, probably because I didn’t eat a lot of beef. I remember solely eating the mashed potatoes and maybe the cheese off the top. So when I saw it on our lunch Copyright © 2017 - All rights reserved.

menu, I was immediately skeptical that the kids were going to eat it. Miraculously they did! So for the recipe below, I swapped the beef out with a popular vegan/vegetarian alternative. Sloppy Joe’s was another one of those dishes that I really disliked as a kid. I hated getting messy and I was not a fan of how it tasted. As I’m writing this, I’m finally realizing how much of a picky eater I used to be. I honestly still have not tasted a full Sloppy Joe. However, the from scratch sauce for the “filling” is delicious. I’m anxious to try this recipe out with some ground turkey when cooking with my nephews and godson. Enjoy these recipes & don’t be scared to tweak them to make it your own.

~Léna O. A. Jackson www.facebook.com/gspDore www.instagram.com/gspDore gspDoreinfo@gmail.com

Bon Appétit,

Doré

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TAKE IT HOME... cont.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

2 tsp

Ketchup

½ tsp

Worcestershire Sauce

1 ea

Garlic Clove

12oz/1 pkg

Morning Star Crumbles

½ ea

Onion, chopped

¼ C

Carrots, shredded or diced

¼ C

Green Beans, cut

¼ C

Peas, optional

¼ C

Corn

~ 2 C

Mashed Potatoes

as needed

Daiya Shredded Cheese

7x5”

Baking Dish

Assemble as desired and bake until potatoes have a nice golden top.

pg.

156

Southwest Chicken Wrap

Taco Seasoning

10-12oz

Chicken Breasts

1 ½ C

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 C

Ranch Dressing

1 ¼ C

Salsa, chunky

1 ½ C

Black beans

12 ea

Tortilla wraps, warmed

½ C

as needed Shredded Cheese 1. Season cleaned/washed chicken with oil and taco seasoning. Bake in oven for 15 – 20 minutes at 350 F. Chop or dice chicken and set aside. 2. Next in a medium sized bowl, combine the ranch dressing, salsa and remaining taco seasoning together. Add your diced chicken and black beans & toss together until fully incorporated. 3. With your warmed tortilla, begin layering in your ingredients at will. Add the cilantro lime rice, chicken-sauce mixture and sprinkle the desired amount of cheese. Roll the wrap and serve warm. *Tip: Make sure your tortilla wraps are warmed. This will ensure that the wraps will not break when filling and rolling them. There are several options you can try to do this. I recommend separating them, laying them out on a (cookie) sheet tray and using a small amount of non-stick spray in between each layer. Place damp paper towels over the tortillas and let them sit at a very low temp in the oven for about 10 minutes.

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TAKE IT HOME... cont.

Quesadilla Sauce 2 Tbsp

Mayonnaise

½ C

Sour Cream

1 tsp

Garlic Powder

½ tsp

Ground Cumin

½ tsp

Paprika

1/16 tsp

Cayenne Pepper

OR 1/8 tsp

Jalapeno Pepper Juice

¼ tsp

Salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and use liberally inside your quesadillas or burritos.

pg.

158

Sloppy Joe Sauce 2lbs

Beef/Turkey/Vegan Alternative

2 ¼ C

Ketchup

¼ C

Brown Sugar

2/3 oz

White Vinegar

2/3 oz

Worcestershire Sauce

1/8 C

Yellow Mustard

½ Tbsp

Black Pepper

1 ¼ oz

Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients and whisk inside a large pot. Heat on medium-low for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked ground beef, turkey or vegan alternative to the pot and serve hot.

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DID YOU KNOW??

December is National

HIV/

Awareness Month pg.

166

World Aids Day (December 1, 2021) This month we want to take the time to see how far we’ve come since the Aids epidemic in the United States was noted around 1981 with some of the first cases being reported in June of the same year. In response to the way the disease ravaged some communities the first World Aids day was observed in 1988. Due to medical advancements, people with HIV are living longer. Today, there are more than “1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S. and there are more than 35,000 new infections each year.” https://www.kff.org/hivaids/factsheet/the-hivaids-epidemic-in-the-united-states-the-basics/

the panedemic depicting the challenges that Cheairs and her family faced during that time. Her film is a collection of archival essays and poems from incarcerated women who lived with HIV or Aids. Read More here... Did you know that: St. Louis was home to one of the first Aids patients. Robert Rayford died in 1969 at the City Hospital officially of pneumonia, but when doctors re-tested his tissue in 1987 it was found that his actual cause of death was Aids-related.

This year’s theme is “Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice” World Aids Day strives to continue to bring awareness of HIV and Aids, reduce the stigma that comes with the disease and promote better understanding of it. The Contemporary Art Museum (3750 Washington Blvd.) and partner Visual Aids focused its Day With(out) Art: Enduring Care on World Aids Day to take part in spreading the awareness of the Aids pandemic during this 40 year anniversary.

Charles Long, Artist/Activist on the CAM Panel along side Lois Conley, Impact HIV/Aids Initiative Host, held discussions that led to showings that were commissioned by Visual Aids. Katherine Cheairs' short film Voices at the Gate, was shown at Day With(out) Art. The film was created during

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Follo

Read Article Elaine Young Artist

Independent Lense

Now at Independent Lense

OBS held the St. Louis premiere screening on Decade on Fire at our African Liberation Day/Malcolm X Celebration this year. Vivian Vasquez (the Bronx) joined the post-screening discussion. The award-winning film has made its way to PBS and Independent Lens. It is a powerful piece of work.

Watch Now

Organization for Black Struggle PO Box 5277 St. Louis, MO 63115

pg.

168

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Mother Wit by Malaika B. Horne

Yes! Please send me Mother Wit by Malaika B. Horne $16.00 • ISBN: 978-1-4809-4550-0

Ship ___ at $16.00/book $ SUBTOTAL $ ** Shipping and Handling $ TOTAL DUE $

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Yes! Please send me Mother Wit by Malaika B. Horne $16.00 • ISBN: 978-1-4809-4550-0

Ship ___ at $16.00/book $ SUBTOTAL $ ** Shipping and Handling $ TOTAL DUE $

* Please add $3.99 shipping & handling for the first book ordered and $1.00 for each additional book. Shipping is USPS First Class.

Order from your bookseller or direct from:

DORRANCE PUBLISHING CO BOOK ORDER DEPARTMENT 585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103 Pittsburgh, PA 15238 ! Please add me to your mailing list. To order call

1-800-788-7654

or visit our website at

www.dorrancebookstore.com or cut along dotted line and mail to address listed above along with credit card information or check or money order.

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STATE:

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NAME: ADDRESS: CITY: PHONE: EMAIL:

STATE:

Exp. Date

ZIP:

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OPPORTUNITIES

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CAREERS

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ART OF HEALING | WORLD AIDS/HIV