April 2016
Th e Fu t u r e f av o r s t h e BOLD. Get i n v o l v ed !
POLITICS
Teen Pregnancy - the Key to Prevention
The Radical Success of the Met Schools
TamaraBarnes
The logistical maven of service Page
Getting Off Black Girl Island
Your Vote in 2016
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Let t er f r o m t h e Ed i t o r -i n -Ch i ef
Ly n i t a M i t ch el l -Bl ack w el l
It is officially spring and it is time to get in the swing of things! Along with spring breaks and cleaning, there is the excitement of elections, self-improvement seminars, and a desire to do things differently and better - that comes with this wonderful time of year. This issue of BOLD Politics is in line with all of that! It is PACKED with informative and insightful articles that will challenge the way you live and serve. Leading with our cover Tamara Barnes of Mogul Logistics Solutions, she will push you to get your affairs in order no matter your age; our political correspondents Shana Thornton, and David and Myesha Good put the fire under your feet to get out and VOTE in this critical election year that will resonate for generations to come; Deborah Hightower checks us on our seeming inability to be civil in spite of our disagreements; and we learn how to get off our respective Islands of Contentment with go-getter Jackie Madison.
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More than anything, we strive to be the best person we can be. Remember in all that striving to rest, hydrate, and actually ENJOY life! Support our awesome advertisers (shop, shop, shop!), and remember: The future favors the BOLD. Get involved!
L ynita Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, Esq., CPA, CCLC
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Let t er f r o m t h e M an ag i n g Ed i t o r
Dav i d M . Go o d nuggets that can be used in people?s lives or community. Like the Met Schools that have made a difference in the lives of the underserved or if having a concealed weapon really equals safety. That is the benefit of a magazine like BOLD Politics: it gives the reader the bold political angle while showing bold people doing bold actions in and out of politics.
The 2016 Presidential Election is in full swing and come November, the citizens of the United States of America will be choosing who will succeed President Obama as the 45th President. The political climate has shifted: where political correctness and party establishments are taking a backseat to progressives and wild rallies that are showing the essence of some people?s characteristics. One thing is for sure, people who never voted in Presidential Primaries before are doing it now and those who never had an interest in politics are flooding rallies and political protest.
I will leave you with this as this political season kicks into high gear: what happens in the next eight months will have an impact on the world, and our children?s children will feel the impact of what we do. As you attend political events and vote in these primaries and in general elections, please remember to educate yourself on the issues, research the candidates, talk to your contemporaries and lead by example so the next generation can see the importance in voting and using wisdom to elect your political leaders.
DavidGood
This issue of BOLD Politics will not only show you why it is important to be a part of the political process, no matter what nation you reside in; but this issue will show you some examples of life changing Page 7 6
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Race to the White House November 8, 2016 will determine who we are for a generation. By David & Myesha Good
This year's candidates are really getting the attention of voters and non-voters. Why? Because there is a candidate, Donald Trump, on the Republican side who is not part of the establishment; and who many view as speaking the truth and telling it like it is - unapologetically. The other candidates, who seem to have more experience on the Republican ticket (namely, Rubio, Cruz and Kaisch) in some cases seem to not be taken seriously or not to do not project enough strength to deal with the Republican front-runner, Trump. In fact, after losing his home state of Florida to Trump, Marco Rubio suspended his presidential campaign. Then on the Democratic side you have two very different types of candidates: one a woman, (Hillary) Clinton who has been part of the establishment for years, and understands the inner-workings of DC politics and policies. The other, who is getting the ear of the voters and getting them excited about a forward, progressive America, is Bernie Sanders. It seems as if voters are torn, upset, vocal, confused, frustrated and in some cases - have become physical. Recently, we saw a rally postponed and eventually cancelled by Trump in Chicago when the crowd got out of control. Initial reports were that protesters got rowdy and started the chaos. However, it was later said that Trump supporters became upset Page 9 8
because the rally was postponed and started the brawl that ensued. Is this the tone that Trump has developed - and wants - for his campaign? Many feel that is it is when listening to speeches delivered during rallies, debates and other earned media opportunities. Some feel that if Trump is not stopped, We the People are going to see an America that is always at war at home and abroad in some fashion. The presidential election is not only "one to watch", but one in which everyone should vote and take it seriously. No one thought Trump would be the front-runner for the Republican nomination, but as of the date of this article, that is exactly the case. Only time will tell if he will be able to garner the delegates needed to actually win. The future of America lies in our hands and we need to ensure that whoever is elected can build a stronger America, not a divided one. We must admit this has not been a boring election year; it has been one of the most exciting in a generation, and it has made caucus and primary nights "must watch" television. But we must remember that the future of our country and its path for the next generation are at stake, and therefore, we must take this election seriously. And we must remember to respect each other, even when we are not supporting or voting for a candidate that a friend, family member, or a colleague is not voting for. Let us continue to vote in our primaries and caucuses, and once a candidate is nominated by their respective parties, vote on November 8, 2016! www.BOLDFavorMagazine.com
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W alker'sLegacyembracesAtlanta Meet Yvonne Byars, the Woman Behind Bringing Walker's Legacy to Atlanta! Yvonne Byars is a woman committed to empowering leaders. A certified project management professional, Yvonne is founder and CEO of PMXprts, LLC, an IT project management company. A 25 year veteran of Procter & Gamble (P&G), one of the leading Fortune 100 companies, Yvonne honed her skills to help others professionally and as well as within the community, and now serves as chairperson of the board of directors of H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People be Empowered), Inc. HOPE provides resources and direction to low-income single-parents working to obtain a College Degree. Additionally, Yvonne was selected as member of the Class of 2016 of Leadership Cobb. So it was no surprise when Yvonne sought to take her leadership quest to the next level by bringing Walker?s Legacy
Left to right standing: Yvonne Byars, GA State Rep. Erica Thomas; seated left to right: Necole Parker, Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson, and Atlanta First Lady Sarah-Elizabeth Reed.
to Atlanta. Walker's Legacy was founded in 2009, named in honor of Madam C. J. Walker, the first self-made female millionaire in US history and a historical female entrepreneur. Since the founding, the organization has evolved as a professional collective that works to promote the career Page 11 10
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What people fail to realize is support is prevention.
Support me
By Asia Wheaton What many fail to realize is support is prevention. A common messagespread about teenage pregnancy is that children born to teenage parents are more likely to become teenage parents themselves. Every May, during National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, this statement - along with many like it - are widely shared and printed onlarge posters that go up around the country. However, there has yet to be a collective acknowledgment that without supporting parents now, we are failing the children of teen parents;and by extension, maintaining an environment where-in thesechildrencan experience an unintended pregnancy just as their parents did. Teens who have a baby are less likely to finish high school than their peers who does not. Only 40% of teen mothers who give birth at age 17 or earlier finish high school, according to research compiled by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. About 23% of the teen moms go on to earn a GED. Unfortunately, the gap is even bigger when it comes to higher education. It is long past time that larger teenage pregnancy prevention organizations, Page 13 12
comfort me
policy makers, funders and society realize and incorporate teenage pregnancy support in their teenage pregnancy prevention. Teen childbearing not only has the potential to affect the mother?s education, but has implications for children as well: -
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"Support and comfort should be the main center. "
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Children born to teen moms often do not perform as well as children of older mothers on early childhood development indicators and school readiness measures, such as communication, cognition and social skills. Research shows that children of teen mothers not only start school at a disadvantage; they also fare worse than those born to older parents later on in development. For example, children born to teens have lower educational performance; score lower on standardized tests and are twice as likely to repeat a grade. About two-thirds of children born to teen mothers earn a high school diploma, compared to 81 percent of children born to adults. Support is the key.
Support by way of www.BOLDFavorMagazine.com
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DOES CONCEALED WEAPONS = SAFETY? The implications of Georgia House Bill 859 By Shavonda McCaleb
In January 2016, five Georgia Republican legislators filed House Bill 859 which would allow students to carry guns on college campuses. Two months later, March 11, 2016 the Georgia Senate opened a wide gate to House Bill 859 that would legalize firearms on all public college campuses in Georgia - it passed the Senate by a 37-17 vote. The bill now goes to Governor Nathan Deal, who has previously stated that he supports the bill. If or when Governor Deal signs on the dotted line, it becomes Georgia State law making Georgia the ninth state to allow guns on college campuses. This legislation allows anyone 21 years of age or older, with a weapons license, to carry a concealed handgun anywhere on public college or university campuses, technical schools, and vocational schools, except for inside dormitories/ student housing, fraternity/ sorority houses and athletic sporting events. What remains unclear is; what safety measure would be put
into place to secure the handguns of licensed students who reside on campus but is not permitted to bring their handguns inside of dormitories or student housing? The University System of Georgia and the leaders of State Universities and Colleges are in disagreement with House Bill 859. Their major concerns are focused on the level of student maturity and the overall safety of the campus. We understand the need for and importance of safety, noting recent robberies at Georgia State University?s Atlanta Campus Library. However, is it safe to say that 21 year old young men and women are mature and responsible enough to
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Radical Transformation The Met Schools Have Radically Transformed the Lives of Disadvantaged Adolescents
By Lynda Dell Over the past 20 years, the Met Schools have been flourishing in many major cities across the USA, from Providence, Rhode Island to San Diego, California. Their graduation rates are soaring in areas once deemed high school dropout zones. Nationally recognized innovators, Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor have turned the traditional education model on its head to create a blueprint for all the Met Schools, which is the Big Picture Learning, (BPL), approach. This approach is rooted in the three R?s? rel at ionships; rel evant real -worl d project s driven by student?s aspirations and interests; and rigor of meeting all of the educational requirements. In 1995, former Rhode Island Education Commissioner, Peter
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Carlos Moreno, Co-Executive of Big Picture Learning Company , above speaking at the 2015 Business Innovation Factory Summit in Providence and below greeting PS89 school students. www.BOLDFavorMagazine.com
Radical Transformation
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Carlos Moreno, Co-Executive of Big Picture Learning Company , above speaking at the 2015 Business Innovation Factory Summit in Providence and below greeting PS89 school students. www.BOLDFavorMagazine.com
O ur BO LDCover TAMARABARNES
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TheLogistical Mavenof Service
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send you a list and trust you to complete it. That's not really service, and it burns me up when people spend their hard-earned money for a benefit they are not getting. If you were going to do it yourself, you would have already done so." The biggest challenge in doing the family care plan is also getting people to keep it current. Aside from her own experience of creating a family care plan, Tamara also understands the importance of updating it annually. She and her husband are raising a blended family of five boys ranging from 8 to 14. It is imperative that all parents are on the same page and know where to find information should the unexpected happen. Tamara shared some of the things that should be included in the family care plan: -
Insurance polices Shot records School records Taxes Business receipts Identification records
Although the above list is not exhaustive, just having these items is a big start. Then Tamara takes it from there, and she is usually able to complete the plan in one sitting and in less than three hours. She is very sensitive to budget concerns, something that she developed working with our beloved service members. Many of the people Page 23 22
currently enlisted are young and do not make much, so she is ever conscious of that reality.
"STAY prepared so you don't have to GET prepared because by the time you try to get things in order, it's too late."
Tamara wants to take Mogul Logistics Solutions global; helping other families to get their information in order. She is strategically planning workshops, webinars, and seminars to empower people to "STAY prepared so they don't have to GET prepared because by the time you try to get things in order, it's too late." She is totally committed to it, having been prepared by her 15 year career in the military that includes service in both the Air Force and the US Coast Guard. "Joining the military really prepared me for success. I learned discipline, integrity, honesty. And if it had not been for my experience, I would never have started the business." If you want to get your information together in a way that gives you and your family a peace of mind, contact Tamara today! Visit her website at http:/ / www.mogullogisticsolutions.com
or call 301-267-6749.
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How Jackie Madison Got Off The Black Girl Island and Became a Powerhouse Member of t he Sout hern Pl ast ic Surgery Team
By Destiny Graber Describing what it?s like to be a black female living in the South can?t really be summed up in a few words, but if I had to choose one, it?d be challenging. We all know or hear about the daily challenges that we still face in today?s society and living in Georgia is certainly not exempt from those challenges. To be black, educated, female and successful in what used to be a white-dominated industry is unfortunately a tale we don?t hear as much, but Jackie is proof that embracing every aspect of your culture and actually using your voice to be heard can still make an impact. Jackie joined Dr. David Whiteman?s team at Southern Plastic Surgery in 1999 as their eager office manager. Usually you can?t really pin-point a person?s race by their last name, but let?s just say Dr. Whiteman?s last name says it all. Back in the late 90?s and early 2000?s, plastic surgery was a predominately white medical field limited to those who had the type of income to have elective procedures. You?d be hard pressed just to find a black staff member that actually had an integral part in a plastic surgery practice and its success. Jackie could have Page 25 24
"Describing what it?s like to be a black female living in the South can?t really be summed up in a few words, but if I had to choose one, it?d be challenging. "
easily just been a face behind a desk that checked in patients, showed them to the consultation room and gave the standard ?thanks for coming, we?ll see you again soon? response, but just showing up to work every day to put in eight hours isn?t Jackie?s style. So how?d she get off the black girl island to become what she is now ? a mother of two, devoted wife, Practice Administrator of Southern Plastic Surgery , Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center, AND a certified NESTA specialist who created and heads a lifestyle and weight management program ? The answer is simple: passion, perseverance and the ability to take no as a motivator to never stop. For Jackie to have been as
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Is it too much to expect a certain discipline and unwavering civility toward one another?
How can we do better?
no longer just the blatant macro actions of disrespect and uncivil behavior that has been stirred by political jargon. It is no longer just the protests, police conflicts, riots and civil unrest seen around the world. It has filtered down to include the micro, often hard to prove, actions called microaggression.
By Deborah Hightower No? yes? maybe? Have the good fundamentals of ?do unto others?, ?be nice?, ?if you can?t say something nice? ? been kicked to the proverbial curb? Have we as a society become a bunch of mean boys and girls who can?t see past the me, me, me phenomenon? It is Page 29 28
Dr. Derald Wing Sue, Psychologist and Columbia University Professor, defines microaggression as ?brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial
slights and insults toward people of color.?The definition has been expanded to include ?slights directed toward marginalized groups on the basis of disability, faith, sexual identity, citizenship status, gender identity and other personal characteristics.? Microaggression assumes an inferiority of others and is based in offensive and biased language intended to foster exclusion. Further detail of the theory includes: microassault (conscious and intentional actions or slurs); microinsult (verbal and nonverbal communications that convey subtle rudeness and insensitivity); microinvalidation
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Is it too much to expect a certain discipline and unwavering civility toward one another? slights and insults toward people of color.?The definition has been expanded to include ?slights directed toward marginalized groups on the basis of disability, faith, sexual identity, citizenship status, gender identity and other personal characteristics.? Microaggression assumes an inferiority of others and is based in offensive and biased language intended to foster exclusion. Further detail of the theory includes: microassault (conscious and intentional actions or slurs); microinsult (verbal and nonverbal communications that convey subtle rudeness and insensitivity); microinvalidation Page 29
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author. His passion for writing was evident at a very young age. However, this passion ran parallel with his zeal for
passion for writing to obtain his Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1992. While exploring the world of
Th e Passi ons of R.L. Byrd by Brianna D. Screen
architecture which would result in the delay of R.L. pursuing his
architecture, R.L. would find himself constantly being mentally
When one is blessed with more than one passion, it opens the door to many opportunities. It does not mean one should be forced to choose one or the other? you can have the best of both worlds!!! Trying to travel two roads at the same time poses a huge challenge. Therefore, one must simply make the decision as to which road he or she should travel first. R.L. Byrd knows this scenario all too well! Richard Leon Byrd (R.L. Byrd) was born in Brunswick, Georgia during the time when the South was growing and evolving. It was his life?s experiences while growing up during this era that shaped R.L.?s world as a person as well as an Page 31 30
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passion for writing to obtain his Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1992. While exploring the world of
architecture, R.L. would find himself constantly being mentally
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Danielle Deadwyler Suzi Bass Outstanding Lead Actress Winner, Danielle Deadwyler to appear in the World Premiere of "Beyond Reasonable Doubt" at Atlanta's Synchronicity Theatre April 8 May 1
By Cathy Burroughs Actress Daniel l e Deadwyl er is young and, by all accounts, thriving brilliantly. Her efforts have already been rewarded, and deservedly so, by winning not once but twice at the prestigious 2015 Suzi Bass Awards, Atlanta's version of the Tony Awards, for Out st anding Lead Act ress in a Pl ay and Out st anding Ensembl e Cast in a Pl ay. Deadwyler demonstrates an amazing range and power in her work this year alone in the Atlanta scene. In The Al l iance Theat re?s premiere of ?The C. A. Lyons Project? as Christine aka Chaos Unit Cross for which she won Outstanding Lead Actress, then as ethereal ingĂŠnue Nina in ?Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike? at Horizon Theatre, in Aurora Theatre?s production of ?Clybourne Park,? in "Moxie," a world premiere at Theatrical Outfit and she also appeared at Kenny Leon's exceptional 34 35 TruePage Colors Theatre Company
I?m attracted to alternative roles. They?re exciting to me. I expect a little dirty and a hint of pretty? the whole gamut? in any kind of project or persona.
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Strong, powerful women supporting one another... Doesn't get any better than this! By Timmesha Burgess AKA The Gypsy Empress Honoring of Women in Radio was hosted by Dee Hill, Dr. Dhanvanti Moore and Lady Libra, and held March 11, 2016 at the beautiful and expansive Georgia State Capitol! This monumental event recognized, congratulated, and saluted those who paved the way for women to have a voice in what now used to be known as a male dominated industry. Honorees included Michele?Williams (first female personality of 104.1), Carol Blackmon (First female personality of 107.5), Myrna Taylor Ransom (First female personality of V-103), Sylvia James McAfee (Former personality of 104.1 & 107.5), and Regina Allen Slaughter (Former program Director at 1480 WYZE). Upon entering our state capitol, I made my way to the first General Assembly room of the House, where our honorees were seated while anxiously awaiting their time to stand and be recognized for their contributions in radio. As House of Representative Valencia Stovall and Georgia State Senator Donzella James made their way to the podium, my heart began to beat fast; this is the moment
women here and all over the world have been waiting for! Stovall and Donzella stood at the podium and stated, ?This is a moment that is long over do, but we are here today to honor and say thank you to these five women who have made strides, sacrifices, and paved the way for women around the world? ? As they began to speak, I quickly glanced over at the honorees and saw them smiling from ear to ear. They stood, waved, and took their bows as they seemingly tried to grasp the reality of what is happening! Everyone in the room applauds; even those who were there for other reasons, stood and took notice of these women. Tell me that is not powerful! We then made our way to the Great Assembly of the Senate, and the honorees were again recognized Page 39 38
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St op Exercising ? St art Chair-A-Cising The days of jumping up & down, from side to side, getting on the floor, risking injury, straining and punishing your body to get amazing weight loss results are over With Chair-A-Cise I have taken an old ordinary idea, chair exercising, and added a modern day twist by using the most effective standing weight loss exercises (sprints, jumping jacks, etc.) and transformed them into fat burning chair exercises. Don?t just exercise? Chair-A-Cise! You, too can have a healthier body, without leaving your chair! Chair-A-Cise is a breakthrough ?chair exercise? rapid weight loss program that gives you everything you need to totally transform your body in 90 days Get amazing results the easy way with Chair-A-Cise Transformation Series .
Daryl Madison, Creator
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