MAGAZINE
BRONZE JULY/AUGUST 2019
BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM
FASHION EDITORIAL: THE DISTRICT By Jarrett Demetre JAZZ MUSICIAN WILLIAM GREEN TRANSCENDS WITH LATEST ALBUM
MINDRUSH
CHARGE UP CAMPAIGN CEO EMPOWERS BREAST CANCER PATIENTS & SURVIVORS
Jae Nash
SHARES THE STRUGGLES OF “REAL WOMEN” IN NEW BOOK “GIRL POWER: UNCENSORED”
Bronze Magazine celebrates, empowers and inspires! If you would like to share your own personal inspirational journey or good deeds in the community (or your industry) with our digital issue readers, then please submit your interest to: editor@bronzemagonline.com Your email should include the following: •A brief bio about you and a history of your brand/company (may include any press releases, media kits, website info, model tear sheet, etc.) •How you (company and/or brand) pay it forward by empowering and inspiring others to be their best. •Why you feel Bronze readers will want to know about you. •Your contact info (email, phone, etc.)
Available on Amazon Patrice Rivers is an author of seven books that ranges from poetry, children and fiction. She is a graduate of Virginia State University with a Bachelors Degree in Arts. Patrice majored in Mass Communications with a focus on print media. She is currently working on her eighth book which is a short story.
BRONZE MAGAZINE
July/August 2019 Editor’s Note Hello Bronze Beauties! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! We’ve got another inspiring issue for you to read while relaxing by the pool, at the beach or wherever you choose to spend quality, quiet time. We had an amazing intimate chat with our cover star, Jae Nash. In her new book, Girl Power: Uncensored, the ATL based media personality heals and empowers by sharing her own personal trials and tribulations along with other women. It’s like therapy in a book!
Cover Credits:
Photographer: AZU STUDIOS
FOUNDER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shawn Stuldivant
Our cover star always lays the foundation for a great issue, but there are quite a mix of other amazing individuals whose stories will inspire you as well, including a doctor, a breast cancer activist, a fashion photographer, a jazz musician and an actor. Take a read and you be the judge! We always want to hear your thoughts and ideas, so please feel free to share by contacting me at editor@bronzemagonline.com. Happy reading!
CO-OWNER Barry Stuldivant GRAPHIC DESIGNER Casey Blackman EDITOR/PROOFREADER Katrina Sivels WRITERS Henna Choudhary Patrice Rivers
xoxo, n Shaw t n a v i Stuld
CONTENTS
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09
Dr. Sarepta Isaac
Charge Up Campaign CEO/Founder Charessa Sawyer
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16
Photographer& Artistic Visionary Jarrette Demetre
Fashion Editorial: The District
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Jazz Musician William Green
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Actor Ross Fleming
Photo Credit: Azu Sutdios
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Cover Star: Jae Nash
JUMPSTART YOUR HEALTH WITH PODIATRIST DR. SAREPTA ISAAC by Patrice Rivers
Dr. Sarepta Isaac is the owner and founder of her own private practice, “Serenity Podiatric Concierge.” In 2017, she started an organization for minority professional women in Podiatry to have a home for resources, partnerships and business building. She is busy planning and creating resources for her patients to have a better understanding of their health. With her new book, “My Serenity, My Health Journal” releasing this fall, Dr. Isaac is focusing on new ventures and goals for her practice.
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Dr. Isaac talks about Her Mobile Serenity Podiatric Concierge and Health Goals for Patients.
PATRICE RIVERS: HOW DID YOU JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER IN THE MEDICAL FIELD? DR. SAREPTA ISAAC: I had a passion for medicine since I was a child. I can remember always wanting to help people and make them feel better. Then in high school, I realized that I had a passion for medicine which led me to understand what I needed to learn in order to achieve that goal of becoming a physician.
JULY/AUGUST 2019
“I had a passion for medicine since I was a child.”
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PATRICE: WHAT SPECIFIC AREA OF MEDICINE DO YOU FOCUS ON? DR. ISAAC: I am an ankle specialist. I was primarily trained in both medicine and surgery. I treat anything from fractures, to soft skin injury; anything dealing with the foot and ankle, that’s my specialty. PATRICE: HOW MANY YEARS IN TOTAL HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE MEDICAL FIELD? DR. ISAAC: I graduated Residency in 2016, so this is my fourth year out after my undergraduate training to become a Podiatrist for my degree, then I went to medical school and did four years residency after that. So, a total of twelve years and I’ve been out for four years. PATRICE: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS IN EDUCATING OTHERS ON WHAT YOU DO? DR. ISAAC: I have very specific goals that align with the reason on why I started the practice. I started the practice almost three years ago after I worked for someone else. After I worked with them, I realized I wanted to practice differently. I wanted to be an asset and to benefit my patients. One of the goals is to approach my patients in a comprehensive way. The second goal is the education factor. That’s big for me in my practice because my experience during my residency training and while working with the previous schools that I have worked with were treated by the doctor, but a lot of times patients do not know what’s going on. Some of the doctors might not have taken the time out to properly educate them in a way that they can understand. I take additional time to educate patients on their diagnosis and medication and explain to them what the reason is and why I feel this is beneficial to them. PATRICE: WHAT DOES YOUR PRACTICE OFFER? DR ISAAC: I have a mobile concierge practice, which is a different concept than your traditional doctor’s office. Because this is a mobile practice, I provide care to mostly seniors and I see most of my patients in facilities such as nursing homes and assistant living facilities. What sets my practice apart from traditional medical practices is I bring care to the patients. It benefits my patients having the doctor come to them for their convenience. PATRICE: TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION FOR MINORITY PROFESSIONAL WOMEN IN PODIATRY. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE BEHIND THAT? DR. ISAAC: I am honored to have the vision for this organization I founded. It is essentially a group of minority women who have come together in Atlanta and meet periodically to discuss the needs in our community.
Some of us are newer doctors; we have senior doctors in the group, and we share information with each other such as practice management skills, ways to have better relationships with our patients, how we can better serve them and ways that we can be more efficient. Also, within the organization we have brunches where we bring in speakers speaking on various topics that will make our practice more efficient and to better our lives. We have grown in the last two years. PATRICE: WHAT DOES GOOD HEALTH MEAN TO YOU? DR. ISAAC: That’s a good question! To me, good health is more than just the physical state. I believe that health is a combination of the physical and the mental. There is no way that you can be fully physically healthy if your mental health is falling behind. The second aspect of it is that it’s constantly changing. The state of being healthy is constantly changing because there are certain things that your body can deal with at a certain age.
PATRICE:TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR BOOK, “MY SERENITY, MY HEALTH” JOURNAL. DR. ISAAC: I’m excited about my book. It’s a combination of what I try to do in my practice. I really wanted to put my patients in charge of their health. It’s advocation for my patients and inspiring them to take charge of their health. A lot of people feel discouraged when it comes to their health. I definitely wanted to provide a tool that can help patients. The book is a journal and a guide. Each chapter focuses on the aspects of your health and a list of questions that you can ask your doctor ahead of time.
“I believe that health is a combination of the physical and the mental. There is no way that you can be fully physically healthy if your mental health is falling behind.” PATRICE: WHAT OTHER EVENTS DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE REST OF 2019? DR. ISAAC: 2019 has shown to be a very busy year; busy in a great way. This August is going to be our Jump To Your Health Day Party. It’s going to be a jump-start to your health. I am very excited about this because this event is different from the other events which was more of a sit down and talk. We are going to have featured vendors at the event who will be offering different health and wellness products, things that will help people take charge of their health more. We are also going to have various speakers, doctors from different specialties, health and wellness bloggers and fitness schools to help people understand how to take care of their health; but in a fun way. We are also going to have Zumba, protein shakes and smoothies and just have fun with a purpose. Follow Dr. Sarepta Isaac on all social media platforms @drsarepta
FOUNDER & CEO OF THE CHARGE UP CAMPAIGN EDUCATES COMMUNITY ON RESOURCES AND EDUCATION FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS BY PATRICE RIVERS The Charge Up Campaign is a non profit organization created by the wonderful Charessa Sawyer in 2013. This organization not only empowers men, women and youth dealing with cancer, but also helps to reduce mental health issues within the community. Sharing the back story of how the Charge Up Campaign got started with becoming a caregiver for her mom who is a Breast Cancer Survivor, Charessa moved to Atlanta from North Carolina planning for the first Pink Champagne Gala event as it blossomed to something wonderful for the community. This community-based event also provides tools, resources and education to breast cancer patients and caregivers. From table talks to other events, the Charge Up Campaign is moving forward with new projects to continue being a support system and working with sponsors to pave a way for breast cancer. (Continued on next page)
PATRICE RIVERS: HOW DID THE CHARGE UP CAMPAIGN GET STARTED?
“I started the Charge Up Campaign because my mom is a breast cancer survivor.”
CHARESSA SAWYER: I started the Charge Up Campaign because my mom is a breast cancer survivor. I was in graduate school; it was always about making sure mom had everything she needed in order to survive, like making sure she got the medication she needed. When she was clear, we sent her off to Florida in Orlando for a week where my cousin lived. She needed that break from all of us; that was her first time flying. When she came back from her trip, she was energized, she didn’t have a scarf on her head and her curl pattern was coming back; She was charged up. She got away from being our mom, our sister with cancer. She was just herself; I wanted to see other people shine like she was. The basis behind the campaign is to focus on the mental health, but we also want to make sure that they are supported mentally.
PATRICE: WHAT WAS THE FIRST EVENT FOR CHARGE IT CAMPAIGN? CHARESSA: I’ve done events since high school. I did my first Pink Champagne Gala in 2010 back in North Carolina, where I’m from. But when I moved to Atlanta trying to figure out how to move the organization and give it a name. The first event was a table talk. I was the host of a radio show called The Table Talk Series. I had the event set up as a dinner party and we invited cancer patients, caregivers and other people in the community. We also honored cancer survivors on that day and that event led up to our first Pink Champagne Gala in Atlanta in 2014. PATRICE RIVERS: WHAT OTHER EVENTS BESIDES THE PINK CHAMPAGNE GALA DOES THE CAMPAIGN SPONSORS HAVE? CHARESSA SAWYER: We also host a pajama jam every quarter. We host it at different tent houses and we want to give them that treatment. We do a Day of Celebration where we go to different states. Our next state will be Los Angeles, California. The campaign connects with different sponsors in those areas like make-up artists and hair stylists where we can provide cancer survivors and caregivers photo shoots and make overs and we host a table talk where we can understand what it is that they need from us even after the cancer. It’s a free event. Another event that we do is a conference. We held our first conference called Survivors Con last year. The second one will be in October of this year. It’s a way for us to educate the community on the things that you don’t hear about a lot such as financial empowerment. Other topics include insurance, religion and education. When it comes to events, we try to do them every other month.
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PATRICE RIVERS: HOW MANY SPONSORS DOES THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION HAVE? CHARESSA SAWYER: We usually have sponsors per event vs. a sponsor for the whole year. For the gala, we have several different sponsors such as AT &T, Edna, Majority Greek Magazine, Catos, etc. We have various events that have come along that want to be a part of the journey. We are still kind of young with the organization, so these sponsors are here to help us and to grow our foundation solid.
PATRICE: FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2019, WHAT GOALS AND OTHER EVENTS ARE YOU PLANNING FOR CHARGE UP CAMPAIGN? CHARESSA: The shoelace club, which is a walking group that we are starting up, the conference on October 19th that we are hosting for the survivors, and we are going to LA in October as well. Our big thing is our partnerships. Right now, we are partnering up with different hospitals to provide support. We are working on one resource book that includes therapeutic resources that we can give out to our cancer survivors and caregivers, and the second book that we are working on is called “Love Note,” a book of affirmations that allows us to encourage others.
PATRICE RIVERS: HOW CAN PEOPLE DONATE TO THE ORGANIZATION? CHARESSA SAWYER: There are several ways, of course. One way is through cashapp $chargeupcampaign, they can send donations to PayPal at chargeupcampaign@gmail.com and also we have a number where they can text CHARGE to 31996. They can also make a donation as well on our website at www.chargeupcampaign.com
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JULY/AUGUST 2019
Jarrett Demetre Photographer and Artistic Visionary By Henna Choudhary
Jarrett Demetre’s keen eye for authentic, yet polished portraits have warranted his work in glossy fashion advertisements and model portraits accentuating natural beauty. Demetre recognized his natural flair for portraiture when shooting urban street fashion with an aspiring model and friend, which sparked his interest in all aspects of photography, from detecting natural lighting to manipulating equipment to best serve his photographic vision. His commercial and editorial photography highlights raw, organic realism rather than over-processed edits at a time when the fashion industry is beginning to hop on a similar wave. Henna Choudhary: When did you first become interested in photography? Jarrett Demetre: I would have to say my first time realizing that I had a deep and genuine interest in photography was when I did, I believe, my third photoshoot for my clothing brand back in 2013. I was pushing at the time with an aspiring model and college friend Selamawit. We shot two looks, very guerilla style, at two or three location settings with a few different angles and I remember really enjoying the process of the shoot. Everything was built from there I believe. Henna Choudhary: How were you able to grow and hone your skills as an artist? Jarrett Demetre: I have to accredit the largest part of my growth in photography, shooting and editing to my long-time mentor Marcus. Being able to shadow him on his sets and
shoots, gaining a strong understanding of the fundamentals and even being allowed to utilize his resources as far as studio, lighting and lens really helped me grow in a direction that would eventually cultivate my now unique style while also propelling me past a lot of my peers. Henna Choudhary: How has your photography and editing style changed over the course of your career? Jarrett Demetre: At this point in my career, it has really narrowed as far as allowing me to understand my goal lane. Although both my photography and editing has become more defined overall, I now have a much stronger idea of my best process method as I plan the shooting, the angles and composites that I am best at while shooting, what I’m looking for and what I’m looking at on set. In my post editing process, I know my key points for retouching and the mood I’m trying
to showcase to the audiences. Henna Choudhary: What is your advice to aspiring professional photographers that are new to the industry? Jarrett Demetre: My immediate advice would be: if you’re looking to get into it as a quick money hustle, save your time. This is because a lot of photographers, the vast majority, don’t make much money. It really is a long-term game. However, if you feel you may have an untapped passion or even general interest, shoot as much as you can and in as many different genres as you can. Find out what brings you the most satisfaction while shooting and gain a strong understanding of ISO, shutter speed, lighting and F-stop settings. Don’t let an unpaid opportunity deter you from doing a project, there will always be something you take from that experience, even if it’s just experiences and credit.
Henna Choudhary: How do you maintain a unique photography style? Jarrett Demetre: It is still continuing to grow and define itself in little ways at this point, so
it’s not too difficult, but with so much content other people are pushing out I can understand how a lot of people can start to lose themselves by replicating others’ work. My style and the image I’m looking to showcase and highlight in my work is becoming more organically me; I feel I see the world a little different and I have to say, Monika from The Society MGMT helped me a little with the idea of just showcasing my raw inspired content. I also try to never over-replicate any inspiration I find or build off of for something like a brand shoot or full-team production. I take the direction or concept generally and put it in my context. Henna Choudhary: Who are your artistic inspirations and muses? Jarrett Demetre: That is a pretty long list honestly, there are several classic photographers, but I would say the first that always comes to mind is Giampaolo Sgura. Also, Russel James as his books continue to motivate me, Helmut Newton and the fearless showcasing of his content and what he liked, Marco Glaviano I really connect with as well and Alexi Lubomirski who’s very influential for the way he shoots and his setups outside of studio. Muse-wise I have even more, Rihanna is definitely a goal inspiration I would be honored to do a portrait session with. Bella Hadid, Lais Ribeiro, Shanina Shaik and Leomie Anderson are all professional models and muses I would like to shoot as well, outside of meeting or shooting them at fashion week. Duckie Thot is a huge muse as well. Kelly Gale, Anok, Margot Robbie, Anais, Jourdan Phillips and actually one of my good friends who lives in Atlanta, Marae Ajeto, who inspired a whole book project.
Henna Choudhary: What is the greatest
obstacle you have had to overcome in your career and how did you surmount this challenge? Jarrett Demetre: The biggest obstacle, I couldn’t say; it has been and continues to be so many, and so many new unexpected ones. In the beginning, getting women or other creatives to shoot with me and actually show up the day of the shoot, to advancing to getting agents to approve and send me models, to now making sure all logistics run smoothly and in a timely manner for the international brands I work with all over the world. Fortunately, I enjoy the process. It hasn’t been easy for sure, but I have to say publicly, I appreciate the support I’ve gained and amassed along the way. Henna Choudhary: What is the most rewarding part of being a professional photographer? Jarrett Demetre: Now that question is easy. It’s the moment when photographing a female model or muse, and I show them a quick preview of an image and they gain this immediate new glow and full body confidence in not me, but themselves and how they look and now feel. I love seeing that rather than in a one-on-one test or on a full set. On a full set, that energy and excitement given when the whole team starts seeing the work is a close second. Henna Choudhary: How do you channel your own personal style in commercial shoots? Jarrett Demetre: I really try and trust in my style that’s showcased throughout my mediums and hold fast in what most attracted the client to me. I’m not a photographer that over-edits my content, which is something the modeling and young fashion industry is now gravitating to - that organic, imperfect real content. I try and retain the mood of the image, I’m big on detail and highlighting or enhancing a lot of natural beauty.
Henna Choudhary: What are the next steps in your career? Jarrett Demetre: Growing my audience base and reaching new and larger platforms to showcase my work in a way that I hope more people are able to connect with and find beauty and a story in. On top of that, getting tunnel vision focused in exactly what the style of Jarrett Demetre is most known for and recognized for.
Henna Choudhary: Why do you view
photography as a powerful medium of selfexpression? Jarrett Demetre: I feel it’s one of the few arts where it’s about realism. You have to showcase the world around you and you get to see this world through another’s eye. It’s also the only way to capture time, in a moment. Nothing else does that. Henna Choudhary: What are your hobbies and interests outside of the career realm? Jarrett Demetre: I’m really fortunate. My hobby is my passion and my career. A lot of people can’t say that. Even when I’m not doing a paid or commissioned shoot, I’m always sourcing or reviewing inspirations, researching other work and testing new creative ideas myself. Henna Choudhary: Can you share the meaning behind your editorial, “The District,” which is featured in this issue? Jarrett Demetre: I’m not sure if it was a meaning or more of a general inspiration - I really just wanted to showcase beauty in a chaotic setting. Capturing confidence and showcasing it’s okay to be different. Showing this matrix of people that all have to be influenced and moved by the energy of this one single individual.
TheDistrict
Photographer : Jarrett Demetre Model : Fatu Sesay Stylist: Beatrize Durant Jacket : Liesangbong Top: Liesangbong Bottoms: Liesangbong Retoucher: JDPHG
JAE NASH RADIO PERSONALITY AND AUTHOR OF GIRL POWER: UNCENSORED
Jae Nash’s journey as an Atlanta-based media personality felt like a natural inclination given her upbeat and amiable persona on television and radio, but she didn’t foresee it leading her to pour her own personal trials and tribulations into her first-ever book, Girl Power: Uncensored. Inspired by the stories told by other women on her radio show, Girl Power Radio, Nash dives into recounting how her dating life took a toll on her emotional and mental self and shares the heartfelt tales told by other women who have powered through life obstacles in her upcoming book, which is soon to be released. Through sharing the intimate details of her relationship adversities, Nash has found selfempowerment in the deep recesses of her life and hopes to influence a wave of women to spill their narratives and heal from their past experiences as well.
By Henna Chowdhary Photography Azu Studios
Henna Choudhary: What inspired you to pursue a career in media and how did you first break into the industry? Jae Nash: A friend of mine introduced me to an entertainment television program and I fell in love with the idea of being able to host an event, mainly because I’m really engaging, and I like to have fun, so it really worked itself out. I felt like it could be a therapeutic session, to be able to talk about things that we face, issues, facts, opinions and all of the above. I started off doing a television indie live program, which is an entertainment-based program where we talk about music and community events, and that is what transpired into me wanting to do radio. I ended up going to Atlanta Broadcast Institute to get hands-on training in 2008, which was an investment towards my career.
Henna Choudhary: What is the message you hope to share with your readers through your first book Girl Power: Uncensored? Jae Nash: I really want women, specifically, to understand that for so many years and still today, we’re fighting the tough fight. When we talk about things that we want to do, like diving into leadership roles, it’s always that we’ve been afraid. Some women go into jobs and they don’t negotiate their pay. So, it’s a lot of things that kept us back for so long and a lot of that originated from when we were younger. Girl power is coming from your adolescent years when you were trained to do things a certain way, and now it’s just about going through a recourse to say that you can do anything that you want to do and be anybody that you want to be. Don’t be afraid to speak your voice, it’s all about giving a voice to the voiceless while being uncensored.
"Don’t be afraid to speak your voice, it’s all about giving a voice to the voiceless while being uncensored."
"I had never gotten deep into talking about things that I faced. I felt I was being selfish by not yet telling my story." Henna Choudhary: How did you find women who were willing to share their narratives and spill their secrets in your book? Jae Nash: I have a women’s platform called Girl Power Radio and I had previously built this radio show from the ground up. We were syndicated by iHeart Radio, WMRO- Nashville and ClearOne Radio, and I talked about business, entrepreneurs, and different women’s life stories on the broadcast. It was about being able to talk to women about their stories and now it’s about taking them and putting it in a book. I realized that a lot of us couldn’t talk about certain things the way we wanted to, since we were syndicated and regulated by radio. Now, we can really talk about things in depth that occurred in our lives and made us who we are today. We had over 100 women reply about being in the book and I ended up having to narrow that down to 23 women, including myself.
Henna Choudhary: Why did you decide to include your own personal narrative in the book? Jae Nash: I felt selfish when I was telling other women’s stories and listening to their pain, suffering and obstacles they experienced. While being the interviewer, I had never gotten deep into talking about things that I faced. I felt I was being selfish by not yet telling my story, so I wanted to do this collaboration and not just talk about other women but incorporate myself in the book as well. It’s not just Jae the widow that you know of, but Jae that had commitment issues, Jae that had relationship issues, Jae that was the young girl that came from an impoverished background that is just trying to make her way and be successful. I felt there was a need for me to open up just as much as it was a platform for other women to share their stories as well.
Henna Choudhary: Did you feel as if it was empowering and essential to your personal growth to share your narrative and why? Jae Nash: Absolutely, it was therapeutic. I opened up about three relationships that I had in my past with three different men that I had dealt with that completely closed me off from wanting to find love. That journey in itself has hindered me throughout my life from establishing a relationship with someone or being able to fall in love. Personally, I want to break the generational curse because I have a daughter that’s 13 and I don’t want her to feel as if she didn’t have a stepdad because her mother was a widow at a very early age. There are three stories that really affected me and my dating life, and I really want to get down to the root of those issues. I was very vulnerable in telling the three stories that shaped me into having commitment issues, and even still, when I read my narrative I cheer up because my story is getting ready to come out. It’s therapy for me because I needed to tell my story so I can heal and move forward in life. That’s what it’s all about – healing.
Henna Choudhary: How would you recommend a woman heal from a past traumatic experience? Are the steps different for each woman or generally the same? Jae Nash: As women, we are trained to think a certain way at a very early age in life. It’s about reconditioning our thought process. We are all going to heal differently from different situations, but one thing that remains the same is that we’re all women and we’re all still fighting. If we continue to allow what has haunted us over the years to affect us, we can’t live in the future and we’re always going to remain in the past. We have to heal through it because if we keep bottling it all up and taking it into every relationship, every job, every friendship, we’re never going to get to the next level we want to be in. For our lives to take off and everything to come to fruition, we have got to learn how to just heal through it and move on with life. For so long we have been trained to just hold it all in because one thing they always identify women with is strength. It’s okay for us to be vulnerable and have weak moments, but we also have to learn to uproot ourselves from those situations and no longer allow it to affect our lives going forward, because if you have children it affects your children.
"For our lives to take off and everything to come to fruition, we have got to learn how to just heal through it and move on with life." Henna Choudhary: How do you gain a wider audience, do you use social media, networking at events, or collaborating with other media influencers? Jae Nash: You take the opportunity that you have. With the book in particular, you have 23 women that will push the book. Forget about me, I’m just the creator that envisioned this to happen, but when you sell the book, you’re actually selling it as 23 other women’s stories. You’re selling the story for everybody, so it’s reaching a wider audience. I definitely want my next book to be more diverse, because it’s not just black women that have these stories. I started with black women first because that’s what I identify with, but I want to open it to all other women of different backgrounds because it’s all of us that are fighting these fights.
Henna Choudhary: Tell us about who your book is for and where it can be purchased. Jae Nash: The book is not a male bashing book; I encourage all men to pick up the book so you can understand your significant other, it’s for your parents, sisters, and girlfriend. It helps you really understand what women have gone through. The book is for everyone – we want to put this baby on the road, so we’re open to taking these stories and collaborating with other women in different markets to bring Girl Power: Uncensored there. I want this to be a wave of women living authentically within their truth. You can purchase the book at girlpoweruncensored.com and if you’re outside of Atlanta you can connect with us at @girlpoweruncensored on Instagram. Connect with me if you have a story, I’m the storyteller. This is the perfect opportunity to be a part of telling your uncut story so that other women can relate to your story because we’re here for each other.
Musician William Green Leaves an Imprint on American Jazz
By: Henna Choudhary
The melodic tunes of choir hymns surrounded and filled the ears of William Green at a tender age, growing up as the son of a Baptist minister and choir director in Chicago, Illinois. Green and his five siblings would spend hours of quality time re-enacting the musical accompaniment of the entire church service. As they circled around the family piano, Green would fulfill the eminent role of music director, which planted an early seed for his future career as a renowned recording artist and jazz keyboardist.
Green’s love for the world of music was further fueled by his mother, who performed as a background singer for gospel icon Mahalia Jackson, otherwise known as “The Queen of Gospel”. His early inspirations derived from listening to the classic hits produced by the legends Andrae Crouch, Edwin Hawkins, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and Maurice White.
Once Green entered high school, his tireless passion for musical notes and instruments prompted him to dive into collecting knowledge on music theory, composing and arranging. This naturally led to him pursuing a degree in commercial music at Morehouse College and Georgia State University. After moving from his hometown of Chicago to Atlanta, Georgia, Green formulated the beginning of his professional career with the creation of a jazz fusion group, known as Magic Dream. Green opened up for countless recording artists with original compositions, gaining experience, developing his personal musical flair, and creating lifelong connections with fellow musicians along the way. “These artists helped to shape and form my work ethics and professional standards that I use in my career,” said Green. “The standard is to always be at your best and be kind but firm with the people that you work with.” Through his four timeless albums, the last of which was released in July 2018, Green meshes the genres of contemporary jazz, rhythm and blues, pop and gospel with funky yet soulful jazz beats. His rich, resounding voice flows over contemporary jazz sounds in his original compositions, which is matched by his charismatic stage presence when performing these numbers. Green’s latest album, “Mind Rush,” captures inter-generational life sentiments of love, romance, hope and inspiration meant to heal the mind, body, and soul and transcend time. “You can’t be a musician/vocalist in any musical genre without having an appreciation for jazz music,” said Green. Over the past four decades working in the music industry as a full-time musician, composer, songwriter and producer, Green has performed nationally with illustrious artists such as Boney James, Tom Brown, Earl Klugh, Roy Ayers, Mindi Abair, Peabo Bryson, Cameo, Valerie Simpson, Kenny Lattimore, Melba Moore, Jennifer Holliday, and Curtis Mayfield. He has graced the stage at the Capital Jazz Festival as a solo artist and performed alongside his band, The Magic Dream Band, at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre. Green has also awed audiences at Cafe 290, Satchmo’s Jazz Cafe, Sambuca Jazz, St. James Live, Arizona’s, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and numerous venues and private events in the Atlanta jazz circuit and on the East Coast. Aside from sharing his unique take on jazz music from coast to coast in the United States, Green has ventured overseas to perform for audiences in Europe, Africa, and Asia. When asked where he would like his next destination to be, Green responded, “I would like to perform in Australia because of its scenic and cultural attractions.” Green is expecting to release his fifth album in early 2020 as he continues to grow as a seasoned jazz pianist and vocalist, branching out from his own experiences and those of past beloved musical figures that came before him.
“Boy Bye” and “We Belong Together” Actor Ross Fleming Talks on New Film Projects By Patrice Rivers An Atlanta native, Ross Fleming is no stranger to the film industry. His acting career got started in a stage play produced by Towanda Kilpatrick Productions called “Damaged Goods” in 2013. After he caught the acting bug, Fleming maneuvered to film where he landed his first lead role in the 2017 Netflix movie “Boy Bye,” which he is best known for. Other films Fleming was in included the 2014 film, “First Impression” and 2018 “We Belong Together.” Besides being an actor, he was also the Executive Producer of a stage play called, “Good God Almighty.” Later on this year, you can expect to see Fleming in new films, “Black Kids White Mama” and “Swagg Inc.” PATRICE RIVERS: FINDING YOU ON NETFLIX AND WATCHING ONE OF THE MOVIES YOU STARRED IN CALLED “BOY BYE” WAS A GREAT MOVIE! HOW DID THE PEAK OF YOUR ACTING CAREER GET STARTED? ROSS FLEMING: My first role was in theatre actually in a play called “Damaged Goods,” which was produced by Towanda Kilpatrick. I actually didn’t have a lot of acting experience, but I did have this desire to give myself a shot and to see if I had what it took. I tried out for the lead role and I actually got it! I decided that acting was what I wanted to do and I haven’t stopped since. PATRICE: WAS THAT YOUR FIRST BREAKTHROUGH IN FILM? ROSS: The stage play was my first job as a professional actor. My first film was actually a movie called “First Impression” starring Lamman Rucker from Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married” and “Meet the Browns.” I played the love interest of Imani Towsend, played by Lisa Arrindell, who has also been in several Tyler Perry films. That was my first role, although I only had a small part, it let me know that I enjoyed making films. Once I caught the film bug, it’s been films non-stop. PATRICE: LETS TALK ABOUT SOME OF YOUR RECENT PROJECTS SUCH AS “WE BELONG TOGETHER” AND “BOY BYE.” HOW DID YOU BOOK THOSE ROLES? ROSS: So, the movie “Boy Bye” is my flagship movie, that’s the one I’m best known for. Given it was my first Hollywood lead, it was an incredible experience. Wendy Racquel Robinson is super gracious and a wonderful person to work with. She made the whole experience easy for me. Everything just fit, it was a natural chemistry. I just fell into the role and gained a better understanding of what it takes to lead a film. Although it was released in 2017 and was one of Netflix’s most watched romantic comedies, I’m often tickled because people are still discovering the movie for the first time. PATRICE: TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER LANCE IN “BOY BYE.” ROSS: Lance is really a good guy, someone who is trying to find love and trying to do the right thing. He is driven, wants to be successful, and wants to ultimately be a good man. Even with that character, we learn everyone has a story to tell, life has circumstances, and sometimes things aren’t always as they appear. And you eventually realize it’s still possible to find love.
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PATRICE: WHAT ABOUT “WE BELONG TOGETHER?” ROSS: In “We Belong Together,” I played a killer. It’s a pretty dark and shadowy character. For most of the movie, I’m there, but you don’t really know that I’m there until the end of the movie. The dichotomy between this role and my earlier roles allowed me to try something different. Sometimes you just want to step out of your comfort zone and show your diversity. PATRICE: HAVE YOU FACED ANY CHALLENGES IN THE FILM INDUSTRY SO FAR? ROSS: That’s a funny question. I initially wanted to say no in my mind. Whatever is for me fits me, but the flip side of it is, I went into this understanding that I was going to get no’s, understanding that everyone wasn’t going to pick me or think that I was the right fit for their production. So, when those no’s came, it wasn’t really a disappointment for me. I think for a lot of people they don’t go into it with that understanding. You just never know how a person feels, or what they’re looking for at a particular moment. Also, you never know if another actor gave a more genuine performance during their audition. There are different variables that go into acting. Getting a no doesn’t mean that this business isn’t for you; it doesn’t mean that you aren’t talented, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you ultimately won’t be successful. I personally enjoy the challenge and the overall process. PATRICE: LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW PROJECTS “SWAGG INC” AND “BLACK KIDS WHITE MAMA.” ROSS: I’m totally looking forward to both of those, actually. I’m expecting to hear that “Swagg Inc.” is coming out soon. Swag is about these guys who develop an app that helps them to gain confidence and learn how to communicate and find the woman of their dreams. In “Swag” I play a guy who’s shy and who is completely in love with this woman but does not have the confidence to go and confront her. It’s a really funny movie. Reality Star, Erica Mena is also in the movie, along with musician, Masika Kalysha and my good friend Dorien Wilson, who played Professor Olglevee in “The Parkers.” Another movie that I am totally excited about is “Black Kids White Mama.” It’s just going to blow people away. It’s also a comedy and it’s about interracial marriage. In this movie I’m also the lead. My character is a yuppie Hamptons pedigree black man who is slightly misguided and unfortunately thinks that since he is successful he should marry a white woman because that’s what successful black men are supposed to do. His wife lives in a trailer and is two steps from being a white supremacist, they have kids together and he ends up divorcing her because he suddenly wants to be more ethnic. He leaves her to raise these three black children and she knows nothing about black culture. Given the current racial climate, I think people are going to gravitate to this movie when they see it. PATRICE: HOW MANY FILM CREDITS DO YOU HAVE UNDER YOUR BELT CURRENTLY? ROSS: I have fifteen SAG credits on my IMDB page, but altogether I’ve done close to thirty movies. That’s one plus about working in Atlanta and with independent films, it allows you to truly learn what it means to be an actor, gain confidence, do the work and slowly start to build the foundation to where you want to go. PATRICE: WHAT IS NEXT FOR ROSS FLEMING? DO YOU HAVE ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS BESIDES ACTING? ROSS: I do! It’s funny that you ask that. I’m a writer as well so film production is definitely in my future. I have some finished features and I have a movie that I have been in pre-production on called “Just Once.” It was actually the first movie that I ever wrote. It’s a love story; a romantic comedy. I’m in the process of prepping to shoot that movie. PATRICE: DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PRODUCTION COMPANY? ROSS: My production company is TLM Productions. We do television, lifestyle and movies. “Just Once” will be the first movie from the TLM brand.
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