Special Edition - 2017 Vol. 13 Issue 2
Feature Contents
06 Bishop George Bloomer
Pastor, Motivational speaker and Author Makes A Difference in the Community
09 Creating a Brand & Successful Clothing Line 10 R&B Singer Leela James [Interview] Soulful singer discusses New Music, Tour and Music Career
13 Health: S. Epatha speaks about Type 2 Diabetes 14 Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong
[Exclusive Interview]
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First African-American Mayor of Kankakee, IL discusses the City’s Vision and Plan
20 NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins
Former basketball player shares insight on staying Healthy and Active
22 The Merchant Boyz
Hip Hop Duo talks about their Latest Happenings and much more
26 “Burn My Shadow” Book Review pg
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Regular Content “Always Together” By Dorothy Robinson
Like two trees stuck together Like bees to a flower in the spring Even through the storm and the rain No matter what comes They’re always with each other Even through the night when the Moon shines its light through the cloudy sky No matter what the season is They always agree with each other
Cover Photo: Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong - Photo: David Volden
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04 Editor’s Page 05 Letters/ Awareness 09 Business/ Profile 09 Words of Encouragement 13 Health Solutions 20 Sports Community 22 Technology / Arts and Culture 26 Album-Book-Movie Review(s) 26 Know Your Rights
Editor ’s Note :
Making A Difference In the Community
CONSCIOUSNESS “Urban Inspiration”
STAFF
Founder & Editor Aaron Robinson
Senior Vice President Mozella Malone
Administrative Asst. Julia M. Robinson Josephine Robinson Consultant Frank Robinson Fred Robinson
Public Relations Marketing / Promotions A&M Marketing Group
Advertising Agency A&M Marketing Group MediaBids
Photographer
A&M Marketing Group
Graphic Design / Web Designer
A&M Marketing Group
I
n life when it comes to giving back to the people, there are those individuals who pursue a work to be seen and those who pursue a work from the heart and don’t desire any attention. On my journey, I have always had a heart to give without looking for any accolades or anything in return; it’s a gratification for me. Welcome to this new edition of Consciousness Magazine. In this edition, we highlight those significant individuals who are continuing to make a tremendous difference in their community. These individuals have a heart to give and continue to touch the heart of their peers around them. As always, I hope you enjoy the content in the publication in hopes that it inspires you. Enjoy!
Illustrator / Comics Eric Plaut
Proofreader
Tocarra Eldridge
Writers/Journalists
Tocarra Eldridge Dr. Shanessa Fenner Elder Lee M. Harris, Sr. Sirrocco Hogue Darnell Jodan Eric Plaut
Special Correspondent Russell Norman Hector De La Rosa
Reviews
Hector De La Rosa Aaron Robinson Tocarra Eldridge
Contributors
David Volden
Aaron Robinson Founder & Editor
Special Thanks
Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong Administration
Views expressed by advertisers and/or press release are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Consciousness Magazine™. Consciousness Magazine™ will not be held responsible or liable for advertisers misinformation, misprints, or typographical errors, etc., herein contained.
About Consciousness Magazine™
“Keeping our Pen on the Pulse of the Community” Consciousness Magazine “Urban Inspiration,” is committed to raising the level of consciousness of the residents in our community. The mission of Consciousness Magazine is to promote understanding, make a difference in society, touch hearts, as well as, emphasize positive celebrities and significant social figures through strong articles and compelling visuals. This publication embraces ethnicity and multicultural, in hopes of bringing different cultures together in peace and friendship. Consciousness Magazine 4
Consciousness Magazine™ requires that all advertisement be in compliance with all applicable laws and be truthful and not offensive or detrimental to individuals, groups, or businesses. Consciousness Magazine™ reserve the right to revise, delete, objectionable words or phrases, and refuse any advertising it deems unacceptable. Subscription rates; $24.00 per year (6 Issues) Consciousness Magazine™ ISSN:1553-5568 is published by Robinson Publishing, Inc. Postmaster: Send address Change and Subscription Orders to: P.O. Box 2496, Kankakee, Illinois 60901, Phone: (312) 715-7884 Email: info@consciousnessmagazine.com. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Publisher. ©2017 Consciousness Magazine™. All Rights Reserved.
Determination Consciousness Magazine is so amazing!!! Thank you all for highlighting the author, motivational speaker and certified trainer Marlowe Whitlow who has lost 270 pounds from nearly weighing 400 pounds. T h a t a r t i c l e i s a n inspiration to me to know that there is always someone out there who can change their life by having determination and gumption. Judy Johnson Chicago
Great Media Continue to publish great media. You guys have been around for numerous years and never have changed the course of your mission. That is great to see and great to know that there is a publication out here that cares about people and life. Continue to inspire and empower others. Thanks for being an inspiration to me and my family. Kevin Rouch Houston
Essence and Character The articles that were highlighted in the Tony Little cover story are outstanding! I never knew all of the trials-and-tribulations that this icon battled. To see someone on his caliber beat the odds is astonishing. I love the way you capture essence and the character of the individuals you all interview and the articles that you place. You are doing good giving insight to your readers. That difference is important. Mitchell Michaels
Consciousness Awareness:
Marlowe Whitlow
“Living a healthy Lifestyle” No matter what is going on, no matter what other struggles you are going through, you need to continue on. People fall off, but it’s natural. You have to learn to just keep going on. You just can’t fall and say “I messed up now I might as well quit!” People quit too early. You can’t get to the goal if you quit. I’m still trying to work on where I’m trying to get to. [Weighing almost 500 pounds] I stayed at nearly 240 pounds for the last two years. So, just keep on and keep moving no matter what. It’s a combination. Mindset is very important. You have to remove the negative people and entities in your life. Negative people will drag you down. And even when you do whatever you do, if you allow what they say about you stop you from moving forward – I can’t say that you’re just as bad as them, but at the same time, it makes for a bad situation if someone is dragging you down and you stop what you are doing. When you take a look in the mirror, those people don’t feel confident about themselves, that’s why they are trying to bring you down. www.halfthemaniwas.com
Chicago
Well-Rounded Content When I was introduced to this inspirational magazine, I never knew that it would make my day. The interviews and articles that you publish online are like any other material that I have seen. The information in the written material is unique in terms of the questions you ask and the knowledge you place in the content to help others. It is very well-rounded and has meaning, which we are missing at times. Thanks for caring about the community. Sara Weathers Little Rock
Write to us: We want to know what you’re thinking.
Send emails to info@consciousnessmagazine.com. Include your name, address, and telephone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or length. For Customer Service and Subscriptions visit us at www.consciousnessmagazine.com. Consciousness Magazine 5
Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson - Editor
Recently, Bishop George Bloomer teamed up with the Barnes & Noble in Durham, North Carolina to have a book signing. At the book signing, a percentage of the sales from his new book Break Loose were donated to the Eastway Elementary School that is located in a disadvantaged neighborhood. Bishop George Bloomer is the founder and senior pastor of Bethal Family Worship Center. Bloomer is a bestselling author, renowned speaker, and entrepreneur, and is seen regularly on “Rejoice in The Word” on The Word Network. Here is one of his powerful and touching massages that he has to share with the readers regarding his new book, testimony and much more. Aaron Robinson: What inspired you to want to partner with Barnes and Noble Durham, NC to donate a percentage of your book, Break Loose, to the students of Eastway Elementary School? Bishop George Bloomer: I dropped out of school in 9th grade and I learned how to read at like 26 years ago. I’m 54 years old. All of my adult life I couldn’t read, write or spell. I still have my challenges with that. Reading, writing and spelling in school - an education is extremely important. Everything that I do, I try to add somewhat of an edge, to give back to the community in some sort of way. No matter how the situation seems, a little can help someone. Aaron: What gratification did you receive from helping those disadvantaged students?
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BGB: Oh my God! That’s a pay day within itself. A lot of times when we give, it’s really giving out of ourselves, in-through ourselves, so that we leave our legacy so that we can remain years later and the years to come. There’s definitely an award! I have a niece, who I think is 8 years old now. She started reading when she was two on a level of a 3rd or 4th grader. That’s the gratification. If we’re so into it, the younger generation will get it and the harvest will come. Aaron: You grew up in an environment of poverty and drugs. How did you escape or overcome those notions? BGB: Poverty and drugs is a no vile existence. If a person thinks for one moment that they live in a thousand square foot house and drives in a Bentley that they have escaped poverty and drug usage and the use of drug abuse, they are sadly mistaken. You can leave the environment, but does the environment leave you. So for me, both of those things happened. I was raised in the Red Hook’s projects on 453 Columbia Street, apartment A, B, and C. My mom and my dad had 9 children together. My dad was an unfaithful horrible person. He had 15 other children by 6 women in the same projects where we grew up and my mother would take care of some of his illegitimate children. The whole drug scene, I was on heroin, crack, cocaine, ludes, uppers and downers, etc. then I got saved and gave my life to the lord. After being saved, my old addiction came back. I had a period in my life while I was preaching I was shooting up -
sometimes 20 minutes and 30 minutes before it was time to preach. I went through a spell in my life, if I wasn’t high I couldn’t even preach. That’s why when you said ‘how did you escape it,’ through the presence and the power of God. If a person thinks just because you live in a mansion that you’re not poverty-stricken, you better think again, because poverty has nothing to do with environment. It has everything to do with mindset. When my mind got free, it was people in the projects in abject poverty, but at the same time in their minds, they had elevated beyond the project situation. They had a car and they drove out and went to work and they were doing much much better because their mind was in a better place. How did I escape? As a man thinks in his heart so is he. When God changed my mindset to be renewed in the spirit of the mind, my whole situation changed. Aaron: Wow, that’s amazing! BGB: I know a lot of ballers that are in poverty and they are strong out. I’m talking about ball players, movie stars, etc. Why is Whitney Houston gone today? Why is it that Michael Jackson is gone today? Why is Prince gone today? They had everything…fancy cars, perfect environments and private jets. They were locked in their minds. Michael never grew beyond a 12 year old boy. Prince never grew beyond a 19 year old boy. Whitney Houston never made it passed 12. Aaron: Would you say that the mindset has to deal with the changes first before a person becomes the individual that they are? BGB: Yes, I think a part of life is seeing and then becoming. I coined the phase and the phase is - Mind. Mine! What you think, you will act out. You don’t have to look too far to figure out what a person is thinking if you watch their actions. Aaron: As an author, you wrote numerous bestselling books. What makes your new book Break Loose so distinguishing and powerful? BGB: This discussion that I’m having with you today! We’re all trapped in economical environments, in social prisons; whether it’s races or classes; whether it’s a food addiction; whether it’s a molestation; whether it’s arrogance. Some people are in trouble because they just can’t get out of their own way. Break Loose is a collection of the chronicles of George Bloomer. How did Jonah find himself? [He found himself] in the whale, from the whale to the prison, from the prison to part of his house, then
to sit on the throne. Life sometimes carry you through somewhat of a process. The story of the grave cloth! Lazarus. I’m pulling off the grave cloths of when I was a zombie. Drug addiction is equivalent to embalming yourself while you are alive. You become a zombie. You’re a part of the living dead when you inject yourself, when you smoke yourself into poverty, into a room into La La Land. Those are grave cloths that I had to pull off. Some young person right now is sitting in front of a computer and he’s watching pornography for 4 or 5 hours a day. He has to break loose from that. We teach inside the church “Oh God is going to deliver you and set you free!” We need to stop talking that B.S.! The truth of the matter is that the lord opens up the prison doors and sends out the doors opened up. You come on out. When you make yourself step out, you have to begin to contribute to the deliverance and the breakthrough that you have. If you don’t, you will find yourself back in the trap. This particular book is the chronicles of George Bloomer’s stories and the things that happened to me that I’m not afraid to talk about. My life is like a combination lock. I don’t have the key to my life, I have numbers. My number is 8, on my first birthday party my mother whipped me and sent me to my room. When I woke up, my candles were blown out and the cake was cut. I never celebrated a birthday until 2016. That was 1971 to 2016. I was wounded. [At] 9 years old, I had problems with my father - 9 years old molestation. I was 37 years old dealing with the molestation, 42 years old, a nervous breakdown from going through these things. So when the people come up and they have a conversation with George Bloomer they sometimes put their hands on my dial and touch my wrong number. So while they think they are speaking to a 54 year old man sometimes they are speaking to my 8 year old self. That’s the rejected me. You don’t want to talk to him. I still have to manage all of those personalities that exist inside of me. So when I go to God to free me from it, He’s saying to me “my grace is sufficient”. Now, I understand the sufficiency of God’s grace which allows me to be an intercessor and to connect with people where they are. So many of our spiritual leaders forgot where the lord has brought them from. So we become celebrities without helping anybody. That’s why I wanted to write the book, Break Loose. If it doesn’t turn out to be a bestseller, it was very therapeutic to me. Aaron: For those readers who read your book and who feels as if they are not wholeheartedly, or that their life has Continue on page 12
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Interviewed by CM Photo: NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and Tocarra Eldridge
Consciousness Magazine had the opportunity to speak with Tocarra Eldridge, the Executive Director of the progressive nonprofit organization Still I Rise. This organization has been very instrument in the community by making a positive difference for the citizens and giving a voice for youth and young adults. Here is what Tocarra Eldridge had to share with the readers about this wonderful initiative.
CM: What inspired you to want to pursue this organization? Tocarra: What inspired me was having a strong enthusiasm regarding giving back to the community. I always had a passion for working with the youth. I worked in the educational s c h o o l system for several years and feel as though I have a responsibility to make a difference in younger people’s lives.
CM: You are the Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Still I Rise. Would you like to tell us a little about this initiative? Tocarra Eldridge: Absolutely. Still I Rise is a dynamic and innovative leadership development non-profit organization that empowers youth and young adults to create a positive and healthy change in society. Still I Rise provides youth and young adults with stimulating programs, events, seminars and engagements, educating them in areas including health, arts, ethics, life skills and entrepreneurship.
CM: What are some of the Programs that the organization offers? Tocarra: We offer a Just Write Resume Program that provides youth and young adults with resume writing tools and techniques to brand and position themselves to be selected for premier jobs. We offer an Art and Culture Program that provides youth and young adults with opportunities to learn, refine their artistic abilities, utilize holistic approaches, and explore the impact artists have on society while participating in seminars and class s e s s i o n s . We o ff e r a H e a l t h a n d Wellness Program that educates youth and young adults about health and wellness and the impact individual health has on the overall community. Under this Program, we coordinated our 3rd Annual Larry Williams: Healthy for the Holidays seminar last December.
CM: What does your background consist of? Tocarra: I hold a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Roosevelt University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice where I attended Governor’s State University. I worked for the Department of Treasury at the Internal Revenue Service for several years and also in the educational field.
Still I Rise is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information about Still I Rise or to donate please visit visit: http://www.Still-iRise.org or call (815)414-9614 Consciousness Magazine 8
Business Profile
Fashion Designer: Mozella Malone (Q&A) Creating a Brand and Successful Clothing Line Q: What was your inspiration to becoming a fashion designer? A: From an early age, my enthusiasm for fashion was inspired by watching and admiring the designer fashions on runway models via television.
Photo 1: Mozella Malone
Q: Under your umbrella House of NediA you produce several brands. What are those brands of clothing lines that you
produce? A: NediA Collection, NediA Tutu Couture, NediA Girls, NediA Bridal Couture, Patche’d Clothing
Q: Would you like to share any advice for upcoming fashion designers who are looking to get into the fashion designer industry? A: Never give up on your dreams or compare your creativity to others. I believe that each fashion designer brings something unique to the fashion industry, so don’t be afraid to be that outside-the-box designer and let your creativity flow. Also, keep in mind that not everyone is for your market, you find your market and niche and work it! Q: Attending fashion shows is important for a fashion designer. What are some of the fashion shows you have attended around the country or where you had the opportunity to have your clothing lines showcased? A: New York - NYC Angelman Syndrome Collections Showcase; New York - Summer Night Sky Fashion Event /Fundraiser; Atlanta, Georgia - Celebrity Fashion Mania; Raeford, North Carolina - Piano Keys; Englewood, New Jersey - Style on the Palasides; Kankakee, Illinois - Black on Black Bistro /Food & Fashion; Daytona, Florida - An Out of the Box Fashion Show, and Orlando, Florida Tailored Masterpiece Fashion Show. Q: What are some of the challenges a designer endures? A: Brand awareness and making sure you reach your target audience.
Q: You are also involved in community outreach. Why is it so important for you to give back to your community and to give the youth an opportunity to model in your shows? A: It’s important that I give back to the community because I have a desire to strengthen and bring people together. I encourage everyone to discover the joy of giving back to their community. The youth learn self confidence when modeling my clothing. The fashion shows enables them to express their creativity through fashion and let their inner and outer beauty shine.
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Q: Outside of fashion designing, do you have any other community initiatives that you are involved with? A: Yes, I am involved with Still I Rise Organization, located in Kankakee, Illinois as a Youth Continue on page 12
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Words-of-Encouragement
Inspirational Quote by Raheem DeVaughn
If I knew 20 years ago what I know now, I would have been doing what I’m doing, but everything happens for a reason. On the same token, be a student of it [life and your endeavors]; explore and try different things, because you don’t know what door is going to open up or what opportunity is going to be that ticket to prepare you for the next level. (Excerpt taken from a prior interview with Consciousness Magazine.)
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Soulful singer Leela James Discusses new Music, Tour and Music Career Interviewed and written by Tocarra Eldridge
R
&B star, Leela James recently came to the House of Blues Chicago while kicking off her spring tour. Prior to releasing her new album, Did It For Love, she has recently released two singles, Don’t Want You Back and Hard For Me which has been climbing on the charts. Before the show Leela James anticipated that the people would come out and have a good time and to hear good music, good singing and to get a real good show with
high energy, as well as gain a host of new fans that will build and grow her audience. I, Consciousness Magazine, had the opportunity to speak with the powerful singer. Here is what Leela James has to share with the readers and her fans. Tocarra: You released your 6th album Did It For Love that kicked off your spring tour. What makes this album
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different from your past albums that you recorded? Leela James: I’m older, so I think the album is like – you’re constantly evolving as an artist and also as a person you grow and you evolve. I think the music is definitely an expression of that growth and evolution of fully grown womanhood. Tocarra: Leela, when you first began your music career, what occurred in your life or what was the inspiration behind your soulful and heartfelt music that makes it so strong and powerful? Leela James: I think the soulful inspiration behind my music early on was definitely my family, and then just life in general. It’s always going to be that! I’m inspired by the experiences and things that are dear to me, and that’s definitely my family. I was always inspired to try to excel so I can do well in life and take care of them. Tocarra: When I interviewed India Arie, she stated that she keeps her integrity by remaining who she is in the commercial industry. As a strong black woman, as you excel up the ladder, what has your experience been like as a woman in the music industry? Leela James: My experience as a woman in this music industry has been challenging sometimes. It still can be challenging – just to be heard, to be respected, to just sometimes receive the acknowledgement for what you’ve done or do. That just comes with the territory. I’ve been dealing with it all this time, so I’m going to continue to deal. Tocarra: What type of gratification is it for you remaining who you are while inspiring and empowering many of your listeners and fans? Leela James: I get gratification in the fact that I can sleep easily, and that I didn’t have to sell my soul for the records, and that the fans that I do have are sincere and are with me because they truly believe in me and the music. I didn’t have to force anybody’s hands to be down. I feel good about the slow build of the career that I have built.
and things you say. I try to keep things on an even keel so that I can sleep easily. I don’t want to have anything where I shame my family. So, that’s my inspiration! Tocarra: As a successful R&B singer, do you have any words of encouragement for upcoming musicians and artist who are looking to be successful in the music industry? Leela James: I would say this is definitely a tough industry, but the beautiful thing about it is it’s always ever-changing, and there are so many new and innovative ways of getting your music out there. So, I would say just hone in on your craft and get your music as great as you can possibly get it, and just put it out. Be inspired by artist that are doing it and just know that you can do it too, and maybe even better. You just have to stay the course. Have your plan as to know who you are. Don’t come in to it uncertain, because you can definitely get caught up that way if people are making those definitions for you. Tocarra: Before we close the interview, would you like to add anything in closing that we haven’t discussed or talked about? Leela James: Yes! Definitely! I want people to go out and get my new album Did It For Love. It dropped on March 31st. It’s out now, available everywhere – online, iTunes, Amazon…you can get it at Target and Wal-mart stores. Get the album! Come to my show; I’m on tour right now in 30 plus cities. Go to my website www.LeelaJames.com and catch the dates. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram – Leela James Official and Leela James.
Tocarra: In an industry where there are many artists in it for the wrong reasons, putting out negative messages to the youth and young adults with their music, what keeps you positive, enthused and excited about your music career? Leela James: I’m a mother, so I think that is foremost for me something that’s going to always make me be considerate of the things that I say or do, because as a parent you want your kids to see a positive image of you when you’re not even around. We live in a day and age where internet is going to be here forever, so you definitely want to be conscious of the things that you do Consciousness Magazine 11
Bishop George Bloomer...Cont. from Page 7 been hindered due to circumstances, what do you believe they will walk away with after reading Break Loose? BGB: I believe that they are going to pick up the book and start reading. Not every chapter is for them. They are going to start reading and embark up on a chapter and start feeling the queasiness of the butterfly in the inside of them. That’s going to be those strongholds, those emps and demons inside of them that are very very upset that a light will shine into that dark dark place. I believe that it’s the dark side that reminds us of how bright we are. That’s what I want the book to do for individuals - to let them know that you can co-exist with your dark side as well as your bright side.
BGB: I just want to say, that it’s our time as AfricanAmericans. I just want to speak a word into the urban areas and the inner cites and let them know that the light is shining. This is one of the greatest times of our lives. In the midst of adversity, when adversity hits you, that’s when creativity stands up. I’m calling on all of the young people to look out of the window of rough times, see hope and go at it. Opportunity doesn’t knock. Opportunity waits to be discovered. Opportunity hides itself from you and is looking for the diligence. You can make it!
Aaron: In these trying times, individuals just give up and feel as if they have nothing to live for. Do you have any wordsof-encouragement for those young men and young women who feel as if they have no hope or anything to live for? BGB: Most of them are punks, chumps, quitters and losers. They want to bow out of life. To them I’ll say, stop the foolishness and stop the nonsense. There’s always a reason to live. Always! Always! You can’t give up. When young people begin to hear stories of individuals who came to the brink, the edge, and came to the end and turned their life around, if we had more of these types of stories, we’ll have more breakthroughs. I think we need to get back to just sharing our stories – stories of redemption and letting young people know that there comes a time when you do feel like giving up, but you can’t do it! Aaron: Before we close out the interview, would you like to add anything that we haven’t discussed?
Fashion Designer: Mozella Malone...Cont. from Page 9 Advocate. With my youth fashion brand NediA Girls I present an annual Self-Confidence Workshop. Q: You also produce an international magazine titled Allezom. Can you tell us a little about this amazing publication? A: Allezom International magazine, a high fashion online
and print magazine features trendy, elegant and chic styles; international fashion & events; compelling photography from all over the world and much more. On top of it all, Allezom International magazine features interviews with today’s top designers, models, celebrities, and promising newcomers.
Photo 1 & 3: FashionCon Runway Show - Designer: Mozella Malone - **Finale Moment** - Avant Guarde / Piano Keys - Brand: NediA Collection Hairstylist: Studio 102 Hair Salon LLC - MUA: D. Cole Makeup Artist - Model Lámara Reneé - Photography: Earl Jules - Location: Raeford, North Carolina | Photo 2: Angelman Syndrome Showcase NYC - Coordinator: Joanna Marcella Reid - Photo: K.A. Photography - Brand: House of NediA - Inspired: by Paris /Avant Garde - Designer: Mozella Malone | Photo 4: An Out of the Box Fashion Show - Location: Hampton Inn - Daytona Beach, FL - Coordinator: Primrose Cameron - Brand: NediA Girls - Photo: Access Studio
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HEALTH Solutions
S. Epatha Merkerson Informs the Masses Concerning Type 2 Diabetes sugar reading for a 2 to 3 month period and allows your doctor to see how you’re doing over time rather than the daily blood sugar testing that we do. I have a history of Type 2 Diabetes in my family, but we didn’t really talk about it. We never sat down and talked about it. I am a part of that number. We’re trying to pass around information that can help people control this condition.
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ver the last several years Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson has shared her personal story regarding being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes with patients around the world. I had the opportunity to interview S. Epatha Merkerson. The talented actress shared valuable information to urge people with type 2 diabetes to know their A1C number and to talk to their doctor about setting and attaining their own blood sugar goals. Tocarra Eldridge: When did you realize that you had Type 2 Diabetes? S. Epatha Merkerson: I was at a health fair convention in DC as the celebrity for the event. I went over to the section that was set up for Howard University where they were taking blood sugars. I sat down with the camera and had my blood drawn. When the cameras turned off the doctor asked me to come back. I was thinking the doctor maybe wanted me for an autograph or photograph. I informed him that I would be back as soon as I finished. When I went back to the table he said that my blood sugar reading was very high and that I should speak to my doctor. That’s what I did and was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Tocarra: Before you were diagnosed with diabetes, were there any symptoms that you experienced? S. Epatha: At the time the symptoms weren’t registering. That’s why I think the America Diabetes program is so important. The things that I’ve learned since starting this program can really help people learn to manage their diabetes. As a Type 2 Diabetic it is important that you know what your A1C is. The A1C is a number that allows your doctor to see how well you’re managing your treatment plan. It comes from a very simple blood test. It gives you an average blood
Tocarra: I’m aware that many individuals control their diabetes through their diet versus traditional medicine or insulin. Once diagnosed, did you make any diet, exercise or lifestyle changes? S. Epatha: Absolutely, when I was diagnosed I was probably eating like a 12 year old. So I made a lot of changes. It took me a while to actually figure out how to do it. The thing about Type 2 Diabetes is that it can be adult onset. So, in my fifties I’m trying to figure out how to change some pretty strong habits. [laugh] But, I was able to do it with the help of my doctor. We came up with a treatment plan that worked for me. As far as exercise, at least 3 or 4 times a week I go out for a really brisk walk to get a sweat going. My doctor has also prescribed medication. One of the things that I’d like to impart to the readers is that they should not get discouraged. It is a progressive condition. It will change as your body changes. Do not get discouraged; stick with it! The alternative of not taking care of it can be very frightening. I’ve lost my dad to complications of this disease. My grandmother lost her sight. Other family members have had extremities amputated. The complications are serious. Tocarra: What are some things that people can do to decrease their chances of developing this disease? S. Epatha: First and foremost they should always talk to their doctor or healthcare provider. If you go on our website www.AmericasDiabetesChallenge.com there are some questions that you can ask your doctor, because sometimes it can be daunting to go to a physician when you’re not quite sure what to ask. I think it’s a good resource place to find questions that they may want to ask their doctor. I would always say the first thing that someone would want to do is consult their doctor or healthcare provider. Follow S. Epatha Merkerson at https://twitter.com/s_epatha Visit Americas Diabetes Challenge website at www.AmericasDiabetesChallenge.com
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Interviewed and written by Tocarra Eldridge
Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong Vision and Plan for the City of Kankakee, Illinois
First African-American Mayor Elected into Kankakee Office
Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson (Editor) & Tocarra Eldridge All images Copyright David Volden. Consciousness Magazine 14
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n May 1st, 2017, hundreds of people filled the City Hall Chamber in Kankakee, IL to witness Chasity Wells-Armstrong, the first AfricanAmerican Mayor to get sworn into office. During this historical moment, happiness and excitement illuminated the room as the new Mayor took her seat to begin her new role. Prior to Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong’s oath, she has served as Alderwoman in the 5th Ward of Kankakee, worked for Kankakee School District #111 and as the Deputy District Director for Democratic Congressmen, Bill Foster, etc. She holds a seat on numerous boards where she strongly impacts the community. Her background includes her earning an Associate’s Degree at Kankakee Community College, and a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Governors State University in social work. She is very active in the community where she has been involved in countless community initiatives. Consciousness Magazine had the privilege to interview Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong, a woman filled with love, joy and happiness and who has a genuine passion for making significant changes in the City where she grew up. Here is what she has to share about her vision and plan for the City of Kankakee. Aaron Robinson: Thank you for taking out the time to pursue this interview with us. We truly appreciate it! Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong: No thank you. It’s my pleasure! Aaron Robinson: What is the gratification like being the first African-American Mayor of Kankakee, Illinois? Mayor Chasity: Well, I know that it is a huge milestone for this community. One thing that has been gratifying is seeing how children are engaged. They are excited! My husband and I were talking about how when we were children, we weren’t on the radar with politics the way children are now. I have ten year olds that are excited about me being the Mayor, and they have an understanding
of what that is. That lets me know that they are watching and paying attention, and I have an opportunity to help mold them. I’m very excited about that, and that’s gratifying for me. Aaron: When did you realize running for Mayor was something that you wanted to pursue? Mayor Chasity: I served on City Council for two years, and I’m a person that really tries to build relationships with people. As things continued to occur throughout the community, I felt like there weren’t appropriate responses to those things from leadership. At that point I felt like I needed to do something. I don’t believe in just being a complainer, and not being a problem solver. So, that was the point when I started thinking that someone else is going to have to step up.
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If everybody does a little bit it will make the community better.
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Tocarra Eldridge: What is your vision for the City of Kankakee? More so in regards to making Kankakee an active City, healthy City and engaged City? Mayor Chasity: In terms of my vision, I want to create an environment where people dream, grow and thrive here. I want children to stop growing up here and leaving and not coming back. I want them to have opportunity; I want it to be an inclusive community. I’m seeing as I’m navigating the current structure of the City – people have had their hands on the horns for a very long time – and there are other talented people in the community who do not get an opportunity. I want to open up that circle. I want our community to be a place where people can grow no matter where they come from, no matter what they look like, and no matter their income.
Tocarra: We are aware that it takes an entire community to help build a City. Can you elaborate on how citizens of Kankakee can help with the initiative to make your dreams and visions of the City come to reality so that everyone
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can enjoy a decent and equal quality of life? Mayor Chasity: Absolutely! I encourage people to stay engaged. I need people to stay engaged in the process, to be committed to be educated about issues, and to also be committed to building relationships with leaders. I’m a very participatory leader, so I’m very engaged throughout the community. I want people to ask questions. I’m going to create forums where people can ask questions and get information. If everybody does a little bit it will make the community better. We have to shift the mindset of the “Jesus complex” (laughs); I’m not a savior. (laughs) It takes all of us together to bring about the changes that we want. People are saying that to me, so that’s been helpful for me to hear that as I move forward. Tocarra: Good governance at any level requires the strong support of citizens. To retain support of the citizens, briefly, what values, policies and virtues do you espouse in the City? Mayor Chasity: I’m a social worker; I value all people. I believe all people have value. Sometimes I hear particularly in our community, the African-American community, that some of us are so critical of people in our community. I really believe that there are very few people in the world who are all bad. I believe that everybody has something to offer. Everyone has value. That is something that I will put forth. Hearing the perspectives of people that are different from me is important in regards to policy making. I believe in being equitable in terms of resources. I also believe in social justice – making sure the people have access and support towards what they need so that they can thrive. Tocarra: Concerning your administration, what is the biggest challenge that you foresee yourself facing? Mayor Chasity: I’m in the transition point. One of the things that is challenging now is figuring out the structure of the City. I’ve discovered that we really have no human resources department, which is disturbing. Some of those functions have been assigned to various people throughout the City. I really need to get a grasp of what are all the positions, what are all the functions, and what makes sense for us moving forward as a City. There are some changes that I see that I already want to make. Some people have two and three jobs. You can’t expect someone to be their best self in their role if they’re stressed like that. That is something that is really a focus of mines right now, and also making sure that I am aware of everything that is going on as this transition occurs, and of course the budget. Aaron: In regards to minority owned businesses in the City, although there is a small percentage of minority
owned businesses, in these challenging times, what can the City do to help entrepreneurs build their businesses and what effective steps can your administration do to help build minority businesses? Mayor Chasity: One of the things that I think is needed is education. When I grew up as a kid my parents worked at one place for 30 years and then they retired. Young people don’t want to work like that and we have a lot of people in our community who are creative, and I believe we need to foster that creativity. With that being said, to say that you want to be a business owner and open your own business sounds glamorous, but there is a lot that goes into that if you’re going to be a sustainable business. I’m already having conversations with local banks and the Chamber of Commerce about bringing education to that issue. We currently have a program called Enterprise You that is ran thru the Chamber, and that program is a program to help people who want to start a business. They help them develop a business plan. They talk with them about credit. If your credit is not good enough there are banks there to tell you this is what we’re looking for when we loan to a business loaner. They discuss who is your base, as well as the market for your idea. I think a lot of people jump in without considering a long term plan. They max out their credit cards and then do not have anything coming in to sustain. I believe education is very very important. I’m a proponent of education no matter what the issue is. There is also programs through our small business administration, minority programs for businesses, veterans and women. There are resources out there that I am aware of from working at the Federal level, and I will leverage those relationships that I have with members of congress to get those resources to the community. Tocarra: Many college graduates who are natives of Kankakee do not return to the City due to the lack of employment and the high unemployment rate. What plans do you intend to implement to combat this issue? Also, if possible, can you elaborate on a few of the likely job positions that may become available under your administration? Mayor Chasity: In terms of creating an environment where young people will come back, that is going to take some work in terms of economic development. I’m planning to have our community assessed through an organization that I talked about during the forums with the prior Mayor in Economic Development Administration. They are a Federal agency; they come in and access your community. We have a lot of resources in Kankakee, and they can tell us what would make sense in terms of us expanding and what would make sense in terms of us bringing something here. For example, we have two hospitals and we have certain industries here. Is Valspar importing something into the
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community that they need to run their business? Is that something that we can make here in Kankakee? We need to develop a strategic plan for economic development. We currently do not have a strategic plan. In my second term I plan to start a youth mentorship program. I want to partner with the City Departments and Workforce Investments, placing our youth throughout the City to expose them to different jobs in the City. For example, when I was preparing to run for Mayor, I shadowed the Department of Public Works and rode in the truck for two hours to talk to them about their work, what they do and to get a perspective of their work. I had no idea what an Arborist was. They take care of trees. (laughs) So, for a young person that says I don’t want to go to college Mayor, I want a job working outside, I want to work with my hands – I want to create a program in the City for our youth where they can be placed throughout different departments…clerical, etc. Our Waste Water Treatment Plant entry level positions are $70,000 per year. They don’t require college, but people don’t know that. We don’t do a very good job in communicating. My thing is, if you aren’t exposed to it and you can’t see it, you don’t know that you can do it. I really want to open that up to our youth. Then the partnership piece comes in soft skills. A lot of our employers complain that our youth don’t have soft skills…they’re late, they dress inappropriately, they’re doing things on the weekend that impact their ability to perform on Monday. I want to make sure they understand a work ethic and what a good work ethic looks like.
You asked about job openings in the City, right now I’m accessing that. I know we need an HR Department. (laughs) Tocarra: In the past, there seemed to be fewer leaders in the community having a great concern for our youth and young adults. There are many parks, several community centers and recreational places; however the young people seem to be less interested. Are there any plans being implemented for the youth and young adults encouraging them to stay active and remain out of trouble so that they can feel connected and remain rooted to the City? Mayor Chasity: One of the things will be the mentorship program that I’ve talked about. Our Park District is in disarray. I don’t have particular jurisdiction over the park district. A lot of people don’t understand that. We certainly impact each other and work hand in hand, but I can’t fire people in the Park district. They are a separate body of government. They levy their own taxes. We own the Martin Luther King Park, but most of the parks are owned by the park district. With that being said, I would like to introduce a Kankakee Forward Initiative that will target youth and have them engaged in their government, and knowing why it is relevant and how it affects them, all the while training them to be leaders. There will be some other things coming, and we’re discussing that now while we’re in transition. Aaron: Crime has been consistently mentioned throughout
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the City as one of the biggest problems. What can your administration do to help and repair the problem, as well as improve the City’s public perception? Mayor Chasity: You probably already know the Chief of police resigned the day after the election. I think a critical piece for me is getting the right people in the right positions. We need a police chief that is going to reflect things that I value in my administration like respect and being culturally sensitive. People of color are raised very different than Anglo people. I’m seeing some disturbing things and I’ve had conversations with our States Attorney about it. The way I was disciplined as a child can now be a criminal offense. (laughs) Parents are struggling with that. In terms of crime I think it’s getting the right police chief, because the Mayor is the ambassador of the City and the Mayor is going to set the tone for the City and the police chief is going to set the tone and culture for our police department. If our chief is engaged, compassionate and respectful of the community, building relationships with our community – I believe in community policing – I believe that is going to improve our relationships. We have to partner in fighting crime, because if we don’t the issue is not going to go away. Right now my understanding is there is a disconnection between the police and the community. That’s very problematic, because when crime happens people don’t talk to the police. What I have found out, which is very disturbing to me, is that we can’t event have this conversation with the police because nobody wants to acknowledge that there has been this history and this dynamic between communities of color and the police. They almost get offended when we bring it up and start telling us about an accreditation they have. I explain to them, my husband and I are upstanding citizens and if we get pulled over we don’t have drugs or weapons in our car, but we still get nervous about it because there has been a dynamic. We don’t think when we get pulled over oh the City of Kankakee has an accreditation. That’s not what’s going through a person of color’s mind. We should be having regular conversations with the police. We should not just see police when there is a tragedy or when something traumatic has happened. Tocarra: The prior administration was not very helpful to all ethnicities, however more so invested interest in particular individuals. What are your thoughts on the outlook, inspiration and shift of power for the individuals who did not have support from the prior administration? Mayor Chasity: I’m inclusive and I’m going to give people an opportunity. I know there is a segment of the community that is very upset because when you benefit from a system and a structure you don’t want it to change. People naturally fear change. I am going to work very hard
to be fair. I’m opening that circle up to the community. I believe that, and that is how I will run my administration.
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I believe that everybody has something to offer. Everyone has value.
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Aaron: In the past, the Kankakee City sticker requirement was eliminated. However, under past administration, the City sticker was re-implemented. There has been a massive amount of complaints from citizens regarding this being a financial burden. What are your thoughts on this? Mayor Chasity: I’ve heard people complain about it, but the reality is that it’s not going to be eliminated right away. My goal would be, as we build our economic base by recruiting businesses, getting homes again, that we would be able to decrease that. I can’t go in day one and say we’re not going to have a sticker. It generates approximately $475,000 of revenue, so I’m already looking at coming in and adding positions to hire people that need to be hired. I am not going to lie and say that it’s going to be eliminated. I will work very hard to incrementally reduce that, but unfortunately right now we are in a position where we need the revenue. Also, we need to be responsible as residents because we all know it’s coming up in June. (laughs) Just like Christmas comes every 25th of December (laughs), and Mother’s Day comes every May. (laughs) So we need to quit acting like we’re surprised and be personally responsible and budget our $35 for our vehicle. I’m a keep it real Mayor. Tocarra: In the past there have been several prime time talk shows that have stated a multitude of negative comments concerning the City of Kankakee. What plans do you have economically, socially and politically to reverse that stigma and potentially make Kankakee outstanding? Mayor Chasity: I think this election alone has brought a lot of positive press to Kankakee. The other thing that we don’t have for the City is someone that does PR/ Communications for the City. One of the things that I talked about during the forums against the other Mayor was our website. It’s embarrassing; it’s ridiculous. It does not highlight any of the resources we have. It does not reflect who we are. It doesn’t market our resources, our industries or our strengths. We have to take responsibility for telling our stories. We have a lot of wonderful people in Kankakee with good things going on and you only hear about the negative things. We have to take responsibility in putting that information out. We need someone who is going to be able to do PR and Communications. Just with the election alone we’ve gotten so much positive press for me being the first African-American. It was in the
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Huffington Post, and our race was mentioned. You guys are now doing an interview and there are some other things in the pipelines. Tyjuan Hagler has his basketball tournament in Kankakee. He grew up here and he played pro football. We have to do a better job and take responsibility for that and see that it is a valuable piece of government of telling our stories. Aaron: For those elders who stay at home and feel as though there is nothing in public for them to come out to and participate in, will there be any plans implemented for them to come out and use there knowledge and wisdom to give back to the community? Mayor Chasity: I think a lot of people have a misconception that there is nothing to do. There are a lot of things to do in Kankakee. I think the problem is that we don’t always communicate that well. Certain sections of government and even organizations operate in silos. One of the things that I’m hoping to do is streamline that once we revise our website so people know what’s going on, have a community calendar, etc. I believe in engaging all generations and as many stakeholders as I can so I’ll be forming some advisory committees to the Mayor – for youth, business owners and for elders. I always seek the wisdom of people who have served before me. I don’t want people to feel irrelevant and forgotten because they’ve gotten older. I visit the churches regularly and I will continue to do that. I want them to know that they are valuable and to stay engaged. Aaron: You now uphold a stronger position being a rolemodel and inspiration to many. Do you have any inspiration or words-of-encouragement for young females and males also going through trying times, however having challenging times remaining focused, positive, and believing in themselves? Mayor Chasity: I talked about this a little bit during the campaign. A lot of people look at me now and don’t know – I don’t look like what I’ve been thru. My dad is a Vietnam veteran and went into the service at 17 years old and had a lot of trauma…grew up in poverty. I’m the oldest of 5 children, and there was some impacts from that. My senior year in high school I stopped going to school. I dropped out. However, I was still able to graduate on time, because I’m a nerd. (laughs) I really like to learn, so I had taken all these early and late bird classes. I love school. School was an escape for me; being in the books was an escape for me. A lot of people don’t know that. They don’t know I dropped out of school, that I got pregnant at 18, was homeless – I never talked about that – was once living in a car at one point before I met my husband. You can overcome anything. I think for most people it’s having some source of faith, whatever they believe that is for
themselves. Reach out to someone that you trust, someone that you can talk to about things that are troubling you and they can give you some guidance. I’ve had people in this community that have done that for me. I met Alderman Brown being a runaway, and I set behind him on the City Council [as an Alderwoman]. Now, my life has just come full circle with that. Pastor Tyler Prude at Second Baptist Church was another person that encouraged me and helped me get into college when I was having a lot of challenges. It just takes one person that can encourage and plant that seed and help that seed grow. I’m proof of that. A lot of times our kids just need support and many people are just so negative and so doubtful. I’ve accomplished a lot. I have a Master’s degree, I’m a Certified Addictions Counselor, and even during the campaign I had people minimizing my credentials and experience. People act like I’ve only been an Alderwoman for 2 years and I’ve never done anything else in my life. Like I just started working at 45 years old; (laughs) I’m 47 now. My parents raised me – as a person of color and as a woman, you’re going to have to work twice as hard. Our young people need to understand that. They have to get a work ethic. It’s not fair, but it’s the world we live in. When most people see you’re trying to work towards something to help yourself, someone will help you. Nobody owes you, but you have to have a work ethic. You don’t even have to be the smartest person, but if you have a work ethic, that will carry you so far. Aaron: Mayor Chasity, before we end the interview, would you like to add anything in closing? Mayor Chasity: I just want to thank you guys for interviewing me! It’s an honor for people to be interested in your story, and want to hear your story and share your story. I want to encourage you guys to stay engaged. I want to encourage our community. I want them to be hopeful. I think that’s one of the greatest things that I’m seeing right now, people have hope, especially young Black men. I’ve had barbers and other young Black men that are reaching out to me now because they feel like number one, I understand their struggle, which I do, but not to the point to what they have went through because I’m not a Black man, but I understand the struggle; and number two, they know that I’m somebody who cares and is going to work hard and is committed to making opportunities for everyone. I do need everybody to do their part. If we all just do something, as parents we have to go to our parent teacher’s conferences, we have to watch what we’re doing around our kids. Whatever you’re passionate about, I encourage everyone to get involved in the community in some way. I’m going to be promoting opportunities for that as well out of the Mayor’s office. Thank you guys!
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Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson - Editor
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s the statue of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins stands tall in the main entrance of the Philips Arena, the Hall of Famer continues to stand tall and leap high with his calling to educate the masses that are affected with the disease we recognize as diabetes. Shortly after his astonishing NBA career, Wilkins was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and since then has been raising awareness in various communities. “The greatest dunker of all times” shares an abundance of knowledge, helpful tips and advice, as well as gives encouraging words for those diagnosed with diabetes. Aaron Robinson: While playing in the NBA, did you receive any symptoms prior to being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Dominique Wilkins: No, it was a year after retirement when I found out I was diabetic. When I was a player, I think because I trained so much, it was hard to detect. Aaron: When you became diagnosed with type 2 diabetes did you have to make a lifestyle change or did your lifestyle basically remain the same? Dominique: I had to make a lifestyle change. When I was playing I ate anything I wanted, but I was always training so I just burned those calories off and didn’t pay close attention to my diet or how my body felt. When I retired, I wasn’t training anymore, but I was still eating the same foods – so my doctor told me one thing, he said ‘you have to make a lifestyle change right now’! I changed my diet, started exercising and I got on medication. Aaron: Living with diabetes, are you still able to live a healthy, normal and productive life? Dominique: I put it this way, I feel better now than I did 17 years ago. Because I made that lifestyle change. One of the things that really helped me is my partnership with Novo Nordisk. It’s been a wonderful relationship. It has given me a platform to talk about diabetes nationally, and to continue talking about my own bout with diabetes. When my pill wasn’t getting me to my goal, I worked with my doctor to find a treatment that was right for me. Now I talk with others about understanding when certain medications are not getting you to your goal, you need to find a treatment plan that works for you. One of those healthy options can be found on our website, DiabetesDreamTeam.com, which gives people the opportunity to learn how to build their own “Dream Team” through diet, exercise and education. Aaron: What words of encouragement would you share with people in hopes of battling or beating this disease? Dominique: I give them the life experience that I went
through with my father and grandfather both dying from diabetes. I’ve seen the hardships in a family affected by diabetes. I share my story and say look, you don’t want this to be you, and you don’t want this to be someone in your family. So, don’t wait for something bad to happen before you act. Be proactive. Aaron: If you were diagnosed with this disease while in the NBA, do you think it would have impacted your performance? If so, what advice would you give to athletes that currently have this disease? Dominique: I don’t know if it would have affected my performance. I do think it’s important that everyone – athlete or not – pays attention to their body and gets screened for diabetes. As a professional athlete, you have access to a team of health experts and you should take advantage of it. For others, you should talk to your doctor about a diabetes screening and you can visit DiabetesDreamTeam.com to download my “Coaches’ Clipboard” that has tips for creating your own “Dream Team” of experts.
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Don’t wait for something bad to happen before you act. Be proactive.
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Aaron: Outside of speaking, and since retiring from the NBA, what are some of the things you have enjoyed partaking in? Dominique: Outside of the NBA my calling is healthcare and diabetes. That’s my calling – having the opportunity to help educate people about living with diabetes. I’ve also launched my own brand of signature basketball courts with CBA Sports. That’s been a big thing for me that I’m very passionate about. Aaron: You are involved in many community initiatives. Do you have anything currently new and exciting going on with The Dominique Wilkins Foundation? Dominique: I’m still heavily involved in the community – sit on a couple of organizational boards. I also support some of the major foundations like Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Women’s Sports Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the National Endocrinology Association. I also support several different charities – Big Brother and Big Sister, and also Special Olympics. Aaron: Thank you for your time Mr. Wilkins. Dominique: I appreciate this man! Thank you.
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www.diabetesdreamteam.com
Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson - Editor
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aking a 6 year hiatus from the music industry, The Merchant Boyz, which consist of the talented and gifted rappers, Cochise and Nez is back in the studio to record their second album Merchandise II: The Restock. The two brothers who have always had a passion for the art recently set down with Consciousness Magazine to talk about their career, life and the challenges in which they overcame in the music industry. Here is what they have to share with the readers. Aaron Robinson: What inspired you guys to want to come back together with the group? Cochise: I think it was timing. We just missed doing music. Nez: We wanted to get back to what we loved. We’re reppin’ for the essence of hip hop because it’s not too much going on. When I seen the Lox, they got me going
again. Then, there isn’t too many artists raising the flag for Kankakee, Illinois. Aaron: What was the cause for the 6 year hiatus? Nez: Me personally, I felt like no one was going to do anything for us. The music and the industry moved another way. I got my kids to worry about; I can record records all day. You don’t want to be a 40 year old person saying, “I can still try to get the record deal so that I can get the house.” You should have the house already! Cochise: I was inspired by some of the music that was out. I was like, ‘I can’t be a part of that wave!’ I started growing up; I started to be more responsible. Nez: I just needed to take a break. Also, [there was] a lack of funds too! Now, we don’t have to ask anyone to do anything for us; we’re doing it ourselves. If you try to help us, we don’t even want you to do it for free, because that’s business.
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Aaron: Going back into the studio, do you feel like you guys had to change your craft a little bit, to per se compete? Cochise: For me, [it was] getting back in the studio. It felt like it was just back to business. We’re not going to compromise who we are just to fit in. That doesn’t work. If it does work, it’s not going to last for long. Nez: I was rusty a little bit. No, we are not in competition. In a way we are, because we are a brand and a business. We got our own lane. I think the people that hear us and know how we write; they don’t want to hear us to hear Future. They want to hear you and what you’ve done - that Merchant Boyz and Committee rap.
just keep the integrity of it and keep it as we know it. Nez: I’m living in the Phoenix area. On the West-Coast, the Phoenix area, they are hip hop. You have a lot of WestCoast artist with their own style, but they like to hear you say something. Cochise: We’re bridging the gap of underground music and mainstream music. We’re just going to be us. We’re not going to try to squeeze in those skinny jeans. Nez: When has a rapper made it to become a dope fiend? You made it to become a junkie and your whole rap check goes to drugs! Boy, you silly! That’s the only thing I got against the youngsters.
Aaron: That’s real! What can fans expect from the upcoming project? Cochise: Now, what we rap about is different. We’re comfortable if the record don’t pop. If no one buys it, we’re okay with it. So it’s back to the beginning. [Our fans and listeners] can still expect that. Nez: You can also expect bars, punch lines, soul music, conscious music, money talking, and elevation. We are also talking about the mistakes we made. We’re talking about business. Cochise got his clothing line Handsome Fashion that we’re going to launch real soon. Now in this age, you have to start thinking outside of rapping. You can get into bigger positions, such as mayors and so on. Cochise: If you’ve followed us or supported us, you’re going to see the growth, from the wild times, to the decision making. You are going to see the now - a grown man. Nez: We’re having fun. That’s what hip hop is missing. I was always told, once you stop having fun, quit. It wasn’t becoming fun anymore.
We’re reppin’ for the essence of hip hop because it’s not too much going on.
Aaron: With a lot of this mainstream music going on, you can barely understand what some of these artists are saying. I know you all bring the lyrics and the bars while a lot of these guys are spitting half of a bar. What separates you from this new generation or from these artist coming back trying to do there thing, but are not what they once were? Cochise: What they call it now is that mumble rap. I don’t like to give it a title; I don’t like to separate it because it’s still a part of hip hop. As far as integrity of your music, we came up in an era where you have to say something. You have to prove yourself because you want the next person to be like, ‘hey, he nice! He go hard!’ I listen to the new music because I have a 15, 13 and 10 year old. I be joking like, ‘man that dude wack! He ain’t saying nothing!’ But the music be jamming though! When we were growing up, my uncles were like, ‘man them dudes aren’t doing nothing but cursing and talking.’ My mom calls it boom bap music. We
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Aaron: Do you feel like the industry is more saturated now? Cochise: Yes! Everybody sounds the same. Nez: When we grew up and your name was Slick Dawg and my name was Slick Dawg, we have to battle rap for this name, because there isn’t any copycatting. Dudes use to come to your house and be like, ‘step outside son,’ whether if it was break-dancing or whatever. It was different when it was Jay-Z, Nas, 2pac, Dr. Dre and Wu-tang. When Nas heard something from Biggie, he was like, “Biggie isn’t playing; I have to get to the studio!” Not [to go to the studio] to make another Juicy song. Cochise: See, that’s how they do it now. If it’s hot, they ride that wave instead of doing the opposite. Nez: That’s where you stand out…with originality. Just because you can Auto-Tune doesn’t mean that it’s going to be good. [The industry is] definitely saturated. Cochise: There’s no ying and yang anymore. When we came up…the late 80’s and 90’s, we had [artist such as] Snoop Dogg. He’s from the West-Coast. You had Hammer and he’s from the West-Coast. It’s like he did what he did and he did what he did. And it worked! Nez: You have E-40 also. They didn’t sound alike and they’re from the West-Coast. DJ Quick didn’t sound like Snoop. Future had an interview. He said, “They don’t want any originality, they just want to take your check and move on.”
Aaron: Being Black men, fathers, and Cochise, a husband, with a lot of new music, and I know your music is going in a totally different direction - with a lot of the new rap music of today, do you see it affecting your families, your children and other youth? What are your thoughts on this?
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Cochise: Yes, that goes deep. That’s a good question! Nez: Yes! That’s a good question! Cochise: I have older kids. You just have to tell them what they are listening to, in order to make sure what they are paying attention to. With a lot of messages the music is sending now, they are making a lot of stuff look super cool. It’s really driving you in the wrong direction. Nez: The radio is going to play whoever pays them. Most conscious brothers don’t have the bag (money) to get their message across. When Nas was talking about hip hop was dead, he was talking about the thought. He wasn’t talking about the culture of the rap. Back then, radio disc jockeys was like, “I will risk my job to play The Merchant Boyz because this rocking!!! So what with what the PD is talking about.” About time the PD says something, the record has already impacted. Now it’s pay to play. They say it’s not, but we know it is. And it’s in your kid’s mind…manipulating them. Cochise: Yes it is, because they are going to hear it over and over and it is what they are seeing. It was like that in our generation. Music is very very very instrumental in your life. It’s like “monkey see, monkey do!” Nez: It affects Black families. Cochise: Yes, it affects Black families. Back in our day we had gangster music. No one wanted you to play that gangster music and didn’t want your kids to listen to it. That’s what they told us. Nez: And guess what? If a man thinks, he does it. And if you repeat it to yourself so much, you’re going to do it. Just think if you told yourself every day that ‘you’re beautiful. Cochise: You’re fascinated as if he made it through selling all of those drugs. And you keep listening to it and be like, “Man! That man sold all of those drugs!” He didn’t tell you the risk and the consequence. Nez: He didn’t tell you the people he crossed out in the beginning or who he hurt. Nine times out of ten, he isn’t going to tell you who he told on. Something that I remember Lupe saying was, “Turn their whole culture to a mockery/ give
them coca cola for their property.” It’s called America is the Terrorist. He just said it….make it a mockery! They turned our whole hip hop into a mockery. And it destroys your family. What you call your women…disrespectful names! Cochise: See, in our days, [that’s what they were] if they called them that. We had people like 2pac. 2pac explained it. He would say it in his lyrics, but he would go back and explain why he called you that. And if you are doing that, he felt that he had a right to call you that, because you’re acting ignorant and so forth. Any other time when a female was acting right, he was going to call you a queen. See, that’s just what it was. Now-a-days, they don’t even explain it. Nez: Listen. A Black woman is the strongest thing on earth, period. The mother holds it down and we know this. The bible says, ‘a good father would leave inheritance to his son.’ Well rap has produced some men to become better fathers. As my brother said, “the music was different back in the day.” Wu-tang had a song called A Better Tomorrow. It goes, “You can’t party your life away/ drink your life away/ smoke your life away/ f--- your life away/ dream your life away/ scheme your life away/ cause your seeds grow up the same way.” I have yet to hear an inspirational song from Young Thug. They asked him at the BET Hip Hop Awards how he feels about the cops killing everybody? He said, “Leave that up to the critics and the laws. We’re making money and iced out.” See, that’s where their mind is at! They don’t even care about their culture. Lil Wayne never grew up to me. Out of every artist in the world, Wayne is a kid. He doesn’t grow up. T.I. grew up. Lil Wayne is my age and riding a skate board. Aaron: Everyone can’t work together. How do you all keep your chemistry when creating music? Cochise: It’s natural. Nez: My brother and I write fast. Sometimes I’m rapping my verse and he is writing his. Sometimes I will say, ‘I got it,’ but I don’t have it…I’m thinking of it. Sometimes my brother would have his ad-libs done and I will have
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my verse done. Cochise: As far as chemistry, we’re brothers, we grew up together, and we have the same views on a lot of stuff. Nez: We’re going for the same flag. Cochise: For hip hop, it’s hard to work together because everybody wants to be the man. They want to be the man instead of being a man. You can be a group of men and you will be strong, but everybody wants to be the top dog. That’s why the genre of our music still gets capitalized off of. Nez: You have to go after your target market. I’m sure you’re pretty sure of Brother Polight and all of them. They got a following for consciousness. Even though they burnt it up by doing dumb stuff. This is another thing too. Why do conscious people listen to and buy dumb music? The smartest people in Harvard are listening to stupid stuff. They’d rather kick it and party. I like rappers who explain their neighborhood. I can go to Shaolin or Harlem and be like, ‘that’s that house Wu-Tang was talking about! Okay, I’m up on it.’ And don’t go over there, that’s that one street. A lot of these new artist don’t give me enough of them. They don’t give me any person, unless they just tell me they’re rich. My brother and I just talk about basketball and godly things. Our chemistry has always been like that. The Committee chemistry, that’s why that album “Growing Pains” was so special because we were with each other every day. It kept us out of trouble. Aaron: With the project you are working on now, what’s the album title of it and when are you looking to release it? Nez: Merchandise II: The Restock.
Cochise: We’re going to take our time with it. We’re not going to rush it. Once you start forcing the music, it’s over. Nez: We’re going to have a documentary with it and launch the clothing line also. We’re representing Kankakee. We have to give our hometown something so that people can say, “Those rappers are from Kankakee!” We don’t have that. It’s a shame we see our people get on and they get gone! They leave! Aaron: Where can people get your music? Nez: It’s going to be on I-tunes and on all the digital outlets. We’re going to go more digital this time. Physical copies can also be ordered. Aaron: Would you all like to add anything else before we end the interview that we didn’t discuss? Nez: I think Donald Trump would be the reason that Black folks will start doing for each other again. Also, we have to start accommodating people for their time. Black folks have to start doing that again. And long live hip hop in Kankakee. Love yawl! And the whole world of Hip Hop, we love yawl!!! Cochise: Look out for the album, the couple of singles, videos and the clothing line Handsome Fashion and also Handsome Tots. It’s for all ages. It’s for girls, boys, women and men. We’re looking to expand that. Other than that, we just got to get it together as a people. We have to hurry up and get it together because it’s almost over. It’s being shown to us every day.
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Reviews
Book Review: Burn My Shadow - By Hector De La Rosa @Here_2_Edutain_ Ty l e r Knight discovers his inner Finding Forrester; inviting readers and fanatics to his private life’s Champagne Room dominating the bed room scene with vivid concupiscent description that shames every character in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
takes skill. It arouses curiosity about the life of a porn star from humble beginnings to fame, deeply penetrates the walls of the cerebrum on how the heartless business can damage the psyche, and squirts with triumph in the book’s end.
He does this with Burn My Shadow- a folklore o f pornlandia while acknowledging his alter ego in adult entertainment whereas scorning it; desiring it to burn or fade away as if it were to never exist. Knight’s life is about survival of the fittest and that
If readers expect straight forward explicitness, they are far-fetched. It builds biographical stamina and utmost inventiveness with its intercourse scenes mere short of mental erectile dysfunction that regards Knight a prolific writer and Burn My Shadow a distinguished literary piece.
Tyler Knight sets the new standard for pornographic biographies serving more of a sophisticated and informative work of genius than a mere collection of rumors and scandals society thrives for a trending Twitter moment. It climaxes with the most creative writing seen in years that exclude the perceived stereotypical mental forgery of adult male performers being brut or viewed as only studs.
Rating: Conscious: 5 out of 5 ratings
Parental Advisory: Views and opinions expressed in album, book or movie reviews within this publication reflect the opinion of their respective author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher and editors.
Know Your Rights!
Article 27: Right to participate in cultural life
1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
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