THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE In Our 27th Year
Issue No. 1972
July 2011
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Jazz festival scheduled to honor John Coltrane By: Bob Costner
Woman of a Second Chance: Glayds Shipman By: John Raye
These days, its hard to find people like Gladys Shipman, a Greensboro-based entrepreneur who started her business the same way the legendary Madam C.J Walker started hers; “I got started in business by giving myself a start”, said Madam Walker, who went on to become the nation’s first self-made black millionaire. Indeed. Shipman is nothing less than a modern day Moses who scraped and scrapped her way out of a Greensboro housing project to create a business empire that stretches statewide. If she wanted to, this second-chance woman, the rock, the anchor, the guiding light, the trail blazer, the President and CEO of Shipman Family Home Care, could run for, and probably win in a walk, any elective office, largely because of her warm heart, grateful and giving spirit, and genuine kindness. “I don’t meet strangers” she said. “To me, everybody is special. I don’t care where you live, how you live or what you have or don’t have, every person has something to offer, every person has value”, she said.
Gladys Shipman
That sharing, caring and giving spirit has taken her from the lowly depths of a poverty-stricken childhood to a position of power, prestige and influence far beyond her home base of Greensboro.
HIGH POINT -- Efforts are underway to raise the awareness of jazz great John Coltrane’s North Carolina roots. For years, the legacy of John Coltrane’s music was heard softly in High Point. “We know him here, but we have not really embraced him,” said Guilford County Commissioner Bruce Davis, who’s on [continued on page 2]
Inside This Issue Angela Bassett Returns to Broadway
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Are You Still A Slave?
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Crosby on Jackson
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The Man in the Mirror
Specializing in One On One Personal Care
If the late S.B. Fuller was the godfather of black entrepreneurship, then Gladys Shipman is the queen mother of business and financial empowerment, and mustard seed faith. [continued on page 5]
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Black Woman No Longer to Have Their Essence 26 Taste of the City
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Meet the Boss
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Jazz festival scheduled to honor John Coltrane
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Meet the New Boss By: John Raye
By: Bob Costner
[continued from page 28] the board of the Friends of John Coltrane. “He’s known far better in Europe, I understand, than even in this country.” The saxophonist was born in Hamlet, but his family moved to High Point when he was a baby. He grew up in a house on Underhill Street that was filled with music. “His mother played the piano, his grandfather was a preacher. So there was the influence of the church,” said historian Barbara Taylor, with Friends of John Coltrane. “The traditional music, as well as the African American influence of gospel, all of that’s been woven into his music.” The piano’s now in the High Point museum, along with some music handwritten by Coltrane. Coltrane went to William Penn High School, played in several community bands and on stage at the school. “John Coltrane is very much at work on this stage, even to this day,” said 11th Grader Jake Kennedy, who attends the annual Coltrane Jazz Workshop held each summer, at what’s now called Penn-Griffin School. Students learn and practice during the school year in a wing named after him. “Legacy’s a good word for it. We can just feel the presence of Coltrane here,” said Mike Connors, who teaches guitar and harp at the school. [continued on page 3]
under the ever watchful eye of an overseer everyone called, “Boss man”. Since that time, and up until the time I was let go from my job, I always had a boss man! Now, out of necessity, I have become the new Boss Man! Nobody wanted me. Nobody would hire me. Nobody would give me a job. So I decided to follow the soulstirring example set by the legendary Madam C. J.Walker. Instead of a job, I gave myself an opportunity. I connected myself to ComproTax, a 29 year old income tax and bookkeeping company, based in Beaumont, Texas. Now, I am in a position to help others make money by doing income taxes from their own home with ownership of their own ComproTax franchise. Next, I connected myself to FreeLife International, a 16 year old health and wellness company based in Phoenix, Arizona. Here, I help people lose weight, regain or maintain optimum health, and make money at the same time. The good Lord, I bear witness, is real good! I no longer look for a job. I no longer need a job. I no longer want a job because my prayers have been answered. I am now“thu man”…. the new Boss Man! I’ve hired myself! John Raye, a life-wellness coach, is a 5-year cancer survivor. He lives in Kernersville, NC (336) 782-8383 or rayeandrosie@aol.com
July 2011
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Jazz festival scheduled to honor John Coltrane By: Bob Costner [continued from page 2]
The Friends of John Coltrane raised money for a statue of Coltrane in downtown High Point a few years ago and now have plans for an additional honor. “There was conversation at the time, what would be the next step to ensure the legacy of Coltrane in High Point,” said Patrick Harman, with the Friends of John Coltrane. “It was logical to do a jazz festival.”
Reform Food Stamps! [continued from page 8] who need the services are covered and those who are gaming or committing fraud in the system are eliminated from the entitlement rolls. These simple measures are likely to cut the cost of the program by one-third. In all of the talk about entitlement reforms, we as a nation can be fair and provide safety nets to those most in need without undermining those who are paying the bills, i.e. the taxpayers. Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a physician, former county school board member, licensed secondary school teacher and author and NC Republican National Committee Woman. Contact her at P.O. Box 777; Salisbury, NC 28145; drfisher@getadoctorinthehouse.com
“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they areCan all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Matthew 6:26-27 (NLT)
Coltrane left High Point shortly after graduation in 1943, never to come back. He died of liver cancer in 1967 at the age of 40. The Friends of John Coltrane want people to remember him and High Point’s influence. “The birth of his music is right here, where he learned to play the instruments, and have the love for jazz,” said Davis. The inaugural John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 3, at Oak Hollow Festival Park in High Point. There’s more information on the festival’s website.
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July 2011
You’re no doubt aware of the dangers linked to use of the toxic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), found in polycarbonate plastic food containers, including but not limited to bottles and takeout food containers. There’s been much written on the dangers of using BPA in packaging including breast and prostate cancer and early puberty. However, now that we’ve all been exposed to it for years, are we doomed? The Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute (both San Francisco-based organizations focused on environmental causes of breast cancer) conducted a study to measure how dangerous these packages are, specifically zeroing in on how quickly and meaningfully the BPA levels in the body decline when people stop eating or drinking foods packaged in BPA containers.
Annual Event: “A Taste of The City” Contestant Application Date: __________________________________________ Business/ Company Name: _______________________ _______________________________________________ Location: ______________________________________ _______________________________________________ Contact Person: ________________________________
As part of their study, the Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute enrolled five families, each consisting of two parents and two children, who had regularly consumed prepackaged, processed foods and drinks in cans, frozen dinners, bottled water and foods designed to be microwaved in their own containers. Then, for three days, these families were presented with fresh, organic food cooked by the research team and stored only in glass or stainless steel containers. To measure the direct and immediate impact of the change, researchers collected urine samples from all participants before, during and after the diet.
Telephone Number: _____________________________ Email: _________________________________________ Category:
These findings were published in March in the online journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Entrée
Dessert
Both
Single Event / Double Event Early Bird (6/ 15 – 7/15) $299 / $449 Registration Fee (7/15 – 8/1) $349 / $525
Dramatic Results After just three days, everyone’s BPA level fell, with an average drop of two-thirds. BPA has a half-life of six hours in your body, notes Connie Engel, PhD, program coordinator at The Breast Cancer Fund. This means that six hours following exposure, half of what you’ve taken in is eliminated. When the families resumed their normal diets, their BPA levels returned to pre-intervention levels by the next urine sample.
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Requirements to enter: Must be licensed and have at least a 1,000.000.00 liability insurance, current Health Department Grade, and cutlery and napkins to serve. All entrants must pay $200.00 deposit down with contract and balance on or before August 1, 2011 in cash, certified check or credit card.. Please submit payment along with copies of the requested information to Ashtae Inc. 1325 S. Eugene Greensboro, NC 27407 attention Kim Mark. Make all checks payable to Ashtae/Galleria. Please provide a copy of their current license and insurance information in order to participate. There will be no refunds in the event of an inability to participate. All entrants will be provided with 2 - 6’ tables, name recognition, Linens to the floor, and leads for future prospects. The license must be displayed during the event. Entrants may arrive at 9 am to set up for the event to be held on August 6, 2011, 11 am – 3 pm. This event is opened to the public and will be a $7.00 charge in advance and $10.00 at the door. The event will be judged by Culinary Chef’s and the Community.
To Get Healthier Right Now
Hidden BPA in Your Food By:Connie Engel, PhD, program coordinator, Breast Cancer Fund, San Francisco. You already know that there’s all sorts of dangerous, disgusting stuff like pesticides, carcinogenic additives, chemical dyes and fillers made from unappetizing ingredients such as wood in packaged and processed foods... but what you might not realize is that the bags, boxes and plastic containers those foods come in may be even worse for your health. New research has found that by simply getting rid of these packages as quickly as you can, you’ll be bringing yourself and your family astonishing and practically immediate health benefits.
This study demonstrates that we all can quickly lower our own BPA levels by making basic changes in what we eat and drink... Buy whole foods -- and carry them home in paper bags. Do not microwave in plastic -- even if it is labeled “microwave-safe”! Heat raises BPA levels in plastic, upping the health hazards. Instead, microwave food in glass or ceramic containers.
The two winners will each receive a trophy, a 30-day, 30-second commercial with Black Network Television valued at $1500 using footage from the event to be held on August 6, 2011, 11 am – 3 pm. The commercial will air twice a day, Monday – Friday, during our Business Around Town segment for 30 days total. I hereby agree to the terms set above for the Taste of the City competition sponsored by The Galleria Events Center and Black Network Television. Print Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Title: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Signed Name: ___________________________________________________________________________
Consider switching to a French press coffeemaker. Typical coffeemakers may contain traces of BPA and other toxins in the bin that holds the coffee filter and coffee. These grow more concentrated when heated.
Date: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Galleria Events Center Director: ____________________________________________________________
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July 2011
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July 2011
Meet the New Boss
Woman of a Second Chance: Glayds Shipman
By: John Raye
By: John Raye.
Ten years ago, I almost lost my mind because I lost my good job. Just so you will know, it’s easier to keep a job than to look for one! Looking for a job is really hard work! I grew up at a time when people didn’t get laid off. You simply stayed on your job until it was retirement time. But time changes. Things happen! And one day it happened to me. No advance notice, no prior warning. I was laid off from my good government job. Needless to say, I was devastated. A severe, white knuckle depression almost took me under. But this was nothing compared with what was yet to come.
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[continued from cover ]
Kick the cans. Avoid canned foods except those that are in BPA-free cans, such as from Eden Foods, Vital Choice, Oregon’s Choice and Trident Seafoods. Watch out for the kids. Developing children are at even greater risk for harm from BPA. Use glass baby bottles or BPA-free plastic bottles. For older children, get stainless steel lunch boxes instead of plastic. Dr. Engel told me that the families in the study were thrilled with the results and are now taking matters into their own hands to cut back on BPA exposure. You can do the same with your own family.
Mr. & Mrs. John Raye
Soon, sickness and all manner of disease invaded our home. First, my wife went down with a massive, right-brain stroke. Then, my daughter’s 43 year old husband died from colon cancer. I preached the eulogy. Six months later, I was diagnosed with colon cancer, the same disease that took his life. Then, the other shoe dropped; unable to pay our monumental bills, the Forsyth County Sheriff department delivered a foreclosure notice. We had ten days to move or face eviction. We lost our nearly one- million dollar home along with our $200,000 down payment! Worry, fear, anxiety, violent mood swings, fits of depression, hung on me like a wet blanket. It’s hard to be happy when you are depressed and broke. We had no jobs. We had no money. We had no insurance. We had no where to go. Now, two near fatal diseases, cancer and stroke, were living, uninvited, with both of us.
Saluting 22 Years of the National Black Theater Festival
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So here’s the situation; a middle-age , unemployed Black couple, sick from stroke and cancer, nearly broke, and nearly homeless! And…serving as daddy and granddaddy to a young widow and her two little girls! What do you do, when you don’t know what to do! Do what President Abe Lincoln did when the Civil War almost drove him crazy. Said Lincoln; “more than once, I found myself on my knees, simply because I had no other place to go! You pray! And pray! And continue to pray. Then, you pray some more! You keep on praying until something happens! But who, I wondered, would hire such a physically and mentally challenged couple, especially an elderly Black couple dealing with such catastrophic illnesses? Who wants to hire so-called old people anyway? The short answer is nobody! Unable to find sustainable employment, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that I would have to hire myself. I would have to make a job for myself. With the help of the Creator, I would make a way out of no way! During my early years in the corn and cotton fields of northern Louisiana, we worked
Hidden BPA in Your Food By:Connie Engel, PhD, program coordinator, Breast Cancer Fund, San Francisco. [continued from page 4]
Kick the cans. Avoid canned foods except those that are in BPA-free cans, such as from Eden Foods, Vital Choice, Oregon’s Choice and Trident Seafoods. Watch out for the kids. Developing children are at even greater risk for harm from BPA. Use glass baby bottles or BPA-free plastic bottles. For older children, get stainless steel lunch boxes instead of plastic. Dr. Engel told me that the families in the study were thrilled with the results and are now taking matters into their own hands to cut back on BPA exposure. You can do the same with your own family. ”Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord
From humble beginnings, the company that bears her name has mushroomed into a family-owned and operated juggernaut, with thousands of employees scattered around the state. Today, she oversees the largest, privately held, black-owned company in the state of North Carolina, and one of the largest such companies in the nation. Because of her business acumen and generosity, thousands of North Carolina residents are able to enjoy a steady paycheck, along with a roof over their heads. Specializing in home health care, the company, with its widespread employment base, serves elderly and disable individuals and families statewide. Shipmen’s personal mission statement clearly defines her role in working with the “least, the last and the left out”. “We specialize in one- on- one personal home care. We work with people who have special needs. And you can’t do this work just for some money. It goes way beyond that. You have to truly love and care for people”, she said. A long time member of New Light Baptist Church, Shipman’s demanding business schedule would seem to leave her little time for involvement in community activities, but her fingerprint and handiwork can be seen nearly everywhere. She was the first African-American elected to the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Care and Hospice Association. In addition to those duties, she served as the former President of the Ladies Sertoma organization. Currently, she sits on the Board of Directors of the Sit-In Movement Civil Rights Museum.
wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”
[continued on page 31]
She started her business some twenty-three years ago with little more than a dream, a dash of hope, that mustard seed faith and an abundance of bulldog determination. She had neither money nor friends in high places; not even the benefits of a high school diploma or college degree. But Shipman, a praying woman said, “the Lord was, and still is, on my side”. She went on to developed an abundance of what the old folks called, “mother wit” or common sense, and a serious love for people, especially those who, like herself, were trapped in poverty.
Ephesians 5:17-19 (NLT)
This position is all the more amazing because it is in this same building where she once worked as a cook when the museum was simply called Woolworth’s Department Store. [continued on page 6 ]
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Woman of a Second Chance: Glayds Shipman By: John Raye [continued from page 5]
“She is a woman of excellence, a woman richly blessed by God”, said the Rev.Dr. Katherine McWilliams, founder of the Sebastian House Medical Museum and one of her many long time friends. A member or board member of several organizations, Shipman is widely known and admired for her financial support of numerous community, social, civic and business projects including her beloved NAACP. “She just has a giving spirit, an unselfish spirit. She sees the good in people that others can’t see, said McWilliams. “She denies herself just so she can help others, she said. For over 35 years she has been an active and lifetime member of the NAACP, having served as the President of the Greensboro branch, and is a former District Director for the organization’s NC State Conference. “Yes, I love and support this organization. I am the mother of six and grandmother of thirteen, and all of them are Life Members and active in the NAACP”, she noted.
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St. James Baptist Church”, said McWilliams. “She’s always trying to help somebody with that Christ-like spirit. You just don’t find people like her every day”, she said. Though the rugged pace she maintains has taken its toll, Shipman shows no sign of slowing down. “I will never forget where I came from, so I know the real meaning of struggle, of having plenty of nothing. I know first hand what some people go through because I’ve been there myself”, she observed. “I’m always reaching out to help, and will continue to do so”, she said. “I told you”, said Minister Razzak, that she was a warrior”. This sounds just like the work done by a woman of a second chance.
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And in something akin to a personal prison ministry, she continues to work for prison reform across the state, giving many struggling individuals, families, and even ex-offenders alike, a second chance to turn their lives around. And even if she didn’t already have a full plate, Shipman somehow finds the time to serve as a pen pal, corresponding with various inmates on a monthly basis at institutions around the state. She’s even gone as far to underwrite the cost of telephone service, thereby allowing some inmates the privilege of staying in touch with family members and other relatives. “She has the same kind of spirit as the late Rev. Prince Graves, pastor of
July 2011
Why Men Live Shorter Lives By: Charlotte Evans, BDO Staff Writer (BlackDoctor.org) -- No matter the research study, scientific finding, or health care statistic, one of the most consistent health facts around is that men, in general, do not live as long as women. • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is three times higher among men who are clinically depressed. • Male suicides outnumber female suicides in every age group. • Homicide and suicide are among the top 3 causes for death among males between the ages of 15 and 34. • By the age of 85, women outnumber men in the U.S. 2.2 to 1; this rises to 3 to 1 if they reach their 90s. These very sobering numbers force us to ask a very important question: why?
Her two daughters, for example, are former NAACP Mothers of the year, and were honored for having raised and contributed over $30,000 to fund the organization’s NC State Conference. “She’s our warrior, our Fannie Lou Hamer, our Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King all rolled into one.”, said Minister Asim Razzak, of Muhammad’s Mosque # 92, another long time friend and admirer. “She is just a true believer, a woman of deep faith and personal integrity. She’s doing what God would have all of us to do, to be a servant leader, and to serve the needs of the people”, he said. Known by some as a “woman of a second chance”, Shipman who has been showered with numerous awards, honors and accolades, is not one to rest on her success. Not even when then candidate Barrack Obama came to Greensboro and extended a personally signed invitation did she stop or interrupt her numerous community service projects. She is, what Dudley Products founder Joe L. Dudley calls, “ a job maker and not a job taker”.
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According to Marianne J. Legato, MD, there are various biological, cultural, and personal reasons that men’s life span in the U.S. lasts an average of six years less than women’s. “Male mortality is shorter in part, Legato says, because males are more fragile and inherently vulnerable than females from birth. And unlike women, who have fought hard to have their specific health needs validated and addressed, men haven’t demanded equal treatment.”
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• Conditioning. The challenges in men’s health are in part a byproduct of the rules set shortly after birth, Legato says: Suck up the pain, don’t be a wimp, show no weakness, and “man up.” Many men only seek medical counsel when under duress from a spouse or when their condition has deteriorated to a severe state. • Women are better at demanding help. “Women are able to logically ask for help,” says Legato, who has long promoted the concept of gender-specific medicine. “They’re hardwired in the brain and very motivated.” What Men Have To Do To Extend Their Lives In general, there’s a lack of awareness among men -- and even the medical community -- regarding the specific health needs of a male that could help prevent male deaths. Below are the leading factors of death in men. Tackling these areas can help men make a significant difference in their health and improve their life expectancy: 1. Men need to really talk to the doctor. Leave embarrassment in the waiting room. Women are taught at an early age to be candid and open with their doctors. Symptoms that can be uncomfortable to talk about -- such as erectile
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dysfunction -- can be tied to more serious ailments such as diabetes and heart disease. Men, despite cultural tradition, should also request breast checks. “It’s a part of the body and should be examined,” Legato says. She encourages men to perform testicular self-exams in the way women are taught to check their breasts for irregularities. Although men may cringe at getting a prostate check, they are far less uncomfortable than experiencing the pain of cancer treatment. 2. Men need to monitor their testosterone levels. Beginning at age 30, testosterone begins to dip by 1% each year, says Legato. Lowered testosterone levels can lead to a decrease in vitality, muscle mass, ability to perform prolonged exercise, memory, concentration, and libido. Not only does this impair quality of life, it can contribute to depression, which can have a significant effect on male health, potentially increasing the risk of coronary disease. There are several treatments available -- including gels, patches, and injections -- that can help restore this vital hormone to proper levels. 3. Men need to protect their immune systems. The male immune system system is not as vigorous as those of females, and men die from seven of the 10 most common infections at a higher rate, Legato says, particularly tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases. Sanitary sexual practices are essential, beginning with use of a condom. Men should check for updated vaccinations with their doctor when traveling to foreign countries. A tetanus shot should be administered every 10 years. “Immunization is not finished after the second year of life,” Legato says. Also, proper nutrition and supplementation can also be beneficial. Despite the gender-focused attention it receives, osteoporosis also strikes men. 4. Men need to recognize, acknowledge and treat their depression. Male depression may be much more common than has been previously estimated. Symptoms aren’t always obvious, and the current medical system sometimes prevents doctors from obtaining a proper understanding of a patient’s personality and life. “While we like to say that women are twice as depressed as men, what depressed men actually do is turn to behaviors that are semi-socially acceptable: drinking alcohol, TV watching, greater sexual exploits.” Legato is convinced the vulnerability of depression can compromise men’s health in other ways, leading to increased instance of disease and greater male mortality from such conditions. It’s also a common symptom of “andropause,” which is marked by a decrease of testosterone in males that is similar, if less dramatic, than the effect of menopause in females. Indeed, males are also susceptible to the notorious hot flashes that have often marked the change of life for women, albeit years later. Left untreated, depression can have catastrophic results. Regarding suicide, Korman says that while women typically make more attempts, “men are much better at completing it.” Men need to realize, Legato says, how destructive depression can be to their health and openly discuss their concerns
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July 2011
Black Women No Longer Have Their Essence Essence Magazine used to be the preeminent magazine for Black women in the U.S. They, like many Black publications, have lost their relevance; and in the process become an embarrassment to the very group they claim to target. Essence was founded in 1968 by Ed Lewis, Clarence Smith, Cecil Hollingworth, Jonathan Blount, and Denise Clark. Their initial circulation began at around 50,000 per month and now is estimated to be over 1 million per month. It is a monthly publication focusing on Black women between the ages of 18 and 49. Essence was bought out by Time Inc. in 2005, thus no longer being a Black owned publication (similar to B.E.T.). The impetus behind the founding of Essence was to show a side of Black women that was never portrayed in the mainstream media. Images of Black women were controlled by white media outlets that had little to no knowledge of the Black community. Most of these images were very stereotypical and lacking substance. There were unique issues relevant to Black women that other publications were totally ignorant of. Black women could not wear the same makeup that white women could---there are differences in skin type. Black women have unique issues when it comes to styling their hair—there were no mainstream publications that dealt with these differences. So, initially, Essence met a very real need and provided a venue for Black women to share common experiences with each other (remember, this was pre-internet days when you didn’t have all the instant communication we have today). Essence portrayed Black women in the most positive of lights. They made Black women feel proud to be Black and female! That was then, this is now. Now, Essence is just another Hollywood rag (focused on Black women), sprinkled with a few substantive, positive stories; but, that is no longer their focus! I looked at the cover picture for the past year and each cover featured an entertainer. Isn’t this the same stereotyping that we have accused white media of— showing Blacks as only entertainers? There is nothing wrong with having entertainers on the cover, but is that all there is to offer Black women? I can guarantee that most Black women have never heard of Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, Alicia Jillian Hardy, or Katie Washington. When I went on Essence Music Festival’s website and looked at the speakers listed under “Empowerment”I was stunned and quite embarrassed! The Essence Music Festival is the nation’s largest annual gathering of Black musical talent in the U.S. It is a 3 day event filled with cultural celebrations, em
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powerment panels, and nightly entertainment by some of the biggest names in music. It is held in New Orleans, LA every July. The event attracts more than 200,000 people. One of the speakers listed under “Empowerment” is “NeNe” Leakes. She is one of the main characters of the reality TV show, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The show is about the private lives of women who are dating or is married to successful men in the Atlanta area. Leakes is a foul mouth, angry, nasty person on the show and from media accounts in real life also. She is also the founder of Twisted Hearts Foundation (which focuses on domestic violence against women). They were forced to close down last year after being suspected of money laundering. Leakes is also a former stripper. One of the other speakers listed under “Empowerment” is Shaunie O’Neal, former wife of N.B.A. great Shaquille O’Neal. She is the executive producer of “Basketball Wives.” The women’s only claim to fame is that they either dated or were married to a pro basketball player. They have nor had no identity outside the athletes they were involved with. Both shows portray women in the worst light imaginable—using high profile men to get fame and fortune. These women then try to exploit their former relationships to get their own TV show. They are paid to tell the most intimate details of their former relationships. Essence, could you please tell me how these two women fit into your mission of uplifting the Black woman? What can they teach women about “empowerment?” Is this really the image of Black women Essence wants to promote? There are many women who could fit into your mission statement. By the way, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in America (1921). Alicia Jillian Hardy is the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D from M.I.T. in mechanical engineering (2007). Katie Washington, a 21 year old, became the first Black female valedictorian in the history of Notre Dame University (2010). She gave a wonderful speech (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VaouUZrn2vI). One would think that Ms. Hardy and Washington deserved to be on the cover for their achievements; and most assuredly know a little something about empowerment! Oh, I forgot, they are not entertainers, so they don’t qualify. In times past, Black women used to look forward to reading Essence Magazine for upliftment. That was then, this is now. Black women no longer have the Essence of their mother and grandmother. In Essence, there is no essence!
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The Genetic Cause of Back Pain By: Peter Moley, MD, assistant attending physiatrist, Hospital for Special Surgery, an assistant professor of rehabilitation, Weill Cornell Medical College, both in New York City. I had never had a back problem in my life... until the day we moved from one house to another and I loaded and unloaded boxes for a day, a night (the better part of it anyway) and another day. Then the phone rang, and I stretched myself across multiple rows of boxes to grab it. When I tried to straighten up, I found that I couldn’t. So there I was, bent at roughly a right angle and in considerable pain. Luckily for me the injury was fairly minor and things returned to normal in a number of days. But I have never forgotten that sharp pain and how easily it all happened. It turns out that 20% to 30% of Americans are suffering from lower back pain at any given time. (Millions and millions of us!) Often the pain comes from disc degeneration in the lumbar (lower) spine. Doctors had long assumed that the main causes were activities such as heavy lifting and physically demanding jobs. But guess what? New research shows that people with lumbar disc disease (LDD) usually get it for the same reason that their eyes are brown or blue -- it runs in the family. The University of Utah analyzed health and genealogic data for more than one million people in the Utah Population Database and discovered that those who have a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with LDD are four times more likely to develop it as well! Given my very personal interest in the topic, I called Peter Moley, MD, a physiatrist (specialist trained in rehabilitation) at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, to learn more. Dr. Moley told me that what at first more. Dr. Moley told me that what at first glance may seem to explain why disc degeneration runs in families -- the fact that family members tend to be “built” the same way, having similar physical structures -- in fact may have nothing to do with LDD risk. Neither do similar posture habits, he says, because how people stand doesn’t have much effect on the lower spine. The real culprit in family-related disc degeneration lies deeper -- some people might have a protein structure that predisposes them to disc injury and eventual degeneration. To understand how that works, we’ll first look at a bit of LDD’s back story (so to speak). A PROBLEM OF COLLAGEN It is connective tissue made of collagen, called the annulus, that keeps the nucleus of each disc in its proper place in the spine and protects us against injury. Should this nucleus or “center” slip out of place, or bulge forward like a partially squished jelly doughnut, one can suffer with sciatica or other “slipped” disc pain. These collagen fibers not only protect the nucleus but also allow the spine to tolerate the compression force put on it when a person lifts heavy loads... as well as the shearing force that results from making perpendicular motions that angle the spine away from its usual vertical position. (Yes, that was my big mistake!)
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Some portions of the spine tolerate compression force better, while others are better able to tolerate shearing, but in either case if the collagen fibers weaken and break down, the person is at high risk for a disc injury. This is where family makeup comes in -- before the Utah study, research in Finland and elsewhere had revealed a genetic linkage in the nature of the spine’s collagen and in fact identified two versions of a gene that directly impacts how strong -- or weak -- the collagen will be. Dr. Moley adds that the Finnish research had shown a high LLD risk among twins, but the sheer size of the University of Utah research revealed a much more powerful association than previously believed. “The risk of having disc degeneration is four times more likely for a first-degree relative and 1.5 times more likely for a third-degree relative, such as a cousin, for instance. It was quite an undertaking to review three generations of medical records and produce this data. It really opened our eyes,” he says. STRONGER AT THE CORE Dr. Moley stresses the importance of everyone strengthening the lumbar spine area because that is where discs get the greatest pressure and hence the greatest risk for injury -- and families at higher risk should, of course, be particularly aware of this need. Most important is that they strengthen the core muscles in the pelvic and abdominal areas. Hip and leg strengthening helps to provide the solid support that the back needs, and back exercises are best done while lying down at first so there is less chance of straining the back. The second critical element in self-preservation is to be sure to practice an exercise program that teaches good body mechanics. Working with physical therapists, Dr. Moley designs programs for clients to teach them how to move properly. As patients become stronger, they graduate to exercises on their hands and knees, raising an arm and a leg at the same time, for example, and doing the plank, a yoga position similar to holding a push-up, which activates multiple muscles and builds endurance. The final stage includes various standing balance and rotation exercises that further train people to keep their spines well-positioned during movement. A PROGRAM FOR LIFE Dr. Moley notes that 95% of people who complete his programs avoid the need for spinal surgery. If you have lower back pain, he advises calling an orthopedic or spine center to ask specifically for a doctor who specializes in nonsurgical spine work. Be sure you locate the best doctor for you, and don’t be timid if you feel the need for a second opinion. Once the doctor has completed work on your back, you will need to practice your exercises for life. Constant maintenance, yes, but it’s a small price for a strong spine and no more aching back!
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July 2011
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Reform Food Stamps!
Man In The Mirror
Page 25
July 2011
New Divorce Law Creates Upstream Battle
By: Dee Lee, CFP Harvard Financial Educators
By: Crystal LaVerde
The church used to be the mirror that society looked into to see its reflection. But, now the church has become the reflection that mirrors society. Unfortunately, the church seems to have lost its way and can no longer be counted on to provide light in a dark world. Last month, embattled preacher Eddie Long made an out of court settlement of the sexual charges made against him by 4 teenage parishioners. The settlement is reported to have been for $15 million (to be split between the four accusers). The accusers were: Anthony Flagg, Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande. The suit accused Long of using his position as pastor of New Birth Bishop Eddie Long Missionary Baptist Church to coerce the men into having sexual relationships with him while they were teenage members of his congregation (they were said to have been 17 years old). The acts included massages, masturbation, and oral sex. The age of consent in the state of Georgia is 16. The accusers were all over the age of consent when the acts occurred, therefore law enforcement had no grounds for criminal charges. New Birth is one of the largest churches in the Atlanta area, with a membership estimated to be around 25,000. As to be expected, members are leaving the church in droves, including one of their assistant pastors, Bernice King, youngest daughter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To add salt to the wound, Creflo Dollar has shown his arrogance in his attempted defense of Long (a long time friend). According to Dollar’s sermon from last Sunday (seen on YouTube): “That preacher’s still anointed to do what he was called to. He just had a wreck (the sexual coercion charge)…The blood (of Jesus) will take care of his issue just like it will take care of yours. And I just can’t believe that people would leave their preacher because he had a wreck, instead of praying for him. So he had a wreck. You’ve had some wrecks. And I’m thinking, ‘Man, the mercy of God showed on you, but you couldn’t show it to the preacher?...He had a wreck, [but] here’s the good news. He’s got insurance. If you’re from that church that you know I’m talking about, you trying to join here, I don’t want you to join here. You need to go and join where you’re supposed to be.” Dollar is pastor of World Changers Church in Atlanta. They have an estimated membership of 30,000 people. [continued on page 11]
What started as an agency to support agriculture via farming assistance has seen the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) burgeon into one of the largest social services entitlements through its food allocations arms. The USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) embraces nearly 21 million households and food stamps now touch 44 million Americans or 14 percent of the population. This represents an increase of more than 11 percent over the last year and 60 percent in the last four years. The SNAP cost taxpayers $68 billion in 2010 which more than doubled the 2007 figures exploding from 26 percent of the USDA’s 2008 budget to 67 percent of today. The Obama Administration requested a 9 percent increase in food stamps to $73 billion; however the 2012 budget for this is $71. The Republican budget’s focus would make SNAP a block-grant program limiting aid by tailoring such to each state with recipient contingencies based on work, job training and other restrictions. Much of entitlements are based on raising recipient levels to three times the poverty level which in some areas would see recipient incomes over $60,000 qualifying for such aid. Current proposals do not look at whether such programs decrease the level of poverty or diminish hunger in America nor do they effectively tackle the fraud and rampant abuse of the program. Many Americans do not understand that food stamps have become their own underground currency used for everything from rent to exchanges for goods and services. Reigning in the program isn’t difficult but does require a will to do such via simple things: (1) restrict the eligibility income level to two times that established for the poverty level; (2) prohibit the awarding of food stamps to those under eighteen who are not liberated minors; (3) require photos on the food stamp cards for recipients (like those taken for Sam’s Club) verified by citizenship, income, age, disability, etc.; (4) Deny redemption of the value of the card to anyone whose picture is not on that card; (5) Instruct merchants that those cards used by other than the intended be seized. Continue in the restriction of card purchases to food and food items, not alcohol, medicines, cigarettes, etc.’ (6) consider placing non-farming programs such as food stamps and other SNAP entitlements under Health and Human Services where they can be coordinated with other benefits being offered to insure that those [continued on page 30]
[continued from page 24]
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The research team recruited 80 salon clients and workers, at 20 different salons, to participate in the study. Each of them wore a monitor attached to a shirt or coat collar. The monitor would measure concentrations of toluene, ethyl acetate, and isopropyl acetate.
terms, the court doesn’t have equitable authority to divide property. This is seen as an unjust act since it is left up to the individual discretion of each judge presiding instead of
High Levels of Risky Chemical
referring to a well-defined law. A distinct line must be drawn to prevent messy, familytorturing, long, drawn out court cases. Attorney Richard McLellan, a veteran elections law lawyer, sought to bypass the Michigan Bar, the graveyard of many bills, to expedite a hearing and move the bill along its way to legislation.
The researchers found that the average toluene levels were 0.15 parts per million, nearly twice the amount recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for indoor air, according to the study.
Cunningham, a partner with the law firm of Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett, P.C. in
In addition to the samples taken from the monitors, they also measured the ambient air in three of the salons being studied. They found notable levels and over again. Litigants, the Bar, and the judiciary need the legislature to codify case law. of methyl methacrylate, which has been banned for decades. Birmingham, Michigan, states: “We need to quit trying and deciding the same issues over We need statute to define what marital property is and what it is not.”
Defining marital property would give birth to a new age of guilt-free marriages through
Exposure Symptoms
clarity in law. It would be nice to know Mr. (or Mrs.) noncontributing spouse is not automatically entitled to share in the increased value of your separately owned property. In other words, before taking the plunge, it would be nice to be assured your water is still going to be there when you dive in.
Finally, the salon workers were given questionnaires, in which they were asked to identify any health symptoms they had experienced while working. The most frequent complaints common among salon workers included irritation of the eyes, nose, nose, throat, and skin, shortness of breath, nausea, and coughing.
Crystal Myers Laverde works in the area of marketing and advertising and has done extensive research on issues affecting family. She holds degrees in the areas of Psychology and Business. She resides in Kernersville, NC with her husband and their three dogs.
Are Nail Chemicals Safe? By:Gemma Greene, BDO Staff Writer
(BlackDoctor.org) -- Harmful chemicals may be endangering the health of nail salon patrons and workers, according to a new study.
“This really explains why we have been hearing about the health problems that they have,” study researcher Thu Quach, PhD, MPH, says. A National Concern While Quach’s study focused on salons in California, reports of adverse health effects have been a concern in other parts of the country, including the Pacific Northwest, Houston, and Boston.
“It’s definitely a national issue,” says Julia Liou, MPH, manager of the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, an organization founded in 2005 Researchers at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California and Asian to address the health and safety concerns among California salon workers. Health Services report finding unsafe levels of toluene, a solvent linked to “We’re concerned about their cumulative, chronic, and long-term health neurological, reproductive, and endocrine damage, and other chemicals, problems.” including one that has been banned by the FDA since 1974. The study is published in the American Journal of Public Health. In addition to the acute symptoms, Quach is concerned about potential long-term health risks. “I’m really very interested in following the long term Nail salon workers are at a heightened risk of health problems because health outcomes of these women.” they are exposed to the chemicals on a daily basis. However, Quach points out, the toxins are in the nail care products, which means that customers are exposed as well.
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July 2011
New Divorce Law Creates Upstream Battle By: Crystal LaVerde
It’s no wonder these veteran divorce lawyers are trying to protect their own pocketbooks and clientele by pointing fingers at this “special-interest... anti-family legislation,” loudly proclaiming that the new bills are only designed to protect the wealthy from having to
Unhappily married? Thinking of a divorce? Think again. Do you get to keep your inheritance, the profits from your best seller, or ownership of the fledgling business you nurtured into a multimillion dollar company? Nope - it’s all on the table. Rethinking that night in Vegas right now? So what, you were only married to the bum for less than five years; that’s the way love goes - Right? Maybe not.
hand over their assets to a non-working spouse upon dissolution of the marriage. Don’t be fooled! This is a deliberate distortion of what the new bills’ real intent encompasses, which is to protect both spouses from having to divvy up assets that they Don’t be fooled! This is a deliberate distortion of what the new bills’ real intent encompasses, which is to protect both spouses from having to divvy up assets that they kept separate in the first place. It gives equally, to both parties, the right to be reimbursed for any contribution he or
A new Michigan divorce law may
she may have made to the other’s property... just an example of the kind of clarity that the
tempt some men and women to
present legislation sorely needs.
take the plunge. The bill introduced may lead couples to make it official
Once Michigan’s new divorce law is clarified, this should reduce litigation and save tax
and consider marriage without the
payers money while allocating resources to more pressing issues in the state such as
underlining fear of getting taken in
unemployment.
a divorce.
The citizens of Michigan already spend large sums of money paying attorneys fees and
Two bills were recently introduced
court costs in divorce cases. A statute is needed to define what marital property is and
in the state of Michigan that brings
certainly what it is not.
into question the marital property legislation. Michigan law appears to
Attorney Sheila Bayne speaks from a business woman and entrepreneur’s perspective,
say that a spouse is not automatically entitled to share in the increased value
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Crystal Myers Laverde
of the other spouse’s separately owned property unless he or she has contributed to it, but this law is sometimes overlooked. The bill will define what is or is not considered marital property; offering a layer of clarity before entering such a serious union. Divorce in America is not uncommon. According to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri, the divorce rate in America for first marriage is 50%, second marriage is at 67%, and third marriage is 74%. With rates like these, a shift in laws is much needed. It is not as simple as drawing a line down the middle. This is not 1950, Suzy Homemaker has become Martha Stewart; the assets are not as clear cut as in years past. The two bills were introduced as an effort to provide clarification and collation on the topic of marital property legislation. Who will it protect? The newly introduced bills do not protect the divorce lawyers, which is precisely why some divorce attorneys are up in arms. If these bills pass, it will affect lawyer’s income from divorce settlements. Their interests fall under the guise as protecting “family welfare,” though according to divorcerate.org, in the United States, at least 66% of all divorced couples are childless. The recently proposed legislation does not harm families; nothing in the proposed bills speak to diminishing children or spousal support.
stating: “So many women today are putting their careers first, and marrying later in life. They are increasingly finding themselves in situations where they have brought substantial assets into a marriage... assets for which they have worked long hours, that they have fought long and hard to amass, that represent a lot of hard work that had nothing to do with their partner’s efforts. After a while, if that marriage goes sour, parties are unable to leave that marriage with those assets intact... and that’s just wrong. If, for example, I set up a business while I am single, or I am otherwise rewarded due to my hard work, should I be forced to give it up because of a failed marriage? How does that benefit anyone other than someone who never contributed anything toward it? Would this be of benefit to my children? I think not”. Bill to Law The current Michigan law is not uniformly applied when it comes to dividing property in a divorce. One statute prohibits a spouse from sharing in the appreciation of his or her spouse’s separate property unless that spouse has contributed to the appreciation, however some courts ignore this statue and allow this to occur. Either the Michigan legislature or the Supreme Court needs to provide some clarity on this issue. The Court of Appeals is currently using a collage of statutes to decide property division; citing such cases as Reeves v Reeves and Lee v Lee. The Supreme Court has placed its imprimatur on separate property and dual-classification without elaboration. In general
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July 2011
Music therapy helps patients cope with illness, regain health By: Sara Peach for UNC Health Care CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In the months since the shooting that left Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords with a critical brain injury, music therapy has been a key to her recovery. Although at first Giffords could not talk, she could sing. So she and her music therapist sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and other classics together. Because music and speech are closely linked, singing helped her injured brain relearn how to form words for conversation. In addition to aiding recovery in patients with brain injuries, music therapy can help chronically ill children cope with their diseases, said Elizabeth Fawcett, MT-BC, a music therapist at North Carolina Children’s Hospital. At the children’s hospital, Fawcett spends 20 hours each week with pediatric patients. She plays the guitar and the piano, and she also helps children write their own songs. Music therapy provides a time for her patients to express their feelings in a safe way, she said. “I’m not coming in there to poke them again, to draw blood, to give them good or bad news,” she said. “I’m just there to have fun with them.” But music therapy provides more than just a good time for patients. Fawcett works with each child’s treatment team to assess the patient’s abilities, to set goals and to help him or her return home faster. In July, Fawcett will begin working 12 hours each week with geriatric patients. In studies, music therapy has been shown to have a number of benefits. It can reduce anxiety and pain and ease the symptoms of depression. Several studies suggest that it can help autistic children learn to be more creative and tolerant of change. The therapy can also help older patients maintain motor functioning through movement to the music. In fact, more than 60 percent of hospice centers offer music therapy services, according to a 2007 national survey. When they work with geriatric patients, music therapists can use music as a tool for reminiscing and discussion, Fawcett said. “If you hear a song, you think, ‘Oh my gosh, I was in junior high when that song came out,’” she said. That can trigger old memories and work a patient’s mental muscles. At the children’s hospital, Fawcett’s music room contains a Wii, a Playstation 2, a drum machine, keyboards, a child-size electric guitar, plus a digital recording studio. There, patients can sing karaoke and learn to play the instruments.
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Fawcett said that in some cases, music therapy involves well-intentioned trickery. For example, she encourages children with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that can cause lung infections, to sing. “They think they’re just singing karaoke, but really they’re working their lungs,” she said. One patient learned to play the guitar while he was in the hospital. He wrote a song and recorded it using Fawcett’s studio. “Not only was he fighting cancer, he was becoming a rock star,” she said. Music therapy at home Even healthy people can benefit from using music for stress relief, and you don’t need musical talent to take part. Try taking a break by listening to calming music and breathing deeply. You may need to experiment with several styles of music to find the kind that helps you relax, Fawcett said. Slow music with 60 or fewer beats per minute may help you reduce anxiety, she added. If you can’t take a break – because you’re stuck in a stressful meeting, for example – it can help just to sing a song in your head. To find a music therapist in your area, contact the American Music Therapy Association at 301-589-3300 or at the organization’s website, http://www. musictherapy.org/find.html.
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July 2011
Mullen’s Michelle Marshall Selected to The Network Journal’s “40 Under Forty” List Winston-Salem Agency’s VP, Director of Digital Media Honored for Professional Contributions
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Marshall’s guidance doesn’t stop with Mullen, Winston-Salem or even Ferris State, but continues at home where she supports her closest mentee: her niece, Misty Phenix, an English major at North Carolina Central University, an HBCU. Through this, Marshall is able to bridge her personal passion of mentoring at home and on the job. “Misty is very smart, and her love for words is intoxicating,” she said. Marshall lives with her husband of 14 years, Craig, and their two daughters, Lavender, 10, and Trinity, 3. Marshall served as a panelist for the 2009 TIMA Digital Marketing Best Practices Seminar and as a judge for the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association’s 2011 awards.
Michelle Marshall Michelle Marshall, VP, Director of Digital Media in Mullen’s North Carolina office, was selected as one of The Network Journal’s “40 Under Forty” for her professional contributions and service to the African-American community. It’s hard to believe that Marshall, a native of Detroit, arrived in the Triad only three years ago. Described by co-workers as “a force to be reckoned with in digital media,” Marshall is known for her combination of wit, style, persistence and positive influence, all alongside the invaluable talent to simply get things done. Within Mullen alone, Marshall has introduced several initiatives to foster the understanding of digital media and its impact on the industry, including the popular agency-wide lecture series, “Between the Clicks,” and Mullen’s first digital cross-training campaign for junior employees. “From the moment she arrived, Michelle’s contributions to the growth and development of Mullen digital have been felt throughout the agency,” said Ray Trosan, EVP, Director of Communications & Media Management. “From her early acquisition work to her current leadership, Michelle has helped Mullen and our clients succeed in the new digital ecosystem. “ In addition to training and inspiring the young talent at Mullen in downtown Winston-Salem, Marshall often speaks to colleges and universities about digital media and the realities of the advertising industry. One of her frequent engagements is with her alma mater, Ferris State University in Michigan. Her most recent lecture brought in approximately 200 students, faculty and staff to witness her presentation “Making It in the Ad Game,” described by one attendee as “authentic advice, powerfully presented.” In the coming year, Marshall also plans to expand her academic speaking to include historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) across the Southeast. “Throughout my career, it has been a priority and passion of mine to mentor young adults with an interest in digital media,” said Marshall. “Being recognized for my contributions to Winston-Salem, advertising and the African-American community is a huge honor.”
Michelle will be honored on June 16, 2011 at The Network Journal’s 14th Annual “40 Under Forty” Achievement Awards presentation. Winners are selected for their outstanding achievement, contribution to and leadership and influence in the corporate, non profit, public or entrepreneurial arenas, along with their service to the African-American community.
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July 2011
Bill Cosby on Jessie Jackson The Reverend Jesse Jackson almost never gets upstaged and I had never seen the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson cry in public until last month. Jackson invited Bill Cosby to the annual Rainbow / PUSH conference for a conversation about the controversial remarks the entertainer offered on May 17 at an NAACP dinner in Washington , D.C. America ‘s Jell-O Man shook things up by arguing that African Americans were betraying the legacy of civil rights victories. Cosby said ‘the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for their kids. $500 sneakers for what? But they won’t spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics!’ Bill Cosby came to town and upstaged the reverend by going on the offense instead of defending his earlier remarks. Thursday morning, Cosby showed no signs of repenting as he strode across the stage at the Sheraton Hotel ballroom before a standing room only crowd. Sporting a natty gold sports coat and dark glasses, he proceeded to unload a laundry list of black America ‘s self-imposed ills. The iconic actor and comedian kidded that he couldn’t compete with the oratory of the Reverend but he preached circles around Jackson in their nearly hour-long conversation, delivering brutally frank one-liners and the toughest of love.
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When Cosby was done, the 1,000 people in the room all jumped to their feet in ovation. We have shed tears too many times, at too many watershed moments before, while the hopes they inspired have fallen by the wayside. Not this time! Cosby’s plea to parents: “Before you get to the point where you say ‘I can’t do nothing with them’, do something with them.” Teach our children to speak English. There’s no such thing as “talking white”. When the teacher calls, show up at the school. When the idiot box starts spewing profane rap videos; turn it off. Refrain from cursing around the kids. Teach our boys that women should be cherished, not raped and demeaned. Tell them that education is a prize we won with blood and tears, not a dishonor. Stop making excuses for the agents and abettors of black on black crime. It costs us nothing to do these things. But if we don’t, it will cost us infinitely more tears. We all send thousands of jokes through e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing. The crude, vulgar, and sometimes the obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of decency is too often suppressed in the schools and workplaces. I passed this on... Will you?
The enemy, he argues, is us: “There is a time, ladies and gentlemen, when we have to turn the mirror around.” Cosby acknowledged he wasn’t critiquing all blacks. . .. just the 50 percent of African Americans in the lower economic neighborhood who drop out of school, and the alarming proportions of black men in prison and black teenage mothers. The mostly black crowd seconded him with choruses of Amens. To the critics who pose, it’s unproductive to air our dirty laundry in public, he responds, “Your dirty laundry gets out of school at 2:30 every day.” It’s cursing on the way home, on the bus, train, in the candy store. They are cursing and grabbing each other and going nowhere. The book bag is very, very thin because there’s nothing in it. Don’t worry about the white man, he added. I could care less about what white people think about me. . . Let them talk. What are they saying that is so different from what their grandfathers said and did to us? What is different is what we are doing to ourselves. For those who say Cosby is just an elitist who’s “got his” but doesn’t understand the plight of the black poor, he reminds us that, “We’re going to turn that mirror around. It’s not just the poor - everybody’s guilty.” Cosby and Jackson lamented that in the 50th years of Brown vs. Board of Education, our failings betray our legacy. Jackson dabbed away tears as he recalled the financial struggles at North Carolina A&T University , a historically black college and Jackson ‘s Alma mater.
Bill Cosby
Jessie Jackson
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July 2011
Are You Still A Slave? By: Dee Lee, CFP Harvard Financial Educators
THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES. We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery. Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED, and SELFISHNESS. Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, “The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book.” We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, not to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality (which should have been their fight all along), but few read consistently, if at all. GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of their 450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%). Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing. They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a business. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU, And they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house gives them “Status” or that they have achieved their Dream. They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities. With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy Hilfiger has even jeered them, saying he doesn’t want their money, and look at how the fools spend more with him than ever before!). They’ll continue to show off to each other while we build solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them. SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their culture. A “Talented Tenth” he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some “form” of success. However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn’t read that the “Talented Tenth” was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people or aids them in a condescending manner.
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July 2011
Man In The Mirror
They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal. Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real change in their community.
By: Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC [continued from page 8]
Long and Dollar are both advocates of the “prosperity gospel.” This is basically a belief in the modern church that God wants everyone to be millionaires. All you have to do is to obey preachers like Long and Dollar, give them your money, and God will give you a big house, an expensive car, and any other material possessions you want. They should know. Long drives a Bentley, has a 9 bedroom house, and has a $ 1 million salary. Dollar (what an ironic name) has a $ 3 million house in Atlanta, $ 2.4 million condo in NY, 2 Rolls-Royces, and a private jet.
They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels, and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM). They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own, as a matter of fact, most of those Buppies are but one or two pay checks away from poverty. All of which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our rooms. Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to read, continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are “helping” their communities by paying dues to organizations, which do little other than hold lavish conventions in our hotels. By the way, don’t worry about any of them reading this letter, remember, ‘THEY DON’T READ!!!!
Releasing the Spirit: Faces of the Theatre Portraits by Carmen L. de Jesus July 26, 2011 - September 3, 2011
These preachers have basically made God into a personal ATM! According to their theology, if you don’t have material riches, you must be doing something wrong! These mega churches have become the “Wall Street” of religion (as in the movie) where “greed is good.” These preachers depend on “the cult of personality” to expand their empires. People tend to join these churches because of the preacher, not the message that is being preached. These preachers are nothing but celebrities with robes on. But, when you pull back the robes, most of them are naked---both literally and figuratively. Like in the movie, “The Wiz,” when you go behind the curtain, you find a big ole phony!
Releasing the Spirit: Faces of the Theatre Portraits by Carmen L. de Jesus July 26, 2011 - September 3, 2011
[continued from page 11] actresses and patrons of the theatre featured in this exhibition, all reflect the spirit of artists whose intense devotion to their craft echo the highest level of artistic freedom. Carmen L. De Jesus was friends with notable theatre photographer Bert Andrews who had a profound effect on her work. De Jesus portraits have a wonderful spark of dignity that is brought to the work by both subject and photographer. This is a photographer who gives herself over to the moment seriously, and with great pleasure. The delicate soul of each actor is taken into the realm and space of great beauty. Recently, when asked her thoughts about her work in the theatre, Carmen L. de Jesus explains, “The Black Theatre is the world, it is full of legends and phantoms, full of mythical and ancient creatures of old, who live in a towering vision of humanity, The Black Theatre is the “All”, made up of incredible dreams, and the celebrated product of a people’s grandiose imagination and fanatic perseverance. The Black Theatre is a joyful noise to the world. Electronic copies of the portraits can be made available upon request.
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Winston Salem Delta Fine Arts presents a photographic exhibition Releasing the Spirit: Faces of the Theatre by Carmen L. de Jesus, July 26 - September 3, 2011. View the black and white portraits of members of the African American theatre community. This collection depicts the character and playfulness of some of the luminaries of black theatre. The show, which will be on display during this year’s annual National Black Theatre Festival will include 30 portraits. Many of the sitters are NBFT veterans among the subjects are; Irene Gandy, Andre De Shields, Count Stoval, and UNCSA graduate Pauletta Pearson Washington. The exhibition is supported by the Negro Ensemble Company and many of the actors will join us at Tate’s Bar and Grill on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 from 4 - 8 p.m. for cocktails. The cast members will also be present at the performance of Big Ron Hunter and Captain Luke during the Late Night Supper on Thursday, August 4, 2011 starting at 10 p.m. During the last decade, de Jesus has devoted her artistic attention to the Black theatre. These portraits of notable actors, ac [continued on page 22]
I am a graduate of Oral Roberts University, one of the preeminent Christian schools in the country. I have worked around many of the biggest names in the “prosperity theology” movement. These preachers have absolutely no sense of the damage they are doing, not only to the church, but also to people’s lives. Proverbs 14:7 states: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof the ways of death.” Dollar’s berating of those who left Long’s church is the epitome of arrogance. They have prostituted the church for their personal gain. The damage these types of preachers have done is incalculable. For every ill we see in society, from politics, business, and entertainment, we now see reflected in the church. The church is no longer the mirror, but the reflection. Just look at the man in the mirror! Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/ government affairs firm. He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com) & USAfrica Magazine (www.USAfricaonline.com).
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Page 21 [continued from page 17] SAME TRAIN - Two i’s Two t’s Productions, Brooklyn, NY A multi-cultural piece of theater, fusing spoken word, song, movement, and virtuoso storytelling with the sounds and rhythms of hip-hop, bebop, R&B and the spirit of the blues. Written by Levy Lee Simon. (Poetic Play with Music - General Audience) (Reese Theatre in the Pavilion – Embassy Suites) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00p.m., $37 (#7) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $37 (#23) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m., $37 (#39) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m., $37 (#55)
SEXPHOBIAS - Cultural Odyssey, San Francisco, CA Donald E. Lacy, Jr. gives a hilarious and honest look at sex and intimacy in the year 2011. He examines his own sexual experiences, and how the most natural act has evolved into anything but that. Written and performed by Donald E. Lacy, Jr. (New Performance in Black Theatre Series - Mature Audience) (Salem College – The Drama Workshop Theatre) Thursday, August 4, 8:00p.m., $37 (#70)
SHAKIN’ THE MESS OUTTA MISERY – North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC This timeless drama highlights storytelling and spirituals to capture the experience of a young African-American girl and the “Big Mamas” who formed her identity and helped her to come of age in the South in the 1960’s. (NBTF Fringe- Drama - General Audience) (WSSU-Dillard Auditorium, Anderson Center) Thursday August 4, 8:00p.m., $25 (#65) Friday, August 5, 8:00p.m., $25 (#87) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $25 (#102) Saturday, August 6, 8:00p.m., $25 (#114)
SOUL ON FIRE THE MUSICAL - Onyx Vizion Productions, Oklahoma City, OK This haunting musical is about a young girl who decides to take matters into her own hands when justice refuses to serve her. The music infuses rich and diverse genres with cutting-edge dialogue as it explores the powers of the spirit realm through the mind of a young woman scorned. Written by Tyrone Stanley. (Musical – General Audience) (K. R. Williams Auditorium) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00p.m., $37 (#2) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $37 (#11) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#30) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m. $37 (#44)
Are We So Divided That We’ve Stopped Caring? By: Saturday, June 18, 2011 (Updated 3:00 am) N&R Letter to the Editor Where are we headed, or are we already there? You can tell when your children have something on their mind and need to talk to you. After talking to my daughter via phone, I felt I needed to spend some face time with her. Within a few minutes, she shared with me what happened to her at a store while she browsed the magazine section. She overheard a man and two women discussing the murder and suicide that occurred over the weekend, where a man killed three women and then killed himself. The conversation went like this:
“Did you hear about the boy killing those three women and himself?” “Yes. I guess that’s four of them that won’t be voting for Obama.” As my daughter was telling me the story, she began to cry. She asked, “Do they not feel that these are four human beings who are no longer with us? Is there so much hostility that these lives mean nothing? “Why does everything have to be political? How insensitive.” Are we at the point where our political views outweigh our compassion for people, where the suffering of each of these families does not mean anything? Please, America, let’s continue to teach love, respect and compassion. Tom Leatherberry ~ Greensboro
STORYTELLING FESTIVAL - Storytellers from across North Carolina skillfully weave tales of cultural history, fiction, humor and life lessons through this age- old tradition. Presented by the NC Association of Black Storytellers. (Young Audience) (M.C. Benton Convention Center – Lower Level) Thursday, August 4, 10:00a.m., $7 (#57) Thursday, August 4, 3:00 p.m., $7 (#61) THE LEGEND OF BUSTER NEAL - Billie Holiday Theatre, Brooklyn, NY The author of the critically acclaimed The High Priestess of Dark Alley has created another compelling story about a mysterious but familiar stranger who visits a multigenerational household of struggling black men. This fearless civil rights activist reappears 60 years after his supposed death to face his greatest challenge, his great-great grandson. Written by Jackie Alexander. (Drama – General Audience) (Hanesbrands Theatre– Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts) Friday, August 5, 3:00p.m., $40 (#77) Friday, August 5, 8:00p.m., $40 (#84) Saturday, August 6, 3:00p.m., $40 (#99) Saturday, August 6, 8:00p.m., $40 (#111)
July 2011 THE ORPHAN OF CHAO – The University of Louisville Louisville, KY An adaptation of this 13th Century classic told through African American eyes, introducing elements of hip-hop and Yoruba themes of color, music and movement. It is a powerful story about family, sacrifice, revenge, murder and redemption. (NBTF Fringe -General Audience) (WSSU-Dillard Auditorium, Anderson Center) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00p.m., $25 (#3) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $25 (#12) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m., $25 (#31)
THE SPIRIT OF HARRIET TUBMAN – Li’l Ol Me Productions Windsor Ontario Canada Leslie McCurdy invokes the “spirit” of Harriet Tubman as she portrays the life of the famous Underground Railroad conductor, recreating stories familiar and some rarely told, using words said to have been Harriet Tubman’s own. Written and performed by Leslie McCurdy. Larry Leon Hamlin Solo Performance Series - General Audience) (Reynolda House Museum of American Art) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00p.m., $37 (#6) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $37 (#21) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m., $37 (#37)
THE WAITING ROOM – The Ensemble Theatre, Houston, TX What better place to confront uncomfortable truths and hidden family secrets than a hospital waiting room? Set in North Carolina, the story unfolds with people in a waiting visiting a hospitalized loved one whose life hangs in the balance feel pressure to “get right with the Lord” to resolve unfinished family business and confess long-buried secrets. Written by Samm-Art Williams. (Comedy – General Audience) (Arts Council Theatre) Friday, August 5, 3:00p.m., $37 (#78) Friday, August 5, 8:00p.m., $37 (#85) Saturday, August 6, 3:00p.m., $37 (#100) Saturday, August 6, 8:00p.m., $37 (#112)
THOSE SENSATIONAL SOULFUL 60’s - Black Ensemble Theatre, Chicago, IL The company that thrilled festival audiences with The Jackie Wilson Story and I Am Who I Am: The Teddy Pendergrass Story returns in this highly energetic and fun remembrance of the golden era of the 60’s featuring more than 30 top hit songs. Full of dance and excitement bringing back the hits of Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Mary Wells, Sammy Davis, Jr., the Temptations, Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Supremes, and many more. Written by Jackie Taylor. (Musical – General Audience) (K. R. Williams Auditorium) Thursday, August 4, 8:00p.m., $44 (#64) Friday, August 5, 8:00p.m., $44 (#86) Saturday, August 6, 3:00p.m., $44 (#101) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p. m., $44 (#113)
THREE SISTAHS - Black Theatre Troupe, Phoenix, AZ Three sisters gather for the third year in a row for a funeral. An elegant, intimate musical that embraces their lives as they reunite, reveal and reconcile their past and present, and share the promise of the future. Written by Janet Pryce; book & lyrics by Thomas W. Jones, II; music by William Hubbard. (Musical – General Audience) (UNCSA #1 – The Thrust) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $37 (#15) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m., $37 (#34) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m., $37 (#47) Thursday, August 4, 3:00p.m., $37 (#59)
The AC Phoenix TRANSITIONS - Robey Theatre Company, Los Angeles, CA A trilogy of one-act plays that features intense and colorful women who find themselves and their loved ones at the crossroads of life. Will these women hear the call from God and take heed, or not? Written by Kelli Roberts. (Drama – General Audience) (Wake Forest #1 – The MainStage Theatre) Friday August 5, 3:00p.m., $37 (#79) Friday, August 5, 8:00p.m., $37 (#88) Saturday, August 6, 3:00p.m., $37 (#103) Saturday, August 6, 8:00p.m., $37 (#115)
TWO OLD BLACK GUYS JUST SITTING AROUND TALKING - Penumbra Theatre Company, St. Paul, MN Henry and Abe can’t stand each other, but like magnets the elderly duo is drawn to the same park bench every day. Now, in the twilight of their lives, they find themselves more intertwined than either had ever imagined. Written by Gus Edwards. (Comedy – General Audience) (UNCSA #2 – The Catawba) Friday, August 5, 3:00p.m., $37 (#81) Friday, August 5, 8:00p.m., $37 (#91) Saturday, August 6, 3:00p.m., $37 (#106) Saturday, August 6, 8:00p.m., $37 (#118)
UN-RINGING THE BELL - Amador Productions, Los Angeles, CA Popular television actor Dorien Wilson, perhaps best known for his role as “Professor Olglevee” on The Parkers portrays multiple characters from Dr. Ira Feinstein, a persnickety old man with a European accent to a white supremacist who falls in love with a Black woman who happens to need a kidney transplant. Written and performed by Dorien Wilson. (Celebrity Performance - General Audience) (Wake Forest #1 – The MainStage Theatre) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $40 (#13) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m. $40 (#32) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m., $40 (#45) Thursday, August 4, 8:00p.m., $40 (#66)
VOICES OF HAITI: A POST-QUAKE ODYSSEY IN VERSE - Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Washington, DC Poet Kwame Dawes traveled to Haiti to report on the aftermath of the quake, especially for those living with HIV AIDS. His reporting included a sequence of moving poems about some of the people he met on the way. The poems are married to the stunning photography of Andre Lamberston and set to music by Kevin Simmonds, to create a powerful, moving and beautiful work that reaches places in this tragedy that a few have managed to achieve. (Multimedia - General Audience) (Old Salem Visitor Center – Gray Auditorium) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $25 (#20) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m., $25 (#52)
2011 National Black Theatre Festival
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Angela Bassett to Return to Broadway This Fall
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“These two remarkable actors have excited audiences around the world for many years,
By: Mark Kennedy, AP Drama Writer
and bringing them together in this extraordinary new play on Broadway promises to be
NEW YORK (AP) — Angela Bassett has signed on to star opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the
a statement.
Broadway production of the play “The Mountaintop.” Producers announced Tuesday that Bassett will play the mysterious woman who visits the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis in playwright Katori Hall’s re-
a major highlight of the season,” producers Jean Doumanian and Sonia Friedman said in
Hall, a rising young playwright from Memphis, Tenn., has also written the plays “Hoodoo Love,” ‘’Remembrance,”
imagining of the night before the civil rights leader’s 1968 assassination.
‘’Hurt Village,” ‘’Saturday Night/Sunday
“The Mountaintop,” the winner of the best new play Olivier award in London, will begin
play will be directed by Kenny Leon,
performances on Sept. 22 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on 45th Street. An official
Morning,” and “Freedom Train.” Her King whose Tony Award winning Broadway
Angela Bassett
opening is set for Oct. 13.
show “Fences” earned 10 Tony nominations.
Bassett, 52, an Academy Award nominee who played Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to
“The Mountaintop,” which draws its title from King’s last speech, made its world premiere
Do With It” and who can currently be seen in the film “Green Lantern,” takes over after Halle Berry pulled out due to child custody issues. Jackson, 62, will be making his Broadway debut in the play. His many films include “Pulp Fiction,” ‘’The Negotiator,” ‘’Iron Man,” ‘’Snakes on a Plane” and “Changing Lanes.”
in 2009 in a small London theater before transferring to the West End. That production starred David Harewood as King and Lorraine Burroughs as the mysterious stranger. It beat out “Jerusalem” as best new play in London.
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July 2011
Ode to Michael Jackson
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The choice of a whole generation, And they gave you their total adulation.
By: Raynard Jackison
You saw a world that was not Black or White, Because Healing the World, was worth the fight. You challenged us to look at that “Man In The Mirror,” So your vision of unity could become clearer. You wanted gangs to start uniting, Songs like “Beat It” helped them stop fighting. You didn’t have to prove you were “Bad,” You just talked about the childhood you never had.
Yellow Cab Supports The National Black Theater Festival You were put on this earth to be a blessing to many, Now everyone is going to be fighting for every penny, What will be the true legacy of your life? It’s hard to see in the midst of all this strife.
Winston Salem Yellow Cab President Ellis Houston, announced support of the National Black Theater Festival. “It is our hope that the expected crowds enjoy our city and all it has to offer” said Mr. Houston. “The festival is an event that everyone looks forward to.” WSYC was acquired by Houston in March 2011. Upon the acquisition new vehicles were added, along with a state of the art computer dispatching system. Yellow Cab is the only taxi company in the Winston Salem area that accepts credit cards. Recently a credit card swipe terminal was added to the rear seat for passenger convenience as well as card security. Houston added, “passengers in WinHouston Salem can enjoy the security and ease of use that customers have grown to expect from a full service transportation company”. Yellow Cab accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, as well as American Express. Non pin debit cards with the Visa / Mastercard logo are welcome as well. Since March of 2011, Yellow Cab has created a truly modern fleet, not only with the technology it employs, but newer updated vehicles as well. ‘We look forward to serving the residents, as well as visitors to the Winston-Salem area” Houston added. In July 2011 Yellow Cab launched its Safe Ride Home Program. This program is sponsored in its entirety by WSYC and is targeted to keep intoxicated drivers off the road. Houston provides this same service in Birmingham AL, Little Rock AR, and Clearwater Florida as well. “It’s our way of saying thank you to the city as well as giving back to our community.”
Picnic Food Safety Tips 1) Put perishable foods (i.e. hot dogs, cut fruits and salads) in individual containers on the bottom of the cooler with ice packs on the top. This method provides the best insulation for foods that need to remain cool and helps prevent cross contamination.
5) Avoid taking dishes to a picnic that contain eggs, homemade Mayonnaise or milk and other dairy products as they are prone to growing bacteria. Store-bought mayonnaise alone is OK, but could pose an issue when mixed with other foods that are not acidic. 6) Do not prepare foods more than one day before your picnic unless it is to be frozen. Cooking foods in advance allows for more opportunities for bacteria to grow.
2) Put cold drinks (i.e. sodas, juices, etc.) in a separate cooler. This method avoids having the cooler containing perishable foods to constantly be opened and closed.
7) Remember the one-hour rule. Do not consume any perishable foods that have been sitting out an hour or more on days where the temperature is over 90°F.
3) Carry the cooler in the passenger area of the car. Keeping the cooler in the passenger area instead of in the trunk allows the air conditioning to help keep the contents cool.
8) Throw out leftovers. Since most picnic leftovers have been sitting out for more than one hour and have had many people handling them, throw them out. The more time that food has been sitting at unsafe temperatures, the more likely harmful bacteria has grown.
4) Wash produce such as melons prior to serving. Bacteria can be present on the exterior of melons and can be carried into the edible section when cutting it.
Like a candle in the wind, Your life came to a sudden end. With “A Child’s Heart,” You began your start. You brought joy to many, But in the end, you didn’t have any. You had money, fortune, and fame, If that’s all we remember, what a shame. Now, they all say, “I Want You Back,” But is that all just an act? They all said, “I’ll Be There,” I am not sure they really care. While you were making your journey home, Sharpton was already in front of the microphone. Trying to bask in your glorious light, Doing that just wasn’t right. Standing in front of the Apollo, This stunt rang really hollow. Grandstanding in front of the press, My goodness, such a pathetic mess. I thought Obama had silenced Jesse Jackson, But, I guess he was just waiting for the next media attraction. Come on Jesse, start being a man,
And just stay away from Neverland. Now, Al and Jesse are fighting over the eulogy, Not even death can bring them unity. I am sickened by their behavior, Yet they claim Jesus as their savior. The media is airing all sorts of speculation, None of it proven is my observation. I am embarrassed by their actions, They’re just trying to use Michael Jackson. Airing anyone who claims to have a story, All the while, trying to diminish Michael’s glory. Why in the world is the media so hating? I guess they’re just trying to increase their ratings Some say you lived your life “Off The Wall,” But, who are we to make that call? Yes, you had your eccentricities, But that shouldn’t overshadow what a man believes. Some say you lived your life “Off The Wall,” But, who are we to make that call? Yes, you had your eccentricities, But that shouldn’t overshadow what a man believes. You tried to do good with your voice, And became the people’s choice.
You had the best friends money could buy, Guess that’s why I see no tears in their eye. Other friends were the best you could rent, I pray one day they’ll repent. Catherine Jackson, you are a saint With you, Michael never had a complaint. I hope you are surrounded with those who care, If not, just call my name and “I’ll be there!”
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July 2011
Yellow Cab Sponsors “The National Black Theater Festival” Winston Salem Yellow Cab President Ellis Houston, announced support of the National Black Theater Festival. “It is our hope that the expected crowds enjoy our city and all it has to offer” said Mr. Houston. “The festival is an event that everyone looks forward to.” WSYC was acquired by Houston in March 2011. Upon the acquisition new vehicles were added, along with a state of the art computer dispatching system. Yellow Cab is the only taxi company in the Winston Salem area that accepts credit cards. Recently a credit card swipe terminal was added to the rear seat for passenger convenience as well as card security. Houston added, “passengers in Winston Salem can enjoy the security and ease of use that customers have grown to expect from a full service transportation
The AC Phoenix
company”. Yellow Cab accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, as well as American Express. Non pin debit cards with the Visa / Mastercard logo are welcome as well. Since March of 2011, Yellow Cab has created a truly modern fleet, not only with the technology it employs, but newer updated vehicles as well. ‘We look forward to serving the residents, as well as visitors to the Winston-Salem area” Houston added. In July 2011 Yellow Cab launched its Safe Ride Home Program. This program is sponsored in its entirety by WSYC and is targeted to keep intoxicated drivers off the road. Houston provides this same service in Birmingham AL, Little Rock AR, and Clearwater Florida as well. “It’s our way of saying thank you to the city as well as giving back to our community.”
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July 2011
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A CHARLESTON OLIO (Celebrity Dramatic Reading) BIG MAMA SPEAKS: A 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Survivor’s DID YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK? - KIKI B Productions, HOPE SPEAKS - The Movement Theatre Company, LILLIAS WHITE… LIVE! AT BLACK THEATRE HOLY PAIGE IN FULL: A B-Girl’s Visual Mixtape – B-Fly SonEdna Foundation, Inc., Charleston, MS New York, NY Entertainment, Washington, DC Los Angeles, CA GROUND - Lillias White Productions, New York, NY Story - Lions & Butterflies Artswork, Tulsa, OK
Phylicia Rashad, Kene Holliday and Hattie Winston perform the first NBTF celebrity dramatic reading. Based on the new novel Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza, A Charleston Olio is a love story. A troupe of modern-day storytellers spin a tale, bringing the famed port city of Charleston to life when the nation is on the brink of World War I and Black American music is about to take the world by storm. Written by Ifa Bayeza. (Musical – General Audience) (Salem College – Hanes Auditorium) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m. $30 (#17) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m. $30 (#49) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $30 (#68)
Based on Hannibal B. Johnson’s book, Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District, Vanessa AdamsHarris portrays Big Mama, who decides to share her real life story, including what she witnessed as a child in 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Larry Leon Hamlin Solo Performance Series - General Audience) (Reynolda House Museum of American Art) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#71) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#95) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#108) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m. $37 (#121)
Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $30 (#92)
BONITA & BILLIE - A Bit Brisk Productions A SONG FOR YOU...LENA – The Civil Rights Journey Los Angeles, CA of a Negro Woman: Lena Calhoun Horne Joy Joy This ode to Lady Day is an original play which chronicles the untold stories of Billie Holiday’s public and private life. Bonita Brisker takes Productions, New York, NY A dramatic encounter depicts the civil rights journey of the legendary Lena Horne. Wendi Joy Franklin reveals Horne’s inner struggles for self-identity and racial equality. Written and performed by Wendi Joy Franklin. (Larry Leon Hamlin Solo Performance Series - General Audience) (Reynolda House Museum of American Art) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00 p.m. $37 (#6) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#21) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#37)
us on a journey back in time to the 1940’s, exploring our past when “lynching was still a picnic.” Written and performed by Bonita Brisker. (Larry Leon Hamlin Solo Performance Series - General Audience) (Reynolda House Museum of American Art) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $37, (#71) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#95) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#108) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m. $37 (#121)
The show spotlights the realities – comical, tragic and inspiring – of the public school educational process and one teacher’s journey through the bureaucracy of an inner city classroom. Written and performed by Aaron Braxton. (Solo Performance – General Audience) (Summit School Black Box Theatre) Friday, August 5, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#82) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#96) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#109) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m. $37 (#122)
An empowering, thought-provoking and dynamic devised storytelling piece that explores the historic 2008 Election of President Barack Obama. Written by Chanel Carroll, Cherrye J. Davis, Eric Lockley, Jonathan McCrory, Kimberly Young & Kisa Willis. (Multimedia – General Audience) (Summit School Black Box Theatre) Friday, August 5, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#82) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#96) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#109) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m. $37 (#122)
DR. MAY EDWARD CHINN – RACCA’s Seaport Salon, I STILL LOVE H.E.R. (atributetohiphop) – Theori Media, Inc., Chicago, IL New York, NY Based on the life of May Chinn, the first African-American woman doctor at Harlem Hospital. Dr. Chinn landed on the ground floor of early cancer detection in the 1940’s; accompanied Paul Robeson on piano during the Harlem Renaissance. Written by Laurence Holder. (Historical – General Audience) (Wake Forest #2 – The Ring Theatre) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00 p.m. $37 (#4) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#14) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#33) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#46)
A tribute to Hip-Hop, this is the story of Love 1, a Chicago On-Air Personality, who has given up on Hip-Hop. He has decided to retire and dedicate his final broadcast to Hip-Hop as he remembers it. Love 1 is forced to question everything he currently believes about his culture. Written by Wendell Tucker. (Young Audience) (M.C. Benton Convention Center – North Hall) Wednesday, August 3, 10:00 am, $10 (#25) Friday, August 5, 10:00 am, $10 (#75) Saturday, August 6, 11:00 am, $10 (#98)
The opening night gala performance will feature Broadway’s Quadruple Crown winner (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, The People’s Choice Award), Lillias White. She returns to the festival in her one-woman show about coming of age and uses music from the last 30-40 years, as well as original music by Timothy Graphenreed to chronicle a woman’s stages of development and experience. Written and performed by Lillias White. (General Audience) (University of North Carolina School of the Arts Stevens Center) Monday, August 1, 9:00 p.m., $255 (#1) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $44 (#8) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $44 (#41) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $44 (#83)
Paige in Full, (the title is a play on hip hop classic Paid in Full) is a visual mix-tape that blends poetry, dance, visual arts and live music to tell the tale of a multicultural girl growing up in Baltimore, MD. Paige Hernandez and her brother, musician “Nick tha 1da” share this vibrant coming of age story. Written and performed by Paige Hernandez. (Young Audience) (M.C. Benton Convention Center – North Hall) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $20 (#24) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m., $20 (#40) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m., $20 (#56) Thursday, August 4, 8:00p.m., $20 (#73)
Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m., $44 (#110)
A menagerie of excerpts from four dynamic productions which will be performed in their entirety during the week. Each intimately examines mature issues in direct, hard-hitting performances. Series coordinated by Rhodessa Jones and Idris Ackamoor. (New Performance in Black Theatre Series- Mature Audience) (Salem College – The Drama Workshop Theatre) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $37 (#19)
MIRROR, MIRROR OF MY SOUL- Cultural Odyssey, San Francisco, CA A spiritual, metaphysical love letter to strong black women. Cheryl Bennett-Scales offers a mystical reflection of four legendary songstresses, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Eartha Kitt and Miriam Makeba. Written and performed by Cheryl Bennett-Scales. (New Performance in Black Theatre Series- Mature Audience) (Salem College – The Drama Workshop Theatre) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#70)
INCOGNITO – Incognito, Inc., Chicago, IL & Carl “EVERY FESTIVAL FROM 1989-2011” – RHODESSA Nelson & Associates, New York, NY JONES & IDRIS ACKAMOOR: A RETROSPECTIVE – Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#53) Chicago native Michael Fosberg’s one-man autobiographical play is BY A BLACK HAND - North Carolina Black Repertory Cultural Odyssey, San Francisco, CA about the search for his biological father and the ultimate discovery M.O.I.S.T. - Al & Mo Productions, Los Angeles, CA Dedicated to the festival’s founder, the late Larry Leon Hamlin, that he is Black. Written and performed by Michael Fosberg. (Historical A sex-istential comedy with music celebrating the seasoned woman. ALL AMERICAN GIRLS: A NEGRO LEAGUE OF THEIR Company, Winston-Salem, NC Sonia Peechee and her sister, Ginger Peechee–Keane have very Rhodessa Jones and Idris Ackamoor will perform a retrospective of – General Audience) (Summit School Black Box Theatre) OWN – The Layon Gray Experience & The Black Gents An angry teenager discovers the value of her heritage through different life experiences, but they join forces at mid-life to become their work chronicling and celebrating consecutive performances in Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#22) the contributions of African American inventors and innovators. the Tony Robbins (es) of aging sexuality by creating M.O.I.S.T. Written of Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA EVERY National Black Theatre Festival since its founding in 1989. They Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#38) A powerful drama about an All-Black female baseball team of the 1940’s. A young reporter interviews all of the players to find the truth after the team’s coach goes missing. Written by Layon Gray. (Drama – General Audience) (Salem College – Shirley Recital Hall) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#69) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#93) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#107) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m. $37 (#119)
ACCEPT “EXCEPT” – Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre, Inc., New York, NY Told through the meeting of two fugitives – one from the plantation era, and the other from 2010 – the era of penitentiaries. Based on the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery “except as a punishment of a crime.” Written by Karimah. (Drama – General Audience). (Wake Forest #2 – The Ring Theatre) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p. m., $37 (#67) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#89) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#104) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m. $37 (#116)
BEFORE THE PEOPLE CAME - Amun Ra Theatre, Nashville, TN African animals rule the world. But during a deadly drought the only salvation is a pear tree guarded by a fierce, rare liger. Will the animals resolve their differences and unite for survival? Written by jeff obafemi carr. (Children’s Theatre) (M.C. Benton Convention Center – Lower Level) Wednesday, August 3, 10:00 am, $10 (#26) Wednesday, August 3, 1:00 p.m., $10 (#27)
Written by Arthur Reese & Darryl Goodman. (HipHop Musical -Young Audience) (M.C. Benton Convention Center – North Hall) Wednesday, August 3, 10:00 am, $10 (#25) Friday, August 5, 10:00 am, $10 (#75) Saturday, August 6, 11:00 am, $10 (#98)
COUNTY OF KINGS- Cultural Odyssey, San Francisco, CA HBO’s Def Poetry star Lemon Andersen gives a tough, yet poignant biographical account of a good kid growing up in an unforgiving environment. Written and performed by Lemon Andersen. (New Performance in Black Theatre Series- Mature Audience) (Salem College – The Drama Workshop Theatre) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#51) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#94)
‘da Kink in my Hair - Trey Anthony Studios, Toronto, Canada Set in a Caribbean hair salon in Toronto, da Kink in my Hair gives voice to a group of women who tell us their unforgettable, moving and often hilarious stories about the hardships, struggles and joys of black women’s lives. Written by Trey Anthony. (Choreoplay – General Audience) (UNCSA #1 – The Thrust) Friday, August 5, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#80) Friday, August 5, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#90) Saturday, August 6, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#105) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#117)
will also unveil an excerpt from their latest offering The Resurrection of She which concerns their present work in South Africa with incarcerated women. (New Performance in Black Theatre SeriesMature Audience)(Salem College – The Drama Workshop Theatre) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#120)
FEET ON THE CEILING – Love & Lite, Inc., Los Angeles, CA Written and performed by Vanessa Williams, star of Showtime’s Soul Food, this solo performance deals with revealing stories of sexual awakening and intimacy. Based on poetry and prose from her book, Shine. (Celebrity Performance - Mature Audience) (Wake Forest #1 – The Main Stage Theatre) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $40 (#13) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $40 (#32) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $40 (#45) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $40 (#66)
FOUR QUEENS - NO TRUMP - North Carolina Black Repertory Co., Winston-Salem, NC Written by Ted Lange, star of the television series The Love Boat, this story involves four Black women who gather weekly to play bid whist and discuss their joys, sorrows, ups and downs. Each woman represents one of the queens in the deck. (Comedy – Mature Audience) (Arts Council Theatre) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#10) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#29) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#43) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#63)
and performed by Mariann Aalda and Iona Morris. (Late night - Mature Audience) (Reese Theatre in the Pavilion – Embassy Suites) Thursday, August 4, 10:30 p.m., $37 (#74) Friday, August 5, 10:30 p.m., $37 (#97)
Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#54) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#72)
JUNETEENTH BLUES Theatre, New York, NY
CABARET-
Juneteenth
Legacy Saturday, August 6, 10.30 p.m. $37 (#123)
A cabaret that highlights five women who have had a profound effect on the development of the blues, including Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne. Featuring Jannie Jones. Written by Lorna Littleway. (Musical – General Audience) (Salem College – Shirley Recital Hall) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#5) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#18) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $37 (#36) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#50)
KNOCK ME A KISS - New Federal Theatre, New York, NY in association with Legacy Creative Arts Company, Chicago, IL Broadway veteran Andre De Shields portrays W.E.B. DuBois in this fictional account inspired by the actual events surrounding the 1928 marriage of W.E.B. DuBois’ daughter Yolande to one of Harlem’s great poets, Countee Cullen. The marriage marked the height of the Harlem Renaissance and was viewed as the perfect union of Negro talent and beauty. Written by Charles Smith. (Celebrity Performance – General Audience) (Hanesbrands Theatre – Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $40 (#9) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00 p.m., $40 (#28) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 p.m., $40 (#42) Thursday, August 4, 8:00 p.m., $40 (#62)
MOTHER TO MOTHER - FreeVoice Productions – Cape Town, South Africa On the eve of South Africa’s democracy, a 27-year old American woman, Amy Elizabeth Biehl, was killed by a rioting mob of black youth in Gugulethu, a township near Cape Town, South Africa. In this riveting solo performance by Thembi Mtshali-Jones, the killer’s mother addresses the mother of the victim and tries, through speaking to her pain, to gain some understanding of her son by recalling both his life and hers within the world of apartheid. Written by Sindiwe Magona. (Celebrity Performance - General Audience) (UNCSA #2 – The Catawba) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00p.m., $37 (#16) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m., $37 (#35) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m., $37 (#48) Thursday, August 4, 3:00p.m., $37 (#60)
NATIONAL YOUTH TALENT SHOWCASE The next generation of successful Black entertainers takes to the stage. Coordinated by Sharon Frazier. (General Audience) (M.C. Benton Convention Center – Lower Level) Thursday, August 4, 12:00p.m., $10 (#58) Friday, August 5, 12:00p.m., $10 (#76)
POTPOURRI NOIR – Cultural Odyssey, San Francisco, CA
ResurGENTs: THE REAPPEARANCE OF HOPE - Obsidian Media Group, New York, NY The creative team that brought the hit play, Black Man Rising returns with a new millennium choreopoem that explores the rise of the Renaissance Black man. It is a celebration of life, love and freedom and takes us on a spiritual journey from slavery to present through the eyes of 5 Black men. Written by Lawrence Floyd and Damion Sanders. (Choreoplay – General Audience) (Wake Forest #2 – The Ring Theatre) Thursday, August 4, 8:00p.m., $37 (#67) Friday, August 5, 8:00p.m., $37 (#89) Saturday, August 6, 3:00p.m., $37 (#104) Saturday, August 6, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#116)
ROUTE 66: FINDING NAT KING COLE - Amun Ra Theatre, Nashville, TN An actor struggles to fill the dramatic role of the great Nat “King” Cole and how he comes to grips with a life-long calling to present the story of one of the greatest performers in American history. Written and performed by jeff obafemi carr. (Solo Performance General Audience) (Wake Forest #2 – The Ring Theatre) Tuesday, August 2, 3:00p.m., $37 (#4) Tuesday, August 2, 8:00 p.m., $37 (#14) Wednesday, August 3, 3:00p.m., $37 (#33) Wednesday, August 3, 8:00p.m., $37 (#46)
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2011 National Black Theatre Festival