Iconic Soul Maria Davis

HARLEM GODFATHER BUMPY JOHNSON

Maria Davis I Am......Still

Music industry insider Maria Davis was diagnosed with HIV in 1995 after unknowingly contracting the virus from the man whom she was planning to marry, and has since become a devoted advocate for HIV/AIDS education and awareness. Since her diagnosis, Maria has been very vocal about living with AIDS to lend a voice to women impacted by the epidemic. She has dedicated her life to educating women, men and children about HIV/ AIDS, across the country and especially in the New York City area where she was raised and has lived since. Maria has leveraged her position in the entertainment industry to educate the community about HIV/AIDS by partnering with organizations such as Life Beat: Music Industry Fights HIV and BET Rap it Up Community Service, as well as serving as a key note speaker for the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. Maria also regularly volunteers her time in the community, speaking to educators, health care providers, and other members of the community regarding the importance of HIV/AIDS education and awareness.

Maria does not consider herself a victim, but an activist who speaks to thousands of people every year about HIV/AIDS awareness. She puts her convictions and her passion for life into action. She has participated in the rigorous 250 mile Boston to New York AIDS bicycle ride; raising tens of thousands of dollars for AIDS research. Maria also raises funds for AIDS research by participating in the GMHC’s AIDS Walk New York. In addition to raising money for several AIDS organizations, Maria believes that volunteering her time in her own community is vital to communicating the message of AIDS awareness to people of color. Maria donates her time at several Manhattan and especially Harlem based organizations such as Terrance Cardinal Cooke Nursing Home’s AIDS ward, North General Hospital, Iris House, Project Return, and American Foundation On AIDS Research (AMFAR), Boys Harbor and Rivington House. In addition she has spoken to several groups including the New York City Health Department, the College of New Rochelle at the Theological Seminary, Essex County College and New York University to name a few.

“Rap it Up!

Maria maintains that being grateful and giving to others is the only true way to fight HIV/AIDS and that is why she is not afraid to be the media spokesperson for several organizations. Maria has appeared on numerous urban radio and television shows to get the message out to young people such as MTV, New York’s WBLS-FM, WKRS-FM, WLIB-FM, UPN 9 News, NY1 News BET’s Teen Summit, 106th and Park and a day in the life of Maria Davis on BET’s “The Naked Truth 2” and “Down Low Exposed”. In addition to being known for her HIV advocacy work, Maria has become known as one of New York’s premiere promoters. She produced, directed and promoted her newly created, legendary music showcases known as “Mad Wednesday’s”; which provides venues for signed and unsigned R&B and hip-hop artists and comedians who have had no other performance options. Maria has previously been the spokesperson for Bristol-Myers Squibb (PREVAIL) and “I Design” Merck’s National HIV Education campaign. Through this work, Maria has bridged the gap between HIV & Music and aspires to continue to do much more in the upcoming years.

HARLEM RENAISSANCE

At the turn of the 20th century, African Americans had witnessed an evolution as well as a migration that played a major part in their very own culture. The migration from the rural south to the urban north was done to escape the vicious grasp of discrimination headed by Jim Crow laws.Unfortunately, the north was not necessarily a promiseland for the African American migrants. While the legal systems of the northern states were not as obstructionist toward African American civil rights, the prejudice towards them was just as obvious. Most new migrants found themselves segregated by practice in run down urban slums. The largest of these was Harlem. However, the new lives was a far cry from what they had experienced in the south.

Although minimal, they made the best of their new found freedom, soaking in the opportunity to do things the way they wanted. This allowed for a birth and expansion of cultural pride. The pride into this culture brought forth the Harlem Renaissance. Writers, actors, artists, and musicians glorified African American traditions, and at the same time created new ones. Music, being one of the African American traditions that they managed to maintain throughout slavery, was a pillar is the many expressive styles of the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz music was the main attraction of many with its swing, syncopation and solos. Improvisation meant that no two performances would ever be the same. Many of the new black urban citizens flocked to the clubs to see the same performers so they could sing and dance.

MODEL: TASHA TULSER PHOTO BY: GARY BOND tashatusler@gmail.com One of the most famous musicians of the Harlem Renaissance was Louis Armstrong. Having come from a poor family in New Orleans, Armstrong began to perform with bands in small clubs, and play at funerals and parades around town in New Orleans. He wasn’t a small band man for long, though. Louis Armstrong was invited in 1922 to move to Chicago, to play the second cornet in a Creole Jazz Band. However, just two years later, Armstrong moved to New York City, and began playing his music with the FLetcher Henderson Orchestra at the Roseland Ballroom. In 1929, he made his first appearance on the Broadway stage. In his recording of Ain’tMisbehavin, he used a pop song, however, interpreted it through jazz. This helped to set the stage for the acceptance of jazz music in the future. In 1942, he married a dancer from the Cotton Club, where his band had performed many times. All throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, Armstrong appeared in films and made many international tours. Louis Armstrong is one of the most appreciated jazz artists of the Harlem Renaissance, and of all times. People learned to appreciate both jazz, and African American music even more, because of this man. Although they continued to face discrimination of many sorts in the urban north as they did in the south, however it brought forth in close proximity some of the greatest minds of the day. Harlem brought notice to great works that might otherwise have been lost or never produced. The results were phenomenal. The artists of the Harlem Renaissance undoubtedly transformed African American culture. But the impact on all American culture was equally strong.

Louis Armstrong

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Meet Nicole Birdow Rogers aka Lil Pookie 47 years old A mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, a model, an actress, a motivational speaker, a certified juvenile counselor and recently, a radio personality. She is currently working on her first movie that she wrote. She has been in the entertainment world for a long time. In the 80’s, she was in a group where she was the rap artist. After becoming pregnant, she put her career on hold, to focus on being a first time mother.

Nicole started modeling at the age of 20, after giving birth to her son. She still continues to model, but more in music videos and various fashion shows. Her passion for fashion influenced her to eventually start her own business, recruiting other models to work for her.

In 2006, Di’jon’s Millennium Plus was created. She would name her first business after her one and only son. This company is the umbrellas to many of her other small businesses.

Currently, Nicole has accomplished so much. She is featured in music videos, working on several movies, mastering her radio show, while still enjoying life