C E L E B R AT I N G B L AC K AC H I E V E M E N T T H RO U G H O U T F L O R I DA
VOLUME 25 ISSUE 3 MAY/JUNE 2022
BLACK MUSIC BOOKS THAT HONOR OUR HEROES
JENNIE JOSEPH
ESSENTIAL KEYS TO JUMP START ENTREPRENEURS
CRYPTO IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
COMPASSION IS HER BUSINESS
$7.99 onyxmagazine.com
CONTENTS 6
From the Publisher
7
Black History – Ray Charles
10 Travel – Luxury Travel 11 Money Matters – Understanding Cryptocurrency 12 Community – Women on the Move 2022 15 Family – Amp up summer 16 Gifts for Mother’s Day 17 Gifts for Father’s Day 18 Real Estate – Yard beautiful
31 COVER STORY
JENNIE JOSEPH
22 Workplace – Music at work can change your whole groove 24 Art & Culture – Rising Up Parramore 26 Holiday - Juneteenth – A Celebration in Red 27 ONYX Reads – Books that honor African American music 28 Social Justice – Black influence on classical music 30 Cover Story – Jennie Joseph: Compassion is her business 33 Florida Scope – Stories from around the state 34 Business – The right stuff to start a business 36 The Quad – HBCU presidents gather 37 SAGE – Getting back at it (since covid) 38 Medically Speaking: The Bald and the Beautiful 41 ONYX Profile – Demetrius Summerville 42 Entrepreneurship: Getting a piece of the (marijuana) action
Compassion Is Her Business
44 Entertainment – Jo Marie Payton Doing It Her Way
Cover story photos courtesy of Jennie Joseph
46 Wine & Food – Chicken, waffles and jazz
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rich Black VICE PRESIDENT Deidre “Dee” Parker MANAGING EDITOR D. Shenell Reed, M.B.A. ASSOCIATE EDITORS Gayle Andrews Laura Dorsey Sharon Fletcher Jones Trina Ryan Nancy Port Schwalb
RICH BLACK MAY/JUNE 2022
DESIGN DIRECTOR Jason Jones
Dear Family, Welcome to this issue of ONYX Magazine, where we turn our attention to business and entrepreneurship. In recent years, many Black-owned businesses saw radical declines in revenue, causing many of them to close their doors— more than 42%, according to money experts. Because of you, ONYX Magazine has stayed open for our community for 25 years. Please keep the momentum by purchasing a one-year subscription and asking five of your friends to do the same. Thank you in advance for playing your part in keeping our community entertained, inspired and informed. Business comes easy for Jennie Joseph—especially since she is conducting it with mothers and babies in mind. Our cover story features Joseph, a British-trained midwife who makes maternal health her top priority. Her worldrenowned center, The Birth Place, in Winter Garden, Fla., focuses on compassionate care; and Joseph is the first Black person to own a nationally accredited midwifery school. Her story is inspirational and represents diversity in entrepreneurship. In addition to discussing business in this issue, we celebrate African American Music Appreciation Month. Formerly called Black Music History Month, June reminds us of how Black people have inspired music around the world. When acknowledging the history of Jazz, Gospel, R&B, and Rap/ Hip Hop, we must give credit to our Black ancestors. One story in this issue gives homage to Black musicians in the classical genre. It is an interesting read you do not want to miss.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jon Burton BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Matt deJager CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sonali Kolhatkar Scott Sowers Jacqueline Logan Aaliyah Wilkerson Danita Peoples Matt Whittaker Andrew Slate
Laura Dorsey Kristin Glanton Maggie J. Stephen King
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brion Price Kerrick Williams ONYX ADVISORY COMMITTEE Nancy Port Schwalb, Chair Deidre Parker, Immediate Past Chair Dick Batchelor Bob Berryhill Dr. Lavon Bracy Bryon Brooks Sherri Brown Marva Brown Johnson Hon. Mable Butler Yolanda Cash Jackson
Dr. Cynthia Chestnut John Crossman Quibulah Graham Gary Hartfield Barbara Hartley Ann Jenkins Eugene Jones Connie Kinnard
Larry Lee, Jr. Brenda March Gail Thomas-DeWitt Hon. Alan Williams Carla Williams Dr. Samuel Wright
FOUNDERS
As always, ONYX Magazine enjoys bringing you the news that entertains, inspires and informs. Thank you for continuing to receive it for 25 years. Sincerely, Lester and Lillian Seays
Rich Black
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ONYX Magazine is published by ONYX Communications and Media Group, Inc., Address: P.O. Box 555672, Orlando, Florida 32855-5872. Phone 321-418-7216. Subscription rate is $19.95 for six issues. For subscriptions and notification of address change, contact ONYX Magazine at the above address or e-mail us at info@ onyxmagazine.com. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Copyright 2022 by ONYX Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the writer or interviewee and not necessarily those of the publisher. Manuscripts, photos and art should be submitted with a self-addressed stamped envelope. The publisher does not assume responsibility for any materials not submitted in manner advised. Unsolicited materials are not subject to payment from ONYX Magazine.
BLACK HISTORY
RAY CHARLES FLORIDA-GROWN CHARLES IMPACTED MUSIC ALL OVER THE WORLD.
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Photo is pre-1978 with no copyright and can be published. Bio from raycharles.com.
ay Charles was a legendary musician often called the "Genius,” who pioneered the genre of soul music during the 1950s. Charles combined blues, gospel, R&B, rock, country music and jazz to create groundbreaking hits such as “Unchain My Heart,” “I’ve Got A Woman” and “What I’d Say.” His impressive multi-award winning 50-year career left an indelible mark on contemporary music all over the world. Born Ray Charles Robinson on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Ga., he was raised in Greenville, Fla., and started playing the piano before he was 5. At age 6, he contracted glaucoma that eventually left him blind. He studied composition (writing music in Braille) and learned to play the alto saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, and organ while attending the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind from 1937 to 1945. His father died when he was 10, his mother died five years later, and he left school to work in dance bands around Florida, dropping his last name to avoid confusion with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. In 1947, with $600 he moved to Seattle and worked as a Nat “King” Cole-style crooner.
Ray often said, “I was born with music inside me. That’s the only explanation I know.” Ray often said, “I was born with music inside me. That’s the only explanation I know.” In the decades after Seattle, Ray Charles continued his contributions to the many facets of music in which he excelled. His numerous awards include eight honorary doctoral degrees, 17 GRAMMYs, the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, President’s Merit Award, Kennedy Center Honors, National Medal of the Arts and his Playboy Awards. Heads of State, Presidents, Political Dignitaries and members of Royal families have recognized him repeatedly. The King and Queen of Sweden chose him to receive the Polar Music Award, which is that country’s most prestigious award. “Rolling Stone Magazine” ranked him #10
on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” and #2 on their list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time.” In 2013 Ray Charles even received a United States Postal Stamp. Of all the hundreds of songs he recorded, Ray Charles’s rendition of “America the Beautiful” remains to this day the definitive version of that song. It exceeds all others in its ability to lift our collective spirits. Ray Charles recorded the song in 1972. In live performances he followed a con-
sistent pattern, of improvisations we associate with gospel and soul music. He added, “I’m talkin’ about America” and “I love America, and you should too,” and “Sweet America,” all passionate accents that indelibly marked the song as a personal tribute to the country he loved so much. One his warmest compliments came from the “Chairman of the Board” Frank Sinatra, who gave him the name “Genius” “the only true Genius in show business.” ONYX MAGAZINE 7
TR AVE L
LUXURY TRAVEL YEARNING FOR NATURE AFTER PANDEMIC BY MAGGIE J.
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uxury travel has changed since the pandemic and really, because of the pandemic. The cost of flying has gone up, according to the “Washington Post,” by “12.7 percent from February 2021,” making travel less available to those on a tight budget. However, luxury travelers are not on a tight budget. Even so, there are a few things that have changed in the sector since the pandemic. Service has decreased while the demand for sustainable and eco-friendly travel has increased. Luxury travelers are taking longer vacations and want to travel to places where nature is at their fingertips. Since the pandemic, it is painfully obvious that the level of service and care for the customer experience has changed in the United States. Fewer people in the U.S. want to work in the service industry. Almost every hospitality-oriented business is short-staffed and the attitudes of the employees sometime show it. Travelers yearning for the old-school style of service and care may need to travel further, or to places that are more private and exclusive, to find quality service. Sustainable and eco-friendly travel has gained popularity since the start of the pandemic. Watching the change in the environment; an increase in wildlife, growth of flora and fauna and a decrease in the pollution of lakes, rivers and oceans, encouraged people to continue that trend through sustainable and eco-friendly travel. While many luxury travel businesses are sustainable and eco-friendly, it will be demanded even more in the coming years. People are focused more on luxury adventure travel than they were before the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, people were
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encouraged to spend time outside and away from each other. Because of this, the absolute love of nature has been uncovered by billions. Expect to see a rise in private island getaways and privately chartered yachts instead of penthouse staycations in the city. Look out for longer, luxurious vacations. With the pandemic came work from home opportunities and now many companies have found that it is financially wise of them to continue the work from home trend. Cutting overhead by eliminating building and/or office leases has been a welcome change for both employers and employees. Working from ‘home’ gives people the opportunity to work while they are away. There is no need to rush back to the office anymore. Have that afternoon meeting from the villa in Spain. Then, head off to indulge in some Paella Valenciana from Restaurante Casa César El Delfín. While luxury travel has changed since the pandemic, it is still readily available. Large, luxury hotels are indeed experiencing a boost in reservations. But, there are other things that are leading the change in luxury travel since the pandemic. Guests are yearning for more space, longer trips, better service and sustainable, eco-friendly travel. Maggie J. writes for Travel Noire and is always ready to write about the next luxury, travel adventure! I am a wildly curious, cultured, wanderlusting Woman Sailor. Find me on Instagram at @sailing_DIPITY!
M O N E Y M AT T E R S
UNDERSTANDING CRYPTOCURRENCY: THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK BY LAURA DORSEY
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our money matters and with a new kid on the block, cryptocurrency, financial literacy, and understanding it all becomes gravely important. According to Investopedia and fact-checked by researcher Vikki Velasquez, a cryptocurrency is an encrypted digital or virtual currency. This is a new form of digital money where users can convert their traditional money like the U.S. dollar digitally and purchase items in the digital economy. Cryptocurrency, sometimes called cryptocurrency or crypto, is any form of currency that exists digitally or virtually and uses cryptography to secure transactions. Cryptocurrencies do not have a central issuing or regulating authority. Instead, they use a decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units. Bitcoin is the name of the best-known cryptocurrency for which blockchain technology was invented. Why does this matter? Black Americans embrace cryptocurrency to counter distrust in stock markets and financial institutions. According to a review by Ariel Investments and Charles Schwab Corp, about 38% of Black investors younger than 40 own digital tokens, compared to 29% of their White counterparts. Many see digital tokens as a better investment choice. Generally, twice as many Black respondents as those who are White ranked crypto as the best investment choice. Crypto is so prevalent among Black investors that 23% of those measured cited anticipation for the asset class as the motivation to invest. Charles Schwab, an international investment firm, provides information, not individualized advice on cryptocurrency. The embrace of crypto shows the growing influence of social media, and the popularity of risky investments among Black investors, hence, a need for more financial education, which is why it matters. With plenty of time on their hands and few events to spend money on, many Black investors plundered into crypto trading for the first time during the pandemic. As a result, cryptocurrency, once only understood among a relatively fringe community of anti-establishment investors, is becoming a household name. Analysts' approximation is that the global cryptocurrency market will triple by 2030, hitting a $5 billion valuation. Even if they want to buy into it or not, investors, businesses, and brands cannot ignore the rising tide of cryptocurrency for long. COVID disproportionately impacted Black-owned businesses and their finances, but now the tides are turning as this demographic utilizes the technologies behind blockchain to own the cryptocurrency market. Why does this matter? According to Forbes, this matters because the number of crypto investors is on track to double as a new generation of Black traders emerges, with 44% of cryptocurrency traders being investors of color. Conversely, there has been a steady increase of nontraditional investors, who have no academic credentials or professional training in finance, turning to crypto to escape barriers created by traditional banking methods. As a result, cryptocurrencies are affording people of color the same opportunities to contribute to and earn value from a diverse financial
market. The result is that the playing field has been leveled somewhat, which comes just in time as the crypto market cap surges to $2.7 trillion. The Black community is taking bold steps to make up for the lost financial time. NASDAQ publishers indicate that the decision to embrace cryptocurrency has been shaped by nearly 24 months of self-navigation through a global health crisis and economic upheaval, causing African-Americans to reclaim their economic power by lucrative investment in crypto market trading. Crypto is the new kid on the block, and many of us have not been properly introduced or educated to this new player. Your money matters, so before you go out and play with this new kid, make sure that you are consulting a financial expert in the field. Laura Dorsey retired from Comerica Bank as the AVP of Trust Securities & Trading Operations. Laura Dorsey is the CEO of LLD Consulting, an associate editor of ONYX Magazine and the author of the ONYX Magazine Money Matters series. ONYX MAGAZINE 11
COMMUNITY
WOMEN ON THE MOVE
2022
ONYX MAGAZINE HONORS SOME OF FLORIDA’S MOST PROMISING BLACK WOMEN LEADERS
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BY D. SHENELL REED
n its 25th year of celebrating Black achievement, ONYX Magazine hosted the seventh annual Women on the Move (WOTM), along with Founding Partner Orlando Health, Presenting Sponsor Orlando Utilities Commission and Diamond Sponsor Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. The nationally recognized event applauded Florida’s most impactful and influential Black women during an awards celebration and luncheon on Friday, March 18, 2022, at the beautiful Alfond Inn in Winter Park, Fla., with 300 guests. In line with the Women’s History Month theme, “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” the event paid tribute to the tireless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic. It also recognized the thousands of ways women of all cultures have provided healing and hope throughout history. ONYX Magazine’s honorees have achieved these feats while shattering glass ceilings in their professions and persevering against all odds. ONYX Magazine was excited to collaborate with its sponsors to present these phenomenal trailblazers who are leading major businesses to succeed on national and international levels in several professional disciplines. “These powerful and innovative achievers are the architects of thriving workplaces and communities around our great state,” said Rich Black, ONYX Magazine’s Publisher, CEO, and editor-in-chief. “We are in awe of their success. Further, we thank our sponsors and other supporters—who are essential in making this the most prestigious event to recognize women across Florida—for their unwavering faith in our efforts.” ONYX Magazine’s Women on the Move gave a special Woman of the Year salute to Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D., the seventh national chair and seventh president of the National Council of Negro Women, an organization founded by Mary McLeod-Bethune, Ph.D. Cole rose to national promiFrom left, ONYX Foundation’s Lillian B. Seays Achievement Scholarship recipients Jasmine McMillon and Lake Lindo; and ONYX Foundation’s Udell T. Black and Linda Y. Braynen Legacy Scholarship recipients Tamaya Jones, Jordyn Jerry and Kaamia Harris.
12 ONYX MAGAZINE
2022 WOTM Honrees
nence as the first African American woman president of Spelman College and Bennett College, making her the only person to serve as president of both U.S. historically Black colleges for women. After retiring from academia, she became the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and served for eight years. Cole spoke to the audience via a live Dr. Johnnetta Cole stream from her home. “My mother gave me so much good counsel, including these words: a woman will be known by the company she keeps. Well, look at me. I’m keeping company with 23 amazing Black women who are being applauded for their outstanding work in providing healing and promoting hope,” she said. “I grew up in those horrific days of legal segregation in Jacksonville, Fla., and…the dominant narrative said it didn’t matter what I did, I could never be as good as a Black youngster wanted to be, because I could never be as good as a White youngster,” she continued. “Well, my folks had a different take on that dominant narrative. My family, my community, they said, ‘if I worked hard, if I did well in school, if I kept the faith, that I could, in fact, soar to the heights of my possibilities.’ And they, especially the old folks, also reminded me of this, ‘doing for others is just the rent you have to pay for your room on earth.’” During her speech, Cole encouraged the women and young scholars in the room by quoting words from the mother of Florida author Zora Neale Hurston, “Jump for the sun. You may not make it, but at least you’ll get off the ground.”
From left, Ruby Darling, Rich Black, Linda Y. Braynen, Bertha CooperRousseau — the 2022 International Woman on the Move, a guest, ONYX co-founder Lester Seays, and Bridgett King of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.
WOTM also recognized Bertha Cooper-Rousseau, the managing partner of Rousseau & Cooper Law Firm, as the International Woman on the Move. Cooper-Rousseau is the founding chair of the Bahamas Branch of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is widely known as one of The Bahamas' leading intellects and pioneers for the development of the legislative infrastructure for international arbitration and commercial mediation. Keynote speaker was Nicole Thomas, the president of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and a 2021 WOTM honoree. She was the first female and first African American to lead a Baptist Health hospital when she was named Baptist Medical Center South’s president in 2016. “We draw our strength from one another and we break down barriers that reshape our present and our future,” said Thomas. Heralding the importance of education, The ONYX Foundation launched two scholarships during the event. The Udell T. Black & Linda L. Braynen Hope Scholarship and the Lillian Seays Achievement Scholarship awarded six students who show academic promise at Orlando’s historically Black Jones High School, the University of Central Florida, Bethune-Cookman University, and Florida A&M University College of Law. The Hope Scholarship is named in honor of Publisher Rich Black’s mother and aunt. The Achievement Scholarship is named in honor of an ONYX Magazine co-founder who served as an educator and librarian in Orange County’s schools. Black’s mother became the inspiration to the creation of WOTM years ago when she chimed into her children’s conversation as they lauded the accolades of their father, Reginald Black, Sr. She said, “your father was a king because I was a queen and a king maker.” She shared with her children the sacrifices she made, which allowed them to become the first Black owners of a restaurant in downtown Orlando in the 1970s. Rich Black immediately acknowledged the heavy
Event chairs. Nancy Port Schwalb and Dee Parker with Rich Black, center
lifting women do, often without recognition or credit. After that, he vowed to always honor Black women who are many times overlooked for their contributions. His aunt, Braynen, admonished Black to always be just in his business dealings and to let his word be his bond, advice which guided his entrepreneurial prowess. The 2022 WOTM leaders were Publisher Rich Black, Chair Deidre Parker, the president of Parker Realty Group, Co-chair Nancy Port Schwalb, the president of Schwalb Public Relations, and the WOTM Committee.
Keynote Speaker Nicole Thomas
2022 WOMEN ON THE MOVE COMMITTEE AND VOLUNTEERS PUBLISHER Rich Black ONYX MAGAZINE CO-FOUNDER Lester Seays CHAIR Deidre “Dee” Parker CO-CHAIR Nancy Port Schwalb MANAGING EDITOR D. Shenell Reed
Publisher Rich Black with Quib Graham and Donna Gilmer from Orlando Health
ONYX Advisory Committee Members Dick Batchelor and Brenda March
Rickia Allen Nadia Anderson Tanika Bango Dick Batchelor Dolores Biggers Aishia Blackmon Daphene Brewington Shirley Carson Shannon Cooper Laura Dorsey Marianne Eggleston Tudy Ellis Sherraine Felder Judie Gilliam Barbara Hartley David Hodges Macene Isom Hakeem Jackson Byron Jones Sharon Fletcher Jones Erica Legette Lenny LoRusso Tzia LoRusso Brenda March Johnnie Mickle Trina Ryan Cherlynn Williams Maureen Wooding
ONYX MAGAZINE 13
COMMUNITY
PAST WOMEN ON THE MOVE HONOREES 2016 Dr. Rosalyn Clark Artis Congresswoman Corrine Brown Julia E. Brown Briana Daniel Dr. Leticia Diaz Dr. Marie-Jose Francois Kathleen "Kat" Gordon Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby Grant Kezia Hendrix-Rolle Sandy Hosetter Fla. Sen. Arthenia Joyner Latria Graham Leak Sisaundra Lewis Dr. Elmira Mangum Deborah McDuffie Ellen Parcell Phaedra Parks Tiffany Moore Russell Nancy Port Schwalb Carole Ann Taylor Dr. Delvina Thomas Doretha Hair Truesdell Congresswoman Frederica Wilson Belinda Wilson 2017 Leticia M. Adams Dr. Florence Alexander Vernice Atkins-Bradley Denee Benton Jackie Brockington Lee Bryan Stefanie Campbell Ruby Cooper-Darling Dr. Angela Felecia Epps Camille Evans, Esq. Honorable Carolyn Grant-Ford Denise Hicks Lauren Houston Natalie A. Jackson, Esq. Yolanda Cash Jackson, Esq. Honorable Viviana Janer Dr. Barbara M. Jenkins Connie W. Kinnard Beatrice Louissaint Maritza Martinez Monica May Dr. Lucille O'Neal Dr. Rosalie Ellis Payne Kathey K. Porter Marisol Romany Honorable Patty Sheehan Dr. Falecia D. Williams Dr. Dhyana Ziegler 2018 Pasha Baker Tasha Maria Robinson Banks Althemese Barnes Mary Ann Carroll* Roda Howard Carter Terrie Daniel
Felecia Haslom Davis Jasmine Gebon Annette Gibbs Marcia Hope Goodwin Cathy Grant Lynda V. Harris Anita Henri Erica Henri Commissioner Regina I. Hill Paula Hoisington Beverly Kuykendall Yolanda Londono Megan Mack Brenda March Desiree Spence Matthews Dr. Pamela McCauley Annette McNeill Julia Sarkodie Mensah** Bernadette Morris Joyce Odongo Ava L. Parker, Esq. Shanti Persaud Angela Suggs Wanda Trotter Carla M. Williams Cece Teneal Williams 2019 Eloise Abrahams, RN Dr. Ann Ashley-Gilbert Sherri T. Brown Cathy Brown-Butler Chole Juanita Evans Coney Rep. Valez B. Demings Dr. Elizabeth Dooley Dr. Melissa Freeman* Linda Howard Jacqueline Jones Nikki Lewis-Simon Novlet Mattis Vickie Oldham Dancia Penn** Clemmie Perry Commissioner Victoria Siplin
Junkanoo greeter at the reception
WOMEN ON THE MOVE | *WOMAN OF THE YEAR | **INTERNATIONAL WOMAN ON THE MOVE
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Entertainment by Marlon Boone
Carolyn House Stewart Rep. Geraldine Thompson Dr. Riva Tims Dr. Paulette Walker Melanie Williams Dr. Tonjua Williams 2020 Latasha R. Barnes Xernona Clayton* Joli Cooper Dawn Chantel Curtis Tanisha Nunn Gary, Esq. Mildred Graham Dr. Joan B. Holmes Valerie Chester Hendriex Jenkins Latonya Johnson-Gill Janie Lacy Sonya Mallard Chanta Miller Dame Constance Viola Mitcham** Heidi Otway Sylvia Perry Caleta Scott Tamara Shamburger Kathy T. Times Dr. Brenda L. Walker Crystal Warwell Walker Dr. Bridget Williams 2021 Verdenia C. Baker Rep. Fentrice Driskell Dr. Martha Ducatel Carolyn Fennell* Nikki Gaskin-Capehart Deputy Leila Freeze Graham Lena Graham-Morris Dr. Diana L. Greene Malika Harrison Bertha Henry Lashawnda K. Jackson Deidre A. Keller Kena Lewis Machelle Maner Shaylia McRae Erika Pulley-Hayes Michele L. Stocker Nicole Thomas
2022 Kami Brown Dr. Johnnetta Betsh Cole* Tina N. Commodore Bertha Cooper-Rousseau** Joyce E. Cotton Marilyn Drayton Vicki-Elaine Felder Dr. Angela L. Fields Donna Gilmer Dr. Malou C. Harrison Dr. Danielle A. Henry Dr. Jocelyn H. Henson Dr. Cynthia Johnson Kimra Major-Morris, Esq. Jo Newell Maribel Nicholson-Choice Desiree Noisette, Esq. Tekoa Pouerie Dr. Laine Powell Kimber Saint-Preux Barbara Tripp Veronica Valdez, Esq. Annetta Wilson
THANK YOU TO OUR 2022 SUPPORTERS Founding Partner
Presenting Sponsor
Diamond Sponsor
Event Sponsors
F A M I LY
AMP UP
SUMMER HOT IDEAS TO BRING THE FAMILY TOGETHER THIS SUMMER.
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ummer holidays often revolve around being together, but whether your family and friends are near or far, there are plenty of fun and unique ways to celebrate these holidays in-person or virtually. Here’s a little history on a few annual summer occasions and ideas for amping up the festivities.
BY BRANDPOINT MEDIA MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES / ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
HOST A MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION OF LIFE While Memorial Day weekend is often the unofficial start to summer filled with camping trips, beach parties and barbecues, it’s important to remember that we commemorate this day to honor the legacy of those who have served and lost their lives in the U.S. Military. You can embrace the bond with your family by having a traditional backyard party or picnic in remembrance of those close to you who have served. Honor them by serving their favorite foods, playing their favorite games, or even writing your favorite memories down on a piece of paper and sharing them with the group.
HONOR JUNETEENTH BY SHOWING YOUR APPRECIATION FOR BLACK CULTURE Juneteenth takes place on June 19 and commemorates the emancipation of thousands of slaves who were not aware of their freedom until that date in 1865. On this date, Union General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. In 2021, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday in the United States. Many honor Juneteenth with educational and family gatherings, supporting Black-owned businesses, and by visiting museums and exhibits dedicated to Black culture. You can also send a personalized message of love and inspiration.
CREATE A CUSTOM DAD-APPROVED EXPERIENCE THIS FATHER’S DAY. What better way to show your appreciation for the father figure in your life than by creating a day all about him? Think about his favorite hobbies and design an itinerary sure to receive the Dad seal of approval. Whether it’s a fishing trip, creating your own backyard mini-golf course, or going on a brewery tour in search of the best local IPA beer, it’s sure to be a Father’s Day he’ll remember. If you can’t be with Dad, sending a personalized video or ecard is a great way to show you care. These greetings are made just for him, and you can even add a gift card to one of his favorite stores.
GET CRAFTY FOR FOURTH OF JULY. Fourth of July is the peak of summer and commemorates the Continental Congress formally accepting the Declaration of Independence of the United States in 1776. Often enjoyed with food, fireworks, and parades, it’s a bash that’s anticipated all summer long. Get into the patriotic mood by creating some original décor or USAthemed foods for your cookout or fireworks watch party. Try your hand at designing items like patriotic napkin rings, American Flag-inspired desserts, painting outdoor items such as flowerpots red, white, and blue, or even making your own sparklers and lanterns to hand out to guests when they arrive. Then, after guests have settled into the festivities, add an extra layer of fun by using filter-like Selfie SmashUps. Each summer holiday is an opportunity to bring people together to make new memories. By thinking outside the box, you can truly make a splash this summer.
ONYX MAGAZINE 15
M O T H E R ’ S D AY
ALL TECHED OUT BEST TECH GIFT IDEAS FOR MOTHER'S DAY.
SUPERCHARGE AND CLEAN HER PHONE Americans spend more than a third of their waking hours on their phone, so consider a convenient and speedy wireless charger for your mom. Some wireless chargers are ultra-portable, while others also double as a stand for phones or other devices. Make sure to choose one that suits your mother's needs—as well as her type of phone—and she'll be delighted to know her phone will never run out of juice again. Another great option for moms who love their phones is a phone sanitizer, which uses UV lights to kill viruses and bacteria. These come in a variety of sizes, and some are multi-use so mom can also sanitize her tablet, car keys and more.
BOOST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY AND SECURITY Everyone needs a strong Wi-Fi network to work, learn, communicate and enjoy entertainment at home - and nothing is more disruptive than an unreliable connection. With more family members video conferencing, gaming and streaming at home than ever before, this puts a strain on the network your mom depends on every day. If she's coping with an old router, help her upgrade her Wi-Fi signal and speed. Check out systems with high expandable coverage and superfast speeds. Even better, protect Mom's online privacy and identity with an amazing mesh system. Mom will also love the ability to block ads for faster per16 ONYX MAGAZINE
formance and privacy. Additionally, for moms who are concerned about keeping kids safer online, the app provides customizable parental controls. Moms can create family profiles to filter content, set time limits, pause the internet, monitor each family member's usage and more with this easy-touse app.
GIVE THE KIDS’ SMILING FACES Moms love nothing more than pictures of their kids and grandkids, but if she's running out of room to display them, a digital picture frame is the perfect solution. This will allow her to rotate which pictures—or even short videos—are displayed, or she can enjoy them as an animated slideshow. Digital picture frames come in a wide variety of price points, styles and capabilities. Most are easy to set up by connecting with a computer, thumb drive or using Wi-Fi to connect with social media or other websites where pictures are stored. Some will allow you to send photos to them via email. Do Mom a favor and set it up for her—along with new photos that are bound to bring a smile to her face.
GIVE HER FAVORITE CONTENT If your mother loves listening to music, audio books or podcasts while she works or relaxes around the house, yard or garden, high-quality wireless earbuds or headphones are an ideal gift. Better yet, combine her new earbuds or headphones with a subscription to access her favorite content, such as music channels, audio books and Apple Podcasts. You know your mom best, so you'll know which of these tech options will help your mom enjoy her greatest Mother's Day yet.
BY BRANDPOINT MEDIA
F
ind it challenging to come up with new ideas for Mother's Day? Show your mom how much you love and appreciate her with gifts she'll really use—such as home technology that makes life easier.
FAT H E R ’ S D AY
GIFTS FOR DAD FUN TIMES AHEAD
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ather’s Day is around the corner and we are sure your online shopping cart cart must already be full of gifts you would want to gift your pop. In case you haven’t been able to make up your mind yet, we have compiled together a list of things that might be helpful. Although we strongly agree that no matter the day, or the date—your love toward your father shouldn’t vary but as the norm suggests, the day is the perfect opportunity to express your gratitude and love for your father. We have the exact mix of activities that you can plan and indulge into with your father to make this day extra special for him. Let’s dive into a list of extracurricular activities that are perfect to bring the entire family together on this special occasion. We bet that is what your father wants and wouldn’t be happier to see the entire family together celebrating this joyous day. List of Father’s Day activities that you can try at home:
COOKING TOGETHER OR A COOK-OFF Cook your dad an extra memorable meal by putting up a menu of all his favorite dishes. If your dad loves to cook, let him take the reign and do some cooking for the entire family. Either way, it is going to be memorable. If you want to double the fun, plan to cook the meal for the day together. Bon Appetit! Together, the two of you will surely whip and plate up some amazing food— plus a fun mess and lots of laughter!
THESE IDEAS CURATED BY LEARNINGPOD ACADEMY
BOARD GAMES—GAME NIGHT In this fast-paced world, families do not get time to come together and spend time with each other. So, make Father’s Day one such occasion by organizing a board games night. You can play games like monopoly, ludo, picnic, snakes and ladders, chess, Jenga, or even card games. We are sure your dad will love this indoor celebration as it will take him back to his childhood days.
MOVIE MARATHON—BINGE YOUR FAVORITES! Which dad doesn’t love watching movies? Surprise your father by organizing a movie marathon including all the movies he loves and we are sure he will enjoy everything you have planned on watching. Make popcorn, add on some of his favorite snacks to the menu, dim the lights, throw in some blankets and settle in for a cozy night filled with movies and absolute fun.
CAMPING AND PICNICS—ADVENTURE CALLING! Going outdoors, especially hiking or camping might not be possible during the pandemic. But who said you cannot replicate the same experience at home? You definitely can and we will tell you how! Pick a nice, cozy corner of your house. You can easily rent a tent online or just make one out of bedsheets (do we hear pillow fort? Hell, yeah!), stock on favorite snacks and you are good to go! Spend the night in and ask your father to share his camping stories. If you can’t go out, bring the camp home. A perfect way to connect with your dad during the lockdown time — this activity will definitely leave him spell-bound.
DO A TASK TOGETHER Let us rewind back a little to the good ol’ childhood days. Do you remember who held your hand and taught you to walk? Or, who taught you to cycle without falling? Or, who gave you a piggy-back rides when you were feeling low? Learning any activity with dad is fun in its own kind. Because fathers have a way of teaching and getting things done right. Figure out what your dad is good at and tell him you’d like to learn it from him. It can be as simple as cycling together, drawing, exercising, or even DIY activities. He will enjoy doing what he loves, and he will love it more because you are doing it with him. From our family to yours, Happy Father’s Day. For more ideas about Father’s Day, visit www.onyxmagazine.com.
ONYX MAGAZINE 17
R E A L E S TAT E
YARD BEAUTIFUL 7 EASY LAWNCARE TIPS FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE LAWNCARE. BY SCOTT SOWERS
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he point of having your own yard is to enjoy it, not be stuck in it all day. These easy landscaping ideas will give you more time for outdoor leisure instead of mowing and weeding.
#1 USE ROCKS FOR INTERESTING LANDSCAPE FEATURES Grass does not grow on rocks. Besides stating the obvious, what that really means is that they are the perfect, versatile tool for creating a low-maintenance outdoor space. Use them to create walkways, or group them together to form decorative outcroppings. You can even lay out stones to be ornamental dry creek beds. Small yards can be completely rocked over, or you can use them as strategically placed accents. If you have spots that are constantly wet, they are great for keeping mud (and mosquitoes!) under control because they will help the water run off instead of collecting.
#2 ADD A RAIN GARDEN IF YOU HAVE A SOGGY SPOT A rain garden is kind of a mini-wetland that reduces storm-water runoff. And done right, they are almost maintenance free because they require no mowing, no watering, and little weeding. They make much prettier focal points than soggy grass, too. Rain gardens are fairly easy to create, using gravel, sand, and native plants. The idea is to slow down rainwater so less of it goes into the sewer system, and more is used to nourish plant life.
#3 DO IT YOURSELF THE EASIEST DECK EVER Decks do require some maintenance, but you do not have to mow them every weekend! And a platform deck—no steps, no railings—is the easiest of all to build. While you are dreaming of your new deck, think about this: How you will use it? Will you be using it in the morning while having coffee? If so, it should be oriented to the east. If it's mainly for dining out in the evening and having cocktails, it should be facing west,” an expert suggests. But be sure shade is available in the hotter months.
#4 SWITCH TO TALL GRASS THAT NEVER NEEDS MOWING Not all grass is created equal. Tall grasses, like switchgrass, bluestem, muhly, and fountaingrass, all grow fast and require very little TLC. Nor do they ever get mowed. "Native grasses are a great solution to a lot of landscaping problems," an expert says. They soak up lots of water and provide an organic privacy screen while trimming your mowing time. 18 ONYX MAGAZINE
How to use tall grasses in your landscaping: • Group along a fence line. • Group into geometric patterns in your yard for a clean look. • Go more random for a more natural look. The most maintenance you will do with these is cut them back in late fall. They dry up in the fall, which sends some of those glorious long leaves flying across your yard. But they can be used as (free!) mulch or ignored. They will do no harm.
#5 CREATE PATHWAYS TO REDUCE HIGHMAINTENANCE GRASS Like rocks, pavers (sometimes called "steppers") are decorative stones used to create pathways that need little or no care. A stepper in a natural shape looks really great in a lot of contexts. Traditional house styles like bungalows, colonials, and Victorians tend to go well with more natural pavers, like flagstone. If your house is more on the modern side, opt for some rectangular or square pavers.
#6 PLANT YOUR OWN MINI FOREST IF YOU GET LOTS OF RAIN Where there are trees there shall be no grass. But there will be shade, and that's a plus for picnicking and lawn-chair lounging. Trees can soak up a lot of rainwater and therefore, need more water. Consider your local climate, as soaking up water can be good or bad. Do you need to sop up excess water? Is the yard already too dry? Keep in mind that native trees are less maintenance because they are adapted to your area.
#7 USE OBJECTS TO ADD COLOR—INSTEAD OF FLOWERS Color is the secret to a stunning yard, but that doesn't mean you need to plant a garden full of labor-intensive dahlias. It means choosing bright pots, benches, bird baths, Adirondack chairs—anything that just sits there and looks lovely while you pour the cocktails. The options are as numerous as the online search results for "yard art" (which is somewhere between 5,000 and infinity). If you decide to pop some colorful flowers into your colorful pots, what could be better a better backdrop to your finally-realized cocktail party?
WORKPLACE
THE VOLUME
MUSIC AT WORK CAN CHANGE YOUR WHOLE GROOVE. BY ANDREW SLATE
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BLOG BY WRIKE
PUMP UP
“O
pen concept” has taken on a whole new meaning in the workplace. Traditional office spaces have been cannibalized by cubicle farms, and more recently, transformed into skeletal, exposed work halls where desks are treated more like musical chairs. Today, 70% of office spaces in the U.S. are considered open concept. The intention of open floor plans is to create a more positive, collaborative work environment, but a lack of barriers and personal space can lead to aggravation, stress, and productivity slumps. We are experiencing a degree of togetherness never seen before in our work and personal lives—and it has consequences. Research shows open office spaces decrease well-being by 32% and productivity by 15%. Maintaining focus is a challenge in open office spaces (as well as at cafes where remote employees often work). Fortunately, music in the workplace can help address this growing issue. Americans spend a stunning 32 hours a week listening to music in some form: at the gym, in the car, even in restaurants—that’s a five hour increase from 2016. Music is often viewed as a form of entertainment or escape from the toils of reality, but what if we could harness music to encourage comfort and boost focus? As conventional workplace barriers continue to break down in favor of open, exposed spaces, music is proving to be an effective tool to amplify focus and harness productivity in the workplace.
GETTING WORK DONE IN AN UNQUIET WORLD Seventy-five percent of Americans report experiencing at least one negative health symptom in the last month due to stress, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Stress in America survey. The Yerkes-Dodson Law illustrates our uneven relationship with stress. While low levels of arousal translate into weaker performance, unreasonably high levels of stress amount to similarly weak performance. As employees and human beings, we aspire to master this balancing act between the drowsy and the manic to lead happier lives and be more productive in the workplace. But as a society? We haven’t been doing so well. Loosening barriers in our personal and professional lives inch us closer to dangerous stress levels that have a serious impact on the work we get done. The MMR, or Music in Mood Regulation scale, classifies how individuals regulate their mood with music. Those surveyed use music to comfort negative feelings, create a mental diversion, or discharge negative emotions—all techniques to better manage stress. This research isn’t surprising, as music has been found to boost mental and physical health, even reducing anxiety in pre-surgery patients more effectively than prescription medication. Music in the workplace is no different. A recent Spotify survey shows 61% of respondents listen to music at work to boost their productivity and happiness. Even more compelling: 90% of workers perform better and 88% produce more accurate work when using music as a productivity tool.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND MUSIC IN THE WORKPLACE Music can play an important role in improving focus and productivity in the workplace, according to academics at the forefront of psychology and music. “Music seems to fulfill a range of important functions for employees, including providing relief from stress, and improving concentration,” says music evaluation consultant and researcher Dr. Anneli Haake, at University of Sheffield, UK, on the effects of music listening in offices. “The most common reasons for listening to music at work are to improve mood and relax. Music can also help employees to engage in work tasks, through blocking out distracting noise in the office.” She emphasizes that music choice and control play a large part in these benefits. “If music is forced upon people, the music can be irritating and annoying, and we know from research that office noise can have severe negative effects on employee health, well-being, and productivity,” she says.
MAXIMIZING IMPACT WITH MUSIC IN THE WORKPLACE Not all music genres are created equal. With choice and control playing such a large role in music’s impact, it’s important to educate yourself on different types of music and their effect on motivation and concentration, as well as take precautions against forcing your music needs and tastes on colleagues.
DIFFERENT BEATS FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS Listening to lyric-heavy, highly volatile tracks might not be the best way to boost performance while working on thought-intensive tasks. However, the seemingly limitless world of digital music allows you to tailor your productivity playlist to suit your tastes. Try one of these popular genres: • Orchestral or classical music for steady, precise inspiration: Mathematicians are 12% more accurate in solving problems when listening to classical music. • Lofi, or low-fidelity, hip hop music to focus and learn: These part-meme, part-phenomenon 24/7 streaming channels have racked up millions of views on YouTube.
• Trance dance music to increase speed and output: Proofreaders complete their tasks 20% faster when listening to dance music. • Ambient music to stay alert and spice up repetitive tasks: Ambient music has been shown to improve accuracy of data entry by 92%.
DO NOT DISTURB: HEADPHONES IN THE OFFICE If you’ve ever tried to do a VLOOKUP to the pulsating beat of your desk neighbor’s TGIF mix, you appreciate the importance of headphones. But as the impact of choice and control on music perception continues to emerge, headphone use should evolve beyond common courtesy to a productivity essential. Not only does listening to music through headphones offer choice and control to your colleagues, it can also benefit the listener and maximize music’s influence. “My research has shown, in terms of locations, that people pay a lot more attention and like what they’re hearing while on public transportation – and this is because they’re able to use their mobile device to listen to what they want to hear,” shares one researcher. Using headphones in the office provides the same “auditory bubble” effect. But music lovers, beware: Headphones can give the perception that someone is distant, isolated, or simply not interested in conversation. While this is something to keep in mind while jamming out, you can leverage these perceptions to set expectations that you’re not available and prevent distractions.
TIME TO TURN UP THE VOLUME The open office movement shows no signs of slowing down. Take it from the stressed-out students working in packed libraries, loud cafes, or tight dorms, listening to lofi hip hop while they furiously scribble on flash cards: Music is key to navigating a busy lifestyle in a world that keeps getting louder. ONYX MAGAZINE 23
A R T & C U LT U R E
RISING UP PARRAMORE A MURAL PROJECT CELEBRATING THE HISTORY OF ORLANDO’S PARRAMORE. BY COURTNEY M. KELLER AND SARAH KELLY
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REW Orlando has a history of community outreach projects and endeavors, including the Tower of Light. In 2022, CREW Orlando will be collaborating with the City of Orlando, Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC) and local female artists of color to design and paint a mural honoring the Unsung Heroes who provided their services to the community of Parramore during segregation. The project will pay particular attention to the history of the Wells’Built Hotel which hosted artists and musicians of color during their stay in Orlando, as well as professionals (lawyers, doctors, nurses and educators) who provided their services to the Parramore community at a time when its residents could not obtain services elsewhere. Artists depicted on the mural include renowned musicians Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, all of whom have ties to the Wells’Built Hotel. The past community leaders who will be honored include Mercerdese Clark, Dr. Wells, Kattie Adams, Georgia Nell Woodley, Pinkie Price, Mary Jane Johnson, Rubye Sanders, and Theresa Walton. The theme will speak to the idea of Parramore “rising up” against all odds, and the community contributions that made it happen. This seven-story mural will be produced on the CityView Apartment Building (101 S. Terry Avenue, Orlando, FL 32805), which is blocks from the former Wells’Built Hotel, now the Wells’ Built Museum. The project will brighten the landscape of the Parramore community and serve as an iconic art exhibit to educate the public and honor those who built the history of the Parramore district. The project will also serve as a catalyst for CREW Orlando’s CREW Careers program providing educational and mentoring opportunities for high school youth who have an interest in commercial real estate. The estimated budget for the project is $160,000. CREW Orlando has already raised approximately $125,000 of its project goal. CREW Orlando’s efforts in coordinating the mural project and the CREW Careers program are strictly volunteer, not paid. Courtney Keller, the director of the project’s community outreach efforts, and Sarah Kelly are members of CREW.
ABOUT CREW ORLANDO As part of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network, the industry’s premier business organization, CREW Orlando is dedicated to transforming the commercial real estate industry by advancing women globally. CREW Network’s membership of 12,000 professionals in more than 75 major global markets represents all aspects of commercial real estate—providing the members with direct access to real estate professionals across all geographies and disciplines. CREW Network is a commercial real estate organization that exists to advance the achievements of women in the industry and engage youth and college students to have a better understanding of the industry.
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H O L I D AY
JUNETEENTH A CELEBRATION IN RED
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uneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, made a federal holiday in 2021. From its Galveston, Texas, origin in 1865, the observance of June 19 as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long overdue. For a long time, relatives told young ones that the red symbolized the blood of the millions of enslaved people who had suffered and died. But the red foods and drinks may have had a longer history that began on the continent these people were taken from, reports Atlas Obscura. Moreover, red foods and drinks were a major way of commemorating that legacy of enslavement and the holiday. But “the practice of eating red foods—red cake, barbecue, punch and fruit—may owe its existence to the enslaved Yoruba and Kongo brought to Texas in the 19th century,” from present-day Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, writes culinary historian and food writer Michael Twitty in his blog Afroculinaria. Twitty goes on to write, “enslavement narratives from Texas recall an African ancestor being lured using red flannel cloth, and many of the charms and power objects used to manipulate invisible forces required a red handkerchief.” Professor of history and foodways at Babson College Fred Opie writes that some historians believe the red color could be connected to “the Asante and Yoruba’s special occasions which included offering up the blood of animals (especially the red blood of white birds and white goats) to their ancestors and gods.” Red, in many West African cultures, is a symbol of strength, spirituality, and life and death. It’s possible this cultural legacy along with these groups’ distinct food knowledge of okra, beans, melons, and many other food groupings—some red, some not—was brought across the Atlantic. This Juneteenth, try this delicious Strawberry Soda recipe as you toast the ancestors for their strength and tenacity.
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Strawberry Soda Ingredients • 1 lb. strawberries rinsed, hulled, and diced • 1½ cups granulated sugar (can use less if desired) • 1½ cups water • 2-3 teaspoon lemon juice • Club Soda, chilled Instructions • Place the strawberries, water, and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir. • Bring to a simmer over medium heat. • When strawberries are soft, mash them with a potato masher. • Let strawberries continue to simmer gently until the juices begin to reduce, thicken and become syrupy. (reduce heat if needed) • Strain mixture through a mesh strainer, using a rubber spatula to press out the excess syrup. Discard the pulp. (You should have about 1 ¼ cups of syrup.) • Let syrup mixture cool and then place in the refrigerator until chilled. • To make a glass of soda, pour 8 oz of cold club soda into a cup. Stir in the chilled strawberry syrup by the tablespoon, tasting until you've reached your desired sweetness. Notes Place leftover syrup in a jar and store it in the fridge. This recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups of strawberry soda. Serving size depends on how many tablespoons of syrup you use per cup. (I usually like about 4-5 tablespoons per 8 oz club soda)
ONYX READS
IT’S A WHOLE GROOVE
BOOKS THAT HONOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC APPRECIATION MONTH HARLEM’S LITTLE BLACKBIRD: THE STORY OF FLORENCE MILLS By Renee Watson Born to parents who were both former slaves, Florence Mills knew at an early age that she loved to sing, and that her sweet, bird-like voice, resonated with those who heard her. Performing catapulted her all the way to the stages of 1920s Broadway where she inspired everyone from songwriters to playwrights. Yet with all her success, she knew firsthand how prejudice shaped her world and the world of those around her. As a result, Florence chose to support and promote works by her fellow black performers while heralding a call for their civil rights. Featuring a moving text and colorful illustrations, “Harlem's Little Blackbird” is a timeless story about justice, equality, and the importance of following one's heart and dreams.
FINDING YVONNE By Brandy Colbert Since she was 7 years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school. Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He's mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she must make the most difficult decision yet about her future.
THE MUSIC OF BLACK AMERICANS: A HISTORY By Eileen Southern Beginning with the arrival of the first Africans in the English colonies, Eileen Southern weaves a fascinating narrative of intense musical activity. As singers, players, and composers, black American musicians are fully chronicled in this landmark book. Now in the third edition, the author has brought the entire text up to date and has added a wealth of new material covering the latest developments in gospel, blues, jazz, classical, crossover, Broadway, and rap as they relate to African American music.
I PUT A SPELL ON YOU: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NINA SIMONE With Stephen Cleary Nina Simone created for herself a world of magnificent peaks. Simone is known as one of the greatest singers of her generation. She recorded forty-three albums, ranging from blues to jazz to folk. Her song “Young, Gifted, and Black” became the anthem for the Civil Rights Movement and thrust her beyond international stardom into the center of activism. But such worlds as Simone’s are not without their grim valleys: disastrous marriages, arrest and the threat of imprisonment, mental breakdown, poverty, and attempted suicide. She has survived these trials and continues to perform throughout Europe and the United States. With undiminished passion and in her unconquerable voice, this is Nina Simone’s powerful memoir of her tempestuous life.
BLACK NOISE By Tricia Rose From its beginnings in hip hop culture, the dense rhythms and aggressive lyrics of rap music have made it a provocative fixture on the American cultural landscape. In “Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America,” Tricia Rose sorts through rap's multiple voices by exploring its underlying urban cultural politics, particularly the influential New York City rap scene, and discusses rap as a unique musical form in which traditional African-based oral traditions fuse with cuttingedge music technologies. Next, she takes up rap's racial politics, its sharp criticisms of the police and the government, and the responses of those institutions. Finally, she explores the complex sexual politics of rap, including questions of misogyny, sexual domination, and female rappers' critiques of men.
ONYX MAGAZINE 27
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Curtis Stewart, a classical violinist and composer.
WHO GETS TO DEFINE CLASSICAL MUSIC? THE RECENT OUTRAGE OVER THE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS OF TWO BLACK ARTISTS IN CLASSICAL CATEGORIES IS PART OF A LONG-STANDING PROBLEM IN THE WHITE-DOMINATED GENRE.
W
hen Curtis Stewart heard the news that his album Of Power was nominated for a 2022 Grammy Award in the category of Best Classical Instrumental Solo, he was overjoyed. He was also a little surprised. “I just didn’t think I would have much of a chance there,” he says. But “the fact that I got that nomination was extremely heartening for me.”
THEN THE BACKLASH BEGAN. Alongside the well-known pop star Jon Batiste—who was also nominated for a Grammy, in the category of Best Contemporary Classical Composition, for his piece “Movement 11’”—Stewart’s inclusion in a classical Grammy category has sparked anger from critics who say their music is simply not classical enough. According to a lengthy report in The Observer, “Letters of complaint have been sent to … the Recording Academy, arguing that the tracks in question,” by Batiste and Stewart, “have been ‘mis-categorised.’” Marc Neikrug, a Grammy-nominated composer, said in his letter to the Academy, “As a serious, dedicated composer of what has always been considered ‘classical’ music, I am dismayed.” Neikrug found it “unfathomable” that the Academy “would choose to re-categorise an entire segment of our inherited culture.” Stewart is a classically trained violinist and composer who plays in PUBLIQuartet, a nontraditional classical music group he calls a “new music improvising string quartet.” He is also a faculty member at the prestigious Juilliard 28 ONYX MAGAZINE
School in New York City. Although his music stretches the traditional definition of European-origin classical music from past centuries, he is bewildered at the vitriolic responses to his and Batiste’s nominations, given that the field has constantly benefited from musical innovations over the centuries, and especially recently from new, young composers over the past decade. The part of Neikrug’s critique that Stewart finds “most hurtful” is the idea that his music does not fit the composer’s definition of “our inherited culture.” Stewart is the child of two professional musicians, and says, “I have literally inherited the music of my mother and father.” His mother, the late Elektra Kurtis, was a Greek American composer and violinist who straddled the world of classical and jazz music, and his father is Bob Stewart, a Grammy-nominated tuba player and music educator. “I am a classical musician,” he asserts.
HOW DOES ONE DEFINE CLASSICAL MUSIC? “What exactly about what I’m doing is invalid, and not classical?” asks Stewart, saying that classical musical themes are “baked into the actual composition” of the pieces on his Grammy-nominated album Of Power. Still, The New York Times op-ed columnist John McWhorter summarized the thrust of the controversy over Stewart and Batiste’s nominations when he claimed that the Academy was merely trying to be “inclusive.” McWhorter said he felt insulted that “music that isn’t classical” was nominated.
THIS STORY HAS BEEN PUBLISHED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE.
BY SONALI KOLHATKAR
‘woke’ will do to our field,” he says. “I have always been deeply interested in social justice,” says Stewart. When the pandemic hit and the quarantine-era mass protests against the police killing of George Floyd gripped the nation, Stewart, who was participating in the protests while also caring for his sick mother, produced his Grammy-nominated album in his living room. “We were all stuck in our little bubbles, and I just needed to put my anxiety and my feelings somewhere,” he says. Of Power is a musical documentation of a society in turmoil, encapsulating the reactions of a Black musician during a moment of racial reckoning. “I was using these recordings as a kind Earl Ofari Hutchinson of journal, as a way to … react to what was happening in the world,” says Stewart. Among the pieces on his album that Stewart is most proud of is a solo violin arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem. BLACK INFLUENCE ON CLASSICAL MUSIC THROUGH THE AGES Political analyst and radio host Earl Ofari Hutchinson has long examined the “To call that ‘not serious’ [classical music] is hurtful,” he says. role of people of color, particularly African Americans, in classical music. He has written two books about the genre, including Beethoven and Me: A FIGHTING TO BE SEEN AND HEARD Beginner’s Guide to Classical Music in 2015, and It’s Our Music Too: The Black When asked why there is such a reluctance in the world of classical music Experience in Classical Music in 2016. “I’m not really surprised there would be to accept Black people, Hutchinson says that racism is one reason. “There’s some controversy” over Batiste and Stewart’s Grammy nominations, he says. a lot of money in classical music,” he explains. “The whole genre is very According to Hutchinson, the traditionally accepted definition of clas- well-endowed.” That wealth creates a kind of “protective layer” around sical music is based on “17th, 18th, or 19th century Western European or the genre, he explains. Although there are increasing numbers of people Russian music.” However, today, he says, “You’re blending more things into of color, and particularly African Americans, entering the classical music classical music that have traditionally not been there,” such as jazz, rock, profession—especially on orchestras—the pace of change remains slow. and pop. Jazz in particular has been fused into classical music for decades, “You still have the old guard out there who are very protective of their and Hutchinson says that “many of the ‘purists’ take exception to that.” interest in classical music,” says Hutchinson. Nevertheless, he is about to That puritanical approach—and the racial dynamics at play—may be start hosting a classical music radio program on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, informing the backlash to Stewart and Batiste’s nominations, Hutchinson becoming one of very few, if any, Black classical music show hosts nationwide. says. “There’s sometimes been an overt, but more likely subtle, undertone of In thinking about what his craft means to him, Stewart invokes Nina Simone, ‘Wait a minute, Blacks in classical music? That’s like the sun and the moon!’” an American musical icon who was also considered to be the first classically Hutchinson cites numerous White composers who were influenced by trained Black pianist in the U.S. Simone famously said she was turned away composers of color, particularly jazz musicians, including Americans like from the Curtis Institute of Music—even though she passed their audition— George Gershwin, French composers like Maurice Ravel, and, to an extent, simply because she was Black. Stewart cites Simone’s regret in being introRussia’s Sergei Rachmaninoff and Dmitri Shostakovich. “They were influ- duced as a jazz musician instead of as a classical musician during her debut enced by African American jazz rhythms,” he says. performance at Carnegie Hall. “I refuse to have that sense of regret,” he says. Similarly, Stewart sees classical music itself as the result of merging influStewart plans on continuing to innovate musically without tamping ences. “I’ve seen musicians of many cultures bring their culture into the down his unique cultural influences. “The field of classical music needs this. world of classical music and either be recognized for it, or not,” he says. I want to hear more people like me in my field!” he says, smiling broadly. “It “There is literally a classical tradition of violinists taking music from one just makes me excited, it makes me joyous.” world and bringing it into another world.” Stewart does just such a thing Hutchinson is heartened that, despite the pushback, the Recording with his classical violin interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s pop classic “Isn’t Academy took a courageous and progressive stance in ensuring that this She Lovely” on his album Of Power. year’s classical Grammy nominations included nontraditional compositions and performances like Stewart’s and Batiste’s. “I’m glad to see that, and I’m hopeful that we’ll see more of that in the future.” He sees it as progress and BLACK CLASSICAL MUSIC MATTERS The Grammy controversy is the latest flashpoint over racial belonging the “recognition that Blacks are in classical music, and they’re here to stay.” “To be seen is like this is joy, it’s a release, it’s a catharsis,” says Stewart within the classical music field, and it is fueling ongoing debates about how the music is defined and who gets to define it. A genre that has long been of his Grammy nomination. “There are plenty of musicians of color in the associated with White European highbrow culture has struggled for years classical music field that deserve that.” to embrace musicians of color, especially Black musicians. Stewart specuSonali Kolhatkar is currently the racial justice editor at YES! Media. lates that perhaps “this year is a reaction to 2020” and the nationwide racial justice uprisings from nearly two years ago. “They’re afraid of what being Another critic, Apostolos Paraskevas, a professor at Berklee College of Music, went further, complaining to The Observer about Batiste’s nontraditional style of classical music, “If this person gets an award, this is a big slap on our face. It’s a message to everyone that we should give up and just do this.” Stewart takes issue with such criticisms. “Listen to [my] music and … if you feel it’s watered down, please, let me know. I will better my craft!” he says. He sees the backlash as an indication of fear within a traditionally White-dominated industry where people of color are slowly but surely breaking in and taking up space. The critics are “projecting that fear of not being heard and represented onto me and Jon Batiste,” he says by way of explanation.
“You still have the old guard out there who are very protective of their interest in classical music.”
ONYX MAGAZINE 29
FEATURE
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JENNIE JOSEPH COMPASSION IS HER BUSINESS
A HEAVILY LAUDED MIDWIFE, JOSEPH HAS MADE MATERNAL HEALTH HER TOP PRIORITY. ONYX MAGAZINE’S EXCLUSIVE PROFILE EXPLAINS WHY SHE FOLLOWS HER PASSION. BY KRISTEN GLANTON
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This sobering reality led her to establish an outreach clinic for pregnant ennie Joseph is a well-respected health advocate for women and newborn babies. The JJ Way, a patient-centered model of care, is effective women who are at risk of not receiving prenatal care. Her ‘Easy Access’ in reducing disparities and improving outcomes because it operates Prenatal Care Clinics offer quality maternity care for all, regardless of their from the premise that every woman wants a healthy baby and that every choice of delivery-site or ability to pay, and have successfully reduced both woman deserves one. Joseph created, upholds, and stands by this standard maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in Central Florida. This is in of care. A British-trained midwife, Joseph has become one of the world’s addition to her birthing center, The Birth Place. Joseph has pressed for linkages and collaboration with other public most respected midwives and authorities on women’s health: healthy pregnancies, healthy deliveries, and healthy babies. She has become a true advo- and private agencies in an effort to maintain continuity of care for the cate for systematic reform that puts women and babies first in healthcare; safety of her clients but also in order to bridge the gap between America’s before profit, convenience, and the numerous reasons America trails other maternity care practitioners. She has developed and administers perinatal professional training and certification programs to address the health developed nations in healthy births. Joseph has worked extensively in European hospitals, American birth care provider shortage, diversify the maternal child health workforce and centers, clinics, and homebirth environments. She has been instrumen- address persistent racial and class disparities in birth outcomes. There are both quantitative and qualitative studies tal in the regulation of Florida midwives underway regarding Jennie’s work as well since the 1990s and has been involved in as continuous reviews of the impact of midwifery education since 1995. She is her clinical and educational programs. the former chair of Florida’s State CounJoseph’s efforts have allowed her to cil of Licensed Midwives. Currently, she speak to doctors and other practitioners, owns a Florida licensed midwifery school policymakers, including members of the in conjunction with The Birth Place, her US Congress in which she has testified at world-renowned birth center, and materCongressional briefings on Capitol Hill, as nity medical home in Winter Garden, well as serving as a regular presenter at Fla. She is the first Black person to own maternal-child health conferences and a nationally accredited midwifery school, organizations around the world. She’s no small feat indeed. given a multitude of media interviews In March of this year, she was named on these important topics and serves Time magazine's Woman of the Year. 2022 in leadership positions amongst US and was the first year that “Time” magazine” international midwives movements and has featured Women of the Year and organizations. Joseph among the inaugural 12 honored. Joseph firmly believes in patient-cenShe has a 360-degree passion for mater–JENNIE JOSEPH tered, woman-centered care and works nal healthcare and ensuring safe pregnantirelessly to support the systems, providcies and the well-being of families is her ers and agencies charged with delivering that type of care. life's mission. Well-known issues run rampant within our healthcare system “Until women and their loved ones feel that they have enough knowland are widespread. Joseph recognizes those disparities, specifically within edge and agency to be part of the decisions around their care and until maternity care for low-income, uninsured, and minority patients. These they have access to the education and support that they are lacking, they women tend to experience higher premature birth rates and an increase will continue to be at risk.” –Jennie Joseph in complications.
“Until women and their loved ones feel that they have enough knowledge and agency to be part of the decisions around their care and until they have access to the education and support that they are lacking, they will continue to be at risk.”
Kristen Glanton is a communications specialists and lover of all things edible. She lives and works in Charlotte, N.C.
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MELISSA S. MYERS CANDIDATE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, HD 40
Stay in the know, as Melissa S. Myers, Candidate for State Representative, HD 40, puts her “Passion Into Action” to represent Ocoee, Pine Hills, Lockhart, and College Park. Melissa S. Myers isn’t new to working hard in changing lives in her community. For more than a decade, she has volunteered her time passionately to building relationships that enable change through neighborhood revitalization. In the battle against injustice, Melissa has fought for what is right and pushed for action on behalf of those whose voices are not heard. Melissa’s Fight in Tallahassee: • A fight for our seniors: To push for more healthcare options and funding for facilities who care for our 65 and over population • A battle for more resources for individuals who suffer with mental health illnesses • A push for funding for more affordable year-round youth programs • A provision for career training and development programs that will create more opportunities for individuals to obtain better financial stability • A push for more affordable housing programs for individuals whose income cannot handle recent rent increases • A defense for small businesses, giving business owners equal opportunity that prevent overpowering of larger organizations • A stand for empowerment of returning citizens by equipping them with needed resources Melissa's campaign message is “Let's Put Our Passion Into Action.” We, as a community, will no longer wait on city leaders to do what is right by our communities. We must unite and enforce change.
Melissa Myers in Tallahassee
Melissa Myers Turkey Drive
Melissa Myers visiting Seniors
Melissa Myers with Ocoee Police Department
VISIT WWW.VOTEMELISSAMYERS.COM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MELISSA S. MYERS PASSION CAMPAIGN.
PAID FOR BY MELISSA MYERS FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE
FLO RI DA SCO PE / B E YO N D FLO RI DA JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON TAPPED FOR U.S. SUPREME COURT On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the 116th associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. On April 7, 2022, a bipartisan group of Senators confirmed Judge Jackson's nomination, making her the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. Judge Jackson was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Miami. Judge Jackson stood out as a high achiever throughout her childhood. She was a speech and debate star
who was elected “mayor” of Palmetto Junior High and student body president of Miami Palmetto Senior High School. But like many Black women, Judge Jackson still faced naysayers. When Judge Jackson told her high school guidance counselor she wanted to attend Harvard, the guidance counselor warned that Judge Jackson should not set her “sights so high.” That did not stop Judge Jackson. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, then attended Harvard Law School, where she graduated cum laude and was an editor of the “Harvard Law Review.”
USF KENTE AWARDS HELPS STUDENTS
(from left to right) Mrs. Joyce Russell; Donald Odom (accepting on behalf of Dr. Julius Wayne Dudley-2022 Kente Community Leader Award recipient); Mrs. Sharon Thompson Ayers-USF African American Advisory Committee Chair; USF President Rhea Law
(from left to right) Dr. Adrianne Wilson-2022 Kente Alumni Award recipient; Dr. Kevin Sneed-2022 Kente Community Leader Award recipient; Jailynn Youmas-Black Faculty and Staff Association Endowed Scholarship recipient; USF President Rhea Law; Chinwendu Ilonzo-Dr. Israel “Ike” Tribble Endowed Scholarship recipient; Destiny Brown Harrison-Dr. Israel “Ike” Tribble Endowed Scholarship recipient (not pictured Dr. Julius Wayne Dudley-2022 Kente Community Leader Award recipient)
ONYX Magazine sponsored the University of Florida’s (USF) 2022 Joyce Russell Kente Awards & ScholarJUDGE J. MICHELLE CHILDS ship Ceremony in April. More than 175 guests filled the Bryan Glazer JCC to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of community award winners and scholarship recipients. The keynote speaker, Judge J. Michelle Childs, delivered her speech via video after she was called for confirmation hearings for the nation’s second highest court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
KENTE PHOTOS BY KERRICK WILLIAMS; DISNEY SPRINGS PHOTO COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY WORLD.
FIRST BLACK-OWNED RESTAURANT OPENS AT DISNEY SPRINGS – BY JACQUELINE LOGAN, DISNEY Robyn Wallace, co-owner of the new Local Green food truck at Disney Springs, never imagined herself launching a food business. She studied science and analytics in college, and her plan was to become a doctor. But life has a way of taking us in unexpected directions, and Wallace has spent the bulk of her career focused on chronic health issues in communities, specifically related to the accessibility of healthy food. In 2017, she put that passion into practice when, alongside her husband and business partner, Zak Wallace, she launched Local Green, a fast-casual restaurant in Atlanta focused on healthier food choices. Now she’s bringing that same passion to Walt Disney World, with the debut this month of the second Local Green location–a food truck at Disney Springs! Local Green Orlando features vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian dishes, bringing even more healthy options to Walt Disney World guests. “We want folks to know you don’t have to sacrifice your taste for health,” Wallace said.
ORLANDO ANCHOR RETIRES AFTER NEARLY 30 YEARS After nearly 30 years, Channel 9 Eyewitness News’ Vanessa Echols will anchor her last newscasts on May 27, 2022. Starting as a reporter in 1992, Echols was first promoted to weekend anchor, then in 1997, she was promoted again to weekday morning anchor where she teamed up with anchor Greg Warmoth. Her work in journalism has earned her three Suncoast Emmy awards as well as a national award for her podcast ‘Colorblind: Race Across Generations’. A graduate from the University of Alabama, Echols is on the board of UNCF Orlando and The Orlando Sports Foundation. She is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of America and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
FOUNDING ORGANIZATION CELEBRATES 50 YEARS The Zeta Phi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc., the first Black Greek organization at the University of Florida (UF), commemorated its 50th anniversary. UF rejected the first bid to form the fraternity, but in the spring of 1972, the first pledge line of 23 students became members. The official line name was “Hell in High Water 23 Deep.” Organizing student, Bernard Cohen, became the leader and worked tirelessly to see the fraternity to fruition. More than 200 members attended the well-planned and organized weekend-long festivities, which included financial educational forums, the heritage of Black excellence at UF and other festive gatherings. ONYX Magazine Advisory Committee Member Dr. Samuel Wright was among the chapter’s founders. ONYX MAGAZINE 33
BUSINESS
THE RIGHT STUFF HOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN ATTRACT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES
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mall business administrators are typically among the most competent multi-taskers, but even the most talented jugglers occasionally end up with too many balls in the air. Attracting and retaining employees doesn’t have to be part of your juggling act; in fact, having the right team can make the rest of your business run smoother. As a small business administrator, you may wear many hats, such as running the front desk, ordering supplies, managing accounting, onboarding and more. When you have extra hands to allocate the work, your business is likely to be more efficient and productive. Make employee retention a priority for your business with these practices:
CREATE A POSITIVE WORK CULTURE
PROVIDE AN APPEALING SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE A competitive salary that aligns with expertise is an obvious edge in hiring top talent. You can become a more attractive employer by offering a benefits package that includes paid time off, insurance and other extras. Voluntary benefits, such as those provided by Unum and Colonial Life, offer customizable solutions for businesses and their employees. These benefits can provide flexibility to employees by catering to certain stages of life and lifestyles and to employers by offering various funding options like 100% employee-paid or employer-employee shared funding. With low premiums, many small business owners can achieve significant returns and invest in benefits to attract talent and retain loyal employees.
ALLOW FOR FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES In large part due to the pandemic, employees have
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learned to juggle their work and home lives like never before. The businesses who recognize this need have an edge, particularly for employees who need flexibility to care for family members. The degree of flexibility you can offer may vary depending on the business model. Communicating with your employees and working to make reasonable accommodations can go a long way toward attracting strong candidates and retaining current employees.
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH Employees typically look for opportunities to learn and grow through additional responsibility, compensation and rewards for performance that encourage long-term commitment. Working with employees to understand their career goals is an important step on a path for growth that is mutually beneficial. Find more solutions to help small businesses at Unum.com and ColonialLife.com or download The Essential Small Business Benefits Guide to learn how to add voluntary benefits to reduce total benefits costs.
STORY PROVIDED BY FAMILY FEATURES. PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES
When employees enjoy coming to work each day, it shows. Your customers recognize it, and your internal team can feel it, too. A positive work culture encourages excellence, forgives mistakes, and leaves plenty of room for having fun. You can create a positive culture by making sure expectations are clearly defined and giving feedback that is consistent and fair.
THE QUAD
HBCU PRESIDENTS GATHER FOR SUMMIT BY AALIYAH WILKERSON
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he presidents of Florida’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) joined to discuss the challenges and opportunities of higher education at Florida Memorial University (FMU) in Miami Gardens. This is the second HBCU Impact Summit in Florida. The first summit was held at FAMU in 2019. Edward Waters University will host the third summit in 2023. FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson, along with FMU President Jaffus Hardrick, Ph.D., Edward Waters University (EWU) President A. Zachary Faison, J.D., and Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) Interim President Hiram Powell, Ph.D., presented how HBCUs, particularly the Florida four, helped build the Black middle class in the state, regionally, and nationally. The Summit is seen as an opportunity to tell the respective stories of these institutions. The plight of HBCUs has received national attention in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020 and the diversity and equity reckoning that followed. During several panels Friday, the four presidents addressed a wide range of issues, including research, HBCUs ability to improve the economic status of graduates, and their digital transformation spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are so far ahead of where we thought we would be at this time because of COVID. We can’t go backward. We’re not at 100 percent virtual; we’ll never be 100 percent virtual. There are other schools out there to do that. There is tremendous value in an on-campus experience for the vast majority of our students,” said Robinson, who was thankful for the $99 million in federal CARES Act funding the University has received. “Without those federal funds, I just don’t know how we would have made it. Those funds have made a tremendous difference.” EWU President Faison said the pandemic forced the hand of the entire higher education community. “It caused us to do things earlier than we wanted to them,” said Faison, who cautioned the other panelists and the audience about the trend toward virtual education. He said although EWU was approved to provide all of its courses online in December 2019, many of his undergraduate students prefer in-person instruction. “We’re finding that was not necessarily the wave of the future with regard to the demographic and type and profile of students we serve,” Faison said of online courses. “It has its place primarily with adult learners and other learners like working parents, but it’s not the panacea many folks thought it was going to be,” Faison said. To illustrate the transformative impact of an HBCU education, Robinson shared his personal story of being a student who was interested in science and starting at LeMoyne-Owen College, a small HBCU in his hometown, Memphis, Tennessee. He recalled that after he transferred to Memphis
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Presidents Hardrick, Robinson, a guest, Faison, and Powell
State University, he had to audit some of the same classes he had already taken at LeMoyne-Owen to prove he could actually do the work. “There is no such thing as mediocrity among our folks. We go out and we compete with the best of them and we excel,” said BCU’s Powell, who draws inspiration from the words of his school’s founder, Mary McLeod Bethune. He said HBCU graduates may not begin with all the same skills as students from predominantly white institutions, but they make up for that with their work ethic and attitude. “We prepare them accordingly and send them out not only to compete but, in many cases, to take over,” Powell added. The presidents agreed that HBCUs need to persevere with their legacy of excellence. “It’s about us making sure that we double down on excellence and not being afraid of metrics,” said FMU President Hardrick, whose campus hosted the event. “There has to be a level of accountability, but we won’t shirk our responsibility to ensure that our students are graduating in a timely way, that they do have the kinds of postgraduate opportunities from an employment perspective or entering graduate or professional schools. We have to double down on those things because that’s what our history has been. That prodigious history has been producing those kinds of outcomes for a long time.”
SAGE
GETTING BACK AT IT A LOCATOR HELPS SENIORS SAFELY RECONNECT WITH FRIENDS.
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THESE STORIES AND PHOTOS ARE BEING REPUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION BY NEWS USA.
e have missed birthdays, holidays and so many of our favorite activities during this pandemic. But with the COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots—which are free and widely available—we can finally get back to spending time with family and friends. Have questions about COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots? The Eldercare Locator can provide information to help you make informed choices—and when you're ready, connect you to local resources that can help you come up with a plan to get vaccinated, whether it's your first shot or a booster. The Eldercare Locator can connect older adults, caregivers and families to services in their communities—services that make getting the vaccine safe and convenient. The Eldercare Locator is a national, federally funded hotline that provides older adults and their families with information on important topics, including COVID-19 and the vaccines, transportation, support services, housing and more. Trained staff connect callers with area agencies on aging and other community-based organizations that provide personalized support to help older adults stay healthy and safe. Contacting the Eldercare Locator is easy. Visit the website at eldercare. acl.gov to browse the listing of online resources or to enter your ZIP code to find services in your community. Interested in talking directly to an Eldercare Locator specialist? Live operators are ready to take your call and can also be reached by chat or email. Whether you or your family need assistance with meals or home care, or a caregiver needs training, education or a break from caregiving responsibilities, the Eldercare Locator can help. Visit eldercare.acl.gov to learn more about services in your area and to
chat with the Eldercare Locator's trained staff online. Give the Eldercare Locator a call at 800-677-1116 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday. Callers can request to speak to a specialist in any language. Support is also available by email at eldercarelocator@usaging.org. The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Community Living and is administered by USAging.
Whole Health For Seniors
Social, economic and environmental factors play a key role in people's health—where they live, learn work, and play. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of wealth, power and resources at global, national and local levels. Identifying these so-called social determinants of health helps doctors determine the root causes of their patients' medical conditions and is critical to improving whole-person health. Below are some examples to illustrate how social factors can affect you and your health:
LONELINESS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION More than a quarter of the U.S. population live alone. Loneliness and social isolation are associated with increased mortality and poor health outcomes. Identifying individuals at risk for these factors allows doctors to recommend
buying food or medicine or struggling to obtain food without reliable transportation.
TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS
prevention and care strategies to improve their patients' health.
FOOD INSECURITY The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for a healthy life. According to Feeding America, food insecurity exists in every state in the United States. Seniors face challenges that put them at risk of food insecurity, such as being on a fixed income and having to choose between
A lack of transportation affects an individual's health and well-being—from accessing health care services and healthy food options to maintaining social connections. Lack of transportation is the leading cause of patient no-shows for medical appointments, and missed appointments are associated with increased medical care costs and increased emergency room visits. Many Medicare Advantage plans provided by private health insurers offer their members health and wellness benefits, programs and services to help address social determinants, with rides to medical appointments, meal benefits, social interaction and screening for food insecurity. Call your insurance company to learn about ways you can benefit from programs that address these issues. ONYX MAGAZINE 37
THE BALD T AND THE BEAUTIFUL
he Oscar slap that overshadowed the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony was sparked by a joke about actress Jada Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair—with husband actor Will Smith objecting violently to comedian Chris Rock mocking the actress’s shaved head. Away from the recriminations over what could be perceived as a mean-spirited jibe and a disproportionate response, many people will sympathize with Pinkett Smith. As millions of women in the U.S. will attest, hair loss is no laughing matter. Dermatologist Danita Peoples of Wayne State University’s School of Medicine talked about alopecia and why certain forms of it can disproportionately affect Black women.
ALOPECIA IS NO LAUGHING MATTER
WHAT IS ALOPECIA? Alopecia is a medical word that refers to hair loss generally. And there are descriptors added which can refer to where the hair loss is occurring, or to the cause of it. Traction alopecia, for example, is hair loss from trauma or chronic inflammatory changes to the hair follicles.
WHAT CAUSES ALOPECIA? Traction alopecia happens when there is trauma to the scalp, where the 38 ONYX MAGAZINE
THIS INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY THE CONVERSATION AND HAS BEEN REPUBLISHED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS AGREEMENT.
M E D I C A L LY S P E A K I N G
WHO DOES IT AFFECT? Anyone can get alopecia. Alopecia areata can show up at any age, from children to adults, and both men and women. But it’s more likely to affect African Americans than White or Asian Americans. About 1 million people in the U.S. have alopecia areata. Traction alopecia can affect people in certain professions, like ballerinas, who wear their hair up in buns all the time. The pressure and friction from sports headgear, like helmets or baseball caps, can also cause hair loss. And in some parts of northern Europe, where it is common for people to pull their hair back tight on a regular basis, there are higher rates of traction alopecia. Traction alopecia affects one-third of women of African descent, making it the most common type of alopecia affecting Black women.
WHY IS TRACTION ALOPECIA SO COMMON AMONG BLACK WOMEN?
hair is being pulled or rubbed on a regular basis, causing inflammation around the hair follicles. This can lead to hair loss or thinning. Alopecia areata describes hair loss to a particular area. It has different levels of severity, so there might be just a coin-sized area of hair loss on the scalp, or it could affect large areas. It can occur any place on the body. Or it might result in complete hair loss on the scalp, alopecia totalis. Some people lose eyebrows or see a thinning of their eyelashes. People can even have alopecia universalis, which is a loss of hair on the entire body. Alopecia areata is considered an “immune-mediated” type of hair loss. The immune system is attacking the hair follicles. It has to do with T cells, the important white blood cells in the immune system. And then other autoimmune disorders can have alopecia associated with them. This is the form of alopecia that Jada Pinkett Smith has said she has. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to hair loss. One type is systemic lupus erythematosus. Another type, discoid lupus erythematosus, primarily affects the skin and can cause hair loss with scarring on the scalp. Thyroid abnormalities can be related to hair loss as well. In fact, when patients come to me with hair loss, the first test that I may order is a thyroid study.
That is due to certain hair styling practices that Black women use on their hair–wearing tight weaves or extensions, straightening with heat, that sort of thing. Hair is a big deal among African American women in a way that it isn’t for others. When I was growing up, my older relatives told us girls that our hair was our “crowning glory.” And they made a big deal about us keeping our hair looking stylish and well groomed, and that usually meant straightening it. But I believe there’s less pressure than there used to be for Black women to keep our hair straightened, in the workplace or elsewhere.
HOW IS ALOPECIA TREATED? It depends on the cause. There are injected or topical corticosteroids for alopecia areata. If it’s due to a nutritional deficiency, like iron or protein, obviously you simply need to correct the deficiencies with supplements or by changing the diet. When it is caused by traction or discoid lupus, if you don’t treat the inflammation on the scalp soon enough, the hair loss can become permanent. When it comes to traction, though, it’s much more about eliminating the practices that cause the problem in the first place. What’s happening now is more people are aware of the downsides of chemical or heat applications to straighten the hair and are using those damaging processes less. One thing that may help is the CROWN Act, legislation introduced last year, which the U.S. House passed on March 18, 2022. That would make it illegal to discriminate against people wearing natural styles, such as afros and braids, so I am hopeful that it will contribute to a lot less traction alopecia in the future. Danita Peoples is a clinical associate professor of Dermatology at Wayne State University. ONYX MAGAZINE 39
ONYX PROFILE
DEMETRIUS SUMMERVILLE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT LIFT ORLANDO
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emetrius Summerville currently serves as director of operations for Lift Orlando, a nonprofit that works with residents, business leaders, and community partners for neighborhood revitalization in The Communities of West Lakes. In his role, he is responsible for the operations of The Heart of West Lakes Wellness Center, opening this winter. He also ensures that partnering organizations work together well within West Lakes. Most importantly, he will lead the resident engagement work that is woven into the fabric of all that Lift Orlando does in the community. Demetrius’ vision is to see residents strengthened and barriers lowered so our children and families have every opportunity to succeed and thrive. Prior to Lift Orlando, he served as vice president of programs for the Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundation. Demetrius and his family moved into the community of Holden Heights in 2011 with the intention of being connected to neighbors in the community. Demetrius was hired by the Haddock Family Foundation in 2014, where he and Ted Haddock co-founded Kaley Square as a community development initiative in Holden Heights. Demetrius went on to serve as its executive director until 2020. He is a licensed mental health counselor who previously worked at two local schools and at a substance abuse treatment program. Prior to his career in mental health, he worked as a marketing and logistics coordinator with Integrity Music, where he had the honor of working on two Grammy Award®-winning Christian albums. Today, Demetrius serves as a board member at 4Roots. He enjoys playing golf, watching his kids compete athletically, and listening to and playing music as a drummer. He earned a master’s degree in counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Troy University. While there, Demetrius was a walk-on football player for the Trojans and contributed to two conference championships in 1999 and 2000. Demetrius met his wife, Amy, while attending college. They have been married since 2005 and have four spirited children: Jayden, Journey, Hope and Camden. The Summerville family currently resides in the Parramore community of Orlando.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP
A PIECE OF THE
ACTION
THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY IS BECOMING MORE INCLUSIVE, BUT PROGRESS IS SLOW. OWNING CANNABIS BUSINESSES IN THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT FOR BLACK AMERICANS. BY MATT WHITTAKER
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ACCESS TO STARTUP CASH A BARRIER Financing is an issue for the entire legal cannabis industry in the United States. The banking system is regulated at the federal level, where marijuana remains illegal, leaving banks open to charges of money laundering or aiding and abetting a crime unless they file an enormous amount of paperwork, experts say. Many banks don’t want the hassle. If White people are having a difficult time with financing, then Black people and other minorities are faring worse, said Kassia Graham, director of community and strategy with Cannaclusive, a marketing firm that promotes fair representation of minority cannabis consumers. “Get people out of jail, give them a license, but how are they supposed to do anything if they don’t have any money?” said Matt Karnes, founder of cannabis research and consulting firm GreenWave Advisors.
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Cannabis rights advocate DonQuenick Beasley holds a sign at a 2021 protest in Denver aiming to call attention to the inequalities in a now-legal industry dominated by white men. (Matt Whittaker/Zenger)
Women of color in particular have trouble getting funding because of a perception that they can’t deliver profitable companies for investors, said Carmen Brace, founder of cannabis research firm Aclara Research. Getting access to capital is the main barrier to women of color having leadership roles in the cannabis industry, Michele Harrington, head of strategic partnerships with Foria Wellness, said. “Licenses are expensive to get,” she said. Her company produces hemp-derived health and sexual-wellness products. In the early days of legalization efforts, state governments often set high license application fees and prohibited those with prior marijuana convictions from entering the business, according to the Leafly report. License fees now range from $25,000 to $500,000 depending on the state. “These unnecessary barriers effectively shut out people of color,” the Leafly study said. “Some states have tried to make amends by offering equity licenses but without providing any way for equity applicants to find and obtain the necessary startup funding.”
BY ZENGER. EDITED BY RICHARD PRETORIUS AND KRISTEN BUTLER
n the day Joseph R. Biden, Jr., was sworn in as president in 2021, an eclectic mix of demonstrators convened at the Colorado state capitol building in Denver. Among them that January day was DonQuenick Beasley, who had a message different from others in the crowd. The Bible-quoting Black cannabis-rights activist held a sign saying “Give Us Our Harvest” and at one point shouted down other demonstrators so she could talk about the injustice she sees in an industry dominated by white men while Black men languish in prison for non-violent marijuana convictions. “Give us our harvest” was her call for those prisoners to be released, trained and allowed to enter the legal cannabis industry, growing marijuana in fields where slaves once picked cotton. “Give them their ownership,” Beasley said in a later interview. A complex mix of history, social, political and economic issues has made owning a cannabis business in the United States particularly difficult for Black Americans. While about 14 percent of the U.S. population is Black, only 2 percent of about 30,000 cannabis businesses in the nation are owned by Black people, according to a study from Leafly, a cannabis education website and online marketplace.
In the early days of legalization efforts, state governments often set high license application fees and prohibited those with prior marijuana convictions from entering the business. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAMS NOT ALWAYS EFFECTIVE Equity cannabis ownership programs are ineffective or non-existent in many states, Graham of Cannaclusive said. Even in those that have social equity licensing programs, some large companies set up predatory partnerships in which a person of color is used as “window dressing,” said Morgan Fox, media relations director with the National Cannabis Industry Association. Just because a state has an equity license program doesn’t necessarily mean Black people will be proportionally represented. In Colorado, which along with Washington in 2012 was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use, Black people hold just 2.9 percent of cannabis owner licenses even though they make up 4.6 percent of the population, according to data from the state’s revenue department and the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2025, legal cannabis sales in the United States could reach $43.5 billion, more than double the $20.3 million spent in 2020, according to cannabis business intelligence company New Frontier Data. Tiffany Bowden, a diversity and communications consultant long involved in the cannabis industry, said people
in the business in Los Angeles have told her they’ve been approached by consultants offering to pay them $250,000 for their social equity eligibility. Under such a scheme, they would be a 51 percent owner in a cannabis business on paper but wouldn’t gain anything further from the company’s expansion. Despite the hardships, Bowden said inclusivity in the cannabis industry is improving. “We are making progress, but we still have a far way to go,” she said.
A complex mix of history, social, political and economic issues has made owning a cannabis business in the United States particularly difficult for Black Americans. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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E N T E R TA I N M E N T
JO MARIE PAYTON: DOING IT HER WAY
THE ICONIC ACTRESS IS REPRISING THE ROLE OF ‘SUGA MAMA’ ON “THE PROUD FAMILY,” AND SO MUCH MORE IS ON THE HORIZON. BY LAURA DORSEY
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hat happens when you have been in an industry for more than 50 years and are not ready to retire? If you want the answer to that question, ask Jo Marie Payton. Payton sees this time as just another chance to do new things and be a better version of herself. In this exclusive interview with ONYX Magazine, she reminisces about the years she spent in the industry and spills the tea with some insight into what she is doing in this new chapter of her life. Follow closely, dear reader, because you do not want to miss a moment of this conversation as Payton took us from the present to the past and back to the future.
THESE DAYS The conversation actually started with what Payton is doing today. Even after being in the entertainment industry for more than 50 years, Payton is still going strong. Currently, she is reprising her role as Charlette ‘Suga Mama’ Jo Marie Payton Towne-Proud in the animated series, “The Proud Family – Louder and Prouder.” Suga Mama is the hip, a wrestling-loving paternal grandmother who does Tae Bo. Even though Suga Mama can be very nice, she is also sassy and always gets straight to the point when she talks. In addition, she is ageless, acknowledged by the fact that the series never says how old she is, which is sometimes part of the humor. But mostly, Suga Mama displays an enormously warm relationship with her granddaughter Penny and is often the one who is always on her side and agrees with her ideas. Payton says what she loves best about the show is that she is given a lot of latitude with this character. It is no coincidence that she is part of this production. At this stage in her career, Payton declares: “The show’s production team knows that I understand limits, protocol, and right and wrong as an industry veteran,” she said. “I take the time to pick and choose which projects I want as part of my repertoire.”
DAYS GONE BY Paraphrasing an old phrase, ‘you see now, but you do not know how. You do not know what it took for me to get to where I am today.’ Payton knows that for her, it all started in Opa-locka, a subdivision of Miami. Opa-locka was and is a predominantly Black municipality, with mainly Black leadership 44 ONYX MAGAZINE
and city administration. Her family knew that she had an extraordinary talent. Still, it was her drama teacher's influence that helped her get a scholarship to the University of Miami that kickstarted her journey in the industry. She recounts 50 years ago, not many people looked like her in the industry. Sometimes it is not always good being the first and sometimes the only one who looks like you. She tells of being attacked by a mob of White boys after class at the bus stop, who told her that she was on the wrong side of town. The savior was the bus driver, who concocted a plan to help her after class each night and ensured that she got home. To share her success, she looked him up when she returned home from doing the “Redd Foxx Variety Show,” only to find that he had passed away. His widow assured Payton that he did remember her and marveled at her success, knowing that he played a small part. There were so many countless experiences within the industry, she remembers. Smiling, Payton reminisces. “I have been up and down so many times; my nickname should have been yo-yo.” However, she persisted in an industry that was not as loving to her as she was to the industry. Today, many of us could not imagine the world that Payton had to face. A world where she did not see people that looked like her in cinema, film, television, or Broadway. And if you did see them, they were relegated to minor, negatively stereotyped roles. Not only were there not many Black leading ladies in the past five decades, but even fewer had dark skin. She also recalls her weight loss from 180 lbs. down to 150 lbs. also posed a challenge, because in her industry, size matters. Added to that was the cultural shock of leaving Opa-locka at the age of 24 years old, traveling to the bright lights of Broadway and the bright sunshine of Hollywood.
THE FUTURE But she persevered and she will tell her story in her upcoming memoir/ autobiography. ONYX Magazine was the first to know the title of the manuscript, which has been three years in the making, “Frankie Payton’s Daughter.” She credits her mother for her strength, confidence, and resilience. When asked what else was on the horizon, Payton smiled.
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Penny Proud, Suga Mama and The Proud Family
“Something you do not know about me is that I like to sing. I have done that during my career, especially on Broadway. Having said that, I am recording an album. It will be a Christmas album. I hope to start recording in June.” Jo Marie Payton dedicates this new season of her life to her mother, her best friend. She says mother taught her that every experience should be used as a positive experience. Mrs. Frankie Payton knew that her eldest girl had many gifts and always encouraged her to share her experiences and to put them in a book. Our interview ended when the alarm went off at 3:08 p.m. Payton exclaimed, “I apologize about that. Every day at 3:08 pm, I stop and take time to acknowledge and spend time with God. It is an inverse from by birthday, which is 8/3. I figured that I would not always be sure what I was doing at 8:30 pm. Even the family knows. When the alarm goes off, my granddaughter says, ‘It is time to talk to God’!” And with that, we said goodbye.
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Jo Marie Payton as Suga Mama
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WINE & FOOD
CHICKEN, WAFFLES AND JAZZ... BY STEPHEN KING
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popular dish is chicken and waffles. Many restaurant chains are attempting to deliver on this delicious treat in a contemporary way. They are using chicken strips or chicken tenders and waffles to try and nail this iconic combination. In my opinion, you need to use bone-in chicken pieces to properly pull off a perfect chicken and waffle dish. The combination of juicy fried chicken, tender waffle, butter and syrup makes for sweet and savory combination that has survived in one form or another since the 1600s. The Pennsylvania Dutch made waffles and topped them with pulled chicken and gravy. A different, decidedly soul food-inspired approach to the pairing worked its way into popular culture much later with the opening of Wells Supper Club in Harlem, NY. The restaurant, known simply as “Wells” to regulars, opened in 1938. Wells became a late-night hotspot for jazz musicians, who would stop by late at night after their various gigs. The musicians, arriving
Stephen King is a wine enthusiast, freelance writer and marketer in Orlando.
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too late for dinner but too early for breakfast, enjoyed the appetizing compromise of fried chicken and waffles. Before long, Wells was frequented by Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole. In 1976, Harlem native Herb Hudson opened a Los Angeles restaurant dedicated exclusively to the pairing: Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles. Hudson’s Motown connections helped to launch the restaurant, making it a popular destination for music industry professionals and performers in the Los Angeles area. Roscoe’s is so well-known, that President Barack Obama took time out of his busy schedule in 2011 to make an unscheduled stop there. I enjoyed a sparkling Italian Prosecco with my homemade chicken and waffles. The bubbles and subtle fruit flavors cut through the richness of the meal while standing up to the savory flavors. The best thing about chicken and waffles is it can be enjoyed at any time. Bon appetit!