RYSE/ Spring 2016

Recognizing The Young Successful & Empowered

Spring 2016 $4.99 US

OntheRYSE.com

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FITNESS TIPS TO PREPARE FOR SUMMER

CLIMBS JAY BAILEY BUILDING AS HE

ARE YOU SUCCESSFUL AND LONELY?

WHO WE ARE Name: Dr. Roshawnna Novellus — The Wealthy Yogi Company: Novellus Financial Title: President Favorite Quote: Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.

—Henry David Thoreau

YBE

YOUNG BUSINESS E XECUTIVES

The readers of RYSE Magazine are Young Business Executives (YBE). YBEs are welleducated, ambitious go-getters, who strive to be the best in both their personal and professional lives. They excel at climbing the ladder in the corporate world, or at navigating unchartered paths as innovative and creative entrepreneurs.

YBEs are confident, cultured and know where they are going. They are community activists who promote building wealth through social change. They are not afraid to express their opinions, but are always open to new ideas.

Always keeping up with the current trends, YBEs earn a moderate to high disposable income and can be extravagant when it comes to enjoying the finer things in life. A sufficient amount of YBEs income is spent on maintaining their homes with trendy furnishings, accessories, clothing, activities and events with those closest to them.

They work smart, but play hard, making the transition appear seamless and effortless. Young Business Executives stand at the crossroads of change as a generation of ambitious, conscientious leaders and powerful voices within the communities they live.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT, GET CONNECTED Facebook.com/RYSEConnected Twitter.com/RYSEConnected 2 RY SE | SPRING 20 16

JASON TOWNSEND – JAY - OGRAPHY

YBEs like to retain a sense of individuality within their groups, while understanding that true power lies in unity and collectivism. They live by mottos such as Quality rather than quantity and Each one, must reach one. Well-travelled, YBEs are likely to try exotic destinations, while not forgetting their normal native destinations.

Contents SPRING 2016

F E AT U R E S

JAY BAILEY & NICOLE WILLIAMS: JASON TOWNSEND – JAY-OGRAPHY; DIANA LOVELL: NANCY JO BROWN – 106FOTO

The Seeds of Success Jay Bailey Builds As He Climbs

Diana Lovell Gives A Glimps Into Her Journey To The Limelight PAGE 36

Georgia native James ‘Jay’ Bailey is committed to empowering a new generation of leaders.

PAGE 44

Grace Under Pressure Nicole Williams juggles entrepreneurship, parenting, community involvement & civic duty, all while making the transition appear seamless and effortless.

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Aaron Fogelson is an undergraduate at Harvard University studying English and Film. Aaron aspires to one day be a comedian/ screenwriter as his gift is to make people smile.

Khadija Byrd is an ambitious hardworking student, with a successful and optimistic mindset.

Adriana Lozano is a creative type with a passion for writing, fashion, traveling and yoga (not necessarily in that order.) She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English in hopes to become a published writer and author.

Kimani Hayes is an 18 year old freshman at Morehouse College. He is a lover of cereal and movies.

Amber Johnson is an aspiring filmmaker, human rights activist, freelance writer and avid day dreamer. She looks forward to a world without injustice, poverty and bad hair days.

Kori Thompson is an 18 year old student of life. She hopes to help the progression of the oppressed one written word at a time.

Brandi Addison is just another journalism major in Texas, inspired by the medias in New York and Boston, driven to someday write in D.C., hoping her words reach even further than this country, and aspiring to become something even bigger than that.

Lauren Everett is 21 year-old pro-black feminist from Atlanta, GA. Studying to be a citizen of the world, all while trying to find the perfect place to eat.

Bryanna Briley is a sophomore at a quirky institution called St. John’s College. In between reading the great books of dead old white guys and attempting to build a racial dialogue on her campus, she always finds time to write potentially awful poetry.

Mellissa Thomas is a Jamaica-born author, editor, and speaker who helps advisors, CEOs, executives, coaches, consultants, and speakers publish their first book in half the time so that they can permanently clinch their authority and explode their income.

The U.S Navy veteran is an award-winning indie screenwriter, freelance journalist, and poet that has Entertainment Business Masters and Film Bachelor’s degrees from Full Sail University.

Fatima Koko is a young black woman working toward making her mark in this world. She is inspired by powerful stories of people throughout the world and aims to make a difference through leadership, friendship, and service.

Rachel George is a published writer with a passion for success and a zest for life. In addition to being the creator of OpinionatedRay.com, she’s working to become a lasting influence in society while becoming a phenomenal woman.

Isabella Beaupré is a Milwaukee-based writer and artist working to organize against oppression and fight for race, gender and class justice.

Sarai Thompson is an alumnus of Georgia State University, and a first generation Jamaican American using Atlanta as her foundation for success.

Jai Danielle is a writer based in Tennessee. Her work focuses on the intersection of gender, race, sexuality, and pop culture.

Taylor Carlington is a Journalism and Marketing Communications student at Emerson College who enjoys writing about social issues and pop culture.

For a full bio on each contributing writer, please visit ontheRYSE.com

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Trinity Jackson is an 18 year old student from Orlando, Florida. She is an admirer of those who stand up for the rights of others and wishes to fill those same shoes one day.

RACHEL GEORGE: QUANN SIMMONS VISUALS

C O N TR IB U T O R S

D E P A R T M E N T S SPRING 2016

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9 Ms. Know it All IN STYLE 10 Celebrity Stylist Troy Clinton Offers a Few Style Tips for the Fashionable Professional ARTIST SPOTLIGHT 12 St. Beauty Talks Inner Beauty, Going Nowhere, Songs to Cry to and Black Lives Matter Meet the freshman band revolutionizing how we view genre AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 14 Ericka Mccracken ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 16 Custodians of the Culture Zucot Is Atlanta’s Only African American Art Gallery

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MIND, BODY AND SOUL 20 Eight Important Tips from Flawless Fitness Instructor: Deliqua Isom Don’t let Summer Sneak up on you LIFESTYLE 24 Ten Things Young Men Should Know LOVE & HAPPINESS 26 Are You Successful and Lonely?

Many women today find themselves Successful but So Single LAW & ORDER 28 Six Legal Tips To Take Before Breaking Into the Entertainment Business Don’t let the allure of the limelight cause you to be blind to the pitfalls

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POLITICAL POWER 30 Throwing Your Hat In The Ring Political Consultant Keisha A. Carter-Brown Provides Valuable Advice To First Generation Politicians POWER MOVES 32 Behind The Lens RYSING Professionals Reshaping the Entertainment Industry Through Film and Television YOUTH ON THE RYSE 48 Brainwashed The Entertainment Industry & It’s Influence on Our Youth: The Teen’s Perspective

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WWW.ONTHERYSE.COM

Recognizing The Young Successful & Empowered WWW.ONTHERYSE.COM SPRING 2016

President/ Editor in Chief Jay Jackson Associate Editors Rachel George Jai Danielle Copy Editor Kenneth Pack Creative/Art Director Jason Jones, StudioJones Design Graphic Designer Tracy Love

Visit the All New OntheRyse.com The digital magazine, the articles, the events, the experience, right at your fingertips. Share stories with your friends, comment on your favorite articles, and find out the latest events in our community.

Instagram/ RY S E Co n n e c t e d

Director of Technology Mike Felix Director of IT/ Infrastructure Andre Spivey Director of Sales Timothy Stephens To Advertise If you would like information about advertising, or regarding our marketing services, please visit us online at www.ontheRYSE.com/advertise

CONNECT

f a c e b o o k . co m / RY S E C o nne c t e d

Contributing Photographers Nancy Jo Brown, 106FOTO Jason Townsend, Jay-ography

twitter.com/ RY SE C on n ected

You can also contact us at: 1-866-531-RYSE 6 RY SE | SPRING 20 16

A Word from the President

Atlanta RYSING

B JACKSON PHOTOGRAPHY Š

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Since launching in 2011, Orlando, Florida has been the city RYSE has called home. It is where we grew our roots and established countless relationships that have allowed us to build a firm foundation for the company. Almost a year ago, we began the process of expanding RYSE into the Atlanta market. During this time, I have often been asked the question: why Atlanta? Why leave the place where you have built so many strong ties? My answer is really quite simple.

Often taken for granted, Atlanta is where Tyler Perry went from sleeping in a Geo Metro to building an entertainment empire, achieving the ranks of being one of the highest paid individuals in the entertainment industry. It is where Ted Turner not only built his field of dreams, but also a media company that revolutionized the cable news industry. It is the birth place of a visionary by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My point? Atlanta is a place that embraces dreamers with radical ideas. It is an environment that supports individuals who believe what they have to offer can have a profound impact on people across the nation. It is a place that rewards those who refuse to follow the dogma of the status quo.

From the entrepreneurial coffee-shop warriors working to build their dream companies, to the ladder-climbing young professionals striving for the corner office with a view, Atlanta is a place that truly respects the grind. And at RYSE, so do we.

You see, we too are dreamers. We believe in changing the narrative that is often told regarding people of color. We believe that communities of color are more than one monolithic group with no depth. We believe that our supporters desperately want to see positive images that reflect the various layers of their culture, and that they deserve to be recognize and celebrated for their noteworthy achievements within a quality platform.

As we continue to build the RYSE brand, we are excited about what the future brings. With the launch of our digital streaming network RYSE TV, we will begin expanding upon our platforms in which to tell those empowering stories. So much more than a magazine, we are growing into a multi-media company that is igniting a positive movement among multi-cultural millennials. We call it The RYSE Revolution‌And yes, this time, the Revolution will be televised.

So when I am asked that question, Why Atlanta? My answer; It is the playground for radical dreamers, and for that reason, there is no other place we would rather be.

Jay Jackson Jay Jackson President RYSE Magazine

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Ms.

Know it All

Dear Ms. Know it All, I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for about 15 months. Everything is great and I have met with his family. We basically live together, but there is a problem—the relationship is not going anywhere. How do I get the relationship to the next level?

Signed, Stuck in a Rut Dear Stuck in a Rut: I believe that you are stuck in a rut because there is one element missing out of your relationship-commitment. A lot of men say that they are afraid of commitment, but that is just an excuse not to tell you that they want to keep their options open. You see, most men have it right by dating you and making you feel compelled to only date them in hopes that one day they will marry you. The

only thing wrong with that is they will never quite commit to marriage. Here is a good way to handle that—tell them what you are looking for and put your time frame on it. Now be sure to tell him that you by no way are giving him an ultimatum.

My momma used to have a saying, “You don’t have to eat the whole cow to know that it’s beef.” By the same token, I don’t have to cook, clean, and sleep

with you for 10 years for you to decide if I am good enough to be your wife. You see, both people can keep their options open. If he can’t commit, then maybe you should weigh your options.

Let him know that you will still date him, just not exclusively.

Options can be a mother; make sure you exercise all of yours.

Signed, Ms. Know it All

Have a question for Ms. Know it All? Send them to questions@ontheryse.com. Your question maybe selected for our next issue of RYSE Magazine.

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IN S TYL E

Celebrity Stylist Troy Clinton Offers a Few Style Tips for the Fashionable Professional

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Troy Clinton has been a wardrobe stylist and consultant for 20 years; and over that time, he has provided his services to business professionals, celebrities, models and stayat- home moms. RSYE Magazine recently had the opportunity to work with Troy for the cover photo shoot with actress Diana Lovell.

Afterwards, we had a chat with the Celebrity Fashion Stylist and got some inside fashion tips for the workplace.

Troy Clinton: I love dressing my clients for the corporate environment. Many men and women come to me wanting a new wardrobe for their new job or because they want to be taken more serious when pursuing a promotion. Initially, styling and working with women came easier. However, fashion has evolved for men over the years in so many ways that styling men has become an equal enjoyment.

Men are a lot more open to embracing new styles and trends, thanks to many athletes, hip hop artist and actors. Women as well are having more fun and allowing their attire to be reflective of their personality.

RYSE: What would you say are the wardrobe office essentials for men and women?

For my ladies, some essentials are: a pair of slacks; a two piece skirt suit, a good pair of dark shoes make sure they are comfortable, a

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white oxford shirt, cardigan, dress blazer, pencil skirt, functional bag, and a little black dress.

A little black dress can go from the office to a cocktail event. A basic blouse and a functional blazer can take you from work to a casual evening out with your favorite pair of jeans.

Men, the essentials of a solid work wardrobe: at least 3 dressy trousers, a minimum of 2-3 ties that add color but don’t look unprofessional, 2 pairs of shoes black and brown are a good investment, I love a good wingtip shoe! A Trench coat, at least one white and pastel blue oxford shirt, and a versatile grey blazer. For after work outings change your trousers worn with the blazer to dark denim jeans. Lastly, a two-button suit and if you can only afford one, choose the color blue. By changing the shirt to a v-neck sweater or a polo shirt, that suit can be worn to an after-work cocktail event.

JESSY J-PHOTO

BY TEAM RYSE

MAN IN WHITE PANTS: LEE HODGES; TWO WOMEN: NATHAN PEARCY; MAN IN MAROON SUIT: DONTE MAURICE

“I tell my clients DON’T spend a lot of money on trends. Invest the big bucks on timeless pieces!”

RYSE: What are some office wardrobe no-no’s?

Troy Clinton: Today so many companies are opting for business casual attire. You can still be fashionable and appropriate, but keep in mind those office no no’s.

I would say for men, stay away from flip flops, t-shirts, cargo pants, shorts, caps and distressed jeans. For women, stretch pants, shear blouse, open backs, halter tops, flip flops, dressy shorts, and big or loud jewelry unless you work in fashion. Simplicity is the key; avoid too much make up, visible tattoos; bra straps should be hidden, believe it or not this can be distracting in the work place. Pay attention to fit. You don’t want to wear something that is too tight or too short. You want your colleagues to focus on your work and great ideas, not other great assets that you bring to the job....hint hint.

Remember if in doubt DON’T WEAR IT! If you think it may be inappropriate for the workplace it probably is!

RYSE: How can you dress for success and still rock trends?

Troy Clinton: I believe the work place is a great place to make a statement; your wardrobe should say “I’m smart, professional and stylish.” Men can add a “pop” to a suit by incorporating socks, ties, plaid shirts, and pocket squares that add color and character. Tie clips, lapel pins and cuff links are great accessories and add a nice touch. Double breasted blazers/suits and strip blazers are popular trends this summer. For women wearing popular colors of the season is one way. Sport the latest trendy handbag and shoes. When it comes to popular

prints, I always say as long as it is a hint of it, then it can be worn in the work place. For example, solid strips are popular this spring/ summer for women. A woman can wear a solid strip pencil skirt with an oxford shirt and a solid blazer. For a man he might decide to wear a floral tie or pocket square. Just remember don’t do head to toe prints or trends in the workplace. I tell my clients DON’T spend a lot of money on trends. Invest the big bucks on timeless pieces!!!

RYSE: What are some comfortable spring/summer fabrics that are still professional?

Troy Clinton: Lightweight fabrics—like cottons, linen and rayon—are great for summer. Avoid body hugging and opt for more loosely fit or comfortably, depending on the style. Colors that generally keep people cool in the summer are white, beige and pastel colors which are popular this summer. Make sure you know your company dress code, because people tend to push the envelope in the summer months.

Troy has laid down the rules to looking good and feeling our best. With several projects in the works, Troy is establishing himself as an authority in the game. Thanks, Troy. It was great talking with you. You have given our RYSE readers great business-wardrobe tips. To learn more about Celebrity Fashion Stylist Troy Clinton, visit www.Troyclintonstyles.com.

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A R TIS T SP O T L I G H T

St. Beauty Talks Inner Beauty, Going Nowhere, Songs to Cry to and Black Lives Matter

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MEET THE FRESHMAN BAND REVOLUTIONIZING HOW WE VIEW GENRE

BY AMBER JOHNSON Combining the rhythm of tribal music, the serenity of folk, the edge of rock, and the power of soul, St. Beauty defies the restrictions of genre, engineering their own distinctive sound.

Born and bred in Atlanta, the band’s minimalist approach tells stories of life and love.

The duo featuring lead vocalist Alex Belle (22) and guitarist/back-up singer Isis Valentino (23) met four years ago working retail in vintage clothing store, Poor Little Rich Girl—no surprise considering their killer style, an ode to a more wholesome time of flower children and rock legends like Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.

The girls found a connection through music after trading favorite songs on iTunes. When the boutique started host12 RY SE | SPRING 2 016

ing showcases, Alex knew she wanted to perform. “Isis offered to play guitar and she came up with some chords–some really dope chords–and we ended up performing it and we got great feedback, and we just started meeting up after that show and just vibing with each other and we decided to become a band.”

Their name, which means “the pure beauty in everyone”, was taken from a song Isis wrote, inspired by Stevie Wonder’s “Bird of Beauty”.

“Beauty is compassion,” Isis explains, “It’s being loving; you can see the beauty in somebody in how they treat people… what people think are “flaws”, [others] are not going to realize they’re there if someone is truly being genuine, or nice, or happy. So there’s not a written definition of what beauty is.”

“Yeah,” Alex chimes in, “you can find beauty in everything, every single thing. Some people call things they don’t understand ugly…everyone has a different mindset of what beauty is, but I think beauty¬– you [can] find it within anything on earth.”

Alex can’t remember a time when she wasn’t singing. She’s been doing it her whole life.

“I remember back in sixth grade. I [sang] Fallin’ by Alicia Keys in my class and everybody was calling me Alicia Keys,” she laughs.

Talent appears to run in the family. “My Dad was a producer, he also sang, my mom sang, my sister sang. My brother was an artist, he painted, he drew, and I grew up around that. I feel like I represent my family now because I pulled from all of them.”

Isis recalls waking up one day with a sudden desire for a guitar. She has no idea what came over her, but it is clear through St. Beauty’s haunting melodies that linger on past the last note, that Isis was destined to have a guitar in her hands. She attributes her love of singing to a connection with church.

“I guess I grew up in church. My mother sings in church, she’s always singing, my great-grandmother sings, my stepdad plays in the church also, so I’ve just always been around that.

My dad had a record store so he would send me tapes and stuff like that, just randomly – that’s what always kept the wheels churning for music. But I was always shy, so I never did anything out in the public until I met Alex.”

The group recently released their first music video, “Going Nowhere”, directed by Lacey Duke. Taking place in the 70’s with the girls sporting natural hair, the story follows three carefree couples taking a road-trip in their hippie van. Throughout the video they each exchange a strand of red thread.

“It’s about faith… there is always somebody in your life that you know you are always going to be with; you may feel like that person is your soul-mate. So the Red String Theory is [that] there are two people on both ends, and this string

COURTESY OF ST. BEAUTY

Alex Bell (Left) and Isis Valentino (Right).

of fate holds them together, ties them together, so no matter what happens in life they are always going to be on the other end, and be together eventually.

It’s a love story,” Alex explains. The lyrics, both simple and moving, touch on a deep love that we all hope to find.

With music so close to their hearts, neither Alex nor Isis can imagine a future without it.

“Urban planning,” Isis says dispassionately, “I probably would have done that but I don’t know, I wasn’t really that passionate about that, so maybe a dentist. I don’t know.”

It’s clear St. Beauty chose the right path and that they are already on their way to jump-starting a lengthy career.

The duo recently finished a tour with Moonchild and headliner, The Internet.

“It was a lot of fun. I can’t even remember everything, but good times,” Isis chuckles.

However, life as musicians has never been effortless.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy–none of this is going to be easy. We don’t really hold expectations. We are just riding the waves of this journey and just progressing and growing and seeing where it takes us,” says Alex.

Luckily, the band is not alone on their journey. The girls were taken under the wing of the Electric Lady herself, Janelle Monáe, and her Wondaland Arts Society; a powerhouse that has been producing an eclectic and talented line-up including Jidenna (Classic Man), and up-and-comers Deep Cotton and Roman GianArthur. As peers and mentees, St. Beauty has benefited from the collective’s experiences and insight into producing and the music industry.

“Have a plan, be very strategic, you have to know every detail of who you are, whatever holes; you have to be able to fill every hole. They’re going to try to make things how they want it or how they see it,” Alex recalls about the

group’s best advice.

Last August the Wondaland team marched the streets of Philadelphia armed with music in a protest against police brutality. Half gospel, half cry for justice, Wondaland’s collaborative song “Hell You Talmbout” calls on the public to say the names of police brutality victims.

Their involvement with the Black Lives Matter movement is just one facet of their overall goal to heal and inspire through their music. They want to make music their audience “can relate to, feel good [to], vibe to, feel free when they listen to it, music that just makes them want to stretch their arms out and just be themselves and be free,” Alex says, lifting her arms into the air.

St. Beauty is currently working on a body of music that will be released later this year, so be on the lookout! You can buy their hit song “Going Nowhere” on iTunes as part of their collaborative album “Wondaland Presents: The Eephus.”

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Author

Spotlight Ericka McCracken Break up’s suck, don’t they? I’m sure most would answer YES because of the disconcerted emotion and sometimes physical pain you endure throughout the process that can last from weeks to years. Despite the emptiness, brokenness and grief that emanates from heartache, there is a component that most don’t discern in great detail and that’s the healing element. Just like after you take a nasty fall and break the skin on your elbow, eventually a scab will form and hopefully it will heal without too much of a scar. The focus of my memoir ALTARcation: My Story of Forgiveness is how to heal effectively from heartache inclusive of the scars left behind. Scars are battle wounds to remind us of where we’ve been.

My focus as an author and coach is to encourage you that restoration is STILL possible, regardless of the scars you’ve endured.

ALTARcation commences with a story that many of us are familiar with. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, decide to marry yet they

don’t. We’ve all either been there or know someone who has. My story then navigates down another path, which I was even unaware of at the time. I was forced to go down memory lane and revisit my first male relationship, which for most, is with their father. Realizing the scars of that relationship hadn’t quite healed as they should, I took the journey of discovering the breakdown of that relationship and how it could be reconciled. I soon realized the necessity of mending this relationship, which would facilitate healthier romantic relationships in the imminent future.

Although you may believe ALTARcation is an account of love gone wrong, its so much more.

It delineates what it means to truly be awakened by what we’ve dismissed.

Rejection has a way of numbing you to believing that the answer to your dilemma is inevitably and unequivocally your entire fault even though it is not always the case.

When you misdiagnose your pain, you are often doomed to repeat it. I pray that ALTARcation leads you one step closer to addressing unhealthy patterns in your life in a pragmatic, dynamic way.

Healing is more than just a scab that turns into a scar. It’s about seeing that scar, remembering how you acquired it and recognizing what to do next time to avert it.

Are you an author who would like your book featured in our Book Club? Visit ontheRYSE.com to submit the required information. Due to space limitations, not all submissions will be selected.

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A R TS & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

CULTURE CUSTODIANS OF THE

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ZUCOT IS ATLANTA’S ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED ART GALLERY

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a young, enthusiastic (albeit inexperienced) art buyer looking to purchase your first contemporary piece. Intimidated by your lack of knowledge, you hesitantly enter yet another muted, white-walled gallery; and are surprised to find that the owner is present, eager to help, and an awful lot like yourself.

Such a gallery exists, and it is located in Castleberry Hill, Atlanta’s historic creative district. It is owned by brothers Onaje and Omari Henderson and business partner Troy Taylor. Though the former Engineers may seem like an unlikely trio for owning and operating ZuCot – Atlanta’s premier African American art gallery – it is precisely their unique perspective that endears them to novice and seasoned art collectors alike. “A lot of people aren’t used to seeing young Black men in this field, so the pretentiousness you sometimes feel at other art galleries isn’t there,” said Onaje.

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Onaje and Omari Henderson, Founders of Zucot Gallery

COURTESY OF THE HENDERSON BROTHERS

BY JAI DANIELLE

As it turns out, the Henderson brothers aren’t exactly strangers to the abstract world of art; their father, a painter, exposed them to the arts early on. According to Onaje – who completed his first oil painting at age twelve – given their background, the transition from a corporate environment to one rooted in art development was a natural one.

Prior to collaborating with Taylor, they used their corporate dollars to rent gallery spaces for weekend exhibitions. “We’d have artists come in, and at times we were making more money than the galleries themselves,” said Onaje. “We really worked on grabbing our generation, since no one was really talking to us at the time. We were in our early 20’s, getting people under 30 to collect original works of art.”

The brothers met Taylor at one of

“We really worked on grabbing our generation, since no one was really talking to us at the time.

We were in our early 20’s, getting people under 30 to collect original works of art.”

—Onaje Henderson

their events, and in 2010 the three formed a partnership called H&T (Henderson And Taylor) Art Partners. With ZuCot, they hope to create a comfortable space for fledgling art buyers. “We want you to feel comfortable. From the moment people walk into the gallery, they feel welcome,” said Onaje. During private consultations, for example, clients are encouraged to choose the music played throughout the gallery.

“If you want to listen to Nas while you look around, that’s fine. [The gallery] is yours for that time.”

They believe adding an educational component also helps with relieving the intimidation factor involved in browsing galleries as a novice buyer. To that end, they created Art Tastings, a handson way for clients to learn the ins and outs of art collecting in a casual, open forum environment. “We’ve had people

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A R TS & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

backlash directed at the Academy Awards after they revealed, once again, an overwhelmingly white list of Oscar nominees), if we leave it up to others to acknowledge Black artistic achievement, we may never be formally recognized. “We’re waiting on someone else to do our bidding for us,” Onaji reflects. “That doesn’t make sense. And that’s a position we don’t need to be in; shouldn’t be in.”

Onaje’s background in Consulting and Engineering both prove valuable to him as a gallery owner. “Consulting allows you to become very good at understanding people in general; also, we’re not stuck in the same rules other galleries are stuck in. We can look at something and say ‘hey, I know it’s been done like this for years, but – lets change it,’” he explains.

“Also, as Engineers, we’re trained to be problem solvers; in consulting I used [problem solving]. My brother

used it in his corporate career; Troy used it. Now we’re just trying to figure out how to use it to [help us] collect our own culture. That’s the piece we’re really trying to solve, we really need to become custodians of our culture.”

Onaji goes on to explain that supporting Black art is more than physically showing up--it is an action. “Support in commerce is dollars. Support is actually being involved. If I go into a place and I can’t afford it, I tell someone else [about it]. That’s an action.

Too many times we want to show up, and that’s it. It’s bigger than that.”

ZuCot’s current exhibition, Double Consciousness: A History of Unhealed Wounds, explores the African American’s multi-faceted conception of self, from slavery to present day. The exhibit features works by Aaron F. Henderson, Charlotte Riley-Webb, and Alfred A. Conteh, and is available for viewing through March 19.

COURTESY OF DR. KLNEWHOUSE

bring back their friends. They’ll tour their friends around the gallery and show them what they’ve learned. And guess what happens? Their friends become collectors, too.”

The gallery specializes in displaying the original work of living African American artists. In this area, culturally, Onaje feels a void. “If I asked you to name five European artists, you could do it,” he explains. “If I asked you to name five African American artists, most people can’t. We can’t name the people who look like us. People who are great, people who have works in museums. We have no idea who they are. At some point, we have to take responsibility for that. We have to correct that.”

He believes it is our responsibility, specifically, to support the works of contemporary African American artists. As made evident by the recent “Oscars So White” controversy (the

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MIN D, B OD Y A N D S O U L

Important Tips from Flawless Fitness Instructor: Deliqua Isom DON’T LET SUMMER SNEAK UP ON YOU

Need weight loss tips?

Want to know how to reach that seemingly unattainable weight loss goal? When it comes to weight loss and living a healthier lifestyle, it’s more than just eating carrot sticks and spending 20 minutes on the treadmill.

Certified Personal Trainer, National Physique Committee Bikini Competitor and owner of Flawless Fitness, Deliqua Isom has a few tips to kick start your weight loss journey.

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MARKUS ‘BIG-TIME’ MOORE OF BIG-TIME IMAGES

BY KHADIJA BYRD

“Let yourself know that this is going to be a lifestyle, not just temporary.”

—Deliqua Isom 1. Mentally prepare yourself for the transformation.

Before beginning anything physical, prepare yourself mentally and spiritually for what’s to come. Let yourself know that this is going to be a lifestyle, not just temporary.

2. Get to know your body and what you would like to change; Be realistic.

Analyze what you would like to change about your body but be realistic about your goal. Keep in mind that everyone has a different body type, so using someone else’s goal is not realistic.

Decide whether or not this is something you’re ready to fully commit to.

Think about all the hard work and dedication this requires, know that it won’t be easy. Decide whether or not this is something you’re ready to fully commit to.

4. Do your research on EVERYTHING. Trainers, meal plans, workout routines, pills, teas, shakes, waist shapers, everything. Its important to research any and everything because there are a lot of “lose weight fast” items on the market that could jeopardize your health, if you don’t have the proper knowledge.

5. Develop a schedule.

Think about your day and what you have to do throughout it. Scheduling is key. Know when the best hours are for you to get a complete workout in. Pick a scheduled time for working out that best suits you, whether that be morning, afternoon or night.

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M IND , BOD Y A ND SOUL

Continued from page 21 6. Develop clean eating habits.

Developing a clean eating habit is probably the most important tip. You can workout everyday, but if you’re not eating right, you will see no results. Don’t go cold turkey and cut everything out all at once. Slowly incorporate healthy options in your meals. You don’t want to look at it as a short term diet—this change is long term.

7. Change up your exercising routine.

Don’t stick to just one routine. Switch it up, surprise your body. Sticking to the same routine doesn’t allow for different muscles to be trained.

Incorporating all of these useful tips, sticking to them and incorporating patience will surely give you noticeable results. It will give you motivation you to keep going. Have confidence in yourself and know that you can achieve your goals if you put forth the hard work and discipline.

Focus on your mind, body and soul. Positive thoughts equal positive results.

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8. Seek professional help if needed.

Don’t be afraid to use your research to find the proper trainer for yourself. If you don’t know how to start or you have simply reached a plateau, you may want to take it to the next level, reach out and find yourself a trainer.

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10 L IFE S TYL E

I OFTEN SPEAK AT VARIOUS

high schools and colleges across the nation on the subjects of success and overcoming obstacles. While I have a passion for all youth and young adults determined to succeed, I have a deep connection with young men as a result of my own struggles and trials growing up. Often during my presentations, I share things that I wish someone would have shared with me in my early years as I obliviously navigated my way through life.

For young men in high school, college, or the world, here are a few things I’ve learned that will hopefully help you along your way:

10

BY JAY JACKSON

the crowd trying to keep up with the status quo. The only vague resemblance of a goal is their aspiration to be successful, often defined by monetary achievements.

Success is not about becoming a millionaire. Success is about achieving clear and concise goals that maximize

your true potential. It is about performing in the very essence of your capabilities and enjoying a life that is fulfilling. Set goals for yourself—personally and professionally. Recognize the natural talents you possess. Work hard at developing those talents into skills

and utilize those skills to accomplish your predetermined goals.

9

Develop An Appetite For Learning.

It has often been said, “What I don’t know won’t hurt me.” The harsh reality is that what you don’t know hurts you every day. Therefore, you must learn to develop an appetite for knowledge. As knowledge is acquired, it must be applied. You must go to the library, to the book stores, to the seminars, to the classes, to the training.

As you seek knowledge, you will begin discover ideas, inspiration, and opportunities. You will find the answer to the questions you have been asking as well as the answers to the questions you didn’t know to ask.

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Set Goals For Yourself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The world makes way for those who knows where he is going.” Yet, too many times young men find themselves lost, following

Things Young Men Should Know

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8

Handle Your Business. Successful women are turned off by a man with a life full of drama and unfinished business. However, a man who has himself together and knows where he is going is an attractive prize. Spend less time chasing women and more time focused on handling your business and you will begin to notice women focusing on and pursuing you.

7

Ask For Help. A man’s pride can be the cause of his refusal to ask for help. We will drive around in circles lost for hours before eventually swallowing our pride and asking someone for directions.

When it comes to navigating through life, you do not have time to let foolish pride stand in the way of you obtaining your goals.

Understand that there is no such thing as a selfmade man. Anyone who has achieved any significant level of success did so as a result of someone or many people preparing them for and/or providing them with an opportunity. Remember, a closed mouth doesn’t get fed.

6

Never Give Up. The history books are full of individuals who have defied the odds and overcome numerous obstacles to succeed in life.

While they all had many different personalities, one characteristic they all possessed was their ability to persevere despite their unfavorable situations and circumstances. You must understand that nothing in life worth having will come easy. It will be your ability

to persist through difficult times that will separate you from those who only dream of success.

5

Choose Your Friends Wisely.

Be careful who you associate yourself with. People will judge you by the company you keep.

Your friends will also play a large role in the things you achieve in life. Good friends with goals of their own will encourage you and stretch you further than you ever believed your abilities would take you. Bad friends with no goals of their own and no concrete plans for their life will take great pride in talking you out of yours. Meet new people, explore new things, think for yourself, and surround yourself with positive people who want the most out of life.

4

Own At Least One Suit. Every man should own at least one suit — whether it is black or blue. There are occasions where you can try pulling off a shirt and tie, but there is still nothing as powerful, timeless, and well received as a well-dressed man in a suit for events such as job interviews, weddings, funerals and dinners, etc. T-shirts are fine when you are at play, but nothing beats a suit when it’s time to handle business.

3

Give Respect To Get Respect. Look a person in the eye as you firmly shake their hand. Learn to use words like ‘thank you’.

Open doors and let the lady go through first, pull out the chair for the woman/ women you’re with, refer to older men and women as

SO MANY YOUNG MEN FIND THEMSELVES LOST SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FULLY AWARE OF WHO THEY ARE. ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’, walk tall, and speak in a pleasant tone. It’s okay to apologize and admit the times when you are wrong. Don’t call a woman out of her name, even if she is not acting like a true lady. And most of all, respect yourself. If you want to be respected, you must first look like you are respectable. If your pants have belt loops, you should wear a belt that keeps your pants above your waist. It may not feel cool to you, but it’s respectable worldwide.

2

Listen. Learn to listen. You can learn a lot by listening and people can learn a lot about you. Many people talk as an effort to convince others of their intellect. Ironically, it is the ones who say very little that often times possess true wisdom. The art of listening also involves knowing when and when not to speak. Understand that some things are better left unsaid. Perhaps novelist Carlos Ruiz Zafón said it best with his quote, “Fools talk, cowards are silent, wise men listen.”

1

Learn Your History.

So many young men find themselves lost simply because they are not fully aware of who they are. While Dr. Martin Luther King, Marcus Garvey, and Malcolm X played a significant role in the advancement of the African American race, there are so many others who made similar contributions and sacrifices, but did not receive much of the glory. You must take time to study your lineage. Study the stories and history of the individuals whose blood flows through your veins.

You must understand that you come from the strongest, smartest, most creative, and most passionate people. Your ancestors have endured much more than you could ever imagine so you can have more opportunities then you ever imagined. Learn your history and it will inspire you to create your own.

There are so many more things I want to share with you, but if you at least start with these 10, you will be well on your way to becoming the next generation of strong, powerful men, fathers, and leaders. And remember to also strive to RYSE to the top because the bottom is simply too crowded.

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L O V E & HA P P I N E S S

Are You Successful and Lonely?

A

MANY WOMEN TODAY FIND THEMSELVES SUCCESSFUL BUT SO SINGLE

After a long week of work, unfortunately most single and successful women are battling the 5 o’clock traffic jam and dreading the moment they open the door to a beautiful home with no one waiting to greet them.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF RUNYARO

BY SAMUEL LEE

IF A MAN’S RIGHT TO BE THE ULTIMATELY DECISION MAKER IN A RELATIONSHIP IS TAKEN, HIS NATURAL INSTINCT AS A MAN IS TAKEN AS WELL. Most successful women picture themselves on top of the corporate ladder, raising beautiful kids and married to the man of their dreams.

That’s not the case for many successful women.

Many of my date coaching clients are professionals, successful in their fields, but have no idea why they’re single. These same clients say they’re single because of the lack of quality men in their area and lack of respect from men they’ve dated in the past and an abundance of promiscuous women that most successful men lust for. Those excuses sound great to the untrained ear.

Being successful and alone can be embarrassing, leaving one bitter and jealous of friends.

Successful women have been in the driver’s seat for most of their lives. Becoming independent and successful has been not only a challenge within the pressures of corporate America but the maintenance of that success is dually as tough. It’s been found that women that drive towards success and complete independence are subsequently single.

On the flip side successful men that have the same burning desire to achieve have an abundance of women to date.

Now, as successful people know if two corporate titans are placed in the same room, both will maintain that “there is only room for one to lead.”

Unfortunately this corporate attitude transcends to the relationship and the bedroom of many successful

couples. The question arises of who’s going to relinquish the power in the relationship if a relationship can even be cultivated.

This is the question I am faced with when helping my successful and single female clients. The answer is “Play the game, or stand on the side line and watch everyone else play.”

Men want to take care of women and lead their families. It’s modern to burn more bras and scream equal rights, but in the bedroom it’s still 2000 BC. If a man’s right to be the ultimately decision maker in a relationship is taken, his natural instinct as a man is taken as well.

Men have come far in terms of accepting the successes of women. But they still expect to be the nonsubmissive, final decision making Alpha males in our relationships.

Most successful women have found comfort in being non-submissive, the final decision maker and an alpha female in life. This thought process turns the most eligible and successful men completely off.

Again, most men need to “feel” superior. Notice, it said “feel” superior. Males need to “feel” like they are the center of the earth and the end of the decision making process lies with them.

Many women try to argue with this stand down “Play the Game” approach, but if you have not tried it you lose your right to complain. Make men feel as if we are in control of the world while you stand back and pull our strings!

TEN MORE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR DATING LIFE TODAY ARE:

1

Admit it is your fault you are single and you have all the power to change your dating life.

2

Start taking accountability for all of your bad relationships, take responsibility in the fact that YOU started dating them knowing exactly who they were.

3

Give the next guy that shows an interest in you a chance.

4

Don’t sleep with him on the first date!

5

Go to at least one different happy hour a week and introduce your self to who you find attractive. (Yes, you approach him!)

6

Throw away your “What a man must have” list. Because that list has you very single and leaves you looking for SUPERMAN!

7

Start going out by yourself to dinner, the movies and doing other things you think requires a presence of a man as a date.

8

Start approaching and engaging men you think will be a good match for you.

9

Stop entertaining the “Male bashing” with your other single friends.

10

Start hanging out with friends who are in healthy and committed relationships. They have other friends who are like them too.

Samuel Lee is known to most as Mr. Date Coach. He’s helped many men and women deal with the realities of their dating life.

His tips have helped clients find success in their dating lives.

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L AW & O R D E R

DON’T LET THE ALLURE OF THE LIMELIGHT CAUSE YOU TO BE BLIND TO THE PITFALLS

BY FATIMA KOKO

As many entertainers enter the entertainment industry, they become enamored with the dazzling aspects of becoming celebrities, as singer Fergie vividly painted in her hit song Glamorous—the ever-so common firstclass flights and all the perks of the lavish lifestyle. What many 28 RY SE | SPRING 2 016

fall prey to is the other side of the industry that’s often left solely to agents and managers: legal information in contracts.

To avoid having your starry-eyed dreams of stardom turn into a nightmare, Entertainment Attorney Kimra Major-Morris offers these quick tips to heed before signing a contract.

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Legal Tips To Take Before Breaking Into the Entertainment Business

1. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE COMPENSATION CLAUSE PAPERWORK The compensation-clause paperwork entails knowing your creative rights and how to apply that knowledge to copyright infringement. The means you should be aware of exactly how you will be compensated for your talent. The proper step you should follow is not to download a contract from the Internet. Instead, actually go in for a consultation with an attorney. This alleviates dealing with problems of interest among those who collect money and those who may not have the best interest of you.

2. KNOW WHO THE PARTIES OF THE CONTRACT ARE You should certainly be aware of the different people mentioned in the contract. For example, try to stay away from signing with people -- whose names may sound influential in the business – without knowing who they are. This could lead to problems if such name turns out to be a fraud or it impacts you in a negative way, given their influence in the industry. If you are under the age of 18, parental authorization will be implemented and terms that are made without permission of the parent can be unenforceable.

3. PROTECT YOUR INTEREST In the event you engage in collaborative work, it is highly recommended that you protect your intellectual property.

This should be done before making any undisclosed agreements, which happens before sharing creative content. A tip for producers would be following the same advice, but also registering copyrights to maintain no one can have the work in any medium. In order to know how to protect your interest, you should have full knowledge of how the percentage of money involved in the contract will be distributed.

You should also include all work done prior to signing the contract, for protection purposes. Inquire exactly what the percentage of payment is and what it means. Look for terms such as net or gross and make sure they are specified as to whether deductions will be made before you receive the money. An example would be if a certain unit of music sells, then the parties will receive said specific amount. The greatest step that will provide holistic knowledge is looking into Publishing and Performance Rights and a 360 Deal, which is the industry standard for compensation.

4. DO NOT ASSIGN YOUR RIGHTS TO A 3RD PARTY Under no circumstance should you assign your rights away to anyone when signing a contract. Look out for keywords such as transfer, forfeit, or relinquish that may hint at the parties asking for you to assign your rights to a 3rd party. Also note you should not assign away those things based on a breach of the contract; such as, if you do not perform your work, then you will not receive compensation. This means the contract should not state that in the event you do or do not perform your work, then you will have assigned away your rights.

5. INSERT A CLAUSE THAT THE PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR BREACHING WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTORNEY FEES Before even being able to apply this tip, you should have the contract reviewed by a legal representative to ensure this is included. You will not be held responsible if you or any other person is wronged. This is useful because you may not be able to afford legal action; and if there is a clause setup to make up for this, you will not be held accountable for the actions of those who violated the contract.

6. UNDERSTAND THE CONTRACT TERM TO ITS END Lastly, make sure the Exit Clause is clear and the entire contract is no more than three years in duration.

The old adage of “reading is fundamental” interplays in various professions and is highly relevant in the entertainment business. A contract is an important document, and so are you and the worth in your craft. Anyone breaking into entertainment business or even a veteran who has been misguided would wholly benefit from these 6 tips.

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P O L ITIC A L P O W E R

Throwing Your Hat In The Ring

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POLITICAL CONSULTANT KEISHA A. CARTER-BROWN PROVIDES VALUABLE ADVICE TO FIRST GENERATION POLITICIANS

BY LAUREN EVERETT

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tant hired, because you need money to run an effective campaign and hire the rest of your staff. Sometimes we are the last one hired, because people realize that running for office is really expensive, and after they’ve spent more than what they thought it would cost, that is when I get the call.” Campaigning for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump seem effortless because they have funds to hire able staff that are knowledgeable of the process. Luckily, RaZor Solutions Group can give sound advice and direction to those who are just starting their political career.

Carter makes it a point to tell RYSE that politics are not like Scandal at all.

“Many times, people don’t run, because they get a false sense of reality watching politics on television. I tell candidates all the time that this is not Scandal, it’s more like the old Michael J. Fox show, Spin City, a comedy.

Most first-time candidates can’t trust their gut when they get started, because running for office is probably the opposite of what you believe you have to do to get elected, that is why you need experienced people around you to get you to a point where you can trust your own instincts again.”

There will always be room for those that want to make a social change and

be a voice for those who have something to say. When asked what advice she could give to those who are interested in running for office, Carter offered eight tips.

1. KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE: If you are a Democrat but live in a Republican District, you need to move to be elected, if your races are partisan or where party plays a role in the election.

2. IT TAKES GOLD TO RUN A CAMPAIGN: All campaigns cost money, even grassroots campaigns cost money. Yard Signs, T-shirts, Rack Cards, Printing, Gas, Food for Volunteers, Campaign Headquarters, etc. All of this cost money.

You don’t have to raise it, but you will have to spend it. Have a plan for how to pay for the campaign.

3. TIME: Do you have time to dedicate to running for office? Some jobs don’t make it easy to run for public office. Voters want to see you. Donors need to be called.

Volunteers need to be trained. If you don’t have time to do all of that, then you need to hire people to do all of it and you have to look back at number 2.

4. COALITION OF THE WILLING: Do you have people that will support you by vol-

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With Scandal still drawing in millions of viewers every Thursday night, audiences get a closer look into politics with more than a pinch of drama. Election season is just around the corner and today’s youth are involved now more than ever in social issues and politics. Although this country’s issues may not get solved in an hour with the help of Olivia Pope, Atlanta does have its own superwoman to help guide first generation politicians.

Keisha A Carter serves as the Principal Consultant of RaZor Solutions Group, a political consulting firm specializing in first generation politicians. “My responsibility is to guide individuals into elected service. We primarily serve as fundraising consultants, but we usually are involved in many different aspects of the campaign for our clients.” Whether RaZor Solutions Group comes in at the beginning or end of your campaign, its main goal is to catapult a client into the position he or she wants to be in.

“Our firm is usually the first consul-

unteering their time, donating money or items, helping you walk precincts etc. If you don’t then how or where do you get them, but you will need them.

Great campaigns grow this coalition over time.

5. KNOW YOUR OPPONENT, DON’T BE YOUR OPPONENT: If you run a campaign chasing your opponent everywhere, you might as well stay home, because unless you are the lead dog, the scenery doesn’t change. Have a plan for your campaign. Know your opponent and know more than your opponent to stay ahead of them.

6. PEAK AT THE RIGHT TIME: Campaigns can be really long, so you have to understand when voters start to pay attention and not when your friends (I call this the Bubble) want to see your signs in everyone’s yard or you on television.

7. DID I MENTION MONEY: Campaigns are expensive, but not impossible. You do not have to be rich to run, or have an ivy-league education, but you do need the willingness to serve, and work to earn every donation and every vote.

8. CLOSED MOUTHS DON’T GET FED: You have to ask for votes, money, volunteers, support, etc.If you are not asking, people don’t know what you need and can’t help you when you need it. Most people that run are very strong individuals, so people assume they have it all together.

“Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work with really great people: Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, Fulton County Chairman John Eaves, Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressman Ben Chandler, most of the Atlanta Board of Education, and so many more that are doing this because they want to change the community they live in. Not just for themselves, but for the people around them.” Many

people believe that politicians are selfish individuals that don’t have the community’s best interest at heart. That may be the case sometimes, but Carter believes the opposite to be true.

“When you work with those that are running for office, you are reminded that people run for the right reasons.

This is a tough job to do with no guarantee that you will win. You must have a heart for service to put yourself and your family through the experience.”

For many young black people, their social media may be the outlet for them to get current events and updates when it comes to the news. Movements, such as Black Lives Matter and the evolving and inclusive Women’s Movement, come up often. Although people rally to get their voices heard and incite changes, they can’t be made without there being a political push and change as well.

The Black Lives Matter movement is said to be the second wave to the Civil Rights Movement, which if one remembers, required politics in order to be effective. Prompting that same action – all the while incorporating the new tools that now existto spread information farther and faster – makes the likelihood of this movement being powerful, if not more so than the first movement.

Petitions, marches, hashtags, and t-shirts aren’t going to drive the change people want to see; however, communicating with elected officials would be a great start.

Carter has seen many people shy away from running, because politics doesn’t mimic what’s shown on TV. Not every election is going to be as popular and scandalous as the upcoming presidential election with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump constantly in the lime light. A campaign doesn’t have to imitate television drama to tackle real life issues.

Many of the complaints heard from people supporting these movements are the lack of attention and understanding, and a need for change. Those complaints indicate when voters and

“When you work with those that are running for office, you are reminded that people run for the right reasons.

This is a tough job to do with no guarantee that you will win. You must have a heart for service to put yourself and your family through the experience.” potential politicians have to invest time in doing their research to either elect someone who can help them fight for their causes or better equip themselves to dialogue with officials that are already in office. Something that older voters urge the younger generation to do is research. Although partisanship matters, there are candidates on the other side of the isle that may agree with an issue that you stand for. Understanding and researching candidates, while knowing where you stand on certain issues, will help you further assess and vote in the best way possible for you and your community. Understanding the political process and knowing all the details that go into inciting changes better prepares voters and potential politicians for the road ahead of them.

As Carter mentioned earlier, there is an overt difference between television’s version of politics and real life.

Most people are not fortunate to have born into a political dynasty such as the Kennedy’s or Bush’s, but with a superwoman such as Keisha A. Carter and the RaZor Solutions Group there to guide first generation politicians, who’s to say she can’t help mold and direct a new potential candidate into office.

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P O WER M O V E S

Behind The Lens RYSING PROFESSIONALS RESHAPING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY THROUGH FILM AND TELEVISION

BY MELLISSA THOMAS

GEORGIO RODRIGUEZ Camera Operator, Director of Photography

The two-time Emmy winning Asbury Park, New Jersey native already has fourteen years of television and commercial production under his belt. He has worked on some of the most popular television shows, including WWE’s RAW, Tough Enough, and Wrestlemania; Survivor, T.I. & Tiny, Bad Girls Club, Flying Wild Alaska, Sarah Palin’s Alaska, The Steve Harvey Show, Treehouse Masters, and Undercover Boss, which received the Emmy Award for Best Reality Show in 2012 and 2013.

He also recorded the bonus features on Disney’s remastered release of The Little Mermaid.

Rodriguez hit the ground running once he completed his Film degree from

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Full Sail Real World Education (now Full Sail University) in Winter Park, Florida, landing a three-month internship on Nickelodeon’s Primetime Live shortly before he graduated. He did such a superior job, he was hired on after only two weeks, making $150 per day. The internship had him working in MTV’s Broadway studio, and led to working for other Viacom productions: VH1 (Save the Music), and MTV’s TRL (Total Request Live). He eventually returned to Orlando and began working as a production assistant setting rocks and props in celebrity homes, then landed his first gig as a P.A. for a cruise line that works with Disney on several projects each year, which plugged him into working with Disney. The rest is history.

His career has since developed into a versatile body of work spanning many

genres: game shows (Nickelodeon), commercials, sports videography, reality television, and music videos. “I do it all,” Rodriguez told RYSE. “If you can get in anywhere, then you’ll always have work year-round.” His year-round work has sent him all over the country and the world, including China, Thailand, Fiji, and Alaska.

Though a sole proprietor for his projects, Rodriguez partnered with Itchy House Films, a music video and commercial production company owned by his cousin Jay Rodriguez and business partner Rock Davis, for his music video projects in February 2014. His music video work includes shoots with P. Diddy featuring Rick Ross, and Vado’s “Look Me in My Eyes,” with Rick Ross and French Montana.

The ravenous work ethic was ingrained in Rodriguez from childhood. He draws his inspiration from his father, who “worked late every night” and had a large VHS movie collection.

He would watch movies with Rodriguez and his brother when he came home each night, which cultivated Rodriguez’s hunger to be in the industry.

The father-to-be has a biological baby and an adoptive infant on the way and is excited for what lies ahead, including

“If I get an offer and they ask me if I know how to use a certain camera, I’ll just say, ‘yeah, sure,’ because it’s usually a matter of learning the menu or buttons. It’s not usually that difficult. Don’t miss an opportunity just for that.” —Georgio Rodriguez the Disney Dreamers Academy happening March 3-6, 2016, for which he will be filming Steve Harvey.

Rodriguez plans to give back to those on the rise by returning to his alma mater to speak to and empower current students. Additionally, he plans to reach out to churches to offer training to their camera operators.

RODRIGUEZ’S GREATEST STRENGTHS: •He’s sociable and likeable.

•He has unwavering faith in God. •He keeps up with the industry’s latest gear—tweaks, upgrades, and brand new releases.

“If I get an offer and they ask me if I know how to use a certain camera, I’ll just say, ‘yeah, sure,’ because it’s usually a matter of learning the menu or buttons. It’s not usually that difficult. Don’t miss an

opportunity just for that.”

•He makes himself available for projects despite any previous plans he’s made.

“If I promise my wife something and an opportunity comes, I understand that it might be the only chance to work with that company for a long time or ever, so I postpone my plans and tell her I’ll make it worth double her while once the project’s done.”

HIS ADVICE TO INDUSTRY NEWCOMERS: •Don’t be afraid to start from the bottom—be open to opportunities. If you have to make copies or pick people up from the airport, use that as a chance to show your personality.

•Push forward, no matter what. Doors are going to be shut in your face.

•Do what you want, and never give up.

JAMES HUNTER

Founder and President, 1st Dibz Productions, LLC. Producer, Director, Screenwriter James Hunter is living the indie filmmaker’s dream: He successfully brought his crime drama feature, The Breaking Point, to the masses, starting with Universal City Walk’s AMC Theaters back in April 2014. The Brooklyn native’s indomitable verve galvanizes the Central Florida entertainment community. Despite sustaining a nearfatal gunshot that paralyzed him from the waist down, Hunter pursues his dreams with all the rigor of a man on his feet, putting his Full Sail University Film Bachelors and Entertainment Business Masters degrees to work.

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P O WER M O V E S

Continued from page 33

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“You must have confidence predicated upon faith.”

—James Hunter

a film’s fate based on four scoring levels: A score of 30 or less shelves the movie and kills studio funding. A score between 30 and 50 sends it straight to DVD. A score between 50 and 70 earns a studio edit based on audience feedback, and more funding. If that edited film rescreens with a score of 70 or above, the film is completed and distributed to theaters.

At its very first test screening, The Breaking Point earned a cumulative score of 80.

After the screening, Hunter asked the investors if they regretted putting their money into the project. They all said no, and were blown away at the quality Hunter and his team produced on a $40,000 budget.

Hunter reached out to theater venues to host the premiere, and made an official trailer to build buzz, which shot to over 20,000 views in less than five days. The Orlando red carpet premiere of The Breaking Point was a success and its after party at Bob Marley: A Tribute to Freedom at Universal City Walk made history as the restaurant’s highest Sunday night attendance in fifteen years. Hunter also premiered the film in Miami to a packed house at Open Stage Club.

With continued grassroots market-

ing via social media, talk show appearances (including The Daily Buzz and The Samy Priso Show), and several film festivals, Hunter and his team proved the film’s sustainability and success.

The film secured an international video on demand (VOD) and DVD distribution deal in early 2015 and the DVD internationally launched in December that year.

It is now available on Amazon.com and on VOD with cable carriers across the country. Hunter has received photos and correspondence from viewers in New York, Australia, and parts of Africa.

Hunter’s newest project, faith-based feature The Turnaround, is currently in preproduction. More details can be found at www.facebook.com/TheTurnaroundMovieLLC. HUNTERS’ GREATEST STRENGTHS: His faith, resolve, passion, work ethic, and ability to communicate and articulate well HIS ADVICE TO INDUSTRY NEWCOMERS: • You must have confidence predicated upon faith.

• Don’t take no for an answer, and don’t get discouraged.

• Understand the industry or business you’re in.

DOLLARPHOTOCLUB.COM

Shortly after he graduated Film, he began producing and directing music videos, and formed his production company 1st Dibz Productions, LLC in 2009. He then made his first short, “Checkmate,” an academic drama starring Kevin Young, which whet Orlando’s appetite for more of his work and opened the doors for him to connect with Sean Nelson (Fresh, The Wood, Law & Order) and local rising star Erik Grey to produce his next short, “Juxed,” which was shot using the Red One highresolution HD camera.

Like “Checkmate,” “Juxed” augmented Hunter’s synergy, cementing his professional relationship with Nelson and Grey, and connected him with Diana Lovell, the leading lady in The Breaking Point.

Hunter’s filmmaking journey isn’t without its obstacles, including a frightening collision in 2010. While working on “Juxed,” he was crossing University Boulevard in Winter Park, Florida, in his motorized wheelchair when its battery suddenly died in the middle of the intersection. A truck hit him and sent him flying twenty feet. He was hospitalized for two weeks, but he charmed everyone who entered his room with his confidence and positive attitude.

The Breaking Point was a formidable undertaking as well. Hunter delineated the process. Firstly, he and his team developed a workable script within budget, mapped it out, and pitched it to investors. Once he hired the cast and crew (negotiating rates along the way), the crew began the preproduction process, which Hunter summarized as “getting everyone to trust you, including the producers.”

The sixteen days of filming, involved what Hunter called a “schedule dance,” coordinating location availability with the cast and crew’s availability, which wasn’t smooth—the team had to schedule two days of pick-up shots, which Hunter had to raise more funding to shoot.

Once postproduction was completed, he did a test screening with all twentysix investors and producers, requesting their score from one to five, five being the best score. He explained that when studios do such screenings, they gauge

CONTONA THOMAS

Founder, C-L.I.V.E. Productions, LLC and To The Table Inc. Producer, Entrepreneur, and Public Speaker Tampa-born Contona (con-TAHNah) Thomas is a filmmaker working daily to lay an industry path for the next generation. For several years, through a partnership with Parramore Kidz Zone, also known as PKZ, his nonprofit company To The Table Inc. hosted an annual summer camp to help the underserved children in the Parramore community learn skills in digital multimedia, creative writing, film, and broadcast communications. He now continues his quest to empower youth as a full-time drama teacher at Odyssey Middle School in Orlando, Florida.

Thomas, who’s been involved in the community since middle school, imparts his own theater, film, and video production experience to youth to provide them an outlet and chance for success.

“I believe with media kids can learn a transferrable skill, which they can use to get a payable job in the industry, go to a community college to get a certificate, or go to college.”

Thomas and PKZ Youth Development Specialist Glen Providence

asserted that a key solution to the marginalization of underprivileged youth, especially African American teens and young men, is to listen to them—to have deep conversations that allow them to tell their stories without judgment, and project positive stories. “The only way to change the negative imagery and stereotypes is to fight fire with fire,” Providence said. “If they’re going to tell our story with negative images, then we’ll show black young men with 3.0 GPAs, as veterinarians.”

Thomas holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in African American studies from UCF and a Masters in Business Administration from Strayer University. During his time at UCF, he was a theater major for two years and received the Dr. John T. Washington Adult Community Service Award for his continued contribution to the Orlando community.

The recognition is a testament to his straightforward work ethic—he is all about getting things done. “I don’t really care where you went to school.

I want to know if you can do what I need you to do when I need you to do it. Answer the question; let’s make it happen.”

Thomas founded his production company C-L.I.V.E. Productions, LLC in 2011 to further bolster his effort to uplift his community. “We create quality web content, and we’ll be shooting here [in Orlando], with these kids behind the camera. My goal is to create jobs.” He also aims to highlight unrecognized African American actors in the Orlando community.

C-L.I.V.E. Productions developed the “Miserably Single” web series on YouTube, starring Kareen Kennedy and Diana Lovell, and is developing three upcoming projects: feature film Bethune, the story of Mary McLeod Bethune as told by her granddaughter; Midnight Train From Georgia, a musical about Gladys Knight and the Pipps (based on the biography of the recently deceased William Guest); and WebTV Digest, a podcast with industry news, updates, and interviews. Thomas is also working with RYSE Media to develop three web series for its RYSE TV platform.

THOMAS’S GREATEST STRENGTHS: • Relationships he’s been able to forge along the way. “A lot of what I’ve been able to accomplish is due to those relationships.”

• Having a clear-cut vision, which he can hold onto, even when things get bleak HIS ADVICE TO INDUSTRY NEWCOMERS: • Find out what it is you want to do, then find out what relationships you have and need to make it happen.

• Don’t allow money (or the lack thereof) to hold you back.

• Everyone isn’t as far removed as you think they are. Be ready for “the ask”—be ready to tell that person about your project, company, or business goals.

“We create quality web content, and we’ll be shooting here [in Orlando], with these kids behind the camera. My goal is to create jobs.”

—Contona Thomas

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P O WER P L AY E R S

THE SEEDS OF

SUCCESS DIANA LOVELL GIVES A GLIMPS INTO HER JOURNEY TO THE LIMELIGHT

BY ALICIA MITCHELL Photos: Nancy Jo Brown – 106FOTO Make Up: Eva Guy-Reed – Evastyles Glamour Studio Wardrobe Stylist: Troy Clinton – Troy Clinton Styles

S

Southeast based actress and entertainer, Diana Lovell, never imagined her big break happening in an all-youcan-eat restaurant. Casually dressed in jeans and a black shirt, the last thing on her mind was getting discovered. “I was happy because I was having dessert,” says Lovell, “when a lady came out of nowhere and told me I could model.”

The odds of meeting a model scout at a Buffet Restaurant are highly unlikely. . . Meeting a model scout while eating dessert?! Now that’s one for the memory books. The scout spoke to Diana about the commercial market and with headshots and an agent.

Lovell would fit right in.

Lovell said she, “…never thought about modeling. I’m not 5’9”. I’m a little curvy and I’m not 15 anymore.” The scout, unabashed by Lovell’s trepidation, extended an olive branch by passing along her business card. Little did Lovell know, but that 3.5 x 2 inch business card would change her whole life.

“She did my makeup. She did my hair. She had wardrobe. She had the photographer, everything,” Lovell exuberantly recalled,“And then she got me signed with agencies. Then all of a sudden I started working.”

Lovell was booking local and regional commercial spots, and national campaigns for television and print media like clockwork: Eyeglass World, Atlantis Resorts, Carnival, State Farm, Universal Studios, Disney, and more.

“When I started, I started hard. I was blessed to work all the time.”

It wasn’t long before industry people starting taking notice. Not only was she booking a lot, she was getting speaking roles, which is not an easy task.

Having call times as early as 3 a.m. and not wrapping until 9 p.m. is a welcomed schedule for the success-driven

IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, PEOPLE WILL BE ATTRACTED TO YOU AND WANT TO HELP YOU GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE JUST BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.” —Diana Lovell actress. After Lovell started working, the scout never called again “I felt like she was an angel sent to push me,” says Lovell, who was never charged a single cent for all the help the scout provided “She never wanted anything.

She just disappeared. I don’t even know where she is now. I would love to tell her how she affected my life.“ FAMILY LIFE Growing up, Lovell loved listening to her father’s music. He was a wellknown artist in the Cape Verdean community of Boston Cape Verde is a small island off the west coast of Africa.

Lovell’s father’s influence had a lasting impact on her career. Unquestionably, Lovell was a daddy’s girl whose passion for singing was genetically predisposed, “He was like the Beatles of Cape Verdean people,” says Lovell. “His love for singing made me love singing.”

Seeking a better life, her parents Continued on Page 38

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P O WER P L AY E R S Continued from page 37 ran a tight ship raising Lovell and her younger brother in Boston. Her parents found success in real estate, owning multiple residential properties that they rented out. With both parents being, Cape-Verde born, they instilled in their children the mentality that one must work hard for what they want.

“We were well off, but my mother made me feel like we were poor,” says Lovell. “It was her reverse psychology from Cape Verde slave mentality. “ Positioned on the great trade routes between Africa, Europe, and the New World, the Cape Verde Islands played a pivotal role in the transatlantic Slave Trade. For three centuries, the Portuguese used slave labor to grow cotton and indigo. They then would trade these goods for slaves captured in local African wars and raids.

Often kept in the house, the siblings sought ways to stay entertained and out of trouble. The 1992 hit single “Real Love,” by hip-hop soul singer Mary J. Blige, was a classic that Lovell remembers jamming to. Not always the willing volunteer, her younger brother made for a perfect sidekick to sing the melody.

“I forced my brother to sing with me.

I used to torture him,” she recalls. “He used to say he was mad but [he] sang on key though.”

WIN FROM WITHIN Lovell felt she was born to sing until she realized TV entertainment was her calling. With millions of aspiring entertainers clamoring for a break, pursuing a career in the cutthroat industry was a risk worth taking. Continually pushing herself to work hard and remain positive, success would find her. She was certain of that.

“If you believe in yourself,” she began, “people will be attracted to you and want to help you get to where you need to be just because you believe in yourself.”

Maximizing her personal goals of being the best in the business, Lovell wakes up everyday identifying ways to

38 RY SE | SPRING 2 016

make herself a better actress and acting upon it. The winding road of auditions and callbacks can be taxing, but it is not often Lovell finds herself in a mental slump. When she does, its lifespan is minute with her power circle of supportive friends, who are also actors.

They prevent her from falling in the trenches. Before she can even get in a bad mood, a timely text saying, “Don’t forget that you are a wonderful and talented woman” it gets her back in focus and always provided at the right time.

Understanding that life is not easy, her mother desired for Lovell to establish financial security so she wouldn’t have to struggle. Even as a little girl, Lovell remembers telling her mother that she was going to be on TV and buy her a house. Her mother would respond, , “No you’re not! You’re going to work a 9-to-5 job like everybody else.”

Lovell never categorized her parents’ support as negative. She simply believed they didn’t understand the business. Considering that her mother had no idea about the industry or how to get in, it’s typical of a parent to have concern for the wellbeing of their offspring.

“It’s not that she didn’t believe in me.

She knew,” says Lovell. “She just didn’t want me to get hurt. Now, she’s my biggest supporter.”

RELATIONSHIPS Lovell has had her share of up and downs in relationships. “Love has taught me a lot. I’ve been happy. I’ve been devastated. I’ve been hurt. And I’ve been swept off my feet.”

When Lovell explained a past relationship she had, she revealed that she had been through a life or death situation with an ex-boyfriend. “I have found myself in an abusive relationship where his insecurities have make me run for my life.” “You never think it can happen to you, until it does. And then you realize that no one is invincible. But we can be smart and learn the signs of abusive people and stay away from those types of relationships.”

Which is why Diana has made it a priority to speak to women and children; and teach them to value them-

“I DON’T REGRET ANYTHING. AS AN ACTRESS, YOU HAVE TO PULL FROM SOME OF THE WORST AND MOST DEVASTATING TIMES OF YOUR LIFE SO THOSE WORDS WILL BE COMING FROM YOUR HEART.” —Diana Lovell selves, and learn the signs of abusive behavior before getting into relationships. Diana has spent hours doing volunteer work for charities that support women who have been victims of domestic abuse. “Women are sometimes embarrassed to talk about their home life, but they shouldn’t be. Love isn’t supposed to hurt or control. It’s supposed to uplift.”

COLOR COMPLEX In pursuit of roles to prove her range and abilities beyond the usual fare of

the seductive love interest, Lovell’s biggest obstacle was overcoming the ideal that her complexion and nationally was a hindrance to her career.

Being mixed African and Portuguese, Lovell explained, is considered to be ethnically ambiguous. And what she thought, at first, was a hindrance, became her biggest asset. Thanks to actresses such as, Thandie Newton, Halle Berry, and other mixed-race actresses who have paved the way for all nationalities to be well received.

Good for her career, more and more, television is starting to reflect reality, which has become a melting pot of mixed nationalities. Ethnically ambiguous, you can’t place a certain race or geography on the face you see broadcasted. Evolving as humans, more casting directors are willing to go beyond the socially constructed notion that the world is white or black, with no variations of grey.

“You don’t know. You can’t tell, and that is what I am. I am everybody,” says Lovell.

FRUITFUL FUTURE Always being on the hunt for a challenge or new experience, there is so much more to for Lovell to accomplish. Her journey, filled with lots of bumps along the way, has actually worked in her favor. No matter how many flaws she has, decisions she’s made, painful experiences she has lived through, they have made her a better actress.

“I don’t regret anything,” says Lovell. “As an actress, you have to pull from some of the worst and most devastating times of your life so those words will be coming from your heart.”

At the heart of it all, the key to success is happiness. Steer your own path and stop comparing yourself to others. Love yourself, love the decisions you make, and work on your goals everyday.

“I feel like right now – especially this year – my journey is going at the right speed. Perfect timing. Perfect pace. Perfect direction. I feel like this is what I always wanted. I just wake up happy and ready for the world.”

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grace UNDER PRESSURE

NICOLE WILLIAMS JUGGLES ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PARENTING, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT & CIVIC DUTY, ALL WHILE MAKING THE TRANSITION APPEAR SEAMLESS AND EFFORTLESS.

JASON TOWNSEND – JAY - OGRAPHY

BY RACHEL GEORGE

40 RY SE | SPRING 2 016

“LOOKING OVER THE COURSE OF MY LIFE, I KNOW THAT I AM BLESSED BY THE FAVORS AND KINDNESS GRANTED

F

TO ME BY THOSE AROUND ME.”

For most of us, being a parent, building a rewarding business, and fulfilling our civic duty within the community aren’t simple tasks one can juggle all at once. Nicole Williams makes it look easy. She is the epitome of style, faith, and grace as she works towards becoming a paradigm to all entrepreneurs while lending a helping hand to those in need.

“Looking over the course of my life, I know that I am blessed by the favors and kindness granted to me by those around me.”

Born and raised in small town Marshall, Missouri, Williams was surrounded by a community of loving and helpful individuals that shaped who she is today.

Her self-efficacy and modesty have led to her winning multiple awards, including the Shooting Star Award for National Marketing Specialist of the Year when she worked in Pharmaceuticals and the Emerging Leader Award of Who’s Who of Black Atlanta in 2014. While one may relish the accomplishments she has achieved, personally and professionally, she has certainly had her share of trials and tribulations.

During her junior year of college, she got married and had twin boys, Elijah and Ishmael, a year later.

The fairy-tale marriage didn’t last long, as Williams found herself in an unhealthy marriage with no support for individual growth. She realized her need to become her own person and to gain independence in order for her and her sons to thrive. If her circumstances were going to change, it would have to be up to her to change them. It didn’t take long for Williams to garner the strength she needed to leave. “I literally walked out of our house in Florida…with not a dime to my name, and only plane tickets for my sons and I to return to Missouri. We moved back to my home state, Missouri, and humbly started over.”

Her newfound courage gave her the strength

— Nicole Williams

and determination to pursue higher education while raising her children with the help of her grandmother, who she fondly refers to as “the angel that saved my life.” Williams never forgets to express her gratitude for “the village” that helped bring up her sons. “I definitely didn’t do it alone; I had help from my sisters, grandmother, and a community of coworkers and football and basketball moms,” Williams recalled, remembering the trips she took with her kids to school and practices. It was her village that allowed her the opportunity to graduate in 2000 with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Missouri State University.

The support she received during her time of need has influenced her commitment to pay it forward; Williams continuously searches for ways to give back to her community.

“One of the reasons I am favored and have been so successful is because people can see that I’m genuine… it’s always about how I can help other people get to the next level. It’s important that when you meet people, you tell them who you are and your personal mission statement. I always question, ‘How can I help other people develop and grow?’”

CIVIC DUTY When Williams relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 2011, her network was fairly small. She only knew five people in Atlanta. However, what she lacked in quantity, she made up for in quality. One of Williams’ early mentors was Thomas Dortch, a Founding Member and Chairman Emeritus of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. With Dortch’s direction, she quickly acclimated to the city. “It’s nice to have someone Continued on Page 42 SPR I N G 2 0 1 6 | WWW. O N T H ERY SE .C OM 4 1

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Continued from page 41 like Mr. Dortch in my corner to advise me about civic duty and understanding my role and place here in Atlanta.”

Williams was selected as a New Leaders Council Fellow, a leadership program in Atlanta full of a diverse group of politically and civically engaging leaders in the community. After she finished the New Leaders Council Training Institute in May 2015, she was appointed to Fundraising Chair in July for the Atlanta Chapter. She is focused on partnering with corporate sponsors and companies based around social progression, social entrepreneurism, and political activism for progressive initiatives.

Most notably, Williams served as the President for the Atlanta Chapter of the National Sales Network for the last three years, earning National Chapter of the Year during her tenure. The National Sales Network is a non-profit organization whose goal is to meet professional and developmental needs of sales and sales management professionals. Williams loved empowering members of National Sales Network to gain new employment, switch industries and further develop their business professionalism.

“If you are not involved in some type 42 RY SE | SPRING 2 016

of civic duty, community service, or giving back, then you are not fulfilling your full potential. Atlanta is the place where the Civil Rights movement originated, so it’s in the city’s roots and culture.”

SUMMER IN ISRAEL Williams considers that it is the civic duty of everyone to understand a country’s complex challenges, as well as the challenges other countries face. She believes it’s important to stay informed of worldly issues and spread awareness.

In July of 2015, Williams was invited by the American Israel Education Foundation, a charitable organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, to attend a conference to further educate African American leaders about international security issues and expose attendees to Jewish culture in Israel. “The trip couldn’t have been more perfect,” Williams said, when asked about her experience.

Williams was most inspired by a settlement near the Gaza Strip; she admired how the natives worked together to provide for each other and their elders, along with their focus on family and education.

The territory she visited was a highly

Top left: Nicole Williams with her twin boys, Elijah and Ishmael.

contested part of Israel and constantly defended from violent attacks due to the Israeli habitation. She observed how the people of Israel have Friday night dinners and come together once a week to honor the Shabbat. “I think in today’s American society, we don’t really take the time to sit down and religiously connect with our family on a weekly basis; something I wanted to be more conscious of and implement more often into my life,” Williams said.

Williams makes it her responsibility to be culturally, socially, and politically aware of society’s happenings.

“IT’S 2016 BUT IT SEEMS LIKE 1965, AGAIN.” As a 10-year resident of St. Louis, Missouri, Williams actively discusses racial discrimination and the Black Lives Matter

“IF YOU ARE NOT INVOLVED IN SOME TYPE OF CIVIC DUTY, COMMUNITY SERVICE, OR GIVING BACK, THEN YOU ARE NOT FULFILLING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL. ATLANTA IS THE PLACE WHERE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ORIGINATED, SO IT’S IN THE CITY’S ROOTS AND CULTURE.” — Nicole Williams

movement, post the Michael Brown killing. Recently, she participated in the 20/20 Leaders of America, Presidential Justice Forum in Columbia, South Carolina. The “2020 Approach” brought together stakeholders at all levels to address community concerns at the highest level. The goal was for each “presidential candidate” to develop a plan of action that would result in measurable, positive outcomes by what would be the end of his or her first term as President — in 2020.

Williams acknowledges that Trayvon Martin was the first eye-opening experience for her, being a mother of two teenage boys. She fears her children might also be subjected to wrongful discrimination that could lead to their demises. In addition, she expressed parents need to have conversations with their sons and daughters on how to interact with police.

“We lived in a neighborhood here in Atlanta where there weren’t many black families. “On one early evening, my son, Ishmael, wanted to ride his skateboard to a friend’s house in an adjacent neighborhood. After Trayvon’s case, the simple act of my son riding his skateboard at dusk, in a hoodie sweatshirt, in an allwhite neighborhood inflicted major fear and anxiety into me,” Williams said, as she remembered a time her children were exposed to racial issues.

“It’s 2016 and it seems like 1965, again.”

Williams recalls working for corporate America during the Martin case that led to the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement and being told by a co-worker not to talk about it at work because it was

too political. She was in such shock and dismay. He was a “white male, married to a white woman with white children. This was something he never had to experience. He never thought about the safety of his children walking or skateboarding to a neighbor’s house.”

Her teenage son, Elijah, first experienced racism at Harrison High School in Georgia when he was called a racial slur for accidentally bumping into a Caucasian female in the hallway. Williams expressed how upsetting it was for her son to have experienced that feeling after moving to the South, when her family had never experienced the racial slur name calling in the Midwest.

“Some confuse racism with ignorance.

It can be said that if you believe there is no racism, then you are a part of the problem. The Black Lives Matter movement is non-partisan. It’s an issue that affects all of us. This is a civil, humanrights issue, so everybody should be concerned.”

SALES AND SUCCESS Her involvement and dedication to her family and community have not halted her triumph in her career.

Williams has worked within the sales industry for over 14 years, working for companies such as State Farm, UCB Pharma, TAP Pharmaceuticals and Edward Jones.

Williams recognizes the hardships she faces being a woman in the sales industry and the aging factor, which affects women more than men. She didn’t want the aging factor to cause her to lose her job in the future to someone less qualified

and willing to work for less money.

In 2009, a popular Lead News Anchor in St. Louis, Missouri was “downsized” from her position and many concluded it was due to the news anchor getting older.

Williams was worried that one day, the same situation could happen to her. This incident motivated Williams to go back to school to pursue an MBA, and later, pursue a promotion within the biotech pharmaceutical company she worked for at the time. The successful promotion led her to relocating to Atlanta. Fast forward two years, she understood the importance of not being “phased out of corporate America,” and this is one of the reasons why she wanted to become an entrepreneur. “I would not be an entrepreneur today had I not witnessed this “downsizing” happening to a public figure like the news anchor. I want to be able to control my own destiny and not have anyone phase me out.” It was time for her to evolve to the next phase of life. In July 2014, she opened the Nicole Williams State Farm Agency in the West Midtown area.

In July 2015, Williams celebrated the one-year anniversary of being a State Farm Agency Owner. “My mission at my agency is to create generational wealth within our communities. We lead these rich lives, but when we pass away, many are unprepared. We have no riches to pass along to our family, for our legacies.”

Nicole Williams’ self-assurance and commitment has allowed her to expand her career, her life, and be a role model to young women everywhere. She is definitely on the RYSE, and you can certainly look forward to seeing more from her in the future.

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IT TA KE S A V I L L A G E

CLIMBS GEORGIA NATIVE JAMES ‘JAY’ BAILEY IS COMMITTED TO EMPOWERING A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS.

BY TEAM RYSE

44 RY SE | SPRING 2 016

When James Bailey walks into his office on the 7th floor of the historic Grant Building in downtown Atlanta, he doesn’t focus on the spread of artwork and photographs decorating his walls.

He walks past the vibrant paintings, created by some of Atlanta’s most renowned artists. He acknowledges, but doesn’t dwell on the dozens of photos of young men he’s impacted over the years. His eyes don’t stop on the photo of him sitting around a small table in the White House, having a conversation with President Barack Obama, or the snapshot of him standing side by side with President Bill Clinton. And his gaze won’t linger on the framed news articles and award plaques hung carefully around the office. That’s not his focus.

JASON TOWNSEND – JAY - OGRAPHY

JAY BAILEY BUILDS AS HE

Consistency and connection, Bailey shares some comedic wisdom with a young man during the Phoenix Leadership Foundation’s truck donation ceremony.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAMES ‘JAY’ BAILEY

President Barack Obama meets with community leaders from around the country to discuss solutions. James was one of eight Americans honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change: Following in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr”

Bailey’s focus is on what’s ahead. Behind his desk is a wall of windows. And beyond those windows – is a perfect view down Auburn Avenue. For Bailey, it’s a picture of the future. A reminder of what was, and a promise of what can be again.

“This used to be a proud area – the heart of black economics in the south,” he says. “Business owners found their home here, the community found their pride. We owned this street.”

Most mornings, Bailey likes to walk to work, and his path often takes him along his beloved Auburn Avenue. But on the ground – the clear view from his window becomes much less pristine.

Every day he walks the street, with each step, Bailey sees a picture of what he’s fighting.

Abandoned buildings, homelessness, loitering and crime, a far cry from the proud area of 50 years ago. “In a city with such a rich history, with so many resources, we must do more.”

“If you come in, bulldoze all the dilapidated houses and build new, expensive homes, you don’t help that community, you destroy its soul. People have to become stakeholders – feel that they are part of rebuilding, create jobs in that area, give them a sense of pride and ownership.”

—James Bailey

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Continued from page 45 For years, service has been the focus of Bailey’s life. But it wasn’t always that way. An early and successful career of sales, banking and real estate earned Bailey his first fortune at just 26 years old. By the time he hit age 28 – he was broke. In one year, he had gone from a sparkling home in the suburbs, to sleeping on friends’ couches.

“If I wasn’t from Atlanta, I would have literally been homeless,” Bailey recalls.

But it was at one of his lowest points that Bailey received his most profound revelation. Sitting in his rented 9x9 storage unit (the space that doubled as his home on many nights), Bailey found himself flipping through old photo albums. As he went through, he noticed faces of kids sitting around his family dinner table and sharing holiday meals.

The photos awakened a memory within him that, for years, he had subconsciously tucked away: a memory of his mother. Millie Bailey passed away when James was a 19-year-old sopho46 RY SE | SPRING 2 016

Students from the B.E.S.T. Academy take the time to give back to those in need in their own community. more at UGA. But during her 48 years on earth, she opened her heart and gave her time to anyone she could – especially children.

A longtime employee for the Juvenile Justice system, Millie Bailey often

took the children under her wing – inviting them into her home. Sharing in family holidays. Eating Sunday dinner. Giving them a chance to feel loved.

As he flipped through the album, Bailey realized the faces in those photos were the children his mother had helped – as a young boy, it was something he had witnessed everyday.

Inside that small storage unit, something clicked inside of Bailey. Serving others and impacting lives was literally in his DNA. He was ready to walk in his purpose, he no longer solely wanted to be successful; he wanted to be significant.

Fast forward to 2015. When Bailey left his position as Southeast CEO of Operation HOPE, he left a much different organization than he found. When he started in 2007, Bailey was the organization’s sole employee in the Southeast, working out of a sub-basement with a broken laptop. Eight years later, under his leadership, HOPE’s southeastern region had grown to 19 offices in six states.

But it was time to go deeper. Four months later, Phoenix Leadership Foundation was born.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAMES ‘JAY’ BAILEY

Bailey having some fun with the members of Brother Building Up Brothers at South Atlanta High School after a discussion on vision and achieving your dreams.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAMES ‘JAY’ BAILEY

The role of Phoenix Leadership Foundation is to develop and fund programs that provide positive role models for young people and create leaders.

In a world where murders, gangs and prison sentences dot the evening news, it may seem like an insurmountable task. But Bailey believes, it doesn’t take an act of Congress to make a difference; just a group of regular people willing to make a change.

“I call it a radical movement of common sense by common people,” he says. “Just people who are ready to get things done.”

The Foundation itself has become an example of just how powerful that network can be.

Within 48 hours of launching his website, Bailey raised more than $50,000 in donations, a number that would only continue to rise. By the end of December, Phoenix had reached more than 900 young men. And the resources were growing.

But in Bailey’s newest chapter, it’s not just about changing the narrative.

It’s about owning it.

To the west of the Northside Drive, in the shadow of the soon-to-be MercedesBenz stadium lies a broken shell of a once vibrant community. Bailey knows the area well; he spends a significant amount of time in his Jeep, slowly driving through the streets of the westside, past the now-dilapidated buildings of Morris Brown College. He comes to rest on the top of a hill, in front of a once stately home – it’s clear that this was – is – something special.

“Alonzo Herndon is one of my greatest heroes,” Bailey says, standing in front of the home once owned by the famed entrepreneur and founder of Atlanta Life Insurance Company.

“Look at this view – to imagine that a former slave was able to build a home like this, overlooking the city, in 1902!”

It’s only a small glimpse into Bailey’s passion to rebuild and reclaim an economic power base. Enter Greenwood Archer.

Greenwood represents Bailey’s return to real estate and business

“Scoutmaster J” with his other dedicated volunteer leaders and the Mighty Troop 100 on Atlanta’s west side. One of the largest inner city troops in the country, their goal is to soon have the largest Boy Scout troop in the world!

through private equity. Through his private equity firm, Bailey will focus on emerging domestic markets. In short: investing in underserved communities to rebuild, grow wealth and create jobs.

“If you come in, bulldoze all the dilapidated houses and build new, expensive homes, you don’t help that community, you destroy its soul. People have to become stakeholders – feel that they are part of rebuilding, create jobs in that area, give them a sense of pride and ownership. It’s all about dignity.

That’s how you create stakeholders – that’s how you stabilize a community.”

Back in Bailey’s downtown office, between rows of pictures, black letters spell out the phrase “BUILD AS WE

CLIMB.” For Bailey, it’s more than a personal statement. It’s the mantra by which he lives his life.

“Life is about relationships.”

For years, Bailey has built those relationships, tapping into his unique gift to draw people to him and truly learn their story.

He has leveraged those relationships to change lives. The photos, notes and words on Bailey’s office walls tell a story. They are a timeline, a track record of the communities he’s touched and the lives he’s changed.

But for Bailey, it’s not enough. He’s just warming up.

It looks like he will soon need a lot more space on his wall.

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YO UTH O N T H E RY S E

BRAINWASHED

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THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY & IT’S INFLUENCE ON OUR YOUTH: THE TEEN’S PERSPECTIVE

It seems as if I can’t go a day without hearing how terrible the younger generation — my generation — has become. “Disrespectful”, “Uninformed”, and “Foolish” are all words some may use to describe us; which are, unsurprisingly, also adjectives we constantly use to describe today’s Rap music industry.

It’s no secret that the quality of Black entertainment (e.g. reality tv shows, mainstream rap music, etc) has declined in the last 10 to 15 years, and because of this, the mindset and conscious engagement of the new generation has also declined.

No, this is not an attempt by a teenager to say that my peers should not be held responsible for their actions, but that they should not be held completely accountable; just hear me out.

To understand my point, you have to understand just how influential Black entertainers are to the younger generation, and to do this, you have to take a look at the history being taught in our schools. Our history books introduce white people of American history as great and innovative, while our Black ancestors are introduced as property to whites and beasts that benefited as a result of being enslaved. (The people of that time believed that the Africans lived in uncivilized ways, so the Africans that were enslaved were thought to have gained an opportunity to learn the civilized ways of the Americans). Slavery has also been documented as one of the greatest economic innovations in American history. We are not taught that we were Queens and Kings before we were snatched from our

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country. Unlike the whites whose contributions to history are heavily documented in our textbooks, Black history barely contains a chapter. The only Black leaders that we are taught are Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, and while they are important parts of our history, they still hold a subconscious message. The message that we can stand up for what we believe, but in the end, people of color will seldom prevail.

There are so many more of our ancestors who have made great contributions, like Dr. Charles Richard Drew who created the first blood bank, Bayard Rustin who was a leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights, and Bessie Coleman who was the first female pilot of African American descent, but the school system fails to inform us about these great individuals.

This causes our young generation to look up to Black entertainers and put them up on the same pedestal as Dr. King and Malcolm X; which was okay when we had entertainers like Queen Latifah, Tupac, and others who sought to inform us and instill pride in our youth, but now this has become the cause of our downfall. The Black entertainment industry has gone from releasing music that uplifts and inspires, to music that makes it cool to sound unintelligent and to live in and out of jail. We’ve gone from having familyoriented shows like The Cosby Show and Family Matters, which portray a positive family structure, to a surplus of reality TV shows that drag our reputations through the dirt. Unfortunately, our children grow

up around this and begin to think that it is normal to constantly be in jail, it is normal to act unintelligent, it is normal for us to do drugs and to deal with life in the ghetto, because that’s where we belong.

We grow up listening to these Black artists believing that they are our voice, when, just like in our history classes, we are not taught that they are merely puppets portraying a role.

Now, to undo the damage that has been caused by this mass brainwash, we need you, the adults to help. You need to sit with your teens and talk to them about their history, teach them what the schools refuse to teach. Introduce them to new music that speaks a positive message, and to watch television that reflects who we really are. When I began to dig a little deeper into our African American history and even African history, I began to gain a greater pride in my race and gained the ability to look past the subconscious message that the media pushes.

The knowledge that I gained helped open my eyes to the hidden racism that still exists in our society today and made me want to help to change it. I understand that at this age, some teens are hard to approach, and it may seem like they’re not listening; but don’t get frustrated because we are listening--even if you think we’re not. Also, teach your younger children about their history early; with the knowledge that they learn over the years, they’ll be less susceptible to fall victim to mind control, and could possibly become the change we need for the future. But it starts with you.

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BY TRINITY JACKSON