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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE 2016 WOMAN OF THE YEAR

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Nominations will be accepted in one of seven categories from Sunday August 2, 2015 until midnight Saturday August 15, 2015. The Spectacular Magazine Women of the Year Planning Committee, in addition to selecting the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient(s), will announce the top three (3) nominees in each of the seven (7) categories on Friday August 21, 2015. On-line voting process runs from Monday Sept. 14, 2015 until midnight Sunday Sept. 27, 2015.

Winners will be named at the Spectacular Magazine Woman of the Year Awards Gala on October 11, 2016.

Criteria and nomination forms available at www.spectacularmag.com

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IN THIS ISSUE Vol. II, Issue VII

Ballin’ Out

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Commentary

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Community Health

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Cover Story

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Did U Know?

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Editorial

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Entertainment

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FEATURES SHAW 150 YEARS

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HILLSIDE STARS

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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

EDITORIAL

From The Publisher’s Desk...

TAKING DOWN THE CONFEDERATE FLAG IS NOT ENOUGH TO ERASE RACISM Removing the southern symbol from the public square will not tackle systemic racism such as voter suppression and police brutality

Here we are in 2015, after a remarkable, senseless tragedy done in the name of America’s original sin (racism) – and we are debating a symbol of the Confederate cause – the “Battle Flag” or “Southern Cross.”

Unlike Byron Thomas, an African American college student who has come to YouTube fame for embracing and celebrating the battle flag, I cannot embrace the public flying of the flag as a banner of civic pride.

William Barber of North Carolina NAACP has famously called this time of racial flashpoints and aggressions “the third Reconstruction.”

Why is it easier to rally people to the cause of erasing the scar but not dealing with the persistent infection?

Just to refresh everyone’s memories, we’re talking about the official national flag that was used to represent the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. You know, that awkward time period when the South was vehemently fighting to keep slavery around as a means of economic prosperity for white plantation owners.

I’ve heard arguments time and again about how the Confederate flag is no longer representative of slavery, and how it’s now indicative of “Southern pride and heritage.” But I’m really over the whole “respect your heritage” mantra, especially when your heritage is hate.

Being black and of southern heritage, this is not “my flag”, and I would dare say that it doesn’t belong to any other thinking, feeling African American. It is, however, without question the symbolic equivalent of a scar, and, like scars, it is difficult if not impossible to erase it from our collective skin – it is a reminder of where we cannot return. Many have “racially sanitized” history and ignored the real reason for the Civil War: slavery.

I am floored by the overwhelming call to erase the flag, from poles, from licence plates, seals and stained glass windows. It’s heartening to see so many people motivated to condemn racial hatred and terrorism. However, I want them to always know, see and have that “scar”, to remind them that the challenge we face going forward is more than skin deep. I wish that the same people who are amassing so much fervor on social media were just as impassioned to take Nikki Haley to task for frequently supporting efforts in South Carolina to hamper the black vote, stating that voting is a “privilege not a right.”

South Carolina is not alone. The former Confederacy has been swept by an unprecedented wave of voter suppression partly meant as a punishment for the election of President Barack Obama. The Rev.

We are still getting it wrong; our emphasis needs to be curing the chronic social ill of racism and not merely spottreating it. The Confederate battle flag should not fly over any state capital or be used in any official capacity – but its removal from the public square is not enough to deal with issues that affect racism in its insidious and systemic forms.

At the same time we should be aware that a wave of common sense and coalition building has not swept the South in response to this third Reconstruction. We are still doing the hard work of healing the rifts.

The South may not rise again, but if the terrorism based in systemic racism continues, then all southerners, white, black, red, yellow and brown with fall with it. We are one people glued together by this impossibly dense and complex history, and yes, marked by our scars.

We can try to erase scars all we want, but we cannot hide that we are not whole. We can run from our past, but we cannot hide from its very real legacies and consequences. All of us must own the past, but we cannot do so with the mere annihilation of symbols. It is the systems that support the hate and pain and fuel the flashpoints that we must deconstruct.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Phyllis Coley Phyllis Coley CEO/Publisher

pcoley@spectacularmag.com

www.spectacularmag.com | July 2015 | SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE

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COMMENTARY WAY PAST MOURNING

By Dr. Ada M. Fisher

In the second verse of The Negro National Anthem written by Black Republican James Weldon Johnson it states . . .

Have not our weary feet, Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last…

Let us ask ourselves how much in terms of attitudes has really changed for black Americans minus the chains? Appreciate that what is needed is not a conversation about race but a change of heart with the doors of opportunity truly flung open for those willing to enter.

One of my sons recently asked, “Mom why is 17 year old black Trayvon Martin who was unarmed and shot dead defined as a thug, but 21 year old white Dylan Roof who confessed to killing nine black worshippers June 21, 2015 in cold blooded murder not described as a terrorist.” I know evil when I see it and Dylan Roof is evil. Though the victim’s families may choose to forgive him that is not for them alone to do but rests in G-d’s hands. I stand squarely with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in believing Roof should be executed for exorcisms and nothing else as Shakespeare’s Macbeth notes can wash the stains from his hands or serve as a balm in Gilead to bring back the lives he took.

Prematurely folks are piling on the Confederate Flag rather than revisit the US Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech, even for those with whom I may disagree. Flags are a symbol of speech whether for those of the confederacy or blacks who adorn themselves with the black, red and green colors of liberation or the yellow of the Gadsden Flag adopted by many Tea Party affiliates with a snake noting “Don’t Tread On Me”. When I was awarded recognition as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Women in America” by the Daughters of the American Revolution at Constitution Hall in 1984, it was not lost on me that here was the place where Mariam Anderson was denied the right to perform and ended up singing on their steps.

I sense that those who are afraid, like sharks, smell blood in the water. Illegal immigrants displaced workers from here and citizens mourn jobs which were never theirs of which many increasingly are becoming obsolete. College graduates panic when they may take the easiest courses they can find to graduate ending up with mounds of debt and no venue to parlay that degree. Dylann Roof hasn’t

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prepared himself where his color alone won’t allow him to rule. Increasingly the pulse of mourning is a palpable fear remaining as it has been for all of our history. Settlers came seeking escape from oppression now being reborn as the US continues trying to do something no other nations have accomplished in blending a diverse peoples.

I am not going to hold white folks hands or embrace blacks to assuage guilt in failing to make folks take responsibility for their actions. I am not going to make nice and talk pleasantries when I know as a biologist that my 11th grade question to my teacher, John Henry Packenham hasn’t been answered -- “Why is it only within the human species that we find a classification of race?” There is no race of birds or cats or dogs, etc.

Race is a false construct designed to give a sense of superiority to one group based on their color alone and provide them with resources often denied others.

It didn’t just start now but is as old as the pyramids where the Sphinx’s broad nose was destroyed by the Nazis or the Statue of Liberty’s purpose was usurped to welcoming immigrants rather than appreciating its design based on an Egyptian peasant, as a gift from France acknowledging the end of slavery.

My father, left us a book about his father, E. J. Fisher, The Master’s Slave while my mother was a griot telling stories of her native American ancestry dating to the Pamunky Indians and Powhatan. But it was mama’s remembrances of her walks with her grandma “Ginny” who was a white nurse for the confederacy which intrigued me. As Edmund Burke wrote “Those who don’t understand history are doomed to repeat it.” Taking down the Confederate flag only serves to obfuscate a poorly understood time in American history.

Blacks in an old Negro Spiritual sung, “No More weeping and a Wailing. . .”

From my recent Israeli visit to the site of Masada, such remembrances constantly cause me and my fellow Jews to pledge “Never Again.” Don’t dare touch the Second Amendment which allows me selfprotection.

WHY DEMOCRACY NEEDS HIGHER EDUCATION

By Dr. Michael Behrent

The defunding of public higher education currently underway across the country is troubling for many reasons. It is more than just bad policy: gutting public higher education weakens the democratic principles upon which our society is founded—specifically, liberty, equality, and civic participation.

Democracy thrives on liberty, and liberty requires free minds. This is one reason why education is so central to democracy: it provides citizens with the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that promote independent (and critical) thought, without which democracies wither away. For all their faults, universities are some of the few spaces in our society that remain dedicated to free inquiry, questioning prejudice and authority, and open debate between competing perspectives.

A recent Pew poll found that in Eastern Europe, the staunchest defenders of democratic liberties were those with a university education: “more highly educated people consistently place greater importance on freedom of speech, the press and religion, and honest elections than do those with less education.” This is what Thomas Jefferson was getting at when he wrote that taxes paid towards public education are “not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests & nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance.” Ensuring that as many Americans as possible can cultivate their intellectual autonomy at public universities is vital to our democracy’s health.

Another cardinal virtue of democracy is equality. At a time of unprecedented income disparities, this is something that many public officials overlook. Higher education has long been a pathway to equality for historically excluded and oppressed groups. The strides made

by African-Americans towards greater I have been called a “Nigger” more equality have always marched in times than I often care to remember or lockstep with greater access to education, had my opportunities limited by those of particularly higher education. The Civil lesser character and abilities but often Rights movement made possible such higher societal station. I never forget critical watersheds as Brown vs. Board of what has happened to me and I like so Education, Hawkins v. Board of Control many others must fight against those who (launching desegregation in higher limit opportunities for others based on education), and the Higher Education Act ethnicity, religion or other characteristics.

We must not go silently to the slaughter but of 1965 (which provided aid to low-income students and minority institutions). fight, “ . . . marching on ‘til victory is won” to preserve this constitutional republic’s democracy.

Though complete equality in access to higher education remained elusive, the Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a physician, a former medical number of African-Americans attending director in a Fortune 500 company, previous member universities - particularly public universities of a county board of education, licensed secondary - increased significantly from the 1960s education teacher, author, poet, gifted public speaker and is the NC Republican National Committeewoman. until the mid-1970s.

SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

In many ways, the storyline of higher education in the United States has always been one of increasing access (and thus equality), particularly through public universities. The 1862 Morrill Act, in creating a uniquely American system of public universities funded by federal land grants, made education available to large swathes of the population for whom elite East Coast institutions were not an option.

The 1944 GI Bill provided over two million veterans with a college education to honor their service overseas. Title IX, passed in 1972, made major strides in reducing sex discrimination on college campuses. The current efforts to defund public higher are bringing this progressive trend to a grinding halt.

Finally, higher education encourages civic participation. Political scientist Edward Glaeser found that “education raises the benefits of political participation and draws relatively more people to support democracy.” The college educated vote at a higher rate than the general population: in 2010, for example, 61% of Americans with a college degree cast a ballot, compared to 35% of those with a high school diploma or less. Investing in higher education, in short, means encouraging political participation.

The defunding of higher education is occurring at a moment when the democratic character of our institutions is under assault. Consider these disturbing trends: the gerrymandering of legislative districts, the adoption of voter suppression laws (particularly targeting college students), and the massive influence wielded by billionaires and corporations in campaigns (due to the Citizens United decision). These national trends are also very present in North Carolina. A reasonable person can wonder whether we still live in a functioning democracy. The politicians attacking higher education are the same ones who are attempting to undermine our democracy.

This is no coincidence.

In 1947, President Truman’s Commission on Higher Education declared: “Education is the foundation of democratic liberties.

Without an educated citizenry alert to preserve and extend freedom, it would not long endure.” It was once second nature for our leaders to invoke democracy when justifying public support for higher education (however much our democracy fell short, in practice, of these lofty ideals).

Clearly, we need public universities that are better funded. But just as importantly, we need to renew with of tradition of making the preservation of democratic values central to our justification of higher education. Our democracy depends on it.

Dr. Michael C. Behrent is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

“THE ACTION FIVE” - 5 THINGS OUR WHITE FRIENDS, CHRISTIANS, AND OTHER “GOOD PEOPLE” CAN DO BEYOND THE VIGILS, PRAYERS, AND FLAG

By Rev. Curtis Everette Gatewood I have traveled to Charleston, SC on a couple of occasions in the aftermath of what will go down in American history as another one of those gruesome and deadly acts of racial violence I unbelievably grew up reading about. But the fact this particular evil act of racial terrorism had no regard for a feeble lady nearly 90 years old, involved an assassination, killed 9 people as they met for Bible study in one of God’s churches built by slaves, it will rank among the most evil acts committed on earth.

I believe God has given me a “response” to all of my White brothers and sisters and all others in the ministry, and those who may not be religious but just want to do good and make a change in the spirit of the “Beautiful Emanuel Nine.”

Singing and praying together is fine, but according the book of James, “faith without works is dead.” So beyond the vigils, prayers, tears, hugs, songs, and our greatly united calls to bring down the confederate flag, this is our time to move beyond the comfort zone of kumbayah and arrive at the less comfortable place of truth lives.

this hatred is coming from. Hate radio/ television encourages racial hatred and serves as a massive recruiting promotion for hate groups and domestic terrorists.

Similarly the music, movie, and other aspects of the entertainment industry must be held more accountable and not allowed to poison the airwaves with negative Black stereotypes, drug solicitation, and the enticement of gang affiliation and gang rivalries. Begin complaining with your letters, boycott such networks and their sponsors. Do this to inform these evil doers of how their corrupt words continue to promote racial hatred, incite violence, and add to societal blindness.

2) Demand fair pay for black workers.

Hold corporations accountable with boycotts or a quiet denial of your patronage when you see patterns of racism and slave-like pay disparities.

Righteously orchestrate letter writing campaigns to their offices - let them know you are paying attention and you will not tolerate racist and greedy behaviors that perpetuate or carry forward the sinful legacy of slavery and racial oppression.

3) Demand Reparations For Slavery, Jim Crow, And Racial Terrorism Against African Americans.

Demand that an unbiased federal government sponsored committee take on the responsibility of studying and creating a process for providing reparations for African Americans whose lives can be directly connected to slavery and/or Jim It is time to pull the masses beyond the Crow laws, and/or racial terrorism. Some place where the “silence of betrayal” forms of reparation could include free Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once college, clean slate on credit histories, referred to, has so-called “good” and reparation guaranteed approval for low“Christian” masses in America remaining interest loans for homes and businesses, silent and subsequently giving consent to the evil perpetrators of racial oppression, clean slate on taxes owed, no income tax domestic terrorism, and systemic injustice. requirements, free health care and child We can no longer remain fearfully in the care, “delivering the captives” through place where reality informs us that for too allowing many Blacks packed in jails to walk free and receive expungement long there has been no justice for those and pardoning of nonviolent crimes and Americans who are Black and of African descent as they continue to be bullied by immediate restoration of the right to vote, in addition to any monetary compensation the wicked hand of oppression. deemed appropriate.

With this said, I am proposing to all of 4) Hold Elected Officials Accountable my White brothers and Sisters, fellow To Passing And Upholding Legislation And Christians, and others who love justice to Laws That Protect The Rights, Lives, And use your churches and organizations to Freedoms Of African Americans. commit to the Once you finish praying It should be incumbent upon Christians to and singing have your congregations to always insist that the poorest and most do the following: oppressed neighbors be provided the best possible education, health care, jobs 1) Protect truth, demand an end to hatetelevision, hate-radio, and the mainstreaming which provide fair wages and working conditions, housing, transportation, equal of racist stereotypes. protection under the law, and voting rights For too long we have allowed hateto ensure their lives matter and are given television, hate-radio, and racist lieevery possible opportunity to climb out of campaigns to dominate the airwaves then pretend as if we do not know where poverty and experience a fruitful life of

TROUBLED YOUTH OR DOMESTIC TERRORIST - YOU BE THE JUDGE

by Mildred Robertson Troubled youth.

That’s what the media has to say about the terrorist who calmly entered a place of worship, sat beside his intended victims for at least an hour, and then with malice and forethought brutally slaughtered 9 innocent human beings. He said he wanted to start a race war. But politicians, media and others hesitate to call it a hate crime.

This is only one example of the pathology that governs race relations in the United States today. In this supposedly post-racial society, obvious inequities are overlooked much as the emperor’s nakedness in Hans Christian Andersen’s fable went not unseen, but unacknowledged. At least until someone had the strength of character to speak the truth.

So the Boston marathon murderer was immediately identified as “a terrorist”… and that was an accurate description. But Dylann Roof is no less so. He took innocent lives for no reason other than to make a sick, demented point.

While sages agree that the Boston marathon killers’ actions represented the intent of the entire Muslim religion to destroy America – Roof’s rampage, they say, represented the hateful intent of a lone murderer.

While Roof’s action occurred under the backdrop of a state that fought tooth and nail for the right to fly the Confederate flag and continues to do so today even after this heinous crime, few in South Carolina are comfortable calling this a hate crime.

While the South Carolina and American flags fly half-mast, the Confederate flags still flys high; irreverent to the lives of 9 happiness and longevity.

5) End The 400-Year Violent Race War Against Black Americans.

Demand that all known violent racially motivated terrorist groups such as Ku Klux Klan and other “White Supremacists” who (with or without the confederate flag) continue to engage in a “race war” against Black people, be constitutionally viewed as “domestic enemies” and domestic terrorists who forfeited their

more Black people snuffed out by racism, hatred and bigotry. South Carolinians walk daily on paths named with great pride after what I would call ‘infamous” heroes of the Civil War. The killer, demonstrating his ignorance as well as his bigotry, claimed he must carry out this heinous act to keep Blacks from taking from White Americans. Ignorant, because it was, in fact White America that wrested this land from the Native Americans who were its first inhabitants… bigoted because it was the slave master who brutally raped Black women, stolen from the bosom of Africa, ripped black babies from the arms of their mothers and sold them to parts unknown and beat and murdered Black men who would object.

No one wants to talk about these facts.

But they are a festering wound that is reopened every time a Black youth is shot while walking in a neighborhood where he has every right to be; is manhandled for swimming in a pool; is choked to death on the street for alleged minor misconduct; is shot down in broad daylight for infractions that might not even result in a night in jail.

And then there is the flip side - where a Black woman is jailed for defending herself from a known abuser. Or, let’s take into account the manner in which Mr. Roof was apprehended in comparison with the brute force used against Blacks who have committed far lesser crimes or no crimes at all. Until America has the strength of character to cry out “the emperor has no clothes;” until we as a nation admit that there are inequities and disparities that relegate an entire race to second class citizenship, then race relations will continue to spiral down to the point that Mr. Roof will get what he prays for. A nation so divided that we take up arms against one another.

Mildred Robertson is a Raleigh, NC-based management and communications professional with close to 20 years of experience in public relations and institutional advancement.

right to constitutionally exist and recruit on American soil.

Well church, White Americans and others who profess to be “good.” The time has come for us to “protect” those “sheep” we have long left to be “scattered by the wolves.” The Action Five can help to protect these sheep.

Rev. Curtis E. Gatewood is the Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) Coalition Coordinator with the NC NAACP State Conference.

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OUT & ABOUT

SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS – JUNE 18, 2015 RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – Spectacular Magazine held its monthly networking

event on June 18th at the Marriott – Research Triangle Park. The event was a meet & greet for Shaw University’s President-elect Dr. Tashni Dubroy and the kick-off party for the 11th Annual NC Juneteenth Celebration. Juneteenth Celebration sponsors were recognized.

(Photos: Olen Kelley, III)

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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

ADF DEDICATES SEASON TO DR. CHUCK DAVIS DURHAM, NC – The 82nd season of the American Dance Festival (ADF) is dedicated to Dr. Charles “Chuck” Davis, distinguished teacher, choreographer, and ambassador for dance. The ceremony honoring Dr. Davis was held Thursday, June 11th at DPAC prior to the season opening performance. ADF Director Jodee Nimerichter and ADF Dean Gerri Houlihan talked about Dr. Davis’ valued relationship with ADF and members of the group he founded here in Durham, the African American Dance Ensemble, led the processional.

(Photo: Grant Halverson ©ADF)

CLARE BATHE’ CD RELEASE PARTY DURHAM, NC - Congratulations to

Clare Bathe’ on the release of her new CD entitled Wild is the Wind. Clare entertained members of the community, her Links, Inc. sisters, Durham Mayor Bill Bell, her sister Betty Jones, NC Rep. Mickey Michaux, out of town guests Lynda Fleming, Libby Johnson and Carol Dewberry, plus a host of friends at Parizade Restaurant in Durham, NC on June 30th at the CD Release party. For more information about the CD, visit www.clarebathe.com (Photo: Brett Chambers)

PORTSMOUTH CITY LEADERS CALL FOR REMOVAL OF CONFEDERATE MONUMENT PORTSMOUTH, VA - Portsmouth

INVICTUS OFFICE CENTER GRAND OPENING DURHAM, NC - On June

30th, the Durham Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of iNvictus Office Center - A CoWorking Community Space located at 601 Fayetteville St., Suite 300 in Durham, NC. It is the only co-working space owned solely by African-American men in the state of North Carolina. The event was catered by Bull City PittMasters. More information about iNvictus Office Center can be found at www.iNvictusOffice. com (Submitted Photo)

Mayor Ken Wright (left) and City Councilman Mark Whitaker (right) posing in front of the monument dedicated to the Confederate dead on the corner of High and Court Streets in Portsmouth, VA. They called a press conference Tuesday, June 24 and announced they would ask the city council-which has a 4-3 black majority- to remove the monument from the public space in downtown Portsmouth. The Norfolk United Front for Justice also reissued a call for the Norfolk City Council to remove a Confederate monument from Main Street in downtown Norfolk. (Photo: Randy Singleton)

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COVER STORY

NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE FESTIVAL AN INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION AND REUNION OF SPIRIT August 3-8, 2015 - Winston-Salem, NC

press conference .

In her remarks, Morgan decried the lack of black nominees among this year’s Academy Awards, calling it a “travesty,” and extolled the festival for its celebration of talented people of color. “We have one of the most prestigious, historical and important events that pays enormous pride and tribute to so many of our artists and our culture,” Morgan said. “And that is the National Black Theatre Festival.”

WINSTON SALEM, NC - Every odd year the National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) transforms WinstonSalem into a mega-performing arts center with over 100 performances in a number of the city’s venues. The biennial event is set for August 3-8 and will include theatre workshops, films, seminars, a teen poetry slam and a star-studded celebrity gala. All work together to accomplish the goal of making the National Black Theatre Festivals one of the best theater festivals in the country.

The history of celebrity appearances and performances at the National Black Theatre Festival is

not only impressive, but also extensive.

Visitors can expect to see a number of familiar faces as well as up-andcoming amateurs to the big stage. Each phenomenal festival saturates Winston Salem with thousands of theatre goers and theatre professionals from all around the globe into our heavily artinspired city.

Each year two celebrities are appointed co-chairs for the festival events. The co-chairs for the 2015 festival are actress Debbi Morgan and actor Darnell Williams. Williams and Morgan

are best known as Jesse and Angie Hubbard on ABC’s “All My Children.”

Their storyline on the popular daytime drama began in 1981, and the show ended in 2011. The two have continued their professional careers through Broadway performances, television and cinema.

“I have kissed this woman 1,000 times and enjoyed every minute of it,” Williams told the audience of festival volunteers, board members, fundraisers and media gathered in Winston Salem on March 9th for the NBTF kick-off

Morgan went on to say that submissions to this year’s festival have come from not only the U.S. and Canada but also China, Japan and Africa. Morgan will be bringing her one-woman show, “A Monkey on My Back,” back to the festival for a longer run than it had in 2013. The play is adapted from her book of the same name and is about Morgan’s family history of abuse going back three generations.

“We will be performing a full-run this season. Hopefully many of you will come out to join me on this captivating, hilarious, thought-provoking journey, which chronicles much of my tumultuous life which will hopefully inspire,” Morgan said.

Morgan, a Dunn, NC native, has NBTF CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

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was in the original cast on Broadway in “Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.”

NBTF CONTINUES

On television, the Britishborn actor has grabbed the heart of viewers on shows such as “Law &Order: SVU,” “NYPD Blue,” “E.R.,” “Felicity” and the Debbie Allen directed television movie, “Stompin’ at the Savoy.”

appeared in “The Hurricane,” opposite Denzel Washington, and “Eve’s Bayou,” opposite of Samuel L. Jackson. She has also appeared in the movie “Love and Basketball.”

In television, Morgan was featured in the Showtime television drama “Soul Food” and in the late ‘70s could be found on “Good Times” and “What’s Happening.” She has also appeared on Broadway in “What the Wine Sellers Buy” and theatre stage in “Colored People Time,” “My Sister, My Sister” and “Once in a Wife Time.” Morgan will have a play on display for this year’s festival. In addition to writing her personal memoir, “A Monkey On My Back,” slated to be released on June 23, she has also written a one-woman play based on the book of the same title.

“Often in this business, as an actor, director, producer, artist you try to find ways to remain relevant,” Williams said.

“Theater has ways of keeping you relevant. It keeps your art alive.”

“Theater is like the backbone of my career. It’s like the unsung hero, like the life raft. I would float away into the land of TV or movies, but that raft would always lead me back to here.” Williams

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Williams has been in the films “Selma,” “Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell,” “Shadow Boxer,” “Shortcuts,” “Simone” and “Detour,” along with codirecting the independent film “Manhattanites.”

Both stars said that they are excited about chairing the event and look forward to what the festival has to offer.

PUBLISHER’S PICKS

(RECOMMENDED PLAYS TO SEE) THE MONKEY on MY BACK! * (An Intimate Evening with Debbi Morgan) Dam Entertainment, Bowie, MD Debbi Morgan is most known for portraying the iconic role of Angie on All My Children. But her role in real life was fraught with a legacy of fear.

Debbi’s journey of survival is told with candor, heartache, and gut wrenching laughter! Written and performed by Debbi Morgan. Directed by Denise Dowse. (Celebrity Solo Performance Mature Audience) (Reynolda House Museum of American Art) THE CLOTHESLINE MUSE Aion Productions, Durham, NC “Before we were online, there was the clothesline. ”MUSE is a devised theatre piece with original music, dance, kinetic sculpture and projections that invokes the clothesline as a metaphor for the human condition.

Laundress Grandma Blu longs to share her legacy with granddaughter Mary. Across generational lines, they rediscover ties that bind and the spiritual power of family. Written by Nnenna Freelon, Kariamu Welsh and Maya Freelon Asante. (Mixed genre – General Audience) (R.J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium)

Alyson Williams closed the press conference with a song, “For All We Know.” Williams will perform a tribute to the late Maya Angelou, one of her mentors, at the festival’s opening-night gala August 3rd.

More than fifty celebrities of stage, screen and television are expected to attend the Festival. Highlights include the Opening Night Gala, Theatre Productions, Readers' Theatre of New Works/ Plays, International Colloquium (presented by NBTF, WinstonSalem State University and the Black Theatre Network), the Youth/Celebrity Project and the TeenTastic program for young people, chaired by Demetria Dove and Tim Grant.

The International Vendor's Market features vendors and crafts from every corner of the globe and live entertainment to add a little flair to your shopping experience.

“This year’s co-chairs are two ground-breaking actors immediately recognized for NBTF CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

MAID’S DOOR Billie Holiday Theatre, Brooklyn, NY A family is pushed to the breaking point as they struggle to save their beloved matriarch from being robbed of a glorious present by ghosts from her past. Winner of seven 2014 AUDELCO awards, including Dramatic Production of the Year!

Written by Cheryl L. Davis. Directed

by Jackie Alexander.

(Drama – General Audience) (Summit School - Loma Hopkins Theatre) SOUL CROONERS 2 Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota, FL Revisit the soul music of the 1970’s with unforgettable melodies, heavenly harmonies and great vocalists. Enjoy over 40 hits sung by an all-male ensemble as they masterfully croon new songs from the greatest singers of that engaging era. Conceived and adapted by Nate Jacobs. (Musical – General Audience) (Arts Council Theatre) Purchasing Tickets – Advance tickets may be purchased for the 2015 festival by calling the Festival box office at (336) 723-7907. These tickets will be mailed up to two weeks prior to the festival or picked up at the M.C. Benton Convention Center. Purchase online tickets online at NBTF.org.

SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

NBTF CONTINUES their extensive work in theater, film and television,” said Sylvia Hamlin, the president of the board of directors of the N.C. Black Repertory Company and executive producer of the theater festival. “Their iconic roles cemented them in television history. Their participation promises to attract a broad-based audience.”

Hamlin is the widow of Larry Leon Hamlin, who founded the festival in 1989 and was its artistic and executive director until his death in 2007.

Festival History The National Black Theatre Festival is the brainchild of Larry Leon Hamlin (1948 – 2007) and was founded in Winston-Salem, NC, in 1989 with support and assistance from Dr. Maya Angelou (a Winston-Salem resident) who also served as the biennial event’s first Chairperson. They met by chance at an airport bar and after explaining his dream to her she replied that she would “support it as it were.” Ms. Angelou went a step further and invited her good friend Oprah Winfrey to the first event in 1989 which drew over 10,000 attendees who were treated to 30 performances by 17 of the country’s top Black theatre companies.

Their budget was $500,000 -- which was a nice chunk of change back then -- and pretty impressive for a first event that targeted only a segment of the market.

Leon Hamlin described the experience as "MARVTASTIC," a combination of marvelous and fantastic! According to The New York Times, "The 1989 National Black Theatre Festival was one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of black theatre and American theatre in general."

In 1991 the number of performances grew to 45 and workshops doubled in numbers. That same year, the festival attracted critically-acclaimed actors/directors/husband and wife Ossie Davis (1917 – 2005, Do the Right Thing; 1989) and Ruby Dee (American Gangster; 2007) to serve as

co-chairpersons. Performances swelled to 76 in 1993 and in 1995 international troupes from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America joined the festival which attracted over 20,000 attendees.

Renowned playwright August Wilson’s (1945 – 2005) play “Jitney” debuted in 1997, and corporate giants like US Airways, Sara Lee Corporation, and R.J. Reynolds signed on as sponsors as the festival’s budget skyrocketed to $1.5 million.

The festival’s success spilled over into the next century which saw the performances increase to over 100 and attendance to 50,000 in 2001 and 2003. In addition, an awards gala, film festival, poetry jams, a market, and dozens of workshops were added which sharply increased the value of admission. Hamlin told the WinstonSalem Journal that “There’s something going on morning, noon, and night.”

The new century also ushered in more frequent high profile Black celebrities to the festival like Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, Leslie Uggams, Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, MalcolmJamal Warner, and Malik Yoba.

The city of Winston-Salem was all smiles as their city became a mecca for Black theatre, celebrities, and they experienced a surge in economic growth to the tune of an estimated $15 million over a six-day period in 2013 which attracted over 65,000 attendees.

Those dollars spilled over into the hospitality industry via hotels, restaurants, bars, tourist attractions, and auto rental companies.

Ten years prior to starting the National Black Theatre Festival, Larry Leon Hamlin founded another black theater movement in Winston-Salem that is still present today. The North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NCBRC) is the state’s first professional Black theater company. NCBRC presents three to four productions annually featuring members of its ensemble or through collaborations with other theatre companies from around the country. The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration and the holiday presentation of Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity have become

two of the Company’s staples.

bus ride is free of charge.

Unfortunately, Mr. Hamlin’s dream has been a bit deferred by his untimely passing on June 6, 2007, just before the opening of that year’s festival. He was just 58 years old. The torch, however, has been picked up by his widow and Winston-Salem native Sylvia SprinkleHamlin (Executive Producer), as well as his son Larente’ Leon Hamlin who handles the technical side of the company and festival.

Late Night – Get ready to paint the town purple and black (the official Festival colors)! Each night after of the plays, social gatherings are held all over the city. Downtown streets and sidewalk cafes are filled with people and music. Celebrity receptions and jazz performances are held at the host hotel and the Midnight Poetry Jam is a major attraction with overflow crowds.

The Delta Arts Center offers an elegant late night Jazz Buffet if you want to break away to a quieter setting.

The National Black Theatre Festival is the only festival of its kind in the U.S. that offers six consecutive days of professional theater, film, poetry, workshops, seminars and vendors’ markets. The festival was named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2011.

Getting Around – You can board the bus at downtown and other selected hotels to get to the productions. The

Make Time – In addition to the performances make sure you take time to enjoy the cultural offerings of the Winston-Salem. Such offerings include Diggs Gallery, Saint Philips Church at Old Salem Museums & Gardens and the Delta Arts Center on the campus of Winston-Salem State University.

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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF ART THROUGH SOUND Check out a few of WNCU’s featured programs:

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FEATURES

one story for the church and one for the Raleigh Institute, where he taught newly freed slaves.

Part One of a Four Part Series Beginnings Shaw University was founded in 1865

by Dr. Henry Martin Tupper. A native of Monson, Massachusetts, Dr. Tupper graduated from Amherst College and Newton Theological Seminary and was also a solider in the Union Army during the Civil War. He came south immediately after the end of the War, establishing the Second Baptist Church of Raleigh (changed to Tabernacle Baptist Church in 1910, and now the Tupper Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.) Later, Dr. Tupper and his bible study students constructed a two-story church, with

Rapid growth in the size of this class led to the purchase of land in 1866 for the purpose of erecting a building to serve as both church and school.

The school was named the “Raleigh Institute” and it functioned as such until 1870, when it was supplanted by the “Shaw Collegiate Institute.”

The school does not bear the name of Dr. Tupper, but of Elijah Shaw, the benefactor who provided funds for the first building, Shaw Hall, erected in 1871. The school’s students made bricks for Shaw Hall from clay they found on campus. The site of the building was also near the spot where General Grant conferred with General Sherman on the surrender terms for Joseph E. Johnston, who commanded the last army of the Confederacy. It was also the site of cotton fields in which Dr. Tupper hid from lynch mobs who were angry he built the school for freedmen. In 1875, the Institute was incorporated as the “Shaw University.”

together. In 1873, Estey Hall was built which marked the first female dormitory on the campus of a coed school in the United States. The building was devoted to training women in cooking, sewing, music and the like. Dr. Tupper purchased material from which the women made garments and he sold the garments in an effort to pay for the cost of the material and other expenses. Estey Hall is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

hall called the Greenleaf Building.

It was named for O.H. Greenleaf of Springfield, Massachusetts, a yearly liberal contributor. The upper part of the building was accessible by stairs. Doors on either side of the tower provided entrance to the dining room. At the right of the chapel was a small room and at the left a library. A storeroom existed under the stairway.

Funds Dr. Tupper saved were used to construct the building. These funds were augmented by contributions of

In 1879, another major building was erected – a chapel and dining

SHAW CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

Educating Women From the very beginning, Dr. Tupper expressed a belief in co-education, believing that women should be educated as well as men and that the two should, and could be educated

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course of medical studies. A twoyear program stayed in place without a clinical element until 1918. In its history, the four -year Leonard Medical School graduated over 400 African American physicians. The medical and pharmacy schools contributed to Shaw’s position in the late 19th and early 20th century as the state’s leading African American denominational university. In March of 2015, the Raleigh City Council designated the Leonard Medical School and Leonard Medical Hospital (currently Leonard and Tyler Halls) Raleigh historic landmarks.

SHAW CONTINUES

Creating Lawyers On December 11, 1888 the University opened its law school. The full curriculum offering at Shaw are unknown, but it was the only black law school that had a course in legal shorthand. The course was offered on the premise that such a skill would broaden the opportunities for a black lawyer to work in a legal firm in a clerical position or as an office assistant should discrimination impede their ability to practice law. Shaw graduated 57 law students before it closed in 1916. $650 ($15,116.28 in today’s time) from O.H. Greenleaf, Captain Ebenezer Morgan, and Deacon O.B. Grant of Stonington.

Training Doctors In 1866 when the Raleigh Institute was first being developed, Dr. Tupper had hoped to open a medical school.

In January 1880, Shaw students began digging clay for bricks to build the four-story medical dormitory. While students were making bricks, Dr. Tupper secured money to build the medical school with a $5,000 donation from his brother-in-law, Judson Wade Leonard. He requested a donation of land from the state and in March 1881 the North Carolina state legislature gave Shaw University once acre of land on Wilmington Street in Raleigh for the construction of the medical school.

The Leonard Medical School was a three-story Romanesque Revival style brick building.

Leonard was the first medical school for African-Americans in the U.S. to offer a four-year curriculum, as well as the first four-year medical school in North Carolina.

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The first Leonard Medical Hospital, a frame tripartite building located southwest of Leonard Medical School, was constructed in 1885. The hospital opened on January 10, 1885 to provide clinical instruction for the medical students while serving African American patients. Also in 1885, just a year before Leonard graduated its first class, the state legislature passed a law requiring doctors practicing in the state to pass a licensing exam administered by the State Board of Medical Examiners. Three of the six graduates, Manassa Thomas Pope, Lawson Andrew Scruggs, and John Taylor Williams were the first African

American physicians to be licensed in North Carolina.

In 1891, Shaw University built a School of Pharmacy on the lot that Leonard Medical Hospital had occupied. A two-story frame Queen Anne house on Blount Street was repurposed to serve as the hospital.

A new Leonard Medical Hospital, a modern brick two-story Italian Renaissance style structure, was built on the north side of Leonard Medical School in 1910 and opened on February 5, 1912. Gaston Alonzo Edwards (1875-1943), designed and supervised the construction of Leonard Medical Hospital. Edwards was an architect and faculty member at Shaw University and the first licensed and registered African American architect in North Carolina. When construction was completed, the medical complex consisted of a medical dormitory, Leonard Medical School, Leonard Medical Hospital, and a Pharmacy School.

Leonard Medical School was in existence from 1881 to 1918 when it officially closed.

The last class of 33 doctors graduated in 1912. In 1914, Shaw closed the hospital and finally discontinued the full four-year

SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

Dr. Tupper’s Legacy Dr. Tupper died on November 12, 1893 and was buried on campus at his own request. For 28 years, Dr. Tupper sought not only to stabilize those parts of the University that he had been able to build, but also to make improvements in them and to assure their security for the future. He was able to accomplish this and more through his dedication and commitment to educating freedmen. The University graduated its first college class in 1878, its first class of medical doctors in 1886, awarded its first law degree in 1890 and its first pharmacy degree in 1893. In 1909, the Normal Department was supplanted by an Education Department, and in 1910, the Preparatory Department became a fouryear academy. The professional schools were closed in 1918, but the college, theological department, and academy were continued, the latter existing until 1926. The theological department became a theological seminary in 1933.

As the University grew, so did its legacy in North Carolina. Shaw is often called the “Mother of North Carolina HBCUs” as the founder of North Carolina Central University and the first presidents of Elizabeth City State and North Carolina A&T Universities were all Shaw graduates.

The third president of Fayetteville State University was also a Shaw graduate.

HILLSIDE HIGH SCHOOL THEATER PROGRAM CREATING STARS OF THE STAGE & SCREEN

DURHAM, NC - Wendell Tabb has been the Director of Hillside High School’s Theatre Program for almost 30 years. He has developed an exceptional theater arts program that prepares students for success.

It provides them with real life experiences, technical training, and an environment that nurtures their talents. According to a former student, “When you think of Durham, NC you don’t think of professional arts training. Durham is called the City of Medicine or the Bull City. People don’t realize that there’s this jewel of a program where students can go into conservatories or to professional acting or other careers in the performing arts.”

Two of his former students, Veronique MacRae and April Parker Jones, are shining examples of stars that began their journey under the direction of Wendell Tabb

Veronique macrae Veronique LaShell MacRae is the Founder and Director of Act Trinity Performing Arts Company which is based in Durham, NC. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Arts in Christian Studies from Duke University. MacRae works as a playwright, producer, director and actor. This summer her plays will be performed at the Black Theatre Festival and the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC. She has also created a new play that is scheduled to open this fall.

When Veronique LaShell MacRae entered Hillside High School, she

wanted to play with the band. She had signed up for a music class but because of a mistake by a guidance counselor, she ended up in theater arts.

MacRae was initially upset but then she found something special in Mr. Tabb’s class. She said, “Theater arts gave me an avenue to share my voice where previously I had allowed my voice to be hidden. That space allowed me to express myself in a way I hadn’t done before. I was able to carry that into my everyday life and learn who I was and grow as a person. There was such leadership and mentorship in his arts program. We learned a lot about teamwork and collaboration. It was never just about the play.”

When MacRae began her career she realized that the training she received at Hillside allowed her to stand apart from her peers. She said, “Mr. Tabb cross trained us so you didn’t just study acting but you learned all areas of production, including the business side. And that is something that you don’t get a lot. You’ll find a lot of actors who don’t understand how to market themselves or how to carry and present themselves in an audition.

But the way Mr. Tabb taught, you learned vocabulary, technique and professionalism. You were given real life examples. To be early was to be on time. You had to be prepared. We received an overall experience.”

When MacRae lived in New York, she found that the technical skills she learned were also invaluable. She said, “I’m trained as a stage manager. I’m trained as a production manager. I’ve done professional lighting. I’ve built sets. So I have an understanding of backstage and that allowed me to enter the field in various doors. You may not get the acting gig. But if you have the ability to do tech work then you may meet the person you can give your headshot or resume to which allows you to get on the stage. Some people say that you should be the master of one thing and not the jack of all trades but because Mr. Tabb gave us a foundation in every area it allowed us to become strong in whatever area we wanted to master.”

MacRae once worked in a program for suicidal teens and found that she was able to connect with the students through the arts. “I was able to do that for them because Mr. Tabb did that for

us. I had a mom who was very ill and I went through a lot in high school but I was always able to come to the stage and to that classroom and know that it wasn’t just about a teacher trying to get good scores but about someone who really cared and was invested in our holistic whole being. That is what stuck with me. I wanted to pay it forward.”

By Sherri Holmes

at Hillside I learned everything that I needed to know about the industry.

‘Competence breeds confidence’. I felt that. I felt that he had equipped me for what I needed to succeed in this industry. Mr. Tabb is an amazing

MacRae will be forever grateful for that guidance counselor’s mistake.

She said, “God has a way of working things out because if I hadn’t attended Mr. Tabb’s class, I wouldn’t have discovered my passion for the theater. Now what I do with my arts organization enables me to help people discover their gifts and give a voice to those who may feel voiceless and bring a way for people to discover who they are. I learned from Mr. Tabb that there are no limits and whatever gifts I have in me, that I am supposed to use them to help others.”

educator.”

April parker jones April Parker Jones has appeared on several television shows including “NCIS”, “The Young & The Restless” and “Scandal.” Today she stars on Tyler Perry’s “If Loving You is Wrong” and just landed a recurring role on “How To Get Away with Murder.”

April Parker Jones was also not supposed to be in Mr. Tabb’s class.

Parker Jones experience at Hillside’s Theater Arts program had a profound impact on her. “Mr. Tabb was just so passionate about what he does.” she said.”There were times that he would be so proud of us that he would cry.

He gave us that freedom to be okay with expressing ourselves and our emotions and I really credit him with helping me fall in love with acting. He

She was originally scheduled to attend Jordan High School but at the last minute she was reassigned to Hillside High School. According to Parker Jones, “Without that, I would not have had the opportunity to train under Wendell Tabb who was and still is very influential in my life. In that four years

played a huge role in the relationship that I have with the industry and with the art. I’ll forever be grateful to him.”

Parker Jones went on to study theater arts at North Carolina Central HILLSIDE CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

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HILLSIDE CONTINUES University. After receiving acclaim for her performance in a one woman show, Parker Jones decided to leave college to pursue acting in New York. While there she had a daughter and met her husband who is also an actor. They later moved to California where she had another daughter and her career began to gain momentum. In 2014, she joined the cast of Tyler Perry’s “If Loving You is Wrong.”

Parker Jones was grateful for the opportunity. She said, “Being on the Tyler Perry show has exceeded my expectations. It was a dream come true from the crew to all the people involved with running the studio.

Everything is run in such a spirit of excellence. It was such a joy because I had never experienced so many wonderful beautiful black people like that in Hollywood. I was so proud of everybody and everything. It was a joy.”

“If Loving You is Wrong” made history as the most watched premier on the OWN network. The show was well received and continued to deliver solid ratings. Parker Jones said, “The actors all meshed well together and it was so harmonious. I can’t wait to get back there to shoot another season. I am really looking forward to working with Tyler Perry and the rest of the

crew again and really excited about the future of the show. I hope that the fans will continue to support it so that we can continue to have more seasons.”

When asked about her plans for the future, Parker Jones said, “I would like to see my career continue to evolve and work in this industry until the day that I die. I see myself teaching and sharing my experiences and helping the next generation of artists to develop their careers. I see myself using this platform is to be of service and encourage others. I think that is why

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we are all here. Everybody’s purpose is to somehow be of service. And I just see a long prosperous life with a lot of love.”

Fate led both Veronica LaShell MacRae and April Parker Jones to Hillside High School Theater Arts program.

Wendell Tabb fostered their passion for theater arts and helped them to grow as performers and individuals. They are both determined to follow in his footsteps and inspire another generation of performers. Despite the challenges of being an artist, they are committed to their community and their craft. As MacRae said, “I’m still doing theater arts. It is like once I ended up in Mr. Tabb’s class I never left.”

About the Director/ Producer Wendell Tabb Wendell Tabb (Producer/Artistic Director) is a native of Louisburg, North Carolina and has worked as Drama Director and Teacher for the past 27 years with the Hillside High School Theatre Program. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Wendell Tabb Productions. He received his B.A. degree in Theatre Education and M.A. degree in Educational Administration from North Carolina Central University.

He has served as an Arts Administration Fellow for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. Mr. Tabb has received numerous educational and civic awards including 2012 City of Durham “Key to the City Award”, 2012 North Carolina Governor’s Certificate of Appreciation Award, 2012 Durham County Commissioner’s Proclamation (“Proclaiming May 19th Wendell Tabb Day in Durham County”), 2011 Triangle Tribune Father Of The Year Award, 2008 Hillside High School National Alumni Service Award, 2006 James E. Shepard Sertoma Educator of the Year Award, 2005 Spirit of Hayti Legacy Keeper Award, 2005 Citizen of the Year Award, Durham Public Schools Teacher of the Year, Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year, the National Council of Negro Women Excellence in Teaching Award, ABCWTVD Jefferson “Educator of the Year” Award; and the Franklin County

As Drama Director, he has directed over 60 plays such as “FAME”, “Dreamgirls”, “The Wiz”, “Bubbling Brown Sugar”, “The Captive Grace of Othello”, “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters”, “Mama, I Want to Sing”, “Hairspray”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Phantom of the Opera.”

Mr. Tabb has also directed drama workshops nationally and internationally in Sydney, Australia, Kenya, East Africa; London, England; Osaka, Japan; Lima, Peru; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Gambia, West Africa; St. George’s, Bermuda; Los Angeles, California; Santa Cruz, California; and Brooklyn, New York. As an actor, he has appeared on the NCCU stage as West in “Two Trains Running”, David in “Tunnels”, Charles in “Heart to Heart: Ain’t Your Life Worth Saving?”, Lou Parker in “Fascination Man”, Seth in “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”, and Gabriel in “Fences.” Mr. Tabb is a theatre consultant and producer. He has produced such plays as “Black Nativity”, “Tambourines to Glory”, “Becca”, “Cinderah”, and “The Gospel at Colonus”, featuring Alabama State University.

Mr. Tabb received the NC Regional Theatre Conference Excellence in Directing Award eight consecutive years. He is a past recipient of the C.C. Lipscomb State Best Director Award.

SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

Arts Council “Black Living Legend Educator” Award.

Mr. Tabb is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is married to the former Duchess Stallings and they have one son, Emmanuel.

Sherri Holmes Sherri Holmes is the Director of the Triangle Friends of African American Arts. She can be reached at sholmes@ trianglefaaa.com.

NEWS BRIEFS DEBATE IN NC OVER CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS, NOT FLAG 3rd Confederate Monument Vandalized in North Carolina for Roof ended with his capture in North Carolina and prayer vigils were planned. The show of respect would have been appropriate even if one of the state legislature’s own — state senator Clementa C. Pinckney — had not died in the attack.

RALEIGH, NC - As South Carolina debates the future of the Confederate battle flag that flies outside the state capitol in Columbia, SC, some in North Carolina are questioning Confederate monuments on public property.

A state database of Civil War monuments shows more than 70 of North Carolina’s 100 counties have at least one memorial to the Confederacy, including 17 counties that have multiple monuments. The list doesn’t even include federal and state highway markers, historic trails and private monuments linked to the Confederacy.

Most of these memorials were built to honor Confederate soldiers who served or lost their lives in the war.

To many, they represent heritage and history, but to a growing number, they reflect oppression and racism.

For the third time in a week’s time, a Confederate statute has been vandalized in the Triangle, this time in front of the old courthouse at 200 E. Main St. in Durham. Someone spraypainted “black lives matter” on the statue. Durham Public Works crews quickly power-washed the monument.

The granite base is topped by the figure of a soldier holding a muzzleloading rifle and carrying a bedroll and a canteen.

But a third flag within view of the State House — a Confederate one — flew as high and as proud as ever, flapping in the breeze on a sunny day. South Carolina seemed to be flaunting its heritage of slavery as the first state to secede from the Union. It was deplorable enough, critics said, that the flag was there in the first place.

Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. A white supremacist, Dylann Roof, who posed in online photos with the Confederate battle flag has been charged in the shooting.

Over the July 4th weekend, the “Silent Sam” statue on the University of North Carolina’s campus in Chapel Hill was vandalized. The school cleaned up the spray paint on July 8th.

On July 1, a Confederate monument at Maplewood Cemetery in Durham

was also vandalized with spray paint.

In both of those cases, “Black lives matter” was spray-painted on the monuments. About 40 Confederate soldiers are buried at Maplewood. The vandalized monument was installed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in May according to ABC-11, which said a representative of the group began cleaning the headstone the afternoon of July 2nd.

Mecklenburg County leaders plan to discuss whether to remove a Confederate monument in Charlotte that depicts the battle flag.

Activist takes down

confederate flag in south carolina

The Emanuel AME Church shooting and its description by authorities as a “hate crime” were tragic enough to be compared to the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., a murderous act that claimed the lives of four young African American girls and helped bring about passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

One of the engraved flags on the statue is the Confederate battle flag that has prompted a national debate since nine people were shot to death June 17 at Emanuel African Methodist

Dressed in climbing gear and a helmet, Brittany “Bree” Newsome shimmied up a 30-foot flagpole on the grounds of the South Carolina state Capitol early Saturday June 27th and removed the Confederate battle flag that has reignited national debate over the emblem’s place in modern America.

Newsome removed the banner hours before a pro-flag rally was scheduled to take place at the monument in Columbia. By the time the flag was raised again, the moment had made its mark in the ongoing debate over the Confederate banner on the State House grounds -- and its value in American society 150 years after the end of the Civil War. Newsome was arrested after she returned to ground with flag in hand.

Video shows fellow activist James Tyson waiting at the flagpole’s base inside the wrought-iron fence to help her out of her climbing gear. She posted bond and was released from jail that afternoon.

In her statement, Newsome discussed her motivations for making such a moment in history. “For far too long, white supremacy has dominated the politics of America resulting in the creation of racist laws and cultural practices designed to subjugate nonwhites,” Newsome wrote.

“And the emblem of the confederacy, the stars and bars, in all its manifestations, has long been the most recognizable banner of this political ideology. It’s the banner of racial intimidation and fear whose popularity

After Dylann Roof allegedly shot up an AME church in Charleston, S.C., killing nine people, two flags were lowered more than 100 miles away in Columbia, the state’s capital. Atop the South Carolina State House, the U.S. flag and South Carolina’s palmetto flag flew at half-staff as the manhunt Confederate Flag Debate CONTINUES ON PAGE 20

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Confederate Flag Debate CONTINUES

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL HOSTS CIVIL RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE MEETING AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY During the two-hour event, Lynch discussed various civil rights matters with Triangle area leaders from education, religion, law enforcement and community activists. She also acknowledged that recent events in the South have evoked painful memories of the past and emphasized her commitment to pursuing justice against hate crimes and civil rights abuses.

“While we cannot guarantee the absence of hate, we can guarantee the presence of justice. We can do that,” said Lynch. “I am committed as attorney general to making good on that guarantee.”

Lynch, the first African-American woman to lead the U.S. Justice Department was sworn in on April 27, 2015. She is a Durham, NC native.

DURHAM, NC – U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch hosted a civil rights roundtable meeting on July 2nd at North Carolina Central University School of Law to address the current issues facing citizens.

The topics discussed included human trafficking, hate crimes, voting rights, school safety and community-police relations.

“It is truly an honor and pleasure to host this important conversation with our 83rd U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch,” said Chancellor Debra Saunders-White. “Holding a conversation on civil rights here at North Carolina Central University School of Law has profound significance as NCCU has nurtured some of the greatest civil rights advocates and champions for justice.”

experiences an uptick whenever black Americans appear to be making gains economically and politically in this country.”

Newsome’s criticisms of the flag are widely shared as petitions have launched in cities across the country, including here in North Carolina, calling on politicians and officials to remove tributes to the Confederacy.

“I see no greater moral cause than liberation, equality and justice f¬¬or all God’s people,” she wrote. “What better reason to risk your own freedom than to fight for the freedom of others?”

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SAINT AUGUSTINE’S UNIVERSITY TO HOST INAUGURATION FOR PRESIDENT EVERETT B. WARD RALEIGH, NC – Saint Augustine’s University is set to host an investiture ceremony for President Everett B. Ward on Friday, October 30 at 10 am at the Raleigh Convention Center. The investiture ceremony is part of a weeklong celebration of President Ward and the University. The Inauguration Week begins Sunday, October 25 with a worship service at 11 am at Davie Street Presbyterian Church located at 300 E. Davie Street in Raleigh. The week of events will end on Saturday, October 31.

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Dr. Everett B. Ward, a native of Raleigh, NC, is a respected public administrator, political leader and humanitarian with more than 30 years of national and statewide experience. He was named the eleventh president of Saint Augustine’s University on April 10, 2015, by the Board of Trustees. Dr. Ward is the third alumnus to hold the post in the 148-year history of Saint Augustine’s University.

For a complete listing of inauguration events, visit www.inauguration.st-aug.edu.

REX AND WAKE HEALTH SERVICES PARTNERSHIP EXPANDS CARE FOR SENIOR PATIENTS

RALEIGH, NC – Rex Healthcare and Wake Health Services have announced a partnership that will provide a new home for the Rex Senior Health Center, with enhanced care and expanded services for senior patients in Southeast Raleigh and beyond.

The Senior Health Center will be a featured service at the new 35,000-square-foot, $13 million health center Wake Health Services is building at 1001 Rock Quarry Road. This August, patients will begin receiving services in the existing facility on Rock Quarry Road and will transition to the new building with specialized senior facilities in October. As part of the transition, Wake Health Services, the Community Health Center (CHC) in Wake and Franklin counties with a mission to provide primary care and support services to patients of all ages with or without insurance, will change its name to Advance Community Health.

Dr. Leroy Darkes, who helped found the Rex Senior Health Center 17 years

ago, will continue to lead the new Senior Health Center as community medical director. The City of Raleigh, which has provided ongoing support for the Senior Health Center since it opened, is pleased to learn about the new facility and the additional offerings it will provide our community.

DURHAM ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INC.PRESENTS SCHOLARSHIPS

“This new partnership is a tremendous opportunity for us, but more importantly, for our senior patients,” Dr. Darkes said. “Our region’s population is growing and aging, and we look forward to continuing to provide personalized, compassionate medical, preventive and wellness care for many years to come.”

The transition will bring together partners who share a commitment to providing top quality care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. The new Senior Health Center will offer convenient, expanded services in one location, including primary care, dental care, behavioral health, lab services and a new pharmacy. Dr. Darkes’ geriatric health expertise will be supported by a full team of healthcare experts and clinical staff, and the center will offer expanded access to care, including early morning, evening and weekend hours.

Patients who want more information or to make an appointment after Aug. 17, call (919) 833-3111 or visit www.advancecommunityhealth.org

WORKING AS A RALEIGH FIREFIGHTER The Raleigh Fire Department will be accepting applications July 1st – 31st, 2015 for the 41st academy. The academy start date is tentatively set for early 2016. The current starting salary is $32,673.73 with a 3% raise upon graduation from the Raleigh Fire Academy. Applications are no longer accepted in person and must be completed online. All applicants must go to the City of Raleigh website and create a governmentjobs.com account. For support related to the online application process please call 855-524-5627 between 9 am and 9 pm EST.

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RASOUL BUTLER TO LAUNCH NEW CLOTHING LINE

DURHAM, NC - Rasoul Butler will launch a new clothing line for viewing August 1st at Hotel Indigo (151 Tatum Dr.) under his label Rasoul Amir Designs.

After the Durham NC native obtained his Bachelor of Science in Fashion and Textile Management at NC State University, Rasoul Butler decided to go the extra mile and complete the Masters program.

As a scholar in Textiles, Rasoul hopes to engage in a bright future in Fashion Design.

With two successful fashion exposé’s completed, Rasoul has decided to continue with its annual viewing of his clothing line. The fashion exhibition of Rasoul

Amir Designs will allow an exclusive look into up and coming designs for the season, collaborations with the designer, and retail transactions. The company’s mission to encourage everyone to look beautiful and feel beautiful remains strong and will continue with the annual fashion show.

The theme of the upcoming show is one of War vs. Peace with an emphasis on the role women play in these particular events. Military styles with a fresh take on the flower power movement will be explored through both men’s & women’s wear. Looks of War & Peace will be defined through color and texture with bursts of each throughout the entire viewing.

Rasoul Amir Designs maintains a constant relationship between the fashion industry and its consumers.

This years showing of the latest styles will only be enhanced through Rasoul Amir Designs, models and dedicated fans.

For more info, visit mkt.com/RasoulAmirDesigns

PEACE MISSIONARY’S DAYE CELEBRATES 40TH PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY DURHAM, NC - The Rev. William E. Daye, Peace Missionary Baptist Church’s longtime pastor, celebrated 40 years as the church’s pastor on Sunday, June 28, 2015, at 2608 Apex Highway (NC Hwy 55) in Durham. The Rev. Gregory Ceres, Peace’s assistant pastor, was the speaker for the special 11:00 am service.

The Peace family, friends and special guests honored Daye at a banquet at the Durham Convention Center on June 27th. Durham Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell and Mayor Pro-Tempore Cora Cole-McFadden co-hosted the historic event.

Widely esteemed as one of the

Triangle’s most prominent religious statesmen, Daye is the founder and pastor of Peace Missionary Baptist Church and has served as the faithful leader since its inception in 1974.

He has carried the banner of Christ in tireless offerings of teaching and preaching throughout the state for more than 56 years.

Reverend Daye’s service extends beyond his dedication to Peace. He is a member of the New Hope Baptist Association, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Durham, and serves on the Board of Directors of the John Avery Boys Club of Durham.

He also serves as Chairman of the

Board of Trustees of the Apex School of Theology.

Rev. Daye, a native son of Durham, holds a Bachelor of Theology degree from Virginia Seminary and College of Lynchburg, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shaw University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Theological Seminary at Wake Forest.

In 1999, Rev. Daye proudly received the Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Apex School of Theology. He has been married to the former Nora Mitchell of Durham for more than 62 years and they have four daughters, three sons-in law, and six grandchildren.

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LOCAL TEENS ATTEND ALPHA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IN GEORGIA

WARRENTON, NC - Recently, ten area high school students attended the 2015 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. South Leadership Development and Citizenship Education Institute (LDCEI), which was held on the campus of Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia from June 17-21.

These students were comprised of nine youth from Warren County: Jarrett Brake, Benjamin Davis, Centri’Cia Davis, Darauna Davis, Darrius Davis, Ron Davis, II, Amber Steed, Reginald Stevenson, Jordan Woodard, and one from Franklin County, Amari Gilliard.

The students were sponsored by the Rho Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. Dennis Snead, Chairman of the LDCEI for the Rho Beta Lambda Chapter, Keaven Russell, Jr. Secretary for the Rho Beta Lambda Chapter and Phoebe Russell served as the chaperones for these local students.

Over 112 high school students from the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee arrived on the campus of Savannah State University on June 17. For over 37 years, the LDCEI has served as an incubator for future scholars, accomplished professionals, and community leaders. The purpose of the program is rooted in the mission of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to “develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.” Over the five day period, students were the beneficiaries of the activities.

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For three days participants attended workshops and informational sessions.

The facilitators combined their expertise and life experiences to provide the students practical tools to engage their communities and continue the legacy of social progress of which they are benefactors and stakeholders.

The fourth day began with an Awards breakfast and Group Picture Taking followed by a tour of the AfricanAmerican History Museum. That evening students had the opportunity to display their diverse talents at the LDCEI Quiz Bowl, Talent Show and Award Ceremony. The students boarded buses on Sunday morning to return home.

Daruana Davis, Darrius Davis and Reginald Stevenson represented the North Carolina teams on two different teams. Amari Gilliard and Reginald Stevenson participated in the Talent Show. Reginald Stevenson competed in the Writing Contest and received first place for his writing. Superlative Awards were also given to various individuals based on voting by all institute participants. Darauna Davis was presented the Most Likely to Succeed Award.

The Rho Beta Lambda Chapter has had the largest North Carolina Delegation attending the institute for two consecutive years, though they are the smallest alumni chapter in North Carolina. The support of committed students, supportive parents, supporters of the scholarship fund, as well and generous donations from Cato’s in South Hill,Virginia and Boyd’s Cadillac in Henderson made this accomplishment possible.

NC REPUBLICANS ELECTS FIRST BLACK PARTY CHAIRMAN Harnett is the first chairman who has overwhelming grassroots and Tea Party Republican support.

Harnett, 39, is a businessman and motivational speaker. The Massachusetts native described himself as apolitical when he registered as a Democrat after relocating to North Carolina for a job as a financial analyst.

“If you said Democrat, Republican or independent, I wouldn’t have known what you were talking about,” he told the Observer. Harnett explained that he joined the Democratic Party because most African Americans are Democrats.

RALEIGH, NC - Delegates to the 2015 North Carolina Republican State Convention took a major step toward diversity. They elected Hasan Harnett, a former Democrat, as the party’s chairman - the first African American to hold that position.

Harnett says he can make the party more appealing to minorities, the Charlotte Observer reports.

His June 6 victory was “a rebuke” of Craig Collins, the candidate whom most top party leaders endorsed, according to the Observer. In fact,

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But as a Democrat in 2008, Harnett says, he bypassed both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary and wrote in Ron Paul. In 2010 he switched parties. Harnett became active in the state Republican Party after meeting Tim Johnson, who founded the Frederick Douglass Foundation. The organization describes itself as “the largest Christ-centered, multiethnic and Republican ministry in America.”

Since then, he has worked on several Republican campaigns across the state.

Harnett’s goal is to build the party at the grassroots level and get it ready for 2016, he told the Observer.

EBONETTES SERVICE CLUB SALUTES NINE to Youth and Education), Bette Davis (Service to Youth), Eldner Arrington DeGraffenreidt (Service in Education and Community), Teka Dempson (Service to Youth and Families), Bertha Vinson Eason (Service in Education), Vanessa Cooke Hinton (Service to Youth, Seniors and Education), Oveta Satterfield McIntosh (Service to Youth and Education), Marcellea Kaye Sullivan (Service to Youth, Seniors and Education) and Rev. Larry E. Thomas (Service to Youth).

Each year the Ebonettes Service Club, Inc. Founders select a service organization that is committed to making a difference in the lives of the citizens in the Durham Community and surrounding areas. The 2015 Founders’ Award, a donation of $1,000., was presented to the Bridges Pointe Sickle Cell Foundation Executive Director Elaine Whitworth for support of sickle cell client services, education and support.

Ebonette Yolanda Ford, Membership Chair, introduced and installed three new members during the program.

New Ebonettes are Bernadette Cooper, Patricia King and Lori McFadden. They completed community service projects in Durham at CAARE during January and February.

Fran Ellison is President of the Ebonettes Service Club, Inc. and Gayle Harris served as the 2015 Fund Raising Chair.

DURHAM, NC - The Ebonettes Service Club, Inc. of Durham celebrated its 43rd Founders Day on Saturday, April 11, 2015 with over 300 guests in attendance. The event theme was “Forty-three Years of Living and Sharing a Blessed Vision.”

Nine civic and community individuals “who dare to make a difference” in the community were honored during the program for their committed volunteer outreach efforts in four categories: Education, Service to Youth, Service to Senior Citizens and Service in Community Action. Guests were entertained by soloist, Mia Rothwell.

The Ebonettes Service Club, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 organization, was founded in March 1972 by four African American women who wanted to make a difference in their community. The founders, Judy Byrd Dillard of Durham, Dr. Susanna Gentry-Bell (currently living in Greensboro), Carolyn Jones Thomas of Durham and Marjorie Lester Monroe Thorpe (deceased), founded the organization focusing on four broad objectives: enhance the development of black youth; become more aware of our cultural heritage; become politically astute and relate to issues that affect our lives; and become meaningfully involved with the senior citizens of our community.

The 2015 “Dare to Make a Difference” Honorees are Margratha Y. Chambers (Service

DONS BASKETBALL LEAGUE COMING TO RALEIGH IN 2016 DURHAM, NC – After three successful years in Durham, DONS Basketball League recently announced its expansion plan to Raleigh in May 2016.

DONS Basketball League (DBL) is a community outreach program that is for all youth, at very low cost to parents. The league and its games simulate the authentic NBA experience. DBL incorporates

mandatory community service, educational and character building workshops and physical fitness. The League deliberately target youth in the most underserved areas of the Triangle region. DBL staff reaches out to participants in every way possible including providing uniforms, transportation, entertainment, league magazine, team dinners and many other amenities.

The DBL will administer a 16-week intensive summer basketball league in Raleigh with some games televised. The league will feature 10 teams supporting at least 150 youth. Early Registration is available for boys & girls basketball players (age 12 – 17), coaches, staff

positions and volunteers to sign-up on DBL’s website (DBLNBA.com). In addition, the league offers several other opportunities for kids (age 5 -11) to serve as ball boys, fan club, noise boyz crew, and more. The league is in the process of securing team sponsors, game and practice locations. DBL has partnered with former Wake County Deputy Sheriff Major Willie Rowe (ret.) to help spearhead the league expansion into Raleigh.

“The DBL helps develop our youth to become productive citizens,” says League Commissioner Otis Lyons (aka Vegas Don). “In an effort to truly focus on the mission: outreach, service and education, players serve first and play

second. Discipline is administered and integrated into all elements of the league experience. All league officials, coaches, and representatives emphasize sportsmanship, productivity, and brotherhood as the league’s core values.”

“Otis (Vegas Don) has created a very unique approach to working with at-risk youth,” said Michael Goodmon, Vice President for Real Estate at Capitol Broadcasting Co., one of the DBL sponsors. “The DBL is a great example of building a community made up of kids and their parents and using it to foster positive messages for all.”

To find out more about the DONS Basketball League, visit www.DBLNBA.com

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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA COMMUTES SENTENCES OF 46 DRUG OFFENDERS punishments for non-violent crimes.

With Monday’s announcement, Obama has commuted more sentences than any president since Lyndon B. Johnson.

“I believe that at its heart, America is a nation of second chances, and I believe these folks deserve their second chance,” Obama said in the video.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNN) President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentences of 46 drug offenders, saying in a video posted online Monday July 13th that the men and women were not “hardened criminals” and their punishments didn’t match the crimes they committed.

Obama said the move was part of his larger attempt to reform the criminal justice system, including reviewing sentencing laws and reducing

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The move brings the number of Obama’s commutations to nearly 90.

Most of those have been for federal prisoners incarcerated for drug offenses who were slapped with long sentences mandated under guidelines set during a drug-and-crime wave in the 1980s. Under current sentencing guidelines most of those prisoners would have already finished serving time.

Of the 46 prisoners whose sentences were commuted on Monday, 13 were sentenced to prison for life. Most of those commuted sentences will now end in November, a several month transition period that officials said allowed for arrangements to be made in halfway homes and other facilities.

After they’re released, the former prisoners will be supervised by probation officers and subject to

conditions that were set during their original sentencing, which is some cases includes drug testing.

The new round of commutations comes after 22 prisoners convicted of drug crimes were granted release earlier this year. In late 2014, eight criminals were granted commutations.

Unlike a presidential pardon, a commutation does not erase a criminal conviction, only reduces a sentence. In his presidency Obama has granted 64 pardons.

On the same day the White House posted a letter Obama wrote to each of the 46 men and women whose sentences were commuted.

“I am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around,” Obama wrote. “Now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity. It will not be easy, and you will confront many who doubt people with criminal records can change. Perhaps even you are unsure of how you will adjust to your new circumstances. But remember that you have the capacity to make good choices.”

Later in July, Obama is expected to

SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

discuss his plans for criminal justice reform further. He travels on July 14th to Philadelphia to speak at the annual convention of the NAACP, and on July 16th will become the first president to visit a federal prison when he tours the El Reno facility in Oklahoma.

While there, he’s expected to cite bipartisan calls for chances to the criminal justice system that would reduce overcrowding in prisons and create a system where sentences better match the crimes they are meant to punish. The effort to reform the system has gained support from Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul, the libertarian-minded presidential candidate, and David and Charles Koch, the industrialist brothers who have spent millions on conservative causes.

“Over the last few years a lot of people have become aware of the inequities in the criminal justice system,” Obama said in the video.

“Right now, with our overall crime rate and incarceration rate both falling, we’re at a moment when some good people in both parties, Republicans and Democrats and folks all across the country, are coming up with ideas to make the system work smarter and better.”

SPORTS

BALLIN’ OUT

ST. AUGUSTINE’S

By Lawrence “King Law” Davis

DOMINIQUE SUTTON AND THE WORLD CHAMPIONS

NCCU

Former North Carolina Central University Forward Dominique Sutton will be spending his summer playing for the Golden State Warriors in the Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas from July 10-20th. Sutton, who transferred from Kansas State, averaged 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds during the 2011-2012 season. Sutton was drafted by the Tulsa 66ers in the 2012 NBA Developmental League Draft. He spent time between the D-League and playing overseas before

Saint Augustine’s University graduate Bershawn “Batman” Jackson won the men’s 400-meter hurdles title at the USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field on Saturday, June 27th, to qualify for the IAAF World Championships which will be held later this summer.

Jackson, who captured his fifth U.S. 400 hurdles crown, advanced to the World Championships 10 years after claiming the 2005 world championship in the event. On Saturday, Jackson finished ahead of training partner Johnny Dutch with a winning time of 48.29 seconds.

Dutch, who also qualified for the World Championships, placed second in 48.43 seconds. The race was televised by NBC Sports.

Both Jackson and Dutch are trained by legendary track & field coach George Williams of Saint Augustine’s University. Williams has won the most NCAA track & field national championships as a coach (36), regardless of division. Jackson is a Raleigh, NC, resident and Dutch is a former Clayton (NC) High School national standout. (www.saintaugfalcons.com/news)

getting the opportunity to play with the Santa Cruz Warriors. Santa Cruz won the 2015 NBDL Championship while Sutton landed himself on the All-Defensive third team. NCCU Head Coach LeVelle Moton stated that “[he] could not be more prouder of a basketball player.” The Golden State Warriors won the NBA Championship this past season and with most of their players returning and Sutton moving up from the D-League, they have a good chance to repeat next year.

DUKE

Duke’s Redshirt Senior Safety Jeremy Cash was named to this year’s preseason Jim Thorpe Watchlist. The Jim Thorpe award is given to the top defensive back in the nation. This will be the second straight year that Cash has landed himself on the list of potential Thorpe award winners. Cash finished last season with 111 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, two interceptions and four caused fumbles. The Miami native was the only DB in the nation to register 100+ tackles, 10+ tackles for loss, and 5+ sacks for the season this past year.

NC STATE

Wolfpack junior tight end David J. Grinnage has been named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end. Last season, Grinnage tied for the team lead with five touchdown receptions, with all five coming against Atlantic Coast Conference competition. The Newark, Del., native earned the Wolfpack’s “Alpha Rising”

award following the 2014 campaign for being the squad’s most improved player.

Finalists for the Mackey Award will be announced in late November and the winner will be announced on December 9, 2015 and then presented live on December 10, 2015 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on ESPNU. SPORTS CONTINUES ON PAGE 29

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SPORTS CONTINUES

SHAW

Jolisa Williams has joined Shaw University Athletics as its Sports Information Director. In this capacity she will be the primary media relations contact for the Bear’s 11 varsity sports. After serving a one-year stint as Director of Sports Information and Marketing at Richard Bland College, Williams brings with her experience and knowledge in the athletic media relations field.

A 2012 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Saint Augustine’s University, Williams earned her Bachelor of Science in sport management. A three-year letter winner for the Lady Falcons women’s basketball team, Williams served as the starting point guard and contributed to the CIAA Western Division title in 200910 and three CIAA Team Highest GPA Award (2008,2011,2012) for women’s basketball during her tenure. Williams, a native of Charles City, Va., received her master’s degree from Virginia State University in 2014. (www.shawbears.com)

DURHAM BULLS

The Durham Bulls head in to the Minor League All-Star Break with a record of 47-43 after dropping a three-game series with the Gwinnett Braves. The first game was a scoreless affair until the 6th inning when Gwinnett scored on a fielder’s choice. In the 8th inning, the Braves used a sacrifice fly and a two-run home run to extend the lead. Taylor Motter and JP Arencibia fueled the comeback effort for Durham with back-to-back home runs to cut the lead to two but the task was too much, as the bulls fell short. Arencibia’s homer was his league leading 16th of the season.

In the second game, the Bulls would start off early with a sacrifice hit from Motter and aggressive baserunning by Boog Powell to get the first run. Gwinnett would tie the game in the 3rd inning before the home team would take back the lead with a run in the 4th and 5th inning to make it 3-1 Durham. The Braves would get a home run in the 6th to make it 3-2, but the Bulls would counter with six runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to blow the lead open to 9-2 which would end up being the final score. The Bulls would drop the third game of the series after a close game that went in to extra innings. A clutch 11th inning two-run homer from Braves player Joey Terdoslavich would be the dagger in the hearts of the home team.

The Bulls returned Thursday, July 16 from All-Star Break to open a four-game series with the Pawtucket Red Sox. This will be the Red Sox’ only visit to Durham and will be a rematch of the past two Governors’ Cup Finals. There will be two nights of fireworks during the four-game homestand before traveling to Charlotte for a fourgame series with the Charlotte Knights. The Bulls lead the season series versus both the Red Sox and the Knights with a 2-1 and 8-4 lead respectively.

King Law

Lawrence “King Law” Davis III Lawrence “King Law” Davis is a Business Administration major and Asst. Varsity Lacrosse Coach at Sanderson High School in Raleigh. He can be reached at lawdavis@spectacularmag.com

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LIFESTYLES

THE TRIANGLE PARK (NC) CHAPTER OF THE LINKS, INCORPORATED HOSTS 21ST ANNUAL WHITE ROSE LUNCHEON: THE JAZZ EDITION CHAPEL HILL, NC - The Triangle Park Chapter (TPC) of The Links, Incorporated held its 21st Annual White Rose Luncheon: The Jazz Edition on Saturday, June 13, 2015.

The fundraising event was held at the William and Ida Friday Center in Chapel Hill. Over 350 guests and Links were in attendance and enjoyed the soulful sounds of the local band, Mo’ Jazz featuring vocalist Connie McCoy Rogers. The Mistress of Ceremonies was Tisha Powell, news anchor for ABC 11 WTVD. Guests participated in silent and live auctions with guest auctioneer, Dwayne Ballen, sportscaster and author. Included among the attendees were presidents and vice-presidents from surrounding Links chapters. A very special guest was Dr. Virginia K. Newell, distinguished member of the WinstonSalem Chapter, and mother of the National President of the Links, Incorporated, Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris.

The Triangle

fowr the UNCF and NAACP.

Park Chapter presented Dr. Newell with a bouquet of a dozen white roses in appreciation for her attendance and support.

The Triangle Park Chapter was established in 1984 to provide community service in Durham, Orange and Wake Counties.

Mrs. Vivian Edmonds, former Editor of the Carolina Times, was the first President. Since that time, the members have remained committed to their philanthropic mission and to making a positive difference in the communities they were established to serve. Their signature White Rose Luncheon helps to make all of this possible.

The funds raised from

the White Rose Luncheon are used to reduce disparities that negatively affect people of African descent.

The Chapter’s initiatives provide the following services: college scholarships and emergency funds; refurbished computers for students; hundreds of elementary school books; school uniforms; health supplies, books and clothing for African communities; weekly food backpacks for students; STEM-related studies; arts education and exposure; workshops on social media safety and anti-bullying; health conferences; a college conference series; and support

TPC President, Dr. Caroline L. Lattimore, stated “On behalf of the Triangle Park (NC) Chapter, we thank all whose support of this special fundraiser has made it possible for our Chapter to promote and implement services to youth, senior citizens, HBCU’s, and public service organizations.

We anticipate providing greater services to the citizens of the tri-counties of Durham, Orange and Wake, where the need exists.”

The White Rose Luncheon Fundraiser co-chairs were Ms. Norma Petway and Mrs. Jacqueline Wynn. The luncheon program development chairs were Ms. Carolyn Henderson and Dr. Ruth Kennedy.

The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946.

The membership consists of nearly 14,000 professional women of color in 281 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.

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NEW SCHOOL SHOT REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE JULY 1 Kindergarten, 7th grade students must meet new requirements for school attendance As parents make summer plans for their children, North Carolina health officials want to make sure those plans include meeting new shot requirements which will affect kindergarten and seventh grade students.

Beginning July 1, new and modified vaccine requirements went into effect, aligning North Carolina requirements with the current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations.

New shot requirements include: •Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) – 2 doses

~ One dose for individuals is required entering the 7th grade

or by 12 years of age whichever comes first.

~ Booster dose for individuals is required entering the 12th

grade or 17 years of age beginning August 1, 2020.

~ If the first dose is administered on or after the 16th

birthday the booster dose is not required.

Changes to previous shot requirements include: • Polio vaccine – the booster (4th) dose is required on or

after the 4th birthday and before entering school for the

first time.

• Varicella vaccine – 2 doses administered at least 28 days apart

~ One dose is required on or after 12 months of age

and before 19 months.

~ A second dose is required before entering school for

the first time.

~ Documentation of disease must be from a physician, nurse

practitioner, or physician’s assistant verifying history of

varicella disease. Documentation must include the name of

the individual with history of disease, approximate date or

age of infection and a healthcare provider signature.

• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) – Tdap

~ A booster dose of Tdap is required for individuals who have

not previously received Tdap and who are entering 7th

grade or by 12 years of age, whichever comes first.

“Making sure that children have the essentials to start the new school year is critical to their future, as well as individual and family prosperity,” says Durham County Public Health Director Gayle B. Harris. “Those essentials include making sure children have the necessary shots to attend school.

Without them, our children risk spending valuable instructional time out of the classroom and are not able to reach their full potential.”

Public Health will have clinics for Tdap and meningitis shots during the month of August for students on the year-round school calendar, and in September for those on the traditional calendar. However, these shots can be obtained from many health care providers in the community, including clinics in pharmacies and other retail stores.

For more information and questions about the changes to the North Carolina immunization requirements, visit www.immunize.nc.gov.

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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

IS YOUR YOUNG LADIES’ HAIR READY FOR SUMMER ACTIVITIES?

By Samantha Huntley Summer is here. Most children ages 6-13 will be participating in a wide range of activities during summer camp. Arts and crafts, running, swimming, and group games (scavenger hunts, etc.) can present young ladies with textured hair the challenge of selecting a low maintenance, durable hairstyle that still looks attractive while your young lady is at camp. Braids are attractive, low maintenance, and definitely durable. Zien Salon”s Samantha Huntley and Mater Stylist Fallon Bradley had a wonderful time getting La’Kai, Cassidy, and Tylin’s hair ready for summer camp.

CASSIDY

LA’KAI

TYLIN

Book your appointment with ZIEN SALON today and explore the Chameleon in you.

323 West Main Street Durham NC. 27701 (919-667-1752) contact us at: ZIENSALON.com Zienzien6@gmail.com Ziensalon at Instagram Zienzien at Facebook

Samantha Huntley www.spectacularmag.com | July 2015 | SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE

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ENTERTAINMENT

DID U KNOW?...

VIOLA, TARAJI, ANTHONY ANDERSON AND MORE SNAG 2015 EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

Black actors who carried series such as Orange Is the New Black, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder earned nominations Congratulations are in order! More than a dozen black actors and actresses picked up Primetime Emmy Award nominations, Variety reports, and six appear in lead actor or actress categories.

It’s further confirmation that black actors were not sidelined in supporting roles but were thrust to the forefront of television this past year.

Wednesday night was dominated by Empire, and Thursday night

by How to Get Away With Murder, so it’s only fitting that the two actresses who carry those shows — Taraji P. Henson (Cookie in “Empire”) and Viola Davis respectively — snagged nominations in the Lead Actress in a Drama category. This is the first time that two black actresses have earned an Emmy nod in the same year in this category.

Cicely Tyson’s brief appearance as Davis’ mother earned her a nomination in the Guest Actress in a Drama category. Khandi Alexander’s performance as Olivia Pope’s mother in Scandal also earned her a nomination in that category.

And two nominations — Anthony Anderson and Don Cheadle for Black-ish and House of Lies, respectively — are pitting those guys against each other for Lead Actor in a Comedy.

Regina King (American Crime), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Freak Show) and Mo’Nique (Bessie) are all nominated in the Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie category.

The entire ensemble cast of Orange Is the New Black was recognized with the show’s nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, but Uzo Aduba is the only black actress from the series to be nominated individually for Supporting Actress in a Drama.

David Oyelowo was nominated for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance in the HBO movie Nightingale, in which he played a war veteran in distress. Queen Latifah’s performance in another HBO movie, Bessie, received rave reviews and earned her a nomination in the Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie category.

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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

Other black nominees include Reg E. Cathey from House of Cards, as Guest Actor in a Drama, and Andre Braugher from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Keegan-Michael Key from Key & Peele and Tituss Burgess from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, all in the Best Actor in a Comedy category.

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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | July 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com