March 2016
2016
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE
SPECTACULAR
MAGAZINE
www.spectacularmag.com
SPECTACULAR PUBLISHING, INC. 3333 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd, Suite A-101 Durham, NC 27707
PRESIDENT – CEO
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Phyllis D. Coley
Gary N. Jones, MBA
PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PHYLLIS COLEY
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
GARY N. JONES COLUMNISTS
LAWRENCE DAVIS SAMANTHA HUNTLEY DEL MATTIOLI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
FELICIA DAVIES CYNTHIA DEAN SHERRI HOLMES PHOTOGRAPHERS
GREGORY COATS RENALDO JACKSON OLEN KELLEY, III RANDY SINGLETON LAYOUT/DESIGN
ANTHONY DAVIS DISTRIBUTION
DIANE DAVIS NATHANIEL JONES LELIA ROYSTER INTERN
DERON AVERY Spectacular Magazine enlightens, empowers and entertains with news, features, columns, commentaries and calendars. Spectacular Magazine is published monthly and distributed free in Durham, Wake, Orange, Granville, Vance and Person counties. DEADLINE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS IS THE 15TH OF EACH MONTH. CONTACT US: info@spectacularmag.com or by mail: P.O. Box 361 Durham, NC 27702 919.680.0465
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IN THIS ISSUE Vol. III, Issue II
Ballin’ Out Briefly Commentary Cover Story Community Health Did U Know? Editorial Entertainment FEATURES Chanda Branch Nimasheena Burns Kimberley Cartwright Jaqueline Gaines Rev. Trish Harleston Juanita Massenburg Bessye McGhee Tulolope Omekaniye Phylicia Pearl- The Lion King Artelia Perry Tomisha Price- Brock Yolanda Rabun Vivian Sansom Yolanda Stith Linda Worth From The Publisher’s Desk Health & Beauty Lifestyles News Briefs Out & About Samantha’s Infinite Solutions Sports Cover Photo: Greg Coats
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EDITORIAL
From The Publisher’s Desk... As we prepare for a NC Primary election on March 15, it is very important that our vote is not taken for granted. Recently when I saw a post on the subject on Facebook, I thought ‘I could not have said it any better.’ I reached out and asked for permission to reprint the post. On that note, I yield my space to Min. Curtis Everette Gatewood, ordained Baptist minister, community organizer, and civil rights coordinator.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Phyllis Coley
Phyllis Coley CEO/Publisher pcoley@spectacularmag.com
THE POWER OF THE BLACK VOTE MUST BE USED AS LEVERAGE FOR REPARATION AND RECIPROCITY Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has stated the obvious… it was the “Black vote” that gave her the narrow 5-point victory in Nevada Gatewood as it is also expected to be the “Black vote” that will save her from the surging anti-Wall-Street presidential candidacy of Bernie Sanders in South Carolina. Consequently, she is expected to ride the “Black vote” into victory as the Democratic nominee for U.S. President. But should it be that easy? Nevada did not serve as the “firewall” Hillary claimed it would, but she did win. The Latino vote did not break her way. It is the African American vote that is keeping her in the game. Since it is now clear, the African American vote can make or break a presidential candidate, why aren’t we asking for more than a pat on the back, politically expedient lip service regarding “racism”, and a convenient political love-fest with President Barack Obama? Both candidates should be given the following agenda regarding the specific and tangible needs to make the “dream” of justice come true for African Americans in this generation and see which one will commit to the full agenda for true African American reparation and reconciliation: 1. AFRICAN AMERICAN REPARATIONS - We demand a fair plan to pay retribution for generations of Slavery, Jim Crow Laws, Racial Domestic Terrorism, COINTELPRO, Massive Lynching/Murder, Massive LandTakings, Mass Incarceration (and sentencing disparities), Massive Economic/Job/Pay/Loan Discrimination. A committee to study and propose ways to implement the reparations
plans should be established immediately upon taking office. 2. LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM - We demand universal law enforcement reform. Among many things this will include vetting and eliminating/terminating any officers with present or past affiliation to white supremacists groups, regular mental and culture-consciousness evaluations for law enforcement officers, and termination and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law any officers who kill and in other ways use excessive force against unarmed citizens. This reform will also prevent loopholes where police and other law enforcement officers are allowed to job hop from precinct to precinct or state to state after being disciplined or terminated for excessive force or police misconduct. 3. AN END TO THE DEATH PENALTY - We demand an end to the death penalty. The American government and criminal justice system are deeply rooted in racism and classism and are absolutely in no position to determine who should live or die. Therefore it should come as no surprise those who are wealthy and can afford a viable legal defense are less likely to be put to death than those who are poor. It also should not come as a surprise in a nation whose fabric is stained so deeply with the soil of racism, empirical data will confirm African Americans are systemically more likely to be put to death especially if they are charged with killing a White citizen. 4. EDUCATION REFORM - We demand education reform that will include changes in curriculum which are consistent with the various cultures and learning methods, the best and most caring educators, and funding that is consistent with the extent of the challenges within a particular school. This reform should include but not be limited to guarantees of strong and quality early childhood education, continuous mandatory consultation with those who specialize in African American child psychology, African American studies, African/African American culture at education boards/committees/
entities at the federal, state, and local levels; using curriculum reform, adjusting teaching methods to reward creativity; standardized test reform, disallowing psychologically damaging separation of “smart” versus “dumb” where an avalanche of societal flaws and disadvantages segregate Black children into the so-called “dumb” groups and segregate Whites children into the so-called “smart’ groups; elimination of out of school suspension; mandatory increase in counseling and psychological health and the elimination of policing and the criminalization of students. 5. FULL RESTORATION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965. We demand the U.S . President does everything within his/her power to expand and protect voting rights. This includes appointing Supreme Court nominees who understand the need to fully restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and use every opportunity to overturn state voter suppression and restrictive voting laws. 6. END TO RACIAL DOMESTIC TERRORISM - We demand specific steps are taken as Commander-In-Chief to defeat domestic terrorism and rid the nation of known terrorist groups as the Ku Klux Klan, who possess a clear history of massively murdering and in other ways using racism to terrorize African Americans. For too long the American government and media have fooled the American public into believing the “terrorists” are Muslims who live in the Middle East. When America thinks of “terrorists” they think of Al Qaeda or ISIS. The government and media have long turned a blind eye toward homegrown domestic terrorists, especially those who have for generations been murdering/lynching black masses, bombing/burning black churches, leading massacres who violently take cities such as Wilmington, NC, who violently take economically sustainable black communities such as Tulsa, OK or Rosewood, FL, who violently infiltrate “law enforcement” and kill unarmed black people, and have historically used terror and its related trauma to keep black people in “their places” of second class citizenship. What
good is it to take down the confederate flag and leave those who have long carried out the acts of terrorism under the confederate flag standing, recruiting, publicly rallying, operating training camps while remaining armed and dangerous? 7. PROVIDE A “PARDON OF INNOCENCE”, RELEASE, AND REPAIR ANYONE INCARCERATED THROUGH COINTELPRO, THE “WAR ON DRUGS”, OR ANY OTHER SENTENCING DISPARITIES WHICH WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED BLACK MASSES - We demand a federal investigation into the number of African Americans who remain imprisoned by racial sentencing disparities and government sponsored initiatives which led to the unfair and over-incarceration of African Americans and the ultimate release of these overly sentenced and incarcerated individuals. The facts speak for themselves regarding how African Americans have been systemically killed or incarcerated as part of an unofficial “War on Black America.” Whether it was FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) or whether it was Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan’s “war on drugs” or whether it was President Bill Clinton’s “Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,” these laws or governmentsponsored initiatives were used to kill, overly incarcerate, criminalize, deport, and in other ways destroy the lives of African Americans disproportionately and relentlessly. Therefore, if “Black vote” are going to decide this election, it is HIGH time we stop, look, and listen - use this “Black power” in a way that intelligently “demands” our best interests are served and will once and for all protect the rights and enhance the lives of African Americans - children, youth, and adults today and generations to come. No candidate should be given an automatic stamp of the “Black vote.” In an era we all agree that “Black Lives Matter,” it is time that we demand it be put in writing through public policy, reparation and reform. Min. Curtis Everette Gatewood
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OUT & ABOUT
CHAPEL HILL CARRBORO AREA ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INC. HOSTS BLOOD DRIVE; DURHAM ALUMNAE CHAPTER MAKES DONATION, GIVES TIME IN HONOR OF MLK DAY
CHAPEL HILL, NC - Congratulations to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Physical and Mental Health Committee for the success of their 26th Annual MLK Day Blood Drive. The community of Chatham and Orange counties supported and donated blood on this day of service held at Hargraves Center. (Photo on the Left) Chapel Hill-Carrboro Area Alumnae Chapter of DST Sorority Inc. members and volunteers. (Photo on the right) Chapel Hill-Carrboro Area Alumnae Chapter of DST Sorority Inc. member Valerie Dobson donates blood.
Delta GEMS and Delta Academy, youth programs in the chapter, gave of their time, energy and support by serving and participating in “The MLK Day of Service at Healing with CAARE, Inc.” The youth learned more about the late Dr. Sharon Elliott-Bynum’s mission and how it is better to give than to receive. Putting on gloves they went to work cleaning, organizing the kitchen pantry, kitchen cabinets, the comfort zone (library), holistic room lounge, and wiping down the exercise equipment in the gym. Additionally, they were responsible for making sandwiches to be served to the more than 100 volunteers who were present. (Photos above) Members of Durham Alumnae Chapter of DST Sorority Inc. and Delta GEMS. (Submitted Photos)
DURHAM, NC – Kudos to the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. They recently donated 559 books, their largest collection ever to Book Harvest, a nonprofit organization in the Triangle that provides books for children so that they might create their own personal home libraries. Coordinated by the sorority’s Education Awareness Committee (Theodosia T. Shields – Chair), chapter members donated new and gently used books for the project. (Photo to the left): Durham Alumnae Chapter of DST Sorority Inc. members Theodosia T. Shields, Ph.D. (Chair) and Remell. (Photo to the right): Durham Alumnae Chapter of DST Sorority Inc. members Ann McMillon and Jessica Whittaker.
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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
THE FARCE BEYOND THE REDISTRICTING DRAMA By Chris Fitzsimon There has been high political drama in Raleigh the week of Feb. 15th as state House and Senate leaders rushed to put new congressional district maps together after a three-judge federal panel ruled the current district plans were unconstitutional and no last minute reprieve appeared from the U.S. Supreme Court. Political insiders have been riveted as new maps appeared Wednesday Feb. 18th that shifted all 13 congressional districts and left two sitting members of Congress living outside the districts they currently represent. A newly formed district in the Piedmont has no incumbent, prompting questions about who legislative leaders drew the district for since it has a clear majority of Republican voters. Rumors were also flying about which legislators might run for Congress now with the new configuration. The political class was in a frenzy. House and Senate leaders claim they ignored race when drawing the districts which seems unlikely since it appears, as Sen. Dan Blue pointed out, that many black voters were packed into three districts to dilute their influence in other ones. One thing is certain. The maps were gerrymandered to make sure that Republicans maintain their 10-3 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation in a state that by all accounts is evenly divided politically. That’s not speculation or even a conclusion that can be drawn from the breakdown of the districts. Legislative leaders openly admit it. They are up front about their intention to redraw the maps to maximize their political power and decide the elections before they are held. House Redistricting Co-Chair David Lewis says the GOP advantage is 10-3 under the new plan only because he couldn’t figure out a way to make it 11-2. Parsing the lines and speculating about who will run in what districts may be scintillating to folks who follow state
COMMENTARY
politics every day, but it’s a safe bet that folks outside the political class in Raleigh don’t see much drama in it. From the outside it looks like Republican politicians using their power to manipulate elections for their own interests just like the Democratic politicians did when they were in charge. Some folks might remember that many of the same Republicans now brazenly rigging elections for their friends were loudly demanding an independent redistricting process when they were in the minority, saying it was time to take politics out of the process and do what’s best for the voters not the politicians. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger sponsored a bill for an independent redistricting process five times before his party took over the Senate in the 2010 election. Many of the same Democrats now demanding a new process to draw districts ignored those pleas when they were in power. As a practical matter, it’s far from certain the federal court will view these new districts as any more constitutional than the ones currently in place that the court rejected. The Voting Rights Act is still in play as is the court’s concern about packing black voters to dilute their influence. The congressional primary will be postponed until later this year regardless unless the Supreme Court swoops in with a stay of the threejudge panel’s ruling. Republican leaders seem undaunted by it all, claiming that their new districts are fair and legal. That’s what they said about the current districts too. It turns out they weren’t legal and the new ones might not be either. And nobody in Raleigh thinks the maps are fair. They might be payback. They might be the Republicans’ chance to gerrymander or a while. They might be a great example of how computers can make political map drawing amazing precise. But they are not fair. Not to the voters and not to democracy.
TRUMPMATIZED By: Dr. Ada M. Fisher
Lingering in the psyche of the American public seemingly unappreciated by both political parties and particularly the media is the fact that the public has begun to understand they have been duped by those manipulating them for press/advertising and political/lobbying control of their dollars. The rise of Donald J. Trump has released the genie in the bottle who may be hard to reign back in. The Republican Party’s coalition of Tea Partyers, Libertarians and Conservatives seem less concerned about examining the historical records of candidates than just “throwing the bums out.” Meanwhile the Democratic Party too late appreciates that the expected standard bearer has knowingly broken the laws on national security in her email scandal and her opponent with the support of the young and misinformed willing to advocate that we ditch our democratic republic for a full fledge progressive agenda of socialism. Trump has become the seeming untouchable of politics being able to say anything and do much of what he wants without significant challenge or a bump in the polls any way but up. This is from his appreciation that the political process in and of itself has become so bastardized that even seemingly rational people in their disgust are willing to consider any and all possibilities on the table. Unfortunately the Trump dynamic could allow the rich to truly rule and push other worthy presidential successors out if they can’t self-finance their races. Witness the possibility of entering left is consideration of a Michael Bloomberg presidential run as an independent. Will we still be a nation where anyone can become And that’s the story that seems lost amid all the drama about the new lines and who might run in which district and which incumbent is better off. The people outside the Raleigh Beltline aren’t captivated by all the machinations, they are disgusted watching politicians in power protect
President or will we continue in being a lucrative playing field for the rich and well connected? Money could allow dispensing with the pull of political parties as well as relegate the media to fawning for recognition for the star on center stage. The envy of the rich which Barack Obama taps, whenever he is in trouble and needs support, becomes an underlying rallying point. The desire to relinquish blood line dynasties from Kennedys, Clintons and Bushes no matter their previous pulls and connections has its allure for people wanting a new hero to speak to them and address their pain. The Trump campaign is making its own rules on the fly disregarding the pledge that each Republican candidate was to make, i.e. participating in only sanctioned debates if he/she were to get their nomination. The presidency is already the millionaire’s club. Will it become the billionaire’s club where the political dynamics of a two party system is upended because accountability is subterfuged in too many instances? And the democrats continue to expand the amount of taxes the few who still have jobs must pay to cover promises that we can’t keep without taking everything that working people make and have earned. “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”, - Alexis de Tocqueville Such is also true of our presidential candidates on either side of the aisle. Civics is something we must teach and understand, for the biggest threat to our way of life isn’t guns, Islam or racism but ignorance of this democratic Republic’s Constitution which focuses on individual liberty and freedom. Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a physician, licensed teacher in secondary education, former School Board Member, as well as the NC Republican National Committee Woman. Contact: P. O. Box 777; Salisbury, NC 28145; DrFisher@ DrAdaMFisher,org
themselves above all else. And folks wonder why this is the year of the outsider. Chris Fitzsimon, Founder and Executive Director of N.C. Policy Watch, writes the Fitzsimon File, delivers a radio commentary broadcast on WRAL-FM and hosts “News and Views,” a weekly radio news magazine that airs on multiple stations across North Carolina. Contact: chris@ ncpolicywatch.com
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COVER STORY
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE 2016 WOMEN OF YEAR
Magazine 2016 Women of the Year Finalists and Semi-finalists (Photo: Greg Coats) DURHAM, NC – On October 18, 2105 Spectacular Magazine recognized and honored the achievements of African American women with the Spectacular Magazine 2016 Woman of the Year Awards. From nominations received from the community via an on-line nomination process, thirty African American women in seven categories were selected by the Woman of the Year Selection Committee (Committee) as Semi-Finalists for Spectacular Magazine Woman of the Year Awards. Based on the results of on-line voting process, ten women received the title at the Spectacular Magazine Woman of
the Year Awards Gala held at the UNC Friday Center in Chapel Hill, NC. (Due to the large number of nominations in the Community Service, Education and Emerging Leader categories, two awards were presented in each of those categories.) The recipients of the eighth category, Lifetime Achievement, were named exclusively by the Selection Committee. This year, for the first time, Spectacular Magazine presented three (3) Lifetime Achievement Awards. The recipients are Mrs. Bessye McGhee, Mrs. Artelia Perry and Mrs. Vivian Sansom (posthumously). Each of
these women strongly exemplify the criteria for the Lifetime Achievement Award which is a woman who has made outstanding and significant contributions to the AfricanAmerican community throughout her lifetime; she must have demonstrated dedication, leadership and commitment to the advancement, promotion and development of the cultural, educational, social, economic, political welfare and/or in any other areas that impact the lives of people in the African-American community; must be of African heritage.
Meet the Spectacular Magazine 2016 Women of the Year‌
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Category: Lifetime Achievement
Bessye McGhee
Retired Educator, Author (Oxford, NC)
(L-R) Spectacular Magazine CEO/Publisher Phyllis Coley, Mrs. McGhee’s lifelong friend Helen Amis (presenter), Bessye McGhee, Mrs. McGhee’s Soror & former student Carolyn Harris (presenter) and Spectacular Magazine COO Gary Jones. (Photo: Greg Coats) By Cynthia Dean It all began when she was asked to speak about African Americans in Granville County, North Carolina, at an event held by the local Genealogical Society. As Bessye L. McGhee started to look up information for the Black History Month program, she was surprised to find out that the information was almost non-existent. The process was frustrating. She was going to have to do lots of digging. She went anywhere she could to find information, researching state archives, birth and marriage certificates, interviewing individuals and going as far as the libraries at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. McGhee is the author of,” Our Story: the African American Presence in Granville County.” The book fills a large void in the history of the African American
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contribution to Granville County. From her point of view, the book offers a more balanced picture of the county’s rich history. She said that there were plenty of black movers and shakers in the development of Granville County that lies in the north central part of the state. According to her, the book is only a drop in the bucket of historical information about blacks in Granville County. She hopes that other people will pick up where her work has left off to continue telling the rest of the story. McGhee said history plays an important role in helping people to reflect on mistakes that they have made in the past. She feels history is vital for them to know where they come from so they can make better decisions for the future. She said African American children in the area need to know that their ancestors made significant
contributions to Granville County. McGhee grew up in the town of Oxford and graduated from Mary Potter Academy. She earned a bachelor of art degree and a master of science degree in library science from the North Carolina College at Durham, today’s North Carolina Central University. Her outlook of the world only broadened when she married her husband, David McGhee, a U.S. Air Force member. She went with him on assignments including the states of Arizona, California, Maine, all the way to North Africa. As she traveled with her husband, she always found her way to a local school at which to teach. She said becoming a teacher was just a childhood dream that she turned into a profession, noting that she always played “teacher” as a child. She knew early on the importance of education.
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When her husband retired from the military in 1971, the couple returned to Granville County, where they would make a home in the Antioch community. During this period, McGhee took a job teaching Civics and World History at J.F. Webb High School. She taught in Granville County Public Schools until she retired in 1994, serving as a media coordinator at Hawley Middle School in Creedmoor. McGhee has remained active in many church and community organizations in her beloved county. She has served as a member of the Granville County Human Relations Commission, and president of the Oxford-Henderson Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. McGhee has served as president of the national Les Gemmes organization. She is the mother of one daughter, Rosalyn.
Category: Lifetime Achievement
Artelia Perry
(L-R): Phyllis Coley (Spectacular Magazine CEO/Publisher), Lawrence & Artelia Perry Scholarship Fund Board Member Tara Fikes (presenter), Artelia Perry, Gary Jones (Spectacular Magazine COO) and Mrs. Perry son Alexander (presenter). (Photo: Greg Coats) By Cynthia Dean People often ask what her secret is to raising 16 successful children, but her answer is not as elaborate as you might think. “The only thing I can say when asked that question is … do all you can do with the means that you have, and hope and pray for the best,” said Artelia Perry. “You try to meet each child’s needs the best you can because every child has different needs.” Artelia Belle Marsh Perry is a native of Durham’s West End community. She excelled as a student at Palmer Memorial Institute, where she developed a profound appreciation for academics, the arts and athletics. She would become a minister’s wife, an early childhood educator and missionary. But her biggest feat would be rearing 16 children with her husband, the Rev. Lawrence P. Perry. She said becoming a teacher was just a childhood dream that she turned into a profession, noting that she always
played “teacher” as a child. She knew early on the importance of education. All 16 - yes, all 16 - are professionals and successful in their own right. The couple’s goal was to raise their children to find their own paths to making positive contributions to society. Artelia Perry’s parenting skills yielded a physician, a community college administrator, three lawyers, a data entry specialist, a nurse, a mechanical engineer, three teachers and a public school system superintendent, an accountant, an auto body repairman and automobile dealership owner, a clinical technician, and an ordained elder of the church. After Rev. Perry suffered a debilitating illness, she cared for her husband 13 years until his death. After his illness, she essentially raised her four youngest children—all males—by herself. Having attended Bennett College in Greensboro for three years in her youth, Perry completed her college education as a non-traditional student at
North Carolina Central University. She returned to college after her youngest child entered first grade, earning the bachelors of art degree in childhood development at the age of 54. As an early childhood educator, she served as director of St. Mark Nursery School’s first grade in Durham. She also worked closely with the school’s kindergarten students. Perry has always stayed busy with church activities. She even had to fill in as pastor from time to time when her husband’s secular work kept him from his pastoral duties. After the onset of Rev. Perry’s incapacitation, she served as de facto pastor. Perry is the founder of the Durham Association of Ministers’ Wives and Ministers’ Widows (Interdenominational) and has been active on the local, state, and international levels of the organization since1964, holding various offices. She is a lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. For 28 years she was president of
the Women’s Home and Overseas Missionary Society for the Durham District, during which time she led the women of 25 churches in raising over $100,000 for missions work both in the United States and abroad. In her 90’s, Perry remains involved in many church and civic organizations. She still provides ongoing support to the Board of Directors of the Lawrence & Artelia Perry Scholarship Fund, as they seek to honor those who walk in the pathways of “faith, family, history and love” and give scholarships to meritorious students at Bennett College, Livingstone College, and North Carolina Central University. Her biography, “Artelia: Portrait of an African American Matriarch,” was written to inspire young African American women to rear their children with optimism. The book also encourages older women to reflect on their accomplishments with pride. The book continues to be a significant fundraiser for the scholarship.
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Category: Lifetime Achievement
Vivian M. Sansom
(Posthumously) Retired Educator, Coach, Administrator (Raleigh)
Spectacular Magazine CEO/Publisher Phyllis Coley, Shaw University Trustee Dr. George Debnam (presenter), Mrs. Sansom’ children: Joseph, Berly & James, and Spectacular Magazine COO Gary Jones. (Photo: Greg Coats) By Cynthia Dean The late Vivian M. Sansom of Raleigh was simply a woman of vision and quiet determination. She envisioned the expansion of women’s sports long before women played full court basketball. She also had an early inclination that there would be much more to the CIAA basketball tournament than just a regional bedlam of college African American teams along the east coast. Vivian McCotta Merrick Sansom passed away peacefully July 4, 2015, at the age of 97. She leaves a legacy of dedication to her family, education and an avid love of sports. Sansom grew up in Durham, North Carolina, attending public schools before attending Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia. She earned her undergraduate degree from Talledega College in Alabama. She went on to pursue a master’s degree in health and physical education from Boston College in 1941.
Both of her grandfathers, Aaron Moore and John Merrick were co-founders of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company and among the founders of Mechanics and Farmers Bank. Her father, Edward Sansom, served as vice president of North Carolina Mutual, while her mother, Lyda, was a civil leader, pianist, artist, and co-founder of the Negro Braille Magazine, now the WashingtonMerrick Magazine for the Blind. However, Sansom did not choose to rely on the names of her affluent family members. After graduating from Boston College, she asked Dr. James E. Shepard for a job at the North Carolina College for Negroes, currently North Carolina Central University in Durham. Shepard told her that she had nothing to worry about because her father would take care of her. Sansom replied that she got her master’s degree because she wanted to teach. And that’s exactly what she did. Dr. Shepard gave her a job at the college where she taught physical education. In 1952, she served as
assistant director of the YWCA in Winston Salem where she and her husband lived briefly. But Shaw University in Raleigh would be the place she would leave her mark. Starting in 1959, she taught health and physical education at the school for 36 years until she retired. This is the institution that she most identified with as she built the school’s women’s athletic program, teaching tennis, golf, dance and archery. She also started the school’s women’s basketball program. During her instruction, she motivated countless students at the university, many of them who called her “mother” away from home. Because of her undying dedication to her students and her profession, Shaw gave her an honorary doctorate’s degree in 2008. The university also instituted the annual Vivian Sansom Memorial Basketball Classic in her honor of her contributions to the Women’s Basketball program.
She always held Shaw’s Women’s Basketball close to her heart. When she attended the games, the staff would always put out a red chair in the stands just for her. Sansom also loved attending the CIAA basketball tournament every year. She attended the event every year since it started in 1946 in Washington, D.C., going to every tournament for about six decades straight. In 2008, she was named the tournament’s first honorary ball girl. Sansom was very active in her community, participating in a number of civic organizations. She was a charter member of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a founding member of the Durham Mother’s Club. A member of the Raleigh Chapter of the Links Inc., The Alphabettes and a devoted member of St. Mary Mother of Church in Garner, NC.
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Chanda Janine Branch Wake County Public Schools Raleigh Arts Commissioner/NC Theatre Board Member/Drama Educator
Category: Arts & Culture
EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications and Theatre w/Education Certification: Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN) Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Chanda Branch (CB): I think that my success in the arts can be attributed to a combination of passion and opportunity. It’s easy to devote time and energy to something that you love. It is easy to say yes to attending another event, another meeting, another rehearsal, even after you have already worked a full day. Then you find that because you attended that meeting or event, you made a great new contact. Or you re-energized yourself and created long lasting friendships in that rehearsal. You will also find that opportunities present themselves, often unexpectedly, because others can see how much you love what you are doing. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
CB: My mother, of course, but as a young woman away from home, I was blessed with a mentor in Diana K. Poe, who was my college vocal instructor and director of the Tennessee State University Showstoppers. She taught me a lot about leadership and reframed my thinking of womanhood and power dynamics. I was impressed with the way she carried herself with grace and commanded respect. I admired the way she mastered her craft and demanded excellence from me as well. To this day, she continues to challenge me to improve as an artist, an intellectual, a wife, and citizen of the world. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
CB: I was blessed with parents who saw the value in investing, early on, in my talents and interests. I danced, acted, played piano and flute, marched in the band, spun in the guard and was even a competitive baton twirler (State Champion)! My parents and grandparents made it possible for me to follow my dream of performing, not matter the cost. I don’t say that to brag, I say it to draw attention to the fact that not every child has that same level of access. There are talented young people in our communities who do not have the financial support or emotional backing needed for lessons, tuition, equipment, and travel fees associated with participation in the arts. There are many more who don’t know that they are interested in the arts, because they have never been exposed to them or have been told that art is for certain people and not them. Everyone, regardless of their physical, cognitive, or socio-economic limitations should have universal access to the arts. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
CB: My legacy will be found in the scholarships and grants that are created to fund the training and education of young artists. It will be found in the memories of the many that were touched by seeing me perform. It will be in the walls of the fine arts academy that I will open and in the hearts of those who serve as fellow members of commissions, committees, and boards who work to preserve and perpetuate art in all of its forms.
Photo by: Mel Brown
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Linda T. Worth County Manager of County of Warren (NC)
Category: Business & Economic Development
EDUCATION Associate in Applied Science - Business Administration: Vance-Granville Community College, Henderson, NC Bachelor of Science - Business Administration: Shaw University (Raleigh, NC) Master of Public Administration: North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC) Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Linda Worth (LW) : I am a Warren County native who has served 31 years in local and federal government, all in my home county. My intimate knowledge of the challenges facing the county and the opportunities available to enhance the lives of our citizens has enabled me to successfully lead the county through some lean economic times. My education and expertise in business management have served me well in my role as CAO and Budget Officer of Warren County Government. Also, my ability to lead diverse groups of individuals to accomplish common goals has helped move our county forward. During my tenure as County Manager, Warren County has remained fiscally viable in spite of a slowed economy. Over the past decade, we have continued to invest in the county’s infrastructure (water/ sewer), emergency response systems, public education, Triangle North regional economic development initiative, housing and recreation – all components needed to create an environment in which business and industry can thrive and grow. Due to the difficulty of competing with larger and more prosperous jurisdictions for new businesses and industries, we are focusing our efforts on business retention, assisting entrepreneurs with small business start-ups, and tourism. Tourism revenues have grown significantly in Warren County over the past five years. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
LW: My personal mentor is my mother, Mrs. Betty T. Williams. I attribute my strong work ethic, positive outlook on life, and joy in serving others to her influence on me while growing up in a single-parent household. My mother never allowed financial challenges or other difficulties our family had to overcome or negatively influence our home life. I grew up in a happy home environment which was far more important to me than having a wealth of material possessions. My mother taught me that every problem can be solved by using common sense and facing it head-on. To this day she is a positive role model for our entire family. My professional mentor is former Congresswoman Eva M. Clayton. I had the great pleasure of working with her in two positions I held in local and federal government. Over the past several years, I have observed how she skillfully and passionately uses her positions of influence to uplift and serve others. I learned from her what it means to be a servant leader. The majority of my career has been in public service as a direct result of my having known and worked with Congresswoman Clayton. One valuable life lesson she taught me was that one person truly can make a positive difference in the lives of many. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
LW: In my current role as Warren County’s Manager, I will continue to diligently work to improve the socio-economic conditions in my community. I have overseen community development block grant programs that have resulted in decent, safe and affordable housing for families who for generations were residing in substandard and unsafe housing. I have worked closely with our local governing Board and others to help move projects forward that encourage business and economic development across our region. I will continue to pursue those remedies available to us to help create an environment that is conducive to job creation and business development that will help raise the standard of living and quality of life for our citizens. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
LW: I want the work I have done in my community over the entirety of my career to speak for me. I want to be remembered as a dedicated public servant who devoted the bulk of my life’s work to serving others. I want to leave a legacy of advocacy for the less fortunate, a voice for those who could not speak for themselves, a champion for youth, a hard worker with a positive attitude who always treated others with decency and respect.
Photo by: Mel Brown
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Juanita B. Massenburg Owner/President. of JM Facilitation and Training Solutions, Inc Durham, NC
Category: Civil & Human Rights
EDUCATION Bachelor of Business Administration: North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC) Master of Business Administration (Concentration: Economics): North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC) Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Juanita Massenburg (JM): I dedicated more than thirty years in the fields of Community Development and Community Services. In collaboration with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, I served as an advocate and for the low and moderate-income families in the Durham Community by creating and implementing grants and low interest rate loan programs for home buying assistance and many other family assistance and enhancement programs and wealth building opportunities. I facilitated sessions with local banks and realtors to bridge the training and understanding of what must be done. As a result of these efforts, many families realize homeownership, are now bankable, and are building wealth and assets. After retirement in 2013, my love and passion for training and facilitation led me to launch my own business in 2014. JM Facilitation and Training Solution, L.L.C.P. I have over 20 years of experience in designing and leading group workshops, work sessions, and collaborating with public service organizations and with the private sector by creating training modules and facilitating forums and workshops. I am committed to helping organizations achieve their mission with customized facilitation and training modules. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
JM: My mother had a tremendous impact on my life from a very young age. Mother knew the value of giving of your service to others who were in need and she instilled in her children the importance of service to others. As a pre-teen, my Mom and Dad, along with my siblings, would often assist families in the community by sharing produce that my family grew with others who did not have. Also, we assisted our neighbors who may have been ill and could not do for themselves as a few examples. It became second nature to me that assisting those who are less fortunate than I was the right thing to do and definitely spiritual acts of kindness. My mother knew long before I realized I was “Born To Serve”. I currently lead a very active life providing service to the community. I am currently a member of the following organizations: • PNC Bank – Advisory Board Member • North Carolina Central University United Campus Ministry Board • United Negro College Fund • National Council of Negro Women (Durham Section) • Durham (NC) Chapter or Links, Inc. • Black Women In Business • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (past Chapter President, North Carolina State Coordinator, Member, National Leadership Academy Committee. Currently serves as the regional member of the National Scholarship and Standards Committee). SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
JM: We must continue to volunteer and give back to our community. The phrase “it takes a village” should never be taken lightly. When local municipalities and non-profit organizations are no longer able to assist at the levels in the past, as community leaders, advocates and volunteers must unite and collaborate regarding the resources necessary to keep our underserved families strong and vibrant. We must continue to volunteer in some capacity in community service whether it is neighborhood clean up campaigns or food drives. Continue to give a helping hand. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
JM: I am fortunate to have been acknowledged by many for my service and dedication as a community leader and volunteer. My leadership, dedication and creativity definitely indicate that she was called by His purpose. I am persuaded and convinced that my journey has touched many families in the Durham community as well as my family and friends. It warms my heart to know that I was able to give back and to give a hand up to others. To my late mother, much love and many thanks extended for she knew that my life would be purpose driven. Photo by: Mel Brown
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Category: Community Service
Rev. Trish Harleston Executive Pastor of Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church and Founder/CEO of Trish Harleston Ministries, LLC EDUCATION Bachelor of Science - Business Administration: Shaw University (Raleigh, NC) Master of Arts - Christian Counseling: Apex School of Theology (Raleigh, NC) Certified Clinical Christian Counselor Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Trish Harleston (TH): As an ordained minister, my mantle is to connect women to their God given destiny through spiritual, mental and professional development opportunities. I measure my success by my ability to plant a seed in the life of every woman whose path I cross; therefore, success remains a moving target for me. Having received this honor serves to corroborate the contributions that I’ve made and my passion to continue making a difference in the lives of women in my community and eventually in the world. I’ve been described as successful perhaps because I’ve committed to utilize every possible resource available to me to impact the spiritual and mental health of others. I am relentless in pushing women to new levels of self-discovery. I will not concede in serving as a spiritual leader and I will not cease in providing information to guide and aide others to move from past to purpose. A direct quote from my personal/ministry mission statement is this: I will commit to planning inspirational and spiritually focused development sessions and programs. And will further commit to establishing publications for personal growth while remaining both diligent and intentional in glorifying God through every aspect of every endeavor in which I am engaged.” Those whose lives are affected by my work can determine to what degree this effort equates success. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
TH: One of my regrets is that I didn’t realize earlier in my life the extraordinary value of having mentors in every area of life. I’ve served as a mentor throughout my professional and ministerial career; however, I did not often seek out others to serve in that capacity for me. There are many women whom I’ve watched from a distance and whom I’ve greatly admired. There were even times when I tried to emulate or model those things that I admired about them. One of the women at the top of that list is Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook. I’ve watched how she balances being a preacher and an author while making a notable impact as a community activist, as well as her astounding contributions in the political and academic arenas. She does it all with integrity and with distinction without ever appearing to jeopardize the value of her call to minister and to serve. Another woman is Bishop Vashti McKenzie who is National Chaplain for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. As a female spiritual leader, she demonstrates how to preach the uncompromised word while displaying a pleasant persona, an indelible intellect and carries herself with an impeccably, virtuously feminine flair. However, if I was to think of one individual who has impacted my life in a mentorship capacity on a more personal level, it would be Carolyn Henderson. Her humility and grace as a public servant is equally as evident as her strength and skills as a community leader. She invested in me during a time when I lacked the confidence and even the awareness of what I was capable of contributing. She helped me to realize that there was much more inside of me than I was allowing to be used and that I was gifted to do even greater than had been done in my past. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
TH: Specifically and spiritually, I desire to see everyone whose path I cross to come into the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord. In addition, I am passionate about equipping women who have been disenfranchised or dismissed due to past decisions or mistakes with the tools to press forward. Through ministry and counseling efforts, I want to encourage women who seem to have lost their voice or feel unworthy of a space at the table because of decisions in their past. My ultimate life’s work is to provide counsel, resources and information to walk women through the process of transforming her mind such that perceived setbacks are viewed as steps along the path of setting her up for an exceptionally rewarding future. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
TH: First, I would like for my legacy to be that the world was better because I was in it; that the Lord’s investment within me reaped great reward in the life of every person touched as they witnessed His love operating through me. Secondly, that I always honored Him by serving with excellence, with integrity and with dignity. Through the books authored, the conferences hosted, the sermons preached, the blogs posted, the insight shared - I hope that my contributions have enhanced the lives of others. Photo by: Mel Brown
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Yolanda Kay Stith
Category: Community Service
Executive Director at NC Association Long Term Care Facilities EDUCATION Bachelor of Business Administration - Finance: North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC) Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Yolanda Stith (YS): I am a successful leader in the area of Volunteerism, because at a very early age my mother, Rosa M. Stevens, taught me and my seven siblings to always treat others as you want to be treated. She told us ‘it doesn’t matter what they possess.’ They may have more than you or less than you, but God demands us to love thy neighbor. I have carried those words with me throughout my life, while serving others, leading others and while imparting this very important value in our three daughters. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader?
YS: The person who had the most impact in my life was my mother, Rosa M. Stevens. She didn’t have an important title. However, the love, grace and mercy she showed by raising 8 children alone was simply amazing. She was always thinking of others and sharing whatever she had with others to make sure they had at least some of what she was able to share. It wasn’t until after my husband, Thomas A. Stith, III and I had our three daughters did I realize the magnitude of her impact. She passed away in 2012; we actually reached the 4th year of her departure from this earth on February 24th. However, the things she taught and lived still live on in me and my siblings…Treating others as you want to be treated while giving of your resources to make their lives better. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
YS: It is so important for everyone to have a mentor. God placed several mentors in my life along my journey. My first mentor was my 6th grade teacher, Lorraine B. Hinton. As a teacher she was always talking with her students about character and the attributes you should posses to be successful in life. She taught her students to reach for the stars and to believe in themselves. She carried herself with much grace and dignity. Later in life God placed another mentor in my life, Zelphia G. Watson, like Mrs. Hinton. Zelphia realized the leadership qualities I possessed and entrusted me to lead the 21st Learning Center Program. This program targeted and assisted Title I and II students. The overarching goal of the program was to assist the students with learning how to study, improving their grades and becoming successful in their respective school communities. God placed these two individuals in my life who have served as mentors to me. They possess many of the same qualities. Several of those qualities lead them to become women of the sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. which I was led to become a member of as well. A lot of the service I provide is as the President of the Alpha Zeta Omega Chapter, the Durham, NC Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. where we are providing service to all mankind, with a vision of improving the community we live in; the Durham Community while making an impact on the broader world. With the foundation I developed from my mother and the mentorship provided by Mrs. Hinton and Zelphia, I am a leader who walks the walk and talks the talk. I work while I lead and I lead while I work. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
YS: In my current position as the Executive Director of the NC Association Long Term Care Facilities I am mostly concerned about the longevity of the Assisted Living Industry in NC and the ability for the elderly and frail in NC to have access to quality Health Care. People are living longer coupled with several huge down turns in the market and the economy leaving individuals with less money to assume the cost of Health Care. In my position as a two term President of the Alpha Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a member of the Diaconate Ministry of Union Baptist Church I am concerned about all people and helping your fellow man. Making a positive impact on others lives, reaching out to assist when you see the need for your assistance in a person’s life is very important. A great start for all of us would be to smile and honestly care when you ask someone how they are doing today. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
YS: The legacy I would like to leave behind would be for all people to remember the least of these our brothers and sisters as we move forward in our own self development to becoming the best we can be in life. “Teach a man or woman to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Photo by: Mel Brown
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Category: Education
Tomisha Price Brock Director of University Bands at Elizabeth City State University EDUCATION Currently Pursuing PhD - Music Education and Educational Research Methodology: UNC-Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) Master of Music Education: Norfolk State University (Norfolk, VA) Bachelor of Music Education: Virginia State University
Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored? Tomisha Price-Brock (TPB): Since my arrival at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) in December, 2011, I have helped to improve the quality of the ECSU Band Program. Additionally, my recruitment efforts have increased the membership of the band program from 47 to 140. Academically, through mentoring, advising, and motivating students, the average GPA of students in the ECSU Band Program has increased monumentally, from an average of 2.1 in 2012 to 3.1 currently. My efforts, along with those of my band staff, have successfully “rebranded” the image and mission of the ECSU Band Program. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life? TPB: My biggest mentor was my college band director Mr. Harold Haughton. I entered college at the age of 16, and his leadership and guidance helped to mold me into the professional woman I am today. His teaching methods and philosophy of music education is one that I have modeled my career after, and he still offers me professional advice whenever I call him. It is his instruction through my applied lessons, participating in the band program at Virginia State University (VSU), and his Marching Band Techniques course, that directly impacted my philosophy of teaching, my drill writing skills, and my techniques for teaching reading and sightreading skills, and other techniques in my band classes. Personally, Mr. Haughton has served as a “life coach,” friend, mentor, role model, and father figure. As a 16 year old college freshman from a single parent home, Mr. Haughton frequently offered “fatherly advice,” and was more than happy to assume the role of a “surrogate father and counselor” during my undergraduate years at VSU. It is because of him, I am a college band director today. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve? TPB: There are three distinctive problems or conditions in the field of music education; and specifically HBCU Music Programs, that I want to solve. These three conditions are directly related to each other and should be addressed together. They are: 1) Minority Teacher Certification and Licensure, 2) Feeder Program Quality, and 3) Strengthening HBCU Music Programs. African Americans and other minority music teacher candidates are still facing challenges passing the Praxis I & II, and other teacher certification exams. This is creating a growing shortage of qualified minority music teachers in our public schools, especially in the state of North Carolina. In reference to feeder program quality; the quality of music education is fading in our public schools across the nation; and this is clearly evident in North Carolina. This problem is further exacerbated in rural school districts and low socioeconomic status (SES) areas. The poor quality, or non-existence of these programs directly impacts the quality and sustainability of college band programs in North Carolina; specifically, at our Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Finally, in reference to strengthening our HBCU Music Programs, I want to improve the quality of our music degree curricula, and provide our students with better opportunities for internships, scholarships, and job placement upon graduation. I would also like to improve the quality of each performing ensemble at our HBCUs, and help to establish benchmarks for improvement and success for all musicians. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind? TPB: The legacy I would like to leave behind is to be known as one of the most dominant college/ university band directors; and more importantly, as one of the leading women college band directors in the nation. Currently, I am one of only 3 African American Women Head Band Directors at an HBCU in the country. I want to be known for mentoring and producing quality band directors and music professionals, and for my research in music education, curriculum, and instruction.
Photo by: Mel Brown
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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE 2016 WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS GALA HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights CONTINUES ON PAGE 26
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Category: Education
Kimberley Pierce Cartwright News and Public Affairs Director at WNCU 90.7 FM (North Carolina Central University) EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts – Radio, Television, Film: Shaw University (Raleigh, NC) Master of Arts – Public Affairs Reporting: University of Illinois at Springfield (Springfield, IL) Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Kimberley Cartwright (KC): I’m a great listener. Listening helps me understand what my students need. After I ascertain their needs I’m able to serve them. That’s what it’s all about. I find myself talking constantly with students about their aspirations during their undergraduate experience and after graduation. Some of the students have a laser pointed exactly in the direction they want to go and some of them don’t. I take students where they are and try to help them reach for their optimum self before graduation. After graduation I help students navigate their way through interviews and first jobs. The work is truly gratifying. In my job at North Carolina Central University I’m modeling after my extraordinary instructors at Shaw University and the University of Illinois at Springfield. It is my good pleasure. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
KC: The person who stands out most is Dr. Bishetta Merritt, an instructor of mine at Shaw University in the early 1980s. Dr. Merritt was a fervent leader who expected the most from her students. She made sure we were exposed to media professionals and media opportunities that would move us to a higher level of thinking and careers. She was a mentor and friend to her Shaw University charges. Above all she loved us and we knew it. Dr. Merritt guided us without judgment and lifted us up as valued African Americans. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
KC: I always work to improve my students prospective on their educational experience at North Carolina Central University. My goal is to help them realize the possibility their college experience offers them. I want students to work diligently on a plethora of skills to offer a variety of possible employers. I partner with them to evaluate their skills and to set a course for internships and possible jobs after graduation. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
KC: I want my students to say that I worked hard and that they enjoyed the time we spent working together while they earned their degrees. My hope is that they will look back and lift up young African Americans they way my mentors taught me to do. I always pray that my imprint on their futures helps them to choose a path that leads to excellence.
Photo by: Mel Brown
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Nimasheena Niveshia Burns United States Department of Agriculture Public Affairs Officer
Category: Emerging Leader
EDUCATION Master of Public Administration - North Carolina Central University Bachelors of Arts - Political Science & Communications: UNC Chapel Hill Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Nimasheena Burns (NB): I love to read, I like people and I do not have a problem speaking up for myself or asking tough questions. Public speaking is a key component in my current career path. I have found that people want to know that the person they are talking to knows what they are talking about. You can speak authoritatively on issues when you have done your homework. That shows people that you care about the work you do and that you care enough to make sure that the are armed with information to help themselves even after you have left their presence. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
NB: I have to reference my immediate family. My parents Frank and Judy are very principled and instilled the values of hard work in me at a young age. My brother, Lovis, is very easy going and no nonsense person. His look on life always causes me to look at things from a big picture perspective. My sister, Tarnosha, has triumphed over numerous medical hurdles. Her positive attitude keeps me centered so that I know not to sweat the small stuff. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
NB: I love government/politics and I have a passion for financial literacy/education. So many people of all socio economic statuses struggle with how to use money effectively. The majority of people also fail to see the power, privilege and personal responsibility that come with the voting process. I would love to say that I made an imprint on NC’s future financial landscape. I also want to get more people actively engaged in voting so that they can come to realize that IT DOES COUNT. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
NB: I want to make sure that people from rural communities, especially women, understand that their
ideas are just as big and realistically attainable as everyone else. When I started at UNC Chapel Hill, I had a to-do list of things that I wanted to accomplish before I graduated in 4 years. I did them all in 4 months. I learned I had to change my thinking, dream bigger and set loftier goals. I want little country girls, especially in places like Tar Heel, NC or the Hollow Township (yes, these are real places) to have that type of ideology coursing through their veins at 5 or 10 years of age, and not 18.
Photo by: Greg Coats
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Category: Emerging Leader
Tolulope O. Omokaiye, MBA Founder & CEO of EVOLVE Mentoring EDUCATION Bachelor of Business Administration: North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC) Master of Business Administration: Meredith College (Raleigh, NC) Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Tolulope Omokaiye (TO): It is my purpose to serve our youth and future generations. I am very passionate person and I believe that true leadership is transformative. Through EVOLVE Mentoring, I am able to combine my passion, purpose and transformative leadership to change the lives of amazing young adults by educating and exposing them to necessary skills in a way that’s relatable and fun. I see potential in all of our young people. My tenacity, resilience and drive to see that spark manifest itself into actualized success is a big component to what make me a successful Emerging Leader. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
TO: It’s hard to name just one person. I have been mentored and impacted by a tribe of wonderful people throughout my life. From my family to the inspiring people I’ve met and gleaned from along the way, my current mentors or Leadership Triangle more recently. But I can truly say Kim Harrison’s influence on me shifted my perspective on life and its possibilities. Ms. Harrison was my high school business instructor at Enloe High School, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) advisor and first teacher to take real interest in my personal growth. She convinced me to join FBLA because she saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself and pushed me to grow in alignment with it. Her business class was the first I had ever taken and with her direction I won multiple awards in FBLA. She helped me build confidence and the ability to see my worth as a person. She showed me the impact I could have on the world and taught me to understand my duty to rise to the occasion. She is a bold, driven, giving, loving and brilliant woman all while maintain a level of realest that demands respect. The thought of being able to impact just one young person the way she has impacted me makes me tear up a little bit. Ms. Harrison truly changed my life. There’s no way I could thank her enough….Thank you, Mama H!! SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
TO: EVOLVE Mentoring teaches life skills to youth. We work to empower young adults by demonstrating the importance of financial management, professional development, personal health, and social responsibility. Our goal is help improve the condition of generational lack of knowledge that plagues our communities. Behaviors exhibited by parents will likely be reflected in their children, whether good or bad. By teaching youth skills like proper money management and personal health not only builds their confidence, but also ensures the progression of themselves, their family and future generations. We all know that knowledge is power, but some communities are kept powerless through restricted access to true education in and out of school. Our purpose is to stand in the gap to improve that condition. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
TO: The legacy that I leave behind will be reflected in the lives of the youth I’ve reached. I pray that it’s a shining example of the power of change through knowledge and growth. I hope someone can think of me and see that through all of our possible flaws we can still be effective and impactful in the life of someone deserving. I pray that just as a flame was sparked and nurtured in me; I am able to pass along that torch to as many as possible. I would love to be remembered as a passionate part of the solution. Photo by: Mel Brown
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Jacquelyn Gaines (Jackie) Executive Leadership Coach; National Speaker, Best-Selling Author at The Studer Group
Category: Health
EDUCATION Masters of Science - Primary Care and Health Care Administration: University of Maryland Bachelor of Science – Nursing: University of Maryland School of Nursing Spectacular Magazine (SM): Describe what makes you a successful leader in the area for which you were honored?
Jacquelyn Gaines (JG): Just a few key words mark my success to date - passion, integrity, commitment, a relentless quest for knowledge and professional development, mentorship and believing in myself. I have held multiple roles in the health care arena not afforded to many minority women in leadership. Although the path to my success has been paved with many hard turns and road blocks that could have taken me to a different destination, I stayed true to my inner calling to make a difference in the quality of life for people in communities throughout this country, especially the poor and vulnerable. I worked hard and left myself open to endless career possibilities. Amazing things happen when you follow what brings you joy and do work that helps to define your purpose. SM: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
JG: Mentors give you a special gift - their time, knowledge and experiences. It is usually anticipatory and always selfless. That would certainly describe many of the mentors I have been blessed to have in my life. Although all hold a unique place in my heart, one stands out above the rest- Dick Davidson, former President of American Hospital Association. Dick entered my life as a Board member at my first health care CEO job in Maryland. Dick adopted me professionally, seeing something in me long before I saw it in myself. He always seemed to know what I needed and when I needed it. He filled my head and heart with his incredible wisdom for more than two decades. He told me early in my leadership career that one day I would be a hospital CEO and eventually run a health system. Back in the mid-80’s, I thought he had lost his mind…not to mention no one looked like me in those positions nationally. But…he knew. And, I went on to be the CEO of multiple hospitals and one of the first minority women in US history ever to run a health system. And, who knew I would go one to tell my story though books and lectures. I will be forever grateful and try to emulate his gift to me by mentoring others. SM: What problem or condition in your respective field do you want to solve or improve?
JG: I want to be an active participant in developing effective, efficient and high quality health care nationwide. To that end, it will require strong, highly skilled leaders and an effective workforce throughout the health care industry. I will continue to use my experiences of more than three decades in the field to teach and mentor those who will shape our future. Through my books, lecturing and coaching, I will continue to strive to be a “difference –maker”. SM: What legacy will you like to leave behind?
JG: When others look back at my life, I hope they say: “She cared deeply about her family and others close to her- often putting others above her own needs” “She lived her life with dignity, integrity and passion” “She believed in purposeful worthwhile work and making a difference- and she did!” “She inspired others to stay true to their core, love deeply, play hard and believe in the impossible.”
Photo by: Mel Brown
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Highlights CONTINUE
WRAL TV5 DR. ALLEN MASK SERVED AS HOST
MS. BLACK NC USA 2015 DIATRA LANGFORD
TYRAND
JOHN THORPE
MARY SCOTT
GRAVEDIGGER
GERALD HINTON
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Business & Economic Development Semi-finalists (l-r) Awamary Lowe-Khan, Linda Worth & Jacqueline Brown Arts & Culture Finalist Chanda Branch (r) with presenter Samantha Huntley
Civil & Human Rights category (l-r) presenter Del Mattioli, Semi-finalists Juanita Massenburg (daughter standing in), Dawn Baxton & Lois Deloatch
Arts & Culture Semi-finalists Anjanee Bell, Chanda Branch & Lawanda Lee Anderson
Health category finalists Jackie Gaines with presenter Carolyn Henderson
Community Service category (l-r) presenter Dianne Pledger, Tyshawn Thomas (standing in for Evangelist Julia Harrelson), Rev. Trish Harleston, Yolanda Stith, Barbara Lofton & Carolyn Holloway
Emerging Leader Finalists Tolulope Omokaiye, presenter Lawrence Davis & Nimasheena Burns
Education category finalists Tomisha Brock at podium, (l-r) presenter Deron Avery, finalist Kimberly Cartwright, Tyshawn Thomas (standing in for Thyais Maxwell), Brian Hayes (standing in for Sheila Nolen), Asia Cunningham & Mildred Brown.
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NEWS BRIEFS
CHAPEL HILL ZETAS CELEBRATE 96 YEARS OF SERVICE AND SISTERHOOD
ZETAS: Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. members from the seven graduate chapters and six undergraduate chapters located in the Triangle area. (Submitted Photo) CHAPEL HILL, NC – Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc - Eta Phi Zeta Chapter (Chapel Hill Zetas) participated in a series of events during their recent Founders’ Day weekend to honor their organization’s founding principles of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood. Chapel Hill Zetas members were in attendance on January 16, 2016 during the 14th Annual Triangle Founders Day Program. The event, held at the Sheraton Imperial and Convention Center, Durham attracted more than 100 sorority members from the seven graduate chapters and six undergraduate chapters located in the Triangle area. The theme was “Hats Off to Blue: Celebrating 96 Years of Finer Womanhood.” During the event Chapel Hill Zetas Treasurer and Orange Water And Sewer Authority Board member, Barbara M. Foushee was honored for her sorority and community service work along with other members of the organization. Chapel Hill Zetas chapter members were joined by members of the organization’s University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill chapter Omega Iota January 18th during the ChapelHill-Carrboro NAACP Annual MLK Rally/March/Program in Chapel Hill. Chapter members participated in the rally held at the Peace and Justice Plaza, the march down Franklin Street and the service at First Baptist Church.
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The Chapel Hill Zetas have a rich history of service in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro communities since being established forty-one years ago. Some of the events chapter members have supported include its signature Finer Womanhood Camp presented in partnership with the Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, working the registration table at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro CROP Walk and hosting Z-Pack it Up! in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro communities and participating in the Back to School Rally in the Rogers Road community.
CENTRAL CAROLINA BLACK NURSES’ COUNCIL, INC. HOSTS ANNUAL LUNCHEON
Former Chapel Hill Mayor, Kevin Foy, proclaimed September 19th Eta Phi Zeta Graduate Chapter Day in Chapel Hill in 2009 and former Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt repeated the honor during the chapters Fortieth Anniversary celebration in 2014. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was founded in 1920 by five co-ed students at Howard University who envisioned a sorority that would promote the highest standard of scholastic achievement and finer womanhood. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. has a diverse membership of more than 120,000 college-educated women with more than 800 chapters in North America, Europe, Asia, The Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East. For more information about Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. visit www.zphib1920.org.
CHAPEL HILL, NC - Dr. Ronnie Ursin, chief nursing officer of the Northern Louisiana Medical Center and former board member of the National Black Nurses Association, chronicled the changes in health care during his presentation for the 25th Annual Educational-Lecture Luncheon on December 5th at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. The event was sponsored by the Central Carolina Black Nurses’ Council, Inc. A highlight of the event was awarding the Patricia Daniels Ruffin scholarship of $1,000 to Kiana Cooper, a junior nursing student at Winston Salem State University, to support her nursing education. The Patricia Daniels Ruffin scholarship is awarded to a nursing student who exhibits exemplary community service. Pictured left to right: Kiana Cooper, Stephannie S. Cooper (scholarship chairperson) and Helen Horton (president). (Submitted Photo)
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
SHAW STUDENTS PRODUCE WINNING COMMERCIAL used in the commercial and helped them come up with the hashtag #dontstopthebeat.
RALEIGH, NC - Shaw University students have done it again! For the second year in a row, Shaw students have won a national video competition. The students will travel to Washington, DC to receive national recognition from the Truth Initiative Campaign.
Winning the competition was enough; however, it was like putting icing on the cake when they were contacted by Billy Rucker, Fellowship Overseer of Truth Initiative, and told the PSA was such a hit that they would be flown to Washington to be recognized and to re-shoot their entry. As their time at Shaw draws to a close, Thomas and Logan are very grateful for the opportunity Truth Initiative has offered them.
Troy Thomas, senior class president and mass communications major, and Brenton Logan, a senior and criminal justice major, entered and won a contest sponsored by the 2015-2016 Youth Activism Fellowship Program. Logan is one of the 30 young student leaders who were selected for the program. The students range in age from 17 to 30. The purpose of the fellowship is to train young leaders on tobacco control, activism, and social justice. The PSA competition was a part of a challenge for its fellows to answer the call to create a message to conceive, design, and execute a project to address tobacco use in their community. After winning the competition, Thomas and Logan now have the opportunity to re-shoot their PSA and turn it into a national commercial. “I have dreams of becoming the ‘next Spike Lee’ so when I got the
Troy Thomas and Brenton Logan opportunity to showcase my video skills and talents, I didn’t hesitate,” said Thomas. Logan stated he was very proud to team up with Thomas on the project. His mission was to produce a video that would speak to the tobacco issue, educate others, and exhibit their talents to make and keep the Shaw campus tobacco free. In the PSA, which was shot in downtown Raleigh and produced in less than a week, Logan plays
the drums and Thomas does the videography. The requirements of the contest included a 30-second segment that displayed the university’s name along with a creative hashtag that supports the Truth Initiative’s beliefs about tobacco usage. “The hardest part about shooting this commercial was incorporating the drums which symbolize the impact and affect that tobacco has on the heart,” said Logan and Thomas. Dawlat Marshall, classmate of Logan and Thomas, sketched the artwork
“I would like to thank Truth Initiative for selecting students from Shaw University to be a part of a wonderful experience,” said Thomas. This is not just huge for me but also for my University. Shaw has plenty of students who are eager for opportunities and I hope this shows them when opportunity knocks at your door they don’t have to be afraid to answer.” Logan stated that being in the fellowship program has allowed him to meet people from all over the world, however the best part of it all was the opportunity to create a message that will hopefully help save lives.
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Briefly STELLA ADAMS NAMED CHIEF OF CIVIL RIGHTS AT NCRC
WASHINGTON, DC - Stella Adams has been named Chief of Civil Rights at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). Adams is a nationally recognized expert in fair housing, predatory lending, mortgage fraud and investigation techniques. Most recently Adams served as the Senior Policy Advisor to the National Fair Housing Training Academy. She is well known for her relentless commitment to underserved people and for pushing to hold accountable institutions that discriminate in lending and housing. In 2013, Legal Aid of North Carolina honored her by establishing an annual award in her name: “The Stella J. Adams Fair Housing Advocacy Award.” In 2014, she was awarded “The Woman of the Year Award,” by Spectacular Magazine. She has received numerous other awards from the NAACP, the City of Durham, the National Association of Human Rights Workers, the National Fair Housing Alliance and more. NCRC and its grassroots member organizations create opportunities for people to build wealth by work with community leaders, policymakers and financial institutions to champion fairness in banking, housing and business development.
SHAW UNIVERSITY NAMES NEW ASSOCIATE VP OF ADVANCEMENT
RALEIGH, NC - Sonja A. Bennett-Bellamy has been named Associate Vice President of Advancement at Shaw University effective January 19th. In her new role, Bennett-Bellamy will drive short and long term initiatives in support of Shaw’s strategic direction in the areas of fundraising, public relations, marketing and special events. She will also have oversight of the university’s radio station, WSHA-FM. Bennett-Bellamy is an award-winning journalist and proven fundraiser with more than 25 years of results-oriented experience. Prior to her arrival at Shaw, she served as vice president of institutional advancement and university relations at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC. Bennett-Bellamy’s professional credentials also include her roles as assistant vice president of communications and marketing at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC; associate vice president of marketing and communications at Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC; communications coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of NC; regional corporate liaison at Strayer University; and director of communications and public relations for the NC Community Development Initiative. Bennett-Bellamy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Indiana University-Bloomington and received a Master of Business Administration in Business Management and Marketing from Strayer University.
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY NAMES CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL
DURHAM, NC – Hope Murphy Tyehimba, Esq., has been appointed as Chief Legal Counsel at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), effective February 15, 2016. Murphy Tyehimba is an accomplished and seasoned attorney, having been engaged in the practice of law for more than 16 years. Since 2010, she has served as Assistant University Legal Counsel at NCCU. In her new role, she will serve as the chief legal advisor to Chancellor Debra Saunders-White, the NCCU Board of Trustees, the senior leadership team and administrators. She also will head the Office of Legal Affairs that provides legal advice and counsel on all matters affecting the legal rights or obligations of the university. She began her legal career in private practice in 1999, working as a family law and criminal law attorney. After leaving private practice, she began working in the public sector at the NC Attorney General’s Office, where she first represented the NC Department of Labor and, subsequently, the NC Statewide Information Technology Procurement Office. Murphy Tyehimba began her career in higher education in 2007 at East Carolina University and later at NC State University. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Murphy Tyehimba obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and political science and a Juris Doctorate degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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DURHAM ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC. PRESENTS MISS JABBERWOCK 2016 James McDonald escorted her. Delta mentors were Harriett Bellamy and Priscilla Godwin-Hanson. Imani Samuel, a Charles E. Jordan High School senior, is the daughter of Mrs. Sonji & Mr. Daniel Samuel. Cameron Shaw escorted her. Delta mentors were Trish Harleston and Kim Williams. Kelley Traynham, a Hillside High School senior, is the daughter of Mrs. Cynthia & Mr. Ralph Traynham. Solomon Dunston escorted her. Delta mentors were Betty Blackmon, Ava Brownlee and Pam Owens. The Jabberwock was initially presented in 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts. Jabberwock, a word copyrighted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,
derives from Lewis Carroll’s tale Alice in Wonderland nonsense poem “Jabberwocky,” in which it was customary for creatures from throughout the kingdom to gather annually to present a gala event. The Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has held this annual scholarship program since 1962, awarding scholarships to Durham County residents. The Jabberwock Gala is a formal event resulting from the culmination of social activities, community service, educational workshops, and scholarship fundraising opportunities. The scholarships awarded to the 2016 Jabberwock debutantes were in excess of $60,000.00.
2016 Jabberwock Court (L-R): escort Cameron Shaw (Mr. Personality), 1st Runner-up Imani Samuel, Miss Jabberwock 2016 Kelley Traynham, escort Solomon Dunston, 2nd Runner-up Abijah Gattis and escort Tristan Mayers. (Submitted Photo) DURHAM, NC - On Saturday, February 6th, eleven beautiful debutantes graced the stage of B. N. Duke Auditorium on the campus of NCCU in anticipation of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Jabberwock Scholarship Gala. The 2016 theme of this annual event was “Dazzling Diamonds” was the 2016 theme of this annual event. The eleven debutantes showed off their dramatic talent with a Bollywood dance, spoken word, violin & piano performances. The moment many awaited came with the crowning of Miss Jabberwock 2016, Kelley Traynham. The Jabberwock Court consisted of 1st Runner-up, Imani Samuel and 2nd Runner-up, Abijah Gattis. Other superlative awards presented were Mr. Personality, Cameron Shaw and Miss Congeniality, Zabria Justice. Jabberwock Debutantes: Abijah Gattis, a Durham School of the Arts senior, is the daughter of Mrs. Allyson & Mr. Jonathan Gattis Sr. Tristan Mayers escorted her. Delta mentors were Juanita Massenburg and Bernadette Watts. Kayla Harrington, a Hillside High School senior, is the daughter of Ms. Nakia Harrington Hester. Joshua Harrington escorted her. Delta mentors were Joy Bingham and Betty Blackmon. Veronica Harper, a Charles E. Jordan High School junior, is the daughter
of Mrs. Nicole & Mr. Herron Harper II. Jonathan Allen escorted her. Delta mentors were Deborah Artis and Lettie Goode. Bailey Hodge, an Enloe High School junior, is the daughter of Mrs. Leanor & Mr. Kevin Hodge. Josh Vines escorted her. Delta mentors were Phyllis Joyner and Dayka Sims. Anjaya Jones, a City of Medicine Academy junior, is the daughter of Mrs. Jacqueline & Mr. Anthony Jones. Daric Gatlin escorted her. Delta mentors were QuRita Hunter and Jill Potter. Zabria Justice, a City of Medicine Academy junior, is the daughter of Mrs. Natalie Justice & Mr. Gerald Justice. Jaylyn Barbee escorted her. Delta mentors were Monica Barnes and Joan Packenham. Corteney Mangum, a Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College senior, is the daughter of Ms. Mary Burge & Mr. Corey Mangum. Jaylon Eadie escorted her. Delta mentors were Ava Hinton and Anaya Moore. Justine Martin, a Middle College High School junior, is the daughter of Ms. Joyce Howard. Marcus McDonald II escorted her. Delta mentors were Carol Johnson and Mildred Wigfall. Krystal McDonald, a Southern School of Energy & Sustainability High School senior, is the daughter of Mrs. Deborah McDonald & Mr. Charles McDonald.
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HEALTH TIP: Heart Disease Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. For the African-American community, heart disease takes an even greater toll, more so than any other racial and ethnic group. The death rate from cardiovascular diseases for Americans has declined by 20 percent in recent years, Thomas however the decrease has been much less for African Americans. Kevin L. Thomas, MD, F.A.C.C., Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease at Duke University Medical Center states, “Arm yourself with knowledge to empower you to take control of your health!” Risk factors that we can target to reduce heart disease include: High blood pressure: goal systolic or top number <140 diastolic or bottom number <90 High cholesterol: goal total <200 LDL or bad cholesterol <100 good cholesterol or HDL >50 Diabetes: fasting (8 hours without eating) blood sugar <126 Hemoglobin A1C <7.0 Tobacco use: stop immedi-
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Most Americans consume at least 1.5 teaspoons of salt per day, which contains far more sodium than our bodies need.
ately or develop a plan to stop pick a significant date to stop birthday, anniversary or Christmas; pray for strength to stop Obesity: body mass index<26 Physical inactivity: work hard to be more active, swim, park at the other end of the parking lot to walk further, use the mall for inclement weather, take the steps Stress: try yoga, found an outlet exercise, music, meditation. Change your lifestyle Exercise for 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week Eat fast food no more than twice a month. Order salads. Eat out less than twice per month Count calories (<2200 per day) Limit sodium (salt) intake (< 4grams per day) Less than 2grams if you have heart disease or high BP Be Prepared. Ask your doctor questions about your health
What tests should I have, and how often, to monitor my risk factors for developing heart disease and stroke? What do my test results mean? Do I have heart disease? What sort of treatment plan do you recommend? Can you help me plan a safe exercise program? What are the possible side effects of medications I’ve been prescribed? Purchase a blood pressure cuff and check regularly OMRON is a good brand.
Salt and Sodium: The Facts
Salt adds flavor to food and is also used as a preservative, binder, and stabilizer. The human body needs a very small amount of sodium – the primary element we get from salt – to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals. But too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
Know your limits The government recommends limiting daily sodium intake to one 2,300 milligrams (one teaspoon). The American Heart Association recommends that the following at-risk individuals should limit their daily sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams (2/3 of a teaspoon): • People over age 50 • People who have high or slightly elevated blood pressure • People who have diabetes • African Americans Given that the majority of US adults are at risk of developing health problems related to salt consumption, nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health, the American Heart Association, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest have called for the U.S. government to lower the upper limit of daily recommended sodium intake from 2,300 milligrams to 1,500 milligrams per day (2/3 teaspoon of salt). Health Tip is a message from Community Health Coalition, Inc. and is written in partnership with Central Carolina Black Nurses’ Council Inc., The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Durham and Vicinity, NC Mutual Life Insurance Company and Duke Regional Hospital.
REMEMBER Healthy People 2020: A Clear Vision to Healthy Living!
SAMANTHA’S INFINITE SOLUTIONS EXPLORE THE CHAMELEON IN YOU Hair and wardrobe styling are my passion, especially for makeovers and special events. On January 31st the 1st Annual NC’s Beauty and Barbers United (BBU) Awards Showcase & Fashion Show was presented by Tim Johnson of Tim Johnson’s Productions in Raleigh, NC. The showcase celebrated the Legacy of Leaders in the beauty industry, as well as top stylist and barbers who have mastered their craft. I had the honor of styling two models for the Red Carpet and providing the first of many great and memorable impressions for the guests.
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Samantha Huntley
AUTUMN
ALEXI
When Tim asked me to style the models for the red carpet at the BBU showcase I was super excited . This is an opportunity to produce some avantgarde(French term for innovative work in the field of art and/or culture) looks . Autumn’s look is a very nostalgic and classical. I created her top stitching together with three pre-fabricated beaded collars from Hancock Fabrics. The skirt was purchased from a local thrift store . Pleats were stitched into the skirt then stuffed with tulle.
The red carpet look for Alexi pushes the boundaries of beauty into a territory that’s daring. Although metal garments are usually associated with protection and strength, the intricate layers of form fitting petals of metal exclaims the vest created by Zack Shell to be a bold yet fashion forward kind beautiful work of art . The leather miniskirt and spike knee high boots add a very sexy edge.
Autumn’s Red Carpet hair is the Marilyn Monroe. Medium size sections of Autumn’s hair were placed around pipe cleaners (found in the craft section at Wal-mart) in a figure-8 formation to create her Wavy Bob Afro. Wardrobe: Samantha Huntley Hair: Samantha Huntley Photo: Cammel Hurse
Vest: Zack Shell Photo: Cammel Hurse Renaming wardrobe items furnished by Samantha Huntley If you are planning a photo shoot, or just want to do something new, contact Samantha of Samantha’s Infinite Solutions, and Explore The Chameleon in you.
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SPORTS
BALLIN’ OUT
SPORTS NEWSBRIEFS
By Lawrence “King Law” Davis
MARCH MADNESS Pictured (left to right): NCCU Chancellor Dr. Debra Saunders-White, William Hayes, Carolyn Hayes (wife), former NC A&T quarterback Maceo Bolin, and NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree. (Photo: Dyann Busse, Red Rocket Photography)
Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson It is almost time for the annual “big dance” of basketball season known as the NCAA Tournament. But before we can even look that far, we have to focus on the Conference Tournament time. The ACC men’s tournament is moving to Washington, DC this year due to the growing attendance in the past seasons. This is how I expect the remainder of the season to go more or less: Regular-Season Champions: North Carolina The Tar Heels could be the most dominating team in the ACC when their starting five has the chance to click and work together. The combination of big men in Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks has really taken the pressure off of star guard Marcus Paige. They are also getting good minutes from Justin Jackson and Joel Barry II, who are both averaging around 12 points per game (12.2 and 12.0 respectively). The key to their success moving forward will depend on how well they could get to the line. Brice Johnson gets to the line 4.4 times per game, but that will need to rise if they look to be effective. If he can continue to be a dominant force on
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the offensive end, nobody should stick with the Heels moving towards the postseason. Conference Champions: Virginia Tony Bennett has his team looking pretty solid, despite the rough start to the season. The Cavaliers looked very shaky early, but as Malcolm Brogdon has grown, so has the team from Charlottesville. The senior guard is averaging 18.2 ppg and has made some key plays down the stretch in a few games that has really pulled his team through to victory. He is a heady player that can be a pain to deal with on the offensive and defensive end. The team chemistry is probably the biggest factor that makes them work together so well. I expect Anthony Gill to step up as the season enters crunch time. He is scoring just under 14 ppg, but what sticks out to me is his ability to control the game via his rebounding. The common theme in their tough wins this season, when UVA wins, Gill is usually leading the game in rebounds. Look for Virginia to make a very deep run in the NCAA Tournament as well, they are a projected #1 seed in the East.
NCCU ATHLETICS PRESENTS HAYES WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD DURHAM, NC – Legendary student-athlete, coach and athletics administrator William “Bill” Hayes was presented with the North Carolina Central University Department of Athletics Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday Feb. 6 during halftime of the men’s basketball game between NCCU and North Carolina A&T State University inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
After his coaching career, Hayes returned to NCCU to serve as Director of Athletics from 2003-07. Under his direction, NCCU won 10 conference championships and he was chosen as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Athletics Director of the Year in 2006 and was presented with the Jeanette A. Lee Athletic Administration Award, recognizing the conference’s top athletic administrator, in 2007. Hayes has been inducted into the NCCU Alex M. Rivera Athletic Hall of Fame, the Winston-Salem State University Clarence E. “Big House” Gaines Athletic Hall of Fame, the North Carolina A&T State University Sports Hall of Fame, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the MidEastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
Hayes has made significant contributions to both NCCU and North Carolina A&T during his illustrious career. He grew up in Durham, just a few blocks from NCCU, where he played four seasons as a linebacker and center for the Eagles. He earned three All-America citations (1962-64, Pittsburgh Courier) before graduating in 1965 with a degree in physical education.
This prestigious award was first bestowed upon longtime NCCU photographer Robert Lawson in May 2014. Saturday is only the second time this honor recognizing distinguished service and achievement has been presented.
During his 27 seasons as head coach at Winston-Salem State University (197687) and N.C. A&T (1988-2002), Hayes amassed 195 wins to go along with six conference championships. Prior to becoming a college head coach, he coached on the high school level in North Carolina at Paisley High School (1966), North Forsyth High School (1967-71) and his alma mater Hillside High School (1972), before accepting his first college job as offensive backs coach at Wake Forest University (1973-75), making him the first African-American coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
SMITH JOINS DUKE STAFF AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT DURHAM, NC – Former Duke AllAmerican Nolan Smith has joined the Blue Devils’ men’s basketball staff as a special assistant, effective Feb. 22nd, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced. The Upper Marlboro, Md., native’s duties will include assisting the coaching staff in developing game SPORTS CONTINUES ON PAGE 35
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
SPORTS CONTINUES
Wicker
Ford-Kee
NOLAN SMITH (Photo Courtesy of Duke Photography) strategies, breaking down game film, planning practices and contributing in staff meetings. “This is a terrific addition to the Duke basketball staff,” Krzyzewski said. “Nolan Smith is a true champion and a consummate example of the type of young man we strive to have in our program. It’s exciting to be part of his journey toward becoming a coach, and we’re so proud to have him on our staff.” A consensus first-team All-American and the ACC Player of the Year in 2011, Smith helped lead Duke to three consecutive ACC championships and the 2010 NCAA title during his tenure as a student-athlete. He was also a two-time All-ACC selection and earned ACC Tournament MVP honors as a senior in 2011. Smith currently ranks 17th on Duke’s career scoring chart, having amassed 1,911 points in his four seasons. He played in 121 victories in a Duke uniform to rank fifth in program history and his 143 games played are tied for the seventh-most in Duke annals. “I’m excited to be joining the Duke men’s basketball staff,” Smith said. “This transition has been natural for me, as it combines my love for basketball and understanding of the game with my passion for mentoring studentathletes. The opportunity to start my coaching career and learn from Coach
K is something I couldn’t pass up. As a member of the coaching staff, Duke fans will see the same passion I brought to the program as a player for four years.”
McLean
Following his graduation from Duke in 2011, Smith was selected by Portland with the 21st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. (Source: www.goduke. com) CIAA TO INDUCT TEN INTO THE 2016 HALL OF FAME CHARLOTTE, NC - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) will induct ten honorees into the 2015-16 John B. McLendon, Jr., Hall of Fame. A formal induction ceremony was held at the 2016 Hall of Fame Breakfast on Friday, February 26th Murray at the Charlotte Convention Center during the CIAA Basketball
Harvey
The CIAA will induct Ronald “Flip” Murray, a former basketball standout at Shaw University, Tory Woodbury, a former football
Mitchell
student-athlete at Winston-Salem State University, Earl “Air” Harvey, a former football standout at North Carolina Central University, Mark Sherrill, a former basketball student-athlete and current assistant coach at Johnson C. Smith University, Arthur “Boo Boo” Gaskins, a former basketball standout at Elizabeth City State University, Ingrid WickerMcCree, a former volleyball coach and now director of athletics at North Carolina Central University, Andre Springs, a former golf student-athlete from Fayetteville State University and now director of athletics at Livingstone College, Dianthia Ford-Kee, a former administrator at Shaw University, Dr. Edward McLean, a former director of athletics at Fayetteville State University, and “Mr. CIAA” Abraham Mitchell. “The impact that this group of honorees has had on the community, their respective institutions and alma
maters, and the CIAA as a whole is immeasurable,” said Jacqie McWilliams, CIAA Commissioner. The CIAA recognizes inductees for their excellence in the CIAA, significant contributions in the community, leadership in CIAA sports and commitment to the CIAA mission. The induction ceremony was a part of the ancillary events surrounding 2016 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament that was held in Charlotte, North Carolina from February 22 February 27, 2016. Recognized for their extraordinary contributions to their institution, community, and conference, candidates are nominated by current and former CIAA member institutions and selected by the Executive Committee. Nominations for the 2017 John B. McLendon, Jr., Hall of Fame Class will open March 7, 2016. More information may be found at theciaa.com. DUKE TO HOST UNC AT 6:30 PM ON MARCH 5 DURHAM, NC – The Duke men’s basketball program’s game against North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 5th has been confirmed for 6:30 pm ET. ESPN will televise the action. ESPN will announce the site of the March 5th College GameDay during its Feb. 27th show, with the Duke-UNC matchup among the potential candidates to secure hosting honors. Duke won the opening meeting with North Carolina this season, earning a 74-73 win at the Dean E. Smith Center on Feb. 17 behind 23 points from Grayson Allen and a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double from Brandon Ingram.
Pictured left to right: Grayson Allen, Matt Jones, Brandon Ingram, and Derryck Thornton (Photo: Courtesy of Duke Photography)
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LIFESTYLES
THE LION KING --- THE CIRCLE OF LIFE Cast features elon university grad and Congolese. This year the show will feature a new cast member, Phylicia Pearl. For her, performing in North Carolina brings her career full circle. Pearl earned her Bachelor’s degree in musical theater from Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, just outside of Burlington. During her senior year, a well known casting director held auditions and gave a master class. Pearl ultimately won the role of an understudy for Shenzi as well as a vocal swing which means that she must be able to perform the roles of 7 different characters.
Phylicia Pearl By Sherri Holmes The ground begins to rumble, excitement fills the air. The sound of African music starts softly and begins to swell as animals come down the aisle and begin their stately ascent to the stage. This is what you’ll experience if you attend a performance of The Lion King when it returns to the Durham Performing Arts Center. It will run from Feb. 16 to March 20, 2016. The Lion King first opened on Broadway in 1997 and the National Tour began in 2002. It has broken box office records drawing audience members from around the world. The Tony award winning show features 232 puppets, elaborate customs and world class music. Six indigenous African languages can be heard including Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana
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Pearl appreciates the story that is told in The Lion King. “The show is unique in the sense that it is timeless. The themes of love between parents and children, discovering your inner strength and finding yourself are inspiring to everyone.” Join the more than 80 million audience members who have seen The Lion King. Many of the DPAC performances have already sold out. So if you want to be uplifted by joy, love and the beautiful African spirit, you should get your tickets today.
The Lion King is particularly meaningful for Pearl, whose real last name is Mpsai, because her parents are from The Republic of the Congo. Launching her career in a musical that is set in Africa which features languages that are spoken in her parent’s native country has been very special. In addition, the character, Shenzi reminds Pearl of her grandmother. Pearl said, “My grandmother is funny, a storyteller and a leader in her tribe.” As an understudy, Pearl might be asked to perform from 6 months to 6 minutes before the start of a show. As Shenzi, her elaborate costume includes beaded fabric, a choker and a head piece that screws into place. Pearl has to manipulate her puppet while she kneels, crouches and dances, all the while singing the amazing songs of her character. Pearl thrives during the performances. She said, “Being on stage is the most incredible feeling. It is sometimes like having an out of body experience. I love the show because it is a huge ensemble. We uplift each other and draw upon all of our strengths.”
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
Sherri Holmes Sherri Holmes is the Director of the Triangle Friends of Africtan American Arts. She can be reached at sholmes@trianglefaaa.com.
ATTORNEY IRV JOYNER TO RECEIVE THE ELNA B. SPAULDING CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER FOUNDER’S AWARD
Joyner DURHAM, NC - On Friday, March 4, 2016, distinguished Professor and Civil Rights Attorney Irv Joyner will receive the Elna B. Spaulding Founder’s Award at the “Partners for Peace” celebration sponsored by the
Elna B. Spaulding Conflict Resolution Center. This award was established to recognize individuals that demonstrate the trailblazer spirit of the late Elna B. Spaulding who, in 1968, during a period of racial tension and national unrest, was able to bring both Black and White women together to form Women In Action for the Prevention of Violence. The Founder’s Award honors those who address difficult issues with strength and creativity and thus make Durham a better place to live. Former honorees of the Founder’s Award include Senator Jeanne Lucas, Rabbi John S. Friedman, Mayor William Bell, Mary Ann Black, The Honorable Marcia Morey, and Dr. Julius Chambers.
Irv Joyner has a passion for teaching and for the civil rights movement. With respect to the latter, he has served as an advocate and attorney for over 50 years. He spent much of his youth working for the Commission for Racial Justice of the United Church of Christ, and, in that role, organized national support around the Wilmington 10 trial in North Carolina. He has a long and distinguished record as Professor at the North Carolina Central University Law School, publishing and revising a text book on Criminal Procedure and being honored as the NCCU Law Professor of the Year. His work on civil rights issues is tireless. He was co-counsel of the
successful efforts to obtain pardons for the Wilmington 10 defendants in 2012, and currently is co-counsel in the litigation against the NC Voter ID law (which ends same-day voter registration, among other things) and the redistricting of North Carolina’s voting districts. He serves as Chair of the NC NAACP legal redress committee and, in this role, helped in the criminal defense of hundreds of Moral Monday protesters. In 2014, he was a recipient of the North Carolina NAACP Humanitarian of the Year award. The “Partners for Peace” celebration will be held at Hill House on Friday, March 4, 2016 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. For more information, please call (919) 680-4575 or visit www.crc-mediation.org.
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ENTERTAINMENT
DID U KNOW?... Yolanda Rabun’s New Album, Yolanda, Arrives March 8 energy, soul and big life-affirming moments such as the deliciously ebullient latin jazz tune, Take the Day Off, the uplifting emotional power ballad, I Hope You Dance, and the folk/funk-powered Nina Simone anthem, Be My Husband.
Yolanda Rabun RALEIGH, NC - North Carolina Singer/Songwriter Yolanda Rabun announces the global release of her highly anticipated third studio album, YOLANDA, for Tuesday, March 8, 2016. The Yodyful Music release is available now for pre-order on the iTunes Store. A number of fans, most of whom were Kickstarter backers that helped Rabun net over $21,000 to create the soul-infused jazz project, already have access to the new music. A few other lucky fans have snagged a copy of YOLANDA by attending a live performance of Rabun in February. The YOLANDA album, recorded in Raleigh, NC, at Haggard Recording Studios was engineered by Thurman Woods of Garner, NC who together with Yolanda paid particular attention to each track to ensure this fan-funded project had the unified sound people get from start to finish at Yolanda’s live shows. Yolanda notes, “The whole process of recording the music live for YOLANDA was really fun, organic and spontaneous, and what ended up coming through were songs that are powerful and dramatic, and musically cohesive.” Yolanda feels she has made an album that’s bursting with
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Yolanda gives her own smooth but straight-forward twist on two rhythm and blues staples: Rocket Love and Feel Like Making Love. The huge-hearted Hold on to Your Dreams, first featured as a single in 2013, finds a home on this album and continues to be Yolanda’s mantra to never give up on your gifts or your dreams. Rabun also co-wrote the wedding anthem, Yes, as a personal testament to love, marriage and God. Yolanda Rabun says she has never enjoyed making a jazz recording, undeniably fused with soulful interpretations, more than this one. Nor has she been happier with the results. The jazz classic but also blues-soaked Gershwin tune, Love is Here to Stay along with previously recorded songs Believe in Love and Set for Life tend to be Rabun’s favorites. The album cover photography for YOLANDA is by renowned Visual Artist, Christopher R. Charles of Creative Silence, Inc in Durham, NC. Azani Couture and Aura Beauty and Salon also put the finishing touches on Yolanda’s new look which is reflective of the new music and new brand: focused, fierce, and fearless. “Pre-ordering the YOLANDA project is a great opportunity to help promote indie artists worthy of recognition for quality work”, says Yolanda. By pre-purchasing a copy of YOLANDA from
Yolanda’s online store at www. yolandarabun.com, music lovers will be supporting Rabun more directly and getting the bonus of an autographed CD and downloads that include CD liner notes and photos when the album becomes available March 8. About Yolanda Rabun An extraordinary gifted singer and songwriter, Yolanda’s rich, robust, soulful voice draws repeated comparisons to Gladys Knight and Nancy Wilson, but Yolanda is creating a path of her own. She released, independently, her debut So Real “Enhanced CD” with a 7-week UK Soul Top 30 chart run, played several main stages at jazz festivals, traveled to Asia/Mediterranean, and opened for the Isley Brothers as well as R&B sensation, KEM and renowned drummer and artist,
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
Sheila E. Yolanda has performed at New York’s Lincoln Center and headlined the acclaimed Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles and International Atlanta Jazz Festival. Yolanda also has been called a modern-day Renaissance woman by many since she is also a wife, mother, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, professional actor and “practicing” corporate attorney. She holds an Honors B.A. degree from Holy Cross College, a Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School, and has won, among other professional honors, the Triangle Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40 Leadership Award. http://www. yolandarabun.com Additional news and updates can also be found at both www.facebook.com/ YODYFULMUSIC and www.twitter.com/ yolandarabun (@YOLANDARABUN).
The Durham (NC) Chapter of The Links, Inc., The Durham Crisis Response Center, & The Durham County Library Present
LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO
END DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Domestic Violence & Sexual Forum April 9, 2016 Durham Public Library 10am – 2pm Learn more about Violence Against Women & Children with The Durham Crisis Center and The Durham (NC) Chapter of The Links, Inc.
Lunch will be provided
In Partnership with: Community Health Coali+on, Inc. Durham County Women’s Commission To report Domes+c Violence and obtain informa+on on repor+ng op+ons, please contact: 24 Hour Crisis Line 919-‐403-‐6562
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SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com