May 2016
JUNE 7, 1958 - APRIL 21, 2016
SPECTACULAR
MAGAZINE
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Phyllis D. Coley
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PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PHYLLIS COLEY
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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 4
IN THIS ISSUE
Vol. V, Issue I Ballin’ Out Briefly Commentary Cover Story Community Health Editorial Entertainment FEATURES Harriet Tubman History Kinston Teen Killed Kinston Funk Festival Ocean City Jazz Festival Prince Shades Of Green Shaw University From The Publisher’s Desk Health & Beauty Lifestyles News Briefs Out & About Samantha’s Infinite Solutions Sports
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EDITORIAL
From The Publisher’s Desk... Mothers’s Day is May 8, 2016.To mothers, to women…this Langston Hughes poem is dedicated to you.
THE NEGRO MOTHER Look ever upward at the sun and the stars.
By Langston Hughes
Oh, my dark children, may my dreams and my prayers Impel you forever up the great stairs For I will be with you till no white brother Dares keep down the children of the Negro Mother.
Children, I come back today To tell you a story of the long dark way That I had to climb, that I had to know In order that the race might live and grow. Look at my face - dark as the night Yet shining like the sun with love’s true light. I am the dark girl who crossed the red sea Carrying in my body the seed of the free. I am the woman who worked in the field Bringing the cotton and the corn to yield. I am the one who labored as a slave, Beaten and mistreated for the work that I gave Children sold away from me, I’m husband sold, too. No safety, no love, no respect was I due. Three hundred years in the deepest South: But God put a song and a prayer in my mouth. God put a dream like steel in my soul. Now, through my children, I’m reaching the goal. Now, through my children, young and free, I realized the blessing deed to me. I couldn’t read then. I couldn’t write. I had nothing, back there in the night. Sometimes, the valley was filled with tears, But I kept trudging on through the lonely years. Sometimes, the road was hot with the sun,
But I had to keep on till my work was done: I had to keep on! No stopping for me I was the seed of the coming Free. I nourished the dream that nothing could smother Deep in my breast - the Negro mother. I had only hope then, but now through you, Dark ones of today, my dreams must come true: All you dark children in the world out there, Remember my sweat, my pain, my despair. Remember my years, heavy with sorrow -
And make of those years a torch for tomorrow. Make of my pass a road to the light Out of the darkness, the ignorance, the night. Lift high my banner out of the dust. Stand like free men supporting my trust. Believe in the right, let none push you back. Remember the whip and the slaver’s track. Remember how the strong in struggle and strife Still bar you the way, and deny you life But march ever forward, breaking down bars.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Phyllis Coley
Phyllis Coley CEO/Publisher pcoley@spectacularmag. com
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COMMENTARY
WOMEN AND PRISON -THE COST IN MONEY AND LIVES By Hillary Clinton When Tanya was 20, she made a new friend on the basketball court. For two months, they rode his motorcycle all over town, just hanging out. Then one day, he told her he needed to pick something up from his sister. He actually went and robbed a house. When the police caught up with them, Tanya was arrested. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a robbery she didn’t commit. Alice grew up in a home scarred by domestic violence, though at the time she didn’t know that’s what it was called. She got pregnant at 15, and wound up in an abusive relationship herself. She ran afoul of the law and when she went to prison, her daughters were 10 and 2 years old. For 17 years, she missed every birthday, every graduation, while her children moved from family member to family member. Mass incarceration has torn families apart, impoverished communities, and kept too many Americans from living up to their God-given potential. But mass incarceration’s impact on women and their families has been particularly acute — and it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I learned about Alice and Tanya’s experiences through a nonprofit organization that works with women in the justice system. (Both women’s names have been changed to protect their privacy.) The United States’ prison and jail population includes 215,000 women — nearly one-third of all female prisoners worldwide, and 800% more women than were in prison four decades ago. AfricanAmerican women are more than twice as likely to be in prison than white women. But women aren’t the only ones affected when they are sent to prison. The high number of women in prison — and the long lengths of their sentences — destabilizes families and communities, especially their children. Since 1991, the number of children with a mother in prison has more than doubled. Mothers in prison are five times more likely than fathers in prison to have to put their children in foster care while they serve their sentences.
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Time for reform We can’t go on like this. It is time we reform our broken criminal justice system. First, we need to reform policing practices, end racial profiling, and eradicate racial disparities in sentencing. Second, we need to promote alternatives to incarceration, particularly for nonviolent and first-time offenders, so families aren’t broken up. We need to improve access to high-quality treatment for substance abuse, inside and outside the prison system, because drug and alcohol addiction is a disease, not a crime — and we need to treat it as such. And third, we need to be deliberate about understanding the different paths that can land women in prison, be more attentive to women’s unique needs while they are incarcerated, and do more to support women and their families once they are released. I will institute gender-responsive policies in the federal prison system and encourage states to do the same—because women follow different paths to crime than men, and face different risks and challenges both inside and outside the prison walls, and every part of the justice system, from sentencing to the conditions of confinement to re-entry services, should reflect women’s unique needs. Research shows that women’s relationships, like Tanya’s friendship with the man from the basketball court, are often a significant risk factor for becoming involved with the justice system. Most women in prison are there because of nonviolent drug or property crimes. Over 60% of them report drug dependence or abuse in the year before they went to prison. Many of them grew up in abusive households, like Alice, and they are more likely than men in prison to have experienced sexual abuse or trauma in their life before prison.
GOD IS NOT DEAD PART II Dr. Ada M. Fisher The movie God Is Not Dead II is one that should resonate with all religions, belief systems or searchers for constitutional freedoms. Free speech on issues of conscious, schools, public gatherings or those with a different point of view are used to misinterpret the US Constitution citing the separation of church and state which is not within this founding document. Any discussion of Jesus as a historical figure is allowable as should be that of Abraham, Mohammed, Buddha and other pillars of our faiths. The movie’s legal arguments are outstanding and will move the hearts of most. The sincerity of those desiring to acknowledge their belief in God is one that the US Congress supports with its designated Chaplin. By the same token the disallowance of free speech by others not sharing those beliefs is too often experienced not just about religion but much of politics. I part ways with those holding positions of public trust who would deny others the protections required in their lawful activities with which I might disagree. Pharmacists may be in the wrong profession who hold critical roles in health care but want to withhold lawfully prescribed medications because they disagree with who the recipients are or the activities such may be used for.
and important step, but it isn’t enough. In addition to job training and interview coaching, women returning to their communities after years behind bars need safe housing for themselves and their children, continuity of health care, and above all a supportive community. And too often, a woman and her children Rebuilding their lives continue to live with the consequences even after she has served her time Both Tanya and Alice have been released and paid her debt to society. Because and are rebuilding their lives. It’s not easy. formerly incarcerated people face limited Tanya spent all of her 20s in prison, and job opportunities, an entire family is knows that growing up behind bars takes effectively punished by a woman’s time in different skills than making it in the real prison. world. But she’s smart and committed, earned her associate’s degree on the “Banning the box” -- preventing an inside and is now working toward a employer from asking about criminal B.A. Alice’s kids are all grown up —her history at the initial application stage, so older daughter works in the corrections that individuals have a chance to compete system herself, and she’s looking forward for jobs on a fair basis — is a necessary to seeing her younger daughter graduate
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By their very nature, Private Clubs and Private Businesses neither engaged with the general public nor taking government funds shouldn’t be subjected to discrimination suits for serving those they chose. The advent of photos on demand from phones, car cams or other devices allows those non-involved to pry and spy on activities which may not be their business or intrude on others privacy. The limits of the Free Speech provisions of the US Constitution are challenged when citizens find their lawful conversations or sequestered actions recorded without their knowledge. It should be an implicit understanding in this nation that in exercising the tenets of one’s religion, the constitution or laws are not violated. Jesus is quoted as saying “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” [Matthew 22:21] Public polls would have one believe that there is a correlation with trending decreased church attendance and support for G-d. I’d beg to differ for as our soldiers willingly take up arms to preserve democracy for others or when people donate their organs or donations mount for charitable organizations, we “See a sermon rather than hear one” everyday knowing God is very much alive. Dr. Ada m. Fisher, the nc Republican National Committeewoman, is a physician, licensed teacher, previously elected school board member, former medical director in a Fortune 500 company and author. Contact her at p. O. Box 777; Salisbury, Nc 28145; drfisher@ dradamfisher.com
from college this spring, the first rite of passage she’ll get to see in person. Things are going well. But together, Alice and Tanya spent nearly 30 years behind bars. Women and the families they support are being crushed by a criminal justice system that costs far too much — in state and federal budgets, and in lives derailed and economic opportunity lost — without making us safer. Too often, people are prejudiced against the formerly incarcerated — in employment, in housing, in everyday interactions. We say we are a nation of second chances — and it’s time that we act like it. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president.The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.
OUT & ABOUT
DAVE HOLLISTER
KEYNOTE SPEAKER - ACTRESS EXTRAORDINAIRE VIOLA DAVIS
TEDDY RILEY & RADIO ONE’S DINEEN MERRIWEATHER
RADIO ONE’S JERRY SMITH
TAMELA & DAVID MANN
JASMINE SULLIVAN
WRAL’S RENEE CHOU
PASTOR SHIRLEY CAESAR
RADIO ONE OF RALEIGH PRESENTS
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
RALEIGH, NC - Radio One of Raleigh presented Women’s Empowerment 2016 on Saturday April 16th. Women’s Empowerment & Networking Expo was created in 1995 in honor of Women’s History Month with the purpose of inspiring, encouraging and educating. Throughout this expo style event workshops, seminars and lectures are conducted that focus on physical, mental, spiritual, financial and emotional health. This year’s keynote speaker was classically trained, award-winning actress, Viola Davis. She most recently became the first African American woman to win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as 'Annalise Keating' in Shonda Rhimes's ABC drama How to Get Away with Murder. Her role earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award, an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe nomination. Musical performers included Jaheim, Monica, Johnny Gill, Jasmine Sullivan, Charles Jenkins, Tamela Mann, Teddy Riley & Blackstreet, Pastor Shirley Caesar and more. (Photos: Glenn Parsons)
DARRIN HENSON & WIFE LISETTE
R&B SENSATION MONICA
PANEL MEMBERS (L-R) CJ BOUCHARD, DR TIFFANY LOWE-PAYNE, DENISE BENNETT & GESSIE THOMPSON WITH RADIO ONE’S MELISSA WADE
RADIO ONE’S MELISSA WADE (L) & KAREN CLARK WITH ABC11’S TISHA POWELL
TEDDY RILEY & BLACKSTREET
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DURHAM CHAPTER OF THE LINKS BRING GLAMOUR AND STYLE TO THE TRIANGLE RUNWAY
DURHAM BEYOND POLICING CAMPAIGN FOR A PEOPLE’S BUDGET DURHAM, NC - Members of the Durham City Workers Union chapter of United Electrical (UE) local 150, Durham Solidarity Center and SayHerName hosted a picket outside the City Hall each Monday since April 4th. U.E. local 150 and community supporters are demanding a People’s Budget, where rather than spend $81 million for new police headquarters, the city, as they consider the annual budget, should invest more money on people’s needs such as affordable housing, living wages for city workers, recreation centers for youth, crisis intervention and more. (Photo: Dante Strobino)
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DURHAM, NC - For the third year in a row, the Triangle’s premier runway fashion show event was hosted by the Links, Incorporated, Durham (NC) Chapter on March 19th at the Durham Convention Center. Over 420 people enjoyed the annual Shades of Green Luncheon and Fashion Show including pictured (l-r) Dr. Harriet F. Davis, Juanita B. Massenburg, Linda Wilson, Andria Jeffries, Dr. Debra Saunders-White, V. Dianne Pledger, and Rep. Bobbie Richardson. Fashions viewed during the show, such as the one pictured here, were all courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue, Triangle Town Center (Raleigh, NC). Read all about the event on page 35. (Submitted Photos)
OP-ED SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Spectacular Magazine accepts opinion articles on any topic, not only policy, politics or government. If it’s opinionated and you believe our readers will find it worth reading, please submit it. Submissions of any length will be considered but the more concise the better chance it will be selected for print. All submissions must be original, and exclusive to Spectacular Magazine. We will not consider articles that have already been published, in any form, in print or online. Submissions may be sent in either of these ways: By e-mail to: opinion@spectacularmag.com Or by mail to: Spectacular Magazine Opinion Page P.O. Box 361 Durham, NC 27702 Submission must include your full name, address and phone number.
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COVER STORY
MUSIC LEGEND PRINCE DEAD AT 57 Seven-time Grammy winner Prince, who was known for megahits like “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain,” was found dead in the elevator of his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minn. on Thursday April 21st. Deputies and medical personnel found the music icon unresponsive when they arrived at his home and they performed CPR but it was unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. local time. Prince was 57 years old. Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. During the ‘80s, he emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock & roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together pop, funk, folk, and rock. Not only did he release a series of groundbreaking albums; he toured frequently, produced albums, and wrote songs for many other artists, and recorded hundreds of songs that still lie unreleased in his vaults. With each album he released, Prince showed remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity, constantly experimenting with different sounds, textures, and genres. Occasionally, his music was inconsistent, in part because of his eclecticism, but his experiments frequently succeeded; no other contemporary artist blended so many diverse styles into a cohesive whole.
Prince’s first two albums were solid, if unremarkable, late-’70s funk-pop. With 1980’s Dirty Mind, he recorded his first masterpiece, a one-man tour de force of sex and music; it was hard funk, catchy Beatlesque melodies, sweet soul ballads, and rocking guitar pop, all at once. The follow-up, Controversy, was more of the same, but 1999 was brilliant. The album was a monster hit, selling over three million copies, but it was nothing compared to 1984’s Purple Rain.
of everything he had done before. The following year he released Graffiti Bridge (the sequel to Purple Rain), which turned out to be a considerable commercial disappointment. In 1991, Prince formed the New Power Generation, the best and most versatile and talented band he has ever assembled. With their first album, Diamonds and Pearls, Prince reasserted his mastery of contemporary R&B; it was his biggest hit since 1985.
In this Feb. 4, 2007 file photo, Prince performs during the halftime show at the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. (AP Photo) art rock was ever grounded with a hit as brilliant as the spare funk of “Kiss.” By 1987, Prince’s ambitions were growing by leaps and bounds, resulting in the sprawling masterpiece Sign ‘O’ the Times. Prince was set to release the hard funk of The Black Album by the end of the year, yet he withdrew it just before its release, deciding it was too dark and immoral. Instead, he released the confused Lovesexy in 1988, which was a commercial disaster.
Purple Rain made Prince a superstar; it eventually sold over ten million copies in the U.S. and spent 24 weeks at number one. Partially recorded with his touring band, the Revolution, the record featured the most pop-oriented music he has ever made. Instead of continuing in this accessible direction, he veered off into the bizarre psycho-psychedelia of Around the World in a Day, which nevertheless sold over two million copies. In 1986, he released the even stranger Parade, which was in its own way as ambitious and intricate as any art rock of the ‘60s; however, no
With the soundtrack to 1989’s Batman he returned to the top of the charts, even if the album was essentially a recap
The following year, he released his 12th album, which was titled with a cryptic symbol; in 1993, Prince legally changed his name to the symbol. In 1994, after becoming embroiled in contract disagreements with Warner Bros., he independently released the single “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” likely to illustrate what he would be capable of on his own; the song became his biggest hit in years. Later that summer, Warner released the somewhat halfhearted Come under the name of Prince; the record was a moderate success, going gold. In November 1994, as part of a contractual obligation, Prince agreed to the official release of The Black Album. In early PRINCE CONTINUES ON PAGE 11
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PRINCE CONTINUES
Days after Prince’s death, memorials for the music legend are still going strong. Mourners from the singer’s inner circle and fans from far and wide are remembering him days after the 57-year-old musician was found dead inside an elevator at his Paisley Park Studios. Remains cremated His publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure announced Saturday April 23 that his remains had been cremated. A small group of Prince’s ‘most beloved’ said goodbye ‘in a private, beautiful ceremony.’ “An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration,” she said. Autopsy results pending What caused the pop superstar’s death? It could be weeks before we know, according to his publicist and authorities. “The cause of death remains unknown,” Noel-Schure said, “and it will be at least four weeks before we receive the results of the autopsy.” A chorus of praise Since the pop star’s death Thursday April 21, the chorus of praise from fans, friends and protegees of the late musician hasn’t stopped. Hundreds have been mourning outside of Prince’s Paisley Park estate in suburban Minneapolis, leaving purple flowers and balloons along the fence. And some of them left with mementos of their own.
Dr. Prince? Officials at the University of Minnesota are weighing whether to award Prince an honorary doctorate -- something they were considering before the musician’s death. The university’s president told CNN Sunday that the nomination will likely be approved by an honors committee and then go to the university’s board of regents and president in June for the final say. Back on the big screen Prince’s cult classic “Purple Rain” returned to movie theaters over the weekend for a limited run. Tickets sold out in hours for the limited release, and fans sang and danced along with the film as they remembered the pop icon. During its first stint on the big screen in 1984, the movie made nearly $70 million and garnered Prince an Oscar win for Best Original Song. Behind the music Prince worked hard to maintain his privacy, no small feat in the age of celebrity gossip and the Internet. “Having crafted a musical empire, taken on his industry to fight for the rights of artists and survived with a career artists half his age would have envied. Prince was careful and built his inner circle almost as meticulously as he did his compositions. No Will, No Heirs
Purple boxes Fans brought flowers, balloons and signs to leave in front of the Paisley Park complex over the weekend. And some of them left with mementos of their own. Some of Prince’s family and friends gave out at least 15 round purple boxes containing Prince memorabilia like CDs, T-shirts and books to fans gathered there April 23. Minneapolis mourns Thousands made pilgrimages to downtown Minneapolis, standing outside the First Avenue & 7th St. Entry club with boom boxes blasting his songs and placing purple flowers in front of the wall where his name is emblazoned. They remembered him as not only a pioneer of a distinct synth-pop and funk style known as “Minneapolis sound” but as heir to a diverse musical family of great artists like Joni Mitchell and Sly and the Family Stone.
A Minnesota judge has made it official – despite Prince’s estate being worth an approximated $250 million, the singer did not have a will in place to declare the distribution of his assets. On Tuesday morning April 26, Prince’s sister Tyka filed the emergency petition for the appointment of a special administrator A hearing was held Wednesday morning, and the judge has approved Bremer Bank, the institution Prince trusted with his finances over the years, to move forward with handling his estate – both personal and financial business. Bremer Trust has been tasked to “preserve the estate and to secure its proper administration until a general Personal Representative is appointed by the Registrar or by the Court,” according to the documents. The Trust is also charged with locating his heirs, which include his sister Tyka Nelson and five half-siblings. PRINCE CONTINUES ON PAGE 12
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A year later, with “1999” predictably an end-of-the-millennium anthem, Prince issued the remix collection 1999 (The New Master). A collection of Warner Bros.-era leftovers, Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, followed that summer, and in the fall Prince returned on Arista with the all-star Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. In the fall of 2001 he released the controversial Rainbow Children, a jazz-infused circus Prince Rogers Nelson was baptized as one of of sound trumpetJehovah’s Witnesses in 2003. ing his conversion 1995, he immersed himself in another to the Jehovah’s Witnesses that left many legal battle with Warner, proclaiming longtime fans out in the cold. himself a slave and refusing to deliver his new record, The Gold Experience, for He further isolated himself with 2003’s release. By the end of the summer, a fed- N.E.W.S., a four-song set of instrumental up Warner had negotiated a compromise jams that sounded a lot more fun to play that guaranteed the album’s release, plus than to listen to. Prince rebounded in one final record for the label. 2003 with the chart-topping Musicology, a return to form that found the artist back The Gold Experience was issued in the in the Top Ten, even garnering a Gramfall; although it received good reviews my nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal and was following a smash single, it Performance in 2005. failed to catch fire commercially. In the summer of 1996, Prince released Chaos In early 2006 he was the musical guest & Disorder, which freed him to become on Saturday Night Live, performing two an independent artist. Setting up his own songs with a new protégée, R&B singer label, NPG (which was distributed by Tamar. A four-song appearance at the Brit EMI), he resurfaced later that same year Awards with Wendy, Lisa, and Sheila E. with the three-disc Emancipation, which followed. Both appearances previewed was designed as a magnum opus that tracks from 3121, which hit number one would spin off singles for several years on the album charts soon after its release and be supported with several tours. in March 2006. PRINCE CONTINUES
However, even his devoted cult following Planet Earth followed in 2007, featuring needed considerable time to digest such contributions from Wendy and Lisa. In an enormous compilation of songs. Once it was clear that Emancipation wasn’t the commercial blockbuster he hoped it would be, Prince assembled a long-awaited collection of outtakes and unreleased material called Crystal Ball in 1998. With Crystal Ball, Prince discovered that it’s much more difficult to get records to an audience than it seems; some fans who pre-ordered their copies through Prince’s website (from which a bonus fifth disc was included) didn’t receive them until months after the set began appearing in stores. Prince then released a new one-man album, New Power Soul, just three months after Crystal Ball; even though it was his most straightforward album since Diamonds and Pearls, it didn’t do well on the charts, partly because many listeners didn’t realize it had been released.
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In this June 1, 2007 file photo, Prince performs with percussionist and vocalist Sheila E. (AP Photo)
the U.K., copies were cover-mounted on the July 15 edition of The Mail on Sunday, provoking Columbia -- the worldwide distributor for the release -- to refuse distribution throughout the U.K. In the U.S., the album was issued on July 24.
backing band. Both records came out on the same day in September 2014. (Two years later, the Prince reissue program and the expanded edition of Purple Rain had yet to appear.)
Almost a year to the day, he released HITnRUN: Phase One, with contriLotusFlow3r, a three-disc set, arrived in butions from Lianne La Havas, Judith 2009, featuring a trio of distinct albums: Hill, and Rita Ora. A sequel, HITnRUN: LotusFlow3r itself (a guitar showcase), Phase Two, was released online in MPLSound (a throwback to his ‘80s funk December 2015, with a physical release output), and Elixer (a smooth contempo- following in January 2016. rary R&B album featuring the breathy vocals of Bria Valente). Despite only being In early 2016, Prince set out on a rare available online and through one big-box solo tour, a run of shows he called “Piano retailer, the set debuted at number two and a Microphone.” The tour was cut on the Billboard 200 chart. A year later, short in April due to sickness, however, another throwback-flavored effort, 20Ten, and Prince flew home to Minneapolis. became his second U.K. newspaper giveaway. No official online edition of the On April 21, 2016, police were called to album was made available. Paisley Park, where they found Prince
Saxophonist Marcus Anderson playing with Prince as a member of the New Power Generation From mid-2010 through the end of 2012, Prince toured throughout Europe, America, Europe again, Canada, and Australia. During 2013, he released several singles, starting with “Screwdriver” and continuing with “Breakfast Can Wait” in the summer of that year. Early in 2014, he made a cameo appearance on the Zooey Deschanel sitcom The New Girl, appearing in the episode that aired following the Super Bowl. All this activity was prelude to the spring announcement that Prince had re-signed to Warner Bros. Records, the label he had feuded with 20 years prior. As part of the deal, he wound up receiving the ownership of his master recordings, and the label planned a reissue campaign that would begin with an expanded reissue of Purple Rain roughly timed to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
unresponsive; he died that day at the age of 57. His early death and incredible achievement prompted an outpouring of emotion from fans, friends, influences, and professional associates.
First came two new albums: Art Official Age and PlectrumElectrum, the latter credited to 3rdEyeGirl, the all-female power trio that was his new-millennial
On the following week’s Billboard charts, he occupied four of the top ten album positions and four of the top singles positions.
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FEATURES
OCEAN CITY CELEBRATES ITS HISTORY WITH THE OCEAN CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL
2015 Festival Crowd NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, NC - The Ocean City Community was started in 1949, in the Jim Crow South 15 years prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1965. A beach community on the Atlantic Ocean, where Blacks could have home ownership was just not supposed to happen. But after World War II, Edgar Yow, a white Wilmington attorney and former mayor, purchased six miles of beach property on Topsail Island. The land was previously owned by the Navy and was used for Operation Bumblebee which was a secret test site for guided missiles. As mayor, Yow had become acquainted with many members of the Black community and realized that in the era of segregation there was a need for beach front recreational opportunities for Blacks. Yow approached Dr. Samuel Gray with his idea; Gray was unable to devote a great deal of attention to the project but soon called upon a friend - Wade Chestnut, Sr. and his siblings, Bertram, Robert and Louise. Energized by the possibilities, Wade Chestnut, Sr. sold his interest in the family automobile repair business and devoted
his full attention to the development opportunity.
OC Community 1953 Ocean Drive
Edgar Yow owned the one mile stretch of property three miles north of Surf City, which was to become Ocean City, from the ocean to the sound. Gray and the Chestnuts purchased several tracts of land from Yow which included one of the island’s Bumblebee observation towers. In 1949, stock was sold and an inter-racial corporation (Ocean City Developers, Inc.) was formed and headed by Robert Chestnut, Sr. for ownership of the land and to sell property to blacks. Wade Chestnut, Sr. conceived the idea of naming this section of the island, Ocean City, as it is presently called. The corporation divided the beach into business and residential areas, with the first homes being built in 1949-50 by William Eaton, a black contractor from Fayetteville, NC. Wade bought and remodeled the tower to be a restaurant and tackle shop. Wade and Eaton built what was then a 10 room motel in 1952. Eaton would go on to build 30 additional homes, the Chapel and rectory, camp dormitory
Aerial of Community 1950 and dining hall in Ocean City. The intent was to build up the area to further encourage development of a carefully planned town with residential and separate commercial areas and a family-type of beach. Many blacks were skeptical of the opportunity to buy into the one-mile beach area. However, to gain interest, Wade devoted his time looking for prospective buyers by attending
meetings where blacks were assembled and heavily advertising the project. The lots were $500 or $1000 for oceanfront lots. The Chestnuts hosted Sunday church services in their home or on the beach. Services were led by the Reverend Edwin Kirton of St. Mark’s Episcopal OCEAN CITY CONTINUES ON PAGE 15
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ARTISTS
OCEAN CITY CONTINUES
(**Additional artists to be announced)
2016 OCEAN CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL July 2 and 3, 2016 – 5:00 pm nightly
MARCUS ANDERSON
OC Chapel 1957 2649 Island Drive
This pop/R&B and jazz musician’s career is fast becoming one to watch. Anderson’s family recognized his talent as a musical prodigy when he was introduced to the saxophone at age twelve. He later became a member of the All-State High School Jazz Ensemble for South Carolina, his home state. After graduation, Anderson studied jazz at North Carolina Central University. There he was a member of the program’s world renowned Jazz Ensemble directed by Dr. Ira Wiggins and he studied with Branford Marsalis and Gospel saxophonist Donald Hayes. He has performed to audiences all over the world as one of (the late) Prince’s saxophonists in New Power Generation. As part of New Power Generation, Anderson has played and been showcased in such iconic festivals such as the Essence Music Festival, Monteux Jazz Festival and the Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival.
TIA FULLER Touring and recording with superstar Beyoncé has put saxophonist Tia Fuller at the center of the pop music universe, reaching millions of listeners with her concise, beautifully crafted solos. The 36-year-old is a rising force on saxophones (both alto and soprano) as well as flute — a savvy bandleader, composer, and arranger. She’s racked up an imposing range of credits, having graced the stage with T.S. Monk, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, Gerald Wilson and Nancy Wilson. As if her performing career wasn’t enough, Fuller is also a devoted educator, lecturing and presenting master classes at music institutions around the world. Featuring an all-female rhythm section, her latest album is Decisive Steps (Mack Avenue), a masterly statement by an artist with a reputation as one of the most important new instrumentalists in jazz.
Current Photo Wade Chestnut Chapel Church in Wilmington. Following the destruction of summer camps in South Carolina due to Hurricane Hazel, Father Kirton spoke with Wade Chestnut, Sr., about camping at Ocean City. Camp Oceanside, established in 1955, was the first Episcopal camp for blacks in the Diocese of East Carolina. On the invitation of Mr. Chestnut and associates, the motel and a cottage were rented for the summer camp from 1955-1957. St Mark’s Episcopal Chapel, as it was called before it was named the Wade H. Chestnut Memorial Chapel was built in June 1957, where Father Kirton served as Priest until his retirement in 1975. The vestry was a place in which every beach resident was considered a member regardless of home denomination.
In 1954 the community faced major disaster in – Hurricane Hazel. The Category 4 hurricane severely damaged the community, but would not deter the homeowners, who had the “tenacity” to rebuild. The Ocean City Fishing Pier was built in 1958 and a second organization, the Ocean City Fishing Pier, Inc. was formed. Of the five fishing piers on the island, the Ocean City Fishing Pier was the only one that allowed blacks to fish. The Ocean City Developers, Inc. was dissolved in 1976 and the Ocean City Beach Citizens Council was started. The homeowner’s council was formed to support community issues, and plan business and
HERLIN RILEY
ASHLEIGH E SMITH
Herlin Riley began playing the drums at age three. Herlin was a member of Ahmad Jamal’s group from 1984 through 1987. He has recorded with artists such as Marcus Roberts, Dr. John, Harry Connick, Jr., George Benson, Benny Wallace, and Mark Whitifield, to name a few. In the spring of 1988, he joined Wynton Marsalis’ touring and recording group, which he performed with through its disbanding in late 1994. Herlin, a regularly featured musician at Jazz at the Lincoln Center, performed on the first Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra United States tour in the fall of 1992, performing the music of Duke Ellington. He has released two recordings as a leader, Cream of the Crescent and Watch What You’re Doing. Both of these albums feature fellow Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra members..
Sultry, soulful, and sincere are what audiences have said of up and coming vocalist Ashleigh Smith. A Georgia native, Smith currently resides in Dallas, Texas, where she received a scholarship to study vocal jazz at the University of North Texas. She has shared the stage with the world renown vocal jazz group The Manhattan Transfer and the phenomenal Jon Hendricks during the Kennedy Center’s “Swing, Swing, Swing” concert series. Most recently Smith toured as a background singer with R&B vocalist Chrisette Michele. With the ability, style and grace to move from jazz, R&B, neo-soul, and funk, Ashleigh’s, charisma, sincerity, & energy make her a starlet worth watching.
OCEAN CITY CONTINUES ON PAGE 16
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OCEAN CITY CONTINUES
JOHN BROWN QUINTET
OC Homes 1951 Ocean Drive
This award-winning jazz group specializes in performing music from the time-honored Bebop and Hard Bop eras of jazz, bringing new life to some of the best-known classics from the Great American Songbook and introducing original music. The group garnered national attention when its first recording reached #8 on the national JazzWeek chart, and stayed in the top 50 for 16 consecutive weeks. Featuring the classic instrumentation of two horns in the frontline along with the rhythm section, the John Brown Quintet sets the standard for John Brown’s myriad ensembles. Brown, a bassist, composer, educator and actor, is a graduate of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. John currently serves as Director of the Jazz Program and Associate Professor of the Practice of Music at Duke University.
GERALD VEASLEY Born and raised in Philadelphia, Gerald Veasley is an excellent bassist who has played his share of commercial music but definitely has the chops needed for more improvisatory settings. Veasley was exposed to gospel and R&B as a child and went on to play in various R&B bands in West Philly as a teenager in the late 1960s and ‘70s. Veasley was delighted when, in 1988, Weather Report co-founder Joe Zawinul hired him as a sideman. Veasley, who stayed with Zawinul until 1995, signed with Heads Up International in the early ‘90s and recorded his first album for the label, Look Ahead, in 1992 before providing Signs in 1994 and Soul Control in 1997. Veasley continued with the label, issuing the mellow, smooth album Love Letters in 1999, then returned in 2001 with On the Fast Track, an energetic, funk-inflected return to the grooves of his early career.
OC Terrace 1953 on Ocean Drive Photo features two days of world-class live jazz featuring local and nationally recognized performers. Revenue from the festival helps defray the cost of preserving the historical buildings in the community and promoting awareness of its history. The festival is supported by the NC Arts Council, Onslow County Tourism, the Town of North Topsail Beach and dedicated business partners. The festival is currently seeking sponsors for the 2016 festival. “The Town of North Topsail Beach is proud to support the Ocean City Jazz Festival. If you like world-class jazz and wonderful friendly people come and enjoy the Ocean City Beach Jazz Festival. Our beach and community
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are very special and we want to share them with you.” states Walter Yurek, North Topsail Beach Alderman.
2015 Festival - John Brown Quintet
Artists to perform in 2016 include John Brown Quintet, Herlin Riley, Marcus Anderson, Gerald Veasley, Tia Fuller, Ashleigh E Smith with additional artists to be announced. There are planned travel packages from RaleighDurham and Fayetteville. Patrons can purchase one or two-day passes to the event. For additional information please visit the festival’s website at www. oceantcityjazzfest.com or email the festival at info@oceancityjazzfest.com.
2015 Festival - Mark Whitfield
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SHAW UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DELIVERS ON EPIC MISSION TO BUILD 21ST CENTURY INSTITUTION
Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy reveals investment priorities to meet Raleigh’s industrial vision
RALEIGH, NC - Shaw University President Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy announced several new institutional priorities, designed to position the university as a strategic partner with the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh. Dubroy unveiled those priorities to the University during a university town hall meeting in April. The new initiatives will improve student performance, raise the
academic profile, increase faculty productivity in key academic programs and use data analysis to pair resources with current trends in enrollment and research at the University. “Shaw University is embarking on a bold, transformational journey,” said University President, Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy. “We will become a robust pipeline for minority students in STEM fields,” said Dubroy.
With a laser focus on meeting the growing industrial demand in Downtown Raleigh, corporate partners can expect to see more integrated research oriented partnerships, an increase in the number of executives interfacing with Shaw students and increased access to Shaw University’s talent pool. Students, faculty and staff can expect to see increases in student financial in STEM fields, more competitive compensation
for faculty and staff, and new capital investments as a result of the refined investment strategy. The new priorities will catalyze economic growth in programmatic areas of technology, entrepreneurship and sustainability. The new university-wide priorities include: • Program audits to gauge student SHAW CONTINUES ON PAGE 19
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SHAW CONTINUES interest, resource expenditures • Merit-based support for faculty research • New partnerships with area universities and corporate entities to bolster S.T.E.M. output • New and accelerated degree programs to meet needs of students and reduce student debt • Faculty and staff pay increases to make the University more competitive when attracting talent • Philanthropic programs that coalesce corporate and social goals According to Dubroy, Shaw is not alone in this feat. Both vocal and silent partners are resources in support of the institution’s E.P.I.C. 2020 vision. The priorities were created based on feedback from campus constituents and a recent independent assessment conducted by CREDO, a higher education consulting firm specializing in audit and review for colleges and universities. Shaw’s institutional vision is revealed shortly after the release of a study from the nonprofit Manpower Development Corporation that says the State of North Carolina ranks among the worst in the nation in economic mobility for underserved communities, as classified by race, geography and educational attainment. The president’s strategic priorities will position the university and its students to be competitive in the educational arena and responsive to the changing global environment. As top companies seek diverse, qualified candidates, Shaw University will grow its reputation as the “go-to”
institution for those who want to pursue a degree and become a part of a pool of dynamic candidates from which global companies will choose their employees. Shaw’s board and administration expect implementation of these new institutional priorities to result in increased interest in the University and higher enrollment numbers, both reliable signs that the university is headed in the right direction. “The Shaw University Board of Trustees stands behind Dr. Dubroy as
she implements this very ambitious agenda,” said Joseph Bell, chairman of Shaw’s board of trustees. “This vision will ensure that we maintain efficient and comprehensive service delivery to our students for years to come,” said Bell. While the university faces attrition typically experienced by colleges and universities nationwide, Dubroy noted the University will achieve long term
success. “We want to do all that we can to ensure that our systems, culture and outcomes are in alignment with emerging workforce trends, so that we remain among a cadre of universities where students choose to pursue a college education and companies choose to partner,” Dubroy said.
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M&F Bank – The Power of “&” Over the past 12 months, we have launched M&F Bank’s new branding platform, including its new color scheme, logo and slogan – “You and We.” Our new brochures and branch office signage all feature the new “face” of M&F Bank. Our website is nimbler, more functional, and reflects the new branding. We are proud of our new look and more than that, we believe the slogan “You & We” is powerful and perfectly articulates what M&F Bank represents.
Great job, right? Exactly what we should have done, right? Yes, only we want to make sure that the public understands the message of “You & We.” We have a received a number of inquiries related to the context of “You and We.” We think it is a powerful statement when connected with the communities that we serve. The truth is, the M&F Bank story is built on putting “You & We” into practice. “You” refers to our customer – their dreams, and their vision of the financial future. “We” describes M&F’s vital role in helping customers attain their dreams through various products
and services offered. The power of “&” is the connection between M&F Bank and whatever our customer’s dream may be. M&F Bank was founded in 1907 to serve historically underserved markets. During our more than 100 years of service to the people of North Carolina, we have continued to be a strong, stable and profitable institution in the face of bank failures, economic upheaval, volatile markets and increased regulatory burdens. We are the only North Carolina-based commercial bank designated as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), in recognition of our response to the credit and financial needs of economically
disadvantaged communities. M&F has received multiple grants through the Bank Enterprise Award program (BEA) acknowledging our long history of supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses, community-based organizations, as well as fostering economic development in distressed communities. Through it all, M&F Bank has proven that it is possible to “do well while doing good.” We have countless customer testimonials that bear out the “You & We” message – homeowners, small business owners, colleges and universities, community service agencies, churches, entrepreneurs. Whatever your dream, let M&F Bank help you make it real. That’s the power of “&.” That’s the meaning of “You & We.”
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FAMILY & FRIENDS OF LENOIR COUNTY MAN KILLED BY TROOPER WANT JUSTICE
KINSTON, NC - In the aftermath of a deadly trooper-involved shooting in Lenoir County, organizer David Bell, along with members of the community and some civil rights organizations, gathered at a Kinston Community Center Wednesday April 6th where they say they want justice. According to reports, on Sunday, March 27, 2016 at approximately 2:15 am, a trooper responded to a call for assistance by the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office involving a shooting that had occurred at Club Aries located near the intersection of Suttontown Road and Poole Road. The trooper was the first to arrive. Highway Patrol says as the trooper approached the scene and exited his vehicle, he encountered two male subjects running towards him. The trooper saw that one of the subjects had a gun. They [Highway Patrol] say the person failed to comply with the trooper’s commands to stop and drop the weapon. They say the person pointed the weapon directly at the trooper who fired, fatally striking the individual. The second person was taken into custody without incident. Two weapons were recovered from the scene. The SBI says the man killed was 18-year-old Deriante Miller of Kinston. The Highway Patrol has identified the trooper as Trooper William Hardison. The 29-year-old Hardison is a sixyear veteran, and has been placed on administrative duty, which is standard procedure. It is not the first time Trooper Hardison has been involved in a death while on
Organizer David Bell (2nd from right) stands with (l-r) member of Nation of Islam (Greenville, NC), Pastor Rudy Williams (Charlotte, NC) and Tharol Branch (Kinston organizer) outside a Kinston Community Center where they say they want justice. (Photo: Johnny Waters) duty. In December 2010, the trooper was placed on leave after a man he shocked with a taser died. Clayton James of Hertford County drove away from a traffic stop, and Hardison chased the man for seven miles before James tried to get away on foot and the two scuffled. James was tasered three times. The trooper was cleared in the man’s death. Organizer David Bell said, “This is absolutely unacceptable and we’re here just to bring Trooper Hardison to justice. Family and friends of Deriante Miller say they’re dealing with an incredible loss. They describe him as an involved student at Lenior Community College and they
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Organizer David Bell addresses the crowd gathered at a Kinston Community Center. (Photo: Johnny Waters) LENOIR COUNTY CONTINUES ON PAGE 23
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LENOIR COUNTY CONTINUES concluded that Mr. James’ death was attributed to cardiac arrhythmia and that he had alcohol and traces of cocaine in his system. But with the same trooper now involved with two different deaths, some people doubt the report put forward by the Highway Patrol.
Concerned citizens of Kinston came to learn more details about trooper-shooting of Deriante Miller (Photo: Johnny Waters)
As for the most recent case, it also is under independent and objective review by the SBI and ultimately the Lenoir County district attorney. In addition to the SBI’s investigation, the Highway Patrol is currently conducting a separate internal investigation into this case as well,” stated a spokesman for the State Highway Patrol. Miller’s classmate Eric Hall says, “All we want is justice and for people to know what type of person Deriante Deon Miller really is.” (Compiled from reports of WITN-TV, WTKR and WCTI-Ch. 12.)
Kinston citizens are concerned about the manner in which the local media has covered this story. (Photo: Johnny Waters)
Friends and family of Deriante Miller gathered at a Kinston Community Center Wednesday April 6th in aftermath of Miller’s deadly trooperinvolved shooting. (Photo: Johnny Waters) want Trooper William Hardison held accountable for Miller’s death. Bell says he wants to see Trooper William Hardsion resign. Friend Rodney Jones says, “Deriante was a good leader. When he spoke you listened to him.” They’re painting a different picture of Miller than the one described in a March 27th report by the State Highway Patrol. A panel of people from at least six organizations talked about racial disparities within the criminal justice system, citing Miller’s case as one of hundreds of fatalities. A news release says Hardison saw that Miller had a gun, asked him to drop it, and fired when Miller pointed it at the Trooper. But Miller’s cousin Hausaun Jones says he isn’t buying that story and friends wonder if there’s video to show what happened.
It was dashcam video from a deadly 2010 encounter between Hardison and James -- as reported by WTKR -- that surfaced in the wake of Miller’s death. The family of James said they were told he was shocked with a taser three times but an SBI report says there were 29 discharges, according to the news station. The Highway Patrol said in a statement, “Anytime a life is lost, it is a tragedy that deeply affects all parties involved. Nonetheless, in the case involving Clayton James, a thorough and comprehensive independent investigation was conducted by the SBI. That investigation was in turn provided to then District Attorney Frank Parrish. DA Parrish determined as follows: “Taking into account the facts presented and the applicable law, I am satisfied that Trooper Hardison’s use of force in this case was objectively reasonable and necessary under the circumstances and at the time the force was used.” Additionally, the Medical Examiner
Pastor Rudy Williams (l), Bro. Richard Mohammed (2nd from left), and Worker’s World Party 3 organizer Taurean Brown (standing) all addressed the audience during the meeting. (Photo: Johnny Waters)
: Spectacular Magazine CEO/Publisher Phyllis Coley and Spectacular Magazine COO & Kinston native Gary Jones express concern about the manner the local media has reported the incident. (Photo: Johnny Waters)
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NEWS BRIEFS
WHY HARRIET TUBMAN ON THE $20 BILL IS SO SIGNIFICANT Tubman’s relationship to the $20 amount goes back further than you think. Harriet Tubman made black history again on April 19th when it was reported that she will replace former President Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill. The news marks a hugely historic moment after advocates rallied for months to have Tubman be recognized on such a monumental level. It’s a significant move that represents one of the most symbolic honors ever awarded to a legendary black icon. Tubman is the first African American to grace American currency, a major moment especially considering that Tubman, who was born a slave and later escaped to Philadelphia in 1849, will occupy the spot once reserved for Jackson — whom history remembers a racist, genocidal slaveholder. The news that Harriet Tubman will be replacing Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill is significant for all sorts of reasons. Slave owner Jackson is being pushed to the back of the bill by a former slave; Tubman, who led more than 300 slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad, is displacing a president who drove 16,000 Cherokees (and thousands more from other native tribes) out of their homelands on the Trail of Tears. But even if Tubman weren’t displacing Jackson, the $20 would be the perfect bill to honor her, because the sum of $20 played a significant role in her life on two separate occasions. Tubman was not only a freedom fighter who relentlessly advocated for full freedom of enslaved black people, she also served during the Civil War mainly as a nurse and secret spy for the Union. After returning home to New York in 1865, Tubman took care of her elderly parents and served in a nearby hospital. Her husband died three years later and she fell on hard times financially. Tubman attempted to receive the compensation she was owed for
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The new $20 bill featuring anti-slavery freedom fighter Harriet Tubman is expected to release by 2030. her service but was denied by the government because she apparently lacked proper documentation of her work. Tubman later appealed to the federal government twice and underwent back-and-forth discussions with the courts. The congressional Committee of Pensions eventually determined that her final compensation be $20 a month. But even before that — as Yoni Appelbaum of the Atlantic pointed out on Twitter — the sum of $20 played a huge role in Tubman’s efforts to rescue her own father from slavery. In Tubman’s first biography, the 1869 book Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman, author Sarah Hopkins Bradford told the story of Tubman’s efforts to save her parents as an example of just how rare it was for Tubman to ask for anything from others. “But though so timid for herself,” Bradford wrote, “she is bold enough when the wants of her race are concerned” — and unafraid to embarrass powerful people, if necessary. In this case, Bradford writes, Tubman believed she’d gotten “directed” by God to ask for $20 to rescue her parents from “a certain gentleman in New York,” whom Appelbaum identifies as prominent abolitionist Oliver
Johnson. Ultimately, Tubman got her twenty dollars — and then some. Bradford writes that Tubman, staging what amounted to a sit-in in Johnson’s office, eventually fell asleep, and woke up to find $60 in her pocket. But they hadn’t come from Johnson; they’d come from the other “fugitive” ex-slaves passing through the office, who managed to raise a tremendous amount of money to help Tubman bring one more to their ranks. Tubman used the money to rescue her father — who was on trial for helping slaves escape — and bring him all the way up to Canada, where he couldn’t be recaptured into slavery. Given her role in America’s complicated racial history, Tubman’s face featured prominently on the paper bill has triggered mixed reactions to the news. While some have issued celebratory praise for Tubman’s recognition, others are hesitant that it will bring renewed boss status to a black woman whose legacy they fear has been cheapened. But the truth is, putting Tubman’s face on an American paper bill matters because representation matters. The bill, which is expected to be released in 2030, will show the face
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of a revolutionary black woman who escaped slavery, founded the Underground Railroad and fought to make her life and her country better. Meanwhile, civil rights hero Martin Luther King as well as various historical women will grace the back of both the $10 and $5 bills, including an image of Marian Anderson, the first black opera star who was once barred from performing at the Constitution Hall because of her race. However, it’s Tubman’s honor that is the true standout. Her presence on the paper bill will be an indelible reminder of the racist history that still haunts this country, and forge reflections on the implications it has today. Ultimately, it is a widespread symbol of black America’s fight for liberation and the power of freedom, something we should all stand to be more mindful of in our day-to-day lives. Admittedly, $20 doesn’t go as far as it used to. But once Tubman’s face is being minted onto new $20 bills, she’ll be part of every exchange in the amount of cash even a prominent abolitionist wouldn’t give her to save her own father. And to people who know that story, it might even serve as a reminder of how much more valuable $20 is to those who have less.
UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN ACADEMY WILL CLOSE; CHARTER SCHOOL MOVING IN PAVE currently serves 120 mostly low-income and minority students in kindergarten and first grade. It plans to increase enrollment to 230 students through second grade this fall and hopes to serve 750 students through eighth grade by 2022. The school’s popularity – enrollment applications for this school year were nearly three times the available slots – is fueled in part because it provides students bus service and free and reduced-price meals to those who qualify.
Bishop & Mrs Wooden RALEIGH, NC - Upper Room Christian Academy announced April 18th it will close its elementary school on Idlewood Village Drive this spring. In a news release, school leaders said enrollment is dropping and the number of charter schools is on the rise. Upper Room sold its 33-classroom facility for $7 million to PAVE Southeast Raleigh Charter School, which opened in a temporary location on South Wilmington Street last fall. “The decision to close the school was a very difficult one but realistically, it is nearly impossible to compete with free education,” Bishop Patrick Wooden, pastor of the Upper Room Church of
Upper Room Christian Academy God in Christ, said in a news release. Upper Room will continue to run its preschool, which currently serves 189 students at the Idlewood Village Drive facility. Though PAVE and Upper Room have no affiliation, PAVE leaders agreed to lease space to Upper Room for a couple years as the charter school continues to grow. “It has been our pleasure and privilege to serve the community over the years and we look forward to our continued partnership as Upper Room Christian Academy transitions its focus to early
childhood education,” Pamela Wooden, president of the school’s board, said in the news release. Upper Room Christian Academy opened its 66,000-square-foot Idlewood facility in the fall of 2001, serving 65 students. The $5.2 million building was meant to accommodate 600 students, but enrollment never reached half that. The school had 235 students and 20 staff members in the 2006-07 school year, according to the N.C. Directory of Private Schools. Last school year, there were 107 students.
Charter schools receive public funding but do not face some requirements of traditional public schools, including transportation and meals. J.B. Buxton, PAVE’s board chairman, said the Idlewood facility is in great shape and fits the needs of PAVE. It has a gymnasium, athletic fields, cafeteria and computer lab. “I think the location is still really good for the type of population we are trying to reach. We are excited we are able to stay in the basic geography of Southeast Raleigh.” PAVE will open at the Idlewood location this fall.
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Briefly DAVIS SELECTED TO LEAD DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT
DURHAM, NC - Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has been selected as Durham’s new police chief, and she will start the job June 6, 2016. She was chosen from a pool of 42 candidates following a four-month search process that included several community meetings to assess the needs of the community, intensive screenings, interviews and background checks for selected candidates. Davis currently serves as Deputy Chief of the City of Atlanta Police Department, directing the Strategies & Special Projects Division. Her current responsibilities include overseeing new technology within the Police Department, the Atlanta Police Leadership Institute, the Tactical Crime Analysis Unit, Planning and Research, Public Affairs, Inspections, the Retired Officers Program, and all major capital projects. Over the course of her career with the department, Davis has held the ranks of patrol officer, detective, and sergeant. As a lieutenant, Davis served as the personnel commander, public affairs manager, and executive assistant to the Police Chief. She was also appointed as the commander of the department’s Homeland Security Unit. Additional responsibilities included overseeing the Intelligence and Organized Crime Unit, Gun and Gang Unit, Cyber Crimes Unit, Tactical Equipment Unit, and all satellite investigators assigned to the DEA, FBI, ATF, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. While serving as the department’s emergency preparedness coordinator, Davis partnered with agencies such as the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Anti-Defamation League, local consulates, and the State of Georgia. Davis has also served as the commander of the Special Enforcement Section, which included Homeland Security, Narcotics, Vice, Licenses and Permits, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Project Safe Neighborhood, Weed and Seed, Human Trafficking, and the now disbanded Red Dog Unit. As a major, Davis served as the commander of the Office of Professional Standards, assistant commander at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Precinct, project manager for the department’s Community-Oriented Policing Section, and project manager in the Office of the Mayor. Davis was one of eight women from across the country recognized in 2008 for their significant contribution to public service by “O” magazine, and was selected from over 3,000 applicants to participate in the “O” Whitehouse Leadership Project. Davis has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University; a master’s degree in General Administration from Central Michigan University; is currently a North Central University Doctoral Candidate in Business Administration (pending dissertation completion); and completed the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, 225th Session.
ANDREWS CHOSEN AS MORRISVILLE POLICE CHIEF
MORRISVILLE, NC - Patrice Andrews has been hired to head the Morrisville police department the town announced April 18th, about six months after the retirement of former police chief Ira Jones. Andrews, a commander with the criminal investigations division of the Durham Police Department, was selected from among 70 candidates. She will replace interim Chief Felicia Sykes on June 6th, and a community reception to welcome her to Morrisville is scheduled for June 16th. Andrews graduated with a degree in criminal justice from N.C. Central University and recently completed the FBI’s National Academy training, according to the town. She also graduated from the West Point Leadership Academy in 2011. Town Manager Martha Paige said Andrews was selected in part for her eagerness to become part of the Morrisville community and her knowledge of the area.
EVERETT-PERRY NAMED DURHAM COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
DURHAM, NC – County Manager Wendell M. Davis has named Kathy Everett-Perry as the new director of the Durham County Human Resources Department. She has served as interim director of the department for nearly nine months. Her promotion to oversee the recruitment, development, support and retention of employees for Durham County Government became effective March 28th. Everett-Perry, employed with the County for ten and a half years, has a legal background that includes more than twenty-one years of practice and considerable practical
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experience in the area of employment and labor law. Prior to her interim position, she was a senior assistant county attorney which included representation responsibilities of various employment issues for the County. Her professional background includes litigation, investigation, legal advisory, negotiation and training. Her legal knowledge that ties her to the area of human resources comprises being well-versed in the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Title VII, the Fair Labor Standards Act, wrongful discharge and other critical compliance legislation. Everett-Perry is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. She completed a Master of Arts in Counseling and Personnel at North Carolina Central University. She obtained a Juris Doctorate from NCCU School of Law in 1994. Since that time, Everett-Perry has been a practicing member of the North Carolina Bar Association. Additionally, she is a member of the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association and the Society for Human Resource Management.
YOUNG TAPPED AS DIRECTOR OF DUKE TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM
DURHAM, NC - Shawna Young, executive director of the Office of Engineering Outreach Programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been tapped as the new executive director of the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP). Young, a North Carolina native, attended Duke TIP as a middleschooler. At MIT, Young has directed the School of Engineering’s outreach programs for talented middle and high school students from diverse backgrounds since 2008. Previously, she managed the Diversity Initiative at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University. She also taught science for several years in public high schools in North Carolina, including Hillside High School in Durham. Young holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Howard University, a master’s degree in science education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master of business administration from MIT Sloan School of Management and a certificate in nonprofit management and leadership from Boston University. Duke TIP, founded in 1980 through a grant from The Duke Endowment, annually identifies nearly 100,000 gifted students through its talent searches and provides summer and academic year educational programs at Duke and around the world.
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WAKE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVE FAIR CHANCE HIRING ORDINANCE that number is projected to continue increasing for decades to come. Adopting the new ordinance is a strong step forward in addressing the current and future needs of this challenged segment of our growing population.
New ordinance ensures qualified candidates for public employment aren’t automatically disqualified for criminal convictions RALEIGH, NC - The Wake County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously during its regular meeting Monday, April 18th, to approve the Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance. The new ordinance will implement several changes to the county’s hiring process to ensure fairness for applicants who have been convicted of a crime in the past. “Many men and women with criminal records have strong skills and a desire to turn their lives around,” said Commissioner Jessica Holmes. “By instituting this new ordinance, we give them the opportunity to compete fairly for county jobs for which they’re qualified.” In 2016, approximately 1,500 residents of Wake County will be released from prison and return to Wake County, joining more than 150,000 Wake residents with prior criminal justice involvement. These community members are often automatically excluded from gainful employment based on a negative criminal history, regardless of how minor, long-ago, or unrelated the conviction may be to an applicant’s suitability for the job. Rather than enhancing community safety, unnecessary exclusions based on superficially broad criteria deprive individuals—particularly men and women of color—the ability to provide for themselves and their families. This
isolation only exacerbates a revolvingdoor criminal justice system that drains community resources, undermines community safety, and fails those who have paid their debts to society. The new ordinance will: • Remove the box from the county’s job application form that job seekers must currently check if they have been convicted of an unlawful offense other than a minor traffic violation; •Add to the job application form a clear and prominent notice that states the “Position may require a background check. Unless required by state law, a record of conviction will not automatically exclude you from consideration for employment”; and •Prescribe how background checks that are required by law or necessary based on the business function of the position are conducted on applicants.
strengthen local families and develop safer communities. Studies also reveal one in five adults in North Carolina has a criminal record. Currently, more than one million people call Wake County home, and
The request to change the county’s personnel ordinance is connected to a national “Ban the Box” movement. Its goal is to increase employment opportunities for people with past criminal convictions by removing questions from the initial employment applications regarding past criminal history, and otherwise, delaying and standardizing consideration of applicants’ criminal histories. Through this effort, 19 states, more than 100 cities and towns, and the federal government have implemented fair hiring practices. The new ordinance will take effect on May 1, 2016.
If an applicant has a conviction, the hiring manager will consider a number of factors before eliminating him or her from the applicant pool. They include: • The time that has passed since the conviction and/or completion of the sentence; • The number of convictions; • The individual’s age at the time of the offense; • Whether hiring the applicant would pose a risk to the business; and • Other evidence regarding fitness for the position, such as character references. Benefits Research shows that stable employment is one of the best predictors of post-conviction success. By improving the ability of people with past convictions to reintegrate successfully into their communities, the county will help reduce recidivism,
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COPYRIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS ANTHEM ‘WE SHALL OVERCOME’ CHALLENGED NEW YORK, NY (www.reuters. com) - The lawyers who successfully challenged the copyright to “Happy Birthday” have a new target: the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.” In a class action filed on April 12th in New York federal court, the makers of a planned documentary film have asked a U.S. judge to declare the protest song in the public domain, allowing anyone to use it without paying licensing fees. The lawyers who filed the case, from the firm Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz, previously won a ruling last year that the world’s most popular tune, “Happy Birthday,” was not subject to copyright.
Martin Luther King Jr., right, joins hands with other African American leaders singing “We Shall Overcome” at a church rally in Selma, Ala., in 1965. (AP)
The lawsuit was filed against New Yorkbased The Richmond Organization (TRO) and its label Ludlow Music Inc. According to the complaint, TRO filed copyrights for “We Shall Overcome” in 1960 and 1963 and has collected millions of dollars in fees over the decades.
“We Shall Overcome” was closely associated with the civil rights movement during the 1960s. The song is likely based on an old AfricanAmerican spiritual, according to the lawsuit. The We Shall Overcome Foundation, the plaintiff, is seeking to produce a documentary film about song and its relationship to the civil rights movement. The group asked for permission to use the music in the film but was turned down by TRO, according to the lawsuit. “This was never copyrightable to begin with,” Mark Rifkin, the lead attorney for the plaintiff, said. “The song had been in the public domain for many, many years before anyone tried to copyright it.” In February, Warner/Chappell Music, a unit of Warner Music Group, agreed to pay $14 million to end the “Happy Birthday” lawsuit and drop its copyright claim to the song.
DURHAM CHURCH DONATES FACILITY TO SCHOOL
Grace Baptist Church
Durham Nativity School for low-income middle-schoolers receives free building DURHAM, NC - Grace Baptist Church has gifted its North Mangum Street facility and campus to Durham Nativity School (DNS) in support of the school’s mission to educate middle school boys from under-resourced backgrounds in a
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tuition-free, academically challenging learning environment. The school had previously announced its intention to add a fifth grade in the Fall of 2016, and the generous donation by Grace Baptist Church further strengthens the school’s presence in Durham. DNS has rented classroom space in the church facility for the past 10 years. As owner of its own facility, DNS can further enrich its educational
environment as it prepares young men for college preparatory high school and supports them in its 12-year program. DNS will renovate the historic building to expand classrooms and upgrade facilities. “This significant gift gives our entire community a feeling of permanence and not just in the physical sense.” said DNS Head of School Dr. Dan Vannelle. “Our young men now have a place
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they can always call home.” Durham Nativity will show appreciation and recognize the generosity of Grace Baptist Church at the DNS annual Spring Event on April 29, 2016, at 6:30pm at the Washington Duke Inn. The event is open to all who wish to support the school. Contact: Kim Suarez at 919-597-7794 or via the school’s website, www. durhamnativity.org.
BLACK WOMEN KICKED OFF NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN SETTLE $11M DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT A group of predominantly black women kicked off the Napa Valley Wine Train last August, settled an $11 million racial discrimination case against the company for an undisclosed amount in April.
The women, many of whom are members of the Sistahs on the Reading Edge book club, said they suffered personal and professional consequences, and two of the women lost their jobs following the incident.
The group of 11 women boarded the Napa Valley Wine Train on Aug. 22nd to celebrate a birthday and discuss a book. The group said instead their trip was cut short, and the women were escorted through six train cars and greeted by police in the Napa Valley town of St. Helena.
Shortly after the incident, the company posted on Facebook that the women were removed “following verbal and physical abuse towards other guests and staff.” The post was deleted, but the women said the damage was done.
The group alleges that they were repeatedly told to “quiet down,” although staff said nothing to white passengers who were being just as loud, if not louder.
Following the incident, the company apologized to Johnson and the group, promised to implement enhanced sensitivity training, Sam Singer, a spokesman for the company, said in an August interview.
CLEVELAND SETTLES LAWSUIT OVER TAMIR RICE SHOOTING FOR $6M old black boy shot by a white police officer while playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center. An order filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland said the city will pay out $3 million this year and $3 million the next. There was no admission of wrongdoing in the settlement. Family attorney Subodh Chandra called the settlement historic but added: “The resolution is nothing to celebrate because a 12-year-old child needlessly lost his life.” CLEVELAND, OH — The city of Cleveland, on April 25th, reached a $6 million settlement in a lawsuit over the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-
The wrongful death suit filed by his family and estate against the city and officers and dispatchers who were involved alleged police acted recklessly when they confronted the boy on Nov. 22, 2014.
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FYI NC NAACP 61ST ANNUAL MOTHER/WOMAN OF THE YEAR BRUNCH/GALA Saturday, May 7, 2016 10:00 am Hilton North Raleigh 3401Wake Forest Rd. Raleigh, NC Speaker: Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry The NC NAACP’s Harris-Perry WIN (“Women In NAACP”) is pleased to announce the Keynote Speaker for its 61st annual Mother/Woman of the Year Brunch/Gala is Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry of Wake Forest University. She is the founder and director of the Anna Julia Cooper Center on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South, and a passionate believer in voter empowerment. This year’s theme is “It’s Our Time – It’s Our Vote!” The Coronation honors women from across the state for their service to the NAACP, and for their contributions within their respective communities. For ticket info, call the NC NAACP State Office at 919-682-4700 or toll free at 1-866-NC-NAACP.
2016 YOUNG ADVOCATES INSTITUTE July 15-17, 2016 North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, NC In 2012 the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCCASA) launched the Young Advocates Institute, a social justice summer camp that empowers and trains 200 youth, ages 13-17, from across North Carolina during a weekend of prevention/intervention education, advocacy and leadership development seminars. The Institute features national speakers, peer to peer education, campus tours, and team building activities. The cost to attendees for 2.5 nights of suite-style lodging, six (6) meals, six (6) snacks, two (2) t-shirts, book bags and training is $35 per person. Ten (10) scholarships will be offered to youth in need of financial assistance. If your child or group needs financial assistance, please complete the scholarship form. The firm deadline to submit a completed application is May 27, 2016. No exceptions. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Tracy D. Wright at (919) 871-1015 or email youngadvocates@nccasa.org.
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BULL CITY GOLF CLASSIC FORE KIDS May 22-23, 2016 Hope Valley Country Club Durham, NC This two day dinner and golf event will take place at the exclusive Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, NC. The exquisite Club House and famous Donald J. Ross-designed championship course will provide a professional and festive atmosphere in which to support Durham youth. The dinner will take place on May 22 and consist of a delicious meal and auction in the unforgettable Hope Valley Dining Room overlooking the course. The golf tournament will commence on May 23 with breakfast and lunch being provided to golfers. Prizes will be awarded for gross competition, net competition, and various exciting contests. Don’t miss the opportunity to play at this members-only golf course! Contact Benay Hicks at 919-687-4517, ext 22 or bhicks@durhambgc.org.
LIVE & LOCAL MUSIC AND ARTS SERIES Every Friday Thru June 3 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Plaza at 140 West Franklin Street Chapel Hill, NC Live & Local, Chapel Hill’s free Music & Arts Series, has returned for its fourth season featuring a wide array of performances throughout the season, ranging from indie-folk harmonies to hip-hop. This season also places a new emphasis on showcasing dance performances, featuring dance groups Studio A, Misconception, UNC Chalkaa, Bravo Dance Company, Flying Silk and many more! Each week is guaranteed to kick start your weekend with some of the most talented artists in the piedmont. This year’s lineup is especially diverse and interactive; featuring musical acts such as the Kasey Tyndall Duo, DJ Shahzad, Thistledown Tinkers and special interactive activities with the UNC Beat Making Lab, Sacrificial Poets. Be sure to experience the Live & Local Music and Arts Series and enjoy the natural charm and blend of culture, unique to Downtown Chapel Hill.
“RED IS THE NEW BLACK” FASHION SHOW June 4, 2016 Miller-Morgan Auditorium North Carolina Central University Durham, NC The Lux Blog & 2BeatHIV present “Red is the New Black” Fashion Show with host acclaimed actress and HIV activist, Sheryl Lee Ralph. The event will feature live performances by artists Juzt KP, Quentin Rashard, and Jas Natasha on the main stage at North Carolina Central University’s Miller-Morgan Auditorium. Poetry by Greater Than AIDS Ambassador Stephanie Brown. The 2BeatHIV project will discuss the importance of HIV cure research. There will be free and confidential HIV testing available. Join us for an exciting day of style, fashion, and awareness for HIV/AIDS. This event is free with registration. Email: 2BeatHIV@gmail.com
WOMEN’S DAY WEEKEND May 21-22, 2016 Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church 4610 Fayetteville St, Durham, NC 27713 Theme: I Still Have Joy (Nehemiah 8:10) Schedule of Events: Saturday, May 21, 2016 Prayer Breakfast: 9:00 am - 12:00 noon Fellowship Hall Speaker: Patricia Moore Sunday, May 22, 2016 11:00 am Worship Service Speaker: Dr. Gladys Long Mt. Zion Baptist Church Apex, N. C
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | April 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
SAMANTHA’S INFINITE SOLUTIONS SPRING IS TIME OF SELF-RENEWAL sense of fullness, are low in fat and calories and help build strong muscles.
Spring is absolutely my favorite time of year. Winter’s icy presence has vanished. The days are longer and the earth rejuvenates its landscape. I see vibrant green grass grow tall, buds on tree limbs turn into leafs and flowers bloom from tiny bulbs. The splendor of Spring not only leaves me in awe, Spring inspires me to renew myself. To hold myself accountable for making choices that will help feel better, so I can do better and ultimately obtain a leaner more youthful appearance by improving my internal health conditions. This resonates why I became a Beauty Professional…to make people feel and look beautiful. At C’ameleon Infinite Salon Solutions we nourish the self image of our guest with pride. But, for this Spring season we vow to do more than provide guest with aesthetic enhancements. We challenge our guests and anyone who reads this article to receive the gift of self-renewal. On May 15, 2016 the salon professionals of C’ameleon will begin the 30 Day Paleo Diet Challenge. We strongly encouraged our guests, friends and family to join on this journey to self-renewal and becoming your best self. I chose the Paleo Diet to assist me on my path to self renewal because it is a primitive way of eating that naturally cleanses the body. This diet consist chiefly of lean meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables and excludes grains, dairy, process foods, etc. Foods you can eat: Lean Grass Fed Meats: provide a
fiber and may interrupt elimination of waste from the body. Processed Food: contain high amounts of refined sugar, salt, preservatives and flavor enhancers.
Fresh Seafood: fish that live in dark cold water naturally contain higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids which reduces plaque buildup on artery walls and decreases blood clotting and inflammation. Registered Dietitian Katherine Tallmadge recommended examples are salmon, tuna and trout.
Refined Oils: oils that have been chemically treated, filtered or heated. Refined oils are heated to very high temperatures causing the oil to oxidize. Oxidation creates free radical and as we all know free radicals steal from healthy cells in the body. The Paleo Diet has a lot of restrictions, but if you think this is going to be a bland, boring diet, think again.
Fruits and Vegetables: are a great source of fiber, rich In antioxidants, vitamins ,minerals and are low in calories. Nuts and Seeds: contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fiber. Exclude peanuts because they have a high fat content. (Examples: almonds, cashews, walnuts) Healthy Oils: pure oils, oils that are extracted without chemicals and contain no additives. They aid digestion and nutrient absorption. (Examples: olive oil flaxseed oil, coconut oil) Foods you cannot eat: Grains: contain anti-nutrients (plant base mechanisms that interrupt the bodies digestion and utilization of grains). Charlie Seltzer MD says that grains also contain gluten, which may cause weight gain, fatigue, loss of memory and illness
like heart disease and cancer. Legumes: contain phytic acid, this binds to the nutrients in foods and prevents the body from absorbing the nutrients. (Source: http:// paleoleap.com/) Dairy: these products do not contain
C’ameleon Infinite Salon Solution
1920 East Hwy 54, Suite #220 Durham, NC 27713 Phone: (919) 599-6525 Mention this column and receive a 15% discount on any hair service. Walk-ins welcome.
Samantha Huntley
Prepared by your truly: slow cooked baby back ribs in a tomato barbecue sauce, served with a bed of romaine lettuce and strawberry vinaigrette dressing. For more information about the Paleo diet and foods that you can and cannot eat, reference The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. Guests that accept the Paleo Diet Challenge will receive 10% discount on salon services and products until August 1st . To except C’ameleon’s Paleo Challenge contact Samantha Huntley (919-599-6525) or Fallon Bradley (919-599-6525)
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HEALTH TIP
WHY AFRICAN AMERICAN ORGAN DONATIONS ARE NEEDED NFL star Chris Henry, whose mother agreed to donate his organs after his death in a car accident, a move that saved four lives.
In North Carolina, African Americans account for more than half of the more than 3,000 patients on an organ transplant waiting list, a reality that has prompted healthcare providers’ and advocates’ calls to encourage organ donation among black residents. Outreach efforts in recent years have targeted black churches, local DMVs, health centers, and other majorityAfrican-American spaces. With bipartisan support behind organ donation and an outpouring of dollars to increase awareness around the issue, some advocates say that change is on the horizon. However, meeting the needs of every person of color on the organ donor list would require dispelling myths about organ donation and appealing to a group that has long been skeptical of physicians and medical research. But proponents remain resilient, saying that the outcomes would benefit African Americans, a group disproportionately affected by diabetes, kidney disease, and other chronic diseases. Such a statewide movement could make waves nationally. The chronic illnesses plaguing the black community, brought on by a combination of dietary and environmental issues, often culminate with the failure of a vital organ — signaling a greater need for donations. “It’s an education problem. In the past, there haven’t been many opportunities to spread the word,” Sharon Hirsch, the executive director of Donate Life North Carolina, explains. Hirsch and her colleagues work with state partners to create curricula and provide information about organ donation to North Carolinians of all ages. They also tell the story of people like
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“Sharing stories is key. Hearing about someone’s experience makes a difference because you know someone who has been affected. Also thinking about a person you know might be in need of a transplant or is on dialysis,” Hirsch said. Every 10 minutes, another name makes it onto organ donor lists around the country. Many of those people may never live to get the transplant they seek. According to Donate Life USA, an average of 21 people die each day waiting for an organ. African Americans account for more than 35 percent of the more than 120,000 people on the national list for kidney donations, according to numbers compiled by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Just one person — with organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, or bone marrow — can save eight lives and potentially improve the health condition of 50 people. But the health and quality of their organs precludes many Americans from joining a donor list. A 2014 study presented at the American Society of Nephrology found that preventable health conditions — including obesity, alcoholism, diabetes, skin cancer, high blood pressure, HIV, coronary artery disease — disqualifies a majority of Americans from donating. If people feel inclined to do so, they can also donate their organs while they’re still living. But only 30 percent of Americans
become living donors because high health care costs prevent them from carrying out the altruistic act. Donating organs can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $20,000 and six weeks out of work, a cost burden that 90 percent of Americans can’t take on without incurring debt. Before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, donors also couldn’t receive coverage for their follow-up care because their insurers designated their surgery as a preexisting condition. On top of that, African Americans may have specific barriers that make them reluctant to donate their organs and participate in clinical trials for medication that would benefit them. One reason, advocates speculate, stems from a concern that donors get subpar care in hospitals from medical professionals eager to harvest their organs after they die. For many, this belief stems from a deeper mistrust of the medical establishment, spurred by its history of experimentation on and exploitation of African Americans. The infamous Tuskegee syphilis study, during which federal researchers duped and failed to treat African American patients with syphilis for decades, still serves as a point of reference for skeptical people of color. Another reason for low organ donations among African Americans may be religious. Members of this group along with their South Asian and Chinese counterparts share this belief that their bodies must be “whole” in order to be accepted in the afterlife. Additionally, there’s fear that organ donation mutilates the body, erasing the possibility of an open-casket funeral. A study conducted in 2007 suggested that though clergy members didn’t explicitly stand against organ donation, they acknowledged that what they perceived as inequalities in the donation and transplantation discouraged them from promoting the practice among their congregants. Some medical professionals, like Dr. Elaine Hart-Brothers, say that dispelling these myths about organ
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donation requires connecting African Americans with medical professionals and community organizations they trust. Hart-Brothers, who founded the Durham, NC-based Community Health Coalition Incorporated, a minority health care nonprofit, distributes a health newsletter in which she promotes diet, exercise, and organ donation. Hart-Brothers believes that consistent outreach and genuine relationships build the foundation on which community leaders can have difficult conversations, and lay concerns about organ donation to rest — while simultaneously touting healthy diets and behaviors. “Organ donation is something that should be discussed in church and one-on-one. Hart-Brothers Information should always be spelled out,” HartBrothers said. “It’s something that people of color have to think about along with prevention of chronic diseases. It will help decrease the disparity. Trust and communication would be better. All this plays into health equity. Diversity of the medical workforce and donor list goes along with building trust, improving health, and spreading altruism and compassion.” Hirsch, whose organization also does faith-based outreach, agreed, pointing out that there are specific messages about organ donation that could resonate with people of color who identify as religious. “It’s an extraordinary legacy you can leave when you’re gone,” she said. Learn more about the importance of Organ Donation at the Spectacular Magazine Business After Hours, sponsored by Community Health Coalition, on Thursday May 26th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The event, free and open to the public, will be held at the Full Frame Theater on the American Tobacco campus in Durham. Community Health Coalition, Inc. will present “The Precious Gift of Life,” a 20-minute documentary on the myths, facts, and realities of becoming an organ donor after the networking. Organ Donation Program, Toolkit to Success, was made possible from a License to Give Trust Fund Commission, The Department of Administration, State of North Carolina Grant. To RSVP, visit www.spectacularmag.com
SPORTS
BALLIN’ OUT
sustained in December. In those nine games, he averaged 11.4 points and 10.3 rebounds.
By Lawrence “King Law” Davis
In 115 games in a Duke uniform, including 68 starts, Jefferson has averaged 6.1 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting .624 from the field. His 277 career offensive rebounds are sixth-most in program history.
SPORTS NEWSBRIEFS Compiled by Lawrence Davis Nccu Announces New Head Volleyball Coach Jody Brown
Camps (1984-2003). He also coached the Graceland men’s volleyball junior varsity team to a Collegiate Club Division II National Championship.
DURHAM, NC – Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree has announced the hiring of Jody Brown as the new head women’s volleyball coach at North Carolina Central University.
The Ohio product played four years at Graceland before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in health, education and recreation in 1989. The co-captain had a strong career for the Yellowjackets, winning numerous awards including all-conference, MVP, best setter and best defense. Brown went on to play club volleyball and for the Australian State Pro Beach Tour and Tasmania State Team in 1990-91.
Brown joins the NCCU athletics department with Brown 17 years of Division I coaching experience at Florida Atlantic University, where he made three NCAA Tournament appearances. He has 225 career wins to his credit and the Owls posted 10 or more victories in 14 of his 17 years at Florida Atlantic (NCCU has not had a 10-win season since 2007).
Brown continued his education at West Virginia, where he earned a Master of Physical Education degree in professional coaching in 1994. Brown resides in Chapel Hill with his wife, Dr. Michelle Brown, and son, Kaja.
In his time at Florida Atlantic, Brown qualified for 11 postseason tournaments and won three conference championships. He has mentored two All-America honorees, three league players of the year, 33 all-conference selections and 140 academic all-conference student-athletes. Brown was named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 after leading the Owls to a 29-3 record. Brown, who holds the all-time career coaching wins total at FAU, has been recognized by the AVCA for reaching the 200-career wins milestone mark. Brown started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Graceland University (1985-89) before breaking into the DI ranks as an assistant coach at West Virginia University (1992-95). His coaching experience includes time with the Oceanside Volleyball Club (1995-2000), Australian Junior National Program (1990-91) and USA Volleyball
Jefferson Officially Eligible For 2016-17
Jefferson DURHAM, NC – The Atlantic Coast Conference has approved a medical hardship waiver for Duke senior Amile Jefferson, making him eligible to compete for the Blue Devils in 2016-17. Duke sought the waiver on Jefferson’s behalf after he missed all but nine games in 2015-16 due to a right foot fracture
Shaw University Names Adrian Jones Head Football Coach RALEIGH, NC – Shaw University has hired Adrian Jones as its new head football coach Director of Athletics Dr. Alfonza Carter Jones announced recently. Jones becomes the 17th head coach in program history. Jones joins Shaw athletics with impressive credentials in the football coaching ranks. He comes to Shaw from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) where he was the assistant coach and running backs coach for the Eagles. During his two stints at NCCU, Jones worked with defensive backs and outside linebackers. Under his leadership the Eagles garnered two CIAA championships in 2005 and 2006. His players were also a part of the 2006 black college national championship squad. Prior to NCCU, Jones led his high school alma mater, Southern High School in Durham, NC, to the 2013 NCHSAA 3-AA state championship title. In his seventh season as the head coach at Southern High, Jones led the Spartans to the state title following the team’s seventh straight playoff appearance under his supervision. With a Big 8 Conference championship also part of the team’s historic run, Jones was selected as the 2013 Big 8 Conference Coach of the Year. He was also the PAC-6 Coach of the Year three times after charging the Spartans to three consecutive PAC-6 championships from 2007 to 2009. As a student-athlete at NCCU, Jones
earned First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region honors twice and remains among the school’s career leaders in passes defended (41) and interceptions (10). In 1996, Jones earned First-Team AllCIAA and Second Team All-South Region honors as a junior when he collected eight interceptions, placing him second on NCCU’s single-season records list. He was voted as the NCAA Division II Player of the Week after tying a school record with three interceptions in a game against Elizabeth City State University. That year, the Eagles boasted the No. 1 pass defense in the nation. Jones was again selected First-Team AllCIAA and Second Team All-South Region in 1997 after leading the conference with an 11.0-yard punt return average and a 29.5-yard kickoff return average. Jones broke a 52-year-old school record when he returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown against Fayetteville State University, the longest punt return in school history at the time. He graduated from NCCU with a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy in 2001. Jones went on to play arena football with the Carolina Cobras in 2001 and 2003, the Augusta Stallions in 2002, and the Greensboro Prowlers in 2000. He also served as defensive coordinator with the South Georgia Wildcats of the AFL2, leading his squad to the No. 1-ranked red-zone defense in the league. Jones is married to Dr. Kamala Uzzell Jones. He has a daughter, Jayla. The Shaw Bears will begin their 2016 season with a home opener against Limestone College on Sept. 3rd at Durham County Memorial Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 1 pm.
Trubisky Trubisky Earns Starting Nod CHAPEL HILL, NC - North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora has officially named Mitch Trubisky the starting quarSPORTS CONTINUES ON PAGE 34
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SPORTS CONTINUES
won the women’s crown with 165 points and Winston-Salem State placed third with 138.50 points.
terback for the Tar Heels season opener vs Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Sept 3rd.
Carter-Finley Stadium in 1966.
A junior from Mentor, Ohio, Trubisky won the battle this spring to replace record-setting signal caller Marquise Williams who graduated in December.
How: Former players, coaches and fans will share memories of this beloved stadium throughout the summer and the season. NC State wants to hear from you as well! Please visit www.gopack. com/CF50 to share your memories with them.
Last year, Trubisky completed 40 of 47 pass attempts for 555 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 16 times for 101 yards and three scores. Trubisky arrived in Chapel Hill in 2013 as one of the top prep quarterbacks in the country. He was the player of the year in Ohio and was considered the nation’s top dual threat quarterback by 247sports.com. After redshirting in 2013, he and Williams shared playing time early in the 2014 season.
Dress Code: Formal, Informal … they don’t care. As long as it’s RED AND WHITE!
Team-wise, the Falcons were too much for the rest of the men’s teams in the Both teams, ranked No. 1 nationally in meet. Sparked by CIAA Track MVP the men’s and women’s divisions, perImmanuel Hutchinson (Sr./San Jacinto, formed magnificently in the two-day CA) and CIAA Field MVP Jumonne Exeter championship meet as they produced (So./St.Vincent), the Falcons won with eight national top 10 Division II times their usual formula - depth in the sprints, and marks. Tia-Adana Belle (Jr./St. George, jumps and long distance events. The FalBarbados) solidified her top-ranking in cons started the day in second place with the women’s 400 hurdles with a time of 41 points, but scored 162 points to surge 55.82 which is the fifth-best in the world past Virginia Union, who led after the first this year. It is also an Olympic qualifying day with 61.83 points.
King Law
Lawrence “King Law” Davis III Lawrence “King Law” Davis is a Business Administration major and Asst. Varsity Lacrosse Coach at Sanderson High School in Raleigh. He can be reached at lawdavis@spectacularmag.com
Use the hashtag #CF50 and tag @PackFootball on social media all season as we look back at 50 years in Carter-Finley Stadium. Falcons Win 19th Straight
CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Title; Lady Falcons Finish Second
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Saint AugusUniversity men breezed to its Carter Finley Stadium Celebrates tine’s th 19 straight title and the women took th 50 Anniversary second in the CIAA Outdoor Track and Championships at the Irwin Belk What: The celebration of the 50th anni- Field Complex on Saturday, April 23rd. versary of Carter-Finley Stadium (Raleigh, NC) The Falcons cruised to victory in the men’s division with 203 points.Virginia When: Now through the conclusion of Union was second with 139.83 points the 2016 season. and Virginia State finished third with Why: The Wolfpack’s game against Notre 107.33 points. Dame on Oct. 8 will mark 50 years to Lady Falcons scored 156 points to the day since the first game was played in The capture second place. Johnson C. Smith
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time.
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | May 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
LIFESTYLES
“SHADES OF GREEN”
CHARITY FASHION SHOW & LUNCHEON SUCCEEDS FOR THIRD YEAR Labelle, Nnenna Freelon and more. Felicia has constantly created clothing to make a woman feel a sense of power and self-confidence without compromising her femininity. Her cloths are striking and sophisticated by never formidable.
Bringing Glamour and Style to the Triangle Runway
at the Durham Convention Center. Over 420 people enjoyed the annual Shades of Green Luncheon and Fashion Show.
been worn by a variety of recording artists such as Whitney Houston, Patti
Fashions viewed during the show were all courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue, Triangle Town Center. In addition to providing all clothes, shoes and accessories, Saks hosted a VIP Reception on Sunday, March 20th for members of the chapter and guests. Jazz entertainment was provided by the NCCU Jazz Ensemble and free make-overs were offered to all guests. Friends from around the
Newcomer to the area and news anchor at CBS North Carolina News, Stefan Chase served as the celebrity emcee. A member of the Durham Chapter, before arriving in NC she worked as a television news reporter in Los Angeles at KTLA, covering everything from entertainment news on the red carper to hard new. She wore a BCBG black cut out gown and was stunning. Fashion Show and Luncheon co-chair Michelle Stanback (r) & celebrity emcee CBS North Carolina News anchor Stefan Chase
DURHAM, NC - For the third year in a row, the Triangle’s premier runway fashion show event was hosted by the Links, Incorporated, Durham (NC) Chapter on March 19th
The fashions featured at the Shades of Green charity event were coordinated by Durham Link member and internationally acclaimed fashion designer Felicia Farrar. A Durham native, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, and got her first job in the industry as a sample maker. Her designs and custom clothing have SHADES OF GREEN CONTINUES ON PAGE 36
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SHADES OF GREEN CONTINUES
Triangle joined in to shop with a purpose with 10% of all sales donated back to the Chapter to support the Chapters philanthropic endeavors. Styling the runway were models from across North Carolina coordinated by Portia Kee, event planner and publicist. She was recently named Top 40 Under 40 in the events industry for Connect Magazine and Rejuvenate Magazine. Credited for behind the scenes hair and make-up prep work goes to Gia Peebles, a master stylist and her beauty team from Aura Salon and Boutique of Durham, a full service salon and day spa. She grew up in California, where she was exposed to diverse cultures and their personal style services. Peebles worked with renowned leaders within the cosmetology industry. Her regular clients include recording arts Yolanda Rabun, Sunshine Anderson, Adia Ledbetter and actress Yolanda Williams. A select group of vendors were on site for an afternoon of shopping along with food and fellowship. North Carolina Central University student volunteers helped the models and earned community service for their involvement. Sponsors for this year’s event include Sak’s Fifth Avenue, PNC Bank, Spectacular Magazine, Durham
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Convention Center, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, M & F Bank, Johnson Lexus, Ninth Street Flowers, Aura Salon and Boutique, The Banks Law Firm, AARP and Self Help. Many thanks to the Centerpiece sponsors and all who attended.
The Fashion Show and Luncheon cochairs were Michelle Stanback, Bettie Blackmon and Gloria Quick. The Durham (NC) Chapter of The Links Incorporated is under the leadership of Anita A. Daniels, President. Proceeds for the charity event are used for scholarship endowment at NCCU and program implementation.
SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | May 2016 | www.spectacularmag.com
The Links, Incorporated was established in 1938 and is an international not-for-profit corporation. The Durham (NC) Chapter was established in 1958. It is a volunteer service organization made up of accomplished women who use their time, talents and resources for the betterment of the community.
ENTERTAINMENT
FUNK FESTIVAL MAY 28TH TO HONOR MACEO PARKER who was also part of the James Brown Band, along with Sonny Bannerman and Thornton Canady. On Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm there will be a Cultural Fair at the former Adkin High School, with a variety of vendors, exhibitors, and members of many local organizations participating. Health information will be disseminated from stations, and emergency and public safety vehicles will be on view.
Maceo Parker KINSTON, NC - The newly established African American Heritage Commission of Kinston and Lenoir County has announced Kinston’s First Annual Funk Festival, scheduled May 27 to May 28. This year’s event will honor Kinston native Maceo Parker, one of the most influential saxophonist of all time. The Festival kicks off Friday, May 27th with guided tours of the exhibition, “Hey, America! Eastern North Carolina and the Birth of Funk” and culminates Saturday, May 28th with an evening tribute to Maceo Parker.
Maceo Parker was named a North Carolina Heritage Award recipient by Governor Pat McCrory. Parker will be honored during a special ceremony and performance on May 25th in Raleigh. Nominated by D. Choci Gray, a visual artist from Kinston, Maceo has played with every leader of funk, first with James Brown, later with George Clinton and as part of Prince’s concert tour. “He’s the living, breathing pulse which connects the history of funk in one golden thread,” Ms. D. Choci Gray said. Gray, along with African American Heritage Commission chairperson Geraldyne Barbour, believes that recognition of the important contributions of African Americans on the Lenoir
Maceo Parker (left) and James Brown during a 1985 performance. (Photo: Doug Grimes)
County cultural and historic landscape will generate a strong sense of pride in the community. “In this first annual event, the African American Heritage Commission wants to showcase the musical heritage of Lenoir County that has been part of our community, family, and church,” said Ms. Barbour. “Maceo is one of many talented musicians, artists and educators from Lenoir County that have achieved not only national but international recognition.” Guided tours of the exhibit “Hey, America! Eastern North Carolina and the Birth of Funk” are scheduled Friday, May 27th from 10 am to 3 pm at the Community Council for the Arts in Kinston. The exhibit was produced by the North Carolina Museum of History in collaboration with the North Carolina Arts Council to commemorate the African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina. Kinston is a hub for that project where the Music Park is located nearby on Spring and South Queen streets. Also scheduled on Friday from 6 to 8 pm is a “Meet & Greet” and tour of the historic Adkin High School, now the Adkin Complex, where one of the most influential public school band directors taught, Geneva Perry. She had played saxophone in the International Sweethearts of Rhythm before moving to Kinston. She inspired many students, including Nathaniel “Nat” Jones,
The Saturday night focus on Maceo Parker is the highlight of this year’s event. The tribute will be emceed by his brother Melvin Parker, who also played with the James Brown Band. Attendees will be treated to an evening of music and a “funky good time.”
Melvin Parker The ticketed event is from 6 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $30 each before May 17 and $40 after that time. Because of demand, tickets may not be available at the door. A reserved table for eight can be purchased for $250. The event will be held at the Adkin Complex, located at 1216 Tower Hill Road in Kinston. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Maceo Parker May 28 Tribute, contact (252) 523-9134. Checks for tickets should be made out to the African American Heritage Commission and mailed directly to 2749 Forrest Drive, Kinston, N.C. 28504.
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DID U KNOW?... KERRY WASHINGTON INKS OVERALL DEAL WITH ABC STUDIOS; LAUNCHES SIMPSON STREET PRODUCTION CO.
Denzel & Viola DENZEL WASHINGTON PREPARES TO WORK ALONGSIDE VIOLA DAVIS ONCE AGAIN Denzel Washington will star in and direct a movie version of August Wilson’s “Fences” for Paramount Pictures with Viola Davis on board to star. Both actors won Tony’s for their performance in the 2010 Broadway revival of “Fences,” which was first performed in 1985. “Fences” is the story of a onetime promising baseball player, now working as a Pittsburgh garbage collector, and the complicated relationships with his wife, son, and friends. “Fences” is Washington’s third outing behind the camera following “The Great Debaters” and “Antwone Fisher.” Paramount and Washington last collaborated in 2012 on “Flight,” in which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Fences is set to begin shooting in Pittsburgh at the end of April.
MICHELLE OBAMA TO APPEAR ON MAY EPISODE OF CBS’ ‘NCIS’ WASHINGTON (AP) — First Lady Michelle Obama is making a cameo appearance in support of military families on an upcoming episode of the CBS hit drama “NCIS.” The network says the episode, airing May 3, features the first lady welcoming NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, and the wife of a Marine to Michelle Obama the White House for a “Joining Forces” discussion with military spouses. Joining Forces is the nationwide initiative that Mrs. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, launched in 2011 to support service members, veterans and their families.
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Kerry Washington now has a seat at the table at ABC. The star of “Scandal” has signed an overall deal with ABC Studios and its cable/digital division ABC Signature Studios, for her recently launched production company Simpson Street – named after the address where Washington’s mother grew up in the Bronx. Under the twoyear pact, Simpson Street will develop broadcast, cable and digital projects exclusively for Kerry Washington ABC Studios and ABC Signature. HBO’s “Confirmation” was Simpson Street’s first project, which preceded the overall deal. The Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas film was produced with ABC Signature as well as Groundswell Productions and HBO Films.
CAST OF NEW EDITION BIOPIC NAMED LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bryshere Y. Gray of “Empire” is among the stars of BET’s drama about influential boy band New Edition. BET said Wednesday that Gray will play band member Michael Bivins in the three-part “New Edition: The Movie.” He will be joined by Elijah Kelley (“The Butler”) as Ricky Bell; singer-songwriter Luke James as Johnny Gill; Algee Smith (“Let It Shine”) as Ralph Tresvant; Keith Powers (“Straight Outta Compton”) as Ronnie Devoe, and Woody McClain (“Autographs”) as Bobby Brown. The actors who will play the singers as youngsters include Dante Hoagland; Caleb McLaughlin; Jahi Winston; Myles Truitt and Tyler Williams. Principal photography will start in May in Los Angeles, with the miniseries scheduled to debut on BET in 2017. The executive producer is Jesse Collins, with Chris Robinson directing the drama that BET said will follow the group from middle school through the ups and downs of fame. New Edition was formed in 1978 and produced hits including “Candy Girl” and “Cool It Now.”
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