Urban Faith Magazine - Special issue: Black History 2010

Black History Special Issue 2010

Making Movies & Making History

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It‘s Black History Month, y‘all! And as an entrepreneur I can‘t help but check out the history of Black Entrepreneurship AND celebrate those MAKING history today! I love to see people using the talents and gifts God has so graciously given. It is wonderful how we all have different gifts and talents, yet we can come together for one cause.

been reading about gospel star Kim Burrell and her weight loss.

Yes, that‘s right. Kim Burrell has lost 100 pounds! She is reportedly working on anew

Recently, I came across a wonderful modern film twist based on the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11 -32). It‘s called Preacher‘s Kid. The film stars R&B sensation Letoya Luckett. You may remember her as a founding member of the super group Destiny‘s Child. (Read more of her stepping out & making history story on page __.) She plays a 20 year old preacher‘s kid who dreams of fame and fortune leaving home for the first time. Life is not all she dreams and she learns a hard lesson before she finally returns home.

Read more about the movie on page___. This movie is definitely a must-see!

All of this losing weight speak reminds me to remind you (and myself) to stay healthy. Our bodies are the temple of God and we should treat them as such. I visited the doctor recently only to find I had not really made a change in my weight. There was a time when I was the healthy eater. I have even worked as weigh loss counselor at a popular weight loss clinic. As of today, I am back on track! (Pray with me and paray for me! ) Watch out Kim, here I come!

If you missed it, you missed a treat!

I‘m speaking of Gospel Café produced by my friend Kristi Woodard of Mahogani Media. The 1st Gospel Café was held at Just a Little Café (420 Marshall Street, Downtown Shreveport). The showcase featured Crystal Cooper. >>>> Ms. Cooper is definitely on her way to becoming the next great gospel star in her own right!

And speaking of gospel stars, I have

album and a reality show. Kim is ready for new challenges, new life, and world domination. However she still feels like herself, but an upgraded version of Kim. She said, ―It‘s not so much that I am new. I‘d say that this is the real Kim Burrell. I‘m living as God intended: happy seeing new levels of success, and empowered!‖ I think Kim look fantastic! Don‘t you?

Let me know what you think. Visit our website, click on community.

Until Next Time Be Unique. Be Bold Gospel singer Kim Burrell after losing over 100 pounds.

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How would you define “faith”? How life as hard as steel, as stinging as the would you know faith when you see it? lash, as cruel as pregnant bellies ripped open, as horrendous as black Though I think many people could bodies burned and swinging from give some general definition of faith, I trees, as tragic as young men hobbled think it remains a misty concept for and amputated, as wrenching families many others. It’s an intangible. Most split and wives raped. folks think you either have it or you don’t. Even though we may talk of lit- How do you survive such an existle faith or great faith, do you feel that tence? How do you survive such an sometimes “little faith” is simply a existence without checking out of realnice pseudonym for “no faith in reality? How do you survive such an exisity”? tence without checking out of reality

parable so glaring and glorious is that of the African-American church which by faith endured bombings, lynchings, cross burnings, sharecropping, Jim Crow, Bull Connor, the Ku Klux Klan, chattel slavery, disenfranchisement, Black Codes, auctions, marches, sit ins, ghettos in the north, plantations in the south with no visible means of support, only a sometimes quiet, sometimes singing, sometimes mourning, sometimes active, sometimes ridiculed, sometimes shut out, while knowing that “trouble won’t last sometimes demonstrating, all the time Sometimes life is harder than steel. always”? How do you survive such an preaching faith in God. Sometimes life mangles and twists us existence without checking out of reallike so many guard rails smashed by ity while knowing that “trouble won’t If Hebrews 11 were still being written speeding, out-of-control vehicles. And last always” and simultaneously work- today, the chapter would be twice as in those times of hardship, we dislong for its inclusion of now forgotten ing for a better day? How do you encover what faith is and whether we black faces that would have to be indure such an existence without exhave it. cluded for their heroic faith in God. ploding in hate toward others? How What did Moses have on Harriet TuI’m convinced that perhaps the great- do you endure such an existence and man, Abraham on Jupiter Hammond, est example of genuine faith in Ameri- make any sense of “love your eneGideon on Nat Turner, Isaac on Denmies”? How do you endure such an can Christian history is the example mark Vesey, or Sampson on George left by African Americans who love the existence and sing and dance and love Liele? Nothing. and create and laugh?

Lord. The situation most AfricanAmericans live in now was the stuff of At her finest, the African-American Only by believing that God is good, dreams just 50 years ago. Recede furchurch offers the most compelling that He controls all events, that His ther into the history, past Jim Crow, example of centuries-long persecution justice will prevail, that vengeance past Reconstruction, past the abolibelongs to Him, that He hears the cry -triumphing trust in God. May we tionist movement, on back to Jamesof the oppressed, that social standing learn from her and live like her. town and you find a people dragged is no proxy for God’s love, that life in into “history as terror” or “daemonic His image is infused with dignity even dread” as one author put it. He asked, when others don’t think you’re hu“Who do you pray to in the bowels of a man. Only by believing those things slave ship?” and trusting God himself do you survive such atrocities, and not only surIt’s a good question. vive but thrive and contribute.

In time, many Africans sold as chattel It was faith in God through Jesus that in the New World prayed to the One sustained the African-American True God through Jesus Christ His church. I sometimes think we don’t Son and entered into eternal life. know how to trust God deeply because Howard Thurman, a famed theologically liberal African-American pastor we’ve not suffered deeply. In fact, God Thabiti Anyabwile is Senior Pastor of First Baptist thinks that of us. That’s why suffering Church of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Thabiti and educator, had it right when he is such a central part of the Christian previously served as an elder/assistant pastor at Capipointed out that the greatest irony of experience. It breeds trust in God and tol Hill Baptist Church (Washington, DC) and as an American history was that the slaves elder at Church on the Rock (Raleigh, NC). He is the distinguishes genuine faith its superfi- author of three books: The Faithful Preacher (2007); should pray to the master’s God. The Decline of African-American Theology (2007); and cial counterparts.

What Is a Healthy Church Member? (2008).

But that irony is why the AfricanSo where does a rich and largely sufAmerican church’s legacy of genuine, fering-free generation like ours look biblical, God-centered faith is so rich and necessary to recover and esteem. for instruction in persevering faith?

Read slave conversion testimonies in a We have to look to those who have suffered horrifically yet trusted God work like Clifton Johnson’s God Struck Me Dead, or the poetry of Phil- implicitly. Modern examples exist. But as the U.S. celebrates Africanlis Wheatly, and all you find is souldeep, God-longing faith in the face of American history month, the domestic

Talk about stepping out on faith. LeToya Luckett, a founding member of Destiny's Child, saw her life change when she and group member LaTavia Roberson were ousted from the group in 1999 while promoting their chart-topping CD 'The Writing's on the Wall.'

twitter. ―Everybody always wants to talk negative about things, but that is real. I watch Joel Osteen online. I also get his podcasts so I can get video from iTunes. When I am on the road, and it‘s Saturday, I‘m either leaving Saturday night to get to Houston, or getting on a 6 a.m. flight to get back to church. It is a must.‖

Destiny's Child continued with Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland, and the group's manager, Matthew Knowles, reWhen going through trying times, Letoya relied on her faith in placed Luckett and Roberson with Michelle Williams and Farrah God. ―If I didn‘t have my faith I wouldn‘t be anywhere.

Franklin (who only lasted five months).

Whenever I‘m going through that moment, I call up my prayer sisters. At the end of the day, it‘s not that bad.‖ Things weren't easy following the fallout from Destiny's Child – there was a media firestorm, lawsuits and a whole lot of back- Luckett continues: ―Everyday that you have a chance to wake lash – but the 28-year-old singer said it was her faith that up and breathe and have another opportunity at life, nothing helped her overcome the tumultuous time in her life. that comes against you can be that bad. You just have to be able to pray your way through it and ask God for strength and After a failed attempt at launching a new group called Angel, wisdom and knowledge to move forward. It happens when Luckett landed a solo deal of her own in 2003 and released her people allow wordly things to make them happy. It‘s like is debut CD, 'LeToya,' on Capitol Records in 2006. that the epitome of success because you have that kind of car?

What if you don‘t have any love or there is no faith? That‘s With one platinum-certified CD under her belt, the Houstonnot real happiness to me.‖ based singer is back with her recently released sophomore opus, 'Lady Love' and she has the lead role in a new movie, On being cast in the film Preacher‘s Kid: ―It was my first feaPreacher‘s Kid (Read more about the movie on page 6). ture film and I didn‘t know what to expect. I got cast for the role four days before we actually started filming and I actually Luckett says she doesn‘t mind being the poster child for secstudied for another character. I had gotten the role of ond chances and overcoming adversity. ―The are so many ―Desiree‖ who is not friendly at all and four days later I get people out here in this world we that type of story that we cast for the sweetest thing in the movie! It was an amazing never hear about because they are different corners of the experience and I worked with some amazing people; Troy earth. I am pretty sure they have probably been through Rowland, who is my acting coach, and Stan Foster, who is the worse than I‘ve been through and achieved it.‖ director, and all my co-stars were so cool!‖ A member of Lakewood Church in Houston, where Joel Osteen is pastor, Luckett says it is important to make people aware of how significant her faith is to her. She even tweets about it on

The Preacher’s Kid: A Must-See Film!

The ageless parable of the 'Prodigal Son' is cast in a 21st century urban setting in the new Warner Bros. Premiere/ Gener8Xion Entertainment feature, the Preacher's Kid. The Stan Foster written and directed project opens on January 29, 2010 in select theaters across the country.

Preacher‘s Kid stars platinum-selling Capitol Records artist, Letoya Luckett, as ―Angie King,‖ a 20-something daughter of a minister who, longing to experience more of life—and with dreams of fame and fortune in her mind, strikes out on her own for the very first time, joining a traveling gospel show. She soon discovers, though, that life on the road is touch; but even more, she fears going home with nothing to show for herself, or worse, to a father who might no longer lover her.‖ This movie, filmed in Atlanta, GA and New York City, includes key performance segments shot in the world famous Apollo Theatre. It is also the film debut for Luckett, a cofounder of the R&B super group, Destiny‘s Child. Luckett has rapidly become a solo star with her recent #1 selling album, ―Lady Love,‖ which generated AOL Music‘s #6 song for all of 2009, ―Regret.‖

What People are Saying "I love this movie! Stan Foster is born as a filmmaker.

"ThePreacher's Kid" is filmmaking at its best - well written, well directed, and the performances are top notch. It touches your heart,breaks your heart and puts it back together again. A new American classic is born."

Robert Townsend Director Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats Easily the best Christian drama since “Fireproof.”

Roger Moore Orlando Sentinel Crowd-pleasing, heartfelt and inspirational. It’s a wonderful, uplifting, and life-affirming movie.

Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru

Written and directed by Stan Foster, whose credits include Bishop T.D. Jakes‘ Woman Thou Art Loosed major film.

Preacher‘s Kid also stars Grammy® nominee Trey Songz, For more information about this film, contact Robinson Film R&B singer/producer Tank Babbs, Sharif Atkins (currently appearing in ―White Collar‖ on the USA Network), Gregalan Center, Downtown Shreveport.

Williams (who played ―Coach ‗Doc‖ Hines‖ in Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington), Essence Atkins (soon to be seen in Are We There Yet? On TBS), and EMI gospel recording artist Kierra ―KiKi‖ Sheard.

Every Last Sunday of Every Month At Just a Little CafĂŠ Downtown Shreveport

Photos by Mahogani Media. www.mahoganimedia.com.

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