Urban Tymes march by Urban Tymes Media

Women Empowered pg 17 Contents: Urban Community Inspiration Tymes-pg 6 Love & Relationships– Statik n Flo-pg 7 Your Health– pg8 News & Entertainment Interviews with : Regina King– pg10 Charles Burch –pg13

Urban Reviews With Tameika Carter– pg11

Our Diamond Marina the Poet pg 18

Sports Is Michael Jordan the Right Choice for the Bobcats? pg 19 Arts & Culture Focus on: Rachel “Soul Secure” Bethea Black Poetry pg 20 Urban Flava Bohemian Café pg 24 The Good Life Fashion & Swagger Idiosyncrasy brings a fresh new vision to fashion pg-21 3 Photo Gallery pg-25

Executive Administrator Katherine Waddell kwwrites@urbantymes.com

Contributing Writers & Artists Katherine Waddell Writer

“It's in my veins flowing freely into the universe; I have the power to change my situation. The words I write are etchings of the road I have traveled.” An English graduate of Belmont Abbey College, and educator, Katherine is also a freelance writer whose works can be seen in many social networks. Stay tuned for major interviews with celebs!

Idiosyncrasy The immediate love for fashion brought three passionate students together in the year of 2008, Latoya Brown, QueenAsia Torrence, & Terrell Grissett. Bringing to the UT family their unique flair of fashion and energy that can only be described as …...Idiosyncrasy!!! Lena "The Art Diva" Jackson Cartoonist-Writer-Educator-Wife-Mother- ♥"CHILD OF GOD"♥ Check out her work every week online @ "Rolling Out magazine" & "Urban Tymes" Magazine…and her blogs as well! http://lenatheartdiva.blogspot.com http://bohemiancafecomics.blogspot.com/ http://gethypeforkids.blogspot.com/ Kevin Dellinger Sports Writer Bringing a “no-nonsense” approach to sport news, asking questions and breaking it down.

Pervis Nash Inspirational Tymes featured writer. Bringing a fresh, positive outlook via the Word itself!

Monica Williams She truly lives that which she teaches! With a BS in Health Education she is known widely as a Wellness Consultant Certified Health Educator, Certified Esthetician, Certified Zumba Fitness,

Tamieka Carter A versatile writer that shares with her readers the best that life has to offer. Check her out each week as she reviews, shares, and keeps you updated Urban Tymes style!

Inspirational Tymes Elect Lady To the elect lady; Grace be with you, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 2 John 1:3 To the Elect Lady; Stand up and make your acceptance speech: Women you have been chosen, you are the King's daughter, created in His image and likeness. Success is your destination, so be encouraged and keep moving forward. Though the road is uncertain at times, your Father has already crowned you as His elect lady; Elect for a purpose which only you can fulfill, one that's been masterfully assigned to you. What ever the assignment may be; it doesn't matter because it all has a purpose that's driving you toward your destiny. Obstacles will come, but use every one of them as opportunities instead of allowing them to be hindrances. God sees and knows the path that He has chosen for you and though it may not be easy, He has called you to that place to be an influence and to fulfill a purpose. You are blessed and highly favored; a vessel of purpose and hope. Consider the call of a mother, a wife or a single lady; they each have a great call and responsibility. To the mother; to raise and nurture olive plants unto the Lord. To the wife; to be the help mate of your king, and to the single; to be an inspiration and maybe even a mentor to many of your single peers. There may not be any news articles, TV press or write ups about you, But the Father Himself takes special notice of you; So listen as heaven applauds you, as you walk in your Divine purpose, as the Elect Lady. Stand up women of purpose, and make your acceptance speech. Blessings and Peace to you all, ~Pervis D. Nash~

A brother is out with his best friend, and sees that he is cheating on his wife. He doesn't say anything about it, but his wife knows what the best friend is doing and is good friends with his wife. Should something be said? Flo: Should something be said? I don't think so, because it may add on more problems. Both of them, (the wife and the best friend), may get the wife of the 'cheating spouse' to accuse them of lying. So that will bring on the problems! Me, personally would take the wife out, with us, to see it for herself. So as far, as me telling it would not happen. Statik: I think something should be said to the one who is cheating. The man should talk to his boy about what is happening isn't right. I don't think my man should let his friend do that without pulling him to the side. It would make me think that they cover for each other like that. It would cause me to question my man if he does not have a word with his boy considering we are all in close relationship to each other. Flo: It's not their relationship, and just because he 'covers' for his boy that does not mean that they 'cover' for each other. What his boy does is what his boy does. Statik: Birds of a feather flock together is all I am saying. So you are saying that no one should 'say' anything? That's not right. Flo: I'm saying... The choice that he makes (the 'cheater') is his choice. Neither the best friend nor his wife has anything to do with this. Now the best friend could point out to his boy that he is putting him in an arkward situation. Statik: I think that would be good. What consideration are we making for the wife as she may find out and get upset because no one told her? To have your questions addressed and possibly posted in the magazine, email all inquiries to: statiknflo@urbantymes.com

Urban Health You & Your Health If there is anything that can make a person sick with worry is not being able to afford basic health care. In these tough economic times it is important to know some options that are available to you, your loved ones, and friends that may not have any health care at all. Losing health benefits is wide spread. Loss of work due to layoffs or simply not having the financial resources to afford basic health care is just a few of the reasons why people are lacking care. Although employers offer COBRA (a program set up for employees to continue health benefits after job loss) this too can be very costly. Here are some resources that can offer some assistance and guidance in obtaining health care for free, no cost, or low cost. Browse their websites and contact them for their rules, regulations, and restrictions for their programs. Using Google will take you to the websites. Needymeds.org-Probably my favorite site. Easy to navigate and a wealth of information. To find the clinics---click scroll down to additional programs. Click free/low cost clinic and the clinic list will come up. Navigate to find more information. Medassist.org-NC Med Assist-Program for prescription help. Contact them for prescription information and information on other assistance programs. N.C. Community Health Center Association and National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC)These two organizations serve as resources for various clinics and also provide information on contacts to clinics in North Carolina. CPCC Dental Clinic-(704) 330-6704-This is a well kept secret. Services are $20.00. That is a one-time fee and covers several visits. Call them for more information. Teen Health Connection-Great place for teens to be served with education, services, and resources. They can be reached at (704) 381-8336. Safety Net Dental Clinics in North Carolina-A listing for dental care. Avery user friendly website. Findahealthcenterhrsa.gov-Fill in your info and it will find and search a list of clinics in your area. Yourstdhelp.com-a great site with a title that says it all. A confidential way for people to research help and treatment in this very private matter. Local Massage Schools-Contact some of the massage schools in the area for low cost massages by the students. Many doctors prescribe massage for injuries and stress. It is so important to follow the old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". In other words try to stay as healthy as possible by evaluating food choices, exercising, and finding ways to be

A lot of times police partners are closer to each other than they are to their spouses. This show is not just dealing with procedure". You get to ride in the car with them, go home with them and get right up in the face of their personal struggles. The thing you get to see with this show is how the Officers have to "deal with other people's crap and then they have to take that crap home". King said, "I have garnered a whole new re-

Regina King and Southland

spect for law enforcement".

Not Just another Cop Show!

This show was aired on NBC for six episodes and it got pretty good feedback. The hope is that with it being on TNT for a full season that it will get enough feedback of people wanting the show to continue that they make it to a second season. They really want to hear what the viewers have to say about the show. So I shared with her my view of the media kit that was mailed to me. I looked at the case initially and my thought was 'not another cop show' really?! Well I had to go ahead and get it over with and prepare for my interview. I must say that to my surprise that the show was realistic and it pulled me in. As I sat and watched the first episode in the pack I got a feel for where every character was in their career and their personal lives.

By Katherine Waddell (photos by Kirstin Knufmann Mitch Haaseth)

Yes there is another cop show coming to a station near you real soon. What would make you want to tune in? Well if not for the intense drama and action packed story line, maybe for the hot star of the show Ms. Regina King. Southland is a cop show for those 18 years old and over. It is due to air every Tuesday starting March 2, 2010 on TNT at 10pm. This raw and gritty drama gives you a glimpse behind the badge and the stories of those who serve as they respond to calls while working to solve crimes. I had the opportunity to interview Ms. King whose role in this show is Detective Lydia Adams who is compassionate yet no non sense officer. Her character stays abreast of office procedures and loves her job. She is also a single woman who lives at home with her mother. She states that the reason will be revealed later explaining why a single woman with no children, making good money and never married is in that situation. She promises that this show is not your typical cop show. This show has been said to be the "most honest depiction of the LAPD" that has ever been portrayed on television. King explained that 'Southland' shows life behind the badge. Also how "being partners in law enforcement is much like a marriage.

In this particular episode there was a cop with one year of service and a veteran cop paired up, a woman who seemed to be the stronger one of the pair and a dough boy like guy as her partner, then there was King's character who had a newly acquired partner after hers had been injured in the line of duty and now hospitalized. Already from the set up you are gripped by the realness of these pairs. The show opens up with a scene that you will learn later what was happening and what lead to that particular situation. Some parts were funny because they were so realistic, like the new cop getting pushed around by the crowd of rowdy people he had approached after being called in as back up. 9

You were able to go with King's character, Lydia into the hospital room to visit her soon to be old partner and face the reality with her that he is not coming back. She does a wonderful job at depicting the emotions an officer would really feel after discovering that they have lost their partner. You get to experience the process of solving the crimes and going home with them after a challenging day in the field. The show does not just show one side of the police force. You get to see the uniformed officers, gang detectives, and homicide detectives. As King spoke about the show and her character she did so with much passion. She seems to have grown as the show is growing. She is well aware that there are a lot of other cop shows out there and initially trying to get you in front this one makes you think why someone bothered, making another one of these shows. I must say that this show is one to follow. Get your TiVo's ready. Oh and after you watch it let the producers know what you thought about the show by going to TNT.com.

Urban Reviews

by Tameika Carter When I moved from New York ten years ago, I was so culture shocked I wanted to do something to bring up my self esteem. So, I started taking myself to the movies at least once a week or when there was a movie I wanted to see. Now I still keep that ritual, but since it has been a recession I have waited until after the initial open weekend to see a movie. I found out that if you go to an AMC during Monday through Thursday a movie is $5.00 all day. Also, if you go online and apply for an AMC card at www.amc.com you get candy for a $1.00 and on Wednesday's you get a free small popcorn, with an upgrade to a medium for only a $1.00. I have loved movies since my late Uncle Johnny introduced me to them when I was eight years old. Since then I have great photographic memory. So, a week in a half ago I saw John Travolta's new movie From Paris with Love. I just wanted to see Mr. Travolta's continuance of a bad guy role. In the remake of Pelham 123 Travolta was the bad guy and it was hilarious to hear and see him cussing. In this new movie, Travolta is doing the same thing, but he makes it believable. This full of action and melo-dramatic movie catches you from the beginning. Travolta's character is a man who is a total opposite of Travolta himself, that does not like rules and does everything his way. Its seems as though his morals are out the door. His beat them up and shot first, then ask questions mentality makes his partner dislike him and the audience love him. This movie deserves 4 out 5 stars. You should definitely see this movie with your friends or even by yourself if you like to talk to the movie screen, like me. The plot of the movie is even on point. Travolta gives a great performance. Go and love Paris!

This month my book club is reading Noire's G-Spot. Noire's Essence bestselling novel catches the reader's eye from the beginning. The fictional and dramatic novel is about how a young African-American woman in her early twenty's gets involved with a man in his forties. Juicy Stanfield, the young woman, comes from humble beginnings and ends up in a position where she can get anything by just the snap of her fingers. She has Granite "G" McKay, the forty-year old man, wrapped around her fingers, but is it for real or is he just controlling her? "G" is a drug dealer and a strip club owner. He rules Harlem with an iron fist. The only time he is vulnerable is when he is around Juicy. Juicy is a young woman in college who has nothing and no one else in her life, but her brother. As the novel unfolds, the reader is trying to figure out if Juicy will stay in the wealthy position she is in and lose herself or will she go with her instincts and her heart? Will she still end up with "G" or will she end up with his son? G-Spot is the kind of book I found myself not putting down. It is full of action pack drama 11 that will have you thinking, "What's going to happen next?" Noire's novel is a 5 out 5 stars. Go and buy your copy today!

The Charles Burch Foundation Inspired by family Motivated by many To bring notice to a disease. By Majarie Smalls Charles Burch Cancer Foundation under the Susan G. Komen for the Cure His aunt was a breast cancer victim who passed away from the deadly disease. And his sister is a breast cancer survivor. He has been on a mission to, not see women go uneducated while causing pain to those who will watch them die from this preventable disease. One day he posted this on face book and everyone participated, not realizing the seriousness behind it. I know my friends got a good laugh because some of us wore really plain colored undergarments. There were a lot of whites, tans, and blacks. I recall posting my color that day was purple with orange flowers. Oh my goodness, if that was not colorful enough one of my guy friends posted 'green' as his color. The ladies gave him a lot of grief. He did not realize what was going on. He explained late that he thought everyone was posting how they felt by using colors. It is so interesting to find out that the message behind such a fun activity was so serious. We laugh a lot of time to keep from crying. This is one of those times. If ever someone has taken a personal situation to help heal a nation. This young man of 22 years has committed to spreading the word about a disease that is claiming the lives of so many women and affecting the lives of those who love them. And the truth is, it doesn't have to be that way. UT: Now you said that you didn't get to say it all please share what you left off Burch: I left off that me and my family stayed in the hospital for 13 hours for my sister while she was having surgery UT: And that is tied to the reason why you started the bra color status? As this is being compiled we just learned that Ms. Burch has had a relapse with the Cancer. She still believes God for her healing. She is encouraging her brother more now than before to continue to spread the word about Breast Cancer. Even in her time of need she is thinking of others. Support your local Chapter of Breast Cancer today by donating towards research.

Burch: And dedicated to the memory of my aunt. She used to always joke around and say if you do something crazy like this it will catch people's attention. My aunt was scared to go get a mammogram. This was to create a buzz about breast cancer because nobody was paying attention and now I heard they have raised the age to get mammogram's now it's age 50. I believe I wanted to speak more about that in the video. Right now me and my sister have been traveling doing event's with Author Spencer Barnett and I have been doing a lot of online promoting through my causes page http://www.Causes.com/ thecbbcf and on my youtube page. http://www.youtube.com/cbbcf. We are letting all the men and women know how serious breast cancer really is because I also had a male cousin on my dad's side of the family who passed from breast cancer. This disease run's deeply in my family. UT: What information are you putting in people's hands when they come to your events? Burch: Now we have a lot of flyers and more information about breast cancer to give out at every event. I'm more focused than I have ever been in my life. UT: Is the mammogram the only way to catch this disease? Burch: Mammograms and self examinations. UT: How can it be prevented? Burch: By eating healthy, not smoking. People get cancer by not taking care of their body's in my opinion 13 and sometimes it's a gene in your family bloodline passed down to generations.

Now there are studies that show some of the water we may be drinking may be contaminated with all kinds of things that causes a lot of diseases. My sister just wrote a note about everything she went through with breast cancer she wrote a note to her doctors. (the letter will be included at the end of the interview) This is my passion I'm gonna put my blood sweat & tears into being the #1 breast cancer advocate getting the word spread to more women and men. UT : You have mentioned men twice by now. Can men get Breast Cancer?

UT: Really, how would it be bad exposure? Burch: At first people didn't understand and some people made a joke out of it but now she likes the idea. In the beginning people made a game out of it especially my women friends on Face Book. I want to personally want to thank Urban Tymes magazine and Author Spencer Barnett and the 2WorldsEntertainment. UT: And we thank you for taking the time out of your schedule for this interview. Mr. Barnett is a gem.

Burch: Yes men can get breast cancer. UT: Are you planning to host a wellness clinic? UT: Have you thought about using other networking sites? I know MySpace is almost a thing

Burch: Yes he's my mentor. We have been traveling a lot together its like the best of both world's at every event. He motivated me. Spencer also helped me get the word out to more people. I started The Charles Burch Breast Cancer Foundation October 2009

of the past, but you can go there and you can go to iseecolor.com and linkedin.com Burch: Right now I have 1,422 members and yes I have been on those in the past. I deleted them to come to Face Book. I even left Twitter. UT:Why would you delete them? Burch: It's too much going on. I had too many websites . I wanted main website to focus on one UT: 1,422 is a small number compared to what you have to reach. Burch: Yes I know. The only one I kept was YouTube. Burch: The Susan G Komen Foundation knew I started this movement and brought more awareness my foundation as an affiliate of theirs and if the media was too find out they would blow me up more than them. They didn't want my video to get out there

Prayer has encouraged and sustained me during this journeyâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Ś..

UT: Why not? Burch: Because they believed it would have taken a lot of the attention away because for now they are the #1 Breast Cancer Foundation UT: Aren't you attached to them? Burch: Yes I'm an affiliate. My foundation is a part of theirs. They told me it would be out of line. UT: So what difference does it make? Burch: That's my point exactly and at first they thought it was a big joke and would make their company look bad, but it really gave them more exposure because nobody was paying attention.

This is the letter written by Ms. Pertania Burch Written Saturday January 2, 2010 To Whom It May Concern: Today I sit here with tears in my eyes writing this letter to my team of doctors, nurses, surgeons, chemo techs, radiation techs, down to the cleaning lady that smiled at me every morning when I was feeling like my world was about to end. In February of 2009, I received the devastating news that I had bilateral breast cancer at 36 years old. Immediately I thought to myself "I am going to die and leave my children behind". That sent me into a down right deep depression. After two weeks of crying and waddling in self pity, my youngest son came in my room and asked me if I was going to die. I didn't have an answer for him but I got on my knees and asked the Lord to please spare my life. At that point I was able to get up out of my dark hole of sorrow. I found the answer. Hell no! I am not going to die! The first person I saw was Dr. Richard white at Blumenthal cancer center. He explained to me what my options were and gave me time to think about what I wanted to. It was either get a double mastectomy or a double lumpectomy. He was really patient and always looked me right in my eyes to give it to me straight. I can tell he knew that I was confused. "A deer in headlights is what he called me". So we decided to try chemo first to see if we could get the tumors to shrink along with some genetic testing to help me make my decision. He referred me to an oncologist named Dr. Wendy Brick. I didn't know what to expect. Chemo to me was such as scary, ugly thing that made you bald and sick. Well, my first appt. was with Cathy, Dr. Bricks nurse. She was the sweetest person. She gave me a hug when she noticed that I was sitting there with my head down. She assured me that chemotherapy had advanced in the last few years and I shouldn't have to be as sick but she couldn't help me with the hair loss part. Then walked in Dr. Brick; slim and beautiful and had the best set of white teeth and smile I had ever saw. Why would I talk about her teeth you are probably thinking? Well, the moment I met her and saw the smile on her face, I knew everything would be ok. My first chemo treatment was March 3, 2009. I stayed in the infusion room almost 5 hours. The ladies in the infusion room were incredible. Jeanie and Melissa did everything in their power to make me comfortable from warm blankets to pillows. My last chemo treatment was June 19, 2009. The ladies presented me with a graduation certificate and blew bubbles at me. We all hugged and they all said they hoped to never see me again unless I am coming to visit. After chemo, I returned to Dr. Brick and she informed me that the chemo worked. I have to be honest and say I think she was more excited than I was. It makes a huge difference in your recovery when you know that your Doctor cares about you. Thank you Dr. Brick and Cathy. I love you both. My next step was back to Dr. White to have surgery. By that time, my genetic testing was back. Brsa 1 and Brsa II were negative. You have to have had breast cancer to understand what the means but in other words, that's great news. We scheduled my surgery for July 29, 2009. I had decided to keep my breast. I must say Dr. White is awesome! He removed all the cancer with very little scarring. You go Dr. White! I love you man! Next on the journey was radiation. 6 weeks, 5 days a week I had to go to Carolinas Medical Center. Dr. Bradley McCall was my radiologist. He made a personal phone call to me. That really impressed me. At my first appointment with Dr. McCall, I was met at the door by a nice smiling lady from the cleaning crew. She helped me find where I needed to be. I don't know her name, but I won't ever forget how her smile lit me up some mornings when I was feeling overwhelmed. Dr. McCall set me up for radiation therapy. That is where I met Sherita. Sherita is one of the radiation techs. She always made sure I got finished with my treatments on time so I could get to work as soon as possible because she knew that having cancer doesn't stop the bills from coming! Thank you Dr. McCall and Sherita. Today is December 22, 2009 and I take a pill daily called tamoxifen for the next 5 years. I feel great and look forward to spending a very Merry Christmas with my children without cancer being the subject. I couldn't let another day go by without letting my team of doctors know how much each and everyone of them mean to me. Without them and the help of the good Lord, I don't know where I would be. I also wanted to thank Alisa over a Mecklenburg Medical Group for helping me find cancer agencies to help me pay for my medicine when the insurance would not pay. With Best Regards, Pertania Burch

Women Empowered: Our Sisters have come a long way!!!! Miss America-Caressa Cameron of Virginia (photo courtesy of Bonnie MacIssac)

UT: Why did you want to become Miss America? MA: To make a difference personally and in the world. The Children's Miracle Network is the Charity of the Miss America Inc. I will represent that over the next year. My personal platform is to bring awareness to AIDS. This passion came from the result of an Uncle passing from it. To participate or to volunteer your time to the Miss America organizations go to: www.missamerica.org

Queen Nzinga (1583-1663) In the sixteenth century, the Portuguese position in the slave trade was threatened by England and France. As a result, the Portuguese shifted their slave-trading activities to the Congo and South West Africa. Mistaking the title of the ruler (ngola) for the name of the country, the Portuguese called the land of the Mbundu people Angola the name by which it is still known today. Here, the Portuguese encountered the brilliant and courageous Queen Nzinga, who was determined never to accept the Portuguese conquest of her country. An exceptional stateswoman and military strategist, she harassed the Portuguese until her death, at age eighty. She became renowned for the guerilla tactics she employed for resisting the technologically superior Portuguese army. She was a brilliant strategist and, although past sixty, led her warriors herself. Never surrendering, she died on December 17, 1663.

Madame C.J. Walker 1867-1919 (Entrepreneur, Philanthropist) Among the early entrepreneurs of the twentieth century, no one is more intriguing than the black beauty culture genius Madame C.J. Walker.-not only because of her development of the "hot" comb but because of her remarkable business acumen. A black woman with one dollar and fifty cents in her pocket in 1904, Walker was one of the first black women in the United States to become a millionaire through her own efforts. Walker burst on the scene in 1904 and changed the way business people marketed their products. She also revolutionized the methods of treating black hair. Walker created the hair treatment methods out of a personal need of hers. Her hair had fallen out. She began to pray to God and experiment with patented products mixed with her own secret ingredient. After trying it on her head and seeing her hair grow back quickly she shared with her friends. Soon they were faithful customers of hers. That is when she realized she had something worth selling. The most amazing thing about Walker's story is that she was an uneducated woman. She did not know how to read or write and before this discovery she was cleaning houses and doing laundry for others for meager payment. However on that meager money sent her daughter to17college. Since she was in poverty already she didn't think she could lose anymore so she took a chance and became a business woman.

5. Do you volunteer to any cause?

Marina the Poet 1.College? Attended Norfolk State University for three years (still consider myself a Spartan!), then eventually obtained my BA in English at Queens University of Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 2.Current occupation? Poet/Playwright/Author/Motivational Speaker/CEO of The Nzinga Creative Arts Center and sub-owner of the Peace and Serenity Garden Room in the ArtHouse in NoDa 3.What are your goals at this time? I have several goals at this time. A few of them include: Mentoring young people to remind them of the power they possess inside, grow my Nzinga Creative Arts Center workshops which utilizes the arts to empower and challenge both teens and adults to be the best they can be, empowering black boys/men with my poetry, and creating a space through my Peace and Serenity Garden where people can come together to have fun. 4.Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? Five years: Owning a jazz/poetry venue, establishing Nzinga as a non-profit which will include dance, music, and language lessons/classes, health, spiritual and fitness components, and publishing my first novel. Ten years: Traveling the world sharing my poetry and establishing the Nzinga Creative Arts Centers in all major inner cities as a place where children can go to thrive.

Currently, I facilitate poetry workshops for 6-8th graders at Kennedy Middle School two times a week. I also facilitate a workshop for the STARS program. 6.Tell us a little about yourself Simply - I love life and I believe that challenges only come to make us stronger. I believe we all have greatness inside of us and given the opportunity, we can all express that greatness. My faith in God has sustained me through some of the toughest times in my life and I am grateful that I have developed a relationship with Him in a way that I can truly say I know God is real. I love to dance, laugh, bowl, write, read and basically have fun. I can be extremely shy sometimes, but love being around and meeting new people. I love motorcycles! 7.What do you like to do when you have downtime? I love to spend time with my family, go to the movies, ride my bike, exercise and travel. 8. If you could meet someone famous, who would it be? There are so many people I'd love to converse with, but if I had to pick one, it would be Nelson Mandela. I admire his ability to forgive and his humble spirit. 9.What words of advice could you give to someone?

"To Thine own self be true." Find out more about this outstanding Diamond! Visit: www.marinathepoet.com To be considered our next "Diamond 18 of the Month," please email us at: editor@urbantymes.com

Though some have expressed concern over MJ's pervious personal decisions while running the basketball operations for the Washington Wizards, he has done a little better here with the Bobcats (minus the Adam Morrison 1st round draft pick in 2006). In 2008, he lured Larry Brown out of retirement to take over coaching for a team without a playoff berth in the team's short NBA history. Larry and MJ have made several trades involving 21 players since Brown arrived in Charlotte. They've acquired names like Jason Richardson, Flip Murry (both no longer on the team), Stephen Jackson, Tyrus Thomas, among others, and have shipped off players like the Bobcats 1st ever draft pick Emeka Okafor.

Marcus Eriksson / AP

Is Michael Jordan The Right Choice For the Bobcats? KEVIN DELLINGER Well, after a month of nail biting, it's official, Michael Jordan will be the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats pending league approval. Saturday, in the early morning hours, Michael Jordan and current Bobcats team owner Bob Johnson struck a deal for Jordan to take over majority ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats. Though terms of the deal are not available at this time, Jordan seemingly was able to out bid George Postolos ( former Rockets CEO/President) for the "Majority Owner" title.

Michael Jordan has been known to be a shrewd, savvy business man outside of the NBA and hopefully he can bring some of that savvyness and help the woeful Bobcats' financial issues. This sale to Jordan will only work if he has a more active role in the community and team, unlike Bob Johnson who thought he would be welcomed with open arms as an absentee owner in the community. So, the question remains, is Jordan the right fit for not only the team, but the city and state as well. I guess time will tell.

Rachel "Soul Secure" Bethea was born and raised in Raleigh, NC graduating from Millbrook Senior High in 2003. She continued her education at Fayetteville, NC's Methodist College (now Methodist University) from 2003-2007 pursuing a bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English. While in college, she participated in the 2006 Southern Writers Symposium, and was published in the school's Creative Writing Compilation entitled "Tapestry", along with being active in other on campus student affairs. From Childhood and into her adult life, poetic expression has been a major past time for Soul, though she only began participating heavily in open mics and slams in 2008.

Photo by Black Swan

Her story, like so many, is filled with pains and trials, yet she has transformed her tears into strength enough to make it known publicly through Spoken Word, in the hope that through the healing and forgiveness process, another would be set free, redeemed, and encouraged that change is possible. Her heart beats for the youth, young females especially. Jeremiah 29:11 is not only her favorite scripture, but her mantra. Giving all glory to God for giving her "a hope and a future..." her mission is to carry the legacy of overcoming and renewing love to all who have an ear to listen, and a heart to receive. Soul Secure received the award for Best Female Poet in the 2009 Fayetteville Poetry Awards, and worked together with Charlotte's Concrete Generation to produce her first Spoken Word Cd: (Intimacy-In2MeSee) to be released February 12, 2010.

Mission: Black Poetry Theatre (BPT) seeks to expand the understanding of spoken word and foster appreciation for the power of modern contemporary poetry, by presenting it in a traditional theatrical setting. BPT also seeks to raise cultural awareness through the use of performance arts as a tool of cultural expression and to encourage arts in the community. Objective: Our objective is to challenge the minds of the young and old, to empower them throughout Life's circumstances. Our tools are Poetry, Song, Dance and Music. We aim to target anyone and everyone. From the minority to the majority, the gifted and the average, the struggling father and working mother, the inspired beginning artist and the professional. Through Poetry and Song, we will build a community of family oriented Writers, Teachers, Believers, Thinkers and Doers in an effort to encourage positive growth and social change. Our methods are proven to inspire, motivate and empower others from the confinements of social stigmas, and grant freedom to see the world through their own perspective. For more information on productions, cast, and showings please visit www.blackpoetrytheatre.com www.blackpoetrytheatre.com -Email: blackpoetrytheatre@gmail.com 20

myspace: www.myspace.com/blackpoetrytheatre -reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/blackpoetrytheatre Church da Poet 919-627-1076 or Dasan Ahanu 919-295-0176

Introducing:

Idiosyncrasy

Finishing their freshman year at Johnson & Wales with much success they were very pleased, but there was something missing that was more upon becoming sophomores. The fact that in no time they would be graduates pushing out into the real world with lives filled with more responsibilities and the actuality of being independent they had no time to waste. Time was not going to wait, no matter what, the clock would continue to tick. As 2009 was coming to halt and slowly progressed into the year of 2010. Wondering what they could do now, that would prepare them to enter the real world with something to offer. With a dying love for fashion is what they all had in common and decided to make use of that creativity. The goal was to take on one project at a time showcasing the collective talent and love for fashion.

The immediate love for fashion brought three passionate students together in the year of 2008, Latoya Brown, QueenAsia Torrence, & Terrell Grissett. With all being brand new to city of Charlotte, NC they struck out head first to explore and get familiar with the 'Queen City'. They took all the same classes, hit up all the local clubs, creating a bond that would become the start of an everlasting friendship. Together teamed up to bring 'you' Idiosyncrasy.

Examples of the talent of Idiosyncrasy!

Starting January of 2010 Idiosyncrasy was given birth. Idiosyncrasy means a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual. This name was the result from their search of the perfect name that would capitalize on the objective. They realized everyone have a unique feature that sets them apart from the rest. In this world we live in, there are a lot of people who lack self-esteem. There are many people that are separated from others because of what they look like, or what they wear. Their goal is to encourage people to realize you are beautiful the way you are. It's okay to be different; it's a wonderful thing to be you. They strongly believe in being true to yourself and to love yourself the way you are, and 'Idiosyncrasy' was the perfect name that would say it all. Our main goal is to style anyone, no discrimination, using only what they have in their possession. Through a visit to an individual's residence one view of their closet a theme is created. Once the theme is assemble various outfits that are tried by the 'guest'. Hairstyles and make-up if needed would also be completed. After choosing the best look and the guest would begin their own personal photo shoot, which is performed by the Terrell Grissett of the group. The photos are then reviewed, edited, and added to the blog, www.your-idiosyncrasy.blogspot.com. Many times when during styling ideas come that may seem outrageous but at the end turn into something pleasantly unspeakable. Belts have been turned into jewelry, long skirts into short skirts, loose peasant dresses into a fitted body suit with emphasized shoulders, and shower curtains into backdrops. The creativity is unlimited. Idiosyncrasy accessories are being developed which consist of shades, gloves, jewelry, belts, and so much more. Being passionate about what they do the goal is to cause others to feel good about themselves by using fashion to build a positive self- esteem that may have not existed before. They want to reach out to others and work with as many as possible. They invite you to let them expose your idiosyncrasy and to remind you, you are beautiful exactly the way you are. So if you are looking in your closet feeling a like you could use something new, click on their link before you run out spending high fashion prices. You never know you have all you need right in your possession.

Stayed tuned for fashion suggestions and future events by Idiosyncrasy!!!

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