This press release is old, but it was news that I hadn’t heard before now and thought maybe you hadn’t either.
(BLACK PR WIRE) WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The original glass-topped casket that held the battered body of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American boy brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955, will be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The donation will be announced prior to a memorial service at the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, the site of the 1955 funeral, Friday, Aug. 28, the 54th anniversary of Till’s death.
A young boy from Chicago, Till was killed by white men during a visit to his great-uncle Moses Wright‘s house in Money, Miss. While the precise details of Till’s actions remain unclear, he was perceived to have offended a white woman, and thus crossed the racial boundaries of 1955 Mississippi. His mother, Mamie Till Mobley, had her son laid out in the glass-topped casket so the world could see “what they did to my boy.” He was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery in suburban Chicago. The body was exhumed for an autopsy in 2005 during another criminal investigation into his murder, and Till was reburied in another coffin.
The glass-topped coffin was found in poor condition in a storage shed on the cemetery grounds during a police search last month, following the arrest of cemetery employees accused of digging up more than 300 graves and reselling the plots. Till’s plot was undisturbed.
Till’s murder and the images of his body, first published in Jet magazine and carried around the world by the news media, are considered by historians to be the beginning of the civil rights movement in America.
“We are both honored and humbled that the Till family has entrusted this sacred object to the museum for preservation and safekeeping,” said Lonnie G. Bunch III, director of the museum. “The death of Emmett Till shocked the conscience of the world and fueled the civil rights movement. It is our duty to ensure that this iconic artifact is preserved so that we will never forget.”
Simeon Wright, 66, who was with his cousin Till on the night of the murder, led the family’s efforts to donate the casket. “If we didn’t have this casket, no one would ever believe this could happen in America,” Wright said. “Some people would say this is just a wooden box, scuffed up on the outside and stained on the inside. But this very particular box tells a story, lots of stories. And by sending it to the Smithsonian’s African American museum we—Emmett’s few remaining relatives—are doing what we can to make sure those stories get told long after we’re gone.”
The deed of gift notes that the family is making the donation “In memory of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till Mobley.”
The casket will be transported by truck to Washington, D.C. Its condition will be assessed by conservation staff at the Smithsonian’s Museum Support Center, where it will be housed.
News Briefing
A brief news conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Roberts Temple Fellowship Hall. Bunch will speak as will Wright and Linda Johnson Rice, a member of the museum’s council and chief executive officer of Johnson Publishing Company Inc., publisher of Jet and Ebony magazines.
The Ceremony
The hour-long memorial service is set for 11 a.m., Friday, Aug. 28, at the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, 4021 South State Street, Chicago. The memorial sermon will be delivered by Bishop Cody Vernon Marshall, who will be joined by clergy from the church, including Pastor Cleveland Wardlow Jr. Speaking for the Till family will be Rev. Wheeler Parker and Wright, both cousins of Till. Music will be provided by the Emmett Till Memorial Choir of Chicago, whose director, Dolores “Honey” Sykes, was at the Till funeral in 1955.
About the Museum
The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established in 2003 by an Act of Congress, making it the 19th Smithsonian Institution museum. It is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, art, history and culture. It will be built on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and is scheduled to open in 2015. For more information about the museum, go to nmaahc.si.edu.
18th Annual Festival to Take Place in Los Angeles February 10-15
LOS ANGELES, CA – After the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), America’s largest and most prestigious Black film and arts festival, has extended its film submission deadline through November 15, 2009, for its 18th Annual signature event taking place February 10-15, 2010 in Los Angeles. The PAFF will accept applications for films and videos made by and/or about people of African descent. Films should preferably depict positive and realistic images and can be of any genre – drama, comedy, horror, adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental, etc. PAFF accepts features and shorts; narratives and documentaries as well as works in progress; however, films and videos must be completed no later than December 15, 2009. For the PAFF’s complete guidelines for film submissions, including application and fee information, please visit www.paff.org.
About the Pan African Film & Arts Festival
Established in 1992, The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural and racial tolerance and understanding through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression.
It is PAFF’s goal to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. We believe film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.
The 18th Annual PAFF will take place February 10-15, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.
I’ve been posting about the Chris Rock documentary “Good Hair” since I read about it at Sundance back in January of this year. In the past few months the film has been gaining more and more media attention as it opens in theaters. On October 9, 2009 “Good Hair” went out in theaters on a limited release (LA, NY, Chicago, Atlanta, and DC only) but today, October 23, 2009 it opens in more theaters across the country.
There’s a new Facebook application that has launched in celebration of the release of “Good Hair” that allows you to play with different hairstyles using an uploaded image of yourself. I’ve just added the application to my own Facebook page and it’s a lot of fun! To install it, go to http://apps.facebook.com/goodhair/.
Enjoy!
P.S. If you’re local to the Columbus, OH area, Columbus Black has planned an outing tonight at the Arena Grand Theater for interested people to see “Good Hair” at a discounted price. Go to their Facebook Event Page for more details.
Movie Trailer and Summary
When Chris Rocks daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, Daddy, how come I dont have good hair? the bewildered comic committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl’s head! Director Jeff Stilsons camera followed the funnyman, and the result is Good Hair, a wonderfully insightful and entertaining, yet remarkably serious, documentary about African American hair culture. An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, Good Hair visits hair salons and styling battles, scientific laboratories, and Indian temples to explore the way black hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of black people. Celebrities such as Ice-T, Kerry Washington, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Maya Angelou, and Reverend Al Sharpton all candidly offer their stories and observations to Rock while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughters question. What he discovers is that black hair is a big business that doesnt always benefit the black community and little Lolas question might well be bigger than his ability to convince her that the stuff on top of her head is nowhere near as important as what is inside.
Directors: Rachid Bouchareb
Screenwriters: Rachid Bouchareb, Zoé Galeron, Olivier Lorelle
Producers: Rachid Bouchareb, Jean Bréhat, Mattieu de Braconier, Bertrand Faivre
Director of Photography: Jérôme Alméras
Editor: Yannick Kergoat
Music: Armand Amar
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyaté
On July 7, 2005, four Muslim assassins, traveling on London’s public transport during morning rush hour, activate a series of bombs. They kill 56 people and injure many others on three underground trains and one double-decker bus. Rachid Bouchareb‘s LONDON RIVER tells the emotional story of an unlikely friendship that develops between Mrs. Sommers (Brenda Blethyn) a prejudiced Christian mother, and Ousmane, a Muslim father (Sotigui Kouyaté, 2009 Berlin Silver Bear winner as best actor), who search for their children following the attacks. Though they differ in religious beliefs and cultural background, Ousmane and Mrs. Sommers share the common hope of finding their children alive. When they arrive in the British capital, they discover truths about their children that stun them.
Friday, Oct 30, 2009
7:00 pm
Mann 1
MANN CHINESE 6
6801 Hollywood Blvd.,
Hollywood & Highland Center
AFI FEST Box Office in the Mann Chinese 6 Main Lobby
AFI FEST 2009 presented by Audi takes place October 30th – November 5 in the heart of historic downtown Hollywood at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the neighboring Mann 6 Theater (in the Hollywood and Highland Center) and the Roosevelt Hotel, then moves to Santa Monica for two days of screenings at AFM, the American Film Market.
As our gift to moviegoers, free tickets are available to all festival movies, including a limited number of free tickets to evening red carpet galas. Get your tickets starting October 16 at AFI.com or AFI.com/AFIFEST, or by calling 1-866-AFI-FEST. You can also obtain tickets by going to the Festival Box Office located at the Mann 6 Theatre starting on October 26th, or on the day of the screenings via rush lines.
Become a patron of the festival and purchase an AFI FEST Patron Pass, available now. The AFI FEST Patron Pass provides early entry to screenings, lounge access and other benefits. By becoming a festival patron, you help make this free festival possible and support the art of film. For more details, visit AFI.com or call 1-866-AFI-FEST.
Seating is limited, so get your free tickets starting OCTOBER 16TH! Festival program schedule details will be announced on October 8 at AFI.com.
About Pan African Film & Arts Festival
Established in 1992, The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural and racial tolerance and understanding through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression.
It is PAFF’s goal to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. We believe film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.
CONTEST ENDED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2009. FEEL FREE TO READ REST OF POST TO LEARN ABOUT THE BLACK LIST PROJECT.
The Black List Project is currently running a promotion where you can win a free copy of The Black List Vol. 2 on DVD via Facebook and Twitter. See below for details.
Tag The Black List Project in your status (this is new to me, but I tried it and it works, Facebook is like Twitter now I guess) by typing an ampersand “@” and then the name The Black List Project (should pop up if you’re a member, just select it) and then make a comment about entering this contest.
Add a comment on The Black List Project fan page on Facebook where there’s a status message about the contest to confirm your entry in the contest.
Winners will be drawn at random throughout the week.
Via TWITTER
Follow BlackList1 on Twitter
Send message “@BlackList1 …” indicating that you’re entering the contest.
I do not have specifics regarding an end date for this contest but I can assure you it is currently active at the time of this post (Oct 21, 2009).
Here is some more information about The Black List Project and the related DVDs. There was also a contest, which is the subject of the first video below, where people would name their own Black List. Both Volume 1 and 2 have some great African-American talent that I’m considering owning both copies for my DVD collection.
VIDEO- The Blacklist Vol. II: The Winners (HBO). I can personally relate to the first woman’s story about how she was treated by her own black peers.
“The Black List Project reveals the diverse experiences of being black in America through interviews and portrait sessions with leading African-American figures. The project was conceived by photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, who collaborated with Elvis Mitchell, film critic and NPR correspondent.” (source: blacklistproject.com)
RZA- The Black List Vol 2
Majora Carter- The Black List Vol 2
CNN feature on The Black List Vol 1
“The Black List Vol 2 is on sale now both online and in stores at Target. The new DVD features the full 60 minute film which premiered on HBO in February 2009 as a well as a wide array of bonus features, portraits, and behind the scenes footage. ” (source: blacklistproject.com)
Featured in Vol. 2- Majora Carter, Angela Davis, Suzanne de Passe, Laurence Fishbourne, Barbara Harris, Deval Patrick, T.D. Jakes, Valerie Montgomerey-Rice MD, Tyler Perry, Charley Pride, Patrick Robinson, Maya Rudolph, RZA, Melvin Van Peebles, Kara Walker
Atlanta, GA – October 20, 2009 – In 2007 alone, 21,755 Blacks tested positive for HIV in the United States. Over the past 10 years, almost 200,000 Blacks have tested positive for HIV in the United States. Given these alarming rates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the lead federal agency responsible for preventing diseases, continues to underdevelop and underfund HIV prevention in Black America.
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a national community mobilization HIV testing and treatment effort designed to encourage Blacks in the United States and US Territorial Areas to get educated, get tested, get treated, and get involved is going into its 10th year. This is the nation’s largest single community mobilization for Blacks in America. The CDC has dropped the ball for providing support and funding to organizations at a capacity needed to effectively stem the tide of HIV in Black communities.
“In order for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2010 to be effective, we need almost $250,000 to support materials development, information dissemination, website and national media marketing efforts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes itself as a partner, but fails to live up to the true meaning of partnership and support.” says LaMont “Montee” Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Healthy Black Communities, Inc. – lead organization for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2010. When NBHAAD first began in 1999, the CDC provided almost $500,000 annually for organization support, creation and dissemination of materials, website development, and capacity building. Hence 10 years later, the CDC has failed to fully fund and support NBHAAD, an HIV prevention initiative that works.
To add insult to injury, Healthy Black Communities, Inc. submitted a proposal to the CDC to mobilize Black communities in the USA. The organization received a site visit from federal officials (an indication that the organization’s proposal scored high and was found favorable by peer reviewers), but was denied funding. When the organization requested reasoning as to why it was not funded, a technical review with fabricated lies and information was provided (see Freedom of Information Request Act #09-01212-FOIA at www2a.cdc.gov/od/foiastatus). President Obama called for federal agencies to be transparent and expedient in responding to FOIA requests, yet the CDC has not responded yet. The HBC, Inc., CEO mailed a letter to CDC Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention Director Dr. Jonathan Mermin regarding the gross negligence of staff to represent the information provided during the site visit, but only received a form letter response, an unacceptable act in an age of technology. This funding would have provided jobs and assisted in mobilizing Blacks in the United States to access and utilize HIV prevention services, as President Obama’s National AIDS Strategy attempts to do.
Is this intentional? Does the CDC leadership not recognize the importance and value of supporting those organizations that have worked in Black communities since the epidemic began?
“H1N1 broke out in April 2009 and the CDC found millions of dollars overnight to develop a vaccine and respond. More than 232,000 Blacks have died from AIDS since 1981 and the CDC has not mobilized even half of the effort it did in response to H1N1. Has the CDC regarded Black life in America as disposable?” says Evans.
Healthy Black Communities, Inc., the lead organization for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2010 has worked tirelessly year after year to mobilize resources needed from both public and private partnerships, including the CDC. The organization is calling on Blacks in America and those public and private institutions concerned with preventing HIV in Black America to go to www.hbc-inc.org/cdcdebacle.html and demand CDC to fund the grant proposal at 100% and visit www.blackaidsday.org/cdcsupport.html and demand CDC to provide 100% support for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2010.
To follow CDC’s response, please visit the websites aforementioned. Also, individuals are encouraged to download letters from the websites and fax them to their Congress members as well as U.S. Representative Dave Obey, Health and Human Services Subcommittee Chairman and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee Chairman.
Over the weekend, I was watching Don Lemmon on CNN talk on several occasions about the new dress code at Morehouse College. If you aren’t aware, Morehouse is an all male Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and considered to be an elite institution for black men. While there are 11 points addressed on the policy, the one about not wearing women’s attire is gaining the most attention.
Here’s the dress code…
It is our expectation that students who select Morehouse do so because of the College’s outstanding legacy of producing leaders. On the campus and at College-sponsored events and activities, students at Morehouse College will be expected to dress neatly and appropriately at all times.
Students who choose not to abide by this policy will be denied admission into class and various functions and services of the College if their manner of attire is inappropriate. Examples of inappropriate attire and/or appearance include but are not limited to:
1. No caps, do-rags and/or hoods in classrooms, the cafeteria, or other indoor venues. This policy item does not apply to headgear considered as a part of religious or cultural dress.
2. Sun glasses or “shades” are not to be work in class or at formal programs, unless medical documentation is provided to support use.
3. Decorative orthodontic appliances (e.g. “grillz”) be they permanent or removable, shall not be worn on the campus or at College-sponsored events.
4. Jeans at major programs such as, Opening Convocation, Commencement, Founder’s Day or other programs dictating professional, business casual attire, semi-formal or formal attire.
5. Clothing with derogatory, offense and/or lewd messages either in words or pictures.
6. Top and bottom coverings should be work at all times. No bare feet in public venues.
7. No sagging–the wearing of one’s pants or shorts low enough to reveal undergarments or secondary layers of clothing.
8. Pajamas, shall not be worn while in public or in common areas of the College.
9. No wearing of clothing associated with women’s garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.
10. Additional dress regulations may be imposed upon students participating in certain extracurricular activities that are sponsored or organized by the College (e.g. athletic teams, the band, Glee Club, etc).
11. The college reserves the right to modify this policy as deemed appropriate. *All administrative, faculty, students and support staff members are asked to assist in enforcing this policy and may report disregard or violations to the Office of Student Conduct.
I’m ok with a dress code. It’s a private college, and I agree with the notion of grooming students to represent what the leadership like President of Student Services, William Bynum, of what a Morehouse student should wear. I agree, it is a tricky statement to include something about wearing women’s clothing, but if you take it at face value, then I don’t think it should be offensive. No one is saying that you cannot be gay at Morehouse. I would be more concerned if there was some policy about public affection between men.
I think the dress code probably would have gone over better if they made a simpler statement that all students must wear business attire while on campus, with a few exceptions. I bet students or the media or the LGBT community would not even weigh in like they are now. Also, I don’t agree with Pam’s House Blend’s “what if” statement in her article about wearing a tailored woman’s suit (“Morehouse code bans cross-dressing…“). What’s the likelihood of that happening on campus with the exception of in protest?
I’m also tired of the white community weighing in on this one. There are some serious issues in the black community with our men, and some of it relates to appropriate attire. I have been on Morehouse’s campus. I attended an HBCU. I have family that lives in the Atlanta area. I know that a part of black culture has an emphasis on how you dress. I also know that black culture, stereotypically speaking, is homophobic. In this case, the school’s leadership was trying to cover all possibilities with the intention of instituting some decorum on campus. Our black men, gay, straight, bi, cross-gendered, etc. need that, some individuals (regardless of group) moreso than others.
Unfortunately, what I think is going to happen here, is that one statement in an otherwise good policy is going to negatively influence people who otherwise would not know nor care about Morehouse. They are going to become an example, and I don’t think that’s fair.
I’m not going to give an education behind HBCUs for white people, but before you go down the ignorant path about why are there all black schools anyway, do a little internet research or go to the library or use your common sense to remember that this nation was built upon slavery and segregation. There is a historic significance for existence of these universities whether coed or all male or all female. Pam’s House Blend also got on the fact that there Morehouse is only one of 2 all male colleges left in the US. So what? There are lots of all female colleges out there and I don’t see men trying to beat down their doors for them to become integrated. The college you attend is a choice.
To me, this dress code is the same as primary and secondary schools banning things like wearing white tees knowing that trend was just that for some but also a way for people to identify themselves with a certain group.
If you are against the dress code, particularly the part about not wearing women’s clothing, how else would you state it?
Let’s talk about it…debate and discuss, not insult.
CNN- College implements dress code: Morehouse College is cracking down on what students wear and has implemented a dress code. We discuss with Dr. Steve Perry.
Related Links
I even hate posting some of these titles because they are imposing media bias, and that’s all the average American needs to form an opinion, unfortunately.
I was overjoyed to run across an article on BlackNews.com about this new website SunkissedGirlz.com. Just launched on October 14, 2009 by founders Yanique Redwood, PhD, MPH; Alana Jones, and Aisha Penson who not only realized the lack of positive imagery for young African-Americans but took matters into their own hands by launching Sunkissed Girlz. African-Americans are so diverse and unfortunately sometimes divided when it comes to matters of skin tone, body shape, and hair texture.
We created Sunkissed Girlz because we realized that there were very few Websites (and magazines, books, television shows, etc.) for Black girls. We wanted to create a cool, safe place for girls to play, learn, blog, and just have fun! We also want girls to learn how to analyze the media messages that they get from commercials, music videos, and other forms of media, so at times we will use clips from popular media sources to generate discussion and critical analysis.
We designed sunkissedgirlz.com for girls ages 11-14. We hope to develop Websites for younger and older girls in the near future. (source: SunkissedGirlz.com)
I’ll be adding them to my blogroll and wanted to help spread the word.
I know I’m a little late posting this, but I figured it might be of value to those of you already in the Chicago area who can attend any remaining events. Information below is from an invite I received via Myspace.
Macro Marketing & Promotions Group presents the 5th Annual Cavalcade of Authors in Chicago with your hosts: National best-selling author, Naleighna Kai, NAACP Image Award Nominee, J. L. Woodson, and best-selling inspirational author, Rev. Renee Sesvalah Cobb-Dishman.
Returning for another year are best-selling authors: Minister Kathy McClure, Michelle Moorer, Gloria Franklin, and Theresa Gonsalves; and with us for the first time are authors M. Raye Turner, Anita Royston, Lorraine Elzia, Moses Miller, Christopher Bennett and Nathaniel Brown.
On October 16-18, join us for another weekend of FREE writing seminars, FREE tweens & teens workshops a FREE old school 70’s party at Sonoma Coffee Cafe, a Stepping & Spades event at Room 43, an inspirational Sunday Buffet Brunch at Blu47 and more! The Cavalcade of Authors is part of the City of Chicago’s Book Festival Month and is sponsored by Naleighna Kai, Soft Sheen-Carson, Jump at the Sun Books, Genesis Print & Copy Services, and Disney Book Group. More information on the web: www.naleighnakai.com and www.thecavalcadeofauthors.com or 888.854.8823.
Here is the current schedule:
Friday, October 16, 2009
Signing at Books a Million
12-2:00 p.m.
144 S. Clark * Chicago, Illinois
Signing at Borders in Beverly
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
2210 W. 95th Street * Chicago, Illinois
Old School Party at Sonoma Coffee Café
hosted by Michelle Moorer & Lorraine Elzia
7:30- 12:00 p. m.
2845 West 95th Street
break out those afros and old school gear and come have fun with us!!
FREE tickets at Genesis Print & Copy Services 8319 S. Stony Island
gift bags sponsored by Naleighna Kai, Jump at the Sun & Soft Sheen-Carson
Saturday, October 17, 2009
How to Win the Publishing Game Seminar Part I & Book Signing
moderated by Anita Ro yston
11:00 to 12:30 p.m.
Avalon Park Library
8148 S. Stony Island Avenue * Chicago, Illinois
FREE registration online at www.thecavalcadeofauthors.com
Mary Williams * mawill@chipublib.org 312-747-5234
DISNEY presents Teens & Tweens Workshops:
Etiquette for Today’s Teens by Pageant Director, Gloria Franklin
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (ages 12 to 18)
Chicago Public Library
Avalon Branch, 8148 S. Stony Island Avenue
Lessons for Young Black Men Workshop by
J. L. Woodson, Moses Miller & Christopher L. Bennett
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (Males 12 to 18 only)
Chicago Public Library
Avalon Branch, 8148 S. Stony Island Avenue
How to Win the Publishing Game Seminar Part II & Signing
moderated by Theresa Gonsalves
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Coffee Break Café
10307 S. Hale (across from the 103rd Street Metra Station)
Chicago, Illinois (near the Beverly area)
FREE registration online at www.thecavalcadeofauthors.com
sponsored by Books Ink Bookstore & Naleighna Kai
Waldenbooks River Oaks
25 River Oaks Center * Calumet City, Illinois
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Stepping & Spades
a Come Out & Play wit
h Naleighna Kai event
8:00 p.m. – until
Adults Only / cash bar / appetizers by 3Js
at Room 43 * 1043 E. 43rd Street20* Chicago, Illinois
$15 per person (advance) / 2 for $20
tickets online at www.naleighnakai.com
gift bags sponsored by Jump at the Sun & Soft Sheen-Carson
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Book Lovers Buffet Brunch
hosted by Sesvalah, Minister Kathy McClure and Janine Ingram
Blu 47 Restaurant
4655 S. King Drive * Chicago, Illinois
$30 per person in advance
tickets online at www.naleighnakai.com
gift bags sponsored by Naleighna Kai, Jump at the Sun & Soft Sheen-Carson
Filmmaker Tyler Perry is featured in The Blacklist: Volume Two, along with a highly respected line-up of fellow artists, academics, athletes, activists, authors and more.
The Blacklist Project reveals the diverse experiences of being Black in America through interviews and portrait sessions with leading African-American figures. The project was conceived by photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders in collaboration with Elvis Mitchell, film critic and NPR correspondent.
Featured in THE BLACK LIST: VOL. 2 are activist and artist Majora Carter; activist and academic Angela Davis; Producer Suzanne de Passe; Actor Laurence Fishburne; Anglican Bishop Barbara Harris; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick; Pastor T.D. Jakes; physician and academic Valerie Montgomery-Rice, M.D.; Filmmaker Tyler Perry; Singer Charley Pride; Fashion Designer Patrick Robinson; Actress Maya Rudolph; Musician RZA; Filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles; and Artist Kara Walker.
The Blacklist: Volume Two was released at Target stores on Tuesday, October 13th.
Sprite Step Off is the largest national step competition EVER – with 30 events in over 20 cities, teams from all across the country can compete in Sprite Step Off for a share of $1.5 million prize pool.
Competing teams will also donate over 1 million hours of community service over the course of the competition, working alongside the national Sprite Step Off Service Challenge (http://bit.ly/SSOSRV). The SSOSC is a collaboration between the National Pan-Hellenic Council and The Boys and Girls Club of America to help spark community service amongst youth across the country. And since Greeks are ambassadors for attending college (by virtue of the requirements for their membership), Sprite Step Off can be a vehicle to inspire young people to pursue higher education.
Here is a photo from a recent service activity – Sprite donated $4,500 to Columbia, Missouri’s Boys and Girls Club:
Here is one of our Essence of Step videos – this chapter focuses on the Greek lifestyle and how they use stepping and their influence to impact and elevate the community:
The McDonald’s Flavor Battle with the hottest DJs will also be going down at all of the events as well as music performances from major artists (Keri Hilson, Estelle, Wale, Lupe Fiasco, Soulja Boy, Big Boi, Nas and Monica have already hit the stage at previous events) — so it’s definitely a worthwhile all-around entertaining experience with something for everyone.
Go to spritestepoff.com to get more info and purchase tickets in advance – and to check out the full event schedule to see where SSO is going next.
Follow us and hit us up @SpriteStepOff on Twitter for updates…
PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment) hosted a fundraising event on the evening of September 17, 2009 in downtown Los Angeles’s gorgeous performing arts complex at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (www.musiccenter.org). The evening’s festivities included a silent auction, guest speaker Dave Pelzer, and performances by Catch Me Bird dancers and an assembled group of local LA talent who performed a dance about Removing the Mask alongside spoken word poet Steve Connell. Angela Rose, founder of PAVE, was in attendance and gave opening and closing remarks while Wanda Colon served as the mistress of ceremonies throughout the night. I attended as one of the press outlets, but Think MTV was also filming to include excerpts from the night in their stop the violence campaign. enHAUS Studios LA was also present to help promote and support the event. It was a night that brought women from all walks of life together as well as men. I was so moved by the end of the night, that I made a donation to PAVE and fully endorse Angela Rose’s charity as a worthwhile cause.
There were several celebrities in attendance including Tanya Brown, the younger sister of murdered Nicole Brown Simpson with whom I was able to speak with one-on-one in the following interview.
While Dave Pelzer and his story is widely known, it was the first time that I recall hearing about his incredibly abusive first 12 years of life. By the end of the night, the statistic of 1 in every 4 girls and 1 in every 6 boys will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18 could not escape your thoughts. This conversation has been taboo for decades and even more taboo when it comes to men who have been sexually assaulted or abused in any manner, so I was pleased to see Dave Pelzer as a scheduled guest speaker for the night. In 1995, Dave Pelzer released a memoir “A Child Called It” recounting his first 12 years of life before educators stepped in and helped to have him placed into foster care. The memoir has been #1 on the NY Times best seller list, #1 as an international best seller, and even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Since the release of his memoir, Pelzer has written 6 more books to date. Read more about Dave Pelzer by visiting his website www.davepelzer.com. His message on this night was mainly directed at young people, the target audience for his current book “Real Life Advice for Real Life Challenges,” about not letting your circumstances define you. Instead, control your destiny. Take an active part in life. It was uplifting and was truly applicable to anyone since we all face challenges in our lives.
Catch Me Bird dancers Nehara Kalev and Derrick Jones performed a dance that told the story of falling in love, marriage, and the highs and lows that people face in relationships. You can read more about Catch Me Bird by visiting their website www.catchmebird.com.
The main attraction and my favorite performance for the night was named after the night’s theme Removing the Mask. It was choreographed by Sally Rice whose daughter, Sarah Rice, was on MTV Real World Brooklyn during which she disclosed that she had been molested by her father when she as a child. Since that time, Sarah and her mother Sally Rice have both become supporters of PAVE. Sally assembled dancers Malaya, Jasmine Reycole, Ali Patrick, Marcos Perez, Amanda Simolari, and Tim Wilson. She based her performance on 6 emotions that typified the healing process of a young girl or woman who has been abused: Innocence, Fear, Shame, Rage, Awakening, and Empowerment. The male dancers played a part in the more angry phases such as rage. As you’ll see in the interview I conducted with Steve Connell, his addition to the performance was on very short notice as was assembling the dancers, but honestly, as an observer, you could never tell. Steve Connell was given the 6 emotions and asked to write a spoken word piece through the eyes of a female. Anyone who was there that night can testify that his piece and delivery was absolutely stunning. There was not a dry eye in the house by the end of this performance because his words accompanied by the dancers with their masks truly captured the message. I have to credit Steve for being able to write a piece and deliver it AND it be so believable as if he were sitting in a woman’s body for the duration of the Removing the Mask performance. It was definitely the right act to round out a spectacular evening.
Here what Steve Connell had to say at the end of the night’s festivities when I caught up with him for a short interview.
Steve Connell has made a name for himself in his own right as an actor, writer, and poet. He has won the National Poetry Slam and National World Series of Poetry Slam titles in 2003, appeared on HBO Def Poetry Jam, appeared in several films and documentaries. This man is super talented! You can read more about him as well as purchase his CD (I know I will) on his website www.stevenconnell.com.
Not to be forgotten is the founder of PAVE, Angela Rose. Angela opened up for the evening by sharing her own story which led her to founding of PAVE 2001. At the age of 17, Angela was kidnapped for 5 hours where she was also sexually assaulted outside of a surburban Chicago Mall. She goes on to tell about the hardships she endured even in reporting the incident to police who did not initially believe her. I found a clip online that is not from this event, but where she tells her story.
In a city full of excessive glitz and glamour, this was one of the most true and memorable experiences I’ve had.
Nadashia Thomas, 6, a cousin of Derrion Albert, holds a sign beside a poster of Derrion Albert at Fenger High School in Chicago, Sept. 28, 2009. A vigil for Derrion Albert was planned outside of Fenger High School. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
I’m so sad for Derrion Albert and all the Derrion Alberts out there across America whose story didn’t make headlines. Absolutely barbaric behavior. The violence MUST stop!!!
Hundreds of mourners crowded a church on Chicago’s South Side to remember 16-year-old Derrion Albert, who was beaten to death on his way home from school. (Oct. 3) source: Associated Press
Copy of video taken showing teens beating Derrion to death. In this version, his body is blurred but it still may be too graphic for some of you to watch.
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I was overjoyed to run across an article on BlackNews.com about this new website SunkissedGirlz.com. Just launched on October 14, 2009 by founders Yanique Redwood, PhD, MPH; Alana Jones, and Aisha Penson who not only realized the lack of positive imagery for young African-Americans but took matters into their own hands by launching Sunkissed Girlz. African-Americans are so diverse and unfortunately sometimes divided when it comes to matters of skin tone, body shape, and hair texture.
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