Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys: Recent Episodes
Joy Keys MSW LSW
“Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys” is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on providing people with tools to enrich and advance their lives mentally, physically, and emotionally. Callers are encouraged to call (516) 387-1745 to listen or ask questions.The show is LIVE on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.12:00 p.m. Eastern. Joy is a licensed social worker, mother, trainer, speaker, mentor, actress, writer, producer and director. Ms. Keys holds a Masters in Social Work. She is a Leeway Art and Change grantee. She is passionate about making a difference in her local and global communities. Make PAYPAL donations to : https://paypal.me/saturdayswithjoykeys Follow on TWITTER:www.twitter.com/joykeys. Become a fan on FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/saturdaymorningswithjoykeys. Follow on INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/saturdayswithjoykeys. Email me at saturdayswithjoykeys (at) hotmail (dot) com
Regina Hartfield is CEO and president of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Hartfield served on the association’s board of directors for three years, including as chair of the fundraising committee. Previously, she managed federal, state and commercial contracts for CVP, an information technology consulting firm in Virginia and Maryland. Hartfield was a community affairs professional in the nonprofit arena in New York for more than 25 years where she gained experience as a leader in nonprofit organizations. She graduated with honors from Lehman College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in community outreach.
Servio Astacio was born in the Dominican Republic with sickle cell anemia and experienced symptoms from an early age. His condition prevented him from pursuing his dream of military service, but he remains driven to growing in other areas of his life. Now 25 years old, Astacio lives in Miami, owns a business and pursues interests in finance and technology. He advocates for sickle cell awareness and research and has spoken at conferences, symposia and roundtables.
Regina Hartfield is CEO and president of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Hartfield served on the association’s board of directors for three years, including as chair of the fundraising committee. Previously, she managed federal, state and commercial contracts for CVP, an information technology consulting firm in Virginia and Maryland. Hartfield was a community affairs professional in the nonprofit arena in New York for more than 25 years where she gained experience as a leader in nonprofit organizations. She graduated with honors from Lehman College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in community outreach.
Servio Astacio was born in the Dominican Republic with sickle cell anemia and experienced symptoms from an early age. His condition prevented him from pursuing his dream of military service, but he remains driven to growing in other areas of his life. Now 25 years old, Astacio lives in Miami, owns a business and pursues interests in finance and technology. He advocates for sickle cell awareness and research and has spoken at conferences, symposia and roundtables.
THIS IS A PRE-RECORDED INTERVEW.
Catherine Adel West was born and raised in Chicago, IL where she currently resides. She graduated with both her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Journalism from the University of Illinois - Urbana. Her work is published in Black Fox Literary Magazine, Five2One, Better than Starbucks, Doors Ajar, 805 Lit + Art, The Helix Magazine, Lunch Ticket and Gay Magazine.
Catherine's sophomore novel THE TWO LIVES OF SARA is slated for release September 6, 2022 (Park Row Books). Her debut novel SAVING RUBY KING was published June 2020 (Park Row Books). Her short story ORION'S STAR is featured in the body positive anthology EVERY BODY SHINES (Bloomsbury, May 2021).
In between writing and traveling, Catherine works as an editor.
THIS IS A PRE-RECORDED INTERVEW.
Catherine Adel West was born and raised in Chicago, IL where she currently resides. She graduated with both her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Journalism from the University of Illinois - Urbana. Her work is published in Black Fox Literary Magazine, Five2One, Better than Starbucks, Doors Ajar, 805 Lit + Art, The Helix Magazine, Lunch Ticket and Gay Magazine.
Catherine's sophomore novel THE TWO LIVES OF SARA is slated for release September 6, 2022 (Park Row Books). Her debut novel SAVING RUBY KING was published June 2020 (Park Row Books). Her short story ORION'S STAR is featured in the body positive anthology EVERY BODY SHINES (Bloomsbury, May 2021).
In between writing and traveling, Catherine works as an editor.
Pre-recorded interview
Corey Gumbs, the owner of Black Label Media, LLC, has over 20 years of experience in recording as an independent music producer and artist. His experience in the music industry also includes working as an intern at Def Jam Records as a key member of their street promotions team in the mid-late 90s, as well as promotional tour support for Def Jam recording artist Foxy Brown, and Violator Records recording artists CRU during the 1997 Smoking Grooves Tour.
He is currently the founder of Black Label Media, LLC and chief recording engineer of its service imprint: Black Label Podcast Studio, as well as the chief Podcast Development Strategist.
In addition, Corey has a Bachelor of Science in Web Development and Design from Full Sail University.
He is also the Founder of The Black Podcasters Association Powered By Afros & Audio, an online community dedicated to black podcast creatives and professionals. His mission is to create a space that offers support, collaboration, and can act as an advocacy body for Black podcaster creatives and professionals within the greater podcast economy.
To work with Corey or to learn more about Black Label Media, LLC’s, Black Label Podcast Studio, or our other programs and services, contact the team at: team@blacklabelmediallc.com
Pre-recorded interview
Corey Gumbs, the owner of Black Label Media, LLC, has over 20 years of experience in recording as an independent music producer and artist. His experience in the music industry also includes working as an intern at Def Jam Records as a key member of their street promotions team in the mid-late 90s, as well as promotional tour support for Def Jam recording artist Foxy Brown, and Violator Records recording artists CRU during the 1997 Smoking Grooves Tour.
He is currently the founder of Black Label Media, LLC and chief recording engineer of its service imprint: Black Label Podcast Studio, as well as the chief Podcast Development Strategist.
In addition, Corey has a Bachelor of Science in Web Development and Design from Full Sail University.
He is also the Founder of The Black Podcasters Association Powered By Afros & Audio, an online community dedicated to black podcast creatives and professionals. His mission is to create a space that offers support, collaboration, and can act as an advocacy body for Black podcaster creatives and professionals within the greater podcast economy.
To work with Corey or to learn more about Black Label Media, LLC’s, Black Label Podcast Studio, or our other programs and services, contact the team at: team@blacklabelmediallc.com
Nasheeda Pollard is a wife and proud mother of two beautiful breastfed children! An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, author of Magical Milk, and owner of Lactation Goddess LLC. A brand focused on helping new and expecting families unapologetically define their breastfeeding journey so they can feel confident in their abilities to lactate in a way that fits their lifestyle.
Her passion for supporting lactating families of color and normalizing breastfeeding is the motivation behind Magical Milk. Working with breastfeeding families and hearing their stories along with her own experiences pushed her into purpose.
In this much anticipated follow up to New York Times bestselling Beasts of Prey, Koffi’s powers grow stronger and Ekon’s secrets turn darker as they face the god of death.
Koffi has saved her city and the boy she loves, but at a terrible price. Now a servant to the cunning god of death, she must use her newfound power to further his continental conquest, or risk the safety of her home and loved ones. As she reluctantly learns to survive amidst unexpected friends and foes, she will also have to choose between the life—and love—she once had, or the one she could have, if she truly embraces her dangerous gifts.
ABOUT AYANA GRAY:
Ayana Gray is a New York Times bestselling young adult fantasy author and a lover of all things monsters, mythos, and magic. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she reads avidly, follows Formula One racing, and worries over the varying moods of her adopted baby black rhino, Apollo, and her mini goldendoodle, Dolly. Her debut novel, Beasts of Prey, is being adapted for feature film.
MOROWA YEJIDÉ, a native of Washington, DC, is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Time of the Locust, which was a 2012 finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize, long-listed for the 2015 PEN/Bingham Prize, and a 2015 NAACP Image Award nominee; and Creatures of Passage, which was short-listed for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and was a 2021 Notable Book selection by NPR and the Washington Post. She lives in the DC area with her husband and three sons.
NEPHTHYS KINWELL IS A TAXI DRIVER OF SORTS in Washington, DC, ferrying passengers in a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere with a ghost in the trunk. Endless rides and alcohol help her manage her grief over the death of her twin brother, Osiris, who was murdered and dumped in the Anacostia River. Unknown to Nephthys when the novel opens in 1977, her estranged great-nephew, ten-year-old Dash, is finding himself drawn to the banks of that very same river. It is there that Dash—reeling from having witnessed an act of molestation at his school, but still questioning what and who he saw—has charmed conversations with a mysterious figure he calls the “River Man.”
When Dash arrives unexpectedly at Nephthys’s door bearing a cryptic note about his unusual conversations with the River Man, Nephthys must face what frightens her most.
Morowa Yejidé’s deeply captivating novel shows us an unseen Washington filled with otherworldly landscapes, flawed super-humans, and reluctant ghosts, and brings together a community intent on saving one young boy in order to reclaim itself.
Louis Chude-Sokei’s work includes the award-winning, The Last Darky: Bert Williams, Black on Black Minstrelsy and the African Diaspora, The Sound of Culture: Diaspora and Black Technopoetics as well as the acclaimed memoir, Floating in A Most Peculiar Way. He teaches at Boston University, directs the African American Studies Program and is Editor in Chief of the journal, The Black Scholar. He is also founder of the sonic art and archival project, Echolocution and was a curator of Carnegie Hall’s 2022 Festival of Afrofuturism.
Special Guest:
Dr. Kyra S. O’Brien grew up in Northern Virginia and received her bachelor’s of science in biology from Yale University. She received her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and stayed to complete her internal medicine internship and neurology residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focus during medical school and residency aimed to characterize the clinical syndrome of primary age-related tauopathy and identify its potential genetic risk factors. As a clinical fellow at the Penn Memory Center, she hopes to focus her research on improving access to and quality of care within community practices for patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. She is excited to gain more experience with clinical trials and looks forward to working with the staff, patients and caregivers at the Penn Memory Center.
LaSheena Riley-Duval, MSW, LSW, CCM, is a licensed social worker with more than 15 years of experience working in a variety of settings within diverse communities. LaSheena’s career started as a case manager working with children, youth, and families victimized by sexual abuse. Additionally, she has worked extensively with adolescents and families in areas of behavioral health, parenting, and life skills training. LaSheena currently works as a high school social worker in the City of Philadelphia. Her passion is working with teens and their families to combat barriers to success. In the evenings LaSheena is a therapist working with adults, children, and families impacted by trauma.
Janelle S. Peifer, PhD, LCP is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond. She also leads Peifer Psychology (peiferpsychology.com) as a speaker and consultant for organizations committed to inclusive excellent and mental wellness. In addition, as a licensed clinical psychologist, she founded and leads The Center for Inclusive Therapy + Wellness (inclusivetherapywellness.com). Dr. Peifer earned her PhD in Clinical and School Psychology at the University of Virginia and is an alumna of Wake Forest University. Her research examines college student development with a focus on questions of identity, intercultural competence, and mental health with a focus on complex trauma
Alex Jennings is a writer/editor/teacher/poet living in New Orleans. He was born in Wiesbaden (Germany) and raised in Gaborone (Botswana), Tunis (Tunisia), Paramaribo (Surinam) and the United States. He constantly devours pop culture and writes mostly jokes on Twitter (@magicknegro). He loves music, film, comix, and even some TV. He’s going a little nuts shut up in his Central City apartment, but thankfully he has two of the best roommates on earth (one of whom is a beautiful beautiful dog named Karate Valentino. His debut novel, The Ballad of Perilous Graves is due out from Redhook in 2022. You can also find him goofing around on Instagram: (@magicknegro)
Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To Perilous Graves, it’s simply home.
In a world of everyday miracles, Perry might not have a talent for magic, but he does know Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. So when the city’s Great Magician starts appearing in odd places and essential songs are forgotten, Perry realizes trouble is afoot.
Nine songs of power have escaped from the piano that maintains the city’s beat, and without them, Nola will fail. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. But a storm is brewing, and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Nola’s time might be coming to an end.
Namina Forna is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Gilded Ones, the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy. She has an MFA in film and TV production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA from Spelman College. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, she moved to the US when she was nine and has been traveling back and forth ever since. She now works as a screenwriter in Los Angeles and loves building fantastical worlds and telling stories with fierce female leads. Visit her on twitter at @NaminaForna and on Instagram at @namina.forna.
Discover the gripping sequel to Namina Forna's New York Times bestselling YA fantasy, THE GILDED ONES. Set in an ancient West African-inspired world, this series is perfect for fans of CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE and BLACK PANTHER.
THE MERCILESS ONES is the second, thrilling instalment of the epic fantasy series in which a young heroine fights against a world that would dare tame her.
Ladee Hubbard is the author of The Rib King and The Talented Ribkins, which received the 2018 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction. Her writing has appeared in Guernica, The Times Literary Supplement, Copper Nickel and Callaloo. Hubbard is a recipient of a Radcliffe Institute Fellowship, a Berlin Prize Fellowship, and a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award. She has also received fellowships from MacDowell, Art Omi, the Sacatar Foundation, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, Hedgebrook, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Born in Massachusetts and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida, Ladee Hubbard currently lives in New Orleans.
'Queen of Glory' is the story of Sarah Obeng, the brilliant child of Ghanaian immigrants, who is quitting her Ivy League PhD program to follow her married lover to Ohio. When her mother dies suddenly, she bequeaths her daughter a Christian bookstore in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx where Sarah was raised. A follow-up on the classic immigrant's tale, Queen of Glory provokes laughter and empathy, as its heroine is reborn through her inheritance.
Nana Mensah – Director / Writer / “Sarah Obeng” Nana Mensah is a Ghanaian-American writer, director, producer, and actress. Upcoming, Mensah will star in Queen of Glory, which she also wrote, produced, and directed. Queen of Glory will premiere in the U.S. Narrative Competition lineup at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 15, 2021 as a part of their Juneteenth programming. This film also marks Mensah's directorial feature debut.
On August 20, 2021, Mensah will appear in a series regular role opposite Sandra Oh and Bob Balaban in Netflix’s upcoming six-episode half hour comedy series The Chair.
This Fall, Mensah is attached to reprise her role in the Off-Broadway play Nollywood Dreams.
Most recently, Mensah was a staff writer on Season 2 of Random Acts of Flyness at HBO and is currently staff writing on Amazon's The Power.
She also co-wrote and co-starred in Season 2 of Netflix’s Bonding.
Previous film credits include: IFC's Farewell Amor (which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival), Like Father, The King of Staten Island, and the upcoming A24 film After Yang. Previous TV credits include: Madame Secretary, Evil, Little America, New Amsterdam and 13 Reasons Why.
Kevin McGruder is Associate Professor of History at Antioch College. His interest in community formation led to a career in community development, with positions that included Program Director at Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Director of Real Estate Development with the Abyssinian Development Corporation (Harlem), and Executive Director of Gay Men of African Descent (New York City). Now as an academic, his research interests include African American institutions, urban history, and LGBTQ history. He has a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University, an M.B.A. in Real Estate Finance from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in U.S. History from the Graduate Center of City University of New York. He is the author of Race and Real Estate: Conflict and Cooperation in Harlem, 1890-1920 and Philip Payton: The Father of Black Harlem.
JaimeSanders is the author of the award-winning blog The Migraine Diva. She is a participant with the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients, with whom she worked to create an Issue Brief on Disparities in Headache and is a part of the leadership of the Disparities in Headache Advisory Council (DiHAC).
Jaime is a stakeholder with the Headache and Migraine Policy Forum, works with the Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Migraine Network, sits on the Patient Leadership Council with the National Headache Foundation, and serves on HealthyWomen’s Chronic Pain Advisory Council.
She has lived with migraine since the age of two and has been chronic and intractable for the last fifteen years. Through her advocacy work and blog, Jaime’s mission is to make a very invisible disease visible to the rest of the world and validate the real pain of millions.
The Migraine Diva – http://www.themigrainediva.com
Eric K. Washington is an independent historian and a Bundles Community Scholar of Columbia University. Hismost recent book is Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal (Liveright, 2019), the biography of aonce influential Black railway labor figure and his Harlem-based workforce. The book won the Herbert H. Lehman Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in New York History(New York Academy of History), the GANYC Apple Award(Guides Association of New York City) and special recognition as a finalist for the Brendan Gill Prize(Municipal Art Society of New York). Washington is a board member of the Biographers International Organization (BIO), for which he spearheads the Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship, an annual award for African American biography,.
A native of Durham, North Carolina, April Parker Jones first came to prominence through the role of Darcy on the cult sci-fi series Jericho (CBS 2006-2008).
Born in Durham, North Carolina, Parker Jones attended North Carolina Central University.
She received two Audelco Award nominations for her original portrayal in the role of Christina in the Off Broadway World Premiere of Plenty of Time, in which she costarred with her now husband, Joseph Jay Jones.
She landed her first major TV appearance in 2006 on CSI: Miami.
April’s Theater training has paved her way to numerous and exciting recurring roles on CBS’s S.W.A.T., TNT’s The Last Ship, Fox’s The Resident, ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder, Lifetime’s Devious Maids, Freeform’s The Foster’s and the CW’s rebooted teen soap 90210.
In 2016, Parker Jones returned to her roots to originate the role of ‘Genie Ann Parker’ in the stage production of Love Soul Deep written and directed by Patricia Cuffie-Jones, in which she was nominated for a NAACP Theatre Award.
April Parker Jones has most notably held the series regular role of ‘Natalie,’ a single mother and fast-food restaurant Manager on Tyler Perry’s television drama If Loving You Is Wrong on the OWN Network which made its series finale in 2020 after 5 seasons and the series regular role of ‘Colonel Lauren Haley’ on the CW series, Supergirl.
Currently, she is set in the series regular role of ‘Lorraine Swift’ on the upcoming CW series, Tom Swift and also recurs on the Peacock series, Bel-Air.
Social Media Handles: Instagram/Twitter - @a_parkerjones Facebook - April Parker Jones
Bethany C. Morrow is a national bestselling author writing for adult and young adult audiences. She is the author of the novels Mem, A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix, and Cherish Farrah. She is the editor/contributor to the young adult anthology TAKE THE MIC, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award. Her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
C. J. Washington is a data scientist and writer. He has a master’s degree in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and daughter. The Intangible is his first novel.
Aishah Shahidah Simmons (she/her) is an award-winning Black feminist lesbian cultural worker who has examined the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and sexual violence for over 25-years. A survivor of childhood and adult sexual violence committed to healing and non-carceral accountability, Aishah is the editor of the 2020 Lambda Literary Award-winning anthology, love WITH accountability: Digging Up the Roots of Child Sexual Abuse (A.K. Press), and the producer/director of the 2006- released, Ford Foundation-funded film, NO! The Rape Documentary. Aishah has received numerous awards and fellowships, including selection for the 2022 Changemakers Authors Cohort and a 2020 Soros Media Fellowship. She is a 20-year Buddhist student and practitioner, formerly in the S.N. Goenka tradition for 17-years and presently in the Insight tradition.
PRE-RECORDED INTERVIEW
2022 Stroke Awareness Month- Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of serious disability for adults. It is also preventable and treatable.
***Dr. Rani Whitfield-I have been in Private Practice and living in my home town of Baton Rouge since 2000. My specialty in Sports Medicine has allowed me to grow my outreach to youth in the Baton Rouge area and across the nation. I speak frequently for the American Heart/American Stroke Association and have been featured on CNN- House Call with Sanjay Gupta, the Michael Baisden Show, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, traveled with Tavis Smiley and his Road to Health Tour, and have recently been featured in Ebony, Jet, and Essence. I have developed a comic book series to educate youth on health issues (www.legionofhealth.com) and several music CD's with the same goals in mind.
***Hyvelle Ferguson--Davis-Stroke, Hewart Attack and Diabetes survivor- She is 48 and now motivating others, especially African Americans. Hypertension, a leading cause of stroke and heart attack, affects more than half of African American adults. Last year, Ferguson-Davis became an ambassador for Know Diabetes by Heart, a joint health and education initiative of the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. She also recently started her own group for African American women called Heart Sistas, where members, including her sister Judy Ferguson-Missick, share heart-healthy information and motivation. One of their sisters recently died from a stroke, Ferguson-Davis said.
Thabiti Lewis is from St. Louis Missouri, where he grew up in West and North St. Louis. A graduate of the University of Rochester, he received degrees in both English and History (with honors), and the Masters in the Art of Teaching (English) from the University of Rochester’s School of Education.
He obtained a doctorate in English from Saint Louis University with a special focus on American literature and culture between the 1950s-1990s and Black Feminist writer Toni Cade Bambara. While completing his doctorate he earned a fellowship at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Tajja Isen is a writer, editor, and voice actor. Her first book, Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service, is forthcoming in 2022 from Atria/One Signal Publishers in the US, and from Doubleday Canada north of the border. She is the co-editor of the essay anthology The World As We Knew It: Dispatches from a Changing Climate, also forthcoming in 2022, from Catapult. Her essays have appeared in dozens of outlets across the US and Canada.
She is the editor-in-chief of Catapult magazine, the former digital editor for The Walrus, and has also edited for Electric Literature. A voice actor for over two decades, Tajja can be heard assuming various guises and accents on such animated shows as Atomic Betty, The Berenstain Bears, Super Why!, Go Dog Go, My Big Big Friend, Jane and the Dragon, and many others––a habit she can’t easily discard when she leaves the studio. She went to law school, but it didn’t stick.
Special guest: Belinda Birnbaum, MD, Rheumatologist at Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists. Medical degree from University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Member of American College of Rheumatology and lPhiladelphia Rheumatism Society.. Previous positions : Temple University; Assistant Professor of Rheumatology 2005-2007 and The University of Pennsylvania; Assistant Professor of Rheumatology 2008-2016. Affiliated with Lupus Foundation of America.
Special guest: Cheri M. Perron, Chair of the Board of Directors 2022. Cheri Perron, of Philadelphia, PA, has been a volunteer for the Lupus Foundation of America, Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter for more than 20 years. She is chair emeritus of the Chapter Board of Directors and has previously served in the role of Board Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. Cher is a Chapter Ambassador, advocate, SLESH (SLE Self Help Course) facilitator, and Peer Mentor.. Cheri was diagnosed with lupus in 1994. Lupus Foundation of America: http://ww.lupus.org
Special guest: Dr. DeAnna Baker Frost is an adult rheumatologist and physician-scientist. A native of Baltimore, MD, she completed a combined M.D. and Ph.D. degree program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2012 and an Internal Medicine residency at Duke University in 2014. Upon completion of her residency, she became a certified American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) physician and returned to MUSC as an adult rheumatology fellow in the ABIM physician-scientist research pathway. Dr. Baker Frost was chosen as the Chief Rheumatology Fellow in 2017 and an American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Fellow in 2018. She then joined faculty at MUSC as an Assistant Professor in 2018 and became an ABIM-certified adult rheumatologist
Dorothy Roberts is the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. A contributor to the 1619 Project, she is the author of four books, including Killing the Black Body. Her other books include Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century (New Press, 2011); and Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare (Basic Books, 2002),.
Many believe the child welfare system protects children from abuse. But as Torn Apart uncovers, this system is designed to punish Black families. Drawing on decades of research, legal scholar and sociologist Dorothy Roberts reveals that the child welfare system is better understood as a “family policing system” that collaborates with law enforcement and prisons to oppress Black communities. Child protection investigations ensnare a majority of Black children, putting their families under intense state surveillance and regulation. Black children are disproportionately likely to be torn from their families and placed in foster care, driving many to juvenile detention and imprisonment.
The only way to stop the destruction caused by family policing, Torn Apart argues, is to abolish the child welfare system and liberate Black communities.
Zain Ejiofor Asher was born to first-generation Nigerian parents in South London. A graduate of Oxford University and Columbia University, she is currently an anchor for CNN International. She anchors the weekend edition of CNN Newsroom and is currently launching One World with Zain Asher, her own global news program on the network. Ejiofor Asher’s brothers are Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, successful entrepreneur Obinze, and medical doctor Kandibe. She is passionate about her family, career, and being of service. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.
Umar Turaki's writing has been shortlisted for the Miles Morland Scholarship, longlisted for the Short Story Day Africa Prize, and has won the AFREADA Photo-Story Competition. Umar's short films have screened in numerous festivals, and his work in television both as a writer and director has been broadcast on various stations. Umar lives in Kelowna, British Columbia with his wife and daughter, where he is an MFA candidate in Creative Writing at UBC Okanangan.
SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO BEHOLD, is literary, dystopian, and in this age of COVID, all too plausible. An African village is cut off from the world when a mysterious illness called the Grey spreads rapidly, affecting the villagers’ eyes and minds, leaving many dead.With the village surrounded by military blockades, a family of estranged siblings are forced to re-evaluate their relationships when they come face-to-face with an unstoppable evil.
Dr. Divya Patel’s focus is to improve the clinical care of patients with sarcoidosis and to be an advocate for them. She has completed specialized training in sarcoidosis and participates in clinical research with the aim to improve the quality of life of patients. She routinely recruits patients for both single-center and multi-center clinical studies including industry sponsored and investigator initiated clinical trials.
Dr. Patel is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pulmonology and Director of the Sarcoidosis and ILD Programs at the University of Florida.
Erica Courtenay-Mann was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 2011 after it attacked her larynx and deactivated one of her vocal cords. It was later detected in her lungs, resulting in pulmonary sarcoidosis. After a bout of remission due to the various treatment and lifestyle changes, Erica came out of remission in 2017 and now has oral / perioral sarcoidosis.
A three card-Monty winner with sarcoidosis does not stop her from being a FSR advocate, talking with others about living with a chronic illness, and enjoying all that life has to offer. Erica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago, but her true passion is helping others.
Actor and producer Ryan Michelle Bathé currently stars in NBC’s high-stakes thriller series THE ENDGAME. She portrays the relentless and socially-outcast FBI agent Val Turner, who is on the hunt for an international arms dealer. In 2020, Bathé starred in the Emmy nominated Amazon film SYLVIE’S LOVE, directed by Eugene Ashe, and in CBS’ ALL RISE, opposite Simone Missick. Since 2019, she has starred in the BET+ dramedy FIRST WIVES CLUB, based on the classic 1996 film of the same name. Bathé portrays Ari, a confident, type-A attorney with impeccable style who is reunited with her best friends after a crisis.
In 2020, Bathé launched DOWN ON MAPLE PRODUCTIONS and signed a first look deal with ViacomCBS MTV Entertainment Group. The partnership covers content created and/or developed for television and new media, with the focus on identifying emerging talent and underrepresented voices.
Bathé’s diverse television credits include roles in ABC’s THE ROOKIE, Fox’s EMPIRE, NBC’s THIS IS US, Lifetime’s ARMY WIVES and TV Land’s RETIRED AT 35. She has also appeared in GOOD FENCES, ER, DR. KEN, MEDIUM, BOSTON LEGAL, TRAUMA, HALF & HALF, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, THE EDUCATION OF MAX BICKFORD and HARRY’S LAW. In film, Bathe co-starred in Lionsgate’s ONE FOR THE MONEY, as well as the independent features ALL ABOUT US, BROTHER TO BROTHER and LEAVING BARSTOW, for which she received critical acclaim on the festival circuit.
Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything that involves romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. Sharon writes contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense and enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She’s been nominated for numerous awards and is the recipient of Romance Slam Jam Emma Awards for Author of the Year 2019, Favorite Hero 2019 (Indebted), Romantic Suspense of the Year 2015 (Truth or Consequences), Interracial Romance of the Year 2015 (All You'll Ever Need), and BRAB Award-Breakout Author of the Year 2014, to name a few. When Sharon isn’t writing, she’s hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work or reading a good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, visit www.sharoncooper.net.
Business Not As Usual: I am beautiful. I am confident. I am lovable. I am a lottery winner. This is the mantra that will get Dreamy Daniels through each day until she makes it big. So what if she lives in a seedy part of Los Angeles in a house that’s one earthquake away from crumbling, or works an unfulfilling secretarial job while struggling to finish her bachelor’s degree? All Dreamy needs to do is win the lottery, which she’s been entering in as a weekly tradition with her grandfather. When she catches the attention of her boss’s potential investor, Dreamy has to remind herself to focus on her career goals so she can be her own boss. Who cares if he has the social grace of the Duke of Sussex and the suaveness of Idris Elba? No distractions allowed.
Coss Marte grew up in New York's Lower East Side, where he began dealing drugs at a young age, with his first arrest at only thirteen years old.
In prison, Marte was told by doctors that if he didn't start eating right and exercising, he was likely going to die within five years. This wakeup call for Marte motivated him to do calisthenics with his own body weight, losing over 70lbs in 6 months. Gaining the attention of others, Marte began training inmates, helping them lose over 1000 pounds collectively. It was in solitary confinemJoy Keys,podcast,women podcasters, black podcasters,Philly podcasters,Philadelphia,Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys,nt where Marte created a business plan to take his fitness program outside of his cell upon release; which became a reality in 2016 with the launch of CONBODY's first fitness studio, located on the same NYC street corner where Marte was arrested.
CONBODY hires formerly incarcerated trainers de-stigmatize the formerly incarcerated community and ease their integration back into society. Through the CONBODY FOUNDATION,.
Special Guests: Kalina Sanders, MD, a board-certified neurologist, specializes in multiple sclerosis and spasticity management. As a former assistant professor of neurology, she stays abreast of cutting-edge treatments and clinical research. Dr. Sanders also serves on local and national clinical advisory committees for the National MS Society. Her areas of expertise include: Multiple SclerosisSpasticityHealth Literacy Dr. Sander's patient-centered philosophy of care is one that aims to impact and improve quality of life. She strives to get to know her patients beyond their diagnosis. She treats each and every patient with compassion and feels a responsibility to educate them on their illness and general wellness.
Special Guest: Tanina Agosto is an enthusiastic member of the National MS Society’s New York City chapter who is committed to their mission. She has volunteered at their pediatric program, legal day, Bike MS, Climb MS and during MS Awareness Week, just to name a few. In fact, last year Tanina challenged herself by climbing 66 flights to the Top of the Rock. Diagnosed with MS in 2008, Tanina has become involved in a big way. As a chapter ambassador, she is at ease while speaking to the public, engaging while sharing information and she is a champion at promoting the Society’s programs. Although employed full time, Tanina is someone that the Society can depend on. Her participation in the 20s and 30s group and the Conference for African American/Black Families Affected by MS extends to community outreach where she makes connections and motivates new participants. She initiates conversations while creating a comfortable atmosphere for those she meets and defines the term “making connections”.
Robert Child is a military history writer, director, and published author with Penguin/Random House. The film rights to his book, co-authored with Denise George, The Last Eleven have been acquired. Robert Child has also garnered more than 26 writing and directing awards including an Emmy® nomination and is one of only a handful of writer/directors whose work has screened in the United States Congress. His film, The Wereth Eleven, was nominated for an Emmy® and won the highest honor at the G.I. Film Festival in Washington DC, the Founders Choice Award. In 2011, the survivor's association of the World War II aircraft carrier, USS Franklin, singled Child out for Honorary Crew Membership aboard the most decorated vessel in U.S. Naval history. Robert lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Immortal Valor The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II-The remarkable story of the seven African American soldiers ultimately awarded the World War II Medal of Honor, and the 50-year campaign to deny them their recognition.
Colon Cancer Awareness Month
Guest;: Ashwani Rajput, MD, Director, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center - National Capital Region, Professor of Surgery, specializes in the surgical treatment of melanoma as well as colorectal, pancreas and liver cancers. Dr. Rajput is a member of the Kimmel Cancer Center's comprehensive Melanoma Program.
Dr. Rajput’s research is focused on key signal transduction regulators of cancer metastases. He is the author of numerous scientific journal articles.
A graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Dr. Rajput also completed general surgery training at Case Western Reserve University and a fellowship in surgical oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.
Guest: CarlaAnn Henry, a proud resident of Philadelphia for 20 years, has had the honor of working with patients, advocacy groups, providers, and researchers as both a coordinator and advocate. She gently guides patients and health communities to a better understanding of services, regulations, rights, and research progress. This has allowed CarlaAnn to make a significant impact in the lives of many, and to increase positive outcomes by connecting individuals, families, and caregivers to resources, disease management protocols, and other people living with similar health issues. CarlaAnn continues her patient-focused community impact today as the Colorectal Cancer Alliance's Community Organizer based in Philadelphia.
Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb was born in Yuba City, California, and was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was the concertmaster for the University Symphony Orchestra at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and served as the principal violist. He has performed with numerous small chamber ensembles and in the BESK string quartet. For the past twenty-three years, he has been a public and private school music educator, and is a Nobel Educator of Distinction. He also serves as an educational consultant for the Kennedy Center and as the concertmaster for the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra. The Violin Conspiracy is his first novel.
The Violin Conspiracy : A riveting tale about a Black classical musician whose family heirloom violin is stolen on the eve of the most prestigious classical music competition in the world…
Gutsy and nuanced as a vocalist, and an accomplished songwriter, arranger, and pianist as well, Judith Hill is likely the only musician who can cite Elton John, Spike Lee, Prince, and Michael Jackson among those who have sought out her talent. One of the highest-profile background singers of her generation, she got her start in the early 2000s, and in the next decade established a solo career with the soundtrack to Lee's Red Hook Summer (2012). Since making these strides, she has built a discography of increasingly refined and creative albums that includes the Prince-produced Back in Time (2015), followed by Golden Child (2018) and Baby, I'm Hollywood! (2021), all while continuing her work in support of other artists. Hill starred in the Academy Award- and Grammy-winning 20 Feet from Stardom, the documentary film showcasing the under-acknowledged work of backup singers.
Judith Hill earned a degree in music composition from Biola University, near her native Los Angeles. During the 2000s, she stockpiled background vocalist credits on releases by the likes of Anastacia, Robbie Williams, Evelyn "Champagne" King, and Rod Stewart. In 2009, she was selected to duet with Michael Jackson on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" during the This Is It concerts, and performed at the King of Pop's memorial service, where she took the spotlight for "Heal the World." During the next few years, Hill continued to work in a background capacity for Elton John, Gregg Allman, and Barry Manilow, to name only a fraction of her connections.
Hill co-wrote Iggy Azalea's Jennifer Hudson collaboration "Trouble." "Party Rockers," which Hill wrote and fronted for Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals.
Nana Nkweti is a Cameroonian-American writer and AKO Caine Prize finalist whose work has garnered fellowships from MacDowell, Kimbilio, Ucross, and the Wurlitzer Foundation, and several others. Her first book, Walking on Cowrie Shells, was hailed by The New York Times review as a “raucous and thoroughly impressive debut” with "stories to get lost in again and again." The collection is also a New York Times Editor's Choice, Indie Next pick, recipient of starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and BookPage; and has been featured in The New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar, Oprah Daily, The Root, NPR, Buzzfeed, and Thrillist, amongst others. The work features elements of mystery, horror, myth, and graphic novels to showcase the complexity and vibrance of African diaspora cultures and identities. Nkweti is a professor of English at the University of Alabama.
Award-winning actor William Stanford Davis currently appears on the hit ABC series “Abbott Elementary” as the opinionated yet lovable janitor Mr. Davis. He also recurs on the sports series “Swagger” as Coach Max, in a story based in Kevin Durant’s youth basketball playing experience with the AAU circuit for AppleTV+.
This classically trained actor who is born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, is a veteran of both stage and screen. He has amassed an impressive resume that is over 70 credits long appearing in some of the most popular and award-winning tv shows over the years, most notably, playing the popular Potato Pie in Donovan’s Gym on Showtime’s long running Golden Globe-winning series “Ray Donovan” and Mr. Kym on Tyler Perry and OWN’s flagship successful series “If Loving You Is Wrong.” He has also guest starred on critically lauded programs such as “Perry Mason,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Snowpiercer,” “Chicago Med,” ”Criminal Minds,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Lincoln Heights,” “Ally Mc Beal,” “Touched By An Angel,” and many, many more.
In film, Stan recently starred alongside Nafessa Williams and Sharon Neal in the film “A Holiday Chance,” which premiered in November 2021 on AppleTV+ and Hulu as well as the films “Please Stand By” starring Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette, “So B It” starring Cloris Leachman and Alfre Woodard and “Handsome” starring and directed by Jeff Garlin.
On stage, he was honored with an Ovation Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the 2006 Actors Studio Production of August Wilson’s “Fences,” and he performed in the musical production “North on South Central,” which won five NAACP Theatre Awards in 2004.
Desiree C. Bailey is the author of What Noise Against the Cane (Yale University Press, 2021), which won the 2020 Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize and was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Poetry. She is also the author of the fiction chapbook In Dirt or Saltwater (O'clock Press, 2016) and has short stories and poems published in Best American Poetry, Best New Poets, American Short Fiction, Callaloo, theAcademy of American Poets and elsewhere.Desiree is from Trinidad and Tobago, and Queens, New York.
Cassandra “Cassie" Freeman has made her mark in everything from drama to laugh out loud comedy across film, television and the stage. She will next been seen starring as Aunt Viv in Peacock’s dramatic re-telling of THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR, entitled BEL-AIR. The drama, which hails from Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios, is expected to premiere in early 2022.
In 2019, Freeman starred as FBI agent Jackie Pettigrew in NBC’s drama series THE ENEMY WITHIN alongside Morris Chestnut. She has also starred in memorable roles in TBS' THE LAST OG, ABC's FOR LIFE, Marvel's LUKE CAGE and the acclaimed FX series ATLANTA (in the iconic Juneteenth episode). In film, Freeman most recently starred in David Gutnik's MATERNA, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. She's best known for her feature roles in Spike Lee's INSIDE MAN opposite Denzel Washington and Chris Rock's I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE.
In theater, Freeman has starred off-Broadway in August Wilson’s SEVEN GUITARS, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Originally from Florida, she currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Mazella Fuller, PhD,MSW,LCSW,CEDS-S, is a Clinical Associate on staff at Duke University’s Counseling and Psychological Services(CAPS). Dr. Fuller provides clinical services, consultation, and training for social work and psychology interns. Dr. Fuller has a PhD in Human Services and an MSW from Smith College School For Social Work. Dr Fuller is an Integrative Health Coach and graduate of Duke Integrative Medicine. Dr. Fuller is a member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation(iaedp) and Approved Supervisor(CEDS-S) of iaedp. She co-founded the Foundation’s African American Eating Disorders Professionals (AAEDP) Committee and has served on the advisory board for the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders(ANAD). Dr. Fuller is also the co-founder of the Institute for Antiracism and Equity. Dr. Fuller is also co-editor of Treating Black Women With Eating Disorders: A Clinician’s Guide, Routledge, Taylor & Francis (July 2020).
Charlynn Small, PhD, LCP, CEDS-S is Assistant Director for Health Promotions at the University of Richmond’s Counseling and Psychological Services in Virginia. She received her PhD from Howard University’s School of Education. Dr. Small is a member of the board of directors of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation (iaedpTM) and is a certified member and Approved Supervisor (CEDS-S) of iaedpTM. She co-founded the Foundation’s African-American Eating Disorders Professionals (AAEDP) Committee and has also served on the advisory board for the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). Dr. Small is co-founder of the Institute for Antiracism and Equity and also is the co-editor of Treating Black Women with Eating Disorders: A Clinician’s Guide, Routledge, Taylor & Francis (July 2021).
Singer Jake Isaac-
Born and raised in south London, UK, Isaac began playing drums at the age of 3 and during his school years taught himself to play piano and bass guitar. By 19, Isaac had begun to make a living as a part-time session musician playing drums and bass on various jazz and rock records for a variety of international artists, including the Grammy-award winning Duffy.
Marketing manager by day, songwriter and session musician by night, Jake began working with artists such as Cynthia Erivo, Gabrielle, and boy band Blue. Soon after, Jake began to try his hand at writing songs for himself, eventually landing his first major festival opening 'The Other Stage' at world-renowned Glastonbury music festival. Signing to the iconic Sir Elton John’s Rocket Music, Jake Isaac has since worked with and supported Sting, India Arie, Ella Eyre, Paloma Faith, Lake Street Dive, Joan As Police Woman, Angus and Julia Stone, Tori Kelly and Elton John himself.
This is a prerecorded interview from Instagram
At the age of 25, Tamika Felder was diagnosed with cervical cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. She lost her uterus, her cervix, and as a result, her fertility. Tamika opted to use her experience and her loud, powerful and humorous voice to educate other women about ways to prevent cervical cancer. By telling her story, Tamika inspired other women to start speaking about HPV and cervical cancer, which led to a network of survivors supporting each other and educating each other. From this network, Cervivor was born.
Tamika’s path of patient-to-advocate / survivor-to-Cervivor inspires and mentors not only patients and medical communities, but anyone who has struggled with obstacles in their life. Named a “Cancer Rebel,” by Newsweek in a 2017 cover story, Tamika recently released the book, Seriously, What Are You Waiting For? 13 Actions To Ignite Your Life & Achieve The Ultimate Comeback. She speaks at meetings and conferences around the globe, mobilizing audiences to address the challenges in their lives, “get unstuck” and live life with purpose.
Elijah Anderson is the Sterling Professor of Sociology and of African American Studies at Yale University, and one of the leading urban ethnographers in the United States. His publications include Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City (1999), winner of the Komarovsky Award from the Eastern Sociological Society; Streetwise: Race, Class, and Change in an Urban Community(1990), winner of the American Sociological Association’s Robert E. Park Award for the best published book in the area of Urban Sociology; and the classic sociological work, A Place on the Corner(1978; 2nd ed., 2003). Anderson’s most recent ethnographic work, The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life, was published by WW Norton in 2011. Additionally, Professor Anderson is the recipient of the 2017 Merit Award from the Eastern Sociological Society and three prestigious awards from the American Sociological Association, including the 2013 Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award, the 2018 W.E.B. DuBois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award, and the 2021 Robert and Helen Lynd Award for Lifetime Achievement. And, he is the 2021 winner of the Stockholm Prize in Criminology.
Majora Carter is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. She is responsible for the creation and successful implementation of numerous economic developments, technology & green-infrastructure projects, policies and job training & placement systems, and is currently serving as Senior Program Director for Community Regeneration at Groundswell, Inc.
Her ability to shepherd projects through seemingly conflicted socio-economic currents has garnered her 8 honorary PhD's and awards such as: 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs, Silicon Alley 100 by Business Insider, Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement by News Corp, and other honors from the National Building Museum, International Interior Design Association, Center for American Progress, as well as her TEDtalk (one of six to launch that site in 2006).
Majora was born, raised and continues to live in the South Bronx. She is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science (1984), Wesleyan University (1988 BA, Distinguished Alum) and New York University (MFA).
Reclaiming Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move Out of Your Neighborhood to Live in A Better One (On sale: February 1, 2022,) In this profoundly personal book, Carter writes about her brother’s murder, transforming a local dump into an award-winning park, her experiences as a woman of color confronting the “male and pale” real estate industry and what she calls the “nonprofit industrial complex,” and more. Carter candidly shares her successes, her setbacks, and her struggles as a woman of color confronting the mostly “male and pale” real estate and nonprofit and philanthropic establishments.
Actor Arjay Smith-Going from a “child actor” to an “adult actor” can be a circus ride…but luckily things worked out for actor Arjay Smith. The Southern California native began his professional acting career some 28 years ago. In 1997, he garnered the lead role in Nickelodeon's "The Journey of Allen Strange", and in 2000 recurred as Cadet Finley on FOX's "Malcolm in the Middle".
Directly following his high-school graduation, Arjay landed his first feature film co-star role alongside Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum in the blockbuster hit "The Day After Tomorrow". In 2012, Smith began a three-season run as a series regular on TNT's "Perception" starring Eric McCormack, Rachel Leigh Cook, Kelly Rowan and LeVar Burton. After the series run, Arjay would go on to play recurring characters on TNT's "Major Crimes", FX's "Sons of Anarchy" and TBS’ “The Guest Book”. Currently, he recurs as James Murray on ABC’s “The Rookie”.
Jason is the son of pianist and music educator Ellis Marsalis and his wife Dolores, and the youngest sibling of Wynton, Branford and Delfeayo. Together, the four brothers and their patriarch Ellis, comprise New Orleans venerable first family of jazz.
By age six, not only had Jason gotten his first real drum set, but he was also taking lessons from the legendary New Orleans drummer James Black. At age seven he was sitting in with his father’s jazz group, as well as playing with his trombonist brother Delfeayo. Jason was progressing so rapidly as a drummer that in 1984 his father started using him consistently on engagements. Jason was starting to become a seasoned road veteran before the age of nine, even traveling to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston for Delfeayo’s senior recital.
Shortly after graduation from NOCCA high school in 1995, Marsalis ascended to the drum throne of a new group lead by virtuoso pianist and former sideman for Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts. Despite a demanding touring schedule with Roberts, Marsalis furthered his educational goals by attending Loyola University in New Orleans, as well as studying composition with Roger Dickerson at Southern University.
New album: Music for Meditation and Relaxation part 1
Dr. Chatelain is currently a Professor of History and African American Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was a Reach for Excellence Assistant Professor of Honors and African American Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. She is a proud native of Chicago, Illinois, and she's an even prouder graduate of the following schools: St. Ignatius College Prep, the University of Missouri-Columbia (B.A. Journalism/Religious Studies), and Brown University (A.M. and Ph.D., American Civilization). She is a scholar of African-American life and culture, and her first book South Side Girls: Growing up in the Great Migration (Duke University Press, 2015) reimagined the mass exodus of black Southerners to the urban North from the perspective of girls and teenage women.
Her latest book, the Pulitzer Prize winning Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black Americaexamines the intersection of the post-1968 civil rights struggle and the rise of the fast food industry.
Myriam J. A. Chancy-Guggenheim Fellow & HBA Chair of the Humanities at Scripps College, is a Haitian-Canadian/American writer born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and subsequently raised there and in Canada. After obtaining her BA in English/Philosophy (4-YR ADV, with Honors), from the University of Manitoba (1989) and her MA in English Literature from Dalhousie University (1990) [pronounced Dal-house-zie], she completed her Ph. D. in English at the University of Iowa (1994).
Myriam Chancy was awarded the 2011 Guyana Prize in Literature Caribbean Award for Best Fiction 2010 for her third novel, The Loneliness of Angels (Peepal Tree Press 2010; also shortlisted in the fiction category for the 2011 OCM Bocas Prize in Caribbean Literature), garnered a shortlisting for Best First Book, Canada/Caribbean region category, of the Commonwealth Prize in 2004 for her first novel, Spirit of Haiti (London: Mango Publications, 2003), and published a second novel, The Scorpion’s Claw (Peepal Tree Press 2005) to critical praise.
Her novel on the 2010 Haiti earthquake, What Storm, What Thunder will appear fall 2021 with Harper Collins Canada and Tin House in the USA. At the end of a long, sweltering day, as markets and businesses begin to close for the evening, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude shakes the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince Award-winning author Myriam J. A. Chancy masterfully charts the inner lives of the characters affected by the disaster.
**Dr. Constance Okeke received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Yale and trained in ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins. She completed her glaucoma fellowship training as a Heed Research Fellow at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of University of Miami. She became a clinician scientist under a National Institute of Health K12 grant at the Scheie Eye Institute of University of Pennsylvania, where she also earned a Master of Science degree in clinical epidemiology. She has practiced ophthalmology with a specialty in glaucoma and cataract surgery since 2001.
Dr. Okeke single-handedly pioneered micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) at Virginia Eye Consultants in the southern Virginia Hampton Roads region. In 2009, she was the first in the area to perform Trabectome surgery and was the first in the country to combine this advanced technology in glaucoma with the femtosecond laser, allowing the surgery to be performed without a blade.
**Opthamologist Dr. Leslie Jones-Dr. Jones is an associate professor in the College of Medicine and serves as the residency program director and director of Glaucoma Services in the department. Dr. Jones completed her medical degree in 1996 and ophthalmology residency in 2000 at Howard University and Howard University Hospital, followed by a fellowship in glaucoma at Wills Eye Hospital, the country’s oldest eye hospital located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Jones is the recipient of the American Glaucoma Society Clinician Scientist Award 2005. Her research focuses on the genetic epidemiology of glaucoma, the evaluation of current and innovative glaucoma medical and surgical therapies, and use of on-line simulation as an adjunct to traditional ophthalmic clinical skills training.
Bio: Buki Papillon was born in Nigeria, the oldest of six. After studying law at Hull University in the UK, she completed an MFA in Creative Writing at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has received several fellowships and awards for her writing and is an alumnus of Key West Literary, Vermont Studio Centre and Vona Voices residencies and workshops. Her work was published in Post Road Magazine and the Del Sol Review. She has in the past been a travel adviser, events host and chef. Buki currently lives in Boston, where she is resigned to finding inspiration in the long winters.
An extraordinary literary debut about a Nigerian boy’s secret intersex identity and her desire to live as a girl, Buki Papillon’s An Ordinary Wonder draws from art, proverbs, and folktales to present a deeply moving queer coming of age story.
The Yoruba people of Nigeria have an extraordinarily high rate of twins, and a mythology to match – the story of Taiwo and Kehinde, the one who came first, and the one who lagged behind. In Papillon’s story, we follow another set of twins, Otolorin – one who walks a different path; and Wuraola – a wealth of gold.
Bria Samoné Henderson can currently be seen playing 'Dr. Jordan Allen' in David Shore's hit medical drama series THE GOOD DOCTOR for ABC. She also appeared as the radical feminist and "Ms. Magazine" editor, Margaret Sloan, in the FX for Hulu critically acclaimed limited series MRS. AMERICA, opposite Cate Blanchett, Niecy Nash, Uzo Aduba, and Sarah Paulson. In 2021, Bria was nominated by Niecy Nash for the Women in Film Pathmaker Grant. She also appeared in the short film PREPARED and won the award for "Outstanding Comedic Actress (Short Film)" at the Micheaux Film Festival. In between acting gigs, Bria executive produced, wrote, and starred in the pilot VIRGINALITY. The pilot is about the misadventures of a 30-ish year old virgin. Previously, Bria was chosen to be in the NBC Spotlight Diversity Showcase. She received her MFA in Acting from the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program and her B.A. in Drama at Spelman College.
DAWN TURNER is an award-winning journalist and novelist. A former columnist and reporter for the Chicago Tribune, Turner spent a decade and a half writing about race, politics and people whose stories are often dismissed and ignored. Turner, who served as a 2017 and 2018 juror for the Pulitzer Prize in commentary, has written commentary for The Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, CBS Sunday Morning News show, NPR’s Morning Edition show, the Chicago Tonight show, and elsewhere. She has covered national presidential conventions, as well as Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential election and inauguration. Turner has been a regular commentator for several national and international news programs, and has reported from around the world in countries such as Australia, China, France, and Ghana. She spent the 2014–2015 school year as a Nieman Journalism fellow at Harvard University. In 2018, she served as a fellow and journalist-in-residence at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. Turner is the author of two novels, Only Twice I’ve Wished for Heaven and An Eighth of August. In 2018, she established the Dawn M. Turner and Kim D. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Media at her alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The animating question at the center of Dawn Turner’s profound, gorgeously written, and resonant memoirTHREE GIRLS FROM BRONZEVILLE is: when did we lose them? Them being the author’s sister, Kim,and her best friend, Debra. One dead by 25, the other imprisoned for decades after killing a man. Why did they fall behind while another graduated college and became an award-winning journalist? Why was Dawn given grace to learn from her mistakes while Debra and Kim never recovered? Three Girls from Bronzeville is Dawn’s attempt to find answers.
NADIFA MOHAMED was born in 1981 in Hargeisa, Somaliland. At the age of four she moved with her family to London. She is the author of Black Mamba Boy and The Orchard of Lost Souls. She has received both The Betty Trask Award and the Somerset Maugham Award, and in 2013, she was named as one of Granta‘s Best of Young British Novelists. Her work appears regularly in The Guardian and the BBC. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, she lives in London.
Her latest novel is called The Fortune Men. Mahmood Mattan is a fixture in Cardiff's Tiger Bay, 1952, which bustles with Somali and West Indian sailors, Maltese businessmen and Jewish families. He is a father, chancer, petty criminal. He is a smooth-talker with rakish charm and an eye for a good game. He is many things, but he is not a murderer.
Special guest: American Diabetes Association Ambassador-
Anthony Wilson has long known about a heart condition that caused his heart to race, but the EMS professional was unaware of his type 2 diabetes until the day he nearly died. An Emergency Medical Technician for more than 33 years and current operations manager of an ambulance service, Anthony has always had a passion for helping others. As a national ambassador for Know Diabetes by Heart, Anthony adds his voice to the landmark collaboration between American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association to educate people like him about the link between type 2 diabetes and heart disease and stroke. His professional experiences in EMS and personal experience with a diabetes crisis make Anthony well-aware of the dual threats of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Helping one person get tested for diabetes or encouraging one person living with type 2 to take care of their cardiovascular health is his goal.
Special Guest: Stephanie Chung, M.B.B.S., Clinical researcher from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the NIH. Dr. Chung is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The Children's National Health System. She is a Pediatric Endocrinologist – Faculty, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center/ Eunice Kennedy Shriver Fellowship Training Program NICHD, NIH. The Institute;'s overall goal is to minimize the burden of diabetes health disparities across the lifespan through improving diabetes prevention and management. By elucidating the complex association of biological, social and environmental factors to the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases, we will evaluate current paradigms and promote the development of novel screening and therapeutic strategies.
Samuel F. Reynolds, ISAR CAP, a former skeptic, had a life-changing visit to an astrologer and has since spent 30 years doing charts and studying astrology.
He currently serves on the board of directors for the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and the International Academy of Astrology. He’s also a co-founder of the International Society of Black Astrologers, and a faculty member for the International Academy of Astrology.
He’s written for multiple print and online outlets, including Ebony.com, horoscope.com, tarot.com, and New York Magazine. His home website is UnlockAstrology.com.
Namina Forna is a young adult novelist based in Los Angeles, and the author of the New York Times bestselling fantasy The Gilded Ones. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, she moved to the US when she was nine and has been traveling back and forth ever since. Namina loves building fantastical worlds and telling stories with fierce female leads.
Whether Michael Mayo is performing with his band, as a guest, or alone with a looper pedal, the LA native’s commanding and other worldly vocalese is quickly gathering critical and commercial acclaim around the globe. Born to two successful musicians, Mayo grew up just a little more than 20 feet from the likes of Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, Earth Wind and Fire, and Stevie Wonder. This proximity helped Mayo create a musical path centered around elements of R&B, Soul and Jazz, forging his musical identity long before he hit the stage. Mayo attended the acclaimed Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, only the third vocalist to be accepted into the 20-year-old program, where he learned from the likes of Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Now living in Brooklyn, and still in his 20s, Mayo is a veteran international performer whose highlights include singing at the White House, the Kennedy Center and Renée Fleming’s American Voices Festival, as well as the Panama Jazz Festival. Most recently he has recorded and performed with Herbie Hancock, Jacob Collier, Kneebody, Gretchen Parlato, Josh Groban, Ben Wendel, and Becca Stevens among many others. His own band performance was a standout at the 2019 Playboy Jazz Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival. Signed to Mack Avenue/Artistry Records, Mayo’s debut record BONES, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Eli Wolf (Norah Jones, Al Green, The Roots) was released on June 4th, 2021.
Christine Pride is a writer, editor and 20-year publishing veteran. Over the course of her career, she’s held editorial posts at many different imprints, including Doubleday, Broadway, Crown, Hyperion, and, most recently, as a Senior Editor at Simon and Schuster, and published many bestselling and critically acclaimed books. She's also a writer: her first novel, We Are Not Like Them, written with Jo Piazza was published by Atria Books in October. She does select freelance writing and editorial work, and pens the "Race Matters" column and Cup of Jo. You can reach her at Christine@christinepride.com or @cpride on Instagram.
Uwem Akpan'd short stories and autobiographical pieces have appeared in the special editions of The New Yorker, the Oprah magazine,Hekima Review, the Nigerian Guardian, America, etc.
His first book, Say You're One of Them, was published in 2008 by Little, Brown. It made the "Best of the Year" list at People magazine, Wall Street Journal, and other places. The New York Times made it the Editor's Choice, and Entertainment Weekly listed it at # 27 in their Best of the Decade.
Say You're One of Them won the Commonwealth Prize (Africa Region), the Open Book Prize, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award.
The collection of short stories was the 2009 Oprah Book Club selection. A New York Times and Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller, it has been translated into 12 languages.
His second book and first novel, New York, My Village, was published on November 2, 2021, by WW Norton. In this immigrant story, Uwem writes about NYC with the same promise and pain we saw in his African cities of Say You're One of Them.
Uwem teaches in the University of Florida’s MFA program
Actress/director/playwright & Golden Globe winner Regina Taylor is best known to
television audiences for her role as Lily Harper in "I'll Fly Away.” She received a Golden
Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, 3 NAACP Image
Awards and two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama
Series for her role. Her recent guest starring credits include “The Blacklist,”
“Elementary,” and the upcoming CBS drama “Red Line” while other television roles
include “Dig,” “The Unit,” “The Education of Max Bickford," "Feds,” “Strange Justice,”
Masterpiece Theatre’s "Cora Unashamed," "Children of the Dust," "I'll Fly Away: Then
and Now" and "Howard Beach: Making a Case for Murder.”
She most recently recurred in the HBO critically acclaimed series “Lovecraft Country”
and starred in the Netflix feature All Day & A Night opposite Jeffrey Wright and Ashton
Sanders.
In addition to her film and television work, she holds the honor as being the first Black
woman to play William Shakespeare's Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" on Broadway.
Taylor’s critically acclaimed "Crowns" continues to be one of the most performed
musicals in the country and is the winner of four Washington D.C. Helen Hayes awards
including Taylor’s win for Best Direction and Best Regional Musical
Taylor has received honorary doctorates from Columbia College, DePaul University and
Lake Forest College.
Regina can currently be seen on BET Plus in A Jenkins Family Christmas.
Ayana Gray is a New York Times and Indie bestselling author of speculative fiction and a lover of all things monsters, mythos, and #MelaninMagic. Originally from Atlanta, she now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas where she reads avidly, follows Formula One racing, and worries over the varying moods of her adopted baby black rhino, Apollo, and her mini goldendoodle, Dolly. Her debut novel, BEASTS OF PREY, is being adapted for film by Netflix.
Penguin Young Readers is excited to present the most anticipated young adult novel of the year from breakout debut author Ayana Gray. BEASTS OF PREY (G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR; On Sale September 28, 2021) is the thrilling series opener that begins in the way all the best YA novels do: by striking a deal. Two teens agree to work together to track down a dangerous, ancient creature who plagues their city before they themselves become the hunted. Inspired by African mythology, Gray has woven a fast-paced fantasy filled with monsters, mythos, and a slow-burn romance that will leave readers clamoring for more.
Emerging actress LaToya Tonodeo stars in Power Book II: Ghost, the spin-off series to the STARZ original drama Power. LaToya portrays the intelligent and beautiful Diana Tejada, the daughter of Mary J. Blige’s character. Produced by series creator and showrunner Courtney A Kemp and Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Power Book II: Ghost was renewed for a second season.
LaToya’s previous television credits include recurring roles in the SONY/CRACKLE crime drama The Oath and FREEFORM’s romance drama The Fosters. In 2016, LaToya co-starred in the LIONSGATE film The Perfect Match.
CHIBUNDU ONUZO was born in Lagos, Nigeria and lives in London. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and regular contributor to The Guardian, she is the winner of a Betty Trask Award, has been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Commonwealth Book Prize, and the RSL Encore Award, and has been longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and Etisalat Literature Prize. Her first novel was The Spider King’s Daughter. The author of Welcome to Lagos, Sankofa is her third novel.
Nadine Ellis is an in-demand actress who currently stars in the FOX series, Our Kind of People. In the soapy and thrilling drama, Nadine plays Leah Franklin-Dupont, a strong, confident, elegant businesswoman who sits at the top of the food chain of the wealthy, long-standing Black elite in Martha’s Vineyard. The show follows a single mom, Angela Vaughn, who risks it all and moves her family to Martha’s Vineyard with hopes of reclaiming her family’s name by taking her natural hair care line to the next while infiltrating the African American elite in Oak Bluffs. Leah is wary of Angela and will do anything to protect her family’s reputation and name.
Prior to Our Kind of People, Nadine was a series regular on BET’s comedy Let’s Stay Together as Dr. Stacy Lawrence and Netflix’s The Greenhouse Academy as Judy Hayword; and recurred on Showtime’s Shameless as Dr. Brenda Williams. Earlier this year, Nadine starred in the backdoor pilot for the upcoming CW series All American: Homecoming, playing Ms. Sims, the mother of an up-and-coming college baseball player.
The Queens-native got her start in the entertainment industry as a professional dancer. Throughout her successful dance career, Nadine performed with Beyoncé at the VMAs; starred in the film Hairspray as the lead of the Supremes-like group, the Dynamites; and was one of the original cat Dolls.
Rémy Ngamije is a Rwandan-born Namibian writer and photographer. He is the founder, chairperson, and artministrator of Doek, an independent arts organization in Namibia supporting the literary arts. He is also the cofounder and editor in chief of Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibia’s first and only literary magazine. His work has appeared in AFREADA, The Johannesburg Review of Books, Brainwavez, American Chordata, Azure, Sultan’s Seal, Columbia Journal, New Contrast, Lolwe, and many other publications. He was shortlisted for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing in 2020 and 2021. He was also longlisted for the 2020 and 2021 Afritondo Short Story Prizes. In 2019, he was shortlisted for Best Original Fiction by Stack Magazines. More of his writing can be read on his website, RemytheQuill.com.
Sherrill Mosee from Philadelphia, PA was crowned the winning entrepreneur after selling out of her product, the MinkeeBlue Mariah Backpack, and earning the highest dollar sales during the show’s buying window.
Sherrill received deal offers from Macy’s and QVC & HSN, and then struck a life-changing purchase order deal with Macy’s representative Durand Guion (Vice President, Macy’s Fashion Office), valued at $100,000. You can watch Sherrill pitch her product HERE and strike her deal HERE.
Brittany Cribbs from Philadelphia, PA was crowned the winning entrepreneur after selling more than $25K worth of her product, the Cloud 9 Easy Go Rollable Memory Foam Seat Cushion, earning the highest dollar sales during the show’s buying window.
Brittany met with the retail panel consisting of Lowe’s, Macy’s and QVC & HSN and ALL retail titans made purchase order offers. Having been inspired by Joy Mangano for years, Brittany chose to go into business with QVC & HSN. Watch her pitch her product HERE and strike her deal HERE.
Music has always been a passion for Washington, D.C. native, Kevin Ross. He attended a performing arts high school and went on to earn a degree from Berklee College of Music. His career began as a songwriter, getting his first placement with Jamie Foxx, which was followed by Ross writing and producing songs for such artists as Trey Songz, Toni Braxton, & Tank.
In 2017 Kevin released his long-awaited debut full length album, The Awakening. The album’s first single, “Long Song Away” peaked at #1 on Billboard's Adult R&B Song chart and at Urban Contemporary Radio with the follow up single, “Don’t Go”, cracking the Top 15. The chart-topping success of The Awakening led to Ross receiving several award nominations: Best New Artist (Soul Train Awards), Outstanding New Artist (NAACP Image Awards), and New R&B Artist (iHeartRadio Awards).
Ross continues to make a significant mark on the contemporary music scene as he kicked off 2020 debuting at #3 on iTunes R&B Albums chart with Audacity Vol 1. “Thing Called Love,” the EP’s lead single, recently entered the Top 20 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs chart and was named the top song at Sirius XM’s Heart and Soul. Audacity Vol. 2 which released in August made huge leaps with the single “God is a Genius” which gave Ross another #1 at Sirius XM and millions of streams across all DSP’s. Ross has finally released the last chapter in the Audacity series aptly titled, Audacity: Complete. Ross is gearing up to release his new project, “Drive 2.” “Looking for Love” debuted at #28 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay charts week of August 1, 2021. The record has since gone on to peak at #11 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. On September 20th Ebro featured Ross as ‘Discovered on Apple Music’ artist for “Looking for Love.”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Special Guest: Natasha Coleman, MPH is the Senior Director of Cancer Control Strategic Partnerships for the American Cancer Society, Inc. Northeast Region. Natasha provides strategic direction to a team of cancer control managers who oversee a portfolio of integrated health systems, primary care networks and state health system partnerships. The team is responsible for the implementation of evidence-based strategies to address the cancer burden and advance cancer control priorities. Natasha joined the American Cancer Society in 2001 and held previous roles as the health educator for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ. She received her graduate degree from Rutgers University, School of Public Health and her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in biological sciences.
C.J. FARLEY was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in Brockport, NY, with stops in Middle-earth, Xanth, Earthsea, and Narnia. Farley’s biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman was a national best seller. A former editor of the Harvard Lampoon and a former music critic for Time, Farley is a blogger, columnist and senior editor at the Wall Street Journal. Game World is Farley’s first novel for young readers.
Farley's newest book- Zero O'Clock: In early March 2020 in New Rochelle, New York, teenager Geth Montego is fumbling with the present and uncertain about her future. She only has three friends: her best friend Tovah, who’s been acting weird ever since they started applying to college; Diego, who she wants to ask to prom; and the K-pop band BTS, because the group always seems to be there for her when she needs them (at least in her head).
She could use some help now. Geth’s small city becomes one of the first COVID-19 containment zones in the US. As her community is upended by the virus and stirred up by the growing Black Lives Matter protests, Geth faces a choice and a question: Is she willing to risk everything to fight for her beliefs? And if so, what exactly does she believe in? C.J. Farley captures a moment in spring 2020 no teenager will ever forget. It sucks watching the world fall apart. But sometimes you have to start from zero.
Actress Michole Briana White can currently be seen as part of the four main leads ensemble on the highly anticipated series, “Black Mafia Family.” From executive producer Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson (“Power”/ “Power Book II: Ghost, For Life”) and writer/executive producer and Detroit native Randy Huggins (“Star”/ “Rebel”/ “Power”). “Black Mafia Family” is produced through Jackson’s G-Unit Film and Television in association with Starz and Lionsgate Television. The show is inspired by the true story of two brothers who rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980’s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in this country. On the show, Michole portrays ‘Lucille,’ the strong-willed, dignified mother of Demetrius and Terry Flenory. “Black Mafia Family” premiered on September 26th, 2021 on Starz. The show has already been renewed for Season 2.
Michole can also be seen as part of the main ensemble principle cast in James Wan’s rated R horror film Malignant.
Finally, Michole has a recurring role in season four of “Goliath” playing ‘A.G. Herrera.’ The show stars Billy Bob Thorton and returned October 14th on Amazon Prime Video.
Marita Golden attended public schools in Washington, D.C. and graduated from American University and the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. She has been a faculty member in the MFA Creative Writing Programs at George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the MA Program in Creative Writing at Johns Hopkins University and a Writer-in-Residence at the University of the District of Columbia and Prince George’s Community College.
She has lectured and taught internationally, at universities in Israel, Turkey, and Spain. Her many awards include the Barnes and Noble Writers for Writers Award presented by Poets and Writers, Distinguished Service Award from the Authors Guild, Maryland Author Award from the Association of Maryland Librarians, Award for Fiction from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and induction into the International Literary Hall of Fame of Writers of African Descent at the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University.
The Strong Black Woman Syndrome. For generations, in response to systemic racism, Black women and African American culture created the persona of the Strong Black Woman, a woman who, motivated by service and sacrifice, handles, manages, and overcomes any problem, any obstacle. The syndrome calls on Black women to be the problem-solvers and chief caretakers for everyone in their lives―never buckling, never feeling vulnerable, and never bothering with their pain.
Gregory S. Cooke is a career educator, documentary filmmaker, and World War II historian, dedicated to helping "relocate African Americans from the margins to the main pages of American and global history.” He is the Founder and President of the Basil and Becky Educational Foundation, a recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus, Veterans Braintrust Award (2019).
Gregory is the creator of Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II, a critically acclaimed feature-length documentary that explores the wartime experiences of 600,000 “Rosie the Riveters”- “hidden figures” - pioneers who courageously triumph over racism and sexism to create job opportunities in industry and government for themselves and future generations of African American women. Invisible Warriors is an inaugural recipient of the Better Angels/Lavine/Ken Burns Fellowship (2020), and also received the Congressional Black Caucus, Veterans Braintrust Award (2019).
Gregory is also the driving force behind the historical documentary, Choc’late Soldiers from the USA (CSUSA), the untold story of 140,000 African American men and women who cross a racial divide and form an unexpected bond with British civilians during World War II.
Andrea Freeman is a Professor of Law at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law. She is the recipient of the 2020-21 Fulbright King's College London Research Scholar Award. She writes and researches at the intersection of critical race theory and food policy, health, and consumer credit. She is the author of Skimmed: Breastfeeding, Race, and Injustice (Stanford University Press 2019) and over a dozen book chapters and law review articles, many of them exploring her pioneering theory of food oppression.
Born into a tenant farming family in North Carolina in 1946, Mary Louise, Mary Ann, Mary Alice, and Mary Catherine were medical miracles. Annie Mae Fultz, a Black-Cherokee woman who lost her ability to hear and speak in childhood, became the mother of America's first surviving set of identical quadruplets. They were instant celebrities. Their White doctor named them after his own family members. He sold the rights to use the sisters for marketing purposes to the highest-bidding formula company.
Jabina G. Coleman, LSW, MSW, IBCLC, is a Licensed Social Worker and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has dedicated over a decade of her life to serving women, children, and families in Philadelphia. Jabina received her Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice. Jabina is the owner of Life House Lactation &Perinatal Services, LLC where she provides lactation consultation services, and psychotherapy with a concentration on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She is also a published textbook author for Breastfeeding and Human Lactation 6th edition.
Rhashidah Perry-Jones, MPA, is an award-winning writer, communications strategist and parent education and coach. She is vice president and chief communications officer at SELF, Inc., a human services organization providing emergency and permanent supportive services and housing to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. Through her firm RPJ Global Enterprises, Rhashidah and her team design integrated communications and engagement strategies to help businesses and nonprofits deepen client relationships and connect with diverse communities. And through Lit Coaching, Rhashidah helps individuals and families create the lives they want through personal development. As a parent educator and coach her focus is providing strategies for family members raising children with ADHD.
Michelle Harris Price serves on the Board of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association for adults (ADDA). She leveraged her early internet fascination into a digital marketing agency that launched her first client to NY Times best selling success. She became a popular speaker and trainer at the intersection of social media and expertise marketing for master coaches, consultants and trainers before she shut it all down to care for her parents.
Michelle works with the San Diego Diamond Business District on economic development for local entrepreneurs.
T. L. Huchu (he/him) has published previously (as Tendai Huchu) The Hairdresser of Harare and The Maestro, The Magistrate and the Mathematician, which have been translated into multiple languages and his short fiction has won awards. His newest book The Library of the Dead is just out in the UK and the US, and will be followed by a sequel, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, in early 2022. Huchu grew in up Zimbabwe but has lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for most of his adult life.
Follow him on Twitter @TendaiHuchu.
Shugri Said Salh was born in the Somali desert. In 1992, she immigrated to North America after civil war broke out in her home country. She attended nursing school at Pacific Union College and graduated with honors. Although The Last Nomad is her first book , Salh has been storytelling since she could talk. From her grandmother and the nomadic community in which she was raised, she heard stories and learned of their power to entertain, teach, and transform. When she isn't writing or telling stories, she works as an infusion nurse. She lives in Sonoma County with her husband and three children.
Myeloma survivor, and single father of three, Oya of Philadelphia, PA won’t let anything stand in his way as he prepares his kids for another challenging school year. “Myeloma is the most prevalent blood cancer among people of African descent and it is also one of the hematologic malignancies with the greatest racial disparities,” said Oya. “This population is not only twice as likely to develop this rare and incurable cancer when compared to white Americans and other racial groups, but they are also more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age.”
Jennifer Wilson LCSW-R, has been a Sr. Information Specialist at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) for 13 years. She responds to enquiries from patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals seeking information and support on blood cancers by providing accurate and up-to-date disease and treatment information, information on clinical trials, and providing financial and support resources. Jennifer is passionate about ensuring that all blood cancer patients have the information needed so that they can access the best possible care.
Yejide Kilanko was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. Her debut novel, Daughters Who Walk This Path, a Canadian national bestseller, was longlisted for the 2016 Nigeria Literature Prize. A writer of poetry and short fiction, Kilanko is also the author of a novella, Chasing Butterflies, two children’s picture books, There Is An Elephant In My Wardrobe, and Juba and The Fireball. Her next novel, A Good Name, is forthcoming in November 2021. Kilanko lives in Ontario, Canada, where she practices as a therapist in children’s mental health.
Special guests:
Lizbeth Rodriguez serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Philadelphia Women’s Center, Delaware County Women’s Center and PA State Infrastructure Project. Lizbeth Develops and maintains positive relationships with state and community members in efforts to achieve Abortion Liberation. Lizbeth also has direct patient care by serving as a Bilingual Phone Advocate for The Women’s Centers, a group of independent abortion providers specializing in first and second trimester abortion care in CT, GA, NJ, and PA. Website: https://www.thewomenscenters.com
Special guests: Black Surfer Association East Coast-Louis Harris.Harris, was born in Queens and grew up in Dix Hills, Long Island. He moved to the Rockaways in 2006, where he began teaching himself to surf to help come to terms with hanging up his skateboard in his late 30s. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/black_surfing_rockaway
Website: https://bsarockaway.nyc/about-us
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
***Ingrid J. Hall, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control’s Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch. Dr. Hall’s current research focus is in the area of minority health, particularly finding culturally relevant ways to publicize the need for participation in cancer screening and early detection by minority populations.
Dr. Hall has a long history of published work in the area of prostate cancer decision making and spearheaded the organization and coordination of the State of the Science Conference on Active Surveillance in the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer convened in 2010. She currently oversees studies developing an interactive online educational tool for prostate cancer treatment choices as well as support materials for newly diagnosed men who choose active surveillance.
***Otis Brawley is professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and 39th Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Brawley leads a broad interdisciplinary research effort of cancer health disparities at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, working to close racial, economic and social disparities in the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer in the United States and worldwide.
He also directs community outreach programs for underserved populations throughout Maryland as the Kimmel Cancer Center’s associate director for community outreach and engagement.
Nigerian-American and based in Sweden, author LOLÁ ÁKÍNMÁDÉ ÅKERSTRÖM is an award-winning author, speaker, and photographer. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, Sunday Times Travel, The Telegraph, New York Times, and others. In addition to contributing to several books, she is the author of the following books – 2018 Lowell Thomas Award winner for best travel book, Due North and bestselling LAGOM: Swedish Secret of Living Well, available in 18 foreign language editions. She has been recognized with multiple awards for her work, including 2018 Travel Photographer of the Year Bill Muster Award, and she was honored with a MIPAD 100 (Most Influential People of African Descent) Award within media and culture in 2018. Her photography is represented by National Geographic Image Collection. Lola is also the editor of Slow Travel Stockholm, an online magazine dedicated to exploring Sweden’s capital city in depth.
In Every Mirror She Is Black:An arresting debut for anyone looking for insight into what it means to be a Black woman in the world. Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people.
Savala Nolan is a writer, speaker, and lawyer. She is executive director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. She and her writing have been featured in Vogue, Time, Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, and more. She served as an advisor on the Peabody–winning podcast, The Promise. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Her book Don't Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body. is a powerful and provocative collection of essays that offers poignant reflections on living between society’s most charged, politicized, and intractably polar spaces—between black and white, rich and poor, thin and fat.
Dr. Joseph B. Richardson, Jr., is the Joel and Kim Feller Professor of African-American Studies and Medical Anthropology at the University of Maryland. He holds aJoint Appointment in the Department of African-American Studies and the Department of Anthropology. Dr. Richardson has a Secondary Appointment as Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Division of Preventive Medicine, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is the Lead Epidemiologist for the Center for Injury Prevention and Policy (CIPP), Violence Intervention Program, at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where he leads a multidisciplinary research team toinvestigate firearm-related violent injury, trauma and the effectiveness of hospital-based violence intervention programs under the University of Maryland Medical Systems (UMMS).
Though best known as a Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning historian (for The Hemingses of Monticello), Annette Gordon-Reed is also a proud Texas native and descendant of Texas slaves, for whom the story of Juneteenth has special resonance.
In ON JUNETEENTH, Gordon-Reed combines her own scholarship with a personal and intimate reflection of an overlooked holiday that has suddenly taken on new significance in a post-George Floyd world.
As Gordon-Reed writes, “It is staggering that there is no date commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.” Yet, Texas—the last state to free its slaves—has long acknowledged the moment on June 19, 1865, when US Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed from his headquarters in Galveston that slavery was no longer the law of the land. ON JUNETEENTH takes us beyond the stories of Gordon-Reed’s childhood, providing a Texan’s view of the long, non-traditional road to a national recognition of the holiday.
Special guest:Russell Margolis, M.D. is the clinical director of the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Center and a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Margolis specializes inschizophrenia, affective disorders, and neuropsychiatry, among other conditions, and his research revolves around the interface of psychiatry, neurology, and genetics.
Anita Kopacz is an award-winning writer and spiritual advisor. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Heart & Soul Magazine and Managing Editor of BeautyCents Magazine. When she is not writing, you can find her on the dance floor or traveling the world with her children. Anita lives in New York City with her family.
Anita's book Shallow Waters imagines Yemaya, an Orïsha—a deity in the religion of Africa’s Yoruba people—cast into mid-1800s America. We meet Yemaya as a young woman, still in the care of her mother and not yet fully aware of the spectacular power she possesses to protect herself and those she holds dear.
The journey laid out in Shallow Waters sees Yemaya confront the greatest evils of this era; transcend time and place in search of Obatala, a man who sacrifices his own freedom for the chance at hers; and grow into the powerful woman she was destined to become. We travel alongside Yemaya from her native Africa and on to the “New World,” with vivid pictures of life for those left on the outskirts of power in the nascent Americas.
POOL: A Social History of Segregation. The POOL project aims to encourage a meaningful dialogue on social justice and the history of segregated swimming in America.
HERE: The Fairmount Water Works, 640 Waterworks Drive,Philadelphia, PA 19130 WHEN: September 3, 2021 - August 30, 2022 HOURS: Thursdays–Sundays, 12:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. ADMISSION: Admission is free INFORMATION: www.poolphl.com
The story of water is a story of civil inequity, and access to clean, safe, drinking, bathing and swimming water continues to be challenged today. POOL aims to bring this history to light so that the next generation will continue for push for positive change.
Background: The National Historic Landmark Fairmount Water Works will host a multi-disciplinary museum exhibition exploring the history of segregated swimming in America, and sharing Red Cross water safety messaging.
Special guests:
Dr. Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Health/Physical Education, Teacher Education (HPETE) Program,at Rowan University.
Brannon Johnson, a Philadelphia native and current resident, is the head coach and owner of BLJ Community Rowing, one of the most diverse community rowing programs in the Philadelphia metro area.
Brittany K. Barnett is an award-winning attorney and entrepreneur focused on social impact investing. She is dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system and has won freedom for numerous clients serving life sentences for federal drug offenses—seven of whom received executive clemency from President Barack Obama. Brittany has founded several nonprofits and social enterprises, such as XVI Capital Partners, Milena Reign LLC, the Buried Alive Project, and Girls Embracing Mothers. She has earned many honors, including being named one of America's most Outstanding Young Lawyers by the American Bar Association.
A Knock at Midnight book: Sharanda had been torn away from her young daughter and was serving a life sentence without parole—for a first-time drug offense. In Sharanda, Brittany saw haunting echoes of her own life, as the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother. As she studied this case, a system came into focus in which widespread racial injustice forms the core of America’s addiction to incarceration. Moved by Sharanda’s plight, Brittany set to work to gain her freedom.
Website:https://www.brittanykbarnett.com/the-book
Marita Golden attended public schools in Washington, D.C. and graduated from American University and the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. She has been a faculty member in the MFA Creative Writing Programs at George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the MA Program in Creative Writing at Johns Hopkins University and a Writer-in-Residence at the University of the District of Columbia and Prince George’s Community College.
She has lectured and taught internationally, at universities in Israel, Turkey, and Spain. Her many awards include the Barnes and Noble Writers for Writers Award presented by Poets and Writers, Distinguished Service Award from the Authors Guild, Maryland Author Award from the Association of Maryland Librarians, Award for Fiction from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and induction into the International Literary Hall of Fame of Writers of African Descent at the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University.
Her articles and essays have been published in a variety of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Essence, and The Root.
Marita Golden has spoken or lectured at over 80 colleges and universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia College, Medgar Evers College, Brandeis University, Bethune-Cookman University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Vanderbilt University.
As a literary activist, with Clyde McElvene, she cofounded the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation that has been supporting the international community of Black writers for three decades
Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and the poetry collection Counting Descent, which won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award.
He has received fellowships from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New America, the Emerson Collective, the Art For Justice Fund, Cave Canem, and the National Science Foundation. His essays, poems, and scholarly writing have been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, Poetry Magazine, The Paris Review, the Harvard Educational Review, and elsewhere.
Clint is a 2014 National Poetry Slam champion and a 2017 recipient of the Jerome J. Shestack Prize from the American Poetry Review. His two TED Talks, The Danger of Silence and How to Raise a Black Son in America, collectively have been viewed more than 9 million times.
He currently teaches writing and literature in the D.C. Central Detention Facility. He is also the host of the YouTube series Crash Course Black American History.
Clint received his B.A. in English from Davidson College and his Ph.D. in Education from Harvard University. Born and raised in New Orleans, he currently lives in Maryland with his wife and their two children.
Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 2020/2021 Story Prize, and the 2020 LA Times Book Prize: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies focuses on Black women, sex, and the Black church, and is being adapted for television by HBO Max with Tessa Thompson executive producing. Deesha is also a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow and will be the 2022-2023 John and Renée Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi.
Special guest: Gugulethu Mhlungu.
Gugulethu Mhlungu is a writer, broadcaster and editor and has held positions as deputy editor of Bona, hosted NightTalk on Radio702 and Breaking Dawn on Newzroom Afrika. Mhlungu's personal accolades include a National Arts Festival/Business Art SA silver award for feature writing and Media24 legends Columnist of the Year. She lives in Joburg.
Drawing on the experiences of women ranging from political activists to domestic workers, sex workers and students, commentator and writer Gugulethu Mhlungu examines how history has shaped the conditions women face today. She also considers the impact of pass laws, land dispossession, racial discrimination and gender-based violence. She concludes that there is still plenty of work to be done in making real the South Africa imagined by the Constitution.
Special Guest: Singer Lynne Fiddmont
Lynne’s list of credits include an astounding array of legendary artists such as; Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Bill Withers, Nancy Wilson, Madonna, Burt Bacharach, Elton John, B.B. King, Kenny (Babyface) Edmonds, The Crusaders, Patti Austin, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Barbra Streisand, Miley Cyrus, Sheila E., Dave Brubeck, Bobby Womack, Steve Tyrell, Usher, Josh Groban, Johnny Mathis, Timothy B. Schmit, James Ingram, Kenny Loggins, Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Ray Charles, Stanley Clarke and more.
Most recently, Lynne worked on the critically acclaimed artist, St. Vincent’s latest CD, Daddy’s Home.
She has released 4 critically acclaimed self-produced CD’s featuring many of her own compositions with guest artists such as George Duke, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Billy Childs and Christian McBride.
She has written music for and award wining HBO Short film entitled MUTED and has written jingles for ads, most notable for Lexus for their Christmas campaign.
Her television appearances include the: Grammy Awards, BET Awards, MTV Awards, CMA Awards, UNCF Awards, Billboard Awards, Johnny Carson Show, Jay Leno Show, Arsenio Hall Show, Regis and Kelly, David Letterman, MTV Unplugged, Good Morning America, Motown Live, Ellen Degeneres, and Live at the White House honoring Stevie Wonder and The Super Bowl Halftime Show with Stevie Wonder.
She has performed in Africa, Australia, South America, North America, Asia, The Middle East, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
Andrea Lee is an American-born author of novels, memoirs and short fiction that explore themes of identity and concepts of foreignness. Her writing takes on the borderlands, creating an ongoing dialogue around the places where cultures, races and imaginations intersect. Her subject matter often draws on her childhood in a middle-class Black family whose children "pioneered" into white spaces, and on her adult life as a world traveler and expatriate in Europe.
Born in Philadelphia, she attended the Baldwin School, and received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Harvard University. She is a former staff writer for The New Yorker, and her writing has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, W, the New York Times Book Review, and Airmail. Her books include the National Book Award-nominated memoir Russian Journal, the novel Sarah Phillips, the short story collection Interesting Women, and the novel Lost Hearts in Italy.
Her latest book, Red Island House (Scribner, 2021) is a travel epic set in the African nation of Madagascar, that examines post-colonial themes of class and race and fantasies of tropical paradise through the eyes of an adventurous Black American heroine.
Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. She grew up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. Currently, Alexis resides in Columbus, Ohio, where she's learning to cope with the cold.
ABOUT THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING
A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.
In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.
Special Guest: Actor Camron Jones
Camron has quickly positioned himself as a one-to-watch. This year, Camron stars in the Amazon Prime series “Panic.” Based on Lauren Oliver’s bestselling novel of the same name, the drama series follows a group of high school graduates who compete in a series of challenges to escape the small Texas town they live in. Once the rules change, they must decide how much they are willing to risk in order to leave their hometown. Camron stars as Bishop, an athlete and solid A student whose lifetime of inherited pressure begins to take its toll.
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and raised in San Ramon, CA, Camron discovered his passion for the arts after his mom persuaded him to compete in a speech & debate tournament. Before he knew it, Jones was traveling all over the country competing in the dramatic interpretation category. He eventually received a BFA in Acting from the University of Southern California, where he got the opportunity to study abroad in Oxford and fine-tune Shakespearean text. His television debut came in 2018, appearing in Freeform’s hit series “grown-ish,” starring Yara Shahidi. Additional credits for him include USA Network’s “The Purge” and Showtime’s long-running drama series “Shameless.”
Performer, writer, and activist Staceyann Chin is the author of the poetry collection Crossfire: A Litany for Survival (2019), winner of the American Book Award, and the memoir The Other Side of Paradise (2009). She received a 2003 Drama Desk Award for her performance in Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, which she cowrote with Russell Simmons. Chin is the author of the one-woman shows MotherStruck! (2015), Border/Clash (2005), Unspeakable Things (2001), and Hands Afire (2000). Her poems have been included in several anthologies, including Bullets & Butterflies: Queer Spoken Word Poetry (2005) and Skyscrapers, Taxis, & Tampons (1999). Chin has also performed in both the stage and film versions of Howard Zinn’s Voices of a People’s History of the United States, at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and at numerous universities, including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and the University of the West Indies.
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was released in winter 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. He released Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest with University of Texas press in February 2019. The book became a New York Times Bestseller, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. His second collection of poems, A Fortune For Your Disaster, was released in 2019 by Tin House, and won the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize. In 2021, he released the book A Little Devil In America with Random House. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School.
Special Guest: Dr. Christine Crawford is a Harvard trained adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist who currently serves as the Associate Medical Director for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). She is also an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and treats patients in the Boston Medical Center Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic. In addition to her clinical work and teaching medical students, she has expertise in areas such as racial disparities within the mental health care system and discussing the impact of racism on the mental health of people of color.
Special guest: Actress Jasmine Davis
Jasmine Davis came from the streets of Chicago IL. She was raised by a single mom. Her father battled drug addiction.
Jasmine knew she was different from her other gay family members even before her dad asked her, at the age of 12, if she was planning on having a sex-change when she got older. Jasmine realized quickly how she had to become passable to survive the harsh streets of Chicago.
Jasmine has Dyslexia. But she learned it was a gift after taking classes at the improv school Second City in Chicago where she met other dyslexic people who were succeeding in life working in the arts while having fun. She finally found a community where all races and genders and classes came together as storytellers.
Jasmine can be seen on LA's Finest and Deviants.She currently plays the character Imani on Showtime's The Chi created by Lena Waithe.
DAWNIE WALTON is a fiction writer and journalist whose explores identity, place, and the influence of pop culture. She has won fellowships from MacDowell and the Tin House Summer Workshop, and earned her MFA from the
Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Previously she worked as an executive-level editor for magazine and multimedia brands including Essence, Entertainment Weekly, Getty Images, and LIFE. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, she lives with her husband in Brooklyn.
The ecstatic early reader response to the debut novel The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by former magazine editor Dawnie Walton (37 Ink/Simon & Schuster; Hardcover) is unlike any in Simon & Schuster's recent history. Opal Jewel is the proudly Black, female, in-your-face-with-heropinions, Afro-punk pioneer the author wished she'd had the opportunity to idolize when she was 14 and obsessed with rock music. So in the Toni Morrison tradition (“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet,
then you must write it”), she brought Opal to the page—bald-headed, goldsuited, and fierce as Grace Jones or Tina Turner. The result is an electric, kaleidoscopic journey told in an oral-history structure of the rise and fall of the fictional early-1970s rock ‘n’ roll duo Opal & Nev. But underneath the colorful characters, bumping concerts, and wild wardrobes,The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a study of gender disparities, race relations, class, infidelity, tragedy, and moral choices on the road to fame and success.
Stephen Mack Jones is a published poet, an award-winning playwright, and a recipient of the prestigious Hammett Prize, Nero Award, and the Kresge Arts in Detroit Literary Fellowship. He was born in Lansing, Michigan, and currently lives in the suburbs of Detroit. Dead of Winter is his third novel.
Dead of Winter:A shadowy Detroit real estate billionaire. A ruthless fixer. A successful Mexicantown family business in their crosshairs. Gentrification has never been bloodier.
https://www.stephenmackjones.com/
Speciasl Guest:
Dr. Richard Benson is Director of the Office of Global Health and Health Disparities (OGHHD) in the NINDS Division of Clinical Research.
He is a leader in the fields of vascular neurology and health disparities research. His areas of research interest and expertise include: health disparities and health equity research, and minority, community, and global health.
Dr. Benson has worked in the public and private sectors and is a volunteer with several professional organizations.
He is a past president and current board member of the American Heart Association (AHA), Greater Washington Region (GWR).
He was a member of the national AHA Stroke Council and is currently an American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Registries committee member.
Dr. Benson received his B.S. in Chemistry from Fisk University, followed by an MD/PhD from Meharry Medical College in Neurophysiology (elected to AOA). Subsequently, he completed his neurology residency at the Harvard-Longwood neurology residency program in Boston, and a stroke fellowship at the Columbia University Neurological Institute in New York, while obtaining an M.S. in Epidemiology from the Mailman School of Public Health.
Special Guests : Wambui Machua, M.D., earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and molecular genetics from Oklahoma State University and her medical degree from American University of Integrative Sciences/University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine, Dutch Caribbean. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Prior to joining Piedmont, Dr. Machua completed her fellowship training in rheumatology at Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia and was previously involved in multiple clinical trials in the Atlanta area. Dr. Machua is board certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine and currently a primary investigator in several lupus studies.
She serves on the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia chapter, Medical Advisory Board and is a lupus consultant.
Special Guest: Venetia K. Thompson has battled symptoms of lupus since she was a very young child but it took decades before she would be diagnosed with the disease.
She worked three years at the Missouri Lupus Foundation of America Chapter working in public relations and received an award for Chapter Volunteer of the year. Venetia moved to Delaware and continued her work with the LFA in the Delaware Chapter. Working as Acting CEO and Chairing the Board for seven years, Venetia has continued working with the Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter where she facilitates a lupus support group and a self helpcourse (SLESH) and is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors.
She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Fontbonne University and is business owner of Very Venetia, Inc.
Jason is the son of pianist and music educator Ellis Marsalis and his wife Dolores, and the youngest sibling of Wynton, Branford and Delfeayo. Together, the four brothers and their patriarch Ellis, comprise New Orleans venerable first family of jazz.
By age six, not only had Jason gotten his first real drum set, but he was also taking lessons from the legendary New Orleans drummer James Black. At age seven he was sitting in with his father’s jazz group, as well as playing with his trombonist brother Delfeayo. Jason was progressing so rapidly as a drummer that in 1984 his father started using him consistently on engagements. Jason was starting to become a seasoned road veteran before the age of nine, even traveling to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston for Delfeayo’s senior recital.
Shortly after graduation from NOCCA high school in 1995, Marsalis ascended to the drum throne of a new group lead by virtuoso pianist and former sideman for Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts. Despite a demanding touring schedule with Roberts, Marsalis furthered his educational goals by attending Loyola University in New Orleans, as well as studying composition with Roger Dickerson at Southern University.
The sense of style and tastefulness that Marsalis exhibits in his playing explains why is a highly sought after musician. This style has been well documented on recordings with artists such as the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Marcus Printup and Marcus Roberts to name but a few. He has also produced two albums under his own name, Year of the Drummer (1998) and Music in Motion (2000), as well as producing a reissue of his father’s earlier recorded work, Syndrome (1996).
Abercrumbie, a stalwart of the Chicago stage, is known more widely for her television roles on “The Chi” created by awarding winning, Chicago native, Lena Waithe. The Chi entering it’s forth season. Set to begin May 23, 2021. Abercrumbie plays Nina Williams, mother of two teenagers played by Birgundi Baker (Kiesha) and Alex Hibert (Kevin), together they face more than their fair share of challenges as residents of Chicago’s south side. Abercrumbie has regularly appeared in programs over the past several years including, Proven Innocent, Easy, ChicagoPD, ChicagoMed, Girlfriend Experience, Shrink, Unexpected, The Animator - to name a few.She has acted at Court, Goodman, Northlight, Victory Gardens and Chicago Shakespeare, among other regional theaters. A talented writer, Director, she is the inaugural recipient of The North Side’s Raven Theater $25,000 new-play initiative. Her play “Relentless” formally scheduled to open at Timeline Theatre last May before the pandemic shutdown is currently in negotiations for a winter date this season. She is also slated to direct a postponed world premiere “The Last Pair of Earlies” at Raven, this fall. Her favorite quote to live by -
“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” - Frederick Douglass
Jericho Brown is author of the The Tradition (Copper Canyon 2019), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize. He is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, and the National Endowment for the Arts, and he is the winner of the Whiting Award. Brown’s first book, Please (New Issues 2008), won the American Book Award. His second book, The New Testament (Copper Canyon 2014), won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. His third collection, The Tradition won the Paterson Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. His poems have appeared in The Bennington Review, Buzzfeed, Fence, jubilat, The New Republic, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, TIME magazine, and several volumes of The Best American Poetry. He is the director of the Creative Writing Program and a professor at Emory University.
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio—or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3—specialize in the lost art of “feel good music.” The ingredients of this intoxicating cocktail include a big helping of the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette; a pinch of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.’s and The Meters; and sprinkles Motown, Stax Records, blues, and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. It’s a soul-jazz concoction that goes straight to your heart and head makes your body break out in a sweat. Live, the band’s fiery and intuitive chemistry is unstoppable, brimming with improvisation, instant composition, imaginative takes on classic tunes, and a booty-shaking back catalog of soulful gems.
The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green-style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones). Dan’s smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio’s explosive chemistry.
Since its humble beginnings in May, 2015, the trio has issued two Billboard-charting albums and a 45; toured nationally and internationally, and performed on live at Upstream Music Festival broadcast by KEXP that garnered over 7 million views. In the near future, DLO3 will be releasing a bevy of new music come fall and winter 2020.
Ashley Henry is one of a new generation of musicians that have been raised with a wide range of influences
Born and raised in South London, England, United Kingdom, Ashley Henry’s listening and visual styles, range from Sinead Harnett, Digital Underground, ZuZu, Margot Fonteyn, Era Istrefi, Freddie Mercury, and Dreezy – through to having fans that include the abstract artist Gareth Nyandoro, being an advocate for the legend pianist Abdullah Ibrahim…and being a big 6LACK fan.
In 2016 Ashley Henry graduated from Royal Academy of Music, performed with Jason Marsalis and collaborated with legends Terence Blanchard and Jean Toussaint. He is the youngest ever to hit the bill for the International Piano Trio Festival performing with Robert Glasper, and top that year by achieving a childhood dream of performing in the final of the Unisia International Piano Competition in South Africa.
16 January – 9 March 2017 sees Ashley Henry recording his second full studio sessions in London. Collaborating with Luke Flowers (Cinematic Orchestra), MC Mattic (Nowadays France & NY), the Legendary Jean Toussaint, Monte Booker (Soulection), Alicia Olatuja (President Obama Inaugurations – Unlimited Myles), Moses Boyd (Brownswood) and Anthony Joseph (Strut Records).
In January 2017 – at only 25 years, Ashley Henry was commissioned as guest resident Musical Director for both Jazz Café, London and Ronnie Scotts, London and is a FADER MAGAZINE 2017 Emerging Artist.
In March 2017 Ashley Henry was nominated for Jazz FM Award as Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Live Experience of the Year, the latter for his performance at the London Southbank.
Beyond Vinyl Hunter (2019) is Henry's first album with 15 tracks featuring Makaya McCraven, Keyon Harrold, Moses Boyd, Judi Jackson, Theo Croker And More..
Special Guest: Dr Carl Hart
Dr. Carl L. Hart, Ziff Professor at Columbia University and former chair of the Department of Psychology, is one of the world’s preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body. Dr. Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself, in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a colleague, husband, father, and friend. In Drug Use for Grown-Ups, he draws on decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use–not drugs themselves–have been a tremendous scourge on America, not least in reinforcing this country’s enduring structural racism.
Drug Use for Grown-Ups will be controversial, to be sure: the propaganda war, Dr. Hart argues, has been tremendously effective. Imagine if the only subject of any discussion about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes. Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: when used responsibly, drugs can enrich and enhance our lives. We have a long way to go, but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step.
COMING SOON!
Recession Proof is a comedy about: Regina Holloway, a Wall Street executive who loses her entire lifesavings in a ponzi scheme and is forced to move back home with with her momma in the hood and find a new way of life. Starring: Khadijah Karriem. Directed by: Arthur Muhammad
Actress, writer, producer, Khadijah Karriem has worked in the industry for over 30yrs. She’s worked with such stars as Angelina Jolie, Charles Dutton, Jon Cryer of Two and Half Men and many more. Ms. Karriem has guest starred in such shows as NYPD Blue, The Practice, Lincoln Heights, Arliss, Any Day Now, to name a few. Her feature film credits include Redemption, The Perfect Wife and Kissed by the Devil, where she starred. Recession Proof is just one of her many scripts she has written. Now, she looks forward to adding executive producer to her list of credits.
Arthur Muhammad, award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and producer of the 2015
release, “Carter High” (Charles Dutton, Vivica Fox, Pooch Hall, David Banner), has a keen eye, cinematic hands, and a patent gift for storytelling; the three key ingredients for
developing ranking entertainment. C’Ya claimed dual wins as Best Film in the Dallas Black Film, and 21st Annual Scottsdale Film Festivals. His inaugural feature, Solitaire nabbed Best Film yet again from the Dallas Black Film Festival making it just ripe for pick up for international release by an industry mainstay distributor, Maverick Entertainment. Currently he’s signed on to direct “Behind the Mask”, a documentary on mental health with best-selling author and documentarian, N’Tyse. (Beneath My Skin).
Special Guests:
Autism Activist Morenike Giwa Onaiwu and Dr. Linda McGhee
Linda McGhee, PsyD, JD, BBA, (she/her/hers) is a clinical psychologist and founder of McGhee & Associates (Chevy Chase, Maryland). McGhee received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and doctorate in psychology and law degree from George Washington University. She completed the Diversity and Inclusion Program at Cornell University. Her practice specializes in the treatment and assessment of teenagers and adults. Particular assessment specialties include learning disorders, executive functioning, and social and emotional testing. She formerly taught personality assessment at GWU and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and she worked as a psychologist and Director of the Teaching and Learning at the Landon School.
Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD(c), MA (she/they) is a global advocate, educator, disabled person of color, and parent of children on the autism spectrum in a neurodiverse, multicultural, twice-exceptional serodifferent family. A prolific writer, and social scientist/activist whose work focuses on intersectional justice, meaningful community involvement, human rights, and inclusion, Morénike is recognized as a leader in various social justice activism endeavors. Morénike is a highly sought after public speaker, trainer, and consultant who has presented at the White House, the United Nations, and numerous peer-reviewed international conferences. Morénike works collaboratively with various entities, includng The Color of Autism, the Institute fori Exceptional Care, Autism in Black, Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health, National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities, and National Mental Health.
Naima Coster is the author of two novels. Her debut, Halsey Street, was a finalist for the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. It was recommended as a must-read by People, Essence, BitchMedia, Well-Read Black Girl, The Skimm, and the Brooklyn Public Library among others. Her forthcoming novel, What’s Mine and Yours, will be published in March 2021.
Naima’s stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Kweli, The Paris Review Daily, The Cut, The Sunday Times, Catapult, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree for 2020.
What's Mine and Yours: A sweeping novel of legacy, identity, the American family, and the ways that race affects even our most intimate relationships. A community in the Piedmont of North Carolina rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly white high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will tie their two families together in unexpected ways over the span of the next twenty years.
website- http://www.naimacoster.com
Special Guests:
Lydia M. Pope has been in the real estate industry since 1995 and is currently president and owner of E & D Realty and Investment Co, Inc., E&D Realty Property Management & New Era Real Estate Group Inc. She obtained her MBE (Minority Business Enterprise), SBE (Small Business Enterprise), DBE (Disadvantage Business Enterprises) & WBE (Women Business Enterprise) certifications.
Currently, Lydia is President-Elect of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Inc., (NAREB) as only the third woman to hold the office in the minority real estate trade association’s 74-year history.
Vincent Reina, PhD. is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Faculty Director of the Housing Initiative at Penn. His research focuses on urban economics, housing economics and housing policy, fair housing, and community development. Dr Reina previously worked in housing financing at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Faculty Director of the Housing Initiative at Penn.
Congolese Singer Syssi Mananga
My first album "Retour aux Sources" (i.e. Back to Roots) was released in 2013. The flagship title of this album was Tala Ngai which was awarded by the Couleurs Talent Competition of Radio France Internationale (RFI). Nominations in the category of Best Female Artist of Central Africa in international music awards (Kora Awards and Afrima Awards in 2016, AFRIMMA Awards in 2017, Tam Tam d'Or of the Decade in 2017) and awards for best songs (Tam Tam D'Or for Ndjele in 2013, Beatstreet Award in 2017 for Chéri; Beyond Music Creativity Award (Tina Turner Foundation) for Matumaini in 2019). This year again, the song Nawe, second single from the album Mopepe Mama to come in April 2021 is in the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Contest.
"Mopepe Mama” is an opus of 12 tracks, all infused with my acoustic and blended musical savor. For this album, I collaborated with virtuoso musicians from the World Music and international scenes, notably Japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno (Grammy Award Winner), Brazilian guitarist Swami Jr (Latin Grammy Award Winner), Congolese guitarist Chris Bakalanga (Freshlyground), American kora player Kane Mathis (Earshot Jazz "Album of The Year Award”), South African bassist Shaun Johannes, Ugandan rapper Keya Nemesis (twice MTV Base Music Awards Nominee) and Swiss flutist Sandro Friedrich (soundtrack from the movie "Lord of the Rings").
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian author of speculative fiction inspired by his West African origins. He is the author of David Mogo, Godhunter, and his shorter works have appeared in Lightspeed, Nightmare, Strange Horizons, and other periodicals and anthologies. He lives between Lagos, Nigeria, and Tucson, Arizona, where he teaches writing while completing his MFA in creative writing. He tweets at @IAmSuyiDavies and is @suyidavies everywhere else.
Ilfenesh Hadera plays Mayme Johnson on Epix's Godfather of Harlem opposite Forest Whitaker.
Ilfenesh Hadera recently wrapped Season 2 of Spike Lee’s Netflix hit series SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT, the reboot of his iconic film. She reprises her role as ‘Opal Gilstrap,’ one of Nola Darling’s love interests. Ilfenesh also recently starred as FBI Agent ‘Kay Daniels’ in the ABC series DECEPTION, produced by Greg Berlanti. She appeared in the award-winning HBO mini-series SHOW ME A HERO opposite Oscar Isaac. This poignant true story about the Yonkers 1980’s housing crisis featured Ilfenesh as ‘Alma Febles,’ a single mother from the Dominican Republic struggling to keep her family together. Ilfenesh is also known for her recurring role on Showtime’s hit show BILLIONS playing ‘Deb Kawi,’ Damien Lewis’ smart and steadfast assistant. Additional television credits include FX’s Emmy Award winning MASTER OF NONE opposite Aziz Ansari, DIFFICULT PEOPLE (HULU) starring Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner, Marvel’s THE PUNISHER, ABC’s CONVICTION opposite Hayley Atwell, NBC’s CHICAGO FIRE, and NBC’s THE BLACKLIST.
Ilfenesh starred as ‘Stephanie Holden’ – Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s love interest – in the Paramount reboot of BAYWATCH. A frequent collaborator with Spike Lee, Ilfenesh also appeared in his films CHIRAQ opposite Samuel L. Jackson and OLDBOY opposite Josh Brolin.
Yolanda Edrington is the Director of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), located in Harrisburg, PA. She oversees the operations of the national center in its mission to provide leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaborating, sharing/creating resources and promoting research. This includes collaborating with a variety of national partners and funders. Yolanda has over 20 years of experience in navigating different helping systems to afford clients treatment from a strengths based perspective. Professionally and personally she works for social change. Yolanda has spent many years volunteering for community- based programs in Central PA; currently serving on the boards of Alder Health Services and Historic Harrisburg Association.
Joyce Lukima currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. In this role Ms. Lukima oversees the coalition’s grants & contracts, legal, communications and training and technical assistance departments. The work of the coalition includes resource development, prevention, advocacy, ensuring quality services for survivors and supporting allied professionals involved in both prevention and intervention.
Ms. Lukima is a licensed clinical social worker experienced in individual and group counseling as well as the supervision of counselors. She has worked with victims of violence and sexual assault for more than 30 years. Ms. Lukima is a volunteer with the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT), participating in community crisis response to violence.
Michelle Duster is a writer, speaker, professor, and champion of racial and gender equity. In the last dozen years, she has written, edited, or contributed to over a dozen books. She co-wrote the popular children’s history book, Tate and His Historic Dream; coedited Impact: Personal Portraits of Activism and Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls; and edited two books that include the writings of her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells. She has written articles for Essence, Refinery29, HuffPo, Teen Vogue, Glamour, People and The North Star.
As America sees its first Black woman Vice President ascend to office, the story of American civil rights pioneer Ida B. Wells stands more resonant than ever. Wells’s staunch defense of Black lives, advocacy for universal suffrage, and organizing work (she co-founded of the NAACP) saw the FBI label her a “dangerous negro agitator.” Today, we call her a hero. IDA B. THE QUEEN: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells is a beautifully illustrated biography of this revolutionary figure that centers Wells’ immense influence on African American history, told by author and Wells’ great granddaughter Michelle Duster.
Special guest: Actress Angela Lewis from FXNetwork’s Snowfall
Actress and new mom Angela Lewis is back for the fourth season of FX’s hit crime drama “Snowfall” (new episode every Wednesday 10pm). Created by the late Academy Award-nominated writer and director John Singleton, the drama series explores the crack cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles. The cast includes Damson Idris (Netflix’s “Black Mirror”), Emily Rios (IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK) and Isaiah John (DOWNSIZED).
She has booked lead roles on the stage for Off-Broadway plays "History of the Word" and "Milk like Sugar", which became the winner of the 2012 Obie Award for Playwriting and 2011 San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for Outstanding New Play.
She landed her first television role on the HBO critically acclaimed drama series "The Big C" as the role of Laura Linney's nurse.
Lewis quickly began working as a voice over and commercial talent for brands such as Verizon, AT&T Wireless, and McDonalds, to name a few. With appearances in many popular hit TV shows, such as TNT's "The Last Ship," Nickelodeon's "iCarly", CBS's "Cod
Nikki Grimes is a New York Times bestselling author and the recipient of the Children's Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include Southwest Sunrise, illustrated by Wendell Minor; the Printz Honor and Sibert Honor book Ordinary Hazards; NAACP Image Award nominee Planet Middle School; Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade; Coretta Scott King Author Honor books Jazmin’s Notebook, Talkin’ About Bessie, Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Words with Wings, which was also named an ALA Notable Book; and What Is Goodbye?, an ALA Notable Book. She lives in Corona, California.
www.nikkigrimes.com
2021 Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month:
Special Guests: Dr. Kalina Sanders, MD, a board-certified neurologist, specializes in multiple sclerosis and spasticity management. As a former assistant professor of neurology, she stays abreast of cutting-edge treatments and clinical research. Dr. Sanders also serves on local and national clinical advisory committees for the National MS Society. Dr. Mima Akinsanya is a Board-Certified Neurologist and currently serving as a neuroimmunology fellow at the NIH. She is a recent graduate of Emory University’s Neurology Residency Program where she was appointed chief resident in her final year. Her research interest include therapeutics for multiple sclerosis (MS) and health disparities in MS. She has a special interest in how MS impacts the African American community.
Chad Sanders is a writer, director, actor, and musician based in New York City. Previously, Chad worked at Google and YouTube and as a tech entrepreneur. He has since written and cowritten TV series and feature films with collaborators Spike Lee, Morgan Freeman, and Will Packer. Chad’s op-ed pieces have appeared in The New York Times, SLAM magazine, and Teen Vogue. Before living in New York, Chad lived in Berlin, London, Oakland, and Atlanta. Chad is a graduate of Morehouse College.
Black Magic: What Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph: A powerful exploration of Black achievement in a white world based on honest, provocative, and moving interviews with Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions.
Commander Djenaba A. Joseph, MD, MPH, is board certified in internal medicine and is a Commander in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. She joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) from 2005–2007. She remained in DCPC as a medical officer and is currently the Medical Director of CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program.
Dr. Joseph completed her undergraduate education at the University of Michigan, earned her medical degree from the University of Michigan’s Medical School, and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan, School of Public Health. She completed her residency in general internal medicine at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Angela Caraway, a native of Anson County, NC, is the Founder and President of The Caraway Management Group, Inc.(TCMG), in Raleigh, NC and the Founder and Executive Director of The Caraway Foundation, in Ansonville, NC. The Caraway Foundation (TCF) promotes and encourages ALLpeople of all ages in Anson County to continue their educationalgoals by providing support in the areas of life skills, financial empowerment and professional development assistance for under-served populations. Since 2016, the Foundation added a program called Village of STRENGTH™ that focuses on resources to support chronic illness patients/survivors that helps them battle a chronic illness and to support those that have survived a chronic illness. www.ccalliance.org
Kwei Quartey is a crime fiction writer and retired physician based in Pasadena, California. Quartey was born in Ghana, West Africa, to a Ghanaian father and a Black American mother, both of whom were lecturers at the University of Ghana. His novel Wife of the Gods made the Los Angeles Times bestseller list in 2009. He has two mystery series set in Ghana: the Detective Inspector Darko Dawson investigations and the Emma Djan investigations.
SLEEP WELL, MY LADY is the follow-up to Kwei Quartey's acclaimed series debut THE MISSING AMERICAN. This time, PI Emma Djan investigates the death of a Ghanaian fashion icon and social media celebrity, Lady Araba.
Follow him on Instagram @crimefictionwithkweiquartey.
Special guest: Author and Publisher Denene Millne
Denene Millner is a New York Times bestselling author and frequent contributor to publications such as Essence, NPR, Redbook, and Glamour. In 2008, Millner founded MyBrownBaby, a critically acclaimed and award-winning blog that has worked with top brands, including Disney and Target. She also cohosts Georgia Public Broadcasting’s A Seat at the Table, a talk show about black women; hosts the podcast Speakeasy with Denene, a celebration of the beauty of the African American experience; and makes appearances on the Today show, NPR, and more. Millner has authored thirty-one books, among them Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, cowritten with Steve Harvey; Around the Way Girl, a memoir with actress Taraji P. Henson; The Vow, the novel on which the hit Lifetime movie With This Ring was based; and Fresh Princess: Style Rules, the second in a series inspired by Will Smith’s iconic character. Millner is the editorial director of Denene Millner Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint that publishes books featuring African American children and families. In the imprint’s debut year, Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut won Newbery and Caldecott Honors and the Kirkus Prize for Children’s Literature. Millner lives in Atlanta with her two daughters
Special guest: Author and Publisher Denene Millne
Denene Millner is a New York Times bestselling author and frequent contributor to publications such as Essence, NPR, Redbook, and Glamour. In 2008, Millner founded MyBrownBaby, a critically acclaimed and award-winning blog that has worked with top brands, including Disney and Target. She also cohosts Georgia Public Broadcasting’s A Seat at the Table, a talk show about black women; hosts the podcast Speakeasy with Denene, a celebration of the beauty of the African American experience; and makes appearances on the Today show, NPR, and more. Millner has authored thirty-one books, among them Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, cowritten with Steve Harvey; Around the Way Girl, a memoir with actress Taraji P. Henson; The Vow, the novel on which the hit Lifetime movie With This Ring was based; and Fresh Princess: Style Rules, the second in a series inspired by Will Smith’s iconic character. Millner is the editorial director of Denene Millner Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint that publishes books featuring African American children and families. In the imprint’s debut year, Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut won Newbery and Caldecott Honors and the Kirkus Prize for Children’s Literature. Millner lives in Atlanta with her two daughters
Donna Hill began her career in 1987 writing short stories for the confession magazines. Since that time she has more than 100 published titles to her credit since her first novel was released in 1990, and is considered one of the early pioneers of the African American romance genre. Three of her novels have been adapted for television. She has been featured in Essence, the New York Daily News, USA Today, Today’s Black Woman, and Black Enterprise among many others. She has received numerous awards for her body of work—which cross several genres-- including The Career Achievement Award, the first recipient of The Trailblazer Award, The Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award, The Gold Pen Award among others, as well as commendations for her community service. As an editor she has packaged several highly successful novels, and anthologies, two of which were nominated for awards. Donna is a graduate of Goddard College with an MFA in Creative Writing and is currently in pursuit of her Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy and Technology. She is an Assistant Professor of Professional Writing at Medgar Evers College. Her most recent novel is Confessions In B-Flat released in November 2020.
AMIN JOSEPH CONTINUES TO MAKE HIS MARK in Hollywood as the lead patriarch “Jerome Saint” in FX’s hit series Snowfall. He was also also seen in FOX’s Stuber, starring alongside Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani, and guest starred in the hip-hop anthology series Tales for BET. Joseph previously starred in Paramount’s blockbuster reboot of Baywatch, the Netflix feature The After Party and opposite Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker in City of Lies, a thriller about the investigation of the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Joseph is a graduate of Howard University and a protégé of the world-famous Apollo Theater in his hometown of Harlem, New York, where he also internedduring his youth. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
BYHAZE "The Architect of Holistic Sounds" is a creative content entrepreneur dedicated to the progression of his community through sonic healing, visual evolution, and artistic philanthropy. BYHAZE emerged onto the scene gifting audiences with his ocular narratives as not only a model, but a photographer/ photojournalist. While in front of the camera BYHAZE effortlessly emits black boy joy, black boy style, and the the black boy imprint on popular culture.
BYHAZE has been featured on a wide variety of publications such as Vogue, Afro-Punk, Essence, Allure and many more.
BYHAZE has headlined noted venues such as The Delancey, NuBlu 151, The Knitting Factory, NJPAC and the legendary SOB's.
BYHAZE's artistic lifestyle is heavily influenced by Ubuntu, a South African philosophy that wants for a world to prioritize human kindness and compassion above all else.
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is a recipient of the Windham-Campbell Prize and her first novel, Kintu, won the Kwani? Manuscript Project Prize in 2013 and was longlisted for the Etisalat Prize in 2014. Her story “Let’s Tell This Story Properly” was the global winner of the 2014 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her newest book is A Girl is a Body of Water. It was TIME — The 100 Must-Read Books of 2020; OPRAH MAGAZINE — Best Books of the Year and WASHINGTON POST – Best Fiction of the Year 2020.
Special Guest: Actor Algee Smith from Judas and The Black Messiah movie
Actor, singer and songwriter can currently be seen as a series regular on HBO award winning series “Euphoria” opposite Zendaya, and can next be seen in Warner Brothers’ JUDUS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH. Smith just wrapped production on MOTHER/ANDROID as the male lead opposite Chloe Grace Moretz from BATMAN scribe Mattson Tomlin, and produced by Matt Reeves.
Smith was praised for his work in the feature film THE HATE U GIVE, as well as his role in the critically acclaimed Annapurna Pictures’ film DETROIT, from Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow. His performance earned him a NAACP best Actor Nomination. Detroit represents the union of Algee’s two sides. Not only did Algee star in the film, but his original song “Grow,” is featured on the official soundtrack album. Smith also starred in BET/Viacom’s highest rated miniseries “New Edition.” He played the role of ‘Ralph Tresvant.’
Feb,. 22nd-28th National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Guest: Dr. Rachel Goode is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a key content expert with the National Center of Excellence with Eating Disorders. The focus of her research is to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions to prevent and treat disordered eating and obesity among African American women. Her ongoing projects include a Feeding Hope Grant from the National Eating Disorders Association to prevent binge eating disorder among eating African American women in primary care.
Special Guest: Author Chrystal D.Giles
Chrystal D. Giles’s refreshing middle-grade debut TAKE BACK THE BLOCK (Random House Books for Young Readers / On sale January 26, 2021 / Ages 8–12) is chock-full of powerful characters and a community every reader will want to be a part of. With beautiful writing and strong historical references inspired by African American experiences,
Chrystal D. Giles is an own voices writer, with a strong focus on creating stories that bring the hopes and hurdles of African American children to the mainstream children's book market. She is a member of SCBWI and was selected as a 2018 We Need Diverse Books Mentee. One of Chrystal's poems appears in the poetry anthology, THANKU: POEMS OF GRATITUDE (Lerner/Millbrook, September 2019).
Hollywood veteran Tina Lifford plays the vivacious breakout character Aunt Vi on the critically acclaimed television drama, Queen Sugar. She has played over 100 characters in her long-standing career, including notable roles on Scandal and Parenthood.
Equally accomplished behind the camera, Tina is the respected playwright of THE CIRCLE, a play about how seven diverse women navigate the choppy waters of life together; author of The Little Book of BIG LIES (released by Harper Collins); and CEO of The Inner Fitness Project, a wellbeing initiative committed to making the practices and benefits of “Inner Fitness” as familiar, well understood and accessible as those of physical fitness.
Tina refers to herself as an Inner Fitness Advocate and Strategist, providing information and life strategies that build a strong, resilient inner Self capable of masterfully navigating life's challenges and opportunities.
Through the Inner Fitness lens, Tina encourages everyone, no matter their age or gender, to acknowledge the Self that lives inside, embrace their innate worth and learn to take their power back from old hurt, in order to live well and thrive.
Tina Lifford is a graduate of the Spiritual Psychology Program at the University of Santa Monica and of the Coaches Training Institute, and is a licensed Spiritual Practitioner. She designs and facilitates inner health and wellbeing workshops, has a private coaching practice, and facilitates live online Inner Fitness workouts. Past partners include Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline, Disney, Kellogg School of Management and The Smithsonian Institute. Visit her website at www.theinnerfitnessproject.com.
Walter Mosley is one of the most versatile and admired writers in America. He is the author of more than sixty critically acclaimed books that cover a wide range of ideas, genres, and forms, From his collection of short stories, The Awkward Black Man, to his daring novel John Woman, which explored deconstructionist history, and his standalone crime novel Down the River and Unto the Sea, which won an Edgar Award for Best Novel.
His works have been translated into 25 different languages.
Mosley has also written and staged several plays including The Fall of Heaven. Several of his books have been adapted for film and television including Devil in a Blue Dress and the HBO production of Always Outnumbered.
He is also a writer and an executive producer on the John Singleton FX drama series, “Snowfall.”
Walter Mosley’s infamous detective Easy Rawlins is back, with a new mystery to solve on the sun-soaked streets of Southern California called Blood Grove.
Website: www.waltermosley.com
Ayo Akindumila, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Council for Relationships. She has extensive experience working with individuals, couples, and families looking to cope with stressful transitions. Her approach to therapy is both warm and disarming; she understands and respects the bravery it takes to begin therapy, and is always mindful of how to make her clients feel comfortable throughout the process. Although she has worked with a vast population, Ayo specializes in working with athletes who experience stress associated with either a personal or sport related transitions. While at Texas Tech University, she concentrated on Exercise and Sports Science in undergrad, before pursuing her clinical masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Dr. Adam Edmunds is a licensed psychologist who earned his doctorate in Clinical and School Psychology from James Madison University. He specializes in individual and couples therapy for adults. He has been in the mental healthcare field for over 20 years holding roles in healthcare systems, college counseling centers, and school systems, with clients of differing backgrounds and experiences. Adam has a well-developed understanding of healthy and unhealthy psychological and psychiatric functioning across the lifespan. He offers therapy that's supportive yet challenging with a therapeutic style that’s warm, collaborative, and thoughtful with curiosity and some humor. His areas of clinical specialty include racial stress and trauma, depression, anxiety, mood management, grief/loss, men’s issues, transition/adjustment, personal growth, self-criticism/self-esteem, and family and relationship issues. He believes that through therapy people can understand themselves better, heal and grow
Special guest: Actress Michael Hyatt from FXNetwork's Snowfall.
Michael Hyatt was born in England to Jamaican parents. At the age of 10 she immigrated to the United States with her mother and two siblings. Living in Maryland and later Washington, D.C., Hyatt slowly adjusted to the American way of life. She went on to study acting at Howard University for her undergraduate degree and continued at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for her master’s. Before Hyatt’s work in film and television, she enjoyed memorable performances on stages throughout the country, most notably on Broadway in the critically acclaimed Ragtime. Hyatt’s numerous television credits include The West Wing, The Wire, The Kill Point, True Detective, Ray Donovan and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Hyatt can be seen in the Rodrigo Garcia feature film Four Good Days opposite Glenn Close which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2020. Next up, she will appear in the Warner Bros. feature film The Little Things opposite Denzel Washington and Rami Malek and the CBS miniseries A Higher Loyalty as “Loretta Lynch” opposite Jeff Daniels and Holly Hunter. Hyatt continues to be grateful to be a part of the FX Snowfall team as well. \
Michael's Website:http://www.michaelhyatttheactor.com
Snowfall's Website-https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/snowfall
Nkechi Taifa is President of The Taifa Group LLC, a social enterprise firm whose mission is to advance justice. She is a Senior Fellow at Columbia University’s Center for Justice, and convenes the Justice Roundtable, an advocacy coalition advancing progressive justice system transformation. Over the course of her career Taifa has served as Advocacy Director for Criminal Justice at the Open Society Foundations; legislative and policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union and Women’s Legal Defense Fund; founding director of Howard University School of Law’s Equal Justice Program; staff attorney for National Prison Project; Network Organizer for Washington Office on Africa; as a private practitioner representing adult and youth clients; and as a first grade teacher at NationHouse Watoto School.
An award-winning attorney, Nkechi Taifa is past president of the D.C. chapter of the National Conference of Black Lawyers. She is a founding member of N’COBRA, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America. She serves as a Commissioner on the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC), and on the governing board of the Corrections Information Council.
Nkechi Taifa is the author of a new memoir - Black Power, Black Lawyer: My Audacious Quest for Justice (2020).The book has been described as “an engaging memoir of not just a fascinating woman, but a history of a movement.” – Kirkus Reviews. She co-authored, along with Dr. Imari Obadele and Attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the pioneer book, Reparations Yes (1987). She is also the author of several classic books for children, Shining Legacy: Storypoems and Tales for the Young, So Black Heroes Forever Will be Sung (1983); Three Tales of Wisdom (1983); and The Adventures of Kojo and Ama (1992).
2021 Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
Special Guests : Debbie Saslow, PhD Managing Director, HPV & GYN Cancers for The American Cancer Society.Tamika Felder , cervical cancer survivor and founder of IAMCERVIVOR Mona Saraiya, MD, MPH, is a Medical Officer and Team Lead in CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control’s (DCPC’s) Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch
Sharon G. Flake first exploded onto the literary scene with her internationally acclaimed novel, The Skin I’m In. Since then, she has become a bestselling author and multiple Coretta Scott King Honor Award winner, as well as an NAACP Image Award nominee. Ms. Flake’s many novels include Pinned, Money Hungry, Unstoppable Octobia May, Bang!, Who Am I Without Him?, and You Don’t Even Know Me. Her books have received multiple ALA Notable and Best Books for Young Adults citations from the American Library Association and have been hailed among the “100 Books Every Teenage Girl Should Read.”
Her latest book is The Life I'm In.
Website: www.sharongflake.com
Lillian Agbeyegbe is the Community Engagement Manager on the Strategic Initiative on Sex Trafficking team. She is the lead on a Safety Net Expansion Initiative for Polaris Big Fight that seeks to reduce sex trafficking in 25 cities across the United States over the next ten years.
At Polaris, Lillian was the lead author of “Human Trafficking at Home: Labor Trafficking of Domestic Workers.” She also contributed to other publications including “Human Trafficking on Temporary Work Visas: A Data Analysis 2015-2017” and “On-Ramps, Intersections, and Exit Routes: A Roadmap for Systems and Industries to Prevent and Disrupt Human Trafficking.”
Lillian earned her Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and her Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Community Health Education from The City University of New York-Hunter College. She earned her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Economics from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Candacy Taylor is an award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian working on a multidisciplinary project based on the Green Book. She is the author of the bestselling book, Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America(Abrams Books). Taylor is also the curator and content specialist for the exhibition, The Negro Motorist Green Book which is being toured by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) from 2020 to 2024.
Taylor was a fellow at the Hutchins Center at Harvard University under the direction of Henry Louis Gates Jr. andher projects have been funded by numerous organizations including, The Library of Congress, National Geographic, The American Council of Learned Societies, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The National Park Service, The National Trust, and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Taylor’s work has been featured in over 65 media outlets including The Atlantic, CBS Sunday Morning, The Guardian UK, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsweek, PBS Newshour, and The Wall St. Journal.
www.taylormadeculture.com/the-green-book
Ryan Shaw is a three-time GRAMMY® nominated artist for his solo projects, Columbia Records’ This is Ryan Shaw, his In Between and Dynotone’s Real Love. He has shared the world stage with such artists as Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, John Legend, B.B. King and Jill Scott.
His music has been featured on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and ABC’s Dancing with The Stars, Grey’s Anatomy, and Lincoln Heights, and the films My Blueberry Nights and Bride Wars and the Sex and the City soundtrack.
Ryan has been a featured guest on national TV talk shows. He starred as Judas in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Olivier Award-winning London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, as the original Stevie Wonder in Motown: The Musical on Broadway, and on London’s West End as the Soul of Michael Jackson in Thriller Live.
Ryan debuted at Radio City Music Hall in the Dream Concert benefit for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. His Carnegie Hall appearances include Elton John and Bernie Taupin Tribute, A Celebration of The African American Cultural Legacy, and a Nat King Cole 100th concert with the NY Pops.
His concert schedule includes Nat King Cole at 100 with the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center, and A Tribute to the Queen of Soul: Aretha Franklin with numerous orchestras throughout North America.
Ryan’s new album, Imagining Marvin, showcases Marvin Gaye hits alongside Ryan’s original songs and features multi GRAMMY Award-winning co-writers and special guests.
On BET's The Oval show Javon Johnson portrays 'Richard Hallsen,' a proud family man, and the esteemed White House butler who has served under several administrations at the White House, longer than anyone else there. Written, directed and executive produced by Tyler Perry,"The Oval" is a political drama series that tells the story of U.S President Hunter Franklin and first lady Victoria Franklin, a power-hungry interracial couple, who present a perfect facade to the world while indulging in wildly scandalous behavior behind closed doors.
Javon received his BA in Acting from Southern Carolina State University and his Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Pittsburgh. He has protrayed characters in Barbershop 2, BOO! A Madea Halloween, Daddy's Little Girls,The Hate You Give, American Soul and Prison Break, just to name a few.. Javon has also won many awards for his playwrighting.
Not one to tackle one project at a time, Javon and his company, Bear Fruit Conservatory will be holding its official grand opening on Saturday, January 30 in upstate South Carolina. Bear Fruit is a non-profit school that provides high quality education and career development programs across multiple performing art disciplines.
In ONE OF THE GOOD ONES, Maika and Maritza Moulite have written a powerful story that transcends the pages and takes a hard look at what it means to be “one of the good ones,” when being human should be enough.
MAIKA MOULITE is a Miami native and the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. When she’s not using her digital prowess to help nonprofits and major organizations tell their stories online, she’s sharpening her skills as a PhD student at Howard University's Communication, Culture and Media Studies program. Her research focuses on representation in media and its impact on marginalized groups.
MARITZA MOULITE graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN, and USA TODAY. Maritza is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania exploring ways to improve literacy in under-resourced communities after being inspired to study education from her time as a literacy tutor and pre-k teacher assistant.
Tracye McQuirter, MPH, was named a national food hero by Vegetarian Times. She’s the author of the new book Ageless Vegan, and the national best-seller By Any Greens Necessary, which established her as one of the most influential vegans in the country, as well as the first free African American Vegan Starter Guide, with nearly 500,000 copies in print. As a public health nutritionist, author and 32-year vegan, Tracye has been teaching people how to live a healthy vegan lifestyle for over 25 years.
Tracye's website: www.byanygreensnecessary.com 10,000 Black Vegan Women 21-Day Vegan Fresh Start: https://byanygreensnecessary.com/10000
Ben Brown is the creator of Tourette’s Podcast, a weekly podcast sponsored by the Tourette Association of America. On the show, Ben talks with strangers who have Tourette Syndrome — sometimes it’s their first time talking openly about it — to learn how they’ve dealt with it, what still challenges them, and how their identities are shaped by it all. Ben was diagnosed with TS when he was a little kid and hid his disorder from his friends and coworkers until his late 30s. Opening up changed everything. Ben, who lives in North Carolina, is a former newspaper journalist working today as a photographer, podcaster and writer.
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor is a poet and workshop facilitator. The recipient of the 2015 Barnes and Noble Writers For Writers Award, she is the founder and curator of Calypso Muse and the Glitter Pomegranate Performance Series.
Cheryl earned an MFA in Poetry from Stonecoast: The University of Southern Maine, and an MSW from Fordham University.
She is the author of four collections of poetry: Raw Air, Night When Moon Follows, Convincing the Body, and Arrival. A poetry judge for The New York Foundation for the Arts, and The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, she has facilitated poetry workshops for Cave Canem, Poets & Writers, and The Caribbean Literary and Cultural Center.
Her poetry has been commissioned by The Joyce Theater and the National Endowment for the Arts for Ronald K. Brown: Evidence, A Dance Company.
A VONA fellow, her work has been published in Poetry, Prairie Schooner, Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Pluck!, Killings Journal of Arts & Letters, and Adrienne. Her life papers and portfolio are stored at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in NYC.
Colman Domingo is a Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, and Drama League Award nominated actor, director, writer and producer. Colman has recently received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. He is a Juilliard School Creative Associate and on faculty of the Yale School of Drama. He has starred in some of the most profound films in recent years such as Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, Steven Spielbergs' Lincoln, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Ava DuVernay's Selma and Nate Parker's Birth of a Nation. He stars in the upcoming films, Jordan Peele's Candyman, Janicza Bravo's Zola and George Wolfe's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He stars on AMC's Fear the Walking Dead and guest stars on HBO's Euphoria.
**He recurred on Steven Soderbergh's The Knick. His plays and musicals include Dot (Samuel French), Wild with Happy (Dramatist Play Service) and A Boy and His Soul (Oberon Books), the Tony Award nominated Broadway musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and Geffen Playhouse history making musical Light's Out: Nat King Cole.
***His work has been produced by The Public Theater, Vineyard, La Jolly Playhouse, Humana Festival of New American Plays, New York Stage and Film, A.C.T, The Tricycle Theater in London, Brisbane Powerhouse in Australia, among others. He is the recipient of a Lucille Lortel, Obie, Audelco and GLAAD Award for his work. His production company, Edith Productions, has a first look deal with AMC for which he is developing television, film, theater and animation projects.
***He is currently writing a new musical for The Young Vic in London and hosting his digital series, Bottomless Brunch at Colman's which is now in its second season on AMC.com
Samuel F. Reynolds, ISAR CAP, a former skeptic, had a life-changing visit to an astrologer and has since spent 30 years doing charts and studying astrology.
He currently serves on the board of directors for the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and the International Academy of Astrology. He’s also a co-founder of the International Society of Black Astrologers, and a faculty member for the International Academy of Astrology.
He’s written for multiple print and online outlets, including Ebony.com, horoscope.com, tarot.com, and New York Magazine. His home website is UnlockAstrology.com.
Airline Pilot Stephanie R. Grant is a graduate of Hampton University, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
***Grant served as the Executive Officer in this 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) unit until she fulfilled her military obligation.
***One of her most influential mentors was her cousin, Herman Samuels, a retired American Airlines Captain. It was with his encouragement that she took on flight school at Ari Ben Aviator in Fort Pierce, Florida.
***On February 12, 2009, Airline Pilots Stephanie Grant and Rachelle Jones along with Flight Attendants Robin Rogers and Diana Galloway, operated Delta Airlines flight 5202 from Atlanta, Georgia to Nashville, Tennessee. Unbeknownst to Grant and the other members of the flight crew, they had just flown into aviation history. This was the first time that a commercial airliner had ever been operated by an All-Female African-American flight crew.
***Stephanie is a Board Member and the Director of Development for the non-profit organization, Sisters of the Skies, Inc. Sisters of the Skies is an organization dedicated to increasing the number of black female pilots in the United States. Grant also serves as a mentor and her primary role as the Director of Development is to create strategic fundraising opportunities to help fund their mission of scholarships, mentorship, and outreach.
***Sisters of theSkies website--https://www.sistersoftheskies.org/
***Stephanie R. Grant website- http://www.stephaniergrant.com
Dr. Desmond Upton Patton, Associate Dean for Innovation and Academic Affairs, founding director of the SAFE Lab and co-director of the Justice, Equity and Technology lab at Columbia School of Social Work, is a leading pioneer in the field of making AI empathetic, culturally sensitive and less biased.
Also the co-chair of the Racial Equity Task Force at The Data Science Institute and founder of the SIM|ED tech incubator at Columbia University, Patton’s research uses virtual reality to educate youth and policymakers about the ways social media can be used against them and how race plays a part.
As a social worker, Patton realized existing gold standard data science techniques could not accurately understand key cultural nuances in language amongst predominantly black and Hispanic youth. In response, he created the Contextual Analysis of Social Media (CASM) approach to center and privilege culture, context and inclusion in machine learning and computer vision analysis.
Professor Patton was recently appointed Faculty Associate at Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
He won the 2018 Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) for his work on social media, AI and well-being. He was named a 2017-2018 fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society and is a 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholar and Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard Kennedy School.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and political science with honors from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and a doctorate in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.
Lyn Sisson-Talbert stands tall as one of the most accomplished female producers in Hollywood and the guiding force behind top grossing original projects for film, stage, and books. Sisson-Talbert is producing Netflix's first original live-action musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, a 20-year passion project she has been developing alongside her husband David E. Talbert. Sisson-Talbert's other film producing credits include Fox Searchlight's Baggage Claim, Universal's Almost Christmas, both of which opened as the #1 Comedy in America, & Netflix's El Camino Christmas. You can follow Lyn on
***Facebook: @LynSissonTalbert
***Instagram:@LynSissonTalbert
***Twitter: @LynTalbert
THE SQUARE ROOT OF POSSIBLE: A Jingle Jangle Story (picture book, ages 4-8, on-sale: December 1) and JINGLE JANGLE: The Invention of Jeronicus Jangle (middle grade, ages 8-12, on-sale: December 1) are based on Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, the #1 must see Netflix holiday film written and directed by David E. Talbert. It stars Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, Ricky Martin, Hugh Bonneville, and introducing Madalen Mills as Journey. Featuring original music by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and Michael Diskint. Written by producer Lyn Sisson-Talbert and writer and director David E. Talbert.
Pamela Price currently serves as the Deputy Director for The Balm In Gilead managing the various health initiatives of the organization. Mrs. Price holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Public Health and has more than 20 years of experience in public health, epidemiology, and healthcare. In addition to her role as Deputy Director, she also serves as the Director for The National Brain Health Center for African-Americans.
Mrs. Price has co-developed educational curricula and trainings for the community, clinicians, nurses, & other allied healthcare professionals aimed at addressing knowledge & cultural competency gaps related to health inequities affecting African Americans. As an advocate & leader for diversity & inclusion, she provides strategic leadership to organizations on best practices related to impactful community engagement. Pamela has worked with national and government agencies to develop and implement multi-faceted programs to meet the societal and cultural needs of underserved communities. Mrs. Price has conducted hundreds of trainings across the country on best practices related to diversity, inclusion, & equity as well as educational symposia on the impacts of socioeconomic challenges and health outcomes among communities of color. She is passionate and purpose driven in her desire to see individuals, families, and communities living and thriving across the life span.
Andrew Suggs is the CEO and founder of Live Chair- one of the industry’s premier barber reservation software providers that has evolved to provide accessible and affordable health screenings in the barber chair. Prior to Live Chair, he held various senior executive sales roles managing and overseeing multimillion dollar books of business. He earned his bachelor's from an HBCU, Claflin University, and MBA degree from Eastern University.
Michele Harper has worked as an emergency room physician for more than a decade at various institutions, including as chief resident at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx and in the emergency department at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. The Beauty in Breaking, her first book, is now a New York Times bestseller.
AM Studios is releasing the empowering drama, the LIL voice,written by Arthur Muhammad & Tara Youngblood, directed by Arthur Muhammad. The story is filled with profound life lessons, and stars Lynn Andrews, III (Carter High, Greenwood), and Evan Myles Hosely (S.W.A.T., Carter High).
Malik Armstrong portrayed by Lynn Andrews, III is trying to rebuild and reconnect the shattered pieces of his life after returning home from prison. Teiana Banks, who plays Teiana, is Malik’s no-nonsense, yet caring, ex-girlfriend who offers him a place to stay after a violent confrontation with his mother’s boyfriend. Renee Jones (Days of Our Lives, Friday the 13th) plays Malik’s mother and Telvin Griffin (Queen Sugar) his friend from the streets. After a series of bad choices that threaten Malik’s freedom, he meets a wise old man in the form of a young boy named Jonah played by Evan Myles Hosely (S.W.A.T., Carter High) who teaches him to pay attention to the voice that speaks to us. The Lil Voice will have you rooting for Malik’s success and sighing with relief when he begins to take heed of the still small voice inside us all. In the end, it’s a film with heart and a positive message that audiences are craving at the moment. Not only to be entertained, but to be moved. A story of redemption, love, and second chances!
****Website: https://www.thelilvoice.com/
****Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=hpu75279kGg&t=10s
Tochi Onyebuchi is the author of the young adult novel Beasts Made of Night, which won the Ilube Nommo Award for Best Speculative Fiction Novel by an African, its sequel, Crown of Thunder, and War Girls, a Locus and Nommo Award Finalist.
He holds degrees from Yale, the Tisch School of the Arts, Sciences Po, and Columbia Law School.
Riot Baby is his adult fiction debut. Next month Tochi brings readers back to this incredible world with REBEL SISTERS.
Proclaimed as "one of this year's biggest and most respected breakout stars" as told to The Hollywood Reporter, the multi-talented, charismatic and beautiful actress Aliyah Royale is undoubtedly Hollywood's next big superstar as she stars as the lead in the highly-anticipated television spin-off series "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," Based on the extremely popular AMC series, "TWD: World Beyond" is a gritty drama set 10 years following the apocalypse and is a coming-of-age experience for the youth who grew up in the decade following the outbreak. It will expand upon the already established apocalyptic society and introduce a new group of young characters led by Aliyah's character 'Iris Bennett' and her sister 'Hope' (Alexis Mansour) who are the first generation raised in the apocalypse and have never known a world beyond. "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" airs on Sunday's at 10:00pm ET/9c on AMC.
Born in Maryland, Royale is a self-described "military brat" who grew up living on military bases in Michigan, Kentucky, Fort Knox, Baltimore, Macomb, and San Jose. In addition to being a talented actress, Royale always had a huge love for fashion and had the alent and skillset to participate as a kid designer in "Project Runway: Threads and The Designer Kids Project."
After moving to Los Angeles, Royale booked roles in commercials, television and film such as TNT's "Major Crimes," Bounce TV's "Mann and Wife," NBC TV movie "Strange Calls," and her first TV series debut in the CBS limited series by Ava Duvernay and Greg Berlanti "The Red Line".
Lakecia Benjamin was named by the Downbeat Magazine Critics’ Poll as Rising Star in 2020. Her latest album "Pursuance" is an intergenerational masterpiece that takes one on a journey through the lineage of the music with the works of John and Alice Coltrane. Benjamin pays homage to those who have come before by featuring innovative bandleaders of her generation, such as, Reggie Workman (Coproducer and playing ), Ron Carter , Gary Bartz, DeeDee Bridgewater, Meshell Ndegecello, Regina Carter, Bertha Hope, Last Poets, Greg Osby, Steve Wilson, John Benitez, Marc Cary, Marcus Gilmore, Keyon Harrold, Marcus Strickland, Brandee Younger, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Jazzmeia Horn.
A charismatic and dynamic saxophonist and bandleader, Lakecia Benjamin fuses traditional conceptions of Jazz, HipHop, and Soul. Benjamin's electric presence and fiery sax work has shared stages with several legendary artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, and Macy Gray. As the bandleader of Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad, she melds the vintage sounds of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Sly and the Family Stone, and the Meters with soaring, dance-floor worthy rhythms. Benjamin's grooves take the classic vibe to a whole new level with sultry alto saxophone creating something special on every cut - be it a smoldering late-night ambiance, or a forceful jazz intensity, or even the tight funk multi-horn harmony sections.
China Moses is the daughter of jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and director Gilbert Moses. She released her first single "Time" (1996) at the age of 18, along with her first video directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. This was followed by three albums: China (1997), On tourne en rond ("We Turn Around") (2000), and Good Lovin (2004).
She worked on her albums with Shwedish hip hop label Breaking Bread as well as artists such as DJ Mehdi, Diam’s, Karriem Riggins, Guru, Anthony Marshall, and sound engineer Bob Power.
Chin has appeared on music channels such as MCM (1999–2001) and MTV France (2004–2011). In 2011 she joined the team for the 8th season of French TV show Le Grand Journal on Canal+, which she left in July 2012. From October 2011 to December 2012 she presented Jazz Radio’s Made in China, a daily program which aired from 7pm to 8pm.
In a bid to manage her activities as an entertainer, China launched her own production company, MadeInChina Productions, in 2008.
Moses and French pianist Raphaël Lemonnier created a show called Gardenias for Dinah, a tribute to their mutual idol Dinah Washington, who was also the inspiration for the album This One’s for Dinah which was released in 2009 by Blue Note.
The album Crazy Blues was released in 2012.
She co-presented and sang at the first UNESCO International Jazz Day in Paris in 2012 and performed numerous times for US UNESCO.
China's most recent album is Nightintales which cane out in 2017.
Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild jungles of central Maryland as a child. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for the school’s Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her journalistic work has been featured by Voice of America among other outlets. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is her debut novel. She is represented by Quressa Robinson at Nelson Literary Agency.
October is Domestic Volence Prevention Month.
Irene Lindsay Brantley- Program Director, Women In Transition. https://www.helpwomen.org/
Irene’s passion is working to empower survivors of domestic violence and substance abuse to make positive changes in their lives, free of addiction, poverty, and violence. As Women In Transition’s (WIT) Program Director, Irene is the force behind WIT’s free and confidential domestic violence and substance abuse services. Irene created WIT’s Sister Circle Peer Support group and Survivor’s Network, in addition to expanding WIT’s services to include therapy and multilingual programs. Irene is a Certified Domestic Violence Counselor (CDVC) and a graduate of Philadelphia University with a B.S. in Human Resource Management.
Rojé Augustin is a native New Yorker who grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Her first novel, The Unraveling of Bebe Jones, won the 2013 National Indie Excellence Award in African American fiction. She wrote the novel while living in London and Sydney as a stay-at-home-mom. Rojé continues to work as a producer while also writing in her spare time.
Rojé Augustin has written a groundbreaking debut collection of dramatic poems about hair care entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker and her daughter A’Lelia Walker. Out of No Way: Madam C.J. Walker & A’Lelia Walker, A Poetic Drama tracks Walker’s phenomenal rise from penniless orphan to America’s first self-made female millionaire in dramatic verse.
Out of No Way tells Walker’s remarkable rags-to-riches story by exploring thoughtful questions — What impact did Sarah’s busy work life have on A'Lelia? What was the bond between a mother orphaned so young and the daughter who might wait days or weeks for her return? Could the death of her parents when she was a child have compromised Sarah’s nurturing instincts? How did A’Lelia feel about their newfound wealth? What, if any, were the drawbacks of that wealth?
Dr. Willie Lawrence is board certified in internal medicine with subspecialties in cardiovascular diseases, interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology. In addition to his Kansas City Super Doctors honor, Dr. Lawrence was named the 2011 national Physician of the Year by the American Heart Association. He is chief of cardiology at Research Medical Center. Dr. Lawrence is the founder and director of Research Medical Center's Congestive Heart Failure program and director of the hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program. He earned his medical degree from Harvard University, completed a residency at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, and completed a cardiology and an interventional fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He also serves as a national volunteer expert for the American Heart Association.
Nic Stone is an Atlanta native and a Spelman College graduate. Her debut novel for young adults, Dear Martin, and her debut middle-grade novel, Clean Getaway, were both New York Times bestsellers. She is also the author of Odd One Out, a novel about discovering oneself and who it is okay to love, which was an NPR Best Book of the Year and a Rainbow Book List Top Ten selection, Jackpot, a love-ish story that takes a searing look at economic inequality and Shuri: A Black Panther Novel based on the much-loved character from the Black Panther comics and film.
Dear Justyce, the sequel to Dear Martin, will be published on September 29, 2020. Nic lives in Atlanta with her family. Find her online at nicstone.info or @nicstone.
Arlan Hamilton is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in highpotential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Started from scratch in 2015, Backstage has now raised nearly $12 million and invested in more than 130 startup companies led by underestimated founders.
In 2018, Arlan co-founded Backstage Studio, which launched four accelerator programs, in Los Angeles, Detroit, Philadelphia, and London, UK. In October 2018, Arlan was featured on the cover of Fast Company magazine as the first Black woman noncelebrity to do so. Arlan and Backstage were the subjects of Season 7 of the popular podcast StartUp from Gimlet Media. Arlan is the author of “It’s About Damn Time” and host of the weekly podcast, “Your First Million”.
In 2019, Arlan and her mother, Mrs. Earline Butler-Sims, announced their new scholarship program, which kicked off with Oxford University's first-ever undergraduate scholarship for a Black student, as well as a full-ride scholarship for a Psychology student at Mrs. Sims' alma mater, HBCU Dillard University.
NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE starred as Ronnie in three seasons of the hit Showtime series The Chi.
He plays the lead role in the film Farewell Amor, for which he won the Best Actor award at the Durban International Film Festival. The award-winning film (in competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2020) will be released by IFC Films in December.
He will next star in the independent feature Tazmanian Devil, directed by Solomon Onita, Jr..
Mwine is currently set to write, direct and produce a feature-length documentary about Ugandan studio photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo.
He appeared in Mira Nair's Queen of Katwe, opposite Lupita Nyong'o; Boost; Blood Diamond, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio; and starred in the indie feature 40.
He's had recurring roles in several TV series, including David Simon's Treme, Bosch and Heroes.
Mwine directed Kuhani, which won the Main Prize for Best Achievement in Directing at the International Kurzfilmtage Winterthur and was nominated for the 2014 Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the Slamdance Film Festival.
His documentary Beware of Time, won Best Film at the Berlin Black International Cinema Festival.
Biro, a multi-media solo performance piece, was Mwine's first effort as a playwright.
After premiering at Uganda's National Theatre, it opened in London and then at New York's Public Theater where it made The New York Times Critics' Pick list.
His second multi-media solo piece, A Missionary Position, premiered in Los Angeles.
Mwine's stage credits include leading roles at the Steppenwolf Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, ACT, the Long Wharf Theatre and the national tour of Six Degrees of Separation, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Actor.
Chigozie Obioma is a Nigerian writer.
In 2015, Obioma was named one of "100 Global Thinkers" by Foreign Policy magazine.
He is best known for writing the novels The Fishermen (2015) and An Orchestra of Minorities (2019), both of which were shortlisted for the Booker prize in their respective years of publication, one of only two writers to be so honored.
Between the two books, his work is being translated into thirty languages
Special Guest: Singer Lura
The innate talent that runs through her veins makes her one of the most recognizable african singers. Lura has been in the music industry for 20 years,
Lura was born in Portugal.
Her compositions are based on traditional Cape-Verdean music,for example the Morna, Funaná and Batuque, and influenced by African and contemporary Western music.
In 1996 she recorded her first album Nha Vida with her own compositions.
In 2006, she released M´bem di fora, she appeared at Lisbon's Teatro Tivoli.
In 2007 she sang her song Morna in the film Fados by Spanish film director Carlos Saura.
She later released Eclipse (pronunciation: ek-LEE-psee) in 2009 and a year later her compilation album Best Of which was also released on DVD.
in 2015, Lura released her album Heranca album (Heritage).
A native of south Louisiana, USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. She was named Shades of Romance Magazine's Best New Author of 2007. Her debut novel, Deliver Me, the first in her Holmes Brothers series, garnered rave reviews, earning Farrah several SORMAG Readers' Choice Awards.
Farrah is a two-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award and has been a Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award nominee. In 2015, Farrah won the Emma Award for Author of the Year.
Website: www.farrahrochon.com
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Brandon J. Johnson, M.H.S. is a tireless advocate for positive mental health and suicide prevention services for youth and adults across the country and within the local community of Baltimore, MD. Currently, he serves in the Federal Government working on suicide prevention. He provides guidance to states, tribes, and healthcare systems on suicide prevention initiatives.
Another highlight of Brandon’s career is his current role as the Co-Lead of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Faith Communities Task Force. Brandon is also the creator of “The Black Mental Wellness Lounge,” a YouTube channel dedicated to discussing Black mental health and healing.
Dr. Rheeda Walker is a licensed psychologist and award-winning Professor of psychology. She has published more than 60 scientific papers on psychological risk and resilience and African American mental health and been cited in or appeared on Good Morning America, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and the Houston Chronicle. Her recently released book is The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health.
Billy Childs has garnered sixteen Grammy nominations and five Grammy awards: two for best instrumental composition (Into the Light from Lyric and The Path Among The Trees from Autumn: In Moving Pictures), two for best arrangement accompanying a vocalist (including New York Tendaberry from Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro, featuring Renee Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma), and one for best instrumental jazz album (Rebirth, 2018).
In 2006, Childs was awarded a Chamber Music America composer’s grant, and in 2009 was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 2013 he was awarded the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. He has been awarded a composers award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2015).
Childs is currently serving as president of Chamber Music America.
“On my first Mack Avenue recording, Rebirth (Billy Childs’ 2017 album which won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album), I wanted to return to a focus on my jazz piano playing,” Childs states. “Acceptance (2020) is an extension of that, and the musicians make it very comfortable for me.” Childs thrives on group improvisation and has recruited fellow master musicians—saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Eric Harland—as the core ensemble for this collection: Acceptance. Elena Pinderhughes on flute; vocalists Alicia Olatuja, Aubrey Johnson and Sara Gazarek; and percussionists Rogerio Boccato and Munyungo Jackson complete the stellar lineup on this recording.
Ellis Cose is the author of a dozen books on issues of national and international concern, including the best-selling The Rage of a Privileged Class. Cose is a widely respected journalist who has served as columnist and contributing editor of Newsweek, editor page chief for the New York Daily News, a fellow at the National Research Council/National Academy of Science, a fellow of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a fellow of the Gannett Center for Media Studies at Columbia University, a fellow of the Center for Free Speech and Public Engagement of the University of California, and a contributor and columnist for numerous major publications, including USA Today and TIME. Cose has appeared on the Today Show, Nightline, Dateline, ABC Evening News, Good Morning America, PBS “Time to Choose” election special, Charlie Rose, CNN’s Talk Back Live, and a variety of other nationally televised and local programs. He lives in New York City.
His new book is called The Short Life and Curious Death of Free Speech in America.
Vaughn Hebron who can currently be seen as one of the leads on the hit BET series “The Oval,” currently wrapping its first season, will return this fall to premiere its second season! The series follows the seemingly perfect interracial first family who becomes the White House's newest residents, but behind closed doors they unleash a torrent of lies, cheating and corruption. On the show Vaughn plays ‘ Barry,’ a young man whose daughter has been kidnapped by his ex-girlfriend who is a member of the Rakudishii Cult. The story line is a segue into the show’s spinoff, “Ruthless.” The second season of The Oval will premiere October 2020.
In addition, Vaughn is also set to appear in a small supporting role in the upcoming Venus and Serena Williams feature, King Richard opposite Will Smith in theaters, Thanksgiving 2020.
Special Guest: Dr. Titilope Fasipe is the Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Sickle Cell Program and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Hematology/Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She is passionate about public health strategies to curb the psychosocial barriers, health complications and decreased lifespan of individuals with sickle cell disease. Dr. Fasipe has been repeatedly appointed to sickle cell-related advisory committees of the Texas Department of State Health Services and currently serves on the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and the Sickle Cell Task Force.
When it comes to sickle cell disease, Dr. Fasipe has the unique perspective of relating to and understanding the need for education, community awareness, support, and medical care as she is a pediatric hematologist as well as an individual with sickle cell disease.
Special Guest: Mary Hulihan is a Health Scientist in the Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch of the Division of Blood Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past twelve years, she has served as the lead for the agency’s sickle cell disease grants, including their Sickle Cell Data Collection program, or SCDC. Through this program, two states, California and Georgia, have designed, developed, and implemented an extensive data system that collects information about people living with sickle cell disease in these two states, including their clinical outcomes and health care utilization information over an extended time period. At the end of this month (September 2020), that program will be expanding to include an additional seven states. The information collected by this program is used to inform local, state, and federal health care practice and policies.
Alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins delivers an expansive opus about the Black experience in America on his remarkable debut album Omega, which will be released August 7 on Blue Note Records.Omega was produced by Jason Moran and features a next-generation quartet with pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Daryl Johns, and drummer Kweku Sumbry. The first single “Warriors” is available to stream or download today.
With powerful pieces like “Mary Turner - An American Tradition” and “Ferguson - An American Tradition,” Wilkins wanted to convey the deep pain his people have endured in this country for centuries. That message lands harder in 2020, as the world struggles through a global pandemic, and cities across America are uprising due to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, three unarmed Black people who died at the hands of whites.
The pain is balanced with joy, too, as on the opening track “Warriors,” a bright tune that celebrates the love that’s closest to you. “It’s about friendships, family, your hood, and your community,” Wilkins says.
“It’s about us serving as warriors for whatever we believe in.”“Immanuel has always been leaning forward into the music,” says Moran. “He is a powerful player. He blends traditions in a way that only his generation knows how to do. His band is set to begin a new mode that I
Special Guest: South African LGBTQ Activist Dr. Beverly Ditsie
1995, the LGBTI activist became the first African lesbian to address gay and lesbian rights before the UN.
Beverley Palesa Ditsie is well-known for becoming the first African lesbian to address gay and lesbian rights before a conference of the United Nations (UN).
In 1995, the year after South Africa's first democratic election, she told the UN Conference on Women that if it was to address the concerns of all women “it must similarly recognise that discrimination based on sexual orientation is a violation of basic human rights.”
Now, decades later, the LGBTI activist and filmmaker has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Claremont Graduate University in California.
Thomas Lockley is an associate professor at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo, where he teaches courses concerning the international and multicultural history of Japan and East Asia. He authored the first academic paper on the life of Yasuke, which led to the release of a Japanese-language book on the historical figure and now to African Samurai, a narrative history co-written with thriller and speculative fiction author Geoffrey Girard that relays Yasuke’s story in a cinematic, endlessly fascinating fashion.
African Samurai,discusses the remarkable life of history’s first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the events.
Suziliene Board, Psy.D, is a licensed psychologist in PA and DE who has been in practice for nearly 20 years. She completed her graduate training at Widener University. Dr. Board has spent the majority of her career working with diverse, under-served populations, including adolescents, family and adults throughout the Philadelphia area. She has a breadth of experience as director of programs in a variety of settings including in-home, outpatient, and residential treatment. She has specialty focus in treating substance abuse, trauma, and affective disorders. She currently works for the Department of Veteran Affairs as a Team Leader for women with dual diagnoses (mental health and substance abuse), with a focus on trauma treatment. Her interests include cultural competent care.
Debut author Jesmane Boggenpoel is an experienced business executive and former Head of Business Engagement at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. She has served on the boards of various international organizations and holds a Master's degree from Harvard University's JFK School of Government. Jesmane was honored as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, is a Harvard Mason fellow and a shareholder and founding board member of African Women Chartered Accountants Investment Holdings. Boggenpoel has extensive global experience having studied and worked on three continents, as well as traveling to over 70 countries.
Jesmane Boggenpoel, a powerful new memoir, 'My Blood Divides and Unites,' Jesmane Boggenpoel explores the importance of dealing with the past and moving forward with purpose. The book recounts Jesmane's poignant coming-of-age tale of oppression, discrimination and marginalization as a young girl growing up during Apartheid. She shares how she was able to find the light in such tragedy and take control of and reframe her own story by transforming pain into healing and reconciliation.
Chicago native, Courtney Nichole achieved her dreams of being an actress after working as a teacher and now stars in Tyler Perry’s new series, Assisted Living, premiering on September 2 on BET. Courtney takes on the role of Leah who is the supportive wife of Jeremy (Na’im Lynn), the patriarch of a young family who decides to move to the backwoods of Georgia to help his crazy grandfather after he foolishly purchased a run-down home for the elderly.
She has been on the television shows SWAT and Snowfall.
Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/thereelcourtney/?hl=en
Twitter- https://twitter.com/thereelcourtney?lang=en
Outside of acting Courtney has always had a deep love for kids and education, which led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in English language arts.
*August is Psoriasis Awareness Month****
Shani Francis, MD, MBA is a board certified dermatologist with personal interests in skin cancer, hair loss, inflammatory skin conditions m, occupational and holistic dermatology. She is passionate about advancing treatment for skin cancer, improving people’s quality of life and strongly believes in providing patients with treatment options that they are comfortable with. In addition to providing comprehensive skin cancer evaluations and minimally invasive surgical procedures, she also performs numerous cosmetic and aesthetic procedures to help you achieve and maintain the healthy hair and skin you deserve.
Dr. Francis is a graduate of Wake Forest Medical School, earned an MBA from Auburn University and completed internship and residency at The University of Chicago Hospitals, where she served as chief resident. She regularly interacts with media to create practical, informative education about dermatologic diseases that have significant impact on quality of life. She occasionally discusses important hair and skin health topics on Doctors Radio, and has been quoted in many publications including: Cosmopolitan, The NY Times, Good Housekeeping, Health, Today.com, MarthaStewart.com, Costco Connections, WebMD, and US News and World Report.
Rion Amilcar Scott is the author of the story collection, The World Doesn’t Require You (Norton/Liveright, August 2019), a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. His debut story collection, Insurrections (University Press of Kentucky, 2016), was awarded the 2017 PEN/Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and the 2017 Hillsdale Award from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. His work has been published in journals such as The New Yorker, The Kenyon Review, Crab Orchard Review, and The Rumpus, among others. One of his stories was listed as a notable in Best American Stories 2018 and one of his essays was listed as a notable in Best American Essays 2015. He was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and earned an MFA from George Mason University where he won the Mary Roberts Rinehart award, a Completion Fellowship and an Alumni Exemplar Award. He has received fellowships from Bread Loaf Writing Conference, Kimbilio and the Colgate Writing Conference as well as a 2019 Maryland Individual Artist Award. Presently he teaches Creative Writing at the University of Maryland.
Find him on twitter and instagram: @ReeAmilcarScott
Shawn A. Cosby is a writer from Southeastern Virginia, now residing in Gloucester, Virginia. His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines. His short story "The Grass Beneath My Feet" won the Anthony award for best short story in 2019. He is also the author of My Darkest Prayer and Brotherhood of the Blade. His writing is influenced by his experience as a bouncer, construction worker, retail manager and for six hours a mascot for a major fast food chain inside the world's hottest costume. When he isn't crafting tales of murder and mayhem he assists the dedicated staff at J.K. Redmond Funeral home as a mortician's assistant. He is an avid hiker and is also known as one hell of chess player. His latest book is Blacktop Wasteland (Flatiron Books).
*August is Breastfeeding Awarrness Month****
Jabina G. Coleman, LSW, MSW, IBCLC, is a Licensed Social Worker and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has dedicated over a decade of her life to serving women, children, and families in Philadelphia. Jabina received her Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice. Jabina is the owner of Life House Lactation &Perinatal Services, LLC where she provides lactation consultation services, and psychotherapy with a concentration on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She is also a published textbook author for Breastfeeding and Human Lactation 6th edition. Jabina has been featured in multiple media outlets including the Huffington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, WHYY and KYW. Jabina is a recipient of the United States Breastfeeding Committee Cultural Changemaker Award.
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Elizabeth Bayne is an award-winning filmmaker focused on health and social issue-based projects. She earned her Masters of Public Health from Yale University and MFA in film from the ArtCenter College of Design. Since graduating, Elizabeth has produced content for MIT, USC, the LA County Department of Public Health, and A.U.M. Films and Media. Her PSAs, documentaries, and short films have appeared on ABC, the Smithsonian Channel and Aspire TV. Elizabeth is currently in post-production on her first feature documentary "Chocolate Milk" and just completed "Continuing A Legacy" a short documentary about a girl from Compton's black cowboy community who competes in the junior rodeo.
The Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) is the voice of all military women – past, present, and future. We are a member-driven community network advocating for the individual and collective needs of service women. SWAN’s priorities are guided by our members, who include thousands of women and men, service members, and civilians alike.
We are committed to seeing that all service women receive the opportunities, protections, benefits, and respect they deserve. Our goal is to ensure all service women and women veterans have access to the information, tools, and support they need to reach their personal and professional goals.
Army Captain Deshauna Barber is Miss USA 2016, an award-winning international speaker, coach, and entrepreneur. Deshauna uses her experience as an Army officer, former Miss USA, and STEM graduate to impact the lives of people all over the world. Deshauna is a top-rated speaker who is widely requested as a speaker at Fortune 500 companies. She was born in Columbus, Georgia, the daughter of two Soldiers. Serving in the military is a family tradition. In 2016, Deshauna was crowned the first Soldier to the win the prestigious title of Miss USA. She spent her year-long reign as Miss USA advocating for men and women in uniform and continues her work advocating forservicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress. She is dedicated to ensuring that service members and veterans receive the support and assistance that they need. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Virginia State University, a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and Services from University of Maryland and she is currently pursuing a Diversity, Social Justice and Inclusion Certification at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Irenosen Okojie is a Nigerian-British writer. Her debut novel Butterfly Fish won a Betty Trask award and was shortlisted for an Edinburgh International First Book Award. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Observer, the Guardian, the BBC and the Huffington Post amongst other publications. Her short stories have appeared internationally in publications including Salt's Best British Short Stories 2017, Kwani? and The Year's Best Weird Fiction. She was named at the London Short Story Festival by Booker Prize winning author Ben Okri OBE as a dynamic writing talent to watch and featured in the Evening Standard Magazine as one of London’s exciting new authors. Her short story collection Speak Gigantular, published by Jacaranda Books was shortlisted for the Edgehill Short Story Prize, the Jhalak Prize, the Saboteur Awards and nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Her collection of stories Nudibranch which includes her AKO Caine Prize winning ‘Grace Jones’ is published by Dialogue Books.
Special Guest: Brandee Evans
Memphis native Brandee Evans is a former High School English teacher. She has graced the stage all over the world as a professional dancer and choreographer.
Brandee booked her first feature film role on Trey Haley's NOTE TO SELF, and has since gone on to appear in supporting roles on THE NEW EDITION STORY, LETHAL WEAPON, and numerous commercials.Brandee was also cast in Don B. Welch's hit plays CHURCH SECRETS and I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.
Recently, she played the role of Tina Brown in BET's THE BOBBY BROWN STORY, Guest Starred on GAMES PEOPLE PLAY and in December of 2019, co-starred in DEAR SANTA, I NEED A DATE, TVOne's annual holiday movie. She is currently a Series Regular on the new Starz series from creator Katori Hall, P-VALLEY, in which she plays the powerhouse lead character Mercedes. P-VALLEY premiered in July 2020.J
Mikki Kendall is a writer, diversity consultant, and occasional feminist who talks a lot about intersectionality, policing, gender, sexual assault, and other current events. Her nonfiction can be found at Time.com, the Guardian, Washington Post, Ebony, Essence, Salon, XoJane, Bustle, Islamic Monthly and a host of other sites. Her media appearances include BBC, NPR, the Daily Show, PBS, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, WVON, WBEZ, TWIB, and Showtime. She has discussed race, feminism, violence in Chicago, tech, pop culture, in various forms of media, as well as at universities across the country.
She is the author of AMAZONS, ABOLITIONISTS, AND ACTIVISTS (illustrated by A. D’Amico), and of HOOD FEMINISM, both from Penguin Random House.
They Carried Us- The Social impact of Philadelhia's Black Women Leaders,
by Allener M. Baker-Rogers (Author), Fasaha M. Traylor (Author)
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Allener is a native West Philadelphian who now resides in Virginia. She is an honorary board member and former president of the Philadelphia child-advocacy organization, Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY). She served on mayoral advisory committees, and was a governor’s appointee and board chair of the Philadelphia County Assistance Office (PCAO). A lifelong educator, and having earned a doctorate in higher-education leadership from Widener University in 2003, Allener is a former academic-department director and assistant professor of educational research. She is a past recipient of the Jane S. Abrams and Cecil B. Moore Community Service Awards and a longtime volunteer with the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
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Fasaha has been an educator, activist, writer, administrator, board chair and foundation officer. She founded and directed an independent school, operated programs to link the resources of a local university with community needs and taught in public alternative-education programs. She was a copy editor at a major metropolitan newspaper, served on the board of a national human-rights organization—the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and was board chair of Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families as well as Public Citizens for Children and Youth. She cofounded the Ain’t I a Woman Network—an activist group formed in the wake of the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings—and is a principal of Lift Every Voice, LLC. The recipient of many awards and fellowships, she received a National Science Foundation fellowship, the Art Peters Memorial Fellowship (journalism) and the Temple University Urban Fellowship.
L. Charleston IV, MD, MSc., FAHS: Headache Medicine. Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Neurology University of Michigan. He received is M.D. from Wayne State University. Dr. Charleston's research focuses on better understanding disparities and challenges in headache management among minority, vulnerable, and underserved populations, with the aim of developing strategies to reduce those disparities and inform health policy. He has also chaired the American Headache Society's (AHS) Underserved Population in Headache Medicine Special Interest Section.
Jaime Sanders'journey with migraine has been a life-long one. From a toddler with abdominal migraine to a wife and mother with chronic intractable migraine, Jaime has learned to turn her pain into empowerment. She strives to do her best to find her optimal health. Advocating for headache disorders and mental health are her passions. She is the author of the award-wining blog The Migraine Diva, and was the Migraine Patient Advocacy Coordinator for Global Healthy Living Foundation. She also partners with the American Migraine Foundation and Shades for Migraine. You may reach her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Author Masande Ntshanga is the winner of the inaugural PEN International New Voices Award 2013, and was a finalist for the Caine Prize 2015. He was born in South Africa, and graduated from the Univeristy of Cape Town. There he completed his Masters in Creative Writing under the Mellon Mays Foundation. He has received a Fulbright Award, an NRF Freestanding scholarship, a Civitella Ranieri Fellowship and a Bundanon Trust Award. His work has appeared in The White Review, Chimurenga, VICE and n+1.
Books: The Reactive(2014) and Triangulum(2019)
With a smile that will entrance you and a voice that helps your troubles disappear, Quiana Lynell’s vocal dexterity allows her to perform a limitless repertoire. Infusing her classical training with her gospel upbringing she approaches jazz as a storyteller.
Graduating from Louisiana State University’s music department Lynell is able to harness her voice as a true instrument and perform various genres of music with precision and validity.
Lynell frequents the stage as a clinician, performer, arranger, bandleader and songwriter. As she has made her way through the music scene Lynell has shared the stage with headline jazz artists such as Herlin Riley, Roderick Paulin, Don Vappie, Mitchell Player and countless local artists and bands.
Lynell has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra as the principle Soprano using the classical side of her voice and has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival presenting traditional jazz music.
She has performed in several musicals throughout New Orleans and Baton Rouge receiving rave reviews.
Her album A Little Love is out now.
website: http://ww.quianalynell.com
Three-time Emmy award-winning television and film veteran actor, and "King of Voiceovers," Keith David.
Keith brings to life 'Gene Holloway" in season 6 of CBS' "NCIS: New Orleans," a new love interest of Dr. Loretta Wade, and a high-ranking NOPD officer. Episode 17 titled "Biased" tackles the difficult topic of African-Americans and the police in the US.
Coming back for its final season, Keith returns as 'Bishop James Greenleaf' one last time. Greenleaf" follows the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family with scandalous secrets and lies, and their sprawling Memphis megachurch.
Keith's extraordinary range of talent is evidenced by his body of work. His films include THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, CORALINE, and Oscar-winning films CRASH, and PLATOON. Some of his other over 80 film credits include ARMAGEDDON, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, CLOCKERS, MEN AT WORK, and countless others.
Keith has also had an envious career as a very well-established voice over actor with titles under his belt including the hit television series "Rick and Morty," as well as "Gargoyles," and in big video game franchises such as "Fallout," the "Halo" series, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," and the "Mass Effect Series."
Keith went to the New York's High School of the Performing Arts and continued his studies at The Juilliard School.
Ayesha Harruna Attah is the author of four novels: Harmattan Rain (Per Ankh Publishers), nominated for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize; Saturday's Shadows (World Editions), shortlisted for the Kwani? Manuscript Project in 2013; The Hundred Wells of Salaga (Cassava Republic Press, UK; Other Press, US); and a forthcoming young adult novel, The Deep Blue Between (Pushkin Children's). Educated at Mount Holyoke College, Columbia University, and NYU, Ayesha has degrees in Biochemistry, Journalism, and Creative Writing. A 2015 Africa Centre Artists in Residency Award Laureate and Sacatar Fellow, she is the recipient of the 2016 Miles Morland Foundation Scholarship for non-fiction.
Minna Salami is a Nigerian, Finnish and Swedish writer and lecturer. She is the founder of the multiple award-winning blog, MsAfropolitan, which connects feminism with contemporary culture from an Africa-centred perspective. Her first book, Sensuous Knowledge, will be published in 2020 by Zed and Harper Collins.
Minna is listed alongside Angelina Jolie and Michelle Obama as one of 12 women changing the worldby ELLE Magazine.
She is a contributor to the Guardian, BBC, CNN, The Independent, Al Jazeera, the New Internationalist and many other publications. She is a columnist for the Guardian Nigeria.
She has consulted governments on gender equality and she has curated events at The Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
She is a guest commentator on the BBC, SKY, Al Jazeera and Channel 4.
Minna is a co-director of the feminist movement, Activate.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Gender Studies (Distinction) with a focus on black feminisms from SOAS, University of London, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from The University of Lund,
Sulaiman Addonia is a novelist who fled Eritrea as a refugee in childhood. He spent his early life in a refugee camp in Sudan following the Om Hajar massacre in 1976, and in his early teens he lived and studied in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He arrived in London as an underage unaccompanied
refugee without a word of English and went on to earn an MA in Development Studies from SOAS and a BSc in Economics from UCL.The Consequences of Lovewas shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was translated into more than 20 languages. Sulaiman Addonia currently lives in Brussels where he has launched a creative writing academy for refugees and asylum seekers. Silence is My Mother Tongue is his second novel.
Tope Folarin is a Nigerian-American writer based in Washington DC. He won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2013 and was shortlisted once again in 2016. He was also recently named to the Africa39 list of the most promising African writers under 40. He serves as Vice President of Content and Storytelling at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Policy Studies. He was educated at Morehouse College and the University of Oxford, where he earned two Masters degrees as a Rhovdes Scholar. His debut novel, A Particular Kind of Black Man, was published by Simon & Schuster
Tourette Syndrome is one type of Tic Disorder. Tics are involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalizations. They are the primary symptoms of a group of childhood-onset neurological conditions known collectively as Tic Disorders and individually as Tourette Syndrome (TS), Persistent (Chronic) Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder, and Provisional Tic Disorder.
Special Guest--Emily Ricketts Ph.D. is a Clinical Specialist in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Her research centers on the relationship between sleep and circadian disturbance, symptom severity, and underlying neurocognitive mechanisms in Tourette’s Disorder and obsessive-compulsive-spectrum (e.g., hair pulling disorder, skin picking disorder) disorders. She has received funding from the NIMH, and Tourette Association of America to evaluate circadian rhythms and the effects of short-wavelength wearable light therapy in youth and adults with Tourette’s Disorder.
Special Guest--Chloe Winston is a Tourette Association Youth Ambassador. Chloe struggled with her tics in the beginning. But since becoming a Youth Ambassador, she reached a point where she’s gained confidence and wants to spread awareness and teach people about Tourette Syndrome.
SPECIAL GUEST: Actor Curtis Cook
Curtiss became the first American to receive a full-ride scholarship to London's prestigious Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
He has performed on Broadway in productions of "The Lion King" and "Miss Saigon."
Curtiss was recently on NBC's sci-fi hit series "Manifest," and FX's highly-acclaimed "Mayans M.C."
In addition he has worked on ARBITRAGE, THE INTERPRETER AND SHUTTER ISLAND, along with roles in series such as Netflix's "House of Cards," "Luke Cage" and "Narcos."
SPECIAL GUEST: Antoine Bandele
HE IS AN AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR IN DARK FANTASY, SWORD & SORCERY, AND AFRICAN LITERATURE.
Books:
An Esowan Story
***The Kishi
The Sky Pirate Chronicles
**By Sea and Sky
He lives in Los Angeles, CA where he produces work on YouTube for his own channel and others, such as JustKiddingFilms, Fanalysis, and more. http:/www.antoinebandele.com
FATOUMATA DIAWARA: Hailed as one of the most vital standard-bearers of modern African music, Fatoumata Diawara takes her artistry to fresh and thrilling heights on her new album FENFO.
Her spectacular 2011 debut album FATOU made the Malian singer and guitarist the most talked about new African artist on the planet. FENFO (which translates as “something to Say”’) dramatically fulfils that promise on a set of vivid and original new compositions that draw on the rich experiences she has enjoyed since.
Those she has worked with include some of the biggest names in contemporary music. She recorded with Bobby Womack and Herbie Hancock; played Glastonbury and other major festivals; and toured with the Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca. She assembled a West African super-group featuring Amadou and Mariam, Oumou Sangaré and Toumani Diabaté to record a song calling for peace in her troubled homeland; and climbed aboard Damon Albarn’s star-studded Africa Express, which culminated in her sharing a stage with Sir Paul McCartney.
She has also continued her parallel career as an actor, including an acclaimed appearance in 2014’s Timbuktu (Le chagrin des oiseaux), which received both BAFTA and Academy Award nominations.
www.fatoumatadiawara.com
Keyon Harrold was born and raised in Ferguson, MO, the St. Louis suburb that tore into America’s national consciousness in 2014 with the police shooting of Michael Brown and the bitter protests and riots that followed.
While Ferguson looms large in Harrold’s album The Mugician, it examines our troubled times through a far wider lens than any one tragedy. Sweeping and cinematic, the music draws on elements of jazz, classicval, rock, blues, and hip hop to create something uniquely modern, unmistakably American.
Guests in the album include: Pharoahe Monch, Gary Clark, Jr., Big K.R.I.T., Guy Torry, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Robert Glasper add to the record’s eclectic nature, but it ultimately triumphs as a unified, cohesive whole both because of Harrold’s virtuosic skill as a trumpeter and songwriter and because of his relentlessly optimistic belief in brighter days to come.
An accomplished actor with over sixty television and film appearances, including the recent hit Netflix comedy Never Have I Ever, Ms. Locke is also a producer, screenwriter and author of the New York Times bestselling memoir and Reese’s Book Club’s pick (May 2019): FROM SCRATCH: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home. The book chronicles three summers Locke and her young daughter spent on the island of Sicily after her husband's death. It has been called "incandescent" and "a profound story of love lost and then found." Currently, she is co-developing and co-writing the Netflix limited series based on her book with her sister, award-winning novelist and TV producer Attica Locke. Zoe Saldana will star and serve as executive producer, along with Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine. “
Shana L. Redmond is a native of Racine, Wisconsin and the daughter of working-class parents, whose experiences of service work and incarceration profoundly impacted her political and racial identity. It is from these experiences and knowledges that she approaches her scholarship and activist work, which are both concerned with laying bare and challenging the material conditions that encode and enforce difference and inequality. Labor, carceral regimes, and racial justice are some of her activist and scholarly interests. As a scholar, Redmond pulls from multiple subjects, strategies, and approaches in her work and situates her scholarship in and between fields including Black Studies, Performance Studies, History, Critical Ethnic Studies, Sound Studies, English and Literature, Cultural Studies, and (Ethno)Musicology. Her new book is an experimental cartography of the global polymath Paul Robeson and his repetition as vibration, hologram, and the built environment during and after his lifetime. Titled Everything Man: The Form and Function of Paul Robeson, the book forwards a theory of “antiphonal life” in order to announce his continuing influence and labors in the political life of artists, organizers, and intellectuals.
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month
Dr. Krystal Lewis from the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH). She is a licensed clinical psychologist and a researcher at NIMH. She conducts research on anxiety treatment and prevention in children and adolescence.
Special Guest: Black Men Heal organization.-https://blackmenheal.org/
Tasnim Sulaiman is the owner of Taz Talk Therapy, a private practice specialized in relationships, couples and sex therapy. Tasnim, (warmly known as Taz), is a Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor located in Philadelphia, PA. She is also the Founder/Executive Director ofBlack Men Heal a nonprofit whose mission is to provide mental health treatment, psychoeducation, and community resources to men of color. Black Men Heal is one of the first organizations that offers free quality psychotherapy sessions to men of color by clinicians of color.
Special Guest: Black Therapy Love. https://www.black-love-therapy.com/
Within the African American community, one of the biggest hindrances includes opening up to a therapist that neither looks like them, nor can relate culturally. Tomina Ward is the CEO and Founder of Black Therapy Love App.Black Therapy Love App provides a place where those seeking services can interact with therapists, counselors, and coaches opening the dialogue and bridging the gap between mental health professionals and the Black community. The app is also considered user friendly, allowing for user messaging, access to professionals’ profiles and the ability to get to know a bit more of their why.
Jéan Elie is a Haitian American actor/writer, known for playing Ahmal Dee on HBO’s critically acclaimed comedy series Insecure. Elie rose to recognition as an actor for playing Yves Durand in the 2017 limited drama series American Crime, before attaining his most prominent role as Issa Rae’s brother, Ahmal Dee on Insecure. Elie is also an up and coming writer, after being inducted into Season 2 Magic For Humans (Netflix) writers room and for writing Send Help, currently in development at Participant Media's SoulPancake.
Other credits include BET holiday drama film Throwback Holiday, horror film The Final Wish, digital series Giants, Rider, and Black Girl in Big Dresses, voiceover on animated series Alvin and the Chipmunks, and short drama films Thin Walls, Detour, and A Gentleman Always.
Emily Bernard holds a B. A. and Ph. D. in American Studies from Yale University.
Her work has appeared in The American Scholar, The Boston Globe Magazine, Creative Nonfiction, Green Mountains Review, Oxtford American, Ploughshares, TheNew Republic, and theatlantic.com.
Her essays have been reprinted in Best American Essays, Best African American Essays, and Best of Creative Nonfiction.
Her first book, Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
She has received fellowships and grants from Yale University, Harvard University, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Studio Center, and The MacDowell Colony.
A contributing editor at The American Scholar,
Emily is the Julian Lindsay Green and Gold Professor of English at the University of Vermont.
Ayo (born as Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin in Frechen near Cologne, Germany) is a Nigerian-German singer-songwriter.
She recorded her first album Joyful in January 2006 in the New York Sony studio. Her debut album Joyful reached Double-Platinum status in France, Platinum in Germany and Poland, Gold status in Switzerland and Italy and Greece. The album was released in the United States on 20 November 2007 by Interscope Records.
On her American tour she performed with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. In January 2008 she appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, and on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, performing her song Down on My Knees.
On 10 March 2008 Ayo started recording on her second album Gravity At Last . She co-produced the album with Jay Newland. The album reached number 1 on the French album charts in October 2008.
The French production company MK2 produced 2009 the film Ayo, a 90 minute documentary about the singer and her life. The film was directed by Raphaël Duroy.
Ayo's third album named after her daughter Billie-Eve was released in March 2011.
Royal is both a new beginning and a homecoming, guided by Ayo's instinctive faith. "My main inspiration is God" she explains. But not from a theological point of view. Allah, Yaveh, Buddha, Jah... Whatever his name, he has always been there, before the invention of religions. Everything that is royal like faith and love is God.” What better way to face this sometimes cruel and difficult world? The result is a record that strives for serenity, that explores the possibility of being whoever you want to be, wherever you come from.
Trapeta B. Mayson is the city of Philadelphia’s current Poet Laureate. She reads her poetry widely and works extensively facilitating poetry and creative writing workshops. Her work sheds light on and honors the immigrant experience as well as amplifies the stories of everyday people.
She is a recipient of a Pew Fellowship in Literature, Leeway Transformation Award, Leeway Art and Change Grant and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Grants. Her work was also nominated for a 2016 Pushcart Prize. She is a Cave Canem and Callaloo Fellow and a 2019 Aspen Words Emerging Writer’s Fellow with the Aspen Institute.
She is the author of She Was Once Herself and Mocha Melodies. Trapeta also released two music and poetry projects, SCAT and This Is How We Get Through, in collaboration with internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist, Monnette Sudler. Her other publications include submissions in The American Poetry Review, Epiphany Literary Journal, Aesthetica Magazine, Margie: The American Journal of Poetry among others
NATIONAL STROKE AWARENESS MONTH
Special guest: DR. CAROLYN BROCKINGTON
Carolyn D. Brockington, MD is the Director of the Stroke Center at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West Hospital in New York City. She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has a subspecialty board certification in Vascular Neurology.
In addition, she works with the American Stroke Association (ASA), as a volunteer medical spokesperson, regarding a campaign to increase stroke awareness and highlight prevention strategies, particularly in young adults. She was named one of “New York’s Best Doctors” by New York magazine in 2003 and has written several articles about stroke related issues.
Michael Arceneaux is the New York Times bestselling author of I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé.
Additionally, he is a regular contributor to Esquire, Elle, Essence, NBC News’ THINK, MTV News, among others. He’s also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle, Complex, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Wired, BuzzFeed, The Guardian, them., Time Ideas, New York magazine’s Vulture, Salon, The Atlantic, NPR, Comedy Central Online, and numerous additional outlets.
In the past, you could find Michael in his most natural state on The Cynical Ones, a humor blog filled with commentary on politics, pop culture, and personal anecdotes. The Root once named Michael named one of the Best Black Bloggers to Know . ESSENCE magazine named him one of the top #BlackTwitter voices to follow.
His second book, I Don’t Want To Die Poor, which chronicles his struggles with private student loans and actual economic anxiety, will be released on April 7, 2020.
Actor Neil Brown, Jr. is best known for his current role as Ray Perry in CBS' s Seal Team show.
In addition, he plays Chad Kerr on HBO's Insecure show
Neil has worked on Straight Outta Compton, Derk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, The Walking Dead, Suits, Fast and Furious and more.
Neil is also a skilled Martial artist.
hree-time GRAMMY® award-winning drummer, producer, educator and activist, Terri Lyne Carrington started her professional career as a “kid wonder” while studying under a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In the mid '80’s she worked as an in-demand drummer in New York before gaining national recognition on late night TV as the house drummer for both the Arsenio Hall Show and Quincy Jones’ VIBE TV show.
In 1989, Ms. Carrington released a GRAMMY®-nominated debut CD on Verve Forecast, Real Life Story, and toured extensively with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, among others. In 2011 she released the GRAMMY®Award-winning album, The Mosaic Project, featuring a cast of all-star women instrumentalists and vocalists, and in 2013 she released Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue, which also earned a GRAMMY®Award, establishing her as the first woman ever to win in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category.
AMs. Carrington is an honorary doctorate recipient from Berklee, and currently serves as Founder and Artistic Director for the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice.
In 2019 Ms. Carrington was granted the Doris Duke Artist Award, a prestigious acknowledgment in recognition of her past and ongoing contributions to jazz music. Her current band project, Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science (a collaboration with Aaron Parks and Matthew Stevens), released their debut album, Waiting Game, in November, 2019 on Motema Music."
Mekia Cox
MEKIA COX Mekia has been dazzling audiences since the age of two when she performed her first solo song and dance. It was then that she knew her purpose in life was to entertain. With early career credits including “One Tree Hill”, “CSI:NY”, “Half & Half” and “Bones,” she proceeded to be cast in award-winning television series such as “Modern Family”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Gotham”, “Key & Peele”, “Almost Human”, and a multitude of other TV shows including The CW’s hit series “90210” where she was cast as the vivacious DJ, Sasha. On the big screen she’s appeared alongside Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling in the romantic comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love”, as well as dancing alongside Michael Jackson in the 2009 tour/documentary “This Is It”. She’s also been afforded the opportunity to work with other industry icons including J.J. Abrams and producer Josh Reims when she was granted her first series regular role on NBC's “Undercovers,” as well as with three-time Academy Award nominee Frank Darabont in TNT’s “Mob City”. Most recently she’s been seen as Princess Tiana in ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” and is best known for her role as Robin Charles on NBC’s “Chicago Med.” Currently Mekia has joined ABC’s “The Rookie” where she plays tough undercover cop turned training officer Nyla Harper. Mekia's talents also exceed what has been captured on screen. With a Bachelor of Music Degree in Musical Theatre and two national tours under her belt (“Fame" and "Smoke Joe’s Café"), her goal is to share her passion for storytelling with world.
Christian Sands is currently one of the most in-demand pianists working in jazz. In the last few years he has toured around the world as a bandleader and recently appeared as a sideman on records by Christian McBride and Gregory Porter. After the one-two punch of Reach and Reach Further - EP, Sands' dynamic 2017 Mack Avenue debut and his live/unreleased studio tracks EP follow-up released of, Facing Dragons is Sands' return to the recording studio with an indestructible band and an unwavering allegiance to the groove.
Due out May 22, Be Water is Sands’ fourth release (including a five-track digital-only EP as an extension of his debut album Reach) for Mack Avenue Music Group. The album takes its title from the philosophy of martial arts master and movie star Bruce Lee (by way of screenwriter Stirling Silliphant, who distilled his thoughts for the screen). Lee’s voice appears on both halves of Sands’ title track offering this profound advice: “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup; you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle... Water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” (Bruce Lee inspirational quote)
Earlier this year Sands was named creative ambassador to The Erroll Garner Jazz Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the legacy of the late great pianist Erroll Garner. After inheriting the position from the late Geri Allen – one of Sands’ mentors – he is a natural fit for the role. www.christiansandsjazz.com
NATASHA ROTHWELL
Natasha is a writer, actress and comedian.
She currently plays Kelli on HBO’s Insecure show.
Natasha was previously a writer on Saturday Night Live TV show 2014-2015 season.
in addition, she can be seen on HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show.
***2019–Nominated for Black Reel Awards for Television.
***2019–Nominated, Black Reel for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy Series for Insecure
***2019–Nominated, Black Reel Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series for Insecure For the episode "Ghost-Like"
**2019–Nominated for Image Awards (NAACP)-Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Insecure
AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH
Special Guest: Kim Kaiser is a proud Mom of a son on the Spectrum. She is an Autism Advocate, Artist and Certified Peer Support Specialist and Parent Advisor with Families Together in New York State and a Parent Trainer, panelist and collaborator with The Color of Autism Foundation. Kim has 35 years experience working with Families and grassroots initiatives in the areas of parent education, mental health, developmental disabilities and recovery. Kim supports and fights for Family and youth driven initiatives, self-advocacy and empowerment within undeserved communities.
Special Guest:. Dr. Lamar Hardwick. After graduating high school in El Paso, Texas, Lamar enrolled and attended Concordia University Wisconsin where he would meet his wife and eventually graduate with a BA in criminal justice. Lamar would go on to graduate with a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree from Liberty University. Over the years Lamar has served as a youth pastor, hospice chaplain, football coach, and pastor but his most important role is serving his wife of 16 years and their three beautiful children ages 11, 8, and 3. Dr. Hardwick has had articles published by various autism and disability websites such as The Mighty,The Huffington Post, Key Ministry, and The Autistic Self Advocacy Network to name a few. His articles and blogs can also be found on his website http://www.autismpastor.com
KENT GARRETT was born in the Fort Greene Projects in Brooklyn, New York. He excelled in the New York City Public Schools and went on to Harvard College in 1959. He was one of the producers of the ground-breaking public TV program Black Journal and went on to a long career with CBS and NBC News. In 1997, he left the rat race and became an organic dairy farmer in upstate New York.
THE LAST NEGROES AT HARVARD
In the fall of 1959, Harvard recruited an unprecedented eighteen “Negro” boys as an early form of affirmative action. Four years later they would graduate as African Americans. Some fifty years later, one of these trailblazing Harvard grads, Kent Garrett, would begin to reconnect with his classmates and explore their vastly different backgrounds, lives, and what their time at Harvard meant.
Garrett and his partner Jeanne Ellsworth recount how these eighteen youths broke new ground, with ramifications that extended far past the iconic Yard. By the time they were seniors, they would have demonstrated against national injustice and grappled with the racism of academia, had dinner with Malcolm X and fought alongside their African national classmates for the right to form a Black students’ organization.
Part memoir, part group portrait, and part narrative history of the intersection between the civil rights movement and higher education, this is the remarkable story of brilliant, singular boys whose identities were changed at and by Harvard, and who, in turn, changed Harvard.
April is National Stress Awareneas Month
Stress is up. Most Americans are suffering from moderate toh 44 percent reporting that their stress levels have increased over the past five years.
Children are hurting. Stress is also taking a toll on kids. Almost a third of children reported that in the last month they had experienced a physical health symptom often associated with stress, such as headaches, stomach aches or trouble falling or staying asleep
Self-care isn’t a priority. Only 40 percent of Americans rate their health as very good or excellent.
Bill Holmes is a writer, poet, author, therapist, and filmmaker. He is the author of the full-length poetry book Straight From My Heart, the spoken word CD The Air I Breathe, and the ESSENCE bestselling fiction novel One Love. Bill earned his M.S. in mental health counseling from Walden University. He is currently working on his memoir In the End that chronicles his journey of being diagnosed with and managing major depressive disorder.
Leslie Irby is a trailblazer, innovator, speaker and avid traveler.
Irby hails from East Point, GA. As a 2012 graduate of Fort Valley State University, Leslie was at the starting point of life when she was involved in a car accident in 2013 where multiple fatalities occurred. Becoming paralyzed, Leslie decided life was worth living, she gave new meaning to “The Phoenix Rises”.
Deciding to continue her education, In 2017, Leslie received her Masters in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. She has worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor for state vocational rehabilitation agencies.
During a flight to France, Leslie had the epiphany to finish a Dream started more than 12 years ago: to become a pilot. Thanks to a program called Able Flight, after 7 long weeks of flying day and night at Purdue University, on June 28, 2019, Leslie accomplished her goal and became a licensed sport pilot. She is now historically known as the First African American Female with a disability to receive a pilot license.
CHIKA UNIGWE, PhD
Chika Unigwe, PhD, is the author of four novels, including the acclaimed On Black Sisters' Street (Jonathan Cape, 2009), and winner of the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature (2012). In 2014 she was included in the Hay Festival Africa39 list of most promising African writers under the age of 40. In 2016, Unigwe was appointed as the Bonderman Professor for Creative Writing at Brown University in Rhode Island, and was a judge of the Man Booker International Prize in 2017.
BETTER NEVER THAN LATE BOOK
A timely collection of interconnected stories about the experiences of Nigerian migrants making their way in Europe, centred around Prosperous and her husband Agu, and the various visitors who gather at their apartment in Belgium. These ten tales explore their struggles and triumphs, from unhappy marriages (of convenience or otherwise), and the pain of homesickness and loneliness, to dealing with religious fervour and exorcism. Award-winning author Chika Unigwe provides a very human slant on the issues of migration so prevalent in contemporary discourse, writing with humour and acute observation.
Justin Driver is Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He teaches and writes in the area of constitutional law and is the author of The Schoolhouse Gate: Public Education, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for the American Mind. The book was selected as a Washington Post Notable Book of the Year, an Editors’ Choice of the New York Times Book Review, and received an honorable mention, Silver Gavel Award, American Bar Association, 2019. The Washington Postcalled The Schoolhouse Gate “masterful,” and the New York Times called it “indispensable.”
Driver is a graduate of Brown, Oxford (where he was a Marshall Scholar), Duke (where he received certification to teach public school), and Harvard Law School (where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review). After graduating from Harvard, Driver clerked for Judge Merrick B. Garland, Justice Stephen Breyer, and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
As a talented actor on the rise, J. Alex Brinson continues to build his body of work by bringing dynamic characters to life within his acting career.
Currently, Brinson can be seen as Bailiff Luke Watkins in CBS’s drama ALL RISE alongside Simone Missick, Wilson Bethel, Jessica Camacho. The drama follows the dedicated, chaotic, hopeful, and sometimes absurd lives of judges, prosecutors, and public defenders as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal system.
Previously, Brinson starred as Jeff Conniker in Netflix Sci-fi series, TRAVELERS along side Nesta Cooper, Eric McCormack and Mackenzie Porter. Initially his role was only meant to be a 3-episode Guest Star, however, Brinson’s immersion into his role as a domestically violent police officer convinced the show’s producers that they wanted him for all 3 seasons.
Brinson’s early passion to perform landed him a place in the Drama Division at the prestigious Juilliard School where he went up against over 2,000 applicants to become one of only 150 students accepted. His experience at Julliard helped lead him into his current success on television.
Special guest: Singer Sia Tolno.
Sia Tolno was born1975 in Gueckedou in Guinea, Geopolitical this ravaged area had eleven years of civil war, from 1991 to 2002, because of the"blood diamonds", which were taken by warlords.
Sia Tolno has long wanted to "seize the Afrobeat, an expression of anger music, which is at the height of what I mean."
For her previous two albums, Eh Sanga and My Life (RFI Award 2011), she worked with Guinean guitarist Kante Manfila (a former Ambassadors Salif Keita) first, then Mamadou Camara, guitarist veteran of orchestra Kaloum Star.
Sia Tolno advocate for women. "They have a place in Africa today," she said, using the example of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Peace Prize, which governs Liberia since 2006. "For us, family, husband, children, a belief, it is important. You have to respect it to better denounce the scourge of female circumcision. So I say without aggression, "it must cut anything." Or I talk to women so they no longer tolerate humiliating marriage, but respecting their values. "
The album African Woman denounces the machismo (Manu), the imbecility of the warlords (Rebel Leader) and police corruption (African Police). It promotes education of women, inevitably powerful (Waka Waka Woman), against excision (Kekeleh). She also tells the tragic story of Koita and Fode Tounkara Yaguine, two teenagers prospective migrants found dead in the landing gear of the flight 520 of Sabena in 1999. Idjo Weh is devoted to youth "which is locked in Africa, wedged between parental influence and social structures. You can not be master of yourself, because there is always someone better equipped than you, and this generates violence, rebellion, and all sortesde traffic. "
Lil Rel Howery stars as Jerrod's ever-hustling brother, Bobby Carmichael, in the NBC comedy "The Carmichael Show."
Hailing from Chicago, Howery has been seen on his own Comedy Central special, "Last Comic Standing," "Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey," "Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand Up" and "Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy." He has also made appearances on "The Arsenio Hall Show," "Shaq's All Star Comedy Jam" and "Chelsea Lately."
In 2009, Lil Rel began his first business, The Lil Rel Company. Initially launched as the holding company for his stand-up comedy material, The Lil Rel Company now houses the entire Lil Rel brand. His new CD, "I Know You Hear Me, But Are You Listening," is available on iTunes.
Last year, Howery appeared on BET's "Comic View," Fox's animated series "Lucas Bros Moving Co," Comedy Central's "Comedy Underground with Dave Attell" and the recently renewed TruTV sketch show "Friends of the People," for which he also writes and executive produces.
Noo Saro-Wiwa was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in England. She attended King's College London and Columbia University in New York.
Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (Granta, 2012) is her first book. It was selected as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week in 2012, and was named The Sunday Times Travel Book of the Year, 2012. Shortlisted for the Author’s Club Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award in 2013, Looking for Transwonderland was also nominated by The Financial Times as one of the best travel books of 2012. The Guardian newspaper included it among its 10 Best Contemporary Books on Africa in 2012. It has been translated into French and Italian.
She has contributed book reviews, travel, opinion and analysis articles for The Guardian newspaper, The Independent, The Financial Times, The Times Literary Supplement and Prospect magazine, among others.
Noo has also written travel guides for Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. Website: http://www.noosarowiwa.com/
Chioma Okereke was born in Benin City, Nigeria. She started her writing career as a poet and performed throughout Europe and the United States before turning her hand to fiction. Her work has been shortlisted in the Undiscovered Authors Competition 2006,run by Bookforce UK, and in the Daily Telegraph's 'Write a Novel in a Year' Competition in 2007.
Bitter Leaf is a richly textured and intricate novel set in Mannobe, a world that is African in nature but never geographically placed. At the heart of the novel is the village itself and its colourful cast of inhabitants: Babylon, a gifted musician who falls under the spell of the beautiful Jericho who has recently returned from the city; Mabel and M'elle Codon, twin sisters whose lives have taken very different paths, Magdalena, daughter of Mabel, who nurses an unrequited love for Babylon and Allegory, the wise old man who adheres to tradition.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. http://www.africanamerautism.com/
Special Guest: Angela Norris -Hawkins, Angela, along with her mother, are co- founders of the African American Autism Center, one of a handful of African American focused community based organization helping families with children along the autism spectrum and Elevated Thinking for Success, which is the philanthropic arm for the AAAC, supporting various community initiatives and activities through monetary and voluntary efforts.
Special Guest: The Color of Autism Foundation was founded to fill a void of providing aid to children and their families coping with autism. About the founder: Camille Proctora mother of an autistic son founded the organization after her son was diagnosed. After witnessing a great divide in the level of care for African American Families affected by ASD The Color of Autism Foundation was born. http://thecolorofautism.org/
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is a novelist, essayist, journalist and humorist. She was born in Enugu, Nigeria. As a teenager, she secretly dreamed of becoming a CIA or KGB agent. She studied Psychology at the University of Ibadan. Her first income was from winning a writing competition at the age of 13. In her first year at university, she was a member of the Idia Hall Chess Team, and also a member of the university's (classical music) choir.
I Do Not Come to You by Chance:A deeply moving debut novel set amid the perilous world of Nigerian email scams, I Do Not Come to You by Chance tells the story of one young man and the family who loves him. Being the opera of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges--a piece of meat in his egusisoup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university. As first son, he has responsibilities, too. But times are bad in Nigeria, and life is hard. Unable to find work, Kingsley cannot take on the duty of training his younger siblings, nor can he provide his parents with financial peace in their retirement. And then there is Ola. Dear, sweet Ola, the sugar in Kingsley's tea. It does not seem to matter that he loves her deeply; he cannot afford her bride price.
Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize Best First Book (Africa) 2010, Betty Trask Award for Best First Book 2010,Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa 2010 finalist and Washington Post Best Books of 2009.
Songstress LIRA, whose music career spans 13 years and includes 6 Studio albums, 3 live DVD’s, an autobiography and a movie; has established herself as the foremost female artist in South Africa and a formidable presence on the global music scene.
When asked to elaborate on the significance of the title; “I grew up in a world where I faced so many limitations. I realised defining freedom for myself and subsequently living it was what I needed to do. In exploring this, the concept of “Born Free” became clearer. I want people to realise how powerful they are and that they can own their freedom. This album has become more than a body of musical work, it seeks to inspire and create change – physically and most importantly, mentally “says LIRA.
Born Free masterfully blends a new sound with the smooth urban direction synonymous with the LIRA brand. “This is my best record yet, adds LIRA, and listeners should expect to hear the definitive growth and boldness which that brings.”
Born Free marks a new direction for LIRA and promises to set an exciting tone for great things to come. www.misslira.com
Yolanda Wisher is the 2016-2017 Poet Laureate of the City of Philadelphia. Wisher is the author of Monk Eats an Afro and the co-editor of Peace is a Haiku Song.
Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, Fence, Chain, MELUS, and GOOD Magazine and the anthologies Gathering Ground and The Ringing Ear.
Wisher is a 2016 Hedgebrook Writer-in-Residence, 2015 Pew Fellow, Center for Performance and Civic Practice Catalyst Initiative grantee (2015), Leeway Art & Change Award recipient (2008), and the inaugural Montgomery County Pennsylvania Poet Laureate (1999).
She holds an M.A in English/Creative Writing-Poetry from Temple University and a B.A. in English/Black Studies from Lafayette College. Wisher founded and directed the Germantown Poetry Festival (2006-2010) and served as Director of Art Education for the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (2010-2015).
She currently works as Chief Rhapsodist of Wherewithal for the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture.
Actress, writer and director Keesha Sharp shines in her current role as Dale Cochran, the wife of defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance), in FX’s “The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” She’s also well known for series regular roles as Gigi on the TBS (and Syndicated) comedy “Are We There Yet?” in which she also made her directorial debut, and as Monica Charles Brooks on the hit CW series “Girlfriends,” for which she was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Keesha is also recognized for her recurring television roles on The CW’s “ Significant Mother,” CBS’s “Bad Teacher,” ABC Family’s “Melissa & Joey,” UPN’s “Everybody Hates Chris,” and guest starring appearances on NBC’s “The Player,” TV Land’s “The Exes,” CBS’s “Elementary,” CBS’s “Cold Case,” and more. She can also be seen in Tyler Perry’s hit film, Why Did I Get Married? alongside Perry and Janet Jackson, as well as the upcoming indie films Frozen Peas and Born Guilty. www.keeshasharp.com
Kali Nicole Gross is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and affiliate faculty in the History Department and the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies.
Her research concentrates on black women’s experiences in the United States criminal justice system between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She is author of the award-winning book, Colored Amazons: Crime, Violence and Black Women in the City of Brotherly Love, 1880-1910, and the newly released, Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso: A Tale of Race, Sex, and Violence in America.
A native New Yorker with Guyanese ancestry, Dr. Gross received her B.A. from Cornell University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
In Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso, historian Kali Nicole Gross uses detectives' notes, trial and prison records, local newspapers, and other archival documents to reconstruct this ghastly whodunit crime in all its scandalous detail. In doing so, she gives the crime context by analyzing it against broader evidence of police treatment of black suspects and violence within the black community. http://www.kalinicolegross.com
Special Guest: Author Kimberla Lawson Roby chats about her new book Best Friends Forever.
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER tells the story of Celine Richardson, her husband, Keith, and their 10-year-old daughter, Kassie. But this once loving marriage and happy family unit turn devastating when, only days apart, Celine is diagnosed with breast cancer and learns that Keith is having an affair. Worse, Keith still leaves her for the other woman. Celine then wonders how
she’ll navigate the difficult process of surgery and additional cancer treatment, but comfort and support come in the form of Celine's best friend, Lauren. They've been attached at the hip since they were children, and it is Lauren who's there for Celine in her darkest moments. Of course, Keith may want to come back home, forcing Celine to consider some tough decisions relating to the marriage and otherwise—and for the very first time in her life, she wants to give up. Lauren vows to help her best friend in any way she can, but will it be too late?
KimberlaLawson Roby is the author of the bestselling works The Ultimate Betrayal, A Christmas Prayer, The Prodigal Son, A House Divided, The Perfect Marriage, The Reverend’s Wife, Secret Obsession, Love, Honor, and Betray, Be Careful What You Pray For, A Deep Dark Secret, The Best of Everything, Sin No More, One in a Million, Love and Lies, Changing Faces, The Best-Kept Secret, Too Much of a Good Thing, A Taste of Reality, It’s a Thin Line, Casting the First Stone, Here and Now and Behind Closed Doors. She lives with her husband in Illinois.
www.kimroby.com
Special guest: Author Tananarive Due
Whether weaving family life and history into dark fiction or writing speculative Afrofuturism, American Book Award winner and Essence bestselling author Tananarive Due’s work is both riveting and enlightening. In her debut collection of short fiction, Due takes us to Gracetown, a small Florida town that has both literal and figurative ghost; into future scenarios that seem all too real; and provides empathetic portraits of those whose lives are touched by Otherness. Featuring an award-winning novella and fifteen stories—one of which has never been published before—GHOST SUMMER: STORIES, is sure to both haunt and delight. - See more at: http://www.prime-books.com/shop/print-books/ghost-summer-stories-by-tananarive-due/#sthash.5KgJbPuU.dpuf
Special guest : Astrologer Samuel F. Reynolds.
Samuel F. Reynolds, a former skeptic, had a life-changing visit to an astrologer and has since spent 23 years doing charts and studying astrology. Now Samuel consults, writes, and teaches astrology full-time. He currently is the resident astrologer for New York Magazine and Pride Magazine in the UK. He serves on the boards of directors for the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and the Astrology News Service, and he’s a co-founder of the International Society of Black Astrologers. His home website is unlockastrology.com
Special Guest: Amana Melomé: Born in Germany, raised around the world, Amana Melome' is a Euro-Caribbean-American singer-songwriter.Both Amana’s mother and grandmother were professional singers and her father hailing from the Caribbean island of Aruba is still an active musician in the European scene.
Amana recorded her debut album INDIGO RED as well as her sophmoric LP PHOENIX RISING with producer Saverio ‘Sage’ Principini in LA. After a US release with indie label Savana Records and a distribution deal thru the Whole Foods Markets her album was licensed in Europe with IRMA records.
While promoting her CD in Italy she landed a lead role, playing herself, on the most popular sitcom on national TV: Un Medico In Famiglia.
Amana's new EP 'Lock and Key' brings exciting new collaborations with the production duo Itai Shapira and Adam Berg of the Decoders, also recorded in Los Angeles. Her music is a blend of styles ranging from Soul to World with a strong Reggae influence. http://www.melomemusic.com
November is Diabetes Awareness Mionth.
29 million Americans have Diabetes.(CDC)
The mission of the American Diabetes Association is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. - http://www.diabetes.org
Special Guest: Theresa Sims-Cardiothoracic Registered Nurse. BSN from Drexel University. She is a volunteer with the American Diabetes Association.
Whether you are single, divorced or widowed -- Dr. Shane Perrault, PhD., has learned first hand that "It is never too late to live happily ever after." As founder of AfricanAmericanMarriageCounseling.com, he has provided relationship and marital counseling to hundreds of couples since 2004. Throughout his work as a marital psychologist, he as found one of the key factors in relationship or marital success is choosing the right partner.
Dr. Shane received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the Ohio State University, and received his BS from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. He also completed Level I, II and III training at the world-renowned Gottman Marital Therapy Institute.
He is regularly invited to speak at church retreats, has spoken at the Congressional Caucus on the topic of "What has happened to Marriage in Black America", blogs for Psychology Today; and has been featured in Ebony and Essence Magazines, the Washington Post": XM Radio, BET and TV One. He has also appeared as a guest expert in "You Saved Me", a film about marriage in the black community.
www.TheBlackMANual.com
It is estimated that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease.
The mission of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) is "to provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families-through our member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life..” http://www.alzfdn.org/
Special guest: Charles J. Fuschillo was appointed chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in January 2014. Prior to that, he served eight terms as a New York state senator representing the 8th Senate District.
Special Guest: Amy McVeigh.worked with the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging for about 10 years. Currently working with the Caregiver Support Program as a Supervisor. She has a Masters of Gerontology and she has worked in the field of Aging for 16 years. www.pcacares.org
Special Guest: Singer, Model, and Actress Kristen Henry King (http://kristenhenryking.com) - Kristen battles with Multiple Sclerosis. She was inspired to write the song IMPERVIOUS chronicling her experience with MS.. listen to the song here on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScJit0ET-pw
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.
Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms.
There's no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.
Special Guest: CYNTHIA BOND is a New York Times Best-Selling Author. Her novel RUBY was chosen to be an Oprah Book Club 2.0 selection. RUBY was also a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and an Indie Next Pick. A PEN Rosenthal Fellow, Bond attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, then moved to New York and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She founded the Blackbird Writing Collective in 2011. Cynthia has taught writing to at-risk and homeless youth for over fifteen years, and is on staff at Paradigm Malibu Adolescent Treatment Center. http://cynthiabond.com
Special Guest: David Charmatz, SVP of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.Charmatz oversees marketing, public relations, research and analysis for Global, and his top priorities will be growing the personnel and revenue in order to better serve the needs of people with Down syndrome nationally and internationally.
Before joining Global full-time, Charmatz was a consultant assisting with the launch of Down Syndrome World magazine and Global’smonthly electronic newsletter, and with the planning of a second edition of the Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing Pamphlet.
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a public non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through Research, Medical Care, Education and Advocacy. www.globaldownsyndrome.org
On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States--more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year.(www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/ipv-factsheet.pdf)
Special Guest: Jeannine Lisitski, Executive Director and President for Women Against Abuse.the mission of women against abuse is to provide quality, compassionate and nonjudgmental services in a manner that fosters self-respect and independence in persons experiencing intimate partner violence and to lead the struggle to end domestic violence through advocacy and community education. www.womenagainstabuse.org
Special Guest: Vashti Bledsoe, Director of Lutheran Settlement House’s Bilingual Domestic Violence Program.Established in 1902, Lutheran Settlement House (LSH) is a non-profit, community-based organization committed to serving vulnerable children, adults, and families living in Philadelphia. Over the past century, the programs and services offered by LSH have changed in response to the evolving needs of the community. However, the core mission of Lutheran Settlement House — “to empower individuals, families, and communities to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through an integrated program of social, educational, and advocacy services” — has remained constant. www.lutheransettlementhouse.org
Special Guest: Toshi Reagon has been described as “a talented, versatile singer, songwriter and musician with a profound ear for sonic Americana—from folk to funk, from blues to rock” by critic/blogger Eva Yaa Asantewaa (InfiniteBody). “She masters each of these genres with vocal strategies that easily spiral and swoop from the expressively sinuous to the hard-charging, a combination of warmth and mischief.”
While her expansive career has landed her comfortably in residence at Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House and Madison Square Garden, you can just as easily find Toshi turning out a music festival, intimate venue or local club. Toshi finds home on any musical stage. Toshi has had the pleasure of working with Lenny Kravitz, Lizz Wright, Ani DiFranco, Carl Hancock Rux, Nona Hendryx, Pete Seeger, Chocolate Genius and many other amazing artists, including her favorite collaborator, her mom, Bernice Johnson Reagon.
Toshi has been the recipient of a NYFA award for Music Composition, The Black Lily Music and Film Festival Award for Outstanding Performance. She is a National Women’s History Month Honoree, and is the 2010 recipient of OutMusic’s Heritage Award. www.toshireagon.com
Special Guest: Jeffrey Renard Allen. Born in Chicago, Allen holds a Ph.D. in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is currently a faculty member in the writing program at the New School.
Allen is the author of two collections of poetry, Stellar Places (Moyer Bell, 2007) andHarbors and Spirits (Moyer Bell, 1999), and two works of fiction, the widely celebrated novel, Rails Under My Back (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000), which won The Chicago Tribune's Heartland Prize for Fiction, and the story collection Holding Pattern (Graywolf Press, 2008), which won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.
He is presently at work on a memoir-travelogue-meditation that uses his travels about the African continent to frame an exploration of subjects such as place, race, religion, music and culture, identity, and family.
In May 2014, Graywolf Press published his novel Song of the Shank, which is based on the life of Thomas Greene Wiggins, a nineteenth-century African-American piano virtuoso and composer who performed under the stage name Blind Tom. http://www.jefferyrenardallen.com
Special Guest: Margaret Avery moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in 1968. In 1973 her Los Angeles Drama Circle Award-winning performance in the play “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?” caught the attention of Clint Eastwood and he quickly cast her in his film “Magnum Force”, serving as an entree for guest starring roles in numerous episodic T.V. shows and Blaxploitation films including “Scott Joplin”, “The Lathe of Heaven”, “The Return of Superfly” and “Heatwave”. She eventually got cast in her most widely recognized Academy-Award nominated role as Shug Avery in Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple”.
She is a new public advocate for continued Lupus research and education through the Lupus Foundation of America; a cause preempted by personally knowing individuals living with Lupus as well as playing a character who suffers from the disease on BET's Being Mary Jane. http://www.margaretaveryonline.com
Special Guest: Annette Myarick is the CEO for the Lupus Foundation of America’s (LFA) Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter. Prior to joining the LFA in 1991, she was with the Arthritis Foundation’s Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter for 14 years, most recently as the Vice President for Public Health Strategies. Annette has a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education from Temple University.
JR Lemon was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. A Stanford University graduate with a BS degree in Management Science and Engineering, JR was signed as a running back to the Oakland Raiders subsequent to finishing school. After being released from the Raiders, JR relocated to southern California with the intention of continuing his football training. Little did he know at the time, but the move would expose JR to possibilities of a life he had never imagined in the entertainment industry.
While appearing in numerous national commercial and print campaigns JR honed his craft with the intention of pursuing an acting career. The hard work paid off when he booked a series regular role in NBC’s medical drama The Night Shift, which was recently renewed for a third season. He recently also made his big screen debut as one of the male leads in Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas – the next installment in Lionsgate’s successful franchise.
In order to satisfy his football interest, JR still performs much of the Motion Capture for Electronics Artists on their extremely popular football video game, Madden.
Special Guest:
Amber Stevens West can be seen starring opposite Jerrod Carmichael, David Alan Grier, and Loretta DeVine on NBC’s The Carmichael Show. Previously Amber starred opposite Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in Sony’s 22 JUMP STREET, which Chris Lord and Phil Miller directed.
For four years, Amber starred on ABC Family’s hit series GREEK and recently recurred on 90210 for the CW. Last year, she filmed JESSABELLE for Lionsgate and co-starred opposite Laura Prepon and Bryan Greenberg in the independent film THE KITCHEN.
Dilman Dila is a writer, filmmaker and a social activist who believes that stories are an important tool in creating a better world. Dilman was shortlisted for the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2013, long listed for the Short Story Day Africa prize, 2013, and nominated for the 2008 Million Writers Awards for his short story, Homecoming. Dilman’s first works appeared in print in The Sunday Vision in 2001, and have since featured in several e-zines and book anthologies, including the African Roar 2013, Storymoja, and Gowanus Books. His first novella, a romance, Cranes Crest at Sunset, was released in 2013 during the Hay Festival in Nairobi. www.dilmandila.com
‘A Killing in the Sun’ is a collection of speculative fiction from Africa. It draws from the rich oral culture of the author’s childhood, to tell a wide variety of stories. Some of the stories are set in a futuristic Africa, where technology has transformed everyday life and a dark force rules. Others are set in the present day, with refugee aliens from outer space, ghosts haunting brides and grooms, evil scientists stalking villages, and greedy corporations creating apocalypses. There are murder mysteries, tales of reincarnation and of the walking dead, and alternative worlds whose themes any reader will identify with. This collection is deftly crafted, running along the thin boundary of speculative and literary genres.
Actor Arlen Alexander Escarpeta. He is best known for his roles in the films Friday the 13th,Brotherhood,Final Destination 5, and Into the Storm (2014).
Escarpeta will be playing the role of Bobby Brown in the new Whitney Houston Biopic, Whitney (film), airing on Lifetime (TV Network) January 17, 2015.
Golden Globe® Award winner and Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett makes her directorial debut with the Lifetime Original Movie "Whitney," featuring Yaya DaCosta (Lee Daniels’ "The Butler") in the lead role with Arlen Escarpeta ("Final Destination 5") alongside her as Bobby Brown.
"Whitney" chronicles the headline-making relationship between the iconic singer, actress, producer and model Whitney Houston and singer and songwriter Bobby Brown from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity to their courtship and tumultuous marriage. Throughout it all, difficulties followed the superstar couple while they dealt with the overwhelming rewards and consequences of the fame and fortune created by Houston’s meteoric rise that would soon overshadow them both.
Movie Trailer: http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/whitney/video
INTO THE GO-SLOW is a novel about sisters, the legacy of the Black Power Movement, and the troubled bond between African Americans and Africans.
It’s 1986, and twenty-one-year-old Angie is adrift in her hometown of Detroit. Her older sister, Ella, had disappeared in Lagos a decade earlier, and Angie decides to retrace her steps. Against a backdrop of Nigeria’s infamous go-slow—traffic as wild and surprising as a Fela lyric—Angie begins to unravel the mysteries of the past, and opens herself up to love and life after Ella.
BRIDGETT M. DAVIS’s debut novel, Shifting Through Neutral (Amistad 2004), was a finalist for the 2005 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Davis is the books editor at Bold As Love Magazine, a black-culture website, and her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Essence, O, The Oprah Magazine, and The Root.com, among other publications. She is a professor at Baruch College, City University of New York, where she is the director of the Sidney Harman Writer-in Residence Program, and she is the curator of the popular monthly Brooklyn reading series, Sundays @ . . .http://bridgettdavis.com/
Special Guest: Actor Stephen Hill.Stephen Hill is an award winning actor (Best Male Actor, ABFF Star Project 2010) and is known for solid work in a variety of roles in film, TV, theater, web series, etc. As an accomplished actor, he can be seen on Law & Order SVU, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Louie, Political Animals, and Do No Harm. Hill can also be seen in the award winning documentary, Jackie Robinson: My Story, as he embodies the role of Jackie Robinson. Known for his versatility by seamlessly delivering compelling performances in both comedic and dramatic roles, Hill gives stellar performances as the lead in the feature films Christmas Wedding Baby, and Stay Cold, Stay Hungry. On the small screen, he stars opposite Jane Curtain in an episode of the CBS series Unforgettable, and plays the role of Clarence, right hand man to Jeffrey Wright's Dr. Narcisse on the final season of HBO's hit series Boardwalk Empire. Hill recently enjoyed the opportunity to display his "leading man" charisma in the short film/video Runaway by Grammy nominated vocalist Carolyn Malachi. http://stephenhillactor.wordpress.com/
Samuel F. Reynolds, a former skeptic, had a life-changing visit to an astrologer and has since spent 23 years doing charts and studying astrology. Now Samuel consults and teaches astrology full-time. He also serves on a few astrology organizational boards and writes horoscopes for Ebony.com, MySign.com, andPride, a British Black women’s magazine. His site is UnlockAstrology.com.
Bryan Stevenson is a public-interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned. He's a professor of law at New York University Law School and the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based group that has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent prisoners on death row, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults.
EJI won an historic ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court holding that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger are unconstitutional. He has won relief for dozens of condemned prisoners, argued six times before the Supreme Court, and won national acclaim for his work challenging bias against the poor and people of color. He has received numerous awards, including the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant. He is a graduate of the Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Government, and has been awarded 14 honorary doctorate degrees.
Among the first cases Bryan took on was that of Walter McMillan, a black man from Harper Lee's hometown of Monroeville who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn't commit. The case would change Bryan's life and transform his understanding of justice and mercy forever.
JUST MERCY (Spiegel and Grau Hardcover) follows the suspenseful battle to free Walter before the state executes him, while also stepping back to tell the profoundly moving stories of men, women, and even children, who found themselves at the mercy of a system often incapable of showing it.
Imany wa born Nadia Mladjao in Martigues, France. She was a model for European FORD modeling agency for several years. She began signing in 2008.
Imany opened shows for artists such as N’Dambi at the New Morning, Wasis Diop at the Cigale, and Anthony Hamilton and Angie Stone at Elysee Montmartre.
Imany’s first album, Shape of a Broken Heart, which was named after a drawing she made with closed eyes, contains twelve songs written in English. Imany recorded the album at the studio Question de Son, where she collaborated with some of the most well-known musicians in Paris.
Imany produced the soundtrack for the 2014 film Sous les jupes des filles by Audrey Dana and on 26 May 2014 released her second album of the same name.
http://www.imanymusic.com/
Nate Parker is an American actor and musical performer who has appeared in Red Tails, The Secret Life of Bees, The Great Debaters, and Pride.He was an All-American wrestler in both at Great Bridge High School and at the University of Oklahoma.Parker has been active in charitable work, donating his time both as a volunteer wrestling coach.
He is currently developing a feature script to direct and star, THE BIRTH OF A NATION, about slave-turned-revolutionary Nat Turner, through a fellowship with the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program. A Norfolk, Virginia native,
Beyond the Lights is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed and written by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Minnie Driver, Nate Parker and Danny Glover. The film had its premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014. and is set for a theatrical release in the United States November 14, 2014.
trailer : http://youtu.be/5-NsI8lZ5Lw
April Parker Jones stars on the Tyler Perry hit primetime drama If Loving You is Wrong, on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. With a diverse cast and storylines ranging from heartfelt to scandalous, April portrays a single mother, trying to get by with a son in prison and an absentee fathers on this sexy sleek drama that looks into the lives of a group of husbands, wives and friends that live and love in the same middle class neighborhood.
Tyler Perry's "If Loving You is Wrong" airs on Tuesday nights a 9 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The mid-season finale is Tuesday, November 4.
April originated the role of Christina in the Off Broadway World Premiere of Plenty of Time at Primary Stages in New York. For her portrayal she earned two Audelco Award Theatre nominations for Best Actress.
Her theatre work has paved her way to numerous and exciting recurring roles on the hit CBS series Jericho, The Young and the Restless, The Unit and The Fosters. Other television credits include: guest star roles on CSI Miami, ER, Lost, NCIS, Lie To Me, NCIS: L.A., Prime Suspect, The Chicago Code, Scandal and several others. Film credits include Spider-Man 3, Sleeping, Have A Little Faith and Heaven, to name a few.
Alexis De Veaux’s work is defined by two critical concerns: making the racial and sexual experiences of black female characters central, and disrupting boundaries between forms. She is the author of two award-winning biographies: Don’t Explain: A Song of Billie Holiday andWarrior Poet: A Biography of Audre Lorde. A celebrated writer of poetry, children’s literature, plays, essays and journalism, De Veaux is also an activist recognized for her lifelong contributions to a number of women’s and literary organizations, and a recently retired professor of women's studies at University of Buffalo. With her new work, Yabo, Alexis has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Pearl Cleage is an Atlanta based writer, currently Mellon Playwright in Residence at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta where her play, “What I Learned in Paris,” opened the 2012-2013 Season. Her works include award winning plays, bestselling novels and numerous columns, articles and essays for a wide variety of publications including Essence, Ebony, Rap Pages, Vibe, The Atlanta Tribune, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Her first novel, What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day, was an Oprah Book Club pick and spent nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the author of thirteen plays, including Flyin’ West, the most produced new American play in the country in 1994. Her Blues for An Alabama Sky was included in Her the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival in Atlanta and will receive a 20th anniversary revival at the Alliance in 2015. other plays include Chain; Late Bus to Mecca; Bourbon at the Border; A Song for Coretta and The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Year. She is the author of eight novels, including Baby Brother’s Blues, which received an NAACP Image Award for Literature.
She is also the co-author with her husband, writer Zaron W. Burnett, Jr., of We Speak Your Names, a praise poem commissioned by Oprah Winfrey for her 2005 Legends Weekend. Cleage and Burnett are frequent collaborators, including their award winning ten year performance series, “Live at Club Zebra!” featuring their work as writers and performance artists. Her new book of non-fiction entitled Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons and Love Affairs, was published by Simon and Schuster/ATRIA Books in April, 2014.
In My Other Mother, Candace “Candy” Meyers (Essence Atkins) is a successful anchor on a top-rated national magazine show. Fiercely independent and committed to her job, Candy doesn’t make many friends with her demanding, gruff nature. In fact, her only true friend might be her long-time manager Lewis (Kendrick Cross). Candy discovers that an anonymous fan she’s had for years has passed way – and he was her biological father Freddy Nelson! Content with the love and support of her adoptive family, Candy has never been curious about her biological parents. That all changes when she travels back for her father’s funeral, meets the Nelson family – including biological uncle Abner (GregAlan Williams), Freddy’s wife Delores (Angie Stone) and her two step-brothers – and discovers that her reclusive, angry and stubborn birth mother, Mary Jo (Lynn Whitfield) is going to be a challenge. The journey these two surprisingly similar women take getting to know each other will break down walls and open them up to a life they never knew was possible.
Gameworld book: Dylan Rudee's life is an epic fail. He's bullied at school and the aunt who has raised him since he was orphaned as a child just lost her job and their apartment. Dylan's one chance to help his family is the only thing he's good at: video games. The multibillion-dollar company Mee Corp. has announced a televised tournament to find the Game-Changers: the forty-four kids who are the best in the world at playing Xamaica, a role-playing fantasy game that's sweeping the planet. If Dylan can win the top prize, he just might be able to change his life.
Author C.J. FARLEY was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in Brockport, NY, with stops in Middle-earth, Xanth, Earthsea, and Narnia. Farley’s biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman was a national best seller. A former editor of the Harvard Lampoon and a former music critic for Time, Farley is a blogger, columnist and senior editor at the Wall Street Journal. Game World is Farley’s first novel for young readers.
Anthony McGill, just named Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic beginning in September 2014, held the same position with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 2004. He was chosen to perform with Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Gabriela Montero at President Obama’s inauguration in January of 2009.
Performances throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and South Africa in recital, chamber music and as a soloist with orchestras consistently receiving rave reviews. As an educator, McGill is on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Peabody Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music and Bard College Conservatory.
From Chicago, McGill attended The Curtis Institute of Music and is a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as the first Sphinx Medal of Excellence.
See www.anthonymcgill.com
September is Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month. An estimated 6 million people in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm, or 1 in 50 people. Special Guest: Survivor Theresa Robinson: She suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) known as a brain aneurysm, however she is a survivor. In March 2012,she suffered a brain aneurysm that caused her to need surgery and extensive rehabilitation. During her recovery period, she experienced more time in the ICU due to seizures and other health issues as a result of (SAH). Although rehab was drilling and painful both physical and emotional she had outstanding therapists and psychologists to help her get back on her feet, literally.
Special Guest: Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris MD is
an Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She is also the Neurovascular Fellowship Director, Associate Residency Program Director & Clerkship Director in the Cerebrovascular Surgery & Endovascular Neurosurgery department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Tjoumakaris graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA where she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She is an avid researcher and lectures both nationally and internationally on her division’s research accomplishments.
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation : www.bafound.org
Time of the Locust: Travel into the heart and mind of an extraordinary autistic boy in this deeply imaginative debut novel of a mother’s devotion, a father’s punishment, and the power of love.
Sephiri is an autistic boy who lives in a world of his own making, where he dwells among imagined sea creatures that help him process information in the “real world” in which he is forced to live. But lately he has been having dreams of a mysterious place, and he starts creating fantastical sketches of this strange, inner world.
Brenda, Sephiri’s mother, struggles with raising her challenged child alone. Her only wish is to connect with him—a smile on his face would be a triumph. Meanwhile, Sephiri’s father, Horus, is sentenced to life in prison, making life even lonelier for Brenda and Sephiri. Yet prison is still not enough to separate father and son. In the seventh year of his imprisonment and the height of his isolation, Horus develops supernatural mental abilities that allow him to reach his son.
Morowa Yejidé’s (pronounced: Moe-roe-wah Yay-gee-day) ?short stories have appeared in the Istanbul Review, Ascent Aspirations Magazine, Underground Voices, the Adirondack Review, and others. Her story "Tokyo Chocolate" was nominated in 2009 for the Pushcart Prize, anthologized in the best of the Willesden Herald Stories, and reviewed in the Japan Times.Time of the Locust was a 2012 finalist for the national PEN/Bellwether Prize. She is also the recipient of the Norris Church Mailer Scholarship from Wilkes University. Website: http://www.morowayejide.com/
Amanda Warren plays Lucy Warburton who is the mayor of Mapletonon the show HBO show The Leftovers. http://www.hbo.com/the-leftovers/#/
Born and raised in New York, Amanda Warren received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and her Master of Fine Arts from Yale School of Drama.
Most recently, Warren appeared in USA Network's 'Royal Pains.' In 2012, she had a recurring role on the final season of 'The Closer.' On the small screen, Warren has also appeared in 'Detroit 1-8-7,' 'Gossip Girl,' 'Rubicon,' 'Law & Order,' 'The Good Wife,' and 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Warren's film credits include 'The Adjustment Bureau,' 'Deep Powder,' 'All Is Bright' and 'Seven Psychopaths.'
Warren began her professional career on stage receiving rave reviews for her work in The Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of 'Three Sisters,' Terrence McNally's 'Golden Age' and Lincoln Center Theatre's 'When I Come to Die,' for which she received an AUDELCO nomination for her portrayal of 'Chantel Robinson.'
Special Guest: Susan Vierczhalek, MD, FAAP, FABM, IBCLC is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics New York University School of Medicine and is the medical director of the Bellevue newborn nursery, and of the Bellevue Breastfeeding Program and co-director of the high-risk newborn follow-up program. She serves as the American Academy of Pediatrics New York Chapter 3 Breastfeeding Coordinator, Chair of the New York State Breastfeeding Coalition and Vice-chair of the New York City Breastfeeding Leadership Council. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Special Guest: Karen Hylton-McGuire has been a Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) nurse for over 35 years. She received her BSN from Carlow University in Pittsburgh and her MS in nursing education from Adelphi University on Long Island. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Molloy College on Long Island. Ms. Hylton-McGuire is certified in Neonatal Nursing and is an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She initiated the lactation program at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, and is currently the Lactation Educator at Winthrop University Hospital. Ms. Hylton-McGuire is the recipients of the 2010 Nurse of Excellence Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, Healthcare Heroes Nurse Educator.
Both women are on the board of the NY State Breast Feeding Coalition.
August is Psoriasis Awareness Month-Psoriasis is a common skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. Most people with psoriasis have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales.
Special Guest: Jerry Bagel, M.D.: He is a member of the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board. www.psoriasis.org
Dr. Bagel is the Director of the Psoriasis Treatment Center of Central New Jersey. Dr. Bagel has been named a Top Doctor in the Castle Connolly Medical Top Doctors of the New York Metro Area every year from 2001-2013. He was named a 2005 New Jersey Top Doctor by New Jersey Life; a Best Doctor in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly in 2001 and 2003; and received a Patients’ Choice award in 2008 as well as in Inside Jersey in 2013. He has published extensively on the topic of psoriasis in such journals as The Journal of theAmerican Academy of Dermatology and The Journal of Drugs & Dermatology.
McKinley Freeman stars as the handsome, sexy, and mischievous LA Devils professional basketball player Derek Roman on VH1’s Hit The Floor series. Hit the floor airs Monday nights at 9pm ET on VH1. http://www.vh1.com/shows/hit_the_floor
Freeman was born David Freeman in Champaign, Illinois. He played NCAA Division I basketball for the University of Illinois. After graduation Freeman decided to trade his NBA dreams for an MBA in Marketing and MIS from his alma mater. IBM recruited Freeman out of the Masters program to become part of their international marketing and business development team.
While In Atlanta a friend coaxed Freeman into auditioning for All My Children’s Sexiest Man in America. Freeman made the final five. From there Freeman moved to LA and landed roles in All of My Children, Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Samantha Who. He also guest starred on television in CSI, NCIS, ER, In Justice. Freeman co-starred in the feature film End of Watch with Jake Gyllenhaal, Delta Force, and Green Card Warriors.
In Comeback Dad, Nima Babineaux (Tatyana Ali) looks like a woman who has it all – she is an accomplished pianist who runs her own music school and is engaged to Spence (Brad James), a successful engineer who adores her. But, in truth, she has never recovered from her alcoholic father, Othell (Charles Dutton), walking out on their family and it has made it hard for her to truly trust anyone. When Othell decides it is time to make amends and tries to reenter her life, Nima begins an emotional and eye-opening journey she could have never expected. Loretta Devine stars as Malinda, Othell’s sister. The ensemble cast also includes Donna Brisco, Elizabeth Omilami, Ja’El Robertson, Takara Clark, E. Roger Mitchell, Todd Anthony and Palmer Williams, Jr.
A graduate of The Yale School of Drama, Charles S. Dutton has a career spanning theater, television and film, and is one of the few actors to earn Tony, Emmy® and Golden Globe nominations for the same role. He received multiple award nominations, including the Tony for Best Actor for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “The Piano Lesson.” He was also nominated for an Emmy® Award and a Golden Globe for The Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of The Piano Lesson.
Charles starred in and executive produced the Fox comedy/drama “Roc,” produced by HBO, for which he received several NAACP Image Award nominations. He won Emmy’s® for his guest starring roles in “Without a Trace” and “The Practice.” He is a veteran of numerous feature films such as Aliens3, Menace II Society, A Low Down Dirty Shame, Cry, Beloved Country, A Time to Kill, Get on the Bus, Cookie’s Fortune, Gothika and the 2008 John Sayles feature Honeydripper. Charles can be seen opposite Kevin Bacon in the FOX show “The Following” as FBI Director Franklin.
New York Times Bestselling Author Kimberla Lawson Roby has published 20 novels which include THE PRODIGAL SON, A HOUSE DIVIDED,THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, THE REVEREND’S WIFE,SECRET OBSESSION, LOVE, HONOR, and BETRAY, and BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR.
She has sold more than 2,000,000 copies of her novels, and they have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, and Essence Magazine, just to name a few.
Kimberla is a recipient of numerous awards including: 2013 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction, the recipient of the 2013 Author of the Year – Female award presented by the African-American Literary Award Show in New York, and the recipient of the 2014 AAMBC Award for Female Author of the Year.
The Prodigal Son: The Reverend Curtis Black hasn't spoken to his son, Matthew, in over a year-not since Matthew dropped out of Harvard to marry his girlfriend, Racquel, and be a full-time father to their infant son. Curtis knows that it was he and his wife, Charlotte, who drove Matthew away, but he prays that one day his son will forgive them and come home.
Then, there's Dillon Whitfield-Curtis's long-lost-son-who has settled in as a member of the Black family. Yet the transition has been anything but easy. Charlotte, convinced he's only after Curtis's money, wishes he would move back to where he came from. Dillon, however, has no intention of going anywhere. After a lifetime in the shadows, he's determined to take his rightful place as Curtis's first-born son and heir, and he'll do whatever it takes to win his father's affection-even if it means playing dirty...
A prolific Nigerian playwright, novelist and screenwriter now based in London, HALF OF A YELLOW SUN is Biyi Bandele’s feature film directorial debut. This first feature follows his distinguished career writing and directing plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court, and writing screenplays for the BBC and British and international film productions.
Bandele has previously written and directed a short, THE KISS (2009), a psychological thriller.
For television, Bandele wrote Not Even God is Wise Enough directed by Danny Boyle for BBC2 in 1994. His prolific writing for theatre includes his adaptation of Aphra Benn’s Oroonoko, which was a huge hit for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2000, and was successfully revived by New York’s Theatre for a New Audience in 2007. Bandele’s fiction writing includes Burma Boy published by Jonathan Cape in 2007 (published as The King’s Rifle, Harper Collins in the US in 2009).
Film Synopsis: Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) are glamorous twins from a wealthy Nigerian family. Upon returning to a privileged city life in newly independent 1960s Nigeria after their expensive English education, the two women make very different choices. Olanna shocks her family by going to live with her lover, the “revolutionary professor” Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) in the dusty university town of Nsukka; Kainene turns out to be a fiercely successful businesswoman when she takes over the family interests, and surprises even herself when she falls in love with Richard (Joseph Mawle), an English writer. They become caught up in the events of the Nigerian civil war, in which the lgbo people fought an impassioned struggle to establish Biafra as an independent republic.
Website: http://montereymedia.com/halfofayellowsun/
Trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq2dNtP-2hU&list=UUJT0RwcR7HRLljiEEvF4x9A
Byron Hurt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, and anti-sexist activist. Hurt is also the former host of the Emmy-nominated series, "REEL WORKS with BYRON HURT." His documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and broadcast nationally on PBS’ Emmy-award winning series Independent Lens.
Byron's latest film, Soul Food Junkies, won the CNN Best Documentary Award at the American Black Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York City. Soul Food Junkies aired nationally on PBS’ Emmy-Award winning series Independent Lens in January and April 2013.
A member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Hurt’s next film is called Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In? Teaser video: http://vimeo.com/95424400
website: www.bhurt.com
David Ajala is becoming a force of nature on the entertainment landscape. He was most recently seen in Fast & Furious 6 alongside the late Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. Ajala also completed work on the Wachowski feature Jupiter Ascending, and the indie film Kill Command. Additional notable credits include, One Day, The Dark Knight, and Payback Season.
Appearing in A wide range of television roles, Ajala was a rapper in the television series Trexx and Flipside, in addition to major guest roles in award winning shows including Law & Order: UK, Death in Paradise, Silent Witness, and the wildly popularDr. Who.
Ajala began his career performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Courtyard Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon. He's performed in productions of The Witness, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, among others.
Ajala was awarded Best Acting Performance by the Royal Television Society in 2009.
David currently plays Will Van Renseller on ABC's tv show Black Box.
Dr. Carl Hart, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at Columbia University. He is also a Research Scientist in the Division of Substance Abuse at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Hart is a member of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse and on the board of directors of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and the Drug Policy Alliance. A native of Miami, Florida, Dr. Hart received his B.S. in psychology at the University of Maryland, and received his M.S. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology and neuroscience at the University of Wyoming. He lives in New York City. For more on Dr. Hart, visit: http://www.highpricethebook.com/.
His book HIGH PRICE: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and Society (Harper Perennial, paperback on sale 6/10/2014), is based on 22 years of research as a groundbreaking neuropsychopharmacologist about the study and science of drug addiction, but it is also a provocative and eye-opening memoir where he recalls his journey of self-discovery, how he avoided a life of crime and drugs and avoided becoming one of the crack addicts he now studies. Carefully culling through past studies and his own research, Hart goes beyond the hype as he examines the relationship between drugs and pleasure, choice, and motivation, both in the brain and in society.
Mitchell S. Jackson is a Portland, Oregon native who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He received an M.A. in writing from Portland State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He has been the recipient of fellowships from Urban Artist Initiative and The Center For Fiction. A former winner of the Hurston Wright Foundation’s award for college writers, he teaches writing at New York University and is the literary editor of Dossier Journal. Jackson published the eBook collection Oversoul Stories and Essays in the summer of 2012. Bloomsbury USA will publish his novel The Residue Years in August of 2013.
The Residue Years switches between the perspectives of a young man, Champ, and his mother, Grace. Grace is just out of a drug treatment program, trying to stay clean and get her kids back. Champ is trying to do right by his mom and younger brothers, and dreams of reclaiming the only home he and his family have ever shared. But selling crack is the only sure way he knows to achieve his dream. In this world of few options and little opportunity, where love is your strength and your weakness, this family fights for family and against what tears one apart.
Special Guest: Marinah Farrell: President of the Midwives Alliance of North America. Politics and traditional medicine are what led Marinah to midwifery, and she has a firm commitment to both political activism and birth work. Marinah has been the president of various non-profit boards, has worked in waterbirth centers and medical facilities for international NGOs, in free-standing birth centers in the U.S, and has been the owner of a long standing homebirth practice. Website:www.mana.org
Special Guest: Ynanna Djehuty is an
Afro-Dominicana born and raised in the Bronx. She is a midwife in training at Maternidad La Luz, a writer and certified birth doula. The focus of her work is the empowerment of women and people of the African Diaspora,
specifically discussing the Afro-Latina Identity. Website: thesewatersrundeep.com
Betty Jo Haskins was born in Muskegon, Michigan. The family moved to Detroit when she was six years old. Bettye did not get her start in the church, but in that very same living room, where there was a jukebox, filled with the blues, country & western, and R&B records of the time. The "5" Royales, Dinah Washington, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Red Foley, ...these were her roots. At 16 years old Betty Jo changed her name to Bettye LaVette.
Bettye's first single was "My Man - He’s a Loving Man.", in the fall of 1962. The record charted #7 R&B and put her on her first national tour, with Ben E. King, Clyde McPhatter, and another newcomer, Otis Redding.
Some of Bettye’s albums include: “Let Me Down Easy”, “Tell Me a Lie”, “A Woman Like Me”, “ I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise”, "The Scene of the Crime", and “Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook.”
Bettye has won many awards including: W.C. Handy Award in 2004 and the “Pioneer Award” from The Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 2006. “The Scene of the Crime” album was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” and “CD, Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook” was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Contemporary Blues Album.”
Late 2012 saw the release of her album, "Thankful N' Thoughtful", and her autobiography, variously described as 'engrosing', 'riviting', 'hair-raising' and only suitable for the over 18s, "A Woman Like Me", co-written with David Ritz. Website: www.bettyelavette.com
Special Guest: Norman H. Edelman, M.D., is the American Lung Association’s leading medical authority. Having served as the Association’s Chief Medical Officer for 25 years, he is a highly sought after expert on all matters pertaining to lung health and is a seasoned media veteran.
Dr. Edelman also provides patient care as a teaching clinic supervisor and is a Professor of Preventive Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Physiology and Biophysics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. From 1996 – 2006, he served in a dual capacity as Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine at Stony Brook.
website: http://www.lung.org
LiV Warfield, a native to Peoria, IL, has one of the most distinct and promising voices in R&B/soul today. Her singing career can be traced back to her college years in Portland, OR, where she’s known as their “most soulful singer” (Portland Monthly). LiV’s performed alongside a host of legendary artists such as Al Green, B.B. King, Dave Matthews Band, The Roots, and most notably, Prince.
As a current member of his live vocal group New Power Generation, LiV aspires to preserve the experience of live music. Her 2014 breakout full-length ‘The Unexpected’ was executively produced by Prince who helped cultivate her alternative R&B/Rock ‘n’ Roll sound.
Vh1 Soul reintroduced its popular “You Oughta Know” promo campaign with LiV as their first featured artist of 2014.
Website:http://www.livwarfieldmusic.com/
Why do you lie? video: http://vevo.ly/97vKjz
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). An estimated, 1.5 million Americans have lupus.
Special Guest: Annette Myarick is the CEO for the Lupus Foundation of America’s (LFA) Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter. Prior to joining the LFA in 1991, she was with the Arthritis Foundation’s Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter for 14 years, most recently as the Vice President for Public Health Strategies. Annette has a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education from Temple University.
Special Guest: Leyla Moreno is a native of Panama. Leyla was recognized in 2008 and 2009 by Impacto Latin Newspaper and the Philadelphia Multicultural Congress as one of the ten Most Influential Latino Leaders under 40. She graduated (cum laude) with a degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Temple University. Leyla is a board member of the Lupus Foundation of America’s (LFA) Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter.
Special Guest: Tabitha Borrero is 35 years old, lives in New Jersey and was diagnosed with lupus in 2002. Since her diagnosis, Tabitha has been a warrior and champion for the cause. Her candid approach at living with lupus, exemplifies the daily struggles and emotional distress the disease can cause. But, more importantly, she shares the joy and daily accomplishments of living life with lupus. The energy Tabitha brings to being a lupus warrior, reminds us that the battle is never over. She reminds us that we are warriors and warriors don’t quit.
Joy Keys gets interviewed by Kevin Stone & Tamika Morris of ISTA Entertainment. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ista-network
This is a pre-recorded interview.
Joy Keys is a mother, trainer, speaker, mentor, actress, writer, producer and director. She is a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG). Keys is a Leeway Art and Change grantee. Joy Keys is the host of "Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys" on BlogTalkRadio.com. She has interviewed Pulitzer Prize winning Authors ( Isabel Wilkerson and Charles Fuller), National News stars, ( Soledad O'Brien and Marc McEwen), Grammy winners (Esperanza Spalding and Tyrese), World Renowned Activist (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) and Movie Stars (Pam Grier and Blair Underwood), just to name a few. Joy Keys is passionate about making a difference in her local and global communites.
Special Guest: Actress Kimberly Elise. Four Time NAACP Image Award winner. She currently plays Sloan Hayes on VH1's Hit The Floor show. Elise has been seen in films, such as, Beloved, The Diary of a Mad Black Woman, & For Colored Girls. She has been seen on TV in Close To Home, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Soul Food, & Grey's Anatomy.
Elise will be playing the lead role of Angela Logan in UP TV's Original movie Apple Mortgage Cake. Directed by Michael Scott. Produced by Entertainment One.
Apple Mortgage Cake: This is the true story of a Angela Logan who decides to bake 100 apple cakes and sell them at $40 each in order to save her home – and how this idea completely changes her and her family. As word of her “bake sale” ripples out through neighbors, friends, her church and even old flames, the story soon spreads to the news, locally, nationally and internationally. Orders fly in from all over the world. Angela is taken off guard by the overwhelming support.
http://www.uptv.com/applemortgagecake
Special Guest: Author, Activist , PRofesor, & Lawyer Thomas Nazario-. Tom is a California attorney, child advocate and law professor. His expertise in children's legal issues has led him all over the world documenting human rights violations involving women and children, as well as working with inner-city kids in the Bay Area for over 30 years.
Special Guest: Pulitzer Prize winning Photographer Renee C.Byer-senior photojournalist at The Sacramento Bee. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for her "A Mother's Journey" feature photo. "A Mother's Journey" was a series of photos, over the course of a year, about a boy at the age of 10 who was battling cancer. Byer was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2013.
Living on a Dollar a Day shares the personal stories of some these poorest of the poor, honoring their lives, their struggles, and encouraging action in those who can help. In making this beautiful and moving book a team traveled to four continents, took thousands of photographs, conducted numerous interviews, and researched information on the agencies around the world that strive to help the destitute. The resulting stories and photographs offer a heartrending glimpse into the everyday realities of individuals and families facing extreme poverty.
http://www.theforgottenintl.org/
Misty Copeland joined ABT's Studio Company in September 2000 and then joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001. In 2007, Misty Copeland made history by becoming the third African American female soloist and first in two decades, at American Ballet Theatre.
Her roles with American Ballet Theatre include: Muse-Duo Concertant, Gulnare-Le Corsaire, Flower Girl-Don Quixote, The Peasant Pas de Deux-Giselle, Lead Harlot-Romeo and Juliet, Fairy of Valor-The Sleeping Beauty, Princess Florine-The Sleeping Beauty, Pas de Trois and a Cygnet-Swan Lake, The Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Sinatra Suite-Twyla Tharpe, workwithinwork-William Forsythe, Overgrown Path-Jiri Kylian, Gong-Mark Morris, Company B, Airs-Paul Taylor, Milkmaid-The Bright Stream, a Principal role created on her in Alexei Ratmansky’s Dumbarton and Misty premiered the title role of The Firebird in the Spring of 2012, featuring new choreography by world renowned in house American Ballet Theatre choreographer Alexi Ratmanski.
In 2008, Misty was honored with the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts. This two year fellowship is awarded to young artists who exhibit extraordinary talent, providing them additional resources in order to attain their full potential.
Misty was honored with induction into the Boys and Girls Club National Hall of Fame in the Spring of 2012.
website: www.mistycopeland.com
Special Guest: Aaron D. Spears
His stars as "Mark Bradley" in BET's Being Mary Jane, the drama series produced by Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil (The Game, Jumping the Broom). Aaron’s co-stars are Gabrielle Union, Richard Roundtree, Margaret Avery and Omari Hardwick.
At the insistence of one of his college professors, Aaron tried out for a part in the school play. One small part turned into six and the acting bug had taken effect.
After graduating from Delaware State University and turning down an opportunity to make the New York Jets roster, Aaron moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue his acting career.
Aaron has appeared in guest starring roles on television shows NCIS, Castle, Boston Legal, Lincoln Heights, Bones and Criminal Minds. His film credits include the Academy Award nominee Babel; blockbuster hit I Love You, Man and independent films 35 and Ticking, Disrupt/Dismantle. In 2007’s The Mannsfield 12, he not only starred in the film, but donned the Executive Producer hat as well.
He portrayed “Justin Barber” on the cast of CBS' Emmy Award winning, The Bold and the Beautiful, which reaches 35 million + viewers worldwide.
He is a 2010 and 2011 NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama.
Special Guest: Dr. Nicholas LaRocca is a clinical psychologist who has worked in the field of MS for over 30 years. He was an associate professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and New York Medical College before joining the National MS Society in 1997. He currently serves as Vice President of Health Care Delivery and Policy Research in the Research Programs Department of the National MS Society. In this role he has responsibility for Society funding of research to address the symptoms of MS, rehabilitation, epidemiology, psychosocial aspects of MS as well as health policy studies. He has a longstanding interest in cognition and rehabilitation and co-authored a book on cognitive changes in MS that was published in 2006.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
http://www.nmss.org
Special Guest: Dr. La Tanya Hines is a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist currently practicing in Los Angeles, California .She is the former CEO of Girlfriends Medical Group,Inc. (www.girlfriendsmedical.com), a private practice catering to the needs of women throughout Southern California. She received her doctorate of Medicine from the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. She completed her surgical internship at the University of Southern California. Her extensive training and experience in obstetrics and gynecology was obtained from the well-known King-Drew Medical Center in Wilmington, California. Dr. Hines currently practices at the Kaiser West Los Angeles Medical Center where she has exclusive admitting privileges. She sees many High-Risk obstetrical patients in this capacity as well as routine OB and Gyn patients.
Special Guest: Heather C. Guidone, Surgical Program Director, Center for Endometriosis Care (CEC).Heather Guidone is a women's health educator and clinical writer with a dedicated focus on reproductive gynepathologies - specifically endometriosis and pelvic pain - who has served the clinical and consumer health industries for nearly 25 years in various capacities. Heather joined the CEC nearly a decade ago, wherein she is responsible for management of the Center's disease education and advanced Laparoscopic Surgical Excision (LAPEX) treatment programs. http://www.centerforendo.com
Tasha Smith is a multifaceted actress whose work brings style and intensity to the subjects she plays on the big and small screens. Smith can currently be seen in Tyler Perry’s television series “FOR BETTER OR WORSE” (OWN). Smith’s memorable portrayal of “Angela,” in Perry’s box office hits, “WHY DID I GET MARRIED?” and its sequel, “WHY DID I GET MARRIED, TOO?”, alongside Janet Jackson and Jill Scott, sparked the creation of the spin-off series which is focused around her relationship with onscreen husband, “Marcus”, played by Michael Jai White.
Smith’s other film credits include Tyler Perry’s “DADDY’S LITTLE GIRLS” (Lionsgate), as “Jennifer” opposite Idris Elba and Gabrielle Union. Smith went on to co-star in the #1 box office film,“JUMPING THE BROOM” (Columbia), starring Paula Patton, Laz Alonso and Angela Bassett. She also appeared in the romantic comedy, “COUPLES RETREAT” (Universal), starring opposite Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman and Faizon Love.
This year she received an NAACP Image Awards nomination for “Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series”
Tasha is a Planned Parenthood Celebrity Ambassador.
Website: http://www.tsaw.com
Runway model Sandra Bush dreamed of becoming the first African-American supermodel, only to struggle with addiction and despair. But she later achieved celebrity as Mama Bush, the model for some of the best-known and widely admired paintings by her daughter, acclaimed artist Mickalene Thomas.
In her film directing debut, Thomas paints a poignant portrait of her mother and artistic muse, presenting a tender look back at a lifetime’s worth of hopes, regrets and redemption. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN debuts MONDAY, FEB. 24 (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), on HBO during Black History Month.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN was conceived and directed by Mickalene Thomas; produced by Tanya Selvaratnam; executive producers, the Lehmann Maupin Gallery, Mickalene Thomas and Lisa Cortés; distribution consultant, Sarah Lash; cinematographers, Shane Sigler and Omar Mullick; editor, Alex Meillier; music by Thomas M. Lauderdale.
Check out the film trailer: http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/happy-birthday-to-a-beautiful-woman/index.html#/documentaries/happy-birthday-to-a-beautiful-woman/video/trailer.html
Known primarily for elaborate paintings composed of rhinestones, acrylic and enamel, Mickalene Thomas holds an MFA degree in painting from Yale University. Centering on womanhood and the expanded definition of beauty in today’s society, her work is exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally, and can be found in several significant collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
In Salaam, Love: American Muslim Men on Love, Sex & Intimacy,Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi provide a space for American Muslim men to speak openly about their romantic lives, offering frank, funny, and insightful glimpses into their hearts—and bedrooms. The twenty-two writers come from a broad spectrum of ethnic, racial, and religious perspectives—including orthodox, cultural, and secular Muslims—reflecting the strength and diversity of their faith community and of America.
By raising their voices to share stories of love and heartbreak, loyalty and betrayal, intimacy and insecurity, these Muslim men are leading the way for all men to recognize that being open and honest about their feelings is not only okay—it’s intimately connected to their lives and critical to their happiness and well-being.
Check out the book trailer: http://vimeo.com/83403731
Denise Vasi has made a name for herself as one of the top actresses to watch in Hollywood. Vasi currently stars as smart, savvy businesswoman Raquel Lancaster in VH1's hit, one-hour scripted series, "Single Ladies." The upcoming third season from Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment, which chronicles three friends and their take on love, dating and female friendship, is slated to return on January 6, 2014.
Gaining recognition in Hollywood for her breakout role in ABC's longstanding daytime soap opera "All My Children," Vasi starred as Randi Morgan, former prostitute and wife of series veteran Frankie Hubbard from 2008-2011. Vasi relocated with production from New York to Los Angeles to further pursue her budding career. She was most recently seen as Ruby in the critically acclaimed Steven Soderbergh-directed feature film Magic Mike, opposite Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey, and in Charles Murray's debut indie drama Things Never Said.
A Brooklyn native of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Greek descent, Vasi signed to Ford Models at the age of 12. She went on to grace the pages of international campaigns for ELLE, Marie Claire, GQ Italy and more. She appeared in numerous on-camera and print campaigns for leading cosmetic, hair care and fashion brands including Olay, Bobbi Brown, Dove, Urban Decay, M·A·C, L'Oreal, Target, Doll House, American Eagle, Republic and more.
Vasi's helped raise over $500,000 for addiction recovery as co-chairman of Caron Renaissance's "Save A Life Event."
An actor and model known as much for his on-screen charisma as he is for his strong athletic build, Harold House Moore is a promising talent most widely recognized for his series regular role on VH1’s Single Ladies. His additional portrayal of Jackpot, a rookie cop on Robert De Niro and CBS’s NYC 22, does not let us forget about other past work like a starring role as boxer Robert Brown on The Hammer. This breakthrough performance has been recognized by critics as a performance lead by one of Hollywood’s hottest new stars.
His face can also be seen on numerous television ads and major national campaigns for brands including but not limited to Expedia, Payless, Dunkin’ Donuts, Time Warner, Subway, Bally Total Fitness, Lincoln, Budlight, as well as national print ads for DiamondBack, Sketchers, Lincoln, Boost Mobile, K Swiss, Bacardi, and an editorial spread for XXL Magazine.
Outside of his entertainment career, House can be seen off the screen working as a strong advocate for youth development, exposure, and education, providing hands-on mentorship and coaching programs in connection with YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and AAU Sports.
Gospel singer Latice Crawford and Dr. Rani Whitfield will share information about Most Powerful Voices gospel singing competition and stroke, the nation’s fourth leading cause of death and No. 1 preventable cause of disability. The gospel singing competition is part of the American Stroke Association’s Power to End Stroke cause campaign aimed at African-Americans, who are disproportionately affected by stroke. For more information please visit www.mostpowerfulvoices.org
A storefront preacher's daughter, Latice Crawford got her start singing in her cousin's choir. The New York landscape, where she often times gathered inspiration, allowed her to explore her creative capacities - writing, designing fashion and perfecting her signature sound. Latice is gearing up for her highly anticipated debut release with RCA Inspiration which was released on January 28, 2014.
Dr. Rani G. Whitfield, is a Board Certified Family Physician with a Certificate of added qualification (CAQ) in Sports medicine, and a national volunteer spokesperson for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. He currently owns a private practice in his native Baton Rouge, LA.
Yolonda Ross is currently starring in the John Sayles film “Go For Sisters” for which she has just been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress. She also stars in the short film “Afronauts,” a film based on true events, which was just accepted into Sundance 2014.
Yolonda made her feature film debut in the Award winning independent film “Stranger Inside” in 2001. She went on to win an IFP Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Performance for the role as well as receiving her first independent Spirit Award nomination in the category of Best Debut Performance. Yolonda also appeared in “Antwone Fisher,” “Yelling To the Sky,” “Whatever Works,” and “FOUR.”
In television, Yolonda is best known for her role as documentarian Dana Lyndsey on Treme, and appeared in the HBO/David Mamet, Phil Spector biopic. She just completed a pilot for Showtime entitled, “Trending Down” with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathryn Hahn, directed by John Cameron Mitchell.
In 2008 Yolonda became a member of the prestigious Labyrinth Theater Company in New York after making her stage debut in the play UNCONDITIONAL at The Public Theater.
Hair Story is a chronological exploration of the tremendous influence Black hair has had on American popular culture from the 15th century until the beginning of the 21st century. The book covers the history, politics, culture and business of Black hair.
Ayana D. Byrd graduated from Barnard College and is the co-editor of the anthology Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips and Other Parts. Her work has also appeared in numerous anthologies.
Lori L. Tharps is an assistant professor of journalism at Temple University. A graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, she is also the author of the memoir Kinky Gazpacho.
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and educated at Jomo Kenyatta University and the University of Reading. She received the 2003 Caine Prize for African Writing for her short story, “Weight of Whispers,” described by the BBC as a “subtle and suggestive work of fiction that dramatises the condition of refugees.” She has worked as a screenwriter and was the Executive Director of the Zanzibar International Film Festival from 2003 to 2005. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications worldwide including Kwani? and McSweeney’s, and her story “The Knife Grinder’s Tale” was made into a short film in 2005. She lives in Nairobi.
DUST is a novel about a splintered family in Kenya—a story of power and deceit, unrequited love, survival and sacrifice.
Odidi Oganda, running for his life, is gunned down in the streets of Nairobi. His grief-stricken sister, Ajany, just returned from Brazil, and their father bring his body back to their crumbling home in the Kenyan drylands, seeking some comfort and peace. But the murder has stirred memories long left untouched and unleashed a series of unexpected events: Odidi and Ajany’s mercurial mother flees in a fit of rage; a young Englishman arrives at the Ogandas’ house, seeking his missing father; a hardened policeman who has borne witness to unspeakable acts reopens a cold case; and an all-seeing Trader with a murky identity plots an overdue revenge. In scenes stretching from the violent upheaval of contemporary Kenya back through a shocking political assassination in 1969 and the Mau Mau uprisings against British colonial rule in the 1950s, we come to learn the secrets held by this parched landscape, buried deep within the shared past of the family and of a conflicted nation.
Yara Shahidi began her acting career at just six weeks old, working alongside her mother in commercial and print ads, for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Gap Kids, Guess Kids and Disney, to name a few.
In the summer of 2009, Yara made her big screen theatrical debut, starring opposite Eddie Murphy in Paramount Pictures “Imagine That” playing Eddie’s scene stealing, precocious daughter ‘Olivia.’ Yara next appeared in the feature film “Unthinkable” where she and her real life brother Sayeed played the children of Samuel L. Jackson’s character. The siblings reunited again in 2012 as Tyler Perry’s children in the international hit, “Alex Cross,” for Summit/Lionsgate.
Yara has shared the screen with some of Hollywood’s finest leading ladies including Angelina Jolie in the feature film “Salt,” and most notably, opposite Jennifer Garner in the break-out role of ‘Destiny’ in the Weinstein Company’s “Butter” which premiered at TIFF 2011 and was released in theatres in 2012.
On the small screen, Shahidi can currently be seen on the hit ABC series “Scandal,” playing the younger version of Kerry Washington’s character, ‘Olivia Pope.’
http://www.yarashahidi.com
Wayna (known by the real name Woyneab Miraf Wondwossen) is an Ethiopian-born American R&B singer.
It has been said that Grammy-nominated, Ethiopian-born, singer/songwriter, Wayna has a voice as pure as it is passionate. Stevie Wonder says "she's incredible." Essence Magazine says she is “one to watch," and Billboard Magazine calls her "a stand out on the indie front." With two Billboard chart-topping singles from her sophomore LP, Higher Ground, and a coveted Grammy nomination in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance Category for her remake, “Lovin You (Music)" featuring Kokayi, Wayna's star is on the rise.
"The Expats" is the third and latest LP from this innovative artist and represents a new and daring departure from her previous work. The project is named after its Toronto-based backing band and production team hailing from various parts of the world -- Ethiopia to Japan, Isreal to India, Germany to Jamaica. Drawing from diverse musical influences, Wayna and the Expats create a unique blend of African and Reggae-inspired soul, fused with classic and alternative rock -- Sade and the Police meets Lauryn Hill and Radiohead. This new sound, which Wayna calls “world soul” was the result of a creative journey, jamming, writing and recording with “the Expats” in Toronto over the past 2 years.
The Expats is available on ITunes and Amazon now.
Wayna on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waynamusic
In December 2012, the City of Philadelphia seized the deed of Dupree Studios and granted acquisition to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority in accordance with the Pennsylvania Eminent Domain Code. City Hall has teamed up with private developers to transform the Mantua section, including the project and development of "The Plaza", a suburban-style supermarket encompassing four full city blocks, regretfully reducing Dupree Studios to a parking lot. Sign the petition to stop this action: http://www.change.org/petitions/jannie-blackwell-michael-nutter-return-the-deed-to-property-owners-of-3617-haverford-ave-philadelphia James Dupree is an accomplished artist, educator, and business owner. Among the first black graduates of the University of Pennsylvania MFA program, and a recent recipient of the UPenn Black Alumni Society's Living Legend Award, he is in many ways an example of the success of Philadelphia’s art institutions in addressing the city’s underprivileged communities. jamesdupree.com Melinda Haring is the activism manager at the Institute for Justice (IJ), a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to defending private property rights. IJ represented Susette Kelo and her neighbors before the U.S. Supreme Court in Kelo v. City of New London,as well as many others across the country. Since the Kelo case, IJ has helped saved more than 16,000 properties through grassroots activism and played a role in reforming eminent domain laws in 44 states. IJ has been working with James Dupree since late November.
Special Guest: Samuel F. Reynolds, a Brooklyn, NY-based astrologer, has written astrology articles for online and print publications, including tarot.com, Ebony magazine and the British Black women’s magazine, Pride. Sam believes in making astrology and metaphysics accessible for everyday people with tangible ideas and practices, including his two entrepreneurial ventures: The Astrology Career Institute and The Zodiac Lounge.
Sam has a master’s degree in African American Studies from Temple University and a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies and public relations from Syracuse University. He has been studying astrology for 23 years.
Weight Broke the Wagon is a captivating and incredibly honest story chronicling the lives of three African American women in not only their quest to lose weight but they uncover the past hurt which got them there. Gina Glenn, Natosha Lewis and Rayanne McNeill each decided it was time to lose the unwanted weight.
Natosha, aka Tosh, is a popular online talk show host of Table Talk with Tosh, Sunday night, from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., EST. www.blogtalkradio.com/tabletalkwtosh. Tosh is also a best-selling author of several books to include her newly released e-book titles: Men Cheat Women Experiment and Only Fools Gamble Twice and Reaching the Unreachable. She is also the author of a children’s book, entitled, The Adventures of Squally the Squirrel. Tosh has an M.A. in Media/Communications Management.
Eugenia, aka, Gina has her Bachelors of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems and Homeland Security and is currently pursuing her MBA in Management. Gina and Tosh are currently in the process of launching her new venture which is a shoe line designed to provide women with comfortable, yet fashionable footwear. Check out her shoe line at: www.fuegofootwear.com.
Rayanne Mcneill is an entrepreneur in the Direct Sales Market with a brokerage license with 5Linx. Check out her site at: www.5linx.net/L597924. In addition to 5Linx, she is an Independent Consultant with Traci Lynn Jewelry (Tracilynnjewelry.net/rayannemcneill). Rayanne has a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
website: www.weightbrokethewagon.com
Malinda Williams is starring in and the executive producer of an UP Original Movie Marry Me For Christmas (#MarryMeForChristmas), a romantic home-for-the-holidays drama. Marry Me For Christmas will premiere exclusively on UP on Saturday, December 14 at 7 p.m. EST, with encores at 9 and 11 p.m. EST. Produced by Eric Tomosunas' Swirl Films and Malinda Williams, Roger Melvin (UP's Sugar Mommas, Love Will Keep Us Together) directs from a script by Rhonda Freeman-Baraka (UP's Saving Westbrook High, Trinity Goodheart).
Smart, stylish Marci Jewel (Malinda Williams) is the owner and creative director of an up-and-coming ad agency and thrilled with her single life in New York - except during the holidays. All of her cousins are married and having babies, Marci remains the lone holdout in the large Chandler family clan. She has put marriage and motherhood on hold for the sake of her career.
Malinda was twice nominated for an NAACP image award for “outstanding actress in a drama series. Malinda starred in The Wood, High School High, Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls and First Sunday. In 2011, Malinda starred in Percentage with Ving Rhames, Russ Parr’s The Undershephard and GMC’s A Cross to Bear. In 2012 Malinda appeared alongside Chris Rock, in Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in New York.
Best known for her role as “Bird” on the hit television series SoulFood, This busy mom always finds time to mentor young women and work with non-profit organizations such as Black Girls Rock!, Take Wings and Chrysalis Foundations.
Website: www.malindawilliams.com
Video link for Marry Me for Christmas:http://bcove.me/2s9rxjo3
Nonso Anozie, the north-west London raised actor has already built up an enviable CV as a thespian, having appeared in respected projects across TV (Stolen, Occupation, Prime Suspect), film (Cass, RocknRolla, Atonement), and theatre (King Lear, Othello, Death and the King’s Horseman).
He is currently in the new NBC drama, Dracula, brought to us by the makers of Downtown Abbey. Here, viewers can catch Nonso’s brilliant turn as R.M Renfield Alan Grayson’s/Dracula’s (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) fiercely loyal confidante.
Nonso can be seen on cinema screens, across the country appearing in mega-budget sci-fi thriller Ender’s Game. Based on the popular Orson Scott Card novel, Nonso stars as Sergeant Dap, co-starring alongside Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, and Sir Ben Kingsley.
Nono appeared in the second season of mega hit US HBO show Game of Thrones, in 2012, where he played Qartheen merchant prince Xaro Xhoan Daxos.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Nonso, who is currently busy filming a role in a live Disney-produced version of Cinderella (directed by Kenneth Branagh.
COPD, also known as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is the third leading cause of death in the United States Special Guest: Norman H. Edelman, M.D., is the American Lung Association’s leading medical authority. Having served as the Association’s Chief Medical Officer for 25 years, he is a highly sought after expert on all matters pertaining to lung health and is a seasoned media veteran. Dr. Edelman also provides patient care as a teaching clinic supervisor and is a Professor of Preventive Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Physiology and Biophysics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. From 1996 – 2006, he served in a dual capacity as Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine at Stony Brook. website: http://www.lung.org
Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him
Richard Pryor attracted admiration and anger in equal parts. He was a comedian who many consider the greatest ever, yet his triumphant stand-up work has been largely eclipsed by his mediocre movie output. His personal life was likewise something of a contradiction, because Pryor was a man of deep intelligence and sensitivity yet was also someone who could never seem to make the pieces of his life come together to create a whole. His was a fascinating, larger-than-life personality; he was as pivotal and essential a figure. Pryor the solo artist brought to a pop-obsessed generation the news that they had a past with deep roots that spoke to our shared humanity.
David Henry is a screenwriter and his brother, Joe Henry is a singer/songwriter as well as a music producer. This is their first book, and they are working on a screenplay based on Pryor's life and career.
Men We Reaped: In five years, Jesmyn Ward lost five young men in her life—to drugs, accidents, suicide, and the bad luck that can follow people who live in poverty, particularly black men. Dealing with these losses, one after another, made Jesmyn ask the question: Why? And as she began to write about the experience of living through all the dying, she realized the truth—and it took her breath away. Special Guest: Jesmyn Ward grew up in DeLisle, Mississippi. She received her MFA from the University of Michigan. A Stegner Fellow at Stanford, from 2008-2010, she has been named the 2010-11 Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi. Her debut novel, Where the Line Bleeds, was an Essence Magazine Book Club selection and a Black Caucus of the ALA Honor Award recipient. Ward's second novel, Salvage the Bones, won the 2011 National Book Award.
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). An estimated, 1.5 million Americans have lupus. Special Guest: Annette Myarick is the Chief Executive Officer for the Lupus Foundation of America’s (LFA) Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter. Prior to joining the LFA in 1991, she was with the Arthritis Foundation’s Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter for 14 years, most recently as the Vice President for Public Health Strategies. Annette has a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education from Temple University. Special Guest: Lupus advocate. Leyla Moreno, Manager of Community Relations at Health Partners. Leyla is a native of Panama. Leyla was recognized in 2008 and 2009 by Impacto Latin Newspaper and the Philadelphia Multicultural Congress as one of the ten Most Influential Latino Leaders under 40. She graduated (cum laude) with a degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Temple University. Leyla is a board member of the Lupus Foundation
Special Guest:Jeannine L. Lisitski, Executive Director of Women Against Abuse, has worked for more than 21 years in the public benefit sector, focusing on issues of poverty, violence and homelessness. Ms. Lisitski holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology and is a Ph.D Candidate (ABD), in Social Work and Social Research with a focus on homelessness. Women Against Abuse, a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency, provides comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence in Philadelphia. Our services include emergency safe haven, transitional housing, legal services, behavioral healthcare, hotline counseling, community education and advocacy. www.womenagainstabuse.org,
Oonya Kempadoo’s moving third novel, All Decent Animals, looks at the personal and aesthetic choices of a multifaceted cast of characters on the Caribbean island of Trinidad—a country still developing economically but rich culturally, aiming at “world-class” status amid its poor island cousins. It is a novel about relationships, examined through the distinct rhythms of the city of Port of Spain. Loyalties, love, conflicting cultures, and creativity come into play as Ata, a young woman working in carnival design but curious about writing, and her European boyfriend, Pierre, negotiate the care of their friend Fraser, a closeted gay man dying from AIDS. The contradictory Trinidadian setting becomes a parallel character to Fraser’s Cambridge-derived artistic sensibility and an antagonist to Ata’s creative journey. Oonya Kempadoo was born in England to Guyanese parents. She has lived in Europe and on various islands in the Caribbean. Her first novel, Buxton Spice, was published in 1998 to great acclaim. Her second novel, Tide Running, won the prestigious Casa de las Americas Literary Prize for best English or Creole novel. Kempadoo lives in St. George’s, Grenada.
How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America (August 2013) is a stirring, powerful collection of essays that explore the effects of racism, violence, and class, among other things, on American culture and society. Kiese Laymon’s writing is deeply personal yet unsentimental. He tells personal family stories that reveal the myriad influences that have shaped his life, from his formidable grandmother and rascally uncle to the hip-hop stars of the 1980s and 1990s who became role models for an entire generation of young black men across the country.
Kiese Laymon was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from Oberlin College and earned an MFA from Indiana University. Laymon is a contributing editor at Gawker.com and has written for numerous publications, including Esquire and ESPN.com. He is an associate professor of English and Africana Studies at Vassar College. Agate Bolden published his debut novel, Long Division, came out in June 2013.
Edwidge Danticat is the author of numerous books, including Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work, Brother, I’m Dying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a National Book Award finalist; Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner; and The Dew Breaker, a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and winner of the inaugural Story Prize. Claire of the Sea Light is her latest book. Claire Limyè Lanmè--Claire of the Sea Light--is an enchanting child born into love and tragedy in a seaside town in Haiti. Claire's mother died in childbirth, and on each of her birthdays Claire is taken by her father, Nozias, to visit her mother's grave. Nozias wonders if he should give away his young daughter to a local shopkeeper who lost a child of her own, so he can give her a better life.
The African-American Guide to Divorce & Drama: Breaking Up Without Breaking Down helps parties navigate the process of separation and divorce, while seeking to minimize the “drama” and trauma for them and their children–the innocent victims. It is the first comprehensive book on divorce for African-Americans. Lester L. Barclay is the managing partner of The Barclay Law Group in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of Oberlin College and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, he has practiced matrimonial law since 1985. In that time, he has earned a sterling reputation as a skilled litigator who seeks to maintain the family’s integrity during and after divorce. https://www.divorceanddrama.com
Musa Okwonga is a poet, sportswriter, broadcaster, musician, PR consultant and commentator on current affairs. He studied law at Oxford University and then trained as a solicitor in the City before leaving the legal profession to pursue a career as a poet. He is the author of two books on football, has written for The Independent, The Guardian and This Is Africa, and is the vocalist for electronica outfit The King’s Will, who have been praised by Q Magazine as “a brilliant 21st century culture clash…like a globe-straddling Mike Skinner”. You can find out more about his work at www.okwonga.com A Love Letter to London"Heavyweight":http://youtu.be/C0OeQilbuS4 The King's Will - Love, Against Homophobia: http://youtu.be/lc0zhTvZciE To men who threaten women online, “Invisible Men”. http://www.okwonga.com/?p=760
Anita T. Conner, 15 year breast cancer survivor and The George E. Thorne Development Center (GETDC) present the 8Annual Praise Is The Cure® Week of Hope, Health, and Healing, September 29 – October 5, 2013, to recognize the plight of African-American Breast Cancer patients, survivors, and their families and to spread awareness about the disease in hopes that it will help save lives. This is a FREE community event. Registration is required for certain activities. For more information, call 215-635-1025 or visit www.praiseisthecure.org. This City wide event will begin with Praise Sunday, September 29, 2013 at over 100 churches and worship centers in the Delaware Valley area. Monday, September 30, 2013 with the Maddie Movement, Children’s Festival at the Abington YMCA, 1073 Old York Road, Abington, PA. The Maddie Movement is a statewide effort to make champions out of children in the fight against breast cancer.Saturday, October 5, 2013 at the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, 6401 Ogontz Avenue in Philadelphia. Praise Is The Cure® (PITC) is a movement that cares about the breast health of our current and future generations of African American women and men. Their mission is to motivate, educate and encourage African Americans to get breast cancer screenings and treatment.
South African Singer Nothende has been said to have her ‘soul’ house in order and its no wonder because in just a matter of years, she has worked with many SA artists, recorded NO.1 hit singles and even scored herself nominations for SAMA & Metro FM awards. She recorded a song titled OOH, for the Gazlam Soundtrack (2), produced by one of South Africa’s veteran producer’s, Kaybee. The song gained Nothende her first SAMA nomination (Best Team Composition) in 2004. Nothende was part of a hip hop group, The Playoffs. They became the ambassadors of an HIV/AIDS Campaign, LIV-LIVE, funded by the US Embassy. Nothende was a backup vocalist for one of SA’s popular musicians, Lira. She also performed as part of opening acts for international artists such as Tamia, Kanye West, India Arie, Goapele, Bilal, to name a few. Nothende’s music is a fresh blend of urban/soul sounds enriched with great, smooth melodies and catchy lyrics. http://www.nothende.com
In The Meantime, an UP Original Movie, airing on 8/17/13 and 8/18/13 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. EDT In the Meantime Video clip: http://www.uptv.com/videos/watch-the-up-original-movie-in-the-meantime Special Guest: KALI HAWK (“JAZZ”) -One of Glamour Magazine’s “12 Funny Women to Watch,” Kali Hawk’s film credits include a starring role in Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn; and supporting roles in the hit comedy Bridesmaids from producer Judd Apatow, and Get Him To The Greek In addition to In The Meantime, Kali Hawk can be seen co-starring in Peeples from producer Tyler Perry. Special Guest: DARRIN DEWITT HENSON (“KWAME”) -Darrin Dewitt Henson grew to fame when playing “Lem Van Adams” on the Showtime series “Soul Food.” Henson’s additional credits include The Express, Stomp the Yard, Blood Done Sign My Name, Salon, The Inheritance, After, Tekken (based off the successful video game) and the HBO film, Life Support. As a choreographer, Henson has worked with such artists as Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and ‘N Sync. Henson is a two-time nominated Image Award actor.
Drug Addiction affects 23.2 million Americans — of whom only about 10 percent are receiving the treatment they need. Drug addiction is a dependence on an illegal drug or a medication. When you're addicted, you may not be able to control your drug use and you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Drug addiction is a disease, but a treatable disease.
Special guest: Suzan Swanton currently serves as the Grants Project Officer for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Addiction Technology Transfer Center grants. Prior to joining SAMHSA, Suzan was the Executive Director of the Governor’s State Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council in Maryland and the State Opioid Treatment Authority for Maryland. Suzan has 38 years of experience in the field of substance abuse treatment, policy development and training. In 2001, she received the Nyswander-Dole Award, which recognizes extraordinary work and service in the opioid treatment field. http://www.samhsa.gov/
Conventional wisdom has North America entering a new era of energy abundance thanks to shale gas. But has industry been honest? Cold, Hungry and in the Dark argues that declining productivity combined with increasing demand will trigger a crisis that will cause prices to skyrocket, damage the economy and have a profound impact on the lives of nearly every North American. Exhaustively researched and rigorously documented, Cold, Hungry and in the Dark: · Puts supply-and-demand trends under a microscope · Provides overwhelming evidence of the absurdity of the 100-year supply myth · Suggests numerous ways to mitigate the upcoming natural gas price spike. Bill Powers is the editor of Powers Energy Investor and previously the editor of the Canadian Energy Viewpoint and US Energy Investor. He has been publishing investment research on the oil and gas industry since 2002 and sits on the Board of Directors of Calgary-based Arsenal Energy. Powers has devoted the last 15 years to studying and analyzing the energy sector, driven by his desire to uncover unrecognized trends in the industry and identify outstanding opportunities for retail and institutional investors.
When Desiree Washington ventures into the darkly glittering world of legendary singer Bebe Jones, she gets more than just a job. She gets a family in crisis, a diva meltdown, and a head full of stitches... The Unraveling of Bebe Jones revolves around the rich and famous Jones family and the people who work for them as they cope through an array of personal dramas. The Joneses refers not only to the family at the heart of the story but also to the insanity of keeping up—to illusions of perfection, prosperity and even happiness—inherit in modern Western culture. Rojé Augustin is a native New Yorker, currently based in Sydney. She is a graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in literature and writing. She has had a number of articles published in B.E.T. Weekend Magazine, a former weekly insert in the New York Daily News. For more than a decade, she has worked as a television journalist, writer and producer for Good Morning America Weekend Edition with Diane Sawyer, 20/20 with Barbara Walters and John Stossel, CBS News Productions, The Tyra Banks Show and E! The Unraveling of Bebe Jones is her first novel. www.rojeaugustin.com
Alexes Johnson is an experienced painter working and living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in New York to a mother battling a heroin addiction, he grew up fast on the artsy but tough streets of the East Village. Shortly before his ninth birthday, his mother would lose her battle to addiction leaving Alexes in the care of the State. Adopted by a family living in Philadelphia, his passion for music and love of the Arts would be cultivated in The City of Brotherly Love. As part of the city’s underground artistic community, Alexes honed his poetry writing skills and was was in demand to share his extensive knowledge of music as a DJ. For years, Alexes battled depression and multitudes of disfunction from memories of an abusive childhood he wanted to forget. Finally coming to terms with his life while acknowledging and facing his past, Alexes was free to come out of the darkness and into light. Alexes has just completed his first novel, “Junkie Witness”, a poetic memoir of his chaotic early childhood. He continues to reside in Philadelphia where he owns and operates Renaissance Painting.
Universally hailed as a thrilling new figure in music for his edgy, lo-fi debut, The Headphone Masterpiece, back in 2002,Cody ChesnuTT is a soul troubadour whose frank, socially conscious ruminations on life continue to challenge popular notions of what modern soul music can look and sound like. The Atlanta native has always stood his own creative ground, ever since he first holed himself up in his bedroom to record The Headphone Masterpiece. Cody sang "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" on Meshell Ndegeocello's album Pour Une Âme Souveraine (or "For a Sovereign Soul"). Check it out on Sound Cloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/okayplayer/meshell-ndegeocello-to-be Landing On A Hundred, Cody’s second full-length LP, marks his return to the music game after a period of family-man retreat and reflection that did a world of good for him after his meteoric rise to near fame. The title is a reference to the slang saying, “Keeping It One Hundred,” or telling the whole truth, and for lovers of true blue Southern soul this new album is a must-have. http://www.cchesnutt.com That's Still Mama video:http://youtu.be/lYvRP4kxzJA Love Is More Than a Wedding Day video: http://youtu.be/9MDOZKKYgD0
Johnathan Bender played in the NBA for eight years. He was in the top-5 of the 1999 draft pick. he was drafted by the Pacers into a $7 million dollar contract. Pulling down 10 rebounds and scoring 31 points, Jonathan broke Michael Jordan’s scoring record set in 1981 and continues to reign as the game’s all-time leading scorer. Unfortunately, Johnathan had to leave the league after seven years of dealing with debilitating knee pain. He took four years retirement and worked on his health. While using his own product prototype—now coined the “JB Intensive Trainer”—Bender became fit enough to re-enter the NBA, where he played for another year with the New York Knicks. Amazingly, when the team doctors did strengthening tests on Bender, they discovered he had the strongest lower extremities on the team! Also wanting to give back to the community, Bender also established a non-profit organization, The Jonathan Bender Foundation, which strives to empower children in his community by providing them with the tools to obtain life skills that address their educational, health and social needs. http://thejonathanbenderfoundation.org/
Special Guest: Lauren Mandel, author of EAT UP. Lauren Mandel’s new guide, Eat Up, explains this most local of food movements to help readers learn how to use their own private and corporate rooftops to bring fresh, organic produce to their tables. Lauren holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Environmental Science. http://eatupag.com/author/lnmandel/ Special Guest: Adam Hill, City Harvest Coordinator. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s (PHS) City Harvest program taps the skills and energy of urban gardeners to make fresh, nutritious produce more widely available in under-resourced neighborhoods. PHS City Harvest gardeners grow and donate more than 20,000 pounds of produce each year, helping to feed about 1,000 families per week during the growing season. http://phsonline.org/greening/city-harvest Special Guest: Mike Hill works for USDA Forest Service on landscape architecture projects and youth programs. Previously, Mike worked for 10 years at the National Building Museum in DC. Mike is a graduate of the Virginia Tech landscape architecture program. Mike received the Community Outreach Person of the Year Award from the DC Chapter of the National Organization for Minority Architects in 2011. Children's Forest Program: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/learning/kids?cid=STELPRDB5387114
Ahmed Soultan is a Moroccan singer, considered as one of the leaders of the "Nayda".(new urban Moroccan scene). Ahmed considers his singing style as Afrobian (Afro-Arabian). He sings in four languages ( Amazigh, Arabic, English and French). Ahmed sang with Talib Kweli, Angelique Kidjo and Zap Mama on the “People Power” song. He sung with Ne-Yo on the song Amazing You. Ahmed opened the Tiken Jah Fakoli concert in Dakar. He sung on the original soundtrack of Rhimou, a popular sitcom broadcast in Morocco. Ahmed’s first album came out in 2005 called TOLERANCE. The hit single from the album “Ya Salam” is sung in Arabic and English. “Ya Salam” accompanied the opening of MTV Arabia. Second album CODE came out in 2009. The single “Achkide” from the album is sung in Berber and French. In 2011, his song “Jokko” was nominated as best North African song and best African reggae song of the year. Ahmed’s latest single is called “My Jailer”. Check out the video: http://youtu.be/NNgbHYq2fUI Ahmed recently won the MTV EMA for Best Africa/Middle East/India & Worldwide act Nominee. Website: http://www.ahmedsoultan.com/ Twitter: @soultanahmed
Kae Sun or Kwaku Darko-Mensah Jr. is a Ghanaian-Canadian singer-songwriter. Kae Sun's music has hints of soul, folk and hip-hop creating a sound that is sometimes described as urban folk. Kae Sun's debut album Lion On A Leash came out in 2009.The mostly self produced Lion on a Leash is a collection of heartfelt, well written songs that successfully combine elements of hip-hop, roots reggae and soul. He also adds elements of afro-funk, influenced by his Ghanaian upbringing. Kae Sun turned to his native Ghana for inspiration for his EP Outside the Barcode which came out in 2011. Outside the Barcode, is an authentic and reflective collection of songs that showcase Kae’s growth as a songwriter, storyteller and guitarist. Kae Sun's newest album Afriyie, comes out May 28th.It incorporates influences like Sam Cooke, Lauryn Hill, Dennis Brown, Ben Harper, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan. Website: http://www.kaesunmusic.com/ Burden of Love video: http://youtu.be/LYh3cCP7ALQ
Patricia E. Stein is a veterinary nurse, artist, and taekwondo junkie. She is Lakota. Patricia holds a black belt in Hapkido and she has competed in Taekwondo competitions for nine years. Patricia has held numerous women’s self defense courses throughout the East Coast of the United States and Cairo, Egypt. She worked with the Tahrir Body Guard (a group dedicated to ending sexual harassment in Egypt). The Arming Sisters project hopes to hold 2 day compact women’s self defense course talking on awareness and mentality as well the physical application of 10 moves that could save a woman’s life. The courses will be held at the top 20 most populated reservations and 10 stops in Canada spanning the late Summer months / early Fall. The Arming Sisters project hopes to reach at least 2000 women. http://armingsisters.com/introduction/
Special Guest: Jennifer North, Vice President of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). Jennifer joined the staff of NFCA in 2009 as the organization’s first full-time development officer. She formerly served as the Vice-President of Development for JCCs of Greater Philadelphia. For the last three years, she has been contracted by the federal Department of Health and Human Services as a grant reviewer for the Compassion Capital Fund’s Targeted Capacity-Building and Demonstration Programs. NFCA drives diagnoses of celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders and improves the quality of life for those on a lifelong gluten-free diet. http://www.celiaccentral.org Special Guest: Cheryl Harris, MPH RD has been teaching clients how to live and love a gluten-free diet for the past 9 years. She was recently selected as the “Emerging Dietetics Leader of the Year” for 2012 for Virginia. She has presented widely on Celiac Disease and a gluten-free diet for an FDA Panel, at the Virginia Dietetics Association Annual Meeting. She is currently the Nutrition Advisor for the DC Metro Area Celiac Sprue Support Group and is on the advisory board for Simply Gluten-Free Magazine.
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). An estimated, 1.5 million Americans have lupus. Special Guest: Annette Myarick: CEO, Lupus Foundation of America, Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter.The Lupus Foundation of America is the only national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, one of the world’s cruelest, most unpredictable, and devastating diseases, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Special Guest: Lupus advocate. Leyla Moreno, supervisor, community relations, Health Partners, is a bilingual (Spanish and English) community outreach professional. Leyla is a native of Panama. Leyla was recognized in 2008 and 2009 by Impacto Latin Newspaper and the Philadelphia Multicultural Congress as one of the ten Most Influential Latino Leaders under 40.
Now, for the first time, The Philadelphia Chromosome: A Mutant Gene and the Quest to Cure Cancer at the Genetic Level by Jessica Wapner tells in full the origin story of treating cancer at the genetic level, and unfolds the history behind many of those headlines, to help us understand exactly how targeting cancer at its root came to save so many lives. In her debut book, science journalist Jessica Wapner brings this story vividly to life. The Philadelphia Chromosome opens in 1959 with the discovery in a University of Pennsylvania lab of a chromosomal mutation (christened the Philadelphia chromosome) in which a piece of chromosome 22 breaks off and attaches itself to chromosome 9. Wapner has been a contributor to The New York Times, Scientific American, Slate, and many other outlets, she has been writing about cancer research for the past 13 years.
As a native of Logan WV, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. had humble beginnings before scoring the top slot on America’s Got Talent in front of a record 14 million weekly viewers. The former small town auto detailer went from washing cars to Hollywood stars, winning the hearts of judges Sharon Osbourne, Piers Morgan, Howie Mandel and TV viewers everywhere as he made his way to the top with his smooth jazz vocals and humble, gracious character. After being crowned the winner of AGT’s sixth season in September 2011, Landau released his first album “That’s Life,” which went on to debut at #1 on the Billboard jazz charts and the top 40 overall. Website: http://www.landaumurphyjr.com That's Life video: http://www.landaumurphyjr.com/video/landau-eugene-murphy-jr-thats-life
Justin Yopp, PhD is a clinical psychologist at the University of North Carolina and is a member of the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program. His clinical practice focuses on providing therapeutic services to both pediatric and adult patients with or affected by cancer. In 2010, Dr. Yopp and his colleague, Dr. Don Rosenstein, developed a support program for widowed fathers who lost their wives to cancer. They currently run a support group for widowed fathers, are conducting research in the field, and have created an online resource of this population of widowers: www.singlefathersduetocancer.org The Single Fathers Due to Cancer Program at UNC is dedicated to helping the tens of thousands of fathers who have lost their wives/partners to cancer and who are figuring out how to be an “only” parent to a grieving child. The program is first-of-its-kind in the United States and has a website offering resources, information and support to widowed fathers: http://singlefathersduetocancer.org. The site includes a series of short videos of widowed fathers discussing their experiences.
Regina Taylor: Writer, Director, Actor and Artistic Associate at Goodman Theatre With an impressive body of work that encompasses film, television, theater and writing, Regina Taylor is best known to TV audiences for her role as Lilly Harper in the series “I'll Fly Away.” She has received many accolades throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award and a NAACP Image Award. Her critically acclaimed “Crowns” continues to be one of the most performed musicals in the country. Ms. Taylor’s “The Trinity River Plays,” received the 2010 Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. Taylor was the first black woman to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway. She was a cast member for all four seasons of the CBS drama The Unit as Molly Blane. Taylor was named one of six 2012 Chicagoans of the Year by Chicago Magazine and was awarded the 2013 Oscar Micheaux Award from the Chicago Film Critics Association.
Special Guest: Roslyn Y. Rogers Collins is President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey (PPMNJ) in Newark. The centers serve nearly 20,000 men, women, and adolescents and the education department, called the Family Life Institute, presents workshops to almost 9,000 individuals. Currently the only African American CEO of a Planned Parenthood affiliate in the country, Rogers-Collins is keenly aware of the need to be culturally competent in delivering services. PPMNJ is a leading non-profit provider of quality healthcare services and education for Essex, Passaic and Hudson Counties. PPMNJ is hosting an Open House,Thursday, May 2, 2013 at The Chubb Center-PPMNJ, 151 Washington Street, Newark, NJ as the kickoff to its 85 Anniversary.
Augusta Hopkins has been teaching mindful movement since 1989 and is an experienced, colorful, creative instructor who is passionate about mindfulness practice. In addition to training in the United States, she has practiced mindfulness and movement in France, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
Augusta began facilitating meditation groups in the San Francisco Bay Area In 2006, after returning from a soul searching odyssey that brought her from Thailand's Wat Suan Mokkh to Plum Village, France where she studied under Thich Nhat Hanh.
Her MBSR training was with leading instructor and author Dr. Bob Stahl. She was mentored by and co-taught with Renee Burgard LCSW, senior MBSR instructor for Apple, Google and Stanford.
Augusta received lay ordination from Thich Nhat Hanh, her primary teacher, and is a member of the core community of the Order of Interbeing
She is a third degree black belt and has been a martial artsinstructor since 1989.
Her work is informed by a BA from Haverford College and an MBA from Presidio Graduate School in Sustainable Business Management.http://www.stressreductionsf.com
Edwidge Danticat is the author of numerous books, including Brother, I’m Dying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a National Book Award finalist; Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner; and The Dew Breaker, a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and winner of the inaugural Story Prize. Danticat’s last book, Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work, was inspired by Albert Camus and adapted from her own lectures for Princeton University’s Toni Morrison Lecture Series, here Danticat tells stories of artists who create despite (or because of) the horrors that drove them from their homelands. Combining memoir and essay, these moving and eloquent pieces examine what it means to be an artist from a country in crisis. Claire of the Sea Light is her latest book scheduled to come out in August 2013. Claire Limyè Lanmè--Claire of the Sea Light--is an enchanting child born into love and tragedy in a seaside town in Haiti. Claire's mother died in childbirth, and on each of her birthdays Claire is taken by her father, Nozias, to visit her mother's grave. Nozias wonders if he should give away his young daughter to a local shopkeeper who lost a child of her own, so he can give her a better life.
In the midst of grieving his mother’s death Scott Smith made agonizing, costly, and time-consuming mistakes regarding the execution of her will and division of her assets. If he, a lawyer, was ill-equipped to handle the hundreds of unanticipated and inescapable details, how was the average person to manage? WHEN SOMEONE DIES provides a useful framework for everything from making funeral arrangements to handling organ donation to closing Facebook accounts..It answers many of the practical financial questions that pop up in the midst of grieving. Scott Smith is a partner in Viant Capital, a San Francisco-based boutique investment bank and tech business incubator. When Someone Dies is his first book.
Yejide Kilanko was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, the daughter of a university professor and his wife. She married a computer programmer, and immigrated to Laurel, Maryland. Kilanko is now a social worker in children’s mental health and lives in Canada. Daughters Who Walk This Path is her first novel. Daughters Who Walk This Path: Spirited and intelligent, Morayo grows up surrounded by school friends and family in busy, modern-day Ibadan. An adoring little sister, their traditional parents, and a host of aunties and cousins make Morayo’s home their own. So there’s nothing unusual about her charming but troubled cousin Bros T moving in with the family. At first Morayo and her sister are delighted, but in her innocence, nothing prepares Morayo for the shameful secret Bros T forces upon her. Daughters nominated as a top-ten pick for the Giller Prize's Readers Choice Award. Nine straight weeks on the Globe and Mail Canadian Fiction Bestseller List
http://www.yejidekilanko.com
Chris Kirchner, MSW, has worked in the field of child welfare for the past twenty-eight years. For twenty of those years she has been the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance. In her leadership role at the Children’s Alliance, an accredited children’s advocacy center, Chris oversees collaborative investigations of child sexual abuse cases in Philadelphia, an average of 100 cases per month. Located in Center City Philadelphia, the Children’s Alliance offers a child friendly facility where child welfare and law enforcement professionals collaborate with the specialized forensic interviewers and victim advocates on the staff of the Children’s Alliance, to ensure that abused children receive a coordinated and compassionate response. http://paphiladelphia.nationalchildrensalliance.org
Rhett Hackett is a male survivor of child sexual abuse from age 12-17. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show - "200 Men Episode", and has been featured on Radio, television, and newspapers. He has worked with the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance and corporate initiatives to promote awareness. In addition to mentoring children, he has also presented and reaches out to adult victims of child sexual abuse to promote healing along with providing testimony to change laws in the State of New Jersey.
Dr. Chris Imafidon is a multi-award winning researcher and scientific pioneer. Father of the “Britian’s brainiest family.” He is a member of the Information Age Executive Round-table forum - which is made up of the top 15 IT experts, decision-makers, CIOs, and executives in the UK. He also has been a guest lecturer at the University of Oxford (Keble College) and a visiting Professor to various American Universities, including Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, SUNY, Georgetown, Miami, LSU, and has collaborated with scientists at Yale University. He has served as head of the Management of Technology Unit at Queen Mary University of London. He is currently an honorary member of the board of Excellence in Education programme (www.ExcellenceinEducation.org.uk)\
His eldest child Anne-Marie passed GCSEs in both ICT (Information Communication Technology) and Mathematics aged ten. The second eldest of the children, Christiana shot to fame when she passed her Maths GCSE aged nine. The twins Peter and Paula took their Maths GCSEs aged just six. His daughter Samantha passed her Maths and Statistics GCSEs aged 6. She has written a book with her siblings called 'Maths Manual' to help her friends and other girls her age to succeed in Maths like she has. Website: www.imafidons.com